Joanne Heim

Pretty lists

If you know me at all, you know how much I love a good list. Look at these pretty little list-y books!

Here's how you make them:

Fold your paper--any size, square or rectangular--along the black lines. Then cut along the dotted line. Fold the book up and in and there you have it! A fun list for groceries, Christmas ideas, errands, party planning, or anything else that needs a list.

You can also check out PocketMod for printable books like these. Add a calendar, a list with boxes to check, reference information, or even a dots game. Send it to your printer and you're good to go!

More little birds

I can't stop making these...something about the curls and acorn tops and moss and lilac twigs--not to mention the little birdies and their real feathers.

I love them.

They're all tucked into the garland that runs down the dining room table centerpiece, as well as hiding in the Christmas tree that's part of the same tableau. (Fancy French word--gotta use that degree every once in a while!)

Tweet, tweet.

Birds and songs and boundaries

Our song is sweetest when sung from within our boundaries.
adapted from the words of Psalm 16 

I love Psalm 16--it's a tender one, one that has been a lesson for me to learn during the past year.

You have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance! 

...and I love birds and nests too, so when I saw this tutorial over at Pretty Ditty I knew I wanted to make them. (You really want to click on the link and visit her blog. She makes lovely things!)

I finally got all the supplies gathered today and had some to craft now that my Greek final is done. (Pretty sure I aced it, except for one answer I had right and then went back and changed to something wrong. Grr.)

 

As I was working on this, taking her idea and adapting it to my style, it cried out the words of Psalm 16 to me. The place I want to build my nest, the place I find the freedom to sing a sweet song is within the boundaries God has drawn for me. Within his boundaries I find freedom and joy, rest and peace. When we surrender to what God has assigned, when we accept our portion and our cup, we are bound to be free.

Quick and easy Advent candles

I have a tall Advent candle thing (yes, that's it's fancy design name!) in the shape of a three-dimensional star that is part of the center piece in the dining room, but it's a little tall for the kitchen table. Plus, we homeschool at the kitchen table and I wanted something low and easy to move.

Voilà!

Tray, candles I had in the candle drawer, and a bunch on ornaments from our childhood and Christmases past. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Happy Advent!

(Incidentally, as a French major, it bugs me when people pronounce voilà incorrectly. There's a V at the front of the word, and it makes a V sound! ::vwa-la, with an extra emphasis on the la:: What's your pronunciation pet peeve?)

Blocking--not football, but knitting

I've been knitting for years now--since well before Audrey was born. Even though my mom knits, I learned from women at work back in my days as a publicist-turned copywriter-turned editor at NavPress. 

Every Thursday, a group of women met in the conference room over lunch to chat and knit. I'd walk by and saw something I wanted to be a part of. So they graciously invited me in and taught me to knit--dishcloths and baby hats to begin. I loved Craft Lady Lunch Day. Thank you, June and Helen!

Anyway, in all my years of knitting, I don't remember ever really blocking something. Until this past weekend.

Blocking is a process to shape what you've knit. First, you soak your project in warm water for a half-hour or so, then you gently wring it out, then you roll it up in a towel, then you pin it down and let it dry.

I've been knitting a lacy project (yep, the one where the needle broke and I had to start again--from scratch) and though it was pretty, it needed blocking.

On its own, it was twisted and curled and the pattern that I worked wasn't really visible (K2, *SSK, 2YO, K2TOG, K2TOG, K3, YO, *repeat). To see the lovely lacework, I had to hold it up, stretch it, pull it. And as soon as I let go, it curled right back again and the pattern was impossible to see.

It needed to be blocked to showcase what it was created to be.

And it got me thinking.

Sometimes we go through seasons of blocking. We get wound up too tight, twisted around, curled in on ourselves and the pattern we're meant to reflect isn't at all visible--to us or to others.

And so God blocks us.

It may feel like we're drowning a while--heavy and soaked with tears.

Wrung out--twisted and stretched.

Wrapped up and unable to move, stifled and scarcely able to breathe.

Laid flat and pinned to the ground, held in place and still unable to move freely.

But then.

In due time, at just the right time, when the work is done and we get up, we find that we've been given a new shape--one that moves freely and easily and shows off the pattern to its best advantage. We find that instead of twisted and turned and having to be pulled and prodded into shape, we actually look like the picture.

[Imagine a picture here--it's dark this morning and I never got the picture taken yesterday when it was light. I'll do my best to come put a picture up later today--after the sun comes up!]

Life lessons from knitting

So I've been knitting this lacy pattern and totally loving it. And had just sent this picture to a friend on Twitter to show her what I was working on:

Pretty, huh?

I held it up to notice how nice and long it was getting--a good two or three feet or so--when SNAP! my knitting needle broke and the stitches started to come unravelled.

I could hardly believe it and sat on the couch, rocking back and forth, saying "oh no, oh no, oh no" over and over again under my breath, fearing the worst.

You see, this pattern is filled with all kinds of yarn overs and twists and it's not so easy to just pick up the stitches as if it were straight knitting. Some knitting stitches are easy to pick up and fix; others not so much.

I tried gluing the needle back together. I tried picking up as many stitches as I could. I tried closing my eyes and hoping that when I opened them again everything would be back the way it had been.

Didn't work.

After a deep breath, all I could do was unravel the whole thing and start all over again.

Hours of work gone in an instant.

And it seems like there's a life lesson there.

Sometimes things happen to us, other times we make deliberate choices. But consequences are there and they matter. And it takes a ridiculously short amount of time to undo something we've worked hard and taken time to create, to build.

As I rewound the yarn back into a ball from what was becoming a beautiful scarf, I realized that I want to be very careful how I live. Not as unwise, but as wise. Because unraveling is no fun at all.

Some more crafty

I saw this pattern (it is a free pattern, but you might have to join the Lion Brand site to see it) and decided I wanted to make it. (It's the color that got me. I wear lots and lots of this color.)

I found some gray alpaca wool in my stash, doubled it, and crocheted away. It did NOT turn out to the measurements of the pattern. And does NOT look like the picture. 

But I like it anyway!

Mine was much wider than theirs, so I folded it the opposite way, added cuffs, and sewed on some cute vintage buttons from my button jar. 

I love the texture of this, and with doubled yarn, it's nice and toasty warm without being too hot.

So often when something doesn't turn out like the picture/pattern, it's a total loss and I get frustrated and decided I'm never knitting/sewing/embroidering/painting/you-name-it again! Love that this worked out. Different, but good!

(Also, my gray tee isn't quite long enough. I'd remembered seeing this tutorial once upon a time, so I cut off the bottom of a tank that was too short just before I got dressed this morning. Now I have a snug little hipster that ensures modesty when I bend over! Think I'm going to craft some for Emma. She's my little plumber and could use one or seven!)

A little bit of crafty

So I've found my crafty mojo!

::much rejoicing::

I keep my curriculum for the girls' school on a clipboard each week. What has been a totally plain and beyond boring clipboard. No more! A little paint, a little spray glue, an old map, some ribbon--and now it makes me smile!

I love maps.

(Making these is pretty simple. Paint the clipboard and let it dry. Find a map or some paper and cut it slightly larger than the surface to be covered. Spray glue on the back, fix in place. File the excess paper from the edges. Add ribbon.)

***

I've also made a couple more fabric pumpkins.

I wrote a tutorial about how to make these two years ago. So if you're new around here (or need a refresher), here it is!

***

There's also a really cool [not telling what] in progress for my sister, not to mention [not telling that either] that's done. A couple of [wouldn't she like to knows?] for my mother. And some [nope, that's a secret too] for some friends.

It's going to be a handmade Christmas, which is my very favorite kind.

***

Think it's because the basement is FINALLY in order. It's much easier to craft when the table is actually clear and you can see stuff. Who knew?!

Mom and I were talking the other day about crafting spaces. And while we'd both love something out of a magazine picture, it is nice to have a big, unfinished space where it's okay to spill paint on the floor or leave a project in process laying out.

If we ever finished our basement, I'm sure my space would end up smaller than this, and somehow I seem to use every bit of this space.

***

What about you? What are you crafting these days?

Monday stuff

Happy Monday bloggy peeps!

I can't tell you how much nicer Mondays are without laundry and housecleaning in them. I'm so loving coming into the weekend and Monday mornings with everything in order. 

We had a great weekend around here--lots of resting, lots of documentaries on Netflix, lots of crocheting.

Not to mention a fabulous leaf-hunting walk with Emma on Saturday afternoon. We explored some new paths in the neighborhood and delighted in the season. "I love fall, Mom," she said. "It's my favorite." Me too.

(I do have some pictures, but they're on the camera in the other room and I'm happily ensconced in my chair by the fire.)

Oh! And it RAINED last night. Enough to hear it on the roof. Which I totally love a whole bunch.

So...

1. We studied Antarctica in geography last week and watched this from Netlflix last night all snuggled in bed. Wow. WOW. It's only 40 minutes long, but it was amazing. Incredible.

I tell you what...that's perseverance. Endurance. Courage. Leadership.

2. Netflix also has a bunch of National Geographic stuff on instant watch these days. I highly recommend these:

  

I think I may have discovered a new favorite film genre. 

3. While watching all these, I crocheted away. I'm making this out of some gray alpaca wool in my stash. I hope I have enough yarn--it's going to be close.

The free pattern is here, though you do have to start a free membership to access it.

4. We had friends for dinner on Saturday night--two couples and their two kids each. Twelve of us in all. Emma and I made an apple pie and a cherry pie for dessert. And while I am super loyal to apple pie, the cherry was so super yummy that I'll be making another. Soon. Really soon.

5. I caved and turned on the heat on Saturday morning. It hasn't run much, but it's on. I love the smell the first time you turn on the heat in the fall.

6. Greek midterm tomorrow night. Flashcards are my best friend.

So, what's up with you?

***

Oh, and we'll be adding verses 11 and 12 to Psalm 91 this week for Memory Monday.

Shower curtain make-over

I spent most of the day on Thursday down in the basement. Ironing, mending, organizing, looking at books of inspiration, being crafty, altering some dresses (one too long, the other too big).

And my shower curtain got a make-over. See?

 

The new ruffle includes fabrics from the quilt at the bottom of my bed (which is folded and not spread out like the picture in the link). It makes me think of Little House on the Prairie. The fabrics and ruffle and ribbons all make me want to call my shower curtain Laura. Not sure I've ever named a shower curtain before, but somehow it pops into my head every time I walk in the door.

Oh well. Laura it is! Isn't she lovely?

My never-ending birthday

Have to say, we're celebrating this one to beat the band.

Last Thursday, the girls and I spent the day at IKEA with Mom and Dad--always a fun day. Bought some cactus (I know--but look how cute they are!) and some window panels to make some mistreatments (which still make me squeal when I walk in the door--they warm up the house so much.)

 

  

So. Here's the deal. I really, really do not like the cactus in my front yard. It's truly scary. But look at these! The ones on the left look like little Christmas trees. That God made these kinds of things AND peonies is incredible to me!

 

(These are held together with straight pins!)

 

Then Mom and Dad took us to dinner at the Rustler's Rooste--so yummy and so much fun. You enter the restaurant through a mine, then can take the stairs or the slide down to your table. (No need to hesitate for a second in guessing which I took!) We ate barbecue and steak and fry bread and the whole restaurant sang to me. The balloon man made me a wrist corsage and the waitress gave me a cowboy hat.

 

On Friday, Mom and Audrey and I went to Target and I found a dress for $6.38. Happy birthday to me! Then we had dinner at Joe's Farm Grill. Which wasn't really part of my birthday, but super yummy anyway.

Mom and Dad left on Saturday, which was sad.  But Audrey and I went to Anthropologie to spend my birthday gift card, which was happy. (And that running is paying off!)

Sunday was church, doing a temporary dye job for the bowling party Audrey went to, then birthday dinner with our dear, dear friends, the Halls. They sang me the most off-key, loud, and obnoxious birthday song ever and I loved it like crazy.

Yesterday, Toben and Audrey and Emma gave me this beautiful necklace (how I love EVERYTHING at Anthropologie!) and Emma decorated the box just for me. I love it as much as I love the necklace.

 

  

 

 

We did school, I went to work at church in the afternoon, made Thai food for dinner, dyed Audrey's hair semi-permanently, and ate a birthday Blizzard from DQ that Toben brought home (Heath bar crunch--the ONLY kind of Blizzard as far as I'm concerned).

And yesterday also held more Facebook, email, text, phone call, bloggy birthday love than I ever expected or deserve. I am overwhelmed and humbled. Thank you.

Tonight, my friend Ali and I are having girls' night. Nail polish, girl movies, popcorn, jammies, and no kids. And Zac Ephron--can't forget him!

 

Sometimes you just need to make a quilt

A few months ago I was overcome with the urge to quilt. And not another Seven-Year Quilt--but one I could actually quilt by hand and finish in a reasonable amount of time, like, say, a month or two.

A baby quilt would be perfect. And since I have some friends who were adopting a beautiful boy, I even had someone to make it for.

She'd asked me to make their baby bedding, and while I gave her the yardage left over, I kept a bunch of the scraps with the thought they'd make, well, something.

So I added the turquoise ovals and circles from my stash, bought the solid brown and some batting, and look! I even finished it in time for the baby shower.

 

 

I love how the back looks, but couldn't get any pictures to turn out right. And I especially love how wrinkly a quilt gets after it's all done and washed.

Every quilt needs a name. This one is "Chosen." It's embroidered on the back, under the baby's name, along with a reference from Ephesians about how we are chosen by God. This lucky boy is twice chosen!

Frugal Friday: More paper wall decorations

I found this sign at Hobby Lobby a week or so ago on clearance and thought it was worth a $5 investment. But it looked a little plain, so I decided to embellish the wall around it some. And since I had some scrapbook paper, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick, I decided to add some bird silhouettes to the wall.

I'm tempted to go completely overboard with this and cover the walls with all kinds of things--butterflies, leaves, flowers--you name it. 

Got a bare wall? Now you know just what to do with it!

For some silhouette patterns, try Googling what you're looking for--there's tons out there for free.

Thanks for all the tote love!

Wow...lots of love for Emma's library tote yesterday. Thanks! I kept thinking I'd get around to responding to each comment individually last night, but I grabbed a book, ran a bath, and finished my book a couple of hours later. (That water was COLD by the time I finished!)

And while I'd love to whip up a bunch to sell, it's just not going to happen. I'm sure I could make it work for the next week, but then we'll be back in the school thing. And, as much as I hate to say it, it's often cheaper to buy a tote at Target.

By the time I get the fabric and spend several hours on it, I'd have to sell them for more than I'd want to pay for one.

All the same, I do miss my Simple Wife Handmade shop from days past. And I hope to open it again. But it's not for this season of life.

The bracelet book some of you mentioned in your comments? It doesn't ring any bells for me. But if you figure out what it is, let me know. I'd like to read it too!

I'd better hit the shower and get going. I didn't get up until after seven this morning (I know! I'm shocked too!) and I have a new friend coming for lunch at 11 o'clock. So I'd best get moving and make some chicken salad.

I tend to make chicken salad a lot when someone is coming for lunch. It's yummy and always makes me think of Anne and Diana wanting to stay at a hotel and eat chicken salad for lunch every day. Just seems like a girly kind of thing to make!

I'll get out some yummy crackers, slice up some fruit, grab some grapes, and whatever else I can find that sounds good. 

Toben just told me I'd better step on it, so I'm off.

Happy Friday, everyone!

P.S. I visited Fresh & Easy for the first time yesterday. They have a section of clearance produce and I got something like two pounds of peaches for 49 cents. Crazy! So that's my Frugal Friday tip for today--always check the sale section of wherever you're shopping. 

I'll definitely go back. Not for a full grocery trip since they didn't have some of the things I needed, but if I'm passing by and have the time, I'd definitely stop in for produce. I love having fruit around for snacks and their produce prices were great.

I do know people who shop sale ads for groceries and visit all kinds of stores in a week. I typically don't do that because I don't want to make the time. What about you? Do you shop at a bunch of different stores each week? How do you make it work? Is it worth the time of driving all over the place?

Emma's new tote

I love the library. Love, love, love it. Can you imagine getting locked in the library overnight? Alone, with all those BOOKS? You'd have to sneak in some snacks, but how wonderful would that be?

(And I know you're thinking I'd never be able to stay awake all night, but if I'm in the middle of a great book I can do it. I remember staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. just to finish a great novel. Of course I haven't done it much since having kids since there's no sleeping until 10 the next morning these days.)

Did you read The Crazy Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler when you were a kid? About the kids who lived in the museum and took baths in the fountains? Well, I always thought that would be an amazing adventure. But, maybe, the library--a really, really big one--would be a better place to get locked in.

Anyway. The library.

When I go to the library, I need a huge basket, a huge tote, or something huge to haul all my finds home again. We're talking stacks of books. And the girls are sort of the same way. They just keep piling the books in the basket because you can take home AS MANY AS YOU WANT. FOR FREE. It just doesn't get much better.

We'd planned to make some library totes, but then Audrey found a bag at Target she just loved. So she got it. (And took it to New York this week--it's in the pictures from the other day.) Emma's been holding out for a custom bag.

So she searched the stash the other day, came up with one bit of fabric she loved that wasn't nearly enough to make a bag. We headed to the store the other night, found some fabric that went with it, started drawing pictures of what a bag might look like, and came up with this:

It's a little big for her, but we wanted it to last a while.

We got out some Trader Joe's paper sacks (oh, to live again in a place where TJs is just down the road!), played around with sizes, created a basic pattern piece, and started cutting.

At the top of her list? Rounded corners on the bottom, a pocket on the front, and that button. For the inside, a pocket to hold pens and her library card.

After that, we just sort of made it up as we went.

We added another huge pocket inside that sort of divides the bag in half. And went with a wide strap to make it comfortable even when it's full of books. I'd show you inside the bag pictures, but they're really hard to take well.

Can you guess where we'll be going today? Even though we just went, I finished three books the other day and need something new. And Emma has a bag to debut at the library down the street!

(Anytime I point a camera at Emma, her hand pops onto her hip. Just like Barbie. Who always posed like that because her elbows were permanently bent. I'm just waiting for the other one to pop up and push back her hair while resting next to her head!)

Emma's new dress

I promised pictures of Emma's new dress a while ago and finally pulled it out of the ironing basket for her to wear to church yesterday (AFTER I ironed it!).

This is McCall's 5419 and it is so very her, don't you think?

(I just love her little angel wings!)

It even twirls--a bit. And, really, twirling is more about the attitude of twirling than the flare of the fabric.

A couple of things:

The fabric came from Hobby Lobby. Emma picked it out. She's moving from a pink girl to a blue one these days.

This is view F on the pattern. I've made view C before. You can see that here.

After all day in the heat, this dress starts to bother Emma a little. The strap rubs on her neck--not sure if I need to make the elastic in the back tighter to hold it up better or what. Any one else made this? Have an idea?

I tried it on for a lark, and a size 10 dress with size 7 length and no elastic in it yet fits me perfectly as a halter.  I made a note to straighten the sides a bit and make one for myself. I even have some fabric picked out. Emma and I will be doing some sewing in a few weeks, and I'll be sure to show you how it turns out.

New dress: Audrey

I realize I forgot to post pictures of the dresses I made for the girls last week. I'll need to do a photo shoot with Emma, but here's the pictures of Audrey's dress for now.

(Audrey does not like this picture--it's not a good one of her, but it's the only one I have that shows the entire dress.)

This is McCall's 4767. I bought the fabric at Hobby Lobby. I love all the circles and dots--it feels kind of retro to me.

Note: If you make this dress, measure your daughter first! I made Audrey a size 7 and then took in the sides an additional two inches on each side to get it to fit properly. Adjust the fit before adding the facing! I also added six inches to the length. Measure, measure, measure!

Here's a picture she likes much better:

Nothing like decorating with the help of a glue stick

Know that that is? I mentioned here that I had an idea for decorating the space above our bed. And it totally worked. And cost less than $10. Maybe less than $6.

Scrapbook paper and glue dots. (But the glue dots didn't want to hold too well, so I added a little washable glue stick.)

Ta da!

Oops. Should have fluffed the pillows before I took the picture and included more of the patchwork quilt on the bed. And waited until daylight, but you get the idea.

I'm not super crazy about the diagonal squares, but I eyeballed the whole thing and thought the space in the middle was too wide and this helps fill it in.

 I sort of have a vision for wallpapering the entire room like this, but I'll restrain myself.

Fabric adventure

The girls and I headed out this morning on a fabric adventure, in search of a buckle for the dress I was making for Audrey. (Finished it this afternoon!) We heard about SAS Fabrics (no website, so no link) from the gal at Jo-Ann's and then from some friends on Facebook here in Phoenix who both said, "You have to go!"

So we went.

I guess there are a couple of them here in Phoenix; we went to the one in Tempe.

And just look at what we saw...

(I LOVE RIC-RAC! It makes me feel a little bit giddy to see all this ric-rac.)

Not to mention lots and lots and lots of fabric and buttons and embroidery floss and a whole lot of other stuff. Including the buckle we needed.

Anyone in Phoenix know which location is the very best?

Hanging on the laundry line

Fabric from IKEA waiting to be made into pillows for the couch.

Au revoir

Janna and Kimberly threw a party for me yesterday and it was so wonderful. Thank you both so much! They know how to do things well, and it was fun and beautiful and delicious. Full of laughter and a few tears.

Here's the cool thing...except for Janna (who I met through my sis), these are all women I have met blogging. And as I commented on Twitter yesterday, these women are exactly who they present themselves to be--only even better in real life. I am blessed to know them!

(And because we're friends online as well as in real life, we'll all still be in touch over the next year even though I'll be in Phoenix.)

Janna, me

Kimberly, me

Paula, me

Angie (Didn't Janna set up such a cute seating area in her backyard?)

Amy, Angie, Amy, me, Kimberly

Amy, me, Amy, Angie

Holly, Janna, Amy

Paula, me, Angie

Want to "meet" my friends too?

Janna

Kimberly

Angie

Amy

Holly

Paula (not yet a blogger!)

The other Amy (not yet a blogger!)

(And Meredith, we missed you! Been praying for your trip!)

A little makeover for $19.99 with 50 percent off

I've seen these paper flowers from Martha Stewart at Michael's in the past, but when I saw them in Ava's room (my cutie patootie niece) I knew I needed to be a copycat. So we got some for Emma for her birthday and put them up this past weekend.

I love hanging stuff from the ceiling. Those 3M hooks are the bomb!

We also put up the darling chandelier that Aunt Kristen sent for her birthday.

Now we just need to replace her blue carpet with something neutral or even PINK! and add a better window treatment. I'd love to add some more bedding too--another comforter to layer and a bunch of super girl-y pillows.

But probably not until this summer.

Frugal Friday: Mocha, anyone?

I think it's always nice to get or give a Starbucks card for a coffee treat from time to time, but even $5 gift cards can add up for friends and neighbors and teachers. 

Giving homemade mocha mix is much cheaper and a jar of this mix is the equivalent of many, many mochas at Starbucks (which are sometimes too syrupy and sweet).

My mom has always had this mocha mix on hand and I've loved it since I was a kid. (She'd make it with decaf coffee so Kristen and I could have some too!) 

In fact, I have lots of memories of sitting around a table (in the camper, in a condo in Breckenridge, in the kitchen, at a campsite), drinking mocha, eating Mom's Cookies, and playing Rummy 500.

I keep my mix in a big pickle jar--so I always have lots on hand.

I made small jars (I was out of big canning jars) of this mix for all my Girl Scout leaders at school. I cut a circle of Girl Scout scrapbook paper to cover the top of the canning jar (then put the ring on top) and made a label with ingredients (so recipients know what's in it in case of allergies) and directions.

Quick, easy, economical, and much appreciated!

Mocha Mix

(I usually make HUGE batches of this in my stock pot, so I've put larger quantities in parentheses if you want to quadruple the recipe)

• 1 cup (4 cups) unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups (8 cups) sugar
• 2 cups (8 cups) nonfat dry milk powder (I've also used lactose free powder)
• 2 cups (8 cups) dry nondairy coffee creamer (you can also use a flavor like vanilla or hazelnut!)
• 1/2 cup (2 cups) instant coffee (regular or decaf--up to you!)
• 1 (4) vanilla bean, cut up (I sometimes leave this out--it's expensive!)

Stir together, mixing well. Store in jars and let sit one week before using. 

To make mocha, add boiling water to 2 or 3 tablespoons of mocha mix in your favorite mug. Enjoy!

P.S. Save those jars--jam, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and so on--and you'll have all the containers you need by Christmas if you want to make this for teachers, neighbors, and friends!

Rice pillows or socks--a great gift to make

Gift giving can add up fast. As Meredith said, it's easy to bleed money in December. It can be all too easy to spend huge amounts of money on something--anything--for the people on your Christmas list.  

While I don't make gifts for everyone (there are those who just don't appreciate handmade gifts), making gifts can be a thoughtful and economical way to go. (Some handmade items are not economical, which you know if you're a crafty girl. Those supplies can add up quick!)

But this gift is super quick, super easy, and super appreciated.

A few years ago, I made rice socks for my parents as a Christmas gift. Inspired by a Martha Stewart Good Thing, I filled an argyle sock with rice and tied a knot. Heated in the microwave for two minutes, it wraps your neck and shoulders in delicious warmth, soothing any aches and pains.

I couldn't find this on Martha's site, but here the original article in an old issue:

I've seen some great knee socks at Target this winter--two gifts for the price of one pair of socks!

For Christmas,  Janna made me a rice pillow--and I love it. It's a perfect lap size, fits behind the small of my back on the couch, great for snuggling with at bedtime.

So I made a couple of rice pillows as gifts. I made mine similar to Janna's, but I made an inner pillow filled with rice and then made a pillow cover for the outside. That way, the cover can be removed and washed.

Here's the one I made for my mom out of some fabric in my stash (or at least the embroidered cover part of it--monograms again!):

Sew a basic rectangular pillow out of muslin or plain fabric, leaving an opening. Fill with rice until it feels like the right amount (you can also add lavender or an essential oil if desired) and sew the opening shut. Then make a pillow cover slightly larger. That's it. Don't use anything metal--it's going to go in the microwave to get warm!

Here's another tutorial for a rice pillow, and an eye pillow too.

And one more tutorial here.

Did you make any great gifts for Christmas that didn't cost much but greatly appreciated? Leave a link in the comments and tell us all about it! Because it's never to early to start Christmas crafting!

P.S. I think it may become Frugal Friday around here.

Gift for Kristen

When Kristen and Wade found out they'd be moving to New York, I knew I had to save this fabric for her. 

I've made her a number of totes in the past couple of years, but it seems like you can't have too many tote bags--especially with young kids. A library tote. A car tote. A spending the night at Gran's (well, used to be when they were here!) tote.

I gave this one both long and short handles--so it'll hang from the stroller handle easily and not drag on the ground--and it'll go over the shoulder or even cross-body like a messenger bag.

Like some of the others I've made for her, it's lined with oil cloth in case anything spills.

Isn't that fabric great?

Gifts for girlfriends

Now that Christmas is past and all the gifts have been mailed and opened, I can share what I made for some girlfriends for Christmas. A girl can’t have too many little zippy purses in my opinion (ipod, tissues, lipsticks, giftcards—the possibilities are endless!)  and a monogram makes it even better. Plus, most of these are lined with vintage hankies that have been sitting in a drawer for a year or two waiting for inspiration to strike.

Of course, I think of someone new I should have made one for just about every single day...so I may be making them again next year! And, really, I wish I had the time, money, and steel fingers required to make one for every single one of you!

Vintage cards

Since several of you commented on my vintage Christmas cards, I thought I'd share a couple of them here--you can open the image and print onto card stock. As I told Priti, you won't have the benefit of the writing on the back (I love reading what's on the back of old cards--as well as seeing the beautiful handwriting!), but you can still enjoy tucking them here and there in your holiday decor.

View this photo 

 

View this photo

Gifts for teachers

Do you struggle with what to give teachers? Sometimes I do. While I'd love to give big wads of cash, I don't really have big wads of cash to give away. And I'd love to give seasonal gifts and cute things, but I know a few teachers and their houses are full of that kind of thing.

Usually I make our teacher gifts. Last year, I did mocha mix, bread, pretty Christmas napkins, and a few other things--everything needed for a Christmas break breakfast by the Christmas tree. (And when it's eaten, there's nothing left to find a place for!)

This year I thought it would be nice if the girls helped make their gifts. And since they've been loving learning to embroider, I thought they could do zippies (because they are IMMENSELY practical and useful) for their teachers.

They chose the designs, did the embroidery, and I sewed them up.

(Sorry--I forgot to take pictures before they were wrapped up in cellophane bags!)

Audrey and Emma took them off to school this morning; I'm anxious to hear what their teachers thought!

Done

Emma's Christmas dress from Butterick 4906, view B. My favorite part? The gingham lining. That and the zipper I finally got in...after three tries.

Kristen's Advent calendar

This is the Advent calendar I made for my sister, based on the one made for me when I was a little girl.

I don't have a pattern--I just used mine as a guide for the size and ornament ideas. Her tree is a little more free form than mine, which is a little more her, I think. And I did her ornaments a little differently. A lot of mine have sparkly sequins and stuff--I made hers a little more simply. (See, her girl has yellow felt hair instead of orange yarn.)

Other than sewing the tree, buttons, and pockets, it's all about the Alene's Tacky Glue that comes in that gold/bronze bottle. That and a really good pair of scissors!

Hint, hint (and where should I put the tree?)

I love letters. Initials. Flashcards with words and letters on them. And so that's inspiring some Christmas-ing that's been going on around here.

But that's all I'm going to show you!

The snow has all melted, except for in the shadiest spots. The sun came out yesterday by midday. Had it continued to snow, I think I would have been compelled to put up a Christmas tree or two!

Though I'm not quite sure where it's going to go. Our living room has gone through some changes recently, and the important tree question has yet to be answered.

Moving in:

First arrangement with old and stained red couches:

We then moved it all to the garage for the Girl Scout tea party last May (and once Toben saw the couches in broad daylight he agreed we couldn't put them back in--so the living room sat empty for a few months):

New couches! But very monochromatic...we need color:

I redid some of the pillows that came with the couch and made a cloth for that table that holds the lamp between the couches:

The other end of the room:

Another view. But we need a rug and a window seat cushion:

And the view from upstairs this morning--rug and window seat--done:

In the past, the tree has gone in the corner by the fireplace. But that huge, comfy chair is where I have my quiet time. So I don't want to move it. Maybe slide the jelly cupboard to the right and put the tree a little in front of the window...?

I could move the desk and put the tree there, but it's my desk and I spend a lot of time there. And I really want the tree to go in this room. We spend lots of time in here--plus I don't ever close the curtains and it's important to me that people driving by can see its lights--even just a little.

What do you think?

(Hey Holly, did you notice the sewing box? I painted it and it stores all my quiet time stuff and holds my coffee in the morning. Thank you again--I love it!)

Been Christmas-ing

Not putting up decorations, but crafting! I headed down to the basement (aka the Mad Workshop) this morning after my quiet time, and came back up at about 2 o'clock, at which point I decided I should brush my teeth (I'd forgotten! Gross, I know!) and get showered and dressed.

I made tons of progress on some Christmas gifts and I'm so excited. I'd show you, but, well, it's a secret, you know!

We headed over to Mom and Dad's for dinner tonight and are all having dinner together again tomorrow night before Wade, Kristen, and the kids (and dog) fly to NYC on Monday morning. 

It seems weird that it's here and time for them to go. We've had this date on the calendar for so long, and for so long it's been way off in the future. But now it's here and I'm not sure I'm ready for it.

I meant to take some pictures of everyone together tonight, but I was busy working on a few projects while we sat around and completely forgot.

I'm off to bed and will see you on Monday!

I need help!

I bought some lovely knit fabric at Denver Fabrics today...and I'd like to make a tee shirt. I've not sewn with knits much and don't have a pattern. Anyone have any advice for me? A pattern you love? Tips and tricks? Do's and don'ts?

Help!

Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial

Here's what we're making...

...fabric pumpkins! 

Here's what you need:

• Fabric that makes you think of pumpkins--think all kinds of textures from fleece to velvet to brocade to cotton
• Pumpkin stems--this is important, you really need REAL pumpkin stems (save the ones from each year, dig in the bin at the grocery for those that have already broken off, but don't break off stems from their pumpkins, 'cause that's just mean--a good stem is what makes a pumpkin, if you ask me)
• Rice or beans
• Polyfill
• You'll also need a needle and thread, a sewing machine, and a glue gun

Here's what you do:

1. Cut your fabric into a rectangle and fold in half. It doesn't really matter what size. A bigger rectangle will make a bigger pumpkin. But I think short and wide words better than long and tall.

Sew two of the cut ends together to make a seam.

2. With a big running stitch (see #4) sew one open end shut, pulling the thread tight. (This works best by hand.) Secure and knot securely.

3. Turn right side out and add rice or beans to the bottom to give the pumpkin some weight. Top with polyfill. You don't need to fill it so it's stuffed too full; a squashy pumpkin is best, I think.

4. Using the same big running stitch, sew the top end and pull the thread tight.

Here's what it should look like:

5. Next, tuck the unfinished part inside the pumpkin and sew shut securely. It doesn't matter if you can see your stitches, as long as you know the stem you've chosen will cover them. 

I do like to pull the thread down to the bottom of the pumpkin and back up again (think cushion with tufted buttons) to make the center squash down some. If you make a huge pumpkin, that won't work because your needle won't be long enough to go all the way down your pumpkin. But it works great for smaller pumpkins.

6. Pick the best stem to suit your pumpkin's size and add to the top of your pumpkin with hot glue. 

That's it! One darling, fabric pumpkin.

Miss Millie's all decked out...

...thanks to all those fabric flowers I made at Janna's Fall Fest!

I did add a few knitted and crocheted flowers I'd had as well as a sparkle here and there. I've decided I like having all my brooches visible. And I realize that pretty much all my brooches are flowers--fabric, knitted, crocheted. Huh. Oh well, they're pretty, aren't they?

Miss Millie has a friend--though they've not met in person. Her name is Evelyn and she greeted everyone at the door for Fall Fest on Saturday. (I'm having serious outfit envy--isn't that a fabulous vintage Girl Scout uniform? Drool.)

Other than dropping her pumpkin a time or two or three, she was a wonderful hostess. (I do think that Miss Mille often wonders why she doesn't have arms when she sees Evelyn, but I just tell her we really shouldn't compare ourselves to others since we're all uniquely made!)

Janna's house was decorated beautifully--little touches of fall tucked in here and there. I especially loved the egg cups!

We watched Pride and Prejudice, some of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, ate pumpkin bread and M&Ms and chicken curry and panini sandwiches and artichoke dip and candy corn and just about anything else you can think of!

It was a great day, Janna. Thank you!

Off to Fall Fest for the day

Janna hosts a Fall Fest every year and today is the day! So I'm off to go jump in the shower before heading to her house for a day of crafting, relaxing, chatting, and eyebrow waxing. 

(Bet you didn't see that one coming--someone's coming to do manicures, pedicures, haircuts, and such and my brows need help. Especially since I've known this was happening today so I've let them go a little wild so she'll have lots to work with!)

Need to go finish packing my basket and get out the door. I'm taking along a bunch of magazines to share as well as all the supplies I need to make some more fabric flowers. And my camera--I must remember to take pictures so you can see how great it is.

Happy Saturday!

Look what I made!

Before I feed my family and run out to a Girl Scout service unit meeting tonight (just call me whirlwind again!), I wanted to show you what I made today.

This is so super easy. Here's the pattern. I did make a few changes--surprise, surprise! 

To begin, I followed the pattern exactly, but my flower was a little, too, well, flat. So I cut four big flowers instead of two. Then when it says to lay the two big flowers on top of each other, I put one flower down, folded the other three in half, and layered them on top, similar to the folding and laying down you do with the four smaller flowers. (Trust me, it'll make sense when your read her tutorial. You'll see what I mean.)

Then when I tacked down the flowers, I finished by doing a small running stitch just through the top layer in a circle around my small stitches. I then pulled them tight to make a small gather so that the inside of the flower stands up a little and gives the whole thing some more dimension.

Finally, I'm going to wash and dry it (but I wanted to show you first!)--that way the edges will fray a bit and the whole thing will be a bit more fluttery, a bit more frilly.

Also, I'm not a fan of pin backs--especially for big brooches. (This one measures about four inches across, I think.) The brooch tends to flop too much. So I'll just attach it with safety pins to my sweater, my bag, or wherever I think to put it.

Next time (because I will be making lots more of these--the whole thing took about 10 minutes, if that) I think I may add some fabric leaves too.

That's it!

P.S. Notes:

Janna: Thanks for a fun day. I'm totally craving another sandwich.

Sara: Recognize my fabric?

Lisa: There's a house for sale down the street! Actually, there's more than one so Brooke could move too.

Tammy: Next time, we'll have to be crafty--and swap some scraps from our stashes.

Angie & Priti: The tutorial is so easy to follow; you'll be whipping out flowers in no time!

Presto, chango!

From an old IKEA curtain from Audrey's room in California to...

Another pair of new jammies! This time with buttonholes for that darn drawstring!

AND, if that's not a happy thing--it's also pouring rain. And has been for the past two hours. And I went to the library and got a stack of decorate-y, craft-y books. And a new Clive Cussler. And the new Janet Evanovich.

I'm off to curl up on the couch, watch the rain pour, and thumb through books. Ahhhh...

McCall's 2586

So I was totally inspired by the gorgeous lounge pants that Chris made and decided to make a pair out of an Urban Outfitters bed cover I had in the stash. Here's the result:

A couple of things:

1. If it's a unisex pattern, take that into account when buying it. I bought a large, and these are HUGE. Fine for the first time, but if I make the pattern again, I'll take in the seams by at least an inch and cut a good two inches off the top. 

2. The pattern had side pockets and cargo pockets. I left them off of mine. That meant there were only two pattern pieces to deal with. Fast and easy!

3. Somewhere I missed making buttonholes or openings for the drawstring until it was too late. So I tried a few things, ended up with a rapidly fraying hole in the waist, and decided to try grommets. Not my favorite for this, but it fixed the problem. The ribbon tie is only for decoration because of this mistake. I really wanted a drawstring in addition to the elastic.

One thing about sewing...it helps to make notes on the instructions as you go. I always think I'll remember any changes I made, but I never do until it's too late. So this pattern is all marked up now!

Despite all of this, I think I'll probably make some more of these--you can never have too many pairs of pjs! I have some fun Christmas flannel sheets that would make cute jammies for winter.

(I've looked for a link to the pattern. I think it's out of print, but there are some on ebay if you're looking.)

Two more skirts...

(They're only holding hands cause I made 'em. If you look close you can see how hard they're squeezing.)

And check out picnik.com for fun and free photo editing!

Half a yard of fabric, plus some elastic, and maybe some trim...

I'm loving this pattern. A lot.

It's one Audrey picked out because she loves the capris. We haven't gotten 'round to them yet, but I made a skirt--well, almost two--today.

It takes less than 30 minutes--really. And a half a yard of fabric. I have lots of half a yard of fabrics in my stash.

Take a peek:

This fabric was once a bedspread from Urban Outfitters--on clearance for maybe $5. It's also a dress hanging in my closet!

Crafty girls

Audrey, Emma, and Ava at Allison's wedding at Twin Bears Camp, Alaska

(Though the Alaska state flower is the forget-me-not, I think it should be the dandelion!)

Just had to share this photo of my girls! Audrey and Emma "helped" make their dresses--pinning and cutting out and sewing some of the straighter seams.

Audrey's dress is Simplicity 4255, view A (without the bow and ruffle). Making it again, I would change how the bodice lining is done. It has a raw seam inside and looks kind of messy, instead of hand sewing the lining inside to make it neater. I did mix sizes for Audrey--an 8 for the bodice and a 10 for the skirt. Be sure to measure your daughter before making it! The size 10 bodice would've been too loose and hard to adjust once it was made because of the lining. Next time, I'd also maybe add a little length--just an inch or two.

Emma's dress is McCalls 5613, view A, with rickrack added to the seam between bodice and skirt and also to the hem. I didn't add the elastic to the back seam between bodice and skirt--it seemed unnecessary. I'd add some length to this pattern too--my girls are tall!

I'd definitely make both of these again.

(As for Ava, her shirt is a hand-me-down from Emma from Old Navy!)

An afternoon at the pool followed by some sewing

We spent the afternoon in the sun at the pool--our usual summer afternoon activity. Then worked on a dress for Audrey and finished this simple tote.

Off for some stir fry for dinner...

Audrey's guest post

Audrey wants to share her embroidery with you too! So here she is:

This is the zippy I made. It is called "Backyard Bumblebee." It was fun to make it and my favorite part is the bumblebee. It's the first thing I embroidered and was really hard to fill it in completely. I love the flowers too. My favorite color is the pink on the flower.

I'm going to keep my Puppy in My Pockets in it too. And I'll take it to Alaska just like Emma.

Here's a close up of the front:

I didn't put my name on the back; instead I put a little A on the front. Do you see it?

Emma's guest post

Emma decided that she'd like to be the one to tell you about her latest craft project... So, take it away, Emma!

This is the zippy purse I made this morning. It's called "Spring All The Time." 

First Mom gave me some fabric and I drew the picture. And then I embroidered it using a needle and doing the backstitch. It was hard at first but it became easier and easier because I practiced a lot. My favorite part of the picture is the bunny because it was really hard to do it because of all the curves. It was just amazing that I did it!

I just really love bunnies and they're one of my favorite animals. We have a new baby bunny that just got born a while ago that's really cute. It lives under my deck and that's why I decided to put a bunny on my picture.

Today I sewed it into a zippy. I put a different type of fabric on the inside. It was really fun. Mom helped me with the sewing. We used the sewing machine.

Here's the front:

And here's the back:

I'm going to bring it to Alaska and put my Pet Shops and my Puppy in My Pockets in it. 

P.S. from Joanne:

I should mention that she didn't make the whole thing today. It took a day or two to do the embroidery and to wash and press the fabric afterward. This morning, we just sewed the zippy!

McCalls 5419

Here's what the girls wore to school today--new play dresses I made this weekend from McCalls 5419.

I made Audrey's first and followed the pattern exactly. It fits Emma pretty well too, so I made one for her next. But this time I modified the pattern a bit. Audrey's swings out kinda wide--a little too triangle-y, if that makes sense. So I folded the sides of the pattern in a bit to make it have a straighter skirt. And I put in a regular hem instead of bias tape on the bottom (because I ran out!). And I like it better.

After seeing Audrey in hers again this morning, I think I'll redo hers to make it a bit straighter too. I suppose a more fluid fabric would hang less stiffly and be swishy-er, but I really love 100 percent cotton prints. So I'll stick with the modification.

This was such a simple pattern--two pieces, two seams, and bias tape. If you're looking for a summer play dress or tank top, I'd recommend it!

(You can click on the photo and then enlarge to see how the bias tape edge and straps look.)

According to Emma

"This is what the Heim family mostly does: Sit around in our pajamas and knit!"

Well, we do a lot of other stuff too, but that's what we're up to this morning.

Poor Audrey still isn't feeling great and when we finally thought to take her temp last night it was 102+. She's coughing and running a fever again this morning; Emma's sniffly, and so we're not going to church. Audrey will be home from school tomorrow (school policy means no going to school if you've had a fever within 24 hours) and we're all going to rest today.

So Audrey's watching Disney and working on getting lots of fluids in, Toben's reading the paper, and Emma and I are camped out on the couch in our pjs, knitting and listening to some Chris Tomlin and Kirk Franklin and everyone else on my iPod.

Wishing you all a happy and HEALTHY Sunday!

Glimpses of my day...

I think she likes it!

A little applique...

I bought the girls some shirts at Walmart last week--like $3.50! While we watched movies last week, I did some fun applique.

Some great Japanese fabric for Emma and Audrey, appliqued and embellished with some beads (click for a larger view):

And matching birdie shirts for spring:

You can also do applique on shirts you already have--especially over stains. As my friend Jen says, "A whole new shirt or sweatshirt out of something you were planning to throw away!"

**ADDED LATER**

Katie left a comment below asking for some instructions...so here you go!

You'll need:
a shirt, onesie, sweatshirt--something to applique (be sure it's prewashed and dried)
something to put on the shirt--a shape or picture cut from fabric (I like cotton fabric best for this)
package of Heat and Bond Ultra
iron and ironing board
embroidery floss and needle
beads, buttons, sequins

Cut out what you'd like to applique onto your shirt. Following the instructions, apply Heat and Bond to the wrong side of the shape. Then iron your shirt to make it smooth, decide on placement, and iron your applique onto the shirt.

Embellish with embroidery and beads. It's important to do some sort of a running stitch around the outside edge. (Or you can stitch down the edges with a straight stitch on your machine, or even a zigzag stitch.) While I've read in books that the Heat and Bond will hold permanently, it hasn't for me. The first onesie I did came out of the wash with the edges curled and coming up randomly.

For stretchy cotton shirts, I think two strands of embroidery floss is about perfect. Any more and it it gets a little lumpy. Any beads or buttons will depend on the person wearing it--I don't use beads or buttons for babies or toddlers--and the thing you've chosen to applique.

That's it!

Hide and seek sacks

Remember this?

Here's what that is: Hide and seek sacks inspired by the crafty mom at the MOPS group I visited a week or so ago. I modified the pattern some and made these for Ava and Tyson for Easter.

Tyson is a little young still, but Ava's just the right age. Even Audrey and Emma love to look through the window to find all the items hidden inside. Filled with rice, they have enough weight to sit firmly in a little lap without sliding off. I thought these would be great to keep in the car--something to do while running errands.

The tag has a list on the back of everything hidden inside; the bags themselves are made of a soft flannel.

And of course, I couldn't make just two; I have more made. I thought about putting them up in the shop, but because of the weight, the shipping alone is about $6. Which means I'd need to charge about $20 each to include shipping. But if you really want one, let me know.

Look at the fun fabric I used. You can click on each picture for a larger view.