In Polka Dot Heaven.

Not sure if you know.. But I seriously LOVE polka dots. Maybe in an unhealthy manner?? I've been holding on to some pink and brown polka dot remnants for months now... just waiting for the perfect project to come along. A super duper friend brought me a pattern piece and instructions for a smock top this afternoon. I sewed it up real quick and added velcro closure this evening. It wasn't polka dotty enough, so I grabbed a pair of her jeans and added a ruffled band around the bottom of the pants. This was the first time I have ruffled without a ruffler foot... well who am I kidding? This was only the second time I've ruffled anything. The first time I tried it out for fun with a ruffler foot on my machine. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be - plus I learned about some new features of my machine in the process! And the results couldn't be cuter!!!!

My Semi-Homemade Holiday

I hope this post finds you all warm and cozy! Above you'll see a slide show of most of the gifts I created for my loved ones this Christmas. I didn't get pictures of the stepping stones we made for my Dad's backyard. With a bag of cement, a bucket and pie pans, we handed over a moment in time. The stones including Andrew and Kaitlynn's handprints and Mitchell's footprint. They are permanant yet portable. I also made a NASCAR themed blanket for my Mom's husband that I never caught a photo of! I was able to really break in my new sewing desk last week. Most of the projects were sewn in a matter of 3 days - nothing like waiting until the last minute?! That's pretty much protocol in my house!

Have a VERY MERRY and Happy New Year!

Shhhhhhh......

......it's a secret!

I'm working on a Christmas gift for someone, although I can't say who. (I think they read my blog) I'm about halfway there and hoping to finish it up tomorrow sometime.

The Sneak Preview -

I cannot wait to share this one with all of you once the holidays are over! I love it so far :)

Behold the Almighty Table.

I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime for this wondrous piece of sewing furniture. I'll admit it's only been about 4 - 5 months since I first spotted it, but it has felt like forever. I originally found it on Walmart's website for about a hundred dollars. Unfortunately shipping & handling was somewhere in the range of 30 dollars, which is what kept me from acquiring it for so long. In the meantime, I purchased a "vintage" desk and matching swivel chair from a consignment shop in town that was going out of business. The desk was a bit roughed up... it's definitely got some history. But for 45 bucks, I planned on making that my project, my second hobby, my baby. We bought a sander at the local hardware store and I got to work on it one night. Do you any of you realize how hard it is to sand something with that many layers of finish on it? Holy Moly is all I have to say. Since we moved a few weeks ago, my "baby" has been on the back burner for sure. Cory tried to talk me into getting rid of it, while we cleaned our garage last week, but I wouldn't budge. Which is what forced him to spill his guts about the sewing table he had bought for me! He put it together tonight and it is sooooo absolutely stunning. If this doesn't get me motivated to finish my Christmas sewing, then I don't know what will!





And now I present to you, the Sauder Sewing and Craft Table, Cottage Home Collection:





Anyone interested in purchasing a partially sanded vintage desk with matching swivel chair??

Been awhile...

We moved just over a week ago and in turn any extracurricular projects have definitely been put on the back burner. But I squeezed in a quick project tonight. It's for Baby Aidan. A taggy, with real tags -

Hope Mommy Heather likes it!

And check out that super sweet new dining table in the background ;)

Job #2

I got hired for sewing again! YAY! My friend Heather requested a Christmas apron for herself, a matching one for her four year old son and a matching bib for her baby. So here they are!

Next project for my sewing machine: Christmas gifts. I've checked out a few blogs recently in which the blogger explains how she likes to have alllllllll the Christmas gifts made/purchased/wrapped/ready to go by the end of October... or as soon as humanly possible. That way they can spend Novemeber and December actually enjoying the holidays. What a concept, huh? I won't be done by the end of October (obviously) but it'd be great to have most things) ready for giving by December 1st! That's the goal.. I'll update this blog soon and let you know how I'm doing.

Tutu Virgin.

My husband's work had a 90% off clearance sale one day a few months ago. I couldn't shop at it, but he picked me up 20 yards of Organza. I've never worked with it before and wasn't sure what I'd eventually create out of it, but this morning I finally figured it out. I'm no longer a tutu virgin. All of us who craft, or who have young daughters know how trendy these pretty little things are right now... and there are some REALLY gorgeous tutus out there! This is my first one - it's taken a ton of tying, trimming, tweaking (and it's very basic) but I've finally gotten it to the point where I am slightly satisfied. I have so many ideas running through my head for these...........my bank account better watch out!

Did I mention that Kaitlynn can be a bit corny at times?

But she can be precious too ;)