tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7764594154773476652024-03-12T19:10:49.221-07:00The Smitten ChickenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-12906464023643500372015-02-21T15:54:00.001-08:002015-02-21T15:54:26.503-08:00WreathsI am pretty much OBSSESED with wreaths. I love making them for each different season and/or holiday and I even have them hanging around my house. As I sat down to put up a picture of my latest creation I decided to do a little research on the wreath. So thanks to good old wikipedia I learned a few things about wreaths. <br />
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Let's start with their origin. They were originally used in ancient southern Europe and ancient Greece and Rome. They were worn as an adornment on people's heads.<br />
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There are also a couple different kinds of wreath. The harvest wreath and the advent wreath. Who knew right? I liked what it said about the advent wreath so I am just going to paste the whole thing in here.<br />
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Advent_Wreath">Advent Wreath</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wreath&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Advent Wreath">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3>
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Further information: <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_Wreath" title="Advent Wreath">Advent Wreath</a></div>
Since the classical use and symbolism of wreaths, the meaning and representation has taken on differing views, depending on the culture. In Christianity, wreaths are used to prepare for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent" title="Advent">Advent season</a> or the "coming of Christ."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreath#cite_note-10"><span>[</span>10<span>]</span></a></sup> The first known association with these now modern day wreaths dates back to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheranism" title="Lutheranism">Lutherans</a> in Germany in the 16th century. In 1839, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Hinrich_Wichern" title="Johann Hinrich Wichern">Johann Hinrich Wichern</a> used a wreath made from a cart wheel to educate children about the meaning and purpose of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas" title="Christmas">Christmas</a>, as well as to help them count its approach. For every Sunday of Advent, starting with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, he would put a white candle in the wreath and for every day in between he would use a red candle.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreath#cite_note-11"><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a></sup> The Advent wreath is constructed of evergreens to represent everlasting life brought through Jesus and the circular shape of the wreath represents God, with no beginning and no end. The Advent wreath is now a popular symbol in preparation for the coming of Christ, to mark the beginning of the Christian Church’s year and as décor during the Christmas festivities.<br />
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Being a Christian I like the symbolism and I may need to rethink my Christmas wreath.....<br />
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Now that you have a little background on wreaths.... I guess I can tell you about mine. It has no meaning whatsoever. I don't love wreaths for their history or symbolism, I just think they are pretty. This latest creation was from an idea I found on pinterest. <a href="http://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/02/split-pea-wreath-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Here is the link</a> for the tutorial I followed. She suggested using a green foam wreath form and I strongly support that suggestion. It already took my forever to glue the peas on and I can only imagine if I didn't have the green crutch to lean on. :) So here is my wreath on my door. It is beautiful and I love it. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7O5IeG2niY/VOkai9eHbII/AAAAAAAAADQ/S8QdjKdSMr8/s1600/IMG_2141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7O5IeG2niY/VOkai9eHbII/AAAAAAAAADQ/S8QdjKdSMr8/s1600/IMG_2141.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Warning: This project is very tedious and messy. <br />
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Rachel Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345378870445712062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-18708624227427930562015-02-05T08:20:00.001-08:002015-02-05T10:03:36.735-08:00Valentine's preschool craftI do a preschool at my house for my little girl and her friends. All the moms take turns teaching. It is great! <div>Last week, we started getting ready for Valentine's day. Here is a quick 'how-to' to make these cute Preschool Valentine's Day frames. <div>I found these cute heart frames at Michaels. I painted all of the frames white. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_TAN317f6Jc/VNOYSqc8X6I/AAAAAAAAAQw/ph_yJ5XMcus/s640/blogger-image-1958179022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_TAN317f6Jc/VNOYSqc8X6I/AAAAAAAAAQw/ph_yJ5XMcus/s640/blogger-image-1958179022.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div>Then I cut out hearts from a sponge. I just used a kitchen sponge. Don't worry, it was a new one! <div>Then the kids dipped the sponges in different colors of paint. I used red and two different shades of pink. </div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-C7Jm6GL_JvQ/VNOh6WaUt7I/AAAAAAAAARA/P5bmyGhv7TQ/s640/blogger-image--1543751974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-C7Jm6GL_JvQ/VNOh6WaUt7I/AAAAAAAAARA/P5bmyGhv7TQ/s640/blogger-image--1543751974.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div>I used my Silhouette to cut out the letters. I used one of my favorite fonts called annoying kettle. <div>I replaced the 'o' and the dot on the 'i' with a heart. The shape I used is the heart stamp. I ungrouped the shape and deleted everything except the center heart. Then I copied the heart. One I made smaller to make the dot on the i. The other heart I resized to be the o. </div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Wyt4-KUN57U/VNOn3foT4ZI/AAAAAAAAARY/gYiKHL0_zeI/s640/blogger-image--352780317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Wyt4-KUN57U/VNOn3foT4ZI/AAAAAAAAARY/gYiKHL0_zeI/s640/blogger-image--352780317.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div>I used Mod Podge to attach the letters to the frame. Then I let the kiddos finish decorating with some Valentine's stickers. Each child got a lady bug sticker to put on her frame to go with our little love bug!</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XhGakLTNs_M/VNOn4FTfkeI/AAAAAAAAARg/R0HhN6AIqHY/s640/blogger-image--311949264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XhGakLTNs_M/VNOn4FTfkeI/AAAAAAAAARg/R0HhN6AIqHY/s640/blogger-image--311949264.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Last of all, I took each of the girls pictures and printed them out. Then I put them in a frame to give to their moms. Cute, right? I had so much fun making these with the kids. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And now I have a cute picture to go with my Valentine decorations!</div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m-RKsvyylC8/VNOpaL52s0I/AAAAAAAAARs/GYdCXAO2f4k/s640/blogger-image--993781334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m-RKsvyylC8/VNOpaL52s0I/AAAAAAAAARs/GYdCXAO2f4k/s640/blogger-image--993781334.jpg"></a></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-28470286192246893262015-01-30T16:18:00.001-08:002015-01-30T16:18:35.894-08:00Baby Towels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I am going to a baby shower tonight and my standard gift is of course the hooded towel. One of these days I am going to make a tutorial for them.... but until then here is my pretty little bundle.</div>
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My favorite part of this gift is the tags I recently had made. This is the first thing that I have been able to put them one and they turned out super cute! I love them!! <br />
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I never get to make pink towels for anyone in my house. I have four boys and we are consumed with anything boy. To be honest, I actually have some decorations that I bought for a little girls nursery like... 5 years ago..... they are still sitting in my closet. One day I will just have to decorate my craft room as if it was a little girls nursery. haha. <br />
Happy Friday! What are you working on?Rachel Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345378870445712062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-33636766491763778422014-03-14T15:13:00.000-07:002014-03-14T15:17:30.589-07:00Commitment Shy<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I have some serious commitment issues with home decor. I just can't commit to one style! Or color! Or theme! And then Pinterest was invented and it opens up a whole new world of options! I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. It provides hours of entertainment while nursing a baby at 3 am. It also has so many great ideas! But maybe too many ideas! Now I really can't make up my mind! And let's be honest, with 4 kiddos running around, my house is NEVER going to look like that! </div>
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I also blame it on being temporary. In 9 years of marriage, we have moved 9 times! So I never want to decorate because I am just going to pack it up again! </div>
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Confession time. I have been packing pillow forms with me for 9 years! Because someday I will make pillows to match my super cute home decor and feel like I live on Pinterest Lane. </div>
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I came across this video <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/videos">http://www.danamadeit.com/videos</a> by Dana. Ps can I just be her? She is awesome! Anyway, she does an 8 minute video on making a pillow! Seriously 8 minutes? Now granted it takes a few more minutes than 8 (see previous post, crafting with children) but in a day I was able to make 2 pillows! </div>
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Now I'm committed! My style? Modern? Chic? Who knows. But there are plenty of colors in there to go off of. And with 8 minutes at stake, I may even be able to change my mind!</div>
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Fabric is from Hobby Lobby</div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-7293347632906429062014-02-20T11:19:00.001-08:002014-02-20T11:19:34.745-08:00Crafting With Children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I start the day with great ambitions to get some project done. </div>
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So baby is asleep and I sit down to sew. The rest of my day went something like this: </div>
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"Mom, I'm hungry." said child number 3.</div>
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Stop sewing and go cut up an apple.</div>
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Start to sew.</div>
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"Mom, I can't get the TV to work. Netflix won't load."</div>
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Stop sewing and turn on Blu-Ray player, load Netflix.</div>
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Start to sew. </div>
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"Mom, I'm hungry." said child number 2.</div>
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Stop
sewing and cut up an apple for child number two. Holler at child number 1
"do you want an apple too?" Cut another apple for child number 1.</div>
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Start to sew.</div>
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"Mom, I'm hungry." said child number 3.</div>
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Didn't I just feed you???? Stop sewing and go get crackers for child number 3. Offer crackers to older two as well. (I am getting smarter.)</div>
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Start to sew.</div>
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Fight breaks out!</div>
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"I don't want to watch My Little Ponies. I want to watch H2O!" (By the way, have you seen that show? LAME! I think I prefer Dora!)</div>
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Stop sewing and break up fight by taking away the remote. Fighting has now caused baby to wake up early from his nap. </div>
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End attempt to sew.</div>
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Is anyone else like this? Does this sound like your house? I see all these bloggers with young children whipping out amazing projects that are then photographed in their perfectly put together homes. And I think to myself, did you lock your children in a cage while you crafted? And then set up your house to look like a magazine cover? Or maybe they spent the day at grandmas. Or the month. Or the year. </div>
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So a couple of weeks before Valentines, I see these cute envelopes at PB and I<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> thought I can make that! I had a couple weeks, I could totally get one done for everyone in my family! How cute would it be to send little love notes to each other! I was excited to start a project!</span><br />
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But sadly, this is what I got instead.<br />
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What
I failed to mention is that it has been snowing a ton here! And school
has been cancelled like every other day. And then the week of
Valentines we had off! (who does that? A whole week off of school in
the middle of winter????)</div>
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I
dedicated one day to 'crafting' while the kids were home. I wasn't
going to do anything but get these envelopes done! (Meaning I was going
to clean the house tomorrow and order pizza for dinner :)</div>
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And the above dialogue happened like ALL DAY!</div>
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Except
for one more thing, while I was in the bathroom, child number 3 got
ahold of my rotary cutter and cut perfect little sections off of the
envelope flap! Enough that I have to start over!<br />
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And now Valentines has passed and I am so frustrated with yet another UFO (unfinished object). So I will pack it away until 2 weeks before Valentines Day next year when I see the PB ad and think wouldn't it be so cute to make one of those for each member of my family? And to send love notes to each other? Before I dash off to Michaels to get felt, hopefully, I will remember, oh yeah, I already started that! And I have an envelope flap to redo!</div>
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Crafting with children can be stressful! I started the #10mincreate and #365create as a goal to get something created for at least 10 minutes a day. It is working, slowly, but surely I am getting things crossed off my list. Nap time, bed time and school pick up are my most effective times! Most of all, I am trying not to get so frustrated when they are asking for an apple. After all, I started that project first...THEM!!! And I have come to terms with the fact that my house doesn't look like Pinterest! Just trying to keep it real! And yes, my cutting mat is covered with a crayon masterpiece!</div>
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Crafting with children can be great too! Like when my oldest asks for a sewing basket for her birthday. Or making cards together! Or when I find my pins arranged in such a happy way!</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-45540974232420477092014-02-20T08:50:00.001-08:002014-02-25T11:01:18.023-08:00American Girl doll skirtsWe have a week off for winter break right now. Seriously, who does that? It's too cold and snowy to go anywhere, plus it is tax season which means we really aren't going anywhere! Anyway, I digress.<br />
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So to entertain the kiddos we have been trying to do different themed days. (Thanks to the suggestions of friends and family).</div>
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Today was American Girl doll day. They play with their dolls and I sew for their dolls. Win win!</div>
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So here is a quick tutorial on how to make these skirts. By the way, this is how I make all of our elastic waistband skirts.<br />
And if you don't want to make one, I have them for sale in my etsy shop! Link is in the sidebar! </div>
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Supplies:</div>
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6 x 17 inches piece of fabric</div>
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11 inches of elastic</div>
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Start by sewing the piece of fabric for the skirt together. Sew them right sides together with a 5/8 inch seam. Hem the skirt at this point. If you use the knit ruffle material, you don't need to hem it!</div>
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Sew the elastic together. (See the end of the tut for more help on the elastic). </div>
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Then divide the skirt into 4 equal parts. I have done this with pins as you can see in the pic below. Do the same with the elastic. </div>
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Then match up the pins from the elastic to the pins in the skirt.<br />
You will have more skirt material than elastic so you will have a hole like in the pic below.<br />
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Then as you sew, you will pull on the elastic so it is now even with the skirt. You are gathering the skirt material to the elastic. <br />
I sew from one pin to the next, then readjust my hands. This part takes a bit of practice! Be patient! <br />
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Now for the elastic. Sew it right sides together. Like in the pic below.<br />
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Then open it up and sew 1/4 inch away from your original seam. This makes the elastic more stable with all the pulling that it goes through!<br />
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Now you are done! You can enjoy these American Girl Doll skirts and they don't take very much time to put together!<br />
Thanks for looking at one of my first tutorials ever!<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-20410111546587806852014-01-07T06:34:00.002-08:002014-01-07T06:34:54.423-08:00Do You Have 10 Minutes?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year I am starting something new! New Years' Resolution time, right?<br />
Here's the backstory. I love to sew, crochet, knit, embroider, play with my Silhouette; pretty much ANY kind of crafting, I love!!! But I also love my kiddos and have 4 of them, so I am BUSY! And lets not forget the house that I like to take care of (well mostly, I hate dishes. :) I have a lot of projects that I have started over the years (I think I have heard them called UFOs- unfinished objects). I also have new projects that I want to start! But I NEVER get around to it! <br />
So here is where I came up with #10mincreate! My New Years Resolution is that I am going to spend 10 minutes everyday creating something. #365create Follow along on Instagram! <br />
Everyone has 10 minutes a day, right? Some projects will be kind of slow, but hey, you are creating something 10 minutes at a time! Pictured above are the first 5 days of January for me. I knitted a couple more rows on Kaleb's blanket and I hand bound a doll quilt. Yes, I gave my daughter an unfinished doll quilt for Christmas, lame I know!<br />
I am anxiously waiting in the mail for my Farmer's Wife quilt book. I am going to attack that this tax season with my 10 minutes a day. You can play too! I will keep you updated on how I get this quilt done with 10 minutes a day! <br />
What are you going to create? Do you have 10 minutes?Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-49494842420482622202013-11-18T11:42:00.000-08:002013-11-18T11:44:17.376-08:00Demanding Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has been a while, I know. Truth be told I have a demanding baby who loves to be held... ALL DAY LONG. He doesn't let me put him down for more than 10 minutes at a time. While I do love snuggling my baby, I have other demands... like three older children, a messy house, a messy husband ;), a pile of Christmas presents to make, a mountain of laundry..... you get the picture. If this sweet little baby would just sleep for a couple hours every day I feel like I could be a lot more productive. Since he was born I have been able to get a few projects done, </div>
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I painted my door teal a while ago. I love it! The only problem I have with a teal door is that not all wreaths would look okay with it. So here is what I came up with:</div>
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I bought all the supplies at hobby lobby. The white ribbon is actually connected to the burlap. I used a foam wreath underneath. <br />
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I have recently become obsessed with these:<br />
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This one was made for my neighbor across the street. I used <a href="http://www.feathersflights.com/2012/08/baby-cardigan-onesie-tutorial.html">this tutorial</a> that my crafty sister in law found. You should check out <a href="http://craftycrazies.blogspot.com/">her blog</a>.... she is amazing! She knits... she sews... she even has been sewing her own cloth diapers! I know, right?<br />
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I am going to rededicate myself to posting again. I have lots of things I am trying to get done for Christmas. Don't give up on us yet.<br />
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So you like that picture of my HOT friend over there on the right side bar? I have contemplated putting up a picture of me but it would be a sad picture by comparison. So if you know me, great... otherwise you will just have to guess what I look like for now. :)<br />
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Also, please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors, I am typing with one hand while holding a baby in the other.Rachel Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345378870445712062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-64734690164095554342013-10-03T10:47:00.000-07:002013-10-03T10:47:29.011-07:00Vintage Quilt Eye CandyI think I started a new love affair with vintage quilts. It may help that I am spending WAY too much time on the Ipad these days while I feed the baby. Ha, but it is a good excuse to just browse my little heart out! I find blogs that have posted some. One of my favorite things is to search Ebay for vintage quilts. Then I pin them all on my quilting board on Pinterest. Too.much.fun! And someday <strike>when Kev doesn't think it is a big deal to spend $200 on a quilt,</strike> I may just bid on one. :)<br />
My family took a trip to upstate New York to check out some of the historical sites for <a href="http://lds.org/" target="_blank">our church</a>. I went a bit nuts with the pictures! I love historical sites! I love imagining what life was like back then. I love walking into homes that have been replicated and seeing all their cute dishes, furniture and you guessed it....QUILTS! So here are a few pics from our trip! <br />
Enjoy the quilt eye candy!<br />
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The Smith Home with my girls!<br />
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Flying Geese, probably my fav!<br />
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Isn't this room so cute? Sorry random man in my pic! Guess I should have edited!<br />
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Not a quilt, but I love this rug! So cool! And I will take this little sister missionary home with me! :)<br />
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Pantry, wrong side kiddo!<br />
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My other fav! Don't you love the throw on the end of the bed too?<br />
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Close up<br />
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The fam<br />
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I want to take all those cute dishes!<br />
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Love the red!<br />
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Not a quilt, but I can't get over this chest! So awesome! Can I have it? I think I should own a museum!<br />
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Random story, I was watching Antiques Roadshow the other day and they had a table on there from the 1700's Colonial America! I wanted it! Then they said it was $300,000!!!! Pretty sure I won't be spending that much on a table! Yikes! But it was cool!<br />
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So what is your favorite quilt?<br />
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JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-86053206854445721082013-09-19T14:32:00.001-07:002013-09-19T14:32:15.105-07:00American Girl Dolls Invade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Have you been hit? With 3 girls, I knew it was only a matter of time before.....the invasion of the American Girl dolls! Which in all honesty is partly my fault. When I was little, we got the AG magazine in the mail. I would read that thing like a novel! I loved it! My favorite was Samantha. I loved her long dark hair and Victorian style. Alas, I never got her...sniff, sniff. So I signed up for the magazine and now my girls read it like a novel. They received the Target version for their birthdays, but they are hoping Santa will bring them a real AG! </div>
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So I have been making some things around here for Christmas to go with their current dolls and whatever Santa brings them:) Yep, I am one of those people who get ready months in advance! <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D0EzuCT-6V8/UjIK053VX5I/AAAAAAAAAKg/GogffyclHrM/s1600/IMG_3518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D0EzuCT-6V8/UjIK053VX5I/AAAAAAAAAKg/GogffyclHrM/s320/IMG_3518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Let me tell you about one of my awesome thrift store finds! I found 4 quilt tops! And they were $0.49!!! So I bought them all! They are small and perfect for AG dolls! I picked up a full size sheet as well for a couple of bucks. I am using it as the back of the quilt. Isn't that cute fabric? (Close up proof that it was only $0.49!)<br />
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I made a quilt sandwich! All basted ready to go!<br />
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Another reason I wanted to buy these small quilt tops was to practice some techniques. Something I have always wanted to get good at is free motion quilting. I have done straight stitching and stitch in the ditch. I love the way free motion quilting looks, but have been scared to death to try it! <br />
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I came up with an idea. I am a bit of a perfectionist and I couldn't just rush into it. What if I got stuck in a corner, what if I crossed over a line, etc. You get the idea. So I cut some freezer paper the size of the quilt top and drew out the perfect meander pattern. I ironed it on. Then started quilting. But the safety pins you say! You are right! I marked where all the pins were on the paper, then I would pull the paper up before I got to the pin. I know this is not the most effective! But it worked for me and helped me to get the feel for FMQ without really messing up these beautiful lines I drew.<br />
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Now all I have to do is bind the dang thing! Maybe if my baby would start sleeping through the night I could get some energy. Or if I get my jam done. ;)<br />
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So who is your favorite AG doll? Have you been invaded???? <br />
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JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-79964545122898667332013-09-08T13:43:00.002-07:002013-09-08T13:46:23.329-07:00You know I'm fat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was little my brothers had a Weird Al VHS with a bunch of his music videos on it. VHS... I know I know, I am old... and you all are too if you know what I am talking about. :) I can relate to this song because I just had a baby 8 weeks ago. I have only lost his birth weight. Before you get all crazy and think I have low self esteem.... I don't. I understand it took 9 months to put on and it will take a while to come off. It is just frustrating. It is frustrating to not fit into any of your clothes. I am at that awful stage where maternity clothes are too big, and my regular clothes are too small. There is a pile of clothes on the floor of my closet of all the clothes I have tried on, realized they were too small, and thrown on the ground. I have bought some clothes to wear in the meantime, but don't want to buy too many "fat clothes" because I don't plan on being 20 pounds over weight for very long. :) Which brings me to my point. I haven't been able to craft very much because of my sweet little boy, so I thought I would just share my favorite work out videos. Not all of us can have a gym membership for whatever reason, and workout videos are a perfect way to get in some exercise while the little ones are napping (or in my case crying the whole time). I have A LOT of DVDs. A lot. I say it twice because my husband wants me to get rid of them all. So if for some crazy reason I could only keep 3 they would be these...in no particular order. <br />
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I have more than one biggest loser workout. I LOVE THEM. I like them because you start out with a 30 minute workout and add onto it from there. I like this one because my love handles are always sore after I do it. :)<br />
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I also love any Jillian workout. I like this one because it isn't straight cardio. She does circuits: 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs. It makes it do-able. You also start out easier and work your way up to the hard ones. If you are like my sister Suzy you do all three levels at once holding 15 pound weights in your hand for the whole thing.... but I haven't quite reached that fitness level yet. I also like this DVD because it is 30 minutes for each workout. Great for when you don't have a lot of time.<br />
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Ellen Barret... love her too. She does pilates inspired workouts. All of her DVDs in "The Studio Series" I love. I like variety and her workouts are not as high intensity as the Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels. I like Skinny Sculpt because you are holding light weights for most of the workout so it is a great workout for your arms. Just when you think you can't hold the weights any longer, you switch to abs. She also stretches you very well and I love how you feel at the end of it.<br />
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Even after putting these three down I can still think of a lot more I would never give up. :) Good thing I will never have to. What are your favorite workout DVDs? I am always on the look out for more. Enjoy your work out!Rachel Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345378870445712062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-78603640813012289442013-09-04T14:38:00.000-07:002013-09-04T14:38:00.524-07:00Jam Good<br />
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Every summer I make freezer jam. This summer I was a bit busy with moving across the country and having a baby...or both :), to get any made. In fact, I had a little still in my freezer before we moved away. So my dear California friends got to sample some. I may be a bit stingy with it. :) <br />
When we moved, I went to the store and bought some jam for PB&J. Now you can call me a jam snob. That stuff was GROSS!!! (No offense to Smuckers) My kiddos would hardly touch it. In fact, we have started making PB&H (honey) to make up for it. <br />
I finally gave in and bought some strawberries to make jam! Aren't they pretty? I had to threaten the family to NOT EAT THE STRAWBERRIES so I could save every last one for the jam! <br />
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Here are a few tips for getting the fruit:<br />
1- Buy the berries in season. June is your best month for berries. They will sell for under $2.00/lb. I have found mine for around $1.25/lb.<br />
2- Sometimes the 'pick it yourself' berries in the area aren't that great of a deal! They will charge about what the grocery stores do and you have to do all the work! :) But check, I just haven't found any.<br />
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<b>My biggest secret</b>......Call the farms in the area and ask if they sell jam berries. These are berries that are more ripe than the ones you typically would purchase so they can't sell them at full price! But call ahead, they usually need time to get them ready and set aside for you. I once bought a 5 gallon bucket of raspberries for $15. It was a steal!!!! Also, the strawberries that I bought had the stems all removed. I literally had to wash and mash...fastest jam ever! And the jam tastes better because the berries are more ripe! So call around! But if I can't find any jam berries, you are in trouble! jk<br />
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Here are some of my tips for making great jam:<br />
1- You need strawberries, pectin and sugar. Pectin you can find in the grocery store right next to all the canning supplies. <br />
2- Follow the recipe that comes with your pectin. I am not going to do a tutorial here because each brand of pectin has its own recipe. FOLLOW IT! <br />
3- Measure EXACTLY! Don't guess, don't eye-ball it, measure exactly! If you don't, your jam won't set. There are also different recipes included in the pack for other berries, combos or even cooked jam (just do freezer jam, it is sooooo much easier!)<br />
4- I like to use the Sure-Jell brand pictured above. It calls for less sugar than most pectins do. My opinion is that this jam tastes more like the original strawberry. It also has a recipe you can make with Splenda, but that stuff makes me sick. :)<br />
5- I mash my berries with a potato masher. I don't like to blend it because I like chunks of fruit in my jam.<br />
6- Enlist the hubby! Seriously, they are great mashers!<br />
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Then sit back and enjoy your hard work! Aren't they beautiful!?! And now you are a domestic goddess! And will never eat store bought jam again! Welcome to the jam snob club! Its just so jam good! :)<br />
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That's what I have been doing this week. Oh and these cuties started school. The one in the middle thinks she is big enough to go to. :) There may or not have been tears this last week from her....and me! I am having fun with my babies here at home! So cliche, but when did they get so big????<br />
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Happy Jamming<br />
JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-2024991722917847932013-09-02T12:50:00.000-07:002013-09-02T12:53:00.585-07:00My name is Rachel... And I am addicted to crafting. I love sewing, crocheting, cross stitching..... Pretty much anything that will keep me away from house work. I despise doing dishes, laundry, and especially picking up everyone's crap around my house. With 4 little boys (and one fully grown boy) tearing through my house you can imagine the amount of mess I am dealing with! My addiction doesn't help my problem either. When I am working on a project my craft room looks like a tornado hit it. Ok, maybe not a tornado, I live in Oklahoma and I have seen destruction from a tornado.... but it does get pretty messy.<br />
Jen and I have been friends since our oldest kids were babies. Our husbands both attended the same college, and we became fast friends. After a couple of years (and a couple of babies) we all graduated and moved on. We now have lived in different states for longer than we ever lived by each other. We still talk every day, and it is honestly crazy to think that it has been 4 years since we lived in the same state. <br />
We seriously have been talking about doing this blog for over a year, and we are excited to finally get it going. Jen explained pretty well what this will be about. I am excited to share a little bit of my life and see what Jen is up to! Since Jen posted a picture of her wearing her moby...here I am in my moby with my baby. :)<br />
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Funny story: My mom was checking this blog and she saw the picture of Jen and her baby... and she said, "Is that a picture of you on the blog?" I had to laugh.... because if you saw us in person you would see that Jen is a GIANT and I am a SHRIMP. Good thing my mom didn't even recognize me. Oh, by the way... have you ever read "The Selection?" It is pretty much one of my favorite book series I have read. It is like the royal edition of the bachelor. LOVE IT. The third book hasn't come out yet, so I guess we will see how it ends. I wanted to buy Downton Abbey on DVD until I saw how they ended last season. I don't know if they can come back from that. I will still watch it though. :)<br />
<br />Rachel Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345378870445712062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-42009463681329252822013-08-28T16:27:00.000-07:002013-08-28T16:27:43.900-07:00Welcome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have wanted to do a blog like this forever! So now that hardly anyone blogs and you just use Pinterest or Instagram, we are going to launch this anyway! I will be posting at the beginning of the week (don't judge me if it is 11:59pm Wednesday night:) and you get to hear from Rachel at the end of the week.<br />
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So what is <span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Smitten Chicken</b></span>? Whelp, it is kind of a catch all for everything we like to do. We thought up catch phrases to go with our blog. For example, The Smitten Chicken - chicks who dig anything and everything OR The Smitten Chicken - diggin up some great stuff! And it just digressed even further from there! :) There isn't a real reason why we chose this name, we just thought it was funny. What can you expect from hanging out here? Projects we are working on, both around the house and anything crafty; pics or stories of kiddos here and there; some yummy recipes and just anything we may be smitten about!<br />
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Here comes the hardest part of the blog for me, introduction! I sort of hate introducing myself. So here goes- my name is Jen. I have 4 children- 3 girls and a baby boy. He is the reason I am always on Pinterest and fb. I am always feeding him! 6 weeks after he was born, we moved from California to Connecticut. I would suggest never doing that with a new baby! My husband is a CPA. So you will probably hear me complain about tax season come January. He works crazy hours that time of year. Oh yeah, I'm introducing me. :) I love to sew! And do anything crafty! I am excited to show you some of my projects! Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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JenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-37886262461033123272012-10-10T17:53:00.001-07:002012-10-10T17:53:36.973-07:00Pajama Pants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am using pattern B5723 from Butterick with my own modifications. :) We will be sewing with a 5/8 inch seam unless otherwise stated. (FYI: This is the basic seam allowance on clothing items)<br />
Cutting:
If you have fleece you can just cut it out with the pattern on top.
With flannel you need to first bring the bottom to the top and cut your
fabric in half. (So for the 2 1/2 yards, you will now have 2 piece of 1
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Then you need to open up your fabric and lay one piece with
the pattern facing down. Then put the other piece on top, wrong sides
together.<br />
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Placing the pattern: Then you need to place the pattern on the fabric. You need to locate the line running down the middle of your pattern called the grainline. <br />
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You then need to measure from the center of the grainline to the selvage edge. Mine was 16 inches. Then you measure from the right side of the grainline to the selvage edge and the left side of the grainline to the selvage edge. They should all equal the same amount. You are essentially trying to get the grainline straight.<br />
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Then moving you hands from the grainline, pin down the edges of the pattern.<br />
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Cut out around the pattern.<br />
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Notching: After you have cut out your pattern piece, you need to look on your pattern for little arrows. These are notches. I just cut into the arrow or triangle. There is usually one or two. Cut both if there are two. You will need these notches later to line up your fabric for sewing.<br />
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Don't Forget: Measure 1 7/16 inches (I know, weird number, but trust me!) from the top. Mark it with a pin on both fabric pieces. Then from your first pin, measure 7/8 of an inch and mark with another pin.<br />
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Sewing: With right sides together (this means the side with the design on it), pin each pant leg together making sure to match notches and edges of the fabric. You will be making a tube that looks like legs. You will have 2 and you are not to sew them together....yet. Then sew! <br />
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Don't forget: to backstitch at the beginning of your seam and the end! You will do this ANYTIME you sew.<br />
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Pressing: The difference between an article of clothing that looks homemade and one that people question whether it is homemade is pressing! You need to press open any seam you sew. (Above is un-pressed-is that a word?)<br />
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Press!<br />
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Ahhhh, much better!<br />
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Pinning: Now put one pant leg inside the other one, right sides together. (Do you see my marking pins near my hand?) You will match notches in the fabric and the seams you previously sewed. (and edges of the fabric.)<br />
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Sewing: Then sew around where you just pinned. When you get to your marking pins (remember the 1 7/16 pin?) you need to backstitch. <br />
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Then pick up your needle and drop it again and start sewing at your
other marking pin. Remember to backstitch. So yes, you just created a
hole in your pants!<br />
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Then you need to sew 1/4 of an inch away from where you just sewed. So you will be sewing on the 3/8 seam allowance line. You don't need to do this around the whole thing. Either from notch to notch or about where my finger is pointing...<br />
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.....to down here!<br />
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Cutting: Then trim the extra fabric from the points you just sewed the 3/8 inch seam, close to the seam. Don't cut through the stitching!<br />
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Press: Yes, you guessed it, press again!<br />
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Press: From the top, measure 1 1/4 inch.<br />
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Then press that down the entire way around the top.<br />
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Press: When you are done, open it back up. Measure 1/4 inch.<br />
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Now press that down all the way around the top. (Do you see our previous pressing line below where we are ironing now?)<br />
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Sewing: Starting at the back of your pants (don't forget to backstitch!) sew right along the edge of where we first pressed at the top (the 1 1/4 inch). It isn't even really 1/8 inch. Just as close to the edge as you can.<br />
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Sewing: Now turn under the second line we pressed (the 1/4) and sew that near the edge. Do you see our first set of sewing?<br />
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Double check: Remember that hole that we sewed into our pants? You need to check at this point if your hole is center between the 2 lines you just sewed. I will give you a hint: This is where the drawstring is going to come out!<br />
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Hem: Measure 1 inch from the bottom of the pant leg.<br />
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Press: And you guessed it, press it!<br />
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Now open it up and you will fold the edge of the fabric to the line you just pressed. Then fold it again so it looks like this! Nice and clean hem with no raw edges.<br />
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Sewing: I always start with a pin to hold down the fold. Then go around the entire pant leg and sew the hem. Do this to both pant legs.<br />
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This is it for today! Stay tuned for the great reveal and a tutorial on how to do the drawstring!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-61636969665843208282012-08-19T15:37:00.001-07:002012-08-19T15:37:24.793-07:00Lace Skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw this skirt on Pinterest. And loved it! The link for the tutorial is <a href="http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2010/11/lace-for-days-skirt.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I made a few changes in the tutorial, to make it easier. <br />
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1) Sew the skirt (side seams). Don't sew the back of the skirt! So you will have a long continuous piece. <br />
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2) Sew the lace to the skirt, starting at the bottom of the skirt. I used a zig-zag stitch because my lace was a crocheted type. <br />
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3) Once the bottom layer of lace is sewn on, line up the next row of lace based on your bottom piece. Continue up the rest of the skirt.<br />
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4) After all the lace is sown on, then sew your back seam and put the zipper in.<br />
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And there you have it! A lace skirt!!!!<br />
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-86477072652059781742011-06-13T15:21:00.001-07:002011-06-20T10:30:38.372-07:00Poop CookiesSounds disgusting doesn't it? The cookies are actually called no bake cookies. These cookies are very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">nostalgic</span> for me. From as far back as I can remember my mom would make these for us. I think they were my dad's favorite or something. As kids we decided that they looked like some sort of droppings, hence the name.... poop cookies. I have passed this on to my own children, unfortunately, and the poop cookie legacy lives on.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--gxGAFYucUI/Tf-A46RniOI/AAAAAAAAAA4/K0k8eVbu0NQ/s1600/064.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620352575185848546" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--gxGAFYucUI/Tf-A46RniOI/AAAAAAAAAA4/K0k8eVbu0NQ/s400/064.JPG" /></a> I actually really like making these because THEY DON'T TAKE VERY MUCH TIME. And you don't have to turn your oven on. In no time at all you can have a wonderfully delicious chocolate peanut butter treat. I will have to give stuff like this up soon when I am trying to lose the baby weight, but until then..... I can't help myself. The key to this recipe is all timing. You only boil the ingredients for 1 minute and have to hurry to put them on the wax paper. If you boil them just right they turn out shiny. Look how shiny and perfect they are mom. I was proud of this batch.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xojMXvHtzao/Tf-A4e_8lUI/AAAAAAAAAAw/E5JzREaMLsU/s1600/067.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620352567863973186" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xojMXvHtzao/Tf-A4e_8lUI/AAAAAAAAAAw/E5JzREaMLsU/s400/067.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><div>"Poop Cookies"</div><br /><br /><div>2 1/2 cups sugar</div><br /><div>3 Tablespoons cocoa</div><br /><div>1/2 cup milk</div><br /><div>1 stick of butter</div><br /><div>1/2 cut peanut butter</div><br /><div>3 cups quick oatmeal</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Boil sugar, cocoa, milk and butter together for 1 MINUTE. Remove from heat.</div><br /><br /><div>Add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal</div><br /><br /><div>Drop by teaspoons on on waxed paper and cool.</div><br /><br /><div>Enjoy! </div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 78px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620354778238046866" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yAz29dXu7Uw/Tf-C5JSMUpI/AAAAAAAAABA/e5EfQMsJkB4/s400/Signature.png" /></div>Rachel Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345378870445712062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-776459415477347665.post-60379734719366689362011-05-26T13:43:00.001-07:002011-05-26T14:33:32.808-07:00Moving up in the World-Chest of Drawers Re-DoBefore we moved, we got some new furniture. I mean, 'new to us' furniture. Which means.....<span style="font-weight: bold;"> RE-DO</span>!<br />Previous to our move, we were using an old entertainment center for our girls' room. Nice, eh? Wish I had thought to take a pic of that! So we went to the coolest store ever and found two matching dressers. I mean same shape. One was green and one was blue. This pic is of the dresser partially sanded. We found that sanding was more effective than the paint stripper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eB542wt9n2I/Td69Q2DHs-I/AAAAAAAAAAU/qySW3PsDZJs/s1600/901.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eB542wt9n2I/Td69Q2DHs-I/AAAAAAAAAAU/qySW3PsDZJs/s320/901.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611130282834375650" border="0" /></a><br />Here is the finished project! After layers and layers of stain and wiping it off, we got just the right color!<br />I think this will look better in the girls' room than the entertainment center. What do you think?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPjSsspOyEs/Td675KqFkDI/AAAAAAAAAAM/4oGzpLbPLp0/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPjSsspOyEs/Td675KqFkDI/AAAAAAAAAAM/4oGzpLbPLp0/s320/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611128776538034226" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848141520570638721noreply@blogger.com0