A few completed projects.

The shirt I made for myself...so I'll have something pretty to wear after the baby arrives. Ryan loved the fabrics so much she asked for a dress made of it, so we'll try to get that happening for her soon.

I'm often asked what Ryan does while I sew...she plays with thread, fabric, scissors, pins, etc. She loves it, and I love that it's introducing her to sewing at an early age!

Used to be a wrap, now it's a few blankets, hats, and even a pair of pants! And it's the yummiest, softest knit. Love Wrapsody wraps!!

 
And the cute dress I whipped up for Ryan out of some pre-smocked fabric. Love that stuff...and she loves the dress.

Lots of crafting happening...

...as a lovely way to pass the time waiting for baby.

Ryan made these shirts for the baby, very stylish. She even added her name to one of them, just in case we forget who the baby belongs to.

This is the massive pile of stuff I've got planned out...we'll see how much I get done before baby arrives!

A glass of wine.

After a very long day, with an exceedingly well-behaved and patient toddler, nothing is quite as lovely as a glass of red wine and some frivolous internet surfing.

What am I surfing for? Mama's Day ideas. What to make my mama, my mama-in-law, and all the other fantastic mamas I know. It must be fabulous, handmade, and quick. It needn't be the same thing for each. It does need to be awesome.

Photography?
Coffee Cozies?
Tea Wallets?
Time? (can I buy that somewhere?)
Chocolate? (I can make fudge!)

What do I want most for Mama's Day this year?

Time. With the kid, with the husband, with myself. With my fabulous friends.

And a glass of wine.

And maybe, what I should give my friends is a bottle of wine and an hour.

100 things

I made this for someone else, but I have to make one for myself...for those days that I need a little extra inspiration.

http://www.kerismith.com/funstuff/100ideas.htm

Hand-painted Scarves

I plotted out this project months ago, found knit fabric on sale and bought a ton of it. My current favorite scarf is a jersey knit, and I've been thinking about painting or stencilling on it for a while, but couldn't decide what to do. So, for a holiday gift for a few family members, I decided to dye this fabric and use the freezer paper stencil technique. The tree, to me, represents the bareness of winter, but on a scarf is all warmy and toasty and comfy and cozy.

These ones, in a way, represent my desire for spring (I know, today is only the first day of winter; it's going to be a long few months)...they started out with just the green grasses, then I decided that they needed blooms, and for some reason, orange just felt right. I used the bottom of a paint bottle for the big blooms, and a crayon dipped in paint for the little ones.

I've really been enjoying creating these gifts for friends, family and the little people in my life...I feel like these gifts mean more to me to give because I've actually spent tons of time on them, and infused them with a little bit of me. And really, they're pretty much one of a kind...or in a series of sorts...wearable art!

Oooooh, Stars!

I love star ornaments...maybe it's because we don't really celebrate Christmas, persay, but rather, the holiday season and winter as a whole. Most of my tree is decorated with blue, silver and gold stars and balls.

I'm going to make some of these for my tree this year, and possibly to tie on gifts (if they end up being a quick craft).

Alyssa, I think you should make some of these with me...you can do them in your "spare" time.

Nothing is safe in my house...

If it's plain, and in my path, watch out. I'm gonna paint on it.
RE's owl goes "whoo, whoo" and is named "Owl-Boy". Oh, and he's "blinking" at her.
This is the best I could do for an action shot...she wouldn't hold still

The best part about this one is that it's RE's drawing...I loved it so much, I used it twice. When I showed them to her this morning, she proclaimed that the one on black was "mommy, daddy and Iyan" and the one on yellow was "Owey B, Owey B's daddy and Yindsay."

The stencils...I love the way those look just as much as the final project.


She flipped out on this one, loving her "spider friends" and talking about how one was bigger and one is smaller. This one I did freehand instead of stenciling. I thought just going to town on it would be more fun than cutting out all those tiny bits on freezer paper.

I think I'm ready to do one of my own shirts...but for some reason I just can't decide what do put on mine!

Ahhh, and for the record, I'm using Jacquard fabric paints, though always looking for something better!

RE's rad robot shirt...girls NEVER get to have robots on their clothes.



















The freezer paper part of this shirt...



















Then I added more supplies (a crayon, a chopstick), and made it a proper tree...




























And this VERY creepy inspiration for my next teeshirt...RE needs something for Halloween (and maybe mommy does too). He lives on our back patio...and is now HUGE. I'll try to get another shot of him...he's obviously found a good spot cause he's catching something to eat out there. He creeps me out; RE thinks he's her "spider-friend". Everyone and everything is her friend these days. Ew.