Well, I'll have to take the sewing machine to the shop now!

Anyone who knows me will know these aren't for my own kids...after sewing all of that Carolina fabric, I am sure I'll have to take my sewing machine to the shop for a good cleaning -- ha ha...

i think Miller & Savannah will LOVE them though...

Claire's Jeans Patches

Claire's momma dropped my daughter off at home after school, and I noticed that Claire was picking at a small hole in the knee of her jeans...I told her to rip those things off and I'll put a pretty patch over the hole and she can wear them to school still...so this is what I came up with = ironed on a square of fabric with that fusable web and then zig zagged around the edges...I added the patch to the pocket just for cuteness...Claire loved them!

Michael Phelps at an early age

Sorry you guys but this made me laugh out loud...

I Really do need help

Not with sewing this time, but with my addiction. I admit that I am a fabricaholic - I love to have it, look at it, sort it, buy it, but Walmart is my supplier of my drug. The lady stopped me this week and told me that the signs aren't up, but that all of it is 50% off -- ALL THE FABRIC IS 50% OFF!!! just in case you didn't hear me people -- The bad news is that they will be eliminating that department eventually...when it all runs out. Of course I went crazy buying a TON of fabrics (thank goodness with my husband's blessing)

Here are my finds:

I need Help

I was all inspired to try my hand at pleating a top for my daughter out of this stripe and I think it will be beautiful after it is finished, but I can't seem to think of what to smock -- I am actually thinking of just cabling across every row and leaving it like that - or maybe every half row? Or does it need a fancy geometric? I am leaning toward doing the smocking in a monochromatic -- maybe in khacki?

And on a side note, I am also not liking these floral pants with it -- I am thinking I need to find a sage green, or this weird color brown as the capris...

I know this is really going to look good when it is finished, but my inspiration has officially run out on this project...I need your opinions. Now that I look at it more, if I smock using the green you see on the leaves in teh pants maybe they will work -- but maybe not...anyway, you can see I am all over the place and need some assistance.

Brown Hawaiian Fabric Sundress

I made a pair of these dresses several months ago for my daughters, but they just didn't have any kick...today I decided to add this stripe flounce to the bottom of them and wow, it sure did look good! Now my girls can't wait to wear them instead of them just being ho hum about these...I only got a picture of one, they're sleeping right now and I don't want to rummage in their closet to find the other one.

Mirabelle, the doll, got a matching dress too, I'll get her portrait tomorrow.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies

That is a mouthful! I actually invented this little recipe (a first for me) by combing several recipes together to get just what I wanted and BOY ARE THEY GOOD!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies
· 2 cu all purpose flour
· 1 package (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
· 1 tsp baking soda
· 2 eggs
· 1 cu butter (or margarine) softened
· 2 cu quick cooking rolled oats
· ¼ cu sugar
· 1 cu white chocolate chips
· ¾ cu packed light brown sugar
· 1 cu chopped macadamia nuts

Mix flour & baking soda and set aside. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla pudding mix in large mixing bowl and beat until smooth & creamy. Beat in the eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Barely stir in the oats, chips & nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheets and cook at 375 Degrees for 10-12 min, cool on wire racks – yield 4-5 dozen

Today's Cupcakes

It continued to rain and rain most of the day so this afternoon we made a quick trip to Walmart for toppings and made these gorgeous cupcakes...

Skittles, M&Ms, macadamia nuts, peanuts, Hersheys Kisses, on from scratch cupcakes (off the back of the hershey's cocoa container) and vanilla frosting from a can...Can't wait to taste them tonight.

Tissue Box Crafts

Here are our rainy day crafts we did today before lunch. Both are made from a tissue box and you can get instructions at:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/boxes.htm

Brooklynne's Back-of--the-seat Pouch

whipped up this cute back-of-the-seat pouch for my daughter's friend who is having a birthday party this weekend -- won't her mom be happy when she has somewhere to put her toys in the minivan?

Pockets make Major Improvement

Thanks for the idea Tracy, this outfit finally looks

"finished" -- The pockets are from McCalls 5572 - I knew exactly which pockets I wanted as soon as I was given the idea because they have just a touch of the stripe to tie the two together...Aah the feel of success!

Aline/Swing Floral top & Striped Capris

I made that reconstructed outfit for my youngest so I had to pull something out of the cabinet to make for my eldest daughter -- I got this fabric a long time ago (with you Tracy) at Walmart and it took about 3/4 yard of each fabric and about 3/4 yard for the lining on the top

I created it using New Look 6695 - alterations are that I used size 7 for the top but cut the length off at the size 3 mark and I used a full lining instead of facing. Also added a ruffle to the bottom of the capris -- she LOVES it...

Revamp of my Revamp

Originally I planned to make some blue shorts and trim them with the leftover plaid, but ended up using jeans as the bottoms of this outfit and after talking to Mom & looking at it a while I agreed with her that the little ruffle was weird looking since I didn't make the pants out of that fabric so I took it off and it looks MUCH better now!

Finally I tried a Man's shirt Reconstruction/Recycling Project!

This link was my inspiration: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0

Here is what I came up with:

I started with a Goodwill purchased man's XL Izod dress shirt and a pair of jeans that were almost too short from her closet...Added these grosgrain ribbon straps and a little blue pleated ruffle for modesty on her chest...The back of the men's shirt is the front now, and the front is now the back -- I had to add some 1/8" elastic inside the top hem on the back of the top to get a good fit. I was able to use the factory hem on the back of the top, but had to create one on the front, but I just traced the exact countour off of the back so it is almost imperceptible.

Cut off the bottom of some bootcut jeans and used them as a pattern to create the fabric piece for the legs. I created them off of the sleeves of the shirt.

I am not used to working without a pattern, so this was out of my comfort zone, but I am very happy with the result and will be doing more of this kind of stuff.

I think it is adorable...Can't wait to make one for my older daughter...

Another back of the seat Car Pouch

One of my daughter's friends asked me to make this for her and she picked this cute puppy dog fabric and a coordinating plaid = isn't it cute? I can't wait for her to see it.

Wondering why I haven't made anything lately?

Because we're building our own house!

http://doubleoak.blogspot.com/

And we're doing a lot of the work ourselves!