The Attic Studio

Reminder

2010-05-21T20:50:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to check out Simply Simon's lovely store! Mention the code theatticstudio15 to receive a 15% discount off your order! Offer ends May 31st.

2010-05-20T21:11:00.000-04:00

Post #50!! Wahoo!! (Hello new followers! You haven't gone unnoticed!)

Thanks for stopping in and reading. My husband said if I didn't get back to blogging, I would lose all my followers, namely him. Well honey (darling, SWEETIE), here you go :).

I would feel a little more celebratory about a milestone post if my head wasn't pounding. If it didn't require me to go down the stairs, through the living, past the kitchen, trip over toys in the playroom (a.k.a. piano room), and into the bathroom...I would get some tylenol.

But that would require entirely too much effort :). (My husband is laughing right now because he knows this is soooo true about me.)

Regardless...

I found this link on Mod Podge Rocks that links to a fabric bowl engineered completely with Mod Podge.

This is my version. I used a small pyrex bowl as my mold (you know, the kind with the blue lid that you use to take left-over spaghetti to work). Both pieces of fabric were pieces left over from my first apron.

I put my wrist pincushion inside for size referencing, but I have been keeping my earrings in it. Evidently I haven't been doing a good job at keeping my earrings in it though because there weren't ANY earrings in it when I went to photograph it...

Top 10 Photo

2010-05-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

The Trendy Treehouse picked my photo as one of the top 10! (Check out my last post)

Here's my fancy prize:

:) What more could a girl ask for??

I'm on a bit of a hiatus today, but I will hopefully be able to share some amazing pictures of my view tomorrow. Happy Weekend!!

2010-05-11T18:27:00.000-04:00

It's Shutter Love Tuesdays on Trendy Treehouse!

Today's theme was "Mother's Love". This picture is from Easter and captures and sweet moment between me and my E. She loves to play with my hair, and especially loves it when I tickle her face with it. I love to hear her giggle when I try to "steal all her sugars". :)

Sorry about the lack of Tuesday Cup of Cheer. I hope you found your own cheer today! I got back from my photography class really late last night and didn't really have time to put it together. I'll make next weeks doubly nice!

Dear Trendy Treehouse,
I realize your post says the picture should be taken by us, but I adore this picture of my baby and me. I suppose I could fib and tell you that I used my self-timer or a remote, but the truth is...my sister took it. She did use my camera though! I completely understand if you disregard my picture because of this fact. No hard feelings :).

Go check out the other entries!

Sunday Roundup

2010-05-10T05:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to me!

And to you if such formalities apply!

This is a picture of me, taking a picture of me, standing in front of my mother's antique dresser mirror. If I'd had two thoughts about it, I would have moved her lotion and ash-tray-turned-candle holder-turned-jewelry-catchall (yup, I'm serious) and taken a wider shot. It is a beautiful dresser.

I spent the day with my daughter. We drove down to my mom's and dad's and had lunch.

Then we met my dear husband and drove out to our rented pasture to check on the cows. Once we found them, they followed the truck back to the feed troughs to collect their weekly corn.

I love that both of these pictures are of me taking pictures (it's Mother's Day...I'm allowed to be a little self-centered!).

Sleepy Saturday Sewing

2010-05-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

In one week, the weather here has gone from nice to rainy to flooding to nice to super nice to hot. Today it is cool and very windy. While E and my husband went out this morning I sneaked upstairs and made a pot holder to coordinate with a hand towel I had made a while back.

The weather has nothing to do with the sewing. I just can't hear anything else right now except the wind whipping against the roof in this attic room.

For the towel, I just used a strip of fabric from a jelly roll I've had for a while. The towel was an extra from the Christmas towels I made.

For the potholder, I loosely followed a tutorial from Craftzine.com. The only obvious difference is that I did a diagonal quilting stitch, rather than horizontal or vertical. The fabric was left over from an apron I made for myself.

If you would like to see better details, just click on the pictures to make them larger.

I got done just in time to eat lunch and take a nap. :)

Happy Saturday!

And the winner is...

2010-05-07T21:36:00.000-04:00

Thank you all so much for coming by and entering my first giveaway!

Before I announce the winner, check out this awesome deal being offered:

And all because you came, you saw, you followed! :)

Simply Simon (who made the Clare journal that I featured in this week's Tuesday Cup of Cheer) has also offered a sweet deal for all of my readers! Dez will give you a 15% discount on all of her products through the end of May. Just send her a little note through her shop and mention the code theatticstudio15. She'll work out all the details with you from there

Trust me when I say, she is one of the most personable sellers I've bought from! And did I mention that I love my Lucille journal?!?

And now for the other good stuff...

Random.org picked the winner for me, because I am just that lazy.

Congratulations, Annie!

Jealous. :)

First Assignment

2010-05-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

If you are reading this and you haven't entered my giveaway, go do it now! (Seriously, what are you waiting for?)

I missed my first photography class Monday because of the flooding. I was so bummed, but short of swimming to class, I didn't really have a choice. My carpooling buddy called me with the first assignment so I could get started anyway. The assignment is to photograph letters of the alphabet. This is what I have so far:

If you're not sure...hehe...that is (from left to right) a J, D, V, and O.

A mother's journal

2010-05-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

In a recent post, I shared that I wanted to make the most of my moments.

In the most unlikely of places (Aldi's, $4.99!), I found one more way to do this.

And for $4.99, can you really say no to that little journal-addicted voice inside of you?

I have vowed many times to start a journal for E. I just never could keep up with it. In some cases, I never even started it.

This journal, however, has PROMPTS! It tells me what to write!

Brilliant.

I think I will put this by my bed. With a pen (no excuses!) I may not write every night, but I should be able to finish all 96 pages before her high school graduation. That turns out to be about six pages a year...hopefully I can manage that.

Don't forget to stop by my giveaway and enter to win! I will pick a winner Friday evening after I put E to bed (so around 9pm EST)!

Under Water

2010-05-04T15:16:00.000-04:00

I am wearing these:

Because of this:

And this:

School (work for us) has been canceled for two days. I'm not sure about tomorrow though... I'm still waiting to hear. My dear, sweet, adorable husband was able to get to the end of our road and to town earlier today, but it is still not passable by car.

I sent him to the store with E to get some necessities. Like a water and a power strip for my sewing room so I can plug my sewing machine AND my computer in at the same time. :)

Tuesday Cup of Cheer: Journals

2010-05-04T06:31:00.012-04:00

Don't forget to go enter my giveaway!

During my freshman year of college, I had a college professor telling me to start a journal. It could have been because if given the chance, I talked her ear off. She thought it would do me good to get some things off my chest and onto paper. (and out of her ears apparently!)

Regardless of the reason, I headed off to Target soon after that conversation. I picked up a 5x7 spiral notebook with a gray faux suede cover and off-white lined pages. It went with me everywhere I went. It took me through good times, thoughtful days, and heartaches.

Fast forward ten years.

There have been many a journal in my life. My name is Caren and I'm a journalholic. I don't write in one as much as I used to, but I still gravitate toward them in a book store. I usually have one in my purse. I haven't thrown a single one away. Ever. :)

Today's Cup of Cheer features journals because they are close to my heart (like coffee from last week).

1. This journal is from Simply Simon by Dez. I discovered her randomly on Etsy right after Christmas-time. I must have been trying to get my yearly journal fix when I happened upon her shop. I laid my eyes on her "Lucille" journal, and now it is MY Lucille journal. :)

She has since relocated her shop to 1000 Markets, and still has these journals she makes from reclaimed books. This one is called the Clare journal and is made from the C.S. Lewis book, Prince Caspian. I adore what she does with these old books. My Lucille journal is truly a treasure of mine.

2. My Green Bicycle journal comes from My Book of Lists on Etsy. It is for those of us that love to make lists. It comes with pages already designated for certain topics like "quotes to quote", "music to buy", "places to travel", and many more. There are many designs to chose from, and they even offer customizable lists!

3. The Eye Candy Journal is from Crab Apple Designs on Etsy. This journal takes me WAY back. Not only am I a teacher, but I hail from a family full of teachers. I can remember sitting with my grandmother practicing cursive ~~that looked just like this~~ that she would make me correct until it was the best I could make it.

4. Pretty babushkas all in a row comes from the brand new Etsy shop of Time for Tea Me. These journals are eco friendly as well as stunning! She has several different fabrics available for the covers (and I love them all!). They are also refillable, so you can keep writing and writing and... You get the idea.

Happy Tuesday!

A cup of cheer...for you!! A giveaway from LennyMud.

2010-05-03T05:00:00.004-04:00

It's Monday folks! How about a giveaway to ease the pain?

Lorrie of LennyMud was featured last week in my first installment of Tuesday Cup of Cheer. She was so gracious to allow me to post her mugs on my baby-of-a-blog. We have emailed back and forth and she has continued to show generosity by helping me figure out this whole blog world. (Thank you again Lorrie!)

Lorrie even offered to sponsor a giveaway, and I humbly accepted!

Actually, I grinned really big and did a little happy dance, all while trying to be the cool chick Lorrie must have perceived me to be in order to offer a giveaway!

On the the good stuff...

Up for grabs is the mug I featured last

week on Tuesday Cup of Cheer. (Pictured above)

The fine print:

1. You must be a follower of this blog to enter and a US resident.

2. Visit Lennymud's Etsy shop.

3. Come back to this blog and let us know what your favorite item is in the comments section. (Just so you know, these original paintings on the left are my favorite--especially "Choose to Bee Happy"! It is currently set as my desktop background) One comment per person please.

4. You can get up to THREE EXTRA ENTRIES if you twitter about this giveaway, share it on Facebook, or blog about it (post the link if possible!). Just leave a separate comment for each entry.

The extra-fine print:
This giveaway closes Friday, May 7th.
Winner will be chosen randomly by Random.org.
I will be uber jealous of whoever wins. :)

One-Sided Conversations...a duh moment.

2010-05-02T11:48:00.000-04:00

I truly appreciate all the comments you have left in the past few days! I love connecting to new people via this blog.

I took some time a couple of nights ago to reply to all of the comments. After some research on blogger, I came to realize that I can't just reply to your comments by replying to the email notification that is sent to me.

I just want you to know that if you have left a comment, I have replied. It's just that my reply got lost somewhere out in web space. I feel a bit silly that I spent all that time replying for it to eaten by the internet.

If anyone (ANYONE) has some advice for an easy way to reply I would love to hear it. I've done some searching online and haven't really come up with anything.

Happy Sunday!

Come back tomorrow for my first giveaway!

Happy Derby Day!

2010-05-01T14:21:00.001-04:00

15 followers?!? Thank you. *blush*

I was born and raised in northeastern Kentucky and still live within a couple hours of my childhood home. I believe University of Kentucky basketball is more important that any other sport. I love Ale-8. I love driving down the road, passing someone, and they wave--simply because that's what we do, not because I know them. I love the rich history and tradition of my state. I bleed blue, as they say.

Now...all that being said...

I've never been to the Kentucky Derby. I've never even been to a horse race. (WHAT??!?!) So why am I wearing a hat, all decked out derby-style?

Friday we took all of our 5th graders to the track and ran our very own derby foot races. All the teachers decided to wear dresses (we are a casual school--dresses aren't the norm) and derby hats. We had taken E to the doctor earlier that day, so I didn't have too much time to spend decorating my hat.

I used some leftover tulle from E's tutu to use as the hat band. I hot glued black jumbo rickrack to the top of that. I made a flower from some fabric scraps I had. I layered that on top of of larger tulle flower and secured two buttons on top--a little white button on top of a flower-shaped black button.

(I've been scouring the internet for a tutorial to link to that will give you an idea of how I made this flower. Why can't I find one like mine in the 4,347,758 fabric flower tutorials there are out there?)

There's a giveaway scheduled for Monday! Stay tuned!

Five Question Friday

2010-04-30T18:40:00.000-04:00

Well, my Friendly Friday post got lost in the mail (not really...we had to take Ella to the doctor for some tests yesterday. I simply didn't have time!) Instead of Friendly Friday, how about an icebreaker game. I HATED these in school, but I have resorted to it anyway in order to break the Friday post silence.

These questions came from My Little Life, where they are having Five Question Friday. Click the button to play along and link up!

1. If you could, would you go back to high school?

Maybe. But only if I could go back knowing what I know now. Or maybe I would do it regardless. I had some pretty good times!

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? (And, no saying "more wishes".)

I'm going the non-sappy/completely worldly route on this one. Pardon me. :)

I would wish for Peter Walsh to come and organize my house. I wouldn't even care if he brought the tv crew to broadcast the whole process to 100 million people. For reals. My second wish...is for a new kitchen table.

3. What kids show do you secretly like?

I don't secretly love any kids show. They make me a bit crazy. I do have some guilty pleasure shows though...The Hills and America's Next Top Model are two that are on my DVR right now.

4. What is your beverage of choice?

Diet Coke. All. Day. Long. :)

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)?

I am trying to become more purposeful with my time and energy. I try every day to make every action, word, and thought MEAN something. It's exhausting, but it's worth it at the end of the day to know that I haven't wasted many thoughts, energy, or time. (Disclaimer: this doesn't happen every day. This is just something I strive for--I'm not perfect) :)

Surrounded

2010-04-28T20:10:00.014-04:00

The more I think about what I want my life to look like in 5 years, the more I see myself surrounded with things I love. Obviously I want to have the people I love in my life for years to come, but let me just be materialistic for a moment.

I've always heard (and believed) that the state of your home reflects the state of your being. Your self. Your life.

So I vow from today forward to surround myself with colors that make me happy, art that helps me remember, and objects that bring me joy. I want to believe that kind of materialism is okay.

What kinds of colors, art, and objects make you happy?

As a side note, no I didn't pose that picture of E for this post. This is the only picture in my entire arsenal of pictures that shows colors and art that I love. That big art desk in the background? That is an object that I could live without. :)

Summer is starting early this year!

2010-04-27T17:12:00.001-04:00

Three pieces of extraordinarily good news:

1) I am taking a photography course offered through a local community college this summer.

2) My husband called me today to tell me that he paid for said class today.

3) This "summer" class starts...MONDAY! YAY!!

Mark your calendar kids, summer starts May 3rd! :)

Today I am linking up to Trendy Treehouse's Shutter Love Tuesdays. The theme this week is water. I took this picture on the Pacific Coast outside of Portland, OR last summer while visiting my sister (that's her in the picture...). I love that you can't tell where the ocean ends and the sky begins.

For those needing technical info: This was taken with my handy dandy Canon Powershot camera (which doesn't work anymore...). I've since upgraded to a Nikon 0193489024385 (or something...I can't remember all the numbers...).

Tuesday Cup of Cheer...in its most literal sense.

2010-04-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

Humor me and my long-windedness for just a moment... There are some fantastic pictures at the bottom of this post.

(yes Mr. Spellcheck, I realize long-windedness isn't a word)

The morning I had my last Tuesday Cup of Cheer entry scheduled to post (I can't believe I didn't know about scheduled posts before), I went into work to find another Ale-8 waiting for me in the fridge at work. Attached was a post-it note telling me that I was appreciated and to have a good day. I truly have the best coworker!

That evening I tried to imagine what a cup of cheer might look like.

hmm...

I realized that besides a can of diet coke (which has its own wonderful little package), the best cup of cheer I could ever ask for is coffee, with 2% milk, and Splenda. I'm a simple gal.

That led me to think about the drab, sad, pitiful coffee cups I've been drinking out of since we got married. BORING! I won't even post a picture. They are truly that sad.

Which led me to think how nice it would be to have a fabulous little coffee cup. We coffee-lovers LOVE our coffee. Why not love our coffee cups with the same passion?

So...I went in search of some coffee cups to love. Here are my favorites from Etsy:

LennyMud

This mug is called Indy Hippy Happy Flowers Mug. What could be more cheerful than that? Beyond all of my mommy/wife/daughter/teacher duties, there is a little hippie that lives deep down inside me. When I was in school, my notebooks were covered in flower doodles something like this (although messier and less refined!). Lorrie of LennyMud has a myriad of cups and other functional pottery pieces in her Etsy shop. The humor in her pieces struck me immediately, and I dare you to take a look through her shop without having a good laugh!

craftyFOLK

This mug reminds me that typewriters, in all their glorious vintage-ness, are almost extinct. I love the nod that Sarah has given to days gone by with this print! I was one of the last classes in my high school that learned to type on a typewriter (remember those little whiteout papers?). Sarah has a great blog over at craftyFOLK and I'm excited to read that she is in the process of turning this into fabric!!

Outiart

I asked Outi if I could post her mug here because I know there are days I need this moral boost in the morning. If you're a mom, you know exactly what I'm talking about! She is a super talented artist, and her blog is total eye candy! You can find her shop on Etsy here. She has all kinds of beautiful pottery and original paintings.

UrbanAntix

This last one gave me a good giggle. I can imagine giving this to my mom, who has a great sense of humor. She would have a good time with this! UrbanAntix's shop is filled with this mustache theme on different types of mugs and glasses.

Check out these great shops and stayed tuned for a great giveaway (my first!) coming soon!

Flea Market Finds

2010-04-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

My nephew's confirmation was today, so I traveled to my sister's house to spend some time with them. It was just me and the baby (can I still call a 2 1/2 year old a baby?), but I managed to keep my sanity. My sister is one cool cat and is so laid back that it spreads. I left feeling like I'd been at a spa weekend (well, not really...she has 3 kids and 3 dogs).

On the way home, I stopped in the town where I went to college. They opened a nice flea market about a year ago, so I took advantage of my proximity to it and stopped in (does anyone else have issues with that name: FLEA market??) .

E had just woken up, so she sat numbly in the stroller and gave me a chance to look around. I came home with these two beauties. They are roughly the size of a king-sized pillow case. There are two of the yellow one, but only one of the green (and of course, it's my favorite!). They seem to be printed flour sacks? I think?

If there were two of the green, I would be whipping those puppies into kitchen curtains. I just can't make one work across my two windows...boo. I will probably make a dress out of the green for E. She was such a nice sport after all. I'm going to put the yellow ones in my stash until I figure out what to use them for.

Friendly Friday presents Samster Mommy

2010-04-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

Samster Mommy is another blog that I have been reading since my craft blog obsession began. Natasha has a little one just a bit younger than mine which is probably why I was drawn to her blog.

She mixes a little bit of little girl sewing with home decor sewing/crafting and some cooking. With another little one on the way, I can't wait to see what she comes up with for baby sewing and crafting! (I am living vicariously through her until we're blessed with another little one!)

Some of my favorite posts:

Bedsheet to Ruffled Pillow Tutorial

Little Bunny Bathmitt

Baby Cargo Refashion

Sunshine Decorating

Go say hello to Natasha, be friendly, and follow her if it strikes your fancy!

Hairclips from an unexpected source

2010-04-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

When Ella was invited to a Princess Party, I knew the attire would be a breeze. I have been collecting tulle out of the remnant bin at Hobby Lobby for months so I could make a tutu. A princess party gave me the perfect excuse! I made the tutu, picked out pants, a tank, and a sweater to wear with it.

Next came accessories. I'm a pretty simple girl myself. I wear a wedding band, engagement ring, and a mother-child necklace I got for Christmas a couple of years ago. I rarely wear earrings, and the only time I wear something in my hair is when I mow the yard. And then it's an old bandanna.

I've made E a few hair bows here and there, but I really wanted something a little more special for this occasion. I wandered around Hobby Lobby for a while before ending up in the scrapbooking section. I found some non-paper flowers and decided to roll with it. Flowers in the hair? Absolutely!
I know this is not some new, novel idea. Everybody's doing it. I really liked that I got 2 different packages that I can mix and match to make different hair clips. I spent about $7 and will be able to make at least 10-12 clips. I bought my alligator clips from The Soda Pop Shop on Etsy.

Can we say hooked??

Tuesday Cup of Cheer

2010-04-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

I have a very thoughtful and supportive coworker that will on occasion bring me a treat. Donut holes, an Ale-8 (if you're ever in Kentucky...specifically central, north-eastern, or eastern---you should try one), a candy bar, and iced coffee are some of the lovely things she has brought me in recent weeks.

A few weeks ago, she brought me an iced coffee and wrapped a note around it with a rubber band. The note said, "Here's your Tuesday cup of cheer!!" (How stinkin' cute is she?)

Some days are just in need of some extra cheer. Like Tuesdays. I know what you're saying..."But it's not Monday!!" I agree. But there is some satisfaction to working your tail off to get through a Monday.

Tuesdays are different I think. You made it through Monday. On to Tuesday. But Tuesday is THREE WHOLE DAYS away from the weekend! And you just used all your energy to get through Monday! Yikes.

It should go without saying that the iced coffee was fantastic. Excellent. Completely worth the calories.

I call her thoughtful for obvious reasons--she thinks about me when we're not together.

I call her supportive because she supports my love for sugary goodness.

And because she helps me get through Tuesdays. Love her. God bless her.

A Giveaway at Bloom for Friendly Friday!

2010-04-16T21:14:00.003-04:00

If you haven't found Bloom yet, then please let me introduce you!

One of my favorite blog reads, Bloom, is hosting a giveaway for Caribbean Blue baking dishes from Le Creuset! Head over to Bloom to enter. There are several ways to enter (read: multiple entries!) so you can up your chances of winning.

While you're there, check out some other posts. I would link you to a favorite, but I truly love every post she does!

Pattern Testing

2010-04-12T08:00:00.002-04:00

Warning: This post may (read: will) include a large number of links. I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.

Hmm...who is that hiding under my new slipcover??

Several months ago, I was asked to do a pattern testing for Jona at Stop Staring and Start Sewing. (Actually...I volunteered myself, and she graciously accepted.)

The pattern was for a folding chair slipcover. The pattern printed out great, the instructions were easy to follow, and I was SO happy with the final product I knew I needed to share. I must also mention that Jona is so sweet and put up with my never ending questions like a pro!

You can see my complete product over on Jona's blog post (I think you'll recognize the fabric from the picture above). I must have deleted my copy of those pictures when I backed up my pictures last week. The pattern is available for sale in her Fabritopia shop (that link will take you right to the pattern, but PLEASE browse her store. She has wonderful fabrics!).

I've been reading her blog since the beginning of my sewing/craft blog obsession almost a year ago. This is the post (an apron in an hour?? why didn't I think of that?!?) that got me hooked. I should confess that I have not made this apron yet, but I knew that anyone with the smarts to do a tutorial for such a thing should be in my Google Reader!

I loved being a pattern tester. I wish I could find a job as a full time pattern tester. How much fun would that be?? My only complaint about pattern testing was that my 2 year-old was underfoot the whole time. I must consider hiring a nanny when I get my pattern-tester job.

Princess Skirt

2010-04-10T14:52:00.005-04:00

I haven't been spending much time in my sewing room doing any crafting. Most of my (limited) time in my sewing room has been spent cleaning and organizing it. I NEED a better space if I plan on spending any quality time up there (that is how "The Attic Studio" came to be the name for this blog--my sewing room is upstairs in the attic).

My latest project was a simple no-sew tutu I made for my daughter. (She calls it her princess skirt) I made it so she could attend a Princess Party in style. (That is Cinderella standing next to her. Since I don't know "Cinderella" I felt it only right to crop her out. She was gorgeous though!)

If you don't know how to make one, google it. There are about 1,000,001 tutorials out there! :)

Heart Strings Garland

2010-01-26T08:34:00.005-05:00

I realize I promised myself this post would happen a week ago, but....life happens!

The house was feeling bare after taking all the Christmas decorations down. I'm usually not one to push the season...I usually the one that barely gets the tree up, barely remembers the wreaths, barely gets the Easter basket together, barely...well, you get the idea.

For Valentines day, I really got on the ball though, and made this heart strings garland. Sorry about the crappy pictures--I took these at night. :) The bonus is that I used some left over Christmas scrapbook paper.

Another blog with a great heart garland is Made By Rae, who has The Easiest Heart Garland Evar. It's one of those "I-wish-I-would-have-thought-of-that-first" posts. (I swear I read other blogs...I do realize this is the second time I've linked to her blog...)

Nothing. I've got nothing.

2010-01-21T20:03:00.002-05:00

One more day of teasing I suppose.

This has been an unusually unusual week. I have taken a big of a blog/creative hiatus, but hope to return soon.

I will have a project post sometime tomorrow night that I will post.

So much for keeping up with my blogging schedule. I should know better than to give myself a deadline.

Sigh.

Motivation

2010-01-15T20:00:00.005-05:00

In the spirit of trying to get into a regular posting schedule/habit, I have come up with another catchy daily post title.

Friendly Friday.

Don't laugh. I'm serious. LOL I don't know why I'm laughing. Probably because it sounds geeky.

I don't care. I'm a geek. :)

The purpose will be to connect anyone who comes across this blog to a blog/blog post that I love or have found inspiration in. If you loved something, let me know!

On to my first Friendly Friday!

I found this blog a few weeks ago called Freckled Nest. It has a wonderful post on how to stay motivated while you craft.

Who doesn't need a little motivation?? (Heaven knows I do sometimes...a lot....almost always...)

Jump on over and read the post on 5 Ways to Stay Motivated While You Craft.

After you're done reading that, go back to her main page and look through her posts. She has some amazing pictures!

Introducing Teaser Thursdays!

2010-01-14T18:54:00.005-05:00

I've been enjoying an extended Christmas break due to... inclement weather (that's what the automated system tells me when it calls to tell me I don't have school). One would think that with all the extra time off work (7 extra days to be exact), I would have a ton of time to sew, craft, and be merry. Not so much. There was a little sewing (which I'll share in a post later), but mostly I chased after my toddler. :)

Back to Teaser Thursdays!

In order to get myself into a regular posting schedule, I have decided upon this: a Thursday post that shows what I'm working on. By the weekend I should have a completed project to share.

Why Thursday? (I was hoping someone would ask) Thursday is my night off. The "baby" (I don't know if I can still call a 2 1/2 year old a baby) stays with my in-laws, and the hubby occupies himself with school work or farm work.

The picture is a sneak peek at tonight's project. Obviously it's for Valentine's Day. I'm so proud of myself for not waiting until the week OF Happy Hearts Day to whip up something. I'm also happy that Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice are back on so I can indulge in that guilty pleasure while I work on it!

Stay tuned...

Buttercup Bag

2010-01-06T20:46:00.003-05:00

I finished my Buttercup Bag!

(the fabric I found at Hobby Lobby, by the way. Of course...)

It was super easy, super quick, and (if I do say so myself) super cute.

The only change I made to the original pattern was adding a sew-in interfacing to the lining.

It is quite small, but I think it will be a great bag for a date night or girls' night out. You know, when I don't have to carry around diapers, wipes, or other baby paraphernalia. ;)

All my thanks to Made By Rae for making this great pattern available!

Wrist Pin Cushion

2009-12-30T21:18:00.002-05:00

In my Post Christmas To Do List, I mentioned that I wanted to make a ruffled scarf. My first, second, and third attempts were all FAILS. Miserable. I am putting away the elastic thread for a while until I can look at it without wanting to curse.

Blah. That's how I feel about elastic thread right now.

On to happier news--the wrist pincushion was a huge success. I love it. It's cute. Etc, etc.
(Bring on the pictures!!)

(Don't you love my multipurpose IKEA task light/picture prop? You know you want one.)

I embroidered a little "C" so no one will steal it. (See that tomato pin cushion in the background of the first picture? I'm going to save the strawberry off of it and THROW IT AWAY! That is how much I love this.)

I cut a small square out of a box (incidentally, a ThermaCare box) to put in it so I wouldn't stick myself. I bent the corners just a bit to make it easier to stuff inside. It made the hand-sewing very easy when I stitched the opening closed.

I got this fabric out of the remnant bin at Hobby Lobby (the remnant bin and I have a love-love relationship). It probably cost around $1.50. I have enough left to make my whole family 3 of these apiece. (Not that they would want one. Or need one for that matter...)

Moving on...

I downloaded the Buttercup pattern off the Made By Rae site a few days ago. Here's a sneak peak as to what I'm going to do with that...

Looks like my list might get completed after all! (with exception of the ruffle scarf...which we don't need to talk about.)

Happy Days!

Family Journal

2009-12-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

I will preface this post by saying that there is no picture. Boring! Sorry... The little one is about to wake up from her nap and I wanted to get this in! There are some fabulous links though!

I vow to be more organized in the upcoming year.

Seriously...I need to work on my openings...

I have come across some of the CUTEST family planners/journals in the last couple of weeks.

I have no interest in keeping an appointment calendar. I would like something I can keep by my bed to record thoughts before bedtime or when I wake up. I love the idea of having a record of my family's year.

Like the diary I had when I was a teenager, only momma-fied. :)

I first discovered this family journal idea here, at Nap Time Journal. Didn't she make the cutest journal ever?? (My google reader loves to see new posts from this blog!)

Ahhh Design has some free downloadable (my spell check says that isn't a word...hmm...) sheets, as well as others you can purchase. Cute!

As soon as I settle on a notebook for my journal and put it together (which should be sometime in 2014...) I will post it!

Yummy Brownie Goodness

2009-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, the official name for these are Festive Candy Cane Kiss Centered Brownie Bites (go check out the pics she did. They're yummy). All respect to the author of Picky Palate, but I like to call these "Yummy Brownie Goodness".

A couple of changes I made/will make...I forgot that the melting chocolate needed cream. I started dipping the brownie tops after they cooled, but the chocolate was more like icing (as in, I took a knife and spread it on...). I dipped about 5 of them, got bored, and just drizzled the rest with chocolate.

They were pretty :). I handed them out to some coworkers and they acted like they loved them. I did think they were a little dry. I'm going to try them again and play with the time/temperature. Not anytime soon though. I'm kinda sick of eating sweets (WHAT?!?) and baking due to the onslaught of both during the holiday season.

Post-Christmas To Do List

2009-12-27T11:59:00.001-05:00

I hate a blog post without a picture (BORING), so please enjoy the sweet face of my baby girl as she devoured all the splendor of Christmas morning.

Despite loading my plate for Christmas sewing, I am ready to begin again. My dear, dear husband says I should do some sewing for myself so I SHALL! (Don't you just love him?)

On my list for the next week or so:

1. A ruffle scarf (using elastic thread). I want to make something like this, from Ruffles and Stuff.

2. A wrist pin cushion using a tutorial from The Long Thread. I really wanted (needed) one of these during the apron-making
marathon, but couldn't justify stopping the flow to make one.

3. A purse. I don't know what pattern... Maybe this Buttercup Bag tutorial (free!) from Made By Rae. Heaven knows I have enough stash material to make a few.

I realize this is not a huge list for some, but I have only returned to sewing recently. One of these days, I'll have to tell my story. My "History of Sewing" story. It's not long, but slightly fun (to me anyway...)

Christmas Sewing Marathon 2009

2009-12-16T17:02:00.006-05:00

How should I start this post?

I've been sooo busy this holiday season! (No, everyone has been busy this holiday season, silly)

I don't know what to say except that I've been busy busy at my sewing machine. And cutting table (a.k.a. the kitchen table). AND the ironing board. A few boxes of ThermaCare self-heating pads later, I was pleased (relieved, ecstatic, etc.) to be finished.

I made these:
One apron each (fully lined, I might add!) for my mom, 2 sisters, 2 nieces, and my daughter (because she loves aprons and would feel left out if I didn't make her one to open with the rest of the girls). I truly enjoyed the monotonous procedures of making so many things of one kind (weird, right?), but I wish I had started them earlier. I gave myself about a month to make all of these. It almost proved to be impossible.

I also made these:

One monogrammed dishtowel for each household in my husband's family. Nine all together. I tied them to the top of a Christmas tin filled with sweets we made together. (Please ignore my sad, hand-me-down table we were wrapping gift on. We have been gifted one from my mother-in-law whenever we find time to pick it out.)

I love making things for other people, especially my family. It never feels like a chore, and it allows me to focus on doing things I love, for the people I love. Win win I believe.

Unfinished

2009-11-22T08:13:00.003-05:00

It seems I'm leaving a lot of things unfinished these days. I'm thinking I will jot down that list here. Maybe I'll even make a checklist for the sidebar.

(Did I just add two more things to my to-do list??)

1. The Owl Dress. Must. Finish. This. Toddlers grow really fast.

2. I sewed a bazillion flowers out of felt to make these (hers are way more involved than mine, but I needed a simpler project). I need to cut the flowers and leaves out and attach them to the stems.

3. A lunch bag. I've made one this year, but the shape makes it awkward. And it looks homemade. AND I snagged some remnant canvas at Hobby Lobby.

4. E's bow holder. I only need to attach the hanger to the back and the ribbon to hang the bows on.

5. I just bought something like 12 yards of fabric to make Christmas presents for family. I should move this up the list...

I'll leave this list as it is for now. Which would mean this list is most likely unfinished... But my work-full-time-but-home-a-week-for-Thanksgiving mommy brain can't think of anything else right now...

Handing it WAY down

2009-11-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

This sweater has been hanging in my closet for years. Probably 3 years to be more precise. I liked it when I bought it (really, I did!), but it seemed so trendy and preppy at the time that I could never bring myself to wear it. So it hung there.

I had an itch to sew the other night, and about 45 minutes to do it in, so I went on a scavenger hunt in the house. I found the sweater and decided to make it into a sleeveless tunic that E could wear over leggings and a long sleeve shirt.

I ripped the stitches that were holding the fake button up collar on, then cut a shape I thought might work (can you tell I didn't really have a plan??). The v-neck and the ribbed bottom stayed the same. All I had to sew were the side seams, armhole seams, and the back of the neck seam.

Easy.

Quick.

Instant gratification.

And besides a bit of altering to the shape (so I can get rid of the bubble butt I gave her when I sewed this), this is totally wearable.

And it freed up some room in my closet :).

The Cape With 40 Billion Button Holes

2009-11-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

I've been working on this cape for what seems like forever.

For. Ev. Er.

I got the fleece as a remnant at Hobby Lobby. I think I paid around $3 for it. I had ordered the ribbon from eBay a while back, unsure what its use would be (it is a zebra print grosgrain).

I made this cape from a pattern (I think is is Simplicity, but don't quote me) last year out of a pink camo fleece remnant from (none other than) Hobby Lobby. It was SUPER cute, but I never finished a closer on it, rendering it nearly useless (we did use it though, because my Mama helped me with it). I was determined to finish this one.

The trouble started when I got my pattern out. I had the back piece, but no front pieces. I also couldn't find the pattern piece to make the pompoms for the hood. In the end, I winged it :). When I put it all together to sew, it magically fit together. BRILLIANT!

Thinking I was over the hump, I sewed it together, did some finishing on the seams (for aesthetic purposes of course), sewed the ribbon on the front, opened up the arm holes (a last minute addition), and got ready to work on the closure.

In the pattern, I believe it called for two ribbons to be sewn on each side. Then you could tie a bow under the neck to close the cape. I didn't like that idea (of course I didn't!!). So I decided on a button and button hole instead.

I practiced that button hole twice before I ever thought about putting that crazy cape under the needle. I practiced with the exact fabric, thread, everything. Both practice button holes were perfect. Perfect.

The real button hole? Well, on the first one the thread jammed. The second one? Thread jammed again. The third one skipped stitches. The fourth one made the thread jam again. I think I tried a couple times after that, but it's all a little blurry.

I finally gave up. I tried to rip out the darn button holes so they wouldn't show....with little success (they were on both sides...). I ended up going back to Hobby Lobby to purchase a frog closure (I think that's what they're called). I tediously sewed that thing in by hand, cursing my sewing machine the entire time.

I think we'll be able to use it next year. Look at that hood--it's huge!!

E loves it, and that's all that matters. She says, "My Mommy made it."

Happy Birthday Baby

2009-11-05T21:30:00.005-05:00

Well, I suppose she's not my baby anymore, now that she's 2... but she still likes to pretend she's a baby, so that's good enough for me!

I worked on this birthday banner for a couple of months, an hour or two at a time. It was a project that I wanted to last for a long time, so I ripped, cut, sewed, ripped again, cut some more, and sewed again before I officially decided on a design.

In the end, it is almost exactly as I pictured. I may go back in the future and add actual fabric paint for the letters (I used fabric markers because of time constraints). I dunno... but I do have an entire year to figure it out!

I used good old quilting cotton from JoAnn's, some cotton twine, Crayola fabric markers, and wooden beads from Hobby Lobby. There were just enough beads of the colors I didn't use for the banner to make a necklace for "the baby" (which I believe, made her day when I gave it to her).

New Look

2009-10-01T18:13:00.003-04:00

I got a new background today, courtesy of The Blog Fairy. She has some great free basic background (which is why I snagged this!). If I'm ever ready to commit to blogging more consistently, I'll do another update on the look. Until then, this is the look!! Lol

I have a very long to-do list hanging in my sewing room. Truthfully I haven't had much time to work on checking things off. I'm almost finished with the owl dress and I'll post pictures when I'm done! I swear :)

The Owl Dress

2009-09-23T19:56:00.003-04:00

I found this remnant at JoAnn's last time I was there. I rarely even go there because it is so far away (Hobby Lobby is much closer), but I was so excited to find this corduroy covered in sweet little owls. The pinks, greens, and oranges offset the blue and brown in such a cute way that I just couldn't resist.

I finally decided to make E a dress out of this fabric. My first thought was to make a purse/bag for myself, but figured I would tire of the trendy owl pattern too soon to make it worth the work. Toddlers can get away with wearing anything!

The other fabulous thing about this remnant is that the bottom was already hemmed. Less work for me!

This is the very first garment I've ever done without a pattern, so I was extra nervous about that. After reading some fabulous blogs in the last few months, I finally felt confident enough to tackle this project.

I took a dress that E wore this summer (brand rhymes with Barter's ;P) and laid it out on the wrong side of the fabric and traced the front and back, respectively. I'm doing the top of the dress, the pockets, and the straps in a coordinating pink fabric.

This project is even giving me a chance to try out my button hole stitch for the very first time!! I am such a geek.

I'll have to update with a final picture when I finish it. I still need to do the straps, button holes :), buttons, and pockets. E has done multiple fittings for me and she loves it already!

Restyle Fail

2009-09-07T15:20:00.003-04:00

I love the concept of restyling old clothes into new ones. It's incredibly eco-friendly, but even better than that--it's budget friendly. Heaven knows budget friendly is exactly what I need right now!

So I set out to try this t-shirt to ruffle cardigan first. How hard could it be? It went pretty smoothly until I tried to attache my ruffles to the cardigan. Here were my problems:

1. I couldn't get my ruffles evenly dispersed. No big deal, I thought, because they're ruffles. And it's a t-shirt. Doesn't have to look perfect. I moved on.

2. Once I got the ruffles attached and did the top stitching, I realized that the ruffles were still...moving around (for lack of a better term). I guess I should have used a stretch stitch.. I dunno.

3. I think the biggest issue was the kind of shirt I used. Too stretchy. Too little (should have just goodwilled it!).

There will be no pictures of this project. I'm adding it to the "do better next time" pile, and will cut the shirt up for cleaning rags. We live and learn!

Lunch Bag

2009-08-16T20:41:00.002-04:00

School lunches went up to 3 bucks this year. THREE BUCKS! I'm pretty sure that I could drive all the way to town, buy lunch, drive back to school, and still pay less than 3 dollars.

Contributing to this decision is the fact that I lost 10 lbs once school ended. It may only be a coincidence that I ate in the lunchroom everyday, but... It was proof enough for me.

So...I have vowed to not buy any school lunches except for holiday meals. And I might buy a corndog on corndog day. I love corndogs...

Anyway...since I've made this vow I thought it would only be appropriate to make myself a lunch bag. I mean, I've got this new sewing machine. Why not use it?!?

Besides that, I got some real deals in the Hobby Lobby remnant basket a couple of weeks ago. Included in that was cream-colored canvas.

I spent pretty much all day (off and on) yesterday working on it. I didn't have a pattern and I've never made any kind of bag before, so it was a bit tricky until I figured out what I was doing.

I will post a picture when I finish it. It still needs a handle and some kind of closure. If I can figure out the button hole function on my sewing machine, there will be a button. Otherwise I'll just sew some velcro on it.

In any case, it doesn't look much like a lunch bag right now. When it does, I will post a picture :)

Party Bow

2009-08-02T22:14:00.000-04:00

I finished this bow today. I am calling this the "Party Bow" because it is just so festive!

This Party Bow was came to life because of a korker ribbon experiment. I hadn't made a korker bow yet, so I dove right in with my 3/8 in grosgrain, some dowel rods, and spray starch. 275 degrees and 30 minutes later, I realized I didn't actually have enough to make an entire bow.

So...I used the ribbon that I had left over from the Hair Bow Holder and made a basic bow. I attached the korker bow to the top. I used a french knotted ribbon as the center, and TA DAH! The Party Bow was born.

I'm thinking once I decide on an outfit for my baby girl's 2nd birthday, I will definitely be making one of these to match.

A project for next summer!

2009-08-01T18:01:00.004-04:00

I have been reading this blog for the last 30 minutes (which, believe me is a feat--I have NO attention span!).

I am afraid I will forget about this project come next summer, so I'll write about it here.

This is perfect for a frugal Mom like myself. I figure I can find some t-shirts at my local kid's consignment sale in the spring to complete this project. Or, like the blog author of Happy Together writes, I can just get them at the dollar store.

I 'm not sure which I love more: the roses on the first dress or the ruffles on the second! I've always wondered how those types of ruffles were done and now I see that it's not that complicated *insert blushing smiley here*.

I'll save this for next year only because I have a lot of projects that are staring me in the face right now. This will be a huge money saver next year!

Ladybug Bow Holder

2009-07-31T19:49:00.001-04:00

My girlfriend's daughter, Ellie, is just 3 months (to the day!) older than my daughter. Ellie's momma is getting ready to move her into a toddler bed, and thus has decided to redo her room. She is trading in her original nursery decor of Carebears and pink EVERYWHERE and has opted for a ladybug theme.

I made this to give her some motivation for doing the actual redecoration. It was fairly simple to make and I'm very pleased with the results. I also LOVE that the ladybugs at the bottom are kissing (or telling secrets).

I painted the wooden plaque red, with black around the edges and on the back (after some MAJOR sanding...you get what you pay for!). I also did Ellie's name in black, with a small black heart at the end (in case you were wondering). The ribbon is 1 1/2 inch grosgrain (I think...I'll have to check that detail) and I also attached a sawtooth picture hanger on the back for ease in hanging. The kissing ladybugs were the finishing touch!

All in all, it was a perfect gift for Ellie. I also tucked in some hair bows that I made as a bonus :). Never hurts to get in some more practice!

There are more detailed pictures of this project on my Flickr account here.

Garden glories

2009-07-29T11:15:00.005-04:00

I had debated about including this post in my blog, but decided it was just as worthy as anything else! And since I used my brand new apron to aid in this little project, I suppose it is perfectly appropriate.

We acquired some garden veggies from my mother-in-law, by way of her neighbor. (That's how we do it here in Kentucky. We are blessed, and then pass our blessings on to others!) I nearly hit the floor when I saw the zucchini that she gave us! The pictures really speak for themselves...

In all, we were given a handful of pickling cucumbers, two zucchini, and one lonely yellow squash. I have plans to use the smaller zucchini and the yellow squash in a pasta dish. My husband loves cucumbers, so those are all his (although I did take three or four to my mom and dad). The only thing I could think to do with that HUGE zucchini is to make zucchini bread.

I used two different recipes, but the one that I will save for next time is Paula Dean's Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. In fact, I already have it saved on my computer. (I won't mention the other one because it came from a recipe book I LOVE, but they weren't very good.) After all was said and done, I made one loaf, 24 muffins, and 9 mini loaves using only two-thirds of that zucchini. I took the other third to my mom and dad with some of those cucumbers.

Some notes about the Paula Dean recipe:

1. The recipe is actually what I would call a "double recipe". It makes 2 loaves of bread. Or 24 muffins. Or one loaf and 12 muffins. You get the idea.

2. Since it is what I call a "double recipe", you'll need some large mixing bowls. I don't have very large bowls, so I lost some dry ingredients while I was mixing the dry and wet together.

3. "In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. " When I got to this part the first time, I used my hand mixer, naturally. The second batch I made, I beat the eggs by hand. I continued beating by hand after I added the sugar. It was just a hunch, and it may have been a coincidence, but I think the second batch was better.

4. Finally, this tip may just be personal preference. On my second batch I only used slightly more than 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, rather than the full cup the recipe calls for. The bread is plenty sweet enough without all the chocolate, in my opinion :).

Hopefully those tips help someone!

The First Project

2009-07-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

The first project to come out of The Attic Studio was selfishishly done for myself. I have a habit of expending my creative energies for others, but I wanted this one project to be for me. All me.

I had just purchased a new sewing machine to replace the 50's era machine my granny gave me a few years ago. I had no idea that all my frustrations with sewing could be attributed to the sewing machine...I thought it was me!

I headed off to the fabric store, in search of a pattern that didn't seem too daunting. I finally decided on an apron. It came together fairly quickly over the course of a week. I only worked on it about an hour at a time--during my dear toddler's naptime, bedtime, and my husband's weekly trips to the stockyards with his grandfather.

In the end, I'm so proud! I finished sewing something that I love, while only ripping one seam! It is sure to be something I wear often. I'm even thinking about making some more as Christmas gifts for some of the women in my family.