versatile patriotic bunting

About a week ago, I posted this photo on my facebook page:

Well, those 80 some triangles were trimmed with pinking shears and exposed to spray starch for durability.

Hung on twine, they got lots of compliments at our Red, White, and BOOM! Summer Celebration at work (because, you know.... we can't have birthday parties anymore).. I forgot to take a picture of them hanging at the party, but they're now decorating my cubicle at work. I love it when things are festive and colorful!

And 80? That was waaaaaayyy too many for what I needed. Only a couple dozen were hung on the wall and a few more decorated the table under the cupcakes. (I even left about 20 un-starched.) But the best part? Because they're not sewn and just threaded onto the twine instead (I had good intentions to sew them up... I just ran out of time during the Weekend of All the Events), I can use them for lots of other holidays. Wouldn't those red and white polka dot ones be so adorable for Valentine's Day?

What crafty projects have you been working on this summer? Are you breaking out of your crafting comfort zones?

Pleated Clutch in an Evening

I pinned this project over a year ago, and tonight I figured it was time to try it out! This pleated clutch is simple and fairly quick to sew in an evening. It only took me about 2.5 hours, but that included ironing the fabric, cutting it out, mods, and a separate load of laundry. Less than two fat quarters and a 7" zipper later...

It turned out bigger than I expected, next time I think I would make it just a bit smaller. It could function as its own purse at this rate, but it is perfect for corralling items you don't want floating around your purse, like makeup or medications.

Mods:
- I added interfacing to the outer fabric for stability. This worked out great, until I wrinkled my fabric while ironing it onto the interfacing. Ooooops.
- I also did some top stitching along the zipper to help it the layers lie flat. In retrospect, this may be why it's pulling and curving a bit at the top, but it looks more finished.

A Christmas Carol Cup of Tea Swap

 

This holiday season, I participated in a swap on Ravelry based on the legendary Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol." The three categories were (you guessed it!): past, present, future. Our mission was to include tea, yarn/knitting-related, and other goodies based on these three times in our life and our swap partner's life. 

Look at all the wonderful treats waiting for me!

Past:
- a family recipe for Hermits, which are a type of chewy, spicy cookie/bar. Yum! Can't wait to try them.
- Sleepytime tea, which is one of my swap partner's (and my) favorites
- Tea pot stitch markers

Present:
- Earl Grey tea, because seriously, you can't go wrong with it!
- knitted necklace/bracelet. Have a few outfits in mind already, and the button on it is so pretty.
- Embroidered tea towel, so precious. How did she know that was perfect for me?!

Future:
- Vanilla caramel tea- can't wait to try this out, sounds so perfectly mellow and desserty
- Yarn that my swap partner hand dyed. The colors are absolutely gorgeous and remind me of the magical fall season where the leaves are so rich and colorful.

She also included some tea candies, a soap, candy canes, Yule Ale, and a cute Christmas spatula. I'm also getting a pattern of my choosing. An excuse for shopping? Haha, doesn't get much better than that!

I'm so tickled by all the wonderful goodies my swap partner Cait decided to include. Thank you, Cait, and happy swapping!

Project Bags Galore

I recently completed not one, not two, but six custom orders for project bags. This was such a fun adventure, and I'm considering building up some inventory of project bags, stitch markers, and other knitting-related items to sell in the future. Each customer selected their own fabrics from my stash and I love all the combinations they came up with. It's hard to pick a favorite!

Here are the fabric selections! Minus the Chiefs fabric, that's for a different, upcoming project.

Love the way they turned out! Their new owners love them too, which makes me very happy.

This final one was completed at the request of my friend for a swap she's in. It's traveling all the way to Canada, and I know it will be well-used and loved.

Absolutely love the fun, colorful fabrics she chose. They go perfectly together, don't you think?!

my favorite time of year

Fall is officially here. My favorite time of year, and I'm so excited that the temperatures are cooperating today! Windows are open... decorations are up... I even made some muffins this morning to celebrate!

Fall is when I feel most creative with my crafting, decorating, cooking, and adventure planning. I've got some exciting FOs to share in the next few days, some things in the works, and my Christmas shopping is (almost) done -- thanks to the State Fair earlier this summer and the Sedalia Area Farmer's Market yesterday!

a few more finished objects

Here's a quick recap of a few more FOs I've completed this summer. :)

First up: Boxie Bag the Third. Same pattern as the other two, but this one is MINE. (I've now been asked to make two more of these for a friend. She says it looks professional and of selling quality. Yaaay! It's always lovely to receive compliments on your handiwork, isn't it? Makes me feel so accomplished and proud of what I can do.)

Awkward bag photo is awkward. I was trying to capture a photo of the lining.

I also made a small little gift for Brother-the-Younger's birthday this summer. A soap sack, which functions both to hold the soap bar and as a washcloth. Made from a cotton hemp blend, this should soften up with use and last for a while.

Pattern: His 'n' Hers Shower Soap Holders by Cathy Carron
from the book: 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders
Yarn: Lion Brand Martha Stewart Crafts Cotton Hemp (funny story, Mom and I found this yarn in the 90% off bins at Michael's, and paid for it with the parking lot change we found on the way in)
Ravelry Project Page

Some Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloths for a friend. Easy to make, and a great stash buster. I've got one of those huge cones of cotton to use up (but it's ok, because I bought it purposely for making dishcloths).

Pattern: Grandmother's Favorite
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres and Prints, Potpourri Ombre colourway
Ravelry Project Page

The Resurrected Blue Canaletto Cowl. I started this project last year, it messed up, I placed it in time out, and pulled it out about a year later, completely starting over. It is a lovely cotton-rayon-linen-silk blend, and I love it. This will get lots of time in the wardrobe rotation this fall and next spring.

Pattern: Canaletto Cowl by Megan Goodacre
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Amalfi, Denim colorway
Ravelry Project Page

 And finally.... a work-in-progress photo for a now-finished-object. This cowl is going in the pile of goodies to donate to this fall's church auction. I still need to block it, but that sounds like a good weekend project to me.

Pattern: a most perfect and forever cowl
Yarn: Paton's Lace, Bonfire colorway
Ravelry Project Page

Finished Object : Boxie Bag!

I accidentally kind-of-sort-of took a nap around 8 pm tonight, so I had this random spurt of energy tonight. A random spurt of energy that's now making it challenging for me to go to bed at a normal hour for someone who gets up at 5:30. Good thing tomorrow's Friday, because otherwise it might be pretty rough.

Pattern : (No Guts!) Boxie Pouch
SoChick! Handbags & Embroidery {Melissa Strong}

I took full advantage of feeling productive and creative tonight and finished this little project. I've got a few more fabrics picked out for it and in the works already, and this one is going to a good friend (unbeknownst to her, I just love surprises, don't you?!). It's very "her," and I hope she loves it.

One of my favorite things about this pattern was the minimal supply requirement: two coordinating fat quarters, a coordinating zipper, some thread, and interfacing. I omitted the clasp on the tab, because I couldn't find any that were the right size. If you do, it's handy to hang your bag up!

Not going to lie, I'm particularly proud of the awesome zipper job on this little boxie bag. Zippers and I have never really gotten along, and this time, I think I mastered it. Hurrah! (And seriously, doesn't that zipper just match perfectly?! *happy dance*)

All I need to do is stitch up the lining, and it's ready to go in the mail. I should have enough time during my lunch break tomorrow to accomplish that, so hopefully she'll get it early next week!

Once I figured out what was going on in the tutorial, it's really quite simple to put together . . . provided you pay close attention to the directions and make sure the fabrics are facing the correct way while stitching them to the zipper (oops). Hopefully the next two won't take quite as long to complete, now that I've got one finished. It makes a good sized pouch, ready for a craft project, makeup, accessories, or anything else you can fit in and want to show off in a stylish way.

Welcoming my Niece...

My little niece (but really, she's not so little!) was born over a month ago. I'd been planning and crafting since we found out my sister-in-law was expecting, and I finally finished up the last few things and got it sent off recently.

I've been waiting to post pictures of her awesome presents until I was sure the box arrived, and now I finally can post them!

I'm convincing myself I didn't go overboard, but seriously, how can you pass up all the cute fabrics and patterns out there for babies? I just couldn't...

Baby Surprise Jacket! My knitting group did this as a knit-a-long this past winter, and I had knit this with the intent of sending it for my niece to wear and enjoy the first few months after she was born. Ten pound newborns don't exactly fit in typical newborn clothing, but I wanted to send it anyway as a keepsake. And honestly, those crayon buttons are just the cutest thing ever. :)

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Ravelry Project Page here.
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Sport Self Striping, Boutique colorway

Then, there was the fabric buying spree. The animal ABC print was turned into a baby blanket, and the others became burp cloths. All of them were lined with various pastel flannel for extra softness.

Here's the finished burp cloths. Each of the cotton fabrics is lined with one of three colors: pink, purple, and yellow. You can never have enough burp cloths.

Meet Elijah. He's adorable, isn't he? I bought this yarn specifically for this pattern, and absolutely love the way it turned out! The pattern itself was pretty fiddly to knit, but you can't argue with the results!

Elijah by Ysolda Teague
Ravelry Project Page here.
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquards, Berries & Cream colorway

 And finally, a photo of all the goodies sent to E. I found a cute elephant outfit to coordinate with her new stuffed toy, and it should fit her all summer long. The cookie monster bib was too cute to pass up. But one of my favorite parts of the entire box is the book. During our annual Children's Literature Festival, I had the pleasure of hearing one of the book's authors speak. I had purchased a copy of the book, and after Marie Smith's talk, asked her to autograph the book for my niece. She was delighted to do so, and I hope E comes to love the book as she gets older.

Welcome to the world, E. Can't wait to finally meet you!

In Which I Fail at Fondant... Mostly

{Tasty Thursday | Cupcakes!}

Recipes, Tips, and Inspiration from my kitchen to yours.

It's been a busy few weeks, full of baking, cooking, and food! Here's some photos of this past week's cupcake adventure...

Earlier this week, we planned on having a baby shower for a friend of mine. Well, as things are wont to happen, our shower was postponed after I had made the cupcakes. I wasn't too upset about the sudden excess of cupcakes around my house, as the fondant just didn't turn out to my liking. I thought it dried out too fast, but was still too sticky. Oh well. This was also the first time I used self-rising flour, because I didn't have time to convert my recipe to regular flour and include the other baking ingredients. I'll admit, aside from how cute they turned out, the peppermint cream cheese frosting was probably my favorite part. :)

Here's the fondant mess I made... Never again.
I'm definitely not meant to be a professional cake decorator with this stuff.

Little fondant bluebirds... I was so excited that they actually looked like birds!

All put together and ready for taste-testing!

 Because there is no way I can eat 14 cupcakes by myself, I took these little bluebird creations to my knitting friends anyway. The rest of the cupcakes received a more festive makeover.

Now, I'm not normally one to celebrate seasons way ahead of time (and it's not even Advent yet!), but I am one to work with what I have. This is the result:

Thanks to Pinterest, I learned of this super easy way to package and transport cupcakes!

Christmas sprinkles to make the peppermint cream cheese more festive!!

Christmas-themed cello gift bags to wrap up the festive cupcakes.

I brought them to my Bible study Tuesday night and gave them out to everyone there. Now I only have a few cupcakes left in the fridge, and it's a much more manageable number to eat!

*****
Baby Shower Update: We did wind up holding the baby shower, but I had to miss it. Of course hubby decided to get sick right before, and I didn't want to risk transmitting The Plague. Pictures of our knitted creations coming soon!

*****
P.P.S. This is officially post #100! Let's all celebrate by eating a cupcake, k? :)

Welcoming Guests in Style

Some of my favorite college memories come from touring with my university's Wind Symphony all over the country {and internationally! China 2009, whoo!}. We had two tours each year, a long weekend in the fall and our 10 day Spring Break, visiting Lutheran congregations and schools, sharing our music and faith with those in attendance at our concerts each night. {Of course, we had some free time as well...}

Each night after a concert, we stayed with host families from the congregation we visited, spent time getting to know them, and relished a few hours of sleep in a bed substantially more comfortable than a bus seat. One young couple we stayed with junior year truly understood what it was like to live on a bus for 10 days with 60 other college students, and provided us a useful little basket in our room full of toiletries we may have forgotten or already used up. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I could have received, and I loved that she went the extra mile in making our stay pleasant. :)

This past weekend, my best friend M came to visit {of course, for the State Fair. I'm going to pretend she came to see me, too}. In the same vein as our lovely host mom years ago, I provided her with a little welcome gift and toiletry basket.

Except mine..... came in a margarita glass. How fun is that?!

Items I included:

- shampoo and conditioner

- lotion

- deodorant

- toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and some gum {Trident sample from my dentist's office}

- comb

- TRUFFLES.

So many of these items I got as samples from various organizations, or my mother-in-law {who happens to work in a dental office and loves sharing the free goodies with us}.

You could also include soap, tampons or other feminine hygiene products, shaving cream, aspirin, bath pouf, or anything else someone may forget to pack. It depends on your guest -- you know them, so it's easy to personalize it.

I also included a little bath set for her to take home and a handwritten note designed to sound like a hotel welcome card. The best part? The first words out of her mouth upon seeing her margarita: "Bleez! It's just like on tour!" :)

What are your favorite ways to welcome your out-of-town guests?

{Photography Challenge Day!} - 3KCBWDAY2

{High Fiber: The Breakfast of Knitters.}

Finished Object: Baby Blanket!

Can't believe I forgot to post about this!! After months of knitting and deadlines popping up in the mean time, I finally finished the baby blanket for my friend! And just in time, too, as is fitting for all baby-related knitting. Everyone knows that babies can't be born until the knitting is finished.... or that's what we tell ourselves. :)

One finished baby blanket -- just in time!

I think it turned out quite beautifully, if I do say so myself! I picked this free pattern up from a Jo-Ann's display on a trip back home toward the end of summer. I loved knitting this pattern. Intricate enough to keep my attention, but simple enough that I had it memorized a few repeats in. And well-written. Who doesn't love a well-written pattern??

Here's the link if you'd like to knit it yourself: Little Girl Pink Baby Blanket.

The Rav page, for those interested in additional project notes, suggestions, etc.

I've got a few more big knitting projects coming up, but nothing that's officially cast on. In the mean time, we're focusing on some UFOs that I owe brother-the-younger. I'll just say this: I'm thankful it's been a mild winter so far. :)

"Brown paper packages tied up with strings...."

I should be working on homework and outlining my exams. However, I have decided to take this moment to share with you all some lovely items I received in the mail this past week! Seriously, it was one of the best weeks ever for mail. :)

First of all, I shipped off this lovely box to the west coast. The swap I participated in on Rav is now over, so I can share some of the lovely things I did for that! I was so excited about sending this box off to my swap partner, and I am happy to report that she LOVED it! Yay!!

Awesome swap package for my new friend! Including some yummy Malabrigo, Cascade 200, coffee, cappuccino, apple butter, homemade soap (not by me, though!), a coffee mug, chocolates, fuzzy socks, and stitch markers!

Here's a close up of the stitch markers I made for her! I love them, and think they turned out great! M actually helped me with them as I put them together while she was visiting. I feel so crafty!

I'm really glad my swap partner enjoyed receiving her box... I'll be honest. I really wanted to keep that Malabrigo for myself, but I'm also glad to have shared it with her. I guess it just means another trip to the yarn store to see if they have anymore in stock!

But what fun is a swap if you don't get anything back?? I also received a wonderfully awesome box from my swap partner the other day in the mail! I was so excited about everything she included- it's just perfect! She included a cowl pattern and skein of chunky Montana yarn for the pattern- it's so soft and wooly! There was some local coffee, a variety of teas, mini tea tongs (ingenious!), handmade coffee cozies, a bookmark, chocolates, a mini notebook, and some sticky notes that say "Given enough coffee, I could rule the world!" So perfect!

It was such a fun, yarn-filled week. But that's not all! I also received a surprise package from my dear friend the Historian. The Historian and I went to college together, and she is one of the best package givers I know! She put together a President's Day package for me, complete with cherries (Washington!), Presidential flash cards, coloring pages!, chocolates, conversation jelly beans!, and a Hello Kitty valentine. <3  Her wonderful package definitely brightened my day, and made the looming exams not so stressful.

Tonight I enjoyed the much needed companionship of two new friends of mine. There's something about bonding over a cup of coffee that really does the heart good. :) And with that.... we're back to our usual weekend activities of homework and exams. I'll be so glad when March rolls around and life will somewhat return to normal (for school anyway!).

Today is a day of cute

My friend M shared this link with me, and I thought it was too cute; I had to share! I'm definitely keeping this idea in the back of my mind for any library parties, birthday parties, library school graduation events in the near (or distant) future.

I am constantly amazed at how creative people can be, and this is something I never would have really come up with on my own. I love books, I love reading, and I love book-related crafts, snacks, and decorations.

Cute Little Library Books! And the best part? They're made with fruit and without corn syrup. They have to be healthy, no?