Craft Drought

I'm in the middle of a craft drought. It's because I'm dog sitting for my parents, so I'm not in my house with my stash or my craft room.

I decided to write about a "flashback" project though. This is the first quilt I made. I was in high school when I started and college when I finished. The pattern is Grandmother's Fan and I drooled over the pattern for a looong time before I went through with it.
Each square is quilted with a rose pattern. You can see my quilting progress in the different squares. When I started, the stitches were big like this:


When I ended, my technique was better and the stitches looked like this:
There was a LOT of hand quilting to that baby! The bed in the picture is mine when I lived with my parents. My uncle made it. My dad made me a desk which I'll have to photograph someday!


Here's some parting shots of the reason why I'm in craft drought:
She really REALLY loves teddy bears. And attention. And dislikes laptops. My poor husband was trying to do schoolwork. NOT allowed!

The pretty girl!

Favorite Fall Outfit

This is my final Fashion Week outfit. It's one of my favorites. The skirt and shirt are from The Limited (though bought at different times). The necklace, which people say look like malted milk balls is from Macy's.

I think it looks like something my mom would wear in the 70s. So I like it. The 70s are not particularly my favorite clothing decade, but I like this style.

Thank you, dear readers, for obliging this fashion trip this week! It was fun!

Twirling

The outfit I wore is a great twirling outfit. And what's the point of wearing skirts and dresses when you don't twirl??? I'm also a big fan of going down stairs wearing a poufy skirt. I love the effect of the POUF! That's my favorite part of being a girl!I promise that I do have 2 legs.
And for a clearer look at the outfit:Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
Sweater: My mom's closet
Necklace: My mom's jewelry box
Shoes: Mudd (I agree Shannon...Mudd has really cute styles!) from Macy's

For careful readers of my blog, you might realize that that's not my kitchen. I'm dog sitting for my parents - hence the stealing from my mom's closet! ;)
I miss stealing from my mom's closet and she misses stealing from mine!

Fashion week - Wednesday

I love mixing patterns - too much sometimes. When we have mix match day at school, most people come in wearing patterns that I would wear together normally!

Today I'm wearing a skirt from Ann Taylor Loft, a shirt from J. Crew, a sweater from Target, the floral shoes that I promised would return this week, and tights from the Gap.

Grace is wearing a collar from the Fashionable Friends line of dog collars that I make. ;)

Meet Mia

Meet Mia. I expect her to stick with me through all kinds of seasons, carry my burdens (wallet, cell phone, car keys, journal), and keep my secrets.
I also expect her to lose lots of things because she is BIG! (I put my car keys in there for 30 seconds and already I lost them this morning [it may have been because I was still half asleep though...]).
I'm not sure how she got so big, but it's a much bigger bag than I usually carry. It's not tote bag size by any means, just bigger than I intended. Sometimes I see people with bags big enough to hold small children or animals and I think "What DO they put in that thing?" We'll see what I can fit in there.
I designed the bag myself. It's inspired by a shirt I have that is all gathered on the yoke. I thought that it would translate well into a bag and I'm pleased with the result.


Realizing a bag this size needs organization, I put in a zip pocket, a slip pocket, some pen pockets and an elasticized water bottle holder (I'm guilty of putting my water bottles in my small purses so I figured I'd better make provisions before I've got 4 or 5 in here).The zip pocket (using fabric from the Oliver and S dress).

The fabric and lining fabrics are both from Anna Maria Horner from her Garden Party line. I love the unexpected color combinations!

Fashion Week - Tuesday

Today's post is brought to you by Animal Planet. Just kidding, but sometimes I feel like a very girly park ranger in this dress.

Shirt dresses are absolutely my favorite type of dress. Interestingly, I found this one in Arden B. which is a very modern store. I'm not sure where this style fits into their aesthetic, but I'm glad it was there!
I now know why there were many housewives in the 50s - it takes all day just to iron this thing (and you can see that it could have used a touch up in this picture!)

The shoes are from the J. Crew factory store in Virginia. I highly recommend it. It's the outlet's outlet and the prices are very very very reasonable.

Wicked Witch of the East

Here I am with my man Link. He's ready for fall!
Today's outfit is a little boring.... tan corduroy skirt from the Gap, white t shirt from the Gap, burgundy sweater from Ann Taylor Loft. The shoes are from Macy's.


Now the socks I refer to as my "Wicked Witch of the East Socks.

Can't you picture her feet rolling up under the house?? These aren't ruby slippers, but I like them anyway (too much... I'm sure you'll see them again this week!).

Sing with me now!
**The house began to pitch
The kitchen took a slitch.

It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch
WHICH was not a healthy SITCH-
Uation for
The Wicked Witch**

Fashion Week!

Over at Sense and Sensibility, they have a feminine dress week once a season. This is the week! I did a baaaaaad job of taking pictures during the summer week, but I'm committed to this one!

My outfits this week will feature skirts or dresses, which are my favorite things to wear (and fleece pajamas).

Here's today's outfit:
I absolutely love equestrian style outfits. Maybe it's because of my unfulfilled desire to learn how to ride a horse.....
~My skirt is from Ann Taylor Loft and I got it several years ago for a STEAL! I almost feel guilty about how cheap I got it. I mean some poor cow somewhere died for me to buy this skirt at an unspeakable price. Poor cow!
~The sweater is from Target. Love Target.
~The underneath shirt is from The Limited and it is gorgeous, but I burned it with the iron and ruined the lace, so now it has been delegated to undershirt.
~The boots are from Macy's. Here's another picture of the boots:

Sophie's Bag

I ended up making my baby cousin a bag for her birthday (surprise!). I'm going to make her an Oliver + S lazy days skirt too, but I ran out of time. I decided that if Sam got a train car plane bag, Sophie can get a girly ruffly bag for her stuff.
The pictures are weird because I forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her, so I had to take the pictures at my grandparents' house.A closeup of the ruffles. I love ending ruffles this way because you don't have to finish the ends!
The birthday girl herself. It's fun having a cousin who is one because it makes me younger. You can't be that old if your cousin is only one! She has cousins older than me too - one in his thirties with two children!

Calling All Sewers and Crafters!

I'm starting a little side blog for a sewing/crafting community. It's called Sew Craft Blog and it is fashioned after the Sisterhood of the Stamping Bloggers which my mother-in-law found and joined. When you sign up, you are put into a group of other sewing/crafting bloggers. You are encouraged to read and comment on each others' blogs.

It will also serve as a large (hopefully) list of creative blogs because all blogs will be posted on the main blog page.

Shortly, once it gets started, I'll start some tutorials and giveaways as fun things for people who sign up!

I'm hoping it gives the people who sign up some blog exposure. I know many creative bloggers who are trying to earn some extra money with their etsy shops, etc. I'd like to help give them some customers!

So, if you are interested, sign up! :D

Meme-osity

I've been tagged for two memes that are very similar that I need to do. I actually really like memes as long as they are quick ones. These two are fun!

First, my mother-in-law tagged me for one. For hers, I have to list 7 facts about myself. Here we go:

1. I am 5'8"
2. I got saved when I was 16.
3. I have four American girl dolls (Samantha, Kirsten, Felicity, Bitty Baby) and I still get things for them even though I am in my 20s. Josh bought me Samantha's desk for Christmas last year!
4. My favorite food is watermelon.
5. I can hold my own at DDR and I think it's fantastic exercise.
6. I have one brother (and a sister-in-law on the way! - which sounds odd).
7. My favorite color is purple and when purple comes into fashion (like right now) I want to buy everything purple in sight. So far this season, I've bought a button down shirt, a lavendar cardigan, and purple, grey and yellow argyle socks. I've been in control.

Next is Shannon's 6 random things meme!

1. I microwave m&ms so that they are melty on the inside and crunchy on the outside.....mmmmmmm
2. It drives me crazy when people misuse they're, their, there and to, two, too. Don't feel like I'm judging your grammar though. This is my issue, not yours!!
3. I want to write children's books.
4. I'm terrified of the highway (truly terrified.... give me a snake or a tarantula over the highway any day).
5. I eat granola almost every day. Had it for lunch today...and yesterday...and the day before. Sooooooooo good!
6. I was a Girl Scout for 10 years and I enjoyed it a lot. I also learned a lot!


TA DA! Now you know a little bit more about moi. I'm not going to tag 13 different people, so I'm doing a general "If you want it, take it" tag. Have fun and thanks mom and Shannon!

Graphic Progress

I'm enjoying my Photoshop class. I'm in the intermediate class now (each class is a month long) and I learned about the slice tool in this lesson. I've always wanted to learn more about Photoshop, but lacked the time or money to sign up for a local class. It's incredible how complicated the program is and how deep you can go with it.

My school schedule is in full swing, plus tennis twice a week, Irish dancing twice a week and Pioneer Clubs once a week. Somewhere in all that, I've got to make Christmas presents and maybe have time to make a project or two for myself (yeah right!!).

Anyway, I hope all you in blog land are enjoying fall! More updates soon!

Credit for the pumpkin layout:
Leaf and Journaling strips - Shabby Princess Harvest Spice
Boodles of fun collaboration kit:
Plaid paper - christy skaggs
Brown paper - maria designs
Felt Pumpkin - jillybean designs