Snow, Kitties and Quilts

We have several inches of snow right now and it's beautiful.  Perfect for snuggling in a blanket with an adorable kitty.

Because it's been so snowy I haven't been out as much as normal.  I kept thinking, "More time to sew!"

But somehow I kept getting distracted.  I would walk into the sewing room with big intentions but end up on a cleaning/organizing spree for the next few hours.  Our sewing/laundry room looks better, but the skirt I wanted to work on is not any closer to being done...

The only sewing I've managed is finishing the quilting part of our bed quilt.  (Little happy dance!)  :)  Only the binding left until it will be completely finished!!!

See the little stars quilted in the middle of every pieced star?  :)

With this quilt so close to completion, I've been daydreaming about my next quilting project.  I'm all about quilts right now, which may or may not be related to my recent discovery of the Moda Bake Shop.  So much fun inspiration!

Be Bold, Be Bright

Recently I've done a lot of Pinterest searches for "bright skirts", "bright, full skirt", "brightly colored skirt", and so on.  This may or may not be related to a sewing project I'm working on...  But you'll see that when it's finished.  For right now I'm here to share some of the inspiration I've discovered.

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Belted-Full-Midi-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2340309&cid=13632&sh=0&pge=4&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Bright+pink&r=2

http://www.simplyboldblog.com/2012/01/do-you-subscribe-to-nordstroms-catalog.html

I love each and every one of these.  Bright colors are just so fun!

http://www.merricksart.com/2013/05/sunshine.html

http://www.simplyboldblog.com/2012/01/do-you-subscribe-to-nordstroms-catalog.html

And I rediscovered one of my favorite photo shoots of Jennifer Lawrence.  This yellow skirt is serving as current inspiration, but the whole photo shoot is great.  Her hair and clothes are simply perfect!

ppsl-05-jennifer-lawrence-cov.jpg

What's inspiring you this week?

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

When I'm hungry I often go into the kitchen and make some sort of cookie bar.  Or - one of my favorite things to make - a granola bar.  Some friends gave me this recipe, and it's one of my absolute favorites!  So if you're feeling like a yummy snack, I highly recommend...  :)

Chewy Granola Bars

In large bowl combine:

3 3/4 cups oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/4 cup wheat flour (or germ)

In a saucepan mix:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir and heat to boiling on med/low.  Remove from heat and add:

2/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.  Cool 10-15 minutes and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Press into 9x13 inch pan.  Cut when cool.

Drawstring Dress

I never got around to posting it...  But I was able to finish my dress before the conference we attended back in November!

I combined New Look 6936 and vintage (well, 80s) McCall's 7572 to make the bodice that I wanted.  It worked quite well, though if I make this pattern again I will make the neck hole bigger.  I guess I have a big head.  :P

I mostly followed the New Look instructions, but it called for elastic rather than the drawstring that I really wanted.  It was simple to make a fabric "string" and run it through the casing instead - quick, easy, and I like it much better than elastic.

This may be one of my favorite machine sewing projects I've ever done.  The fabric is a silky knit that hangs well, and it was very easy to make.  It's not often that something turns out exactly how I wanted, but this one is exactly what I envisioned.  Definitely a project I'd enjoy doing again!

Happy 2014, Ya'll!

Can you believe it's already New Years?  This has been a wonderful year, and I'm looking forward to some upcoming things in 2014, as well.

I have not made blogging a priority this year, and am very sorry for that.  I'm very thankful for the opportunities my blog has given me and the people I've gotten to know in the blogging world.  And I'd like to keep up with those friends better.

So I am resolved to do better this year.

As part of that, I'd like to open up my topic slightly.  I still want to focus on my crafting/sewing adventures, but won't be as strict.  There are other things I love that ya'll might enjoy hearing about.  If you have any thoughts/suggestions for my blog, feel free to share!

Looking forward to posting much more frequently this year.  :)  And Happy New Year!!!

Lily's Berry Hat

A friend of mine had a baby last month, a sweet little girl.  And doesn't every little girl need a berry hat to keep them warm and snuggly through the winter snow?

I used the Berry Baby Hat pattern from Ravelry.com.  It was simple, fast, and super cute!

Happy New Year!

Tractors and Gingerbread Men

The other day I posted this ballerina I made for a little friend of mine.  Today I'm showing off the ornaments I made for her brothers.

I had originally planned to make a train ornament for the older boy.  Then I asked him if he likes trains or trucks better.

And he said trucks.

As I was rethinking my plans, I noticed he played with tractors almost the whole time I was there.  A tractor it was!

It's unbelievably difficult to find a cute pattern for a felt tractor.  In fact, I couldn't find one at all.  But I did find a few inspirations that gave me a place to start for drawing my own pattern.  I'm pretty pleased with the end result.

For the five-month-old I wanted to make a baby's 1st Christmas ornament, but I couldn't find very many baby boy ornament ideas that were cute.  I decided to go with an old favorite and make a Christmas stocking with a gingerbread man on it.  Not particularly baby-ish but very, very cute.

Have a very Merry Christmas full of blessings as you celebrate the birth of our Lord!