Back into the groove...hopefully

It has been a very blessed last couple of weeks!!  I have gotten several orders in the last couple of weeks, which I am very thankful for!  In the last couple of months I have not been pushing the Boutique as I should be. But now that I am getting back into the groove of things I'm getting used to spending some daily-quality time with my machine!  I've also got to get back to couponing too!!

In the last 2 days I have made 12 Cool 'em Totes and worked on a couple of hooded towels.  I have the To-Do List started and I have started marking things off!!  Now lets hope that the list keeps growing!!

Meanwhile, I am mainly getting use to to being a SAHM, but this time its to a 4 1/2 year old, a 3 yr old and a newborn!  The last time I stayed at home (no school or work at all) was when Munchkin #1 was about 8 months until Munchkin #2 was 3 months old!  It is definitely quite different than I remember but so far so good! 

Well until later Peeps!

New To-Do List

Ok thanks to the Hubby (and yes I am putting a majority of the blame on him) I barely got started on my To-Do List from last weekend.  Instead we ended up tearing out the front walkway and entire front porch--it was Monday before my ears quit ringing from 2 days of listening to a jackhammer outside my front door.  However I did make my 1st boppy pillow cover with help from Vanilla Joy and I also made a matching nursing cover for a really great friend's sister-in-law.  I used this pattern that Vanilla Joy supplies on her site and altered it some by not using a zipper and made it close like a pillow sham.  I also got the last batch of my custom orders packed up and shipped out.  It might not have been very productive in the garage/sewing room, but it was an overall productive weekend around our little house!

But now I have another To-Do List (I'm still going to work on the other one too!!)

• master a pattern for the Rachel Ray moppine towels (my mom has been waiting for like 2 months for these, I probably need to make them a priority!)
• create a pattern/design for a boot bag
• make up some more bandana/pillowcase dresses
• make more Cool 'em Totes
• AND of course keep making more Feed Sack Totes!

And these are just a few of the things I would like to work on! Now these are just a few of the projects that I work on in between orders, so I should stay plenty busy!

Until later Peeps...

*Weekend Project*

So this weekend I AM determined to work on our garage turned office/sewing/craft center!  I have slowly worked started on this project a couple of different times this winter on an occassional evening or 2.  Then I have to leave it to work on something else and 2 weeks later it looks worse than it did before I worked on it last time.  How the heck does this happen?  I know you are probably thinking "excuses, excuses."  So here is the  To-Do List:  (I figured if I wrote it down/blogged it then I might, just might, get half way through the list)

1. sort through books
2. sort through office paperwork
3. sort fabric scraps
4. organize current orders/projects
5. straighten shelves & sewing supplies
6. dust/vacuum walls
7. sweep
8. rearrange tubs/boxes
9. move unnecessary stuff to cellar
10. set up old kitchen table for sewing

Okay I think this is a decent list to get started with, considering some of the these I might have to recruit the Hubbs to assist me!!  Hehe and he doesn't even know it yet!!  Shh don't tell him, I like to catch him off guard with the honey-dos!
With all of my comings and going lately my sewing area looks like a tornado has hit it.  And I really need to get it tackled before I start any new projects!  So if I dont show back up in the next few days, please send someone to find me in our garage somewhere!!  Because this is where I will be either cleaning or finishing a couple of orders!

Crazy Crafty Weekend!!

Well this weekend ended up being a very productive weekend!!! Thank goodness because I was needing to get a lot of different stuff done! Last Thursday I picked up a pile of orders that were at a buddy's getting monogrammed. So I have that stack of orders to work through, new orders coming in, and getting stuff ready for this weekend. I am going to have a booth at a ranch rodeo and I am super excited about it. So forewarned you may not hear from me very much this week!! I am going to be working on all of my stuff and spend plenty of time with my new co-worker/employee...

Meet Mr. Janome, my new sewing maching!!! So far I am loving his work and he is soo much more quiet than my other machine!

All thanks go to my cousin who took Munchkin #1, my MIL who took #2, my hubby who stayed out of the house as much as possible and my mom for coming up to help me cut and sew on Saturday!! We got alot done! We stayed up until 12:30 Fri night and were back up and sewing by 8:30 Sat morning and we finally quit about 5 to head to the LBK. The day just flew by for us. Then since Sunday was so beautiful the munchkins played outside & I got a few more things sewn together!

All in all I'd have to say it was a productive and successful weekend!

Later Peeps!

Oh & if you don't hear from me I will just be under the pile of material that is waiting to be sewn into beautiful items at my house!

Friday Showcase -- C and R Designs

Okay Peeps...

Here is my first showcase of a fellow mom and crafter, Whitney at C and R Designs. She is a stay-at-home mom and has 2 of the cutest little boys! When her hands are not busy around the house she is busy designing chunky, punchy jewelry along with custom pieces. She has made many necklaces to match various school colors along with other designs and colors. Check out her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/candrdesigns and here are a few pictures to get a glimpse of what C and R Designs has! Go like her page and let her know that T~n~T sent you!! You can also email her at candrdesigns@ymail.com!!

Be sure and go check this Mom's stuff!! And don't forget to let me know of more moms and/or crafters that might be interested in being showcased!!

Thanks, Love and Later Peeps...have an awesome weekend!

Wild & Crazy Wed. Night

So last night after getting a few things accomplished around the house, fed the starving munchkins, put up laundry, and got the munchkins to bed, I finally sat down and threw and eye pillow together! I didn't even use any of the patterns I had so carefully printed off yesterday (since it was like 10:30 and all of that stuff was still in the car--what can I say I didn't feel like walking out to the car). I wasn't even going to sew the pillow last night until I stumbled across a length of material that was right at 8" wide (then I held it across my face & determined that it was long enough, even though the patterns called for 10 inches). So I checked the pantry and I had a bag of regular rice tucked away in a far corner. By this time my dog Hannah is following me around giving me this look like "um Mom its like 10:30 and waayyy past our bedtime!" But I just kept trucking along, I was on a mission & I had a vision!! So I cut a 8X8 square and folded it into a 4X8 rectangle (right sides together) and sewed the 2 short side together with and opening on the long side, flipped it inside out, and filled it with about a cup of rice. (I think flaxseed will work better but where am I going to get that at 10:30 at night & in the middle of nowhere TX?) I topstitched the opening and threw it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. & I was ready for bed!! So then Hannah and I went to bed and slept like angels with our warm eye pillow or at least I did. Maybe I will get a slipcover or case made for it in a couple of days because I am preping for major sewing weekend!!

Later Peeps...

Welcome to My World with Google!

So I have spent some time this week with my ole pal Google. I have been researching various topics like handmade eye pillows, heating pads/pillows, patterns, and fillers. I ahve also been researching a couple of sewing machines. I love finding new patterns or ideas to try and tinker with. I think I have finally found a couple of patterns that I can alter, combine and tinker with until I get the results that I am looking for. I am super excited about getting home and getting my 1st eye pillow made just so I can test it out myself (I love testing out my stuff!)

I started thinking about this project and wondering if there were any patterns for an eye pillow thingymagig because I have been using my heating pillow to cover my eyes when I have a migraine. If I couldn't find one, then I was going to find the measurements for an eye mask or make a super-small version of my heating pillow. After another migraine wrecked havoc on my weekend this past Sunday, I jump started my research!! Sometimes I feel like I am still in school with all of this researching and studying that I do on patterns, projects and items---but I absolutely love it!! That's all that matters right? I will do my best to get some pics up of my end results!!

Later Peeps...

Oh and dont forget to send me suggestions for things you might want patterns for or even where to find specific ideas! Or you can suggests other Peeps that might want to be showcased!

Oh What a Crafty Christmas!!

Does anyone else feel like they are about to lose their sanity right now???
My mom called me Sunday morning and asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I replied "my sanity and patience please"
Somedays I wish that I could go out and buy gifts like most other people...but no I want to make something special and unique to give. (Generally because for most that I usually give to buy what they want and when they want it, so they are very hard to shop for!)
I have been working on 2 quilts, one for each of my brothers. It has been a quest to find the right materials for each one and to figure out how I was going to pattern both of them. My baby brother has been giving me his torn jeans for probably the last 5 years, so that I can make him a jean blanket (but I'm going to use them to back his quilt!).

Then we have the other half of my insanity...
I am very thankful for my family that appreciates handmade or handcrafted gifts because they take thought and time and mean much more! Since just about everyone in my family has a special talent (or craftiness!~my mom crochets, my brother and uncle weld, my Papa does woodwork and another uncle does leatherwork~ just to name a few) we drew names and the limit is $20 on either supplies or purchasing something handmade...Oh and did I mention that there are 19 of us??? This is going to be very interesting!!! I just can't wait for Saturday!

AND back to right now...this week...
I am also finishing up another quilt (that's right number 3~but neither of my brothers' will be done) that a friend ordered for her little cowboy!! It is gonna be awesome! Then a jean quilt to use in the bleachers and maybe the pillowcases for my brothers. Oh and a tote for my aunt for her birthday! Oh my I probably need to be sewing for the next 72 hours--too bad I have to be at the office!!!

Made with Love!

More Ideas for a Baby Shower Gift Part 2

*(Okay I am so sorry I didn't get this up last week!! It was so crazy around here!)

Here are a couple of popular selling items from my boutique. I always receive rave reviews about how these gifts were such hits because of their uniqueness!

The hooded towels are so great because they can grow with the child (my 4 yr old still uses hers so she can be a burrito). The main body is a regular 30X57 bath towel with a 9 in deep hood attached. They can be customized with the color of the towel, the pattern of ribbon and the monogramming. I have made them to match nurseries, personalities, or collegiate alumni choices, along with many themes. (Check out Facebook page for different ideas!)

Another great gift is the infant carrier blanket. These are made specifically for the infant car seat! It is 20"X20" with the name monogrammed on both the polysatin and the soft & comfy material. I use polysatin (feels like satin) so that it is machine washable. I have made many different combos of ribbons and materials: red & black; pink, green, & brown: pink & brown; green & brown; green & black; primary colors; blue & brown; and blue, green, & brown.

These ideas should be very helpful in giving a unique and very thoughtful gift!!

Great Gifts For Baby Showers-Part 1

Ok the secret to giving a great baby gift is by not just picking something off of the registry (granted the registry is there to give you an IDEA of the the new parents need or want). But honestly half of that stuff never gets used. Now if there is an item (like a Boppy Pillow) that you yourself found as a necessity then get it! I am guilty of the crazy scanning while registering but now I know better and I want to help you give the gift that is remembered and that is possibly the hit of the party (because that is a pretty good feeling to have!).

Ok here are a couple of suggestions that are some of the BEST everyday items for a new mommy to use!
1) Swaddling/Receiving Blanket
2) Nursing Cover
I believe that both of these items are now carried in Babies'R'Us, but when I first saw them they were only in boutique stores and cost a fortune, so I looked at patterns and figured out my own tweeked version to make. They are awesome products but the actual products are limited in colors and patterns (so if you need something specific you may have to make it yourself-but that's why I am here-to help you!) Today we will focus on the super simple swaddling blanket!
This blankets start at $18.99 and range up to like $35. However this is an item that will be used day in and day out, so you will want to give at least 2 or 3. (This is why you want to make them so it is much cheaper on you, plus being handmade will give your gift that WOW factor!)

Items you will need: 42-43" X 42- 43" pre-shrunk flannel (1 piece for each blanket) and a coordinating thread.

Fold over a hem of 1/2 inch, then fold again and pin...do this all the way around. You will have to play with the corners (I usually try to fold them at a diagonal line). Then sew your hem all the way around and ta-da! Super Simple, Super Awesome!

Now this project can be as simple or as fancy as you want (you can round the corners, make it double sided, quilt it or even hand sew around the edges). There are numerous ways to add your own flair to this project!