Craftiness

I found my sewing machine the other day. That's not to say I forgot about it, it's just that in the midst of rearranging some of the rooms to make one over into Rolin's big boy room, I found it in the closet and decided I'd rather sew something than reorganize the bedrooms.

I get distracted easily.

Anyway, some of my friends and family have been busy reproducing, so I thought I'd make their offspring some homemade fun from Auntie Christine.

I'd like to thank Pinterest for the inspiration!

First up, a few taggy blankets with a crinkley factor in the middle:

 Back I

 Front I

Back II

Front II

Then some crayon rolls. I had fun making these! They're not perfect, but I don't think those under the age of seven will mind much:

Inside I

Outside I

Half-rolled I

All rolled up I

All rolled up II

Inside II

Inside III

Half-rolled III

If you'd like one, let me know!

New aprons

Some new aprons for the newest baby girl in the fam: Ellie Marie! 

Crafterson

Every now and then I finish a project. Some projects sit half done in our dining room for ages, but I do get around to finishing them (most of them) eventually! 

Here are a few things I've done lately.

Mommy & me aprons for a buddy with a toddler. Color/Pattern: Pink and brown paisley for the main piece, brown with pink polka-dots for the pocket, brown for the trim.

I traced a set of aprons my mom has to make these. I think my favorite part is picking out the different fabrics.

 Mommy-sized.

Baby-sized.

Rolin's valentine to his grandparents. If you look carefully, you can see me in the reflection. Hello there!

Other Mommy & Me aprons. As you see, it's customary to always wear the apron when playing with Rolly. Other pics of this pair would have been available if our camera hadn't spontaneously jumped from the hands of the carrier. Color/Pattern: bold color stripes for the main fabric, orange for the pocket, yellow for the trim. 

 Christmas wreaths!

The Craft

"Thanks to Pinterest, I looked like a town crazy as I walked home from the park with the stroller undercarriage overflowing with sticks, pine cones and leaves. Hopefully the craft turns out well!"

That was my Facebook post a few weeks ago. More people than I expected were interested in seeing the final product, so without further adieu, behold:

This is how you can make one yourself: 

Step 1: Find a nearby park full of Oaks. Do not complete a lap around said park without stopping to pick up acorns or their caps. Repeat over the course of a few days, always thinking the next cap is better than the previous. Silently tell yourself you're pretty awesome for finding some rare and elusive twin acorn caps. Pick up some sticks and twigs along the way also. Be prepared with a way to transport your trove of treasures home; a stroller works well. 


Step 2: Make sure the boss is asleep.

Step 3: Make sure you have the instructions handy. Turns out this was not a Pinterest project after all! After thoroughly searching my Pinterest boards, I remembered I'd seen it in a Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, not Pinterest. 

Step 4: Arrange all necessary materials in neat little piles, then take a picture.

Step 4: Begin gluing PomPoms into acorn caps. Remember, hot glue is hot. If you touch the molten glue soon after it's dispensed from the gun, you WILL burn your finger. Smooth.

Step 5: Make sure the boss is either still asleep, or has at least found something educational to read.

Step 6: Glue the PomPomed acorns to the branches. Add a leaf, if you are so inclined. Notice your wine rack is looking dismal. If you're of age, make a mental note to do something about that.

Step 7: Step back and admire your work! 

Sewy McSewerson

Remember that sewing machine I received for my birthday? The one I said I'd use to monogram all of JT undies while he was at work? Well, I finally got it out of the box a few weeks ago...

Shortly after birthday time and a wicked round of the flu, I found myself with no energy. I didn't even have the energy to move said sewing machine from behind the couch to the spare room in our old place. Most of my birthday goodies sat in limbo next to our china hutch until Christmas. I found out later that was because I was building a placenta (sorry to say placenta) and a baby.

That takes an unexpected amount of energy!

Now that my energy is back, and also knowing that BT's due date is closer now than it is further away, I got started on a few projects I've had in mind, like curtains:

I also made a matching mom & daughter set of aprons for my friend Leigh Ann's baby shower:

I had to get these puppies in the mail as soon as they were done, so I didn't get a chance to take a pic of them together. Just imagine another one like this, only itty bitty. I traced a set of aprons my mom had for the two of us when I was little :)

Next up: recovering the bumpers and making a mattress cover for the baby bassinet. My dad made a bassinet for me (well, my brothers too, but I was first so really...it was for me) and they're going to let us borrow it for BT!