Creatively Cori

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:00:00.004-05:00

It has been almost 3 months since I've posted anything (it's been almost 4 since I posted to my family blog). Where has the time gone?

A little over a month ago, I partnered up with the owner of a local monogramming business. She was looking to launch a children's clothing line and needed some seamstresses. I took a leap of faith and it was probably the best decision I've ever made. She has been keeping me busy! I have enjoyed working with her immensely; making some extra money doing something I truly love, is just an added bonus.

A week and a half ago, we had some devastating tornadoes come through our area. We went 2 days with absolutely no power until we were finally able to purchase a generator. About 3 days after that, our power was restored; some areas went for several days longer without it. I will never again take warm showers, hot food, & clean clothes for granted. I am so thankful that we still have a roof over our heads, clothes to wear, and no loss of life. There are so many people who can't say the same thing. It has been so encouraging to see how our state has come together. Through the power of Facebook, people from all over the country have stepped up to help. We've even had a few celebrities in our midst (Charlie Sheen, Paul Walker, & Lance Bass).

I was able to squeeze in some non-work related sewing and finished all 3 of my girls Easter dresses... the day before Easter. I had to pull an all nighter to get that accomplished.

And finally, I'd like to wish my mother a very Happy Mother's Day!

I am especially thankful for her this year after the recent events in our area. She has always been the epitome of the perfect mother and the best Nana my girls could ever have. I thank God for her! For without her, I would have never been blessed with them...

The three beautiful girls who made me a Mama!

Happy Mother's Day!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T23:01:00.003-06:00

I don't usually do handmade Valentines for my girls. We usually trek to the store, they pick out a generic, themed box of cards, and we call it a day.
But this year, I saw SO many cute ideas, that I decided to give some of them a shot. I let Ella & Evie pick out the ones they wanted to try; I picked out Emory's which was MY favorite. ;)

Ella's choice was the Lip and Moustache lollipops. These were a big hit with her friends.

Evie wanted the Butterfly lollipops.

(I especially love her handwritten name. I can't believe she's starting Kindergarten next year!)

Emory's Valentine's turned out way cuter than I imagined them. I chose the Photo treat cards

(I couldn't get a good shot without the glare)

And for Grandma & Grandpa, Nana & Pops, and my 2 sisters, we made Thumbprint Valentines

Finally...

2011-02-04T16:59:00.008-06:00

I have some new projects that I've completed. They've been on my to-do list forever, but I just kept putting them off. I actually made some stuff for myself too.

Cookie sheet magnet boards from A Crafty Moms Life

My girls love to draw pictures so I thought these would be a cute way for them to display some of their artwork. I bought my cookie sheets from Dollar Tree, my scrapbook paper from Hob Lob & I had the ribbon in my stash. So grand total was about $6!
I'm also going to make some clothespin magnets for hanging up artwork.

Earring Holder from Handmade Mommy

A very quick & easy earring holder. I already had the 5x7 picture frame & the ribbon. I spent about $1.50 for the paint & fabric.
Now that I have my room back, I'm changing the colors in my room to gray & turquoise. They're my new favorite color combo.

And my favorite project...

Mini fabric bolts from Smashed Peas & Carrots.

It is amazing how much more fabric I can fit on these shelves when my fabric is all neat and folded.
My dad also cut me some out of MDF that are great for my heavier fabrics, like minky dot and corduroy.

Baby gifts

2010-11-12T14:46:00.004-06:00

I've been doing a lot of sewing for babies lately. I have 2 cousins that are having babies soon; one will become a daddy for the second time in December & the other will become a daddy for the first time in January. SO exciting! Another rowdy boy & another sweet girl.

We had a shower for baby Jacob this past weekend. He is due to arrive shortly after Christmas. My cousin & his wife both graduated from Alabama, so houndstooth & elephants it was.

A diaper bag w/ a sushi-roll changing pad. I made the same style diaper bag for my youngest and it is one of my favorites!

Nursing pillow cover (I used this tutorial)

Spit cloths

Suzie @ Stay Calm & Sew Something has a great tutorial on how to make professional looking spit cloths.

All Halloweened out

2010-11-01T10:23:00.003-05:00

My 2 sisters and I have 9 children between us; we each have 3. We love to do a family wide theme for Halloween. This year, the Divine 9 went as the cast of Alice in Wonderland.
I was completing costumes right down to the wire. I put the finishing touch on the last costume about an hour before we left for Trick or Treating. This year was pretty labor intensive, but seeing the pictures & how much the kiddos loved their costumes made it all worth it.

This is my oldest niece. She went as the White Queen. Her costume was the only one that I didn't make. She's almost 14 and decided at the last minute that she was going to participate. ;)

My second niece went as the Cheshire cat. I sewed purple strips of fleece onto a pink jogging suit. My mom crocheted 2 chains of fuzzy yarn; we used one for her tail & I glued the other one to a headband to make the ears. We had a hard time finding pink & purple face paint, so I just painted whiskers and a big smile on her face.

Nephew #1 was the March Hare. I used this awesome tutorial for his hat & my mom tacked the ears to it. I also made his vest. My dad made him the cutest rabbit teeth. This one was also pulled together at the last minute. Up until Friday, he was going to be a card guard.

My oldest was the Queen of Hearts. While making her costume (and my middle child's), I vowed to never sew with that satin fabric again. It slipped while I was cutting it, things didn't line up, I almost threw the entire thing in the trash. I was able to salvage it, and even though it doesn't live up to my self-imposed standards, Ella loved it!
I used a pattern for her dress. I made the crown out of sparkly fun foam & glued it to a headband. Her scepter is also made out of sparkly foam & glued to a dowel.

Nephew #2 was the Mad Hatter. I think I got the most compliments on his costume. He got to wear his to school on Friday for Hooray for Hollywood.
I made the jacket & pants using a pattern. I used the same tutorial for his hat that I used for the March Hare. His mom found a clown bow tie & spray painted it.

My middle girlie was Alice. I made her costume using a pattern as well. I made a bow out of satin fabric and glued it to a headband.

Nephew #3 was a Card guard. We chose the 3 of hearts because he's three. I just slit a pillowcase up both sides, cut a hole for his head to go through, & added ties to the side. I used felt for the 3's and hearts. His mom put a red jogging suit & hat on him. I also made him a spear out of fun foam & a dowel; he was flinging it around here so you can't see it.

My baby girl was Tweedle Dee. I hot glued a yellow t-shirt & red knit leggings to a quilting hoop. The collars are made out of felt and the bow ties are satin ribbon. We bought red baseball caps; I used a pipe cleaner for the antennae & glued a flag made out of felt.

Of course I duplicated the outfit for Nephew #4 who was Tweedle Dum.

The Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum costumes were absolutely hilarious! The babies loved wearing them but it seemed to throw off their balance. They seemed to trip & fall all evening.

So now that I'm coming off of my Halloween letdown, I have to switch into Room mom mode. I have 22 Indian vests to make for Ella's class for Thanksgiving. Not to mention the basket full of stuff I have cut out for my girls Winter wardrobe. Yikes!

BOO!

2010-10-10T13:59:00.002-05:00

I found this Rag Wreath Tutorial and wanted to make one. It's been awhile since I've done any crafting other than sewing. I've missed it!
I wish mine was a little fuller, so I might go back and add more strips. I attached my letters differently then the tutorial; I knotted rubber bands on the wreath form and hung my letters from them. I tied my letters together using ribbon. I like it! I didn't put a bow on mine... yet. I might go back and add one.

Miscellaneous projects

2010-09-10T12:54:00.006-05:00

I haven't made much time lately to do any "big" sewing projects. I either can't make time, or I just don't feel like sewing. I had several outfits that I wanted to get made up before the girls and I went to see Grandma & Grandpa for Labor day. Alas, I didn't get them done and the ideas are still in my head. I hate when I'm in this kind of mood. :/

I don't have much time for reading these days either, but I LOVE to read. I really love this bookmark because it can be used for all different sizes of books and it's harder for little hands to pull out.
I didn't make mine quite long enough though, so it really only fits small to medium sized books.

No slip bookmark courtesy of Mary Janes & Galoshes

I have lots of binders that I use for various things - sewing ideas/patterns, Holidays, Fly lady,... But I can never find a pen when it comes time to work on something. This pen holder is perfect!
I did make a few changes. I eliminated the zippered pocket and I made mine a little smaller.

Binder Pen Pocket courtesy of Expect Moore

Thing 1 and Thing 2

2010-08-26T09:58:00.003-05:00

These two are the epitome of Thing 1 and Thing 2. They are so mischievous and get in lots of trouble together. They sure are cute though! ;)

Tutu Chalkboard

2010-08-19T15:05:00.003-05:00

Ella had a birthday party to go to this past weekend and I had a project that I'd been dying to try. This was a very simple project and I think the birthday girl loved it!

Tutorial courtesy of: The Green Beans Crafterole

Luggage tag

2010-08-13T11:31:00.003-05:00

When I went shopping with my mom & sister last weekend, we found an adorable lunch box @ Gymbo for Emory. I had originally purchased a brown with pink polka dot lunch box for her and it was the whole inspiration for her back pack. But this was just too cute to pass up; Em loves kitty's.

See?

Since the lunchbox is insulated and the kitty's head takes up the majority of the front, my sister didn't think she should monogram it. It kind of messes up the insulation when you monogram it. So instead, I made a luggage tag for it.

I used a combination of this tutorial and this one.
I didn't have any freezer paper & I didn't really want to mess up my dad's new printer if I did it wrong. Instead, I added the vinyl pocket. This also makes it to where anyone can use the tag.

1st day of School

2010-08-09T11:11:00.003-05:00

Ella's 1st day of First grade

My goodness she looks so grown up! I used this tutorial to make her dress. The fabric is chocolate zebra print.
I made a pattern for her knit leggings out of a pair of knit leggings that currently fit her. Christine has a great tutorial on how to make your own patterns. I really love the ruffles!

Back-to-school

2010-08-09T10:45:00.005-05:00

This time of year is always so crazy for me! I tend to be one of those mothers who borders on an overachiever. And I also have a hard time saying no. I was really on the ball until I offered to make teacher gifts & class treats for my sister too. Luckily, I was able to get them done and be in bed at a semi-decent hour last night. ;)

The nap mat I made for my nephew. I used the same tutorial that I used to make Ella's nap mat last year.

For Ella's teacher, I painted a clay pot...

... and filled it with these yummy treats - Oreo bon bons
.

And for Ella's class (and my nephew's), I made (45!) apple cake pops courtesy of Bakerella.

Birthday outfits

2010-07-26T14:06:00.005-05:00

I found the best tutorial on how to make this ruffly cupcake here. Ella absolutely loved it and Evie has requested one of her own. I think these will probably be my stand-bys for birthday tee's. I made this one for Ella to wear to her party.

I also really like the number tee's. I made this one for her to wear on her actual birthday.

Cupcakes

2010-07-24T16:21:00.004-05:00

These had to be the cutest cupcake ideas I've ever used. I found so many cute ones to try. These were perfect for my daughter's birthday party because I was sending the cupcakes home with the kiddos.

I used this tutorial to make them easy to transport. I made the cupcake toppers using this tutorial. And the cute cupcake wrapper tutorial was found here.

Some new accessories

2010-07-20T15:42:00.006-05:00

I've had some smaller projects on my to-do list that I've been able to knock off recently. Although, it seems as soon as I mark something off, I add another project (or two) in its place. :p

Using some scraps from dresses that I made for my girls, I was able to make some accessories to match my purse. The sunglasses case and elasticized fabric keychain were both really quick & easy projects.

After making a cover for my sewing machine awhile back, I just wasn't happy with it. I found another tutorial for one that makes it a little easier to fit my machine. I'm much happier with this one!

Bags

2010-07-18T17:49:00.005-05:00

These Fat quarter bags are SO easy and quick. I made all 4 of these, plus 1 other one in under an hour. My girls love them and we use them to hold their crayon rolls & notebooks for church.

I made this Peek-a-boo toy sack to hold my girls dishes for their play kitchen. I love the window and I really love how it's constructed; all of the seams are hidden! It took me under an hour to make and I already have another one cut out.
My only word of caution - if you're using fabric with a directional print, pay attention to how you're constructing the bag. If you look closely, you can see that my fish are swimming upside down on the front. Oops!

Toddler Backpack

2010-07-13T02:45:00.006-05:00

My baby will be starting preschool in August and she needs a bag to take her necessities in. I had planned on just making her a small diaper bag or tote; and then I stumbled across a new blog - craftiness is not optional. I was originally pulled in by all of her adorable felt food tutorials. But then I spent a whole evening reading through all of her past entries and found her post about a toddler backpack. She used this wonderful tutorial by indietutes. I knew it would be perfect for her bag.
My nephew, who is about 2 months younger, will also be attending preschool so I made one for him as well. For both backpacks, it probably took me about 2.5 hours and that was with lots of interruptions. Now that I've made two, I could probably finish one much quicker.
They both love them and have been wearing them off and on for the past few days.

Her backpack coordinates with the lunch sack that I bought for her at H0bby L0bby. I'll have my sister put her name on it in lime green. Now she's all set!

* Note: I did make 2 little additions to my backpacks. I added a little hanging loop on the outside and an elastic loop on the inside to keep their sippy cups upright.

4th of July

2010-07-05T10:44:00.004-05:00

These are the dresses that I concocted for the 4th of July this year. They turned out really cute and I love the look of the ruffled flag.

If money were no object...

2010-06-21T16:42:00.003-05:00

... I'd be one busy person. I have so many projects that I want to make and not enough money to do them. My lists grow almost daily.

I have been doing some sewing. I've made the girls several outfits, I just haven't taken pictures of them wearing it. I have used several of the cute tutorials that I've found on other crafty blogs. My new favorite is the J. Crew inspired dress. They are so easy and quick, but SO cute.
I've also made them a really cute dress using this tutorial. I'm really into shirring lately.
I'm still working on an outfit that I had planned for them to wear last Fall. It's a t-shirt dress with ruffled pants. I cut the long sleeves off of the t-shirt and lettuce-edged them. And I'm making the pants into capris.
I have some other long sleeve shirts that I'm hoping to re-purpose. I love all of the ruffly t-shirts I've seen, so that's my plan for some of them.

For the 4th of July, I found this adorable ruffled American flag that I'm going to put onto an a-line jumper.
I think ruffling ribbon would also make for a cute birthday outfit with ruffled icing on top of a cupcake. I have a special someone with a birthday coming up in a few weeks; I might have to make one for her. :)

Sewing for Spring & Summer

2010-04-06T15:13:00.003-05:00

The past few days the weather has gone from chilly & overcast to warm & sunny. I think Spring is finally here!

As I was trying to get the girls dressed this morning, I realized that I'm not very prepared for warmer weather. We have several short/quarter length sleeved tops, but no capris or shorts. And they don't have any play clothes. It's time to start digging out my Spring/Summer patterns and shopping for fabric.

Pillows!!!

2010-02-23T09:43:00.005-06:00

On Sunday, I made all 4 of my pillowcases plus 1 for baby girl. These go together really quick! I'm thinking these might make good birthday gifts. ;)

I used this basic pillowcase tutorial.

Then yesterday, I finished the Pillow with ties. This was also super quick and my oldest daughter LOVED it. She wants me to make one for her bed.

I also completed my menu planners. I thought they were going to be really difficult to do, but again, super easy. I haven't decorated the outside, so no pictures of them yet.

Tackling my resolutions

2010-02-20T00:21:00.011-06:00

After adding several more projects to my resolutions list, I decided today to start knocking some of them out.

Unfortunately, I don't love the results, but they're passable.

Tooth Fairy Pillow

My oldest daughter's tooth fairy pillow! It's just not as cute as the tutorial. I don't really like the teeth and I feel like it's missing something; it might be the eyebrows. Also, the tutu is a little frumpy looking.

Oh, and I haven't added the wings yet. I need some silver pipe cleaners.

I guess all that matters is she loves it!

Sewing machine cover

My sewing machine cover. I did it differently then the tutorial; I didn't use 2 fabrics. It's ok and it will do what it was made to.

I wrongly measured my machine or something because it was HUGE. I had to take it in a lot and I don't like the way the corners look.

This was not on my to-do list, but I decided to beautify my date book.

I used modge podge and scrapbook paper as my first attempt. After it dried, I noticed a corner was sticking up. The whole thing peeled right off. So attempt #2 is with fabric.

I'll probably add something else to the front, but I really do like how it turned out.

I started the Menu Planner tonight as well. I'm making one for menu planning and one for sewing & craft stuff. Cute!

There's something wrong here...

2010-02-08T12:00:00.004-06:00

I'm finding all kind of cute projects that I want to do. There are several at the top of my list for the girls' bedrooms. However, I keep adding to my list, but I'm not actually doing any of the projects. My crafting/sewing mojo has fizzled. :/
I did get the feather wreaths done:

My oldest two girl's wreath

The baby's wreath

And their name creations
I found some really cute letters at H0bby L0bby and modge podged scrapbook paper to them. The letters & paper were half off the week I decided to buy the supplies for them. SCORE!

SO, today I am going to get something done. It might not be from my list, because I have several half finished sewing projects that need to get done; but I'm going to finish something even if it takes me all day.

New Year's Resolution

2009-12-30T00:13:00.007-06:00

I don't really know if that's what I should call it. I'm not a big fan of resolutions, but I have made a promise to myself. I want to do more sewing & crafting for my own personal enjoyment this year.
After trying to get a business with my sister off the ground, I've come to realize that I haven't really been enjoying it lately; it just feels too much like a burden. My sister and I just don't seem to have the same goals in mind for Ellie Fonts and I think it's just time to move on from it.

I'm hoping for lots of creativity & cute projects in 2010. ;)

My 2010 list of Projects I want to do (so far):
* Ruffle Pomander Ornament
* Silhouette Ornaments
* Clothspin Magnets
* Camera strap cover
* DIY Planner
* Ribbon Candy Ornaments
* Pettiskirt
* Reusable Snack bags
* Muffin tin Advent calendar
* Apron (Also, a ton to choose from)
* Funky hair bow holder
* Cleaning box
* Post-it Note holders
* Girly Name Decoration DONE!
* Reverse applique
* Feather wreath DONE!

Far behind

2009-11-04T16:15:00.005-06:00

I've let myself get really far behind with my creativity blog. I guess I've just been busy with the actual sewing part. ;)

So just some of the new creations my sister and I have come up with for Christmas.

T-shirt and tiered twirly skirt

Twirling...

Ornament t-shirt with Spearmint damask pants

Deer t-shirt with Yule critters pants

Reindeer t-shirt with minkee dot pants

Green joyful damask A-line with bows

T-shirt dress

Funky tree Callie with Lime ditzy pants

Minkee t-shirt dress with pink gingham pants

Black corduroy Longall

My new favorite pattern

2009-08-05T18:39:00.003-05:00

Analise by Portabellopixie

Fabric from, of all places, Walm@rt.

First day of school Gifts

2009-08-02T13:53:00.002-05:00

I am loving these decoupaged clipboards. I think I could make them all the time.

I made one for each of the girl's teachers for a first day of school present. I also decided to make one for my mom and one for myself.

Ewwww!

2009-07-26T22:54:00.002-05:00

I was doing some sewing today and noticed that my machine was pulling lint up from the feed dogs. I asked my wonderful father if he knew how to take my machine apart. He sat down, unscrewed the plate, and oh my gosh - GROSS! There was so much lint & fuzz in my machine. It's no wonder it hasn't been sewing like it used to.
After he reassembled it for me, I sat down to finish my project. I couldn't believe the difference; I wasn't having to force my fabric and it was so quiet.

I think this task needs to be a monthly thing, especially with all the sewing that I do. Just a friendly little reminder - clean out your machines! ;)

Getting ready for Kindy

2009-07-22T01:36:00.004-05:00

I spent today working on my oldest daughter's nap mat for school. She went with my mom and I to Hobby Lobby last week and picked out her fabric. It was very easy and straight forward to construct. I used the nap mat tutorial by Jenny Garland.

It earned her seal of approval!
Now, of course, her little sister wants one too. I might just go ahead and make them both one for home; maybe something with Princesses. ;)

I also started the girls 1st day of school outfits and was going strong... until I ran out of red thread. BAH! So hopefully I can get them done tomorrow.

Next on my to-do list are these decorated clipboards at Controlling My Chaos. I'm going to give them to the girls teachers for the 1st day of school.

Current projects

2009-07-13T16:11:00.005-05:00

I finally made baby girl's crinkly owl toy. I think she likes it. I think it's cute, but it's smaller then I wanted. I didn't have any bigger scraps of hot pink minkee, so it's approximately 7x7.

Inspired by nannygoat and Joy's Hope

I also made her a cute little loopy bow last night.

Inspired by Lu Bird Baby.

4th of July

2009-07-09T18:59:00.003-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

The Downside of sewing

2009-06-26T08:58:00.003-05:00

I think I've finally found a downside to sewing. Since I know how to sew, I find that if I'm unhappy with something I've previously made, that I want to remake it. It nags at me constantly.

Case in point, baby girl's crib skirt. I made it straight-sided and I really wish I'd made it gathered. Also, I hate the length; now that I've lowered her crib it hangs all the way to the floor.
So now I must decide, do I remake it? If so, do I want to change the colors? I like the colors and I adore her lavender minkee dot crib sheet; I'd also have to repaint the letters hanging above the bed.
But, I don't have anymore of the fabric that I previously used and I'm not sure if the place I got it even carries it anymore.
If I'm being totally honest with myself, I really want to change it all so maybe that's why I'm finding fault with the crib skirt. HA!

Seersucker

2009-06-21T18:25:00.004-05:00

The Divine 9 in their matching seersucker. It's kind of hard to see from the pictures, but the girls fabric has a blue stripe in it that matches the boys. I made these for Father's day pictures. :)

I also love the addition of the felt flower. I'm going to be making a ton more of these.

It's so nice to be organized

2009-06-18T00:42:00.002-05:00

Well I think I've finally gotten all of my fabric folded and in the new sewing closet. I haven't sorted it by colors or anything yet; I just wanted to make sure it was all going to fit first. It's still a work in progress...

And now that I've sorted through my fabric and cut some more stuff out, my sewing basket looks like this:

Yikes! That's not super overwhelming or anything. :/

Organization

2009-06-15T01:22:00.003-05:00

My stash of fabric is out of control. I think a little bit of it resides in just about every room of the house (only a slight exaggeration!). I hit Google trying to find some ideas on how to get the fabric monster under control. I found some great sites on folding it and stacking it on shelves. We have the perfect closet for that! The only problem, until today, it was piled high to the ceiling with other crafting paraphernalia.

So I got the whole thing cleaned out and now I just need to fold & sort my fabric. That could easily take me the entire rest of the week. :p I just hope there's enough room for all of it.

A neat giveaway

2009-05-29T00:54:00.002-05:00

I absolutely LOVE these vinyl designs by Lewa Designs. She's having a giveaway where you can win one of her adorable designs. I want the Baby Swirly bird design for my girls bedroom. :D

Go check it out!

Lull

2009-05-08T21:37:00.003-05:00

This time of year is crazy. School's winding down, the weather's getting warmer, and it seems like there's very little time for sewing. I have done a few outfits, but not nearly as much as I'd wanted to accomplish. So there's been a lull.

Thanks to lots of small children swarming underfoot, I can't leave my machine out. I believe the other day, my middle child wiped her spaghetti-covered hands all down the side and one of my nephews started unwinding a spool of thread. One of my other nephews, is infatuated with it. He wants me to sew so he can sit by my side and watch me work.
Someday, I want to have a craft room. A place where I can sew, scrapbook, craft,... I can leave my sewing machine set up all the time; that would be nice.

I cleaned out my girls winter clothes and have them packed into Space bags. Their closets look so bare. I really need to get some of their Summer wardrobe sewn up. I have a new pattern that I'm dying to try. Maybe tomorrow.
I have some sewing I want to get done for the pool - a lounge chair cover & bathing suit cover-ups. I'd also like to make the girls each a bathing suit.

Easter sewing

2009-04-10T12:29:00.008-05:00

Wow, this poor blog is being neglected. To be honest, after several less than stellar shows, I haven't felt much like sewing. Luckily, the majority of the Divine 9's Easter attire was done prior to those shows, or they probably wouldn't have anything to wear on Sunday.
For the first time, I think I'm actually going to make something to wear for myself. I don't have anything to wear to church on Sunday, so I think I'm going to make me a simple, a-line knit skirt. I've used the pattern before to make a skirt for someone and it went together quickly & easily. Then I'll just have to buy myself a shirt to wear with it.

I haven't been in a total sewing funk though. I made a crayon tote for a birthday gift and some sewing for a friend in exchange for some fabulous beach pictures that she took of my girls (you can check out my other blog to see those). I also made the girls an outfit for today; it was supposed to be a beach trip outfit, but it didn't get done.

To-do list for today:
* Finish niece's Easter dress - DONE!
* ~~Remake nephew's Easter Jon jon (since I just sold it to someone else LOL)~~
* My skirt - DONE!
* Complete second "supposed-to-be-a-beach-trip" outfit

Grosgrain: Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

2009-03-30T17:15:00.000-05:00

Grosgrain: Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Show #2

2009-03-05T23:56:00.002-06:00

We have another show coming up tomorrow and Saturday. Mary and I are really worried. We hadn't really been looking to do anymore shows, but someone suggested we do this particular Market place. We inquired and were told that the show was full, but they'd put us on a waiting list.
About 2 weeks ago, coincidentally on the day of our daycare show, we found out that they'd decided to open up another room and invited us to participate. We decided to go for it.
Well after set-up tonight, I'm not so sure it was such a good idea. The Market is in a huge church. Most of the booths are set up in the gym; the rest of the booths are smattered throughout. We're not in a high traffic area and I'm afraid that we're going to spend 2 days sitting around doing nothing. We had 2 weeks to restock from the daycare show, another round of sickies, and we just don't have as much as we should.
So I'm sitting here wide awake and nervous @ midnight. I should at least be using my insomnia to get some sewing done, but instead I'm sitting here.

To add to my mommy guilt, tomorrow is my middle child's 3rd birthday. If this show is a fiasco, I'll feel even worse that I drug her to a boring show on her birthday.

This is what happens when the computer is broken

2009-02-09T11:57:00.002-06:00

I actually get some sewing done.

All of our key fobs for the show are done. Whew! Now I just have hundreds of raggy totes, purses, spit cloths, etc. to get done before the 20th. I'm feeling the pressure.

My sewing "helper"

2009-02-09T11:54:00.002-06:00

My daughter's kitty thinks it's very fun to play with the sewing machine while I'm sewing. I'm scared to death I'm going to catch his paw. And man, is he persistant.

Meet Gary Bob

Personalization

2009-01-23T16:19:00.004-06:00

We have a Daycare conference coming up next month. We always do really well at this event. It's our 3rd year and we already have people asking the director if we're coming back this year. It's really flattering!
I've been updating the web page, making totes, and trying out some new items. I think these are going to do really well!

Badge reels

Paci clips

Bookmarks

Lavender & Brown diaper bag

2009-01-20T17:20:00.005-06:00

This is the diaper bag that I made for my cousin's baby, Emily. I really love the way this turned out. The fabric looks familiar, doesn't it?

I think Baby girl needs a new diaper bag! :D

Camo Outfit

2009-01-07T15:08:00.002-06:00

One of my friends had me make matching camo outfits for her girls. Their daddy is a big hunting fanatic, so she's going to have the girls pictures taken for his birthday this year. I would have never thought these would turn out so cute! I might have to make some for my girls. ;)

Christmas-y crafts

2008-12-17T23:10:00.004-06:00

In exchange for making 3 raggy totes for my nephew's teachers at school, my younger sister did the treat bags & some treats for my daughter's class. Everything turned out so cute!

I really loved the candy train!

And the raggy totes for the boys' teachers

Raggy tote for daughter's teacher

And this was my all-time favorite top from last Christmas. Luckily, she has only grown in height, so she can still wear it. I wish I could have found this Santa fabric again this year.

Christmas Dresses

2008-12-15T15:38:00.003-06:00

I love this reindeer fabric! My sister saw it at our local sewing place and decided to buy it. I found someone who had digitized the reindeer faces and we knew it was fate - our Christmas outfits for the Great 8!
I made my 2 oldest nieces skirts,one patchwork and one stripwork. The boys I made green corduroy pants and my sister embroidered the reindeer on red shirts.
I'm hoping we can get a group shot!

Emory's bedding is DONE!

2008-11-14T18:46:00.004-06:00

I finally finished Baby girl's raggy quilt, so her bedding is completely done. I'm really happy with how it turned out. YAY!

I also made a name creation to match her bedding.

Time for another To-do list

2008-11-09T12:08:00.012-06:00

I'm lacking in the sewing department again. So let's see if posting another To-do list will do the trick.

This is going to be a "Handmade by Me" Christmas this year! I think I'm going to pretty much make every gift I give this year. That's going to be a lot of sewing

[*] 3 Raggy totes for teacher gifts
[*] PJ Pants with matching pillowcases for nieces & nephews
[*] Dress up clothes, PJ Pants, & Pillowcases for girls

Just typing that is starting to give me a panic attack...

Christmas clothes! My sister and I are going to have a Christmas Open House for some of our clothes. So I need to make up some samples and take the girls pictures in them for our invitations.

[*] Pink & green "Noel" outfit - Pinafore dress & pantaloons for oldest daughter, Callie & pantaloons for middle daughter, Aline for baby girl [Done!]
[*] Pink & green t-shirt dresses[Done!]
[*] Christmas clothes for 5 nieces & nephews, plus my 3 girls (Green corduroy pants for boys, skirts for nieces, dresses for my girls)[Done!]
[*] Flannel PJ pants for nieces & nephews, nightgowns for my girls[Done!]
[*] Others?!?!?

And unrelated Christmas sewing
[*] Baby girl's giraffe print diaper bag [Done!]
[*] Baby girl's Auburn outfit [Done!]
[*] Diaper bag for baby gift; I didn't get this done in time for the shower, so I figure I'll give it to them when the baby arrives. [Done!]

Okay, I'm off to get crackin' on this list.

Baby girl's Crib Bedding

2008-10-23T00:46:00.004-05:00

Well I finished her crib bedding, except for the quilt. Maybe I should make myself a To-do list more often. ;)

I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I do wish I'd made the ribbon a little longer so my bows would have been prettier. Otherwise, I LOVE it!

Sewing To-do list

2008-10-22T10:12:00.017-05:00

Why is it, that when something doesn't go together the way I want it to, that it seems to take the wind out of my sewing sails?!? I was doing so well working on the baby's crib bedding and then the bumper pads didn't line up just right, so now I don't feel like working on it. I've been doing a lot of that lately, and I guess I can contribute some of that to having a 2 week old baby.

So, for my sewing To-do List:
* Crib skirt - [Done!]
* Crib sheet - I need to put the elastic in and then it's done [Done!]
* Bumper pads - They're pinned together, they just need to be sewn up [Done!]
* Raggy quilt - I need to cut out the flannel squares for the backing (71 - 6" squares) and the batting for the middle (84 - 6" squares). Thank goodness for rotary cutters! :p [Done!]
* Basket liners - I'm making new liners for 2 baskets; I'll store them under the crib for blankets and diapers [Done!]
* At least 2 Halloween outfits - No, I still haven't made the girls any Halloween outfits, except for the pumpkin a-lines; those are technically their Fall outfits though. I really probably shouldn't waste my time, but I want them to have something. [Done!]
* Fairy costumes - Hobby Lobby was having a sale on their tulle, so I already have that. I just need to start cutting everything out. Luckily, I'm not anticipating having any problems with these; they should be pretty cut & dry and I'm hoping easy to pull together. [Done!]
* Burp cloths - I need to decorate some "spitties" for the baby. I would definitely classify her has a spitter. I have 5 plain burp cloths that need to be girled up. [Done!]
* Baby girl's giraffe print diaper bag - I got the fabric Tuesday! I just need to decide what size I want to make it and cut out the pieces.
* Baby gift - I'm making a diaper bag for my cousin's wife and her shower is November 1st. I'll probably also make a few burp cloths for the baby too.

Now, let's see how many of these things I can get checked off before time runs out.

Pumpkin dresses

2008-10-19T14:03:00.004-05:00

Well I was finally able to make something that semi-fit the baby. It was a preemie size but it was still big. I also made a matching headband.

I don't have any great shots of the older girls. They were too on the move, plus it was windy so they had to wear sweaters.

I also didn't get their pants made. I was up until 4am making the dresses, so they just wore brown leggings.

Drat!

2008-10-16T15:00:00.003-05:00

I'd made a couple of outfits for the baby before she was born. I decided yesterday, to try them on her and I was so disappointed. Every outfit (2 longalls and 2 pairs of pants) swallows her whole. Both were Newborn sized patterns, which supposedly fits an infant 7-13 pounds; it looks more like a 3-6 months, maybe even bigger. She probably won't wear them until next year when her sisters have outgrown theirs. Pfft!

So I'm going to try making her an outfit in the Preemie size. Knowing my luck, it'll probably be too small.

Final decision

2008-10-14T21:50:00.004-05:00

Well I've finally made a decision about Baby girl's crib bedding. Since she and I are bunking up, I've decided on lavender & brown. I went and bought the fabric today.

My fabric inspiration

The lavender & brown paisley will make up the crib skirt. I got 2 coordinating fabrics to make the bumper pads - brown with lavender polka dots & brown and lavender gingham. I'm going to make a crib sheet out of lavender minky dot. Then I'll use all 4 fabrics to make a raggy quilt.
I figure I'll get a solid brown bed set for my bed and accent with throw pillows made using the same fabrics. I can't wait to get started!

And for her diaper bag - Giraffe print

I'll accent with a pink lining and have my sister put her name on it in pink. I'll probably also make the girls an outfit using the fabric; I LOVE it!

I still haven't made any outfits for Halloween yet. I've got to get started on that tomorrow.

She's here!

2008-10-09T23:41:00.003-05:00

Baby Girl arrived October 7th @ 2:44pm. She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long. She is absolutely perfect and nursing like a champ.

I am chomping at the bit to start sewing for her and the girls. I think tomorrow I'll try and make her diaper bag & wrap. ;)

It's October!!!!

2008-10-01T15:19:00.004-05:00

The Fall-like weather has arrived just in time for the first day of October! Of course in the South, it could very well be back to Summertime temps tomorrow. :p
But with the change in temps, my mind is shifting to Halloween & Fall apparel. I have so many ideas floating through my head, I just don't know where I want to start. They'll of course need an outfit for our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch and I'd like them to have at least 2-3 others to wear.
My sister and I went to Hobby Lobby today and the fabric choices are overwhelming; they have so much adorable fabric that the girls could easily have 10 outfits for Halloween alone.
We did purchase some knit so I can try out the new Children's Corner pattern we got yesterday, and we got some Christmas fabric so we could try out some color combinations. There's a local boutique that wants to showcase some of our stuff on consignment so we need to make up some samples. I'd like to get that done before Baby girl makes her appearance, but we shall see. ;)
There have also been several people at the girls preschool who've expressed an interest in having me make some things for their children. The girls are great walking advertisements!

Zebra & Hot pink

2008-09-10T11:09:00.003-05:00

My oldest daughter had to wear Black or white to school today. She told me that she wanted it to be a dress.

We were at my parents house last night when my mom told me that she wanted me to make her a skirt for Safari day at school (she's a 1st grade teacher). She'd bought some zebra fabric and said there was plenty if I wanted to make a dress for her to wear. So, I modified an old stand-by, the Martha Pullen A-line, and made her a dress. I used hot pink & white polka dot ribbon for the ties and hot pink pom poms at the hem. We didn't have time last night, but Aunt Mimi's going to monogram it in hot pink too!
I didn't get any pictures of it this morning, but if she hasn't totally destroyed it at school, I hope to take some this afternoon.

Tomorrow she's supposed to wear her favorite color; I wonder if she has any requests for that one. ;)

I have been sewing GASP!

2008-09-09T10:26:00.004-05:00

My wonderful mother bought some fabric for me, so I've been in more of a sewing mood. It's a little more time consuming sewing 3 of everything, in varying sizes of course, but I did get 3 outfits almost done yesterday; they are lacking the buttons on the a-lines, the elastic in the waist & the ruffle of the pantaloons. I also have a second outfit cut out in triplicate and hope to get them done today.
I have some black toile and some navy toile that I'd like to do something with, I'm just not sure I have enough of either to do 3 outfits. :p

Baby girl's crib set is still up in the air. My sister was telling me yesterday that someone at our church is graciously offering up the use of her crib to me. Up until now, I've been debating just buying a pack 'n play which would omit the need for any crib bedding, except for maybe some sheets. Nothing like leaving these decisions until the last minute, huh?

Maybe if I can get everything finished, and pressed, I'll post pictures later.

Itty Bitty Baby Dress

2008-08-29T16:55:00.007-05:00

Well, somewhere, I found the motivation to make Baby girl her first dress. I made my older two a dress using the same 3 fabrics and it's one of my favorites. I still need to make bloomers to go under it too.
I'm thinking it will either be her Coming Home outfit or the outfit they wear for her Announcement pictures.

Thanks so much for this pattern Rae!

Halloween

2008-08-28T17:25:00.007-05:00

Yes, it's still almost 2 months before Halloween. But I'm hoping to make their costumes myself, so I'm thinking about it now.

Possibility #1:
My sisters and I usually try and do a theme with our kids. One year we did Wizard of Oz and last year we did sea creatures. We had talked about doing Peter Pan this year; my mom is really wanting my middle daughter to be Tinkerbell. She thinks that she looks like a little sprite and has always thought it would be a cute idea. I'm just not sure what my oldest will be. Wendy doesn't have a very "impressive" costume, so I've thought of maybe dressing her up as Princess Tiger Lily; if she hadn't been a mermaid last year, I probably would do that. The baby I thought could be Michael's teddy bear. :)
I think my 2 oldest nieces are probably too cool to do a theme, but between my 3 nephews we could have Peter Pan, Captain Hook, John, Michael, Lost boys, the crocodile...

Possibility #2:
Then, the other day, I thought it would be cute to dress all 3 of my girls up as fairies. I found some very simple instructions for a no-sew tutu; add a leotard/onesie, tights, fairy wings, and a head piece = Instant fairies! I'm thinking of doing them in pink, lavender, and yellow.
Now, I wonder how hard it will be to find reasonably priced colored leotards & tights.

The sewing blues

2008-08-27T14:29:00.003-05:00

I just can't seem to find the motivation to sew anything. I thought that after I found out what I was having, that I'd be in a sewing frenzy. No such luck!
I'm finding zero inspiration from the fabric that I have. If I find one fabric that I like, I can't find another one that coordinates with it. I have several ideas swarming through my head, but I can't produce anything.
I hate tracing out patterns and I hate cutting them out. Maybe I could find some sewing elves to do that part for me. ;)

I think I'm going to go to Hobby Lobby this weekend and see if I can find the fabric that I want to use for the nursery. I've changed my mind, yet again, and the final decision will come when I find the right fabric. I'm either going to do hot pink & chocolate brown or hot pink & black.

I do have one dress cut out for Baby Girl that matches an outfit I've already made for the girls. I'm just too tired to drag out the machine and sew it up. *yawn*

It's a...

2008-08-15T16:50:00.006-05:00

Well I found out today that Baby #3 is most likely another sweet baby GIRL! I'm already on the hunt for nursery fabric to match the girls room. So far, the girls room isn't overly decorated; their comforter is hot pink with white polka dots and I'm still undecided on the accent color. I've been leaning towards orange or chocolate brown, but I haven't found THE fabric. I do know that I'm going to use hot pink minky dot for the crib sheet and possibly for one side of the bumper pads.

I also have some patterns for knit baby outfits. Hobby Lobby has some adorable knit fabric so I'm going to make some outfits for Baby Girl.
I'm also going to make a wrap-style sling, like a Moby wrap.

And last, but not least, I'm going to feed my diaper bag/purse obsession and make BG her very own bag. :D

Wow!

2008-07-31T12:37:00.002-05:00

This has to be the easiest project I've ever made. I found a great tutorial & calculator for making pillows at jcaroline creative. I'd say, total, it took me 15 minutes to complete; that includes cutting out the pieces & little children underfoot.

I should have taken the time to press it, but I didn't. *lol*

Ballet

2008-06-10T12:19:00.002-05:00

For my oldest girly's recital, I had to make the girls matching ballet dresses, white knit capris, & hairbows. I think these just might be my favorite. ;)

Last day of preschool

2008-05-16T12:16:00.001-05:00

My little model on her last day of preschool.

She's wearing her Belle Elysse Pinafore dress in lavender & brown and wearing the backpack that I made for her (I need to get a better picture of it though!).

Unrelated sewing news

2008-02-11T12:14:00.000-06:00

Another little one to sew for!!!!! :D

Mermaids

2008-01-09T12:10:00.002-06:00

The girls are very into Mermaids, so I decided to make a shower curtain for their bathroom. The fabric is "Aqua Divas" by Michael Miller

My BIG news

2008-01-09T09:42:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited! My sister and I received a huge order from a local children's boutique yesterday. I'm so critical of my sewing; I notice every little thing that is "wrong". This was a huge boost to my confidence, especially when she said that my workmanship was excellent.

Of our samples, she liked the patchwork dress:

A-line & pants:

My deadline is January 20th - I need to get sewing!!!!!!!!!

Christmas

2008-01-09T09:36:00.001-06:00

Well I should have known I wouldn't be diligent with this whole Creativity blog. *sigh* I do have a somewhat good excuse - the holidays & moving into our new place. I will try to get better.

So onto the girls Christmas outfits. I only have a picture of one of their outfits. We might have to have a fashion show tonight so I can share more of them. *lol*

This is definitely one of my favorites - the "grinch" outfit.

Alabama Rivalry

2007-11-12T12:01:00.000-06:00

If you live in Alabama, you know about the big College football rivalry - Auburn vs. Alabama.
Outfits for game days are some of our biggest orders.

Auburn Patchwork Jon jon

Auburn t-shirt & shorts

Alabama Jon jon

Alabama A-line with pants & hairbow

And even a sippy cup for Game day

Posting some of my favorites

2007-11-11T20:45:00.001-06:00

Well I've been in a sewing funk lately. So, since I don't have anything brand new to share, I thought I'd post some of my older creations.

We used this picture on one of our home party invitations. It was pretty effective. :) This is my nephew and my oldest daughter.

The Back packs that I made for treat bags for my sweet girl's 3rd birthday party.

The dress I made for her 1st day of Preschool

My spunky girl in her Auburn outfit; it's reversible and has an appliqued tiger on the other side.

My very first post

2007-11-10T15:12:00.001-06:00

Well here I go! I've seen so many of these blogs where people share their skills & crafts. They're always so entertaining and fun to read. I hope that mine can be somewhat compariable.

I don't have too many pictures of my clothing or crafts, yet. I always want the outfits modeled and for my girls to be perfectly posed in them. I should know by now not to expect the impossible. *lol*

But now that I'm starting this blog, I hope that it will encourage me to start taking more photos; modeled or not, girls cooperating or sticking their tongues out. :p

Here's one of my current favorite outfits. My oldest daughter wore this one for picture day and looked absolutely adorable in it, even though she wasn't smiling.

Creatively Cori

Happy Mother's Day!

Valentine's Day

Finally...

Baby gifts

All Halloweened out

BOO!

Miscellaneous projects

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Tutu Chalkboard

Luggage tag

1st day of School

Back-to-school

Birthday outfits

Cupcakes

Some new accessories

Bags

Toddler Backpack

4th of July

If money were no object...

Sewing for Spring & Summer

Pillows!!!

Tackling my resolutions

There's something wrong here...

New Year's Resolution

Far behind

My new favorite pattern

First day of school Gifts

Ewwww!

Getting ready for Kindy

Current projects

4th of July

The Downside of sewing

Seersucker

It's so nice to be organized

Organization

A neat giveaway

Lull

Easter sewing

Grosgrain: Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Show #2

This is what happens when the computer is broken

My sewing "helper"

Personalization

Lavender & Brown diaper bag

Camo Outfit

Christmas-y crafts

Christmas Dresses

Emory's bedding is DONE!

Time for another To-do list

Baby girl's Crib Bedding

Sewing To-do list

Pumpkin dresses

Drat!

Final decision

She's here!

It's October!!!!

Zebra & Hot pink

I have been sewing *GASP!*

Itty Bitty Baby Dress

Halloween

The sewing blues

It's a...

Wow!

Ballet

Last day of preschool

Unrelated sewing news

Mermaids

My BIG news

Christmas

Alabama Rivalry

Posting some of my favorites

My very first post

I have been sewing GASP!