Handmade Ornament

Time is flying by! It's hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. Things are so busy right now, but I just had to take a minute to post pictures of the ornament I made!

Our Sunday School class has an annual GNO Christmas party with a "Dirty Santa" ornament swap, and I challenged myself to make my ornament this year.



I downloaded this pattern from SWAK and the tutorial for the pieced pillow ornament/door hanger from You Can Make This.com. I added the bow and button (simply because I just can't leave well enough alone!)on my own, and I just adore the pom-pom fringe on the bottom! This was a terrific "scrap buster" project and I am so tickled with how cute it turned out! There are so many fun ideas on that site...I wish I had time to sit and browse through them all.

Lots of cute things being stitched out, but there is NO time to take pics and post! As always, thanks so much for stopping by! Merry Christmas!!

For the Boys

Just a few fun things: The ever-popular Lab Patch, the Santa Puppy and Simple X-Patch with a monogram. These shirts were fun to do as I got to match them to pairs of sweet little pants (custon made). Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

More Fun Orders...

Another fun order for a Brother/Sister! Again, this Snowman Patch from Applique Cafe is such a big hit for those fun matching brother/sister outfits!! So many cute things this sweet momma picked out, but I only took one picture because there is more stitching to be done! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Why I never throw away scrap fabric!

This customer needed something fun on this striped shirt and also a Birthday shirt for her little boy.
She chose the Birthday Candle and requested green gingham since it is the Birthday Boy's favorite color.
The striped shirt posed a bit of a problem. It has the distressed look (which I ADORE) and it made it a bit harder to match up with some of the more popular plaids and ginghams that I am using these days. Then I rummaged through a bag of scraps my mom had given me a year ago...and hit JACKPOT! This two-tone blue fabric was left over from a pair of pull on shorts she had sewn for one of my (many) boys 5 years ago!! Needless to say, it is perfect for this fun "J"!!

Quite possibly the cutest Christmas design ever.

This was the first time I stitched out this Three Light design (from Applique Frenzy) and it will NOT be the last!!! This may be the cutest Christmas design ever!! I love the fact that the light bulbs can be ANY fabric you choose, and the monogram is an added bonus!! So many Christmas orders coming in...hard to believe it's right around the corner!!

This and That...

So busy these days...not just with sewing, but just with life in general! I am still having Fall orders come in along with some VERY cute Christmas orders. Here are just a few things from my machines!

First of all, a pair of coordinating brother/sister outfits for some future Alabama fans. (see, I told you my machine wasn't biased!) LOVE this for the little sis/ Big brother outfit! A sweet little gingham jumper and a simple (Garanimals!) T shirt.

And for fall, the ever-popular Pilgram Turkey from Linnie Pinnie. This little gobbler has been stitched out my machine more times than I can count. I still love the irony of the hat on the turkey! The Lab Patch is another favorite. It is so great to have some "Big Boy" designs!

Fun Customer Order

Long time with no post, I know. My life has been CRAZY!! All kinds of fun, wild and noisy crazy...so I am not complaining. My machines have been running, but it seems like I have just enough time to get things stitched out and then it is time to go to carpool, school, work, etc...so no time for pictures!


Here is an adorable order placed for a sweet little boy:
The Momma brought some pants for me to match to, all Garanimals (can I say again how incredible well this brand holds a stitch!?!? And the price just cannot be beat, especially for the little boys!
The golf bag is Embroidery Boutique, the acorn abd Double Patch Football (so sweet with a monogram merged!) from Applique Frenzy and the Football Applique "R" from Planet Applique! (Love the "Team Ruffino"...I do this quite often when there is more than one family member playing a sport...also great for market totes!)
Thanks for checking in! I would like to be able to promise more frequent updates...but I have a feeling that my life isn't going to slow down! LOVE. IT.

Going to the Dogs...

Need a gift idea for your friend who has everything? How about a personalized Pet Bowl??

These are so incredibly cute and well made. Like most monogrammable acrylics, they have to be hand washed. The black ring at the base is actually to make the bowl skid-proof so it won't scoot across the floor while the pet is eating. Available in two sizes (The one shown is the larger one) and, as always, available in your choice of fabrics and thread colors. This one is for the pet of a loyal Auburn fan so I appliqued a paw print onto the base fabric of navy blue and white gingham.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and email me if you'd like to place an order!

Baby Gifts

There were lots of back to school and baby gift embroidery happening this week. These two gifts were lots of fun to stitch out: Long sleeved onesie with French Dot monogram, Burp pad with petal patch and MWP Party Time "G" and a "Nappy Sax" (Diaper clutch).


For the little boy, a burp pad with circle patch and Garton monogram, long sleeved onesie and pacifier clip (not shown) with matching monograms.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to email me with your orders and questions!

Peas in a Pod

These were so much fun to stitch out! This is an order for Boy/Girl twins. Long sleeved onesies and plush terry bibs to match.

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Backpacks!

It's that time again...back to school. And I must say that I am NOT ready for mine to go back just yet! I have really enjoyed our summer together!

However, I DO love the back to school hub-bub...new backpacks, new lunchboxes, new sneakers and new crayons. Getting them ready to go back always brings back the excitement I felt when I saw the things my mom brought home for my back to school days!
(It also means SEC FOOTBALL...but that's for another post!)
My machine has been busy monogramming backpacks and lunchboxes. I love the Stephen Josephs for the little ones, but for the older crowd you just can't beat the LL Bean backpacks. There are so many cute colors this year and those things really hold up well!
Let me know if you'd like a monogram on your child's backpack or lunchbox! I have LOTS of great fonts and thread colors...I would love to help you personalize their back to school things!

Peas In A Pod

Another Multiple Momma requested these bibs for her boy/girl twins, but was unsure about the bow being pinned or handstitched onto the bib. So I merged the bow from the Applique Cafe Octopus onto the Pea in a Pod design, altered the size, rotated it and just made it part of this design!
Thanks for stopping by!

Kanzashi Flowers

My newest hobby: Kanzashi Flowers! Y'all know how I love to save an item from the landfill and give it a new life, so when my husband handed me a fistfull of neckties that had tiny little stains on them I simply couldn't toss them into the trashcan. So I put them in the fabric stash thinking surely there must be a way to recycle these! Then I remembered an article in Sew Beautiful about these kanzashi flowers. I had made one for my daughters Easter dress out of a cotton fabric, so I thought I would give it a try with one of these neckties. Out came my trusty old friend, Mr. Seam Ripper, and we took apart those ties, ironed them out and started cutting.

What do you think?



This one is for my mom, but I plan on making a few more to add to The Shop. I also plan on making one to add to this very plain boxy denim jacket I purchased but only wore once because "it just needed something". I think this little beauty is just what it needed!




Have a great weekend!

Taking orders again!

Now that the cushions are recovered, potty training is at 75% and outfits for the twins are nearing completion, I am ready to start taking orders once again.

I will post pictures of new designs I have purchased for Fall and Winter soon...but for now here is a pic of a shirt I just finished for one of the twins. The "football alphabet" applique is from Planet Applique and the font is MWP "tipsy". First football practice is tonight so we've got to start getting ready!!

Recovered patio cushions!

WHEW!! The patio cushions have finally been recovered! It was a long project, and by no means professional by any stretch of the imagination, but I have to admit that I am really happy with how it turned out. Sewing box edge covers with hidden zippers probably wasn't the best "beginner" project but there's nothing like necessity to hasten your learning process!!
A little background info: Our home was built in 1949 so the patio is an old painted concrete surface that originally had a wrought iron railing. The railing was in really sad shape when we bought this house 2 years ago but since we were gutting the inside of the house, the patio took back burner. Then last summer we replaced the railing with treated wood but I never found any furniture that "went" with the old style of the house. Then driving home one Sunday, I spied one of my favorite signs..."Estate Sale"...and of course I turned onto that road. There I spied this great old 6 piece patio set...all in great condition, but the cushions were in need of some TLC. So I wrote a check, loaded it up and brought it home. It is perfect. We had also "inherited" some patio furniture from grandparents that had seat covers in a pretty yellow floral print. (I am not a floral kind of girl, but for some reason I really like these. Plus, I hate not to try and reuse something that is in perfectly good condition.) So I ordered this yellow fabric online and started sewing. I didn't use a pattern, but sort of followed (loosely) some online tutorials, tweaking them to this particular project.
Like I said, it isn't professional, but for less than $300 (including the price I paid for the 6 piece patio set) I got exactly the look I was after. It is a great place to relax with my morning coffee, watch the kids play in the afternoon and have an evening cocktail with Hubs!

Monogrammed shortalls

Part of the reason I decided to take a little "break" from customer orders is so I can finish up quite a few sewing projects for my own children. These cute little shortalls are made from a Martha Pullen pattern using fabric I ordered from Chez Ami. I found the glass buttons at JoAnns (love that they look like marbles!) and the font is "Garton" from Jolson Designs. (a GREAT font for little boys!) I am so pleased with how they turned out! This is our last summer for shortalls and johnjohns so I plan on putting them on my boys every chance I can get!

Appliques! Not just for Kids T Shirts!!

This was such a fun project!! I love when I can "upcycle" an item that I already have on hand and it suits my needs PERFECTLY!! I will wait and post the "finished" project picture tomorrow, but here is a sneak peek for now!

Pop Tarts, Patio Cushions and Potty Training

What do these 3 things have in common? They pretty much sum up the past 2 days around here. The patio cushions are tedious work, but I have learned a valuable lesson with them: A new seam-ripper can change your life!! I am a "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or Do without" kind of girl (thanks, Granny!) but this most certainly does NOT apply to a seam ripper. In fact, when JoAnns or Hancocks has their next notions sale I may just buy 10 of those little handy things!
I have also discovered that PopTarts, although not a part of this nutrition-filled breakfast, are indeed a great summertime snack! Plain, toasted, topped with ice cream or cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters...these babies are my new afternoon go-to!
The Potty Training is just not fun. For them or for me. But we will press on. Because I am tired of buying Huggies. And because they just turned three. It is time. Ugh.
On a brighter note, I am discovering that applique is not just for kids clothing anymore. Fun project in the works...stay tuned!!

Mom needs a break

I will be taking a little embroidery break...the kiddos are out of school and we have more pressing issues to deal with. Like Potty Training. I had to remove my Bissell Spot Bot from its resting place up on the highest shelf because I have had to clean the playroom carpet no less than 6 times. The old method of rewarding with stickers and candy is clearly not working, so its time to crack down on these two. I also purchased an old wrought iron patio set at an estate sale (I would so much rather have something old than something new) and I am in the process of recovering the cushions. All 10 of them. Good times, I know. My new best friend is my seam ripper...

All this to say, I won't be taking any new orders till mid July. If you need a Birthday Boy/Girl shirt done please feel free to send me an email and I will do my best to accomodate you!! I know my fellow "multiple moms" love having the matching birthday shirts for our little ones!

Thanks for understanding! Kerri

Beach Cover-Ups

This is a birthday gift for my niece!
I have seen these pillowcase dress-type coverups on a few Etsy sites and thought I would try my hand at one. I didn't use a pattern but sort of used one of my boys to get a few measurements. Basic pillowcase dresses are extremely easy to make, especially if you use an actual pillowcase to make it with...but in this case I had a basic white towel on hand so I improvised. I used red bias tape around the arms to coordinate with the red polkadot grosgrain ribbon.

The little jellyfish is from Planet Applique.

Gigantic Chalkboard!!

Or, "What Do You Do With A Bare Wall That You Can't Hang Anything On Because Your Kids Keep Knocking It All Off."

This huge bare wall in our remodeled kitchen just really needed something. Problem is, this is a really high traffic area going between the breakfast table and the kid's backback station, so everything that got hung there just wound up in a broken heap in the floor.

Bring in the chalkboard paint. I just taped off the area I wanted and started painting. Five coats total, but this stuff dries so quickly that it took no time all! Then we measured off what I had painted and scrounged around our scraps of trim left over from the remodel to find four strips that were long enough. Hubs mitered the corners, I primed and painted them, distressed them, painted some more and we nailed them to the wall! Probably my favorite part of this room!

When it's "Not Quite Right"

We've all gotten them...the monogrammed gift that just isn't right. Names mispelled, monograms not right, or just something that we just wish was different. It's not like you can "regift" it (oh come on, you know you've done it) so what do you do? Sometimes the stitches can be picked out (a very tedious task that sometimes leaves fabric flaws) but quite often the stitches need to stay. (Like in laminated fabrics or insulated items...because of the high stitch count, certain designs will actually act to perforate the fabric, so if you remove them a chunk of your embroidered item literally just falls apart.)

So what do you do?


A Patch! You have heard me sing the praises of a patch on several occasions and I am singing that same song this time. I stitched the patch onto water soluble stabilizer (2 layers) then washed away the remaining stabilizer, pressed the patch and sewed it directly to the cooler. I think I may do a few more like this just because I love how cute it turned out!

Have a great day!

Reverse Appliques

What do you do when you have a brand new T shirt that gets stained the VERY first time the wear it?!? (Or any time they wear it, for that matter!)

A REVERSE APPLIQUE!!

In this particular case, I had the shorts that matched this little shirt and I just wasn't willing to put it into the rag pile just yet, but that stain was not going anywhere. And believe me, I wage warfare on stains, so I had tried it all.
These fun appliques involve placing a coordinating piece of fabric on the backside of the shirt, embroidering the letter or design, and then cutting the "offending" part of the shirt away! Even if it doesn't get rid of 100% of the stain, it really masks the tiny parts well. And the cutest part of this (in my opinion) is the way the jersey knit "curls" back after it gets washed. I snapped this particular picture before this shirt hit the wash so you can't see it here, but I have lots more of these designs just begging for me to stitch them out on my boys shirts...what kid doesn't want a lightning bolt, or a skull, or a guitar...so many to choose from!

This is also a great option for those striped shirts that you find in the Dollar Bin at WalMart and Target...not so much on their own, but so awesome with a reverse applique!

Monogrammed Pony-O's

Sweet little Pony-O's!

These are simply covered buttons that I monogrammed. The 3-letter is in MWP "Arabesque" and the single letter is Digistitches "French Dot". They have a hair elastic looped through the back and are a precious addition to any ponytail! I will also loop some long thin ribbon for a "streamer" effect, but those are easily removed if the little girl doesn't want ribbons each and every time.

I have more fun projects in the works using these covered buttons. Stay tuned...

Thanks for stopping by and please email me if you'd like to place an order!

First Week of Summer!!

This is what we will be doing Every. Single. Day. this week. Yep, a whole bunch of NOTHING. Eating watermelon in our PJs. Swinging on the playset. Taking naps (fingers crossed here).

My four are out of school and that warrants a celebration. So you won't be hearing much from me and that's ok.

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."~Pooh's Little Instruction Book

Enjoy all of life's little sweet moments and have a great summer.

Big Boys

There are so many cute designs out there for little girls and little boys, but there is always that fine line of when things start to look too "babyish". With girls I think there is more of a grace period...not so much with boys. This is definately our last summer for button-ons and john-johns, and even a few of those patterns are starting to make my husband raise his eyebrows when I get them dressed for church.

So when they are too big for bubbles and too small for bowties, what is a momma of boys to do for "church attire"?

Monogrammed polos!

A cute monogrammed polo paired with a little pair of shorts and your little Prince Charming is all set for Sunday School! I have LOTS of different fonts and monogram styles to choose from so send me an email if you'd like to place an order.

You Say It's Your Birthday...

It's My Birthday, Too...


That's right! The twins are turning THREE! So hard for me to believe. Everyone with multiples has told us that after they turn three it gets so much easier...but I'll have to say that they really haven't been all that difficult! I think mostly because they pretty much keep each other entertained but also because we are so much more laid back with them as compared to our older children. With multiples, you simply cannot answer every single little cry as soon as they cry it, so I think we just cut ourselves alot of slack from the get-go.
We plan to celebrate this special day with just our family (there's so many of us, we are our own party.) over some yummy cake and with the boys wearing these cute outfits. This is the Embroidery Boutique "circle patch" merged using Sew What Pro with the Planet Applique "birthday numbers". I made a simple pair of matching shorts in the orange and white gingham.

Happy Birthday Babies!! (I guess I'll have to stop calling them the "babies" now that they are turning three!)

Baby Trio

'Tis the season for baby showers! This is quite possibly the most requested baby gift that I stitch, the Baby Trio. It includes a monogrammed onesie (girl french dot shown here, a burp pad and a bib. These bibs are so thick and plush, and they are BIG so they really will absorb some serious messes!
Thanks for stopping by and please email me if you'd like to place an order.

Cute Customer Order!

Here are a few things I have been working on...

I love doing the Brother/Sister sets!
Lots of things going on in this wild and crazy household this month, we are ready for Summer to get here! I have several fun new designs that will be perfect for the pool and beach...hopefully I will get some time to stitch out a few things for the little people in my house.
Thank you for stopping by. Be sure and send me an email if you'd like to place an order!

New Designs

Sorry it has been a long time since a post, but things have been a bit crazy around here! Lots of wild fun...but crazy! I managed to fill everyones orders before the weekend (y'all know my feelings about sewing on Sundays...) but I haven't had the time to take any pictures. SOOO many cute designs out there right now! Let me know if you'd like to place an order!