Missionary Christmas Stocking

When my "little" bro was on his mission, {gah it was so hard to have him gone for 2 full years!!} all I wanted to do in that time was keep him close however I could. With some dedication and creativity, I managed to do just that via a blog, care packages {that were quite creative in content}, letters...etc.

I wasn't as crafty at that time, {Full time jobs will do that to ya. Working ladies, y'all know what I mean!} but oh if I was, the things I might have dreamt up {or copied from pinterest ;-)} would have been so much fun to make and send out to him.

Over Thanksgiving, my aunt approached me with a crafty gift idea {shocking as it may be, NOT from pinterest} that a friend of hers had come up with. She showed me the cutest little pic of a missionary-stocking that her friend had sent out to her own son in his Christmas care package from home. It was darling, so of course we had to make one for my cousin too! {He's serving in Texas right now, we're so proud of him!}

There was no tutorial, but I'm a resourceful gal. ;)
I printed off this simple stocking pattern that I had pinned last Christmas as a basic guide, {below} and got to work!

Source: prudentbaby.com via Jamie on Pinterest

The pattern I used.

Super cute huh?! I love it.
I wish I'd taken pics throughout the process so I could throw together a little tutorial, but alas, I did not. Next time maybe. :)

PS. I know right, yet another glorious example of iPhone photography. Better days are coming my friends.

**edit**
Tutorial - no pics.  :*(

Supplies:
White felt (1/4 yard should be more than enough of each felt)
Black felt
Ribbon (for the "belt")
red cotton fabric (for the tie, or just buy a kid's tie to clip on, glue on or tie on)
2 small white buttons

Tools:
Hot glue gun
Sewing machine
Scissors
Chalk (you can skip the chalk, but it makes it a little easier to be precise)

Directions:

1. Print off, cut out & assemble this stocking pattern on plain paper
2. Using the paper pattern, trace the top of the stocking pattern onto your white felt, (so everything but the foot part) add about 4 inches to the top of the stocking beyond the pattern (So you have enough to fold down into a collar) and cut out 2 of these white felt pieces.
3. Trace the foot of the stocking onto your black felt, and cut it out. (make 2 of these pieces as well.)
4. Now you'll sew the first white piece to the first black piece to complete one side of the stocking. Do this right sides together, and use 1/4" seam allowance or smaller if you comfortably can. 
5. For the back, repeat step 4, but first align the pieces to make sure they will face the right way so you don't end up with seams on the outside of your stocking! :)
6. Lay out the front piece, with the front side facing you. Measure the width of your stocking, and add 1 inch. This will be the length of your ribbon.
7. Using a thin line of hot glue, attach the ribbon to the seam where the black bottom and white top meet, leaving 1/2 in overhang on each side of your stocking front. Wait for the glue to dry. (The overhanging ribbon will be sewn into your seam and will give the stocking a much more polished look.)
8. With right sides together, sew the front and back of your stocking together. *Don't sew all the way up the sides! Leave that extra 4 inches we added to the top un-sewn.
9. Turn stocking right side out.
10. Fold the extra felt on top down so it over-laps by about 2 inches.
11. Find the center of the stocking, and make a 2 inch cut in the fold. 
12. Now fold the collar back up, DO NOT turn inside out. 
13. Cut a 4 inch strip of ribbon, fold it in half (right side facing out) and pin it between the unsewn edges at the top of the stocking, (raw edges sticking outside of the seam, with the loop inside the stocking.) This will be the hanging loop!
14. Sew together the 4 inches we left unsewn in step 8, bringing the stitch in at a slight angle through the last inch on each side. (This will keep the "collar" from flaring out when it is finished!) 
15. Fold the collar down. (The hanging loop of ribbon should be facing up and out, with the seam hidden under the fold)
16. Adjust the corners of the collar as desired, and using a teeny dab of glue on each, tack them down so they give that slightly raised/rounded collar flap-look.
17. Glue the small white buttons to the collar points. 
18. Position and attach the tie. (I free-handed my tie, it was super basic. You could even cut a tie-shape out of red felt and call that good. Here's a fabulous tutorial on making a child-sized tie if you're feeling extra crafty!)
    
    Source: veryhomemade.blogspot.com via Jamie on Pinterest
    ...
19. Done. (You can add a name tag, or not... whatever you feel like doing!) :)

Crocheted Lace

I'm so excited.

My mom can be hard to shop for, so thank goodness she's my MOM and loves handmade things from her kiddos! Of course, then there's the dilemma of what to make for her.
Last year I made her a quilt, so this year I decided crochet would be the medium. Gotta switch it up, you know?

So my bff google.com and I sifted the web for crochet patterns, looking for just the right thing. I had a vision already, I just needed a pattern. Honestly, I'd prefer to make up my own patterns, but as a mostly self-taught crocheter, (mother in law taught me the basic 4 stitches... I took it from there) whenever I'm working with a new shape or idea, it helps to teach myself by following a pattern the first time.

So enough of that, here's what I came up with!

So the beauty of this piece is that it can be worn as a shawl, or a scarf!
I'm more of a scarf-sporter myself, but no matter how you wear it, it's beautiful, warm and lacy. :)

The best part was the look on my momma's face when she opened it up! (Oh FaceTime, how I love you.) I hope she loves it as much as I do. :) I fully intend to make another one to keep for myself!

The pattern:

Source: crochetvolution.com via Jamie on Pinterest

PS. This took HOURS to make. Not really a whip it up quick-type of project, but in my humble opinion, it was worth every minute I spent on it.

PSS. Again I apologize for the picture-quality. I am saving my pennies for a DSLR camera as we speak! Anyone want to just give me $1200? Because that would be stupendous. ;)

Quilting for a cause

I love quilting, I love my friends, and I love helping others.

Love, love, love.

So of course, when a very good friend of mine asked if I could make a little something to auction off at a fundraiser she is putting on, I jumped up off the couch and got to work.

A family she goes to church with recently found out that the husband has leukemia. Again. So she has taken it upon herself to put together a couple fundraiser events to support them in this difficult time. She's amazing. 

I'm always a little nervous making things for others... I'm mostly self-taught and my skill-set is pretty amateur, but I love quilting. Especially when things come out well. :)

So here's what I came up with. It's one of those wonky/crazy-cut quilts that I love so much. :) I had everything on hand except the minky back. Hobby Lobby and that 40% off coupon of theirs were there for me with that one. 

I finished it pretty quickly and wanted to get it to her right away, so it's a bit wrinkled from getting stuffed in a bag, but you get the idea. 

If you'd like more info on the fundraiser, to donate or participate in the auction, visit http://www.teamjackrapp.blogspot.com. :) Every little bit counts!

Flares into Skinnies!

Hooray for cute pants!!
I snagged these great pink corduroy Abercrombie pants from a Savers near by for $5.00 the other day. I especially liked the way they fit my waist, hips and thighs, but I decided they needed to be skinny. So I finally took a stab at the whole refashioning-flared-pants-into-skinny-pants thing.
I hesitated at first because I don't have a serger. (Add that to my list of "tools" to acquire. Its right up there with getting a fricken DSLR camera.) Then I just decided to go for it anyway.

SO. Easiest project ever. Even if you are NOT a seamstress. Here's my steps in a tiny bit more detail in case anyone reading this is doubting the ease of this project. ;)

First thing I did was toss them in the wash. (Always wash thrifted clothing... just in case!)
Ok all clean. Next I checked out the seams on both sides of the pant leg to determine which side would be easier to disguise my alterations.

Then I turned them inside out, laid them out, and used a pair of skinny jeans I like as a "pattern". When the project and the pattern are lined up, pin where you will be sewing your straight line. (Here you can use chalk or a light marker to draw a line along the pins for accuracy, or you can be a rebel like me and just go for it.)

I sewed two seams for reinforcement purposes. That's what you do when you don't have a fancy-pants serger! (Going over your seam with a zig zag stitch is also a good option here.) Then I tried them on to make sure the fit was right, and I took a pic because the attractiveness just had to be documented.

Only when I was sure that the fit was right did I snip off the excess.

Turn them right side out and wear your creation with pride!

I think one of these days I may go over the seams with my mother-in-law's serger, and I might even go to the trouble of re-doing the bottom hem to make it feel a bit more pro-fesh. (shrug) Or not. They're pretty great just like this!
If anyone else does try this project, please share your results with me! I'd love to see the transformations.
Happy crafting my friends :)

DIY Skirt

I made a skirt!
I've never made one before, so this is HUGE.
Then, I actually wore the thing... twice. Thats funny because when I first finished it I was like, okayyy... not sure about this thing. I mean, I used this free tutorial I found on Pinterest, so I wasn't expecting it to be like profesh-quality or anything, but even then the whole process was a bit throw-caution-to-the-wind-ish. I even found myself just ignoring the tutorial for the second half and sewing away.
So it turned out well under the circumstances :) At least it's unique and wearable.
My mom even asked me to make her one for her birthday. I think for that one I'll get a real pattern ;) So we'll see how that goes!

My Ruffled Tree Skirt

Finished the tree skirt! And just in time too. One of Cory's co-workers just commissioned me to make a quilt by Christmas! I've never been paid to be crafty! Well, cutting & coloring hair is definitely an art, but this is different. I'm excited!
On facebook I asked my friends what kind of tree skirt I should make, and the vote was unanimously "ruffles"! I'm glad too, it turned out SO CUTE. (patting myself on the back, which is still a little sore from all the crafting) :)

It's made of burlap & muslin. (And the little bows are lace ribbon)
I wasn't excited to work with the burlap at first, I've never used it before and it frays like a beast. Once I Mod Podged the raw edges (which was a little tedious, but it had to be done) all was well & the beast was tamed.
I used this tutorial I found on Pinterest for inspiration, but I did a few things differently. They left all their muslin edges raw, which seemed like a nice way for this tree skirt to self-destruct over time, so I hemmed the outer edges of my fabric before ruffling it. Also, they applied Mod Podge to seal the brulap at the end of the project, which seemed like the messiest way it could be done. I did it as I went along so I didn't get it all over my finished project.

Apply Mod Podge row by row to all raw burlap edges.

 

Hem raw muslin edges for a stronger end result. 

To give my skirt a finished look, (the edges looked like a mess before this step) I sewed my ribbon on first, and then bound the raw edges with muslin, similar to how a quilt is bound.

Doesn't that look so much more polished? I did like their use of lace in the original tutorial, but for Cory's sake I kept the floofy level down a bit since the ruffles are already pretty feminine :)

I'm in love with it!

Stockings

To steal a phrase from The Nightmare Before Christmas, my "Making Christmas" rampage continues!

 The past couple days I've spent a significant amount of time designing and assembling Christmas stockings for Cory and I. My inspiration for the look of the stockings came from pictures I found on Pinterest (surprise, surprise) but the only tutorial I actually followed was for the nice thick cuff at the top of each. The rest I can chalk up to my own invention. (beaming with pride!) Since they are quilted, (with batting even) lined, and cuffed, it honestly was a lot of work, but well worth it!  (and the second was easier than the first since I had the hang of it)

I also want to point out that these stockings are made entirely of remnant pile fabric (bolt ends sold at a huge discount) and muslin ($2-$3/yd). Which is pretty cool. That's called creative crafting! All the fabric I use is inexpensive.

Cory hubby LOVES the Christmas throw-blanket-quilt I made last month and requested that his stocking look "just like the quilt"....

How did I do? :)

 Close up of the quilting

 

And, of course, if you'll excuse my "photography"... the pics don't do them justice :)

We need a little CHRISTMAS!!

This year we're pretty much starting over as far as Christmas decor goes. Basically, our Christmas stuff is stored in Idaho, we can't go get it in time, so we decided to heck with it & well, started over.
On Black Friday we bought a new tree, (which I actually like way better than the old one) and since then I've been crafting up a storm! So this is a close up of my Christmas tree in its current state of merriment.
Crocheting the snow flakes and stars was so fun, but the best part is that gratifying sensation you get when you stand back & survey your work. SO much better than buying ornaments :)
See the fluffy/fuzzy looking white tulle garland? I MADE IT too! Skills.
Hahaha....hello?
In fact the only thing I didn't make on this tree was the ribbon. (and the beads) I bought that at... Target I think. Just a heads up, 25 feet of ribbon will wind fairly well around a 6 foot tree, but if you're like me and you don't like to be bothered with making due or running out, buy more even though hubby laughs and tells you 100 feet of ribbon is too much... He just doesn't get it.

I have plans and supplies for even more lovely craftiness to grace my tree, but this is it as of now. I'm in love! I'm thinking about maybe posting some tutorials so others can join me in my craftiness. That might be fun!

Winter wreath!

During my last visit to Boise, my momma bought be a darling over-the-door wreath hanger from Tai Pan. Before I was finished unpacking, the hanger was on my front door, ready for action! And there it stayed for a few weeks, wreath-less and sad. :(

The sadness is over now!

Last night, I busted out my glue gun, put on Tangled (I like noise when I'm home alone... it makes me feel like I have friends) and whipped up this little beauty! 

Like many others I've been captivated by the wonderful world of Pinterest, and have found plenty of inspiration on there. So I just combined a few ideas I snagged from my boards and made it my own! It was ridiculously fun to make.

I started with a styrofoam wreath, and wound shiny silver ribbon all the way around (and apparently 12 yards of ribbon isn't enough to make it all the way around. Hence the random white yarn wrapped around one section!).

Then I made some felt rosettes, like the tutorial here. I even tried doubling up on colors like in the tutorial, but in the end I wasn't a fan. I liked my solid rosettes better this time. :) Also, in the tutorial she uses double stick tape... I just put a couple dabs of hot glue on the backs of my rosettes to hold them together.

 I arranged the rosettes on the wreath, and once I was happy with the look, I hot-glued those bad boys on there, and voilà! I love my wreath. LOVE IT. 

PS. Sorry the lighting isn't pro-photog-esque. The lighting in my apartment is akin to a hotel room at night without all the natural light streaming in from my ginorm windows. Which is actually awesome as long as you're not trying to take pictures!