Bye Bye March

Cute toddler dress.  As of last weekend, it's SOLD!  Yay!  I'm so excited!!!!!

I brought out my magnet making supplies to make some magnets for the girls.

It's the same process as the buttons but the pin is missing from the magnet backs.  Then you attach a magnet, which is all included in the supplies.

The images came from a parenting magazine. 













Here are the girls' loving the magnets.  It only lasted an hour or so.  After the initial excitement they began trying to put them in their mouths.  Ummm...not good.  So I had to take them away.  That was a huge HUGE tantrum.

A month later, we've tried again and so far they haven't put them in their mouths.  For the sake of a clean house and safety we keep them put away unless it's time to play.

Party garland flower close-up.

Party garland #2 finished.  Definitely need to work on getting a better picture.

This is my awesome serger that I purchased at an estate sale.  It works great but I won't be doing many color changes as it's a bi**h to thread.

See there?  Waaaayyy back in there is where one thread needs to go.  Turning the knob only brings it so close.  I needed to use the tweezers to reach it in, around, and through the tiny hole. 

After finally getting it threaded, I went and serged all the toddler dresses I had made - the waist seam connecting the bodice to the skirt.  It's so nice!

I've been using the serger like mad since then and I don't know how I ever lived without one. 

The End.

Bye Bye March!

My Other Projects from March

Things I never got around to posting before for March:

• Tried to make a peasant shirt pattern.  Actually turned out to be an off the shoulder shirt.  Not great for a toddler.  I have done more research, looking online, watching youtube videos, and will try again soon.
• As a baby, I was gifted a handmade embroidered piece, framed for my room.  It looks old fashioned now so I took it out of the frame and put it into an embroidery hoop.  After I make a few more I'm going to hang them in the girls' play kitchen.
• Finished 1st party garland - 12 ft long
• Started to organize projects into boxes
• Made my first batch of Snickerdoodle muffins - delicious.
• Brought out the light boarded coffee quilt to finish.  It's a gift for my cousin's bridal shower.

New Plans for Selling Crafties

Been considering various craft show options with a friend.  It's kind of ridiculous how expensive they can be.  $65...$125...etc.  It's only one day or a weekend!  That really sucks the profit out of a person.

Might have finally decided on a Farmer's Market.  They accept crafts.  So what to do...$40 for one day or commit to 9 Thursdays in a row for $90. 

Probably thinking too optimistically.  Don't have enough stuff for 9 days or a babysitter lined up.  Maybe next year.

Homemaking with Coupons

I have fallen for coupons!  I've used them in the past but it just never clicked until now.  Actually, I've been into the game since I saw the first episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC.  WOW that's intense.

It's exciting to get such great deals on stuff I used to spend full price for.  I need to share my exciting coupon adventures with more than the 2 good people that currently listen to it.  My mommy blog didn't seem right.  I didn't want to start another blog.  I reviewed my original post and remembered I intended homemaking to be a topic here. 

Couponing = Homemaking

Couponing is about making money by not spending it and this blog is about making things. 

There you go.  Stay tuned for a review of today's coupon adventure!

AAAANNDD it's Over...

The town's craft show is apparently not happening this year. 

In previous years, the Town's Garden Club would organize the plant part and the Chamber of Commerce would do the craft show part.  Well, the chamber decided not to do the craft show this year.  Very disappointing, especially since $10 a spot is pretty darn good.

My 2011 goal has not changed - still want to do a craft show.  It just won't be in a month.  I'm going to finish up one more party garland then work on stuff for my kids--slippers, bathing suits, felt board pieces, extend pant legs, velcro on pink coats.

And thinking optimistically... I'm turning a very old family crib into a bench/bookshelf for the girls' room.  And the husband and I are making a new stand/storage unit for the fish tank, which is technically for the girls because the current one is NOT child proof.  Meaning if they pulled hard enough it's possible that it could tip over on them.

Oh yeah, my inter-library loan books (sewing kids' clothes) are due next week so I have to copy the patterns and instructions of my favorite projects to do for later.  Yes, I could always order them again but I'd rather just have them when I want them. 

Let's see if I can get all this done by May 31st.  Then I can focus on the craft show projects again.

26 More Days

26 days...

 

2/30 (project goal for craft show)

30 Days

30 Days until the town's annual Garden and Craft show.  Yikes!!  That came fast; definitely NOT ready but with me and a friend maybe our table won't look so bad. 

Getting my act together...