Crafty Brooklyn Army Wife

Kid's Roll-Up Nap Blanket

2012-06-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Kid's Roll-Up Blanket

Hello Everyone,

I finally finished my Kid's Roll-Up Nap Blanket for my nephew "M" that Sew4Home had on their website. I had so much fun picking out the fabrics with my Mom and making it was even more fun. The instructions on Sew4Home's website were very easy and they have pictures to go along with each step. They also have so many beautiful things to make for your family or home.

*Note: I was trying out my portrait lens when I took these pictures, so they came out not as pretty as I would have liked.

I love both coordinating fabrics and the blue fleece. This was also my first attempt at binding a blanket. It was a little trying at times, but, I'm sure with practice it will come out better.

I used a lot of batting so that when "M" would nap he would be comfortable, but, I didn't anticipate when you rolled it up that it would be difficult to close. So, with the help from "E" we rolled up tight and I think my sister will have a good time taking care of that. LOL

I also made homemade labels that I found at Sew May Ways website. I love that I can personalize a project this way.

When my sister "E" received it in the mail the other day, she absolutely loved it. The nicest compliment was from her husband "E" and her neighbors on the block who thought she bought it from a store.

Hope you all have a wonderful week. I am linking up with these parties and TCB.

Patch

2012-06-01T18:16:00.000-04:00

Today would have been Patch's 16th birthday. We lost him 2 years ago and miss him terribly. We know he is in a better place, but, our hearts are still ache.

He loved when we would sing him "Happy Birthday". We so loved our one-eyed wonder cat.

Holly misses you!!!

Memorial Day

2012-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Most people (and I used to be one of them when I was younger), considered Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, as the unofficial start to summer. There is so much more to this important national holiday. It’s our country’s remembrance and tribute to our fallen heroes, the men and women who died defending our country while serving in the American military. Because of these brave American Soldiers, we are able to live as a free nation. Good and bad, America is still the best country in the world, thank you to those who gave up their lives to defend its freedom.

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Today, honoring Soldiers on Memorial Day often takes the form of special ceremonies, speeches, and laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades.

The tradition of the red poppy has become a formality of Memorial Day which is often overlooked. Inspired by a poem entitled, In Flanders Fields, the poppy has become the flower symbol for the Memorial Day Holiday. From the poem, written by Canadian physician and soldier John McCrae, we develop a sense that the poppy represents the blood shed by soldiers during times of war. After World War I, many women began selling red poppies in honor of Memorial Day, to raise money for families affected by the war.

Thank you to all the Military men and women who have served and are serving our country, sacrificing their lives for our freedom. Thank you E for all you have sacrificed and for keeping our country safe. I love you so very much!!

E in Iraq

Happy Mother's Day!!

2012-05-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

We just want to wish my Mom a very Happy Mother's Day! We wish we could be there to celebrate and share your special day with you. You are such a wonderful woman, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, daughter and friend. We love and miss you very much!!!

To my sister E, we wish you a very Happy Mother's Day and wish we could be there to celebrate with you too. You are such an amazing Mom to our nephews G and M, daughter, wife, sister, sister-in-law and friend. We love you and miss you!!

To my MIL, we wish you a very Happy Mother's Day and also wish we could be there to celebrate with you. You are a wonderful Wife, Mother, MIL and Grandmother. Thank you for having E...otherwise I would have never met my soul mate, the man of my dreams and my best friend.

Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends who are Mom's to children and fur babies!!

Have a wonderful day!!

2012-05-11T14:10:00.000-04:00

May 11th is a very special day! It is Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day, typically held on the Friday before Mother’s Day, provides an opportunity to not only honor the husbands and wives of service members, but also to say thank you.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day began on May 23, 1984, when then-President Ronald Reagan made a proclamation to recognize the hard work done by military spouses every day. The eventful day is celebrated throughout the United States and on military installations worldwide.

Military spouses have been known for their strength through deployments. I wish all my fellow Spouses (HH6's=Household 6's) a very special Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!! Have a great day and wonderful weekend!!

All my best,

I've been featured!!

2012-05-05T14:32:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to Justine from Sew Country Chick who has featured Another Coat for Holly on Sew & Tell Saturday May 5. Make sure you stop by her blog to see what she's up to.

Have a wonderful day!

P.S. Let's go NY Rangers!!!

Another Coat for Holly

2012-04-27T13:20:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I completed another coat for Holly, since its still cold up here. She is so good about wearing the coats I make her. I used See and Sew #B5275 again, it was used on this coat.

We are patiently waiting for the warmer weather. We did have a few warm days and flowers and trees are already in bloom.

I am linking up with these parties and TCB.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Vinyl Amp Cover

2012-03-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Here is another another amp cover I made for E. This time he chose black vinyl. We did the design differently and I still have a little tweeking to do. It is a little bit different than the first amp cover and he loves it. I got E some Fender patches as a stocking stuffer this past Christmas and sewed them on. The good news is that when E went to band rehearsal the other night, he said all the guys loved it.

I hope you are having a wonderful day.

I am linking up to these parties and TCB.

Liebster Award!

2012-03-04T14:31:00.000-05:00

Katie over at Little Becky Homecky was sweet enough to award me the Liebster Blog Award!! She is an amazing blogger and has amazing blog and tutorials. Thank you so much Katie!!

Now what is the Liebster Blog Award? Liebster is German and means 'dearest' or 'beloved', but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea behind the Liebster Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. If you are selected, you need to:

Choose FIVE up and coming blogs to award the Liebster to (they must have less than 200 followers).
Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
Post the award on your blog.
List the bloggers you are giving this award to with links to their sites.
Best of all, have fun and share the love!

So, in accordance with the "Rules", here are my five blog choices, in no particular order:

Karen @ Little Red House Designs
Stephanie @ The Petite Sewist
Diana @ Sew Passionista by Diana
Brittany and Lindsey @ Pintucks and Ruffles
Michelle @ My Craft Obsession...

Stop by these wonderful blogs and check them out. I am sure you will love them just as much as I do.

Have a great day!!

Handbag of the Month Contest

2012-03-03T14:58:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I've been honored with being entered into the Handbag of the Month contest at Studio Kat Designs website. Please stop by and vote for me. It is the 5th bag down and labeled "Alisha's super-functional Encore Purse Insert".

I blogged about this creation here and can't wait to make more.

Thanks and have a great weekend!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2012-02-14T20:26:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Source: HSN.com

E surprised me with a wonderful gift for Valentine's Day. Its the Singer 160 Anniversary Edition Sewing Machine. I love how it has a beautiful retro black finish with goldtone filigree. It also features the original "bird in flight" design featured on many Singer machines more than a century ago. I love all the stitches, presser feet and there is a flower stitch and fringe attachment, a beautiful and durable carrying bag and a lot more goodies.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's Day with their sweeties.

Have a wonderful evening!!

Holly's First Coat

2012-01-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

I finally finished sewing Holly's coat and love how it came out. It was a very simple pattern and can't wait to make another one for her. I used See and Sew #B5275. Its perfect for the weather up here in Canada.

Source: See and Sew

E and I came across this adorable fabric. She looks amazing in red and I love the little paw prints everywhere. When we put it on her, we couldn't stop giggling because she looked so cute.

Let me know what you think. I am linking up to these parties and this party.

Have a great evening!!

My First Amp Cover

2012-01-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone,

I finally completed my first amp cover for one of E's amps.

E measured the amp he wanted a cover for, cut out the template using the tweed fabric we got him and I went to work. I then sewed on one of the Fender patches that I got him as a stocking stuffer this Christmas.

We will have to tweak the design a little bit, but, I'm happy with how it turned out and E is definitely happy with it. He has already started designing the next amp cover for him for another amp.

Have a great weekend!!

I'm linking up at these parties & TCB

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-23T14:33:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of our Soldiers and their families!! We are so grateful for your sacrifice, especially during this holiday season. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Stay safe and come home soon.

We wish our family and friends a very wonderful Christmas!! To all the beautiful crafty bloggers....I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful filled with love, joy and health.

Merry Christmas E!! I love and treasure you so very much. Thank you for always giving me such a wonderful Christmas! Merry Christmas to our sweet lab Holly!!

Happy Hanukkah!!

2011-12-23T14:08:00.000-05:00

Source: Style at Home

Hanukkah is known as The Festival of Lights and is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C. Olive oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was required to burn throughout the night every night. The story goes that there was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

Source: Getty Image

There is a custom of eating foods fried in olive oil to commemorate the miracle of a small flask of oil keeping the flame in the Temple lit for eight days. Traditional foods include potato pancakes, known as latkes and jam-filled doughnuts, called sufganiyot. Other Hanukkah traditions are Hanukkah gelt (chocolate money) and the dreidle game. Dreidles are four-sided spinning tops that children play with and each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter.

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day spending time with family and friends, eating delicious foods and scrumptious desserts. I know we will and we are really looking forward to it. I will be missing my family and friends up North and will be wishing that I could be spending today with them. My Mom will not be joining us this year. She will be with my sister, her family and then with my brother and his girlfriend's family.

I am so thankful for my husband who makes me proud of the man and Army Officer that he is. He has accomplished so much this past year and now we are celebrating this wonderful holiday in Canada. We had the honor of celebrating Canada's Thanksgiving last month with our next door neighbors, their family and friends. So, we get to enjoy another Turkey and all the fixings today.

He is supportive, romantic, giving, thoughtful, makes me a better person, loves me unconditionally and always makes me laugh. He always encourages me to excel at all my craft's and this year it has been knitting and photography.

I also wish all of our troops serving our Country and their families a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for keeping Americans and our country safe. Thank you to the Military families who stand by their side and support what they do.

I am thankful for my Mom who has taught me so much about being the woman I am today, about life, love and happiness. More importantly, to wait for the right man to come along, how to be a good wife, daughter, sibling and friend. Thank you for being in my life! I am also very thankful to have a wonderful sister and brother. I just so love and treasure you both. I am thankful for our nephews G and M...both a gift. Thank you for being the sweet, loving boys that you are and always putting smiles on our faces. We love you both very much. We can't wait to see you next week.

Also, thank you to all my blogging friends out there, old and new, who have been supportive since I started blogging 2 years ago this October. You have all been so kind with your encouraging and funny comments and I have really enjoyed reading your blogs, learning from and getting to know you.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

2011-10-28T12:30:00.021-04:00

Recently I started using Bloglovin' to read all the blogs I follow and I'm really enjoying it. It lets me scroll through posts with a thumbnail and snippet, so that I can easily pick out the ones that interest me the most, and don't have to scroll through entire posts.

As I click on the link it takes me to their actual blog. I just love how easy it is to view everyone's beautiful creations that each blogger has worked so hard on. As you go to their blog, their page will get a hit, which I'm sure anyone with a blog out there appreciates!

To start following my blog on Bloglovin', click on the link below.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin'

Have a great day!!

Photography and Photoshop Classes

2011-10-28T07:30:00.006-04:00

I have been a busy girl lately. I have been taking photography classes at the local college. I wanted to better understand my camera and take better pictures. In class we learned about the "Holy Trinity" (ISO, Shutter and f.stop), composition, Rule of Thirds, Golden Mean, etc. I definitely noticed a difference in my pictures from one week to the next. I will keep you posted on my upcoming classes and what I've learned.

Here are some examples of photos that I took about a month ago:

The beginning of October we had an outdoor photo shoot. It was very cloudy out and started to drizzle, but, when you learn how to operate your camera with the manual settings it makes a world of difference. Don't get me wrong, I love the auto settings on my camera and have appreciated the beautiful shots they have given me. I just know that I will be able to do more with all of the new found knowledge I now have.

I am really enjoying the Adobe Photoshop class that I'm currently taking. I am learning so many different things within the software for the editing process. There is so much to learn, but, with a lot of practice and patience I'm sure my pictures will have an amazing end result. E, thank you for being so supportive of my hobbies and interests!!! I love you!!

Have a great day!!

Knitting and Loving it!!

2011-10-22T15:14:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to learn how to knit. My Grandmother used to make my sister and I sweaters with cute matching hats. I started taking knitting classes at Wool Tyme here in Kingston at the end of summer and I look forward to them every week.

I started out learning a Garter Stich or "g st" where you knit every row.

Photo source: Knit Picks

I then learned how to do a Stocking/Stockinette Stich or "st st" which is a combination of a knitted row followed by a purl row.

Photo Source: Knit Picks

Next, was a K2, P2 rib or 2x2 rib. This is a combination of knitting 2 stitches and purling 2 stitches.

Photo Source: Knit Picks

A checkerboard pattern is a combination of several K2, P2 rows follwed by an equal number of P2, K2 rows.

Photo Source: Cyber Seams

I then learned a making a dish cloth in a diamond pattern. The materials I used is 1 ball/skein of Sugar 'n Cream yarn and 1 pair of size 8mm US knitting needles (2 balls/skeins make 3 dish cloths). Here is how my first project came out.

Then I was ready to make my first hat/toque for E. I used a pattern from my instructor and used bamboo circular needles and knitted in the round for the very first time. It seemed intimidating, but, after a few rows, it made life simpler.

To avoid sewing seams, you can work in rounds using circular needles or double-pointed needles. To work in rounds, cast your stitches on one end of the needle the same as you would on a straight needle. Check to make sure that the cast-on lays flat and smooth and is not twisted. I added a stitch marker to the end of the needle to mark the beginning of the round and work the first round according to your pattern instructions.

As I got to the top of the hat it became very taut, so, I switched to double pointed needles. First, you evenly distribute your cast-on over three or four needles, keeping one needle out to knit with. Make sure the cast-on lays flat and smooth and no stitches are twisted. The needles either form a triangle (if you cast on to three needles) or a square (if you cast on to four needles). With the empty needle, knit all stitches on the first needle. When that needle is empty, use it to knit the stitches on the next needle. Continue to knit the stitches from each double-point onto an empty needle, working the stitches as instructed in the pattern.

I'm really happy with how this came out and I can't wait to see it on E.

I am currently using the same yarn to make him a matching scarf also on circular needles, but, I'm not knitting in the round for this project.

I already have requests to make hats/scarfs for my family. I will post pictures when I complete those too.

I'm linking up with these parties.

Have a great weekend!!

September 11, 2001 - 10th Anniversary

2011-09-11T22:34:00.001-04:00

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the worst attack on the United States. I can't believe that ten years have passed since that tragic day. It is with heavy heart writing this post.

Last year I wrote about my experience on that day. You can view it here. Being a New Yorker, we are resilient and can manage a lot of things headed our way. I can tell you that nothing prepared us for that day or for anyone else in our country. September 11, 2001 touched every American in some way and it also reminded everyone of the many heroes that are in our lives, that protect us and that are still protecting us every single day. They help to keep a horrific event such as this from ever happening again.

America's Military, Police, Firemen and EMS have done such an amazing job keeping our country safe. Please take a moment to remember the nearly 3,000 men, women and children killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93. Please also keep our men and women in uniform in your thoughts as they continue to fight for our Nation. Military members and their families have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country since then. We salute you and thank you for your service. America sleeps easy knowing you are there to protect us.

We will never forget the events of that fateful and horrific day in September 2001.

My thoughts and prayers are with those lives lost and families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. Thank you to all the first responders from the FDNY, NYPD and the NYARNG (101 Cav, 69th IN, 256 FA) who risked their lives that tragic day. Thank you to all the men and women who defend our freedom by serving in the Military. We will never forget!!

Isn't she beautiful!!!

2011-08-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

E and I have been looking for the longest time for an antique Singer treadle sewing machine. We came across one up here in Canada and couldn't wait to pick it up. It is an F model and was manufactured sometime between 1910-1920. It is in wonderful shape and still works. I love the treadle machine and the beautiful oak desk/cabinetry it is housed in.

I love all of the detail on these machines, the cabinets and the beautiful wrought iron .

History of the Treadle Machine

Although sewing machines were invented in 1790 they were not mass produced until over sixty years later. In the 1850s Singer developed a machine where the needle moved in an up and down motion through the fabric rather than the side to side motion that had been used previously. The other difference was Singer's treadle design, a machine that was powered by a rocking motion of the seamstress's feet rather than hand cranked.

Singer machine used the same stitch that Elias Howe had patented in 1846. Howe sued Singer for patent infringement and won the case in 1854. Singer had to pay Howe patent royalties from each machine sold. Not only did Singer have to pay retroactively, but he had to pay Howe $1.15 per machine sold from that point on.

I hope you all of have a wonderful day, especially, my family, friends and everyone dealing with Hurricane Irene.

We have arrived!!

2011-08-03T16:24:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that we arrived safety in Canada on Thursday. We had a marathon trip of over 30 hours (this includes a few naps on at the rest stops). E was amazing with the whole drive up. I did some driving, but, not much. Holly did really well too. She is loving the cooler air up here and we take her swimming in the lake across the street from us. She is making a lot of new friends (human and canine). We just got our phone and internet up and I can't wait to see what you all have been up too.

Our household goods will arrive on Friday. We can't wait!! The air mattress is not the best thing to sleep on and we can't wait to eat dinner at our table LOL

I hope you are all doing well and can't wait to catch up.

Hope you are having a great day.

Canada...here we come!!

2011-07-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

Soure: Google.com

We are so excited!! Tomorrow and the rest of the week, the packers/movers will be here to get us ready for our duty station. We have been so busy this past week with packing up what we will be taking with us. We can't wait to start our next journey. I am so proud of E and all of his hard work and accomplishments with his career. E will be an Exchange Officer to the Canadian Army. He really does shine as an Officer, but, most of all he shines even more as my husband.

I won't be able to sew, blog, and join any linky parties (I am going to have some serious withdrawal LOL). Most of all, I will miss reading your blogs, seeing your beautiful creations and what is going on in your lives. I promise to catch up once we have internet service again.

One Lovely Blog Award

2011-07-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Hannah from Daughter of Design surprised me with a One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you so much Hannah. It was so very sweet and thoughtful of you.

The rules of the One Lovely Blog Award I am to share 7 things about myself. Here they are:

I love listening to Big Band music when I sew and craft.
I am fascinated by E's talent. He is an amazing musician, songwriter and artist.
Until I met E, I never knew that I had a passion for cooking and baking.
I miss walking on the beach with E. I miss the smell of the ocean and sand.
I am a huge NY Yankees, NY Rangers and NY Giants fan.
We have the greatest fur baby Holly. Our beautiful yellow Lab is so loving, smart and always wants to be with us...even in our kayak.
I miss my Grandmother and wish I had her longer in my life so she could have taught me everything she knows, tell me about our family history and just spent quality time together.

Here are some lovely and deserving ladies I am sharing this award with:

Anita and Kelly @ Rhinestone Beagle
SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime
Shabby Soul @ Shabby Soul
Mongs @ my thrifty closet
Stacy @ Elle Belle Creative
Katie @ Sew Woodsy
Jessica @ O. Alouette

Thank you again Hannah!! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me and I hope you enjoy getting to know these ladies too. Have a wonderful evening!!

Happy Independence Day America!!

2011-07-04T07:00:00.003-04:00

From History.com:

"When armed conflict between bands of American colonists and British soldiers began in April 1775, the Americans were ostensibly fighting only for their rights as subjects of the British crown. By the following summer, with the Revolutionary War in full swing, the movement for independence from Britain had grown, and delegates of the Continental Congress were faced with a vote on the issue. In mid-June 1776, a five-man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin was tasked with drafting a formal statement of the colonies' intentions. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence--written largely by Jefferson--in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence."

Thank you E for keeping us safe and protecting our country and our freedom!! I love you and I am so very proud of you.

I wish you and your family a very safe and happy Independence day!!

“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” – Franklin Roosevelt

"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” – Albert Camus