Moda YoYo's

I've been working on a number things in preparation for opening my etsy shop again. The New Guy is nearly 3-months-old, and I think I've started to get a grip on life. The kids and I have slipped into a nice rhythm. Which, (I hope) leaves pockets in my schedule open enough to keep up with orders.

Only one problem. These....

I discovered a Moda Charm Pack in my stash as I was doing a little rummaging for something else.

This "Nature's Chorus" Charm Pack has been sitting on the shelf for nearly a year. Until 3 days ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do with it.

It's said "necessity is the mother of invention." I disagree. I think "distraction is the mother of invention." Because that's exactly what this little pack has done. It's distracted me from finishing up other things on my "to do" list.

As for these YoYo's, I've made quite a growing stack of these tiny little things.

What will become of these, you ask? I've got a few ideas. Hopefully they'll turn out they way I imagine them in my head. And, hopefully I won't find something else to distract me from finishing this project.

Stay tuned....

A Tuffet for My Little Miss Muffet

I had never truly appreciated the glory of Ikea until I married.

My mother-in-law is Swedish.

When we visit Ikea, the Hubby jokes that we're taking a trip to the "Mother Land." He obviously doesn't appreciate the value of having an Ikea nearby like his mother and I do.


On our last visit, while my kids were aiding in the destruction of the toy play area (along with about 17 other kids), this chunky stool caught my eye. It looked like the perfect base for a little tuffet. Sturdy, so it wouldn't topple and plastic, so no painting or splinters. Both good qualities in a toy for my Munchkins, since I'm sure this stool will see a lot of abuse over it's lifetime.

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I started out making a GIANT yoyo from my fabric. Yoyo's are super simple to make. If you need a good tutorial go here.

I didn't want a really round pillow. I wanted one with a slightly squared look. To achieve this, I cut my fabric into a 45 inch square. As I stitched around the edges, I folded the corner tips in to "round" the edges a bit.

I used #10 yarn (which is like small string) mostly because it's what I had on hand. I wanted something strong to hold up to the tension of the gathered yoyo and tufted button.

Once you've stitched around the entire square of fabric, pull your stitching to create a "gather" and tighten your yoyo. Stuff with fiberfill, pull tight, and tie off.

Flip pillow over, center button and stitch through all layers attaching your stitch to the back. If you push and shape the batting/stuffing out around the button, it makes it easier to "tuft" with fewer layers to stitch through.

Cut your ribbon in half, trim and heat seal your ends. Secure the ribbon around the bottom of the stool and tie up and around your pillow.

The stool is rather tall for my almost two-year-old. So, I didn't do anything to secure the pillow with anything more than the ribbon (I'm sure she'll be pulling the pillow off and putting it back on over and over and over again). However, if you wanted to make it more "permanent," you could stitch the ribbon to the pillow or add a strip or two of double sided Velcro to the seat and underside of the pillow.

Well, folks, there you have it...a super simple and quick makeover for a basic Ikea stool that turns into a darling Tuffet for any Miss Muffet!

The Cloth Diaper - So Useful!

Remember these? I couldn't help myself. I had to make more to share....so many new babies this spring!

I LOVE these burpcloths. Whoever thought up using a cloth diaper as a burpcloth was a GENIUS.

This particular blue stripe burpcloth ended up with a super soft afghan for a precious baby boy.

The blanket turned out nice and lightweight.

I really don't love acrylic yarn. It's scratchy and loosens up when it's washed. So this time, I tossed the entire skein in a lingerie bag and pre-washed my acrylic. It softened right up!

I couldn't be happier with the results!

UFO's

No, not the crop-circle-making kind of UFOs (although, I do think it's curious that fewer and fewer UFOs have been "sighted" since every phone these days is equipped with a camera).

I'm talking about Un-Finished Objects.

I have lots of UFOs sitting in my stash...too many, to be exact.

Like this little Tooth Fairy Pillow. Yep, all that's left is a little one inch section to stitch up. I guess it's a good thing The Toddler (who's now 3 - I guess that makes him too old to be a Toddler? A Preschooler, maybe?) is too little to be losing his teeth. Looks like I may have a couple of years before I need to finish this one....

Of course, there's always Ribbon Wands. I love these fun little things, but they are rather time consuming. However, as of this posting, all three are painted - now for the finish, hardware, and ribbon.



Let's not forget about the many, many crochet projects I've got lying around. This was supposed to be a scarflette of some kind, but there isn't enough yarn in this little ball to make an anklet, let alone a scarflette. So It will have to become something else.

Any suggestions? It's a very soft wool and there isn't much of it.

I guess I need to be a little less schizophrenic about my projects and start taking the time to finish what I start.

I "Heart" 4-H

When I was a kid my BFF's mom started a 4-H group. Lucky me! I LOVED 4-H. Well, this month I got the chance to help out the next generation of 4-Hr's.

R made a skirt. She picked out the pattern, fabric, and notions all by herself (with a little help from her mom, I'm sure). Since she had just been introduced to a sewing machine, I did a lot of "sideways" sewing helping her stitch this skirt. The little skirt she's holding we made for her bear. Too cute.

S made a purse out of an old pair of jeans. What a cute idea! She cut off the legs, stitched the openings shut, cut straps and attached them, then bedazzled it!

These projects gave me a whole new appreciation for my 4-H leader. She sparked a love of sewing, crafting, and baking and made me feel like I could make anything. Thanks Mrs. Budge!

Tutu in Action

My sister and her little family were here visiting from Memphis, TN a few weeks ago. Her 14 month old munchkin wasn't quite walking on her own yet (she was cruising all over the furniture), but that didn't deter her busy little fingers from making their way to the piano keys! I'm surprised I was able to get a few pictures that aren't a total blur. (Notice how everything has been cleared off the top of the piano? This is to keep "damages" at a minimum!) Too cute!

Oh, Baby - They're Finished....

And they turned out adorable (at least I think so)! Remember these from a few months ago? Well, After a creative slump, I finally figured out how I wanted to finish these burp cloths. They turned out almost too pretty for a baby to barf on!

The graphic quilting fabric is so soft and the cloth diaper is nice and heavy duty with a folded center, so it will be super absorbent.

I'm a little partial to Brown and Blue - big surprise - the brown fabric with the little white dots turned out so much cuter than I imagined. I still have the Black and White fabric left to make another. I'll post pics of that also if I can find the motivation to fight with the Toddler over the sewing machine (he thinks it belongs to him...come to think of it, he thinks my crochet hooks belong to him, my scissors, my paint brushes, you name it...he claims it!)

Garden Fairy Tutu

I made these specifically for the local Arts Festival that was featuring a Craft Fair this year. My fear of commitment kept me from signing up for the entire 10 days (whew...10 days is a loooong time!) Kim from Kim's Kandy Kreations let me use some of her space.

The Fair was the WRONG venue for Crafters. It was an interesting crowd that showed up - definitely great people watching! I can honestly say, I saw a lot of "firsts." For example I saw, for the first time ever, a "mullet tan line" - a guy showed up without a shirt on (classy, I know) with his long luxurious mullet sweeping across his back. If the wind blew, or if he flipped his hair, there was a big square white spot, outlined by tan skin! Awesome...

I think I'll pass on that Fair next year.

In the mean time, I had so much fun making these Tutu's I may just have to make more!

For all those little Garden Fairies who love to dance in the flowers under the sun's sparkling rays!

Made from Orange Organza and filled with White Daisy's and Green Leaves. It has a White Satin Ribbon Drawstring for little Fairy Princesses with tiny waists.

Oh, Baby!

When the Toddler was just an infant, someone gave me a set of FABULOUS burp cloths. They were so absorbent and held up so well in the wash. They were made from cloth diapers embellished with a simple ribbon.

I saw these bold graphic prints and thought they'd make adorable burp cloths.

Stay tuned! I'll post pics when I'm done. Hopefully they'll turn out as great as the picture in my head!

In the Spirit of Handmade

You may remember the Craft Swap celebrating handmade items hosted by Bird and Little Bird. Well, I finished my items for the swap and they're in the mail!

A Cinderella Apron
(for doing chores and cooking)



A Princess Pocket Pillow
(for resting your Tiara on at night, or hiding away a Princess ring in the pocket)

Check out all the items that were swapped by some great "handmade" artists at http://www.flickr.com/groups/handmadeswap/

Jennie's Aprons

Since unearthing these two aprons a few weeks ago I've been obsessively checking out vintage (and replica) aprons online.

These two belonged to my Grandma Jennie. I'm not sure how I ended up with them. I did inherit her old treadle sewing machine (c 1897). She told my mother "Charmain likes to sew, I think I'll give her my machine". What a great reason to inherit an antique!

This one is my favorite. Its made from an old dress c. 1930 (they never threw anything out, they always recycled materials).

This one is made from an old flour sack c. 1930. The trim is hiding where its been pieced together. My mom said Jennie wore this everyday.

They're Done!

22 months, two babies (one mine, one hers), and an interstate move later and they're finished!

Thanks Lydia for taking the pics and letting me post them. I have to give a shout out to Home Fabrics. I LOVE this store. The tassel tiebacks were such a great deal $2.50 each! not to mention we also covered 3 windows in the living room in addition to the sliding door. All for around $60! I love good deals.

Flax Seed Relaxation

Most of you probably own or have been the recipient of a rice bag. Same idea, but think of flax seed as the LUXURY version. The flax seed has a higher moisture content so it holds the heat (or cold) longer. It has a nice, but soft aroma. It molds like sand, and feels heavier than rice (or corn...*gag*). It can be found in the bulk food section of most health food stores (Whole Foods, Central Market, Good Earth, etc.)

Since I've burned through...yes burned*...two bags this year, I needed to make me another. Luckily I made these as a Christmas giveaway last year and had all the "fixins" available at my fingertips. (Lets be honest, if I didn't have this available, I probably would have stuffed an old (but clean) sock that lost it's mate, tied off the end with a knot and called it good!)

*Lessons learned the hard way - because of it's high moisture/oil content, flax seed burns easily, so heat it up in 2 minute increments reshaping before starting again.

Look, I'm Recycling!

I purchased this shirt for the toddler on a GREAT SALE! When I tried it on him, I realized why I was able to get it for such a great price. The cuffs on the sleve were large enough to fit a MAN'S wrist. It looked really odd on a munchkin. So...I did what every normal mom does...I cut them out!

Now, occasionally for entertainment, or to keep the toddler happy on long car rides, we pull his socks off and use them as puppets. What do you know? The cut out sleeves looked just like puppets. What a great idea...I owe the toddler for this one.

Some red felt, googly eyes, yarn, a bow, and a cowboy hat later - here's what we got....

They need names - any suggestions?