Raggy Angel

I haven't done much sewing with minky dot fabric, but I love how soft it is. So, when a friend offered me some minky dot that she had found I thought it would be fun to make her little girl a simple pair of pants with it and then use some of the scraps for a little swing top. (I adore those from Wal Mart!) I don't think I will be doing alot of sewing with that particular fabric anymore. I love how it appliques (but for you other embroidery gals out there, I did find out that you need to treat it like terrycloth and use a piece of water soluble stabilizer on top of it) but that stuff is not fun to sew with! It rolled, frayed, slipped and puckered all over the place! I finally gave up on the sewing machine and did it all with my serger which made the task much easier. Anyone else had that much difficulty or is it just me?


Now, onto the Raggy Angel...I purchased this design from one of my favorite sites, Embroidery Boutique. She has some precious applique designs and her "raggy" series is too cute! The fabric has a piece of flannel sandwiched between it and the shirt, so when you snip around the design and "raggy" it with the edge of a dull pair of scissors it has an entirely different look than a regular applique! I love this little shirt, and like the girl's snowman patch I did it on the bottom off to the side. Matches the pants perfectly! I can't wait to surprise my friend with this little outfit!

More Market Baskets

A sweet friend asked me to monogram market baskets for her sisters and mother as Christmas gifts. These are the collapsible ones I posted about earlier and they turned out so cute! Email me if you are interested in ordering...I have a few colors and 3 damask patterns left in my stash!

Ice Cream and Cake

Not alot of sewing going on around here lately...I thought it would only be fair to let you know why...

We are a family that embraces tradition...even those that probably need to be done away with. For example, I have always made my children's birthday cakes. And each year, I always swear that next year I will simply call a bakery and order one. It wasn't such a big deal early on, but as the years progressed (and more and more children kept on showing up) the cake requests have gotten more elaborate. I blame alot of this on my daughter's obsession with all things Food Network and those "cake challenge" shows. I try to point out to them that those people are bona-fide pastry chefs...they have industrial sized mixers, fancy equipment, at least one assistant and never on any episode have I seen any children running around under their feet as they try to work. But on those occasions when I mention calling a bakery I am instantly met with wailing protest, so I keep on baking and frosting...usually with no idea of how this thing is going to turn out and the phone number of the nearest Publix bakery posted nearby in case of emergency. About a month ago, I was presented with the request for a "sports cake". That's it. No more description given. "Something with baseballs and footballs", he said. I instantly pictured in my mind a sheet cake with little plastic baseball and football players that I could buy and stick on top. Hooray! Finally something easy! "No," he replied. "Not players, just the baseballs and footballs. Made of cake."

Huh?

"How on earth do I do that?" I wonder as I promise to block Food Network with our parental controls.

But bake I did, and I must say that after 2 naptimes, one late night and more glasses of wine than I care to mention here is the result: (drumroll, please...)


The large baseball on top was butter-yellow cake made in the Wilton sports ball pan, and the bottom "field" was a 2 layer chocolate cake. The footballs (Oh. My. Word.) need to have their own food group because they are so yummy and are Oreo Truffles. You can find the recipe at www.Bakerella.com.
It was a fun day filled with lots of great kids (and their awesome moms who brought them and stayed to chat and help!), great gifts, lots of fun and some yummy cake.

I have survived to bake another year.

Have a blessed week! K

Brothers Snowman Shirt

Here is the brother's shirt that will go with the pink snowman patch shirt that I posted yesterday. I love the fact that I can use the exact same fabrics for the applique on both shirts so they truly match. These will make adorable Christmas card picture outfits!

Snowman Patch

Here is the newest design I purchased from Applique Cafe, and I have to say that so far it is my favorite design from them! I stitched this onto a Garanimal swing top (from Wal Mart!) but because of the high yoke I stitched it off to the side of the bottom. This would be so sweet with a cute pair of leggings or even just blue jeans! This pattern can be sewn in the 4x4 or 5x7 sizes. Here, it is in the smaller size because it works better on a toddler-sized shirt. I think my favorite part of this pattern is that it would be perfect for a girl or boy outfit so it will make a great matching brother/sister set. I also plan on using it for some fingertip and guest towels for some hostess gifts this Christmas season.
Thanks for stopping by and be sure to email me with any orders or questions you might have!
Make it a great day!

Monogram and Petal Patch

A friend asked me to monogram and applique some shirts for her little girl and sent the cute little leggings for me to match colors. The shirts are by Monag and have little ruffled sleeves and another ruffle around the swing-style bottom. The pants were both really brightly colored and had a really bold pattern so I didn't want to overpower them with anything too busy. This little petal patch from Applique Cafe was the perfect adornment and a vermillion colored monogram will tie the whole outfit together. So fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kelly's blog

If you've never checked this sweet momma's blog out then you should! Kelly over at Kelly's Korner (www.kellyskornerblog.com) is hosting a "Show us your life...what do you make" post. I have never done any of these "Linky" things before, but Kelly's blog is one that I keep up with on a regular basis. (Read just a few posts and you'll see why...you'll feel like she lives next door to you! So grab a cup of tea and go sit with her for a spell...) How fun that she is thinking like so many of us these days! It appears that I'm not the only one trying to "think outside the mall." Just in time for Christmas!
I will warn you, however, she really loves her Hogs, so if you're an SEC football gal (like me) her blog can get a bit "red" on the weekends! Have fun checking out all of the links to some really creative mom's sites!