rhubarb marmalade

cookie jar cookies

2012-02-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

it's been a drizzly couple of days here. you know, the kind of days where you just need to bake.

it's also so humid that the house feels damp, and of course the oven helps dry it out, right?

plus i got a cookie jar i've been wanting for my birthday.

the concept of a cookie jar on the counter is like the coolest thing ever to my kids.

they can't understand how i could possible allow it to be empty.

so they've been begging me to fill it with cookies.

and i have to say, this recipe is perfect for filling your cookie jar.

it makes a ton- like you might want to half it.

just a simple oatmeal cookie recipe, but it's simplicity is what makes it so yummy.

the cookies are soft to bite into, but dense enough to hold their shape.

i've decided you can't go wrong with a cookie that calls for equal amounts of butter and sugars.

if i was the only person eating these cookies, i'd trade the chocolate chips for half craisins half white chips. but then i'd be the only person eating the cookies since i live in a house of picky eaters and that would not be good either. happy rainy days!

resolving to resolve

2012-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

january's almost over and i haven't blogged once? so much for my resolution to blog more. however, it's almost a new month and i have a new resolve to actually do it. plus i hear that if you tell people about your goals, you're more likely to achieve them. so my new-for-february-2012 resolution is to blog 3 times a week.... even if i only have a picture or something 'boring.' wish me luck!

i spent a lot of january working on a little something new for my etsy shop that i am so excited about! hopefully i will finish it today so i can get it out this week. for now, here's a sneak peak. stay tuned!

what are you doing new year's eve?

2011-12-30T08:53:00.001-08:00

more ideas than time... thanks to pinterest!

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: dreamers.marthastewart.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: ohhappyday.com via Sara on Pinterest

a gingerbread village

2011-12-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

i know christmas is over, but i just had to post about all these gingerbread houses!

(and the reason i made a house from scratch)

this year i was asked to be in charge of our church christmas party decorations.

the theme we came up with was "home for christmas." so we tried to do something around that. i wanted to do something that cost little or no money from our limited budget. i wanted to get as many people involved as i could. and i wanted to do something different.

so i came up with the idea to ask people to sign up to bring gingerbread houses as our centerpieces. we started announcing it right after halloween so people had plenty of time to get ready. although i'm pretty sure nobody made their houses until the week of the party. (me included)

honestly, this idea caused me more stress than it should have! i found that people either loved the idea or hated it. and these texans were not afraid to let me know.

the night of the party i was stressing out about having enough houses to fill all the tables, but in the end we had exactly enough houses.

i made little award ribbons that we gave to every house. everyone was so creative! a Y mountain? seiously? how cool is that? the nativity is a gingerbread house kit they remodeled into a stable. so so cute!

oh! hello december!

2011-12-20T15:51:00.000-08:00

it's been a crazy few weeks around here!

i dropped off the last few packages at the post office this afternoon, so i think i am now ready to sit back and enjoy what's left of december. and i plan to do that by staying home with my favorite people and enjoying the most decorating i've done all year.

one of our favorite family traditions is building a gingerbread house together. it's been 7 years since i made a house completely from scratch (we always buy a kit) and this year I did it! i'll have to post the details of why and how it all turned out. but i have to say, it was quite the undertaking.

i replaced my favorite quilt on the ladder with a christmas quilt. yes, the binding is only half sewn on. that's what happens when i look at it once a year. last year it didn't have any binding at all. considering this quilt was a class i took about 4(or 5?) years ago, i'd say i'm doing pretty good.

another tradition we love: paperwhites!

the mantle.

as much as i don't like about this rental house,

it's fun to make our decorations work here so it feels more like home.

thank you pinterest for getting me hooked on book page wreaths. this one sat on my table for about 3 weeks and took forever to finish! also thank you pinterest for getting me hooked on those bottlebrush trees. someday i'll get around to dying them like the vintage ones.

we weren't about to go to the trouble of hanging lights (remember we're renting)

but i love how classy a single candle in each of the windows looks.

we were also classy enough to tape the candles right to the windows.

whatever works, right?

and there you go.

merry christmas from my house to yours!

vintage inspired table runner tutorial

2011-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

i made a table runner for a baby shower i hosted last week and thought it was too simple not to share.

so if you're looking for a little something pretty for your thanksgiving table, here's a fun idea.

(i layered mine with my favorite table runner from here and a homemade polka dot table cloth)

my runner took about 1 hour, start to finish, including unpicking!

You will need:

2/3 yd. fabric

6-7 yds. trim

(The fabric I used is called Sophie Nosegay by Chez Moi for Moda.

The trim is also from Moda, a crocheted ricrac.)

First, cut your fabric into two-12" strips.

Next, trim the selvages off.

Sew the two strips together along the short side to create one long piece, about 12"x90"

Press the seam and finish the raw edges.

You can trim the strips down to be a shorter runner depending on the size of your table.

Finish the edges of the runner.

I did a rolled hem on my serger, but you could also turn the edges under and stitch if you don't have a serger.

Sew the trim to the top of the runner

as close to the edge as possible.

I used a zig zag stitch with red thread so it blended in with the crochet trim.

On the corners I folded the trim together and kinda bunched it up

then stitched it down so it would turn nicely and lay flat(ish)

When you get all the way around your runner, just stitch the edges of the trim together and you're done!

A pretty vintage inspired runner to dress up your table!

how about a bagel?

2011-11-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

bagels. from scratch. why had i not thought to try it before?

well, i tried them, and i'm in love

and i may have found a recipe to rival my happy husband bread

because these were a huge hit at our house.

sprinkled with sea salt or asiago cheese (our favorite),

these were chewy and delicious fresh out of the oven

or in lunches with wedge of laughing cow the next day.

i store mine in paper bags so they don't get soggy.

and i'd love to try other toppings.

cinnamon, poppy seeds, onion flakes?

or maybe we'll just stick with cheese.

it was sooo delish!

i think i have it figured out where you can print this recipe and it'll be a half page,

but let me know if you have problems...

always time for a quilt

2011-11-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

november already? didn't mean to skip blogging for so long, halloween left me with no time to blog. but there's always time to quilt, right?

this is a quilt i made a few months ago as a gift for a 7 yr old boy.

i have had my eye on this darling quilt by film in the fridge which inspired mine.

and i wanted to make something like an 'i spy' quilt with a more grown up style.

also, i just love the 16 patch square. love it. so simple, but so eye catching.

every block is the same but no two blocks are exactly alike.

most of the fabrics i used were by etsuko furuya, all ordered from superbuzzy.

then i filled in with random prints from my stash.

the backing was a great black/cream dot i found at joann's.

the gray sashing is also from joann's. it's a kona cotton but i can't remember the name.

as for the pictures, they were taken in missouri(?) we took a roadtrip last summer and the scenery was amazing as we drove up the middle of the country. we pulled over just before the fireflies came out and snapped a few pictures on the side of the road. it got dark fast, so we didn't get many pictures, but i'm so in love with how these came out. i give all the credit to that random farm and the gorgeous sunset that day.

best. smell. ever.

2011-10-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

onions and garlic sizzling in a hot pan.
definitely on my top ten list of smells i love.

fall = cooking, baking, warming up my home through my kitchen.

that's all i want to do these days.

book love: reader's digest complete guide to sewing

2011-10-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

this book has been for a long time and still is my all time favorite sewing book. it was actually a textbook for a few of my sewing classes in college. i pulled it out the other day to look something up and remembered how great it is!
here's what i love about this book. it explains everything you will need to know about sewing(not quilting) with detailed pictures and written steps. the book also uses methods that will produce a better product in the end. i have found that if i want to make a dress or something, i can cut out my pattern pieces and completely ignore the pattern instruction papers if i have this book as a reference.

did you know that pattern companies most often print their pattern directions according to what's easiest to print, not nescessarily what may be correct? when i found that out it was like a light went on as to why all my early sewing years projects did not turn out. however, if you are only interested in quilting, this is not the book for that. i have a couple favorite quilting reference books, i'll have to share... but if you want to make clothing, slipcovers, pillows, curtains, bedding, zippers, etc. this is my favorite book!

thank you steve jobs

2011-10-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Source: google.com via Sara on Pinterest

my big fat greek salad

2011-10-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

my current favorite salad. i never get tired of trying new salads.
we'll make it along with grilled chicken and couscous or just eat it plain.
i love to make it as individual plates, then use all the leftover ingredients to make one big salad for the fridge.
i ripped the original recipe out of the april 2010 health magazine and just recently found the page again. and now we've probably had this salad three times in the past two weeks. it's that yummy.

on my wall

2011-09-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

{three blog posts in one week! i'm on a roll!} currently i have one wall in my sewing room devoted to batting. and right now my design wall is pretty full. which means one or two things. a)i have a lot of projects to finish, or b)i've been busy working on projects! okay so it's actually both. here's what they all are
1. farmer's wife blocks. from this book. i've been thinking about joining this quilt along for the entire 15 weeks it's been going on. maybe i can catch up? even if not, these blocks are actually really fun to make. they are tiny and so cute. and i can pull from my scraps to make them.
2. a couple of churn-dash experiments. i have a project idea in the works involving these blocks. so i made these using different measurements to see what i like better. (also why i made that one from the farmer's wife book) i love that i can put them up and stare at them for a while until i decide what to do.
3. partially finished dotty dresden blocks from this book. i've wanted to make this quilt forever. and i am loving these. they are hand appliqued so it's a long term project. i've been taking blocks with me whenever i have a lot of sitting to do. road trips, in the car pickup line, at dance, at soccer, etc. the centers will be red polka dot when i get them on. the petals of the dresdens are all american jane fabrics, mostly from the recess line.
4. japanese + & X blocks. i spotted a picture of a quilt like this on pinterest which led me to the flickr group and got me hooked. it's another pull from the scrap bag project and i'm loving these blocks but i don't know if i'll make an entire quilt. so there they sit until i decide what else to do with them.
5. i had to try it. the darling swoon quilt pattern by camille roskelley. the block on the right is finished. the block on the left needs a few more seams obviously. i'm using anna maria horner's innocent crush line and light gray solid for the background. these blocks are huge but i'm loving them!
and that's it! hopefully my streak of three blog posts this week wasn't a fluke... if you are still reading this, you deserve a prize or something. have a great weekend!

shop update

2011-09-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

i've been working on updating my little shop!

i love these halloween bibs- wish i had someone to put them on at my house!

also, i've been trying to thin out my scraps because i have way too many. this fun little drawstring bag of scraps is now in my shop. it's a lot of darling fabric! seriously! i weighed it and then weighed cut fabric and it weighed as much as 4 yards! i've also been working on a lot of scrap projects as well, so if you need ideas of what to use these scraps for, i'm going to try and share...

the good wife's guide

2011-09-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Source: amygregson.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

i saw this article a few days ago and i keep going back to read it. i can't say i agree with all of it, but some of the points are kinda sweet and true. and then some of them had me laughing. it's no wonder housewives needed hired help back then. while i love the idea of happily welcoming my husband home after a long day (which i will admit does not always happen), i also love that we are equals. that what i experienced during the day is just as important as what he experienced. i also love that my husband is as far from this type as possible. keeping house and raising kids is shared between both of us and he always jumps right in to help when he gets home at night. so maybe i'm just a lucky wife or maybe i'm lucky to be living in 2011 and not 1955. i'm pretty sure it's both.

denyse schmidt at joann's

2011-08-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

if you have ever sewn with me or asked my opinion, you'll know i'm a bit biased when it comes to where i purchase my fabric. however, that changed a bit when denyse schmidt, one of my most favorite designers, released a line of fabric for joann's. (maybe one day i will do a post about how i shop for fabric at the big stores... because it's totally different from when i shop at a locally owned quilt shop)

anyway, i might be the slowest person in the world at this, but i have slowly been collecting every print from the ds quilts collection at joann's all summer long, and i am happy to say i now have the entire collection. i only buy it when i have a 50% coupon and somehow i never have more than two coupons at a time. in order to make sure i didn't accidently buy a print more than once, i used my phone to take a picture of my stack before every trip to joann's. then i could just pull out my phone at the store and see what i needed/already had.
i'm thinking it will make a darling picnic quilt for next summer and i already have a pattern in mind. good thing i have until next summer to finish gathering my fabric and then to actually make the quilt.

just when i thought i was almost finished buying all the pieces, denyse announced on her fb page that she is releasing another line for joann's! and some of the florals in it are too cute for me to pass up... looks like i'm back to saving pennies and collecting coupons again...

i'm pretty sure i love everything denyse schmidt does.

see her entire collection for joann's here

other projects i've made inspired by denyse schmidt are here here and blogged about her here & here

dinner tonight

2011-08-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

one of our favorites of the summer

we used this crust recipe and it worked perfectly for grilling!

happy summer!

single girl quilt

2011-08-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

isn't this a pretty place to take a picture of a quilt? ok so i cropped a lot of the scenery out, but we were on a cliff overlooking beautiful green hills and i thought, a quilt would be so pretty with this gorgeous view behind it.

however, on second glance... and if we zoom out a little...

it's actually sonic!

the first time we pulled up to this sonic i was shocked at how great the view was from the car. so i made sure to go back to that sonic again (it's in branson, mo) bring a quilt the next time we went.

just for a picture.

and a diet dr. pepper.

and a few interesting looks.

quilt stats:

single girl pattern

twin size

made only with polka dot/spot fabrics to go with the circles theme.

off white is a kona cotton in bone (i think?)

the backing is two different polka dot prints

binding is a variety of polka dots used in the quilt

quilted in a swirly free motion

i had a lot of polka dot prints on hand from another quilt i had made and thought they would work perfectly with the circles only theme of the quilt. the colors are a little crazy, but i like it.

made as a gift for one of my favorite people.

i had been sitting on this pattern for a long time as well as admiring so many of these quilts on flickr before i finally decided to tackle it and really, it was a lot easier than i anticipated! the hardest part for me was probably being organized. every piece has an exact place in order for the circles to work out. the curves really aren't as hard to sew as they look because they are so large.

it didn't need any wrapping. i just tied it up with a strip of binding i had.

wash day

2011-08-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

i love doing laundry when it looks this pretty... stay tuned for this finished quilt! it was so fun to make and we had fun taking pictures of it in a way cool place... just need to edit those pictures.

love this

2011-07-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

saw this article and thought that's also a reason why i have been such a sporatic blogger. i want to blog, really i do! and i will as soon as i finish that last episode of days... haha not really. also, if you are my friend in real life, please don't be offended if i choose to sew or nap or clean my house over hanging out with you. being creative and keeping house is how i unwind my nerves and refresh my soul. what a great article.

source

quilts in ny

2011-06-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

(this quilt was in the entry. and i'm pretty sure i now need a front porch with a swing and this quilt and summer and that's all i need in life... )

this year is the year of the quilt at the museum of american folk art in new york. as my luck would have it i got to go to new york recently. as my luck would also have it, i was in new york between exhibits at the museum so i missed the infinite variety one and the masterworks one... however, the museum did have a small exhibit going on in their remote location (which happened to be next door to my church's temple) so i was lucky enough to see that.

(not a great picture, but i loved how modern this looks... and those circles!! not an easy quilt)

the quilts were amazing. they were all based on stars which i couldn't have loved more. stars make up some of my most favorite quilt designs. almost all of the quilts were completely hand pieced and hand quilted, though sadly, most of the makers were unkonwn. i kept thinking about the people who pieced and quilted each quilt. it made me wonder what people will think of today's quilts in the future. the art of quilting has changed a lot... i think it's really more of an art now and less of a necessity.

(i loved the blocks of this one...

reminds me of this pattern which i broke down and bought because i love it so so much!)

this was by far my most favorite quilt of the exhibit. it was gorgeous in person. the piecing was perfection. the individual blue prints were to die for. the hand quilting is awesome. and you can't see it, but the binding was the most perfect navy and white dot fabric ever. *love*

quilt bliss

2011-05-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

remember when i mentioned this quilt forever ago? i'm so excited to say it's finished!! i started it over a year ago when i was in utah on vacation and thought it would make a great hand sewing project for watching tv or sitting on the couch. i'll admit i had to put it away a few times because it was just too much... all those pieces to cut out and pressing all the edges under and pinning and stitching...

thanks to our recent move and two 24 hour drives, i got the motivation to finish it once and for all.

and i love it.

i love it so much, i kicked all my old favorite quilts off my ladder and here it sits.

the pattern is camille roskelley's bliss

i loved every thing about the pattern so i even used the same fabrics as she did... except for the binding and backing. i loved the rosy ticking stripe from camille's simple abundance line so i used it for the back.

it was a pretty simple pattern. don't be discouraged by my experience... she recommend using machine applique. so. much. faster. i just really like the look of hand applique and thought this quilt would look more vintage with it so i did it that way.

do you love the ric-rac?

i decided this was a quilt that needed to be professionally quilted so i had millie of millie's meandering do it. she did an amazing job! the quilting really takes this quilt from cute to WOW! millie has quilted a couple quilts for me now and every time she does i am so so in love! she's fast, she's very good, and her prices are great! she doesn't have a website, but if you want her info, let me know. oh, she's in utah, so i just take quilts in when i'm there and have someone pick them up for me.

anyway, i finished this quilt a few months ago, but i just go inspired to post it through the blogger's quilt festival hosted by amy! there are so many gorgeous quilts to look at! go check it out- it's pure quilt bliss!

cant. blog. must. pin.

2011-04-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

has it really been that long since i blogged?

i didn't even notice.

because i have a new addiction.

it's called pinterest.

and i don't want to sound cliche, so i'll just say it's fascinating!

you can follow me here

if you are already pinning, can i follow you??

here's some of what i've pinned lately.

Source: etsy.com via Sara on pinterest

Source: theviolethours.typepad.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Sara on Pinterest

i'm addicted. what can i say??

homemade laundry soap

2011-03-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

a couple years ago i started using this recipe for homemade laundry soap. i just thought it would look cute in a jar in my laundry room. much to my surprise, i love it! this soap is perfect for sensitive skin. it works great in front loaders because it's doesn't get too sudsy. i love the clean smell of fels naptha. and i really think it works great for getting our clothes clean. i still add good 'ol oxi clean on occasion and i can't seem to get unhooked from my storebought fabric softener. however, using this recipe, i only buy liquid laundry soap once or twice a year(i like to rotate between this and liquid) so it saves a little money. plus it's hard to find good detergent for sensitive skin so that's probably our biggest reason for using it.

i usually find all of these items at the grocery store in the laundry aisle(except for the baking soda)

Powdered Laundry Detergent

2 bars Fels Naptha, grated fine*

3 cups Borax

3 cups WASHING Soda

2 cups Baking Soda (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Store in an airtight container.

I use 2T for an "he" washer

or 4T for a full load in a regular washer.

*Grate the Fels Naptha as fine as possible. If it's not grated fine

it won't dissolve as easily and will leave residue in your washer.

I chop mine on a cutting board, then put it in my food processor in batches.

just last week i found this cute scoop in the coffee aisle at our local grocery store. before that i was using a regular measuring spoon from my kitchen. so much cuter and easier!

happy laundering!

shamrock cupcakes

2011-03-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

happy st. patrick's day! how about some minty green cupcakes. we made these cupcakes to celebrate and had my husband take them to work.

original recipe found here.

i changed it a tiny bit for what worked for me.

Creme de Menthe Cupcakes

4 egg whites

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

1/4 cup green creme de menthe OR 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp. mint extract, green food coloring

1/2 cup shortening

1-3/4 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and the creme de menthe. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined. Beat in vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to shortening mixture, alternating each, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.

Spoon batter into muffin cups filling 2/3 full. Makes about 20-24.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or almost barely starting to brown. Cool cupcakes completely.

White Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter (room temperature)

6 oz. white chocolate baking squares, chopped

1/3 cup whipping cream

3 cups powdered sugar

Place white chocolate in large mixing bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan heat whipping cream just until simmering. Pour over white baking chocolate; let stand without stirring for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth; let stand for 15 minutes.

Beat butter into melted white chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency. Pipe or spoon onto cupcakes. decorate as desired!

a quilt at the laundromat

2011-03-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

is it just me or do laundromats have a bad reputation? they seem like a dirty creepy place to hang out. the type of place people visit only when they absolutely have to. i'd say i ranked the laundromat right up there with the dmv. not somewhere i'd choose to go willingly.

we recently had to visit the laundromat a few times and i can honestly say i was pleasantly surprised. i might even have to go back just for fun. the place we went to was incredibly clean and fresh. there were windows everywhere to let gorgeous light in. i was so surprised, that we ran home to grab a quilt and a camera while we had 4 loads of clothes going. (none of which were stolen might i add, and who do you know that can do 4 loads at once while at home)

you probably remember this quilt. i was posting each block as i made them a while back. i finished the top then let it sit while i thought about how to finish it for a few months. i decided to quilt it 1/4" away from each and every seam. that took forever. it was a lot to fit in my machine and my arms got quite the workout...

i have to say, i love how this quilt turned out. it'll probably end up on my girls bed- it's the perfect twin. no two blocks are the same. i didn't purchase one bit of fabric for the blocks- all scraps mostly thanks to my etsy shop. for the white fabric i used a $5 ikea flat twin sheet. it was 100% cotton and i have actually liked it a lot. it's not as white as a true white, but not quite ivory. i really like the softness of the color and it's held up really well so far.

the backing was some polka dots i had on hand, with strips of leftover squares spaced in there. i love the backing, but i can't stand to look at it closely. as hard as i tried, there was no way i could keep my quilting perfectly placed on both the front and back so the quilting on the back doesn't line up with the squares. but that's just part of the personality, right?

as i was taking pictures of this quilt, a lady came up and asked about it. we ended up talking for a while. she was taking her first quilting class the next day and i introduced her to etsy! so that alone made me like the laundromat even more. such a fun way to do a menial task- oh and i got 5 loads of laundry done in about 2 hours. ok maybe that doesn't include folding... but that can wait til my husband gets home, right?

flower sugar fabric

2011-03-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

my latest fabric crush...

lecien's flower sugar line

oh i love these darling prints! i can see them in a gorgeous summer picnic quilt

or a fourth of july sundress for a little girl

so cute. so girly. so happy.

discovered this line through this quilt. wow. gorgeous.

{etsy love} kurt knudsen's stars

2011-02-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

my husband (with a little hinting from me) gave me this stained glass star for christmas. i can't wait to hang it in a sunny window in texas (yep, still in the process of moving) and i really can't wait for all the sun it's going to catch.

inspired by nie nie's window full of stars. have you seen it? (i couldn't find a picture)

you can get a shiny little star here
and even better, you can enter to win a star here!

mushrooms and gnomes

2011-02-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

last year i found some fake mushrooms at target. they were red and white polka dot so how could i resist? a few months later, my mom and i were at joanns when we saw a real red mushroom growing near the parking lot! i said i wish those would grow in my yard so she plucked it right up and carried it home in the car. we kinda planted it in the dirt by my fake mushrooms not knowing if it would even last. within a couple weeks it had doubled in size! i don't know what it is about these little mushrooms, but i just love them. kinda reminds me of mario brothers. target has some similar ones this year here.

now that it's getting to be spring again, i'm on the lookout for a little gnome like this one (found here). i don't usually like a lot of stuff other than flowers in my flower beds, but i do make an exception for mushrooms and gnomes... especially when polka dots are involved.
thank you for all the quilt love! i was really excited about how it turned out. i can't wait to make a girl version... and yay for moda bake shop! what a great resource.

a quilt for a boy

2011-02-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

inspired by this pattern.

fabrics used: moda's sweetwater pure line, random browns and blues, old plaid shirts from my husband

finished size 40 x 46

loved making it! (although the instructions were more complicated than they needed to be)

gifted to a sister for her fourth boy
her nursery is brown and blue with stars (similar to my boy's) so i included a few stars in the quilting

i think my boy needs a twin sized version so you might see this again...

perfect sugar cookies

2011-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

not. even. kidding. i got this recipe from my sister and these sugar cookies are the perfect blend of sour cream, softness, sweet creamy frosting... i could go on. seriously i'm in love. and since valentines day seems to be our favorite holiday for making these, it's the perfect thing to do this weekend.

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together.

Then add...

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

5 cups flour

Mix until combined. Do not refrigerate. Roll out to desired thickness. I like mine at least 1/4" thick. Actually, the thicker the better. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake at 425 degrees for 5-7 minutes depending on size and thickness. You want the edges to barely start to get color- I like mine soft so I don't let them brown.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 bag powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together until smooth and fluffy. If it seems too thick for you, just sprinkle a little milk in to thin it.

This frosting does not taste like cream cheese at all to me- it's just such a perfect consistency and sooo yum!

a valentine tea

2011-02-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

last weekend we had a little valentine tea party...

{invitations}

my sister and i threw this little party in lieu of birthday parties for our girls and i think it turned out super fun! why not have a little party with no obligations from guests except to show up... the little girls were so adorable about having a tea party just for fun.

the only real request from macy was that we play a 'pin the ' game so we played pin the heart on the frog.

each little girl decorated one large heart sugar cookie (recipe coming soon- it was a good one!) and drank tea(crystal light) out of their own little teacups... all different. i have actually been planning to have a tea party for my girl since last summer so i've slowly collected teacups and saucers from thrift stores, home goods, ross, anthro clearance, etc. i loved that they were all different but each cute. i'm sure these will come in handy later- and since i tried not to spend more than $3 per set, i'm fine with little girls playing with them.

the menu included tiny pb&j triangles, cheesecake petit fours, fruit, and veggies, and of course the "tea."

i wish i'd taken more pictures of the decor because it was so fun to put together! we made paper pom poms to hang from the ceiling (tutorial here) as well as a garland of folded paper doilies. the tablecloth was a piece of pink polka dot fabric with a valentine runner from our local downeast. and that red polka dot teapot- definietly my favorite piece! i went to seattle the week before the party and ran into tj maxx for something else when i spotted it. and when i saw it was only $7 i couldn't pass it up.

after our little lunch, we took pictures of the girls and let them decorate heart frames while we printed the pictures out, then put magnets on the back so they could hang them up at home.

each little girl took home a goodie bag (sorry no pictures!) that i printed from here (i love farm chicks!!) and glued together. we filled them with a v-day pencil, a heart necklace, and a lipgloss ring.

ok you are probably thinking this is a lot for a little party and it is! but it wasn't just me- my sister and i planned it for a couple weeks before and slowly pulled everything together. another sister came to help at the party and my good friend mandy helped as well- seriously if i had been alone it wouldn't have happened!

february 1

2011-02-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

where i've been and where we are going...

2010-11-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

wow. i didn't mean to be away for so long.... to be honest, not much crafting or sewing is happening here because we are in the middle of moving to texas! so... if you are interested, check out my little shop because i'm going to try and list everything i have so i don't have to move it, and if you are interested in our move, check out our family blog. i'll probably be updating that more for a while as we try to celebrate every last minute we have here in seattle.
more later.
lovies!

just one more post about sassy mei

2010-10-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

sassy mei turned out great! in fact, it was so great, i've decided to be in their christmas show(more on that later). i met some of the cutest girls there and had so much fun! i wish i could have been around more, but it was a crazy weekend! i also wish i would have taken more pictures of my booth- i don't think i got any before people started shopping from it. but that's nothing to complain about, right? i didn't get a good picture of my entire booth, but it mostly looked like the one i did before. thank you thank you everyone who came! so many sweet people went just to see my booth! i'm touched and flattered.

sassy mei!

2010-10-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

going on now at pickering barn in issaquah.

thursday 6-9pm

friday 10-7

saturday 10-4

i went last night and it was so fun and so many cute things to see!

pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting

2010-10-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

seriously. that title alone makes my mouth water.
i think this cooler weather has given me a baking bug because that's what i've been doing lately. good for warming up my house. not good for the waistline. however, this recipe was worth it! originally found on this great blog

i only made a few changes to her recipe.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Roll Dough:

1/4 cup warm water

1 TBSP active dry yeast

1/3 cup warm milk

1 large egg, beaten

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour

1 1 /4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Filling: (you could probably half this)
1 stick butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of allspice and ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Let rest for 5 minutes before stirring. Add milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture. Beat for 2 minutes.
Gradually add remaining flour, a little at a time, until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Return dough to bowl or leave on counter. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into rectangle about 1/4" thick. Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
Roll the dough into a log the long way. Slice roll. I like to use dental floss to get a clean cut. Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.
Frosting: Add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice to a small food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until desired consistency is reached. (I used 2 cups powdered sugar)
Frost warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve immediately.

heaven help me, i already want to make these again...

sometimes i take pictures

2010-10-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

for other people who are super cute...

it was so fun to push myself to practice.

plus it was so fun to hang out with this cute family. this boy and his superman curl are too too cute.i had an old (thrifted) quilt that i brought.

i wasn't sure about bringing it with so many boys but i'm so glad i did. when is it ever not a good idea to have a quilt on hand?

hazardous home sewing

2010-09-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

today i sliced my finger with the tip of my ginghers!
i was trying to cut the buttons off a thrifted leather jacket that had already been cut to pieces to make shoes.

after an hour of trying to get the cut to stop squirting, i went to the instacare.

there, they cleaned it out, then taped the hole together and glued it shut. (it was too short for stitches but too deep for just a bandaid.)

when the doctor asked me what i do for work, the thought crossed my mind that i should answer 'sew dresses' and that would make more sense as to why i had a scissor wound. but i found myself saying, 'i stay at home.'

and we spent the rest of the time talking about our kids- his are close in age to mine and he holds his wife close to sainthood for being a stay at home mom. it made me glad that i had answered 'stay at home.'

it's no secret that i like to do more than 'stay' while i'm at home. but as i was talking to the dr. about our kids, i had a moment of pride in my real work and desire to do better at it.

i stay at home with my kids.

my etsy shop is an outlet for me when i need it. sometimes it becomes more and then i resent it and my kids because the two pull at each other.
today made me realize i don't need to do more at the expense of my staying at home.

and i realized i should really be more careful with my biggest pair of sewing scissors.

and it's good to be at home.

bibs!

2010-09-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

i just listed my last few sets of bibs in the shop. these are some of my most favorites- ever.

i won't be listing anymore until after sassy mei- which i am so excited about- it's giong to be a darling show so mark you calendars!

October 14-16 @ Pickering Barn in Issaquah

a little summer before fall

2010-09-21T09:45:00.001-07:00

i usually love fall but this year i am not ready to part with summer...

so until the rain wins, i am still enjoying my two favorites:

dahlias in my front yard (and on my table) and sweet peas on my back porch. love.

one giant cookie

2010-09-14T21:17:00.001-07:00

i saw this recipe and just had to try it.

maybe i tried it 3 times last week, i can't remember...

i was actually surprised when it worked. it seems like giant cookies never work- but we loved this one(all 3 times). i love the idea of transferring the cookie to a cardboard circle or putting it in a pizza box and giving to someone.

here's the recipe again- originally i found it here.

(if you go to the original recipe, read the comments on the post. i thought there were some great helpful hints on it)

One Giant Cookie
1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line a large cookie sheet with foil and press the cookie into a circle. I pressed mine to about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick. When it bakes, it spread, which filled up my pan pretty well.
Bake for 13-16 minutes until the cookie is lightly golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan – this helps the cookie stabilize and set so it can be easily lifted off the pan. Once cool, gently use the foil to lift the cookie off the pan.

sassy mei and a giveaway!

2010-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

i'm so excited to have been selected as a vendor at the fall sassy mei show! i went to this show last year and it's what got me really thinking about doing shows. sassy mei has such darling things that you don't see anywhere else!

and today i am their featured vendor... so go enter the giveaway and you could win $25 to use in my shop or at the show!

and come say hi at the show!

october 14-16 at pickering barn in issaquah

learn to quilt: reason #164

2010-09-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

your kids will thank you.

book love: material obsession 2

2010-08-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

did you know i used to be a librarian? right after i graduated from college. i was a reference librarian assigned to the 600-700 section. that's my favorite section of the whole library so i felt super lucky that the older ladies would let me have it. i loved that job. maybe it's because i prefer to read reference books over fiction. does that make me a nerd? oh well. in thinking about that job i realized i want to remember more of the books i read. because books are fun. so i guess i'm back to reviewing books.
and this book is my latest love. i currently have it checked out from the library and am on my last allowed renewal. i will then have to give it back... but don't worry, i read it cover to cover at least once. and i wiped all my drool off the pictures if you are planning to check it out next. this is the second book by the same authors, i blogged about the first here.

i. love. this. book.

the quilts are completely different from anything i've seen in american books and i love that! i wouldn't recommend this book for a beginner- most of the quilts look pretty challenging. but the pictures are gorgeous, the instructions seem very well-written, and it's just a yummy quilt book to look at.

the reason i have it from the library and don't own it is because it's not available in the u.s. yet- but i think it's being released later this year or someday i will break down and order it from here.

dinner tonight

2010-08-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

summer sampler quilt

2010-08-23T14:40:00.001-07:00

well here it is... the summer sampler quilt we made in my little quilt class.

this quilt really reignited my passion for quilting. i always go back and forth from dresses to quilts and can never really decide which i like to do more. however, watching all my students pick up quilting so quickly when some hadn't really sewn before was so inspiring. plus there is just something about making a quilt that is so satisfying and comforting to me.

anyway, i'm thinking of doing this again, but i'm always looking for ideas to improve, so if you took the class, feel free to email or comment any of your ideas. and if you didn't take this class, feel free to share your ideas too! afterall, the idea for this class sparked from someone other than me...

pi in quilting

2010-08-06T09:36:00.001-07:00

i used pi in a real life situation this week!

well- a real life quilting situation.

we just finished week 4 of a my 6 week quilting class.
it's been a blast- but a lot to stay ahead of 10 students every week including coming up with blocks, making samples, writing instructions, cutting kits, and then teaching twice a week...

i've never liked math, and i still don't. but it was cool to actually use pi for something real...

as for the quilt, i'm so excited to see the end! it's the first quilt i have drafted completely out of my head, it's a sampler quilt (not my usual thing) and there will be 11 of these floating around town when our class is finished! (that is if all my students finish their homework!)

i'm a dot com!

2010-07-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

have you ever tried to go to littlepretties.com?

i have.

many many times.

for a few years it was a "coming soon" site for an artist in the uk.

then a few months ago it expired.

so i've been watiching it closely ever since...

hoping i could snatch it up

and today...

my fabulous i.t. guy (aka husband) did just that for me!

so now you can visit my shop at

littlepretties.com

or littlepretties.etsy.com

and you just might find something cute there...

(darling pictures taken by kim at elite photography. love love love them!)

make your own snack bags

2010-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

when we went camping recently i had the idea to make each of the kids their own trail mix bag. they're super easy and reusable and great for taking anywhere- oh and did i mention you can just shake the crumbs out or throw them in your washer?

here's a quick how to:

you will need:

*I used organic unbleached cotton from Joann's. It's heavier than regular cotton and i liked the natural look. I just cut a 7"x12" rectangle.

*You can leave yours plain or add a picture to the front. I did each child's initial. I thought of this as my own kids were fighting over cups or something... let's just say I have a very posessive two year-old.

*i used a glue stick to glue my letter in place as i sewed it to the front of the bag. i just sewed with a zig-zag so it will look a little frayed when i wash it.

*sew the sides of the bag, right sides together and zig-zag or serge. then zig-zag/serge the top edge of the bag to finish the edges.

*i couldn't find 1/4" velcro anywhere(maybe they don't make it?) so i used some old 1/2" i had and cut it in half (you can see it in the picture). i liked that width because it's easy for little hands to pull open. fold the top edge of the bag to the inside about 1/4" and sew the velcro with a zig-zag and you're done!
(disclaimer: i have not tested the effectiveness of these bags against wild animals, but i wouldn't recommend leaving them out while in the forest...)

i think they were a hit! my boy held onto his all weekend.

this is my ufo #12- i've had all the supplies to make these bags since last year, just never did it until now. i think i will be making more- i love these things!

coinci-quilting and a class

2010-07-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

sometimes i try to mix words to entertain my husband... it doesn't usually work. however, i had to try to mix quilt with coincidence- because that's what it really is! so.... my friend came over for lunch the other day. since we only see each other every few months so we had some catching up to do. and what did she bring to show me?? her latest quilt top all finished and ready to quilt. and what was sitting on my couch half way through being bound?

the exact same quilt!

we had both used the same tutorial (found here) and didn't even know each other read that blog. so we laughed and took pictures- of course. and then we decided we both liked each others better. ha! i have since finished the quilt and shipped it to a darling new(ish) baby. as for the pattern- it was quite simple to make- a perfect baby gift! i may or may not have started it in 2009 and then took forever to finish it... but it's done now which makes it ufo finish #11. yay me!

also- i am starting a series of quilting classes this week. we will be making a sampler style quilt top and learning fun tricks like paper piecing, applique, perfectly matched seams, etc...- if you are interested in attending and i haven't emailed you, let me know either here or by email sarafcollett@yahoo.com

edited- right now the class is full, but i am willing to add another time if enough people want to do it... come and learn something new this summer!

happy flag day!

2010-07-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

i love this holiday and have had this quilt in the works for over a year. so i got it out this week and finished it off... just in time to hang on my front porch!

and then i had to take pictures from every angle because it looks so cute that i wish i could leave it up all year. but really i'll probably take it down tomorrow- you know, bugs, spiders, the sun, someone might steal it...silly things like that. the pattern is in this book which i love because the method is incredibly simple and quick.

this is my ufo #10

now to enjoy some freedom and fireworks and bbq!

still recovering...

2010-07-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

...from my first show! it was a lot of work! i feel like i accomplished everything i set out to do though, so that made me happy. plus i thought our booth was the cutest one there- but i may be biased.

the day of the show i woke up at 5:30 am. we left around 6:30, and got to the place at about 9. then it took us until 10:30 to set up. the best part of the day was when our husbands came at the end and loaded all our stuff up, then we went to dinner and rode the ferry home together. oh, and i thought it was fabulous that my babysitter loved being paid with a headband. i love that such a cute girl thought my headbands were so cute.

the booth:i love how it turned out. i lost a lot of sleep trying to figure out what to do but it was worth it. richie built and painted everything. not only that, he figured out how to make it all very collapsible so i could load it all into the car. yes, he is an excellent husband.

one thing i knew for sure was that i didn't just want a regular folding table with a tablecloth. i was totally stumped about what to do that would fit in my car until i found the wood ironing boards on ebay for $3.75!! yes, $3.75- for both! but they were not in good shape at all. so my amazing husband built legs for one (if you look really close you can tell one leg is newer than the others) and repaired the other so we had the perfect tables to go with fabric and dresses and clotheslines.

the dress rack was another fabulous build by my husband. i couldn't figure out what i wanted except that it needed to match my style. so one day he went outside, then came back in a few minutes later and had the posts all planned out. i love how they look. i also love that the whole thing comes apart and is easy to put in the car. oh yes, and i love how it now looks in my sewing room.we had a basket of rootbeer barrels with our business cards in it. it was joanna's idea and a huge hit! and you can't see it, but we hid pieces of a laundry scented scentsy bar around the booth so it would smell good...
joanna's flowers looked darling! and she had so many! i'm never going to stop wanting more of them with all the new ones she keeps making!

a few things i had that have yet to appear in my etsy shop were:

baby quilts(more on these later)
headbands- i had pretty peony ones and fun rosette ones.

pretty pouches- little makeup bags or crayon bags or whatever bags for you girls who like pretty things. these were so fun to have. one lady bought one just for her knitting needles.

i was so exhausted after the show that i've been taking it easy this week by making a couple quilts and playing with my kids and friends... ok- that doesn't sound like i'm taking it easy, but compared to the last few weeks, it is...
now that it's over
stay tuned for the most fabulous shop update ever!

summer necklace

2010-06-21T14:15:00.001-07:00

i've been in love with those huge bib necklaces forever but there's no way i could ever pull one off. however, i've learned that when i'm not daring enough to wear something i can still enjoy it through my 4 yr.old. i know you're thinking i never grew out of playing with dolls... and you're probably right. so what am i going to do when she stops letting me dress her up???

*this necklace is my ufo #9* i'm hoping to have a couple of these necklaces available at the bazaar this weekend! come check it out if you are local! port townsend is a fun place for a little day trip!

summer dress

2010-06-08T21:39:00.001-07:00

a new church dress for summer.

because she didn't get an easter dress this year.

and because she's so cute.

and because these are my 4 favorite fabrics right now.

all discontinued (dang)i love it.

and her.

someday i will list one in my shop.

(but not today)

ps. isn't the hair flower darling? it's from here

indie banditas

2010-06-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

i think i mentioned it a little before, (and i'll probably be mentioning it again) but i'm getting ready to do my first show! i've gone from excited to nervous to regretful to excited to everything else.... but mostly i'm so excited that i will be sharing a space with my good friend and her adorable flowers! i love these things so much i already have them pinned to all my bags and jackets! and she makes clips or headbands to match my little pretties! how cute is that???

needless to say, i've been sewing like crazy with every moment i can get... so hopefully i will have something to show for it... the stacks are piling up...

i've also been sewing some new fun things to have at the show- all trying to stay within the "little" and "pretty" theme. doesn't every mom need a pretty little makeup bag?wish us luck! or even better, come by and say hi!

fluttery ruffles

2010-06-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

i've been making lots of samples for new items to add to my little shop. here's a fun top now available! i only have a very limited number of these... i love how it looks with a little skirt or just jeans. and my favorite part about this shirt is that the ruffles won't bulk out or even show when you wear it with your favorite littlepretties dress! i could wear this shirt everyday- oh wait- it's not my size. i'll just have to put it on my girl everyday...

available here

indulgent sewing

2010-05-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

a herd of elephants for playing and pincushions.

made with this pattern
i would recommend tracing the pattern to template plastic, then tracing right onto the fabric. with something this small, the pieces really have to be more precise.

and lower your stitch length. alot.

so fun for playing with or gift giving.

i have lots more to share and hopefully a little shop update soon. i've been sewing my fingers off in preparation for this show(more on that later) and can't wait!

dinner days

2010-05-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

a little over a year ago, my friend and i started trading dinners. it's the best idea ever and we got it from some other friends. the way it works is one day a week she brings dinner to us and one day a week i take dinner to her. it works great for us because i make a really nice dinner once a week but my family gets it twice a week. we always have leftovers, i get new ideas from her(she's a fabulous cook) and i stretch myself by trying new things as well. (we have a blog with all the recipes we've shared here in case you're interested)
yesterday was my dinner day so i made my favorite white bread(because my wheat mill was out of reach) and my new favorite salad. this is my version of a salad i really love from claim jumper. sooooo yum.

salad:

use any combined amount to of the following to suit your taste

romaine/iceberg lettuce

mandarin oranges

golden raisins

avocado- sliced

craisins

blue cheese

green onions- chopped

candied pecans (or plain)

grilled chicken cut into bite sized pieces

dressing:

1.5c canola oil

1c apple cider vinegar

1/4c honey

3T sugar

a couple pinches dehydrated onion

1 tsp dried thyme(or less to taste)

1 clove garlic- minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp onion powder

Combine ingredients in a jar and shake until well blended. Refrigerate to let flavors mix. If you want, you can marinate the chicken in some of the dressing.

little pretties

2010-05-05T15:12:00.001-07:00

(these pictures are not mine- and sadly i can't remember where i got them....)whenever i see a pretty little picture i really really love, i save it to my desktop. it's not a good method because a) i don't keep track of where the pictures came from and b) my sweet husband does not like a cluttered desktop- though you should see the top of our desk. yikes.

etsy treasury!

2010-04-30T09:33:00.001-07:00

one of my skirts was featured in two etsy treasuries this week! i'm so flattered!
see them here and here

i don't know all the details about how treasuries work, but i have heard it's very hard to get one. so i'm especially flattered that these artists would include something of mine. their themes are so cute too! i can't wait for those hot summer days and the 3 lemonade stands that can usually be found on my street. :)

tooting my own horn

2010-04-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

well technically it's not me- since i didn't say these things, but it sure makes me feel good when i get feedback like this on etsy...

maggiemoosmom says:
O MY WORD...Seriously! I sew and when this came in the mail, I literally screamed out loud. My daughter got nakey and put it on right then and there in the middle of our living room. My husband said that we will NEVER buy another store bought dress again when I have found one on Etsy that is so well made and reasonably priced. This dress lookes better than any other item in my daughter's closet. All of those dresses you get through parties and trunk shows, have NOTHING on this dress. The style is perfect. The colors are amazing together and her craftsmanship is to die for. It looks like it will last until my daughter is in high school...that is if she will ever take it off! Thank YOU SO MUCH! We could not be happier!!!

sigtemp says:
Oh my gosh this dress arrived today and everyone that was here for a family dinner went nuts when they saw it. It is truly darling and one of the favorite things I have purchased! Many thanks!

thanks for letting me indulge in a little horn tooting...

a rant and a rave

2010-04-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

people always ask me why i bought a bernina sewing machine (6years ago) when i could have bought a lot more for the same price from a different brand. i will tell you (or just them) why. lately i have been chained to my sewing machine... finishing etsy orders, working on ufo's, etc. etc. that is, until everything broke down!

first, my babylock serger broke. so i took it in. a week later they gave it back to me. two weeks later the same exact thing happened. so i took it in again. a week later they gave it back to me. two weeks later the same thing happened again! so i took it in a third time! a week later they gave it back to me. and scolded me for mistreating it. two hours later the same thing happened again! mind you, all these times of taking it back, i was only allowed to have the nice ladies write a note to the all-elusive repair-man even though i asked to talk to him myself and gave him all my phone numbers- never did we exchange words.

so i broke down and bought a bernina serger. (anyone want a babylock that can't do more than 2 layers of fabric?)

two days later my bernina sewing machine broke. not my new serger, but the machine i have been sewing on almost everyday for 6 years without having it serviced- ever. i knew it would happen eventually, but still frustrating because i just had such an ordeal with my serger. so i took it to the bernina place (different from where i had been taking my serger). the nice ladies in the store let me talk to the repair man in person! he was sweet to my kids and told me about his grandkids. he listened to me tell him what was wrong (the buttonholer stopped buttonholing- that was fun to type) 24 hours later they gave it back to me. with a detailed list of what he fixed, what i should be doing to care for it, and a 1 year warranty on the work and parts. that was a week ago and the machine has been sewing like a dream ever since.

and that is why i love berninas. really, i almost get emotional thinking about my dear berninas. (i need help)

ps these picture have nothing to do with the post. just some things i've been working on lately.

gone thrifting

2010-03-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

sometimes i just need to go to the thrift store. sometimes if i have a babysitter and a few extra minutes, i'll go. sometimes i go right when richie gets home from work if i know i can't stand somebody's children for one more minute. (couldn't be mine, right?) and sometimes i take my kids. that's not as fun for me because i end up standing in the toy aisle forever waiting for them to look at everything. and they always spill hand sanitizer everywhere (a must for as soon as you leave the store) sometimes it's a waste of time and sometimes it's not. like a recent trip where i found this chair and this little bird dish. both were $5 each. i almost put the bird dish back- was it really worth $5- at the thrift store? even though it would be so cute on my kitchen shelf. but i just knew it looked familiar... and when i got home and looked it up, $5 didn't seem so bad compared to $18. that was a good thrifting day.

yes, obsessed.

2010-03-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

ok- so all of you got parts right! aubri, cristi, joanna, and taryn- email me and i will send you something from my shop! and yes, i have a newly discovered obsession with mad men. the show. i can't stop thinking about the drapers, the clothing, the ads, the smoking, everything about that show. it's just a show- but i'm overly engrossed with so much of it! plus, season 3(which i have not seen) comes out on dvd today! you can bet it's at the top of my netflix queue.

of course, the other part is that we have been remodeling our laundry room so it can double as a sewing room, and well, diy is always longer and messier than you plan... but soooo worth it! here's a little sneek peak...

hopefully when we're all finished i'll have more crafty posts...

clues

2010-03-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

as much as i loved all the crazy guesses, nobody was right! some of you were close... but i still want someone to win something from my shop, so here are some clues...

so... read my last post. then tell me what these two pictures could possibly have to do with each other and that ad... i know it's a stretch, but they're all i can think about lately! leave your guesses in a comment and the first person to guess correctly can have their pick of anything from my little shop!

leading a lux life

2010-03-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

source

isn't this ad so cute? why are ads not as cute these days? actually, i saw this and it reminded me of two things i am feeling very involved in right now. one of which has been keeping me from blogging. can you guess what they are? if anyone can guess the two things that this ad reminded me of- you can have anything you want from my shop. for free. for real. good luck though... it's two totally unrelated things... but this ad just might tie them together.

ufo#8 the pretty peony tutorial

2010-03-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

remember last year when i made this flower headband? it's become a favorite to wear at our house. when i made it i thought it was so easy that i should make a tutorial... and finally here it is!

You will need:

fat quarter of fabric (I used linen(my favorite)but be creative and use whatever you want!)

scissors

pins

pattern

download the pattern here

spray fray check (optional)

hot glue gun

needle and thread (optional)

headband or clip

How To:

Cut pattern out on lines. Then pin each pattern piece to fabric and carefully cut. I fold my fabric twice so I am cutting 4 layers at a time.
Lay the flower pieces out and spray with fray check. This is optional and you can do it at the very end if you want. I didn't spray the first flower I made and it's still puffy, just a little frayed and I have to run the petals through my flat iron occasionally to freshen it up. If you do spray the flowers, make sure you allow plenty of time to dry.

Take one of the smallest flowers and glue all the petals together to make a cup Using one flower at a time, add to the bottom of the cupped flower, gluing just barely past the center-up the sides to give it some roundness. You don't need very much glue at all- less is better to keep the flower from getting too heavy. If you prefer, you can sew the layers together with a needle and thread instead of glue.Continue until all flowers are added or until it's as big as you like. Everytime I add a flower I rotate it one petal width so there's a lot of variety in placement.

Glue the flower to the headband or clip. Cut a 2 inch circle of fabric. Glue or sew it to the bottom of the flower with the headband in between the layers. Glue probably works better for this step.

And there you go! A cute headband (or clip if you want) to wear with all your favorite spring and summer dresses!

Don't want to make one? You can buy it here

Need something to wear it with? Look here!

enjoy!

spoonflower fabrics

2010-03-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

i love this fabric. i bought a piece of it probably 4 years ago. i wish i had bought a whole bolt back then. it has since been discontinued, then brought back! now available here (but for a much steeper price)

have you heard of spoonflower? you can upload your art and have them print it on fabric! it's not cheap- but such a great idea. heather ross, one of my favorite fabric designers has some of her discontinued prints now available from spoonflower. available here. another spoonflower artist i love can be found here. her little dress fabric is so darling!

ufo #7 or the chair from you-know-where

2010-03-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

it's just a chair.

i can't count how many times i had to say this to myself since i started this project last august. yep. it's been unfinished since august until now. i wish i could say it was super fun. i wish i could say i'm ready to start the matching ottoman. i wish i could say i'm totally 100% happy with how it turned out.

i can't. but i can say i learned a lot. i admit i am crazy for trying to do this with only my own research. i still like the fabric i chose. i know this is the hardest project i've ever taken on. i don't care for staple guns anymore. i love it in the room. i am so relieved it's done which makes me so happy when i look at it now. and i'm going to find out who already got chocolate on the cushion- because you are in big trouble. more ufo projects coming.... it's just that my sewing room currently looks like this:

updated shop!

2010-02-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

have you checked out my little pretties lately?

cause i put a few new ones in the shop...

hiyapapaya on etsy

2010-02-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

my darling friend just opened an etsy shop and is doing a giveaway to celebrate! she makes cute recycled sweater bracelets in adult and child sizes. i'm so excited about these- especially for my girl because as much as she loves to wear jewelry, she always gets annoyed with the metal. these look so comfy to wear! you can bet i will be getting a couple for me and my girl... that is if i don't win. check out her blog here (full of super cute, free blog backgrounds too!) and did i mention she is an amazing photographer too?

it was so sunny in seattle

2010-02-18T19:45:00.001-08:00

that these clips would have been perfect for today... if you like funky accessories, this shop is a cute place for them.

more etsy to love

2010-02-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

my friend and her sisters just started a darling new etsy shop! i love the idea and concept behind their shop- sisters in different cities sharing what ties them together. and they have some super cute items! you might even see a familiar little girl modeling on there...

a couple of my faves:

the girls headbands are so cute! and the elastic they are on is soft and gorgeous-like i've never seen before! these aren't just your normal vinyl lettering boards- each one is handpainted so the lettering looks even better than vinyl! they look so awesome in person!

ufo #6

2010-02-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

my ufo #6. just a quilt block. i've blogged about wanting to make this quilt before- then researched to find what i thought would be the perfect dots. now i am trying to find the perfect petal fabrics. so i made this block as an experiment with some scraps. i think it's growing on me. i'm done with it until i decide if i want to keep going or not. for now it's on my mantle in a hoop. i like to call this display {let'sseehowmanymetalswecanmix} art.

this week:

2010-02-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

i might be too busy to blog or something... and i did a super easy ufo{which i'll post when i get pictures} this week because...

i broke my serger. grrr. it's broken beyond repair by me so it's in the shop now. and i have a pile of little pretties waiting to go to their shop. funny how i have only owned a serger for a year but now refuse to do anything without it.

we made valentines for macy's preschool friends. this idea from martha stewart had been floating around lots of blogs lately. i'm glad i had some princess paper so she would agree to homemade over the {cheesy} storebought ones.

i've been taking lots of pictures for the shop. but more excited about a great photographer i just talked to who is going to start taking pictures for me. so excited.

i started a christmas/birthday gift of a photography class. i don't want to be a pro. i don't even want take all my etsy pictures. i just want to take a million pictures of my kids and have a million of them turn out perfectly. crazy, i know.

i ordered fabric just for my little shop. i'm so excited because one of the ones i ordered is a certain fabric that i've wanted forever- and now i will have it. and you maybe will too if you like to shop here. i'll give you a hint- it'll be made into something like this:

this is my family

2010-02-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

we are so cute in wood. and because i'm an awesome(controlling) mom i let macy paint the bottoms of the people. she loved it. i did too. and it was easy because we bought a kit here. (i love their shop)

ufo #5 just a dress

2010-02-02T22:59:00.000-08:00

i had big plans of finishing a big project this week. i worked and worked and did not finish- so maybe next week... when i realized it wasn't going to happen, i picked up this dress and finally finished it. just a little experiment i had started last year and never finished. it might show up in a shop update coming soon...

ps. i wish these boots came in my size... purchased here.

sewing bee

2010-01-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

last night i had a little sewing class at my house.

i loved every minute of it.

my "students" were amazing.

they all get As.

we had treats but no time to eat!

did i mention that i loved it?

i'm definitely doing it again.

next time i think i'll serve these cupcakes. yum.
wanna come?

email or leave a comment.

i'll let you know when i do it again!

posessed paperwhites

2010-01-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

i bought some paperwhite bulbs on christmas clearance. the box clearly stated not to put them in a window once the flowers bloomed. i found out why. i seriously did not touch or move them until they did this for a couple days. then i felt bad for them so i put a dowel in the soil and placed the pot on my table(away from the window). we were totally entertained for a couple days though...

the zebra dress {ufo #4}

2010-01-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

this was seriously the easiest 'finish' ever. i'm embarrassed that i let this one go for so long. all i had to do was sew the buttons on the back. that was four months ago. and yes, she still wore it without buttons. you couldn't tell there were no buttons because the collar ties and covers it all up- but i knew. and that was all that mattered.

the dress was originally inspired by one i saw on etsy(of course now i can't find it) and a vintage pattern i picked up at the thrift store. plus i just liked this fabric so i bought lots of it. i still like it. and i still have lots of it. so happy to have this one checked off my list.

pretty little aprons

2010-01-21T22:13:00.000-08:00

while going through pictures on my computer i found these from last year. a customer requested 5 different aprons for little girls. i wasn't crazy about all of them then, but looking back makes me wish i'd made one for my girl! hindight really is 20/20...

ps. my ufo project for this week is so cute! i just need better pictures to post it. something about working with my model...

ufo #3 january wreath

2010-01-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

hello january. hello wreath. unfinished objects. that's what i'm calling all my projects. and i am in love with #3. a wreath for january. and maybe february too if i feel like keeping it up. i love the month of january. it's my month. and i knew when i saw this wreath it needed to be on my door in january. except that i don't do silk flowers. even on a puffy funky wreath. so they're random fabrics i had.

but i like it. it's my wreath for my month.

in progress...

2010-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

one of the many quilts i plan to finish this year. i'm using camille roskelley's pattern but it's taking forever because i'm doing hand applique instead of machine. it makes a great tv watching project- that is when the laundry is already folded.

#2 project

2010-01-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

my second project for my goal to finish all unfinished projects(i'm trying to come up with a name). i could not get a decent picture for the life of me. every single one was blurry. i kept changing the settings on my camera and trying to figure out what was wrong when suddenly my battery died. duh. my camera always slows down when the battery is done. anyway, i had seen these baby legs or leg warmers all over last year and saw a tutorial about making your own out of women's knee-high socks. so i found some on clearance at target and never made them. well i finally did this week. i thought they were cute, but had to persuade my girl to wear them- which is why she also has sparkly(her favorite) tights on.

current fabric loves

2010-01-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

i was looking at fabric online and can't believe how much i love florals lately. i used to think they were so old-lady, but now i can't help it... i guess i'm getting old!

loving heather bailey's whole line- nicey jane. i've used her florals in a few dresses and love how they seem to go with everything! found here. in love with amy butler's love. i've been seeing this print everywhere and i still adore it. found here. such a cute old looking floral by denyse schmidt. i know i say it all the time but i love anything by her. found here. plus her new patterns are so fun. especially this one... (what a great idea for someone's birthday- ps you can find it on etsy...)loving these new prints by anna maria horner... the middle would be a darling dress- actually any of them would be so cute alone as a dress or all together as a quilt. and i keep hearing that they are so super soft- it's cotton voile (as opposed to cotton broadcloth- the usual) i have got to get some... found here.

stocking details

2010-01-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

i've had lots of questions about the stockings and realized i learned a lot from making them so here are my tips...

try to use the most amount of wool you can find in sweaters. i used one 100% cotton sweater when i was figuring out how i wanted the stockings to look and it was not good. just stay away from cotton- trust me. the higher content wool stockings worked the best for cutting and sewing.
to felt my sweaters, i washed them in hot, then dried in the dryer. it shrinks the sweaters a lot, so buy big sizes if you can. if they get felted enough for your taste in the washer you can hang them to dry. the felting from the dryer is a lot more dramatic.
on my second test stocking i realized it would be easier to cut the stocking upside-down on the sweater and use the bottom hem for the opening of the stocking. this was my best idea with these stockings because sewing a hem around the opening did not work. there was one sweater that cutting upside-down didn't work with because of the design on the sweater- so that's also how i settled on all stripes.
i cut off an inch at the wrist of the sweater to make the hooks. with most sweaters it was the perfect size.
Macy's stocking was the only one that i embellished (it was christmas eve!) maybe i will get to the others later. i just made a flower out of cotton(more on that later) and used a piece from a green sweater to make the leaf.
my sister will love this: when all else failed, i used hot glue. (remember i was in a hurry) so the hooks are hot glued on as well as the flower.
the trees were an afterthought- i just started with one edge and glued it to a styrafoam cone then wrapped it and cut as i glued the other side- so they have a seam in the back.

happy 2010!

2010-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

this might be my most favorite christmas card from this year. so creative and clever! (i blurred her face since i didn't ask if i could post it and that kinda ruined it but just imagine it with a stinkin cute face too...) i love when people send me pictures of their darling girls in things i've sewn. i'm even more flattered when they send pictures to everyone they know.

photographer found here

here's to 2010

2009-12-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

so i've decided i'm back to blogging. and with the new year comes resolutions, so here's mine.

in 2010, i resolve to finish one previously unfinished project every week. or to finish 52 projects by the end of 2010. 52 sounds like a lot, but i cleaned out my sewing room recently, and... it was pretty much a cave of wonders. so i really think i have 52 projects to finish- big and small.

here's my #1:

(that's not cheating if i start before jan.1, right?) i had this idea quite a while ago, bought the stuff, then took about 2 years to actually do it... and it only took about an hour! i made stockings on christmas eve out of thrifted and felted sweaters. i used this template, but changed it a little to work for me. then i used leftovers to make trees for our christmas eve dinner table. i can't say i'll use the same centerpiece every year, but it was fun to do something a little different this year.

i think i should blog more

2009-12-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

today my husband picked both books up from the library on his way home from work- without even being asked! and all because he read my blog! oh the possibilities...

note to self...

2009-12-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

two books i want to check out... here and here because i can't keep the amazon windows open on my computer forever and i can't get up to get my library card to put them on hold... plus i need to pay down my fines anyway... from reading this blog...

hello

2009-09-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

"Never lose an opportunity

to see anything

that is beautiful."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

i'm still here. just enjoying the last few blossoms in my yard, the last few rays of sun, oh yeah, and i've been up to my knees in 'ruffle fluff...' more later!

a little over halfway

2009-09-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

today is day 44 of the quilt along and i have 44 squares. whew! it's seriously impossible to choose a favorite. however the square i made for today feels so like sep. 1. it's the first day of school and the first day of the rainy season (according to the news, but hopefully not true). and i can't help but want to go pick apples in an orchard, drink apple cider mixed with sprite, and trade my flip-flops for my favorite socks... that's just what fall is to me...

free sewing machine!

2009-08-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

do you want a free sewing machine? you can get this cute little red one for free with any purchase from Brylane Home. it can even be just one little item from their clearance section. i heard about this offer from this blog, so i thought i would try it to see if it really works and it did! i ordered one item for $4.99 from the clearance section, added the sewing machine to my cart, and entered the code BHWSEWING, and the machine was free! in looking further i found that this code will only work until aug. 30 so hurry if you want one too!

new favorite

2009-08-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

pettiskirt!i am loving how this one turned out! definitely going to make one for my girl... now i wonder how much fabric it would take to make one for me???

the rest of the peaches

2009-08-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

now that i can breathe again, and my hands aren't too sticky to type (or sew)... here's how it all went down...

i wasn't alone in canning the peaches. i had two friends who did more than me! one of them gets half of the 48 jars. it took about 8 hours to can all of them. the whole time i was telling myself that canning is more work than it's worth. when my kitchen started to cool down i opened one of my freshly sealed jars to feed to my baby. i had to taste as well.... and oh my goodness- suddenly canning was worth it. my husband has since eaten a jar and a half by himself when he normally doesn't like fruit. yep- canning is definitely worth it.

i also learned a lot. like if you screw the bands on too tight- the lids don't seal correctly when they are in the water bath. and the jars really do break of you put them into the hot water bath while cold. and your peaches will look prettier if you cut them before pitting them and if you don't take the band off to dry after sealing the jars, they get rusty. maybe that's why people decorate them with fabric inbetween? i think it's just cute. and the most important thing i learned: canning is easy. anyone can do it. it just requires work. plus it made me feel good to put my little plan into action finally.

millions of peaches...

2009-08-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

my house is hot.

my kitchen is a mess.

my kitchen floor is stickier than a movie theater.

i smell like peaches.

everything smells like peaches.

but that's okay.

because today we canned 100 lbs. of these.

and they really are a little taste of heaven.

goodnight.

all caught up

2009-08-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

random scraps

2009-08-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

i'm way behind on posting my daily blocks... this is my current favorite one though. a japanese dot in mustard yellow with some of a chloe's closet floral. this quilt really will be anything goes. in making each square i feel like i am finding more and more scraps everyday. would anyone out there want a bag of scraps? it's mostly amy butler now that i am looking at it... but i have decided that i just can't keep up with my scrap baskets (i currently have 4) plus i just got some more fabric in the mail today.... where is it all coming from??? (ok- i really know... one of my favorite etsy shops for fabric is sew love fabrics. her packages are so cute when they arrive!)
p.s. all you who emailed about pettiskirts... i'm ordering on tuesday so email again if we haven't confirmed and you want one...

halloween already?

2009-08-06T21:49:00.001-07:00

i know it's only august, but i am doing an order for pretty pettiskirts next week and it will probably be my last before halloween! so email me if you think you might want one. (sarafcollett@yahoo.com) i'm trying to decide how i want to use one in a costume for macy. a punk rocker? rainbow brite? a black cat? minnie mouse? tinkerbell? any of the princesses? there are so many cute ways to use them... plus i decided every birthday girl should wear one to her own party... don't you think?