Meet The Man of Your Dreams!

I have been super busy. We just got back form Az last week, our second trip in November and we are going back for Christmas! Brian Sr is gone all the time getting ready for Finals. I am sewing fancy Christmas pj's and Dresses. I am making Katie and Susan some adorable clothe pin dolls and I am getting ready for Christmas.

As a gift to my brother I am going to blog about his awesomeness and I will not post here for a while but come check out the Get Sam Fuller Married blog.

instruction-less tutorial

This wreath is easy and fun to make, try it out!

My Sister gave me the idea she copied it from this smart and very cute girl.

Thanks everybody for the inspiration and Mardell for some fabric!

How To Make a Jack-O-Lantern Table Runner: For your Halloween Decorating and Crafing Pleasure.

With some preparation, this table runner can be a quick project. It is great to do by hand during your favorite TV show (or during the October Session of General Conference). It can also be done by machine as an easy project for a beginner to sewing and for practice with straight and curved lines. Kids love to help with suggestion to the face expressions of the jack-o-lanterns. Enjoy!
Materials and Tools


Materials
-Orange and black felt:
-Synthetic felt (Sold by the yard or sold in sheets 9” by 12”) .10 cents a sheet
-Or wool felt 1 yard of each back and orange (in makes no difference if you are sewing my machine or hand which felt you chose. Wool felt will last longer, synthetic is easier to find and cost less.)
-Black thread or black embroidery thread for hand sewing

Tools
-Tape measure
-Pumpkin outline (you create the jack-o-lantern face)
-Pins
-Scissors
-Sewing machine or sewing needle for hand sewing

Step 1 Determine the length of table runner you want to make. Measure your table and purchase felt accordingly.

Step 2 Design your jack-o-lantern face. The template is helpful for the size of pumpkin. On the template sheet draw your pumpkin face. When designing the face don’t make spaces too big like a mouth to wide open it will not lay well. Also remember you will be sewing around the shapes you may want to keep them simple. Kids will love to help decide the facial expression of the pumpkins.Step 3 Cut the template leaving ¼ inch edge around the shapes. Remember not to use your fabric scissors to cut paper.Step 4 Pin the cut out template to the black felt and cut the black felt. After cutting the felt remove pins and template.
Step 5 Cut the boarder around the pumpkin template off leaving an exact pumpkin ¼ inch smaller. Step 6 Pin the cut out to the orange felt and cut out template and cut the orange felt.Step 7 Pint the orange felt on top of the black felt. Remember to pin all around the edge and around the mouth.


Step 8 Begin sewing! Hand sew a running stitch with black thread on the orange pumpkin 1/8th inch from the edge the orange felt. Or sew by machine on a long stitch setting or zigzag around the pumpkin and openings on the face. Remember this is a Halloween craft, you stitches may not be perfect its all right it looks scary. If you are not satisfied with a length use your seam ripper and start over, or go over the stitch a second time and create 2 lines over lapping each other.

Step 9 Continue to sew around each pumpkin, the number of pumpkins will differ according to the length you want. I have 8 pumpkins after all pumpkins have been sewn together lay them out and decide how you want them to look. Mine are in a pattern from long to short, facing right, to facing left, and smiley face, to scary face.

Step 10 After you decide how you want them laid out attach then by first pinning then sewing overlapping a few inches of each pumpkin. Next display it accross your table and enjoy your finished project.

Not sure I'm a specialist but I'll try.

I have been asked to be the Sewing Specialist for my Church (ward)! At our church there is an organization of women called the Relief Society, the RS women meet each Sunday during the 3rd hour and talk spiritual things, Christ Love, becoming better women, serving others, prayer, scripture study etc... Then during the week we gather for various activities, called Home Family and Personal Enrichment or Enrichment, every ward has different enrichment activities. Our ward has playgroup, luncheon group, a natural health group, book group, "A Heart Like His" group, a craft group, and now a sewing group.
I am very exited to lead this new group/ class! I am on my own journey to learn sewing so I am ready to learn as I teach. I love to organise gatherings so I have already started to organise the class and get talented women to come tech us. Mary used to teach the 7th gr6ade homeeconomics and sewing. Mardell is a TA at Mesa college for the sewing classes, she has also been my personal sewing coach. Jeni, and Jennifer have showed me that sewing is trendy and you can be very cool while sewing, and lastly the world wide web of craft bloggers has opened so many doors to sewing possibilities. I hope to share these things with my class.

Here is the flyer I handed out today. I am actually going to set it up like 7th grade sewing class. Mary gave me her worksheets and crossword puzzles, diagrams and projects. We will mix that with some great Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas projects. Can you tell I am exited?! Now open invitation to the world come to our class!
I almost posted all that personal information! If you really want to come and don't already know the info. leave a comment.

Bragging a big mistake

I have a problem, when I think I have done well, or accomplished a goal. After I gloat, and brag, then I stop trying as hard. For example I lost some weight for a cruise then fit into a new smaller dress for the formal night. After the cruise I gained most of the weight back. and donate the dress to a thrift store.

I was on fire with the aprons a few weeks ago. I made a lot for the week! I still like them but I can not get it right again! It took we all week to make a chefs hat and a long time to figure out what to do with the next apron, the fabric has a huge print and large empty space. Anyway sorry for all that bragging. Maybe now I will be able to make a few more aprons, Wish me luck!

I mentioned my success and failure with my big sewing project in a talk I gave I in church today, check it out, if you wan to read a long curchie talk.

FYI in the LDS Sunday church service members of the congregation are asked to speak on an assigned topic for a given amount of time usually 5-15 min. Our talks were about the spiritual blessing of paying tithing, but I was able to fit sewing in!

Warning bragging on my aprons! Waring getting spiritual while sewing!

I am getting very exited about these aprons! Jenny and Shawn came to San Diego for a few days. In between the beach, going out to dinner, babysitters, and the Zoo, we crafted. Our husbands were so nice to watch the kids and go to bed without us while we sewed late into the night. It was so fun to sew with Jenny, get ideas from her, she is so creative, and teach her some sewing tricks.











I made a bunch of bias tape all at once, a whole lot! Then my plan was to to all of the aprons with black bias tape then move on to the next batch of bias tape color and coordinating aprons.



I know my progress is going so well because, the aprons got better as I went. After I made the first one I was really happy with my work and accomplishments. I can tell I am developing as a seamstress. It came together quicker the the first one I made (back in December) and looked very nice. Then I did the matching little girls apron, and love it even more, with a sweet little bow.

Next I moved onto a new fabric, it was kind of a plain fabric just back and white. After encouragement (thanks jenny, Shawn, and Brian) I added color, with ruffles, ribbon, and a flower, then I was in love! I thought this apron was my favorite!
(Its got lots of bling) . Then I made the matching daughters, and love it more, man I am good! I am so talented, I make beautiful things. I have a fabulous sister..brag..brag..brag..














I really do love the aprons and hope others do to, as I plan to sell them. I think some people might want less bling on an apron so I will make more of both styles. What do you think? More bling, ribbons, bows, ruffles, flowers, or less, keep it simple.
*Warning now I am going to get church-ie* I really think I was doing so well, and having lots of success when sewing because I made it a priority to read my Scriptures and Pray every day.
My mom said one time she thought she was able to "figure out the computer" ( email, word programs, photo and video editing etc..) Because she was reading her scriptures. I will admit I thought she was a little silly to relate the two, but now I see she might be right. I sew better when I read the scriptures and pray daily, what a blessing!

Back to School Cupcakes

A sweet and talented friend brought over some back-to-school cupcakes. I thought they were so cute that they needed to be shared.

honey I bought more fabric.

Seriously that is what I will have to confess to my honey when he comes home. I bought a lot, but I love it! These will make fabulous aprons!

apron season

My Sister and fellow crafter Jenny has recruited me into this boutique put on by another crafty friend of ours. Jenny is very talented and is making very awesome, trendy, shirts and other cute stuff.
Jenny asked me to make aprons similar to the ones I made for her and her and my Niece for Christmas. Here is my niece, super cute and full of personality Lacy sporting the apron I made last year. I will make these and some women's aprons for her to sell at the boutique. Check it out!

I have been putting off starting until Brian Jr starts Kindergarten (one week) :( Tonight I bought some of the fabric I will be using. I love them I will go buy 3 more fabrics that are more fun colorfull, and youthful when the huge fabric store near by has its big sale on Labor day.

The solid prints will be the bias tape( or the edge that boarders the apron) I think to make the kids aprons more cutsie I will add buttons or bows or ric-rack.

Tutorial: How to make a glow-in-the-dark-star necklace: for your camping pleasure.

This tutorial is very easy to complete. With some preparation by you, the kids will get to express their creativity and complete this project with and a handmade work of art to wear and play with when the sun goes down. We enjoyed this craft on our family our camping trip. The idea is ingenious and the project is simple. It begins with glow-in-the-dark stars and a glow-in-the-dark beads hot glued too the back. With the bead glued on the back you can then string the star along with mixes beads for a fun creative necklace. This was a hit with the kids camping but would also be fun at a sleepover party, or anytime you wanna craft and glow in the dark. I did this craft while camping so that is how I will refer to in the tutorial.
Tools

Hot glue gun and glue

Materials

plastic lacing -also called, lanyard, boondoggle. or any thread, lacing, string of your choice.

mixed beads I close nature inspires beads for our camping trip

package of glow in the dark stars-available in the children's toy section of most stores.

glow in the dark beads

If you are going to do this craft with kids or especially when camping steps 1 through 3 need to be done before.

Step 1. Glue the the bead to the back of the star. With the glue gun squeeze a small amount of glue near the top of one of the stars points.

Step 2. Position the bead onto the glue quickly. Make sure the bead its on its side so that inside of the bead can still be threaded.

Step 3. Continuing step 1 and 2 change the directing and position of the glue to add some variety to the stars position on the necklace.

Step 4. Now you have completed the preparation easy! Be sure to pack the materials, and head to the campground.

Step 5. I found it easiest to leave the lacing uncut and let the kids thread their chose of beads and stars, or tie a knot in the end. It looks best with 5 beads then a star to space the stars. Step 6. After they have filled the length appropriate for a necklace cut the lace from the bundle, if you already have continue, and tie the ends together for a completed glow-in-the-dark star necklace.

Craftin with Sculpey

In Mexico I found an adorable little tea set with this tiny basket.

I decited the little basket neede some veggies. And this bowl needed fome fruit. I made these with Sculpey. I did not take a very good picture reflecting the size but these little fruit are tiny, the basket is about 1' 1/2 inches tall.

Something Special

I had a lovely outing today. Mardell my life savor here in SD took the big kids for a few hours while #3 and I went out for a drive and some window shopping. I have driven by 'Something Special' before but never was brave enough to go into the boutique with 3 elephants I mean kids. While in 'Something Special' I found a new idea for some tea cups and saucers I have. Maybe I will make something like this for my girlie girl's room...someday.

Also on the same street as something Special I walked past Artsy Smartsy. Its a great idea but, bery-bery pricey.

So much to blog

This has been a month of lots of projects! I painted the mirror frames for the 3rd time, this time adding ribbon(love em) I stamped the mat on 2 picture frames.(not sure how I feel about em) I mod podge hanging monograms with scrap book paper, again. Now I'm working on paining some awesome frames from thrifting. I will post about the thrifted frames when the project is done. Also I will back up and post on the projects a little more.