My First Hat with the Knifty Knitter

I mentioned on my facebook page that I had gotten a Knifty Knitter.  I bought it at JoAnn's with a 40% off coupon, but you can also purchase one on Amazon.

My first project was this orange and blue Florida Gator baby hat that I gave to my husband's cousin.  They are expecting their first baby in March.  I made it with the second smallest loom and I think it will fit a child around 6-8 months.

My favorite part is the brim that flips up!

The Knifty Knitter is very easy to learn and so quick too.  I have never knitted anything before and was so impressed that I actually made this!

Anyone else ever used a Knifty Knitter?  Got any patterns or tips to share?

Fabric Boxes

A while ago I made these fabric boxes for a sweet lady in California.  She used them in craft show over Thanksgiving and it was such fun to participate with her in this way.

These boxes are great for jewelry, change, sunglasses, cell phones and so much more.  They contain one layer of stiff interfacing which makes each box very sturdy and stable.

I used the instructions for the Tidy Tray from The Sewing Republic found here (pdf pattern), which are very easy.  It took me less than half an hour on each box!  The color combinations are endless, too.

My favorite part is the corners.  I love how they make the little circular flaps- so dainty!

Here are two more free patterns for fabric boxes that I've also tried:
It's a Snap by My Little Mochi
Happy Hostess Gift Boxes from Sew, Mama, Sew! (pdf pattern)

Hutch Remodel

When my husband's greatgrandmother passed away in October 2009, we inherited a large amount of furniture. One of my favorite treasures was this beautiful hutch that held all of her china and silver pieces.  I love the space, the interior light, the lines and the ornate pieces of this china cabinet.  But I didn't love the color.

So this week I decided to change that.  I've been slowly remodeling our foyer/living room/dining room area for a while now, and this hutch was one of the biggest frogs I had to eat.  (That phrase is from this book on productivity that I am currently reading- and love!)

I spray painted the inside turquoise.  Aqua by Rustoleum (from Home Depot) to be exact.  I mentioned on my facebook page that I spray painted indoors, and while that wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done, I didn't do any permanent damage.  I got a lot of dust on the floors (fixed by mopping) and the house smelled of paint (fixed by opening a window), but other than that, no harm done!

I did move it to the garage (and have many bruises to show for that move!) with my husband's help for the next part.  It was there that I was able to spray paint the outside Antique White by Rustoleum.  I read this helpful post about spray paint and was instantly sold.  It covered well and is quite smooth. I also priimed it prior to the Antique White with Rustoleum 2x Primer.

I love the finished product!  The blue background really makes the dishes pop and I love how the outside is all one color, unlike before when it was mauve and green.

Dalila's Baby Gift

My cousin Charlie married a super sweet girl named Dalila, and they are expecting their first baby (a girl!) in a few weeks.  So, naturally, I made a gift to send the shower.  Sadly, I couldn't go since I lived out of state.  :(

I made a baby sling, a nursing cover, two baprons, and a diaper changing roll.  I used two different fabrics that I found at JoAnns.

I absolutely love sewing for babies and love sending gifts to family.  I wish Charlie and Dalila all the best as they move to a family of three!

Snap-On Hanging Dishtowels

These hanging dishtowels were made over a month ago, but I didn't post them until now since I gave many as Christmas gifts.  I found this pattern on Pinterest and loved the nostalgic design of these towels.  Growing up, my mom always had a towel like this snapped (or maybe it was a button?) on the handle of the oven or drawer.  Most of them were handmade, although I'm not quite sure by whom.  It brought me joy to revive an old pattern and add a modern twist.

So I made some with Christmas prints, some with kitchen-y prints, and some with sports team prints.  For the towel part, I used a half of a flour sack cloth that I found at Target.  A package of four was about $4 (I think it was $3.97 if you want to be exact), and I was able to get eight towels from one $4 package.  I really like how flour sacks hang freely without the bulk of a tericloth towel.  I also love how they wrinkle with time, which adds character and charm.

I used one layer of interfacing (Pellon 910, I believe) between the two layer to add some stability.  I made one without any interfacing and I can really tell a difference.  I also chose to use a snap rather than a button.  Remember when I conquered my fear of zippers last year?  Well, buttonholes are on the list of "Sewing Skills to Master" for 2012.  :)

Although I've sold or given away almost all of these dishtowels, you can still purchase a few from my Etsy shop, or you can make your own from the pattern here.

Anyone else grow up with these dishtowels in your kitchen?  What things from your childhood can you modernize and use in your own home?

Pick Your Plum Boot Warmers

First of all, thanks to all of you who commented on my recent post.  Your encouragement made my day!

I'm slowly getting back into blogging, but I wanted to share this deal with you today.

Pick Your Plum has these ADORABLE boot warmers today only for $4.95 a pair.  Oh, how I wish that I lived  where it actually got cold..... not really.  But these are so cute!  They're available in black, brown, grey and cream.

If you've never ordered from Pick Your :Plum before, you can be sure that your order will arrive quickly, well packaged and of high quality.  I've order many things from them and never been disappointed.  Click here to order.

Easy Tutorial: How to Make a Diaper Changing Roll

This is one of those things that I really should make more often.  Seriously, every time I make a diaper changing roll for a baby gift, I think (and sometimes say out loud), "I should really make more of these."  They are so easy, quick and a practical gift, too.

This diaper changing roll is for a baby gift- I've got oodles of friends and family members pregnant right now, so I'm working on keeping up with the babies!  They are great to throw in the diaper bag and to always have a clean space to change baby.  Throw it in the washer when it gets soiled, or use it as a back-up burp cloth in a bind.

So, let's get started.... this tutorial is so easy and great for beginner sewers.

You will need:
1 hand towel
1 piece of fabric the same size of your hand towel (usually a fat quarter will do)
1 piece of 1/4" wide elastic measuring about 10 inches long
thread
sewing machine
pins
iron

ruler

I usually use the ReStyle brand hand towels from Target.  They measure 16 inches x 25 inches, but you can use whatever you like.  You could even use a bath towel and cut it to a custom size if you wanted.

Put your two pieces down right sides together.  If you want to embellish or embroider your changing pad, do it prior to this step.  Pin all the way around and mark about a 3" space to leave open for turning.

One on of the shorter edges, insert your elastic with both raw edges facing out and the loop hidden in between your towel and fabric.  To determine the best placement for your elastic, I fold the diaper changing pad in thirds (so that you have one very long strip), and then find a mid point on the bottom third section.  Secure with pins.  Sew around, making sure to backstitch at the opening.

Make sure that you stitch on the terrycloth part of your towel, not the hemmed edge.  This is important because it reduces bulk in your changing pad and makes it softer on the baby's skin.

Now we want to cut off the hemmed or finished edge of your towel.  At this point things will get very messy- all of the little terry cloth strands will cover your work area so get ready!

Now that you've removed all the finished edges (and made a mess!), it's time to turn your changing pad right side out.

BUT- before you do this, make sure your elastic is good and sewn in.  Sometimes I go over it a few times with my backstitch to be sure.

Now that you've tugged on it a few times, remove all your pins and use the space you left to turn it right side out.

Press out all corners with a wooden stick and iron well.

Pin the opening closed.

Check on your elastic one more time.... give it a few good pulls.  Make sure it's not going to pop on mom or baby.  :)

Topstitch around the entire changing pad, closing the opening you pinned together.

Now let's fold and roll!

Lay out your changing pad with the towel side up and the elastic away from you.

Fold the left third of the changing pad towards the center.

Fold it over one more time so that the towel is all concealed inside.  Turn the elastic towards you.

With the non-elastic short side, start rolling the changing pad towards you.

When you get to the end, wrap the elastic around the entire changing pad and give it to a new mommy!

The way the changing pad swirls reminds me way too much of a cinnamon roll!  :)

Variations:
Add a layer of batting (you will need to add more elastic as your roll will be much thicker)
Embroider or embellish the fabric
Use oilcloth instead of cotton fabric for a wipe-down clean surface

Please leave any questions in the comments- this is such an easy project that I'd love to help out any beginning sewers who have questions.  Thanks!

The Money Saving Mom's Budget- the best book you may read in 2012

I recently had the opportunity to read and review The Money Saving Mom's Budget:  Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year.  Wow!  This book is a must-read!

I've been reading Money Saving Mom's blog since late 2007, way back when couponing wasn't cool and the economy was good.  I fell in love with Crystal's honesty in saving money and keeping a simple home.  I walked with her (via her blog) through the birth of her son, who was actually born the same day as my daughter.  During that pregnancy, I stocked my freezer with her, de-cluttered my home and had a few yard sales.  Her writing style is personal, capturing, and real.  Some days I feel like she's sitting next to me at my dining room table, sharing coffee and just chatting with me.  Yes, she's that real.

So, when she announced that she was releasing a book chocked full of budget info, I jumped on the opportunity to review this masterpiece.  And I wasn't disappointed.  At all.

Crystal holds your hand and walks you through the basic principles that she's preached for years on her blog- making a budget, eliminating clutter, paying cash and using coupons.  Her simple, step-by-step writing invites you to come alongside her and do the same for your family, too.

By far, Chapter Two on clutter was my favorite.  Since we moved into our new home in August 2010, I have been intentional about reducing and eliminating clutter.  Although I haven't been 100% successful, I have made a strong effort to rid extra items from my home on a regular basis.  And it will come as no surprise to those who know me well- my 2012 resolution is to continue to keep my home clutter free and well maintained.  I have quite a bit of room to grow in the cleaning aspect of my home, but it's easier to clean when there is less clutter, right?  :)

The rest of the book is outstanding as well, although I do not practice all of her recommendations at this time in my life.  Prior to returning to work full-time last January, I was a bread-baking, cleaning-schedule, coupon-savvy mom of two.  But that all changed when I went to work and my husband lost his job.  Last year was quite the adjustment for our family when my husband became a stay at home dad for a large portion of the year and was primarily responsible for the grocery shopping.  My time to coupon became limited and we were both just keeping our heads above water. (For more details on that radical time in our lives, read my blog dedicated to my daughter, or this post.)

Nonetheless, the goal-setting, budget-conscious, money-saving principles in Crystal's book can still be applied even if you aren't able to coupon right now.  That's what I love about Crystal- she takes the attitude of "apply the basic principles and do what works for you".  She even admits to taking occasional breaks from couponing or freezer cooking herself!

Her book releases this Tuesday (January 10) and is sure to top the charts!  I can't recommend it highly enough.  Whether you're managing the budget for your family, just starting out on your own, or been at this budget thing for years, you're sure to gain much from Crystal's wisdom and insight.

Add The Money Saving Mom's Budget to your 2012 reading list right now!

My Brain Dump

I've been thinking through this post for quite some time.  If you're looking for a new tutorial or home update, this post is not for you.  If you'd like to see deep into my brain and offer your thoughts, keep reading.

I took an unannounced break during the holidays.  For Crafters, holidays are full of sewing for family and friends, so it's not appropriate to post photos or instructions of gifts that have yet to be given to a reader of this blog.  All of my sewing in November and December were Christmas gifts, and I didn't want the recipient to see the gift before it was actually given!

Many of you know that I also work full-time as a pediatric nurse, and my office recently went through some major changes.  I have been working more in the last two months than I ever have, often six days in a row and once I worked twelve days in a row.  I worked both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then was thrilled to take a mini-vacay with my hubby over the New Year.  Many of the extra shifts were my choice (I caused some minor damage to a car that set us back nearly $1000 in November, so I was trying to make that up.), but some were just necessitated due to the increased patient volume of the fall season and back to school season.

My Etsy shop has been doing well, and I've struggled with keeping both a blog and an Etsy shop.  I don't think I'll work full-time forever, and I'd like to have a well-established sewing business once I have more time to devote.  I don't make much money blogging (probably equivalent to the amount of change in your purse right now), but I do make a fair amount by selling on Etsy.  I read several "blogging" blogs (savvyblogging, bloggingwithamy, etc.) but just don't have the traffic or the content to make enough.  Some of my posts require a lot of time and effort, but the content doesn't lead to affiliate links.  I started blogging to be able to share my crafts and sewing with my family and friends who live out of state.  I didn't start to make money (I didn't even know you could make money blogging when I started, at least not with a craft blog!).

Listing on Etsy is simple and fast and the fees are minimal.  Some items sell within hours of listing, others stay on my site for months.  I have very few items that I just can't sell.  My feedback rating is 100% and sales have soared over the last six months.  The post office staff does know me and my children by name, however.  :)  I enjoy sewing and want to find the best way to share it with others.

So I feel a tension between the two- should I keep selling on Etsy and just forget blogging all together?  Should I keep both?  Should I just blog since I don't have as much time and tend to sell out of items on Etsy?  Should I forget both and just work my RN job - hour per hour I make way more as an RN, but it does take me away from home and family?

That being said, I don't think this will be my last post, so don't delete me from your bookmarks, reader or email, please!  I have a few things in mind, but as I wanted to be transparent and honest as I wrestle with these thoughts and keep toying with the blog/Etsy shop tension.

I'd love to hear your feedback.  If you are a blogger, etsy seller, or a faithful reader, I'd love to know your response.  Comments or emails are appropriate ways to contact me and share any thoughts you have.  So go ahead, allow your brain to dump its thoughts back to me.