Same size??

I've heard sizing really varies with baby clothes... but was surprised to actually see the range of the two onesie/bodysuits shown above.  These are both listed as the same size (3-6months I think) but are different brands.  

Crazy excited!

The arrival of my sweet little neice or nephew is expected in a little over a month.  Lets just say, I am one crazy excited Aunt :)  I can't wait to meet the little peanut.

 

My Mom & I threw a baby shower for the lovely Mommy-to-be and baby last week, so now it is safe to start posting some pictures of what I've been up to in the craft/sewing room lately.

 

 

Puffy painted onesie

 

 

The last month!

A lot has been up lately.  Visiting cousins in Japan, co-hosting a baby shower, Thanksgiving cooking, and starting my packing list for school (everything I need for 4 months needs to fit in 2 to 3 suitcases).  There are probably a lot of other things I'm forgetting now too.

I'm still sewing a lot, and can post soon about some of the things I made for the baby shower :)

 

Still not SCUBA certified (swam out in really cold water to test... only to find out we couldn't because clarity was too low... we're going to wait until the spring to try again), but did lots of snorkeling!

lace curtains?

In the process of organizing my house, I've come across some fabric I forgot about.  Shortly after we moved into our house we took down the curtains in our living room and have yet to replace them.  We have shades up though, don't worry!  I'm just not sure what kind of curtain I want to put in that room yet... I change my mind  a lot when it comes to home decor :)

 

Anyways the previous curtains included an outer layer of lace.  The lace for whatever reason DIDN'T match from window to window and had definite wear and tear.

 

 

I've debated on making a dress out of it... maybe dye it?

Any other ideas?

Most Creative Halloween Costume Nominee!!

Last Halloween I made William & Kate Wedding day costumes for Hubby & me. 

 

Well today, I found out that our costumes were nominated for the "Most creative Halloween  costume" award on allfancydress.com which is a UK based costume retailer.  I was so surprised!

 

 

 

 

Check out the other nominees and winner (a hamburgler costume) here!

 

 

Fall happenings

Things are staying busy around here!  Enjoying fall (but not looking forward to winter, eek!), still attempting to get SCUBA certified (quite the experiences...), attempting to learn a new instrument (or 2), and lots of time visiting family near and far.

 

I'm still sewing too!  Just can't show you what yet, as it's mostly gifts.

 

(this is the cute roadside stand we got our pumpkins at this year)

 

I'm slightly bummed because it looks like I won't be making Halloween costumes for Hubby & I this year... I had it all planned out, but he has a busy work schedule again.  If something works out, I guess we'll wear last years costumes.

Simple, inexpensive DIY key rack

10% off in my ETSY store for a limited time!  Coupon code:  HappyFall

 

We've needed a key rack for a LONG time now.  I just wanted something very simple and plain but never found what I was looking for in the stores (at least not for a reasonable price).

 

After losing my keys for the 1000th time the other day, it was time to head to the hardware store!

 

 

We bought an unfinished strip of wood (it was 2" wide 36" long and 1" thick?) they had several dimensions to choose from.

 

DIY Key Rack in 7 steps:

1) Cut wood to desired length (ours is hanging below an 8X10 picture frame... so we made it the same width of the base of the frame)

 

2) Decide how many hooks you need, and mark their spacing on the wood

 

3) Drill holes (smaller than the screw on the hooks) where you marked your hook locations

 

4)  Sand the edges of the wood

 

5)  Stain the wood & let thoroughly dry

 

6) Add wall mounts (I just drilled 2 holes at an angle in the back of the wood)

 

7) Add hooks on front & hang on the wall!

 

 

The hardest part??  FINDING my keys... to put on the rack :)  hahaha.  Haven't lost them since though!

 

 

SIDE NOTE:  Price out the hooks when bought individually, or in a variety pack!  We saved about $6-8 by getting a variety pack of hooks (we did end up making a couple of key racks) rather than buying the hooks in smaller packs.  Now we have extra too for future projects!  

Also, we used squared off hooks rather than the classic rounded hook for a slightly different look.

organizing: sneak peek

I'm still organizing around my house (probably will be for quite awhile) and I've been painting and helping out at my parents lately too.

 

 

Here's a look at one of my craft cupboards (in progress)

 

Hmm... I don't remember putting a cat in there.... he's my little helper, I guess, lol.

end of summer

I can't believe how quick summer flew by... we're trying to fit more "warm weather" activities in as long as possible.  Have to break out the wetsuits soon if waterskiing is in the future :)

 

 

I've been organizing my house lately, and planning for some exciting things in the next few months!  I'll post in depth on the organizing in the near future. 

Fabric labels

I made fabric labels to sew onto my luggage tags using an amazing tutorial from Dolls and Daydreams. 

 

Here's how the labels turned out:

(this was after I used some of the labels)

 

I had a little trouble feeding the fabric/freezer paper through my printer.  It took a few printer jams and lots of grinding noises before I got it to work...  I may not have cut the paper just right.  Eventually it worked though, and I'm happy with the outcome.  (and my printer survived... this round at least!)

 

 

 

 

Business cards

I've been working on my Etsy shop a lot lately.  Here's a look at some business cards I made:

 

 

After making a few cards, I decided to order some from VistaPrint.  I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival in my mailbox :)  I'm still planning on sewing fabric onto those when they arrive, so they should look pretty similar to the ones above.

 

 

Next project for my etsy shop.... (besides adding new designs) is making fabric labels.  More on that later!

Wood beaded shirt

You know those shirts with the large wooden beads on the neckline?  I thought they were pretty cute, and bought one awhile back.  BUT, of course it was a hand wash only.  With my particular shirt the only reason it needed special care was because of the beads (not the fabric).

I didn't want to hand wash that shirt, so here was my solution:

 

I removed the beads  (and the entire strap) from the fabric and used a hot glue gun to attach little snaps to each bead (and sewed the other side of the snaps to their associated spot on the shirt)

 

This way the wood beads could be removed so the shirt could be washed, and then snapped back in place when the laundering was done.

 

It worked well for me for quite awhile... but then I forgot the shirt was in the laundry...   Basically it went through the laundry with the beads still attached, and now I see why the shirt was hand wash only!

 

Well, the straps broke, and little beads were all over the washer and dryer... OOPS!

 

But, in the past, when I remembered to remove the string of beads ahead of time, all was well :)

Luggage Tags!

I hate the mad search for my suitcase after a flight.  I get all excited, thinking I see mine rounding the corner of the conveyor belt... only to be let down (and fear the worst... that it didn't make the connection!).  In the past, I've put pom poms and strings on my bags to help identify them, but now have something new.

These make it really easy to spot a bag!  I'm not sure which one I'm going to use yet, but I've posted all of these on etsy :) 

 

Check out my new Etsy shop CrazyBeagle  (update:  I have LOTS of new tags available now!)

 

These could also be used to label diaper bags, camera bags, laptop cases.... and so much more

 

Or, how about as a gift tag?  Lots of options!

Etsy (soon)

I'm finally taking the plunge... I'm in the process of setting up an etsy shop.  It's kind of fun to work on, but there is a lot involved!  Hopefully it'll be up and running soon.  I'll post more on this later :)

pet basket update

The cats are still loving their new pet bed.  It started out as more of a basket, but apparently they prefer it with the edges folded in half.  If I make another one, I'll make it with shorter, thicker sides.

The dogs seem like they're leaving this bed alone more than the last cat bed I made... for some reason they like to chew holes in fleece (I should have known the old one was doomed).

Braided pet bed

Look what I found while sorting through boxes of junk from my childhood bedroom....

A big ball of braided fabric.  This was meant to be sewn into a rug a few years ago, but I was sewing it by hand which took forever, and other things came up.

So, I figured I might as well finish what I started... and threw the braided fabric on my sewing machine (much quicker) and used a zig-zag stitch to sew it together.

Instead of making a rug, I decided to make a cat bed or cat basket.  (since one of my dogs chewed a hole in the fleece cat bed I made for them before, it was time for another)

One of the cats is always occupying the new bed...

To make this, it's the same idea as making a braided rug (which if you google search it, there are several great tutorials).  Except, you braid a little tighter, and let it coil up while sewing.  (every now and then I'd do a slight overlap of the connecting braids)

Update:  Apparently my cats prefer the basket a little shorter on the sides than it was... they folded the edges over on the pet bed and use it that way now.

Heirloom Cut Chenille Baby Blanket

Hubby & I just finished making a blanket for his beautiful little baby niece.  (OK so Hubby didn't use the sewing machine, but he picked out all the materials and helped hand cut the rows and rows of fabric)

We made an Heirloom Cut Chenille Baby Blanket using the tutorial over at Aesthetic Nest.  This blanket was really fun to make but be ready to spend some serious time on the sewing machine.


Here's how it turned out:

(I love sewing binding on with a decorative stitch)

front of cut chenille baby blanket

back of cut chenille baby blanket

close up of cut chenille baby blanket

 Fluffy!  Apparently the blanket gets even softer the more you wash it.

Baby boy onesie & shoes

Here's a picture of an outfit I made for an adorable new baby boy

Baby boy onesie with tie

The shoes are made from Simplicity 2278, view B.  (size small)

Simplicity 2278

Baby stuff is fun to sew :)

summer fun

This past week was nice and relaxing.  Even though it was 90-100 degrees and very humid, it was perfect in my book (I'd take that over snow any day)

Hubby & I were able to enjoy a few more days out at the lake.  Lots of fishing and boating.

Then, I headed straight for a "roomie reunion" camping trip with my friend from college.

The next couple of weeks will also be full of friends and family as we have two weddings coming up!

In between all of the excitement, I'm figuring out my paperwork to go back to school, and yes, I am still sewing, A LOT!  (I just can't post pictures since I've been sewing gifts that haven't been given yet :)  )

Mölkky lawn game

A couple of weeks ago, my Dad and I made a Mölkky game. 

I googled the game regulations to know what dimensions to cut the pieces.  The lengths were all accurate, but I couldn't find a dowel with a large enough diameter, so I ended up using a 2" dowel instead (this seems to be a common problem).

Martha Stewart has a nice tutorial for making the game.  The measurements we used were slightly different than hers, and instead of painting the numbers on the dowels, I used a wood burner.

Cutting the pieces

 Sanding the pieces

Here's the complete set!

Before I could even wonder how I'd store or carry this game... my Mom pulled a zippered cloth bag from her collection and the game fits great in it.

Beware, this game is VERY addicting!

Refashioned t-shirt (REVERSIBLE & multi-look)

Hubby & I just went through our house and got rid of TONS of old clothes and other stuff.  Knowing my love for refashioning t-shirts, Hubby pulled a handful of old t's aside for me :)

I think this shirt turned out kind of fun, because it is REVERSIBLE and since it has a ribbon for straps, it can be tied several different ways, giving slightly different looks.

Here's the BEFORE:

The shirt was a bit roomy for me to say the least.  Oh, and I'm not sure I should admit this... but there were holes torn in the armpits of it (that probably explains my slightly creeped out face in this picture).

Anyways, here's how I refashioned this shirt:

1) Lay the shirt flat, and place a shirt that fits you well on top of it.  

2) Using the shirt that fits as a guide, cut the t-shirt (that's being refashioned) width to size. 

*Remember to add enough room for seam allowances*

*If the guide shirt has more or less stretch than the shirt you're refashioning, add/reduce your measurements as well*

3) Cut notches for armholes

4) On one side of the shirt (doesn't matter if it's the front or back piece, since it's reversible) cut a v neck (leaving 3-4 inches for each shoulder)

5) If you want to get rid of the logo  sew the pieces opposite of normal (making the previous "right side" of the fabric the new "wrong side"  the logo should be on the inside of the shirt in the end)

6) Turn the fabric at the armhole under and stitch a seam (remember, to make sure you're sewing on the proper side of the fabric if you're hiding a logo)

7) Repeat step 6 with the "v" shape cut out of one piece

8) Sew sides of shirt together, under the arm holes

9) Sew casings on the top edges of each piece (the straight top edge on the uncut side, and each of the 2 shoulder pieces on the side with the v cut)

10) Thread a long ribbon through the casings and tie it together.  There are tons of ways to thread and tie the straps, here are just a few examples:

Straight front with ribbon threaded twice

Straight front with ribbon threaded once

V-neck in front with bows tied on each shoulder

V-neck in front with ribbon threaded across and tied on one side

V cut out in back with simple bow

V cut out in back with ribbon threaded through and tied in front

Straight back with ribbon tied in front

There are lots of other ways to wear the shirt, or instead of ribbon it can have a more nautical look if you tie thin rope as the straps.

back from vacation

Hubby & I are settling back in after a trip to Florida to see his Grandpa.  Visiting with him is always fun.  We looked through old family photo albums and heard a lot of great stories.  Hubby & I love genealogy so it was really neat to put a face and story with a name :)

We also picked blueberries and went on a river float.  Then Hubby & I went deep sea fishing, it was a pretty rough day to be out on the water!  We spent some time at the beach but didn't snorkel this time because the water was too rough.

Now that the fun is over, it's back to yard work and home organization for me haha.

DIY canvas wall art

Don't forget to enter the MyMemories Suite digital scrap booking software GIVEAWAY by Tuesday June 19th 11:59pm central time!

After painting tons of walls and shuffling decor in our house lately, it was time for some new wall art.  I didn't want anything fancy and didn't want to spend much.  So, hubby hesitantly went along with my idea to paint something for the wall.

I was totally into the idea of a bold color with a silhouette of something, and since we were in the middle of taking SCUBA classes at the time I had sharks on my mind.  Here's what came of my super inexpensive DIY canvas art project.

To be honest, I loved the look when I finished painting it... but after its been on the wall for awhile I'm thinking about painting something else :)  Decisions, decisions, lol.


Here's how I transferred my design onto the canvas:

1) Paint the background color on the canvas (on all 3)

 2)  Draw your image on paper (Since my middle canvas was placed vertical and the outer 2 were smaller, and horizontal, I taped computer paper together in that fashion)

3) Cut out your design and determine which parts of it will be on each canvas

4) Trace it on the canvas (I used a pencil) and paint the inside of the image black (take care to make sure that the image lines up from canvas to canvas)

After hanging this on the wall the image didn't line up just right between pieces.  Instead of pounding more nails in the wall, I just got out the black paint and made some adjustments :)

I actually enlarged the drawing I made when transferring it to the canvas, so it looks a little different than the original paper cutout.