Ginger Freckle - the blog.

Cotton-Minky Blankets

2013-04-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

I had a cotton-minky blanket order explosion - 2 boy ones, 2 girl ones. Just thought I'd do a quick photo share post. I keep thinking I'll be done with custom orders and can get started on some of my own projects - and then another custom order comes in. I have a hard time saying no!

And here is how I am able to get some of it done with Little Miss Cray-Cray toddling around:

....aaaaand here is how I cook dinner:

Maybe now I can get back to some "works in progress" (WIP's) that I stopped working on in November due to the holiday rush... and post holiday rush.... and spring rush... ?

Toodle-doo!

Ladybug Toddler Duvet Cover

2013-04-12T20:22:00.000-05:00

I'm still finishing up some custom orders - one of which was a Ladybug Toddler Duvet Cover for a transitional toddler bed. I searched high and low for decent ladybug fabric, but all I could find were tiny ladybug prints about the size of a quarter - not really what I had in mind.

Enter: Spoonflower

Spoonflower is a lifesaver! I ordered up a yard of custom printed ladybug fabric from their fabulous site - I encourage you to check it out. I cut the ladybugs out into 10" squares, paired it with some complimentary fabrics from the fabric store, used ladybug buttons for the closure, and I think it turned out pretty dang good! Too cute not to share!

(we've had a string of cloudy / rainy days so I couldn't get a good overall shot with good lighting - sorry!)

(I put these on my Flickr photostream if you would like to see the photos in better detail as well)

February in Review

2013-03-02T11:13:00.003-06:00

This month has flown by and with it came some changes.

I decided to put my Etsy shop on hold starting March 1, 2013. I'm no superwoman: I can't do it all and I'm not going to pretend that I can. I also have about 15 personal creative projects that I'd like to work on. Every time I start something, it gets put on hold to make something for someone else.

Paige turned ONE on Feb 10th and I still haven't finished her quilt that I started a year ago. Totally unacceptable. I promised all the women in my family that I'd make them an apron using my grandmother's fabric stash. It's been 2 years... totally unacceptable. I've never made a nursing dress that I have pattern for... and I'm almost done nursing. Sad. I have yet to make a dress for Paige. Bummer. And I'd like to sew more quilts, pillow covers, dresses, shirts, room decor, seat cushions... the list goes on and on.

Paige on her 1st Birthday

I'm also trying to eat better and exercise which cuts into free time as well. It's not easy to workout with a 1 year old wobbling around you. AND I need to start sorting through items, donating things, and reorganizing this house so I don't feel like I live in a crowded thrift store! So you see, something has to give and Etsy is taking the cut. I will only be using Etsy to sell my fabric stash off as I go through it.

We also took our annual ski trip back "home" in Colorado and every time we go back there it just breaks my heart that we aren't raising our kids in the lifestyle we love so much... hiking, skiing/boarding, snowshoeing, climbing, golfing, biking, rafting, backpacking, camping. Plus the weather is beautiful, the scenery is beautiful, the architecture is beautiful, people are athletic and healthy and so friendly, and they enjoy the outdoors all year round. [We need to get back there!] I guess I'm just not a big city girl.

Oh! And Parker was in another school play - man! I love watching these! They're so funny!

(Parker is all the way to the right)

So bye-bye bittersweet February! Here's to making it through that rough 1st year with a baby, getting back to nature, and re-energizing my creativity with some personal projects which of course I will document here on the blog!

XOXO!

Fundraising with Quilts

2013-01-30T09:00:00.000-06:00

Why not do a fundraiser for your school with a quilting project, I say? I think it's genius!

I have a friend who's children attend a Catholic school and they do a fundraiser every spring where they auction off something that the children helped create. She had this amazing idea to do quilts with fabric Linocut* prints that the kids created - one with an ocean theme, the other with a bird theme.

Birdie Quilt - close up of Linocut

Ocean Quilt - close up of Linocut

She dusted off her sewing machine and made the quilt tops all by herself even though she had to do an internet search on how to thread her machine (that's how long it has been since she has sewn!). I think she did a darn tootin' amazing job as a novice quilter, don't you?

I was her little helper bee so I quilted and bound the edges for her to complete her creations. I am so proud of what she has done that I had to write a post about it! AND I thought that this is such a neat way to teach kids a new art technique AND raise funds for the school. Brava!

Ocean Quilt - loop-dee-doo (as I call it) quilting method, dowel rod pockets in upper corners on the back for hanging

Birdy Quilt - puzzle piece (as I call it) quilting method, also with dowel rod pockets in the upper corners on the back for hanging

Hopefully these very awesome quilts will bring in some much needed funds for her school.

*[ART 101: A quick explanation of Linocut prints...
Lino printing is a form of fine art printmaking where an image is carved into a piece of lino (aka: linoleum. Yes, as in the floor covering). The lino is then inked, a piece of fabric (or paper) is placed over the lino, and pressure is then applied with a roller by hand to transfer the ink to the fabric (can also be done through a printing press). The result, a linocut print. Below is an example done on paper]

Artwork by Carl Eugen Keel

How do you keep your house tidy?

2013-01-25T09:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, this is totally not related to creativeness. Or maybe it is. But I have a question that drives me crazy every day and I'm wondering if you have an answer to it: How on earth do people keep their houses in order 24/7?

I only have 2 kids and this is how my house looks 95% of the time and it makes my skin crawl. I can't stand it! I want to light a match and blow it up sometimes:

Before kids? Organized. After kids? Hoarders.

I'm constantly picking up the house, doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, driving to and from school, running errands, making food, feeding and dressing little people, etc. I can barely squeeze in 2 showers a week (eh, TMI?) and some sewing. I can barely answer an email or even a text... or even write a blog post... or keep the house picked up in between it all!

So how on earth do you keep the house always tidy? Do you stay up till midnight every night organizing? I'm embarrassed to have people over because it's just a bomb all the time. Do you never sit down and constantly run around putting things where they belong?

I know we've outgrown our house - I've run out of creative places to stash toys (under the ottoman, in baskets everywhere, behind chairs, in the basement), the kitchen table is covered in stuff, I can barely close some of our kitchen cupboards because they're so full, there's barely enough room for the clothes to be put away in dressers, we don't have a linen closet - so all of the towels sit in stacks. Coat closet? overflowing. Bins for shoes? overflowing. basement stairs? stacks of stuff. It's horrible, horrible, horrible. But guess what? My sewing space? Organized. Honestly. It really is.

I either have too much stuff or not enough space, or maybe a combo of both. But I have to make it work somehow!

Most of my friend's houses? Tidy. HOW? Mine? Not Tidy. What am I doing wrong?

It baffles me. I just. Can't. Figure. It. Out!!!!

Help! Any tips or tricks or ideas? ... and thanks in advance for any advice you have ;o)

How to Add Trim to a Lampshade

2013-01-18T10:15:00.000-06:00

...or this post should be titled, "How to Fix Your Kid's Janky Lampshade".

Parker's lampshade totally came apart and hula-hooped to the ground in pieces. At first I thought I'd just buy a new one. But then I thought, "I can totally fix this. I'll show YOU, why you... you little... darn Mr. Janky Lampshade!"

What you need:

Lampshade
fun quilting fabric
needle and thread to match
hot glue gun
double stick tape (optional)

1. Hot glue the top and bottom lampshade rings back onto the gol-dang lampshade.

2. Make double fold 1" bias tape out of fun quilting fabric (no cheating - actually make it on the bias, people!). You can do this with your iron & ironing board, or use the fancy Simplicity Bias Tape maker machine-thing (pictured below). Or buy double fold bias tape at the fabric store. Dena Made It has an excellent tutorial here on how to make your own: Understanding Bias Tape.

2. Cut it to size around the top and bottom with a diagonal cut on the edges (pictured above). The diagonal edges should overlap on the same angle about 3/4" on top of each other to close off the edge.

3. Hand stitch the bias tape around the top and bottom, making sure you catch the front and back edges on each stitch. I used hair clips to hold the bias tape in place as I went along. (Be patient, it takes a while to poke that needle through the lampshade over and over, but you can do it!)

4. I used double-sided sticky tape to hold the edges in place when I was done, and then stitched the overlapped diagonal edges together. I left the edges raw since it won't be fiddled with much.

5. Put the darn thing back on the lamp where it belongs and admire your craftiness while giving the lampshade the finger
for falling apart in the first place. Then watch your kid smile because you made his lampshade "fancy"!

Tah-dah! Done and DONE! Take THAT, Mr. Janky Lampshade! Ska-dooosh!

Traveling

2013-01-11T10:17:00.004-06:00

So it's been 2 months since I've posted anything. Things got nuts around the holidays: FL for Thanksgiving, the flu, funeral in MN, Christmas insanity (16 batches of fudge, 6 batches of toffee for gifts), another cold, new years... and then here we are.

My immediate family: hubby Eric holding Paige; me and my sister, Kelly; Parker below; and my parents, Nancy & Tom

For those who don't know me well: I like to travel and I travel often. I thought my trips would slow down when I had kids, but instead, the content of the trip has changed from hitting up wine bars to hitting up children's museums.

Part of the reason for all of this traveling is that my Dad was in the Navy and we moved every 3-4 years... so I never have had a hometown - everywhere we lived was considered temporary. The other reason is that we're not from around these here parts. I'm not a native Chicagoan. I'm not a native anything, actually. But because I moved so much, my friends are all over: California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Georgia, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania. Therefore, I always have a trip in the works.

While I was pregnant with Paige, we went to Alaska, the Adirondacks, Minnesota, Florida, Vegas, and Wisconsin. Since she's been born, we did a 2-day road trip to NC for a week's vacation and a road trip to northern MN for a week's vacation... and Orlando... and Sanibel... and MN again!

I'm not telling you all this to say, "nee-ner, nee-ner! look at me! I'm a fancy pants travelin' machine!" I'm telling you this because that's why I haven't been updating my blog or my Etsy shop as much lately. I don't have a nanny, I don't have a bunch of family members nearby to help, I don't have a fenced in yard where I can send Parker off to play in, and my husband works 7 days a week, often times not coming home until 9 or 10 pm. So not only is it me and the kids 24/7, but I also do everything else for our house and family, AND try to squeeze in sewing if I can. In between all the travel of course.

For the past year I've felt very guilty about not blogging often and most of my Etsy orders have been custom work rather than sales from what I have in the shop. But being a present and involved mother and wife are #1 priority right now. Parenting is the most important and most difficult job I've ever had. Everything else fits in when it fits in, and that's okay - it has taken me a year to accept and be okay with that.

Next trip? Keystone, Colorado for our annual ski/board vacation. That is, until we move back there and can go every weekend like we used to! I keep pushing for the move... but the husband still isn't buying it. One can dream, though! The goal is to get all of the people in the above picture living in Colorado at the same time so we can live happily ever after. Fingers crossed!

Momma's Milk Makin' Cookies

2012-11-15T11:49:00.000-06:00

This one goes out to all the ladies who are having trouble breastfeeding. Bake some Momma's Milk Makin' Cookies right now-right now! The brewer's yeast helps with milk production and these are fantastic to have on hand to grab when you're so busy taking care of the baby with the other hand. They're hearty, they're delicious, and they make at least 60 to last you a while - Enjoy!

Momma's Milk Makin' Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

¾ c. almond butter

½ c. butter

½ c. sugar

½ c. brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3 T. brewer’s yeast

1 c. ground flax seed

1/3 c. water

2 eggs

1 c. chopped walnuts

2 c. chocolate chips (12 oz.)

1 ¾ c. oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
In a large bowl, beat almond butter, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, brewer’s yeast, ground flax seed, and water until creamy
Mix in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Mix in nuts and chocolate chips. Add oats slowly, mixing along the way
Place balls of dough onto baking sheets and press down each ball lightly with a fork to help with even baking.
Bake 12 minutes. Makes approx. 60 cookies.

Note: freeze half of the cookies to keep fresh - you can take them out of the freezer and eat almost immediately.

The Last Year of My 30's

2012-11-09T14:06:00.001-06:00

November 6th marked the beginning of my last year in my 30's. I don't know what to think about that. I feel rather zombie-like about it actually.

Me - 10 years ago

The fast summary of my 30's thus far goes a little like this: Ten years ago I was engaged to my now lovely husband and working at a marketing job in Denver that sucked the living soul out of me. After our wedding, I worked at the best event decor company in Denver at the best job I've ever had... life was fabulooooous (and I say this with ultimate flair out of respect for my fabulously gay bosses).

A year later we moved to Illinois, way outside of the Chicago city limits (insert downtrodden "wah-wahhhh" noise here) for my husband's job and my heart has been heavy for 8 years despite my attempts to have as many Tim Gunn "make it work" moments as possible in the dreary midwest. We acquired the dog, the house, the cat... we now have two super awesome children. During this time, however, there has been a constant background murmur of when can we to move back to our "real life" in Colorado? Illinois has been a sort of purgatory for the both of us. Great for my husband's career. Horrible for our lifestyle (I can't tell you how much outdoor gear we have in the garage and basement that hasn't seen the light of day in 8 years). Unfortunately, we still don't have an answer to this question yet... but I'm putting my vote out into the universe for Colorado in 2013!

So my 30's have been a little bit on auto-pilot. I'm crossing my fingers that I can turn that robot feeling off and grab a hold of the controls as I approach 40. Forty. Ick. I might have to get a tattoo to bring back the crazy! I already have 5, so what's another?

Me - today

Tattoos you say? What else don't I know about this Jennifer person? Well, here are 10 things:

I am a foodie. Love trying all kinds of foods but will only eat chocolate desserts unless bread pudding is on the menu.
I really love snowboarding and the outdoors but I loathe being cold
I have naturally curly red hair that I've only straightened once.
I was born in Hawaii and have traveled to France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Peru, Mexico & Canada - wish this list was longer because I loves me some travelin'
I have extremely quick reflexes. As in, if something falls out of the cupboard, I can nab it out of the air before it hits the counter. Boy, that sounds like the lamest homemaker superhero ability EVER. Yeesh.
I need 8 hours of sleep to feel normal. I don't function well with less - like right now when I have an 9 month old that doesn't sleep through the night. It's killin' me!
I really, really like forms. I like creating them, editing them, filling them out. I probably should just work for the government. Is there an artsy government job out there?
I'm more of an introvert than an extrovert. Parties make me cringe. Public speaking paralyzes me.
I am so grateful I am able to stay home to raise my kids even though it's the toughest job I've ever had.
For my 40th birthday, I want to go to NYC to see a live taping of SNL. It's my favorite show on the planet and I've been watching it since its inception in the 70's.

Oy vey. This is the most personal post I've written yet. I procrastinated writing this because I don't want to be a Debbie-Downer. But life isn't all yippity-skippity rosey-posey and I'm not the kind of person to "fake it till I make it," blowing flowers at people when things aren't so flowery. I'm too honest, however, I prefer to keep my personal stuff off of my blog because I don't like putting myself "out there" for fear of being criticized, but I'll give it a shot and see how it flies.

Thanks for reading and here's to good things happening in the last year of my 30's! Now who wants to take me out for a cosmo?!?!

Halloween 2012

2012-10-30T17:38:00.000-05:00

I just couldn't help it - I had to document what I made for the kids this year for Halloween. This is the first time I've made a costume other than my own... and, well, they're just too hilarious for words.

For Parker, age 5, I made him an orange sweatsuit to replicate "Vector" from Despicable Me. "Vector! Thats me, because I'm committing crime with both direction and magnitude" Vector tries out a few weapons in the movie from a piranha gun to a squid launcher to a shrink ray. We went with the Squid Launcher - Parker pronounces it "Sklid Launcher". If you can't tell - he's very into the role. I just have to color his hair black or get a straight black wig to perfect the look for Halloween. Ha!

We even bought some Adidas sneakers and a fanny pack (from the cookie delivery scene) to complete the look!

Paige, age 8.5 months, is a Minion, also from Despicable Me. How could I not make them characters from the same movie? It's a gimme! Hers was way more difficult because I had to make a giant head with eyeball goggles... which meant altering a store-bought pattern... and I'm not the best at following patterns, let alone altering them. The big head flops around and gives her der furor, so we'll see how long she'll keep it on for Halloween. Oh how I wish I knew how to fix this! So far... she's not a fan. I had to lay her down to get a decent shot!

Happier without the giant minion head - I even made her cute bootie shoes to match!

I tried to be as detailed as possible with the goggle eyes - added a pink bow to make it more girlie for her

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It's not scary and I find it amusing from start to finish. (And, bonus, the music is done by Pharrell Williams.) A sequel to the movie is coming out in 2013!

Hope you have a very fun and Happy Halloween!

Nursing Tips

2012-10-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

When I had my son over 5 years ago, we had only been in IL for a year and I knew no one locally to get information from when it came to baby care, baby gear, things to do with babies, or nursing. Yes, there's your midwife or la leche league... but I didn't have any friends with experience to really go to for questions or advice.

Baby Paige - 8 days old

Now that I have 2 kids under my belt... or wrapped around my legs, tugging on my skirt if you will, I just wanted to write a post to help anyone out there that might be in the same position I was 5 years ago. Everything has been trial and error for me and hopefully this post can help save you time and money based on what I've learned.

BABY CARE:
The Baby Book by Sears and Sears - this is your baby bible. It has month-by-month information telling you what to expect, activities you can do with your baby, development information, illness info, feeding, baby wearing, temper tantrum suggestions, sleeping info... etc, etc! It's the baby gift I give every new Mom because it's so helpful and informative

BABY GEAR:
Baby Bargains Book by Denise and Alan Fields - they review EVERYTHING that you do and do not need for your baby. I agree with most of their reviews and they update the book regularly. Side note: my favorite baby carrier is the Ergo. It has paid for itself 10x over. (I even used to mow the lawn with Parker in it at age 3.)

NURSING INFO: (this is the main reason for this post)

1.   Nursing Bras - Hands down Bravado Body Silk Seamless. The Gap sells them online and if you have a coupon you can get a better price. You don't have to worry about going up or down a size as your ladies get bigger or smaller, they give you good support, and they're super comfortable. Sleep Bras? Hands down Majamas' Easy Bra (do a search online). Motherhood's are okay. Medela's are horrible. All nursing bras that have underwire eventually give me blocked milk ducts which are extremely painful. Padded nursing bras are a pain to fold down. I've bought nursing bras at Target - all of which give me floppy mono-boob; Motherhood - they don't last; La Leche League - the worst of them all, horrible fit and design; Medela - fit weird.

2.   Nursing Pads - I seriously have tried every single friggin' brand of nursing pad, including reuseable ones. Some make you look like you have targets in your shirt, some make you look like you stuffed your shirt with paper towels. I can't go without them, so here's my take: My favorites are Tommee Tippee and EvenFlo because they have full coverage over your breast. Lansinoh used to be good but now they look like the stuffed paper towel ones - so are Medela's and Nuk's. Avent and the Johnson & Johnson brands are the target boobs ones. All of the washable ones make me feel like I'm putting a wet washcloth back on your boob after you leak - which then itch and make me feel like I'm going to get an infection. Love the concept and the money savings it can bring, but I'd have to swap out and wash nursing pads daily just to make it work. The plastic ones (Lilypadz) are just plain icky. Milk still leaks out and then you feel like you have wet saran wrap on your boob. Nasty.

3.   Nursing Pillows - I love the Boppy because it's the easiest to use and is multi-functional. When your baby is really little and falls asleep while nursing you can just leave him/her there snuggled up for a nap while you read or watch TV. You can use it to prop your baby sitting up on the floor. You can use it for tummy time and to help strengthen their arms in preparation for crawling. Parker was over 9 lbs - a giant baby - he was so heavy right off the bat that I really needed something to help hold him up to me. I just find it uncomfortable to hold your baby without arm support while nursing. I tried My Brest Friend and didn't like having to strap on a pillow. I also tried using my body pillow or regular pillow, which kept slipping and sliding out everywhere.

asleep on the boppy after nursing

4. Nursing Tops - I really don't like lifting my shirt up to show peeks of my flabby post partum belly, so I've found "normal" tops I can pull down to nurse in that aren't too obvious. Keep an eye out for cowl neck tops, criss-cross tops, button-down tops, or stretchy boat-neck tops. I've found some at Target, Express, and the Gap. Or wear a nursing tank (I like "full sling" ones, not the ones with just an inner strip of fabric on the sides) with a cardigan. I have a few tops from Motherhood, but they don't wash well - they shrink, pill up, or get holes in the seams. Other options online are very matronly and dowdy looking... but my favorite online option is MILK: Cute, comfy options that wash well and last.

5. Nursing in Public - The three places I've learned that support nursing by providing a nursing area at their place of business are: IKEA, Nordstrom, and Sea World. That's it. Otherwise, good luck finding a private area to sit down in a store to nurse that isn't a bathroom toilet. I nurse in the backseat of my car (sometimes I keep a boppy and burp cloth in my car for this reason), I nurse at my son's swimming lessons, I nurse in the changing rooms at clothing stores, I nurse in airplanes. You're going to have to do it eventually, so might as well find a comfortable unassuming spot to feed your baby. I was shocked and actually mad that places like Target or Carter's don't have a nursing area. So buy a nursing cover or use a receiving blanket when you need to nurse while you're out and about.

I'm hoping my thoughts and opinions are helpful. Not everyone will agree with me on everything, but it's a place to start for new Mom's who are just beginning their wild and crazy ride in this thing called "motherhood."

As always, feel free to email me with questions and I'll help you however I can! And if you have anything to add to this list, please leave a comment. Thanks!

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

2012-10-13T08:42:00.001-05:00

I haven't been able to post much lately, but I can't pass up the chance to share my roasted pumpkin seed recipe this time of year!!! Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp air and autumn colors in the trees. This also means pumpkin patches, warm apple cider, hot cocoa, chilis & soups, apple pies, pumpkin pies, warm spiced breads (can you tell how food-oriented I am?)... and of course ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS!

Here's my recipe that I've been making for over 12 years. It takes a little time, but when you're done, you'll be quoting Charlie Sheen: WINNING!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 6 cups

½ c. butter

2 T. garlic salt

6 cups fresh pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Scoop out everything from the inside of your pumpkin(s). Try to pick the seeds out of the pumpkin goo and soak the seeds in a covered bowl of water overnight (in the fridge is best).

2. In the morning, rinse and strain the seeds. Spread them out over a thin dish towel to dry all day (8-12 hours).

3. Once dry, scrape the seeds off the towels and put them into a large bowl.

4. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees

5. Melt the butter, mix in the garlic salt, and pour this mixture over the seeds. Mix well.

6. Spread the seeds out on 2 ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 2 – 2.5 hours until golden brown and crispy. (this is the fun part - they'll sizzle in the oven and smell SO GOOD!)

7. Cool on the cookie sheets. When completely cool, store in an air tight container for a week.

Yummy-yummy-yum-yum! ENJOY!

The Best Salsa Recipe

2012-09-12T21:50:00.000-05:00

Tomatoes and peppers are a-plenty this time of year... which means it's the perfect time for making homemade salsa. If you have them growing fresh in your garden - yahtzee - even better! I've had this recipe for years and it's hands-down the best. Salsa just isn't for chips - you can use it in your eggs for a little huevos rancheros, on salads, on tacos/burritos, on burgers, on grilled chicken, in rice, mixed into beans... so many options, so tasty, and healthy to boot.

The Bestest Homemade Salsa Recipe Ever!

6-8 firm tomatoes - chopped, no seeds
1/2 red onion - chopped
2 garlic cloves - minced
2 jalapeno peppers - finely chopped, no seeds
2 poblano peppers - finely chopped, no seeds
1 hot yellow pepper - finely chopped, no seeds
1 habanero pepper - minced, no seeds
1/8 c. cilantro - chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, season with salt & pepper to taste. Makes 6 cups.
(leave out the habanero pepper if you don't want it too hot)

So freshy-fresh and goody-good! I hope you love it as much as I do! Enjoy!

Baby Room Reveal

2012-08-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've been gradually customizing Paige's room out the wazoo and thought you might like to see how it is turning out. This baby room has been through a few transformations over the years. I kept the wall decor from the previous owner when I had Parker, but I never liked it. I felt like I was in a pediatrician's waiting room:

BEFORE #1: Oy vey. No thanks. I just couldn't handle the clouds and moon/star wallpaper border anymore! Serenity now!

After Paige was born, I thought I was going to do ballet-slipper pink with a medium grey. When the walls were painted, the orange-y room furniture (cherry/oak) clashed with the wall color somethin' fierce. Sad! It felt awkward like Elaine's dancing in Seinfeld. Every time I walked into the room with these colors, my eyeballs went wonky and my body felt like a package of Zots exploding in my mouth.

BEFORE #2: the wall color concept was just too modern for the furniture and the tones didn't work together AT ALL

So again, inspired by Sandi Henderson's Secret Garden line, this is how it turned out.

I know - yellow and green? you had a GIRL and you pick YELLOW and GREEN for the wall colors? What the...? But I have a VISION people!

First, the ruffled crib skirt that I made - LOVE how it turned out!

To match the crib skirt, I made a crib sheet with the same fabric.

This is the crib mobile my parents had in my room when I was a baby - perfect match!

I bought some tissue poms off of Etsy and added some doorknob wind chimes I've had for a while to add texture to the upper corner

I also recovered old khaki curtains to match the ruffled skirt and sheet fabrics

Also from my own baby room - a cross stitch ABC that my mother made - again perfect match!

Curtains closed - lovely! They're dark for naps and will be great in the winter to keep the cold drafts out.

You can see a peek of my refinished nursing chair in the corner that absolutely doesn't match, but when I recovered it I had no idea what the baby room was going to be. I figure I'll make a quilt and just drape it over the chair to make it kinda blend in.

I'm still working on wall art for the other side of the room... I'll post that when I get it together. I keep telling my husband, "I have a vision!" and he just rolls his eyes at me. Bless him for putting up with my crazy painting and re-painting of this room. But I'm so happy with the way it turned out. It has a sort-of vintage, prairie-style, earthy-artsy feel to it that I love ever so much.

Paige looks so pretty in her new room all jammied up! Footsie jammies are the bestest.

Paige - 6 months

Updating Etsy

2012-08-11T00:53:00.001-05:00

I'm missing out on precious sleep right now to update my Etsy shop. It has been my red-headed step child since Paige has come along, but I'm trying to put a little TLC into it to get it back up to snuff.

This is my favorite fabric print of all time - man, what I wouldn't do to get my hands on more of this out-of-print Sandi Henderson fabric!

1) I reduced the price on boppy covers - I might be phasing them out completely to just focus on blankets.
2) I added loads of fabric yardage for sale. I went through a crazy fabric-buying (read: hoarding) frenzy last year but need to pair down and refocus.
3) There are some scrap-bags coming up, too! Those sell like hot cakes! I love putting together these happy bundles of fabric lovin' for other people to enjoy.

Summer is coming to a close soon - so get outside and enjoy it while you can in these next few weeks!

Summertime is Busy Time!

2012-07-30T21:47:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I've had enough time to sit down at the computer to actually write a blog post. Summer is always busier than I want it to be... and I've been kinda busy with a new baby and active 5-yr-old around. Not a lot of hands-free time and no such thing as a lazy summer around here!

In the last 3 months, I made a 2-day road trip out to Durham, NC with the 2 kids and my Mom to see my sister for a week; another long road trip to MN to visit many relatives for a week; a long weekend trip to a friend's lake house in WI; Parker has attended 8 different summer camps; my in-laws were here visiting for a week; I've painted the baby room TWICE (I'm still decorating it); many days have been spent outside in the sprinklers, at the pool, and having BBQ's, I've squeaked in a few custom orders... all this and Paige still doesn't sleep through the night. Geez, I'm tired. And summer isn't over yet!

But I am up to some sewing for Paige's room now that I've settled on a color scheme. I hope to complete it by the end of the summer (!) and will do a before/after reveal when it's done!

I think she deserves a little something pretty, don't you? She's almost 6 months old for crying out loud! (and at a really warm, squishy, pudgy, yummy stage - I just want to eat her up!)

Baby Blankets to Me by Me

2012-05-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Just a quick picture post on all the blankets that I've made to use for Paige. I'm addicted to blankets! Receiving blankets, minky blankets, knitted blankets, quilted blankets... They're so warm, cozy, and useful! I have some fabrics stashed to make a quilt or two for her once I have a little more time... but until then, this is what I have so far:

Receiving Blanket (Valori Wells flannel)

42" Receiving Blanket (Amy Butler "Love" flannel)... and thanks to Megan for helping with Paige's first bath!

42" Receiving Blanket (Amy Butler "Love" flannel) - ignore the hot mess, just-got-home-from-the-hospital so there are piles everywhere, in the background

Cotton / Minky 42" blanket (Jenean Morrison's "Silent Cinema")

Cotton / Minky with silk ruffle 42" blanket (Jenean Morrison's "Silent Cinema")

Double whammy of a cotton/minky blanket AND a receiving blanket!

So if you ever need a custom-made baby blanket, I'm your girl!

Handmade Sheets

2012-05-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post this a few weeks ago. The last items I made in an effort to turn something old into something new were sheets.

I went sheet-crazy with this new baby! I made sheets for two old pack-n-plays, sheets for the vintage swinging bassinet, sheets for the antique Moses basket, and sheets (and a crib skirt) for the crib. Party on Wayne? Party on Garth!

pack-n-play sheet (Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden")

I am just all-too aware of the gorgeous and fun designer fabrics that are out there compared to what you can find in the store.

moses basket sheet (Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden")

crib sheet (Art Gallery's "Coquette")

I can't hang with the goo-goo gaa-gaa teddy bears, ducks, pastel blocks, and hearts. I gots to have real color, pattern, and style when it comes to baby things because something has to energize me when I'm getting sleep in 2-3 hour chunks for crying out pity's sake. Actually, that's what motivated me to start Ginger Freckle, come to think of it.

and again... Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden" fabric for the antique swinging bassinet sheet

Anywhoo... nothing makes my heart sing more than to look at beautiful fabric when caring for little miss Paige.

It Took Me 10 Weeks...

2012-05-14T17:58:00.001-05:00

(gratuitous baby picture...)

It took me 10 weeks... but I finally touched my sewing machine! It's a miracle! I haven't sewn since I was literally in labor with Paige. I was making a boppy cover and 3 burp cloths for my very own self 10 weeks ago... and I had to stop to concentrate a lot more on contractions and a little less on sewing (!)
- - - - -
But this week I had 3 projects that I needed to finish for others but have been having a hard time getting to because Little Miss Paige likes to be held when she's awake and she's still not quite on a schedule. I'm not even going to try to figure out how to sew while holding a baby... although that would solve some of my productivity problems!

My Mom was nice enough to come over to HOLD the baby so I could turn on the sewing machine and get to work. Here's what I finished:

1) A baby blanket for my #1 customer in NY who had a baby shower to attend at the last minute.

This is quilting weight fabric with a minky backing

2) A baby blanket for a close friend whose sister-in-law just had a baby.

This is quilting weight fabric with a minky backing AND a complimentary bias tape edging

3) A personalized baby blanket for my aunt and uncle to give to my cousins who had their first baby 6 weeks after Paige.

This is a fleece-on-fleece knot fringe blanket with applique letters on the solid side

All this time away from sewing has caused me to think a little more about updating my Etsy shop. I'm considering redirecting my focus to creating custom-only work. It seems that keeping an inventory of items to sell isn't the best approach since most customers have their own colors and styles in mind. I'm still mulling it over... but I can feel the winds of change coming on!

Boppy's and Burp Cloths

2012-03-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Burp cloths & boppy cover using Joel Dewberry - Heirloom fabrics (ruby colorway)

It's been a long, long time since I've had a reason to make myself a boppy cover... and I never have made burp cloths for myself at all. So I was excited to have the chance to be my own product tester. Two new boppy covers: Good ol' Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden" (I feel like a broken record with using this fabric for everything, but I love it!) and finally - Joel Dewberry's "Heirloom" (LOVE the richness of these colors).

Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden" fabrics for moses basket sheet, boppy cover, and matching burp cloth

Thinking about adding a pocket to the boppy covers to store nursing pads, a phone, and/or lanolin cream. AND thinking about offering a free burp cloth to match every boppy cover I sell in my Etsy shop. For whatever reason, the boppy covers just don't sell well on Etsy (sad, because I love them so!)

These burp cloths come in so handy and I love that I found a new way to creatively incorporate fabric into something so basic. Anywhoo! Hope you have enjoyed my handmade eye candy for the day!

Upcycled Bouncy Seat

2012-03-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Next on my list of turning something old into something new: the Bouncy Seat.

NEW Fabric: Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden"

Again, my neighbor gave this bouncy seat to me... probably 12 years old and it was icky-poo. I had to take out the straps and Oxy-Clean them to get them white again and recover the barfy pastel-ness with the ever-so-lovely Sandi Henderson "Secret Garden" fabric.

Before: icky pastel fabric, dirty straps | After: pretty fabric, clean straps!

The result: a very fabulous bouncy seat! This is one of my favorite baby items to use right now because I can carry Paige around with me (if she's actually sleeping in it) and there's a foot pedal that I can use to bounce her in to soothe her (when she's fussing in it).

The foot pedal is a great hands-free feature, too!

This bouncy seat has allowed me to put make up on my face and eat a rare meal with BOTH hands - it's a miracle!

Can't forget my label!

Love how these fabrics compliment each other

Next up: SHEETS!

The Transformation of Something Old Into Something New

2012-03-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm going to do a few quick posts to show you some of the things I transformed from old to new for Little Miss Paige.

Before: Icky! | After: Pretty!

If you remember... I knew the sex of Baby #2 . My husband DID NOT. So I had a few months to sneakily plan and sew up some cute girly things while he was away at work. I was SO EXCITED to finally be able to use some of the pretty fabrics in my stash for my very own little girl! But then I had to hide everything so my husband wouldn't see what I was up to. Sneaky-Sneaky! He wanted to be surprised and I didn't want to spoil it for him.

We were given this baby swing by a neighbor 5 years ago when Parker was born and I keep it up at my parents house to use when we visit. It's probably 10-12 years old now and I loathed the worn blue plaid fabric on it. I was able to trace a pattern based on the old seat cover to hide its hideousness - and this is how it turned out: Super Upcycled Cuteness!

Old Fabric: ugly. NEW FABRIC: Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden"

So Much Better! And it works so nicely with the existing swing frame, too!

Next up... the bouncy seat.

I Make 'Em Cute and Crabby!

2012-03-06T10:05:00.000-06:00

I wish I was talking about heart shaped crab cakes when I say that... but I'm talking about my kids. I was hoping that my 2nd would be a calm, happy, mellow baby... but nope! She's just like the first: cute and crabby. There's no "quiet alert" state with these kids. It's either sleeping, eating, or fussy-on-the-verge-of-screaming. Bummer dude.

I say this to explain why you may not be hearing much from me on this blog, on facebook, or in my Etsy shop for the next few months. Fussy babies can't be put down for very long (read: more than 5 minutes) or else they explode. They need constant holding and soothing and walking and rocking and bouncing on a fitness ball... kinda hard to edit photos, type, and/or sew while in constant motion with one hand free.

So, while the baby naps, I opted to quickly write a blog post rather than shower... you can thank me later. HA!

Introducing our New Bundle

2012-02-16T16:01:00.000-06:00

If you can believe it - I actually went into labor on my due date! After 24 hours of labor, I ended up with a repeat c-section but the result was a sweet, amazingly delicious little girl!

Paige Anne Green
Born on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 8:00am
7 lbs. 13 oz.
20.5" long

The Five-Year Baby Blanket

2012-02-01T13:52:00.000-06:00

So I started knitting this baby blanket when I was pregnant with Parker. Um. He's almost 5.

I got about halfway done, and then this giant, ornery baby came into my life and I haven't touched my knitting project since. Or any knitting, really. He's now a bubbly, funny, observant little boy with a touch of curmudgeon and dag nabbit do I love him so.

Anywhooo! I'm determined to finish this before No. 2 arrives! All I have left to do is weave the ends back in, trim off the excess, and I'm done! Eh... but... there's, like, HUNDREDS OF THEM. That's not fringe you see in the picture above... that's just a sampling of what I'm a-weavin' in with a tapestry needle and a-trimmin' with my little scissors. I swear to Pete, I'm keeping this darn blanket in the family forever. It's been a labor of love and I just want to enjoy it right now - RIGHT NOW!

In the meantime, I've been slaving away at the sewing machine. I've recovered a baby swing seat, a bouncy seat, made 2 cotton/minky blankets, 4 receiving blankets, 2 sheets for the pack-n-play, 2 sheets for the swinging bassinet, and 2 sheets for the moses basket. I just have to make a crib sheet, crib skirt, boppy cover (or 2!), and some burp cloths and my list will be DONE! I will share those projects with you postpartum because I think it's always nice to see fun new baby things and some good before and after improvement shots, yes?

Hope you've been enjoying this "winter that never was" as much as I have! Toodley-doo!