NEWS FLASH! Ice Storm Leads To Sewing Bender

This winter in PA has been a real bust. Not much snow to speak of, but I think we are on our third ice storm. On Monday it was so slippery that I didn't think I would make it back up the hill from putting my kids on the bus. For each step I took, I slipped back two! For obvious reasons I decided to stay home and dig into my 'unfinished projects' pile. C'mon, you know you have one too. :) Here is what I managed to accomplish in a day (most of these projects had already been cut out and a few partially sewn).

It was a banner day! I finished 7 projects and got them listed in ye olde Etsy shop. I am slowly getting faster at listing but I must say it is not my favorite part of the process. Today, I wanted to keep my momentum but also accomplish other things. Hello, laundry! I had sewn the bodice to this dress yesterday, and was able to finish it today. I have had enough gathering for one day, thank-you-very-much.

What about you, trusty blog reader? What is in your 'unfinished projects' stash? Are you waiting for an ice storm to come along to give you motivation to finish them? :)

Chalkboard Door DIY

Usually when I see a project with chalkboard paint, it elicits an involuntary eye roll. I mean really, it is almost as overdone as paint chip crafts. However, I decided to give in to the chalkboard call and paint a board on my door. For a while now, I have used this particular door as a hanging place for verses, encouraging words, and random quotes. After some highly scientific observation, I realized that after looking at the same stuff for a while you just stop reading it. Enter: the chalkboard! I can write our latest memory verse, draw a few pictures or whatever floats my inspirational boat. It is right by our dining table so we see it often. To make it, I just penciled in the lines using my quilting ruler, taped it off and sprayed it. Which is not recommended. The hinges have been painted approximately 57 times and I was unable to get it off the hinges. I used a giant foam board reflector to catch the over-spray but it wasn't entirely effective. Word to the wise: take the dang door off the hinges and bring it outside! I found I needed 3 coats to get a good surface. When I peeled away the tape, a few edges tore because I believe the door may also have 57 coats of paint on it. Yay for 60 year old houses. I just touched them up with a Sharpie, seasoned the chalkboard and it was done. It makes me happy, happy, happy!

Drawing!

Ye olde blog has turned into quite the snooze fest lately. Oi! Rachel is busy in grad school and I am plugging away at keeping three kids alive and adding to the Etsy shop. And a few other things. I have had the opportunity to draw again and I LOVE it!! I forgot how much I love to draw. The picture above is of some quick sketches of jack rabbits. Jack rabbits!? For a while now I have had a painting idea rolling around in my head and now it is time to come out on paper. Otherwise my head will explode and that wouldn't be good at all. I have a few more sketches to make and then I will start painting! In other project news, I have been sewing dresses and tea wallets like a crazy person. Who knew that tea wallets would be a hot commodity.

Here are the latest ones:

And here are a few of the newest dresses. I now have this style dress up to a 2T!

I'm hoping to soon squeeze in a personal project....for myself! I have had the fabric forever to make this Anthro knock-off and I just need to get crackin'. Spring is coming, be it ever so slowly.

This and That

 Part of this whole Etsy gig is that I have been sewing like a mad woman and don't get around to blogging very often. Which makes for a fairly boring blog, bla, bla, bla. Here are photos of a few of my latest projects. I have also made approximately 1 bazillion tea wallets. OK, I'm exaggerating just a little bit but they have been selling quick!

More Fingerless Mitts!

 I have been wearing my fingerless mittens a ton since I made them. Like, allllll the time. They are just nice and warm and cozy and I can still accomplish things with my hands. I decided to make Mom a pair for Christmas, which I finished just in the nick of time!

 This yarn practically shouted Mom's name and so I listened and bought it. I love the variegated colors. It also makes knitting more interesting, because I can amuse myself by setting goals like knitting until I reach the purple section! The green! Oh, boy, that makes me sound like I need to get out more. And I do.

The good news is that Mom loved them and I have spotted her wearing them several times since Christmas! I am so tempted to make myself another pair...

Dresser Makeover

 I was recently asked if I wanted an old dresser. It was painted a plain beige but I loved the shape of it! I took it home and got to work. The fabulous thing about the dresser is that that paint was in good shape, and there weren't a ton of layers which meant I could prime and paint! My kind of project. I had a can of 'oops' paint I had picked up for a buck or two. It is satin enamel, so it should wear well in the boys' room.

 The knobs on the dresser were very tiny and pretty plain. I found these (!!!) at Hobby Lobby. Seriously, how often does one get to use cow head knobs on something? But they called to me, and I had to answer. It was my moral obligation.

 The other knobs are antiqued wooden knobs that look like they have been sitting in a corner of someone's barn forever. Just the way I like them. I love this dresser and secretly wish I kept it for myself, except that my son LOVES it and promptly arranged all his special treasures on top of it. Now to find the next dresser makeover candidate!

Random Updates

Phew! It has been a busy few weeks (or months...haha) and I have been sewing like a mad woman. I had big dreams of having 75 items in the shop by Christmas and guess what?! I am not going to make it, and that is a-OK. It just means I am selling stuff quicker than I can get ahead. I did a craft show with a friend on Sunday and sold a handful of things. This week I am working on two custom orders. It is a fun excuse to sit at my sewing machine.

In other news, I have been totally slacking in the blog department and need to announce (yeah, one day before it ends!) that I have having a giveaway on our shop's facebook page! Head on over and leave a comment to be entered to win a batik bunting!

And lastly, here are pictures of a few of my latest projects.

C

What Christmas projects are you working on?