Cricut Crafting

This afternoon I got crafty with the birthday present I received last fall…I finally got a Cricut die cutting machine!  I had been wanting one for ages and just couldn't justify spending the money when my main bread and butter craft is sewing (althought I can use it for cutting appliqués), so my husband removed that burden and bought it for me.  So, when I was asked to donate an item for a fundraising raffle I decided to dress it up;  I created a thank you card with my information for the winner.  I am thrilled with how it turned out…I plan to make some of these to include as thank you notes with my orders.
While I have enjoyed my forray into the papercrafting world via the Cricut, it does pose some limitations for me;  I am exploring the Cameo Silhouette to see if it can allow me a little more flexibility and creativity…it's very difficult spending all that dough on a Cricut cartridge when I typically only want one graphic (that I probably could have created myself using Illustrator).  I'm specfically trying to find out if I can actually use any font I have and create any graphic to be imported.  If that is the case, there may soon be a Cricut available for purchase.  I would love to read any comments regarding reader experiences with both machines!

Warm Fuzzies

Starting the year out right! My first project this year was warm, fuzzy lounge pants for the kiddos…my oldest has some really long legs and all of her fuzzy pants (after about the first wash) end up looking like waders. So, I decided my little ones needed super comfy (and long) pj pants. These pants go together super quick…I used these two patterns: Simiplicity's Free Pattern for Easy PJ Pants and Taylor's Pajama Pants With that done, the work must begin…on this week's agenda is organizing and taking inventory of my craft room and then organizing my computer's desktop…I am woefully behind on archiving files.

CYBERMONDAY15

Visit 1200stitches.etsy.com or boodybabiesbedding.etsycom and use coupon code CYBERMONDAY15 to receive 15% off your purchase! Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving!

As we head into Turkey Day, I have finished up a few last minute projects that I wanted to have listed before the big shopping begins…these cute little aprons and a super cute skirt…I have two more projects that I hope to get completed and listed tomorrow.
Come Wednesday, let the baking begin!!! This year my contribution to the family feast is going to be a cranberry relish a friend found at foodnetwork.com…this relish features fresh cranberries, apples, oranges, pineapple and Grand Marnier!  I will also be making a pumpkin cake roll courtesy of wilton.com, and a good old fashioned apple pie. (click the live links for the cranberry relish and pumpkin roll recipes).
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

New Listing!

New Listing! Today I made this cute little marker roll. I have a nice sized piece of this fabric left, so it may have be turned into a cute little apron/oven mitt set or maybe a skirt set with one of the dolls appliqued onto the shirt? Hmm…decisions, decisions.

Ruffles and Lace and Owls, Oh My!

Last week was a wonderfully productive week! I completed two vintage/shabby chic inspired ruffle valances and a crib bumper and crib skirt. The valances are so girly I hope my customer shares photos of the finished room with me when it is completed. 6 tiers of ruffles in a mix of whites and textures combine to create a very vintage/shabby chic feel…layers of linen, lace, eyelet, organza and cotton...

The crib bedding was so much fun to make thanks to the super cute color palette my customer chose! I used my favorite method for creating bias binding (in this old tutorial : http://www.sewmamasew.com/2008/07/summer-sewing-perfectly-portable-cushion/ ) The 4 panel, thin crib bumper has an outer fabric of brightly colored owls and an inner fabric of chevron embossed minky in a fun green…yellow with white polka dot piping and ties finish it off. The skirt is an adjustable height, 4 panel crib skirt combining the fun colors of the owl print with various prints bringing an element of visual texture to the piece. Box-pleats create a custom taylored feel. This week I have a custom crib blanket to make; I will be appliquéing a many-leaved tree…I'm really excited to see how this turns out! Stay tuned…

What a week!

This past week has been CRAZY busy!! We celebrated my son's 6th birthday, trick or treated, had classroom parties and still had our usual running around…karate, gymnastics, volleyball, after school art classes. I had fully intended to post a little something and the week slipped away. Sewing this week was fairly light…some utility pieces for a regular customer and a simple, straight panel crib skirt for a new customer. The coming week brings two ruffle valances and a crib set (with bumper and skirt). I'm also slated to create an applique tree crib blanket which I am really excited to make…I'll be sure to share the results. So for now, enjoy my very delicious albeit somewhat sloppy, whipped cream frosting interpretation of the Death Star from the original Star Wars series. Have a great week!