Adventures in sewing - baby pants and a headband

I bought this great stash of this purple fleece from the clearance bin. I thought that it would make some comfy pants for my daughter for when the weather got cold. I found the pattern at Make Baby Stuff . Com. It was aa very easy pattern to sew (even for a beginner like me). I kinda wish I had first made a pair with a different material because I found the polar fleece really thick to sew with (especially where the layers doubled up). But I did it! My first pair of pants! You can find the online pattern and tutorial here.

Seeing as I had the sewing machine out anyway...
I stumbled on this really easy baby headband pattern on the same site. This was really fast to make. I think I'll be making a few of these once I get a stash of really cool scraps. This pattern and tutorial are found here

A couple more cakes

This is one of my earlier cakes and the first one I did with a rental pan. Rental pans are great for easy cake decorating. They come with step by step how to instructions. I get my pans at the Bulk Barn.

If you can see the cake in this picture. (this is what happens when you don't keep good photo files and go searching for pictures). This is my Elmo cake I made for my oldest son's 2nd birthday. It's also from a rental pan. The most difficult thing was getting the icing to be RED. Buy red icing if you can find it! It takes an insane amount of food dye to get a good red colour. I used the thick food dye from Wiltons to get the red colour.

More Cakes

If you are visiting from Pinterest, thanks for checking my cakes out! I've updated this post to link back to my recipe site where there are more cake details.

This was my son's 3rd birthday cake, the only thing difficult about it was getting the orange colour.


This is the cake I am most proud of making, it was a lot of work to get the Canucks symbol, but I did it!


This was the cake I fought at making, but it turned out alright. Click here to find my original post.


This is proof that renting one of those cake pans from the Bulk Barn is worth it.


This is my favorite cake. It was so easy and so much fun to do.  Click here to find my original post.

Cake!

One thing I look forward to each year is decorating cakes for family birthdays (or other random events that involve cake). These were my boys' cakes for their 2010 birthdays. My cakes are made from scratch and the designs are me being creative. I did take a cake decorating class with my mom about 10 years ago (I can't believe it was that long ago!). She's recently got back into decorating with a group of friends (one who runs her own catering/cake business and makes the most beautiful cakes). I just like to do it when the time calls for it.
If you are visiting from Pinterest, thanks for checking my cakes out!  I've updated this post to link back to my recipe site that has a few more cake details on it.  The Cars Cake can be found here and the Spider-Man Cake can be found here.

My next project - a re-post

Look what I got...some 30's storybook reproduction fabric. These are the fabrics I'm going to use to make O's name in stuffed letters.

Like this, but not Sara.

I've been creative - a re-post (or the Taggie Blankie)

This is the little taggie blankie I made for O. the other night. I used stuff I already had. The blankie part is two pieces of the pink chenille I had leftover from the little quilt I made her. The ribbon is from piles of ribbon that I've kept just in case. This was really easy to do. I cut the chenille into two equal sizes and then put them together so the 'good' sides were facing each other. I then cut 10 pieces of different ribbons into different lengths (about 3-4 inches each). I folded each ribbon in half and then sandwiched the fold inside the fabric, leaving a tail out. The tails I folded over the fabric on each side and pinned on. I then sewed around the edges of the blankie, making sure to reinforce the ribbons. I left a 2 inch hole and started to turn the blankie out to the good side. It was then that I realised that I had pinned the ribbons backwards. So here marks the first time my seam ripper came in handy. I took out all the thread that was holding in the offending ribbons. Re-folded (correctly this time), reinserted and sewed it all together again. This time when I turned the blankie out, it looked great. I sewed the opening shut and decided to go around the whole thing once more to give it a finished look. The result I think is cute and more importantly, O. loves it!

I have the makings of an addict - a re-post

I can see how people fall in love with the art of sewing. There is something very satisfying in creating and being able to look at something and think "I made that". I spent today making some very basic costumes for next week's VBS. It basically gave me the opportunity to practice sewing a seam and sewing straight.
I spent a good portion of my free time over the past few days looking up projects and ideas. I'm in love with Maggie and Sparrow. I really want to try my hand at making a bird mobile like she has on her site. I also discovered that there is a fabulous fabric store 15 minutes away from where I live. I had so much fun looking through their fabrics online and look forward to visiting their shop (hopefully sometime this week). I especially love their 1930's reproductions. They remind me of the quilt that Jill made for J.. The one I steal all the time to curl up in myself. Maybe it's time I gave Jeremy his quilt back and made one of my own?
Speaking of which. I've been so blessed to have been gifted so many beautiful quilts for my children from Jill and Mom over the past number of years. I loved them so much before and I love them that much more now. I'll have to take new pictures of them all and post them again to show how gorgeous they are.
Now I am a woman of many projects. First up is finishing my Rageddy Ann and Andy dolls restorations. The original clothes are mended and washed. The dolls are washed. The stains are removed. I'm working on the hair right now (Andy received 1/2 a head of hair last night and I hope to finish his tonight, Ann will be next). Then, I need to make each of them new hats as well as an apron and bloomers for Ann.
I then want to make some things for O.. I found some pretty purple micro-fleece in the clearance bin today to make her some comfy, warm pants to crawl around in this fall. There's enough material that I could make a shirt too (if I find a pattern), as well as a hat (which I do have a pattern for).
I also am aiming to make a few baby toys (a little taggie blanket with the scraps from the baby quilt, and a soft rattle). I'd also like to make her name in soft letters, I think that's so cool. So it looks like once Olivia has her own room (or at least a better space in our room that's hers) the theme will be storybook antique. It goes so well with the Peter Rabbit quilt Mom made her that's on her crib. As well as the Ann and Andy that I'm restoring for her.
I got out a great little sewing book for baby things at the library called Simple Sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter that has some pretty things in it. I'd love to make her one of those little dresses, so sweet. Though Taryn did tell me about a simple Pillowcase dress that would be so cute too.
E. has asked for a Jedi Robe, so I found a pattern for those online too. And you know if I make one for him, I have to make one for J. too :o). Lots to keep me busy and practice this new skill.

My New Toy - a re-post

I did it. After how many years of hemming and hawing and saying I didn't need one and feeling intimidated at the thought of having one, I bought a sewing machine.

I'm really glad it came with a how to use DVD because the whole idea of this really intimidated me.  I walk into fabric stores and get a feeling that the people working there are looking at me and thinking "what is SHE doing here?  SHE doesn't belong".  But I also look at the beautiful things my mom and a few of my friends have made and long to be able to do that.  It irks me spending money to have Stitch It hem my husband's pants because I know it's probably a very easy thing to do yourself. 

Once I got past all that and dove in, it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.  And I really enjoyed it.  I can see how some people become addicted.  I made a little quilt from a quilt kit.  Here it is:

I know it isn't perfect, not even close really.  But I had fun.  I can see the mistakes and take from them all because this was my first project and the whole point was to learn.  And I learned a lot.  Here's a few things that came up:

-always put the presser foot down - that was a bit of a mess
-watch out for pins coming up the line (I broke a needle because of this)
-a rotary cutter is necessary if I want to make more quilts - I hand cut all the pieces and they were a bit of a mishmash
-check the piecing together part over - one row of blocks is backwards and the rows aren't straight

I actually didn't intend to make a quilt, I wanted to make O. some leggings, but I saw this kit and thought it would be a good little project for me. I really like how there are so many different textures in it for her little hands to explore. I think she likes it too.

Side note: The back is the green stripe flannel.  I just didn't take a picture of that.

Old Posts Die Hard

So in all fairness this blog kinda started on my personal blog.  But since very few people see that one I thought I'd re-post over here and get this blog off to a good start.  So here comes the re-posting.

Crafty How Exactly?

I'm the sort of all over the place crafty.  I have ideas, I have projects on the go but I'm no expert at anything.  I love to create in the kitchen with recipes and a little cake decorating.  I am the proud owner of a brand new sewing machine that I'm learning how to use.  I have crafty projects with my kids.  I scrapbook (but not so much since said kids have been around).  I love photography.  See, I'm all over the place.  I have a small wishlist of crafty accessories that I'm saving for.  First a much better lens for my camera.  Second, a rotary cutter and self healing mat.  We'll see what I can do when I have them.

Just how many blogs does a girl need anyway?

For some women it's shoes, for others, purses or fabric.  For me, it's blogging.  I know it probably says something very profound about the fact that I keep several blogs, compartmentalizing myself.  I just see it as proof of my organizational skills.  I like to cook so I keep a recipe blog.  I love to read so I log my books in my book blog.  I have thoughts about parenting so I joined up with my friend Jill to write a parenting blog.  I also have a personal, private blog that close friends and family can read.  I like to have projects on the go and want to blog about them too, but needed a place to put them so voila!  this blog is born.