Found this wonderful seed-stich knitted cowl pattern on Pinterest. It's called the GAP-tastic cowl.
My lovely sister-in-law modeling...
You can download the free full pattern here.
Pillow Twalk
A couple of months ago....I got into recovering my pillows.
Projecting
Sorry for the lack of posting lately. It's just that every spare moment I have lately, I've been spending it on projects here around the house. Planting shrubs, sewing valance, sewing pillows...some house posts to come soon (I hope!)
And then, I've been designing patterns and instructions for the SEW LOVELY class. Scribbling notes, gathering supplies....
I've also been working on these sets prayer cards. I hope to have the tutorial up for you soon.
Several people have asked me, "How do you find time to sew or do a craft project?"
The truth of the matter is I never ever sit down and do a project from start to finish. I only work on things in small chunks of time and leave them undone in the basement craft area until they are ready to pick up later when I have a spare moment. Sometimes that means that a project, like the prayer cards, are literally done over 2 or 3 weeks.
Those of you with young children realize that uninterrupted periods of time are very rare. When nap time comes you either:
A. take a nap yourself (my favorite option)
B. catch up on laundry and dishes
C. computer time: blog, email, pay bills, etc.
C. do something for just for yourself (like crafting)
For me, I tend to alternate all four options, which means I don't even work on a project three days in a row usually. Sometime I work on things in the yard while the kids are playing or read through sewing instructions while they are eating lunch. But most of the time, nap time is when I can use the time most efficiently.
So all that to say. Sorry folks! I've been remiss on option C (blogging) lately! I'll try to reform. I promise!
P.S. What do you do during nap time?
Interested in learning to sew?
I'm going to be teaching sewing classes. Would you like to come?
Things are definitely "still in the works." Major brainstorming and dreaming going on this week. But I may have a the first SEW LOVELY session by the end of August.
Gasp! I can't believe I just typed those words.
Many of you know my friend, Kristen--my extremely talented photographer friend--who host Click Classes in her home.
SEW LOVELY would be a similar format. A day-long retreat with great food, fellowship of women and the basics of sewing through 3-4 hands-on projects. Sewing boot camp, if you will. Learn to sew a ruffle, zipper, button-holes, etc. Have a sewing machine you don't know how to use? This is a class for you!
If this first class goes well, I also hope to host half-day and 3-hr classes that will be more project focused. Great for those who attend the day-long class but also those who have some sewing experience already or for those who simply can't commit to a full-day retreat.
O.K. It's out there. Whew! I am both excited and nervous.
I will post final details soon. But in the meantime, if you are interested, please email me your contact info and I will be sure to email you info as soon as it becomes available. janna@mustardseedswriting.com
P.S. For those ladies who have already expressed an interest: You do not have to own a sewing machine to take this class. However, if you are looking for a good starter machine, I saw one at Costco that is running on special right now for $129.
License Plate Art
A few months ago I pried these old license plates off a barn wall. I love that they are all Colorado plates in different colors. Anne scrubbed them all clean for me.
And I created some wall art for our little space in the backyard.
I used some wire to link the plates together.
Fabric Flowers
We've been getting into the fabric flower thing around our house.
I wear this necklace and ring several times a week.
This is the tutorial I recommend to make the roses. (My friend Angie is the one who first recommended this tut to me. She's right--it's addicting.)
Or, you can purchase some similar ready-made jewelry at Allora Handmade.
Anne and my niece Lexy helped make several of these flower hair clips the other day. (The girls cut out the circles and I did the sewing and hot gluing.) I recommend this tutorial. Except we modified it a bit and added buttons.
Anne is ready for kindergarten
Today was Anne's last day of preschool. In the fall, she will begin kindergarten. Wow! Where has the time gone? There was little program and lunch today to celebrate.
Reciting the days of the week.
Here she is receiving her certificate from Mrs. Probst.
We made Mrs. Probst some thank-you gifts. I made a little quilted cover for this mason jar arrangement.
Home-grown and canned bread and butter pickles.
And with the Golden book material, I also made a bookmark. See the tutorial here.
Stone Matryoshkas
My mom's birthday was in March, but I forgot to post the gift I made for her...
For years, my mom has collected the Russian nesting dolls called matryoshkas.
Camping two summers ago, I collected these matryoshka-shaped stones that ranged in size. I wanted to paint a picture/pattern of a matryoshka on each. It only a took a few seconds at attempting to paint that I realized the project was quickly headed toward disaster.
So I dug out some material in my stash. I had used this matryoshka-print fabric to make mom an apron and a zippy bag in the past.
I brushed a thin layer of matte Mod Podge on the stone, applied the cut-out piece of fabric and then covered it again in a thin layer of Mod Podge. I let it dry completely and then put on a second top coat.
Whoa-la! Handcrafted birthday gift disaster averted. Actually, I like the end result much better than my original idea.
Knitted Bunnies
Check out these sweet knitted bunnies my mama sent to us. She is a super-talented knitter. There are five of them--one representing each member of our family.
I love mama bunny with her apron and hands on hips.
And the baby bunny with the little nest...
If you are knitter, the pattern for the bunnies is here.
Happy Birthday, Anne!
Anne turned 5 years old this Monday. So fun! We had a wonderful day at home celebrating and then a birthday dinner with family.
As you may recall, she "celebrated" this birthday a bit early with a surprise trip to the American Girl store.
She just adores Miss Betsy and plays with her practically every moment of the day.
Monday morning, Anne woke up to find this T-shirt lying on her bed. I recycled a fall T-shirt we had.
I used Wonder Under iron-on interfacing and stitched it for cuteness.
I also made her some cute bracelets to match.
I used pages from the American Girl catalog for gift wrap.
During the day, Anne made a beaded bracelet for Betsy.
I came up with several crafty ideas for American Girl dolls as we decorated and crafted on Monday. Anyone interested? I'm thinking about doing a tutorial series on craft ideas for you and your doll.
