Coming along.

The new house is coming along, as you can see! Of course I continue to operate iCraft, though I admit that my "job" recently has been to oversee the hundreds (thousands?) of details that will go into making this board and concrete and Tyvek-wrapped creation a home. Daunting? Yes. But fun too!

Also getting geared up for another craft show the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If you're in the Omaha area that day, stop by Millard South High School (I'll be in the gym) for some Christmas shopping!

Unrelated, I am hosting Thanksgiving for the second year in a row! The only thing I don't like to do is clean the turkey and cook the innards for gravy. Blech. However, I plan to do like I did last year and cook my potatoes the night before, then put them in the crockpot on Thanksgiving day. Super-great time saver! Because really, who wants to stand over a pot of boiling potatoes when they can be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Halloween costumes (part 2 and 3).

So I know it's like a week after the fact, but please bear with me as I have been battling a cold and lost my voice for several days. Even now, you'd think I smoked a pack a day for the last 10 years judging by the gravelly, Kathleen Turner-ish quality of my voice! (For the record, I don't smoke!)

Halloween was a huge success around here and since I shared Lauren's costume I am compelled to share the other two. Earlier this fall I convinced Grace that she should be a witch for Halloween. As a preschooler, I wore the same witch's costume for probably three years running, so I was thinking it would be nice if at least one of my daughters followed suit! She agreed, and we put together an outfit consisting of a black and purple tutu (handmade), sparkly witch's broom, and hat. We also figured a black and purple witch-themed Halloween t-shirt and a pair of black leggings would be good to round out everything (thanks, Target, for the broom, hat, and tee!). Here she is in the Halloween parade at school - totally crummy photo but it's the best one with the whole ensemble:

I must note that she wasn't thrilled with the witch thing after all. I think there were a few too many in her class, and she ended up pleading with me to let her wear fairy wings with it for trick-or-treating, to be a "Butterfly Witch." Luckily she sort of forgot that request by the time they were running out the door, so I didn't have to track down the wings after all. Whew!

And the other costume? Well, that involved quite the decision-making process for Reed (the boy who has a tough time getting excited about any Halloween costume)...and as you can see, he decided upon being abducted by an alien. We expect him home any day.

Seriously, this costume was work. But it was worth it, even though he didn't care for the scores of moms who took his picture at school because they liked the costume and wanted to save the idea for next year. He told me, "Mom, that must be what it feels like to be a celebrity, with the paparazzi taking your picture all the time." I know he secretly enjoyed the attention and he was pleased that so many people were visibly taken aback by the illusion of the costume. If you want the skinny on how to accomplish this look, go to Family Fun and take a gander at the instructions. I will warn you - it involves paper mache, paint, and lots of safety pins.

I have to admit that I am glad Halloween is over. I enjoy the event itself, just not all of the hoopla that leads up to it! I guess I'm a traditionalist and I want to properly enjoy each holiday in its own time! Which means I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, and will not put up any Christmasy thing until at least the day after Thanksgiving. Call me old-fashioned...

Halloween costumes (part 1).

The first of 3 costumes this year is done, thank you very much! With two days to spare before the class Halloween parties! I have to say I am pleased this year that all of my kids decided (well, more like agreed) to have at least a portion of their costume handmade. I am a big fan of pulling together a costume with what you have, not so much by going out and buying a prepackaged get-up. Don't get me wrong...we've had plenty of those (Thomas the Train, Mr. Incredible, Minnie Mouse, Superman, The Cat in the Hat, I could go on...). The prepackaged ones were actually great when they were littler - easy to put on, the effect was instantaneous, and it was, well, easy. Not everything can be easy with 3 kids all just 2 years apart.

Anyway, this year we came up with some good ideas I think. Lauren is going to be a zookeeper, which fits well with her love of animals and her current second-grade ambition to become a zookeeper someday. The costume was SIMPLE! I spent a grand total of $2.50 at Goodwill for a khaki shirt (which is corduroy, luckily she didn't care) and a greenish-khaki bucket hat. She has a laminated name tag from a zoo camp she did this summer, and plans to carry her favorite stuffed tiger, "Cubby."

The final piece of the costume? She requested patches for the shirt. Hmmm. I considered going to the zoo and looking in the gift shop, but at the last minute had a brainstorm to see if I could make patches myself. Here's what I did:

Got online and found images of several logos for our local zoo. I then copied them over to a blank document in Publisher, and included a khaki-colored box behind the image (my first attempt didn't include the box, but then the "patches" ended up being too white). I printed the images onto "inkjet fabric sheets" (purchased at Joann's awhile ago, so I had these on hand), then followed the instructions to make the ink colorfast. Next I sewed each image onto a piece of fusible interfacing, then trimmed and ironed onto the shirt. The final touch - a tight zigzag stitch around all edges to firmly attach to the shirt. I think they turned out well, and I know my little zookeeper will love the extra detail!


The great thing about these patches is that you could adapt this to a lot of different costumes. Flags or NASA images for an astronaut comes to mind, or anything that needs a logo to look more "official." If the inkjet fabric is too complicated, you could easily print it out on paper and run it through a sticker machine to adhere to the costume...you could even sew paper or cardstock onto the costume. Just remember that if you use a logo, it truly has to be for personal use - not for anything you'd consider reselling!

OK, one down, two to go...

More minky to share.

Kudos to Chelsey Brakke from Itzy Bitzy Baby for creating this gorgeous Minky blanket! I love the addition of the loops along the edge...so fun for a baby to play with! And I am seriously loving the argyle print with the lovely chocolate brown. It's a little known fact that I am a sucker for argyle! Check out her shop, she has lots of goodies for babies including more of the minky "loveys," headbands, bows, and super-cute leggings. Thanks for the photos, Chelsey, you did a fantastic job!

The big dig.

Construction has begun. Hooray!

Minky blanket.

Check it out, Tamara in Kansas City made this gorgeous Minky blanket for her niece! Excellent job, what a lucky girl to receive this!

As I've said before, I would LOVE for you to send me photos of your creations, either from a tutorial or from fabric you've purchased from me. I'll post the photos and link to your blog or shop as well!

I'm pleased that so many of you have found my tutorial helpful. I have a few other tutorials in mind, including a zippered pouch, a simple tote bag, and an easy strap for a bag. What do you think, which would you like to see first?

Work.

I remind myself that I am lucky. I sit here in my pajamas, coffee by my side, snow outside the window (again, sigh), while conversing through my laptop with a woman in Ukraine about a fabric order. Later I will cut and package an order to be sent to France, another to go to Singapore. Am I really a worldly woman of international business? Or just a gal in pj's with some fabric to sell?

I love this little business of mine. Yet, with all three kids at school and a college degree sitting dormant, there is a part of me that is feeling left behind. I've been looking into re-entering the official work force and truthfully, it scares me! I have been home for almost 10 years! I feel like a 34 year-old dinosaur with very few qualifications. I can make a mean PB&J, and I can predict how high a fever is quite accurately with just a kiss to the forehead...but I don't think those skills will translate well to a resume.

I am lucky. I know this. I don't have to find a job today, and I can be picky in regards to what I want to pursue. And in the meantime I can sell some fabric, all from the comfort of my pj's.

For real?

Last time I checked, it was still October...but it looks like December decided to make a surprise visit in the night!

Coffee break.

i brought the Starbucks, he gave me a tour of the remodeled bathroom. then, we talked houses and jobs. love spending time with my dad.

Good Folks quilt.

My iCraft fabric shop on Etsy has been on vacation lately, have you noticed? With everything going on with the house, and with the sewing flurry for the upcoming show, it just made sense. I am a terrible multitasker (if you don't believe me, ask my kids!) and I do SO much better when I can focus on one thing at a time. Hence putting iCraft on vacation.

But while I have been away it is evident that great things are coming from the pretty textiles I sell. Take a look at the gorgeous quilt made by Linda Hall, using blues and greens from Anna Maria's Good Folks collection. Such talent!