Pillowcase Apron

I recently acquired a vintage pillowcase (there are no prints like vintage prints!) so I set off to find something crafty to do with it. This apron tutorial looked easy enough, and I liked that the end product was something functional and not just decorative. "Ten minutes," however, was a little misleading. Ten minutes for an expert seamstress, yes. For me, lining up and sewing the ribbon took ten minutes. But I am happy with the results. The purple one was my practice apron using an extra pillowcase I had on hand. I think it would make a cute teacher gift don't you?



(PS - if the floral one looks a little weird in the pocket area it's because it's still wet from my DISAPPEARING INK FABRIC MARKER! Love my new toy!)

In the Cuff

Cowl, cuff, scarfette, whatever you call them they are super cute, easy to make, and so practical to wear when you don't want to fuss with a long scarf. I consulted the lovely Prudent Baby tutorial for this project and used a new technique to create a chunky yarn--I doubled up and crocheted with two strands at a time on an N hook.

Nothing is more embarrassing than your child's plumber's crack peeking out in public

Now that my little one has decided jeans aren't too tight/itchy/uncomfortable, she needs a belt to keep them up. With some scrap fabric from this project, and this tutorial, I whipped up a small D-ring belt. I used 1" D-rings and 4" wide material, 30" long. Fits like a charm, hopefully with room to grow!

Flowers Cover Everything

Granny for a Day

Inspired by the Granny a Day challenge at meetmeatmikes, and using this tutorial found at The Purl Bee, I have finally started making the traditional geometric staple of crochet--the granny square. It is very cumbersome at first if you're only used to making lines and rounds. But, if you stick with it, after two or three failed attempts, all of a sudden you find a rhythm and you are well on your way. It wouldn't be a proper crochet post if I didn't say it -- I'm hooked!

Spell the Word

As anyone who has recently shopped for children's electronics or just walked down those GREEN isles in the stores knows, there are a ton of TV games, hand-held games, computer and video games, being marketed to kids and their parents. Some try to pass themselves off as "educational," but they just start blurring together as a giant "VTagTechDigiDS."

We are the proud owners of a Speak & Spell, a toy that kept many an idle hand busy circa 1986. During a car ride was the best time to engage in a round of SAY IT or SPELL THE WORD____. It apparently still is. For now....

Oatmeal Teabag Bath

Dry skin has attacked, and the worse for the wear is the little one. She always suffers from some kind of dry/sensitive skin. It was 18 degrees here this morning, and, along with making bread from scratch and potato leek soup, I mixed up some oatmeal powder for a spa treatment tonight.

Supplies:
* About one cup of Oats
* Coffee Grinder or Food Processor
* 2 tablespoons of Baking Soda (the cure-all for skin ailments according to our pediatrician)
* Pantyhose or other nylon footwear (to serve as the "tea bag")

Grind oats, combine with baking soda, put in a tube of pantyhose, soak in the tub.

Craft Haiku for You

Chalkboard Paint

I painted our kitchen table with black chalkboard paint. Fun! If you attempt this, wear gloves as skin absorbs this paint rather quickly and won't let it go. I can do long equations on my hand right now. Regardless, we've had fun coloring, drawing, and writing each night before dinner. It wipes away easy enough, and, aesthetically, it is a great improvement to our kitchen. The possibilities are endless....

Love Letters

One can never have too many Love Letters or cookies.

Twenty Ten Things

A list of some of the things I'd like to accomplish this month, this year, this decade....

1. Finish crocheting my ripple afghan.


2. Start a goat farm.


3. Chalkboard paint something.
4. Start a book blog. http://abookforone.blogspot.com/
5. Make more soups, breads and other miscellaneous food stuffs, like Gwen's homemade ketchup and applesauce.
6. Be more thrifty.

7. Plant a vegetable garden.
8. Write more letters.
9. Paint the kitchen.
10. Give more kisses.

11. Take a family & friends vacation to San Diego in July.
12. Take K to swim in the ocean.
13. Make barrettes/make K wear barrettes.
14. Visit Mom's ranch in Colorado.

Recyled Socks

Repurpose little girl tights into socks! (from the blog Ruffles and Stuff.) My little big girl outgrows tights as soon as I buy them. She also insists on pushing knee socks down to her ankles, going for the leg warmer look, so I didn't bother making these too tall. Now I'm wondering if I have any adult tights worth cutting into knee-highs....