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Well, I’m running out of time to make clothing for Jr. but I was able to finish this little sweater today.  It was a pretty quick and easy project that over 1300 others have made over on Ravelry.com. It’s a free pattern and I will definitely be making more in the future.

The yarn is something I’ve had in my stash for a while.  Mom brought it back from England on one of her six trips this year.  Holy cow can you say frequent flier miles!  Anyway, I like how this turned out and can’t wait to put it on the little guy with a pair of cords.  How cute would that look?

• download Joe Dirt

Here’s an interesting vantage point. Most of the time I can’t see my feet.

Wow…Fall is here already?  Summer came and went in a flash.  So with only 10 weeks left to go I’m trying not to stress out over baby preparation.  That’s why I’ve dedicated the whole month of October to turn our office into a nursery for Jr.

Furniture has been ordered and delivered, paint samples have been selected and the crib quilt is well on its way to being completed. I can see how it’s going to look in my head and with the help of my idea book I know it will come together in no time.

Images & projects from my idea book.  Not to worry, the ugly flowered chair is getting reupholstered download Invasion, The Lonely Street movie download

We don’t have ton of storage space but what we do have is being underutilized.  I hope to have some before and after pics to show at the end of this month.

Until then things maybe quiet around here but I will have a couple of small projects to share once they get to their intended owners.

Bye for now!

Did anyone see this tutorial posted on ohdeedoh today?  What a fantastic idea!  Not sure how I would use it but it could be a fun way to do a gift exchange or school raffle. 

Tutorial can be found over at Artmind 

I recently purchased a manicure kit from my local drugstore and even though it came with an ugly plastic case I decided to make my own.  It turned out to be a really easy project and a great way to use up fabric scraps.  Although it’s a little early to be working on holiday gifts these would make for some super handy stocking stuffers!

Supplies:

Small amount of fabric for front, inside and pocket
Medium to heavy fusible interfacing
Snap kit or velcro for closure

Step 1: Download the manicure kit cover template I created.

Step 2: Cut out fabric using template. Cut 1 front cover, 1 inside cover, 1 interfacing & 1 pocket (on fold)

Step 3: Press interfacing to front fabric piece

Step 4: Fold, press & top stitch pocket piece

Step 5: Pin pocket piece to inside cover piece.

Step 6: Using template pocket guidelines stitch on dotted lines to create dividers and attaching pocket to inside cover.  I used blue water-soluble marker to create guidelines.

Step 8: Pin front to inside cover (right sides together)

Step 9: Sew 1/4 inch seam all way around leaving 1-2 inch gap for which to turn cover inside out

Step 10: Cut around curved edges of fabric to create a smoother corner when pressed

Step 11: Turn work inside out and press

Step 12: Topstitch around outside

Step 11: Add snap closure to front and you’re done.

If you give this a try and find that you have any problems or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

The weather this weekend was perfect!  Although they were calling for rain it never came our way.  On Saturday, after meeting a friend for tea we headed down to Soulard Market.  I haven’t been there in over a year.  I forgot how much fun it is and how cheap the prices are!

Otis psp

Soulard Market, St. Louis

With our current flailing economy I’m all for supporting local farmers while saving a few bucks.  Along with all our produce finds we couldn’t pass up the mini donut maker.  The chocolate glazed variety was my top pick while Julie chose the powdered version as her #1.  All in all, a fun morning out.

I was able to craft this weekend.  I made a project for Mum which I will share soon and I’m halfway through a knitted sweater project.  I realize its not sweater weather but the yarn is called Summer Tweed so it’s nice and light.  I just hope I can finish it soon so I can move onto something less time consuming.

How do you spend your weekend?

Buttercups are popping up everywhere and I don’t mean the flower.  I’m referring to the super cute FREE purse pattern over at Made By Rae that has been all over the blogoshere.  It’s the perfect size purse for spring and it don’t required a lot of fabric or tools.

Amy Butler Nigella Twill Wood Fern Silver fabric

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof movie

I decided to use some Amy Butler decorator fabric that I’ve had in my stash for some time. It’s been ages since I sat down in front of the sewing machine and it was worth it.  I really like the pleated detail and the easy of which this works up.  I added this pretty gray Mother of Pearl button to the top for a decorative touch.

Neverland download

I plan on making two more.  One with some satin from a previous botched project for a fun evening purse. That fabric is also gray…hum…I think I have a new favorite color other than blue!

Sunday afternoon drama: While hopping from room to room to sew and iron I witnessed a bizarre incident.  A young kid (at least 16 years of age) driving a massive Ford Excersion backed into our neighbors mailbox completely knocking it out of the ground. I threw down the half made purse and ran out the door but he had peeled away before I could get his license plate number.  Rat farts!  My husband even jumped in his car to track him down but he was long gone.  Since it was the middle of a Sunday afternoon I’m sure it was an accident. I know, now that I’m in my 30’s, I would have stopped and left a note because it’s the right thing to do but thinking back to the age of 16 I doubt that I would have left a note.  I probably would have peed my pants, and hit the gas too.  As a teenager what would you have done?

I’ve been a fan of Lush products for years!  I can’t even remember how I first got introduced to them.  It could have been a recommendation from a good friend or a trip to the UK where the company originated.  Either way, the company slowly made its way across the pond several years ago.

Special edition bath bomb!  Nothing says Happy St. Patrick’s Day like a nice green bath!   

As they advertise, Lush is a line of fresh handmade cosmetics.  Their bath bombs are the best but when it comes to facial mosturier I don’t use anything else.  They even make one for boys skin too!  Sure, its a little pricey but it last for 6 months. I’ve been using Imperialis

for a couple of years now and with changes in my skin and the weather I was ready to try something else.  This is my new favorite. 

Lush Vanishing Cream

It’s currently out of stock online

but can be purchased at your local store.  Many of their products are vegan and made with natural ingredients.  They often smell good enough to eat but I don’t reccomend you try it. 

The initial smells coming from the store can knock you out like a one-two punch but it’s worth stepping in and giving it a try.  So, treat yourself to a five dollar Butterball

bath bomb.  Your skin will thank you!

So far this week I’ve been busy testing out different recipes as we’re having a small dinner party on Saturday night. We’ve had friends over before but I found myself in the kitchen most of the time. That’s no fun!  So, this time I’m decided to test out a few recipes that are simple, tasty but that can be done in advance.

Monday night I tested the Tuscan Beef Stew with Polenta

for the main course.  I would say it was a nice meal for the two of us.  It did take about 2 and 1/2 hours to simmer which made the beef nice and tender but in the end…it’s just beef stew…boring!  I’m still working on the main course.

In the meantime, I tried a recipe for Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon-Pecan Caramel sauce.  I know this looks like one hot mess but it was really tasty!  I ended up using rum instead of bourbon based on the many reviews online and it tasted delicious.  It’s really easy to make and big enough to serve a large group or party.  It can be served warm or at room temperature which means I can make it ahead of time.  Bingo!  This one’s a keeper!  I hope it goes over well.

What are your favorite wintertime dishes?

It feels like I’ve been away for a lot longer than a week but simply said…I’m glad I went to England but I’m glad to be home.  It was a roller coaster ride but as I recover from jet lag and process everything that happened I can honestly say it was worth it!

Pearl Close (home of my grandparents)

Each morning my Mom and I went to visit my grandparents.  My mom had already been there for a week and had a great routine going.  We cleaned the house, ran errands, and prepared their lunch before heading out for a couple of hours.  The tasks were minor but definitely things that can be overwhelming to someone that has only been home from hospital for 10 days and slowly recovering.

The weather was the typical English winter.  Cold, wet and cloudy.  We did have a couple of sunny days which is when I got out the camera and took some photos of the town that my Grandparents live in called Chilton.

Local farmers on horseback riding through town

My mom and I were staying in a cozy little cottage on a farm in Kirk Merrington.  It had 2 bedrooms, 2 baths with a kitchen that felt like home away from home.  It was a great retreat from a long day.  Several night we just stayed in and watch telly! It’s a lot roomier than it looks and the view out back was very peaceful yet beautiful.

Meadow Cottage (our home away from home)

View from the back patio of Meadow Cottage

We were able to do a little shopping, and visit my favorite city, Durham, which has a cathedral that’s over 1000 years old!  Yes, that’s right.  It was originally built in 1093.  It was a very cold day and we only spent an hour or so walking around town after meeting my aunt and cousin for a coffee.

Mom in one of the narrow street of Durham’s city center

I know that I will look back on this short week and remember it fondly.  Not only for the time spend with my grandparents but also the time spent with my Mom. No one would guess that they are her in-laws and to me the term sounds silly as they have always treated her as their own daughter. My only hope is that my Gran continues to recover and having seen the caregivers and medical staff attending to her, at the house, I know she’s in good hands. It’s just a reminder of how important life and family is and how we can’t always take the little things for granted.

I will return next week with some projects I’ve been working on while away and the February giveaway is almost here!  Yikes!  I better get crafting!

Well, I promised a pattern review for the Hip Tie Blouse that I planned on making for New Year’s Eve but after spending an entire weekend working on it, I gave up! I attended the NYE party in something I had in my closet (boring!) Granted I gave it my best effort.  I redid the neckline three times and even my hubby tried offering solutions to make the neckline sit right but nothing worked.

I decided to reach out to the pattern creator of Betsy Ross Patterns Gone video to give her the opportunity to assist or address the issues I was having. As it turns out I’m not crazy!  There were steps that needed to be done that weren’t written in the pattern and as my old boss used to say…”never assume because it makes an ass out of u and me!”

I understand that a lot of people out there make their own patterns and  it can be an intense labor of love but everything should be spelled out and if its not it needs to be fixed.  I hope that happens for the next person that tries this top.  Even with the friendly and helpful response, I’m still disappointed by the whole experience.

I plan to do something with the fabric as its very pretty and rather pricey but for now it will remain in the closet until I can look at it without wanting to tear my hair out!  If anyone has ideas I’m all ears.

Until then, I’m going back to cotton zipper pouches, pillows and tote bags.  No more clothing for a while!