Lace Baby Dress

I really do love this pattern it is so simple and so cute, you can find it here. Can't go wrong with free especially when things turn out this cute! I just added a bow to the pattern and put it on a pin so I can take it on or off depending on the occasion. This took me about 3-4 hours to make, I would highly recommend it :)

I can't wait to take her to church in her dress made with love!

Chambray Peasant Dress

The pattern I used was from Sew-much-ado, I'v used her site for a couple of things and they have been great. I love a good tutorial with patterns how can you go wrong with free? I also wanted a dress a little bigger then 0-3 months so I just magnified the pattern before printing. I held it against a 6 month dress and it looked about right.

The other modification I made to this dress was adding the ruffles which was super simple. I just made one big long ruffle cut it into three pieces and sewed them on before making my elastic casing.

Really Enjoying the idea of my little girl wearing an outfit made 100% by her Mom.

Busy Bee + Baby Obsessed

I find myself anxious already about this baby coming. So much to do, yet I want her here in my arms right now all at the same time. So what am I doing to keep myself busy and preparing?

I have two part time jobs and a small business of my own. I work 8 hours a week retail for fun and discounts, and I am a personal trainer growing my client base very quickly these days. I work Monday through Saturday, so this keeps me busy!

I am also going through a women's speciality course through the national academy of sports medicine. Soon I'll be a specialized women's trainer with an emphasis in pre and post natal very soon!

Sewing sewing sewing. Baby shoes, baby moccasins, burp rags, baby dresses, little things for the nursery, and of course hair bows. I can't seam to pull myself away from the millions of things I want to sew for this little baby girl of mine.

These are some infant baby moccasins I made, I also made some for her she is older as well. Along with some little flats! Baby shoes are hard to make perfect to match but I did my best and I'll admit I'm proud of them.

Burp Rags! I embellished some cloth diapers as burp rags, and they are in this cute wire basket next to the rocker awaiting for those late night feeds. Along with some others for the diaper bag and stroller.

This is a handy dandy little quick project to help the door shut quietly when sneaking up on the baby which I know I will be doing!

I also enjoy just rocking in my nursery gazing at where my daughter will soon be. It is completely finished which makes me ecstatic but I am keeping it to myself for the time being but don't worry I will post pictures eventually.

Our New Glider

I always hear or see pictures on people buying ugly stuff for cheap and making them amazing. I never thought I would be capable of doing it myself. But I found this old glider on ksl for only $29 and I couldn't help but buy it and take on the challenge.

This is the before of the Glider

What we did:

- Took the pads to the bathtub and gave me a really good wash

- Took the whole glider apart, primed, sanded, then painted each section

- Put back the rocker

- We got a big roll of foam from Hobby Lobby and I used the old cushions and traced a pattern onto the foam and cut pieces of foam in the same shape

- My Mom made grey linen slip covers and we put both the old cushions and the foam pieces into the slip covers

- I made a new cover for the springs and threw the old white one you see in the photo above, I replaced it with a quilted piece of mustard canvas and batting

Taa Daaaa!!!

Sorry I just can't help but be so happy about this chair. It is literally exactly what I wanted (which was impossible to find) and it only cost us around $60 when most wooden gliders were starting at $150 - $500.

Don't mind us testing paint right behind the rocker!

Glamourous

Have you been wanting that glamourous chunky necklace like I have but either they are out of your price rang, or plastic! Fear not I will show you how to make one that is neither!

You will Need:

Jewels, beads, crystals whatever works best for you, it should dangle though, like the beads I have shown below. It is on a loop so that the loop attaches the bead to the necklace instead of it going through the bead it self if that makes sense. I got mine at Porters

Thicker jewellery wire

Ribbon

It only cost me $20, because I didn't have any of the materials

Take your wire and wrap it around a pen, then wrap it to close it like shown below.

Thread the beads on the wire, I had two different colours of beads so I did four of each colour in a row.

When your beads are gone, or your at the length you wan it repeat the step above.

Tie your ribbon to the loop, then die two pretty knots like shown above to cover the ugly wire! Repeat on the next side. Then you should have something that looks like this!

Also I had regular crystals on the chains I bought so I used the extra to make a matching bracelet.

Its a great necklace to wear with collared shirts, and with the ribbon closure you can make it shorter.

Rice Bag

I love these! My Husband's favourite team is the Colts - hence the fabric. He stands the whole time he is at work and so his back is usually sore by the end of the day, and this rice bag makes a world of difference. One reason why a rice bag is better then just a little hot pack or hot blanket is because its moist heat. The moist heat penetrates all the way down to the muscles, which a hot blanket cannot do. It smells funny, but its worth it. 

But as for me I usually use it when I'm chilled down to my core, or also when I'm sore.

You'll Need:

Fabric

Scissors

Thread

Sewing Machine

Rice

Rice Bag:

1. Cut out two pieces of fabric. Both 14x10.

2. Put Right sides together and sew down three sides, and a little bit on the edges of the forth side. Leave your hole big enough to pour the rice in.

3. Pour your rice in, I used the standard bag from Walmart I think it was about one pound.

4. Sew across, to close up the hole. So now you should have a rice bag.

Rice Bag Slip Cover:

1. No for the cover, you will need to cut out three different pieces of fabric. A 14x10, 10x10, 7x10.

Your 14x10 will make up the front, and the two smaller ones will both make up the back.

2. Take your two small pieces and fold them over twice and sew down to make a nice finished edge.

3. Then lay the big piece facing up, and place the two smaller pieces facing down (right sides together), with the two finished seams in the middle.

4. Sew all the way around, and slip your rice bag into the cover.

5. Warm up those cold winter toes or sore muscles!

Finished product (please excuse the tacky apartment carpet!)

I chose to do a slip cover so that it could be washed. Trust me you'll want that option, after using it for a couple months it will need to be washed! Plus it's so quick.

When my husband opened this he had a huge grin and then ask "Where did you buy this?" Needless to say its a great home made gift. Its useful and hopefully they will think it's so amazing you bought it!

Flower Ribbon Shirt

You will need:

A plain shirt you don't wear often

Ribbon

Sewing Machine

Something to make your shirt with (washable)

I had a shirt that was olive green, fits great, modest, makes me eyes pop - but nothing on it, so plain and boring. But a good shirt, so I added some girly flower power to it and now its cute, still neutral and looks great with my favourite grey cardigan.

Forgive my terrible photos, and the fact that you can still see the marker on my shirt!

(Hope it washes out! It was written in Japanese so I couldn't tell) 

First I drew my flower onto my shirt, and then I sewed the flower on roughly the same as the drawing. It was harder then it looked!

Then I sewed the ribbon on to make the flower but slightly off so that you can see the sewn flower, and the ribbon flower. Then wash to get marker, pencil or whatever you used out.

Please excuse my sweats and slippers! I have been really really sick. But I promise it looks so cute with jeans and a cardigan.

I was featered for this shirt over at Flamingo Toes, and I realized that I totally forgot to give her the true credit for this. It was her blog that I got my idea from! Sorry about that

Paper Ornaments

Ever girl that walks into our little apartments comments on these adorable paper ornaments!

Our tree when it was done bring decorated!

Light: k-mart

Ornaments: Dollar store, Walmart, and homemade!

Sorry I did not take pictures of the making process but it is so easy, sooo easy! If you've noticed I'v been all about the quickest crafts ever! Although if you plan on making a lot of them like I did it takes a long time.

You'll Need:

Scrap booking paper (Double sided best)

String/thread

Glue

Scissors/Paper cutter

1. Cut your paper. (If its not double sided it will still work, but you can see inside and so it looks much better if there is a pattern/colour inside and outside). You will want to cut a lot of little strips. Half inch wide and four inches long is what I did. You will need six for one ornament.

2. Take your glue (glue gun works best) and two strips of paper. Glue their ends together so that it looks like a circle. 

3. Take you're remaining four pieces of paper and glue them to the top and bottom of your circle to make a round ornament like shown below!

4. Tie you're string or thread on, then hang on tree. Enjoy the compliments!

Note: I feel like this was so simple, that I had a hard time explain it! Once you make one I am sure you will understand what I am saying, they are so easy and cute.

Happy Crafting :)

Necklace/Headband Holder

Okay so this is the post I promised all of you a couple days ago. I can't believe it has taken me this long to post a craft, all the ones I have been making lately are for christmas there for unbloggable!

Well if you are all like me I have accessory issues, where do I put all of them! Head bands are a hard to store thing when they have flowers on them, and then with my new necklace venture I have so many necklaces and no place to store them. So I discovered these! 

All you need is:

- Empty Ribbon roll

- paint/or ribbon

- mod podge

- cute paper

1. If you have a brown ribbon roll like this one you want to paint it white. If you have a one one you can leave it, or like shown later I glued some ribbon inside to give it a little more depth and detail.

2. After it is painted cut out a circle. Put a layer of mod podge lay your paper down and press flat. Wait ten minute and put another layer of mod podge down, let dry and your done!

I know its so easy its silly right?

Here are my three I made, I put them up on the wall in our bathroom and hung my necklaces up on it. They also work great for head bands!

If you look past the necklace you can see brown, this is ribbon that I'v put in the inside

On this one it actually has white ribbon inside to add a little something :)

 Personally I love these, I have them up in my bathroom and they are the perfect thing to hold my necklaces and headbands. And everything is from stuff around the house, yay cheap and useful!

Curtains - Homemade w/ Love!

 Our Bedroom looked terrible, which made me sad. The frames all clashes and there was no colour, it still needs work due to waiting for wedding photos but that I will have to be patent for. I tried to find a curtain tutorial that I liked but no go.. So I am making my own! This is for one curtain, although I made two for my window.

You will need:

Sewing machine

2 feet of fabric

29 by 11 inch piece of fabric (for top)

Pins

Matching thread

Measuring Gage (optional)

Also I have had some people ask me about the measuring gage. It is so handy I love it, my mom loves her's and its just so easy. Want to know the best part? $2 at Walmart!

This is what your finished product will look like - A pleated curtain with a top panel

You want iron then pin the long sides of your 2 yard fabric. Fold 1/4 inch iron, fold 1/4 inch then iron again and pin.

Then sew it down, make sure you keep your lines straight

Then hem the bottom, I did a 2 inch hem to give it a seamless look at the button and to give it a tiny bit more weight at the bottom. Its up to you! Then Sew

You should now be done hemming and sewing the 3 edges of your curtain. Now cut your panel 29 by 11 inches.

Fold and iron the shortest sides of your panel

Lay your curtain and your panel right sides together - pin the first ends together and start pleating. This might very depending on the width of fabric you used, I just used a basic cotton. Hopefully I can explain this clear:

First I measured 3 inches and from 3 inches I pulled the fabric to the 3/4 line to make a pleat. As shown above.

Then when your done pinning it should look like this. Now sew that together, be careful to make sure the pleats stay the same.

Iron the top edge of your panel down as shown

Now fold it over to your seam line and pin down. But since we want to sew from the front you need to flip it over and pin it from the front. After it has been pinned int he front, remove pins from the back.

Sew down. This is what it should look like from the front (left) and from the back (right).

BEFORE!

 AFTER!

Ahh It looks so much nicer in there now. Adds colour and warmth and I'm proud of making these every time I come into our bedroom