The Project Corner

A Little Early

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:20:00 +0000

Last Wednesday I went into labor--at 36 weeks. So not too early, but early enough for her to have slight respiratory issues. After three days in the NICU we thought she would be coming home, then her bilirubin shot up and she spent another three days.

We are home now and enjoying life.

Pictures and more to come in a bit.

Baby Prep: Quilt #2 Paper Piecing

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I wanted to give paper piecing a try. So what better time to try it out than when you are 8.5 months pregnant.

Once I got the assembly line down the blocks didn't take long to bust out.

The outside border and inside of each star are the same material. I was thinking of just having a solid purple border around the white-but tried the floral and loved it more.

Even though this is a crib sized quilt I'm sending it to a quilter- my tummy is getting to big to wrestle a quilt through the sewing machine, and time is getting short.

When it comes back from the quilter and I add the binding I will show the finished product.

Baby Prep: Diaper Bag

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

During the sewing room purge I got to look at all of my fabric again and evaluate what I wanted to do with some of it. I knew I needed a diaper bag--so the search was on. I'm picky about my diaper bags and purses. I don't want them so big that they weigh more than your baby when you fill it with everything-and I don't want it too small. A diaper bag has to fit diapers and a full bag of wipes--it's a must for me.

I scoured the web for patterns and found a few that I was going to use to make the bag for me, until I found a FREE Amy Butler pattern.

When I cut out the pattern I added 3.5 inches the the length.

Index cards work well for this.

I added a pocket for my cell phone on one side.

A pocket for my keys on the other side--this pocket gave me a headache. I really want to pick the stitches out and do it over, but it's not happening.

Per the pattern one divider has a zipper-the other is open-perfect for mommy's personal stuff and a perfect spot for my wallet. I hate not being able to find my keys, cell phone or wallet in a purse.

So there you have it-my diaper bag for the next few months. I find once my baby reaches 6-8 months my diaper bag needs change and I usually get a smaller bag. One side note: I used stiff interfacing for the outside main panels, this makes the bag stand by itself.

Baby Prep: Quilt #1 HST Scrap

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

My nesting instincts have taken over. My sewing room looks great--I only filled two big black garbage bags. While I was cleaning I finished a few projects that were WIP.

Do you remember this quilt:

My plan was to make it much larger-but the material just wasn't cooperating. When I finished the project I had a shoe box full of sewn half square triangles (HST)

During my sewing room purge I whipped up this quilt for our new baby.

There isn't a pattern, just rows and rows of HST sewn together.

I love how it turned out. Each square is quilted in the ditch.

The back is a pink rosette flannel

Pin-It Up Thursday-Denim Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I found the inspiration from this pin

Then used materials from my stash. I inherited some fun vintage fabrics from my hubby's grandma.

I made up the pattern-it was fun to do and fits my little girl well.

Stains Be Gone

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:42:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media. All opinions are 100% mine.

If this baby comes as early as my last I have just under 3 weeks until d-day. Last weekend my in-laws dropped by and we were talking about the new baby...my MIL volunteered to take the new born clothes and wash them. So I finally pulled them down from the top shelf in the closet and we went through them.

Let me back up just a little, for the most part I don't dry my children's clothes-so stains will go away and colors will stay bright. And for both of my kiddos I have always used Shout®on all their stained clothes. It works well, and the spray action helps when you only have one hand to work with. Back to the newborn clothes. My first was a pooper, she liked to blow out an outfit at least once a day. My second was a spitter, it took us 5 months to realize he was lactose intolerant and he had projectile spit-up--a lot of it! So I was worried about the state of the newborn onesies and little outfits that have been sitting in the closet for nearly 4 years. To our surprise there were only two or three onesies that have a spit-up or poop stain!

So let me tell you Shout®works! Shout®Trigger is different from other stain removers in that it has: a Triple-Acting formula, Clings-Penetrates-Lifts away stains, easy to use Trigger dispenser, works in all water temperatures, & safe for colorfast washables.

When you have little ones you don't have time to scrub stain remover or yellow soap on clothes. And you don't have time to soak clothes--especially if the kid is going through outfits like they are on a fashion runway. Even if you don't have kids, Shout®Trigger works great on all stains--you know the soda you spilled on your clean crisp white shirt?

Shout®saves you time and it is available for purchase at Walmart.

Shout® Trigger

Magazine Holder

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I must be in a nesting mode or spring cleaning. My to-do list is getting much shorter. My sewing room is sparkling clean--something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. If this baby comes as early as my last one I only have four weeks left until crafting and sewing will be put on hold to enjoy our bundle of pink.

So to the project...I found these magazine holders-or whatever you call them-last year or the year before.

They have sat in the closet in my sewing room taking up space. When we moved my little girl into her own room I knew I needed to finish these up.

I started by painting the doors, windows, & roofs.

The side of each house is painted differently. Diamonds for this house.

Stripes.

Polka dots.

The kids helped paint too. They were very careful and loved to help out.

Sometimes it is hard to let go and let the kids help. Even if the paint isn't perfect, the smile and pride that they show from helping is worth it.

We used the eraser end of a pencil to get the polka dots.

My little guy loves this one the most.

Here they are, ready to move to their neighborhood.

I put two in a shelf in the closet.

The third house is next to her bed full of her favorite books, and an American Girl catalog.

Sparkle Shirts

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

The other day while I was at Walgreens I found this shirts for $1! I grabbed a few and threw them in my stash. While I was cleaning my sewing room last week I found the shirts again and decided to do something with them.

The rhinestone-iron on things were in my stash too. If I remember correctly I did get the rhinestones on clearance at Michael's.

They ironed on without any trouble.

Aren't they fun? Add a little sparkle to any shirt--this would be an inexpensive craft for a birthday party.

Grass Head Guys

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

For our annual cousin's Easter Egg hunt this year we made Grass Head Guys for our craft. We have been anxiously waiting for the sprouts to pop up.

This is what they look like-we started them the day before Easter.

For some reason dark nylon head guy is bald-we think it might need some more dirt.

This is a fun project for little kids to help with. They like to check to make sure each guy has enough water-and they will tell you how many strands of grass are on each guy.

Whitney Farms-Organic plant foods & soils

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.

Growing up my family always had a large garden. It wasn't ever a question of if we were going to have a garden-it was always a question of how many tomatoes or zuccinni plants would be involved. I knew from an early age that good soil and fertilizer (aka plant food) was vital for strong healthy plants and great produce production. Now that I have a home of my own having a huge garden isn't always an option. Last year I planted tomato plants in planters, they turned out well and I was happy to have grown my own. I was vigilant about water and feeding the plants, at one point I did wonder how the chemicals in the plant food would affect the taste of the tomatoes.

This year I'm excited to try Whitney Farms-Organic Plant food & soils.

Having organic plant food and soil would mean that the nutrients soaked up by my plants aren't going to hurt my family. Whiteny Farms has had 25 plus years of leading gardening experience. I'm sure with all the experience my planter garden will thrive this year.

Check out Whitney Farms organic soil & organic plant food for a $3 off coupon.

Obviously for me I will be trying out the Tomato and Vegetable Food-

Wouldn't it be great to have a garden that is lucious and produces amazing produce? My parents garden is always amazing--that's what I want my garden to look like...

So give Whitney Farms Organic Plant Foods & Soils a try and you just might be surprised.

Whitney Farms®

Girl Room Makeover..the finish

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

My hubby had a four day weekend when we were working on this project. We were able to get so much of it done--then it took another month of late night and Saturdays to finish it all up.

Before during and after.

The top is a soft pink. The bottom is semi-gloss white. This room is the sunniest in the house, if we ever paint the white I think I will go with a softer white.

Each of the boards are 15 inches apart. We had to move some of the boards for outlets and light switches.

A mitered corner.

Each corner of the boards are mitered cut. When making the plans we made sure to start the measurements from the corners--so each wall starts from 0 instead of just continuing the measurement all the way around the room.

My hubby can now cut the finished corner of the crown-and it looks great :o) There is a 3 inch shelf across the entire top of the board and batten. It is a perfect spot for little frames or statues or other little trinkets six year olds like to collect.

Girl Room Makeover..Before & Plans

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

This is the before--the way way way before...

So we moved everything out into the hallway.
Then we measured the walls, windows, outlets, doors, closets to come up with the plan.

This is what the room would look like if you took each wall apart and laid it flat. Each square equals 6 inches.

We found some paint in the oops basket at Home Depot-flat finish, paint and primer in one an entire gallon for $7!

Then we replaced the baseboards with 3 inch primed mdf boards. That way we wouldn't have to miter the edges of the vertical boards to match the thickness of the existing baseboards.
Next up-prime, board placement, caulk, sand & paint.

Grass is as easy as a Snap

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Lush, green grass is a status symbol around here. Who doesn't want the greenest grass on the block? When we moved into our home several years ago the grass needed help-I think the previous owners didn't know how to work the watering system. We began using fertilizer and watering it consistently-and viola it is green and starting to look much better.

Now when it comes to fertilizer we have always used Scotts-it just works the best for us. When I was contacted by Scotts to tell you about their new Scotts Snap Spreader System I was excited.

Check out the system here: Scotts® Snap® Spreader System

This new system is genius. When it comes to fertilizing my hubby usually does it. Mostly because pouring the fertilizer in and trying not to spill or get too much on the grass is almost a work of art. And in my present condition I don't want to touch fertilizer and risk it harming me or my baby. The Snap Pac that comes with the new system is great. No cutting, no opening and no pouring from heavy bags--no spilling or wasting the precious fertilizer. The system auto-sets the proper flow rate-meaning no Spreader settings required! No guess work of how much fertilizer your grass needs.

Have you ever found that you have too much fertilizer left in the spreader, but not enough grass? The Snap Pac self-seals upon removal. That means you don't have burn your grass trying empty the spreader. With the bag sealed again you don't need to worry about little fingers getting into the bag.

I'm always looking for a deal and if you "like" Snap Perks of Facebook you will be in the know for all of Scotts great promotions and contests.

Snap perks on Facebook

So if you are trying to get greener, thicker beautiful grass this year give Scotts Snap Spreader System a try.

Easter Dress

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

This year I almost just bought a dress for my little girl. The dresses at Costco were cute-and most of them had sleeves, and they were a good price. We debated on which dress we liked the best, then I took my little girl to the fabric store to see if we liked any fabrics better than any of the dresses. I think she choose the fabric just so I would have the fun of making it.

First I made the top piece. I made my own pattern piece.

For the sleeves I made a petal design, using an existing pattern piece. I ended up cutting the piece down about 2.5 inches to make it look right.

Here's the dress with completed sleeves-without a sash.

The bow doesn't look great-but after three hours at church it's not too bad.

We bought gloves instead of a bonnet. She was in between sizes of hats, next year when we have two little girlies to dress up I will probably get matching hats.

Spring Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

The paper straw wreath has been hanging on my door since Christmas. Now that my daffodils and hyacinths are beginning to bloom I wanted something refreshing.

I took an old straw wreath form I had on hand.

I found all the flowers at the dollar store. Using wire cutters I cute each flower to have a 3-4 inch stem. Then I just stuck them into the straw.

I liked the look of just the yellow, but I found little purple& green berry like things at the dollar store too.

The three colors together look so springy.

Once I had it hung up I rearranged a few flowers so we could still use the peep hole-my hubby's biggest complaint about wreaths.

Easter Egg Garland

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

The invitations have been sent for our annual cousin's Easter egg hunt. I don't like decorating too much for Easter because it is a religious holiday and would like my family to focus more on that aspect than on the eggs and such.

While I was at Walmarto the other day I was in the paint section and grabbed a few paint chips--does anyone else feel like they are stealing when they grab 20 paint chips?

I just grabbed the colors that reminded me of Spring. When I started cutting out the ovals I noticed the names of the colors: Buttercup, Pink Peony, Spring Green, Spring Bluebell, Powder Pink & Rosy Mauve-just to name a few.

I made an egg/oval template and cut out from each color.

As I hole punched the top of each egg I laid the garland out in the order I wanted to tie them together.

I used leftover yarn-it is similar in color and texture to twine-to tie the eggs together. It brings a nice pop of color to the mantel.

Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

When we bought our house several years ago the backyard was a patch of dirt. When we finally got around to landscaping we were in for a surprise. The hardest rockiest dirt we have ever seen. Let's just say that we now have a granite lined flower bed for no additional cost. When I was contacted by Scotts to write about their new Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix I was very excited.

My native soil is dry, hard and does not support much vegetation you consider sagebrush great vegetation. To get anything to grow I have to amend the soil--and Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix is the perfect solution. Using the planting mix I will get up to 3X the flowers and vegetables! Seriously-,my flowers and veggies are always overflowing because I use Miracle-Gro. And with the extra wind and harsh winters around here I'm not worried about the nutrients getting washed out, the soil is improved for multiple years.

Now my favorite part. The concentrated planting mix expands up to 3X when water is added-making it great for potted plants too. And it the planting mix feeds plants for up to 6 months. The all natural fibers hold up to 50% more water than basic potting soil. So let's say this summer when I have a newborn, a child home from school, and a preschooler all running around and I forget to water my plants--they won't completely die because the Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix will still be dishing out nutrients and will still have water in the soil because it is so awesome!

Doesn't it sound great? Check out the website Expand ‘n Gro™ and try it for yourself.

Not only is it a great product but there is a Giveaway!

Now is the time to prep your gardens for Spring and Summer. Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix is an easy way to get your prep work done quickly. How would you use the planting mix?

Disneyland Jar

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

There's a mini golf place in town that has a cute white and blue castle, for a long time my kids thought that it was Disneyland. We should have taken them-just so they could say they've been there :o)

Now that my oldest is in school she has learned that Disneyland is in California-and it is THE place every child wants to go. With a child on the way and debts to pay off before we take a vacation that big I decided to help my kids see that we are putting in an effort to save for the cause.

Enter the Disneyland Jar. This jar is magical I tell you. Every penny or dime we find goes straight to the jar. When the kids earn money for doing extra chores-it goes to the jar. When the kids break things or aren't obeying well we tell them we will have to take from the Disneyland Jar=instant obedience. So to help remind them what we are saving for (like they need to be reminded)...

I added these little silhouettes to the top of the jar.

Here's a little tutorial on how to do it...

Click Here to Read More...

Layered Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Because St. Patrick's day was on Saturday this year, my little girls school class celebrated it on the Friday before. They needed to wear green. As I was helping her think of what green she could wear Dana came out with this tutorial for a Layered Skirt. It just so happens that Dana and my children are the same ages and almost the same measurements-so I didn't need to change much about the tutorial. I also inherited some fun fabrics from my hubby's grandma's stash.

Isn't it fun and festive?

There's a little secret too..the under layers are plain green. When my little girl is jumping, spinning, hopping and just skipping around this plain green layer shows through and gives the skirt a fun flare.

DIY Ruched Maternity Shirt.

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:46:00 +0000

Most of my maternity clothes are for summer weather. I'm sure by the end of this pregnancy I will be wearing short sleeves-but so far I have been cold and needed long sleeves. While I was at Walmart I found this shirt on clearance for $3. It is a 2x-just a bit too big for me, even with a prego tummy.

I put the shirt on inside out and pinned off the inside sleeves and sides. I stitched it off to make it more fitted.

I added 9 inches of elastic to the inside. As I sewed I pulled the elastic-starting from the bottom edge of the shirt.

Viola! A ruched shirt.

The ruching gives my tummy more room to expand while allowing the length of the shirt to keep me still covered.

This picture doesn't show the side very well, but it gives you an idea of how the shirt fits now.

Vogue 1250-

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Have you seen this pattern? I have seen it around blogdom and wanted to give it a try. It wasn't hard to sew and uses less than 2 yards of fabric. I made this dress back in July and have been meaning to snap a picture of me wearing it. A few weeks ago I was attending an important meeting and was going to be sitting up in front of a lot of people and would be on TV-so I tried it on my then 26 week tummy. Because of the cut of the dress and the stretch of the fabric I think it worked.

I need to take a picture without the cardigan because I altered the pattern and added sleeves.

You will love the way this dress makes you feel-seriously-it is a good dress to sew for yourself.

I almost wore it without the cardigan, but felt that it showed too many of my curves.

ibulb-flowers for spring

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of iBulb. All opinions are 100% mine.

As Mother Nature decides between Winter and Spring I am always looking out in my flower beds to see who is winning the battle. The crocuses slowly poke their colorful blooms up, next come the Daffodils and Tulips. Once the Daffodils and Tulips make their entrance I know that Spring is here and warm evening walks are just around the corner. When I lived in a Southern climate I missed the Spring bulbs. I missed seeing Tulips in bloom everywhere I looked.

For those who need their Tulip or bulb fix iBulb has the answer. You can order forced bulbs that will bloom within a few days of arrival. That means you don't have to fuss about getting them planted before the cold weather, or waiting all winter long to see the end result. If you're planning an soiree for Easter and need Tulips-in bloom-for your centerpiece iBulb will come in handy for you. For our Easter celebrations we are planning a cousin's Easter egg hunt. The Tulips from iBulb would make a beautiful centerpiece. If you didn't know bulbs are pretty resilient , meaning my kids can help me create a centerpiece for Easter.

If you're worried about quality of the bulbs iBulb is a dutch company-where the best Tulips come from. iBulb supports 85 Dutch companies in dry sales and forcing business.

iBulb

This really is a great idea too, because once the blooms are spent you can plant the bulbs outside and enjoy them year after year.

And if you need even more inspiration for what to do with Tulips visit this Pinterest page:

http://pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=digdropdone

DIY Towel Bibs

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:49:00 +0000

My hubby's cousin just had her baby last week-he's a cutie too. For her baby shower I made some towel bibs. I have made these before and have had lots of people tell me they were their favorite bibs.

Want to know how to make your own towel bibs?
Click to open the full post.

Click Here to Read More...

Maternity Dolman Sleeve Top

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:44:00 +0000

I guess I'm in the make clothes for myself mode. First I made this twisted shirt, and now I am making a Dolman Sleeve Top.

I found THIS tutorial online.

I added a bit more to the length and added a band around the arms and the waist. It fits great at 27 weeks pregnant.

Seriously comfortable and so easy to make.

Boy Quiet Book-Page 20 (Dog)

noreply@blogger.com (jbr) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Materials:
Felt for house, dog & Tree
Ribbon or twill tape for leash
Decorative buttons (Optional)

How To:

Once again I used a pattern for this page. Simplicity 3709. I found some fun textured patterned felt at a craft store for the house.

I embroidered "Fido" on the house too.

This was a fairly simple page to construct. I did hand stitch the dog together.

When you are appliqueing the house to the page make sure you don't stitch over the leash in the wrong place. I stitched the leash to the bottom edge of the house.

Add flower buttons and the tree top and your done.