Some girls make music...

Cecily is learning to play the violin....
she treated me to a recital this morning!
laura

Bike Rack

Thanks to my hubby for rallying these bikes up and building a great bike rack!

Jello jigglers!

I don't think I made these with my kids but
i can tell they will be fun to make with my
grands! So, on to the next bunch!
laura
(Walmart has a kit including molds for Halloween)

Garland Fun

I had fun making these seasonal garlands the other day. I thought they turned out pretty cute....

I may make more leaf ones to sell - what do you think?

Sailor Pants Version 1

These were super easy to make. I used the tutorial for flat front pants from Dana Made It. Instead of making my own pattern I pulled out this one from the '70s. 

I loved the wide leg and cuff. I followed Dana's instructions and then added buttons. Next time I'll trim a little off the waist of my pattern, it's a bit too big and I  don't think gathering it anymore would look good. Other wise I love them - she however said they make her look like a mom. :)

Don't be fooled...

It's not the 1980s! My mom has had tthis since then when I made it for her.
 Laura

Special quilt

My mom made this cross-stitch picture in 1987 for my kids.
I hated to let it sit so I put it into a quilt. It was so fun to make
and now my grands and I can cuddle underneath it. I put fleece
on the back. I put a few ties in it to hold it together better. 
I finished it like a receiving blanket. You can see the picot
trim I added and the rainbow border. I love it and especially love 
How sentimental it is with my mom's handiwork in it too!
laura

Simplicity 2154

I wanted to sew up this blouse after seeing it on http://dapperduds.wordpress.com/.  

She had used a cute fox print so I decided to make it a novelty shirt. 

I found this fun mustache/top-hat fabric at Walmart and thought it would be perfect!  It was an easy project with the first side zipper I've ever done. 

The bow is my favorite part. I want to sew it in a Swiss dot for next summer. 

Vintage?

My Aunt Joanne cross-stitched this as a gift for
me when I had Sarah in 1980. I never could figure out
how she could stitch in those tiny holes in the Aida cloth.
it is such meticulous work and so beautiful.
anyway, I decided I wanted to display it, so I made a
pillow with it. I had some vintage looking fabric I used. I
I love it! I'm so happy I could display it.
soon I will post a quilt I'm making that has a cross-stitch
i put in the center. One that my mom made in 1987. :)
Laura

Circus anyone?

Oh my, do I love this vintage circus fabric that Sarah 
brought over for me to make rj another circle skirt.
i will be heading over to Hobby Lobby to get some for 
a baby quilt backing. Darling!
laura

Matchy, Matchy

These are circle skirts for the little girls. 
So much fun to make. Isn't the little
one adorable?!
ill have to post a pic with them wearing them...
for the bigger ones I used Simplicity it's so easy A2083
i got at Walmart. For the little one I printed off the 
pattern from danamadeit.com

More circle skirts

Circle skirts are so easy, quick, cute, and fun to make!
the chevron ones are for cc and rj. One for ck coming...
the black polka dot one is for cc. I made a match for rj
already.
every little girl loves a twirly skirt! Isn't THAT the most
important thing about a circle skirt?
laura

A roast recipe

Dad made a roast for he and Chris the other night
and showed me how today. The roasts were in a twin
pack from Costco. As you can see, we cooked it in
a cast iron skillet. 
Recipe:
rub a lot of coarse salt and pepper into the roast on all sides.
then rub in some thyme.
put it into the pan and add minced garlic all around it.
put it on the stove on high to sear it well. Add 1/4 c butter to
the pan. Sear it on all sides. Make sure all the meat has been
coated with the yummy garlic and butter. Put the pan in a 250*
oven. Ours was at 135-140* in an hour. Medium rare. Delish!
remember to let it sit for 15 min before slicing. Slice against the grain 
for tenderness.

Sewing up a storm....

I've been using up some of my fabric stash lately.
i love to make baby things and here are some of my
latest projects. I pieced some of the receiving blanket
tops and added flannel to the back. I like to crochet
around the burp cloths with the fuzzy yarns. I like to make 
matching burp cloths to go with the blankets. I also
made some bibs and crocheted around them too.
i like the chevron patterns. Fun to sew. I also like to
try different pattern ideas I get from Pinterest and blogs.
laura