Oh, the Trials of My Life

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike making bias tape?  How much I detest sewing on bias tape?  I haven't?  Oh, well I absolutely hate doing anything with bias tape when it comes to crafting.  But I happen to be very drawn to the look of the finished product.  So I tend to chose patterns - particularly apron patterns - that are covered in bias tape.

I do it to myself so I shouldn't complain.  But here I am whining on my blog that is published onto the internet.  Oh, well.  I'll get through this just like I have every other time I've done bias tape.  And once I finish it will have been worth it.  :o)

I do love the bright colors of the project.  They make me feel happier.

Teddy Bear

Wow, it's been a long time! I've missed all my blogging friends! But now that I've graduated and spent a week at the beach I'm ready to get back in the swing of life, and part of that involves my blog. :o)

Growing up I had a beloved stuffed bear as my sleeping friend. So when I saw this pattern on Ravelry I thought I would try to make one, because I tend to like stuffed bears. Though since I really have no use for stuffed animals I don't know what on earth I'm going to do with it...  but it was still fun to make.  :o)

I ended up using buttons for the eyes and a circle of felted wool for the nose.  When I tried the felted wool for the eyes he looked extremely scary, but the buttons worked well.

I'm trying to decide if his bow tie is too small...  but it was the first one I tried, and it will work for now.  I can always change it later if I want.

 

 It's so nice to be back!

Alphabet Soup Quilt

Look what I got at the quilt show! Only $2 on clearance, I thought it was very cute.



And my sis got this pattern. So sweet!



Aren't they adorable? I know a few ladies who are pregnant, and these might just make the perfect gifts... Though since it's called "alphabet soup," I may just have to mix the letters up a bit. :)

11-11-11 Blog Award

I interrupt our usual crafting program to bring you the 11-11-11 blog award! Thanks so much to Hannah from Peculiar Treasures, Emma from Psalms 45:11, and Laura from Sigh No More for awarding me!

Here are the rules:
1) Post these rules
2) Post 11 random things about yourself
3) Answer the questions the tagger asked you
4) Tag three more fellow bloggers.
5) Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged

11 random facts about me:

1) Most people agree that one of the 5 best words to describe me is "random" lol
2) I love all things nautical. So much so I'm redecorating my room with a nautical theme
3) I adore colored tights
4) I'm a huge superhero fan, and think that the Flash needs his own movie :o)
5) I'm a terrible procrastinator. Trying to work on it, but... old habits die hard
6) I eat Cool Whip right out of the container
7) I randomly quote all the time
8) I have an adorable kitty named Bailey
9) I really like hats and wish I wore them more often
10) I love bubble tea! Amazing stuff. If you've never had it you should totally try it
11) I love the beach. Sand, water, wind, sun... beautiful

Questions from Hannah:
1) What is your favorite chore? Probably vacuuming
2) Do you have any siblings? 2 lovely older sisters
3) What is your favorite time period? Fashion wise? Too many good fashions... Colonial or 50's maybe?
4) Do you have braces? Will have them? Had them? Thankfully, no
5) How long have you been blogging? 1 year and 4 months.
6) What instrument would you like to learn? Guitar
7) Do you like to draw? Love to, but I stink at it. haha
8) Do you take any sports? Ever have? Not organized, but I love playing stuff in the back yard. :o)
9) What would you like to do when you get older? Be a wife and homeschool mom, teaching piano on the side.
10) What are your favorite movies? Too many to list, but some of my favorites are The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia movies, Master and Commander, The Patriot and superhero movies.
11) Do you like gum? My favorite! Bubble gum especially.

Questions from Emma:

1) Favorite animal? Probably cats.

2) If you could own ANY animal, what would it be? If I'm feeling exotic, maybe a parrot... If not, just a cat.

3) If you could do anything for your birthday, or any day for that matter...what would you do? Take my family and closest friends and go bungee jumping, sailing, and surfing, then come home and play charades and Taboo. :o)

4) What was one of the best pretending games did you do when you were little? Pretended all the time, so I don't know what the "best" one was...

5) Whats your style? Random

6) Favorite movie? Don't exactly have *one* but you can find some of my faves above

7) If you could have a job doing anything, what would it be? No idea

8) Clicky pencils, or wood pencils? Mechanical all the way!

9) Full name? Kelsie Brynne

10) What would the attributes of the man you would want to marry someday be? Christian and not sure I want to share more on the internet.

11) BRIGHT colors, or natural colors? Bright and light

Questions from Laura:

1) Science Fiction or Fantasy? Umm... probably fantasy though I love both

2) Batman or Superman? Too hard! depends on my mood.

3) Action or Drama? As a general rule probably action

4) What's your favorite genre of music? Oh, that's hard, too... a little bit of everything

5) Favorite day of the week? Depends on what I'm doing that week

6) TV or Movie? Well... I watch more movies, but I love some tv shows. And they're longer which is nice. Except I waste more time that way...

7) Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia? Impossible to answer! Maybe LotR, but I love Narnia, too!

8) Philosophy or Science? Neither

9) What is your current favorite hymn? Man of Sorrows. Love that one.

I'm awarding:
1) Kiri from The Story Girl's Bookshelf

2) Anna from Simple Thread

3) Tricia from Little House in the Hills

Questions for the tagged:
1) What was the last book you read?
2) Do you prefer flip-flops or tennis shoes?
3) When you have a free evening what is your favorite thing to do to fill the time?
4) What's your favorite crafty thing to do?
5) What's the last movie you saw in theaters?
6) Do you prefer cooking or baking?
7) What is your favorite color to paint your nails?
8) Do you wear perfume?
9) Dresses or skirts?
10) Do you usually spell things the American or British way? (like colors or colours)
11) What are the 3 words that best describe you?

Have a blessed Sunday and I'll be back to craft blogging on Monday!

Quilt Show

One of our neighbors is a widow who quilts pretty much all the time. And when she ended up with two extra tickets for a quilt show she asked if my sister and I wanted to go for free. We said yes!





I really like Irish Chains and that was the main pattern at the show. I think this scrappy one is just beautiful! I may need to make an Irish Chain someday... :o)



Nothing gets one in the mood for quilting like a quilt show! When we got home we were feeling very inspired to work on our quilt! We're almost done with these squares!

Pink Flowers and Polka Dots

Well, after some hazardous mishaps and a pin head melting to the collar, I finally finished this toddler dress the day before the competition!




The pattern is McCall's 5791. I made a size "large". That means I don't exactly know what size it is, but I would guess it's somewhere between 9 and 12 months. (I tried to compare it to this darling 7 month old, and she decided it was fun to hold the hanger and wave it up and down. So stinkin' cute!)



This was my first project with piping, and I just adore the end result. It may become a fixture in my sewing projects. :o) It also provided the perfect opportunity to add more contrast giving the dress more interest.



It went pretty smoothly, and I was very surprised and pleased with the scores I got. All-in-all a good experience, though it was a little stressful to finish the day before competing!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Hope you are having fun and wearing green! :o)

Summer Inspiration

Wow. I can't believe I haven't posted in a month! I'm so sorry to all of my dear blog friends! I'll try to get back into the habit of posting regularly!

At the moment I seem to be in a dresses mood... summer dresses. With flip-flops... Or cute hemp-heeled sandals... Bright colors, full skirts, perfect for almost any occasion, and lots of fun to wear!

There are great selections at two of my favorite places to shop - Old Navy...





...and Target.





Yes, I like stripes. Can you tell?

I'm thinking about trying to make my own knit dress this year, but I'm not sure if I am brave enough to work with stretchy fabric.

In other words, I'm very excited today because I've pulled my flip-flops out and am hyped about wearing them again, and Celtic Thunder's newest CD finally arrived from Ireland; it makes me happy. :o)