Heartseams CD Holder

I'm starting this year off on a good foot, two projects in the first month!! The pattern for this CD holder came from One-Yard Wonders, by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins, 2009. This particular one will be finding a home with my cousin Willi better known as my Wilsmy! He loves, loves, LOVES Lady Gaga and I must admit I've grown somewhat smitten with her since her Oprah Interview. While listening to Speechless repeatedly, this one line stood out to me "you popped my heartseams." Obviously anything with the word SEAMS is going to stand out to me, since I'm such a sewing fiend. Well, I couldn't use the embroidery option this round because the small hoop I ordered didn't work out and I'm in the process of exchanging through Ebay-you know how that goes.

Anyways, for a first go 'round on this projects it turned out alright. Hopefully Willsmy fills it with lots of Gaga CDs! Now what's next on my craft agenda? I really want to make a maternity shirt out of one of Kyle's old t-shirts. The Selfish Seamstress had an inspirational post on January 22nd and turned me on to Magashoni. Would you look at some of those tops!?! I love that ruffles, bows, flowers, etc. are in style. I'm thinking some kind of square neckline with a ruffle treatment, slightly elasticized puffy sleeves, an empire seam to make room for the baby, and a cute embroidery at the bottom-perhaps something like the sparrows from this pattern. I don't know, so many ideas so little time!

PS- hopefully we find out the sex of the baby TOMORROW!! Cross your fingers that baby doesn't have cord looped back and forth between the legs again :/. If its a girl-I'm going all out French, nothing but Mon Chaton, Eiffel Tower, and Sucre Creme!

Booties for Kadynce

I finally took some time to make my own "light tent" for taking pictures. A little Photoshop goes a LONG way, but the light box definitely adds a professional touch. To top it all off, I finished another project! Just this morning I put the finishing stitches on a pair of baby booties for Kadynce, my niece-in-law who will be 1 in March. I hope they fit her, they turned out smaller than I thought.

I found a free baby bootie pattern a couple months ago. It's actually a pattern from the archive of Molly Chicken. Great jumping point, and I added heel pulls and of course my own embroidery (gotta put that new machine to work!).

Must I say that adding my signature to everything really makes a project look complete for me! Every day that I sew, I am praising Kyle for the machine: "It's the best present EVER!"

Quail Clutch

I know, it's been WAY too long. Here it is, my most recent completed project. Hopefully Becky has received her gift in the mail by now, otherwise I am ruining your surprise and I apologize!! I just couldn't wait to post any longer, if I procrastinate too long it will never get done. I had the idea for a bag for Becky on my mind for the last year, but I was originally going to do a shopping bag. Then Kyle got me a Brother SE-350 for my birthday and I had all kinds of embroidery ideas!!

This sewing machine is a dream come true compared to my old $80 special! I had no idea how easy life could be ;). Anyway, it took me all day to make this clutch because I wanted to put my name on it so obviously I could not use someone else's pattern. This clutch is from scratch, my own pattern, design, sewing, the whole works from beginning to end! I know it didn't come out absolutely perfect, Beck, but I hope you find some use for it!!

My sister gave me an Ebay gift certificate for my birthday, so I had fun last night searching out accessories for the embroidery machine. I cannot wait to use my new concealed zipper foot, it really would have come in handy on this Quail Clutch. I also bought the 2' x 1.5' hoop since I love to work with small details. Although I don't have $800 for the PEDesign software, you can bet that I will figure out a way to use this machine to create my own embroidery designs. My hand embroidery looks like a Kindergärtner did it, but I have so many ideas that I need to create!

Baby Wrap for Jaci

I FINALLY got another project done, slowly but surely. It's even more difficult to focus with the sun out so much now. Plus, I've got 2 scholarships I need to finish applications for AND my application for Grad School. PHEW! I need: 1 maid, 1 millionnaire husband so I can quit my day job, and 1 4-pack of Bud Light Cheladas :).

Anywho, I made a baby wrap for my good friend Jami Phillips. She welcomed her second child into the world last month --> Jaci Lee Ann, on May 4th. What a sweetie pie!! Little Jaci deserves to be wrapped in style. So I used another pattern out of my Amy Butler book Little Stitches. Here were the results!

Pierre the Kitty, Mon Chaton!!!

I finished this little stuffed kitten today for my neice's birthday. It was a quick project, just started it last night!! I found the pattern on Wee Wonderfuls, it was a freebie. Only wished I had heeded Hillary Lang's advice and stuffed Pierre a little more in the body. Oh, and I think I need to take some embroidery lessons, his whiskers look a bit like I was nipping at the Baileys while stitching!!

My First Handbound Book!!

I have been trying my best to create hand-made gifts for all my awesome friends. I never thought I would say its too bad I have so many awesome friends - because I can't keep up with everyone's birthdays and holidays!!!!!

This was my latest creation - a hand bound book for Buffy's 30th birthday. I really enjoyed making this book, it was a medium I had not done much with lately. I googled for directions and ultimately chose something off www.instructables.com. Here is one you can try, however it is not the one that I used. Unfortunately, I erased my cache and can't find it now!

Basically, you cut a bunch of paper to the same size, fold and sew it all together, glue the edges, make a cover with fabric on it and glue it all together! That is a hugely simplified list of steps and I definitely recommend you do some googling of your own if you want to try this project. I used Martha Stewart paper from Wal-Mart, vintage fabric from my sewing room, and a cereal box for the cover. Couple of times: 1. if the cover warps during the drying process, set it under a brick for a while it and it should straighten up. 2. If you are  using a sheer or lightweight fabric for the cover, get yourself some strong spray adhesive so it doesn't stain through the fabric leaving water stains (like mine did, bummer).

Anywho, here is what I came out with my first try!!

My original plan was to print out all the pictures I had with Buffy in them and assemble this great photo album for her. Things NEVER go as planned for me. So I put all the 'fixins' for a photo album into this nice little package for Buffy to assemble as she saw fit.  

Then, I personalized one photo I had of Buffy holding Brodes using Adobe Photoshop, added my own nice little message along with my signature Elk Antler Stamp, and called it good! I want to make more of these. . . when I have time ;).

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Buffy's Birthday Cake!!!

OK, so I didn't come up with this  idea. But I adopted it due to my Banana Cream Cake recipe not jiving with my Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes  recipe. Kyle has warned me not to adapt things myself, we had a REALLY nasty tuna casserole a few weeks back, hehe.

Anyways, this cake turned out pretty good and better yet - it looked nice for Buffy's Bday Party!!! Dirty Thirty Afro Party, check out my facebook for pictures!!!