hoopdeedoo

so here's the plan.

2011-09-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Amy's Sure-Fire Go Nuts in 4 Easy Steps Fall Plan

-Enroll children in two different schools 30 minutes apart. *check*

-Volunteer at school. Temporarily lose mind and agree to coach a math strategy club. (This from a musician that only counts to 8.) *check*

-Connect with some amazing musicians and get asked to join them in some cool gigs. Rehearse a lot. A lot a lot. Go on a 10-day international tour. Pinch self. No I'm not dreaming, it really is that freaking cool. *check*

-Find one of the most challenging breeds of dog to own and get a puppy version. *check*

* * * * *

Unfortunately, this fall's plan does not include a sewing business. In fact, I will be touring during the holiday craft show season, and what I would normally use as sewing time will now be spent rehearsing.

I think if I can get some stuff made, I will re-open the etsy shop in time for Christmas shopping. But for now, I shall craft as a stress-relieving outlet only. This seemed to be the most logical area of life in which to cut back.

Not gonna lie, it was a hard decision. I've put a lot into building HoopDeeDoo The Business over the last two years, and it was a fantastic outlet for my creativity and a haven during the stress of my dad's illness. But sometimes we have to cut back on The Good in order to keep The Best.

That sounds deceptively mature of me.

Half of me wants to throw a big toddler-style tantrum about it, blame the puppy for taking up all of my free time, and eat my way through a bag of chocolate chips. I guess that probably wouldn't help anything, and I'd gain back the 8 pounds I've lost this year.

But the other half of me is doing a super mega happy dance! I'm so thankful! I may not get another opportunity like this in my life. Also, my family is sacrificing a lot so I can say yes to the musical stuff. And they most certainly are The Best and must be given My Best and not My Leftovers.

Fabric can wait.

(I do have some knitting planned for all of that down time during rehearsals, though!)

AWOL - good for what ails ya

2011-08-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

yup. I went AWOL over the summer. Sometimes, when life gets overwhelming, I just check out of something without notice. I highly recommend it for every overachiever. Totally reduces the stress-load.

This time blogging won the toss-up. So did my etsy shop (which is still on vacation). The time away gave me a chance to consider with a clearer head what my goals for the coming year are. More on that another time.

So, what was going on, you ask?

1. End of the school year. That's always a busy time, but fun.

2. Not fun. Said goodbye to my sweetheart golden retriever, Baylor. She had cancer and we had to put her to sleep the day after my birthday. I was absolutely heartbroken. I loved this dog so much. She was my first baby. She kissed away my tears after three miscarriages and all of the drama with my dad's illness and so much more. I'll miss her forever.

3. Family trip to Colorado to honor my dad. Stayed at a dude ranch, took a very challenging trail ride with my husband and brother and lived to tell the tale (barely, and I am NOT exaggerating).

4. Helped my mom move out of my childhood home and into a new house and life here in Texas. She is busy, happy, meeting new people, and laughing again like the mom I grew up with. Soooooo good for my heart!

5. We didn't make it long without a dog. Meet Brisco, my 9-week old fuzzy bundle of joy. We've had

him for three days. I'm a little sleep deprived.

6. I also spent loads of fun, special time with my kiddos. Nothing exciting, just being together. I feel like I am finally a whole mom to them. I had half of my brain working the situation with my parents for all of these kids' childhood until the past year. They seemed to have turned out fine, but I am certainly enjoying them more fully now and am so grateful for each little moment.

So ya see, blogging just wasn't that high up on my agenda. I bet you managed just fine without me, blogosphere. ;)

P.S. Still not done with those tops I have been knitting for me and the girls. *sigh*

{tip Tuesday}: the sewing tool that's not a sewing tool

2011-05-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen one of these?

It's not really a sewing tool. It's for cleaning out a musical instrument, namely a flute. Like so:

Naturally, I had this thing already hanging around, because I use it to clean my flute. Indispensable.

As a sewing tool, though, it's a luxury I no longer can live without. I abhor using a safety pin to thread something through a casing. Ugh! Takes forever. This takes a few seconds.

Also handy for threading a camera strap through a cover. :)

Your local music store will stock a metal cleaning rod for a few bucks, or a wooden one like mine for a few more. Metal rods are skinnier. Find one online here.

Trust me on this one. You'll wonder how you lived without it, especially if you make a lot of elastic waistbands or aprons with really long casings!!

linked up:

{fave friday}: limes

2011-05-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Limes. I am in love with limes. Not lime flavoring, that I can't stand. Actual, real, fresh, juicy, tart limes. Summertime in a cute little green package. The ubiquitous summer fruit.

In my water.

On a tree in my backyard. (the cutest, tiniest limes you've ever seen!)

I didn't consider iced tea to be drinkable until I discovered the magic potion that is a Sonic large unsweet tea with EXTRA lime. Maybe one packet of truvia, maybe not.

In a Corona. And in some guac, of course.

Best margarita in the world, made by my hubby.

Tex-mex just isn't quite right without a squeeze.

Can't live without 'em!

a new look!

2011-05-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hooray! The blog finally has a new look, designed by someone who knows what they are doing!!

...the fabulous Jeannette from Crafty Hippo Designs!

Jeannette is fabulous not only because her name is Jeannette, which is my middle name with an extra "N", but also because she is so easy to work with.

We met on Twitter via the Ultimate Blog Party, which has been a fabulous opportunity to connect with other bloggers and crafters.

I was going for something pretty and practical, which should come as no surprise. That's my motto.

I really wanted something simple that wouldn't compete with pictures and stuff in the sidebars. It seems that I am so easily visually overwhelmed these days when I read blogs that are full of blinkies and videos and swirlies and flourishes and doodads, so much so that I can't concentrate on the posts. Didn't want that to happen on my own blog!

Do you like the font choice? That would be "Socially Awkward" from http://www.kevinandamanda.com/, where you can find a staggering amount of free scrapbook fonts. I think the name is quite appropriate, of course...

In other news, I have been super focused on family stuff the last few weeks, as we wrap up school, and as I am helping my mom hunt for a house. I like to blog, and I like to craft, but social media is absolutely the first thing to take a backseat to family stuff, and the blog was being renovated anyways. Looking forward to summer and all of the downtime!

And, I have updated the Etsy shop lately with a few things I really like and am not entirely sure I want to sell, but what the heck:

I lurrrrrrve this Kindle cover. I almost kept it for myself...It was upcycled from a sweater the girls had that they just loved. The sweater got a big, unfixable, frogging hole in the front. (Frogging is actually a knitting term, seriously!! You know, when you're ripping something out - rip it, rip it - it's so corny you know I didn't make this one up!)

I may keep if for myself if it does not sell, but somehow I think it will. Just too cute.

This camera strap cover has the happiest summery colors. I could spend all day playing in these fabrics. These were all from a big Lily Bella Fabrics scrap bag, which is almost better than chocolate, and certainly lower calorie. An hour in that scrap bag will cure what ails ya, believe me.

So...what do you think of the new blog look?

summer is coming...moms, are you ready?

2011-05-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, friends! The days are flying by, aren't they? I have been trying so hard to get things done around here, because it is only a few weeks until school is out!

16 more days of kindergarten.

6 more days of preschool.

AAH!

The summer looms before me...what on earth am I going to do to keep my excessively bright, creative, and energetic children engaged all summer?

Sure, we've got camps scheduled, a family vacation, Backyard Bible Clubs, and there's always the pool.

But it's those days here and there when you hear...

"MOM, I'M BORED!"

Now, my mom's favorite answer to this problem was to hand my brother and me a mop or a toilet brush, once we were old enough to use them properly. Oh, I firmly believe in lots of chores, yes I do. But my kids are merely 6 and 4, so there are only so many chores they can be expected to do.

A couple of years ago, I started doing themed weeks or days during the summer. For example, "Princess Day" required costumes, pink pancakes (made with beets instead of food coloring, of course), and we used royal titles for each other all day long. (I really liked being called "Queen Mother.")

This year, I've got an awesome idea in my "Summer Box," thanks again to my mom, the Retired Teacher Extraordinaire.

DINOSAUR WEEK!

(I don't have any pictures of us actually doing the activities yet, because I am keeping it a surprise from the kids for now.)

We've got bones!! These are those very cool wooden dino skeleton puzzles. I'm gonna hide them in the sandbox and have the kids dig them up and attempt to put them back together. Some of these are incomplete skeletons, which actually makes it more realistic when you think about it.

Activity books - how to draw, word search, etc. I also expect that my girls will need to make dinosaur models out of pipe cleaners, their current favorite sculpture medium.

My 6 year old probably knows all of these guys by sight already, but maybe these flash cards will help me keep up with her.

Let's not forget a bunch of random fossil pictures, labels, etc. Perhaps we will use the labels to organize our drawings, or create "learning centers."

So, if you are wondering what to do with your kids this summer, send them to my house for Dino Week, or hit up your favorite retired teacher for some cool stuff. And check out the Save Our Summer series on the Brassy Apple blog, one of my favorite bloggy haunts - just click this big button!

Do you have any theme ideas to share?

P.S. a new look for the blog is on the way, keep your eyes peeled!

{wordless Wednesday}

2011-04-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

{tip Tuesday} : flower headbands

2011-04-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

I love all of the cute flower headbands for little girls these days, and my girls look great in them.

But headbands are notoriously cheapo. And little girls are not always gentle.

"mommy! I broke my headband!" (weeping and gnashing of teeth)

"not again!!! I just paid x dollars for that!!" (weeping and gnashing of teeth)

Here's my solution:

The flowers slide on and off! I made these flowers myself (see tutorial here) and added a small tube to the underside. Presto!

"mommy! I broke my headband!" (weeping and gnashing of teeth)

"no problem, honey!" (supermom grabs new headband from stash, slides flowers on it, and tosses the busted one)

Incidentally, the hem of an old t-shirt just happens to be the perfect size for these 1/2" wide headbands...

Another bonus is that this makes the flowers interchangeable, repositionable, etc. Let me know if you try it!

{wordless Wednesday}

2011-04-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

she thinks she's crafty...and she's right!

2011-04-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I just wanted to brag a little on my friend Beckymae.

She's in the running over at So You Think You're Crafty, where 10 crafters duke it out over 10 weeks to see who comes out on top!

If you aren't following this competition, you really should. Vote here for your favorite projects!

This week's theme is Knock Offs.

(Becky's project is an Anthropologie knockoff.

It's something you can really rest your head on...hint hint...)

And if she didn't have enough to do right now, she has a booth in the Georgetown Red Poppy Festival this weekend. If you're local, you MUST check it out! Fun family stuff, and all free! The girls and I are going on Saturday in between yardwork and taxes. :)

She kindly offered to put some of my camera strap covers and Kindle covers in her booth. See what I mean about crafters being some of the most generous people in the world? How they tend to see others as colleagues rather than competition?

So please head over to SYTYC and vote!! And check out her previous projects here:

week 1: Dollar Store Crafts (date night clutch)

week 2: Thrift Store Finds (red poppies dress/top)

Go Becky!!

I SHINE - a donation challenge!

2011-04-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hey hoopdeedoodles! It's been a wild week of Ultimate Blog Partyin'! I have visited so many cool blogs, participated in several whirlwind Twitter chats, and met lots of new people. If you haven't seen the full list of participants, brace yourself and click here.

I've also been feeling totally overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in my house. I suspect that it's breeding at night while I am sleeping.

So when I saw The SHINE Project blog's weekly challenge, I was already feeling highly motivated.

Y'all know what a big fan of Goodwill I am.

I had a major Goodwill pile going in the closet already, but it was the hardest kind of stuff to part with.

Stuff I like.

Stuff I just don't fit in anymore (because I lost weight: now don't get all jealous and stuff, I had to break up with sugar to lose that weight. We barely speak anymore. It's too painful.)

Stuff that's really nice (say like Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation).

A Talbot's silk dress. Michael Kors blouse. Two Ann Taylor cashmere twinsets. Etc. etc. etc. ad luxuriam.

I could give these things to friends, or consign them, but decided against it.

Some woman out there, looking for a job, or struggling to make ends meet, is going to find these gems amidst the Goodwill racks, and it will give her a much needed thrill. And on Easter Sunday, or at her next job interview, she is going to look radiant and proud.

Now, to be sure, there were also some real stinkers in that pile. Like the sweater on top - one of my first knitted projects - a shrug that made me looked like a frilled lizard. No I will not model it for you.

I also....

...gave away the Christmas quilt.

(That *gasp-thud* sound is the simultanous cross-country reaction of my BFF, mother, and husband, who did not think it was possible for me to let go of this failure.)

This had a less noble motivation. I just needed the storage for fabric so I could clean my office!! :)

I did keep back a few things to refashion, and will share the process with you when I do, of course!

So, head over to The SHINE Project and get motivated to bless someone with your clutter!

Ultimate Blog Party 2011!

2011-04-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I'm in a party mood, so I'm joining in the Ultimate Blog Party over at 5 Minutes for Mom!

It's just a way for bloggers to get to know each other, share a little bit about themselves, and make friends! So here's a little bit about why I started blogging:

I needed someone to talk crafty to, other than my poor husband, who only speaks engineer.

I like to share my harebrained ideas with the world.

I needed an occasional soapbox.

I have an etsy shop for my creative overflow and wanted a blog to go along with it.

I like show-and-tell.

I wanted to make new friends online!! (It is hard for me to make friends in person.)

Here's what blogging is teaching me:

I don't have to be perfect to be liked. (There is no chance I will be perfect, so this is a very good thing.)

Bloggers are overwhelmingly supportive of one another, even their direct competition. I love that!!

Twitter isn't just for 14 year olds.

I really really need to take pictures and write things down when I'm creating things from scratch.

I don't have to blog every day or even every week to be a "success."

There are so many cool people out there that I can't wait to get to know!

So head on over to the party at 5 Minutes for Mom and meet some other new bloggers! And please leave a comment for me and for them - we bloggers LIVE for comments!!

Current projects, crafty and otherwise

2011-03-25T14:47:00.001-07:00

Yikes! Has it really been two weeks since my last post? doh!

I haven't exactly been twiddling my thumbs. There was spring break (out of state trip, helping my mom prepare for moving, celebrating mom-in-law's birthday).

Then there was this week (back to school, college roommate and her kids visiting for 3 days, patio under construction).

sooooo...you get the idea, things have been wild. No boredom here!

I have squeezed in a little knitting time. Finished my 3yo's top, now working on 6yo's.

I made a few modifications on the second one here: omitted the keyhole neckline and added some body shaping. My kids have really narrow shoulders, and the 3yo's top gapes on her. I may rip hers back and leave out the keyhole on hers, too.

And here's what the patio looks like:

I foresee many contented hours knitting out here!!

Hopefully next week will be a little calmer and allow for more crafting time...see ya then!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

hoodie upcycle part trois: camera strap cover!

2011-03-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've been making camera strap covers for a while now. I didn't invent them, I just put my own spin on them based on recommendations from my fabulous friend Jen, and adding my love of strip piecing.

Anyhoo, the camera strap covers have been a popular item, and I've sold the one off my camera 5 times.

Time to make another, one which I will NOT sell.

Beloved hoodie, thou hast new life.

I think I may have stumbled onto greatness here. There is NOTHING cushier on a neck than an old sweatshirt.

I added some cute raw-edge appliques and lined it with fusible fleece for even more padding.

Pardon the picture quality, but I had to use my phone for the pics. Because I totally put this on my real camera as soon as it was done. And it isn't coming off. Well, unless someone wants to pay me $200 for it or something.

making progress...

2011-03-07T13:49:00.001-08:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Guest Tutorial: No-Sew Pillow Cover by {rindercella}

2011-03-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

hi there! i am skye {or rindercella} from neathering our fest. i am so excited to be guesting here today at amy's blog. amy and i met on twitter and she is such a sweetie! she also has some really cute stuff in her etsy shop... i definitely think you should check it out!

today i am going to show you how to make a simple no-sew cover for a pillow!

here is what i used:

table cloth (or any piece of fabric you like or have leftover for another project!)
stitch-witchery
iron/ironing board
damp washcloth
pillow
scissors/pins

i found this tablecloth at a resale store a few months ago. like any crafter i knew i would need it one day so i bought it! it was $1. yippy!

i laid it out face down on my ~~crafting~~ dining room table and placed the pillow on top of it with it situated towards the bottom right corner of the fabric. i left about four inches of extra fabric around the perimeter because this is an extra floofy pillow and i wanted to make sure i had ample to work with.

then i simply folded the pillow and fabric over. i made sure the edges lined up and then gave myself four more inches of slack before i cut around the pillow.

next, i took the fabric and folded it with the wrong side facing out. i laid it on my ironing board and unrolled the stitch -witchery to measure for each side. i only needed two strips for this part because the bottom seam will come from where i have folded it!

after that, i pinned the stitch witchery to the fabric and the ironing board so that it wouldn't move around on me. (i ~~stole~~ gleaned this genius idea from kim over at sand and sisal).

then you place a damp washcloth over one section at a time and then place an iron, set on the "wool" setting (otherwise known as "melt your fingers and face off with the steam produced") on the damp cloth. do not "iron" with it. just let it sit there for about 10-15 seconds. then pick up the iron and the cloth and move it to the next section, repeating until you have the two side seams "hemmed" together.

{note: remember that the washcloth is super steaming hot. don't be me and sustain eleventy billion burn marks from the washcloth. mmk. thanks}

now comes the fun part! stuff the pillow into the pillowcase! you will have an open seam that you will have to "sew" shut. in my case, i knew i wanted to leave this edge raw so-to-speak. i liked the ruffled edge of the tablecloth and wanted that on one edge. so i pinned the bottom of the fabric and the stitch witchery to the ironing board again and repeated the process.

{pretend here that i took a picture. i would have one but i left my third arm at the gym pumping weights in preparation for all the painting in it's future...}

if you want a clean seam all around, simply fold the edges in, pin stitch-witchery in between them and continue on! it is a little tricky, and it helps to leave a little more fabric than you think you need, but if you are patient it will work!

here is my bright, cheerful new pillow cover in it's new {temporary} home! :)

thanks again so much amy for having me! :)

(amy takes the wheel again here)

Thank you, Skye!! Isn't this SO CUTE? Can I please have what is left of that tablecloth? I love the yellow!!

Y'all be sure to go over to Skye's blog and show her some love! I have a tutorial over there too, just for today. On a normal day, though, you'll find details of her hilarious adventures as a newlywed and tons of cute decorating ideas!

Linking up:

announcing a temporary takeover!

2011-03-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

not a hostile one, a friendly one, and just for one day....

tomorrow! Friday!

a guest tutorial from the hilarious and ridiculously stylish {rindercella}...

I will be taking over her blog for the day as well, so check me out over there, too...

stay tuned!

hoodie upcycle, part deux: coffee cozy

2011-02-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hi there, Hoopdeedoodles! (do I sound a little like Flanders from the Simpsons?)

Thanks for all of your kind comments regarding last week's project, where I cut up my beloved gray hoodie to make a cute makeup bag. But there's still a lot of hoodie left, and I can't give it to Goodwill now..

So I decided to challenge myself to use up as much of it as possible!

This week, I made a super-cute coffee cozy!

Maybe it will actually protect my hand from those screamin' hot cappuccinos I prefer, unlike the cardboard sleeves. Oh, and it's good for the environment and all that.

Using pinking shears, I simply cut off the sleeve just above the wrist.

Then I added a flower made of knit scraps - soft and stretchy.

Easy as pie.

mmmm....pie...

and check me out, I was featured over at Humble Homemaking!

{ironic, to brag on myself about being featured as humble, dontcha think?}

Have a wonderful weekend!

swatching.

2011-02-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

This just in: Boring hoodie transformed into cute makeup bag!

2011-02-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

In spite of my compulsive Goodwill donations, I keep a box of old clothes to cut up for projects. For some things, it's just wonderful to sew with fabric that is already perfectly broken in. And sometimes an item is stained or un-donatable in some way, but a good source for scraps.

I loved this gray hoodie; I've probably had it for 10 years. Haven't worn it in a long time, though; it just seems too short now. (weight gain? low rise jeans? who knows.) It needed a new life.

The beauty of refashioning zippered clothes is not having to sew in a zipper! Wanna try it? This is an easy project and won't take you long.

1. With the zipper closed, cut the front out of the sweatshirt. I only cut as far as the kangaroo pocket, but that's just me. You can cut this to whatever size you like, as long as both sides are the same. Using a pair of very small, sharp scissors, carefully cut between the teeth of the zipper.

2. Use a safety pin at the bottom of the zipper to guard against accidentally opening it all the way. You can hot glue the end of the zipper to make a new stop, or sew it shut. I opted for glue.

3. Cut two pieces of fusible fleece and two pieces of lining fabric the same size as your outer panels. Fuse the fleece to the wrong sides of the outer panels.

4. On your lining panel pieces, fold over the edge you will be attaching to the zipper and press. I used a 3/8" seam allowance.

5. Put the zipper foot on your machine. Making sure your outer panels are out of the way, sew the folded edge of the lining panel to the underside of the zipper tape only. Do this for both sides.

6. Open the zipper 3/4 of the way (very important!) With outer panels right sides together, sew around the edges. Get as close as you can to the zipper without actually sewing over it. Do the same with the lining panels, only use a 1/8" greater seam allowance, and leave several inches open on one side for turning.

7. Remove the safety pin. Clip corners 45 degrees and trim seam allowances; turn right side out and press. Stitch opening closed.

8. Ta-da! Your basic zip pouch. Only...it's kinda boring.

9. Aaahhh, that's better! I added a fabric flower with button embellishment, and used a piece of the hoodie tie as a zipper pull.

Now I can enjoy my comfy old hoodie in its new life as a makeup bag!

Materials list:

old zip hoodie

fusible fleece

cotton lining fabric

zipper foot

fabric scraps for flower

button

cording from hoodie tie

thread and stuff

Linked up here:

also linked up at: DIY Home Sweet Home Project

ten completely random things about me

2011-02-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

{inspired by my new blogger buddy, Skye}

1. I have discovered that my children are twice as willing to eat anything if I call it "a snack" or "snacky lunch" instead of a meal.

2. Yes, I'm allergic to soy, but I can sometimes eat small amounts of soybean oil in certain foods. This is because soybean oil, properly processed, does not contain the soy protein, which is what you react to. This does not mean that my allergy is not real.

3. Ever had the rotavirus? That's what happens to me if I eat soy. Not pretend, people.

4. I compulsively give to Goodwill. I love Goodwill. They teach people who want to work how to work. They help people who aren't looking for a handout, just a hand up.

5. Without Jesus Christ, I would be absolutely nothing. He is my life. He is my prince charming. He is my hero. He is the captain of my soul.

6. I used to be a professional flutist. I loved teaching and performing, but I gave them up willingly when I had my kids. I thought I would miss it more, but I don't.

7. I am blessed beyond words to be part of my church's worship team. The greatest feeling in the whole world is to stand in front of thousands of people with a microphone and really loud speakers and monitors in your ears, but hear the congregation rise with a mighty voice above it all, singing praise to God!! I'll never get over it. {just got chills}

8. I miss my dad more than I can even say.

9. I have had a blast returning to sewing in the last two years!! Some of my favorite memories as a child were sewing with my mom and my greatma. I can't wait to teach my own daughters how to sew.

10. My husband is a saint. He actually VALUES my creative messes and my obsessive behavior. Definitely a keeper!!

5 minute gift card holder tutorial. no lie.

2011-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

ever buy one of those gift cards that doesn't come with a cute envelope?

and it's really a pretty nice gift but you feel kinda lame just sticking it in the card, like you didn't try at all?

and you've only got a few minutes until the mailman swings by and you HAVE to get it out today?

(this is a purely fictional scenario, of course.)

problem solved. Fire up your iron, thread the machine, and this should only take you 5 minutes.

1. grab a scrap of cute fabric. Fold it over; center your gift card as a guide, leaving 1/2" around 3 sides and an inch at the top. Cut!

2. Open it up flat. Turn under and press your top seam; sew with 3/8" seam allowance.

3. Fold with right sides together; sew with 3/8" seam allowance along both raw edges. Clip the corner 45 degrees.

4. Turn right side out; press. Slip in the gift card (I left mine peeking out for the picture, but it should fit all the way in the pocket.) That's it! Nice and flat and easy to mail.

Now run for the mailbox!

{please excuse the less than professional pictures. 5 minutes, y'all.}

yay, a winner!

2011-02-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! We have a winner, comment #9:

James-Linda said...

MAYBE A BLANKET, OR LINENS FROM CSN !

THANKS FOR SHARING!

Well, thanks yourself! Hope this helps you get some of those linens you've been wanting! Be sure to check your email for your reward code.

Thanks to you all for entering! I appreciate all of the new readers! More readers means more giveaways to come in the future...keep your eyes peeled. It's fun to give stuff away!

In the meantime, if you are a Facebookie, come over and "like" me on my FB page. I'm there a lot and would love to chill with some crafty people!

Oh, and I've got a simple tutorial in the works for this weekend.

For now though, I'm gonna watch a movie with my sweetie, and maybe sneak some of the kids' Valentine's candy.

Don't tell.

{image: random.org}

time for a giveaway!!

2011-02-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hooray, it's time from another giveaway from CSN Stores! CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need, whether it be swingsets, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!

Speaking of swingsets, I've been dreaming of spring, looking outside at our awesome playscape, which is currently covered with snow (yes, even in Austin, TX).

We have the Gorilla Big Skye I. My kids LOVE it! My hubby and father-in-law put it together themselves, a big job to be sure, but it turned out great.

All year long, my kids and their friends spend hours here.

It enables me to craft, cook, or talk with my mommy friends in peace.

It has been a pirate ship, rocket ship, secret clubhouse, and who knows what else.

Sigh. I love it so much.

Anyways, I can't fund your entire backyard remodel, but I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate, redeemable at any CSN site!

I won't tell your kids if you decide to spend it on yourself.

There are lots of chances to win! Here's how:

1. Leave me a comment!

2. Follow my blog (Google connect or RSS), Facebook, Twitter, or tell me if you already are.

3. Take a peek at my etsy shop and tell me something you like or want to see there.

4. Take a peek at the CSN stores sites and tell me what you would spend your $25 on!

5. Spread the word about this giveaway, and let me know how.

Remember to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry - so you get all your chances to win. And be sure to include an email address in your comment or Blogger profile, so I don't have to track you down.

Contest closes Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 11:59pm CST.

P.S. The snow has already melted, and the kids seem to be melting down as well. Time to go PLAY OUTSIDE!!

{images copyright hoopdeedoo}

I am not being compensated by CSN for this giveaway. This is to bless my readers!

we now return to our regularly scheduled blog entry

2011-01-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I took a little blogging break. Like a couple of months. I had some stuff to do.

Thanksgiving, check!

Christmas, check!

(Like those are small things.)

Somewhere in there I managed to fill about 50 custom orders. I may have lost my mind temporarily.

tissue covers.

kindle covers.

camera strap covers.

baby head covers.

apparently, I like to cover things.

A few cheesy Christmas song covers. Duets with my bro. Good times, y'all. My piano skills are definitely not what they once were, but we had fun.

It's late January now, and I've had a nice little break. Ready to tackle blogging again. So...what better way to start than with a giveaway? Details coming in the next post!!

It's good to be back!

Christmas spectacular!

2010-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

This, my friends, is the busiest week of my year. I am participating in a 3-day craft show at FBC Georgetown, the aptly named Christmas Spectacular! This isn't just any little craft show, no siree. Georgetown, in spite of being more or less a suburb of Austin, still really has a small-town feel. And the whole small town seems to turn out for this shindig! 70 vendors, last I heard...

I'm sooooo not ready, but who cares. I didn't even know if I would participate this year, because of things with my dad. But after he passed, I knew that some very serious craft therapy would be good for me, so I jumped right in. It wasn't enough time to do all that I would have liked to do for the show, but it was healing to be creative.

And I know my daddy would be proud of me for that.

The etsy shop will be on vacation during the show. After it's all done, keep your eyes peeled for another original pattern, this time a knitting one...

If you're local, come by the show! It's this Thursday through Saturday, 9-5 on Th and Fr, 9-3 on Sat. Highway 29 in Georgetown, just west of I-35 and Wolf Ranch shopping center. Seriously, this is an amazing show, and it benefits the preschool there at FBC. I'll be in the foyer!

ta-da!

2010-11-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Yay! I've had a lot of fun with this!

Our family tradition includes an Advent calendar, and I've had trouble finding one I really like. My last one was cute, but the pockets were so small that you couldn't put anything more than a mint in each one. And since I have a kid that's allergic to food coloring, we don't do a lot of candy.

And these flag banners (I hear some people call them buntings) are everywhere this year...and soooooo cute...and this Moda Fruitcake fabric matches my house so well...you can see how this developed.

The family likes it so much that even though I just put up the greenery and lights to take the pictures, they want me to leave it up.

Who am I to argue with that? ;)

Pattern is now for sale in the shop.

what i have been doing instead of blogging.

2010-11-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

my little model

2010-10-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

Took some etsy listing photos with A-bug yesterday. She really enjoyed the modeling! Of course, I bribed her with cookies.

She doesn't just stand there. Oh no. This girl does not know how to be still. She mugs, poses, dances, spins. She has her own inner soundtrack going at all times. I make a game out of trying to figure out what song is playing in her mind.

"The hills are alive..."

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty..."

"Shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your booty, shake your booty!"

Never a boring moment with this one!

The stars and swirls apron is already up on etsy here.

and we have a winner!

2010-10-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hooray! We have a winner in the CSN giveaway!

Liz said:

"I love your camera strap cover with the Michael Miller tools fabric!"

Thanks to all who entered, and welcome to my new followers! This was the first time I have been contacted by an outside company to do a giveaway, and hopefully not the last. You guys will be the first to know!

This week I will be working on lots of stuff to add to the etsy shop, and getting ready for two craft shows in the next three weeks. And of course, I have to keep my family fed and clothed and all that.

Be sure to go over to Liz's blog, because she lists lots of other giveaways!

{Random.org was used to generate the winning entry. A big thank you to CSN for the opportunity!}

it's time for a giveaway!

2010-10-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I am thrilled to bring you a giveaway from CSN Stores this week! CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from nesting tables to handbags to baby shoes, you name it. This would be a great place to start your Christmas shopping! I'll be giving away a $35 gift certificate to one lucky reader.

Here are a couple of things that have caught my eye on the CSN site:

A better looking mirror for my guest bathroom! Free shipping, too...

This gorgeous tote, which I think would hold a lot of knitting projects! And it's gray. I'm really into gray right now for some reason.

I bet you can think of lots of ways to spend $35!

There are lots of chances to win!

Leave me a comment!
Follow my blog (Google connect or RSS), Facebook, Twitter, or tell me if you already are.
Take a peek at my etsy shop and tell me something you like or want to see there.
Take a peek at the CSN stores sites and tell me what you would spend your $35 on!
Spread the word and tell me how you did it!

Contest closes Sunday, Oct. 17, at 11:59pm CDST.

{images courtesy of CSN}

edited to add:
I am not being compensated by CSN, I was merely contacted by them and agreed to host the giveaway to bless you guys!!

"Creativity is not a pretty sight."

2010-10-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Horrific pile, eh? My mom is visiting, but when she saw my office, she was not surprised.

Because when I was a teenager, I had a Garfield sign on my bedroom door that said, "Creativity is not a pretty sight." I used this as an excuse for all kinds of horrific clutter in my room, which truly was either debris from creative activities, or a general lack of cleanliness because I was so busy being creative I didn't have time to clean.

Nothing has changed. ;) Everything in my sewing room has to coexist with my musical instruments, so they all kind of mingle. I drape lots of things over my music stand, like these camera strap covers waiting for fleece innards.

I'm getting ready for my only craft show for the fall, a fundraiser for my kiddo's preschool. Last year I kind of stumbled into this thing because a friend asked me, then she had to back out at the last minute due to childcare issues. So I just did the best I could, with really low expectations, and rather low inventory as well. And it went AWESOME. So I'm back.

I actually didn't sign up for the show by the deadline. I didn't want to commit because my dad was so sick. But they called anyways, the day after the funeral. And well...I might not be ready for it, but you know, life is short. So why the heck not? If I don't have a lot of inventory, I'll just take custom orders like last year.

Besides, hand-binding table runners and knitting hats is a great way to pass the time while I watch the kids play!

soapbox moment: care

2010-09-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, craftosphere. I'm home. From where?

Two funerals in three weeks.

First, my husband's grandmother.

Second, my father.

Both of them had been ill for a long time. Both of them were suffering. Both of them were believers in Christ, as I am, and are now free in heaven, with new bodies, healed and happy.

The rest of us are a little worse for wear. We're happy for them both, peaceful of heart, but very very tired.

I want to say a couple of things about Huntington's disease, from which my dad suffered for almost 10 years. Now that it's all over, I feel like I can talk about it publicly without being disrespectful of his desire for normalcy, his desire to live life to the fullest, to not be characterized by the disease. He was an incredible man, an upright man, a model of Godly character and courage. He was NOT defined by this disease. But since so few know about it, I have a few words to say.

First of all, Huntington's disease is ugly, really really really ugly, and not a novelty.

You see it in the media, like with Thirteen on "House", or in a Harlan Coben novel, or if you've been around a long time, you might know it as Woody Guthrie's disease.

Don't be fooled into thinking it's cool. If you have HD, then people often think you are drunk or mentally handicapped. You fall a lot. You can't drive, or shouldn't. You can hardly work. You possibly passed it on to your kids, and for this, you feel really really guilty. Your personality changes so gradually that people don't always know that you've lost your ability to reason properly. You sometimes are belligerent and cruel to the ones you love, and even when you aren't, your movements are so violent that you bruise and batter them unintentionally. You slowly starve to death. You are at risk for choking. You know that there's no cure.

There's no cure.

There's only care.

But care isn't popular. Care doesn't get big budget benefits and black tie galas. Care doesn't get media attention. Care doesn't get donations.

Care takes commitment from the family. It takes unbelievable financial, physical, and spiritual resources. Care is expensive in every way imaginable. Care suffers quietly, anonymously.

Caring for someone at home is the most exhausting, the most demanding, the most noble and loving thing a person can do for another. Even the most well-equipped nursing home can rarely handle a HD patient, so my mom cared for dad at home. She loved him like nothing I have ever seen before, and she gave of herself every minute of every day, all for him. Sacrificial love. Up until the very last breath.

Why am I telling you all of this? You came here to read about knitting and sewing.

Because you probably know someone quietly suffering, taking care of a loved one at home. Maybe it's your grandma taking care of grandpa. Maybe it's your next door neighbor with her handicapped child. Maybe you actually know someone with Huntington's disease (unlikely, but if you do I'd like to know). If any of the above rings a bell, and someone is now in your mind, then REACH OUT TO THEM. They need your help. They are TOO BUSY TO ASK FOR HELP. You can give them a little bit of courage by a simple meal, card, ride, phone call, email, mow, errand, visit.

Care. Focus on care. Do what the big-budget galas can't do.

For those who reached out to me and my family during this dark turmoil of the last 10 years, thank you. You were ministers of grace. You were Christ in action.

As for the future? I'm at risk for HD. I'm not going to be tested, although I plan to enroll in some medical studies.

But, as my dad said, I'm not going to base my life on an "if." I'm going to LIVE.

Time to sew.

http://www.hdsa.org/

the paint chip challenge!

2010-08-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this challenge yesterday, and it got my mind working. My eldest has a birthday in the fall, and we need to be thrifty with the party this year, so I am pondering an "art party." This kiddo LOVES art projects, drawing, painting, play-doh, you name it. She gets positively giddy over paint samples, so they would be perfect for the goody bags!

Supply list:

paint samples - the large single-color kind

cellophane bags

stickers, erasers, and other small goodies

pencil

hole punch

sharpie

I used Better Homes & Gardens paint samples from Wal-mart, which, due to incredible luck, fit perfectly into these 6" x 3.75" cellophane bags that I already had on hand.

Write your message on the paint sample, slide it into the baggie, and slide in a page of stickers facing the other way so you cover up the ugly backside of the sample. Incidentally, I'm the world's WORST note-writer, so I try to say "thank you" in the goodie bags. It's not how Emily Post would do it, but it's better than never getting around to it.

Now punch two holes in the top of the bag and slide a pencil through the holes. Ta-da! For only pennies you have a cute party favor!

We also picked up a few of the paint samples with the hole in them. I think these make terrific gift tags!

This is a little bucket with holes already in the sides for tying a ribbon. Full of art supplies, it would make another inexpensive yet fun gift for a creative kiddo!

By the way, immediately after these pictures were taken, the kids appropriated the paint samples for their own creative uses. They will probably end up being placemats for the next stuffed animal tea party!

And don't tell my husband, but while I was at Wal-mart I picked up a few extra samples that would look nice on the living room wall...

this is a test of the emergency broadcast system

2010-08-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hi to you all, just wanted to let you know what is going on.

First, thanks to everyone for the kind comments and attention regarding my recent Moda Bake Shop project! I've got lots of ideas brimming for the next big thing!

But I have to put my ideas aside for a little while.

You see, my husband's grandmother passed away yesterday. And my oldest starts kindergarten Tuesday. And my dad is close to passing away as well, no one knows for sure, but we're talking days and weeks.

That's a lot to process.

My family needs my full attention for a little while. I've got some Cascade Alpaca Lace Paints to keep me company, too.

Thanks to all my new followers. There will be new content soon.

love, Amy

my first moda bake shop project!

2010-08-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

So here's what I have been hiding from you:

It's my very first Moda Bake Shop project, a skirt! If you sew, and you don't know about Moda Bake Shop, get on over there right away. It is a fantastic blog full of imaginative projects using Moda pre-cut fabrics. I have had so much fun with this. My awesome friend Jen took me down to the Mayfield Nature Preserve here in Austin and we had our own little photo shoot.

It's so wonderful having a friend like Jen! She is a crafty kindred spirit for sure -- she helped me learn how to knit, and we love doing all kinds of crafty things together. One time we even conquered the yarn shop hop with two fussy nursing infants in tow! So if you live anywhere from San Antonio to Dallas, she's your girl for portraits and weddings. Her blog has more samples so check it out. Here's some shots from our fun morning in the park:

I am not a professional model by any means, but I can read a book.

And walk through a door.

Twice!

And stand still on high heels! Not bad for someone who wears flip flops all the time.

But someone else wanted their picture taken, too.

Jen was laying on the ground all twisted up like a pretzel, shooting away, and he just wandered into the frame. Not that I'm complaining. Look at those colors! Nothing I could make could compare to God's creativity in making this guy.

I also did a few poses in front of this cool rock wall.

And in front of this cute door. You can't even tell that I'm gagging from the smell -- this is the peahen house. My modeling skills are amazing.

All joking aside, I do really love how this skirt turned out, and if you know me in person you can expect to see me wearing it a lot. With my flip flops.

If you want to make one too, head on over to the tutorial here.

notta lotta craftin'

2010-08-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'm hiding out at my parents' and in-laws' places this week, letting the kids soak up as much attention as possible before school starts! And I'm soaking up the extra sleep! My big news should pop up next week, though, so stay tuned!

hooray for saturday!

2010-07-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all, hope you are having a great weekend! Lots o' fun going on over here. I can't tell you everything because that would be against protocol, but here are some highlights:

awesome photo shoot with the lovely Jen yesterday, pics aren't quite ready to post but I will soon (they are part of a secret project). Jen is so many kinds of awesome, she can do it all. And her hubby even watched my kids while we went to play with the cameras. whattaguy!
visit from a dear friend and her daughter, so fun to see all three girls playing together! Don't you just love having the kinds of friends that you can pick up where you left off, and it's like no time at all has passed between you? Jeni is that kind of friend. She is family.
my 5yo lost her first tooth, had her first piano lesson, and got a new bike all in the last 3 days. That's a lot of excitement!!

So for now, I leave you with a link to one of my favorite blogs, p.s. i quilt. Rachel is hosting a giveaway over there for this pretty little item:

I can think of lots of lovely things to do with these 30's reproduction prints! Click on over to check out her site and enter the giveaway!

see ya laters -

amy

dude. i made a button.

2010-07-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

Look over there to the left!

i could not have done this alone. let's give credit where credit is due:

Thank you, Oikology 101. I don't know you, but your directions were impeccable, and it gave me the self-satisfaction of having done it myself. Now I can go upstairs and brag to my husband, who will be totally shocked that I did it without interrupting his Starcraft game.

Twenty-Minute Tote Redo!

2010-07-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Went to Old Navy the other day to hit the clearance sale. Old Navy's sales are garage sale cheap and often about as organized as digging through a big box of random unpriced stuff. But, just like garage sales, sometimes you find a little gem.

I found this denim tote for 8 bucks. I felt very sorry for it, because it was like the plain girl at the school dance, sitting in the bleachers while her colorful friends are getting all of the attention. But, bless her heart, she is just soooo boooooring. Let's help her out.

I had a couple of doilies I picked up at JoAnn's a while back. I can crochet doilies but for 99 cents or less why bother?

I pinned the doilies to the bag using straight pins, but I would recommend using curved safety pins if you have them on hand. I stuck myself a lot during the sewing process. Since the bag is already finished, sewing the doily on required a lot of maneuvering and folding the bag as I sewed, hence all of the sticking with pins.

Sew around the center circle first, then around the outside edge of each doily.

Easy as pie! I added a few fabric flowers too.

Now we have a cute little tote for my daughter's piano books!

i'm a winner! i'm so special.

2010-07-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Megan from the Brassy Apple notified me today that I was a winner in her most recent giveaway. Yay! I love to win things. I did not win at Bunco last night, and even though it was my very first time I was still kind of disappointed. (Not that Bunco takes actual skill or anything. I just like to win!)

Megan has really snazzy ideas and a funky style. Here's a cute picture of her in one of the patterns I won.

I snagged this pic from her site. It's totally hers. But I don't think she will mind since I am talking about how awesome she is. Her blog is one of my must-reads. The e-book I won is full of fun scarf ideas, and you know how I love a good scarf!

Check out her shop for lots of patterny goodness!

I've got some really big things in the works over here, but can't let the secret out just yet, so hang in there!

Our Final Exhibit for Craft Fail Week: The Sasquatch Toe Socks

2010-07-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Shannon,

Sorry it's taken me 6 months to come clean. I tried. I really did. I know your hubby really wanted these toe socks. Thanks for being so kind as to supply the yarn and the pattern, and for your confidence in me.

It's a very good pattern. That's not the problem.

I'm not sure the lady at the yarn store gave you good advice on this yarn. It's lovely yarn. But it's DK weight (or so it says) tweed, with no stretch at all, like the Cascade Fixation recommended. It's also very scratchy. I pulled out a significant amount of "VM" while knitting. "VM" is knitter code for "vegetable matter"which is code for "bits of grass and crap" that gets into wool while it's still on the sheep. Or at least that's one of the things I picked up from listening to some people talking about spinning.

I also had a little problem with gauge. I had to go down to size 1's to get stitch gauge (but never got row gauge). Not sure this DK-esque yarn liked being on size 1's. It was kind of like knitting a brillo pad.

But they still turned out too big. I say "they" but I should say "it", because after I finished the first sock my hubby tried it on and we both laughed until we cried. So I only got as far as to make a few toes of the second sock. I just didn't have enough optimism for that.

And I had to break into the second ball of yarn already to finish the first sock, so I don't think there's enough yarn anyways.

I'm really sorry.

In the end, it's probably a good thing I completely crashed and burned on this project. Otherwise, you would have ended up with scratchy sasquatch socks that you felt obligated to pay for and your hubby felt obligated to wear. Then he'd get some kind of itchy mysterious rash between his toes and you'd have to take him to a specialist who would charge you some ridiculous amount to explain to you that his in-between toe skin is just sensitive to sheep crud and sticks.

Would you like for me to frog it for you, or would you like the pleasure yourself?

Thanks for having such an awesome sense of humor about the whole thing.

Love,

Amy

P.S. I'll give you a discount on that apron because I feel really guilty about the whole thing. ;)

Exhibit B: The Applique Christmas Quilt

2010-07-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Before I get into Exhibit B, allow me to draw your attention (if you haven't noticed already) to the crappy job I did redesigning my blog layout. Ironic, don't you think, during Fail Week? I'm gonna get my tech support guy (aka hubby) on it this weekend, but tomorrow's his birthday, so I don't want to bug him about it until later. Anyhoo,

Welcome to the awesome hideousness of the Applique Christmas Quilt, circa 1999.

I moved into my house on December 23, 1998, and spent one night there before driving to Oklahoma for Christmas, in the worst icestorm Texas has seen in my lifetime (anyone remember the 80-car pileup on 183?). After the holidays at my parents' and in-laws' homes, decked to the halls of course, I came back to my new, shiny, and totally empty and boring home. A few weeks later I hit the craft store sales and brought home a big pile of fabric and a storebought pattern for something Christmasy, determined to get started on decorations for the next year. I distinctly remember having to do some very fancy talking to convince my husband that it was ok for me to spend all of that money, because it was an heirloom decoration we could pass down for generations.

In the words of that really old knight that guards the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:

"You have chosen...poorly."
(Remember what happens to the bad guy then? That was me, trying to sew this dadgum thing.)

I was all gung ho at the beginning. I had my own craft room, for goodness' sake, in my giant new house with no kids or stuff in it yet. I had lots of time on my hands.

Time to discover some very, very important things about myself.

I hate tissue paper patterns.
Just because the fabric is on sale does not mean it is a good choice.
Just because the pattern is on sale does not mean it is a good choice.
Just because the theme is Christmas does not mean it is a classic style. (I suspect this was already a dated look back in 1999.)
I do not have the patience of a saint.
I do, however, have the mouth of a sailor. (This is a family trait - all the women in our family reserve cuss words for sewing time.)
And most importantly, I did not marry a man who likes moose and cutesy snowmen as home decor. (Actually, I don't like that stuff either, come to think of it.)

You know what the really, really funny part is?

I still have the dadgum thing under the bed.

I took these pictures today, and then I PUT IT BACK. Why? I'm not going to finish it, ELEVEN YEARS LATER.

Guess I've learned one more important thing about myself:

I don't know when to let go.

Epic Craft Fail Week: The Apple Green Shrug

2010-07-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Exhibit A: "The Apple Green Shrug." I happen to really like this color, that's not the problem.

Let me state, for the record, that most of these craft failures are not due to pattern flaws. This is a lovely pattern, the One Skein Wonder by Stephanie Japel, whom I fervently admire. It's a fabulous little knit, great for a leftover yarn or something expensive. But I digress. This is about my disasters.

The most important reason that this project failed is:

I knit it while in the hospital after having my second C-section.

I was on lots of meds and it was pretty dark in there and I was sleep deprived. Not great conditions for successful knitting, although it turned out to be pretty successful as far as the kid was concerned!

Other than that, my most notable errors were:

Choosing a yarn with absolutely no bounce back or memory. This is Classic Elite Bam Boo, which has GORGEOUS drape, but doesn't lend itself to ribbing. Note the sagging in the first photo. This yarn would be better suited to a scarf or flowy top, but it can get quite heavy. A better choice for this project would be a wool blend or even something with a bit of stretch to help it out around the armholes.
Choosing a yarn with too many plies. This is only a problem because I was a very new knitter at the time, working in the dark, using pointy needles. Plies split. You can see a lot of them that went unknit in the photo below.
And last, but certainly not least, I was still a new enough knitter that I didn't know that I was twisting all of my knit stitches by knitting them through the back, and that it's a no-no.

You'd think that I would have stopped mid-way, what with all of these troubles with plies and sagging. But noooooo, I finished the whole thing. Guess I was hoping it would look ok in the end (like I said, I was on a lot of drugs). Alas, it does not. But the kids have appropriated it for dress-up, so at least it's not a waste entirely.

The kiddo turned out ok, though!!

Epic Craft Fail Week: Prologue

2010-07-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do this for a while. With all of the successful projects going out these days, there are plenty of dirty little secret unfinished ones behind the scenes.

Various friends and family members catch a glimpse of the etsy shop, pay a nice compliment, then casually ask, "Hey, whatever happened to the baby gift/sweater/quilt/doodad you were making for me?"

{cricket}

"Ummm...sorry about that...I told you it wasn't going so well, that's why I ended up getting you the book/bath set/gizmo/box of diapers instead."

And then I slink away, feeling guilty.

Time to come clean.

Look folks, making stuff is really really really really fun. Except when it fails. And sometimes, it fails SO BADLY, you can't recover. Not just emotionally (although that happens). Sometimes, you simply can't salvage the supplies.

Like yarn, for example. Some yarns just don't rip out well. Mohair. Acrylic of dubious origin. Really expensive laceweight silk. Anything with twelve plies.

Fabric, once cut and sewn, can't always be reconstructed into something else. Maybe the pieces are too small or the wrong shapes. Maybe it was stipple quilted far too late in the evening when someone had two glasses of wine instead of one and the bobbin tension was way off but went unnoticed for about half of the quilt. Theoretically speaking, of course.

And sometimes, I think I have the skill to do something BUT I DON'T. True story. Oh so painfully true. Just you wait until I show you some of this junk.

Last but not least, some failures boil down to BAD CHOICES, plain and simple.

So this week, I'm going to share with you some of my worst failures. Go ahead, laugh at me, and pretend you don't have a baggie of neon Red Heart acrylic granny squares in the bottom of your closet.

in reference to flexibility and deep thoughts about water

2010-06-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

The last few days have required a LOT of flexibility! No sewing for me! We had a hot water heater flooding incident, so I have been completely focused on cleanup and dryout.

This got me thinking: it's amazing how dependent we are upon fresh water, and how we completely take that for granted. I had to shut off the water to the house for a while to stop the flooding, and even for that short time it was a very different way to live. Can you imagine not having drinking water? My former youth pastor, Ken Surritte, heads an organization called Water Is Life. They provide these ingenious water filter straws to kids around the world. The straw hangs around a child's neck, and is good for a year. The child can use the straw to drink from any water source, even raw sewage, and it filters it into clean water. How cool is that? I was freshly reminded of how blessed I am to have cheap, abundant, clean water, and how important it is to help provide that for others. Check out their site to see how you can help.

As for sewing, I'm holding out for next week, when my kids will be at Camp Nana...planning lots of projects!!

flexibility is key

2010-06-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

My most important job is Stay At Home Mom. Or, as we like to call it around here, Chief Operational Officer and Executive Vice President of Household Logistics and Management.

Sooo....I was going to blog/sew/tweet/work more this week, but the munchkins in my care required more care and attention than usual. It's summer, we're working out a schedule, and working on a budget, and lots of other things. So I decided to pull back a little this week and just relax and enjoy my kids.

That's the best part of being your own boss.

Next week will probably be entirely different. You never know around here!

and the winner is...

2010-06-19T14:22:00.001-07:00

...Austin! @auschen07, to be exact, as his Twitter entry was the winning one. Thanks to everyone who entered! And thanks to my hubby, who did the drawing. This was the first giveaway, but certainly not the last. I am just getting started and having lots of fun doing it!

Next week I'll be blogging about my creative process and my creative scheduling to make it happen. I'm a stay-at-home-mom first and foremost, like many other craft business owners out there, and I have some thoughts to share with the blogosphere on how it works for me. So keep reading! Because you, my friends, will be able to say you knew me when I just got started!!

give it away, give it away, give it away now

2010-06-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my very first GIVEAWAY!!! I need help spreading the word about HoopDeeDoo, so I'm giving away a custom camera strap cover!

The lucky winner can choose from a cover currently in the etsy shop, or I will custom design one just for you. Or if camera strap covers aren't your thing, then we can work out something else. It's not a fun prize if you can't get what you want!

You can get a gazillion (well, close at least) chances to win! Here's how:

1. Go to my etsy shop and find something you like, then come back HERE and tell me about it!

2. Become a Facebook fan: HoopDeeDoo, then come back HERE and leave a comment!

3. Follow me on Twitter: @hoopdeedooshop , then come back HERE and leave a comment!

4. Follow this blog via the method of your choosing (RSS/Blogger/bookmark/whatever), then...you guessed it, leave a comment HERE!

5. Get a friend to do any of the above. Leave a comment HERE with your friend's name/username/pseudonym/whatever. (honor system here) You earn another chance for EACH FRIEND.

So you see, each person can earn many chances to win! Remember, the more friends you bring in, the more chances you will have. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do, so I can easily see how many chances you have earned!

Comments are officially closed at 11 pm CST Friday night, June 18, and the winner will be announced Saturday! That gives you a full week to bring in your friends!

kidcraft

2010-06-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

My 5 year old made this creation for the etsy shop...not sure how to explain to her that there really isn't a big market for frog monacles. Btw that's a cupcake wrapper on the end.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

just sharing the gorgeous

2010-06-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

danger! danger! run away! run away!

2010-06-06T14:29:00.001-07:00

The other day I was at the church with some friends sewing these looooooong stretchy white panels to fit over PVC frames. They'll go in the background of the band set and have various colored lights shining on them. Very nifty. But I digress. Anyways, about 3 feet into the first panel, all of a sudden, SKQURNK!! machine thunks to a halt. Serious, massive thread jam. Doing my best to stay calm, I tried to remove the jam, but then realized that internal parts were actually bent. So I had to finish up using someone else's machine and then dash mine off to the repair shop.

It was a pretty easy repair, but it took a couple of days to get it done. Meanwhile, back at home, packages begin to arrive in the mail to taunt me. Amy Butler fabric squares bought on Ebay. Michael Miller Groovy Guitars fabric. "Dad-ish" fabric for Father's Day stuff for the shop. Various emails and order requests from friends. Umm...thank goodness I wasn't in the middle of any custom orders!! I satisfied myself with knitting and preparing for hosting a baby shower Saturday night (although I could not actually sew the gift, so they will have to get it later!)

Then the call finally came and with a giddy heart I drove the 45 minutes into downtown Austin to the shop. Paid for and picked up my machine and the nice repairman even showed me how to do a couple of things. And then I made the mistake of talking to the saleslady about sergers.

Heaven help me. I thought I wanted a serger badly before this. Now I can barely stand it.

The 5-thread stitch! Sewing knits! What it could do for my patchwork addition! OH. MY. EVERLOVIN. GOSH. 6 months no interest. Free lessons. I got as far as taking the credit application, before I came to my senses (pictured my husband's face if I brought it home, especially since the day before I had just gone on a "we need to stop spending money" bender).

I just about ran out of the store.

But I actually had a dream about it last night. Is that sad?

Someone buy it for me, please.

lazy summer day

2010-06-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Chillin' under my patio umbrella, watching the kids play, knitting a ridiculously soft scarf. Who needs the spa? I'm relaxed...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tutorial Tuesday linky love

2010-06-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

I put the Seat Stuff Stasher over on the Hope Studios blog link party for today! Go check out all of the other cute tutorials listed there!

Tutorial: T-shirt Flowers

2010-05-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hmm...what to do with those old t-shirts...why cut them up and make them into cute flowers, of course! Here's one of a million ways to do it. This is a hand-sewn method.

You'll need:

T-shirt knit fabric cut into soft heart or oval shapes, roughly the size of your finished petals
(I used scraps cut from an old crib sheet for this particular flower)
Scrap of fabric for the back, or something to sew the flower to (like another t-shirt)
Thread to match your flower (here I am using contrasting thread so you can see what I am doing)
Hand sewing supplies

Start by choosing your largest hearts or ovals and folding them haphazardly. Take one and position the petals where the outside edge of your finished flower will be. Stitch into place (see my orange stitching? You may want to use more and smaller stitches. I made mine large for visibility.)
Layer another petal piece on top of the other, stitch down. Work your way around until you have the lowest "tier" of petals.
Add more layers, stitching as you go. Fold the petals in different directions and be sure to sew through all layers. Make each tier a little smaller than the last.
When your flower looks almost finished, fold a very small petal into a cone shape. Pinch the pointed end and sew through it by itself first, then attach in the center very securely.
Fluff and enjoy!

A few tips about these types of flowers:

Washing will make t-shirt fabric curl but not fray.
If you machine-dry the flower, it will curl more. It's a cute look (kind of like an old rose), but make sure you add enough layers to keep your flower looking full if you plan to tumble dry.
You can attach the flower to a scrap of fabric as shown above, then machine or hand stitch really tiny in a circle around the base of the flower to attach it to a garment. Trim around the edge of the circle to hide the base fabric.

Enjoy!

Tutorial: Seat Stuff Stasher, Part 4

2010-05-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here we are! So close to the end! Let's finish this thing up.

Grab the back piece with the Velcro on it and your elastic strap. On the RIGHT SIDE of the back piece, pin your elastic strap about 1" up from the bottom edge as shown. (You do not see the bottom edge of my fabric because I used a long folded piece for my back fabric.)
Your strap end will hang off the edge. Stitch into place 3/8" from edge of fabric. Do this on the other side too.
Place your pocket layer on top of the other back piece, just as it will look when the bag is finished. If you would like to add a binding to the bottom edge later, then line up the raw bottom edges of these pieces for now. If you don't want a binding, then turn under the bottom edges 1/2" and press. (Do the same on the other back piece while you are at it.) Now pin your pocket and top back layers together, but keep the pins toward the middle of the fabric and away from the side edges.
Take your pinned pocket/top back layer and align with the back piece with the straps, right sides together. Pin both side edges. Make sure your long elastic strap is tucked between the layers. Now sew down both sides, using a 1/2" seam allowance, and zig-zag or serge the raw edges. Turn right side out and press the seams. (You can topstitch if you feel like it, or you could do French seams, or whatever floats your boat. I didn't bother because it's a trash bag holder, after all.)
(OPTIONAL BINDING) If you left your bottom edges raw, you need a binding. Cut a 2" wide strip 2" longer than the width of your bag. Put it wrong side down on the BACK bottom edge of your bag, centered. Stitch along edge with 3/8" seam allowance. Turn over, tuck in the ends.

Turn under the remaining raw long edge of the binding. Fold over the end of the bag to cover the seam line. Pin and stitch 1/8" inside the binding, on both sides as well. This should encase your raw edges and give you a nice strong bottom to your bag.
You are SOOOO close to done, my friends! Take your bag and a couple of pins out to the car and get it into place. You will remember that we didn't attach the headrest strap to the bag. Tuck under the raw end of the strap and pin it into place so the bag hangs exactly where you like. The Velcro will allow you to adjust it slightly as it may hang higher or lower depending on how much stuff is in it. (Don't forget, the Velcro also means that the bag will not rip when your preschooler decides to use it as a stepstool.)

Now quick! Take it down again just for a minute and dash inside to sew that strap into place. VOILA! You are done! Well, except for one more thing...
Grab your kids and a trash bag and clean up that car!

If you use my tutorial, be sure to comment and post a photo on my Facebook page!! Thanks for reading!!

Tutorial: Seat Stuff Stasher, Part 3

2010-04-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! I am standing in my garage, typing this up as I watch the kids play in the culdesac. Hooray for laptops!! If I can't be sewing, at least I can blog about sewing, right? Today we'll be working on the straps.

Pick up your short strap pieces. Fold them in half, then stitch 1/4" along each of the long sides.

Turn inside out and press, then tuck in the raw end 1/2". Stitch it shut.

Cut a small amount of Velcro to fit on each end of the strap, hooks on one side and loops on the other (of course), and stitch them down really well. When the Velcro is fastened, your strap should again be folded in half.

Sew one end of your strap, Velcro up, about 1 1/2" in from the edge of your backing fabric, and about an inch down, as shown.

Now pick up your 4" wide strap piece. Fold in half lengthwise wrong sides together, press. Open back up, and fold sides in to meet at the middle line you created.

Turn in 1" at one end. Fold together once more. Now your strip is 1" wide.

Stitch around three sides, leaving the raw end open. Now cut a 3" length of Velcro. Stitch the hooks part on the finished end of the strap, 1" from the end.

Stitch the loops part vertically on the backing fabric, 1/2" inside from one of your short straps, as shown.
Don't worry about the other end of this strap; we will cut it to fit at the very end.

That's it for now! Next time we will do the final assembly, so stay tuned!!

Tutorial: Seat Stuff Stasher, Part 2

2010-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know you are raring to go. Now that you have decided to make one of these, the junk in your car is driving you nuts. So turn on your iron and let's get to it!

Take the two back pieces and two pocket pieces. (Set aside the strap pieces for now.) Determine which will be the top edges of all of them. Turn under each piece 1/2", press, then turn under 1" and press.

Set aside the back pieces for now. Take your smallest pocket piece, fold in half, and press. Unfold and place on top of your middle pocket, line up the bottom and side edges, and pin. Sew down the fold line you just created. Be sure to backstitch well at the top.

Now let's do the long elastic strap. Find your longest strip of fabric and fold in half lengthwise right sides together, press. Sew 1/4" from raw edge. Turn right side out (use a safety pin attached to one end to help you thread it through.) Press if desired.

Now thread your elastic through. You will probably want to use a safety pin to help get this through, too. Be sure to anchor your other end of elastic to something so it doesn't pop through the tube. I pinned mine to the ironing board.

Leave about 1/2" of elastic hanging out each end of the tube. Tuck in the fabric ends just a little bit to avoid fraying. Stitch very well just inside the fabric line.

That's it for today, next time we will work on the other straps!

Tutorial: Seat Stuff Stasher, Part 1

2010-04-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

I got a new car around New Year's, and we've already put 6200 miles on it, most of those with the kids in the backseat. We keep a permanent stash of books, doodle pads, and small toys in the car to keep everyone entertained. This has pretty much all sat in a big pile between the car seats, and stuff would go flying every time I hit the brakes. Not to mention that when I would occasionally clean up the pile, I'd find a stash of moldy raisins or pretzel crumbs lurking beneath, soiling my precious brand-new upholstery!! The other day I finally decided enough is enough, and I had a couple of hours to kill, so VOILA - a Seat Stuff Stasher, customized to my car.

The bottom is elastic, so it hugs the seat instead of swinging into my preschooler's legs. The headrest strap is Velcro'd, so when she yanks on it too hard it will just fall rather than rip. And there's a place to hang a Walmart bag inside for ooky trash, as well as lots of storage for books.

You can do it too, it's not hard, I'll walk you through it!

For Part 1, let's just get all set up. Whip out your handy measuring tape and head out to the car.

GET THE FOLLOWING MEASUREMENTS:

The finished width and height you would like your Stasher to be. We will call these numbers "W" and "H". Mine is 12"w x 20"l.

The distance all the way around your seat, where the bottom strap will go. Let's call this "C" for Circumference. It may work best to use a piece of string, feeding it around snugly in the bend of the seat, all the way around to where you started. Cut the string to the exact length, then measure the string.

SUPPLIES:

About 1/4 yard each of 2-3 different fabrics (home decor or heavy weight preferred, for extra toughness)

About 12" of 5/8" wide Velcro

1 -2 yards of 3/8" elastic (to fit around base of seat)

Thread, scissors, pins, iron, your brain, etc. A rotary cutter and self-healing mat are really helpful but not necessary.

Now it's time to cut your fabric!! My kids picked out the fabrics themselves, so they would feel like it was THEIR bag. This is a great opportunity to use up your scraps. Pull out the measurements you took earlier. Then cut:

Two backing pieces, W + 1" by L + 2". (For example, my W= 12" and L=20", so I cut two pieces 13" x 22".)

Your big pocket fabric, W + 1" square. (Mine was 13" square.)

Your front pocket fabric, W + 1" by W - 5". (This is just a ballpark. You can make this front pocket smaller or larger as desired. Mine was 13" x 8".)

Your elastic strap cover fabric, 2 " wide and as long as your fabric will allow selvedge to selvedge. If the length is less than the circumference of the seat measurement you took earlier, just cut another piece and sew them together, no biggie.

Your headrest strap fabric, 4" x length of fabric selvedge to selvedge. You'll be cutting this to fit later.

Your trash bag holder straps, two 2" x 12" pieces.

Your elastic, to C - W. That's circumference minus the width of your finished Stasher. Mine was 36". This is loose enough to get over the seat and lumbar support without ripping, but snug enough to not bug the driver.

Hooray! You will be ready to sew next time you sit down to work on this. I'll be back with Part 2 very soon. Thanks for playing and see you next time!!

A very subtle reopening

2010-04-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

You know how stores have a Grand Re-Opening, after a renovation or something like that? Well, I'm going for the Very Subtle Re-Opening. Creeping back into doing this Etsy thing, that barely got started before it had to take a break. I took the shop off of vacation mode, relisted a couple of items, and am preparing to list a bunch more one at a time.

Things have stabilized somewhat with my dad, enough that I am not operating in crisis mode. We're finding our family routine again, I've been brimming with ideas, and ready to put them out there! I have also been able to figure out how exactly I want to market my stuff. Weekends are prime family time, so I've decided not to pursue craft fairs. I have some boutique connections in the works, and Facebook is an awesome way to keep things in front of people without having to find a babysitter!!

One last thing...I DO plan to have a Grand Re-Opening Gala Celebration and Big Fussy Hoopla at some point...so keep a look out!

Easter outfits for MY girls!

2010-03-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I purchased the Patchwork Twirl skirt pattern by Carla C from youcanmakethis.com. LOVE her patterns, she is very thorough. I probably could have cooked this one up on my own but when I totally rip off someone's idea, I like to give them money for it. Call me old-fashioned. Anyhoo, I had big plans to make Easter outfits for my kids.

Then I abandoned the plans, because my dad got worse, and I was up and down the highway all the time. Put the etsy shop on vacation, put my plans on hold, put life on hold.

And then, plans changed again, because I totaled my husband's car, so I couldn't go anywhere for a while. As you can imagine, I was starting to get a little bit stressed out at this point. What do I do when I get stressed out?

MAKE STUFF.

And suddenly I'm back into crafting, and let me tell you, it is GOOD THERAPY. I've had a lot of extra time around the house lately with my sweet daughters, and they make me smile so much, and they love to twirl and sing. So last week I pulled out this pattern again, and a big pile of scraps, and a couple of Target t-shirts. Voila!

I used the Moda Bake Shop tutorial for the flower. There are lots of great flower tutorials out there, but this one was specifically the look I was going for.

Did my heart good to see their faces for the big "reveal". They immediately put their skirts on and began dancing around!! I was too busy having fun with them to take a picture at that moment!!

on "vacation"

2010-02-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

My Etsy shop is currently on vacation, which is why you don't see anything in the widget at right. I'm traveling a lot right now because my dad is terminally ill. Still cooking up ideas for future product and doing some craft therapy when I am actually at home.

Quilt in progress

2010-01-28T19:35:00.001-08:00

Working on a quilt for my sister in law's birthday. I had these lovely Amy Butler Bella precuts hanging around,

so presto! Easy quilt top. I like the simple lines with the ornate clash of prints.

I went to the quilt shop to get fabric for sashing, though, but when I put the whole thing together I didn't like it. Ended up pulling out an old pillowcase to use instead!! The outer patchwork sashing was fun.

I really like making up all this stuff as I go along. That's the best part!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

oh, the holidays...

2009-12-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

I LOVE the holidays...all of the shopping, fun music, special time with family...you name it! I am done with all of the custom orders and have now moved on to family gifts. There are probably a lot of things I could be doing to promote my business more during this time, but I want to put my family first, and treat them to some special things...like tissue covers in their favorite colors, little dresses, handknit scarves and hats, a giant blanket for my kids, and aprons of course! I would post pictures but that would spoil the surprise!!

So, HoopDeeDoo is formally taking a rest until January, when there will be new orders to fill and new ideas to implement. A local shop has requested some of my tee dresses for Valentine's Day (!!!), and I have lots of ideas for etsy stuff for next year. I plan to beef up my blogging and take a more aggressive approach to marketing next year, as I am continuing to find my niche. It has been a joy and success thus far. So Merry Christmas, happy crafting, and see you next year!!

Who knew?

2009-12-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

So this has been my official top seller: little tissue packet holders. I got the idea for these from a magazine, but then I tweaked it to make it my own. I added a pocket on the back for hand sanitizer or a lipstick. These are great because they keep your tissues from getting all over your purse. Before I used a tissue cover, after I closed the sticky tab on the tissue packs a few times, it lost its stickiness, and so the tissues would creep out and shred fuzz everywhere. Not anymore!!

I am listing some of these in the shop in groups of 5 - 10, but also can sell them individually, or in larger groups. These are wonderful little gifts for just about any woman you know, but especially for older people. I sold many of these at the craft show to people who were planning to hand them out at the nursing home.

Updated Shop!

2009-12-04T14:46:00.001-08:00

I have updated the shop with some new items, so go check it out! www.hoopdeedoo.etsy.com

Sales have been good, mostly custom orders. I have made 9 hats in the last 12 days. I am taking a knitting break today and tomorrow to save my wrists. Remaining custom orders include two more hats and 7 aprons. All of this is due by Dec. 15, but is totally do-able! I have been approached about more custom orders too...It seems everyone wants that stripey stocking cap in the boy colors. I don't even have a picture of it because I can't keep them in stock! Definitely making more of those to have on hand next year!

Breakin' even!!

2009-11-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

My first craft show was a success! I had no idea what to expect, but people were definitely in the mood to buy aprons and baby hats this year! I had to stop taking Christmas orders by the end of the first day. WOW!! That completely exceeded my hopes for the show. I already have a page of ideas for next year!

And other big news...10 1/2 weeks into this business, I have officially started making a profit! I have done other businesses before, and fully expected that it would take a while to build it up, because I had no supplies other than my sewing machine and my brain when I started. I was shooting to break even by the end of the year. So I met my goal early and am completely thrilled. Now I am starting to put the leftover inventory from the craft show up on etsy (see the widget at right), so hopefully that will generate even more!

Some goals for next year include: making up more Christmas-themed merchandise for the Christmas craft shows, placing some product in local storefronts, and saving up enough to buy a dress form. A long term goal is to purchase a monogramming machine and offer personalization.
The biggest necessity I have right now is better storage in my office, so probably that will take some precedence in January (Christmas money may help with this!) It looks like I will be filling more orders for my specialty pathology smocks as well, and perhaps that will involve some medical trade shows...well, I'm just brimming with ideas!

But for now, lots o' knitting and sewing to finish existing orders, and making up some handmade gifts for my super-supportive family!

FBC Christmas Spectacular tomorrow!

2009-11-11T08:57:00.001-08:00

I'll be at FBC Georgetown for three days at the Christmas Spectacular, which is their fundraiser for the preschool there. It truly is spectacular...there are huge gift baskets on raffle, over 60 merchants, usually 1000 people attending over the weekend. I am thrilled to be a part of it, to support the school, and for this to be my first event as HoopDeeDoo feels just right!

Thursday 11/12 and Friday 11/13, 9-5
Saturday 11/14 9-3
First Baptist Church
Hwy. 29 in Georgetown, one mile west of IH35
fbcchristmas.org

I will be selling children's art aprons among my merchandise. Here's one of them:

Hope to see you there! It will be a fun time and there is great gift shopping!

Pictures!!

2009-11-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my awesome friend Jen, I'll be posting some great product pictures for you! These three items will be for sale at the FBC Christmas Spectacular this Thurs. through Sat. More to come!

2009-11-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my sweet hubby for helping me with a logo and banner for the etsy shop! I purchased the basic form of this logo from another etsy seller, MommieMadeIt, who makes awesome custom sew-in labels. She made my labels and designed the image, and then Paul altered it for business cards, banners, etc. I am so glad someone else can do all of this stuff for me!

I am getting ready for the FBC Georgetown fundraiser, which will be my first craft show (in this business, anyways). It's Nov. 12-14 from 9-5 on Thu and Fri, and 9-3 on Sat. This is where my kiddos go to preschool, and it is such a wonderful place. I am thrilled to help support it (in a way other than simply paying tuition!) Check out their website at fbcchristmas.org.

Baby hat

2009-10-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

So how cute is this? One of the many custom orders I have been fielding lately. Too busy crafting to blog!

priorities...

2009-09-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Really, still preparing for shop launch. But two sick kids and a sick hubby make it hard to do anything but laundry... One of these days they will be able to go back to preschool and I'll get some things done. Please bear with me...

(all two of my readers) :)

Name Change

2009-09-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yup, changed the name. I loved the name "Kindred Spirit" because it really describes how I think of my friends and family, but when setting up my Etsy shop it became clear that I needed a new and more unique name. So...HoopDeeDoo it is! Very silly, but I'm making lots of kids stuff for the shop, so silly is a good thing.

Shop coming soon!!

Launching soon...

2009-09-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Just a brief note to mention that things are really cooking behind the scenes here...

While out of town for a week, suddenly I found myself with 15 custom orders! So the official business will be launching as soon as I can launch my kids into preschool and get some fabric ordered! More details as soon as possible...

it's never to early to start the Christmas projects.

2009-08-25T12:55:00.001-07:00

IMG_4857
Originally uploaded by Selzhanik

For my birthday, Mom took me to a quilt store in OKC and bought me some Crazy Eight jelly rolls and charm packs. I really wanted some Christmas decorations that match my house better. So I made a table runner for my front table already, and there's enough left to make either a quilt or a bunch of placemats. I'm leaning toward making the quilt, because this stuff may be too pretty to get all foody.

I saved doing the binding on this thing for another long car ride back from Oklahoma. :)

Kindermat Case

2009-08-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our preschool requires a Kindermat for naptime, for sanitary reasons, with a washable cover. We leave the mat there, but we take the cover home weekly for washing. I didn't want a big puffy sleeping bag thing to lug home every week, because I am already lugging home backpacks, lunchboxes, half-dry art projects, jackets, etc. So I have always used a king-size pillowcase, which never really covered the whole thing, and didn't look cute at all, but was easily stuffed into a backpack and didn't take up the whole washing machine. Not anymore!!

Cuteness can be streamlined.

Also, if I ever need to haul the whole thing home, mat and all, it does this:

To see the photos better, click on the picture to go to flickr. If you are interested in a custom order, post a comment!

sharing the love

2009-08-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Rachel of p.s. i quilt is doing a giveaway over on her blog.

I'd like to win and I know you would too, so I am sharing. She has a wonderful blog, so if you are a fabric junkie, check it out!

"teecycle"

2009-08-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for ways to make better use of our hand-me-downs. The Bug is getting kind of long for 2T's but still too skinny for 3Ts. And a lot of the stuff that fits is entirely the wrong season. So what does fit is worn A LOT and gets very icky. This t-shirt had a chocolate stain on it and was too short, therefore worn only around the house. But then I came across this tutorial and couldn't resist. Cut off the bottom, applique over the stain, add a poofy skirt perfect for twirling...took an hour and a half, mostly because it took me so long to figure how to do satin stitch on my new machine.

Sorry for the blurry picture, she was fast! By the way that's drool on the collar, not a forgotten stain. :)

First tutorial: Simple and Easy Valance

2009-08-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first tutorial! I didn't really plan to make a tutorial today...just making a valance for my daughter's window, and decided to document the process.

1. Measure your window width and how long you want the valance to be. Be sure to include in your length the amount needed for a ruffle at the top and for the rod. My window is about 30" and I wanted a 14" long valance (includes 2" for top ruffle and 3 1/2" for the pocket.)

2. Multiply each of these numbers by 2 and add a seam allowance. 30 x 2 = 60, and 14 x 2 = 28, add 2" to each of those numbers so you can have a 1/2" seam allowance on each of the rectangle's 4 sides, so I will cut my fabric to measure 62" x 30". (Note: doubling the window width gives you a moderately bunchy appearance. If you like super-bunchy, triple it.)

3. Cut your fabric. It just so happened that the twin sheet I chose to use is 64" across, so I just went with that. It was already hemmed! Incidentally, sheets are a great way to get a lot of fabric for a little money.

4. Turn the edges for hemming. I don't like to pin or measure unless I have to, so I went with the "eyeball it and iron" method.

5. Sew the edges. Because I am lazy and went with the sheet, I only had one hem. Score!

6. Fold in half long sides together, and pin. Iron. You may discover your valance is not perfect and that the edges don't match together (especially true when using a pre-hemmed sheet.) It doesn't matter, no one will notice when it is on the window.

7. Measure down from the top the amount you want the ruffle to be. I want 2". Mark with water-soluble pen, or pins, or use the ruler as you go, however you want to do it. I used the highly scientific method of lining my presser foot up with the edge of this row of dots. Now sew with confidence.

8. Now it's time to make the rod pocket. I have one of those flat rods, so my rod pocket will be 3 1/2". If you aren't sure about this measurement, it's better to go a little bigger than smaller. You want the pocket snug, but not miserably tight. Measure down from your last seam and mark as desired. Once again I just eyeballed it with the presser foot.

9. Ta da! You have made a valance. Now put it on the rod and stand back to admire your work. If you want it really poofy, you can add some tissue paper in the pocket made by the fold. At this point you could sew the sides shut if you like, but why bother when it looks so finished already?

Kindred Spirit Boutique...phase 1

2009-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Just reserving this blog name for the future, in hopes of a craft business of the same name. :)