Crochet Addiction

I guess the first step is to admit you have a problem, so here goes.  I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to crochet.  The last couple of days I have missed posts, and it was because I was using all my free time to work on this new craft.  I LOVE IT!  I somehow found Dana's blog, CraftyMinx, awhile ago because of her Crochet School.  If you have ever thought about learning crochet, you should seriously check out her course.  I cannot believe its free!  She is very good at explaining things, and also has video accompanied with each one of her lessons.  Sometimes more.  The videos are also very slow paced so if you're a beginner, you're actually able to follow.


You make a couple of things through the class, too.  Its not all just learning stitches, which is really nice!  Its cool to see how far you come after just doing a couple of lessons.  If you follow the course you will make a stitch swatch, granny squares, and circle.  Once you get to the pattern reading portion you can choose to make her wrist warmers or pick a pattern yourself.  I chose to make a hat from a pattern I found on Ravelry.  If I hadn't of had Dana's instruction, there was no way I could have done it so well.  My seaming was a little off, but other than that it turned out great!


I just wanted to throw in this picture of these socks I have had for years.  Awhile ago, I used to be obsessed with a store called Delias.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Well, they used to have a wall of socks at the store, and I picked up these (if you don't know who this is its Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles!) along with some John Bender, Farmer Fred, and Long Duck Dong socks.  Really wish they still made them!


I am really proud of these projects I have done in the past couple of days.  A couple of them don't really make anything I can wear or show off, but its nice to know that I did it!  I joined Ravelry like Dana said, so I'm already looking for something else to make.  I would love to make an easy afghan since its so cold where we're living.  Its so nice to curl up with a blanket on the couch when its snowing outside.  It would be greater if I actually made it!


Are there any other crocheters out there?  Or any other addicts of craft want to share your addiction?  

Organized Chaos

I have been working a couple of weeks on a little knit robe for my daughter.  I'm not using a pattern, well, not one that I bought.  I'm using something that I made up myself.  Does anyone else try out their own patterns?  I guess I get impatient and just want to create, and I don't want to take the extra time to pick out something.

See what I mean by organized chaos?  I'm surprised I can actually read this with all the changes I have made!  

I'm also doing a little experiment of trying to "emboss" the fabric by using different stitches.  That's my pattern to follow.  It hasn't really been working that well, I have already messed up in a couple of places, but Maggie won't be able to tell.  Its definitely a learning experience!

That's what I love about crafting.  You have the freedom to do whatever you want and there are no rules.  Sometimes it turns out horrible, but sometimes you can get amazing results.  Let's hope this turns out amazing!


Do you have any techniques you tried and they came out awesome?  What about ones that just flat out failed?

Finished Projects: Cinderella Doll and Foofa Backpatch

I know I haven't been blogging much, but I have been working on a couple of projects.  Its really helped me to stay calm and not start bawling that Lizzy hasn't showed up, yet!  Plus, sitting at this desk is not the most comfortable position right now.  I cannot wait to have my own body back!!!  Hopefully, this time tomorrow she will be here!


A couple of posts ago I showed you the Cinderella fabric that had directions and cutouts to make a Cinderella doll.  This was such an awesome way to learn a couple of more techniques, and it was pretty fun.  I finally finished the doll and my daughter loved it!


I also had some extra felt left over from a purse I made her awhile back.  I had no idea what to make, but I remembered she had a jean jacket that had NO patches on it, yet.  One of her favorite shows is Yo Gabba Gabba, so I had to sew on one of the characters.  The majority of the felt was pink, so Foofa was it! 


I still have so many things to do.  I have a whole pile of jeans and shorts my husband wants me to put buttons on or hem, I really want to make my daughter an apron and mitt for her kitchen, a bunch of projects in my Stitch by Stitch book that I'm using to learn to sew, finish knitting my daughter's robe/jacket that I've been working on FOREVER, and I wanted to try to sell some drawings that I haven't even started yet!  Its a great time to start wanting to do all this stuff with a baby coming.  I don't think I'm going to get too far on it in the near future.  Hopefully, I will be able to find time for myself...  I still have to work out and finish school!  Its going to be a busy end of the year!


I don't know when I will be posting next since I have to be at the hospital at 8am tomorrow morning.  I also don't know how long I will have to stay in there.  With my first it was 48 hours after the baby was born.  Ugh.  I hate hospitals!


I hope everyone's long weekend was good!  Have a good rest of the week if I don't talk to you before then!

Finished Projects: Napkins; and a Work in Progress

Finished Project
I've been trying to keep busy lately to pass the time and not worry about when I'm going into labor. I've actually had the energy and the motivation to do more sewing.  Lately, all I've been doing is sitting around the house watching TV.  I really hate doing it.  Its so boring!  Even if I am watching an awesome show like "American Pickers."  So, I have been sewing a lot the past couple of days, and its awesome!  My projects haven't been that interesting, but I'm still learning!  It does feel great to actually make things that I can use, though.  And they haven't been turning out too bad!


This next project I did I had to make a set of 4 napkins.  I found some really cute cherry fabric at Joann's that turned out to be on sale!  

I really wish I was able to make dresses.  This fabric was so soft!  And its adorable. 
Within this project, there was actually two "sub-projects."  I had to finish the edges of the napkins in two different ways.

The first was half-mitering.  It didn't turn out too well.  Haha.  I had to overcast the edge of the fabric and then just fold it over once and topstitch it in place.

This was full mitering and looked a lot more clean and professional.  You folded the edges over twice and topstiched so the overcast edges didn't show.  They looked like napkins you could buy from the store!
I wish I could put some tutorials on here, but these were from the book, Stitch by Stitch, and I don't want to take anything away from the author!  Hopefully I'll be able to make my own tutorials one day.  


Work in Progress
Awhile ago, my friend's mom gave us a bunch of fabric to go through.  A couple of them were these crazy pieces I had never seen before.  They had directions and cut-outs for stuffed animals.  Have you ever seen these?  I don't know if I'm behind the times, but I have a kid so I got all excited.  Right now, I'm working on the Cinderella one.

I have already messed up.  I was working on the body and made the stitched WAY too close to the edge.  When I went to stuff the doll, the edges of the fabric started fraying and there were holes all over!  I had to go back and stitch by hand all the parts that had the holes.  Hopefully, it stays together!

This is what I have so far!  I did the same thing I did to the body with the right leg.  You can see the stitching I had to do by hand right above the foot.  Whoops!  Luckily, after that I learned my lesson.  
My daughter, Maggie, is already freaking out and trying to play with it.  She's in that obsessed-with-princesses phase.  I love it.  She walks around in her Snow White Halloween costume with these purple heels she has.  She walks in them better than I walk in heels!


I really hope I'm able to keep sewing with the new baby.  I don't want to give it up, yet!  I love it too much!  It will definitely be a balancing act.


Hope everyone's weekend is going well!  We're about to head to the flea market.  The same one that had the booth with HUNDREDS of Pyrex bowls!  Let's see if I can get my husband to let me get a couple...  He was saying we needed more mixing bowls.

Finished Projects!

I bought a sewing machine awhile ago and have finally started using it.  I think I might be in the nesting stage of my pregnancy.  I all of a sudden got a ton of energy lately and cleaned the whole house and set up my very little sewing area.  

Its not much, but its works for me!  The only bad part about it is having to drag everything out from all different parts of the house to start sewing.  I cannot wait for the day that I have my own woman cave and my husband has his man cave so we can do whatever we want!  


I bought a book called "Stitch by Stitch" by Deborah Moebes.  It has a bunch of different projects to get you comfortable with starting off sewing.  It starts out very easy.  

The first project is making a sampler of the stitches your sewing machine can do.  Like I said, very easy.  But for someone who has never used a sewing machine, like me, it got me really used to how the machine works.  It was also really cool to see all the different stitches my machine could do!

I did this yesterday.  Today, I thought I'd move on to making a toddler dress...  with no pattern.  Haha, let's just say it didn't turn out like I had planned (or not planned).  I strongly recommend at least getting some kind of measurement from your kid or self for whatever project you are going to do.  I used an old shirt I had to make her a Yo Gabba Gabba dress.  I cut it up to what I thought would fit her and started sewing away.  I definitely underestimated how big she is now!  

It turned out to be a little small in the arm holes and way to tight around the legs.  I was going to take it off, because I thought she was uncomfortable, but she wasn't having it.  Its funny how kids will love anything if it has their favorite characters face on it.  Oh, by the way, sorry for the unflattering picture of my dog.


Which sewing books have helped you the most?  Have you done any projects lately?

30-Day Journal Challenge

Instead of posting these everyday, I decided to start grouping them.  Its easier for me, and you get to read stuff on the days I have nothing to write about!  Win win situation!  I have four entries for you tonight.  These were some of my favorites I have done so far.  Probably because I sat down and was not rushing to do them.  I also had a pretty productive day, so I think that helped a little as well.

 

 

Prompt:  What are your favorites right now?

Prompt:  Illustrate your job.

The entry above was pretty explanatory.  This one we had to illustrate out job, but mine was kind of hard to just draw, so I decided to do a pictogram.  I think it turned out cooler than just a mom holding a baby, if I do say so myself.  And in case you didn't get it, that's hay after the ST.

Prompt:  What super power do you wish you could have?

This was another thing that was hard to show in a drawing.  I have been talking about teleportation for I don't know how long.  I really wish someone would hurry up and invent it so I didn't have to have a super power.  It would be nice to go anywhere in the world in under a minute.  I cannot stand planes.  Not because I am afraid of flying or am claustrophobic, I hate sitting in one place for hours at a time.  My legs need to move around!  And getting up to go to the bathroom does not count.

Prompt:  3 wishes.

Sigh.  Three wishes.  I wish a genie was a real thing so this stuff could come true!  But in actuality, these things could easily come true.  Well, not easily, but its not that far fetched.  Owning a home, going to Ireland, and (I know this was not portrayed very well) making money from home.  I could make these things happen!  I just really need to put my mind to it.  Still trying to think of different things I could craft and sell.  I don't want to do anything someone has already done, and that is where it gets difficult.

How's everyone else doing on the challenge?  Anyone notice that I gave up on the photo challenge?  Haha, my camera is not good enough to take interesting pictures.  Okay, I'm not good enough for it, just using the camera as a scape goat!

30-Day Journal Challenge

It has been a couple of days since I have done the journal challenge.  Sigh.  I started it so I could finish it!  I guess I need to just take baby steps.  I have had a lot on my mind lately with the baby, being sick, and trying to find a house that we can move into by next Friday (which I found!).  Here are the challenges for Tuesday and Wednesday.  I will not be doing today's because it is a scavenger hunt, and I have nothing in my house!  Am I using this moving thing too much as an excuse? :)

Tuesday's Prompt:  List your wants and needs

Under the needs I have money and love.  Money isn't necessarily a need, but it definitely buys everything I need like food, clothing, and shelter.  The wants are a sewing machine, our own home, a plane with a clover on it (supposed to be symbolizing a trip to Ireland), and going to college.  I will be purchasing my first sewing machine by the end of this month.  I am so excited!!!  I can finally do something with the pile of fabric I have in my craft box.  My husband and I have been talking about renting a house versus buying one.  It seems like it would be so much cheaper to buy right now instead of renting, since the housing market sucks!  I really want us to have OUR home.  Somewhere we can paint and really start decorating.  The trip to Ireland is self-explanitory.  The going to college?  Not really something I am totally excited about doing, but its something I want to do.  Our family is not going to do too well on one income when Dan is out of the Army.  Thought about going to school to become a teacher.  I have time to decide, though. 

Has anyone recently took the dive and bought a house?  Do you have any advice?

Wednesday's prompt was to write down your favorite quote:

I found this quote repinned by a friend on Pinterest today.  I have no idea who said it, but its pretty awesome and totally true.  The closer I get to having this baby, the more I start thinking about working out.  The house we will be renting is a block away from the city greenway I walk on, and I am going to start going to my yoga classes 4 times a week again.  I cannot believe how fast yoga got me into shape!  Not to mention how fast I got flexible.  I can start working out in October!  Seems so far away!  I may be in Minnesota by then.  Sigh.  Can't really work out too much when its freezing out and there's snow on the ground!

Is there any readers that are from colder climates?  How do you stay fit in the winter?

30-Day Journal Challenge

Today I had to draw my family tree.  I kept it really simple.  After my grandparents, it gets a little complicated.  I'm so glad I got to add Elizabeth.  Well, really because I'm starting to get used to saying her name.  Its starting to set it that I'm going to be having a baby soon!  Our new baby will be named Elizabeth Mary, but we're going to call her Lizzy.  I cannot wait to meet her!  2 1/2 months left!  It is not coming fast enough.

How's everyone doing with the challenge?  Are you keeping up with it?

Young Ones

The journal entry I did the other day about childhood memories made me think I need to share a couple of pictures of me when I was younger.  I have a ton in a box that I will need to dig out and scan whenever we move.  Right now, I have a couple on the computer that were handy that I thought I'd share.

Let me just say that I was a weird kid.  I barely ever took a "good" picture in my mother's eyes.  Family Christmas pictures, that should have only taken about 5 minutes, would go on for about an hour, since it was a competition between me and my sisters to see who could mess up the picture the most.  It actually hasn't really changed much.  Haha.

We'll start off pretty mild.  That's me in the bright teal sweat suit.  What was wrong with the 90s?  I know it was cold, but I seriously could have done a little bit better fashion wise than matching sweats.  Thank God that is not in style anymore.  Not to mention the awesome bowl cut I had.  I do, however, still rock the Sambas.

My sister, Anna, cousin Jonathon, me, and my sister Katie posing in front of Grandma's house.

Next, is a picture of me, my sisters and my cousin doing a Conga line?  Maybe?  Not really sure.  I look like I'm trying to drag my older sister, Katie, down.  But I also have an incredibly creepy face.  What was wrong with me?!  Note:  I am wearing ANOTHER pair of matching sweats.

Katie, me, Jonathon, and Anna.

I'll have to say this next one is one of my favorites.  Not because of my older sister in the Curley mask, or me in the shower get-up, but because my MALE, that's right, male cousin, Jonathon is sporting a skin-tight pink leotard and what looks like a Tina Turner wig.  Haha.

Jonathon, Katie, and me.

And, last, but not least, another costume picture.  Since I shared my love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with that action figure in the journal post, I figured it was only fitting that I share a Halloween costume going with the same theme.  I am awesome.

Anna, me, and Katie.

Who's got pictures?!  I know everyone has some laying around somewhere!  Let's see 'em!  And if you post any, link them in the comments so I can look and laugh, too!

30-Day Journal Challenge

I had a lot of fun with this journal entry.  It reminded me of being in high school again.  Whenever my teachers were giving lectures, this is what would be happening on my notebook paper.

Luckily, you can't see the places I messed up very well.  Haha, its a busy picture, so it hides all the imperfections.

30-Day Photo Challenge

Today's photo challenge:  Take a picture of something blue.  There was surprisingly not very many interesting things in my house that were blue.  The only thing that I could come up with is my husband's eye.  Not very interesting, but it works.

Tomorrow's subject:  A sunset.  This is going to be difficult since I cannot see the sun at all at sunset because of all the trees and houses in my neighborhood.

30-Day Journal Challenge

This journal entry was all about what's in your heart right now.  My entries are starting to turn out pretty ugly.  Haha.  I don't draw them with a pencil first, I just go ahead and doodle with a pen, so once its on there, it stays.  Oh well.

If you can't tell what those little doodles are, its my new baby (whenever she comes!), my husband and I, music, my tomatoes (that a squirrel keeps picking off and eating!  So frustrating!), blogging, and sewing.  Whoops, definitely forgot my daughter, Maggie.  I hope she never sees this and uses that against me one day. 

Hopefully, I can keep up with this for another 19 days.  With school and house work, I'm getting so run down.  Sigh.  I hate this point in pregnancy where I am tired all the time!

Work In Progress: Squid Embroidery

I haven't really done any real posts lately.  And I mean ones that don't deal with some kind of challenge or blog thing.  I haven't done a project post in awhile either!  That's because I haven't really been working on anything until now.  If you follow me, you know I was in a bit of a slump.  Luckily, I have gotten out of it and have started working on stuff again. 

I wasn't familiar with Flickr until I joined it to post my 30-Day Journal entries.  It is such an awesome website!  If you are like I was and are behind the times, its a website where people upload pictures and join interest groups to share their photos.  I found an embroidery group where people post their finished projects they have done.  There are definitely some talented people out there.  If you ever get the chance, you should go look at some of the people's work.  Especially those that make their own patterns. 

Anyways, I got inspired and started looking through some books to pick out something that I could start embroidering.  I had a bunch of coloring books for animal references for drawing laying around, so I looked through them.  I found an awesome picture of a squid, drew it up and put it on my fabric, and started stitching.  This is what I have so far:

I'm really happy with how it turned out so far.  The only thing I don't like is my stupidity.  When I went to the craft store I bought cross stitching cloth.  Yeah, I'm not cross stitching.  Nothing against it, but I hadn't planned on doing it, so I have no idea why I bought it.  Its kind of hard to put the needle through places where there are not already holes.  At least when I do it on the actual cloth on the next project it will be easier.

I'm still not done.  I have a bunch of details to add.  The main one being the suckers.  I think that's going to be a bit of a challenge.  Hopefully, it will be done next Friday so I will have a finished project post!

30-Day Journal Challenge

I missed yesterday's post because we were supposed to put down our pens and use random objects around the house.  I don't really have too many random things around the house since I have been packing and getting rid of things, so yes, I skipped it.  Sigh.

Prompt:  Illustrate your all time favorite song.

This was almost impossible.  I have so many different songs from so many different genres.  I ended up picking one that helped me get through a tough period.  When I was deployed to Iraq and he was deployed to Afghanistan at the same time, I used to listen to "Way Over There" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles ALL the time.  Even though he's singing about a girl, I was still thinking about my husband.  Haha, I did send him a CD of it so I can say I was thinking about him singing it to me.  Here's the song:

I love that song every time I hear it.  You can't help but move with it.  Especially, with the group claps.  Haha, sorry.  I really love Smokey.  Here's my entry!  Kind of hard to illustrate this, but I think I got the concept.

I'm a third of the way through.  I think I'm doing pretty good for only missing one day!

30-Day Photo Challenge

The subject today was to take a photo of a childhood memory.  This was really easy for me.  I was one of those girls, as many of you I'm sure were also, that liked to play with all the boys.  I was a tomboy, and I LOVED Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I'm not talking about the new Anime version either, I mean the real cartoon from the 80s/early 90s.  I had everything that was TMNT:  shirts, sleeping bag, lunchbox, action figures, and a really awesome van that shot plastic pizzas.  But, I got older and had no plan of having kids anytime soon, so I got rid of all of it. 

That's where this little gem comes in.  I found it awhile ago in a toy store and had to get it.  I don't know why.  I guess I felt bad for giving all my toys away.  Kind of like Andy in Toy Story 3.  Which if you haven't seen it, you should.  It made me bawl!  At least now my kids will have a little something from my childhood.  Although, I'm not really sure how Maggie will like this since she is really girly.  Oh well, we'll see.  I'll still enjoy it every now and then!

Tomorrow's photo:  Something blue.

30-Day Photo Challenge

The photo(s) for the challenge today were pretty easy.  I had to take a picture of someone I love.  I couldn't just pick one, because I don't have everyone I love in one photo.  And I can't really pick between the three living under my roof right now.  So, I have two for today.

First, my husband, Dan, and our bulldog, Brutus.  I absolutely love this picture.  Brutus looks like a little puppy again and looks really loving.  Usually, he is just annoying.

Now, its Maggie, my little girl.  I never thought I would love something as much as I love this little girl, but I do.  And to think I thought I was going to be disappointed with her, because she was a girl!  She is so awesome!!!  Don't mind the peanut butter and jelly.

Tomorrow's photo:  A childhood memory.

30-Day Photo Challenge

I had to take a picture of a bad habit for the 30-Day Photo Challenge today.  It took me awhile to figure out which one I should choose.  As I was driving home from the grocery store, I noticed a piece of my nail polish was coming up a little bit.  With my OCD, I could not let it just sit there, or wait till I got home to put on another coat.  So, I peeled it off.  I do this all the time!  I can't help it!  It just happens and I can't even control it.  I don't do my nails that often, because I always do it.  I wish they would put concrete or something in nail polish to keep it on there!

Tomorrow's photo is a picture of someone you love.  Woo!  An easy one!

30-Day Journal Challenge

Today's Prompt:  Draw what you would put into a time capsule.

30-Day Photo Challenge

Just like I missed the journal entry yesterday, I missed the photo for the 30-Day Photo Challenge, too.

Day 6:  Take a picture at a low angle.  Our bulldog, Brutus, sleeps 24/7.  He'll flatten himself out of the floor, and his legs end up looking like turkey legs.  Its adorable.  I guess you can't really tell the angle I'm taking this, but it is from the floor.  Ew, luckily you can't see my floor.  It is pretty disgusting today.  I still haven't cleaned it from the BBQ on Saturday.  I really need that motivation right about now.

Day 7: A picture of fruit.  We actually don't have much fruit in the house today.  We haven't been to the grocery store to really buy groceries since we still have a ton of leftovers in the fridge.  One fruit we always keep on hand is blueberries.  I can't believe I never really ate them before I met Dan.  They're his favorite, so I tried them, and now I have to eat them every morning.  Plus, they're really good for you.

Tomorrow is a picture of a bad habit.  I need to figure out a good one.



30-Day Journal Challenge

I missed yesterday's post, because I had no motivation to do anything.  I am feeling a lot better today!  Probably because my previous post that was all about inspiration.  Its crazy how something as little as that will lift you up sometimes. 

Yesterday's entry was to write a love letter to yourself, and today was to write a letter to someone you love.

Dan would have KILLED me if I write what I normally write in letters and cards to him.  That stuff I should keep to myself anyway.

Hope everyone that accepted the challenge is still doing it!