Felt Paper dolls

So... we are headed out of town and I needed some activities to keep the girls occupied during travel time.   On pinterest I came across these cute felt paper dolls.   The website had a link to purchase a pattern.  They looked simple enough and there were a few things I definitely wanted to change.  I wanted mine to be smaller so the girls could hold on to them while riding in a car seat or to put on an airplane tray table.   So this is what I came up with:

Cookin' Queen

So, I got to make princess aprons to use for a photobooth prop for a women's retreat, they will use them as raffle giveaways (I think) and so got/made some other kitcheny stuff...

Rapunzel:

 

Snow White:

Cinderella:

Sleeping Beauty:

--Aprons, Recipe Books, Spatula & Whisk--

All tied up in a simple brown bag with a coordinating ribbon:

School Sewing

... kindergarten... my oldest is in kindergarten!  And the little one has started preschool.   Went shopping for school supplies, bought a backpack-- Frozen, of course!-- for my kindergartener, but the little one wanted one as well... this was an issue for two reasons:  first, Walmart had just the one backpack; second, her preschool asks that they just use a bag big enough for their artwork...   Wah-wah, Sorry Berklie!   I did tell her that she could pick out fabric and I'd make her a bag.   She chose a pink princess fabric, and so I set off sewing...  

Less than a week later, I found out that the kindergarteners do NOT need to bring a backpack, just a small lunch box/bag... 

So since I had extra fabric, and since I knew Berklie would need a lunch bag too... this was my "Back To School Sewing" projects:

Choosing Gratitude

If you struggle with being discontent or unhappy; if your mouth always seems to be complaining; if you find yourself comparing yourself to others (why do they have that? why I am stuck with this? I wish...); if you all you can see is the gloominess, with no silver lining...  THEN I have two books I highly recommend:

1) Lifelines for Tough Times (by Mike Fabarez)

2) Choosing Gratitude (by Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

 

A few of the women in my Bible study group had done the latter book and at the end of it they have a 30 day devotional and suggest to write down your thoughts, growth, etc in a journal.   So I made journals, "count your blessings" journals.  

 

 

Berklie's Birthday and the Blue Umbrella

So... Berklie wanted a "Blue Umbrella" birthday party...  what?!?!?!   yes.  If you do not know what I am talking about then go to youtube and look up the Pixar short titled "The Blue Umbrella."  It's only 5 minutes long and it's super cute...   but how to make a three year old's birthday party theme around it?  I'm creative, but that's a stretch for me!

Fortunately she's about as indecisive as I am, so, the theme changed a bunch:  Blue Umbrella, Tinkerbell, Frozen,  etc...  We had it at a place that does bounce house/ inflatables, so there really wasn't much to do as far as themes and decorating... but in the end she ordered a WallE cake & requested a "Blue Umbrella" costume.    We compromised and she let me make her a dress, not a costume... and yes, I know the pictures are showing a cute little red dress, but go watch the Blue Umbrella, Berklie and London like the 'red' umbrella in the Blue Umbrella... confusing, I know, but this is what satisfied my complex little three-yr-old!

Spring Projects

Hey so here are a few things from this past spring:

A journal for Julie K

 

 

 

Made 2 little Elsa dresses for a good friend's little girls:

 

 

Rainbow skirts for rainbow day:

 

New Baby!!!

So, no... not "expecting" a real, physical, biological, human baby ...  But I just got a new sewing machine that I am really impressed with.   Dave got it for me for my birthday and I am so thrilled with all it can do.

I went from a  Pfaff hobby machine (yes, I did Queen sized quilts on a hobby machine!), and now I have a Brother SE400... it not only sews a million different stitches (quite an over-exaggeration... but hey! it's a lot of stitches) but it does embroidery too!  I've never done any embroidery... well, now I have... and A LOT too...

Anyway, it's an awesome machine and if you have any questions about the machine and it's capabilities, pros/cons, etc... drop me a line!

Baby Gifts:

Bankets, bibs, burprags, boogierags and baby dolls!

Two of my friends had babies in these last few months... one had a boy, the other a girl.   I had fun working with both sets of colors! 

The pink and brown set: a furry blanket, a double layer blanket, a receiving blanket, 3 burp rags, 4 boogie rags, a travel changing pad & a handmade doll.

 

 

The green and white set:  double layer blanket, taggie blankie, a burp rag, and a travel changing pad.

 

March: St. Patrick's Ruffle Skirts

So, right before St. Patrick's Day, London's preschool had a "rainbow" day where they got to pick what color was their favorite, of course London changed her mind 80 million times.  So we opted for a rainbow striped skirt... and if London was getting a skirt, Berklie insisted that she got one too!

Emily's Coptic Bound Journal

Over this past year God has mercifully revealed His grace to me.  This has happened because He has graciously chosen to soften my disgusting heart, he has revealed the truths of his promises in his word, and also through the "picking up" and "using" several people-- these earthly vessels called humans-- in my life as tools to deliver His grace, forgiveness, wisdom, etc...

A friend of mine just celebrated a birthday.  I am thankful that God has blessed me with such awesome friends.  Emily has been an encouragement and a source of great support and wisdom and counsel over this past year.  Happy Birthday Emily!



I found a book on book-making and I thought it looked like a fun and creative outlet.  I made my first journal a few years back, and I have been making them occasionally ever since. 

This journal is bound with metallic embroidery floss, the same thread that I used for her name on the front cover. 

Its sewn using a Coptic binding stitch with paired needles... this is actually the first time I've done this binding correctly!  (Hooray for reading directions! ... I knew I should have been reading more carefully all this time) 

Instead of book board I used grunge paper which kept the cover a bit more flexible (but still very durable) and pretty thin.  

There are 9 signatures; they are all lined with the exception of the very first page which contains the Philippians 4.8-9 scripture.   

I tried my first attempt at making a slipcover for the journal.   I learned a bunch and have a few revisions for future attempts at a slip cover.  

Frozen Birthday Party

Ok!  So I finished up London's Frozen themed birthday.  We were originally planning on doing a party just at the house like all the parties we've done before... but then we suggested having cake outside the theater, then going and actually watching the Frozen movie with all of her buddies!  She was very excited (imagine lots of squealing)!  This idea was genius because it cut out a lot of stress and planning on my end. 

For the cake we just purchased a cake from Vons, it was a "snowboarding" theme, and I asked them to leave off the snowboarder, and when we picked it up I quickly added "Frozen" figures.  I got the figures at Walmart from a "busy book" that they sell (comes in Frozen, Princess, Disney fairies, etc...)

I decided to focus mainly on the favors since that'd be the thing going home with all her friends.   So here are my Anna/Elsa flip dolls:

Anna / Elsa flip doll

Anna / Elsa Flip Doll

 

This was the most enjoyable birthday party for me.  I literally had no stress and I got to enjoy celebrating with my kiddos!   London and the 5 other girls that joined her also had so much fun watching the movie and dancing outside the theaters... and inside the theaters... I apologize to anyone who may have been in our theater and had a live musical performance from 6 preschoolers! 

One thing I would have done differently (courtesy of my sister's creativity):  Purchase a bag of the "fun sized" m&ms and then make and attach little tags that said, "London is celebrating her 5th birthday.  We apologize in advance for any extra noise.  Enjoy your movie and a little treat from London!"  then pass out the m&ms to the movie theater goers who were in the same theater as us in the seats surrounding us.

Birthdays Past

So, I am getting ready for my oldest to turn 5!  She has requested a Frozen party... we'll see...


I was remembering the past birthday I did for my youngest when she turned two and I thought I'd post pics of her Minnie Mouse party this past June (2013).

I made the three girls (my two, plus my niece) each a polka dot circle skirt & a headband, and then I purchased tank tops from Target (I think). 

 headbands: I purchased plain black headbands.  Then I made and attached a polka dot button flower.  The flowers turned out bigger than I had anticipated, but it ended up working out.

 For the party favors I ended up creating little activity purses.  I spent a chunk of time on these since there were only 3 kiddos coming to her party.

I bought cardboard purses from Hobby Lobby, then I modgepodged Minnie/Mickey Mouse scrapbook paper to the outside of the purse and printed off a sheet with each girls name on it and stuck it in the picture window on the front of the purse.

When you opened up the purse it became a little house for Minnie Mouse and her kitty.  What I used:

-red paper & black duct tape for the tiles.
-an empty spool & wooden circle for the table.
-green fabric & ribbon flowers for the garden.
-white felt with a sheet of magnet underneath for the flooring
-and a bed for Minnie Mouse made from an Altoids' container!

I made Minnie & the cat & the cat bed from felt and I hand stitch it all.  I made Minnie's bed from fabric & felt and batting.  Her little yellow blanket was even hand quilted!  

 

 

My girls loved getting these and played with them a lot... at first... until the center crease of the cardboard purse became weak (since it is just cardboard) and tore!  Next time I invest the time, I think I will also invest the money and purchase wooden or tin purses... I'm pretty sure I've seen both in craft stores.

 

Oh well, enough reminiscing... on to the current birthday at hand... Frozen.