Appliqued shirts

A few months ago I made these two appliqued shirts for a couple of our favorite little boys.


This penguin was a birthday gift for our friend Ryken.


And this little owl onesie is a just because / surprise gift for a cousin's son.

I do love making these. They are easy, quick, and it's fun to use fabric from my stash. I hope to make some more this year. I also have some other ideas to applique these little birds on some other projects. Do you have any fun ideas?

Crocheted Halloween Costumes

I have wanted to make Sydney's Halloween costume since she was a baby. This year I finally got the inspiration to really go for it. She really wanted to be Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon, which of course made Shane really proud. We actually looked around for a costume for her but couldn't find one anywhere. We did see some girls wearing pre-made ones on Halloween so they must have been available but maybe just sold out. Either way, with Shane's encouragement, we decided to make Sydney an Astrid costume ourselves.


First I picked out some yarn and crocheted the vest/shirt for her. It is two different yarns, one aqua color and a tricolor, that I crocheted together. I just chained enough to fit around her waist and slip stitched to the first chain to make a large loop. Then I just did rows of double stitch up her torso. I was worried the double stitch would be too big and not tight enough for a shirt but because of using two yarns and a H hook it worked out great. Once I made the tube big enough for her torso I just winged it to go up around on shoulder and then attached it to the back. Then I crocheted the other side. I was in a hurry so I didn't keep track of stitches or anything like that. Basically the poor girl had to try it on every hour or so as I went to make sure it was going to fit correctly.


The skirt is a faux leather I picked up at Joann's. I just made myself a little template and cut out all the pieces by hand. Then sewed them onto a waist band piece. I didn't really have the time to finish the skirt well so we just cut belt loops right into the waist of the skirt and put her brown belt on the inside of the skirt. It worked perfectly. Plus, this method means it is adjustable so she can wear it again next year if she wants. The skirt also includes a basic tube of brown cotton fabric for the bottom layer. The 'studs' are just silver buttons I found and sewed onto the skirt. The little skulls and the studs on her shoulders are clay Shane mixed up for me that we baked in the oven until set, then we just hot glued them into place.


The shoulder pieces are made for cardboard, hot glue, spray paint, and more of the clay for the spikes. And to finish it all off I made her headpiece from a scrap of the 'leather', extra buttons, and verco. Viola! Astrid.


Next up was Violet. We thought it would be cute if she was a little dragon. We talked and sketched some ideas for a little beanie and spikes as well as other details but in the end time limited her costume to just wings. It worked out because at 15 months she wasn't really liking the idea of a detailed, cumbersome costume. I just used some Red Heart soft green yarn. Once again I just sort of winged it without a pattern (sorry for the pun.) It is all double crocheted as well which made it come together quickly. Shane helped me add wire (from a wire hanger) then I just added a couple buttons to attache the harness.


I was happy with how they turned out and I look forward to making more costumes for them in the future. It was also good to try my skills at creating something with no pattern to even base it off of. Definitely a stretching experience.

First Quilt

I have been wanting to make a quilt for years and finally worked up the nerve to give it a go. This first one was for a close friend who had her first baby this past November. I used this super easy and fun pattern from Kate at Two Little Banshees, which uses six fat quarters for the quilt top. It was a great first pattern for me. I love the colors and fabrics. The back is a flannel from Anna Maria Horner. The front is cottons and mostly from her too. I learned a lot on this first quilt and know there is a lot of growing and practice still needed but overall I was happy with how it turned out. It definitely has given me the inspiration to make more quilts and do more sewing in general.

Cherilyn and Jake

I know it has been a while since I blogged so get ready for some catching up. While I haven't been on here much I have been creating and making new stuff. I'm looking forward to sharing them and getting some feedback too. So without further delay...

(Photo property of Cherilyn)

Congratulations (belated though it is) to my sister Cherilyn and her new husband Jake. They were married this past October. Cherilyn is my only sister whom I love dearly and Jake is a wonderful husband for her. He really brings out the best in her and for that I love him too.


I made them this crocheted blanket for their new home together (yes it is an old picture because I forgot to take pictures of it completed). It is something you may have seen a glimpse of all the way back here. It was definitely a labor of love but I think it will be a nice blanket to cuddle under for a movie. It is big enough for two to use for just such an occasion. This is my first attempt at a chevron or zigzag pattern. I really like the look of these and think I might make one for our home too. I'm thinking a bunch of bright colors. Maybe something for on Violet's big girl bed since it will probably take about that long to make. :)

Farm fresh

We recently joined Abundant Harvest Organics and receive a box of farm fresh food every week. So far we have been really happy with the variety and quality of the fruits and vegetables. I was a little concerned if we would get a good amount of produce for our money but everything above was all from our first week. It is also a fun challenge to try and use all the different food we receive. I have only cooked with eggplant once and never used fresh mint, acorn squash, or so many different varieties of tomatoes.

Part of the produce went into a fresh batch of salsa recently.


This week I'm thinking of making some homemade pasta and tomato sauce. I have longed to have a little garden of our own but this will have to do the trick for now. Plus, I am learning so much about different vegetables and fruits and how to use them in our menu so I feel like I'll make more informed decisions when it comes to our own garden someday.

Turning One

My baby girl turned one on July 17th. We celebrated Star Wars style with her big sister. Violet is an amazing child and I once again feel so blessed that God added her to our family a year ago. Some of you may know but we had a miscarriage two years ago and then became pregnant with Violet a couple months later. This experience made me nervous throughout my pregnancy but I'm so thankful to have a faithful Father who carried us through that experience. Even though I can't explain all the whys of losing our baby, I find comfort and peace in trusting Him. One of the many blessings that came from that difficult experience was added joy in the birth of Violet. It felt like such a celebration of life and the blessing of children.

Violet, you are truly a joy to your daddy and me. Here are a few of the many things about you that make me smile...

-the way you say hi by reaching out to us in excitement
-your little tentative, wobbly steps
-your "kisses" face


-your "cheese" face
-the way you laugh when Sydney plays with you
-the fact that you giggle so much and so easily
-the way you say "Dad, Daddy, Dada, Dad" all day long until he comes home
-how you lay your head on my shoulder when you're tired
-your little chubby hand signing "please"
-how you drink from a straw until you are breathless (someday soon you realize you just have to stop sucking)
-your love for water (we find you in the tub even when it is empty)
-how brave you are

Right now you love all things with buttons, all fruit, and anybody who will pick you up. You don't like being told no, skipping naps, or being quiet in the car.


Little padawan, you are my heart's joy. I pray that this coming year is filled with adventure, exploration, and discovery. I pray that as you become a young lady you are brave and courageous in your walk with the Lord. I love you, Vi!

Much love and blessings,
Mama

Homemade Pizza and More Bread

We made homemade pizza using the one-hour bread recipe. It was delicious. I'm still learning how long to bake it and we are experimenting with toppings. Even little Violet loved the pizza. Next time I would like to try a whole wheat crust and bake it at a higher temperature to try and get the bottom nice and crisp.


I have made the bread several times now. The family favorite so far is the whole wheat (with flax seed). It is so great and has the perfect texture. I also made little breadsticks for Violet but they didn't turn out quite right. I think I just overcooked them but the flavor was good. I just used the whole wheat bread but added in some mashed strawberries at the end. I will probably try making them again for her.