She's here!!!!

I've been waiting patiently for her and today she arrived!  I could not be happier!  Thank you so much Carol at Mamacjt!  Your talent amazes me!  Every time I look at my lady, I smile.  You went above and beyond my expectations!  

Hearts everywhere!

For once I'm ahead of the game!  I've already been thinking about Valentine's day.  I found these cute patterns on Pinterest to try.  They make up quickly and are so cute!  Plus, I think they'll be healthier for our friends than candy.  :)

Isn't this the cutest little cookie?  I really needed a lighter color yarn for the 'cookie' part.  I was just using what I already had on hand.

This is a sweet little coaster.  So simple!

Helping our Library

The library in our town opened a little over a year ago.  We were so excited to not have to drive very far to get our books.  The library is only 3 rooms with 1 full time employee.  Both of my big girls volunteer there almost every week.  Our librarian is fabulous!  Her husband is a retired Colonel in the Marines.  They have traveled and lived all over the world.  She always has something interesting to talk about and teach.  

So, you'd think everything sounds perfect.  Only one problem-not much funding.  Our town council doesn't totally support the library.  Some members have said they don't see where there's a need.  Are you kidding me?  A library is very important to a community!  It's a safe place for our children to hang out and develop a love for learning (and reading).  

Anyway, the librarian tries many different ways to raise money to keep the library running.  One thing she does is a monthly raffle.  The girls and I crocheted this basket and the four dishcloths to donate.  We're hoping that it will get a good response and help out in a small way.

Weekend WIP

I have to admit I'm addicted to crocheting ! I just can't get enough. Here's my Saturday project -an infinity scarf for a friend's birthday. Almost finished!

Our Christmas

Christmas is always good when it's spent with loved ones.  

The girls anxiously waiting at the top of the stairs.

Grace with the cello she's wanted for so long.

Emma's all about American Girl

Mary's favorite thing-coffee!

Crocheted gifts

We've all been busy crocheting at our house. All of us girls just learned a couple of months ago.
I finally made a bag! I love bags and especially these, but alas they're not for me. I made them for our sweet librarian and the other volunteers.
The bath puff is also a gift. My daughter is making some and I just had to try.
I think I have the crochet fever! This stuff is fun!

Valentine Gifts

Aren't these just the cutest Valentine's? I wish I could take credit for creating them but I can't. A very creative friend made them and I just plan to copy them for Emma to give to her buddies.

My friend also made the gifts below. I just realized Valentine's Day is this Tuesday. I better get busy!

My Christmas Gift

I got the most amazing gift from my husband for Christmas! A Go Cutter! (actually I got the Go Baby). Not only is it cute (really it is! It even has a little pink carrying bag), but I know it will save me so much time with my quilting. I can't wait to try one of the many free projects that came with it. The New (sewing) year is looking very bright!

Mannequin (pin cushion)

I finally got around to sewing these beautiful mannequins! They're supposed to be pin cushions but these are just to look pretty in my girls rooms. They're so easy to make with only a fat quarter, candle stick , button and mini ornament. There's a wonderful video tutorial here. I made mine from candlesticks that were my husband's grandmothers. She was my dear friend and always had these candlesticks sitting on her kitchen table. I spray painted them to match the girl's rooms. The buttons are also from her collection. Now my little ladies will have a gift made by mom but full of memories of great-grandmother.

Little tags

One of the fun things about girls is that they love to be surrounded by friends. It seems we're always planning playdates or going to parties. Sometimes I run out of ideas for gifts for all the different parties and holidays. This time we decided on a little purse (what girl doesn't need a new purse) with a bit of a spin.

I love to sew these little tags. Usually I attach them with ribbon. This time I decided to add a ring so that they could be removed and put on different bags. Emma has one that I keep on her backpack but can change it over to her dance bag or even her duffle bag when we travel.

I made this cute 'paperdoll' tag for a baby shower. The fabric was some I'd saved after making a dress for Emma when she was a toddler.

Simple Gifts

My daughter's are blessed to have many talented teachers in their lives even though they are homeschooled. Every year I like to show my gratitude by giving a small, handmade gift to these ladies. The hard part is finding something that I think will be practical and not just another something to sit on the shelf. This year the girls suggested I make little bird sachets for their dance teachers. They thought they'd be nice to slip into their dance bags to keep their ballet and jazz shoes smelling fresh.

The girls picked out the fabric, cut out each piece then after I sewed them together, they stuffed them. Each had a couple of drops of lavender essential oil (my favorite). We placed them into clear bags along with a poem and note from the girls. Today I let the girls hand them out at rehearsal. All of the teachers seemed thrilled with their little gifts.

Eyes Upon a Dance Teacher

There are little eyes upon you

And they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly

Take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager

To do anything you do;

And a little girl who's dreaming

Of the day she'll be like you.

You're the little girl's idol,

You're the wisest of the wise.

In her little mind about you

No suspicions ever rise.

She believes in you devoutly,

Holds all you say and do;

She will say and do in your way

When she's all grown up like you.

There's a wide eyed little girl

Who believes you're always right;

And her eyes are always open;

And she watches day and night.

You are setting an example

Every day in all you do,

For the little girl who's waiting

To grow up to be like you.

Giving Back

My girls have been taking violin lessons for about 2 1/2 years. They have the cutest little teacher who is amazingly talented. She's in her 70's and has taught music most of her adult life. Every week we spend 1 1/2 hours with her. Through that time we've gotten to know her pretty well. She's spunky and full of life with her feet deeply grounded in her faith. She's such a positive role model for our family.

The month of May is winding down and soon violin lessons will stop for the summer. The girls and I wanted to give Mrs. Lizanne a little something to show her how much she means to us.

I made this little quilt to match the pillows I made for her for Christmas. If you look closely at the fabric you'll see music notes, composer's names, etc

One day in class as we talked about sewing (we do manage to get music lessons in among all our visiting!), she mentioned something her grandmother made. The grandmother would sew tiny strawberries from fabric and place them in a strawberry basket to decorate her kitchen. Mrs. Lizanne said she loved seeing these at her grandmother's and even now it was such a pleasant memory. Shortly after our conversation I came across this tutorial. I knew I had to make them.

I know without a doubt that Mrs. Lizanne will love her gifts. She's such a dear person. It's just a small thing we can do for her after all she does for us.

(updated May 21, 2011) She loved her gifts!

A Gift for me

For my birthday this year I received the most lovely gift in the mail...all the way from Utah to the deep south. Joy is the wife of one of my Army buddies. She's a southern belle from Kentucky who moved to Utah for her true love. She's super creative-loves to scrapbook and quilt. I was speechless when this package came for me. She combined 2 of my loves-quilting and Auburn University (War Eagle!).

I'm still in awe of all the time and energy she put into this precious gift. No one has ever made a quilt for me. What makes it super special is that Joy and I have never met face-to-face. She married my buddy and automatically became my 'southern sista'. :) Everytime I wrap up in my quilt I think of her and how much she loves me. What a special gift from a special person.

A Winter Exchange

I've got a dear friend that I've never met...in person. I've gotten to know her through her blog. Last year she put together a mom's group with all of us online friends. We can chat on a forum, share ideas and even do exchanges. This was where we filled a box with 'happies'. You can make them or buy them. This year she and I did a winter exchange. I have to admit it's a bit difficult for me, tucked away in the deep south, to come up with ideas for a winter box, but I gave it a try. Another thing we try to incorporate is favorite colors. She likes earth tones, especially brown; her daughters like orange and aqua. I had so much fun working on these things for my friends.

For Kim, a little quilted pillow and journal. I know the pillow's not big, but the idea is to curl up on a winter day, get comfy and write in the journal.

Here are 2 little pillows for her girls.

Also for her and her girls, nature journals. My girls and I love to use water colors or oil pastels to try to capture nature. I can just imagine them looking out their window at the snow and adding to their nature journals.

Winter also makes me think of being in the kitchen- a big pot of soup simmering and bread in the oven. Here's a little dressy dish towel for their kitchen. (I apologize for how dirty my oven door was when I took this picture. LOL!)

Finally, in the depths of a cold winter we can't help but dream of spring. I made 3 tiny birds to remind them that spring would soon come to them.

Last was a miniature pin cushion. On those cold snowy nights I can imagine them sitting by the fire, sewing and mending.

I hope they enjoy the gifts as much as I enjoyed making them. I look forward to the next exchange with my friends.

Sewing for baby

Two of my dear friends had babies recently-one girl and one boy. I've had so much fun sewing for them. Here is a glimpse of their gifts:
Lisa didn't know at the time of her shower if she would be having a boy or girl. So, instead of monogramming a name on the blanket I put a verse:

Children are a gift from the Lord;

they are a reward from him.

~Psalm 127:3

Down south we like to hang things on the hospital door when baby arrives. Most of the time it's a bow; more recently there have been pretty pink or blue wreaths. My friend asked if I would make the bow for her. Unfortunately I'm not very good at making bows. Thankfully though she told me I could be as creative as I wanted, so i designed this little quilt hanging. I love the way it turned out.

A "happy" for me!

Look what my sweet friend Candice gave me the other day:

A "happy"-that's what she calls a gift that's given just to bring delight, happiness, etc to the receiver. That's exactly what this gift did for me. I was shocked, surprised and elated all at once! Mostly because my dear friend is very, very pregnant and has a list of other things to finish before this little man arrives (any day now). Every time I look at my apron and dishcloth I feel warm and loved inside. I'm so blessed to have her as my friend. Merci ma petite soeur!

Teacher Gifts

We've never had to worry about buying or making school teacher gifts because the girls have always been at home. This year we've had the co-op every week. The girls have had some really wonderful teachers. I sit in on most of the classes and see how much work these moms put into preparing the classes. We wanted to give them a little something just to say "thanks" for volunteering their time and giving so freely to us. I saw a blog that mentioned travel coffee cups as great gifts. I didn't exactly follow their tutorial. Instead I just cut a piece of fabric the size of the paper that was in the cup. I used pinking shears on all the edges. Then I monogrammed the teacher's first initial. I think they turned out pretty cute and so did the recipients. Pretty and practical-that's my kind of gift!

Simple Gifts

It's always a challenge each year to come up with useful, inexpensive gifts for the girls dance teachers and special friends for Christmas. This year we had the help of a wonderful book. We chose a project from the book called, cinquieme. In French, cinquieme means "fifth". This project is a little sachet bag that fits down in a pointe shoe to keep it fresh and fragrant. The book includes a picture of pointe shoes in fifth position for you to trace onto your fabric and then embroider.

For the dance teachers and friends we monogrammed their first initial onto the bag instead of the pointe shoes (only because this was faster for me to do). You can fill the sachets with cedar , lavender buds or like we did with rice scented with lavender oil. The dance teachers and the girls friends were thrilled over their gifts.

I know at least 3 special ballerinas who are going to get their own hand embroidered cinquiemes in their stockings. Guess who?

Sewing Saturday

First of all, I didn't finish all of this on Saturday but the bulk of it was completed. We're heading to Canada this weekend and I wanted to take little things to some of the ladies I only see once a year. Kind of an early Christmas gift.

I'm so thankful for this tutorial which I've used bunches of times. Who doesn't need a new dishtowel? Another pin cushion/snippet bag. This is also a gift.

One more mini quilt. I'm loving the mitered corners.

Look! Finally I sewed something just for me. My own little pin cushion/snippet bag! I just love it.

More projects

I love it when I finally get things finished. Here are two things I've been meaning to do and finally I did them:

First of all my snips catchit and pin cushion bag. Isn't it cute? This one is for a friend, but I'm going to make one for myself. So fast and easy and so useful.The other thing is homemade, all natural hand sanitizer. Here's the recipe:

2Tbsp + 1tsp plain aloe vera or lemon witch hazel

1/8 tsp tea tree oil

24 drops of essential oil (I used lavender but you could use any combination of your favorites)

4 drops grapefruit seed extract

Mix all the ingredients in a 1 ounce spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray 2-3 times on hands and rub together. It has an indefinite shelf life.