Here’s a little peek at another Christmas gift I made recently. Details posted at my holiday blog. Leave me a comment or send me an email if you don’t have that address.

Beth at Remarkably Domestic recently tagged me for this post. If you aren’t familiar with her blog, please check it out! I started reading it last year for her her hilarious posts about working her way through the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts and have been hooked ever since.

OK, here are my quickly compiled highlights:

Most Beautiful Post: Last Minute Valentine

I’m taking my cue from Beth a bit and highlighting a sentimental post. Since I don’t really write much about my personal life, or showcase photos of anything other than craft projects, this is the best I could come up with _ a craft project that highlights a sweet drawing my son made for me.

Most Popular Post: A Busytown Birthday

This post by far drives more traffic to my blog than any other. Sadly, we just sold the Busytown building set at a yardsale last weekend, it’s all LEGOs all the time here now. But at least the stuffed Huckle is still around.

Most Controversial Post: More Silhouette Shirts
I don’t think any of my posts have generated any real controversy, but this one includes a picture I took of Sarah Palin, who is nothing if not controversial.

Most Helpful Post: Valentine Pocket Warmers

I have no idea if anyone has actually made any of these, but I think it could be very helpful for someone looking to make a bunch of small gifts quickly and cheaply (17 cents worth of flannel per hand warmer!)

A Post Whose Success Surprised Me: Travel Game Folios

This project got featured on a few other websites, which was surprising given that it was a last-minute, thrown together idea. To be honest, battleship ended up being a bit too complicated for my 6-year-old, and he ended up drawing on the OUTSIDE of the folder as well as the wipe-off surface, but it did keep him occupied through several long meals while we were on vacation.

A Post That Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved: Have a HOLLY jolly Christmas

I really enjoyed coming up with a bunch of different ways to turn children’s artwork into Christmas gifts, beyond the usual “make wrapping paper” idea.

The Post I’m Most Proud of: Find your way to better vacation souvenirs

This was my very first post! It still amazes me that somehow since then, people in every state and 140 other countries have found their way here. Appropriately enough, that first post is about using maps to decorate.

I made this quilt last weekend for my cousin who is having a baby girl in September. I used a free project at the Moda Bake Shop site, and a “layer cake” (10″ squares) that my friend gave me last Christmas. This project only required 20 10X10 squares, so I have some left over for something else. This pattern really looks much better if you use fabric that has more contrast. A lot of my squares kind of fade into each other. BUT, it is for a baby, so she probably won’t be too picky. (I know, babies DO like contrast, but you know what I mean.) This was my first time sewing the binding on by machine rather than hand-stitching the back. It was not a great success. I found it very hard to catch the binding evenly on the back. But again, it’s for a baby. I also had some trouble with the free-motion stippling quilting. At one point, after I changed bobbin thread, something must’ve been off because I quilted at least half the quilt before realizing that while the front looked fine, the stitching on the back was all loose and messed up, so I had to rip it all out.

Other than that, this was a VERY easy and quick project, especially since I did not add the extra borders called for in the directions. I found that I could stack at least six layers and cut them all at once with a rotary cutter. My only quibble is that there is quite a bit of wasted fabric, and I feel like a project that calls for a specific size pre-cut of fabric should use as much as possible. So, after I finished this quilt I figured out a way to make similar blocks but using more of the fabric. With the original directions, you end up with 6-inch blocks (that end up as 5.5 inches once they’re sewn into the quilt top). With my new method, you end up with 9-inch blocks.

Here’s how I would cut the 10″ squares if I was starting over:

Technically, these ARE runway fashions, since I made some of them on the plane on our way home from France! These were for my niece, who turned six this week. She has a nice little collection of Barbie doll clothes that my great-aunt made for me and my sister when we were little, and now that I’ve made this batch, I realize how much WORK went into those clothes! I used a few different patterns that I bought when they went on sale for $1.99 at Jo-Ann’s. They are almost entirely sewn by hand, except I did make tiny machine-stitched hems on pieces of fabric BEFORE I cut out the various pattern pieces, so I would have the legs of the pants, for example, already hemmed. Hand-sewing is not my strength, though I think I found this process easier than I would have had I tried to feed such tiny scraps through my machine.

I also made my nephew, who just turned 7, a fort kit, like the one I made a few months ago. Again, I used the Silhouette machine to cut out the iron-on lettering/image for the bag. This time I used cheap flat sheets from IKEA, and some striped IKEA fabric for the bag.

Still recovering from our wonderful trip, we had an equally wonderful day today with our friends and family. I had to work this morning, but since that involved following presidential candidates along a parade route, I at least got to enjoy being outside and celebrating the 4th of July. (of course, that also meant walking all the way back to my car when the parade was over). Then headed home for a cookout with my husband’s family and several of my son’s friends and their families. My husband’s burgers and potato salad featuring his hand-cured bacon were amazing, and my contribution wasn’t bad either:

I tried to make a seven-minute frosting, which failed miserably, so at the last second I had to make some buttercream. I got the idea from Glorious Treats, who got it from 17 and Baking. It actually was not difficult, though it was time consuming. (I made the cakes a day ahead). Not in a million years would I have figured out on my own how to get that effect, but really it just involves tinting the cake layers and cutting a circle out of certain layers using a cookie cutter. I’m already looking forward to bringing some to work tomorrow!

More sewing for me! This is the Lisette Market Skirt and Top, made in the exact same fabric as pictured on the pattern envelope. Not very original of me, but the fabric was 50 percent off, and I like pink! I admit, the skirt fabric is not something I would have picked out on my own, and even when I was making the skirt, I was having second thoughts, but once it was all together I do like it.

I’m not sure how much I like the skirt and top together. It’s a bit LOUDER than my usual style. But I wore the outfit to work this week and got several compliments.

Both projects were fairly easy to sew, even though I have never made a pleated skirt before. The only part I wasn’t sure of was the twill tape used for the skirt waistband. It wasn’t clear to me whether I should be folding over the raw edges of the top of the skirt and then covering them with the tape (so both edges of the tape would be exposed on the inside), or if it was more like sewing a quilt binding, with the tape folded over. (I did the latter). I asked my husband if anything looked wrinkled when he was taking this picture, and he said no, but now I see how wrinkled the skirt is! It looks much better freshly ironed.

I made a size 8 in the skirt. My waist measurement puts me at a 10 but since this sits below the waist, I went by my hip measurement. I ended up taking in the sides even a bit more, so maybe I could’ve gone with a 6.

The top was very easy to make. I made a 6 and it fits well, though I wish I had made it a bit longer.

I have not packed anything for myself yet for my trip, yet I keep trying to squeeze in a few more craft and sewing projects! Here are some little travel game folders I made for my son and the friend who will be traveling with us.

I got the idea from THIS tutorial at Creating My Way to Success, and had originally planned to follow her instructions to make a fabric folder with paper Battleship game sheets. But I knew I didn’t have time to do that, so I improvised with cardboard, and added a plastic sheet so the game board can be re-usable.

I made both of these out of one recyled cereal box. I started with a piece of cardboard from the box roughly 10.5″ X 6.5″ (I say roughly, because even when I use my paper trimmer, I can never cut cardboard or cardstock straight. It’s always crooked, and even when I measure the midpoint to fold it in half, still crooked). I cut a piece of transparency film slightly smaller (No idea why I bought this film. Probably for some failed project. I’m thinking you could also use a plastic file-folder or clear document sleeve?) and sewed it to the carboard in three places: right along the fold, and along both the top and bottom. That creates two pockets that are open on both sides for the game pages to slide in and out.
I didn’t add them until later, but that would have been the best time to add the little loop of elastic in the fold to hold the marker, and the elastic on the outside for the closure.
I covered the fronts (which had the cereal box graphics on them) with some adhesive cardstock I think I have had for about 10 years. I used to be like that when I did paper scrapbooking _ always hestitating to use the “good stuff” and then never using it. For the green version, I did the sewing after adhering the cardstock, but I like the orange version better. The buttons are glued on.

In addition to Battleship, I downloaded and re-sized pages for tic-tac-toe, two dot games and lined paper for writing. For some, I printed them back-to-back, but left some blank, in case the kids just want to draw/doodle. (Just google “pencil and paper travel games” and you’ll find some).

Here are some links to the sites where I found the printable games:
Pencil & Paper Games from the editors of FamilyEducation
Battleship printable from MomsMinivan.com
Pencil and Paper Games from Today’s Parent

We tried these out with just regular markers, and they wiped off fine using a paper towel or a scrap of flannel, though they smudge pretty easily. Would dry-erase markers be better?

I quickly tried to teach my son how to play Battleship this morning and he was still a bit confused about following the grid to find the right box, so we’ll see how that goes…

Just in time for our big vacation to France (!!!), I made this Passport Dress from Sew Lisette (Simplicity 2209). I really like this line of patterns by Liesl Gibson, the designer of the Oliver + S children’s patterns. In fact, I bought 3 of the 4 patterns when Jo-Ann’s had the Simplicity pattern sale for 5 for $5. The Lisette line of fabric was also on sale for 50 percent off, so I stocked up and plan to make the jacket that goes with this dress out of a green twill, a skirt, top and another dress. We’ll see how well that goes!

This dress was surprisingly easy to make, though my measurements are a bit challenging in that I have a small top and hips, and larger waist in comparison. So I made the waist a little bigger. And I had to chop at least three inches off the length of the skirt. The top is still a little loose, so I will have to wear my super-padded bra and stand up straight! (I’m also noticing a weird crease in the top of the picture, but that isn’t there now).
My husband actually noticed and complimented the diagonal darts at the waist (hard to see with this print), and said the dress made me look taller (I think that’s the high heels!). It’s not Paris chic but it will do!

More shirts made with my Silhouette machine, this time using the smooth heat-transfer material instead of the flocked. Again, I used coloring book pages for the designs, though I tweaked them a bit in Photoshop to get rid of some of the details and make the outlines thicker.
I nearly gave up on the Millennium Falcon — SO many tiny pieces of vinyl to peel away. I accidentally pulled off a large piece with a bunch of little pieces and was complaining to my husband, who told me to get a grip: the six-year-old who gets this shirt is not going to notice. He’s probably right.

This shirt is for my niece who turns six next month and is in a My Little Pony phase right now. Personally, I think they’re a little creepy looking, but MUCH easier to cut out than the Star Wars ship!

I realize I haven’t been posting much lately. My job is getting hectic with all the presidential candidates, and possible candidates, coming through. Yesterday, for example, I spent several hours waiting outside a hotel for this:

Thank you so much for all the kind words. It was especially nice to read them this week when I was in Chicago for work, learning how to shoot video for AP and pretty much feeling like a failure! (Example: the time I approached someone at a bus stop, got her to put on a microphone, did my whole interview and FORGOT TO PRESS RECORD. And then pressed it to “stop” but actually STARTED recording … and came back with 20 minutes of video of me putting the camera in the bag and carrying it around. NICE.)
Anyway, the winner of both the whale pillow and the hairpins is Jessica, who wrote:
“I just love the whale! he would look great in my son’s bedroom. Thanks for the giveaway!”

And…. I’ve decided to give away another set of hairpins since those were so easy to make. I will make a custom set of 4 pins for Stephanie, who wrote: “Oh the whale is adorable, and I LOVE the little bobby pins…hair accessories are my weakness.” Stephanie, let me know what colors you’d like for your set. Obviously, I won’t be shipping them by today, but it should be soon!