The Christmas Dress

This is a bit belated but I wanted to "document" Nora's first (handmade by mom) Christmas dress:


It would have been nice (but unusual) if she'd held still long enough for me to get a picture... Alas, 2-yearolds infrequently hold still unless they're going limp when you try to pick them up for bedtime. Therefore, I found a slightly less energetic model.

The lace is vintage (and which I've been holding on to for quite a long time)

Buttons don't 100% match but I love the bakelite cookie style so decided these two could be friends.

Here it is in toto on a very patient hanger.

SAW 2012... on like Donkey Kong

I'm going to Squam and it's on like Donkey Kong. Last year I was left with a really awesome positive sense of focus; I felt inspired and ready to hop on the creative craft-o-matic steam train: big plans for a fabric collection based on my owls, big plans to resuse and repurpose old wooden furniture. However, when I got home, 99% of that awesomepositivefocus dissolved under reality's weight of day-to-day responsibilities and, in less than a month, I became really frustrated. I kind of put it out of my mind (maybe a survival instinct to make it through the Holidays...?)
My good friend emailed me (a reminder) this last weekend about the retreat and I read it last night at 1AM-ish. Maybe it was because I was covered in the results of Nora's stomach flu, maybe it was the sleeplessness, maybe it was just the sense of calm (in spite of the other two aforementioned possibilities) that I felt when I thought about attending, but- on a complete whim- I completed my application and sent in the deposit this morning.

Favorite captured moment of 2011

Happy New Year!

Handmade Christmas presents are the best... THE BEST

This year I was able to actually make a number of handmade Christmas presents. One in particular was exciting to finish/give:

This should look familiar; it is on my 2011 Craft Resolutions list (check another one off the list WOOT)

I was also able to wing these peg dolls; they are heavily based on results returned from an image google search for "peg doll." I love google image search like a fat kid loves cake.

Best of all, the house and dolls were made for a special little girl who we all love; Jonah picked the fabric and helped me stuff and sew; Nora picked the colors to paint the dolls (note the green hair and lots of pink).

I love it when a plan comes together.

Adventures in Soap

I made some coffee soap.
Fats: coffee bean butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and olive oil Essential oils: Frankincense, cloves, and cinnamon Added: coffee grounds

Then, I made some peppermint and poppyseed soap.
Fats: palm, coconut, olive Essential oils: Peppermint and cinnamon Added: poppy seeds

Then, I had all these left over peices of soap (coffee soap and poppy seed soap) when I cut off the rough edges. So, I decided to makes some lemon soap-
Fats: palm, coconut, olive Essential oils: Lemon Added: pieces of other soap

- and stick the left over pieces of the other two into the mold right after trace- and this is what I got:




It smells like sunshine. I think I'll call it "Sun Spots"

Some Progress

So, the end of the year is nigh and I have to review my "Craft Resolutions List" for the year...

Craft Resolutions List-
1. Finish this shawl - DONE

2. Finish Lily's baby blanket... not done
3. Finish a crochet motif baby blanket ... not done
4. Make knit boots ... not done
5. Design and make a slew of felt crowns (birthday gifts) for the birthdays this year ... not done
6. Design and make an advent calendar ... DONE!!! of note, I intended to sew a calendar that we could use yearly. This one is fun but I doubt it will last till next year.
7. Learn to wash, card, spin and dye fleece, roving, yarn ... I washed yarn and I learned to drop spindle so I'm going to say this is a 50% done.
8. Make something (tea wallet, bag, whatever) with reverse applique ... not done
9. Design and post at least one knitting or crochet pattern - DONE my patterns may have been simple but, darbginit, I did it!


10. Design and make Nora a new, smaller, softer baby doll ... not done
11. Make fabric houses/carry-alongs I made some progress on this! I have the plastic pieces ready to cover. I just have to do the actual sewing part. Oi!

12. Make a real quilt square ... not done

So, that's not terrible. It's not good but it's not terrible.

Merry Christmas!

Advent Calendar Awesomeness

I've been wanting to make an advent calendar for a really long time.


The kids painted the background (cork board), helped create the designs on and dictated the layout of the boxes.

Materials used:
1. Left over favor boxes from my wedding (10 years ago! this proves that you should never throw anything away...)
2. Bling (plastic jewels) which seem to have lasted forever (and we still have more)
3. Glitter glue that Nora received for her birthday
4. Misc buttons
5. Plain markers
6. Elmer's glue
7. Cork board
8. Velcro
9. Soy paint

I... er, the Christmas Angels put little wooden ornaments in each box. The kids open one every night after dinner and hang the ornament on the tree.

Jonah was disappointed there was no candy in the first few boxes opened; little did he know that the Christmas Angels had put his Halloween candy in a select number of the packages... did I say Halloween candy?

We had fun making it and I love how it turned out.

Merry Christmas!!