A Little Bit Naughty

Okay, okay. I know I've been a *little* naughty. I haven't been posting blogs OR pictures. I have a really good excuse or two, though.

First, I only make it to the store when I can take the kids to daycare, which only happens when I have an OB/GYN appointment - the store is definitely not a place for kids.

Second, I'm only three weeks away from having a baby girl *hearts*, so that means I'm running out of energy, trying to juggle a million appointments (doctor, maternity photos, veterinary, and more), and planning for the holidays. Plus Katie will be turning three in two weeks so I'm also planning a party. Yikes!

I'm not sure I have enough energy to go around for all this stuff! But a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do!

I will try REALLY HARD to take pictures at the store today when I go....I promise I will try ;)

Finally!

It's been a long time coming, but Mom and I are finally selling our sewn and crocheted items! It's been in the works for about a year and now it's finally a reality. Although we did have a short stint on Etsy, we both got too busy to manage it and it sort of fizzled out.

Our items are now for sale under the name Fancy Bird Designs at Up North Country Crafts in Duluth, MN. I realize not many of you are located in this geographic area, so we will be populating our Etsy page with our items. In time, of course. One thing at a time.

In the mean time, we plan on starting a Fancy Bird blog to bring you the latest updates and newest items. We'll also be posting pictures of our new display as soon as it's full and organized.

Here's our info:


Fancy Bird Designs
fancybirddesigns@gmail.com
http://fancybirddesigns.blogspot.com/

Lioness Livvy and Elephant Katie

The first weekend of October, the elemtary school in our school district threw Fall Fest. It was a super fun time complete with carnival style games, inflatable bouncy obstacle course, slide, and bounce house, food, a hay ride and more!

Since our Halloween's are a bit chillier here in Northeast Minnesota than in a lot of other places, my mom crocheted the girls two hats that are beyond adorable. At least we don't have snow yet (jinx?)

The girls LOVE them and got tons of complements. If you'd like one, or any hat for that matter, visit Fancy Bird Creations page on Facebook! This woman can crochet anything.

ROAR!!!!!!

A 12-Piece "Thank You!"

My mom and dad came up last week to give me a hand in multiple categories. One of the big goals my mom and I wanted to accomplish was to make a ton of post-baby freezer meals. So on Thursday morning at 7:30 (I know some of you get up way earlier than this, but not this tired mama), I dragged my tired butt out of bed and went to Sam's Club and bought a ton (sure felt that way with my giant 27-week giant belly) of bulk ingredients.

Once I got home we got started. When we finally finished around 1 a.m., we literally had made about a month's worth of meals. A huge "Thank You" was in order because there was absolutely no way I was going to get this stuff done without my parents being around.

For helping me more than she even knows, I made her 12 reversible placemats. Thanksgiving on one side and Christmas on the other. Two functions in one item! Love it!

Each placemat is topstitched sewn with coordinating gold thread and each placemat's topstitching is done in a different design. Waves, zigzags, double straight line, leaves, hearts, etc.

Lovely Liv's 18-month Dress

Featured here on our wall of art are two corduroy dresses for Little Lovely Liv's 18-month pictures! Well, one for Liv and one for Katie. Of course, I haven't quite gotten around to the pictures because it takes more than one adult to wrangle our two energetic kiddos. I made the dresses for fall pictures in our beautiful October autumn gold yard, but two days ago the wind blew so hard that all the leaves blew off the trees. And not only that, but the intent was to pair them with a nice cream colored turtleneck, which cannot be found anywhere! Ugh. You'd think I'd be able to find something on the vast Interwebz.

But you should have seen me go! I had two sewing machines and a serger threaded while working on both dresses simultaneously. Craziness! My husband laughed pretty hard when he saw me going at these dresses with two sewing machines.

The purple one is embellished with a cream and gold ribbon and a trio flower pin (which I also made for the dress). The pin can be removed from the dress for washing. The green one is embellished with a muted pink and green three dimensional embroidered and beaded iron-on applique along with the cream and gold ribbon. Both dresses also have non-functional (expensive!) buttons on the shoulder straps.

It was the first time I've worked with an iron-on applique. All I can say is that it takes a little more practice than I obviously have, haha!

My Big Plate

What else has been keeping me busy lately?

Well, I made a fabulously gorgeous quiche. Paired with blueberry pancakes, it was beyond delicious. Bacon, onion, heavy cream, and cheese. I'm drooling just writing about it.

Another project I finished was a couple of covers for the couch pillows. The pillows were originally bought from Kohl's and made with a satin back and a front with a textured velvet floral pattern. After about 4 or 5 years of having the pillows, the backing and front broke free of the serging and started to ravel. I was starting to hate them anyway.

So I decided to take on a pillow recover. I didn't figure it could be too hard, but what do I know about sewing home decor?? (Pretty close to null.) I picked up a 1/4 yard each of a nice upholstery fabric that has more color variation that the previous covers and a camel colored gabardine for the back.

I deconstructed the pillow covers and set aside the linings and invisible zippers for use in the new covers. Then I cut out the upholstery fabric and backing to 19"x19" and began pinning and constructing. It took a little longer than I anticipated and the only snafu that I ran into was closing the openings next to the zippers. But in the end, it was worth it, and I came out with some very nice pillow covers that I hope can endure the abuse of (soon-to-be) three "childebeasts." ;o)

(Un)Fashionably Late

Alrighty. Back to the Interwebz, where I can find a million things and nothing all at the same time. Which is what I seem to be doing a lot of lately. And while I was doing all this looking and not finding anything I was totally neglecting to share my most recent accomplishments (that's what I like to call them).

So even though I promised pictures a million years ago of my tantrum-throwing, banshee screeching toddler wearing a harness to keep her from going where I don't want her to go, I'm just now getting around to it.

We went to the zoo with our new reversible harness and it worked fabulously, except that my almost 3 year old wanted to be the "leash holder." I did get lots of funny looks, but I also got a lot of smiles and a few older ladies commented that I'll always know where she is! Case in point! I also didn't end up taking any pictures at the zoo...this pregnant mama was way too tired to fool with it, so you get pictures of the girls in the yard. :)

It even fit the almost 3-year-old.

^^ I swear I didn't tie Liv to the fence!

Cat's in the Bag

Finished up the toddler harness using pink plaid and green plaid fabrics. Nice, lightweight materials. I cut them on the bias because, honestly, if I'd cut on the grain I wouldn't have had quite enough fabric.

The plaids were from my personal remnant collection. About two years ago, I made a reversible Mei Tai baby carrier - pink for when mommy wears it, and a manly green for when daddy wears it. I had just enough fabric left over and figured this was a great opportunity to put it to use.

My Toddler is Part Cat

I'm pretty sure my 17-month-old is part cat. The kid can wiggle, wriggle, twist and turn in her own skin just like a cat trying to escape the clutches of, well, a toddler. Not only can she morph into jelly, she can also morph into The Flash and run off at the speed of light. She powers through the woods behind our house (including through the pokey thorns), and has been known to follow the cats down the driveway into the road.

Because of that, plus that fact that I also have a 2 1/2-year-old and I'm pregnant, and in light of our trip to the Minneapolis Zoo tomorrow, I'll be making a toddler harness. I don't care how controversial they are, I need one. I looked at the ones you can buy online and in the stores, but she doesn't have any favorite characters and it seemed like a fuzzy, plush backpack or front pack type would be way too warm to wear in 85+ degree weather anyway.

As I was sitting in front of the computer screen, debating what to do about the problem when I suddenly remembered I know how to sew (!!!). I did a quick search engine inquiry for "Toddler Harness Tutorial" and came up with the perfect solution. Another fabulous mom out there made a tutorial for mom's like me who don't always have the time to put in making my very own pattern (it really can be more work humanly conceivable). Thanks to the writer of One Little Minute and her super fab tutorial for a DIY Reversible Toddler Harness, I'll be able to make one a scant day before our trip. Yay!

Look for the finished product after our trip - I'll have some action shots of the harness in use.

Sewing Organization

Recently completed project: A large hanging sewing organizer. I made it from a Butterick pattern, but it would be supremely easy to make this without one. I just happened to have the pattern on-hand and some fabric from my great Aunt Mary. I used cotton for the front, a medium weight denim for the back and the binding, and about .22 yards of clear vinyl remnant.


The original pattern was supposed to have 4 pockets spanning the width of the organizer, but I didn't have enough vinyl. The organizer was also supposed to be made to be hung by a hanger, but I was thinking that was a little tacky so I made some adjustments and put on some loops made from the leftover binding. Worked out pretty well.

A Snuggly for Baby!

Being just over halfway through my third pregnancy, I've been itching to get started with my planned baby projects. Last Saturday I picked up a set of coordinating fat quarters to make a quilt from. Normally I would just use scraps I have lying around, but I know I don't have a lot of turquoise, and that's the color I really wanted to incorporate in the new quilt.

I cut the fat quarters into squares (because I'm no quilting goddess by any means!) and stitched them up to make the front. I didn't have any backing that I wanted to use, so made yet another trip to get some fabric and came out with a super-cute frog and dragonfly print, some 6 oz. batting, and a fabulous turquoise satin binding.

For me, when it comes to quilting, simple squares and quilting along seam lines is the way to go. For this quilt I decided to shake things up and do a fun wavy pattern.

After a couple days of cutting, stitching, and quilting, it's finally all done. The fastest and most plush one I've ever made! It's so soft and comfy! Love!

Organization Rules!

Yesterday, my hubs and I ventured into the girls' room to do a dresser drawer clean-out in order to cycle out and pack up clothes that don't fit anymore, and add back in clothes that do fit. While the bottom three drawers weren't  too bad, the top drawer was a mess. It's become a catch-all for hair clips, fabric headbands, lotions, hair ties, safety pins, and a diaper wipes warmer.

A while back I made a picture frame hair clip holder, which has done a pretty good job. It lives in the drawer but still managers to collect all the clips. The headbands, though, are wild and out of control. So today I was looking to get my craft on while the younger one napped and the older one watched Dora and found a tutorial from The Ribbon Retreat.

Seemed quick and easy enough and I just happened to have everything I needed, so I took care of business. Except instead of gluing and tacking and all that stuff, I just made a finished fabric sleeve and slid it up on the oatmeal cylinder. I'll probably use my glue to tack the fabric down around the edges later if sliding fabric becomes a problem. The top looked pretty boring, though, so I decided to make a fabric flower for the top. I've never made one this way, but I've seen a million tutorials for them.

Turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Wowza!

It's hard to believe that I haven't gotten a chance to post on STL since March. Seriously. Wow, have things been busy. I've finished a few projects and never got around to posting, then summer happened and we've been outside and busy a lot, and then I found out we're having another baby!

So! There will be more finished projects coming up soon like another coming home dress, crib bedding, and some other seriously adorable clothes that I have planned. Stay tuned for those.

In the meantime, here are a couple other projects I've finished since March:

A toddler shirt in size 3T

 

A high chair seat made from scrap fabric and binding (same as the umbrella strollers). 

I used the original seat as a pattern for the new one. 

Pretty Pleats

I can't believe it's been a month since I've had a chance to write a post. Hopefully, I haven't had anyone on the edge of their seat (I doubt it, but, hey, who knows!). In the time I haven't posted, I've been practicing my pattern making skills and crafting toddler clothes patterns from basic sloper patterns. Of course, I've had a little help from a couple of fantastically insightful books (thanks to the public library!):

1: Make your own patterns : a primer in patternmaking for those who like to sew by Adele Margolis
2: The complete guide to pattern-making by Barbara K. Nordquist

Both the books have step by step instructions on how to change and draft pattern pieces from basic sloper pieces in order to create a whole piece. After three or four days of working with a child-size bodice sloper, I finally drafted a pattern to make a precious little pleated dress for Miss Katie.

This little girl LOVES to wear dresses - a lot more than I did when I was a kid - so she really enjoys modeling the clothes I make. But I only have a good time taking pictures if I can get her to hold still for a few minutes, haha. I usually have to bribe her with candy or juice.

You may recognize the fabric from an earlier post. I had some leftover cotton, so I thought I'd go ahead and use it to test my pattern. 

The pleated dress turned out pretty good, except that it's probably a little too short, which just means I'll have to make some bloomers (Ah, darn. Yet another sewing project to tackle.) to cover K's little panties when she reaches up or bends over. I also had to add that little yellow faux button panel in the center of the dress since I added an invisible zipper in the center back. This was the first time I've worked with pleats, so it was a whole new experience and a lot of fun. This was also the first invisible zipper I've installed - and it went in flawlessly. 

If you're interested in making your patterns, I definitely suggest picking up or borrowing a copy of these books I mentioned. Good luck in all your sewing endeavors and don't forget to check out my Etsy site for new items!

Doggy Days!

Meet Tucker, the newest addition to our little family. He's not too fond of the camera - he gets all squinty at the flash.

Last week, our family adopted a dog from the local animal shelter. He's super sweet and a lovable little rascal. We adopted him on a whim and weren't really prepared for a dog, especially a small one. So I got busy this weekend and made a fleece doggy jacket and a little doggy bed.

Here's the new dog paraphernalia:


He really loves his double layer fleece jacket. It was about 30 degrees out today, so I'm sure he'll appreciate it even more on those 2 degree days.

He's not super fond of the fleece and jersey bed I made, but I am guessing he's just not used to having a bed. He'll snuggle into sometimes, but it's not a fixture in his mind yet. Right now, "BED" seems to be the red Lay-Z-Boy. Hopefully that will change. At least he doesn't shed! You can see in the lower right that my two-year-old likes the dog bed - she was using it for her monkeys and dolls to nap in. :o)

A Colorful Opportunity

I found some beautiful absolutely-must-not-leave-this-store-without-some-of-this knit fabric at the store the other night when I managed to get out of the house all by myself (amazingly relaxing!). We're on a budget so I decided that even though I couldn't live without it, I could live with only one yard convincing myself I would figure out something to make out of it.

On my way home, I had a Eureka moment. I would turn that fabric into a scarf. Or three.

So I did. I discovered a tiny hole in the fabric and decided I would make a 10" scarf to keep for myself, and open an Etsy shop to see if I could sell the other two 15"x58" scarves.

**My two year old couldn't wait to wear the 10" scarf. She's going to be such a diva! LOVE IT!

Shades of Plum

Since our winters can be pretty harsh around here (though this winter has been ridiculously nice), I decided to make some ruffled leggings to finish off the shirt and skirt I talked about in the last post. Same pattern, with some modifications.

I made some test leggings the night before last and decided the next pair needed to be a little shorter from waist to crotch, and shorter from crotch to ankle.

My model was angry when I made her strip down to her skivvies for lunch, but I didn't think Tomato Soup Orange and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Yellow and Crumbs would go well with the purple. 

A New Outift

I couldn't resist the call of the bubble skirt for my two year old. I had some sweet purple striped jersey knit fabric and some elastic and matching thread so I decided to get to work. And since she didn't have an adorable shirt to match the skirt, I decided to make that, too :)

I did use a McCall's pattern for the skirt and shirt, but the shirt has been modified to have a layer and also some nice little asymmetric ruffles down the front.

She was super excited to try the outfit on today and threw a fit when I made her take it off to eat breakfast. I just can't bring myself to let her eat in it - I can't risk a stain, after all, haha. Plus I haven't figured out how all those other moms keep their toddlers clothes absolutely spotless...

Bask in the cuteness.

A Shooting Essential

The kids are "napping" so I thought I'd steal some computer time to tell you about the shooting bags I made (instead of the high chair cover that I really didn't feel like tackling).

If you know someone who likes to shoot, these bags are an essential.

The bags can be used to prop up the butt of the gun or the barrel depending on who you are, how you shoot, barrel length, and how steady you can hold a gun while freestanding.

Back in the Saddle

After a short break/vacation to Fargo, North Dakota - yeah, the same place that movie was about (you HAVE to check out the Fargo-Moorhead CVB - they have the original woodchipper from the movie!)- I'm ready to get my game on. I decided I'm not going to work on the things already on my To-Do List, but thought a high chair cover would be a good next project.

Right now, we're using a Cosco Flat Fold High Chair. My biggest complaint is that it's hard to clean. In order to take the seat off to wash it, you have to unscrew at least 8 screws (and washers), remove the handles, and the first time I took it off, I had to rip some thread out of the nylon webbing so I could unbutton it. Seriously annoying. And then, after I washed it, the webbing shrank so it doesn't attach right on the back anymore. And you can't remove the crotch strap, which can get absolutely caked with nastiness, as can each and every exposed crevice on the thing (especially if you don't always use the tray).

I'm sure the package insert probably says "spot clean" or "wipe with damp cloth," but when your kid has a poop-splosion, pees, or spills milk or another stinky/sticky/greasy food or drink, the only thing you really want to do is get the dang thing clean.

So I'm going to make a cover. I'll spend some time tonight drawing up a plan of action (pattern) and figure out what kind of fabric to use. Maybe I'll test out the new camera we got for Christmas and put up a tutorial? We shall see.

Cheers!

Editor's Edited

Like I mentioned in the last post, I needed to alter a pair of my Editors from Express to fit. I used this quick tutorial and was able to make the fix in about 10 minutes from start to finish. I ended up putting on the pants inside out and having my husband mark the inside of the pants for me. He also marked where the new "fold" met the original seam. Sewing was quick and easy and I decided not to cut the extra fabric I took in, in case I ever gain the weight back. If you need to alter your pants this way, don't be scared. It sounds intimidating, but it's easy as pie.

I forgot to take pictures, but the pants fit perfectly and still make my butt look fabulous! I'll be pairing the Editors in Cool Earth with a dark pink/light pink designed shirt by Apt. 9 (from Kohl's) and a pair of deep plum heels. I'll also be wearing a black suit coat.

Wish me luck!



*UPDATE*  Didn't get the job...but I still looked fantastic and it was probably the best interview I've ever had. They didn't ask those dumb interview questions that I've gotten a lot of and never know how to answer (Where do you want to be in five years?) They asked creative, complex questions like the ones I would have had to answer if I'd been hired. Amazing interview, hands-down.

Creator's Block

Okay. I'm stuck. I have a list of things to make, but I don't know where to start and I'm not really feeling the 'itch' to make any of them.

Here's my current To-Do List:

• A travel tray for Katie so she can color/paint/eat/read on road trips (4.5 hours is our shortest).
• A crayon/marker roll to make traveling with tiny pieces of wax easy.
• A fishing game.
• A busy book
• Book shelves for the girls' room.

Which project should I work on next? Let me know by commenting on this post!

I do have a job interview on Tuesday morning, and I don't have any slacks that are small enough in the waist, so maybe I'll alter a pair and see where it gets me. All my nice slacks are Editors from Express. I love the pants, but I don't really have the cash to buy a pair that fits. I've never altered a waistband of a ready-to-wear pant and I would really HATE to end up ruining a pair. Only one way to learn, right?

Wish me luck!