Baby Gift Basket

This is my first attempt of putting together a basket. Inside is the baby blanket I made the other day and with a bouquet made of purchased onesies and a teething ring. This was a fun project I will do again with other gifts. Hmmm... who has a birthday coming up? How about Fathers day? I am thinking maybe a BBQ basket or a gadget pack or .................

Cuddle Baby Blanket

When I was living in Hawaii I would see these flannel type blankets that were great for newborns to toddlers. Although there are variations this one is like what I remember seeing there. It is two layers of flannel sew together usually at least 20 inches square. This one pictured above is 24 X 39 inches. You use it to swaddle a baby or a baby blanket. It is just the right thickness for warmer climates when it cools down a bit in the evening. This is not a Hawaii print but with the palms and monkeys it give a very tropical feel to this blanket.

I did not use a pattern but just cut two pieces of the flannel the same size and the sewed them together. You can go a simple as you like or more elaborate as shown in the second link. I am planning on sewing more when I find flannel on sale and have them ready for gifts.

Make a Baby Blanket


Baby Talk Flannel Blanket

Elastic Waist Child Pants

Using a pants pattern from Jcaroline creative! I used leftover fabric to create these cute pants. I have not been able to try them on a real toddler but on the website she does show them on a toddler. Make sure you follow the directions carefully. This was a very simple pattern with only two pieces.

Little Red Dress and Sun Dress

Just finished this red dress using Simplicity 3722 pattern B option and a cotton print.with black lace at the bottom.. I also completed the toddler sundress with hat. This is the same pattern as the previous sundress. The hat and the bottom of the dress both have large size rickrack.

The Bright Pink Bear & Eggs

Ah, I redid the pink bears eyes and put on a animal noise I found at Hobby Lobby yesterday. I stopped there to look for possible decor for the breakfast nook and I remembered to look.




I took some picture of eggs I had painted before but really have not been painting them lately. I need to start collecting and blowing eggs from the geese.


HAPPY EASTER!

Hobby Room

I still have not finished the hobby room but it is coming together. The computer was put in the room today.

Aromatherapy & Uplifting Shower Gel

I really like scented shower gels but really have to be careful on the contents of any of scented products in the stores with my sensitive skin. I started using aromatherapy to make my own candles, scents for the house and cleaners but have started making scented shower gels. So far I have not mix up my own batch of shower gel but that endeavor will likely take place after I have finished using up the gel that I have been using. Tonight I experimented with a few essential oils to make two very different shower gels. I wanted a flowery scented gel so I added a 2 parts rose essential oil :1 part lavender in one of the gel. This produced a lovely rose that is toned down a little with the lavender essential oil. The second scented gel was made with 2 parts Mango essential oil to 1 part orange essential oil. This made a wonderful mango orange scent. I almost cannot wait to take another shower. I now just need to decide which one I will decide to use first.

Big Pink Bear

Put one the eyes I had purchased for the bear that matched the two layer blanket. I am not happy at all with the looks of the eye. What a crazy looking critter it became with the eyes . So it is back to the drawing board. I may look in my stack for some felt or black fabric and white fabric to make much larger eyes or a Google search for some thing that will look more appropriate. I hope to make a child happy instead of uh...... cry maybe.




And Duchess was having major issues with the rearrangement of furniture. She would constantly decide to lie down on the path we had to take to move the furniture or walk only to have to be told to move.

Simple Cell Phone Charger Stand

I needed a place to charge my phone that would look nice and keep the charger, extra batteries and other chargers stored when not in use but did not not want to purchase one for the amount I have seen for sale at stores. This is the solution I came up with and I hope you might find the idea useful too .

First I looked for an appropriate box or container. I really wanted it to have a slanted top so it took some looking around to find something that would work. I finally found a wooden unfinished pine box that was really for recipes storage at a local crafts store. Perfect!

After you have found that perfect box you will need to drill holes where the cords need to come out of the box. In this box I drilled two holes, one in the back and one on the lid. The picture below shows the top hole already drilled and the picture below it shows where I marked the box for the back hole.

After you have drilled holes in the appropriate places you will need to sand the holes smooth and sand entire box. This box I had only needed to be lightly sanded except were the pencil marks were. I had to sand a little bit more so when you mark your spot do not mark too dark.

Now to the fun part .

Although I stained my box you can paint yours. I can think of all kinds of designs you could use for this project. I used a walnut stain on mine by dipping a clean cloth in stain and gently wiping the box. I then let then let the box dry until not tacky anymore.


Now that the box has been stained I put 2 layers of polyurethane finish to protect the box and give it a finished sheen. This was a quick drying clear gloss. The more layers I applied the glossier the box would had became.

The finished cell phone charger stand in now complete and I can put batteries, chargers and cords inside and have my phone on the top while charging.

Pineapple Quilt~ 3 March 09

Pineapple quilt has gotten to the based stage. Next I will be doing the stitching.

Cross Stitich Bookmark

This is the usual project I like to do in cross stitch, Anything larger and I get too bored of the whole project. This is a bookmark I made a while ago.

Sewing for a Purpose

I learned to sew because I had a difficult time finding clothes that would fit and I could afford when I was a teen. Now I mostly sew for others or from something special. The rabbit above is help stop drafts in the door.




This rabbit protects my sewing machine with her skirt.


This lady protects my special machine embroidery threads. In the picture below it is opened to view the inside.

Ceramics

One of my hobbies I used to do a lot 10 years ago. There are two chickens I poured and painted.

One reason I have geese is for the eggs to blow and decorate. Here are some very simple paintings I have done on eggs. I got the cow idea after seeing a picture of a cow that had a heart shaped spot on one side. but I mostly do flowers. I first saw a woman painting eggs when I visited Prague, Czech Republic. There was a booth not far from Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Hall .were an elderly lady painted eggs. That is when I decided I should try the craft.

Fitst Hawaiian Quilt

This is my first Hawaiian quilt. i took it out of storage to take a picture. It is a plumeria flower design that was one of the choices to pick for the class.

First Quilt

This was my first attempt at making a quilt without any classes. I like the colors and design but I really did a rather horrible quilt. I am hoping in the future to take classes so I will be able to do a nicer one.

Cross Stitches

These are two cross stitches I did a long time ago. The top one convenes my feeling of Americans living or visiting other places that the United States and even other states and cities in the United States . Instead of trying to discover the wonderful differences they would pout and tell me the place is awful. There are some places I would not want to live for the rest of my life but I did enjoy what they had to offer in the area.

The cross stitch at the bottom is just a simple welcome sign.

German Farmer Needlepoint

This is another needlepoint kit I purchased in Germany a long time ago. It is a very simple design but I like how it has flowers in front of the farmer. I have this hanging in my away room.

Danish Windmills

This a bell pull designed cross stitch design I purchased at Thumbelina Needlework in Solvang, California. I usually make a trip to this shop when ever I am in California becasue it has some designs not found elswhere. It is about a two hour dive north of Los Angeles off Hwy 101.

This is a Kaffe Fassett Studio's designed needlepoint I made years ago that I have not blocked and made into a pillow yet. I suppose when my away room is completed I may be more motivated. I love all the details that are involved with his designed although it is more work with the small areas of stitiching for certain colors. This called for Appleton wool but I used Paternayan yarn.

Pineapple Hawaiian Quilt

This is a Hawaiian quilt from Poakalanii & Co. When I was in Hawaii I was able to take a class and learn the techniques.

I am making this quit for a friend. It will end up being a 22" x 22" pillow. In this picture it has been cut and pinned so I can baste. The pineapple will stand out after Definitive quilting. Althought echo quilting is the traditional method, definitive quilitng will make it look more like a pineapple.

Black Forest Needlepoint

This is a German Needlepoint of a home in the Black forest region of German. It reminds me of the many weekends I spent in the region.

I have been working on the project for a while. It is about 1/2 way completed in this photo. It came in a kit with cotton thread which is not my favorite to work with does work with this, The cotton thread is not too difficult to work with but does not have the feel I like with other types of threads. I am hoping to complete by the end of the year.