sewing projects!

I can't even believe I am sewing things...It's so fun! My mom was a great sewer and she always encouraged me to learn when I was younger, but I was never interested....until now! I got my first sewing machine for Christmas, a very simple, begginer's sewing machine. And in January/February, I took a 6 week sewing course through Scarlette's Sewing School in Clear Lake. We learned to sew a pair of pajama pants which causes you to learn various skills as you go. I didn't even know what a bobbin was before I started this class! We learned how to thread our machine, how to sew a straight line, and we learned how to use a serger. I have a TON to learn, but am now able to do some simple projects on my own!

Laynie is actually wearing a pair of "babylegs" that I made, they fit her perfectly as leg warmers for when she goes to dance!

Here is my first applique project for Josie! The onesie looks tiny, but it's actually size 18m. I was a little intimidated by this one because it required ironing (no, I don't iron much.) But it turned out really cute and I'm excited to make more of these with different shapes and fabrics! (And, I ironed a shirt for Jason while I was at it, maybe ironing isn't so bad after all!)

Here is Josie playing in her babylegs. They are just a tad bit tight around her sweet, squishy thighs, but she'll grow into them :).

I would post a pic of my pajama pants, but they're not quite finished. I ran into a little snafoo during my last class. Instead of trimming 3 inches off of each pant leg to hem, I accidentally trimmed 6 inches off of one leg and zero off the other. You live, you learn! So now they will have a funky cuff at the bottom since I had to reattach the fabric. And I will have to finish up the pants during a makeup class!

I have definitely learned that sewing and perfectionism do not go hand in hand. It is so much better to just try it, take a risk and most often, you won't even notice if a stitch is crooked (or if you have to reattach something!) Sewing is teaching me to let go and not worry if it's perfect, something I should do a lot more of!

Repurposed crayon bits

This is a fun, easy craft! If you have accumulated crayons that are worn down or broken, you can repurpose them into cute crayon shapes. First, we had to peel all of the paper off of the crayon bits (not the fun part.) Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Then we put all of the crayon bits into a ziploc bag and smashed them to pieces.

We used a silicone baking pan which worked perfectly. Laynie scooped the crayon bits into the molds until they were about 1/3 full. The more you put in, the thicker the crayon will be. Then we put them into the oven for about 12 minutes (or until melted).

This is how they looked when we took them out of the oven. Let them dry on the counter until they are hard to the touch on top (can't remember how long this took.) The dark crayon colors really overpower, so use them sparingly if possible (unless you have boys!) But when you pop them out, the front of the crayon is much more colorful.

Voila! Fun heart-shaped crayons that color in a bunch of different colors! We had originally intended to give these out to her friends for Valentine's Day (as a non-candy alternative), but ran out of time. Maybe next year!

fun times

Here is the triple-tier chocolate cake I mentioned on facebook. Jason and the kids made it from a 9x13 pan...it's from a Williams Sonoma kids recipe book. Yum! The best part is always making and decorating it though. I love Laynie's tight squeeze on Ty :).

This would be super spy time in the closet. Laynie was calling herself Super Spy Mom...with a dress, butterfly wings, ring and sunglasses...awesome. Ty had his super spy pocket watch.

This would be Josie's long locks at 10 months! She has such a beautiful little head of hair!

Josie is visiting Ty while he does homework :). I love watching her explore. I'm pretty sure I never let Laynie pull up on the tile...she was way too clumsy/dramatic. But Josie is sure-footed and knows how to lower herself down carefully. Such a relief!

Laynie is sporting her candy necklace that she made with the Candy Jewel Factory, even the necklace is edible!