A great idea....

I don't even remember how I wound up at this site but I did, and I signed up to participate. I think it's a great idea.


Check it out:





I can't wait to get started. I have a million ideas swirling around in my head. Now I just need to find the time to get it all done.

Wardrobe Refashion

I've asked the kids to go through their clothes and pull out the things that are too small or that they just don't want anymore. They are so skinny though that lots of pants still fit in the waist but have gotten too short. These fit into that category.



I just loved the plaid and hated to see them go so I decided that they could be a skirt.



I cut them off at an appropriate length. Cut the inseams out. Then sewed them together for the skirt. I used the remainder of the leg fabric to make the ruffle around the bottom. I would have liked for the ruffle to be a little more full but I couldn't match up the plaid for the remainder piece of fabric. Oh well, I think it turned out well and the girls are happy with it. Another plus, it only took about 30 minutes total to get it done. Not bad. :0)

Christmas Wish BOM

I haven't given up on the Christmas Wish BOM from Gail Pan Designs. I'm still working on it but, I'm still behind. Two blocks (or months) at the moment, but I'm really hoping to close the gap.

Here's the most recent one I've finished. I believe it's the June block.




The pattern didn't call for buttons but with the round flowers on it, I just couldn't resist. Now I'm trying to decide how to keep this block from looking too out of place. I guess I'll just figure it out as I go (like usual).


I'm really enjoying these. You should check out her site. She does a lot of really cute patterns.

Monday Morning Check In

I probably shouldn't even update since I'm not even weighing right now.


My birthday was earlier this week and we went to The Salt Lick for all you can eat BBQ.



When we got home I had made these cupcakes for us.



They're a cream cheese cake with caramel cream filling and chocolate butter cream icing. Pretty good if I do say so myself. lol


It's also a big-time pms week and I'm retaining water like crazy and craving almost any food that I can get into my mouth. lol

I'm hoping that will end soon and I can get back to eating right sometime soon. I am trying to resist it but sometimes I just can't help it.

Something quick

I decided that since I'm working on about 10 things at once I might as well start on something else. (It's a crafter's logic, right?) Anyway, I wanted to make something really quick so that I could at least have a since of accomplishment.

I got this email with this cute little pattern for free from Bird Brain Designs. I have some little frames and wanted to use one for this pattern so I shrunk it down on the copier.



Then, my troubles started.



I didn't want to use plain old white again so I decided on this scrap from an old (and torn up) apron that I had bought ages ago just for stitcheries.



First I tried tracing it. It was really hard to see through the fabric so that didn't work out at all.



I moved on to carbon paper designed especially for this type of thing. I still couldn't see it well enough to be able to stitch it. The transfer was just too light.


I finally decided to go with an iron on transfer pen. But, of course, I don't have any and they don't sell any at Hobby Lobby in my town which is really all I have local available. *sigh* I got online and found someone on ebay that had one in red and one in blue so I bought them both. Then I had to wait for them to arrive.


Wait....check the mail.....wait some more.


They finally arrived and I rushed into the sewing room, oops, I mean STUDIO, to give them a try. I traced the pattern from the back and then ironed it onto a new piece of the same fabric. It worked perfectly!! Woohoo!


That night I sat down in bed to stitch while I watched t.v., so excited to finally be able to work on my quick little project. (It had only been about a week since I had first started it.) I put my fabric in the hoop, got my needle threaded, and when I went to stick the needle through for the first stitch I noticed a hole right in the middle of the design. (Oh God! Please don't let me start crying like a big baby here.)


The next day I cut out another square of fabric, carefully checking to make sure there weren't any thin spots in it at all. I was able to get it stitched this time. So much for quick, huh?





It really is a cute little pattern. I really wasn't happy as I was going along with using three strands of floss because I thought the stitching was looking too lumpy. Well, it occurred to me when I was putting on the finishing touches that since I reduced the size by more than half that I should have reduced the bulk of my threads too. DOH! Sometimes my brain just doesn't kick into gear quickly enough. LOL

Anyway, go check out Robin's site. She's got some really cute stuff there. I have one of her Easter patterns to do and I can't wait to get it started. I just have so many other things on the list too.

Monday Morning Check In

Even though I notice that not many people are still keeping up with this I really need to. :0) So, here I am. I may not post every Monday, but I am keeping up with it. As of this morning I am down from my original starting weight a little over one pound. This isn't much, but I'm glad that the whole gaining back everything I had lost is over. Now the hard part, the kids will soon be gone for another two weeks. That's when we seem to let eating right go to hell-in-a-hand-basket. Anyway, I am still keeping after it.

Before + After

I know I haven't been around, much but I have been busy.



I've been re-doing Wyatt's bathroom.


Here it is before.

(don't you just love the 'stay out' in dripping blood that his grandmother gave him? hmmm... I wonder where is could have gotten off to.)



I've wanted to paint it for a long time but was a little scared because of the color I wanted to paint it.

Here's more what it looks like now.

As you can see I went with a dark blue. And, boy! was I even more scared when I put that first brush of paint on the wall. I had to do two coats but I am happy with it now that it's all done. I think it really sets off the woodwork and the tile around the bath.

I took down the towel holder above the toilet. It was so low you couldn't really use it for anything more than a hand towel or decoration. I replaced it with this cabinet. You can still only hang a hand towle or decoration but I got a little more storage space with this.

It was a white cabinet that I bought at Target. I spray painted it an off-white color to match the other things and replaced the knobs. I also put new knobs on the cabinet where the sink is and replaced the toilet paper holder.

I hung two of these on the little strip of wall between the tub and bathroom door (there are two doors into this tiny bathroom). I figure he can use these for his towels.

I have a bigger one that has three hooks on it that I'm going to hang behing the main door into the bathroom. I've got it all painted in the same off-white, and it's leaning behind the door. Now I just need to get it hung. :0)

Some of the decorative touches:

This little sign has always been in there but it shows up a lot better now.

I bought this jar at a junk shop (some would call it an antique shop but I really think she's just using the shop to clean all the 'crap' out of her own house which is right next door.) The top on it was white with flowers on it. I spray painted it red and really wasn't sure where I was going to use it. I finally decided to use it in Wyatt's bathroom and fill it with the little soaps from hotels. As you can see, it needs a lot more soap in it. Perhaps I can use that as a good excuse to do some more traveling. :0)

This is my favorite. It's a cross stitch thingy (don't really know what to call it) that I did years ago. I fell in love with the pattern when I saw it and made it long before we even had any kids. It just makes me giggle and that's my favorite way to decorate.

Now that I've got that pretty well taken care of, maybe I can get back to some of my other projects.