Plush Loveliness

I got a bit of time today to sew.  I needed a quick, easy project as I didn't really know how much time i'd get .... life with kids, go figure!  So I set upon doing a set of pillow covers for the living room.  Last week I picked up some great orange pillows and thought they needed some comapny. I was done and no-one was calling for me, so I snuck off to make some new pillow covers for downstairs.  Those lovely red felt ones didn't hold up so well. They pilled and got all sorts of fluff and fur stuck to them ..... a very messy business!  These one should hold up nicely and are made of a thrifted vintage fabric.  Enjoy!

the plain side .... love this fabric!

when possible i always pick up co-ordinating fabric, to mix things up a bit :)  

Hello giant vintage fabric pillow!

For The Year Ahead

Moving back into this house has given me a new outlook on everything.  There were so many things that we lost, and we all realized that most of it wasn't needed, or even wanted in some cases!  I am not talking about those heart wrenching personal items that are irreplaceable ... I don't think I'll ever get over some of those things.  I am talking about the excess of toys, kitchen gadgets, and craft crap!

We have decided to keep things simple, not buy things on a whim.  We are going to try to really think about the things we choose to bring into our home.  This will help us with clutter, money and general well being.  Less stuff makes us all happier.  It makes us appreciate what we do have, and makes us think about what we can do for others.

Now of course this doesn't mean I am going to stop crafting , oh no I can't stop even if I wanted to!   I am however thinking about the way i purchase things for the purpose of crafting.  I tend to buy yarn and fabric just because I like it, not for a certain project.  I already have found myself getting into the habit of this, and it will have to stop.  So now that I have a good stash of lovely fabrics and yarns ,what will I do?   And what do I really want to do this coming year?   Come and see :)

::new pillow covers for our new couches!::

::a fort for the boys that is easy to take down and good for indoor or outdoor::

::host many, many more parties::

::perhaps buy one piece of jewelry (costume of course and hopefully vintage!)::

::try really hard to do this photo challenge::

::have an organized and efficient craft area::

::make a vintage sweater or two ... three? ::

::dance .... really, well maybe.  we'll see how Saturday goes::

::Make a quilt for each person in the family::

::cook and eat more veggies, I really do love them::

::bake less, and bake healthy::

Do you have any plans for the year ahead?

Some "New" Stockings!

On December 23rd I realized that we did not have any stockings for Christmas.  I had searched the Christmas bins that had been returned to us after the fire, but alas no stockings!  I'd crocheted the boys each a stocking on their first xmas, so them being missing was a tad upsetting!

This, however, turned out to be not so bad as I found them today, only four days AFTER Christmas!  Oh well.  I managed to whip up some quick stockings, that both the boys love!  The problem I had to overcome was that we were leaving for Parksville in a few short hours and there was no time to run to the fabric store for felt, or to whip up the quilted ones I'd had my eye on.

After rummaging around, I found an old moving blanket that looked like felt .... good enough!  Jack picked out a bit of fabric from my very small (but quickly growing) stash and also a few buttons.  I packed everything and hand sewed them at the cabin, sitting by the fire.  How perfect!

So here they are!  Now next year it will be interesting to see which stockings they choose to hang?!

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A New Hat

I have no wool toques.  Or maybe I just can't find the ones i had, or perhaps they are gone.  I don't know, but I do know that on Thursday I needed one!  Now you see there was a problem.  I can't find my knit picks knitting needles case with all my new needles!  All I could find was a few pair of straight needles.  So how was I to knit a hat with straight needles?!

After a quick browse on my Knit Pinterest board, I found the perfect hat.  It is a hat I have been wanting to make for some time, but just never did.  Now was the time, all that was required was size 3 straight needles, a tapestry needle and some yarn!

I chose a neutral wool blend from my stash and got to work.  I did change the pattern a bit, and you can read about the detail on my ravelry page if you are interested.  I have to say this was one quick and easy hat!  It's rather glamorous and a bit costume-y but that just makes winter more fun .... you should see some of my other winter hats!  Anyways on with the photos!

hi there .... me with no make up!

and what did the boys do while I was busy knitting?

they glued stuff ... glue it's a good thing.

Oh and look here, we've hung some art on the walls!  This is in our "Portrait Room"

not the greatest photo .... but it's 10pm on a Saturday night!

A Little Christmas Cheer

We have been working hard on our Christmas cards for this year.  Jack wanted to make some cards for everyone in his class, so we decided that a lino print would be the way to go.  Jack really enjoys the carving process, and a bit of the stamping, though he usually quits after two or three prints.  I think they turned out great this year!

:: carving away::

::the printing process, breakfast, and the Millennium Falcon::

:: the finished product, I just love it.  feels like the snowman is dancing::

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And here are some other cards that he's done in the past:

:: these were done to raise funds for disaster relief in Japan, he raised over $300::

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And here is another one that he designed and I carved and printed!

::cute valentine cards::

Oh and a little update ..... the washing machine is fixed!!! They forgot to take out the huge bolts puti n for transportation ... sheesh!  So happy to have laundry ... well kind of, maybe, no not really.

A Wreath of Sorts

We've finished our first official Christmas craft project!!  We needed a wreath for the front door and I decided that a traditional green or grapevine wreath just wouldn't do.  I also didn't want anything with ribbon, but i knew i did want glitter ..... and lots of it!

I was inspired by those fabulous sun burst clocks from the 50's, you know the ones .....

So I started with a styrofoam wreath, white duct tape, some bobbles branches, bamboo skewers and some cardboard.

I had a little helper for the next part ....

The I cut, pasted, added a bunch of glitter and this is what I ended up with!  A perfectly, untraditional mid century modern wreath!

Due to all the people and things moving due to the reno's, our door has taken a good bashing and desperately needs to be re-painted, but the wreath still looks nice I think!

Doing Doing Doing

We have busy over here in the past week!  And next week promises to be even more busy!  The kids have been partaking in a fury of crafting, experimenting, and drawing.  We've also been busy packing as the move is less than a week away!  Our house is looking amazing, and I will have photos to share once we are there.

So what have we been so busy doing?

when i was little this was called making a witches brew, but the kids play mad scientist instead, with crazy madman laugh and all!

of course our life is always full of lego lego lego!

doing a little drawing on an old cereal box ... i am running out of paper!

Jackson decided to make his own advent calendar this year (though i did buy a playmobil one too!)

Here is his advent calendar.  We are currently brainstorming ideas to go behind all those doors!

painting, painting and more painting!

a whole lot of wool crafting as well.  These are my cushion covers, using a pattern called "Wool Eater" oh my!

Arts and Crafts Weekend

Our weekend was a crafty one!  I got a lot of time to work on a series of paintings, and Jack started a lino carving for Christmas cards for his friends and family. It was so lovely and slow.  I know in the next few weeks, our calendar will start to fill .... it already has.  So it was nice to have a realizing, cozy, weekend.

We also had a very early Christmas sinner with my Dad and Step Mom as they are heading south for three months.  Yes that's right, they've become snowbirds ..... hehe!

One last crafting task was to begin Christmas decorations. We are not sure what has been restored and what has not, so I've started a snowflake garland.  It can go on the tree, in a window or on the walls.  I have also fallen in love with some fabulous felt stockings!  So I'll have to order some felt soon!

I had crocheted the boys stockings when they were each a year old, but i am not sure if they have survived the fire :(  This does give me a rather good excuse for making new one though!

Waste of Time?

So I have been knitting all day today ..... really all day!!  While the boys were having breakfast, while the boys watched their show, while Dylan played, while Dylan napped.  I failed to wake him up from his nap, so i will have a rather tough time at bedtime ..... and a rather late night for my little one.  I'll have to figure a way to tire him out.  I am making the February Lady Sweater and it rocks so far! I am on the first part of the lace pattern, then I get to slip off the stitches for the sleeves!  It's knitted top down, so it's rather easy to try on as I go along.  Oh knitting ..... such an obsession!  I have two little blankets that need to be complete by xmas and they have been sadly ignored for mama's new sweater!

do i look cross eyed yet?!

Crafty Tuesday

I've failed.  For a week now I have been trying to figure out how best to knit up some yarn that I bought on sale.  I tried several different patterns, but with my limited needle collection, I could never get my gauge right!  Plusthe yarn is a bit different than what I am used to working with.  It's called Just Bamboo by Sirdar.  It's a silky, flat yarn and I just couldn't get it to knit up nicely.

Then I remembered something .... crochet!  Of course this was the immediate answer.  I really wanted to knit up the Miette Sweater as it's a cute cropped cardigan, perfect for my vintage dresses.  So now I am working on a crochet version of the cardigan.  Don't expect a pattern, but I might write up a tutorial of how I went about making it.

I am working on the waistband right now, and it's coming along quickly.  I forgot how nice and quick crochet is!  So now hopefully by the end of the month I'll have another new sweater!

On and a note of the burgundy sweater I shared with you last week .... i have yet to wear it.  The sweater really only looks good with a full skirt, and the circle skirt I was working on failed ... or I failed.  It's now going to be a different type of skirt, not quite a circle skirt and I'll have to make a petticoat next!  Photos soon I promise!  As i said yesterday, sewing takes a bit more time as I can't do it while looking after the wee ones!

Crafty Tuesday

I can't wait to share with you two projects that are finished ..... that's right, completely done:)

The first is Jack's school bag.  The stencils didn't look so hot on the patterned grey fabric, so I got some grey fabric and make a patch for the front.  as you can see, the stencils turned out great!  i even made a yoda t-shirt for Jack!  Now if only he'd eat the lunch that I put in his cool bag!

The second project is my puff sleeved vintage inspired sweater,  I modified a pattern from A Stitch in Time Vol. 1.  It's a bit puffier in the body than i wanted, but it looks nice with a full skirt!  I just love that I can wear it with my waist nipped vintage dresses!  All my other cardigans hit too low on the hips and caused the skirt to look rather silly!  Since the photo was taken I managed to sew in all those pesky ends and sew on some matching buttons!  I'll have photos of the finished garment soon, just working on a quick project to accompany it.

me giving DD the evil eye :)