Gourmet by Janae

New Blog Location!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:12:00 +0000

Alright, it's official. I'm no longer posting here...
Because I'm starting to post on my new blog!

My first post went up there today. However, I'm waiting to throw a full-blown launch party until Monday next week so that I can work out all the kinks and problems. It still does have some little quirks, so please forgive me while I work those out.

Please, please follow me there! I'll be posting in Facebook and on Twitter as new posts go up, and once I get the RSS feed working and get links to other social media hubs up and running, you ought to be able to follow me as you please.

So go and see my latest post! There's a free printable template for some really cute Valentine candy boxes. I think you'll like them!

Owl Embroidered Cotton Blanket

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

A friend of mine is having a baby girl and her nursery colors are orange and grey. At her babyshower over the weekend, I knew a lot of people would be giving her flannel and fleece blankets, which are completely necessary and important. But when Graham was born, that's all I had blanket-wise. I learned that sometimes, you just need something lighter weight for hot days or to use as a cover up while breastfeeding so that your baby doesn't smother and sweat profusely underneath a fabric that doesn't breathe.

Keeping all of that in mind, I made a cotton gauze blanket and used the same DIY embroidering technique as I did on Graham's monogrammed blanket, except this time I made an owl instead of an initial. (I love cotton gauze because it's so lightweight. It was a life saver on hot days last summer with a newborn!)

I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

I love the soft, fringed edges.

I did have to be a little more careful in removing the paper so that I didn't rip any of the stitching out, since there was quite a bit more sewing on this than just a single letter.

I'm excited to make some more of these and put them up for sale in my Etsy shop. I've been wanting to do that for a while now. *sigh* I'll get around to it sooner or later.

Pink Pettiskirt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I made a bright pink pettiskirt for my niece for Christmas. She's almost one and a half, and it turned out to be a little big on her. Plus, I was in a rush to make it and I may (or may not) have made a few mistakes along the way. But at least she can grow into it! And it'll fit her for a while because I made the waist adjustable with elastic and ribbon.

Here's an image I made of it dissected so that you can understand how it goes together and how to make your own. Also, try only making 2 chiffon tiers instead of three.

It takes a while to sew because it's so much fabric and you have to gather all of the fabric at some point. So give yourself plenty of time!

While I didn't get any pictures of her wearing it (or my other niece who is 2, who it actually fit), you can still see how fun it is.

Some tips:

This skirt is supposed to be 2 layers. So you essentially make the same skirt with all this fabric twice, then sew them both to the satin at the top. I only made one layer (because of time constraints) but I really wish I'd been able to do two! It's still super cute as it is, but twice the ruffles would have made it a little fuller.

If you can find it in 4-inch or 5-inch wide spools of non-fray chiffon, get it. It's easier than cutting all of it. If you can't find it that way, I figured out a pretty good way to cut it. Carefully accordion fold and pin the selvage edges together, so that your folds are only about 2 feet wide. Lay the fabric on your cutting mat, and straighten it out so that it's as square and neat as you can get it. Starting from the bottom (where the pins aren't) place a yardstick across the fabric at the width it needs to be cut, and while you firmly press the yardstick down to hold the fabric in place, use a rotary cutter to slice through all the layers, making all the strips of fabric you need. It can be a little tricky, but it saves a lot of time.

A serger works way better than a zig-zag or other finishing stitch the average sewing machine makes. Finish all the edges before you start gathering and stitching tiers together. Otherwise you'll have a mess of frayed edges and you can lose some of your fabric width because of it.

Mark the halfway and quarter points of each tier so that you can match it up to the next tier's half and quarter points, keeping your gathers relatively even.

For additional tips and a tutorial, check out this one. I based mine off of it. It's pretty well done and quite thorough!

Chalkboard Frame Disaster and Solution

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

My sister-in-law is tough to gift shop for. It's not that she's picky or has expensive taste or anything like that. She's really fun and easy-going. But since I was making most of my gifts, that's where the biggest challenge was for me. She's really crafty too. Anything that I could think to make for her, she could probably make for herself and do a better job of it. I went through several ideas before finding a really big frame at a thrift store (about 2.5 feet by 3.5 feet) and deciding to make her a chalkboard.

I left my husband in charge of getting it done. We bought the supplies we needed, I found my pint of brown chalkboard paint leftover from making my own chalkboard and bulletin board set, and I explained my vision of it to Bob. He offered some ideas, and with our combined thoughts, he got to work on it.

And then a setback happened, as they always do.

Bob spray painted the frame red, and while it was drying outside on a chilly evening, the wind blew it over and one side of it broke in half, jostling 3 of the corners loose.

A couple of screws, a paint stir stick, two kinds of glue, and a staple gun later, it was back together.

But there was still the problem of the obvious big crack in one side of the frame. (I failed to take any pictures of that, sorry.) But I had a decent solution for it.

I used Elmer's glue and some alpaca yarn I had leftover from the Christmas ornaments that I made for a craft swap, and used it to wrapped the side that had the crack in it, along with the opposite side of the frame so that it would be symmetrical and match. I put glue directly on the front of the frame where the yarn would be covering it, as well as on the back to keep it in place.

(I love that this alpaca yarn looks like a course string but is really soft to the touch.)

I think I like it more with the yarn around it than without it. And the cool thing about yarn is that it stretches a little bit, so as I wrapped it I tried to keep it sort of loose. That way when we put the chalkboard into the frame the yarn stretched enough to let it sit nice and flat inside of it.

A tip: If you're making your own, or if you end up with one, I recommend that before using it for the first time take a piece of chalk and color in most of the chalkboard, then go back and erase it. That initial coat of chalk will make it erase better and more cleanly.

Ashley, I have no idea where you're going to put this (and if it stays in your closet for a while, that's fine too). But I hope it comes in handy at some point!

Custom Monogrammed Mugs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

It's tough to gift shop for my parents. They already have everything they need and anything else they might want is out of my price range. Last year I out-did myself and made a really unique wire wrapped tree for them.

This year I didn't know what to do. But there is this really good chocolate shop we love down here in San Diego, so we got my parents some really good drinking chocolate (Chili Burnt Caramel flavor) and some other chocolate too, so I made them some customized monogrammed mugs.

My dad is left-handed, so his letter is on the opposite side of his mug compared to my mom's, who is right-handed.

These are super easy to make. All you need is one or more clean porcelain mugs, an oil based Sharpie, an oven preheated to 300 degrees F, and 24 hours in advance of when you need them.

Draw whatever design you want on your mugs with the oil based Sharpie. Try using carbon transfer paper to trace your design on and then go over it with the ink.

Be careful drawing on the mugs, because the ink runs really easily if you depress the tip too much... or at all sometimes. If it does run, Q-tips and paint thinner clean it up easily.

Once you're done with whatever design you want on your mugs, let them sit 24 hours so that the ink sets up well. Then bake at 300 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Try putting them on a cookie sheet so that they're easy to remove.

After they're baked, let them cool naturally at room temperature.

Care instructions: Hand wash as needed.

That's all there is to it. It's several little steps, but it's really simple and doesn't take very long (aside from the 24 hour wait).

I want to try this technique on plates and platters using other Sharpie colors. My imagination goes wild just thinking about the possibilities!

Goals, Plans, and a New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:23:00 +0000

I'm so excited for this new year. I have so many things going on in my life right now, and I'm thrilled to see how everything pans out.

I've set some goals for myself, my family, my blog, and my Etsy shop. I'm hoping to establish a regular exercise routine, get into our own apartment by summer, make myself a daily/weekly schedule to be a more effective blogger and self-employed mom, and make and sell items on Etsy on a more regular basis. Those seem kind of vague right now, but my husband and I are writing down our thoughts and ideas for how we want to reach our goals, and we're going to work together to help one another succeed at each of them. I'm giving myself this month to get those goals and plans organized. So come February 1st, I'm hoping everyday life will smooth out some and my posting will be a little more regular.

Another really exciting opportunity I've been given is to be a contributor for an inspirational blog. The blog founder/owner is a good friend of mine, and I'm so flattered that he thought to invite me to be one of the 10 bloggers for the site. I'll be posting there twice a month, every other Friday starting on January 11th. He shared with me some of his plans and goals for the blog, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!

So what is that blog, you ask? It's called ForwardWalking.com.

The mission of it is to bring hope and inspiration to anyone going through difficult times, especially those struggling with low self esteem, addictions, deaths of loved ones, broken families, etc. I've read through several posts there already, and each one is so wonderful! At the end of every one I feel completely rejuvenated and ready to overcome my own challenges and trials. It's definitely inspiring, and a wonderful pick-me-up anytime you need it.

One of the main reasons I'm so glad to be a contributor there is to give myself and my hardships a purpose. I love to help others. If I can use my past trials to help someone currently going through something similar, I am more than happy to do so! I hate to see anyone struggling on their own when I could offer a helping hand. This is one way for me to do that.

Those are just a few of the exciting things happening for me as this new year begins.

What are your goals? What to you hope to accomplish this year?

Hopscotch Rug

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I tried to make a lot of my Christmas gifts this year (big surprise, right?). Luckily, most of them were well received. Either that, or the people I made things for are just really nice.

One of my favorite gifts I made was this hopscotch rug for my nephews.

They live in Utah, and in the winter time there's so much snow that it's impossible to play these kinds of fun outdoor games. Now they can play it on rainy days, snow days, or swelteringly hot days, all within the comfort and safety of their home and the weather outside won't matter.

The boys opening it up on Christmas Day.

But let me tell you, it was a beast to make! There is just so much fabric to it.

I found this nice and heavy orangey-brown upholstery fabric for the base of it, and then I decided to use grey broadcloth for the lines and to bind the edges. I went with bright green fleece for the numbers.

I made each square 16 inches by 12 inches, measuring from the outside edges of the squares. The grey lines themselves are about 1 inch wide.

I wish I had gotten 3 full yards of the upholstery fabric, but I only got 2.5, so the numbered squares only go up to 9 instead of 10. Oh well!

I made 6 little round bean bags to use with it, each a different color.

I even included a little pocket in one corner of the rug to keep the instructions and bean bags.

On one side of the instructions I wrote the rules to the game (there are so many different ways to play--I just picked the most basic, common way). On the other side I wrote a brief history of hopscotch and the care instructions for the rug.

I love how it turned out! But it was a lot of tedious work. If I ever make one to sell, it will be a little on the expensive side.

My nephews played it a couple of days after Christmas. At one point, one of them said, "This is actually really fun!" I guess they thought it was going to be boring. It's great for teaching them coordination and to use up some of that pent-up energy that kids tend to have.

What other games would you like to see made into a rug like this?

Linked up at:

Christmas Eve Post

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 01:36:00 +0000

Things I've done this season to help me keep in tune with the Spirit of Christmas:

Gave a ginormous box filld with baby clothes and blankets to my cousin who is about a month from her due date and had none.
Carefully thought out and hand-made most of our gifts to family members.
Participated in my church choir's Christmas performances this year, inviting the Spirit into others' hearts.
Mended clothing for friends/family for free.

I hope that each of you remember what this holiday is about and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Not-So-Ugly Christmas Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Bob and I attended a White Elephant/Ugly Christmas Sweater party over the weekend. The problem is, neither of us have ugly Christmas sweaters.

We went to a few thrift stores a couple of weeks in advance and they were picked dry of everything Christmasy.

So I opted to make them.

I found a long turtleneck shirt that is an awful baby-poop green (I know this color from many dirty-diaper experiences) and decided that the awful color would make for something wonderfully ugly.

Boy was I wrong.

It turns out that I can't make ugly things.

You like how I'm leaning back against an invisible... something?

After getting home, I looked at the tag on the inside and it turns out that it's a men's big and tall shirt. Ha!

I have a bunch of bright red crushed jersey knit with coarse silver glitter on it. I drew a Christmas tree on some scrap paper, and used it as a pattern to cut a tree out of the red jersey.

I used clear thread (it's like really fine fishing line that I've seen quilters use a lot) and zig-zag stitched around the edges of it, being very careful and using the hand wheel of my machine a lot. Then I topped it all off by hand-sewing bells onto the tree as ornaments.

It sounded tacky in my head. But it didn't translate as tacky onto the shirt. I'm really not that upset over it, I guess.

I went to Costco for lunch on Monday (because I was craving a Polish dog) and as I was walking through the parking lot pushing Graham's stroller, a girl stopped me and asked where I had gotten my cute sweater. When I told her I made it she was surprised, and then sad that she couldn't get one for herself.

I wish I could bulk order some long turtle neck shirts in this color because then I'd make more to sell. Maybe next year.

Car Caddies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I love these things. I've seen a few basic tutorials for these, but (me being me) I'm not satisfied with plain, basic anything. No, no--I need everything I make to be a work of art (because I"m ~~anal~~ ~~crazy~~ ~~OCD~~ just that way).

I've made a few of these before, and I generally use whatever fabric I have, because leftover scraps from previous projects are awesome for these things. Plus, it makes each one more individual and unique. I also rarely use a pattern. I just know the size it needs to be and then I make up the design for the road on my own. It's been different every time.

A few months ago my friend Holly asked me to make a personalized one for her son, with his name on the pockets instead of numbers. I was swamped with other projects at the time (and let's be honest, when am I not?) so I planned to have it done and to her by Christmas. Then my cousin Marissa asked me for two as Christmas gifts too.

So I made a pattern this time, because it was easier to cut all the little tiny pieces of fabric out all at the same time, and then do each step on all three at the same time. I also have a feeling I'll be making more of these in the future, and a pattern will help them go quicker.

Here's how these turned out this time around.

Can I brag for a minute here? The numbers/letters are painted on using white acrylic paint. I free-handed these! No stencils used! It did take longer than using a stencil, but I was curious about whether I could do it or not. Survey says... I succeeded.

I did something new on these ones too, and I really like it. I used some fabrics with various textures for different little details in it. The road is a rough polyester, the pond a shiny satin, the tree trunk is suedecloth, and the tree leaves are terry cloth. I used orange acrylic paint and did some very careful painting to get those fish in the pond.

Isn't that cute and fun?!

I couldn't just use webbing or ribbon for the latch to keep it closed. Of course not. I made a velcro latch for it in the shape of a car.

I'm pretty happy with these results. What do you think?

Noel Letters

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I made this Christmas decoration about four years ago, but I love it and get it out every year to decorate for the holidays.

I was a missionary for my church, serving in Texas for a year and a half. I made these at a Relief Society activity in the middle of the week around Christmas time. I made a few other things, but they were gifts for family members that year.

These are simple to make though, as long as you're good with a jigsaw or can find pre-cut letters. The letters were all pre-cut for us (that made things way easier) out of 1" thick wood. Then we painted the letters, traced them onto decorative paper, and Modpodged it on. We finished these by adding ribbons, bows, mini ornaments, bells, and other little decorative things.

This is my favorite letter I made.

If you're planning on doing something like this, here are some tips and ideas:

Use acrylic paint, and try watering it down. The wood grain will show through the paint, giving it a really pretty, unique look.

You can also add water to the Modpodge to make it go a little further.

Modpodge the letters, front and back to seal the wood and keep the paint from smearing, should they somehow get wet (you never know with kids or while in storage).

To store these, wrap them in waxed or parchment paper. Tissue paper will stick the the Modpodge.

Abstract Peacock Throw Pillows

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

You may remember the post I did a while ago about the throw pillows I've been making for my sister-in-law. I finally finished the whole set! I love how they turned out. Here they are.

I like the color scheme she chose. I also really like how all of these shapes go together to give you the impression of peacock feathers without blatantly showing one.

I really like this applique technique that I came up with. I've never seen anything like it, but I love the exposed raw edges. It just takes a while to do. It's a good thing I'm ~~sort of~~ patient.

I love these feathered pillows with the surprise of color peeking out from underneath the layers. I think they're fun.

My favorite one is the last one I made. A combination of the colors, the design, the pattern and placement of the applique... There's something about it I find really aesthetically pleasing.

All of them have sham-style openings in the back and are all machine washable (a must-have for anyone with kids).

Along with these, I made one extra throw pillow for fun. It has large pleats that are sewn in place, creating little pocket-like structures all over it. This makes for an interesting texture on the front.

The good news for you: this one is for sale!

Go see it in my Etsy shop.

And thanks for stopping by.

Linked up to:

DIY Marbled Globe Christmas Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I watched my mom make countless decorations and gifts throughout my childhood for holidays and birthdays. She was and still is an incredibly creative and talented woman.

One of my all-time favorite decorations she made were these beautiful marbled globe Christmas tree ornaments.

They're easy as can be and really inexpensive. I made 10 for about $15. Best of all, you can make them whatever colors you want, which makes it simple to coordinate the colors that your tree and room are decorated in during this holiday season.

Here's all you need:

clear globe ornaments (I used plastic ones. glass ornaments + a baby = bad idea)
acrylic paint (in whatever colors you like--I went with reds since trees are green)
twine, beads, or other dangly decorations you so desire (or none at all)
waxed paper

1. Remove the silver tops from the ornaments and set them aside.

2. Squeeze a small amount of paint into the ornament. Use each of the colors you'd like, but make sure that all the paint combined isn't more than about a tablespoon, or even less if you're making small ornaments.

3. Cover the opening (I used a folded piece of paper towel and my thumb) making sure it is completely sealed, and shake the ornament like you're some kind of crazy person.

There may be small gaps where the paint didn't spread to, so I recommend firmly hitting those areas against your palm until some of the paint gets shaken into them.

4. Let them sit upside down on waxed paper for 1-2 hours so that any excess paint drains out of them. You may need to wipe out just inside the opening to get all the extra unnecessary paint out. Then let them sit right side up over night to allow the paint can dry. If the paint still isn't dry after 24 hours, try using a hair dryer to speed up the process. But honestly, if the paint stays tacky (not drippy--drippy can be bad), it's not a huge deal because the paint is enclosed inside of the globe and won't get on anything.

Don't use a paper towel like I did for this part.
It will seep through and some of the paint will dry to it and it turns into a huge mess.

You may notice that the paint doesn't adhere to the glass/plastic in some places, creating this interesting crackle look. It'll happen more often if it doesn't dry. I find it unique and interesting, so I personally like it. If it bugs you, repeat steps 3 and 4, making sure the paint dries before repeating.

5. Add any additional decorations you want to the outside. I used ModPodge and alpaca yarn, dangly beads, and stamps and cardstock.

6. Once everything is dry and finished, replace the tops on the ornaments. Proceed to decorate your tree or home with them to your little heart's content.

For storing these post-holidays, I recommend heading to Costco and buying a container of apples, eating said apples, and then reusing the plastic container. It's perfect for globe ornaments. You can also use it while making these to keep them from rolling all over the place.

Merry Christmas! Now get crafty and let me know if you make some of your own marbled ornaments. I'd love to see them!

Thanksgiving Break: Day 14

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 01:33:00 +0000

It's my final post of my Thanksgiving Break photo series!

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

I know, Thanksgiving is old news by now, and since November is now over the Christmas season is in full swing! I'm so excited for all the crafts and gifts I've been making. Some are Christmas related, some are simple gifts.

But as I mentioned, before I can get into any of that I need to finish the photo series. So here it is, my final (and favorite) picture.

Day 14: The Happy Bouncing Baby

Doesn't that picture just crack you up?? Oh, this boy makes my heart melt. Also, I love that you can barely see a glimpse of Bob's hand in the bottom left side of the frame. You'd might miss it if you weren't looking for it.

Alright, bring on December!

Thanksgiving Break: Day 13

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 13: SLO Creek

Thanksgiving Break: Day 12

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 12: A Desert Bench

Thanksgiving Break: Day 11

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 11: Changing Booths at the Beach

Thanksgiving Break: Day 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 10: Coastal Homes

Thanksgiving Break: Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 9: Morro Rock

Thanksgiving Break: Day 8

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 8: Grass is Meant for Barefeet

Thanksgiving Break: Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 7: Moonlit Beach

(I couldn't decide between these two, and because they're so similar I couldn't post them on different days. So here's two in one day!)

This is Rincon Point in California on Highway 101. We were on our way to visit family for Thanksgiving break and I'd been anxious to try some setting on my camera for nighttime photos. So we stopped here on the way up so that I could do just that. And I'm so excited about how these turned out!

Thanksgiving Break: Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 6: In the Shadows of the Orange Tree

Thanksgiving Break: Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 5: Clusters of Alyssum

Thanksgiving Break: Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 4: A Pair (not pear) of Oranges

Thanksgiving Break: Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

(What is Thanksgiving Break?)

Day 3: Autumn Grasses