Seriously, what girl doesn't need a dinosaur dress?
This whimsical creation came about because I needed to try out a pattern for Zoe's baptism dress. The pattern called for 2 yards of fabric. I started digging through my stash and found this fabric. I had planned on using it for some pajamas, but quickly changed my mind.
Does the fabric match the feel of the pattern? Not really, but I think that's what I love about it.
It's long and flowy with puff sleeves. It is far from perfect but Zoe was so excited when I showed it to her.
The pattern is from this book. It comes with a CD to print off all the patterns, which I love because I can use one pattern and make many different sizes. Zoe grows so fast that I buy digital patterns if possible, so I can use them more than once. The fabric is Dino Exhibit by Lizzy House for her Natural History collection. I purchased mine at Stash Fabrics. There are still a few yards in stock.
I am extremely proud of the buttons. I have tried multiple times to make button holes on my machine and it never quite works out, but I managed to finally conquer that skill with this dress.
Ultimately, I figured out that the bodice and skirt will work for the baptism dress. I will be changing the sleeves and lowering the neckline a bit, but I'm glad to know that the overall dress will fit her. I didn't want to start cutting into my wedding dress without knowing if the final version would work.
Look for the final version in the coming weeks, cutting starts today!
XOXO,
At my job, I spend a lot of time working on spreadsheets. This means that my eyes and hands are moving data from one source to another, or I am organizing that data. This over and over, makes my brain bored. So while I work on those mundane tasks, I have started listening to podcasts. I hopped on the Serial train about 3 episodes in, but there are only a couple of other podcasts I listen to and most of them are an hour long. That leaves me with a lot of spreadsheet hours without something to listen to.
Then I rediscovered Paperclipping Roundtable. Those in the scrapbooking industry are probably familiar with this podcast. I have heard about it, but never listened to it. In search of new listening material, I played a few episodes. That's where this story comes in. Stacy Julian was on episode #265 and told a story about her son and daughter that made me tear up. It spoke to my heart and reminded me why I love this hobby so much, it's all about the stories.
That podcast and her story are what bring me to tell this story. It's small and insignificant but has been a part of my daily life for over 10 years, and I feel like now is a good time to share it.
This key chain has been on my key ring for
10 years...
4 months...
and a few days...
Ever since my friend Sarah, gave it to me.
I had just started working with Sarah and I never shut up about this totally-amazing-hunky guy I was dating. Sarah had gone on a weekend trip and bought this for me at a gas station I believe. She kind of bought as a joke, or a job at the fact that we had only been dating a little while and already I was enamored. A few days after she gave it to me, he broke up with me. We broke up a few more times in between that and the engagement. But, this key chain stayed with me. It's pretty rough around the edges but I've had it so long, I stop noticing it....until Zoe started reading.
When she read it the first time she started crying. Her feelings were hurt because her name was not on it. I lovingly tried to explain that it was given to me before she was born, before we were even married, but her little heart broke. She asked me through tears, "Do you love me as much as you love Daddy?"
It was then that we had a conversation about different kinds of love, and I reassured her that my romantic heart was taken, but she had all of my mommy heart.
Stories are what compel me to scrapbook and to take pictures. I love that feeling of looking back at photos or scrapbook pages and remembering all those feelings that I had on that day. I love remembering all the funny things Zoe said, or TV shows we used to quote. All of those things, while not vital, are treasured.
If you are not currently memory keeping, I encourage you to start. Scrapbooking, Project Life, Photo a Day, even just a journal, Facebook or Instagram - I plead with you to do something. I have done my best to catalog a lot of my own childhood memories, but there are some things that I wish my parents had documented.
This is your reminder to start now. Don't worry about going back, but set a goal to do it from now on. I promise, your future self with thank you!
XOXO,
One of my favorite things about smart phones, is being able to snap decent pictures at any moment. But it does leave me with a lot of photos that don't necessary mark an event or mean something significant. This page is a collection of those every day moments.
I recently just got a bunch of phone pictures printed through Shutterfly. They have tons of monthly promotions on 4x6 photos, and I just get my 4x4 photos printed on 4x6 and trim them when they get here.
Most of the products I used are from Bloom, Maggie Holmes' new line with Crate Paper. This line is full of petite flowers, gingham and beautiful spring colors. Just perfect for pictures of little girls.
Remember when butterflies were so popular in scrapbooking? I miss using them. I hope they are coming back in trend.
What do you do with your random photos?
XOXO,
I love using Pinterest to keep track of all the scrapbooking ideas out there. Check out my Scrapbooking board. It is full of awesome and inspiring pages.
XOXO,
I love using Pinterest to keep track of all the scrapbooking ideas out there. Check out my Scrapbooking board. It is full of awesome and inspiring pages.
The fabric is Mustang by Melody Miller for Cotton + Steel. I bought a layer cake (10" squares) for cheap from Craftsy, during a major clearance sale. The pattern is Crackle by Aneela Hoey. I added a wider border than the pattern calls for. The finised measurements are about 67"x 75".
For the quilting, I did some staggered straight line stitching. My straight lines are never very straight, but I subscribe to the club of "better done than perfect", so it's acceptable by me! I quilted it with some silky metallic mint colored thread. It was much more expensive than my regular cotton thread, but it blends in beautifully with all the bold colors in the quilt, worth every penny.
This quilt it already boxed up and off to a secret recipient. It is actually one of my most favorite quilts. I love the mustangs and the metallic accents, but my pile of personal quilts is good for now, and I have plenty more in the works. I'm ready to pass this one on.
Ryan was gracious in helping me get one last picture before we wrapped it up, as you can see. It's the perfect snuggle quilt. I hope it will get many hours of use and be washed, snuggled, and loved many times over.
Want to see peeks of my newest projects? Follow me on Instagram
XOXO,
P.S. I get lots of inspiration for new quilts and projects on Pinterest. My quilting board has tons of inspiration for your next sewing project including some of my own creations, 1,800 pins and over 1,000 followers!
I've realized lately that besides Christmas and Halloween, I'm sorely lacking in holiday decor. My current home decor color scheme isn't very pastel friendly but I couldn't resist making this towel.
The idea came to me while I was digging through my fabric stash. I originally wanted to make a table runner, but I found a flour sack hand towel that I had been saving for an embroidery project. The towel is the perfect pastel pink. Doesn't it look good together?
I quickly drew an egg and peep style bunny in illustrator and then used my Silhouette software to trace them and prepare them for cutting. I used this method to cut and adhere the shapes. Just click the picture to go to the tutorial.You can download the file here.
I ironed the shapes onto my towel, then I used a fine zig-zag stitch to applique the edges. I always opt for the heavy duty Heat n' Bond, which warns not to sew it, but I've never had any issues. The result is a festive and useful decoration.
Hope you and yours have a fantastic Easter!
XOXO,
Noticeable by all my recent posts, I'm working my way through my summer Instagram pictures. Thanks to my giant Paper Issues order a few weeks ago, I have plenty of new materials to work with. When I sit down with my photos, I tend to go through whatever is currently laid out on my desk first. I have a lot of the Dear Lizzy's new line, Happy Place, on their right now, which is full of summer vibes. As I sit down and work with new lines, I often pull bits and pieces from my raskog cart which houses a large chunk of my embellishments. I also have tubs full of ink and mists close at hand.
For some people too many supplies can become overwhelming and make it difficult to make decisions about what should go on each page. However, for this page, I was glad that I had a stash to rely on.
For years I've longed to have a perfectly organized craft room. I would love to have all my stamps in a binder and all my patterned papers in slotted shelves, but I'm learning the process of discovery, actually adds to my scrapbooking and crafting experience.
Zoe has been getting more and more into scrapbooking as well. Having a stash is great for crafting with kids. I usually have a leftovers or giveaway box always in place, and she can go through that and pick out whatever she wants. She gets to pick out what she wants, and I don't have to share my brand new goodies, Win/Win!
XOXO,
The weather this week has been reminiscent of our summer vacation and the day we spent at Carmel Beach. The part of the beach we were on had a big hill. We ate a lovely picnic at the top of the hill, then headed down for a dip in the ocean.
Reluctantly, I took my iPhone to get some quick pics of Zoe playing in the ocean. The last time I brought a camera to a beach, I ended up getting sand in the lens and ruined it, so I left my big camera at home. I spent 5 or 10 minutes taking her picture and then I put my phone down and we played in the ocean.
The water was cold but the delight on her face with every wave that came was worth it. Zoe couldn't remember the last time we were at the beach, so this trip was like the first time all over again.
"This is what pure joy looks like - she didn't want to leave. We collected shells, built a sandcastle and watched it get destroyed. We shrieked as the waves hit us, both because it was fun and freezing cold. Our hair is messy and crisp from the salt water. Today was a good day."
I don't use any other memory keeping apps, but I've been hearing a lot about different ones, both video and journaling, that prompt you to share a bit each day of the year? Has anyone used these? I'm not sure if I could commit to every day, but maybe it would be nice to have on the days there is something I want to record.
XOXO,
I don't know about your schools, but ours seem to give out a lot of certificates. I'm sure it's because the kids love them and it provides them with recognition and builds their confidence. Because I am behind in my scrapbooking, it also builds up as a stack of paper on my desk.
It effort to clear up some space I've been working to get those memories documented and those papers tucked away and organized in albums. Last May, Zoe was awarded student of the month. I shared this picture of her on Instagram the day she received her award.
I had this picture, along with a bunch of other 4x4 Instagram photos printed at Persnickety Prints. It was my first time using them and I really like the thickness and the semi-matte finish of the prints. The resolution left something to be desired, but they were iPhone pictures and only edited on my phone so I called it good enough and got to work. Better done than perfect!
I loved so many of the new spring/summer CHA releases, especially the lines by American Crafts. (I buy as much as I can from Paper Issues, Cassie has such a selection of items and her shipping time is lightening fast. You can almost always find a 20% coupon on their blog or Facebook page. I'm not an affiliate or anything, just a very happy customer.)
I used a lot of Shimelle's new line, Starshine, for this page. I mixed in some pieces from my stash, some Studio Calico kits I got on major sale and some coveted labels from TwoGirlzStuff. Layering has been one of my favorite things to do. I've discovered since patterned papers are my favorite supply, layering is a great way to not only show them off, but use them up.
For this layout, I didn't use the certificate on the page. Instead I inserted an 8.5x11 page protector along with the certificate right next to the page. On the backside, I might use it for another certificate and make a page for it, or make an 8.5x11 layout, so the page protector doesn't go to waste.
Do you keep all your paper memorabilia? Do you incorporate it on to your pages?
XOXO,
It's here! February is here. I am not Valentine's Day's biggest fan, but I sure do love valentine themed everything. Conversation hearts are my favorite candy, and did you know they make resealable bags now? Dangerous to say the least.
If you are not already following my Valentine's Day Pinterest board... you should be. I've got everything from free printable valentines for kids to sweet treats to make.
She really wants to make two sets of valentines; one for the girls and one for the boys. We haven't settled the argument yet, but I'm thinking I want to follow Emilie's tradition of candy free valentines. What would you do? Would you let her get two kinds of valentines or insist that she pick one kind that will work for both genders? #thestruggleisreal
XOXO,
Along with the rest of the country, we have been wishing for summer around here. It took a long time for Texas weather to get the memo that winter has arrived, but now that it has, we are cranking up the heat.
I have had this page done for a long while, but I am just now getting around to posting it. Is everyone else still loving pineapples? I am. I saw that My Mind's Eye came out with a new line, On Trend 2, and I spotted some gold foil pineapple printed products!
The pineapple on this page was made using a screen stencil from a kit from A Beautiful Mess. In stead of using paint, I used a mist, sprayed onto a cotton ball. I dabbed it on the paper. It dried a lot faster than paint would've and I love the imperfect finish.
This picture pretty much summed up Summer 2015 for us. Lots of sun and slurpees. It just gets so hot that I have little motivation to do anything but lay around the pool and drink cool drinks. While I'm not looking forward to the heat, I am looking forward to the lazy days and the sun staying up past 5pm.
Is anyone else dreaming about summer?
XOXO,
I'm about to get real, messy honest. Because guess what? Life is messy. My life is messy and as much as sometimes I wish it was Pinterest worthy all the time, that's not reality.
At the beginning of the year, I set come creative goals. I started out 2015, battling depression as a result of dealing with infertility and I needed some plan to help me, help myself. Making has always been a really good way for me to manage my depression and anxiety symptoms, but when you suffer from depression, sometimes, you don't feel like doing anything. I had gotten to the point where I had lots of supplies but no desire to create anymore.
After lots of crying and urging from my sweet husband, a few weeks into the year, I sought professional counseling. Working with the therapist and working on my own to heal, has proved to change everything for me. I'm starting to feel like myself again. Creating is no longer hard for me. I have ideas flowing constantly. Pictures don't make me sad anymore and I'm able to enjoy documenting my life. I'm tackling new projects and mediums, I wouldn't dare do before.
I spent 2/3 of this year completing taking online classes. (One more semester to go!) School is such a time suck, and even though it's online, I took some difficult classes that required more effort than I thought. This definitely didn't help contribute to making stuff, but did contribute to my mental health. It always feels good to accomplish something and see progression.
So back to the creative goals. Did I accomplish them all? Nope, but I am 100% okay with that. Mentally and emotionally, I am in such a better place and these goals helped me get there.
Let's Review:
Sewing
- Complete 6 quilts - I completed 4 quilts for myself and 1 for Fort Worth Fabric Studio.
- I have one more quilt that just needs a binding......so this was *almost* completed.
- Sew 6 garments for Zoe - none.
- Sew 6 garments for Myself - I made myself a top and a skirt.
- Both aren't a perfect fit, so they have only been a worn a couple times.
Scrapbooking
- Make 52 pages in 2015 - 7/52. I haven't even blogged all the pages that I created.
- I'm bummed that this number isn't high because I definitely have plenty of pictures to scrap.
- Sort and Purge supplies - I did this! Twice! We moved right before Thankgiving into a house!
- This house just happens to have enough bedrooms that I get my very own office/craft room.
- But, upon moving, that meant I had to pare down my supplies.
Photography
- Take a picture with my SLR every week - Fail.
- However, I pulled it out more than I did last year.
- Find 3 new places to take pictures - I did this! I found an awesome painted red brick wall,
- a beautiful field of wildflowers by the lake and a golf course that is tucked away.
2015 was far from perfect, but I'm headed back towards a person I recognize and it feels so much better. I have BIG plans for 2016, but I'll save those goals for another post!
XOXO,
Holly & Co.
Even basic squares and rectangles can make for a fun, whimsical quilt. This bright beauty is headed to Washington as a baby gift for one of my best friends. Let's not mention that her baby was born in October....
This fun little quilt is just one variation of the disappearing nine patch pattern. I used this tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew for guidance. I used a fat quarter bundle, but this tutorial is perfect for charm packs or 5" squares.
The fabric is Saltwater by Cinderberry Stitches for Riley Blake. Full of pastels and adorable illustrations, it was a perfect fit for a baby quilt. The backing is from Out to Sea by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller. It is an older line, and I found it on sale at my local quilt store. It matched perfectly.
I quilted it with light pink thread in a random wave pattern. I think the quilting is my favorite part actually. It just seals the nautical theme. I used the patchwork fabric from the fat quarter bundle for the binding. The pattern gives it a pieced binding look without all the extra seams.
I've just got to pop this in the wash and make sure it crinkles up nicely, then it will be off to snuggle a sweet little girl.
My friend Lindsey has also made some adorable projects with this fabric line. Check out her projects below. Just click the image.
This project is part of my creative goals for the year. You can read more about those here. You can also follow my sewing Pinterest board, where I keep my dream projects and patterns.
Does anyone else struggle with what to get your child's teacher for Christmas?
Zoe's teacher this year has been over-the-top amazing! She has cultivated such a special relationship with Zoe. Her genuine desire to help Zoe learn and grow, has ignited a fire in her for learning. She has had so many great academic achievements already this year, and we owe so much to her teacher.
I wanted to make her something special, but something practical.
We moved into a new house a few weeks ago, and although packing and unpacking is a nightmare that lasts forever it seems, one positive side effect is discovering unused supplies. I found that discovered supplies + black Friday/cyber Monday sales = great ideas!
Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost, is a new found favorite blogger/designer of mine. She designs beautiful fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics and also owns a Etsy shop. She had a 40% coupon for cyber Monday, and I used it for the Townie Bag Pattern.
The Townie Bag is an over-sized tote with no zippers or pockets, which makes it an easy sew. I do recommend a denim needle for sewing through all the layers. I thought my everyday needle could handle it, since this pattern uses canvas in lieu of interfacing, but nope, it snapped.
It features to sets of handles, a long adjustable fabric handle and two short leather handles. I used an old belt for the short handles and it worked perfectly. I also used rivets for the first time in my sewing.
To add stiffness and body to the bag, I quilted lines about 3/4 of an inch apart. I would highly recommend this. It adds time and it is tedious, but the end result is beautiful. I also like to increase my stitch length when I do this, it gives a nice finishing touch.
Zoe was so excited to give it to her teacher. We add a card and gift cards inside so she really knew how much we appreciated. Hopefully it will get put to good use.
As far as the pattern goes, it was a fine pattern, but lacked detailed pictures for making the handles and a list of cut fabric pieces at the top. It listed the cuts as you go along, and I prefer to cut all my items first and then assemble. I had to re-read the handle instructions several times to make sure I was understanding it correctly. I ultimately opted for a youtube tutorial to help guide me.
I do love the size! It's the perfect size for a library book bag, a church bag, or a school tote. I am almost finished with another version just for me.
XOXO,
Holly & Co.
