Flower Box Book Rack

While I was on my spray painting binge last week making the bubblegum machine, I also painted a little shelf to put in the living room to use as a book rack/magazine holder. I wanted something in a bright color that could hang on the wall since enough of our floor space is already taken up by baskets of toys and books. I was at Joann's a few weeks ago when their unfinished wooden furniture and decor was 50% off, plus I had a 25% off coupon that was good on sale items. I found a flower box that I thought was cute and after all the discounts and coupons were applied it ended up costing $7.50. Not bad, plus I knew I had enough spray paint leftover from my sewing table to do the whole project. So home it went.

I used this paint (again, my favorite brand and type of spray paint and a great choice if you're like me and not the greatest at spray painting anything):

And after letting it sit outside for about two full days, it was brought in to sit on my dining room table for another week and a half until we had time to do anything with it.

And ta-da! A new book rack:

Happy Monday.

~Stacy

2012 Year in Review: What I Made

This week is all about prepping for the new year but also revisiting all of the things that made 2012 special. I've been having fun looking through my photos from the past twelve months and reliving the highlights and remembering some of the smaller moments that I had forgotten about. Today's post is all about the stuff I made. I've been really eager to get back to making things again since it has been several weeks since I've had the opportunity to do much besides cook, clean, entertain, repeat.

Here's a summary of everything I created with the help of a sewing machine/glue gun/paint/lots of patience.

There's few other things that I never photographed, but these represent the majority. I did not include my failed attempts at lip gloss, a gathered knit skirt with a yoga waistband, and a stuffed elephant. It's for the best.

I'm excited to make more things this year and branch out a bit in what I make. I have an irrational fear of sewing a zipper onto anything and therefore have avoided any pattern that calls for one, when possible. I vow to be brave and attempt a zipper this year. Oh, and ruffles. I'd like to try out more clothing patterns and finally attempt machine quilting something beyond just stitching inside the seams. Also, I need to figure out the right way finish off binding.

I'll be back later with more year in review posts and more goals for 2013!

~Stacy

Shop Update

I'm taking a timeout from other posts for a little shameless self promotion.  I've been working on getting some items into the Etsy shop that I have left over from show last weekend.  I've gotten several items in there and more are on their way, but here's a peek at what's available:

Baby Blocks w/Tote:

Burp Cloth Sets (2 per set):

And several dresses made by my mom:

If you get a chance, check it out!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/thebluebaycottage

Happy Rainy, Stormy Monday.

~Stacy

Busy Week

This week has been busy with a little bit of everything.  I know I said I was done making things for the Avant-Garde show, but I changed my mind.  I had all the materials to make more fabric bead necklaces so I went a little crazy and made a bunch yesterday:

Some are duplicates so I'm listing those ones in my Etsy shop; they should be available sometime later this evening. 

When I wasn't obsessively sewing necklaces during Charlotte's naps, I was working as much as I could on the landscaping project.  So far I've succeeded in getting about half of the weeding done.  It's not much, but it's a good start.

The majority of my time spent outside should have been to make more progress on the landscaping/gardening but instead it was devoted to Gilbert control.  Let me back up a bit.  We have a groundhog living under our front porch who has dug an extensive tunnel and generally made a mess of things.  Chad named him Gilbert, despite my urging not to name him because then he'll get attached and feel badly if something bad happens to it.  Gilbert is actually really cute, but he's also enormous in both size and in how much of a nuisance he is.  I'm not kidding when I say he's bigger than Howard (I was worried "he" was pregnant but it's been months and months and no babies, and Gilbert's the same size: huge).  I got advice on how to get groundhogs to vacate and tried that--soaking rags in ammonia and laying them near his entrances and placing moth balls around the areas he frequents.  I falsely believed he was gone when I hadn't seen him for a few days and noticed him running under someone else's porch several doors down.  Then, earlier in the week, I was pulling into the driveway and he came bolting across and dashed underneath the porch.  That groundhog can really move, considering the weight he has to haul.  On Tuesday I had another Gilbert sighting at his second favorite spot--the high school track & football field.  I've caught him out there in the past, sunning himself on the high jump mat.  On Tuesday he was hanging out in the long-jump sand pit, leaning over the side and snacking on grass.  I tried to get his picture, but as soon as he heard me he ran off.  Howard, who typically hates just about everything, has zero interest in Gilbert.  He's seen him, but he turns the other way, as if he and Gilbert have some sort of agreement not to get into the others business. 

I contacted Orkin--they said they would take care of him, but that means setting a trap and then euthanizing.  Our city no longer has an Animal Control department, so no help there.  I'd like him to just move away peacefully, so I'm giving him one more chance to do so before getting Orkin involved.  I could buy my own trap and catch him, but I have no idea what to do with a freaked out rodent the size of a small cow thrashing around in a cage.  I went to the store and picked up these rodent repellent pellets and an economy size box of moth bolls.  I applied the entire contents of both to every possible place he could get into, and then I stuffed bricks down the tunnel opening.  In the match between me and Gilbert, I will win.  Gilbert, you've been warned.

One thing I didn't consider when placing approximately 4,000 moth balls around the foundation of my house: the smell.  That evening the heat came on and we almost fell over from the scent of moth balls.  If you walked in my house you'd expect to find residents who were at least 103 years old with  50 year old shag carpeting at at least two dozen cats.  It's bad.  It's faded a lot by now, but I'm still worried that I'm just used to it and it actually still smells just as awful.  On the plus side, no sign of Gilbert anywhere since Tuesday evening.  I am cautiously optimistic.

I have to include this video...granted, it's a beaver and not a groundhog, but I found it fitting.  This video made me laugh until I cried the first time I saw it (ok, the first dozen times).  

Ok, enough about my unwelcome houseguest.  While I was gardening I found these flowers along the side of my house.  We've lived here 6 years and this is the first I've seen them:

Any idea what these are?  They kind of look like hydrangeas, but it seems too early for those and the shape is a little different.  There's a big bunch of them and they are so pretty.  I hope they keep coming back!

Aside from sewing and yardwork, I've started to plan and get things together for Charlotte's 1st birthday party.  I found these invitations:

I thought they were cute, and I love the banner and cupcakes on the front (both of which I'm planning on making for her party).  I can't believe she's turning one in 6 weeks...

See that little doll next to her?  That's Stella, her new favorite toy.  If you tell her to give her baby a kiss, she stuffs the doll's closest body part into her mouth and then wraps her chubby little arms around and squeezes it as tight as she can.  It's incredibly cute, but we'll need to tweak her system a little before she practices on real humans :)  Also new this week is the "where's your belly?" game, where you ask and she'll drop whatever she's doing to enthusiastically pat her belly with both hands.  She's also taken an intense interest in a collage frame we have in the hallway upstairs.  Every time we pass it we have to smile, wave, and she asks who everyone is by pointing and saying "oos ssat?".  Every time.  At night, even if she's exhausted and crabby, she will pause long enough to lean over to the picture and wave goodbye as we pass.  Love her.

If you're interested in bead necklaces, check the Etsy shop later tonight or tomorrow!  Also, if you can please come to the Avant-Garde Art & Craft show next Sunday, 4/29, at Wagner's in Westlake from 10-5.  Admission is free, and you'll get to see my lovely face along with 135 other vendors.  It'll be a good time.

Have a great weekend,
Stacy

Cherry Quilt

I can't believe the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show is less than two weeks away!!  For those of you who don't know, the show is at Wagner's Country Inn at 30855 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake, OH 44145 from 10A-5P on Sunday, April 29th.  There will be over 100 vendors, hand-picked by Becki Cooper (who has been receiving a TON of press coverage for her efforts with this show!).  My mom and I have a table in the South Ballroom and would love to see you there.

Now that I have everything made for the show, all the sewing I've been doing for the past several days has been for fun.  I had a half (okay, not quite half) finished quilt in my "unfinished projects" bin that has been nagging at me for awhile.  The quilt is very big, about 60"X70", and is the first major project that I took on solo after I learned to sew.  I took my mom to Amish Country for Mother's Day in 2010 and we went to this amazing quilt shop in a little village called Charm (seriously, a town named Charm?  It has to be cute, which it is) called Miller's Dry Goods.  This shop holds more fabric and patterns than most big box stores, all packed into a old house-turned-quilt shop.  The pattern is called "Simply Sweet" by Me & My Sister Designs and the fabric line is theirs as well, called "Oh Cherry Oh" for Moda.  This is an older line that is very hard to find, but you can still hunt down a few odds and ends on Etsy.  I love this fabric; it's bright and cheerful and would work for a baby or a younger girl. 

I started the quilt not long after I bought the pattern.  I made all of the blocks in a few days, then pieced together the quilt top shortly after.  I abandoned it for awhile, then worked on the border.  Then I abandoned it again.  For almost 2 years.  As of last night, the quilt is finally, finally almost done--all it needs is the binding (which I finish by hand, so it's kind of a lengthy process) and the centers of each block to be tied with embroidery floss.  Shoot.  I was just at the fabric store and forgot to buy embroidery floss.

Anyhow, here's how the quilt started out way back when:

And here's how it looked last night; Howard "helped" by laying on it to hold it in place.  He's so thoughtful.

When finished, it will have bright yellow binding.

It's big.  I ended up using masking tape to secure the backing to the floor to keep everything straight and as wrinkle-free as possible.  I don't know why I've never thought of using that method before!  I usually just use my bed, but then I end up pinning the quilt back to the bedspread and getting frustrated.

My poor sewing machine table was dwarfed by this quilt:

I really love it.  It's been a labor of love in more ways than one.  I've thought about keeping it for Charlotte, or, if we have another girl down the road, for her.  But I don't know.  Charlotte has so many quilts and blankets already and I'd hate to pack it up for another number of years just in case I'd want to use it someday.  I'd rather someone get use out of it now, so I'm going to take it to the Avant-Garde show.  I hope it finds its forever home :)  If not, Charlotte will have the best beach blanket I've ever seen!

There's someone else in my house who would love to make his own:

Oh Howard.  You already have staked claim on the couches, the chair, our bed, and the patio table.  Can you part with the quilt?

I hope you're having a nice start to your week.

~Stacy

Fabric Bead Necklaces

I think Charlotte may end up with at least 75 baby teeth.  I say this because she has been teething since November.  Let me back up--her bottom two teeth arrived within days of each other around Thanksgiving.  She was kind of fussy and not herself for several weeks before they finally showed up.  We got a decent break from the madenss, then sometime in January the teething business started up again.  A couple weeks went by, no teeth.  This pattern continued, off and on, until mid-March when she finally got more teeth--3 on the top, all within a couple days.  Now she's at it again, with another tooth poking thru on the bottom and several places where it looks like they'll show up any day.

So why am I boring you with the details of my daughter's tooth drama?  Because when Charlotte is ticked off about teething she wants to be carried around, which then means she wants to grab/chew/pull everything on my person, especially necklaces.  I love wearing necklaces, but I have to be careful since she can pull hard (really--she's broken 2 chains already) and I don't want her ruining anything or hurting herself.  Awhile back I blogged about a necklace I bought at the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show (check the post out here).  It was a fabric bead necklace that was super-cute and safe for a teething baby.  It was made entirely of fabric, so no chains to break or cut into my neck if pulled.  I decided to make one of my own and found a bunch of pictures and several tutorials.  After experimenting, I came up with my own necklace and tutorial that I think is fun, easy and fast.  I love these necklaces--and they're not just for moms with young babies.  Anyone can wear them, but the "safe for teething baby" part is an added perk!

I made my necklace using the following supplies:

1 fat quarter (I recommend pre-washing)
Coordinating thread
Large wooden beads (I used 9 for one necklace)
Scissors
Sewing machine & needle
Iron

 You'll need quite a bit of length of fabric for this project since all the knots you'll be tying will use it up quickly.  Don't worry if the strip you make seems way too long--it won't be, and any excess will get trimmed at the end.

I cut 4 strips the length of the fabric, each 4" wide. 

 

I sewed each strip, end to end, to create one long strip.  (1/4" seam allowances)

 Press the seams open, then fold in half with right sides together.  Press and pin.

Sew the entire edge length using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving both short ends open.  Trim, then turn right side out--this will take some patience :)  Once the whole tube is turned, press.

Next, tie a single knot (tightly), leaving about a 15" tail.

Insert a wooden bead at the open end and slide all the way down to the knot.  Tie another knot tightly against the bead.  Repeat this process until you have the length you want.

Once you've inserted your last bead, tie one last knot in front of it.  Hold the necklace up while you admire yourself in the mirror and decide how long you want it to be.  Trim the ends about 1/2" from the points you marked.  On one end, fold in the raw edges about 1/4" and press.

Insert the other end into the one you just folded (you may need to rip out a few seams to get it to fit--don't worry, they'll get closed back up in a second).

Stitch across the bottom seam, back-stitching a few times to reinforce, and stitch from the top to bottom of the seam, just to make sure it's held in place securely.

You could also trim the ends close to the first and last knots, then insert ribbon in and sew shut to make an adjustable necklace that ties in the back.  It's just as simple, but make sure you put something on the ends of the ribbon so it doesn't fray.

I'm making a bunch of these in different colors now, and I'm thinking of making a bracelet...that might be cute.  

Happy sewing!

~Stacy