easiest blanket ever

A few years ago maybe 6, my husband bought me a 6ft love sac I still love it to this day as well as the kids now. About 2 years after that he bought me a blanket to go with it. I so loved this blanket, it stays on the sac or the couch and I use it all the time. I even take it with me when we travel. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't get the mink fury one...I don't even think they made that one when we purchased ours.

Daddy sleeping on the love sac and the blanket...everybody loves them

Anyway back to the reason for the post...
My son clammed the blanket about 1 month ago when he got sick and would not give it back. What a sad day for me. I have been trying get get it back for the entire month with every bribe I can think of.

The original


The best part about the blanket...a foot pocket

To my surprise when I went to Joan's to get the fabric for my curtains, I found this great fabric! It was just like my blanket. Very soft on 1 side and furry on the other and it was just 1 piece of fabric. In my mind all I had to do was go home and serge around the edges and all would be good!

serge around the edges

Not as fluffy as the original, but much softer in my opinion

It worked out, the fabric was a little pricey 24.99/yd then I used my coupon. I bought 1yrd, brought it home serged around the edge and now my blanket is being washed to be returned to the proper owner!! I can't wait to sit and watch a show tonight!!

Austin says it is so comfy cozy and he is not going to share it :)

I didn't put the feet pocket in so it would last longer...If I was able to afford more than a yard I would have bought more and added the pocket...but I don't think it matters much to him

For my Husband

My husband never really ask to much from me, however when we moved into our new home he made it clear that he wanted these vertical blinds down. And QUICK!

I hated these things too!

His request was to keep the system of opening and closing. So I thought I would try putting button holes at the top end of the curtains. It worked!!!

I put 35 button holes about 3.25 inches apart and it works, it really works.

My fabric choice, which was not cheap by any means


a view of all my button holes

The final product.

It is a little longer on the one end, but I am leaving it. I figure it is so close that I don't want to touch it an make it to short. I would be very angry with myself if I made it too short.

We are going to do something with the top, we just have not decided what yet. I also wanted to line the back, but after spending double what I thought I would, I decided to wait and line it at a later date. I figure nobody will see the back anyway.

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Christmas gifts

I have already admitted I haven't made to many gifts this year, but what I did make I finished up today.

I made a double oven mitt (I must make one for myself). I found the tutorial here. I loved it, I wish I had more attractive fabric, but I was not spending money.

The recipient loves cats.

the only thing I wish I did differently was read how to use bias tape (this was a first for me)

The next item was a shirt. I found the saying when I was looking around on line. It was originally "Great Dads get promoted to Grandpa", but we call our "Grandpa" "Poppy". That's the beauty of making your own shirts. I used my Yudu for this one.

This is a 2xl shirt, the only thing I still have to learn with the yudu is print size

Since I had my Yudu out, I made some more shirts. I have found that you can get more than one saying on a sheet and I don't like to waist my sheets of emulsion.

Austin already has a shirt like this, but it is pretty small, so I couldn't wait to get him a new one

This is one I have made in the past as well, just using up space on the emulsion. just in case you cant see it says " dedicated.involved.loving.father

I have no idea what I am going to do with this one but it was better than wasting space on the screen.

Sesame hat

The last bit of Christmas shopping for me was for a family that work adapted. We had been looking for a family to adapt for the holiday and was glad that work found a deserving family. They have 4 children under the age of 6 and 1 has medical complications.

So I went to pick up some items on the list and when I was done I had spent quite a bit, so I thought for one of the little ones I would make a hat. Here in Florida the weather has been a bit cooler than usually (so I'm told), so I thought a cute hat would be the perfect gift.

I used this tutorial and it worked out great. I had to shorten the rows, since I crochet lose, I was happy that I had a little model to try it on for me. I had taken some really cute photo's but my card had become corrupted and only got 2 photos :(

I would have liked to do elmo, but I didn't have red on hand so Big Bird it was.

Teacher's gifts

Just got done with the gifts...it was a close one this year! Austin's last day is this Friday.

My goals was to spend as little as possible and it worked. All I spent was money on the hand sanitizer.

I had high ambitions at first and spent an entire day trying a pillow, but decided to bag that and go with something a little easier and less time consuming. Especially since 3 out of the 5 of us are sick right now. I am the only one who has not gotten it, so I wanted to finish before it it me...I am sure it will.

Austin has 1 main teacher 1 assistant, 1 for the last half hour, the director and another I am not sure what her role is, but they are all pretty much involved in his everyday activities. so all in all I made 5 which went pretty quick, maybe 2 hours tops for all.


I used this tutorial from Lemon Squeezy Home. I just loved it!! I will defiantly be making more and that includes one for me.

I am not really sure what to do with Valerie...this is her 1st year in middle school, do we still give gifts? That would be a lot, maybe just homeroom? I have to think on this one

New hats

So we are here in Florida enjoying the weather however....it has been a little colder than I expected!! I can't really complain, it's normally cooler in the morning around (32) and worms up by 11 (50-60). Still cold enough to need hats, so I have been like a mad women making hats for the kids.

Valerie asked for a stripped hat with blue and cream. After searching the internet (after she was in bed) I found this pattern. The only thing I did different was at the end only did 4 rows instead of 6. If I did it again I would cut the stitches to about 75 not 80.

I started it right away thinking she would want it because it was suppose to be like the one Bella wore in Eclipse and Twilight. I was right, but then she asked if I could do it in green (that's what hers was in the movie). I felt bad but I was already halfway done...next time my dear. She really does love it, wearing it all day.



Austin went for the so popular "owl" hat. I love making them, so cute


Savannah will get an owl hat as well...here is one I made for the winner of the last giveaway. I think I will make the same one for her...I love the colors together.

Trying it on before the eyes were finished

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

A little before Thanksgiving Dana at Made Posted several different pumpkin recipes. Now I don't really like pumpkin, but when I saw these photos I just had to give it a try. And boy am I glad I did.

I made them for our guest to have on Thanksgiving morning. I was a little nervous I don't bake...not because I don't like to, but because pretty much everything I bake comes out wrong. No words were to be heard around the table that morning. Even I liked them.

Luckily for me I had enough to make two batches and the other one is rising as I type. I can't wait.

I am going to try to roll them a little more some of them came out really big and I didn't have enough for the pan, but we will see I might be getting ahead of myself now.

Turkey

While crafting is still a little slow, I thought I would share our Thanksgiving day turkey.

This is the second year I made this turkey, I love it!!

The reasons I love it are:
I like the spices
It doesn't take to long to make it (you don't stuff it)
It looks beautiful

I got the recipe off of Rachel Ray a few years ago when Bobby Flay was on her show. I was not cooking that year, but knew I wanted to try the recipe. Last year a gave it a whirl and loved it, so I went right back to it this year. It was a big hit and a success. The gravy the next day was to die for while all spice's sat in the gravy overnight. I don't eat gravy, but after everyone started to talk about the gravy I had to try some and boy was it good.


this was an 18 lb turkey I put it in the oven around 1030 and we were ready to eat around 130. yum

still unpacking

We are still unpacking :( My list for sewing is growing everyday, I can't wait to get started. My sewing room will most likely be the last room to get unpacked :( so bummed. But I guess cooking is a priority.

Anyway, I thought I would share with you something I made awhile ago :







Once I saw them, I started on them right away!! I couldn't wait to give them to my kids. They did take a long time, with all the small pieces, but I am glad I took the time. The kids love them. Savannah gets them out and brings them to me, she gives me a couple then she puts one on her hand and starts dancing waiting for me to start singing. I only did a 2 things different. I glued on the paws, and used fabric pens for for the eyes. It just made it that much easier for me.

I used this tutorial and patterns, I can't thank her enough.

we are in Florida

Our little (maybe not so little) family has moved to Florida. Our house is not ready yet so we are staying in an extended stay. It's getting tougher as the days go by. We were suppose to get our house today, however the sellers were not ready so, we sit and wait.

I do hope to get back to regular blogging her sometime in the near future. I was crafting LOTS, but finding the additional time to blog about it just wasn't happening. And when I did take pictures they didn't come out that great.

For now I will share the costume I made my littlest. I don't have the pattern handy since it is packed in a box, but I do believe it was McCall's from Joann's. I do love the way it came out. The wings could use a little work.

I also changed the petals. It called for just layering them, but since I didn't want to buy anything else...I chose to cut 2 the same and sew them together and make them puffy, instead of flat.


I changed the back a little. The pattern called for regular elastic. They wanted you to make 3 casting and then insert the elastic and sew down, but I used elastic thread and like how it turned out. Something I wish I wasn't scared of the dying. But after my last fiasco with it I didn't want to attempted it again. I would have like to die the elastic for the wings so they didn't stick out like a sore thumb.

I did the 3t size even though she is only 15 months. She is in the 75%, but I don't think she is really all that big, so I would say that the sizing is off a little.

And just cause I think he is cute:

I didn't make his costume this year, while we were at a second hand store he found and fell in love with a dragon costume, so we went with it.

1st Halloween costume

My oldest wanted to be a vampire for Halloween. I thought this was great, all I had to come up with was a cape.

I looked on the internet for a tutorial and came up empty handed. Although I found a pattern at the store I wasn't willing to pay for it, since it seemed pretty basic. With that said I thought I would give a little tutorial for those that were not quite sure.

It totally came out by chance and she LOVES it! I like that it is not your traditional red lining and the black has sparkles. She can wear the collar up down.

I started with 1 yard of each fabric:

I layered the 2 fabrics right side together and folded in half

I cut about 8 inches off the top (I might skip this if there were a next time)

I used a bowl to round the bottom

I stitched our 3 sides leaving the top open

take the 8 inch pieces and cut the end on an angle to come to a point

I tapered the top to line up with the collar piece
and ironed on fusible interfacing

place the 8 inch peace inside the opening right side fabric together pin and sew, do this for both sides

This is the step that would have been easier if I left it attached and just tapered in and came to a point. Not sure if it would have worked.

cut slits around your rounded edges

Then turn and top stitch.

I didn't take a picture of the next 2 steps, mostly because I thought I was done. But it ended up to big. So I folded over the top by the neck and tapered it to mid way down and stitched down. Then I put and eye hook to hold it closed.