Fall antics

Well it has been a very busy busy busy Few months at my home between projects work birthdays and the fall season! So here it is nearly half way through November and I am just now getting back  my blog!

Things I have been up to:

blue eyed freckle: Potty Training Pants Tutorial

blue eyed freckle: Potty Training Pants Tutorial: Okay, so I realize that this tutorial will only be interesting or useful for a few of my readers, but since I really love this idea and it h...

Ok so this is just where I am at in my life right now! Sorry I have been neglecting you blog I am up to my ears in paperwork for my new job and monkeys future to daycare! Not to mention the torrential downpour that took the life of our basement (my husband is busy repairing it makes for long days!!!). The good news is the basement will look awesome when its done and I will be rocking a new laundry space (basement will stay unfinished due to future rain).

Potty training is in my future and thank God I found a daycare that influences it! So I am researching all the ideas I can for training pants etc ( I am knew to this I only have one child).

Detour: I have been crocheting!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/newborn-necktie-and-paperboy-hat

All my friends are getting ready to have babies so I have taken a detour from sewing (however I am also quilting up a storm currently) to Crochet some wonderfully fun newborn gifts! I am still learning but this is what I have made so far...the cutest newborn necktie ever! with the best yarn that I discovered! The yarn is a bit pricey but fabulous results its 80 percent bamboo cotton and 20 percent wool and I love it!

The pictures don't do it justice!!! The yarn is a luscious light soft color looks blue here but it is called light green :-)

 

I am very satisfied with the finished project beautiful newborn necktie!

Next I will be making the hat

Quilts for Oklahoma

I am beginning a new project in an effort to help out families in Oklahoma I wish to make and send families Quilts. The survivors of the recent Tragedy of the Tornado that swept Oklahoma deserve every bit of help they can! I hope this would be a small part in an effort to help them! I am currently looking for a contact in Oklahoma to get in touch with about this project. I will also be accepting FABRIC Donations to make these quilts. If you would like to get involved please contact me Lauraks385@gmail.com please share my blog with family and friends regarding Quilts for Oklahoma!

Please help spread the word friends! I want to make a difference, do you!?

Thank you so much!

Laura Stewart


First Quilt for Oklahoma in process!

Compiling strips and placing them to begin Quilt top!

 

 

 

Weaving Strips for Basketweave style quilt

 

 

I am in the process of quilting this one currently: More to come and the finished quilt picture soon!!!

 

Happy Quilting and Please show your support for Oklahoma in a way that you can!

 

Good News I am working on finding an Organization to donate to and I think I have found one that fits my goals!

http://projectnightnight.org/index.html

Project Night Night is a Non Profit Organization that donates to children who have recently become homeless due to tragedy (such as Oklahoma's storms) or are homeless living in shelters. Their main goal is to be able to give something to children in these situations something to cherish and something that is their own! I am hoping to donate 10 Quilts to this organization that are newly handmade by me and in the future donate more or setup to be able to adopt a night night package and donate a blanket toy and book to the organization.

Singer-Songwriter: Jordan Christine Taylor!

Hello everyone I am going to take a step back from my own creative space to share with you about my best friend Jordan Christine Taylor and her creative side! She is currently working on some of her own songs and has recently caught me up on her latest song she wrote and some cover music! I hope you all can take the time to listen and enjoy her singing!

 

My own words describing Jordan Christine's work:

 "Hey y'all this is a recording of my best friend Jordan Christine please take time to listen to it! In the recording she depicts through her voice a little about herself and her walk through life and a couple songs for you to enjoy! I love her and her heart for Jesus! Please take time out of your day and take a listen thanks!"

Here is the link CHECK IT OUT!

http://tinyvox.com/XTq 

I would like to thank Jordan Christine Taylor for providing me the permission to share her music on my blog her inspiring words have made an impact on me and I hope that will impact others!

I ask that you respect the Artist as shown above and her Music feel free to listen and share her music with friends and family but know that the song written by Jordan Christine Taylor within has sole rights to her and her alone!

The second song is by Deana Carter in which Jordan Christine Taylor sings as a Cover! We would like to thank Deana Carter for her wonderful inspiring music! Rights to this song belong to Deana Carter!

Jordan Christine Taylor (Left) Me Laura (Right)

Dress Form update!

My father-in-law scored me an antique dress form which originally was his mom's! So blessed to use something past down in the family! Very excited to use it! It needs some sprucing up though before I post pics as it was stored in an attic for some time! I just couldn't wait to share plans are in the works for my friend Michelle & I to spruce it up in the near futrue!!! We saved a huge amount of time and effort then having to make one from scratch and I really wasn't looking forward to the mumification process of paper tape or duct tape!

Another Toddler One Yard Wonder completed!

This little top is A Summer Fun Top...It is a peplum cotton top for anytime of the year really you can layer it over any outfit or wear it by itself coupled with shorts or pants or leggings. I love the pattern of this fabric it is a bit unexpected for a toddler's to but I think I love that the most about it and it's a bold color choice and looks lovely on my little person.

 Front of toddler top

Back of toddler top button closure!
I was pretty excited about the finish project and immediately put it on my little girl she didnt try to pull it off right away and wore it the whole day to play outside in the yard and inside our house! It was a lovely day out  so she was able to wear the top outside with a coat overtop of a green tshirt!          

Toddler one yard wonders and other projects!

***Note: You may use  photos of my projects for posting on pinterest or links to my blog PLEASE DO NOT USE PHOTOS OF MY INFANT these are personal photos reserved for my family!***
It has been a very busy successful week in my home! We have been busy with our toddler as always and I have decided to focus my projects on her this week! Last night I finished the most adorable Pinafore another project from my one yard wonders book which I received as a birthday gift from family! This is a very fun book but definitely not for a beginning sewer. I had an easy time sewing most of this little frock but the gathering and attach proved to be difficult and I have been sewing since I was 10. Mom taught me everything I know and then later during my high school years ( a long time ago) I took creative sewing & fashion flair classes. Everything else I know I have learned along the way.

Another project I had finished a few weeks ago is a Toddlers artist apron! I am super excited to add this to my little ladies collection as I am an aspiring artist myself and have been since I can remember!

The last project I am currently working on as pictured below is a revamp of a chalk board that my toddlers grandma gave to us as a present :) I wish to paint it in pretty pastel colors to celebrate the springtime and add personality to my toddlers artist space! (OK so the toddler artist space doesn't exist yet currently but it's in my plans!)

Thought Planning: Dress Form

It may be that not many know what a "Dress Form" is, in the sewing and fashion design world this is a tool used when dress making or any type of clothing really to help with the perfect fit! Traditionally it was used by dress makers and tailors dating back to the early 1800's (likely even earlier) when making outfits for people. Those of you that know me know that I sew a lot and I am just beginning to sew clothing more often up until recently I hadn't sewn a garment since 2003! Nearly 10 years later in September of last year for my wedding I decided to sew my five bridesmaids their dresses with the help of my Mom; she sewed 2 for me and I sewed 3(highly time consuming yet a must for any bride with a love to sew and a want to help their girls with dresses; not suggested for the beginner sewer).

So began my journey and interest in owning my own dress form (I fancy myself sewing many of my own garments soon in an effort to be more cost efficient and the idea of reusing and up cycling items already in my home). Another large factor in my textile garment adventure is having a growing toddler who I frequently like to outfit in garments made by me (now that I too am Mom!). As you may have all noticed I mention my mom a lot in this post well I am proud to say she taught me all of my sewing skills and was there for many of my firsts in fabric sewing; i.e. successes & blunders!

My current dilemma is whether to purchase a dress form or make a diy one as I love crafting my own gives me the chance to add my own touches and perfect something new (I love achieving new finished projects the sense of accomplished and complete is so wonderful!).

Leave me your thoughts and ideas under the comments on what you think I should do I love suggestions :-) I will keep all of you posted on my progress on this search. I did find quite a few ideas on pinterest that include duct taping or paper taping ones person I am not up for that sounds like a complicated uncomfortable mess and for my fellow 2D composition friends we all remember what paper tape was like not fun! I would love to either paper mache or sew one from fabric.

In the meantime here is one of my most recent finished sewing projects for you all to enjoy

My Brother and Sister-in-law gave me a wonderful bday this year that holds 100 projects each created out of one yard of fabric-here is one of my completed project from that book (if either of you two are reading this thanks again I love this book!). This apron is called grandma's clothespin apron it has a large pocket in the front for clothespins (that's right old  fashioned hang it on the line laundry or for hand drying all of those wonderful hand washed outfits). My husband and I are planning to reorganize our laundry room to make it easier to use and more convenient with the look of an at home Laundromat (ok so nothing to outrageous but I want a folding table!). I am really excited about it in the meantime I am working on projects here and there that will be useful towards this laundry room redo!

Hop into Easter continued...

 

The finished Easter gifts!!! Wrapped and mailed last Thursday!

Adventures in Cathedral windows!

                                               

"Cathedral Window Pin Cushion"

A Birthday Gift for my friend Meredith Just one of the many projects I plan to complete with Cathedral windows! Such a success Meredith loved it!

Hop into Easter!

Well here it is my first post on my very first blog! I am completing one of my new years resolutions to create my own blog to share about thoughts ideas and projects. Happy Easter I will be posting pictures of Easter projects I finished at a later date. I am currently working on some ABC flash cards in which I found a free e-printable on http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/2012/08/free-printable-abc-flash-cards.html They have printed up beautifully & I think are super adorable for Easter!

The blog I found this on is wonderfully written with many lovely designs and new ideas to try you can go straight to the home page here: