Live 2 Craft

Hello and Goodbye

2011-11-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

I started this blog almost 3 years ago...
wow, time goes by so fast.

I love to craft, to sew, to use my glue gun and make beautiful things.
But blogging about it is getting to be too much.
I bit off more than I could chew, and was trying to maintain 3 (yes, three!!) blogs at once.
It's too much.
I'm going to leave all the tutorials and links, but there won't be any more updates.
Sorry all of you who have followed me.

But, my creative juices are still flowing.
I'm cookin' away in the kitchen.

About 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which requires a strict, no cheating gluten free diet.
That means no wheat, barley, or rye products.
Bread, pasta, pizza, bagels, all out.
Could sound like a death sentence.
Or it could be delicious.
And it is.

Here's my blog:
Taming of the {celiac} Sprue
and you can follow me on Facebook.

Keep crafting, keep sewing and you can still email me any of your crafting questions.

Headband

2011-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

So I've been a crafting slacker.

But I have been making a few things.

I guess I'm mostly a blogging slacker.

Project:

Headband for my sister's birthday!

Super quick and super easy.

Using fabric scraps, I chose three corresponding fabrics.

I made the large flower by cutting a strip 2.5 inches x 20 inches.

Then fold the strip in half, using a needle and thread gather together the raw edges together forming a circle. Stitch to hold and glue on a button or other embellishment.

The twirly circles are made out of 2 inch strips, twisted and glued in a circle.

Then arrange flowers and glue to a cheap headband using felt on the back.

There you have it, thank goodness for hot glue.

Pre-Made Scrapbook Pages

2011-06-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Before having Nora and these last few weeks, Eva has been very interested in when she was born and when she was a baby. I pulled out the scrapbook and just the other day thought "oh what a great idea, I need to share this!"

A homemade, pre-made scrapbook.

(I don't know why these pictures won't rotate...no time to figure it out.)

My friend threw a really great shower for me when I had Eva, and at the shower the guests all made a scrapbook page and all I had to do was print out and glue in the pictures, add journaling and there it was a scrapbook finished in an afternoon.

I have been to other showers where this is the activity in lieu of games and it is so fun, and not to mention helpful for the new mom.

And you get a page from each of your friends!

Not only is this a good idea for you to make for others, but make one for yourself if you are in a scrappy mood, but don't have pictures yet.

Happy scrapping!

Matching Dresses

2011-05-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

So my first project back from "maternity leave" was matching dresses for the little girlies.

I had to do something, I was going crazy with crafting energy, so we had spaghetti for dinner and my husband cleaned the house, and I sewed.

I think it turned out great:

Infant dress:

I will post a tutorial for this later. I have a few kinks to work out first.

But she sure is cute.

Toddler Dress:

I used the Warhol Dress pattern from the Made website.

The fabric is a cotton that I picked up during our trip to the LA Fabric District.

I needed to add 1/4 in at the arm holes and about a 1/2 inch at the bottom for the hem, since the pattern is meant to be made out of a t-shirt.

Those are the only adjustments I made to the 3-4 T size dress pattern.

Super easy and turns out super cute.

Expect to receive lots of compliments.

The Liebster Blog Award

2011-05-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so flattered!

My friend Jenny over at An Apple For the Crafter, awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award for my crafting tutorials.

Like I said, I'm flattered.

I would also like to pass this fun award on to another craft blogger.

(This award is meant for bloggers with less than 300 visible followers.)

Shonee, over at Simply Created.

Ok, this girl has some serious crafting talent. Not only does everything she touch turn to gold, she is creative enough to see the end result and potential in different treasures found during thrifting outings. On her site you will find sewing, photography, home decor, and so on. I love looking at the things she "simply creates".

Pardon My Absence...

2011-05-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's been awhile that I have posted anything...

But I will return with some tutorials and things that I have been working on.

My sweet baby girl was born 3 weeks early and didn't let me finish posting all that I wanted too, but I'm sure glad she's here!

Not only that, she's a wonderful newborn and very, very sleepy...so the late night blog posts that I was preparing to do, not happening. Which I'm grateful for as well.

So check back soon. I'll post about something good soon!

Baby Beading Complete!

2011-04-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Quilt is finished, bumpers are finished.

All we have to do now is set up the crib and have the baby!

Making your own bumpers are super easy.

At any fabric store you can buy the pre-cut foam pads, which are awesome because they keep their shape, mildew proof, and fire retardant.

Everything you need for baby!

I got the Nu-Foam Baby Bumper Pads.

It comes with a pattern and instructions on how to cover them.

So easy, so cute!

Easter Egg Wreath

2011-04-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

If you can still find eggs and grass this is a really fast, cute Easter project.

A friend and I made these in about an hour. (Would have been faster, but you know how it is, chatting, laughing, chasing kids...)

Trust you will have it done before your Easter dinner, hanging on your door to greet your guests.

Here's how to make your own.

For the cardboard ring we used 8 inch cardboard cake plates with the circle cut out of the middle. Or you can just use your scrap cardboard, either will work.

I wish she had put on instructions how to make a fancy bow, but the rest of the tutorial is great. Heat up that hot glue gun and off you go!

It's Finished!

2011-04-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Baby quilt completed!

This is the Whirly Wheels pattern, minus one row of 4 blocks.

I wanted it to be exactly crib size.

The back is a smaller version of the Woodland Delight by Paula Prass.

The fabric is the Lollipop collection, designed by Sandy Gervais, manufactured by Moda.

I did Free Motion quilting inside the squares and the serpentine line on the sashing and border. To make the wave look bigger and match the jumbo rick-rack, I increased the stitch length almost to the largest it would go, a 4 on my machine.

I folded over the backing to create the binding and machine stitched it in place.

Next on to the bumpers!

How To Make An Easter Peep Even Better!

2011-04-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have a major weakness when it comes to Easter candy.

What's not to love, I ask,

jellybeans, speckled M&M's, Reese's eggs, Cadbury Mini eggs, and of course the famous, sugary

PEEPS.

This is how to make an Easter Peep even better!

I found this idea on theidearoom.net

Dip them in chocolate!

First start with your lollipop sticks. I could only find 8 inch ones so I cut them in half.

Be sure to pretend they are magic wands first.

Get some Peeps:

Secure the lollipop stick about halfway into the bottom of the bunny.

Get your chocolate ready.

We used both white and milk chocolate chips.

You can also use the candy melts, whatever you like or have on hand.

In a microwave-safe bowl combine chips and a little shortening. Melt together for 30 seconds in the microwave and stir for about 10 seconds. Unless chocolate is smooth, microwave again for about 15-30 seconds. Watch your chocolate, you don't want it to scorch, because no one wants to waste chocolate. Stir out any lumps.

Dip your bunny into the chocolate and add eyes and a nose.

We used chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips.

I wish I had the mini chocolate chips, I think that it would have looked cuter.

The original idea used chocolate chips for the eyes and a jelly bean for a nose.

Whichever you prefer.

Let them set.

And enjoy!

Happy Easter!

Free Motion Quilting Tutorials

2011-04-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

As I have been quilting the baby bedding, I stumbled across this awesome blog:

Leah Day's

The Free Motion Quilting Project

Not only does she answer all your Free Motion quilting questions, but she creates a new pattern everyday!

I wish I had that type of creativity.

And not only is she always coming up with something new, she shares it with everyone of every skill level and does a video about how to do the pattern.

It's amazing. I can't wait to make more quilts with Free Motion designs on them. I'm truly inspired.

Free Motion Quilting

2011-04-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

When it came time to actually begin quilting, I will be honest

I ran out of inspiration!

Quilting opens up so many possibilities and changes the look of the overall pattern.

I finally decided that I was going to free motion in the Whirly Wheels.

Free Motion Quilting is a beautiful technique and not to hard once you have mastered how fast to move your needle and hands.

To Free Motion Quilt, you first need to drop your feed dogs.

These are the comb like metal pieces that help push the bottom fabric through the machine.

Refer to your owner's manual on how to do this. It should just be a button or a lever.

Then find this foot:

It should have come with your machine.

Next, lengthen your stitch length just a little bit.

You might want to practice first on a scrap piece of fabric and batting.

Going on a medium-fast speed, move your fabric in swirls, whirls, circles, spirals, whatever you like.

I found it's easier to go up and down, instead of side to side.

Be careful not to pull the fabric, you will get a "toe-nail catcher" stitch, which is just one big long stitch.

I was once told, "drink some wine, put on some music, and just go with it", when being instructed to Free Motion quilt.

Well, I don't drink and sometimes I do find the music a little distracting, but the "just go with it" is perfect advice. Relax and let the fabric move.

You don't want the design too close together because when you wash the quilt, the fabric will bunch and pull.

You don't want to have any of the lines cross.

Think smooth.

It makes the back look so cool as well!

You can also use invisible thread if you only want the texture and don't want to see the thread.

You can also use more of a coordinating thread. I wanted mine to really stand out.

So, practice, practice, and just go with it!

Baby Rag Blanket

2011-04-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

April Showers...

and we're not just talking about a rain storm.

It seems like April is full of baby showers!

It's rainin' babies!

So out come all the cute baby rag blankets.

Not a bad thing to do while watching your favorite show, listening to the rain come down.

How to make a baby rag blanket, click here.

How to Piece Quilt Batting

2011-04-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Bad news: I didn't have a wide enough piece of batting for the baby quilt.

Good news: Batting has the great ability to be pieced together!

See all I needed was a little piece:

How to piece quilt batting:

Line up the batting on along the straightest edges you can.

Then using a coordinating thread, whipstitch (yes, by hand, gasp, but it looks the best and won't bunch like it could if you but it through your machine) the two pieces together.

Try not to get a big overlaying seam, your personal goal should be to make it lay as flat as possible.

And just like that, you are done!

You have used your resources and saved money- double bonus!

If you don't want to hand-stitch you can line up the two pieces of batting and zig-zag stitch them together on your machine. Be careful and go slow so it doesn't bunch.

Rainbow Cake

2011-04-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the cake that I made for Eva's third birthday!

This idea is all over the internet. Some are rainbow cakes are simple, like mine, or very, very fancy.

She loves rainbows and colors right now and skittles, so this was the perfect cake for her.

To make a Rainbow cake, get two of your favorite white cake mixes (or make from scratch if you are feeling really ambitious).

I used the Gluten Free Dream Whip Cake recipe or just follow the directions on the box and divided the batter into 6 bowls. It's about 1 1/2- 3/4 cup of batter for each layer. I used food coloring drops, my coloring gels are packed away in storage.

Here's the number of food coloring drops needed to get a rich nice color:

Red- 50 drops

Orange- 50 yellow drops, 8 red drops

Yellow- 50 drops

Green- 50 drops

Blue- 50 drops

Purple- 24 blue drops, 16 red drops

I bought a package of 6 disposable aluminum pans and baked three layers at a time.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

After your layers cool, stack them in rainbow order, with your favorite filling in the middle.

I used this Raspberry Cream recipe for the filling and it was so good.

I then frosted the entire cake with Gluten Free Buttercream frosting that was tinted blue, put a skittle rainbow on the top, ripped large marshmallows in half for the clouds and put a 3 made out of skittles and a skittle border around the bottom.

This is what you see when you cut into the cake:

I think there were more ohh's, ahh's and giggles from the adults than the kids.

It really brings out the kid in everyone.

Serve with ice cream and enjoy!

Pieced Backing

2011-04-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I decided instead of going with one fabric for backing of the baby quilt, I'd do a pieced backing.

This is a modified version of Paula Prass' Woodland Delight quilt:

Not only does the back have some dimension to it, it will also be reversible, which is pretty cool!

The Woodland Delight pattern is a free download from Paula Prass' website. It would be a great pattern for a novice piecing their first quilt.

As you can see, there aren't seams or corners to match and comes together really fast. And you can make it as wild/bright/conservative/crazy as you want. I had a friend make this pattern for her daughter as her first quilt and it turned out break-taking.

So if you are looking for a great project and a great blanket, this is a great one!

Borders

2011-03-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Borders add so much to a quilt.

What I love about borders are you are able to just about anything. Add a one, add a bunch, mix and match fabrics. It really can change the whole look of things.

Here is the first border. It's the same orange fabric as the sashings, with thick rick-rack sewn on.

Yes, right now the quilt looks very orange.

Then add the second border, and it will change the whole look:

Top complete!

Sashing...

2011-03-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

That's the middle of the quilt.

Next is borders and the top is done!

Whirly Wheels Galore!

2011-03-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ohhh, I just love pinwheels.

In all their varieties.

I just finished all the Whirly Wheel pinwheels for the baby bedding.

They aren't perfect, but they sure are cute!

Love the colors, love the fabric.

Next step is the sashing!

Tie Shirt Revision....

2011-03-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Remember these cute little gems?

I realized the link for the tutorial and pattern was wrong...

so here it is corrected.

Have fun making t-shirts!

Let the Baby Bedding Begin!

2011-03-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

With only 9 weeks until baby #2 is scheduled to arrive (fingers crossed early than that...) it's time for baby bedding!

I'm making the Whirly Wheels Quilt and using the Lollipop fabric collection by Sandy Gervais.

So cute!

I love the colors, perfect for a neutral baby quilt.

So far the most fun was opening up the "jelly-roll" and finding all the different fun fabrics inside! It's so great that all the colors coordinate and you get 43 different fabrics. So fun!

Here are all the "whirly wheels" laid out in their prospective blocks.

Let the sewing begin!

Yep, A Little Selfish...

2011-03-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

If baby #2, is a boy, here a little gift I have made for him:

Turned out so cute.

And of course Paul is so happy it has footballs on it.

9 more weeks until baby makes it's appearance!

A "Thunk" is Never a Good Thing

2011-03-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

As I was cleaning my sewing machine, I was brought back to the first time I ever opened up the tiny inner-workings of my beloved piece of equipment, used the machine oil and cleaned out all the fuzz.

I was told when I got my machine to keep it clean and oiled....or else.

I didn't listen.

So about 4 years later I was sewing along and "thunk, thunk, thunk". (And it was building up to all the "thunkiness" to this point, kept getting louder and louder. Should have been a sign.)

My machine stopped working.

It was sad.

It was tragic.

There were many tears.

And I was working on my soon-to-be-born baby's quilt.

I got out the owner's manual, called the quilt shop where I bought my machine and after about an hour of sweating, shaking hands we were back in business with a beautifully clean, well oiled machine.

So, here are a few tips for all you first timers.

I have a Bernina sewing machine. Not all machines are alike. Read your owners manual and only use the tools that came with your machine. Never, ever, never use a bottle of the high pressure to air to blow the lint out of your machine. It will only make things worse but creating build up in the deep, dark, far off corners of your machine. (I didn't learn that the hard way, thank goodness.)

Here's what my machine looks like after about 2 flannel rag blankets:

(Yep, think about what yours looks like, or even what it looked like going without cleaning for 4 years!)

I use a q-tip to dust out my machine and get all the yuckies out.

Then using the cute mini-screw drivers that came with my machine, I take off the top plate and clean out the feed dogs. I think neglecting to clean this part of my machine is what made all the problems...

I don't go any deeper than this.

Then comes oiling the "hook". Read in your owners manual how to do this properly.

The hook encases the bobbin, see where it would hook in:

Machine oil should have come with your machine or you can buy some at Joannes or where ever you get your sewing supplies. The stuff will last forever because you only need a little bit.

Now, this is important. Only oil the outer rim of the hook. The oil only needs to be where metal rubs on metal. (Just like a car, see your husband might be able to relate better with your sewing...)

Then, when everything is back together change the needle if necessary, not good to use a dull needle. Then using a scrap piece of fabric or a piece of paper, sew a few lines so if there is any excess oil it will go on the scrap instead of your project- that would not be good.

Your machine should sound like it's brand new, no more "thunks"!

I try to clean and oil every few projects or whenever I think I hear it getting a little "thunky."

It's also a good idea every year or two to get your machine serviced. Sewing machine repair stores will service the machine and it usually doesn't cost more than $80 unless something is broken.

High maintenance, I know. I like to think of it more as an investment.

Good luck and happy spring cleaning!

Read your owners manual to see the proper care and cleaning of your sewing machine!

Whatever Name You Like To Call It....

2011-03-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

There are many, many names for these beauties:

Lasagna blankets

Faux-Chenille blankets

Wavy blankets

Spaghetti Noodle blankets

Whatever name you choose they always turn out amazing!

Here is before the first washing:

And when you wash it, it will take your breath away.

So cute!

I make this for a friend who is having a little boy soon.

I thought the sailboats are perfect for a California baby.

Get the directions here to make your own!

Rag Blankets

2011-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

I made this cute little rag blanket for a friend who will soon be joining Team Pink with a little girl coming in June.

I kinda when out on a limb when buying this fabric. I knew the colors went well together, but I was a little concerned about the patterns matching just because they are so different.

I am very happy with the result. I think it's funky, hip and modern, which is a good thing since I would use those three words to describe the friend it's going to.

So, don't be afraid to jump out of your comfort zone and take a walk on the wild side. (if you can consider this wild...) Take chances, take risks, and be confident in what you make.

Now...I'm not saying go totally off the deep-end with colors that clash and patterns that are so wild it hurts your eyes, but keep in mind it's ok to mix prints. Prints are what make things fun and cool. If the colors work and the patterns are small, I say: GO FOR IT!

Good luck!