A Place for Crafts

Multi-Tasking

2011-02-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

I LOVE multi-tasking! If something can be used in one way, it can probably be used in another. Which is why, when I started this project, I decided that if the front was good, the back could be used as well. But, I wanted to make sure it would work before I did two. Since it did, I made a back side to my word blocks of yesterday.

Front:

Back:

Front:

Back:

Inspiration in the form of a wooden board

2011-02-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

While eating breakfast this morning, I looked out the window and saw this board on my back porch. It isn't unusual for me to see random pieces of wood on the porch - when my parents moved they left us a bunch of wood to be burned in the fire pit, and Paul likes to haul it out to build bridges. What is unusual is for me to be inspired by said wood. And, that is what happened this morning. I'm not sure why, but some days are just more inspirational than others.

So, with an idea in mind, I set to work. I measured and found the board to be 2.5" wide and 0.75" wide. I pulled out my handy-dandy saw and started cutting.

The idea was to cut them into squares, and that worked, for the most part. So, now I had a bunch of 2.5"x2.5" squares.

Next comes paint. Lucky me, I had a bunch of black left from Halloween. A few coats, and all my squares were black.

And, this is the part where I forgot to document steps. I recently made labels for my dry goods containers on the counter, and I really liked the font. This font was perfect for my inspiration, so I pulled my spandy new Silhouette out and got to cutting. Since my blocks were 2.5" squares, I cut the font about 2.25" tall. Then, I painted a layer of Mod Podge on each square. On to each square I stuck a letter. And ended up with "LAUGH" and "LOVE". Add another layer of Mod Podge, and now my blocks are shiny as well as black with letters. Almost there, I thanked my lucky stars that I picked up eye hooks at Home Depot this morning. So, in the top and bottom of each block I screwed in an eye hook. Whew! Now a picture.

With the hooks in, all that was left was to attach the letters to each other. I bent the bottom hook out -

and slid the following letter on.

I repeated this process until I got the whole word together. And hung.

With "LOVE" I decided to hang them staggered. Due to their location, I couldn't get a good picture front on. They are really more even than they look. I promise.

I still haven't figured out exactly how to hang them. I mean, they are on the wall, but they need something more. Anyway. My favorite part of this project was the price. $2. Really. I bought the eye hooks for $2 this morning, but that was all I had to buy. The wood was scrap, the spray paint left over from Halloween, and the paper some of my stock on hand. Yeah! (One day I will have to learn to take pictures well so that you can really see how cute these babies are!)

Alphabet Blocks

2011-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

You may have guessed by now that I have a child who is obsessed with letters. So, for Christmas I made a set of alphabet blocks for Brigham. Here they are.

I made them by cutting a 1.5"x1.5" board into cubes, sanding, mod-podging on paper, and then adhering vinyl lettering. If I did them again, I would not use the letter paper in the background, it makes it just a little too busy. But, overall, I was pleased. And Brigham was ecstatic. Thanks Brya and Erin for cutting my letters!

(And yes, I do know that there is a "w" in the alphabet. Much to my chagrin, the dog has already gotten hold of one of Brigham's blocks!)

Easy Ruffle tutorial

2011-01-13T20:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, I have been working on a little project that I decided needed a pleated ruffle on the outside edge. I have never done a pleated ruffle, so I just decided to wing it. And, it was super easy and looks great when finished! So, I thought I would share.

First, I pulled out a handy-dandy craft stick. I have a million of them on hand because Brigham is slightly obsessed with them. Then, I added some marks. I just eye-balled what looked good, but in case you are interested, the measurements are 2" for the length and 0.75" for the fold. (I am sure that must be some mathematical ratio of some perfect form!) Anyway, I laid the craft stick down and put the "length" mark at the top edge. If you are just starting, this would be the edge of your ruffle fabric.

Then, I folded the fabric from the bottom back over the stick until it got to the "fold" mark.

Pull the craft stick out, and pin your fold down.

Repeat as many times as you need to get around your piece.

Then, you put your seam in, and flip it out. This is what the finished ruffle edge on mine looked like...

Aren't you dying to see what I made? Oh well, you will have to wait until I get Joy's done too...

Sock Puppet tutorial

2011-01-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

So, you want to make super-fantastic sock puppets that all the neighbor kids will be jealous of? Well, I guess I can let you in on my little secret. It is a piece of plastic in the mouth.

Here's how it works: Get an old milk jug and cut out a section of flat surface.

Now, fold that piece in half and cut a couple of ovals out. The size of your flat space will determine how many ovals you get out of it. And, your ovals should be about the size of your little one's finger-to-thumb space where they would normally stick the sock puppet mouth.

I can usually get two ovals out of a large flat. One..

and two. These don't need to be perfect, they are just going to be inside the mouth to give it some permanence.

Now, this step is really important if you want to spare your fingers glue gun misery. Push the toe of the sock inside to make a pocket. Don't go too far back, just a couple of inches. Test the space by sticking your plastic oval in it. The folded edge goes in first and should hit the toe of your sock, the rounded edges should about sit on your socks lips.

Now that you have your sock in position, take your cut and folded plastic between finger and thumb,

and run hot glue along the edges of both sides. Don't worry about that spot where you are holding, you can go back and get that later.

Now, this is the trickiest part of all. Really, it is persnickety. And I am not just saying that 'cause I like the word. You need to slip that hot-glued plastic into the pocket you created for the mouth, but you don't want the hot glue to touch the sock until it is in place. Just slide it in and squish it down. But, don't squish too hard or you will glue his mouth together. (If you need to do this for therapy since you can't do it to your kids, go ahead, glue those lips together.)

When you have this done, you can go back and glue those little spots on front and back where your fingers where.

Once you get the mouth in, it is the traditional stuff - eyes, hair, etc. Okay, I only do eyes and hair. But let me tell you, this little plastic bit makes the sock puppet SO much more functional! It will get played with far more often, because the mouth works! Hope you have fun!

Happy Birthday Banner

2011-01-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Did I mention my most favorite gift for Christmas this year was a Silhouette? Well, I got one, and am in LOVE! Today was Joy's birthday, so I whipped out this super cool pendant banner, and she LOVED it! And, it was pretty easy.

To make it, I cut triangles from cardstock, and then cut her letters (500 pt Curlz font) out of coordinating paper. I glued the letters on with good old-fashioned Elmer's Glue (since I didn't have anything easier on hand). Then, I punched holes in the corners and threaded them through on 5/8" grosgrain ribbon. All in all, it was a pretty easy project, and the receiver appreciated it, which is even better.

I ordered a laminator which was supposed to have arrived on Friday, but when it gets delivered tomorrow, I will be laminating these puppies so this can be pulled out every year. I have decided that, when I do the boys, I will use darker colors for the background, they stood out much better. And, since they are boys, I will use a chunkier font so it shows up better. Who knows, I may even redo a few of Joy's. Nah, who am I kidding?

Corn husk wreath

2010-11-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

I found this cute wreath on HowDoesShe the other day, along with instructions. So, I tried it. And, although the copy of their copy of someone else's wreath didn't turn out perfect, it wasn't too bad. And it was really easy to accomplish.

I am not sure how I am going to store it, but I am certainly going to try!

Block Pumpkin

2010-10-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

Looking for a cute, easy, fast, cheap Halloween/Thanksgiving decoration? Look no farther. These pumpkins are SUPER easy, and they turn out pretty darn cute. Ready for the instructions? Okay, here we go.

First, cut your block. I used a 2x2 (which really means a 1.5"x1.5") that I then cut down square. I also did a 4x4 (which really means 3.5x3.5) and squared that. Next, cut 5 pieces of orange-y scrapbook paper to the same squares. You can use all the same, all different, or any variety of the bunch. Just cut them. Next, follow these instructions and mod podge all sides of your block but one. (You know, six sides to your block, five pieces of paper...) Make sure you sand the edges, it will look MUCH cuter!

You will end up with one side of the block not covered, this is the bottom of your pumpkin. You could cover it, but no one will ever see it, so why bother?

Okay, now pull out your hammer and nails. I used a 2" common nail here, but if you can get a hold of horseshoe nails, those would be SO much cuter!

Hammer your nail on the side opposite the un-covered side. So, like, the top. Hammer the nail in until you get a good length stem. Now, if you can find nails a little shorter than the 2", that probably wouldn't be too bad. If you hammer the 2" ones in too far, your block will split in half. I only pounded them in about 1".

Wow, you are almost there! So far you have the pumpkin and the stem, now you just need leaves. I used some green grosgrain ribbon for this part. Feel free to get creative. I cut a piece about 4", but again, this is totally a matter of taste. A little more or less probably won't kill you.

Take your ribbon and tie it in a single knot around your nail, then slide it down to the base, so it is sitting right on top of the wood.

And, you're done! Cute pumpkins, very little time or expense. Enjoy!

Wood Words

2010-10-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

In quest of more Halloween decorations, I made these over the last two days. I got 4x4s, 2x4s and 2x2s and cut them down to fit the words that my sister Brya so kindly cut out of vinyl. Then, using some modge podge and scrapbook paper, I covered the boards in paper. After a little sanding, I added the letters and now have these great word boards!

When I feel like Brya has had enough of a break from her cutting, I am going to cover the back and bottom with autumnal paper and try a fall bunch! For easy modge podge instructions, see How Does She.

More flowers

2010-10-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

I know, I have gone a little crazy. But, they are so darned cute! I figured out today, that with 45" wide, 6" strip of fabric, I can make 8 flowers. With the fabric I got today, that means I have the potential of 56 flowers, and I only paid $2.50 for the fabric! I got lucky a year ago and and friend gave me a bunch of great buttons, and in my mind at least, the button makes a big difference. I guess I have a new treasure to look for at the thrift store now!

Halloween Decor

2010-10-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

After pulling out all of my Halloween decorations, I just wasn't quite satisfied with what I had. So, I thought, did some Internet research (I love http://www.howdoesshe.com/) and got to work. This was the end result. The mantle, at least. How did I create this work of art? Well, let me share.

First, I made a trip to the thrift store. There, I found the black roses, a brass candelabra, assorted round tins, and I stocked up on picture frames. None of them matched, but that doesn't really matter. Once I got everything home, I took the frames, the candelabra and one of the tins back and spray painted them all a glossy black. It took a couple of coats, but for $0.98, I got seven black frames, was well as a spooky black candelabra.

Then, came the making of the silhouettes. Yes, those are actually my kids. I tried the old fashioned - get the kids to stand next to the wall, shine a light, and trace - method, but that would require children to sit still for more than 5 seconds. Not even Joy is capable of that. So, after several failed attempts, I just stood the child against the wall and took a picture of their profile.

Then, I opened up Word, inserted the picture, and used the line drawing feature to trace the outline of their profile. Once they were all done, I sized them to fit the frames I had, and printed the profile on black card stock. Then, in the back of each frame, I put in some Halloween colored card stock and added the silhouettes. They turned out really cute. As you can tell from this picture, Joy did not have a ponytail on the night her picture was taken, but she does in her silhouette. I added that later, because it just looked weird going straight down the back.

For the bats, I went to http://www.familyfun.go.com/ and looked up their printable bat template. These were printed on black card stock and framed like the silhouettes.

After the mantle was done, I moved into the bathroom. I covered the assorted tins with scrapbook paper, stuck tapers in the black candelabra and put in the bat picture that didn't fit on the mantle. If I had a Silhouette, I would have gotten clear hand soap, pulled off the label, cut the word "Boo!" out of black vinyl, and stuck it on the front of the soap container with an orange ribbon. As it is, I only dream of owning a Silhouette. However, I am vastly contented with my decor for the year, and the kids are loving looking at their silhouettes on the mantle!

More fabric flowers

2010-10-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

I just can't resist making these darn flowers! They are so quick, easy and cheap! Just 6" of fabric yields bunches of these babies! Here is today's batch - I especially like the look of the canvas ones. They just look classy. Now if I can only find some more cool buttons at the thrift store!

Halloween Heat Transfer

2010-10-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

I love a good sale. The other day, I found solid colored hats on sale at Walmart - $2 a piece. So, I bought white, red, and green for each child, knowing inspiration would hit. And, when I got home and pulled out the Halloween decorations, it did. Did you know that there is heat transfer vinyl? Yup. There is. (I buy mine from the Vinyl SuperStore.) So, I bought some black (as well as a few other colors) and got to work. Since I don't have a vinyl cutter (although I am working on a propaganda campaign to get a Silhouette for Christmas), I pulled out some scissors and cut. Black eyes, white eye dots, and letters. I just did a basic Word Art in Word for the boo!, flipped it to mirror image, and cut the vinyl. Then, it was a fairly simple matter to iron the faces and words on the appropriate spots. Alright, it was a pain in the neck to get those darn things on due to the bowing from the hat bill, but I think it was well worth the work.

Why on earth do they need matching hats? I know I can hear you asking. Well, let me tell you. It is hard to keep track of four kids in a crowd. But, put them in matching hats that no one else is wearing, and your job just got 89% easier. It really is incredibly helpful. And, you don't notice so much when Joy has won the I-don't-want-to-brush-my-hair battle!

Picture frame hair clip hanger

2010-10-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

I did not realize until recently how many AMAZING blogs there are out there just bursting with good ideas! I have been loving it, and probably getting a little too far gone on the idea front. Anyway, a few weeks ago I found this, a great tutorial on a hair clip holder made from an old picture frame. So, I have been scouring the thrift stores in our area looking for a frame that would work. Nothing. So, I made a trip to a little bigger town and SCORED! It isn't as fancy as I was hoping for, but the price was right. This baby cost me $6.99! It did have a picture inside, but that is another story for another day.

First came a coat of bright fuchsia spray paint to match the accents in Joy's room.

Then I hot glued ribbon on the back, 2" apart.

Viola! Wall art/hair clip holder. And, now you know the color of Joy's walls, too!

Flower pin

2010-10-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

I found this cute flower pattern the other day on Wise Craft, and couldn't wait to try it. Then, I found a cute hat at Kohl's, but it had a HORRIBLE flower monstrosity on it. So, I bought it, ripped the monstrosity off, and have been looking for something to replace it. This flower idea was perfect. Go here to find the instructions. I did two tonight, and they were really fast and easy. I think one would take less than 10 minutes total, if you were doing them one at a time. Of course, I never do just one thing at a time!

With a pin attached to the back, they made my two blah hats pretty darn cute!

Lunch box re-vamped

2010-10-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

I went to the thrift store the other day, in search of a frame to make this fabulous wall accessory for Joy's room, but I couldn't find what I needed. Instead of going home empty handed, they boys and I headed over to the Halloween section to see what treasures we could find. And we ended up with...this - Yes, it is a Wizard of Oz lunch box. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I knew it would be worth the $1.29 I paid for the box. So, I took it home and the wheels started turning. Brigham, as you know, is obsessed with letters and words. I have taken to finding creative ways to make more alphabets for him. He doesn't seem to be able to get enough. What if I made him a letter lunch box? He has lots of letter magnets, and if I could transform this lunch box into something a little more...boyish and letter-y, he could put the magnets in the box and it could go with us to doctor's appointments and such. It would be perfect! It would combine practicality with learning, and give me another fun project to work on! Alright, I know I am not making any sense, so I am going to give you a sneak peek just so you don't doubt my sanity.

See, the magets stick to the outside

But are stored on the inside.

Now that you no longer doubt my sanity, the instructions:

First, Oz had to go. I taped up the parts I wanted to stay silver (the snap was just too difficult, it got sprayed) and took black spray paint to the sides.

This is what it looked like post-spraying. I kind of like the two-color snap. Then, I modge podged twice over the black. I went with the cheap black spray paint at Walmart, and although effective for turning things black, was very drab looking when done. I figured the modge podge would give it some shine and durability.Then came the tricky part, the application of the letter paper. Unfortunately, I didn't get a single picture of the process. My hands were a little too gluey, and the process was a little too experimental. Basically, I cut the paper approximately the size of the box, put down a layer of modge podge, and stuck on the paper. The edges were a little rough, so no close-ups will be disclosed. After adhering the paper, I put on two more layers of modge podge, again for durability. This time I could have done without the shiny, but I am too cheap to go get a matte version. This is what I ended up with -

Word to the wise - if the cute lunch box you picked up at the thrift store has rust on it, you may want to cover it with spray paint, sealant, or some other magic. I didn't, and after the second outside layer of modge podge, the rust soaked through. Oops!

Thank heavens it was on the back, and the 5-year-old boy who gets this box isn't picky!

Yo-Yo pacifier holders

2010-09-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Janet was having a baby shower this week, and I was at a loss as to what to make for her. All of my usual projects require a sewing machine, and since my trusty Viking bit the dirt a year ago, I haven't summoned up the courage to brave the very possible one my dad got for me at a garage sale. So, I had to find something that didn't require machine sewing. Then I remembered being on Etsy a few weeks ago and seeing this very cute pacifier holder. See the original at Creations by Kara.

Being the ambitious but not necessarily rational person I am, I thought, "Gee, that looks cute. I bet I could make one of those!" So, I ran to Walmart, my secret stash of cute fabric being too secret to find for the moment, and picked up a few inches of ribbon.

Side story. When I arrived at the Walmart cutting counter, I was very careful to ask the friendly woman helping me what increment they cut by, yardage or inches. She politely told me they could cut by the inch. So, I told her I needed 5 inches of each fabric. You will imagine my astonishment when, out of the blue, some random woman in a motorized cart comes around the corner and says to me, "You know, it would really be easier for her (the Walmart associate) if you would ask her to cut your fabric in yardage." What? Who is this lady and why does she think she has the right to tell me how to get my fabric cut? You must be nuts! She must have been too busy interfering in someone else's business to have been there when I very carefully verified that I could get what I wanted cut in inches! Am I using to many exclamation points? I was definitely experiencing in exclamation points! I just said, "I checked before I asked, and they can cut to the inch. I want 5 inches." Let's just say that this did not end the discussion, but I have probably rambled long enough.

So, after I obtained my ribbon, I picked up some suspender snaps and headed home. I found directions for fabric yo-yo's from Heather Bailey. Fortunately for me, I am a craft pack rat so I had plenty of ribbon and vintage buttons on and for the rest of the project. After declining many offers of help from my children, this is what I ended up with:

I have decided that if we have another baby girl someday, it may well be worth forcing her to use a pacifier so I can make some of these babies for her!

For Angela

2009-05-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend, Angela who I just love to talk about projects with. This evening, while I was working, I had to tell her about the fun things I was working on. So, here they are. I had so much fun with Joy's skirt last year, that I decided to make a couple for myself to just kick around in. I would take a picture with them on, but I am afraid my legs aren't much darker than the cream of the fabric, and I am not so sure that it would really show the skirts to their best advantage!

I got fabric to do two skirts, but I decided to use the leftover scraps to do a patchwork skirt. Hence this one. If you want to try it, I found the skirt instructions at Just Tutes.

I also found a pattern for pin cushion chickens, and they are my new favorite thing to make. Here is the one I worked on tonight.

Dustjacket Placemats

2009-03-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite origial ideas is dustjacket placemats. I love getting new books, but I always feel bad about the dustjacket. I mean, what are you really supposed to do with the dustjacket on that book? I have a hard enough time trying to get my kids not to rip the pages of the book, the dustjacket is history. So for years, when I have gotten a new book, I have taken the jacket off and put it in a file. Then, inspiration hit! And here is my great idea -

To make a dustjacket placemat, collect a piece of posterboard, clear contact paper, a pair of scissors, and a gluestick (if you really want).

Cut your posterboard into quarters, and this gives you the perfect size for a placemat. Now, you get to hack up your dustjacket. Look all over for pictures, not just on the front and back. I also like to cut out the little book blurb, but I don't always use it. Cut them out however you like. I'm not a big cut-on-the-line kind of girl, so I give about a quarter inch edge around them.

Now, assemble all your cut-outs and arrange. If you want, use your glue stick to tack them in place. However, you will be covering the whole mess in contact paper, so there is no real need.

Finally, cover the whole thing with clear contact paper. I always cut more contact paper than I need, much better have room for error than end up with not enough. I cut my pieces 15.5" tall and the just used the width of the contact paper. I tried to take a picture of the process, but I was having a hard time just getting the stuff on straight.

When you get that done, you have two options. You can just flip it over and repeat the contact paper on the blank side, or you can put more pictures on and make it double-sided. I always make them double-sided.

Lastly, trim your edges down to 3/8th of an inch. That's what it says to do on the contact paper directions, so that's what I do. And, viola! Dustjacket placemats. Here are some others that I have done to give you an idea of possible layouts.

Bows with Panache

2009-03-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

As you have probably figured out, I am a bit obsessive. When I do something, I want to do a MILLION! I tell myself that I am just a real artist, and I want to work on something until I get it right. Not surprisingly, after doing my St. Patty's korker bows, I wanted to do some more. Fortunately for me, I have a lot of ribbon just sitting around, so I had plenty of material to work with. So, I tried using a bunch of different ribbons, and here is what I came up with.

What's that you say? You would really like to seem them closer up so you get all the details? Oh, well, if you insist.
What's that? How do they actually look in someones hair? Well, Joy is usually willing to model for anything.

Alright, I know you are just being polite, so I won't subject you to anymore pictures. Just the commentary.

I figured out why people don't generally use satin ribbon. It curls just fine, but it is heavy, so the curls tend to pull out. I will only use them as filler, and make them shorter. Otherwise they just stretch out too long. I really like how grosgrain holds its exact shape, as does the sheer ribbon I have tried. Overall, I like bows with lots of different kinds of ribbon, not just different colors. It gives them more texture.

Recycled Crayons

2009-03-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

What do you do with all those broken crayons? Turn them into a fun craft project, of course. Although, I will say, I think I had as much or more fun than the kids did on this one. I actually started breaking apart only slightly used crayons to make these. (True, I always stock up at the beginning of the school year, but that is beside the point.)

To make, cut the wrapper off your crayon - I recommend a slit down the side with a box cutter versus tearing the paper off manually - and break the crayon into pieces. Then, put the broken pieces into a muffin pan.

You can use a regular muffin pan, but I found that those end up so big they are hard to use. Instead, I use a mini-muffin pan. I had a friend who used a mini-donut pan, and those looked really cool, but I don't have one. In these pictures, I actually lined the pans with foil, but it was a real pain, and since we don't use the mini-muffin pans for muffins, I did the next batch with no foil. (Maybe a trip to the thrift store is on the horizon.) Bake your crayon bits at 300 degrees. Your time required depends on the number of crayons and size of the muffin pan. With the mini I started checking at 5 minutes. The ones that weren't as full were definitely entirely melted, but the more full ones weren't done yet. You need to balance and not over cook because over-cooking (aside from smelling really melty) seems to separate the color from the wax and produce uneven color distribution in the crayon. When the crayons are just melted, remove from oven. I dragged a toothpick around the top of the crayon soup to give them a marbled look, but it doesn't really effect anything but the top layer.

Then, I popped them in the freezer to set. When they were hard, I rocked the edges of the pan back and forth (like an ice-cube tray) and whacked them upside down on the counter. They came out pretty smoothly.

The pan is no longer food-friendly, but we have cute crayons. They work really well for covering large areas, but not for detail coloring. Also, have fun putting different color combinations together, I am always surprised at what comes out nicely and what looks gross. Oh, don't stir when they come out of the oven unless you are hoping to blend into one solid color.

St. Patty's Korker Bows

2009-03-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

I love St. Patrick's Day! Don't ask me why, but I just love it. Every year I look for some new craft to celebrate with. Lately, I have been into hair

bows. I like korker bows, but I haven't done them before. When I looked up instructions, usually they say to use grosgrain ribbon. Well, grosgrain is more expensive, and I don't have just yards of it laying around. (Okay, I do, but that is beside the point. That ribbon already has plans in place.) But, I do have TONS of satin and other ribbon that I don't really have plans for. So, I decided to put it to use. TA DA! Korker bows. Apparently, you can use many different types of ribbon. The instructions I used came from Girly Things. They recommend using Fray Check or clear nail polish on the ends, but I am a pyro, so I prefer to use an open flame. Although, curly as they were, I might try the nail polish next time. Anway, they turned out pretty cute. I used two different width ribbons, and I liked the effect. I am excited to try other ribbon types and see how they work too. Oh yes, for this type ribbon, I baked them for 25min at 275.

Mystery Quilt

2009-03-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

So, I tried the "Turning Twenty...Again" pattern, and wasn't entirely happy with the resutls. As you can see, I still haven't put on a border or back, hopefully that will help. The colors just didn't turn out the way I had hoped. I wasn't going to put two of the greens, the orange, or the teal in, but I added them to make a bigger quilt. Next time, I will go for the smaller but definately better quilt.

Meow

2009-01-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

The other project I have worked on recently is this cute cat. I had scraps left from a jumper outfit I made for Joy for Christmas, and decided to make her a cat neck-pillow from them for her birthday. The rounded body goes around the neck and, viola! A perfect neck pillow. I love the fancy flannel. I made one several years ago out of the recommended solid polar fleece, and it looked fine, but not really nearly as fun. I am thinking about doing these for the boys for their birthdays. There is a monkey, lion and dog on the pattern as well, so that would be enough for each boy. I don't think I will be able to find such great fabric multiple times, but maybe I will get lucky.

Christmas Quilts

2009-01-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a friend the other day, and her husband asked if I had been doing anything crafty lately. Besides being taken a little aback at the question from such a surprising request, I also realized that I was feeling that I hadn't been doing anything crafty lately. Then I remembered, "Oh yeah! Christmas!" I have been crafting, just with focused and energetic zeal. I did quilts for Paul and Brigham. And, they were a lot of fun.

This one is Paul's, and is made from the Bento Box pattern. The top is made from old denims collected over the years.

This one for Brigham is the Rail-Fence pattern. At least, I think that is what it is. After eyeballing quilts of this make at several friend's homes, I started to covet it. After it was described to me, I decided to try it out. I made a small change. Instead of doing all the patches as three-piece patches, I cut the back pockets out of some of the jeans used them as patches. I thought it turned out rather nicely and gave it a real look.

This is the back of the Rail-Fence quilt. I figure footballs should last a lifetime. He won't outgrow them, I mean.

Skirts

2008-08-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

There has been a definite drought of crafts around here. There is so much going on, that even the essentials are being left alone. However, I cut fabric for some skirts for Joy two months ago, so I finally decided to get them done. The inspiration for these came from a skirt I got for Joy at Kohl's last year that she wears all the time. It has a top of denim and then cotton skirt in rings below. So, I copied the idea. The first one I did had to be just taken out - not enough gather. But, this is the second.

These were really easy. For the top three rows were two strips of fabric 5" wide the width of the fabric (a total of 88"). The bottom row was three fabric widths (a total of 132"). I just sewed the top three rows together and then gathered at the top to go match the waist of the denim. Oh yes, I went garage sailing and found several pairs of size 6 jeans. I cut them off just below the zipper to make the top of the skirt. So, for the last row, I gathered the 132" to match the 88" strip. This gives a bit more gather on the bottom and adds a little more ruffle. Worked pretty well.

Then, I had in mind a rainbow one in mind, and I decided that downward stripes would be fun. However, what to do about the bottom row? This was the result.

Hmm, definitely one of my favorites! At some point, if I get a whole bunch of extra time, I will do a tutorial. But, let me just show you the last skirt. It is a little fuller, has strips of varying widths, and adds a couple of extra colors in the bottom ruffle. And, it is dang cute.

Want to try? So easy and fun. The color combinations are endless, and I am thinking about making them a basis for Joy's wardrobe. She loves skirts, and these are long enough to be very modest. I just need a few more garage sales.

Paul's Bento Box

2008-04-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

Paul's 4th birthday is coming up on Sunday, so I decided a quilt was in order. As a little(r) guy, Paul like to be laid on, he liked the pressure. So I thought a heavy quilt would be best, and I have been dying to make a denim quilt. I just cut up old jeans that I have been saving for far too long, and started work. This is not all the blocks, just the finished ones. I still have two more rows to add, plus the border and back. Who knows, maybe if I get crazy I will take it to the quilt store and learn how to use their long-arm quilting machine on it!

New Quilts

2008-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

This is the latest fabric I got for two new quilts. Pretty, I know.

Joy's quilt

2008-01-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

Joy got a sewing machine for Christmas this year. However, the instructions got lost between then and now, so Joy's first experience was on my machine. Her Mema sent fabric for a quilt for Christmas. A few weeks ago, we cut out the squares and today while today while the boys we sleeping, we started the sewing. Joy arranged her fabric into a pattern and took a tour of my machine. She pinned the squares and ran the foot pedal, while I guided the fabric. You can see the strip and a start we got done before Hyrum woke up and needed my attention.
We are really excited to be starting this new project together. As you can tell, Joy is a pink girl.

Christmas Block Quilt

2008-01-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

The first quilt I actually started when I moved to Oak Harbor was a Christmas block quilt. Our ward has a quilt group and we are learning 12 blocks and putting them into a quilt. I got here when there were only three or four blocks to go, but I decided to start at the beginning and see what I could learn. So, a block quilt (or what I call a block quilt) is one that involves actually pieceing together fabric to make individual blocks, which then are put together to make the top of the quilt. So, you start out with fabric like this. Actually, picking the fabric out is my favorite part.

These are the blocks I have finished so far.

Ohio Star.

Can't remember the name
Laurel Wreath.

Cut Glass Dish.

Quilts Quilts and more Quilts

2008-01-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't already have enough hobbies, I decided to pick up quilting. Actually, it all started innocently enough. John was graduating in May 2007 with his Masters, and I wanted to give him a gift that would reflect some of what he expereinced in school. So, for a couple of years, I stole his worn-out college t-shirts to be made into a quilt. In January of 07 I started cutting them up while John was in Rochester on his internship. After a little research on how to do the thing, I got the top done and sent the quilt out to be quilted.
The quilt itself turned out alright, but the memories it held were the real treasure. John loved it.

Then, I wanted Hyrum to have a blanket made by his mother (all the other kids do) and Mom was working on some really pretty quilts, so I gave it a go. This was the result: Although you can't tell from the picture, all the fabrics are flannel, so it is really soft and snuggly. And, even though the pattern is simple (I figured it out myself), I get tons of compliments on it because the colors go together so well.

In August, we made a trip from Washington back to Minnesota to my cousin's wedding and while on the trip, we stopped by a quilting store in Rapid City, South Dakota. My sister Erin was working on a black, white and red apron while she was visiting earlier in the summer, and I decided I really liked the color combination. So, I got fat quarters in black, white and red. This is the black, white and red "Yellow Brick Road" quilt I made for Christmas for my sister Erin and her husband Brad. I really like the YBR pattern, it goes quickly and there are so many different looks that come out of the same pattern, depending on your fabric. Actually, I have made three YBR quilts in the past couple of months! On all the quilts I have finished recently I have just tied them to bind, because I just didn't have the time or finances to send them out to be quilted. However, for Christmas Janice (John's mom) sent me money that I am using to learn to use the big quilting machine at a local fabric store so I can just rent time on the machine to do my own later. I am so excited!

While I was working on the BWR quilt for Erin and Brad, I was side-tracked and picked out some fabric for Joy. She is a bright personality, and I just couldn't resist making another YBR quilt that reflected that bright personality.

Okay, now that I am thingking about it, Joy's quilt was really the last to be finished. I got the top going on that and then decided to make a quilt for John for his birthay. Since he loves Christmas and I was afraid it wouldn't be very Christmas-y in Iraq, I did a Christmas YBR quilt.

And, now that I have done all the YBR quilts, I am moving on to a traditional block quilt. It is in muted Christmas colors, and I actually have four blocks done!