compulsively creative

misc doings

2012-01-12T14:53:00.006-06:00

Here are a few miscellaneous things I've made in the last few months and weeks.

These are oven mitts. I love them! These are a great and easy gift idea!

In the fall we did quite a bit of camping with the boys. I made them matching camping pillowcase. They adore them and will hardly let me take them off their pillows long enough to wash them. I LOVE making these pillowcases. They whip up so fast and they turn out so professional!

A beautiful patchwork stocking. This was a lot of fun to make and a great use of scraps.

For Mandi aka Sister G.

2012-01-12T14:41:00.005-06:00

I made Mandi a green wrap shirt. This color is perfect for her bright and happy personality.

I also made her this simple black skirt with pockets. It is just below the knee and has a slight a-line. She is currently on a mission for The Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a classic piece for any missionary wardrobe! I hope she likes them!

Chair Reupholstery

2012-01-12T14:25:00.006-06:00

Back in the summer, I was contacted to reupholster this chair. I personally like the green.

Maybe it was a bit worn out and a bit abused and old, but I liked the retro green.

Anyway, my client wanted it reupholstered and had a red gingham fabric chosen for it. All in all it turned out really well. My client was very happy with the way it turned out and was excited to add it to her living room set!

Here's a little Before

...and After

The J.J. Handbag

2011-06-08T14:09:00.004-05:00

I recently designed and made this darling clutch for a class that I taught. I love how it turned out.

It's just the right size for the essentials: keys, lipstick, money. Being a mom, I usually have a HUGE bag full of diapers, wipes, bottles, snacks, change of clothes, emergency bribes....I'm sure you can relate. But when I go out on a date with my husband or just go somewhere by myself. I really don't want a huge, messy, bag on my shoulder. This bag is perfect.

and it's reversible.

My friend Jan, over at Bumbletees kindly named this bag for me. The J.J. Handbag. I'm now officially a handbag designer.
I'm almost thinking of making a tutorial for it.

Halloween Lanterns

2010-10-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

I made these yesterday at a halloween craft party. They were really easy and really cheap to make. All you do is find empty glass jars around your house, mod podge tissue paper onto them and then cut out these already made faces and mod podge those on too. Stick a tea light inside and you're done.

2 posts, 1 week, what the?!

2010-10-06T15:11:00.004-05:00

It's not that I haven't been sewing while on my 'vacation' from this blog, it's just that I don't usually take pictures, don't usually feel like posting about it, and don't usually have time. I had a client a couple months ago want this cute poncho/cape thing. Maybe if I had girls I would know what to call it?
Everett was a star model, although he kept saying, 'mama, this is for goils'. I'd say, I know, we just need some pictures, he did great!
It was reversible with hood.

Perfect fit for 2T.

I love the HUGE covered buttons.

something to blog about

2010-10-04T20:33:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! No, I'm not 'back' from vacation, rather, here's something I did today that I've been wanting to do for a very long time!

I made Halloween pillowcases for my boys! Everett was so excited to have the spider pillowcase.

Happy Halloween season!

2010-04-16T16:55:00.002-05:00

double post?

i was too excited to wait

this morning there was

'nothing'

in the green bean spot of our garden.

after naps there was

a 3 inch plant. oh how i love gardening.

am.

ecxtatic.

eating dirt.

2010-04-16T15:09:00.003-05:00

While it is true that desserts backwards = stressed, making dessert for a casual spring or summer dinner couldn't be easier.

Just eat some dirt!

Dirt dessert that is.

Have you had it before? I bet your kids will love it. They can even help make it.

Here's a quick, cool (as in not hot) recipe!

1 package oreos
1 package gummy worms
1 package instant chocolate
pudding
1. Prepare pudding according to package
directions. Allow to mostly set. About 4-5 minutes.
2. Using a food processor, crumble
oreos to make some fine dirt.
3. Layer oreos, gummy worms, then
pudding in a clear plastic cup. Repeat. You can place an oreo or
worm on
top for garnish.
Eat. Enjoy. Throw the cup away, wasn't
clean up a dream?

Just don't let the worms climb out, that could be awkward if you're having guests!

the four maids

2010-04-14T14:29:00.009-05:00

Remember that 100% silk dupioni that had the horrendous crease in it? Well, I've been a little busy sewing bee and made these vintage dresses out of it.

Now they're off to meet their wearers. Four Bridesmaids. I'd say for maids they're pretty dressed up! Although I guess that's one of the perks for being a bridesmaid.

They turned out exactly how the bride wanted them (I couldn't be happier). I can hardly wait to see them on the bridesmaids. But we must be patient in such things, the wedding isn't for another 4 weeks.

Invisible zippers are wonderful! They look so professional, and pleasing to the sewing eye.
I was especially happy with the way these turned out.

There's something very satisfying in making 4 of the same dresses, 4 different sizes, and not mixing up the pieces, not even once. You can't see it, and that's the point, but each of these dresses have side pockets. What a fun way to make them a little less formal to wear them at other occasions.

When I get pictures of the four maids actually wearing their dresses, I'll be sure to post them.

SFG is HERE

2010-04-11T15:21:00.006-05:00

square foot gardening that is

We got our square foot garden all complete last night. I have never been more excited about a garden! Now all we have to do is water and wait. Did you notice I didn't say weeding? We will be doing very, very little of that. (oh did I mention how excited I am about that?!)

Our backyard is tiny to say the least. (the picture above is basically our entire backyard, minus 10') But, using this SFG technique we were able to plant:

zucchini
butternut squash
hubbard squash
spaghetti squash
3 tomato plants
2 pepper plants
basil
kale
green beans
sugar snap peas
4 cucumber plants
honeydew melon
cantaloupe
spinach
romain lettuce
marigolds
and a mixture of other flowers

All that in 30 sq/ft. I am ecstatic!! (you probably couldn't tell)

I'm sure our neighbors think we're off our rocker, but oh well. We'll just have to drop off some fresh produce to persuade them we're not that weird.

How to remove a Stubborn Crease

2010-04-08T04:27:00.000-05:00

Another ironing tip you might ask? Well, I've been doing a lot of that lately. I can't wait to show you what I've been working on, just give me a few days and you'll see.

Have you ever bought fabric that had a seemingly permanent crease in it? Or you've had some fabric sitting around folded for so long that you can't seem to get the crease from the fold out? Never fear, there may* be hope.

Dilute 2 TBSP of white vinegar in 1 cup of water (or in my case use straight vinegar), spritz that on the fold or dab it on with your finger depending on if the fabric will water mark with a spray. Using a hot iron, iron the fabric. The steam and vinegar should help you out quite a bit. Be sure to do a test on a scrap or in an inconspicuous place to see how the fabric will react to the vinegar.
Here's my culprit. 100% Silk Dupioni. MAJOR crease right down the middle of the fabric.

Before. (after using only steam many, many times)

After.

Did you notice that I said I used straight vinegar on 100% silk?!! YIKES I can't believe I actually got the gumption to try it, but I guess it's like they say, 'desperate times call for desperate measures'. Thankfully it helped enough.

*This trick may help you, but some creases like the one on my silk, just aren't going to come out. It is much better, but it is still faintly there.

They're up

2010-04-02T08:28:00.005-05:00

Almost all of the seeds have sprouted

I love how they burst through the soil. It is so exciting
Yesterday I caught Everett trying to eat some of the leaves. I had to laugh since we've been telling him that we're going to be able to eat these plants. I guess we didn't explain the waiting part very well.

Clean that Iron

2010-03-29T20:59:00.004-05:00

This is the first of a series I'm going to do about Tips and Tricks that will help your projects turn out more handmade and professional instead of homemade. Some of the tips will be for more advanced techniques and some for just 'sprucing' up a bit. If you ever have a question about how to do something, I'd be happy to give my input so feel free to ask

Without further ado, the first tip.

Clean your iron. I know that sounds so basic, but seriously. If your iron is dirty, your projects will show it. Here's an easy way to clean your iron and you probably have the things you need already.

Use a dryer sheet when your iron is hot and carefully (don't burn your fingers) wipe off the iron. You'll be surprised at how much build up comes off. I use Kirkland brand dryer sheets, but it doesn't matter what kind.

Then iron a rag or something that really doesn't matter. The dryer sheet leaves a little oil film on the iron, so you'll want to simply iron that off onto a rag. That's all. Go ahead, try it.

2010-03-27T19:11:00.007-05:00

Once upon a time I tried to start a business making custom crib sets. It didn't really go too far, but I think part of that was my lack of desire to put the effort in when it was needed. I like to chalk it up as a learning experience. Here's one of the sets I made. Don't you just love the sweet bow? I need a girl! (no, I'm not pregnant)

This was my first time doing boxing. I definately learned a lot doing that!

2010-03-23T13:47:00.001-05:00

For Family Home Evening last night we 'planted' our garden and read Alma 32 in the Book of Mormon about how faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow. We started all our seeds that we're going to plant. What an easy way to get a head start to your garden!
This year we're doing a square foot garden in our backyard. I hope it produces yummy veggies!

Freezing and a little run

2010-03-16T01:11:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I participated in a 5K to raise childhood obesity awareness. It was FREEZING, as you can tell from the picture below. We were just waiting for the race to start.

I ran with 4 of my friends from church. Everett was bundled up in the stroller. What a sport for cheering me on even though it was REALLY cold.
My time was 27:10, which was great for me. My goal was to run the entire time and to do it under 30 minutes. I did both.

After the race it was so cold we went inside got a little bite to eat and went home. We didn't stay for awards or any of the other festivities. Later in the afternoon, my friend who ran with me called and told me I won first place in my age division! My friends placed first and second in their age divisions too. The gal on the far left is 3+ months pregnant and she ran it in about 30 minutes and got 2nd in her age division. You go girl!

It felt good to be in a competitive race again, it had been 5 years since I last raced.

This 5K has motivated me to want to do a triathlon this summer. Not a big one, just a mini one. I guess we'll see.

The death and Reincarnation of Pink Floyd

2010-03-11T01:16:00.002-06:00

This is Pink Floyd.
My husband bought this during college from a grandma. I guess she gave him the matching curtains as a bonus when he bought it. Thankfully he didn't keep those.

Very soon after we were married we put this denim cover on it. This is the only picture I have of the blue cover on the couch. ~~I really didn't want to do another upholstery job after the other red couch we did.~~ Erick started the process before I could snap a picture. AND, he did most of the work on this couch! No joke. (sorry I got a little 80's lingo in me)I just found these videos of us working on them. I guess it might give you a little insight into the life of people who reupholster furniture...or it might just give you a little insight into me.

The night those videos were taken (which was back in JUNE 2009-YIKES) we basically finished the entire couch. We only had 2 steps left. Seriously. two. But, since it was totally functional and the last two steps were the boring ones, it sat in our living room for n.i.n.e. months unfinished. Most people didn't even realize it wasn't finished unless we pointed it out to them. So there it sat. Looking mostly like this, except without the cute pillows. We kept the ~~nasty, Pink Floyd~~ original cushions on it for a while.

notice the arm rests and the bottom piece

Then I found these pillows at Costco. I'd thought of making my own, but hadn't gotten around to it and for $7 bucks they could totally finished. So I picked them up. I think it was definitely worth it since the pillows are what actually motivated us to finally finish.
They went perfect with the couch, the decorative wall art and the curtains. I think they bring the whole thing together.

Then last week we took the plunge and spent 2 hours finishing this

and this

And now we have two matching red couches.

Hanging around

2010-03-09T01:04:00.005-06:00

Here's the story. I have this huge wall and nothing on it. How long have we lived here?
Then I saw this great tutorial over at All Things Thrifty. Love that blog.

I knew I had to do it. Some projects just sorta linger. This wall art was no exception. I started it with TONS of enthusiasm and thought I would be done in a week. Then that week ended and another started, and another, and another...I just kept running into small problems that made it so I couldn't finish. The first thing was the blade broke on the jig saw. Off to Home Deopt. Then I ran out of primer uggh! Off to H.D. again. Then, the paint I picked out didn't look the way I envisioned it, so I had to get different paint....Let's just say I know the guys at Home Depot now.

But, with the help of my sweet husband they are finally hung. I have to add that they are hung perfectly level, perfectly even, perfectly centered in the wall. My husband rocks at stuff like that!

Oh yeah, and of course Everett and Ryan helped too.

Taa Daa (as Everett would say)

That's better don't you think?

2010-03-08T01:00:00.001-06:00

Cloth Diapers

Did I mention that I'm converted? I made the switch a few weeks ago and so far so good! Thanks for all the advice, tips, and tricks! I was really considering making my own diapers, but then thanks to Nancy, I realized that I really didn't want to mess with that. Yes, I could make a diaper exactly like gdiapers, but it would probably take a couple tries and in the mean time lots of messes possibly. So, I just decided, well gdiapers already has it down to an art, I might as well pay them to save me from a head ache!

While I did buy the gdiaper little g pants, I decided to make my own doublers. I knew I could make those pretty easily and it isn't much of a science. And today I'm being featured over at Sew Much Ado for this great tutorial on making your own doublers! Go on over and check it out!

If you already do cloth diapers or decide to switch, here's a FAST and EASY tutorial on how to make a doubler*

* A doubler is a second cloth you put in with your regular cloth diaper insert to increase absorbency. This is great for nights, long outings, or other long periods of time so your child won't soak through the diaper.

Description: This tutorial will guide you through making one 6" X 12" fleece doubler.
Materials Needed: 2 pieces of fleece 6" X 12".

1) Cut 2 pieces of fleece 6" X 12".
Fleece works great because it wicks moisture away from the baby's skin to keep them comfortable and rash free.
2) Place the 2 pieces wrong sides together. You'll see the outside of the fabric on both sides.

3) Serge the 2 pieces together around all 4 sides. If you don't have a serger you can zig zag, blanket stitch, or even just straight stitch. Fleece won't fray.

4) Sew 2 lines lengthwise down the doubler 2" in on both sides.

Tip: If you want to sew a straight line but don't have a 2" mark, just put a rubber band around your machine at the 2" mark. You can also use masking tape. These make great guides!

Tip: If you have fabric bubbling up in front of your presser foot, try lowering the amount of pressure on your presser foot. Mine is normally set at a 4, but for this project I lowered it to a 3.5.

5) You're DONE! That was so easy! And it only cost me $2 to make 10 doublers and I have 1/4 yard left!

That was so easy, you should make more!

A little before and after

2010-03-03T09:25:00.002-06:00

What started out as our 5 dollar Craigslist nasty couch...
went from this:

to this:

finally finished!!
Who says one man's absolute disgusting trash isn't another woman's red couch treasure?

2010-02-15T01:57:00.002-06:00

School "Letters"

I mod podged this cardboard mailbox with cute scrapbook paper for Everett. Each day we do 'school' together. I call it school because he thinks it's cool. We really just read books, do flannel board stories, sing songs, do play dough, color, go on 'field trips' and play together for about 30 minutes. I've only been doing it since the beginning of January and he already recognizes about half the alphabet letters! It's so fun. Today we saw a stop sign and I asked him what letters he saw and he said 'S' 'O'. I was pretty proud of him!

Anyway I got off the subject. Back to the mailbox. I'm going to use it each day to introduce part of my 'lesson' to him. He'll open the mail box each morning and find either a letter that we're going to learn, a piece to the flannel board story, a book, some sort of art thing, a treat....whatever we're doing for school that day! I showed it to him last night and he was SO excited. He said he wanted to get his vitamins in the mailbox each day. So maybe we'll use it for that too.

I also made this little mail box as a love box for my husband and I. We'll keep in in our bathroom window and write little notes to each other, put chocolates or whatever else in there. I think it will be a fun and creative way for us to express our love to each other all year long!

2010-02-01T01:00:00.000-06:00

The gift of Salmon...Dinner!

I made this Delicious dinner the other night. Salmon as a Gift. I felt like a gourmet cook, although I'm not. It tasted great and it was pretty easy. Not to mention healthy. I'm trying to eat a little healthier this year. So far, so good.
You wrap it all up in parchment paper and each person gets a little present on their plate. Everett loved it! He was so excited to eat dinner. Usually he doesn't really care for fish (I wonder where he got that from!) but he ate this great.
When you open up your package this is what you get!

Want to make it yourself? Here's the recipe.

Salmon as a Gift

2 Salmon fillets (I love the frozen stuff at Costco)
Juice of one fresh lemon
Lemon pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
salt & pepper to taste
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
4 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced*
1/4 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 recipe Herb Butter
Parchment paper
Twine to hold parchment paper together

Cut a 12X16 inch piece of parchment paper. Place salmon in the center. Drizzle fresh lemon juice over salmon. Sprinkle lemon pepper, rosemary, salt, & pepper lightly.
Layer veggies on salmon. Top with 1 Tbsp herb butter.

Wrap up, tie shut with twine. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 F for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Herb Butter

2 Tpsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp thyme, fresh if you have it.

Mix together in a small bowl.

*I like to chop my onions up all at once and store them in the freezer in a ziplock bag. It saves me so much time and it makes cooking seem a little less stressful.

2010-01-29T17:50:00.006-06:00

I think I jumped the gun on this one (we have been having an ice storm and a snow storm all day today), but all the same, I'm excited for spring and nice weather so I can wear this dress!

I got this fabric from Broom Corn for 75% off. I think it was $2.5 or $3/yard. I'm so excited to have something bright to wear to church. It seems like most of my dresses and skirts are dark colors...a tendency that I really do try to stay away from, but I just gravitate to black. I don't know why. I just like black. No, I'm not Gothic. I just like black.

But, I branched out this time. I went a completely different direction than black.

I just noticed that in the picture above it looks like I only have one leg. I don't know why. But I didn't have an amputation if you're wondering.

The pattern I used didn't have sleeves that I liked so I mixed and matched patterns to get this sleeve with gathers on the bottom. I think it goes well since the rest of the dress has gathers too. You may remember this method of gathering from when I was a guest blogger at Sew Much Ado. That's the method I used to get perfect, gorgeous gathers--the first time =)

2010-01-26T21:33:00.011-06:00

National Make it With Wool

Okay, so you don't have to read on to the end and get let down, I'll give you what you want up front. I didn't win. But, there is a story if you want to keep reading.

My sweet husband came with me and we had a great time in Nashville. We stayed here on the 22nd floor. It was a nice view from our window.

Friday was contest stuff basically all day. Part of that was a one-on-one interview with 3 judges. I think I botched that. I don't know why but I was SO nervous!! Oh well. I guess you live and learn and I think that is one thing I learned from going to nationals, don't let the butterflies in your stomach take control. We also went to the country music hall of fame and studio B. We got to record a song at Studio B which was awesome! And I got to play the same piano that Elvis played thousands of times. Elvis recorded over 1,000 songs at Studio B. That was really interesting and fun.

Saturday we had free time, Erick and I went to a really cool car museum and walked around downtown Nashville, (and we also managed to take the bus to the wrong spot and walk 2 miles to the right spot...it was fun. really.) Saturday I also had MORE practice for the fashion show. Then, finally came the fashion show. I was proud of myself. I actually got out of my box and had fun in the show and I felt like I really put myself out there. Then awards. Afterwards, I, of course, was feeling pretty down, so Erick took me to a movie. We saw Extraordinary Measures. It was a sad movie and I was glad to watch something sad. I guess I just wanted to be sad for a little bit.

Then we came home Sunday. Our kids did great and I was happy to see them again.

There were some AMAZING coats, dresses, suits at the competition. It was fun to see how each person had added a little flair to their outfit. I don't think I lost because my outfit wasn't competitive with the others. I think mine was just as good if not better. I don't mean that in a cocky way, I just mean, I think mine was more practical in some ways (that's an aspect of the judging, when and where you'll wear your garment), and I think my construction techniques were better than some. So, why didn't I win? Well, quite honestly, I think it was political. Don't you hate that?! I do.

You see MIWW is not about sewing. It's about sheep. It's about promoting WOOL. I am city girl. I know n.o.t.h.i.n.g. about sheep. And, it's about promoting wool in teenage fashion. I am not a teenager. My outfit was not a teenager outfit. Thus, (in my own personal opinion) I didn't win. If this sounds like I'm bitter, I'm not. I was. But I'm over it.

I had a great time it was a great experience and I honestly feel like I learned A LOT. I did win some beautiful wool, a free trip, a book about home dec using serging techniques and some wool wax. Have you ever even heard of wool wax? Like I said, I know nothing about sheep.

Oh yeah, we also went to a little shop called The Painted Cupcake. It was good and a fun little shop.

2010-01-20T20:07:00.003-06:00

I'm just a tincy bit nervous. Wish me luck!
It's the National Make it With Wool competition this weekend!!!

For the un-named Haynie boy

2010-01-18T01:55:00.001-06:00

My SIL is having her first baby in May. I am so excited for her. And lucky her she's having a little boy! I guess I'm a little biased since I don't have any girls and I think my boys are AWESOME.
Every boy needs a tractor. Especially an Idaho boy. Even more especially my brother's son. So until he can actually ride one, he can snuggle with one. These self binding blankets are awesome. Here's a great tutorial if you're wondering how to do it.

I've been wanting to make one of these new born gowns from a t-shirt for a long time! So, what better excuse? I used this tutorial. It's great and easy to follow along.

2010-01-15T10:41:00.001-06:00

Still Life.

By Everett Johnson.

While I was making dinner, Everett made art. Good job.

From my Santa

2010-01-13T14:50:00.003-06:00

Erick made me this for Christmas
I. Love. It. It holds 28 serger spools, 48 regular spools or 96 if I double them up. And, it helps me keep track of time (that's a good thing!). I love it!
P.S. Am I OCD for wanting my thread to go from darkest to lightest on both sides? I guess you've now seen a little into my quirkiness.

Covering Nakedness

2010-01-04T13:34:00.004-06:00

By covering nakedness I mean my windows, my walls, my living room. My living room is bare. Completely bare. We have lived in this house for over a year and we have nothing hanging on our walls. I think when people come over they wonder if we are planning to move soon. No. We're not planning to move soon, it's just that we don't have anything we want to hang on our walls. But we're working on that.
So, to cover the nakedness of the windows, I made these curtain panels. They match the red couch I'm recovering (I mean the couch that has 2 steps left to finish and it's been that way for the last 6 months, YIKES) perfectly! I love the height it adds to the room and the splash of color too.
This is just a sneak peek! I'm working on hanging some things up, getting a few lamps, tables, plants, mantle pieces etc....that's coming soon. Real. soon. (i hope).
p.s. did I mention I got this fabric 60% off?!! I was excited!

A creative trade. Or a trade for creativity?

2010-01-04T13:24:00.006-06:00

For the last 6 years I have really, really wanted to take piano lessons, but with schooling, and kids, I have not had time or money. Well, a few months back I got a flyer on my mailbox for piano lessons. I decided to call on it and prove to myself that even if I wanted to take, we simply could not afford it. I talked to the instructor, she seemed extremely nice and confident that she could help me reach my musical goals. I asked the price, and sure enough there was no way we could spend that much a month (especially on loan money since my husband is in school).

Then, just out of sheer desperation and hope I asked if she would do trade work with me. And, much to my surprise and excitement, she said yes! So, I started right away and I've been taking ever since! I. Love. It. Piano is such a release to me. I can sit and play for hours (while the kids are killing each other in the background).

I had my first recital in December and I was so proud of myself. I had to memorize the song (3 pages) and I didn't make one mistake! It felt so good!

I was a little sad that this is the only picture Erick took during my performance, but when I asked him about it he said 'that was the best I could do considering I had both the boys grabbing for the camera from my lap'. I felt a lot better about this one picture after that! Thanks honey!

Salt Dough Ornaments Tutorial

2009-12-16T07:09:00.006-06:00

Making and decorating your own ornaments is a tradition that my family used to do and now my husband and I do it. It's a great family activity and makes many memories. Each year when we get the ornaments out it's fun to remember who made which one and to remember Christmases of the past.

So, for those of you who don't care if your tree has 'unique' ornaments....here's a DIY tutorial.

Description: Handmade painted Christmas ornaments

Materials Needed:

Salt

Flour

Water

Paint

1. Make this salt dough recipe

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1.5 cups water
Knead for 5 minutes.

**This recipe makes A LOT!! I made about 30 cut-outs and still have extra salt dough for Everett to play with. If you're just doing it for ornaments and don't want left overs I would recommend doing half the recipe or even 1/4 depending on how many you want to make.

2. Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to make the shape of your ornaments. You want the dough to be fairly thin, try to keep it about 1/8" thick or so, I would definitely not go more than 1/4".

3. Cut holes in the ornaments so they can be hung with ribbon, yarn, thread...etc. I used a pen cap to make my little circles.

4. Place ornaments on a greased baking sheet or with parchment paper.

5. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

6. After they are cooled down, go to town and PAINT!

7. Run a ribbon through the hole that you so delicately cut out!

8. Hang on your tree and enjoy!

Everett painting his first ornament, good job!

I wish I could say this bell and the star were ones that I painted, or my husband, but, they aren't. We invited some friends over and they busted out their hidden talents of painting! Who knew!

Can you see the palm trees and the building on this one? My camera kept giving glare...

Check out this shepherd scene!! Good job!

2009-12-03T01:17:00.000-06:00

i. want. that.

Found this browsing the other day. It was on some Indian website. I guess I'll just have to add one more thing to my list of things to do.

Winner

2009-11-30T10:35:00.005-06:00

Well, all good things must come to an end, even the blessed month of November. And with that comes the end of the contest I'm so THANKFUL (I finally finished that). I must admit, I'm a little disappointed in myself because I got hung up on a few project 'snags' and didn't accomplish nearly as much as I had hoped. But that also might be due to a terrible ~~obsession~~ habit I have of making lists longer than are even humanly possible to complete. Oh well. I did get a lot done even if I didn't get all of it done.
I was also sorta sad that only 4 people actually entered the contest. Maybe I shouldn't write that publically on my blog, but it's true. So, instead of being sad about it, I'd love your feedback so that in the future I can do better. What do you think I could have done different to stimulate more participation? In hind sight I think one thing I could have done different is to just say leave a comment with a link showing a project you got done. Maybe people think it is too difficult to email? I did that hoping to make things a little more personal...but perhaps it was too much effort? Too weird for strangers? If you have any ideas I would love to hear them--Leave a comment.
Okay, enough said.

I numbered the enteries as from 1 to 4. Number 1 (Melissa), 2 (Katie), 3(Nola), 4(Abby).

On to the winner....

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 3 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

NOLA

Congratulations! I'll email you to get measurements and so you can choose your fabric etc.

2009-11-30T10:24:00.005-06:00

Abby

Abby of Sew Much Ado has been working VERY hard to get these adorable Ruby Lou dolls done! She's in the process of making a pdf pattern so you can download it and make a sweet little doll yourself. They are so cute, what little girl wouldn't want one? Here's what Abby has been up to this month and I bet she is so thankful to finally finish that! Good job Abby!

2009-11-28T12:56:00.005-06:00

Nola

Good job to Nola who finally finished these cute little leg warmers for her daughter. She is busy trying to move, but squeezed in the time to make these just in time for the cold winter (and for the I'm so Thankful I finally finished that contest)! They turned out so cute! Good job!

2009-11-23T02:12:00.000-06:00

Katie

Congratulations to Katie from notes from a very red kitchen who finally finished a darling little stocking for her daughter! She even has a tutorial for the stocking here. She is an incredible writer, crafter, seamstress, and a great wife and mother (and teacher, at least I think so even if she says she's not) Good job Katie!

2009-11-21T01:12:00.001-06:00

Only 7 days left!

2009-11-18T14:20:00.007-06:00

Dresser before and after

Before.

A free dresser from freecycle needing a little love.

I started this dresser on November 1st. So you might be wondering why it has taken me 3 weeks to paint it?! It didn't. I painted it in one day, but then there were complications. I seriously think it is impossible to do a 'simple one-hour project', at least for me. Oh well. It's done and my boys' room is finally put together (it's only been a little over a year since we moved in=)). All I can say is, I'm so thankful I finally finished that!

2009-11-15T20:38:00.003-06:00

The BEST homemade pumpkin pie (recipe)

Here's how to turn this:

into this*:

*Please note, I did not cook my child.

1. Get a pie pumpkin and cook it. You can do this by cutting it in half, removing the seeds, covering it in plastic wrap, and cooking it in the microwave for 15-25 minutes depending on how well your microwave works. When the 'meat' of the pumpkin is soft, spoon it out and puree' it in a blender.

2. Then use this recipe to make a delicious pie!

1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3 cups pumpkin glop
1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk

Note: if you do not have cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of "pumpkin pie spice". It's not exactly the same, but it will do.

Don't be surprised if the mixture is very runny! It may start as a soupy liquid, but it will firm up nicely in the oven!
Bake at 425 F for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F and bake another 45 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

This is hands down THE best pumpkin pie I have ever had. It's really good with homemade whip cream too!

I got this recipe from this site. It has some other recipes that I really want to try like homemade pumpkin cheese cake (I'm already dreaming).

Does anyone have a good homemade pumpkin pie ice-cream recipe? That is my favorite and I'd love to make it!

I spy bag tutorial

2009-11-09T15:58:00.008-06:00

I made an I spy bag for my son several months ago and he loves it! It is great for church, the car, air planes, the doctors office, or any time you need your child to sit still for a little while. And, they make a perfect stocking stuffer. Since they are so fun and versatile, I've decided to make a tutorial.

Description: an I spy bag that is 8" X 8" with a 3.5" X 3.5" window.
Materials needed:
Fabric rectangle 8.5" X 16.5"
Clear vinyl (heavy weight) square 5" X 5"
Approximately 4-5 cups of dry rice
Small 'I spy' items
Thread

Directions:
1. Cut a piece of fabric 8.5" X 16.5"

2. 2.5" down from one end of the rectangle and 2.5" in from each side, cut a square that is 3.5" X 3.5"

3. Cut a square piece of heavy weight vinyl 5" X 5".
Tip: make sure to use the heaviest weight of vinyl you can find. If you use lightweight your sewing will tear it and the items could also cut it.

4. Place the square vinyl on the wrong side of the fabric centering it over the square whole you cut. Use masking tape to secure a couple of the corners to keep the vinyl from sliding.

5. Use a blanket stitch from the right side of the fabric to sew the vinyl into place. It's fun to do a contrasting color that makes the peek hole stand out.

6. With right sides together, fold your rectangle in half 'hamburger' style. You will have 3 raw edges. Sew around these 3 edges leaving a 4 or 5 inch gap. Turn the bag right side out.

7. Put a variety of I spy items in the bag. You can find lots of little things at the dollar store. Fill the bag a little over half full of dry rice, 4 or 5 cups.

8. Turn in raw edges where you left the filling gap and edge stitch shut. Hooray! Now you have a nice I spy bag for keeping your child sitting still.

I have plans to make a little laminated label with each of the items listed on it. That's in the works. I'm going to attach it with a ribbon and sew that on to a corner.

2009-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's coming... The month of November at Compulsively Creative is going to be an exciting one! Stay tuned for an update on November 1st.

2009-10-25T19:20:00.005-05:00

Guest Blogger

My friend Abby of Sew Much Ado is featuring me as a guest blogger on her blog! I am flattered that she would ask me to do it. Check it out (and her blog because she is AMAZING!) here.

2009-10-24T15:54:00.005-05:00

Welcome to earth baby Landon

I threw a baby shower for my friend. I absolutely love doing stuff like this (even though if you saw me right before you might think otherwise. It seems like I somehow always think there will be more time than there actually is-oh well, it still turned out great) I made Martha Stewart's tissue paper pom poms, so easy and fun. The yellow one on the right was an experiment with shaping the paper different...I'm still not sure what I think about it.
Sorry there aren't better pictures or even more, but like I said, I always think there will be more time than there is and somehow there never seems to be time to have everything perfectly ready like you want and take pictures...maybe someday I'll get it.

For a game I filled baby bottles with 5 ounces of water and we had a drinking contest to see who could drink the fastest. That was hard! It was also funny. So, welcome to the world little Landon. It was fun celebrating your birth!

2009-10-20T13:46:00.006-05:00

For Anna

I made a couple of these skorts back in September for some neighbor girls. They turned out so cute. Maybe someday I'll get a little girl...until then, sewing for the neighbor girls is fun.

2009-10-02T21:44:00.002-05:00

a little before and after

Sometimes creativity is simply "identifying a space and beautifying it" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf).

And that is exactly what I did.

Before

After

2009-09-22T07:12:00.016-05:00

MIWW (make it with wool)

warning this post somehow turned into a novel

The Junior division TN winner, me (senior division winner), Pre-teen division winner

I know it's not the best picture, but I have to give credit to my sweet husband. Somehow he was able to keep both the kids happy for 5 hours during the competition, and even take a few pictures.

I think MIWW is sorta like SYTYCD of the sewing world. There are two reasons that the connection is there in my mind, one: because people really do refer to it as MIWW, two: you sew something made with wool and then it's judged and critiqued in front of a panel of judges.

I decided to enter the competition the last day possible, which was only one month before the competition day. I knew this was going to be stressful and I even warned my husband that I'm sure there would be plenty of late nights, a messy house, and tears* occasionally. But, being the supportive husband that he is, he encouraged me anyway and told me he was sure if anyone could do it I could.

*Doesn't it seem like sewing is so emotional? Sometimes you are excited and on top of the world about your project, then you mess up, sometimes you can fix it sometimes you can't but either way you just want to cry, or you do. I usually do if it's a really big mess up.

Well, little did I know that those warnings I gave him were just the tip of the iceberg. Here is what happened.

Yes, I was busy as expected, but things were going along well and I wasn't spending too much time sewing in the middle of the night. And then the Monday before the competition this happened:

I know it's not a great picture, but I cut a HOLE in the collar. Seriously, did that just happen?!! I was so frustrated and stressed that I did that. Of course I didn't have time to redo it so I decided to keep sewing on other things and when my nerves calmed down a bit I would somehow fix my mistake.
Sadly, however, by this point my brain was so fried I should have just called it a day and given myself a break. Instead I made another mistake. This time it was much worse. When I was making my bound buttonholes I skipped one small little step and completely blotched the front of my jacket. (Somehow I didn't cry. I think I knew there wasn't time.)

That was Monday. Monday night I decided to START OVER on the jacket! That's when my somewhat organized house turned into this:

I will say this, my husband is so sweet, he made dinner, bathed the kids...everything (except the dishes and other housework stuff, although he did do a lot of it. It's just so hard to keep up with!)

Then, Friday afternoon I finally finished! Right after this picture we loaded up in the car and drove 3 1/2 hours to our hotel for the competition the next day. (do you see the mess in the background? I cropped out most of it, but there is just so much of it, that I couldn't get it all)

I wish I could say that was the end of the craziness, but little did I know it was just beginning. We got to our hotel and after a little difficulty with our reservation, we finally had a spot to rest our tired bodies. It took Everett a good 2 hours to fall asleep (uggh) I think he was just too excited to be in such a new place and have mommy and daddy in the same room!

Saturday, we woke up early, I pressed my outfit, we were all ready to go with PLENTY of time to spare. We drove for about 30 minutes when we realized we were not seeing signs for the town the competition was in. Our hotel was only 17 miles away, so why had we not seen any signs? Well, because we went the WRONG direction!! Seriously. We turned around only to find that traffic going the correct direction was at a complete stand still.

That day was the trail of tears motorcycle ride and there were roughly 100,000 motorcyclists travelling through town. Fortunately they were going the opposite direction, so why were we stopped? I decided to be pro-active and go find out. I walked up to the front of the line of cars only to find a woman talking on her cell phone and smoking a cigarette, just enjoying watching the motorcycles. Okay, that's nice, but I DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR WATCHING. As calmly as I possibly could, I asked her to please keep driving. She did. I was thankful.

Erick drove 90 mph in the rain, in 45 mph construction zones, just so we could get to my competition on time. We finally made it to Fayetteville and the competition started in 15 minutes. So, my nerves calmed down quite a bit. We were actually going to be there, exactly on time.

I was wrong. The directions we got from google to get to the actual competition took us to an empty field. Literally. (still, no tears from me miraculously). We stopped at a house and asked a gentleman for directions. 5 minutes later we were back on our way. Only, his directions didn't quite get us there either. So, we stopped 3 more times just trying to find this place. Finally we got there, I ran inside, found the director and was ready to beg to participate. But, thankfully it didn't come to that. She told me they were running behind and not to worry about it. Hallelujah!! I couldn't even believe it!

We finally made it. When I got my dress out of the car it was wrinkled!! I had spent the morning pressing it to perfection, and now it was wrinkled?!! (now the tears were welling, but didn't quite escape) Erick was so sweet and so encouraging. He told me even if it was wrinkled it still looked so good and he was sure I would win. I definitely needed that. Even despite all the drama of the whole process, I didn't even cry. Not once. What a blessing.

The competition was pretty straight forward. Model your garment in front of judges, they ask questions, look at your construction techniques and quality...and in the end, I won! Now it's onto nations in Nashville, TN =)

2009-09-22T06:58:00.005-05:00

For Tyler & Dave

Back when I was making costumes, I made two cargo jumpsuits for a couple guys that also went to the conference.

These were fun to make (although a lot of work!). There were 20 cargo pockets total as well as side hand pockets in the pants, and something I'd never done before a secret pocket. It is a pocket that allows access to your clothing underneath the jumpsuit. Of course, this was very exciting to me since I'd never seen that before, but according to my husband it's actually pretty common in jumpsuits. Seeing as I've never worn a jumpsuit, I thought it was pretty cool.

My husband wants one of these now for when he works on the car. Maybe for Christmas...

2009-08-24T17:43:00.013-05:00

For Mandi

There is a reason why I haven't posted in a while. It's because I have been swamped! I still am, and probably will be for several more weeks (I'm entering this competition and have a LOT to do), but I needed a little break from sewing so I decided to blog about all the work I've been doing!

A few weeks ago a 20 something year old girl found out that I do sewing and wanted me to make her some costumes for an upcoming Japanese Ana me' conference she's going to over Labor Day. Apparently these conventions are really pretty popular and thousands of people go to them (who knew?). It's a three day deal, and she wanted several different outfits to be different characters each day. So, she gave me a few pictures of her ideas, the general feel of her characters, and we went to the fabric store to pick fabric. After that, this is what I came up with....

She wanted something similar to this with a few variations.

This is what I came up with:

She wanted this red jacket:

I came up with this:

Mandi wanted this little shirt-dress:

I made this:

This is the best pictures she gave me of this dress, but she wanted sleeves

Here's Mandi in the dress I made her

I love the neckline and details in this dress

She promised to send pictures of the entire costume at the conference, so there may be more pictures to come

Summer Jumper

2009-08-12T08:14:00.004-05:00

I love lightweight summer dresses.

When I was making it, I couldn't decide how to do the straps. I'm nursing my baby so I need to be able to do that while wearing this dress, but I wasn't crazy about buttons either...so, I just made the straps a little loose and I can just slip it over my arm.
I think the sewing lines on the straps give it the finishing touch. They make this simple jumper have a little more life.

blogs i heart

2009-08-11T16:25:00.029-05:00

coming soon.

For Le Bonheur

2009-08-11T15:48:00.006-05:00

A group of women from my church are getting together to sew blankets for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a child be in the hospital for cancer, or RSV, or leukemia, or in the NICU... I can't image the stress, fear, and anxiety of the parents and the children. I hope these flannel blankets that are so soft and warm can comfort those little ones in some way.

Here's a few stats about Le Bonheur:

Emergency department visits per year - 65,000
Intensive Care Unit patients per year - 1,500
Operations performed per year - 9,000
Lab inpatient tests performed per year - 380,000
Doses given by our pharmacy filled per year - 840,000
Stitches in the emergency department - 54,386
Wagons used to carry children - 195
Popsicles eaten per year - 37,894
Diapers used per year - 56,322
Crayons used at playtime - 13,461
Toys distributed through the Bunny Room - 9,000

I love stacks of fabric! I don't know why. Maybe it's just because I love to see the stack of folded fabric turn into an actual 'something'.
This is my first self-binding blanket. That is by far my new favorite method for finishing blankets. Usually by the time I finish making the top and the backing of a blanket, I'm just anxious to have it done, and then I still have to do all the binding stuff. It just seems to take me a long time to do it, so I get a little annoyed. I guess it's sorta like when I'm making a dress or and I think 'oh I only have to put the zipper in and then I'll be done.' Then for some reason, the 10 minutes it takes to put the zipper in turns into 1 hour.

And, binding it's sorta like when I'm making dinner and I think, 'I just have to make salad and then I'll be done.' Why is it that salad always takes so much longer than the 5 minutes I hope it will??

Anyway, I like this self-binding method, because it really is FAST and it adds a cute embellishment to the blanket.

Fondant

2009-08-01T17:06:00.005-05:00

This is my first attempt at fondant. I'm not convinced that fondant is my thing. When it wasn't turning out professional on my first time (heaven forbid), I started to get a little frustrated. But, thankfully I have the sweetest husband who was helping me decorate and helping me see that it doesn't have to be perfect the first time. He made the cute little smiley face and was having so much fun. He's so good at helping me remember not to take myself so seriously!
I think sometimes I am a little bit too much of a perfectionist and I want all the things I make to look like they came from Better Homes and Gardens or something. But, part of creativity is learning to be better, learning the tricks and ins and outs of something.
So I need a little fondant cake 101..or maybe S.O.S?? If you can help with any of these questions, I'd LOVE to get the tips!
How do you finish off the bottom edge? I placed the fondant over the cake, but then when I cut off the excess, I didn't know how to make it finished at the bottom--hence the blue 'snake roll'
How do you get rich, deep colors? I tried to get red (which I know is a difficult one anyway, but still it's the principle behind the matter right?) but wound up with a pinkish orange.
How do you prevent/fix/get rid of wrinkles? In the second picture you'll see what I mean. Maybe I just am too much of a sewing minded person, but it seems like it needed a dart, a pleat, or some gathers...just a little too much fondant and not enough cake surface.
What is the best secret you know about fondant??
Jenna, you're my INSPIRATION!! Maybe someday I'll be as good as you are.

Prince E Pillow

2009-08-01T16:32:00.003-05:00

Everett is totally into pillows lately. He usually uses his blanket as a pillow, but I think it's time for a 'big boy' pillow for my little prince to rest his head on.
I used an old pillow and cut it to size. I used an old pillow case to make the pillow cover and an extra piece of fabric for the 'E'. I printed off an 'E' from Microsoft Word using font size 700 and used that as a pattern for the 'E'. I'm not very good at drawing or making letters, so I leave that stuff to the computer.
I hand stitched using thick jeans thread around the inside of the 'E' and then used the blanket stitch to finish the edge.

Crayon Roll

2009-08-01T16:23:00.005-05:00

I finally made one! I used this tutorial, but just added a few more pockets so I could put more crayons in it. I've hesitated about making one because I wasn't sure if my son would even use it, or if he would just take all the crayons out and then be frustrated that he isn't quite coordinated enough to put them back in their pockets. But, I decided he'll like it even if he can't get the crayons in the pocket yet.

Practical bibs

2009-07-18T12:17:00.006-05:00

I made Everett some bibs out of kitchen hand towels. I love that they actually cover the whole front of his body. And, they clean up like a dream! I'm thinking about making a tutorial for them, so there may be more to come in the future.

2009-07-15T15:21:00.001-05:00

Under construction

So, I'm trying to figure some things out with blogger...(yes I'm being creative and trying to learn new skills)...so my blog might be a little messy for a little while...

List of things to do

2009-07-15T15:11:00.014-05:00

Women's Skirt. Wish I knew where I found it from

Silhouette Frames for my boys from Tweetie Pie Baby

Knee pad pants from MADE

2009-07-11T13:22:00.005-05:00

Pickeled Peppers

Jalepenos are thriving in my garden! My husband and I decided to pickel some for storage. We love to make shredded jalepeno beef for sandwiches or enchilladas so I'm sure we'll have good use of these.

Making these is VERY easy. Here is the recipe and instructions:

Pickeled Jalepenos or Banana Peppers

10 cups banana or jalepeno peppers

2 cloves garlic

4 cups white vinegar

2 teaspoons pickling/canning salt

1. Wash peppers and slice (you can put them in whole if you'd like)

2. Put 1/2 clove of garlic in each of the clean pint jars

3. Boil salt and vinegar

4. Pack peppers into jar leaving 1/4" headspace

5. Pour hot liquid into jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Use a knife or spoon to remove air bubbles from jar. To do this, put the utincil down the side of the jar and move it toward the center of the jar.

6. Boil lids in a saucepan for a few minutes to heat the rubber seal.

7. Use a clean cloth to wipe down the rim of the jars.

8. Put lids and rings on the jars, place in waterbath canner or other pot where water can cover the jars completely.

9. Boil for 10 minutes.

2009-07-09T09:13:00.005-05:00

New York Skirt

I got this fabric in NY 3 years ago and finally did something with it! I love the length of this skirt. I also love the wide waist band, it's so comfortable and it gives a simple skirt a little style.

2009-07-01T12:25:00.004-05:00

cards, cards, cards and a GIVEAWAY This giveaway is CLOSED

I saw this idea to make cards with fabric scraps here. I have fallen in love with making them because they are SO fast and hopefully they will brighten someone's day.

To start my creativity blog off, I've decided to give a set of 5 lovely notecards to a lucky someone.

All you have to do to enter is:

*Leave a comment
*Include your email address

*All entries must be submitted by Wednesday July 8th at Midnight (CTS)

*The lucky winner will be announced Friday July 10th

*Post about this giveaway on your blog for an extra 3 entries*

*Become a follower of my blog for 1 extra entry it's easy. Just click here.*

Please include in your comment if you posted to your blog/become a follower.

To select a winner I will use random.org to see who wins. I will then email the winner.

Good Luck.