Spring Break Crafts

We finally picked up our stuff from the Painted Plate in Sherwood. I had to work all Spring Break this year but did get out of work a few hours early on the Friday. Lucky for us, the Painted Plate was having a great sale that day ... 25% off everything purchased during Spring Break AND it was also $5 Friday (last Friday of every month) where they have lots of things for only $5 (sold out by the time we got there) and all items $20 or more are $5 off. So, T and I both made $20 covered jars and my net cost was $23ish. I LOVE sales! Here are our creations:

T made a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cone (with ice cream melting down the side) that says "Mommy & Me Day". I made a Cupcake (gasp!) with matching Mint Chocolate Chips and surprise cherries inside. Best of all, we had fun together!

First Name Swap

I joined a swap last month where you send/receive items based on the letters in your first name. I scored big time!!! My partner who sent to me was Kim/MediaTinker from Japan, and she really read my profile. Look at the wonderful package she sent!

S: Japanese bath Salts
H: baby Hedgehog charm (adorable!!)
A: Apron, handcrafted in traditional style from summer kimono fabric
W: White hand-crafted cupcake pincushion with a cherry on top!
N: Handmade Necklace with my name spelled out in binary code in beads - red and white
E: Handmade silver Earrings
E: a Japanese Crochet book (wow!!) called Eco Anderia for the yarn used.

She got the colors right, my favorite icons of hedghogs, cupcakes and cherries, an Apron! I don't think I could have picked out more perfect gifts! WOW, wow, wow. THANKS KIM!!

I won!

I'm very excited to share the I DID win something in the big Bloggy Giveaway: an autographed copy of Joyce Meyer's new book, The Secret to True Happiness. Autographed! How fun is that. Thanks so much, Amy from In Pursuit of Proverbs 31.

Happy Birthday!

Here's my beautiful Tess. She was the youngest child for over 10 years, and is now 20!! Always sweet with a smile on her face, determined and competitive, smart, gracious in the Lord ... a blessing to have. She's in college, living with her older sister about 45 minutes away, and we are so proud. We had a wonderful birthday!

No message yet ...

My e-mail box must be broken .... I haven't received the messages announcing all the prizes I've won in the Bloggy Giveaway. I guess it is early .....

More Giveaways

If you love contests, you're in luck this week!! Run over to Bloggy Giveaways for their quarterly Carnival. Over 800 people have set up contests on their own blogs and they are all centrally linked at this website. WOW! I've entered contests for books, gift cards, handmade purses, aprons, there's even one for $150 in organic products at Whole Foods. Have fun, but don't get sucked in too badly ... you might be at your computer ALL DAY entering contests!!

A Mother's Day Giveaway!

My sweet friend Jan is hosting a Mother's Day Giveaway. She recently opened an apron shop where she sells lovely aprons, tea pots, tea cozies, cookie cutters and more. She was also a sponsor in my first-ever apron swap I hosted and donated a cute apron to the cause. Here is what she is doing now:

Jan has set up a Mother's Day Giveaway on her blog. She will be sending out a lovely apron package to a lucky winner; here's her beautiful daughter modeling the Pink Frilly Tea Apron.

She is also including this teapot set and cookie cutters. How do you get in on this wonderful giveaway? Look at Jan's Apron website http://www.jcarrelloriginals.com/ and then leave a comment on the Apronista or at Jan's blog, , under the giveaway post stating two of your favorite items and any other comments you might have.

I adore her aprons - I own TWO of them! They are made EXTREMELY well and just feel good on; cute, too! Here's my favorite. You can't have it. It's mine. =)

Mother's Work Is Never Done apron swap

Here's my first apron for this month's Apronista project. This is for a Mother's Work Is Never Done Apron swap. My partner loves chocolate (in the pink Chocolate is Good Medicine fabric) and velvet (the brown velvet ric-rac) ... the pocket trim is from a vintage hankie but the other fabric is new.

Mother-Daughter Apron Sets

Look at all these adorable mother-daughter aprons! I'm trying to plan a mother-daughter cooking session and will make apron sets available, too. My favorites include:

Pink Sweetheart,

Pink Purse,

Yummy Candy

Tea for Twoand, Pink Coco!

WOW, Thank You Jen!

I received a beautiful package from Jen today! It started with the sweet pink packaging, ribbons with cute little animal stickers everywhere. My DD was thrilled. My "accessory" is a small 5" fine edge Santoku knife that is just the right size for me - thank you so much! My hubby is already eyeing it so I might occasionally share ... when he makes dinner!

Then my wonderful apron was unwrapped. I adore it. Jen learned how to applique, just for me! Aren't those cupcakes to die for? This apron is large enough to totally cover me, it's reversible, the trim on the pockets is so sweet, the buttons at the neckline add such a special touch .... it's even make of the some of the same material that I used in MY partner's apron. We are definitely on a wavelength here.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, JEN. I feel special!
Shawnee

Thank You, My STILL SECRET PAL!

Thank you, thank you to my Crochetville Spring Secret Pal Swap Partner .. who is still a secret! I know her name starts with an "A" and she lives in Italy but no real identity was included in my marvelous package.

And, it's a nice package, too. I was so pleased when my hubby brought home a brown-paper wrapped box .. with a customs tag and return address of Italy! Wow, I've never received ANYTHING from Italy before!!

Look -- SEVEN skeins of luxurious blue mohair yarn. So delicate to the touch; I can't wait to make something special.


I also received a bouquet of wooden crochet hooks ... I ADORE wood hooks; the yarn just glides over them. And, they are in-line, just like I prefer.


Do you notice the cute amigurumi owl?? Oh, she's a cutie and my DD tried to snap her up but she has a place of honor in my kitchen. Did I mention that my package smelled delightful? That's because some heavenly soap was tucked in, a light cotton scent, along with my favorite peach-scented lotion. "A" even included some Choco Aztec Spice Tea - cause I don't care for coffee!

However, the real mystery is this adorable hand-crocheted and beaded item that was tucked into a gorgeous red pouch. What is it? Right now, it makes a decadent ring but I have the feeling there's another use.



THANK YOU SO, DEAR SP --- NOW, TELL ME YOUR NAME!
Shawnee

Gloves Tutorial (EDITED)4

Gloves Tutorial:

Supplies: Gloves, leftover apron material, leftover trim and coordinating ribbon

The gloves are easy-peasy, just a bit finicky. Purchase Playtex gloves in a color that coordinates with your apron. Then cut two 24"x7" pieces of the (polka dot) material leftover from your apron and fold into 24"x3.5" strips (A). Finished the bottom edges of the strips (I used a zig-zag stitch, but serged would be best). (I corrected the strip measurements once I made them again! Sorry if I frustrated anyone!)

After marking the centers, gathered these strips to 12" which is the circumference of the gloves. Then cut a length of the white ruffled trim to the same 12" (B) and mark the centers. Match centers of both trim, evenly distribute the gathers, and stitch the polka dot ruffle (A) onto the white trim (B) about 1/4" up from the bottom so as to have a clean edge on the gloves.

Next, pin this double trim onto the gloves and carefully baste about 1/4" from the bottom of (B), then stitch along the very bottom edge of (B), being careful to hold the top of the gloves against the trim and not catch in your stitching unintentionally. This is the tricky part, since it does not fit around the free-arm of most machines. Stitch together the raw edges of trim, overlapping slightly.

Form a bow with the coordinating ribbon, hand sew onto the center front of the gloves and you're done!

I DID IT!

I finished the prototype. I do like how it turned out and it matches our kitchen.

For my partner's apron, her material is heavier so it was a little easier to manipulate the curves. I didn't line the pockets and that turned out a bit better. The ties aren't the best, and I'm not sure that I really should have used white thread since my top-stitching is not perfect. However, I do like it. I really like how the gloves turned, although I didn't realize they would be two-tone pink. THAT little project really took some maneuvering but I think they were worth it!

Apron in Progress

I'm so ashamed to admit I'm still working on my Flirty Apron Swap apron. I am very intimidated with the skills of my partner so kept trying to find the "perfect" pattern, and then got sidetracked with all the details of running a swap.

Last Sunday, I was still working up my prototype apron -- you know, the one you make first to be sure the crazy idea in your head will work before cutting into your partner's material?!? I'm modeling my apron off of the adorable Sweetheart Apron that Stacy London wore on her show. I even found the vintage pattern for it online but it's no longer available. So, I sketched out my own. Which is a miracle. I mean, yes, I have been sewing for 25+ years but I only sew simple things ... no bias tape, no pleating, heaven forbid no heirloom stuff ... and I'm a follow-the-pattern kind of gal. Well, I did make my own paper pattern and it is the perfect one-yard apron (because that is all I had of the light pink). I maximized the material with my layout.
The design detail that's killing me right now? The "V" of the hearts .... my trim is just bunching up. AND, I'm still fiddling with the waist ties fitting in near the bib.

I am SO GLAD I'm making a prototype (that matches my pink kitchen). Maybe by the time I take mine apart again and then finish two heart pockets, I'll have it figured out. TODAY is the day, no matter how long it takes. Working around laundry, dishes, meals, etc. of course.