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SweetPod Soft Structured Baby Carrier

Mar 10th, 2010
by bumblev.
2 comments                                                                                  

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A month or so ago, I agreed and was looking forward to participating in the 2010 Sewing Olympics. I had bought a pattern from Seedpod Craft back in December and needed a proper push to getting it started. The week before the Olympics started, I ordered the necessary hardware and fabric, the pattern was printed and my sewing machine was prepped. My proverbial skates were on and my sprint to the finish line was all but guaranteed.

And then it all came to a screeching halt when I got a nasty skin infection.

With my body trying to fight off whatever was ravaging my face (They still don’t know. MRSA? Impetigo?), I had little energy for anything other than vegging on the couch. Good for viewing the Vancouver Olympics, bad for completing the Sewing Olympics.

But I’m not one to quit a challenge and I finally finished my amazing SweetPod carrier yesterday! The pattern is absolutely wonderful and the instructions are clear and to the point. Plenty of diagrams to help when you brain just can’t seem to wrap itself around a direction. Really, I can’t rave enough about the pattern!

Because of the multiple components of this project, it is quite time consuming. I broke up the work throughout a few nights: assemble pattern, cut fabric and padding, sewing parts, final assembly. I’m a fairly experienced sewer and had no problem with any of the required techniques. I really think even a novice sewer could make their own SweetPod.

As for fit, I’ve only had time to walk around the house with Jackson in it but from what I can tell, it’s got a great fit. My husband tried it on and even with his drastically different body type, it fit him great. A few adjustments of the buckles and he was good to go. There is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to putting it on, taking it off or switching the baby to your back. Luckily, there are video tutorials to show you the way. It really is quite easy once you get the hang of it.

So I hope no one is offended by my late entry into the Sewing Olympics. I’m kinda like one of those wounded skiers that finishes the course even though they crashed, right? Except not the perfect body and multimillion product endorsements, of course. I can’t wait to to go grocery shopping with my new SweetPod!*

*This will be the last time I will ever be excited about grocery shopping.

Posted in: Kids.
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Fabric Flower

Mar 9th, 2010
by bumblev.
2 comments                                                                                  

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Nothing like a pretty little fabric flower to say to the world, “I’m so ready for Spring!” Lucky for us, Mrs. Priss has got the perfect tutorial for such a flower. I must warn you, however, that she makes it look much easier than it is. I had to cut and burn 5X the amount of petals pictured here before I got some that worked together. And still, I ended up burning the edges of most of mine! I don’t mind the burned edges much, kinda adds a shabby chic look to the flower, but not everyone will feel this way.

As for the center of the flower, I didn’t have any pretty buttons or rhinestones so I improvised with french knots on a piece of felt. I like how it looks and feels three dimensional. A bit time consuming, yes, but I really like the end result. I sewed a small loop of felt to the back so that I could switch between a hair clip and a sweater pin. I’m so fickle when it comes to accessories, I like to keep my options open.

So, I would definitely recommend you give this tutorial a shot and if things don’t turn out the way you want them to, keep in mind, you can always buy one from Mrs. Priss herself!

Posted in: Fashion.
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Homemade Dish Soap

Feb 18th, 2010
by bumblev.
No comments yet                                                                                  

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We ran out of dishsoap the other day and even though I visited a number of stores, I kept forgetting to buy more. It didn’t take long for dishes to start piling up and when I had to eat my soup with a serving spoon, I knew something had to be done.

A quick search on the internet led me to Bonzai Aphrodite’s recipe for dishsoap. Super easy and if you’re already into alternative cleaners, you’ll have all the necessary ingredients on hand! All you need is 2 cups Castille soap and 6 tablespoons of water.  If you have unscented Castille soap, you can always add a few drops of essential oils (mint, lemon, etc). I used Dr. Bronner’s in Almond and it smells absolutely divine after we wash dishes now. Like someone washed the walls with Amaretto, yum! I also added a couple tablespoons of vinegar to help cut through any grease.

I should mention that a natural dishsoap, by it’s very nature, won’t lather up as much as commercial products and doesn’t cut grease as quickly due to the absence of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. While most experts agree that SLS cannot be directly linked to cancer, as once suspected, it is still pretty harsh on your skin and if you live in the desert like I do, you need all the help you can get. Plus, you know exactly what’s going into a homemade dish soap. I really like that idea considering some of my favorite people in the world eat off these plates!

I knew I was going to forget the actual measurements of the ingredients so I made up a little label for my reused dishsoap container. I just used sticky-backed laminating sheets to affix it to the bottle. We’ll see how long it lasts. Feel free to use the label too!

Posted in: Home, T&T Prints.
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Seedlings

Feb 12th, 2010
by bumblev.
6 comments                                                                                  

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I’ve always been pretty terrible with plants and now I fear it has become a self-fulfilling prophesy. So in an effort to break my black thumb streak, I’m attempting to start portions of my garden from seed. I’m really quite worried.

I’ve heard a number of people and websites mention that you can use cardboard tubes as starter pots. What a great idea considering that you usually have a few available (I cut up a gift wrapping tube) and that you can just plant them directly in the ground. The tubes will provide just a little bit of extra warmth for your newly transplanted seedlings and help protect against those nasty buggers.

I really hope these work and if not, I’ll be back here in a couple weeks lamenting how terrible I am with plants.

Posted in: Home.

Sweater Pants

Feb 1st, 2010
by bumblev.
3 comments                                                                                  

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Sheesh, it’s getting harder and harder to capture good pictures of Jackson. This kid doesn’t sit still. Ever. Had to eventually bribe him with “Mama’s Forbidden Music Machine”. Can you see the look of victory in his eyes in that second picture? Ah, the things I do for this blog.

After pulling out one of Jim’s old sweaters that doesn’t fit anymore for the Ice Pack Cover Tutorial, I figured I might as well use up the rest of it. I’m not sure what to do with the main body of the sweater but the arms got transformed into pants for Jackson. They were super easy to make and took maybe 20 minutes to complete from cutting to the final stitch. It helped that Jim’s old sweater was tightly knit so I didn’t have to worry about hemming the pant legs.

As for online tutorials for making kids sweater pants, there are a million. Google it, you’ll see. I kinda followed one from Green Kitchen except I just used a pair of pants that fit him decent as a template, folded them in half and cut around the edge of them (instead of ruining them). I also wanted the pant legs to be wide so I made sure to cut off the bottom portion of the sleeve.

The resulting pant are super cute, I think, and I somehow managed to get the stripes to line up further adding to the cuteness! Wonderful pants to wear when we’re just hanging out around the house. These look so comfortable, I wish I could find a sweater large enough to make me a pair. Maybe Hagrid has some old sweaters he wouldn’t mind me cutting up?

Posted in: Kids.
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Icepack Cover

Jan 29th, 2010
by bumblev.
2 comments                                                                                  

icepackcoversm

Ok, here you go. Here’s the tutorial for the “Easiest Icepack Cover Ever!”

Materials:
- old sweater (or any other knit fabric)
- sewing machine and other basic sewing supplies

Directions:

1. Measure the size of your icepack (ex. 11×5)

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2. Double the length (11×2=22) and add an extra inch (22+1=23). This will allow for the opening overlap. I didn’t add anything extra to the width because I wanted the cover to be nice and snug. Because sweaters give quite a bit, I wasn’t too worried about exact measurements!

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3. Right sides facing, sew along open edges.

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4. Flip right sides out and insert your ice pack! Super easy, right?

Posted in: Tutorial.
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Icey Cold Icepack

Jan 29th, 2010
by bumblev.
2 comments                                                                                  

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I am happy to report that the Disdressed icepack worked like a charm! I wanted to seal mine with my new Food Saver so I originally froze the alcohol/water mix in a small ziploc bag and let it freeze over night. The following morning, I added a little bit more water (mine wasn’t slushy enough) and refroze it. By mid-day, the icepack had the perfect consistency so I transferred and sealed it in a small Food Saver bag. Worked perfectly and now I don’t have to worry about turning around to find my 1 year old downing an alcohol slushie! :D

I loved the cover Liesl made on Disdressed but with all my major sewing supplies out in the studio, I needed something a little bit more elementary. I’ll be posting the tutorial for the “Easiest Cover Ever” later today!

Posted in: Home.

Future Tries: Icey Cold Icepack

Jan 27th, 2010
by bumblev.
3 comments                                                                                  

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Jackson is getting into everything these days. Have desperately needed an ice pack on a number of occasions. As soon as he’s down for his morning nap, I’ll be giving the Icey Cold Icepack from Distressed a try. I wonder if you could do this with a Food Saver?

We’ll find out soon!

Posted in: Future Tries.

Easy Rice Pudding

Jan 27th, 2010
by bumblev.
5 comments                                                                                  

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I didn’t used to like rice pudding, must have had something to do with the texture and consistency. A few years back, while on vacation, I gave it another try and whoa! Rice pudding is amazing. I guess I can add it to the ever growing list of “Foods You’ll Like When You Grow Up.” Who knows? Maybe beets will even someday grace that list. Probably not, though.

Here is my recipe for the easiest and yet still tasty, brown rice pudding. I like that, other than the maple syrup, there’s no sugar added and if you decide to add roasted bananas (bake, uncovered in oven at 375 for 15 minutes), you can omit the syrup as well. Roasted bananas are my new favorite thing! So sweet and gooey, thank you Tyler Florance for the suggestion.

Brown Rice Pudding
Ingredients:
- 2 c Water
- 1 c brown rice, rinsed
- 1 1/4 c soy milk
- 1/3 c raisins (I usually omit since we never have them at the house)
- 1/3 c maple syrup
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t ground ginger
- 1/8 t nutmeg

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan
2. Add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 35 min. or until all water is absorbed and rice is soft.
3. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for a few more minutes.
4. Transfer to bowl and allow to cool in fridge. (or if you’re like me, burn your tongue trying to eat too soon)

I like to transfer immediately to small single portion bowls so that I can quickly grab them from the fridge while balancing a baby on my hip. I would suggest making sure they’re covered or the pudding might dry out. If this does happen, just pour a bit of soy milk over the rice pudding before you reheat. Jackson is a huge fan of this snack!

Posted in: Food.
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Cracker Jack Birthday Party

Jan 22nd, 2010
by bumblev.
4 comments                                                                                  

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Well, we survived our first birthday party for Jackson. Just barely, though (check out my personal blog, Indie Shopper, for a full lowdown on the craziness of that day!) We went with the semi-theme of Cracker Jack and kept the decorations somewhat low key. Seriously, we had just finished putting away all the Christmas decorations and since he’s only one, we figured a few hanging flags here and there would do just fine. I tried to find the site that I got the idea for the rectangular pennant flags from but I can’t find it anywhere! Any one remember the website? I think she used mostly yellow fabric for an outdoor wedding? Sound familiar? I also tried to recreate the look of baker’s twine with yarn, like I saw on Between The Lines. Did not go so well, it kept unraveling but the flags held it in place fairly well so it ended up working after all.

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Of course, I also waiting until the last possible minute to whip up his birthday t-shirt. It was fairly easy since we had already cleaned up the image of Cracker Jack and his dog for the invitations. A little altering in Photoshop, printing on iron transfer paper and tada, we’ve got a cute first birthday tshirt. Of course, it won’t last past the first couple of washes but the photos from his party sure looked cute!

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For the favors, I made homemade Cracker Jack to pass out to the adults. There were mostly babies in attendence and I couldn’t think of a small toy to include as the secret prize that wouldn’t be a choking hazard, so instead I printed up small magnetic photo frames for people to use on their fridges. The recipe from Savory Sweet Life worked really well. The only thing I messed up on is that I completely burned the first two batches and the results were totally inedible.  I really need to get an oven thermometer. Also, don’t forget to put the secret prizes in the bags before you seal them up. Taping them to the back of each bag just doesn’t have the same feeling as if they were inside!

Well, there you have it. Between losing power for most of the day and having to run out for more ingredients after burning all my Cracker Jack, the day was absolutely crazy and I don’t know what we would have done without my mom and sister helping out! The party itself went well and we were overjoyed to celebrate a year of Jackson with all the people we know and love.

Now, what should next year’s party be themed? ;D

Posted in: Kids.
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Cracker Jack Prize Envelopes

Jan 15th, 2010
by bumblev.
8 comments                                                                                  

picture-frame-favorsCan’t talk for long, took way too much time converting this file into a free print but I really wanted to share these Cracker Jack prize pockets with you all.  Now you can really make your own Cracker Jack, secret prize and all!

Easy Peasy Instructions:
1. Print out T&T Print and cut out all 5 envelopes.
2. Fold down the center.
3. Apply glue to outside edge of one side (we found glue tape to work the best).
4. Insert prize.
5. Fold shut.
6. Use a rotary perforator to score along tear line.

Easy, right? The only thing we had to be careful with was making sure the prize fit inside the envelope. We had to position the glue tape applicator half off the paper so that we could have a little more room inside the envelope.

Hope you enjoy!

Posted in: T&T Prints.

Red & White

Jan 11th, 2010
by bumblev.
3 comments                                                                                  

bakerstwine2I’m throwing the first of many birthday parties this weekend and since it’s kinda Cracker Jack themed, I’ve been stocking up on red and white supplies. I have no idea what I’m doing with all of it yet but I’m sure inspiration will strike an hour or so before the party (isn’t it crazy how things always work out that way?) I got the baker’s twine (swoon), the polka dot packaging tape and striped ribbon in the holiday discount bin at Micheal’s. The paper everything is sitting on is meant for scrapbooking. I may not be one of you scrapbook crazies but I sure do love your products!

I’ll be making some homemade “Cracker Jack” to give out as favors and I’m still trying to figure out packaging options. I would loooove to find some glassine bags but I’m afraid I’ve backed myself into somewhat of a time crunch. No way I’m going to have time to order them, receive them in the mail and still have time to fill them with popped yumminess. Anyone know where I can possibly get some locally? My back-up plan is to use bags that look similar to these. Jim thinks they’re a perfect fit but I worry that they look too carnival-y. We’ll see, I’ll probably talk more about the grown-up favors later this week.

Tomorrow, I’ll post about the favors for the babies that will be joining us!

Posted in: Kids.
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Fabulous Felt Food!

Jan 9th, 2010
by bumblev.
6 comments                                                                                  

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You know how accomplished you feel after completing a project you’ve had on the back burner for years? Felt food is “that project” for me. Ever since I started noticing felt food on the internet a few year ago, I knew I was going to make them for my children. There are so many things in this world I won’t be able to give my children (elephant, anything knit, good eyesight) but sewn gifts? I got that covered! So, until Jackson becomes annoyingly mature enough to ask me for anything else, I’ll be blissfully sewing him felt food and other little goodies.

I went with Ume Crafts for the pattern and I was pretty much satisfied with both the directions and the final results. The only change I made in some of the patterns was to enlarge them just a bit. The yellow bell pepper was the first veggie I completed and it was just a tad too small for my taste so for some of the rest, I added .25″ to the pattern edge. Worked fairly well until I came to the eggplant. For some reason, my eggplant came out looking more like a purple pear than anything. Oh well, I’ll just tell him it’s from the farmer’s market. :D In the end, I would have no problem recommending the pattern. The number of different veggies you get for under $15 is quite the deal!

Next up…felt fruit!

Posted in: Kids.
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No Skid Soles

Dec 22nd, 2009
by bumblev.
3 comments                                                                                  

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Can I just say how difficult it was getting this picture? Actually, getting a picture of Jackson’s feet was easy. Getting it in focus, now that’s another story!

You may remember my post a couple months ago about making some soft-soled shoes for Jackson. I used some thin fake leather for the soles and a recycled wool sweater for the tops of the shoes. They looked adorable but after a few weeks of crawling, Jackson wore right through the toes of the sweater and had slipped a number of times because the bottoms were so slick.

I researched a few websites that suggested putting either puff paint or some sort of liquid carpet anti-skid stuff on the bottom of baby shoes to prevent them from slipping so much but I was a little hesitant to put anything that might peel off into his mouth. Just in case.

So I came up with the idea to sandwich a layer of kitchen drawer liner in between the layers of the soles. I cut out ovals from the fake leather soles, laid down the liner and sewed around the outside of the ovals to keep it all in place. I than just continued with the rest of the directions.

Super easy and now that I put all this effort into making these, he now fits into the adorable big boy shoes his aunt got him. Oh well, at least now I know how to make them for the next rugrat!

Posted in: Tutorial.
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Holiday Stockings

Dec 21st, 2009
by bumblev.
8 comments                                                                                  

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Nothing like leaving it to the last minute, huh? I’ve been thinking about these stockings for months now, imagining the different retro space images I would use and plotting out the different color combination. You would think that I would have began cutting these out at least sometime in November, right? Wrong. Last week, I started working on these last week. Luckily, Jackson’s teeth stalled a bit and he took wonderfully long naps (now that I said that, he’s not going to take any naps this week!), enabling me to not only design these in Illustrator but also cut and hand-stitch all the felt components.

I had every intention of working on these the 1st of November but life got in the way. I even made sure to keep a pattern so that I could share the tutorial with you guys! Being that it’s 4 days away from Christmas, I’m afraid my Retro Space Stockings tutorial will have to wait until next year. I even programed an alarm on my phone, reminding me to release the pattern on November 1, 2010.

So, if you like these stockings and would like to make some of your very own, meet me back here in a little less than a year!

Posted in: Tutorial.

T&T Trials: Final!

Dec 14th, 2009
by bumblev.
3 comments                                                                                  

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So remember that executive decision I made in the last post? I totally got over ruled by Jim. Let’s just say he was a big fan of the Oreo Truffles and was hoping I’d make more (so that he could steal a few!). I whipped up two more batches of the Oreo balls last week during one of Jackson’s naps and finished coating them a couple days later after he went down for the night. Being able to work on these in shifts really made it easy to accomplish so many, I just popped the balls in the freezer until I had more time to finish with the Almond Bark.

Another great thing about this recipe? Super easy to adapt to make it vegan! I used Newman’s Own Sandwich Cookies and Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese. Jim and I did a blind taste test and both of us agreed that it was really difficult to tell the difference between the two. The Oreo ones had a more dynamic flavor but the Newman ones had a better, smoother taste.

As for the packaging, I was able to find everything I needed at Michael’s. The cute baker’s twine is courtesy of good ol’ Martha Stewart and the great porcelain dishes were only a buck each! The little tags are left over from a fair or something. We did a basic calculation and found that we were able to make 6 little gifts for under $20.  Not too bad.

All in all, I think T&T Holiday Trials 2009 were a success…at increasing our belt line! Next year everyone is getting heating pads.

Posted in: Food.
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T&T Trials: Oreo Truffles

Dec 2nd, 2009
by bumblev.
2 comments                                                                                  

oreotruffles2

Well, here we are. The last of the T&T Trials and I still have no idea. In case you’ve skipped out on the last three posts, I’m trying to figure out the perfect baked good to give to our neighbors. I’ve tried Pie Pops, Personal Pies, Homemade Turtles and now, Oreo Truffles. Other than figuring out the Pie Pops were way too small to give as holiday gifts and consuming way too many calories over the last week, I’m really no closer to deciding which baked item to give. This is a much harder decision than I thought!

But let’s get back to the topic at hand, Bakerella’s Oreo Truffles. I should disclose that I’m not that crazy about sweets (heh, you wouldn’t know it by the looks of my posts, huh?) I’d much rather have a box of french fries gifted at my doorstep then anything sweet. I’ll obviously eat them if they’re around (case in point: homemade turtles) but these Oreo Truffles? Amazing. They cannot stay in this house or I’ll eat every single last one of them!

So yes, they definitely taste good but once again, I’m left for with the dilemma of presentation. I don’t know how Bakerella does it because while hers look like perfect little snowballs, mine ended up looking like someone took a dump outside and then tried to cover it in snow. I can’t give my neighbors poo balls!

I think I’m going to make the executive decision here and rule the poop nuggets out of contention. That leaves me with either the Personal Pies or Homemade Turtles. Whew, I’m exhausted. I’m probably crashing from all the sugar I’ve digested in the last few days. Maybe I should eat another truffle to help me out…

Posted in: Food.

T&T Trials: Homemade Turtles

Dec 1st, 2009
by bumblev.
No comments yet                                                                                  

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Ugh, I don’t feel so good. I think I ate too many of Twig & Thistle’s Homemade Turtles. Needless to say, they’re ridiculously delicious. Seriously, if you could taste one, you wouldn’t fault me my over indulgence. They’re the perfect size to just pop in your mouth. And then pop another and another and another…

You gotta love that these are so easy and reasonably priced, a perfect gift if you’ve got a ton of people on your list. I, however, only have a handful of people I want to give baked goods to. I know I don’t have endless amounts of free time (thank you, Jackson!) but I think I’m looking for something that has a bit more…hmm, what’s the word? Elegance? I know some of you are wondering why that matters as long as they taste good, right? It matters to me. I think things taste better when the packaging is pretty. Plus, it gives me an excuse to make some fun, crafty packaging!

So, we’ll see. It all depends on if I can think of some great way to package these. Next up: Oreo Truffles!

Posted in: Food.

Thanks Giving

Nov 26th, 2009
by bumblev.
No comments yet                                                                                  

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Hoping that you all have a wonderfully crafty and delicious Thanksgiving!

Posted in: Food.
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T&T Trials: Personal Pies

Nov 25th, 2009
by bumblev.
7 comments                                                                                  

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I know, I know. I’ve got pie on the brain and should change the name of this blog to Pie & More Pies. I promise I’ll get back to crafty things soon!

These cute little pies from Our Best Bites were super easy to make. Since they were just testers, I used a thawed frozen pie crust (I know… gasp!) and the apple filling from the pie pops. If I decide to use these as the little gifts for our neighbors, maybe I’ll try to make the crust from scratch. Although Jackson’s two top teeth are trying to make their grand appearance and my free time has been seriously compromised so that’s a pretty big “maybe.”

I screwed up and bought the wrong mason jars. It was a little difficult getting the dough into the corners so I highly recommend buying the actual jars mentioned in the recipe. Also, I don’t know if the ones I bought were bigger than the standard 1/2 pint but I thought they were kinda big for individual servings. Jim and I easily shared one without getting food aggressive or anything. Heh, I thought the pie pops were too small and now these personal pies are too big? You just can’t please me. Bigger is probably better in this case, don’t want the neighbors to think I’m cheap, right?

So, I guess these are still contenders in the Holiday Neighbor Gifts T&T Trials of 2009. Up next…Homemade Turtles!

Posted in: Food.

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