I'm a Craigslist Groupie!!

Remember way back, when I was toting the greatness of craigslist? Well I am SOOO excited because my dear husband is on his way home with an almost brand new full-size captain's bed for Mr E! Yippee!!

I had settled on getting a captain's bed, he loves his cousin's captain's bed, especially the "cave" on the side of the bed without drawers. So I have been scouring the local craigslist for about 3 months now trying to find him a good used bedroom set. His sister has a full size bed, so I was wanting to get him the same, but all I could find were twin size. He has a toddler bed from Ikea, but he will be 4 in a month and he has been needing more storage. So yesterday I found this ad for a full size captain's bed complete with bookshelf headboard and the mattress plus a matching chest of drawers...and they only wanted $400. And...it's hardly been used as it was their guest bed.




So I was thrilled when it was still available. But darn it, if 2 people tried to go look at it before we could get over there and buy it (which was because of the plumber who isn't showing up til Monday morning due to a leak we're having). But...with my magical wishing fairy spells, I wished those people away and they didn't show up last night and now it's MINE!!!! So...now Em, Mr.E, and I have been dancing around the house celebrating the new "pirate bed" as Mr.E calls it.

And as soon as I get a minute, I have to tell you the story about Mindy the flying chihuahua dog.

OOOOOOOklahoma, where the winds come sweeping down the plain....

Howdy from Oklahoma!! The kidlets are having such a good time with their Meme, we stayed an extra day. We went to the big $10,000 drawing in downtown McAlester, OK tonight. We didn't win, but Meme and I are sneaking out in a few minutes to check out the Choctaw casino. She has never been inside a casino, so we're going to go blow $20 and see if we can win something in the slot machines. Cross your fingers! Last time Rob and I went, and he walked out after 20 minutes with over $100 in winnings.

And there is a big antique store literally just at the end of the road from my MIL's house, so she and I went there after lunch while the kids played outside with the dog and my dear husband watched sports, and I found some great buys. I found a basket of vintage tatted doilies for $2.00/ea, I got 2 gorgeous ones for my end tables. And I some pristine vintage sewing patterns from the 50s to frame in my "new" little sewing room. And just for fun, I found Mr. E and old toy gun holster with a play toy gun, and the toy gun was made out of metal instead of crappy plastic.

Waldorf Fairy - coming soon

So my kids and I don't like the ugly angel tree topper at the top of the Xmas tree. It's not something I broadcast loudly since I live in the belt buckle of the bible belt, but I am an athiest and since leaving christianity behind years ago, I really want to rid myself of christian icons around my house like angels, but my husband I got that tree topper our first Xmas together. Still...it's ugly.

So my kids have been bugging me this weekend to make a new one, and I've just decided it's a perfect way to get my waldorf fairy tutorial completed and have a new tree topper at the same time. So...I'm posting this to remind myself when we get back from Oklahoma this week to create it. It will not be a complete doll since it will be a tree topper, but you can find the complete doll over in the freebies section. But it will teach you how to make fairy and elf ears for a waldorf doll and how to make an easy set of fairy wings, and how to make a cool tree topper all in the same tutorial.

Below are the best example pics I could find that I had. I think I'm going use posterboard covered in felt for the cone for the tree topper and then I'm going to use to make a body out of velour as well, similar to the pink fairy you see, and then it will have ears like the boy pixie. And I'm going to create the petal fairy skirt similar to the pink fairy to hide the connection between the body and posterboard cone.



We're taking the laptop so I'll hopefully have time to blog this week. But right now I have to finish my school work. I'm on the second to last section which is typing long surgeries which is kinda fun but scary when something starts going wrong. I just typed up a heart valve replacement and it took 3 tries to wean the guy off the heart bypass, yikes!

All Warm and Fuzzy

So a couple years ago I crocheted my mom a scarf out of chenille yarn. This year I asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she requested a second scarf because she says she wears the one I got everywhere when it's cold and wants another one. So this time I picked up some yummy Sensations yarn from Joann, it's Dolcetto - which I just found out was discontinued (which also explains why it was in the clearance section for only $1.99/skein). It's mostly wool and is so soft and yummy.

I used this pattern - Vs and shells - very easy and very quick if you need a quick gift. I made this one about 2 days.

I finished it last night. And now I've been commissioned to make a shorter version for Mr. E, which I've already started on. He kept trying on gramma's scarf through various lengths (and unraveling a few stitches in the process...argh) and kept asking if was for him.

All That I Want - The Weepies

I just love that song from the JCPenney Christmas commerical, so I went looking for it. It's called All That I Want by the Weepies and you can get it from iTunes or Amazon. Feels so nice and relaxing and Christmas-y.



All that I want Lyrics

Out in the harbor
The ships come in, it’s Christmastime
The kids all holler carols ‘cross the water
Stars that shine

All that I want, all that I want

Above the rooftops
The full moon dips its golden spoon
I wait on clip-clops, deer might fly
Why not? I met you

All that I want, all that I want

And when the night is falling
Down the sky at midnight
Another year is stalling
Far away a good bye, good night

All that I want., all that I want, all that I want

So small a turning
The world grows older every day
An ache, a yearning
Soften when I hear you say

All that I want, all that I want

And when the cold wind’s blowing
Snow drifts through the pine trees
In houses lights are glowing
Likewise in your eyes that find me here

With all that I want.

Out in the harbor
The ships come in, it’s Christmastime
It’s Christmastime
It’s Christmastime.

Scrapbooking My Ideas and Inspiration

I've been wanting a file type of scrapbook album to create a little album of ideas and inspirations saved that I can keep in my purse for when ideas come to my head or I need to reference at a fabric store for little notes and supply lists, etc. I wanted them to be in a little crafty thing I could carry around with me. I was just about to buy the supplies to make one myself when I came across these albums a couple days ago. They are from 7Gypsies
They usually run around $7/ea, but I just ordered them for cheap on Joann.com . They were on sale for under $5/ea. Aren't they adorable? I have so many ideas to decorate them, I'm thinking a vintage/ephemera type of thing -- I can't wait! I also picked up the black Librarie gaffer tapes from 7gypsies too that will go great with my ephemera theme.

FYI - FREE SHIPPING CODE at Joann.com - DECFSERR72 - expires 12/17

Embroidered Treasures

And now a sewing book review. I picked up the most adorable embroidery book today at Half Price Books (have I told you am I addicted to that place? my husband has to usually drag me out, lol). And I can't wait to get started on the projects in it! It was only $9.95 there, but I did fint it online at www.bn.com for $19.95 for new and like $2.50 for used - wow!

It has all kinds of kids projects and includes the patterns for making all the projects from baby shoes to dolls. I got it mostly for the just so cute pirate puppets ;) . And it has great close up pictures of embroidery stitches for those of us who are visual learners (me!). I can do a tiny bit of embroidery stitches but this book really shows you how to do some neat stitches like a flower stitch along a pillowcase edge. My other fave is the vintage dolls. I love their little dresses and embroidered faces - so cute!

Ok I had my fun, now I'm really, really going back to work. I'm taking a little break for my whopping 75 reports. This doctor drives me nuts, he can be very longwinded. I'm gonna be here til morning if I don't get my rear in gear.

Mini Mitten

Well I finally finished all the hats, so I'm onto the mittens and decided to create my own pattern, so here it is. I'm doing this from memory of creating the first one, so this is a tentative pattern, after I make the next one, I'll correct it in case I wrote something wrong, and I'll post a picture of one of mine.

Mini Mittens

Sport weight yarn
E size crochet hook

Ribbing:
Color #1:
Row #1 - ch 5, skip 1st ch, then sc in 4 chs, ch 1 and turn
Row #2-#14 - sk ch, then sc in back loop only 4 st, ch 1 and turn
Row #15 - sk ch, then sc in back loop only 4 st
- line up Row #1 and Row #15 and sl st together to form a ring.

Hat Body:
Color #2
Row #1 - Sc all the way around the top of the ring of ribbing, then sl st
Row #2 - dc and inc every other stitch to double the stitches, then sl st
Row #3 - Skip 7 stitches (for thumb hole), and dc directly across to next st, then dc for 3 st and inc at every 4th st, sl st
Row #4- Dc, inc every 4th st, sl st
Row #5-#6 - Dc, dec every 3rd sttich, then sl st the top closed.

Thumb
Row #4 - Dc, dec every 4th st, sl st
Row #5 - Dc, dec every 3rd st, sl st the top closed


I'm off to go shopping, first to the Hanna Andersson store at the mall for some undies for my child who will only wear HA undies. I created a monster when she was a toddler, lol. And then to my favorite place - Half Price Books - to stock up on some fiction for moi! But first we have to wait for the Dallas Cowboy game to finish before my dear football-addicted husband can leave the house, lol.

How to make Boutique Cowboy Pants

I saw these ridiculously expensive in a children's boutique store and decided to go home and make my own. This is a cowhide print fabric, but it is not regular woven, it's a thicker woven, though I'm not sure the name. It's not twill, it's almost has a fake linen look to it. Anyway, I got it at Walmart awhile ago. I also found a clip art picture with an abstract longhorn black and white cow print to match and printed it off on ironing transfer paper and ironed it to a white t-shirt. It seems to be MIA currently so I am without a picture.

This fabric is also black and white and I went with black fringe, at JoAnn I've seen brown and white and you can find the matching fringe in brown as well.

My son loves to play like he's a cowboy. His gramma got him a little holster with some little cowboy revolvers and a cowboy hat, so he has "cowboy" pants to complete his outfit.


How to Make Boutique Cowboy Pants

Materials
- basic elastic waist pants pattern
- fringe - faux leather - 1 1/2 yds for toddler size


1. Use any regular pants pattern that has a basic side seam. This needs to be for woven fabrics as knits will stretch too much for the fringe. I prefer a basic elastic waist woven pant pattern - Kwik Sew has these. I used the basic elastic waist shorts pattern from Kwik Sew for Children.

2. Cut out pant pieces from pattern. Sew both front pieces together and both back pieces together at the curved waist/crotch area.

3. Take one pant piece and measure the entire pant leg side seam, then subtract 4.5 inches to account for the waistband and hem.

4. Mark a dot 2.5 inches down from top of waist on side seam and 2 inches up from very bottom of pant leg for both side seams on the front piece.

5. Make a sandwich with the pant pieces by laying front pattern piece with right side up, then line up fringe between dots and along side seam edge with fringe facing inward along the edge of the side seam, then lay back piece with right side facing down. Make sure to line all of these up at the side seam and pin along the seam.

6. Then sew up the pant leg side seam on both sides.

7. Flip right side out to make sure none of the fringe got caught in the seam.

8. Then finish waistband with 1.25-inch waistband and 3/4 to 1 inch elastic, and hem the pants with a 1-inch hem.

** For an older child, simply measure their side seam to determine how much yardage for the fringe trim.

Nursing Cover / Apron Tutorial

Here is the big tutorial! You would be surprised how many hits I get for a breastfeeding cover. Hopefully soon I will have modeling pics from my SIL and her baby. Also, I will turn it into a downloadable tutorial over the weekend, but here it is for now. I have a 2-layer version coming very soon.


Nursing Cover/Apron

Materials
1 yd of fabric A
¼ yd of fabric B
½ yd of Rigilene boning
2 D rings


Instructions
1. With fabric A cut:
1 piece 36 x 28 inches
1 strips 2 x 6 inches
1 strips 2 x 20 inches

2. With fabric B cut:
2 strips 2 ¼ x 28 inches - these are strips #1
2 strips 2 ¼ x 37 inches – these are strips #2

3. Press fabric B strips in ½ lengthwise.

4. Line up raw edges of folded strips #1 with raw edges of right side of fabric A large piece. For strips #2, fold in the extra ½ inch on each edge of the 37-inch strips before sewing so there are no raw edges. Then only sew one of strip #2 (this will be the bottom edge).

5. For the second strip #2, fold in and pin the ½ inch at the raw edges. Next, mark the center of the strip and measure out from the center 8 inches and mark these points. Then insert the boning and tack it at the two 8 inch lengths from the center. Then stretch out the strip (because it will want to curl with the boning), and sew right down the middle lengthwise to create a casing for the boning.

6. Now attach this strip #2 to the last raw edge of fabric A.

7. Press all seams toward the inside of the cover, and then topstitch on fabric A all the way around to hold the seams in place.

8. To create the straps – fold the straps lengthwise with right sides together, sew lengthwise and then sew one end closed. Turn straps right side out. If you have a tube turner, use it to flip the straps right side out. If you have a chopstick or a knitting needle, you can do this easily as well.

9. Line raw edge up with seam of the back cover. (It does not matter which side is the shorter one). Pin raw edge of each strip to back of cover at the edges of the boning. Tack at topstitching and at the edge of the cover on both straps.

10. Take short strap and insert it through both D rings, then fold over the edge and tack it.

11. Now insert the larger strap through one D ring and under the second D ring and pull back through the first one (like a belt).

...And you are done!

Who wants to Elf Yourself??

My mom "elfed" my children sent this to me and this is so funny. You can do it to your whole family too!

Here's a link to my adorable little things and at the end it gives you a link to make your own.

Merry Xmas!

...And yet another annoying book review

Well I guess you can see what I do when I'm sick? I curl up in a chair or in the bed with my favorite quilt in the whole world (this is a big thank you to my wonderful mother, the quilter. I begged her for it the minute we picked it up at the machine quilting place), a glass of pineapple juice, and a big thick book. I finished this one in 2 days, it was about 530 something pages. The Time Traveler's Wife. Oh my gosh was it good. I gave up sleep, food, and catching up on my Tivo'd shows for this one. I started it very late Friday night or early Saturday morning as I could not sleep being sick and then I have read it nearly nonstop since Saturday afternoon after my husband and I put up the trampoline for the kids (and oh my gosh what a fun adventure that was. I think prison inmates should be forced into trampoline installation without instructions, that might sway them from commiting crimes ever again). So I just finished it literally minutes ago. Anyway, the book is about Henry and Clare, a husband and wife. It's a love story. Henry travels through time (sorta like the show Journeyman -- which is really good and I suspect they stole the idea from this book, except the journeyman guy is never naked, I guess that wouldn't fly on regular tv, lol). He can't control it, and he can't control where he goes, but he mostly ends up meeting Clare as a child and teenager, different stages in her life, as well as meeting himself as a child throughout different ages in his life. It's such a wonderful love story told through both Henry and Clare, and you learn different sides of the events through both their eyes. It goes throughout their lives until the end and it is so sweet to see their neverending love. It truly is an addictive story. From the time I read the first page, I was totally hooked. I'm about to run over to bn.com and see what other book Audrey Niffenegger has written.

P.S. My super secret pattern is almost done. I wrote up the rough draft a couple days ago while I was pissed off at my husband and trying it ignore him, so I need to edit it a little before I put it up and make sure I didn't forget anything, but it's almost ready.