Resolutions

For many years each January I've written down a list of resolutions.  Frankly it was more of a wish list.  A few months ago I saw a neat-o idea about having a goal word for the year instead.  I'm totally adopting that.  This year my goal is "simplify".  With a new baby coming soon I think it's fitting.  

First project with my new goal is slowly working through my home and donating things that I don't need or use.  I have a closet full of things that are good but I don't wear for one reason or another.  Ideally I want my closet to only have pieces I love and wear often... hopefully full of pieces I make!  Or from other talented people (ps Marsha, I love my scarf.  I noticed the lovely hand stitching even before Gavin and Lesa mentioned it).  

Last night I finished a new top.  At first I felt a little like a jail bird (thick horizontal stripes), but I'm liking it more--it's hard not to as it's really comfortable.  I used this tutorial.  

It went together very smoothly when you ignore the fact I snipped through the fabric when trimming the neckline (thank you heat'n'bond for saving the day).  I think if I make another (sans stripes) I will make it a few inches longer.  My bump is taking up more space these days.

Handmade

I have a small goal to make at least one homemade item for Ellie (and any future kids) for Christmas and their birthday.  Last year I made Ellie a hedgehog softie and a hat.  This year it's a hat and mittens (ignore the wrinkles, they need to be laundered).

I found this new favorite fabric shop in town and last Saturday my friend and I checked it out.  If you are cheap and like thrift stores this is an awesome store.  We dug through piles of remnants and both left with some fun fabric.  I got this snuggly soft pink fleece remnant for $2.

I used the Snow Pixie pattern for the hat (deviating on the edge finish).

And for the mittens I started using this tutorial, but deviated a bit.  Perhaps on a whim, perhaps due to a mistake cutting the sleeve part too small.  It's really hard to say.  I had some leftover material from the braids I did on the hat and added loops to the mittens so I could add mitten clips later if needed.

I love how the braid detail turned out.  To make the rope I took long strips of roughly 2 inch strips (with the most stretch width wise), sewed together, and flipped inside out with a chopstick.  It took a whole night to hand stitch it to the hat, but it was worth it.

Treat Package

Today I delivered some treats to someone.  Pumpkin cookies.  

Although I had meant to grab some paper plates at the store this week I plum forgot.  

I did have cardboard from the cake mix I used in the cookies and parchment paper (wax or brown paper would work too).  So I improvised.  

This is the long version of a short story--it only took two or three minutes.  I cut out two pieces of cardboard and sandwiched them together so you couldn't see the cake box pictures.   Here are the remaining steps I did:

Carpet Bag

Last night I finished my purse!  This is a project I had started years ago and then put down and never finished.  When I pulled it out I altered my original vision of the bag a bit to fit my current needs.  

It's kind of a fun upholstery fabric, and the grey seems fitting for winter.  I've got a thing for asymmetrically placed knots on purse handles--not sure why.  It is, however, handy to include when you have an ugly seem where you lengthened the handle strap.

This is a terrible picture, but here's a glimpse of some of the inside.  

It has two side pockets, a magnetic closure, and some mommy friendly additions I included in the redesign.  I was so sick of finding my daughter's sippy bottle sideways (leaking) in my bag (no-drip sippy cups are a joke sometimes), and the spare diapers always swim around my bag.  

After a day of use I am enjoying my new bag.

Sewing Nook

This weekend I finally buckled down and reorganized my sewing area.  It has been driving me nuts.  Confession my whole house has been driving me nuts--nesting has kicked in (I'm 4 1/2 months along) and I want everything reorganized.  My cutie pie daughter thinks the house is more fun messy.  Baby steps...  Anyway, here is a glimpse at my sewing corner.

I bought the sewing table used before we moved to Arizona and refinished the top half in a cheery green.  I love it!  As we were shortly moving I decided to give the old machine that came with it to a friend.  If I still had the original machine I probably wouldn't have to prop something under the flap (it was very heavy), but my plastic storage thing was nearly the perfect height for the job so it works.

I oddly find it refreshing to reorganize something like a bulletin board.  I should get a few frames and/or a little shelf up next to it so it's not so lonesome.  Another confession, I came across a bag of vintage notions this weekend.  Full of ric-rac, buttons, and other lovelies.  The wooden spools displayed on the board were from that bag--love!

I'm happy with my newly cleaned sewing corner. Enough so that I started sewing a purse, which I have been itching to do recently.  I did have to put a few other projects on hold, but I'm nearly done and excited to have a new bag.  Unfortunately I still haven't finished my quilt...I may ditch the extra quilting rows I wanted to do (purely for looks, it's not really needed) and bind it.

Tree Trimmings

I get nerdy excited for Christmas.  Being such a person I had Corey help me pull out the tree on Friday and got going.  Living in Arizona it just doesn't feel anything like Christmas until the tree is up.  

I'm loving the thrifted ornaments I found (confession, I found another little bag of them on Friday--full of handmade ornaments like the ones pictured below), plus they were cheap enough that if Ellie breaks any it's no big deal.  Can I say I'm glad I didn't invest in any glass ornaments?  Ellie thinks the round ornaments are balls and likes to bounce them on the floor <sigh>.

I made the red garland a few years ago (strips of fabric twisted around beads and then knotted), and added the pom-pom trim this year for fun.  I bought the pom-pom trim to update my tree skirt but haven't had time to work on it.  My star is white, so the trim fits perfectly.  The wooden candy canes were bought on sale at Joanns a few weeks ago.

I love turning on the lights in the evening and enjoying a good movie or treats with my little family.

It's Starting

I actually should have started much earlier, but I've started a few small Christmas projects.  The first married Christmas I made some pretty melted peppermint ornaments, but sadly they don't store so well (heat=melted sticky mess).  Someday I may try to make them again and shellac them or something to keep them pretty.  I decided to jazz up some of my cheap-o plastic ornaments for fun.   


I got the idea from the chain fabric store, they had yarn ball ornaments.  So I took some hot glue and yarn to my ornaments and I think they turned out fun.  I might make a few more in other colors.

I am also slowly making some yarn pom-poms for a garland.  The fuzzy red yarn works best, but I wanted some variety and dove into white and cream as well.