homemade by jill

Prairie Rose Pattern Tour

2014-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, long, lost blogging friends! I hope some of you are still out there reading, because I've got a whole bunch of recent projects to share with you, starting with ... the Prairie Rose Set from Wee Muses.

When Annelise of Aesthetic Nest asked me to join her tour, I took one look at the Prairie Rose Set and knew Ruby would love it. What little girl wouldn't? It is an entire collection of clothes patterns dominated by ruffles. :)

For Cora, I sewed up the maxi skirt, but more on that in a minute. Ruby received a modified blouse and pant.

For the blouse, I left off the ruffle and elastic casing on the sleeves. I also made the pants sans ruffle, added a pin tuck down the front and back of each leg, and narrowed the leg quite a bit. (photo above is the slimmer version, photo below (in boots) is the full-width leg). Even having omitted so many ruffles, this is a very fun and feminine look.

I can't tell you how much prancing and preening went on when I pulled this outfit out. Ruby could not stand still.

I made this floral maxi skirt for Cora (and the coral flashback skinny tee to coordinate), but she absolutely rejected it. Two year olds are impossible. Grrr.

I got little smiles for these photos only because she was so pleased with herself for not keeping the skirt on.
What a stink-face.

Ruby, who had been eyeing those flowers from the start, decided she could make it work, and quickly adopted the skirt. "It's ok if its not so long, mama."

Twirling promptly commenced.

So I guess that makes Ruby the big winner. She always gets ALL the clothes. (But I sure hope Cora softens her heart about that skirt, because ... SWOON!)

The Prairie Rose set is a fully collection that includes a blouse, dress, skirt, and pants for sizes 18 months - 8 years. If your little girl loves ruffles, this one is a crowd-pleaser (unless she is two, and then I make no promises).

Thanks, Annelise, for letting me participate in your pattern tour!

The Norah Dress Pattern Tour

2013-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

When Hayley from Welcome to the Mouse House asked me to participate in her Norah Dress pattern tour, I was powerless to resist. That collar! I have a real weakness for patterns with a vintage vibe, and this one really hit the spot. Plus, I love any pattern with a classic, simple shape. This is a dress that will never go out of style.

Of course, the collar is the real show-stopper. A cinched peter pan with ties? I die. When I was cutting the collar pattern piece, the scraps seemed like they would be just the perfect size and shape for a few pockets. They are a bit tight up top, but Ruby can still get her hands inside, and the first thing she did was start loading them with treasures. Plus, the pockets were a way for me to add more pink (at her request).

Fabrics used: main print - Emily Herrick Technicolor in Kryptonite, collar - Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in black, lining - Kona Cotton (not sure of the color).

Ruby approved.

Until our little photo bomber came along. Oh sure, it was funny at first, but then baby sister tried to steal too much of Ruby's thunder. "These pictures are just of ME!" she said.

It wouldn't be a photo shoot without a few tears, right?

No tears were shed about the Norah Dress though. It was a real winner. I can't wait to sew up more versions for my girls (it works for knits, too!) ... let's just say I plan to copy Simple Simon's perfect yellow Norah tunic pretty much point by point.

Thanks, Hayley, for including me in your first pattern tour! I'm a fan.

Make a stop at all the blogs on the pattern tour, so you don't miss any of the wonderful versions of this pattern!

let them eat cake

2013-12-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I make cakes ... usually just for family, and every once in a while for friends. It is fun to take a break from the sewing machine occasionally. :) So here are some of the unblogged cakes of the last year or two:

This mermaid cake was for a friend's party last month. The scary part about making your own cakes is seeing how much sugar goes into them. I make all of my own frosting and fondant, and between the outer fondant and buttercream frosting underneath, this cake contains four pounds of powdered sugar. yowza.

My friend, Sonja, made the super adorable mermaid toppers.

Oscar requested an Iron Man cake for his 4th birthday, which was funny because he really didn't know who Iron Man was at the time. He was delighted, nonetheless.

I really like doing cakes in the shape of letters and numbers. The actual cake carving and assembly can be easy, but frosting them can be a real pain if the are stacked high and thin. I gave up on this number 7 cake and covered it entirely in sprinkles to hide the mess underneath. But it turned out looking pretty festive anyway.

Last year, Sonja's daughter was having a Halloween birthday party, but wanted a Hello Kitty cake. We added some vampire fangs and called it good (this was one of my favorites).

Practice makes perfect(ish). The first time I attempted a ruffle cake for Ruby's birthday, it was way too hot outside (and thus inside, since air conditioning in Santa Barbara is rare), so the icing was sad and droopy (not that she cared). With a little more practice, and better weather conditions, I made a much nicer ruffle cake for Lilly's cowgirl party.

Oscar's soccer team, the Green Dragons, needed a cake for their end-of-season party. Oscar helped me add the decorations on this one, which was a lot of fun.

And most recently, I made another cake for Sonja's daughter's monster birthday party. The monster's "fur" is made using a grass tip, which is very easy, but a bit time intense. It had by far the coolest texture of any cake I've ever decorated! I need to get my hands on more party photos to share with you for this one, because it was a really great party.

Genealogy Fan Charts

2013-12-09T15:23:00.002-08:00

Hi guys - I'm back this week to finish out the year in blogging with a few last posts. It should be a good mix of projects, products, and parties, so be sure to check back throughout the week!

First up, I wanted to feature my friend Megan's new etsy shop. If you've been a reader for a while, you might remember Megan from my early blogging years, as we loved to make sock animals and go on ridiculous adventures around NYC.

Megan is one of my favorite people on earth, so when she and her husband, Nate, created these beautiful Genealogy Fan Charts and opened an etsy shop, I knew I had to tell you all about it!

Genealogy Fans* offers a seven-generation chart, either in digital or printed form. The printed chart, done on Hahnemuhle German etching paper with archival ink, is an heirloom quality piece that would make a lovely holiday gift - perfect for parents, in-laws, or anyone who loves family history!

Entering your genealogy data is easy using their simple online form. Genealogy Fans even offers assistance entering data and finding family members for an additional fee.

*I am not affiliated with Genealogy Fans. Opinions expressed are purely my own.

Cora's birthday carnival brunch

2013-11-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

Baby Cora just turned two! I guess that means she is not a baby anymore ... but we can just go on pretending, right? The carnival theme came about because 1) when Cora arrived, our lives turned into kind of a three ring circus, and 2) I really wanted to reuse those decorations from Oscar's school carnival. :)

Of course, I used my favorite tool, Silhouette CAMEO for most of the decorations (banners, labels, vinyl, food picks, etc). There are a few days left to enter the giveaway, and your odds are pretty good! Also, I'll be posting the Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving day this year, so watch for that. This sale is going to be the best they've ever offered, so you won't want to miss it.

I have to say, serving brunch was the easiest party food yet. We skipped the cake all together and just served mini-doughnuts.

For the rest of the spread, we had mini quiche, croissants, sausage, tiny yogurt cups, little pancake stacks, and apple fritter bread (which is crazy delicious, and you should totally try the recipe!).

The pancakes were my favorite.

But you know what was really my favorite from the party? This girl. She is a total nutter, and we love her to bits.

I made her a Geranium Tunic using the Children on Parade fabric by Sarah Jane. I've been hanging onto it for a while, so I don't know how easy it is to find now. It is one of my favorite fabrics ever!

So all it all, it was just a really fun morning where we ate ourselves sick and clowned around.

Happy birthday, Cora!

Happy Holidays! Silhouette CAMEO Givaway!

2013-11-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys! I'm crawling out of my cave again because when someone offers you a Silhouette CAMEO to give away to your readers, you just can't say no, right?

I think by now you all know of my love for the Silhouette CAMEO (affiliate link). It is amazing. I use it for everything!

When I'm putting on a party, Silhouette is my most trusted side-kick:

Sometimes Silhouette saves Christmas (and every other holiday):

No baby shower goes untouched!

Ok, on to the good stuff.

Are you wondering what the heck a Silhouette CAMEO is? Well, it is an electronic cutting machine that you can use on paper, fabric, vinyl, heat transfer material and more. But the best part is, this machine is all digital, so you don't have to buy cartridges for the images and you can even create your own images yourself. Get all the details right HERE.

Do you want a Silhouette CAMEO? Don't lie ... you know you do. All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment on this post! Easy, peasy, one chance for everyone.

This giveaway runs now (November 20) until midnight on Wednesday, November 27th. On Thanksgiving, I'll announce the winner, and give you the skinny on all the fabulous Black Friday sales Silhouette has going on this year.

Here are the rules:

Enter a comment before November 28th. Why do you want a Silhouette?
Leave ONLY one comment. Multiple entries will disqualify you.
PLEASE ... If you want to win, I must know who you are! So if you don't have a blogger account or it is private, please leave an email address so I have some way to contact you.

Thanks for being a reader! I wish I could give one of these babies to each and every one of you!

one gigantic Fall 2013 KCW post

2013-10-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. I'm back again with a KCW report, and then I'll make myself scarce again for a while.

Behold, my Kids Clothes Week spoils:

If you aren't familiar with Kids Clothes Week, it is a challenge to commit to sewing for your kids for at least one hour a day for a week. You aren't technically supposed to turn yourself into a one-woman sweatshop like I sometimes do. I just get caught up in the sewing fever and can't help myself! :)

Obviously, I spent a lot more than one hour a day sewing. My house is a wreck and I think I averaged about 4 hours of sleep a night. But my kids have some great wardrobe basics for fall and "winter" (we don't really do winter here in Santa Barbara), and hopefully they will be warm enough for our holiday travelling.

One way I was able to make so many pieces was to make multiples using the same pattern. I especially love the Recess Raglan Tee for boys (I think Oscar has like 6 of them), but it is really cute for girls, too. Hooray for unisex patterns!

If you follow me on instagram (homemadebyjill), you saw that I carved a fox and deer stamp to make my own printed fabric. I used animal images from the Silhouette online store, and a Speedball carving block. I love how the fox shirt came out, and can't wait to print some deer fabric. The shorts in the photo below were made with MADE's Kid Shorts pattern, earlier in the fall.

I have been using the Lil Leggings pattern by Lil Blue Boo for years, and I like the no-fuss knit waistband. I usually add a bunch of length to the pattern because I like a full length legging, instead of capri.

Figgy's Banyan Tee is one of my favorite patterns for boys and girls. The handkerchief hem is ridiculously cute on the girls pattern, and I just like the overall fit for both. I altered the pattern a bit to make the cat sweatshirt, and used gold pleather for the details.

You couldn't read about KCW last week without hearing about the Bimaa Sweater, so here is my version of the cowl view. Pretty sure I sewed that cowl on upside down like a moron, but it still looks cute. Must get it right the next time (sleeping might help).

I'm kind of dying over this little jacket, The Coco Topcoat pattern from the CaliFaye Collection. It isn't actually done ... need to finish the sleeves, topstitch, and add buttons ... but it is too cute not to share. This is for Cora, and she looks so delicious in yellow with her blonde ringlets, I just might die when she puts it on.

Ok, the jeans. JEANS! Sorry, still feeling ridiculously proud of these. I used the Skinny Jean pattern from Peekaboo Pattern Shop, and I can't say enough good things about this pattern. I was feeling all intimidated, but it was really easy and came together looking so pro! I like that the fit is a slim jean without being super skinny jeggings, which works really well on Ruby. I got the stretch denim from the Michael Levine Loft in LA for like two bucks, so these jeans are a bargain, too. This is a pattern I will be repeating (already have a pair cut for Oscar in khaki).

Made by Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee was thrown into heavy rotation. I used it for the girl's mermaid Halloween costumes, made a three quarter sleeve top for each of the girls, and used it to draft twinners knit dresses for them as well. Late into the week, Ruby pulled out this funky floral corduroy that she picked out at JoAnn's, so they became a pair of Parsley crazy pants.

Mermaids! My friend Sonja and I picked up the sequin fabric on a LA garment district run early in the year and have been talking up the mermaid Halloween costume to our girls ever since. We made two pink and two blue mermaids this week, and if I can keep it together for another two days, they will hopefully get some mermaid headpieces for the big night. Because how cute would it be if Cora had a little octopus perched on her headband? Really cute, I tell you.

The skirt is a really simple tube skirt with a knit waistband, knit lining, and chiffon ruffle. Nothing fancy about the construction, but those sequins will take you a long way.

In other news, these girlies are kind of precious in twin outfits. Hasn't happened since Easter, 2012.

Phew, still with me? Obviously, Ruby was the big winner this week, but there was a little bit for everyone. Oscar was the recient of a lot of un-blogged back-to-school sewing in September, and Cora has more hand-me-downs than a girl could ever wear, so they are all set.

I'm really grateful for KCW because it lights a fire under my sewing machine and makes me plow through my unhealthy fabric stash a bit (which is still overflowing, despite taking a bit of a hit last week). Fabrics for these projects came from Girl Charlee, Fabric.com, upcycled clothes, and random stash.

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween! xoxo

preschool carnival party

2013-10-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

Way back in May, my friend Sonja and I helped out with a carnival party at our kids' preschool. I was already thinking of doing a carnival themed party for Cora's birthday this year, so it was easy to throw a little extra effort into it, knowing I'd be able to reuse all the decorations.

First, I created this big ticket invite using my Silhouette Cameo. It tore apart at the perforations in the middle, so one side could be returned as the RSVP. I thought they were pretty darn cute.

At the carnival itself, we were assigned to do the decorations and help with games. Sonja and I sometimes get carried away with projects that will be "easy," disregarding the fact that easy does not equal fast. It's a really good thing we enjoy each other's company, because we spent a lot of time on this stuff.

Our pride and joy was the carnival tent backdrop. We used a canvas dropcloth from the hardware store and painted it with acrylic paints. We painted, and painted, and painted. Then we painted some more. It took forever, and soaked up so much paint. We trimmed the edges with polka dot ribbon to clean up the lines, and added a cute scallop detail using felt. We love this tent.

The "ring of fire" is a hula hoop with flames hot glued all around the edges. That was an easy prop, and pretty cute in the photos. I made lots of photo booth props for the kids and families to play around with. Some were cut with my silhouette, some were done by hand, and the zebra and giraffe masks were purchased at Michael's. The strong man's weight was just a spray painted wrapping paper tube, with black balloons strung together through the middle. It was cute, but didn't stand up very well against excitable kids and sharp grass. :)

The carnival games included a Bean Bag Toss, Fishing, Tin Can Alley, and Spray Away (spraying ping pong balls off of tees using a squirt bottle).

We made the bean bag toss game using recycled foam board and shapes cut with my Silhouette Cameo. Each of the game signs were also the foam board, spray painted and card stock letters and trim glued on.

Tin Can Alley and Spray Away both had those red and white game stands, which were sturdy apple boxes that we spray painted red, stacked together, and attached/decorated with white duct tape (the scallop trim is cardstock).

I didn't take a good picture of the fishing game, but it is just an old school magnetic fishing game I made that last winter for my Sunday school class (I've been teaching the 4 year olds at church). The fish are brightly colored paper cut in a fish shape and laminated. Each fish needs a paper clip on its nose. The fishing pole is just a wooden dowel, tied with a long string, and a strong magnet glued on the end.

Sonja and I put together the prize for fishing. There was a lot of debate on what kind of fish to give out ... a real fish? Swedish fish? Fish soap? In the end, we landed on goldfish crackers - always a favorite. We made the bag toppers on the Silhouette (this was a very silhouette-y party).

Sonja made these cute "party animals" to protect the dessert table. We nearly burned our fingers off attaching those tiny hats and even tinier pom poms. :)

Last, but not least (because it might have been my favorite thing at the party), I printed some paper bags for the popcorn cart. The tent image is from the Silhouette online store, and originally said "circus." I did some editing to customize it for the school, and printed them at home. The plain popcorn bags were from papermart.com.

All in all, it was a great party! But I'm still really glad I'm reusing that carnival tent.

Oscar's out-of-this-world Star Wars Party

2013-10-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

I've always had a healthy appreciation for Star Wars, but having a mega fan little boy (and husband), I have now been thoroughly indoctrinated. It came as no surprise to me that Ocsar wanted a Star Wars party, and he had grand plans for a snowy, Hoth-themed celebration. Everyone could wear white! We could cover the whole yard with snow! I had to talk him down a bit.

I made a simple e-vite and added a personalized Star Wars intro using the free Star Wars Crawl Creator.

Sorry, quick moment of nostalgia here ... can you believe Oscar is already 5?!! It all goes by so fast.

Ok, back to the party. When the young padawans arrived, they each received a Jedi robe and light saber. Dana's Beach Robe pattern was my base, and I Jedi-fied it by widening the sleeves and adding a bunch of length. To save time, I just serged all the edges (no hemming, yay!). There is a button and elastic loop on the front to keep it closed. The lightsabers are the standard pool noodle and duct tape variety. The kids love them and they are pretty safe.

Most of the kids at the party had never seen Star Wars, so "Jedi Master Jill" gave a brief rundown of Jedi and the good side of the force, and they ran through a series of tasks. The padawans had to jump some cones, crawl through a tunnel, rescue a toy R2D2 from the swamps of Degobah (a kiddie pool "ball pit") with their eyes closed, and keep a balloon in the air with their lightsabers.

Once everyone successfully completed their Jedi training, we headed over to the "Tatooine Parlor" to be branded with the Jedi emblem. I used Silhouette Temporary Tatoo paper (affiliate link) to make the tatoos. This is a really cool specialty media from Silhouette, and you don't really even need the cutting machine to use it. You simply choose a design, print on your home computer, apply the adhesive sheet, and cut (by hand or machine).

I didn't go too crazy with decorations for this party, because I knew the kids would mainly be running around with the lightsabers. We strung some mini lanterns and balloon Tie-Fighters, and I dressed up the umbrella pole to look like a lightsaber.

The main decoration was this felt Star Wars bunting, which I I totally copied from Sticks on a Plane. She made the world's coolest Star Wars nursery, and that little bunting spoke to me. I copied most of Amanda's characters, and then did a google search for Star Wars graphic images to create templates for the rest. I kept this decoration a surprise for Oscar, and now it hangs on the wall over his bed. I think this is my favorite element from the whole party.

Food at the party was pretty simple, because this was more of a kid party than a big family barbecue. We had Lightsaber fruit kabobs (which Jared cleverly renamed Obi-wan Kabobies), Cloud City Crudites, Jabba Jello Jigglers, and Empanada's Apprentice Italian sausage hot pockets. My mother-in-law helped me crank out lots of little Darth Vader (sausage filled) and Stormtrooper (ham and cheese filled) hot pockets, using pie dough for the crust, and Williams Sonoma Star Wars cookie cutters (as seen at A Mama with Ideas). Oscar LOVES these things. All the moms and dads thought they were yummy, too. :)

Those cookie cutters served double duty, because obviously we needed to use them for their intended purpose. And the cookies come out so cute, you don't even have to frost them. I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe, and for the chocolate ones, used the same recipe, omitting the almond extract and adding 1/2 cup cocoa powder. They are sooo good, I'm having a really hard time staying away from the left overs.

I always decorate our drink dispenser for parties, but this R2 unit is my favorite vinyl "costume" to date. I cut the vinyl on my Silhouette Cameo, and applied it by hand (I find transfer paper is a little tricky on curves). The "head" is just a metal mixing bowl set over the top of the drink dispenser and secured with a little tape.

Other Silhouette media projects included these cute storm trooper favor box labels, made with the Printable Silver Foil labels (affiliate link). This is one of my favorite specialty media products by Silhouette, because the labels look SO polished. I wasn't sure how color would show up against the foil, but it was vibrant and looked fab. This is definitely a product you could use without the machine, and would be wonderful to use on holiday treats.

I filled the boxes with Star Wars rings and pop rocks candy for each of the guests and their siblings. I was feeling stingy with my cute chevron boxes, so I just packed one for each family instead of each kid.

I used the Printable Clear Sticker Paper (affiliate link) to add Darth Vader to the kid's drink cups. This sticker paper is quite thick, and would look great against glass. It worked on my cups, but would look better on a nice smooth surface, I think.

I also made the star straw toppers on my silhouette using a pencil topper shape from the online store. You have to shrink the shape down a bit to make the holes a good size for straws, but they were pretty cute. It's all in the little details!

Darth Vader (a.k.a., Darth Daddy) showed up and tried to steal all of our pinata candy. He tried to bring Oscar to the Dark Side, promising the pinata candy would bring them great power, but luckily, Oscar was able to resist. He and the other young Jedis gave ol' Darth a good pummeling with their lightsabers, and he surrendered.

I made the Darth Vader costume by ironing on a chest plate image I found online to a long sleeve t-shirt, and sewing a big piece of fabric into the shoulders as a cape. We ordered the accessories from amazon.

Oscar really had his heart set on a Star Wars pinata, but there isn't much available to buy at a reasonable price. Luckily, Oh Happy Day has a whole series about how to make your own pinata, so I just made this one myself. It was so easy! All I needed was a box, painters tape, craft glue, and crepe paper. I added a bit of cardstock for the features. I think it took like two hours to put together, and Oscar was even able to help. The kids did a great job smashing it open, but the face remained intact, so we saved it and hung it on Oscar's wall.

The only thing that held out from the original Hoth party theme was this Wampa Cake, which I saw on Alicia Policia. If you love Star Wars, definitely check out all of her Empire Strikes Back party posts. It looked amazing (and had the coolest pinata I've ever seen. Pinata Luke's hand was detachable. I'm serious.).

It was a very Hoth-y birthday after all.

Many thanks to all our friends who came and made this birthday boy's wishes come true! Also, big thank you to my mother-in-law for all of her help with the food prep (you always save the day!), my husband for being a very punny Darth Vader, and my good friend Sonja for helping me with so many of the crafting details behind the scenes. She should get a blog, don't you think? :)

Ruby's Ultimate Princess Party

2013-10-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

Surprise! I'm back for a blog visit, and I'll be here all week, folks. Maybe I can be a quarterly blogger? Anyway, the beginning of this week is all about parties, parties, parties. Brace yourself, there are a lot of photos coming your way.

To start, this special little lady turned three years old ...

photo credit: Anna Costa

About 6 months before her birthday, Miss Ruby began requesting a pink princess party, with a princess castle cake, a pinata, and could Snow White please come? I was happy to oblige.

We set the tone with a dreamy pop-up castle card, complete with a little princess inside. I used my Silhouette Cameo and shapes from the online store to make them, and they came together surprisingly easily. They made Ruby squeal with delight (ok, me too). We were off to a good start.

When the guests arrived, they were invited to make their own crown. Again, I cut the crowns on my Cameo, but crown kits are easy to find online or at your local craft store. We decorated with foam stickers.

We also had a cozy reading tent set up with plenty of princess books. Reading is Ruby's all-time favorite activity, so this was a no-brainer. As my present to Ruby, I made this princess quilt and a couple of floor cushions for her room. The fabric is from the Once Upon a Time collection by Alexander Henry. I just winged the quilt, but the floor cushion pattern came from the book, Girls World, by Jennifer Paganelli.

photo credit: Anna Costa

We played Pin the Crown on the Princess (and Prince). I made the game with Silhouette store shapes cut as big as I could fit on a 12x12 piece of cardstock, and just glued them to a piece of foam board. Easy, peasy.

The highlight of the party, of course, was when Snow White showed up. Ruby was a little star struck.

Snow White was actually my friend, Anna, and she did the most wonderful job. Her character was so spot on, and she has a really beautiful singing voice. Snow White sang the wishing well song to the kids, read Ruby's favorite version of the Snow White book (a vintage Golden Tell-A-Tale from Grandma's house), and then was nice enough to take a photo with each of the kids, which we later sent out in thank-you cards.

Not only was Anna an amazing Snow White, she is a very talented wedding photographer and was so nice to take some photos of the party. Any picture in this blog post that looks really good was taken by Anna. She has a great food blog, too! You can check her out at Costa Kitchen.

photo credit: Anna Costa

Our party food was a pretty standard (but delicious) barbecue, with princess touches. There were crown shaped cheddar slices for my cheese-loving girl (thanks, cousin Sam, for cutting all those for me!), pb & nutella crown sandwiches (thanks, mom!), and princess pink popcorn (it is tossed with melted pink candy coating and pink m&ms ... so yummy!).

My friend, Sonja, sewed all of the beautiful buntings for the tents. They added such a nice touch, and matched the quilt in the reading nook. I made the giant paper roses using a tutorial by Studio DIY (who happens to have the happiest Instagram feed on earth).

photo credit: Anna Costa

The kids all had a go at the pinata, which they LOVED. It always seems strange to me to put a beloved character on a pinata and then bash it to pieces, but whatever. The kids want that candy! We filled it with princess rings (pirate rings for the boys), and candy necklaces and bracelets.

photo credit: Anna Costa

Finally, we had cake ...

After showing Ruby many princess cakes on Pinterest, and she concluded that she needed a pink castle with tall towers and princesses on it. I am a total amateur, but we pulled it off, and even fished the perfect cake toppers out of Ruby's new Princess Candyland game that arrived just the day before from her aunt.

Later that night when I was tucking her into bed, Ruby told me I actually had made the wrong cake. Because this was just a little castle and it was supposed to be big, big, big so the princesses could go inside. I'll probably forgive her someday. :)

photo credit: Anna Costa

I think she was just stalling bedtime, because she seemed pretty pleased with it in the moment.

As a party favor, Ruby made each of her friends a little beaded bracelet. I was shocked that she actually had the patience to get through this project, but she happily stringed beads for like 15 bracelets. She and my mom made a great team.

I cut the favor boxes using my Lifestyle Crafts die-cutter and a box die. The princess toppers were made with my Silhouette. Isn't teamwork great?

I had to make cookies, too. They're my favorite part of any party. My favorite sugar cookie recipe is for Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies at Bake at 350.

It was a special party for an exceptionally special girl. A big thanks goes to my mom and mother-in-law for all of the party-prep help, my nephews for all the manual labor grandma assigned to them in the house and yard, Jared and Thayne for manning the BBQ, my friend Sonja for crafting right along with me, and Anna for wowing the kids as Snow White and taking such pretty pictures. :)

Come back tomorrow to see Oscar's Star Wars party, which just happened over the weekend! I totally geeked out over it. I'll also have a killer Silhouette promotion going on.

so long for now

2013-05-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

So.

Maybe you have noticed, but I haven't been around much since Christmas. I've been drafting this post for a long time, trying to come up with an acceptable list of reasons I'm putting the breaks on this blog, but haven't had the courage to actually publish it. Besides, it is boring.

Here is the short version: I took a little break from blogging this winter and felt nothing but relief. I'm not sick, not pregnant, don't have major life changes on the horizon. What I do have are three small, exuberant children who demand all the time and attention as I have to offer. As much as I love blogging, something's gotta give.

For the past 7 years, I have really enjoyed being your crafty friend! I'll still be sewing my brains out, I just won't be taking as much time to write about it. You can see all my most current projects and pictures of some of the cutest kids on earth on Instagram (my username is jillmgreen).

Even though I won't be here regularly, I do reserve the right to throw a post out here any time I like. :) That means when I finish Ruby's super awesome princess birthday party in July, you will be sure to see some pictures.

I hope someday return to a regular blogging schedule! It may be a year or more, but I'm sure absence will make the heart grow fonder. Until then, keep crafting, internet friends!

love,
Jill

kids clothes week wrap-up

2013-04-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

See that big pile of kid clothes? I need a nap.

I was going to try to get some photos of last night's clothes in action, but I was informed by my children that I "have enough pictures." I figured it was time to wrap this week of sewing madness up. The baseball tee and circle skirt are for Ruby and the sun hats are for Cora.

Cora is my fair child, so it is really handy that she loves to wear hats. I used Oliver + S's free bucket hat pattern and widened the brim a la A Little Gray.

All in all, I made 25 garments during Kids Clothes Week. Two items pictured here were sewn ahead of time, but I also made two things not pictured for my nephew's birthday this week.

The name of the game for me was mass production. I stuck with simple patterns, not a lot of embellishing, and no complicated closures - elastic and stretch knits all the way! Thank you to my serger and double needle ... I couldn't have done it without you guys. There are still a few things on my list to make, but I think it is time to slow down the pace.

I'm not sure what inspired the sewing frenzy, because I don't usually get so carried away with Kids Clothes Week. But both Oscar and Ruby were actually in need of new clothes, so it is nice that they have lots of items to mix and match.

Hope you have enjoyed my whirlwind posts! If you want to see what I've made for Kids Clothes Week in the past, click HERE, or check out my kcwc label (located in the Labels section of the sidebar).

baseball twirl dress and knit parsley shorts

2013-04-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

I've been up so late for so many nights in a row, I don't even know what to say about these clothes! I love Oscar's baseball tee, so I made one for Ruby and then decided to slap a circle skirt on it at the last minute.

She liked it.

Oooh, twirly! Ruby said I should make "more and more and more dresses!"

For Oscar, I made a pair of Parsley Pants pattern shorts, but tried it out in interlock knit. These were also a hit for the comfort factor.

I also made this kind of wacky striped tee, but I'm not sure if I like it. I think the sleeves would look better in a raglan rather than set-in style and the shoulders want to sit just a little funny. Of course that means this one is "his favorite."

I had one last wild night of sewing last night, so I'll have one more Kids Clothing Week post with new garments and a recap tomorrow. If I can keep my eyes open, that is.

Baseball Tee and a Geranium/Fashback Hybrid

2013-04-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

I think baseball tees are my new favorite style of shirt. I've always liked the look, but didn't realize how fast they are to make! I used Jess's Raglan Tee Tutorial to adapt the Banyan Tee pattern I've been using this week. It is Oscar's new favorite. The shorts are the Parsley Pants basic pattern, which I blogged about earlier.

For Ruby, I created an easy cap-sleeve top pattern by layering the front bodice from the Geranium Dress on top of the Flashback Skinny Tee pattern piece. Since I was refashioning an Old Navy clearance shirt for the fabric, I just used the original shirt hem. This was easily the fastest shirt I have every made!

I also made Ruby another pair of Bubble Pocket Shorts. I can't tell you how much I like this pattern - perfection! It makes the cutest shorts known to man.

This next top isn't for Kids Clothes Week. Cora was just really cute today. :) I mean, come on ... that hair! I did make the shirt though, almost a year ago. It was more of a tunic length originally, but still fits as a pretty cute little shirt.

And finally, I just had to document some sisterly love, since it is most rare at our house. I see more smacks to the face and kicks between these two, so I have to savor it when hugging happens.

snow white tee and a sweet dress

2013-04-27T02:25:00.000-07:00

I'm still plugging away at Kids Clothes Week. Like I mentioned before, I wanted to make Ruby a Snow White t-shirt to go with her yellow shorts (are you sick of seeing those yet?).

I used the same fabrics and method as the Snow White t-shirt dress from last summer, just zig zag stitching the details onto the shirt. Ruby was very pleased! I used Made by Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee pattern, but puffed the sleeves a bit. You can't really see it, but the sleeves have a dark blue band at the bottom to match the bodice.

Then I did make something for Cora, after all. After seeing Jess's cute peasant dress, I used Leila & Ben's Sweet Dress pattern to whip out this festive number. The fabric is Michael Miller Spa Scallop. I la-love it, and need to make a tote bag or something with it asap.

salty and sweet tees

2013-04-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories Giveaway winners - The Henrich Family, Whitney and Brad, and Colette! I'll be in touch about your prize.

Ruby is a real funny kid. I sewed up a couple t-shirts for her to wear with the yellow bubble pocket shorts, and the two shirts speak to both sides of her little personality.

First, Ruby is part tomboy. She loves to run and climb, dig in the dirt, get disheveled. I made this henley style shirt by refashioning an old maternity shirt. And since I was able to reuse the old neckline and hems on the shirt sleeves, I was able to whip this out in like 30 minutes! Score.

On the flip side, Ruby loves all the girly stuff. She wants princess hair and painted nails and it is her life's mission to pick every yellow sour grass flower in southern California. For the second tee, I added a strip of stretch lace I've had in my stash forever and puffed the sleeves a bit.

Ok, the girly side only lasts so long...

Both shirts were made using Made by Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee pattern, but I went up a couple sizes for a looser fit (I want all these clothes to last a while!).

p.s. did you hear that the Parsley Pant Pattern was officially released? I can't recommend it enough!

shorts!

2013-04-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

Both Oscar and Ruby are in serious need of bottom-half clothing, so shorts were toward the top of my Kids Clothes Week list.

After Jessica posted a pair of Bubble Pocket Shorts, I instantly bought the pattern from Elegance and Elephants and got to work. I haven't been this proud of a garment in a long time - they are SO cute! And they are much more simple to put together than they look. I've had to market these to Ruby as "Snow White Shorts," since they are not in her preferred color palate (pink, pink, and more pink!).

The plan is to make a casual princess tee just like the one at Crafterhours to complete the outfit and provide relief to her poor Snow White dress that has been worn to death. Also, I want to make a million more pairs of these shorts. Have I mentioned that I love them?

For Oscar, I made three pairs of shorts using Made by Rae's soon-to-be-released Parsley Pants Pattern. The big gingham and crazy animal print shorts are just the quick, basic pattern ... no frills. For the plaid, I chose the flat front and pouch pocket options.

Last night I also cut fabric for 3 t-shirts, and have plans for at least two more shirts and a dress (who needs sleep, right?). Oh, and a bucket hat. I probably should sew something for Cora. :) (Don't feel bad for her ... she has clothes coming out her ears.)

P.S. Today is the last day to enter the Interactive Book of Mormon Stories Vol. 2 Giveaway!

The Anywhere Dress

2013-04-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Oooh, I love this little dress. Andrea from Go To Patterns sent me The Anywhere Dress pattern to try out, and it got added right away to my Kids Clothes Week list.

I wasn't sure how this slim-and-straight style of dress would fit Ruby, but it is pretty stinking cute. The pattern was super easy to sew (took less than 2 hours start to finish, including cutting), and confession - this was my first time doing a neck facing. Turns out that's no biggie.

This is the 3T size, cut to the size 5 length. Even with the few extra inches, I'm going to have to work on teaching this girl how to sit like a lady (or sew up some boy shorts to go underneath). At dinner last night she just hiked the whole dress up to her waist so she could sit with her knees up. Classy!

When I asked Ruby what she liked about the dress, she said, "this pink, and this pink," pointing to the two shades. What can I say ... the girl loves pink. I snatched up a few yards of this knit at JoAnn's the minute I saw it, because I knew it would be a big hit.

So there you have it ... a dress you can really "go anywhere" in. I like it with sneakers and think it would be equally cute with some nice sandals for church. And with the pattern going up to size 12, this is a dress Ruby will see in her wardrobe for years to come.

Banyan Tees

2013-04-23T08:14:00.003-07:00

For Kids Clothes Week day two, I present to you a few Banyan Tees. I really love this easy t-shirt and tunic pattern by Figgy's. It is a cinch to sew up, and the fit is cuuute.

For Ruby, I made the girl's handkerchief hem version of the tee, and used a fun sequin fabric for the pocket. I actually made this ahead of time, and of course when she wore it over the weekend for the first time it instantly got stained the front. Grrr. Oxyclean to the rescue!

Oscar is sorely in need of some wardrobe basics, so I whipped up two boy's tees and he'll probably get a few more. In the past I've stuck almost exclusively to Made by Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee pattern (which is wonderful, and I love), but it is kind of nice to switch things up a bit. The Banyan Tee is definitely a looser fit, so the style is totally different. Good to have options.

The grey knit was a steal at the FIDM Scholarship Store in LA for only $1 a yard - score! It is nice and thick and so very soft.

Ok, this last one is my favorite - I copied the Banyan Tee pattern picture as best I could with the multi-directional stripes. I bought a bunch of this knit at Michael Levine's in LA for just $3/yard and it is SO soft and comfy. I have it in blue and green stripes, too. It might be a little much to sew up three of the same shirt in different colors, but that's how much I like this style.

Here's where things get sad. Within hours of giving Oscar the awesome striped shirt, he CHEWED through the pocket. argh. He's not typically a clothes chewer, so I was not prepared and my head nearly exploded on the spot. Luckily the holes just went through the pocket and not the shirt front, so I'll just make a new one. And hey, it gives me the opportunity to sew the next pocket on straight. Don't you just love "opportunities?"

My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories Vol. 2 (Giveaway Closed)

2013-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

*Double post today! See Oscar's new Parsley Pants in my first day of Kids Clothes Week post below.*

Back in February, I introduced you to My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories, Volume 1. My kids have enjoyed their book so much (to the point of arguing over it), I'm pleased to share that Volume 2 is now available!

* Watch for the Old Testament and New Testament volumes to be released later this year!

This Book of Mormon for Children is a PDF that you print and create for your own family. It is easy to make - no sewing, or hours of coloring. All the hard work is done! Simply print, laminate and attach pieces.

There are 9 stories in Volume 2:

1. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies

2. Captain Moroni

3. The Stripling Warriors

4. Samuel the Lamanite

5. Signs of Christ's Birth

6. Signs of Christ's Death

7. Jesus Visits America

8. The Brother of Jared

9. Moroni Buries the Plates

Volume 2 includes stories from the second half of the Book of Mormon, telling the stories from the Prophets in a fun, interactive way. It is wonderful as a quiet activity in Sacrament Meeting, and can also be a valuable tool in Family Home Evening or Primary lessons, or just a fun book for your kids to read.

Check out the demonstrative video on YouTube to see Volume 2 in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSGIlY8n09E

Volume 1:

Want to make a set for your family? The creator, Natalie Severts, is giving away 3 copies of the PDF combo pack - volumes one and two! See the entry guidelines below for your chance to win.

Can't wait to get started? Use the code HOMEMADE now through April 27th to receive 10% off your order of My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories.

For a chance to win a pdf copy of My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories, simply leave a comment. Check out the book in the Etsy shop or watch the YouTube video and give Natalie some feedback. What do you think of the book? What is your child's favorite scripture story? What would you like to see in an interactive scripture book?

For one extra entry (for a total of 2 entries per person only), PIN My Interactive Book of Mormon on Pinterest, then please leave separate comment telling me you've done so.

Anonymous comments will be ignored. Please make sure I have a way of contacting you if you're the winner!

This giveaway is open until midnight, Thursday, April 26th, and a winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, April 27th.

parsley pants!

2013-04-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's Kid Clothes Week! Have you caught the sewing bug? Have you seen the new blog?

If you're new to the challenge, Kid's Clothes Week is a seasonal sewing challenge where you dedicate one hour a day to sewing for your kids. Of course, you're not limited to an hour, but if you spend at least that much time everyday for a week, you can accomplish some great things.

I'm a big cheat and started prepping patterns, cutting fabric, and sewing clothes about two week ago. I just couldn't wait! First up, I made these linen Parsley Pants for Oscar. The Parsley Pants pattern should be released any second now at Made by Rae, and I have to tell you ... it is great. There are lots of options, the fit is nice, and the sewing is SIMPLE. Love it.

I believe Oscar's exact review was, "Mom, can you make me 100 pairs of these comfy pants so I don't have to wait for them in the wash?" I'd call that a sweet success.

More to come! I know I have been a real inconsistent blogger the past few months (more on that next week), but I hope to post every day during Kids Clothes Week. So come back soon!

You Can't Judge A Pattern By Its Cover Challenge

2013-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

When the Simple Simon girls asked me to participate in their "You Can't Judge An (Ugly Vintage) Pattern By Its Cover" challenge, I just couldn't resist. In a moment of bravery, I even chose to do a women's pattern - which I then sweated about for a few weeks, because I haven't sewn many clothes for myself and am afraid of darts, zippers, and the like. So when I opened my package to this beauty, I almost fainted:

I swear all I could see were those vest ties! I was super nervous that I'd never be able to come up with something modern and would have to post something totally embarrassing to the internet. Then l I took a deep breath, looked again, and saw that sweet piece of peplum. Yay! I've actually been admiring peplum tops for a while, I just never considered making one myself.

With lots of modifications to the vest pattern, I ended up making this grey peplum top. I am 100% pleasantly surprised that it is totally wearable.

To alter the vest pattern, I cut the front and back pattern pieces kind of in reverse - the front pieces I cut on the fold, and the back piece not on the fold, so it would have a back closure. I also rounded out the neck, lengthened the bodice and peplum pieces, and drafted my own sleeve. The fabric is a interlock knit (from the remnant bin at Joann's) that I had in my stash. I chose it mostly for the print and color (also it was one of the few I had enough yardage for), but a knit probably isn't the best choice for a structured shirt. Comfy, though!

There's an invisible zipper in the back. It's not perfect, but is about as good as I've ever done (pats self on back).

Taking photos of myself is not my favorite, so it's a good thing I don't attempt to be a fashion blogger (besides not being very fashionable, of course). I got lots of shots looking awkward and had mostly weird faces like this:

Anyway, I like it! I think I'll even try to make another, with a more dramatic peplum. Any suggestions how I can make it fuller without gathering the fabric?

Lilly's Cowgirl Party

2013-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

First up ... congrats to the winners of the Interactive Book of Mormon Stories giveaway - Kim, Julie, and Emily Kate! I hope you (and especially your kids) enjoy your new activity book. I'll be in touch. Remember, the rest of you can still use the code, VALENTINE, to get 10% off your order today.

Okay, so prepare yourself for the world's longest party post. My pal, Sonja, is one of my favorite people to craft with (well, favorite people, period - she is great). So when we got the go ahead from her husband to have a big birthday bash for their daughter, Lilly, we went kind of nuts. There are many things to share. :)

Lilly loves pink, and she loves horses, so we went with a pretty pink cowgirl theme.

I designed the invite using the Silhouette Designer Edition software. I love all the shapes available and layering I'm able to do with it.

I also used my Silhouette Cameo to make this little door hanger. I kind of want to make a million of these stars.

For decorations, we made lots of pennant flag garlands using a panel of Samantha Walker's Saddle Up Bandanas. The panel has 28 little bandanas measuring 6 x 6 inches. We cut them apart with pinking shears and bound them into garlands with bias tape. We also made the rope name by twisting heavy floral wire into a long length of rope and bending into the shape of Lilly's name. If you use fishing line tied around all the spots the rope overlaps, it holds together really nicely and is not heavy to hang.

When the kids first arrived to the party, we sent them to the Trading Post to get gold panning supplies - a pie pan with holes punched in the bottom, and little muslin money bags to collect their treasure.

The kids enjoyed digging through the sandbox, hunting for "gold nuggets" - rocks that Sonja had spray painted gold.

Doesn't Lilly look cute in her Geranium Dress? I love that pattern.

Once they had some cold hard cash, the kids headed back to the trading post to buy a pony.

Oh, the ponies. These guys turned out great, but as it turns out, making 14 stick ponies can get a little tedious. We referenced two tutorials on Chickabug Blog and Dandee Designs, with a few of our own twists. The biggest change was a real time-saver on the pony's mane. Instead of individually sewing all those yarn loops, we made 3 shaggy pom poms and sewed them on in a row. It was so much faster, and made for a nice, full mane as well.

The stick horses were a huge hit with all the little cowboys and cowgirls.

Then it was off to the races! We set up a little obstacle course out of hay bales and cones, and let the kids race as long as they wanted. It worked up a good appetite for lunch.

For other outdoor play, they also enjoyed playing in this amazing jail Sonja's husband Jake built. We had been slaving away at the party details for weeks, and he put this all together literally the night before the party. Isn't it incredible? It's nice to know a guy who can build stuff (and has access to large scale printers).

Speaking of printers, Jake also made personalized wanted posters for all the kids. It was cute to see all their mug shots on the wall.

We also set up a funny little photo booth in a corner with a hay bale and cowboy props. Sonja made those fabulous felt mustaches using the Operation Incognito pattern from mmmcrafts.

The wanted poster prop and all the other signs were just pieces of cardboard from my recycle pile with some vinyl slapped on. My Silhouette Cameo was working overtime for this party. The chalkboard sign was a piece of foam board covered in chalkboard vinyl. Easy, peasy.

It was fun to get silly in the photo booth and we tried to get photos of all the families at the party.

All of that playing worked up a good appetite! I wish I would have taken a photo of our other food table, but we had a simple BBQ lunch with hot dogs, three kinds of chili, fresh cornbread, fruits and vegetables. It was so yummy.

Of course, there were also lots of treats. Sonja made the amazing cupcakes topped with chocolate ganache and heath toffee crumble (recipe by Sugar & Snapshots). I totally copied CINO's cowgirl boot and hat cookies. I love this cold-butter sugar cookie recipe by Bake at 350.

After a weak attempt at the pinterest-famous "Ruffle Cake" for Ruby's birthday this past summer, I actually got it right for the cowgirl party. Hurray! It helped that it was not blazing hot, so the frosting didn't wilt. I couldn't resist this cake, or the simplicity of the little horse topper, after seeing it on Catch My Party.

We had a very happy birthday girl at cake time.

I'm so glad I got to help Sonja with this fun party, and even more glad that we have these wonderful friends. I love them!

Happy birthday, sweet Lilly!

My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories (Giveaway CLOSED)

2013-02-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned it before, but like many of your friendly neighborhood bloggers, I'm a Mormon. This giveaway caters to my LDS readers, but I hope you'll all like taking a look at this fun product.

I was recently contacted to try My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories, an easy to assemble PDF book. I've had this type of project has been on my mind for a while, because I want to get my kids more excited about reading scriptures and learning scripture stories. The book features 9 stories from the prophets of the Book of Mormon with a story summary and activity on each page.

The best part about this activity book is that all the hard work is done for you. There is not even coloring involved ... just print the pdf, and laminate the pages! I used my home-laminator and took the book to Kinko's to be spiral bound. To keep the pieces a little quieter for church use, I opted for poster putty on the back of the movable pieces. Easy!

Oscar was looking over my shoulder the first time I watched the book's explanatory YouTube video, and the first thing he asked was, "can you make one of those for me?"

I finally had it ready to hand off at church yesterday, and the book did not disappoint. Oscar and Ruby both loved moving the pieces, assembling the puzzles, and listening to the stories. I think they will enjoy it for a long time to come!

Want to make one for your kids? The creator, Natalie Severts, is giving away 3 copies of her pdf book! See the entry guidelines below for your chance to win.

Can't wait to get started? This would make a fun Valentine's day gift for the kids. Use the code VALENTINE now through Friday to recieve 10% off your order of My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories.

For a chance to win a pdf copy of My Interactive Book of Mormon Stories, simply leave a comment. Check out the book in the Etsy shop or watch the YouTube video and give Natalie some feedback. What do you think of the book? What is your child's favorite scripture story? What would you like to see in an interactive scripture book?

For one extra entry (for a total of 2 entries per person only), PIN My Interactive Book of Mormon on Pinterest, then leave a comment telling me you've done so.

Anonymous comments will be ignored. Please make sure I have a way of contacting you if you're the winner!

This giveaway is open until midnight, Thursday, February 14, and a winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, February 15th.

birthday cowgirl geranium

2013-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

January was mostly consumed with helping my good friend, Sonja, plan a cowgirl birthday party for her daughter, Lilly. Once I get my act together, I have lots of fun party pictures to share.

In the meantime, check out this sweet version of the Geranium Dress I sewed for the birthday girl using Made by Rae's pattern. It has the cap sleeve, cut out neckline, gathered skirt, and pocket options (I love this pattern! So many looks to choose from).

On the back, I made some fabric covered buttons for my favorite horse-lovin' girl. Ahem, note to self: pay attention to the direction of the fabric next time you make covered buttons. Yeah ... they came out a little crooked.

This is a stick up! Make sure you come back later this week for more pictures of Lilly's cowgirl birthday party!