Angel Droppings

Personalized Magnets

2009-11-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

What better way to show off your photos (or recipes, artwork and Christmas wish-lists) than to stick ‘em up on your fridge with cute little personalized magnets? Not only do they announce to visitors who the kindergarten artist is – but they also point out who’s who in each group photo. My mom loves these little guys because they don’t hog the whole photo or accidentally cover up dad’s head like a flimsy pizza delivery magnet does.

They also make such thoughtful gifts because they can be personalized! Do you have a Mimi, Memaw, Gigi or GocGoc instead of a Grandma or Grandmother? Tell me so. I’ll get it right and it will be that much more special to the recipient when they open your thoughtful gift. They also make awesome stocking stuffers and hostess gifts for holiday parties and can be used as a special “thank you” gift for that one person who always goes out of the way for you. Here is a short list of a few ideas that have been done in the past. Get creative!

IDEAS:

New Years:
(4) Cheers!, Happy, New, Year
Valentine:
(4) Be, Mine, Love, You
Easter:
(4) Hallelujah, He, Is, Risen!
Mother’s Day:
(5) Best, Mom, Hugs, Kisses, Love
Father’s Day:
(5) Best, Dad, Hugs, Kisses, Love
Independence Day:
(5) Freedom, USA, Flag, Stars, Stripes
(3) Support, Our, Troops
Halloween:
(4) Boo!, Trick, or, Treat
Thanksgiving:
(5) Thankful, Turkey, Pie, Football, Family Christmas:
(5) Peace, Joy, Hope, Merry, Christmas
(10) Naughty, Nice, Scrooge, Santa, Jingle, Bells, Gifts, Coal, Giving, Spending

Teacher:
(4) Dream, Inspire, Encourage, Teach
Medical:
(3) Healing, Helping, Serving
Coach:
(4) Commitment, Team, Passion, Attitude

Spiritual:
(3) Faith, Hope, Love
(4) Be, Strong, Take, Heart
(3) Follow, Your, Heart
(4) Love, is, Patient, Kind

Other:
(2) I’m, Pregnant!
(2) Happy, Birthday!
(2) Thank, You!
(5) Good, Luck, Break, A, Leg
(2) Just, Married!
(3) Over, The, Hill

PRICING:
Bag with 2 magnets = $2.80
Bag with 3 magnets = $3.20
Bag with 4 magnets = $3.60
Bag with 5 magnets = $4.50
Bag with 10 magnets = $8.00
Bag with 15 magnets = $11.50

Additional bags cost the same price as listed above - no discounts available at this time. Orders ship via USPS Priority Mail. For orders less than $20.00, I only charge a $2.50 ship fee. For orders that are more than $20.00, I ship via Priority Mail’s flat-rate envelope for $4.80. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Paci Clippy

2009-10-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I didn’t even know these existed until I had my own child and now I don’t know what I’d do without it. :) I can make them in any color you like – just tell me what you’re thinking. I only charge $4 for one or you can order 3 for $10. I keep one in my diaper bag, one in my stroller and one in the car. These are also great for hooking toys and teething rings to a bouncy seat, high chair or grocery cart cover so they don’t hit the floor.

Paci Clippies ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Canopy Cover for Car Seat

2009-09-30T10:00:00.002-05:00

I don’t really understand why infant car seats even have a “moon roof”. Not only does the bright Texas sun beat down right onto my little boy’s face through that vinyl window, but the bright fluorescent lights in stores creeps through too. And it’s not like I actually look through that window to see my boy. I’ll either move the canopy or peek in under/over/around it. The window is good for nothing in my opinion. So, I figured I’d make a removable Velcro cover to block out the light. I used black canvas fabric and a light green gingham bias tape so it would sort of coordinate/blend in with my car seat too.

Does anyone else have this problem or do you like your moon roof??

It's a BOY!

2009-08-30T10:00:00.002-05:00

I usually don't post personal photos of myself or my family on this blog since I try to keep it strictly for my sewing business and/or crafts (plus we keep another personal blog for all of that stuff...) but my life is just too intertwined to keep up with that. Especially now that I've taken a break from my business to have a baby!

So, please welcome Paul Roxton Holt to the world! He arrived on Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 10:30am weighing 8lbs 10oz and measuring 20.5 inches long.

I'll be taking a break for a while as I get to know our sweet baby and adjust to a new normal, but I do plan to be teaching sewing lessons and creating even more baby things again as soon as Paul lets me.

Just in Time

2009-08-29T10:00:00.004-05:00

I finished knitting baby’s blanket! I started it back in April and pretty much only worked on it at night while watching movies or TV … and not very consistently then either. It’s a simple basketweave pattern with a seed stitch border and I got the pattern from Ravelry. The actual pattern I used appears to have been removed, though. Still, if you do a search for “basketweave blanket” within Ravelry, numerous free patterns will pop up. The first one you see in the search results - a purple blanket - is the pattern I actually used, although I only cast on 130 so it could be baby-size instead of lap-size. It’s really not even a blanket that you need a pattern for, though. It’s pretty simple.

Okay, baby – you really need to arrive SOON because now I need to know whether I should get some pink yarn or blue yarn so I can start working on cute little hats for your newborn photos. :)

Sisters Gift Set

2009-08-27T10:00:00.003-05:00

I just added another "Big Sis 'Lil Sis" gift set to my Etsy shop. I love purple and green together. It's one of my favorite color combinations actually and this fabric is precious. And reversible pinafores...with butterflies...so cute. Despite my gut feeling that this baby is a boy, I really started hoping for a girl to dress up while I was sewing these. :)

Come on little one...we can't wait to meet you! If you make us wait any longer, I might have to make some ruffle-butt onesies...

Camo Baby Gift Set

2009-08-25T21:22:00.002-05:00

Well. I guess our baby just isn’t ready to join the world yet. That’s okay. I’ll sew while I wait. :)

I just added another baby gift set to my Etsy shop. I kind of giggled to myself when I was making the Ta-Ta tent from this fabric because one of my friends always asks “can you see me?” when she wears her camo cargo capris. It’s really not funny…but I still snickered a bit because that’s the point of a Ta-Ta tent, ya know? To sort of discreetly disguise what’s really goin’ on under there while also preventing a peep show in public …

iPod Nano Case

2009-08-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting a case for my iPod for a while, but just never could find a slim one I liked. While cruising my long list of favorite craft blogs, I stumbled upon this cute iPod Nano case tutorial from Made By Petchy. Perfect! So I followed it exactly and made one for me.

Leak Proof Pouch

2009-08-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

I figured a leak proof pouch would be helpful in my own diaper bag, so I modified one of my zippy bags and used some of the cute oil cloth fabric scraps that were left over from a splat mat and lined the pouch with a clear lightweight vinyl. It is leak proof and waterproof (except for the little bitty holes from the zipper’s teeth) but it’s perfect for wet diapers, dirty clothes and breast pump paraphernalia. I bet this will come in handy later when I want to prevent an empty bottle or sippy cup from leaking, or when I want to contain sticky snacks, or perhaps as a wet swim suit bag or when an accident occurs as we start potty training... I can think of all kinds of uses.

These pouches are a bit more expensive than my $6 zippy bags simply because vinyl and oil cloth fabric cost more. But at only $9 each, they are still totally affordable. Just send me an email with your fabric preference from the choices below and I’ll make yours special for you after you order it. The one in the photo above measures approximately 8 x 9.5 inches.

Leak Proof Pouches ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

My OWN Diaper Bag Stuff

2009-08-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I finally made some things for my own diaper bag! One of my students used this same fabric to make herself a hand bag last week and I loved it so much I went out and bought some for myself. I made a Ta-Ta tent, two burpies, a drool bib and a diaper-wiper pouch for myself with it.

I had already packed up the essentials into my new diaper bag, but I now I can say it's really ready for baby. ;)

Diaper Wiper Pouch

2009-08-11T18:59:00.005-05:00

When her baby was brand new, I remember my friend carrying around this cute pink polka dot case with just wipes and diapers in it for quick changes. I was reminded of it again recently while getting my own diaper bag together and decided I wanted one too. Being the frugal female that I am, I was not about to pay retail for something I can easily sew myself.

So I created my own pattern and made this case large enough to accommodate a few more diapers and/or a decorated wipes case. A new mommy just gave me the idea of adding elastic to the back since evidently there are travel wipes cases out there that pop open from the middle instead of from the side and she just wanted the pouch to hold her diapers, not the wipes.

So...there you have it. I now sell diaper wiper pouches too. For only $8. Diaper Wiper Pouches ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Happy Baby!

2009-08-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Even though my "maternity leave" began on August 1, I think people know it's really hard for me to say NO...so I actually just finished teaching a few more sewing lessons last week and completed a few more orders over the weekend and then fulfilled a few more favors for friends today. Now I'm done. For real. So don't ask for a while, okay?

One of the favors I was working on (along with some surprise goodies for her shower gift) was for my baking friend, Tera. She asked me to make two changing pad sheet covers for her from a set of full-size sheets she found that perfectly match her baby’s bedding. I used some of the extra sheet fabric and went with her black/white and lime green theme to make her a reversible pinafore dress with matching mary janes, a diaper-wiper pouch and a Ta-Ta Tent.

Now we just wait for baby C. to arrive!

Big Sis 'Lil Sis

2009-07-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

My friend Tiffany is welcoming another baby girl to their family at about the same time we’ll be welcoming baby Holt. It just didn’t feel right to send *Sydney Kate* something without sending her big sister, Addison, something special too. So I thought this coordinating gift set would be a cute way to welcome her brand new baby girl without ignoring the important role of a big sister. (I actually made two sets so I could use up all the fabric and posted the other one in my Etsy shop.) I happen to love it when siblings dress alike so I really hope the reversible pinafore top fits little miss Addi at the same time the onesie will fit Sydney. :)

(ignore my thumb...)

Gift Sets to Go

2009-07-21T09:35:00.004-05:00

So many of my orders are usually custom requests or special favors, but lately they seem to have been revolving around a similar baby-theme with people needing Ta-Ta tents, burpies, bibs and/or a onesie. So, I figured I’d go ahead and make up some cute coordinating gift sets so they were ready to go. I’ll still gladly customize them for you if you like but now you can just click away and you’ll have it super fast. No more “wait time” since these are already made.

Click the links to the right to learn more about how I make each of the items and/or to see photos of some other examples.

I'll have lots more of these gift sets listed in my Etsy shop soon. Also - for those of you that know me in real life, you know I'm a thrifty gal. I try to keep my prices reasonable and fair and I rarely make a purchase for my materials without a coupon (which saves YOU money too!) but I also understand that $42 can be a bit much to spend on just one shower gift. Personally, I still think it's a fair price for all of the items that you would receive...and you can check around on Etsy and eBay to compare if you like...but if you just HAVE to have it and can't afford it at my listed price, then just say so and I'll try to work out a deal with you so that I still profit and you still get what you need/want. I don't want to undercut myself too much when listing prices on Etsy, but I also want to make sure that friends, family and loyal customers aren't deterred from ordering from me just because of a listed price. So please just ask me. I promise I won't get offended. :)

Whew!

2009-07-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

I know y’all probably think I’m just sitting at home being bored and pregnant since getting laid off, but my days are so much more full now than they ever were while working a full-time day job. You won’t hear me complain about this type of work, though! I’ve been super busy lately wrapping up some of the orders that were stacked on my desk, getting owed favors done for friends and other people and teaching a bunch of sewing lessons! My goodness the lessons have picked up a lot lately. I’ve met all kinds of interesting people. I love it!

However, I’m really looking forward to August 1st. That’s the date I decided I need to go on “maternity leave” otherwise I will not feel prepared at all for baby. That will give me about three weeks to organize the baby’s room after our two showers next weekend, clean the house (company-clean style), shop for/cook and freeze meals (since I don’t fully trust anyone to cook gluten free for me yet…) and REST.

I thought I would just write a quick little post so you knew I was still alive. I don’t have many pictures to post this time because most of the orders I’ve been working on lately aren't really photo-friendly or are gift orders for people that read this blog and they haven’t received them yet (gotta keep it a secret!) or were made by my students and not something that I actually can brag about. ;)

Still, in the little bits of downtime that I get, I’ve been trying to re-stock my sorely neglected Etsy shop. It’s not happening as quickly as I’d like for it to go, but I’m really happy to see the following three baby gift sets up there to get it rolling again. I'd love to know what you think.

Soft Fabric Book - Spanish Version

2009-07-15T18:00:00.002-05:00

I posted previously about my soft activity books, but I received a special request for one to be made in Spanish. I thought that was a great idea! As I understand it, the really nice person that ordered this from me made a friend while studying in Spain and now that her friend is expecting her first child, she thought this would be an appropriate and special baby gift. Frankly, I think it would be great for any kid – or even a classroom! What better way to teach a child some common words from another language? Especially for those of us living in Texas…

Reversible Apron

2009-07-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Remember this project?

Well, my customer generously gave me the rest of the fabric on her bolt and all of the Hawaiian floral scraps. I had no idea what I was going to do with that much navy blue, but a friend requested a tablecloth from it, so I sewed that up the other day. I was in the middle of baking some gluten-free bread and brownies while sewing her tablecloth, so I guess that's why I figured I needed this reversible apron made from the same material for myself.

Maybe now that I have an apron, I won't wipe my hands on my shorts. :) I'm thinking I need to make place mats, dish towels and perhaps a potholder or two to go along with it...

Kid Tees

2009-06-29T10:00:00.004-05:00

The appliquéd baby onesies I make always seem to be such a hit with new moms at baby showers, but what happens when the baby grows too big for that cute little bitty outfit? Well, I've received enough requests from moms wanting me to make tees for their kiddos with the same images, so I thought I'd let all of you out there know that I can do my same applique process on a kid-size (and adult-size) tee as well. Since I can do any shape/style/color or size, it’s pretty fun to get creative with them around football games, special events and holidays.

This little girl's daddy is a high school football coach and goes to every game! Her turtleneck is bit too large right now, but it will fit her perfectly come football season next year.

This mom requested a pink or purple tee with a zoo animal on the front.

The little girl that has this shirt used to wear her baby cross onesies to church and her mom said she would get a ton of compliments in the nursery about how cute they were. So, now that she's growing up...her mom requested a larger size tee.

These two shirts were gifts for my friend Hannah's little girls. I figured they could wear them over the coming 4th of July holiday since her eldest daughter loves to dress like her little sister!

One of my favorite things to do is take a current tee or tank that has a stain or hole on the front and cover it up with an appliqué so the shirt can still be worn. (The football on the shirt below is covering up a tiny hole!) So...no wasted clothing and no money spent on a new tee! However, for gifts and special orders I typically buy new tees from Old Navy or Target.

For a brand new appliquéd kid tee or tank, I charge $12. For adults it may cost more based on the price of the shirt. If you just want me to add an appliqué to shirts you already have on hand, then I charge a $6 fee per shirt. If you hand me 5 or more shirts, then we can work out a bulk deal discount. ;) So grab your kid’s stained shirts (and some other kid's stained shirts) and simply let me know what shape/image/letter you want on the front and back and I’ll get to work.

Kid tees ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

For Me?!

2009-06-14T10:00:00.003-05:00

Yep – I finally made something for ME. :) I liked the fabric I used for my mom’s gift set so much that I went back and got some more so I could make myself a Ta-Ta tent, a burpie and a drool bib with it.

I think it’s funny how people will tell me “oh, your baby will have such cute clothes” as they notice my pregnant belly just because I know how to sew - but have you ever heard that saying about how the cobbler’s kids all have holes in their shoes? Yeah. I can see how that would be true. Even though I’m no longer working a 9-5 job, Angel Droppings is keeping me busy and life is pretty full. It felt good to do something for myself for once and not see it disappear the next day in a gift bag or at the post office! :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-06-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Continuing with my handmade crusade, I made my mom a coordinating gift set for her kitchen as her birthday gift. I made her three dish towels, a potholder and a “hot potato” finger mitt.

She seemed to really like this little finger mitt best.

I REALLY like this fabric. In fact, I like it so much I got more of it and made myself some baby things with it. :)

Burpies

2009-06-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

It took me a while, but I've collected enough feedback from other moms to know that minky-backed burp cloths are loved because they are so soft and super cute - but they just don't absorb like they need to. So, I make my burp cloths out of cloth diapers and I contour the shape to better fit the neck. At only $6 each, they hold up really well in the wash and look a lot cuter than a faded and stained old white burp rag on your shoulder. ;)

Burpies ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Drool Bibs

2009-06-08T10:00:00.004-05:00

I still have a couple more months to go before I experience this for myself, but I’ve learned from quite a few moms that bibs are not exactly a necessity for an infant. Evidently, infants need a burpie more than they need a bib. I guess toddlers are the ones that actually need a bib. Still, the moms have told me that they will use a “drool bib” to catch all the mess that would normally land on the front of their baby’s shirt. It’s usually just spit up or slobber, but they say it helps prevent twenty outfit changes during one day and keeps the top of the baby’s shirt from getting wet and becoming cold on their chest after a while. The moms say it’s hard to find cute bibs and they hate to cover up a cute outfit with an ugly stained bib just to catch the drool. So…I now make bibs for $6 each in coordinating fabrics to match their Ta-Ta tent and boppy covers. ;)

Bibs ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Katie's Baby Shower

2009-06-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

My good friend Katie and her husband Andy (Blake’s long time friend from high school) are about to welcome a baby girl into their lives. Click here to read her blog where she's journaling about her entire pregnancy experience. For her baby shower this weekend, I made her a Ta-Ta tent (per request) along with a coordinating burp cloth and onesie.

She requested "chic" fabric. Not sure if this counts, but I do know that her baby's room is mainly pink and green and that her stroller and car seat are green and brown. I figured since this fabric had the exact same pinks, greens and brown along with some extra yellow, that catching all the colors she liked would work. It's a fun print, too. Hopefully she considers it chic. :)

Of course, I had to add a onesie! :)

And I couldn’t resist making this adorable tutu. I can’t wait to meet the little girl! Only a few more weeks!!

Think of Me

2009-06-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

For those of you that read this blog regularly (thank you!), you already know I love to sew. You also probably know that I have baby on the brain, so most of the things I’ve been working on lately are kid-related. Still, my sewing skills do actually go beyond straight stitches on a square piece of fabric that makes up a Ta-Ta Tent. EASY! I teach beginning sewers how to make these things, so believe me – anyone can do it.

I recently completed 12 patio cushion slipcovers with zippers for a special order. It was a refreshing change of pace and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to work on something a bit more challenging and a bit more time consuming. My customer was so happy with the turn out that she sent me a photo of her new patio set with a sweet note saying she loved them, so I figured I’d go ahead and create a post about it so all of you out there will better understand my sewing skills and interests. She brought me the bolts of fabric and I sewed it all up for her. :)

I'm not a professional seamstress by any means, but please be sure to think of me for your custom sewing needs. I can probably help. Plus, I keep my fees pretty darn affordable since now I have a lot of extra time during the day. Need a new duvet cover? Looking for custom baby bedding? Want your Grandma's old chair recovered? Would you like a T-shirt quilt made from all of your old 5k/fraternity/high school tees? Need new drapes in the living room? Need a unique Halloween costume? Think of me! :)

Decorated Wipes Case

2009-06-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

For whatever reason (I'm blonde, pregnant, new to “mommy world”…) I was really slow to catch on when someone asked me to decorate a wipes case. I didn’t quite understand WHY they would want one to be decorated, but I totally get it now. As often as we need to wipe tushies, why not make the simple things in life a little less boring and use a cute, decorated wipe case?

Since then, I’ve experimented with a few of these so I think I’ve mastered the adhesive technique and created a fabric template that is *just* the right size. (They are trickier to cover than you think!) I take a reusable travel size wipe case from Huggies and add a bit of padding on both sides along with your choice of fabrics, trims, ribbons and notions. They fit perfectly in a diaper bag or handbag and I can make a Ta-Ta tent, burpie, drool bib, zippy bag, onesie, tooth fairy pillow, etc…in a coordinating fabric if you want to create a really thoughtful custom gift for a baby shower. At only $8.50 each, it's pretty darn affordable too.

Wipes Cases ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Splat Mat

2009-06-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

Being six months pregnant and “nesting”, I went on a mission and cleaned the entire house yesterday. After cleaning the kitchen floors, I went to put Bella’s cheap dog-store placemat back down on the floor for her water and food bowl and realized that the bottom of it had started to flake and peel apart. That explained all the sticky grubby stuff I had just scrubbed off the floor!

There was no way I was putting that old, dirty flaky thing back down on my nice clean floors so I went back to my sewing room and made this cute little splat mat with some of my oil cloth/vinyl fabric. It’s so easy to wipe off and I can even throw it in the washing machine (not the dryer) if I wanted to. I probably won’t because it’s so simple to just wipe it down…but the fabrics are all machine washable, so that’s a lot better than my other cheap mat.

I’m thinking I will probably make one of these later on in a much larger size so I can stick it under the high chair and make clean-up that much easier. I could even make one as a “portable table top” for when I’m making my gluten-free breads or when I get all creative (aka: messy) and start painting or spackling. I'm imagining that a splat mat would also be great for picnics or play-dough or just messy kids in general. ;)

The splat mat you see in the photos above and below this text are the same one. I just took photos of it on the floor under a high chair and on the table so you can better determine size.

You know you want one! Simply choose your favorite fabric from the samples you see below and let me know if you want a bone shape, fish shape, circle, rectangle or oval. I’ll customize the size of the mat to your kid and or pet’s size and/or their food bowls. A kitty cat or Chihuahua-sized mat is $12. A schnauzer-sized mat (like Bella's that you see in the first two photos) is $16. A Lab or Great Dane-sized mat is $20. A much larger splat mat to use under the high chair or on the table top is $28.

If you want your splat mat to have a grippy bottom so it doesn't slide around (see the photo above), please add $12. (The dog placements will only be an extra $6.) All splat mats come with a coordinating or matching trim/border. However, if you want to save a little bit of money on your order, I can also just turn the edge over and zigzag it instead. It will create more of a diner tablecloth look instead of a finished edge. Simply let me know what you want and I’ll make it to order. :)

FABRIC SAMPLES:

Splat Mats ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Boppy Slipcovers

2009-05-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

I made so many of these slipcovers that I lost count, but unfortunately I only have this one photo – and it’s not even covering an actual boppy pillow! Still, I wanted to make sure I had a post up about these so you would know that I like to make them and I won’t charge ya an arm and a leg for them either. In fact, I only charge $10.00 for a slipcover and mine come with a zipper instead of a fold over/button/snap/Velcro/tie thingy so it’s SUPER easy to take on and take off for laundering. Just think – your Boppy slipcover could match your Ta-Ta Tent, burp towel, wipes case, onesie, tooth fairy pillow, zippy bag….aaand so on! ;)

Just give me a general idea of what color your nursery is or if you prefer stripes, polka dots, paisley or patterns and I'll shop for fabric just for you. Boppy slipcovers ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Soft Fabric Book - Colors

2009-05-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

This precious fabric book for baby makes such a special and thoughtful shower gift or first birthday gift! It is guaranteed to get passed around and you’ll definitely hear lots of oohs and ahhs. Plus, I’ve received reports from mothers two years later that tell me their child absolutely loves their unique soft book and repeatedly pulls it off the shelf at story time and won't put it down. Click here to see the Spanish version!

This soft fabric book teaches children about colors and is totally child-safe with no potential choking hazards. It is completely customizable and I can add personalization to the inside cover or back cover if you’d like. I could even personalize each page per your special request. A book just like this one is $35.00. Soft fabric books ship in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope within 2 weeks of ordering for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Ta-Ta Tent (aka: Hooter Hider)

2009-05-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

I remember learning about this cool nursing cover (originally called a Hooter Hider) when my friend Hannah had her first baby. She discreetly covered herself up while we were at Jason's Deli and I never even knew that her little girl was nursing under there. It has a little pop-out thing (called boning that shapes the fabric into a stiff U-shape) on the top so that only momma can see down to her baby without having to take the cover off or lift it up. It also has an adjustable strap that goes around momma's neck so that it won't slip off her shoulder (like most blankets do) giving everyone around an accidental peep show. Plus, the fabric is lightweight and it won't get all sweaty or hot underneath either.
As you probably already noticed by clicking on the above link to the original Hooter Hider, these things are definitely not cheap! For the price of fabric, some boning and a couple of D-rings I made the same exact thing myself (minus the brand name logo) for much less. Quite frankly - since it is handmade - I also noticed that the construction quality is far better than the brand name item anyway. Plus, I've tweaked my pattern along the way and improved the size and boning shape based on lots of feedback from mothers I've already gifted this to and that have used it, so now my Ta-Ta Tent is ready for sale at only $18 each!

Just give me a general idea of what colors your nursery is or if you prefer stripes, polka dots, paisley or patterns and I'll shop for fabric just for you. Ta-Ta tents ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Heart Art - Paintings

2009-05-12T20:00:00.001-05:00

I love to paint hearts! Every time I paint a heart it seems to tell me what colors it wants to be around. They tend to develop their own personality as I work with them too. You can read their “stories” when I post them up for sale in my Etsy Shop or Artfire Shop. Otherwise, you can order your own custom painting. Below is a list of my general sizes and pricing with a few samples of each.

$100 Extra Large: The extra large sized paintings are perfect for hanging above a bed and make great conversation pieces in the living room. See below for an example of a 30" x 40" sized painting.

$75 Large: The large paintings work really well in awkward wall spaces – when you just don’t know what to put up there! They work perfectly in bathrooms, hallways and even in those alcoves or architectural arches that seem to appear in most of the new-construction homes. See below for an example of a 24 x 12 sized painting.

$50 Medium: Medium-sized paintings are great all-around. These work well as a tryptic to fill a long horizontal space or a tall vertical space. As individual paintings, they make lovely gifts for a newly married couple, they work well in a master bedroom or bathroom and really pop next to back and white infant photos in the nursery. See below for two 16 x 20 sized paintings.

See below for an example of three 10x10 sized paintings hung horizontally as a tryptic.

$35 Small: Split a heart across four small canvases or put one little heart into each frame. These paintings look great propped on shelves or counters as a picture frame might be displayed. (I can include a display stand if you like…) They also look great clustered together in groups of four or more as if it were one larger painting. Click on this link to get to Suzy's blog and scroll through the two following posts to see photos of four custom hearts that decorate her baby's room. (They aren't the greatest photos because she's really focusing on the nursery - not my artwork - but you'll get the idea.) See below for an example of four 5x5 sized paintings grouped together to form one painting.

All of my hearts are painted on a quality gallery-wrapped canvas with staples on the back (not the sides) so they are ready for instant hanging. (They don’t need frames.) I can add script or dates or personalization and I gladly accept custom requests. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order and inquire about shipping costs.

Grandma Picture Frames

2009-05-11T21:05:00.002-05:00

Mother’s Day had a new meaning to me this year. I’m six months pregnant and of course my mind and my heart are being pulled towards thoughts of my own child, but this year I have that much MORE of an appreciation for my own mother, my mother-in-law, and all of the other mothers out there.
This year Blake and I got creative and continued the “handmade crusade” I’ve been on for gift-giving. He cut and sanded wooden frames (from our old garage door, nonetheless) and finished them with shellac while I painted them and wrote on them. We made two identical frames with a couple of cute fabric heart sewn cards for our moms. They seemed to like them – but both were a little dazed seeing “Grandma” in print for the first time. ;)

Hand Embroidered Onesie

2009-05-05T17:00:00.002-05:00

Oh. So. Sweet.

I received the cutest baby shower invitation for a friend not too long ago and I was rocked with inspiration. I just had to create a hand embroidered bodysuit for her baby to match it. Since the gender of her little one will remain a surprise, I thought the purple and orange would still be appropriate. Now I'm hooked on hand embroidery. Since I didn't use a pattern or an iron-on transfer it only encouraged me to make more of these because now I know I can create a custom design with just a bit of thread, a needle and lots of time on the couch. :)

I prepare these the same way I prepare my machine-appliqued baby onesies. This means that they will hold up in the wash after numerous dry cycles and wear well for a long time. These are a bit more intricate and delicate than my other onesies and they definitely take a lot more time to complete (hence the price difference), but I've constructed them with such care that they are definitely tough enough to last a season and could totally be saved for the second child!

For a design similar in size to this owl, I charge $25 per onesie or toddler tee. If it's a larger design, the price will increase accordingly. Just send me an email with the image (or a detailed description of what you'd like) and I'll get started right away on modifying it for fabric. Onesies and tees ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Sewn Greeting Card

2009-05-02T10:12:00.003-05:00

What do you think happens when I am in my sewing room all day long working on special projects AND when there is no money remaining in the gift category of our budget this month for a baby’s first birthday party? A hand-sewn card instead of a store-bought one. That’s what happens.

It seemed like a good idea until I realized I didn’t have any envelopes that would fit it. Making one seemed way to “crafty”. Even for me. Plus, I’m not really into paper crafts, card-making or scrapbooking. If I start now…I fear I’ll develop yet another addition and I’ve already come to terms with my current sewing/knitting/painting obsessions. I don’t need more. Just thought you’d like to see. I'll also post photos of the "123...Count with Me" book that I made for him soon. Have an “Elephantastic” day! teehee

Baby Onesies

2009-05-01T09:45:00.012-05:00

* Onesie™ * bodysuit * romper * Babygro™ * baby-grows * shirtsie * vests with poppers * one-piece under-shirt * sleepsuits * all-in-ones * baby vest * creeper * diaper shirt * playsuit * lapsuit * crawler * I had no idea these cute little baby outfits were called so many different things until I did a search on it! No matter where you come from or what you like to call them – these little outfits will always be a staple necessity that evidently a mom can never have enough of!
Every seamstress seems to have their own method of how to applique, but I've collected constructive feedback over the years from a lot of moms who were able to hand down my bodysuits to their second child, friends and cousins and still feel glad about doing so because they stayed in such good condition after numerous wears and washes. It took me a while to learn how to make these *cute* and still keep them rather sturdy.
I carefully pre-wash all fabrics and bodysuits (to prevent shrinking and puckering) and then I reinforce the inside of the bodysuit with a lightweight interfacing to promote durability. The raw edges of the applique are finished with satin stitches for a clean and polished edge that also helps prevent fraying from the wash. For more information on how I carefully make each bodysuit, please check out this earlier post for details of my entire process.

Since every single one of these applique designs are hand drawn by *me* (they are not a patch or a template or a stencil...) just tell me what you have in mind and I'll get to work on creating a unique, custom, hand-made onesie just for you in all the colors that you prefer. :) For example, the above golden lyre onesie was a special request made by an AXO sorority gal. Cute huh? I love the ruffle butts! Plus, these are super affordable at only $12 each and they make really awesome shower gifts - you're pretty much guaranteed to get a round of synchronized oohs and aahs. :)
Onesies ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Zippy Bags

2009-04-30T17:32:00.005-05:00

I’m not sure about you, but I can appreciate the cash envelope budgeting system that Dave Ramsey promotes. Blake and I don’t actually use the envelopes for all of our categories since we’re pretty good at managing our budget online and keep detailed records of our spending with a color-coded Excel spreadsheet. ;) (Call me sick, but I think that's fun...) However, I do keep a cash envelope for two categories: my personal mad money and my business.

After about three weeks of carrying around two flimsy white envelopes with my cash stashed, the envelopes started to fall apart and become really weak. I could never get them to stay sealed, so coins would fall out into the bottom of my bag. Once I managed to dig deep enough to find the coins, I wasn’t sure if they went into the mad money envelope or the Angel Droppings envelope. Argh! Plus, it made me kind of nervous to keep so much cash in a regular 'ol envelope. It should be in a wallet, right? Well, that’s not Dave’s way…he says it has to be separate.

So – I made my own zippy bags and that’s where I keep my mad money and my Angel Droppings money now. I love them! They are so much more fun and yet still very practical. They would also be perfect to use as a cosmetic bag or for unmentionables. You could keep a cell phone, camera or ipod in it too. Ask me to make one for you that’s a bit longer and it would be the perfect spot for your colored pencils, paint brushes, knitting needles or crochet hooks. I love using these zipper pouches as gift wrap, too. It’s the perfect thing to dress up a set of personalized magnets and would make an extra special gift within a gift.

So just let me know what your favorite colors are and I’ll make some for you too! The options are endless. I sell these for only $6 each and make them to order upon your custom request. The two zippy bags shown here are about 6x5 inches in size and are lightly interfaced for stability. Zippy bags ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Tooth Fairy Pillows

2009-04-30T14:03:00.006-05:00

I received a special request once from a bride who asked me to put a pocket on the back of her ring bearer pillow so that the little guy could use it as a *tooth fairy* pillow after the wedding was over. I thought that was a great idea – and then it inspired me to create some more!

I thought the tiny stripes in this green and yellow fabric would be perfect for a little man and I love the girly blue floral fabric with lace trim. Both of these pillows are now for sale for $15.00 each in my Etsy shop. However, if you have a specific color or style in mind, feel free to send me an email at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com with your custom request. Unless you are requesting something super special - it will still only cost $15.00.

My *tooth fairy* pillows usually measure 8x8 inches square and are stuffed with hypoallergenic polyester fiberfil. These sweet little pillows make the perfect gift for the child that already has every toy out there. I can personalize it with unique fabrics and/or embroider their name or initials on it also. Who knows? These one-of-a-kind, hand-made pillows might just make the pretty tooth-fairy lady want to trade that tooth for a Jackson ($20) instead of a George ($1). ;)

Pillows ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Handknit Scarves

2009-04-29T11:54:00.005-05:00

I love to teach knitting lessons, however I find it amusing when most of my students will tell me that they want to learn how to make a scarf – not that they want to learn how to knit. ;) Some scarves are quick to knit and others can be quite intricate and take months to make it through the tedious pattern. Plus, the yarn can either be an inexpensive acrylic, a quality silk, a hand spun merino or even a luxurious designer beaded yarn that costs more than you would believe!

So for those of you that don’t want to learn how to knit a scarf and would rather just buy a custom handmade one – tell me what you want! They make such perfect gifts (especially for Christmas!) and really – can you ever have too many? I, too, have given most of my prettiest scarves away as gifts, but I did find a couple of photos that appear here as samples.

Just send me a photo or a detailed description of what you are wanting. I can make scarves heavy and thick or lightweight and lacy. Let me know if you want it short or long; ruffled and girly - or basic and manly. I can make them wide or thin; striped horizontally or striped vertically. Solid colors throughout are good with a fun pattern for an interesting texture or I'd suggest a delicate lace or simple pattern to show off a self-patterning or self-striping yarn.

My prices range depending on what you would like. For example, the shorter dusty rose colored scarf shown here is made with a quality wool and would sell for $35. The rust and cream ruffled and ribbed scarf is made with two strands of a super soft acrylic yarn and sells for $25. I've really only made one scarf that would sell for more than $45 and it was for my husband. It was made with a special (expensive!) yarn that he picked out while we were in Alaska. The most affordable scarf I make sells for $15 and is made with a really fun and flirty eyelash yarn. To keep them in good shape for a long time, please hand wash my scarves in cool water with a mild detergent or bar soap. Resist the urge to wring it dry. Instead, gently squeeze the water out against the side of the sink. Lay it flat on your floor sandwiched between thick bath towels and allow it to dry completely so it can regain its shape. Orders ship promptly via USPS Priority Mail for an additional $2.50. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Handknit Teddy Bear

2009-04-29T09:44:00.008-05:00

I made this guy a while ago and I'm so glad I kept him! I almost gave him away as a baby shower gift, but he looked at me with those eyes and reminded me that we've totally formed a friendship and that I wasn't allowed to do that. Now that I'm pregnant, I can't help but think that this soft, squishy, huggable teddy bear will be my future child's best friend. I'm seriously tempted to make him some friends...

If you want to have your very own lovable, huggable and super cuddly teddy bear, I'll be happy to make one for you for just $35. This guy is about a foot tall and stuffed with hypoallergenic polyester fiberfil. It's perfectly safe for infants and children to play with since there are no small button eyes or plastic parts that pop off. (Just be careful that the ribbon doesn't untie and remain with an unsupervised child.) I like to knit this bear with a certain type of yarn (Homespun by Lion Brand) so that it is as touchable as possible and still keeps its structure. Simply pick your favorite color of yarn from this link and tell me what color ribbon you prefer and then let me know when you'd like to meet your new friend.

Teddy bears ship via USPS Priority Mail within 2 weeks of ordering for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Ring Bearer Pillow

2009-04-29T08:26:00.007-05:00

When my friend Eva got married nearly two years ago, she couldn't find any ring bearer pillows that were as modern and elegant as her special day was going to be. She commissioned me to make a custom one for her to match her wedding colors and she loved it! She also said she received a lot of compliments on it from guests and the mother of the ring bearer. Funny how something so small and simple can actually make a big difference in coordinating with the theme of a wedding! She informed me right away that I needed to sell these as a custom piece because she can’t find anything like them elsewhere at an affordable price. Every seamstress she spoke to about custom ordering a pillow wanted to charge her a $50 minimum fee - and that didn’t include fabric or materials! A custom ring bearer pillow made by me (much like the ones you see here) only cost $20 each. For these particular pillows, I used a beautiful white lace that had a hint of glimmer to it and overlayed a clean white cotton or a luxurious satin in the specified wedding color. These petite pillows are 6x6 inches square and were stuffed with hypoallergenic polyester fiberfil. I attached coordinating satin ribbons for securing the rings and hand tufted the pillow with a mother of pearl bead on the back.
I am able to get high quality fabrics (raw silk, dupioni, satin, lace, etc…) for a deep discount so just give me a good idea of what colors your wedding will be and try to give me as much notice as you can and I’ll get to work on finding your special color and your requested fabric(s) for your wedding day at the most affordable price. I don't like to use discount fabrics or the cheap alternatives to satin and silk for wedding items. I'm snobby like that, I guess. Feel free to customize your pillow however you like, though. I love new ideas. In fact, one bride made a special request for her ring bearer’s pillow to have a pocket on the back so the little guy could use it as a *tooth fairy* pillow after the wedding. (See the blurry pic below!)Pillows ship promptly in a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope for an additional $4.95. I accept checks and cash (in person only), pay pal and debit/credit cards. Simply email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to place your order.

Spring Cleaning

2009-04-24T08:21:00.003-05:00

In case you notice that my updates are off or the posts don't match your feed, I just thought you would want to know that I'm reformatting a few minor things on my blog to make it a bit less cluttered and to more accurately reflect what I'm up to these days. :) Things will be back to normal again with the posts soon...

i heart Hearts

2009-04-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

I just put a new painting into my neglected and nearly abandoned Etsy shop.

Photography is an art and talent in itself. Since I'd prefer to spend my time on sewing, knitting and painting, you'll just have to get used to my crappy photography. Obviously this one doesn't have the right perspective or proper lighting and it simply doesn't do the oranges and the many shades of blue any justice at all. The texture is hard for me to portray in a photo as well. Sorry...

I love to paint hearts. Every time I paint a heart, it seems to tell me what colors it wants to be around. I don’t really have to choose a palette in advance. It kind of tells me as I go. Plus, the hearts I paint seem to develop their own personality as I work with them and I love watching it develop.

This one in particular reminds me of a mending broken heart. I bet it has been through an experience so painful that it couldn’t help but shatter. However, the blue and gold indicates to me that the perfect spring sunrise of a new day restored its faith. I saw similar colors to these on a morning drive to work shortly after daylight savings time. So pretty! It appears this broken heart is now slowly on the mend and is getting ready to love again. But it’s still fragile. So it moves slowly.

I think it’s a good reminder of Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Tree Mural for Baby

2009-04-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

I found this cute idea for a baby's room on Becoming Home and knew it was perfect. I’m really pleased with how well it turned out on our wall and it wasn't that hard to put it up there either! (The crib will go in the corner, underneath the tree.) It took me 20 minutes to draw the tree on the wall, one lunch break to pick out the paint colors and three hours to paint it this weekend (thanks Angela!!). I touched it up in about an hour - and that was it! Done! I read so many other blogs that advised me to use painter's tape and gave me brush suggestions and layering techniques and suggested I use illustrator to map out my images graphically into quarters before I sketch it on the wall…blah blah blah. Who needs that kind of precision? This was super easy to do with an overhead projector that I found for almost nothing on Craigslist. (If anyone needs to borrow one - we've got one in the attic, now!) The room is really coming together and I dig how calm and serene it makes me feel in there.

Pretty Arm Sling

2009-04-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

My brother got married last weekend and I was invited to be a bridesmaid. One of the other bridesmaids broke her clavicle while skiing on spring break (the week prior to the wedding) and was recovering from surgery with her arm still in a sling. So…I whipped up a pretty arm sling from some matching dress material as we all took turns getting our hair done that morning and I think it turned out pretty well. She seemed to be really grateful not to have to wear the bulky hospital-issued sling over the beautiful dress for the night and still be able to party with the rest of us.

Rockin' Rocker

2009-03-30T10:00:00.004-05:00

I finished reupholstering my "new" rocker/glider chair for the baby's room. It only took a couple of days since my sweet husband worked on sanding and painting the base while I worked on padding and recovering the cushions. It was all complete more than two weekends ago, but life has been pretty full the last two weeks with a few very important distractions, so I was absent from the blog.

The tutorial for this that I mentioned in a previous post helped tremendously for this project. It’s basically a brand new chair! I sat down in it last night and was surprised at how comfy it is! I sat for a while and admired my tree painting on the opposite wall (I’ll post pics of that soon) and my mind wandered away to the future. It's hard to imagine that in about five months, I’ll actually be sitting in that very chair holding our little baby!

UFOs and WIPs

2009-03-13T18:29:00.003-05:00

Life is so full lately that I just haven’t had much time to update this blog. Still, I do have quite a few unfinished objects (UFOs) that are works in progress (WIPs) so I thought I’d give an update:

1.) My brother gets married next weekend and I was invited to be a bridesmaid. Thankfully my 4 month pregnancy bump will be hidden gracefully by the bouquet and the elegant draping of the dress. No worries about fit there. Still, it needs to be hemmed. My new friend, Athena - the dress form, is helping me out with the project.

2.) I finished the slipcovers for the glider and I am very pleased with the way they came out. Bella really liked the cushions!

I already posted a “before” picture of the ugly chair and since my sweet husband has the chair and ottoman frame taken apart and in the garage right now for sanding and painting, here’s a WIP picture of just the completed cushions and arm pads.

It already looks SO much better! I really like the green with the brown piping. I’ll like it even more after I finish a small pillow for the chair in the reverse colors.

3.) I finally picked out fabrics for the birthing quilt and I love the color combination. I’m really excited to see how it all turns out in the end! Unfortunately, I was moving too fast and I messed up with my math for the strips at the very beginning and ended up wasting some of the fabric. (I'll use the scraps for other things, but they aren't big enough for what I want to do with this quilt anymore...) I'm having a hard time getting the motivation to start back with it again, but I really do want to take it to the hospital with me in five months so I better start sewing!

4.) That reminds me of a paid project that is coming my way soon. I received a special request to restore an old family quilt that has been scratched apart by kittens and lovingly worn with age. I haven’t seen it yet, so I don’t have photos. I’ll have to take a look at the damage first to see if it’s repairable. From what she told me, I have a feeling it will be more of a replacement than a repair though...

5.) I’ve had this poor hat in my knitting bag for a long time now. Three or four months maybe? It only takes me about 6 lunch breaks or a couple of long movies to knit this hat up and yet I’m still working on it! I think since I thought I was going to knit myself a pink one and a blue one I basically gave myself a 9 month deadline to finish them up - so I’ve been procrastinating!

5.) The weekend after my brother gets married, I get to go to a baby shower for my old college roommate. She asked me to make her a boppy cover and I have a couple other ideas in mind for her. I’m planning to embroider a cute little monkey onesie for her with transfers from Sublime Stitching and gift her with a nursing cover and something small from her registry as well. Perhaps I’ll also gift her with that cute hat I’ve been trying to finish!

6.) There are also a few small paintings that I've been working on. I plan to finish these up this weekend. I think the “Spring Shopping Soiree” craft fair at my friend Elaina’s sister-in-law's house in two weeks will help light a fire under my butt to get me going with those. I’m still not sure if I’ll bring items with me to sell there, display them as samples or simply leave them at home and hand out my (new) brochure. Still, it’s a good motivation to get them done – just in case I do want to take them with me.

7.) At the same time that I’m trying to complete all those UFOs I mentioned above, I’m also trying to think about my future goals for Angel Droppings. After re-reading some of my journal entries, I’ve realized that if I set goals and write them down – I totally achieve them. Right down to the dollar amount or the day! God is faithful with His promises and I know He has given me these special talents and gifts as well as a passion for showing and teaching others how to do it too - so I’m relying on Him to guide me through the next phase of this little side business and help shape my goals.

So even though I may have disappeared from the blog for a bit – I’m still busy on the other side of the computer! Hopefully I’ll be able to post the “after” pics for the paintings, glider, dress and the baby shower gifts soon!

I love teaching!

2009-02-27T13:34:00.002-06:00

Lookie here! One of my students blogged about me.

*Few things in life make me happier than when I successfully teach someone else how to sew or knit. Life is good.

It's perfect!

2009-02-25T20:13:00.007-06:00

No really. It’s perfect. This is a good quality rocker/glider in pretty decent shape and I found it on Craigslist for cheap. I did research on this brand as well as a few others before I went out to the lady’s house to pick it up and I was really surprised with how much some of these gliders can cost brand new. Blake and I could go on a cruise to Cozymel for the price of one these things! Sheesh! I felt pretty proud of myself for finding this one at such a good price, though. Despite the awful fabric...it's actually in really good shape. My goal is to re-pad and re-cover this ugly thing and ask Blake to re-stain the base a dark brown. I plan to use THIS tutorial as a guide. I’ll keep ya posted as to how it turns out.

Can you tell who might get super jealous when the real baby comes??

You know what makes this chair even better? The sweet lady I picked it up from said her two kids were really sad to see it go. She told me they had to have one last glide on it this morning before it went ‘bye-bye’ because they loved it so much. She said she has many sentimental attachments to it and it’s the last piece of her baby's room to go. Of course I thanked her, but I also told her to tell her little ones that I said it’s not going to a landfill - it's going to a good home where it will be taken care of (and made pretty!) and that other kids will get to ride on it. She said she did tell them that it was going to another baby and they said, “Well…okay I guess.” How sweet is that?

Now off we go - the nursery projects have officially begun!

Learn to Mend!

2009-02-14T12:02:00.001-06:00

Save time, money and your clothing by learning how to mend and repair garments yourself. You don’t need a sewing machine for this lesson! You just need a needle and some thread and if you don’t have that – I’ll give it to ya! ;) My mending lesson was prepared with people just like you in mind. I received so many requests for this from folks that wanted to learn a valuable skill that will come in handy often and help their family budget survive tough times.

In just two hours, I’ll show you how to thread a needle and I’ll share some tricks that help make it easier on those that may have poor vision and/or thick fingers. I’ll teach you some basic stitches that can be done by hand. These come in useful for mending and repair work, but also can be used for embroidery and/or decorative embellishments. We’ll replace a popped button and change out the elastic waistband in a pair of pajama pants. I’ll show you three different ways to hem a pair of pants and/or a skirt. We’ll also repair a ripped seam and repair the snag in that tightly knit top or handmade sweater. Finally, we’ll do basic mending and repair work with iron-on patches for holes commonly found on the knee or elbow.

Please feel free to bring your own garments with you. I love mending clothing! It not only helps me save money on clothes, it also allows me greater freedom when I go shopping. If I see a pair of quality pants priced at a steep discount, but they happen to be bit too long – no biggie. I buy them anyway because I know I can hem them myself in about 15 minutes at no extra cost and I don’t even have to wait 3 days or come back to pick them up from the tailor on staff! I also love mending clothes because it helps get some extra use out of children’s play clothes. So many moms tell me they no longer feel bad passing the worn clothes to their second child because they basically look like new and the kids seem to want MORE patches on their pants anyway. Moms get really creative with this and sew ruffles on the bottom to add length to “short” pants and they also like to add all kinds of fun patches and embellishments to denim. Their kids look like they’re wearing boutique items now and they started off as a regular pair of jeans with a grass-stained hole in the knee!

Private lessons are available in my home between 10am and 8p Monday through Saturday in two hour increments. I keep a clean house and no one here smokes. My little italian greyhound stays outside or in the kitchen while we sew...unless of course you are a dog lover and then she will want to meet you. ;) Just email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to schedule a time.

Learn to Knit!

2009-02-14T12:01:00.000-06:00

Calm your mile-a-minute mind, start a therapeutic hobby, help your teenager focus better in school, quit biting your nails, make affordable Christmas gifts or get your small craft business started by learning how to knit! In just two hours you’ll be on your way to knitting a beautiful and warm scarf.

My lessons typically run for two hours and my fee is $20/hour per person with a maximum of three people per lesson. All ages are welcome. I’ve taught both right and left-hand students as well as men and children.

You’ll learn the knit stitch, the purl stitch, how to cast on and bind off as well as some easy ways to troubleshoot when mistakes are made. I developed a pretty easy way of remembering each hand motion thanks to some well-known Texas team university hand symbols so you are bound not to forget the rhythm when you get back home. If you catch on really quickly, I’ll even show you how to do rib stitching, increasing and decreasing and perhaps even a color change.

Private and group lessons are available in my home between 10am and 8p Monday through Saturday in two hour increments. I keep a clean house and no one here smokes. My little italian greyhound stays outside or in the kitchen while we sew...unless of course you are a dog lover and then she will want to meet you. ;) I will also be more than happy to meet you at a coffee shop half-way between us or at the Mosaic Cafe at Irving Bible Church if you'd rather. Just email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to schedule a time.

Learn to Sew!

2009-02-14T12:00:00.003-06:00

Start a new hobby, make affordable Christmas gifts or get your small business started by learning how to sew! I provide all of the supplies that you will need – just bring your sewing machine. (You can also rent one of mine at $5/hour.)

My lessons typically run for two hours and my fee is $20/hour per person with a maximum of three people per lesson. In the first hour I’ll teach you how to plug in, turn on and light up your own machine. Then I’ll show you how to thread your machine, wind a bobbin, adjust the machine’s needle tension, experiment with all the stitches your machine allows, try out different fabric textures and thicknesses under the needle and basically help you get to know the quirky things about your machine. (Each one has a different personality, ya know…) In the second hour I will help you get started on a simplified version of a potholder, a tooth fairy pillow, a lined zippy bag or a waist-apron. Just let me know which one you would have a better use for or a greater interest in making and we’ll make it before you leave.

My approach to teaching will help you understand the basic concepts about sewing without the lessons becoming boring or too technical. I also share with you some time-saving techniques, good habits to get into and trouble-shooting solutions to common problems with machines. We go at your pace, not according to a pattern, textbook or manual and we work on the projects that interest you most. I’ve taught numerous people so far and each one has a different objective for learning how to sew. I love to hear all the varieties of things that people get interested in sewing! One of my students sews her own clothing and reconstructs items she finds at flea markets or thift stores. Another student knew the basics about sewing already, but wanted my help walking her through a pattern for the first time. Another student wanted to make custom baby bedding and doll clothes. A few ladies wanted to make up their own softie patterns and designed plush toys with cute monster faces. One lady wanted to learn how to quilt and another lady wanted to update her home décor with new curtains, dish towels, placemats and pillows for her kitchen. Several ladies have asked me how to make taggy blankets, teddy bears, car seat covers, nursing covers (aka hooter hiders), bibs, booties and custom appliqués for baby onesies. Most of my students simply wanted to learn how to run the machine and make it sew. I love it all! I’ll cater the lesson(s) to you and your needs - just let me know what floats your boat.

Private lessons are available in my home between 10am and 8p Monday through Saturday in two hour increments. I keep a clean house and no one here smokes. My little italian greyhound stays outside or in the kitchen while we sew...unless of course you are a dog lover and then she will want to meet you. ;) Just email me at angeldroppings[!at]gmail.com to reserve your place.

Another addiction!?

2009-02-09T19:48:00.004-06:00

Yep. I'm fascinated with a new hobby and I think it could soon take over my knitting addiction. I'm already pretty convinced it will. I love embroidery! I caught the itch again when I started embroidering Renee's sachet. I wanted to embellish it with an embroidered diamond ring in metallic thread and add some purple flowers, but I just didn't have the right inspiration for a decent pattern and my freehand was ... um ... off.

Every since then, I've realized it is super difficult to find cross-stitch, embroidery, or needlepoint patterns/kits/designs that don't have wolves, teddy bears, or ducks in bonnets on them. I finally found THIS site and now I have way too many projects in mind and I have no idea where I want to start. :)

My favorites:
Angels, Birds and Bees (a cute little pillow for the nursery maybe?)
Flower Power
Craftopia
I Luv Veggies and Krazy Kitchen (fun dish towels for Christmas gifts!)
Dainty Days (days-of-the-week panties for sure.)

I'm so excited about this site. It's the little things that make me happy. :)

Melanie and Josh's Baby Shower

2009-02-07T17:39:00.010-06:00

I saw this adorable bird mobile on the Spool site back in August and I knew I had to make one for SOMEone. It was too cute to resist. So, I sent out an email to a few expectant friends asking if they wanted me to make one for their nursery and my good friend, Melanie, said she’d like one. Since they decided to let the baby’s gender be a surprise, I tried to keep the colors bright and cheerful. The nursery is pretty colorful too – so I think it will work.

I had a good time making it and it seemed to be a hit at the shower. (Sorry it's a blurry photo...)

I’ll have to remind her to take the mobile down when the kid is old enough to grab at it so I can rework the little birds into Christmas ornaments for her tree or something else instead – if she wants. Those birds are too cute not to use again and again.

I also gifted the expectant couple with a cute little appliquéd onesie and a nursing cover (aka: “hooter hider”). People always love those.

Since I was helping host this shower, I suggested a fun “activity” for the guests to participate in. I brought paints and encouraged the guests to decorate a onesie or tee for the baby-to-be. I think it helped to have stencils and Emily brought out her cookie cutters for us to trace as well. Decorating onesies seems to be a hit at most showers – but especially the couple showers where kids can come too.

Here are some great examples of what folks decided to make for Melanie and Josh:

I love the creativity!!

Just make sure you don’t accidentally squirt yourself with paint while looking at the tip to see what’s clogging it! Poor Emily!

Joe and Renee’s Bachelor/ette Party

2009-02-03T14:52:00.006-06:00

My brother, Joe, is getting married next month. On 3-2-1 to be exact. He’s marrying a fun, smart and beautiful gal named Renee and I’m excited she’s becoming a part of our family. This Saturday night is their combined bachelor/ette party. We’ll all be heading downtown in a limo and the guys will go see a Mavericks game while the ladies go to dinner. We’ll pick the boys up after dinner and drive around to enjoy the night and the rowdy limo ride. I’m sure I’d probably have a lot more fun with them if I weren’t three months pregnant. ;)

When I was talking with Renee’s sister about the event a while ago, she mentioned she’d be giving Renee a lingerie gift at dinner since she was not going to have a lingerie shower. (Despite the fact that I had one before I got married, I’ve come to the decision that lingerie showers are actually kind of tacky. If those gifts are given at all – they really OUGHT to be given at the bachelorette party, if appropriate. Just my two cents, though.) So I decided that I wanted to gift her with something also, but thought it would be pretty odd to give her some sexy lingerie. She is marrying my little brother, after all. That would be weird.

So, I made a couple sweet little scented sachets in her bridesmaid dress/wedding color as well as a couple of padded hangers for the lacy unmentionables that she will probably receive.

I didn't use a pattern for the sachets - I just made them up myself as I went based on the trims and fabrics I could find at the store. I used a pencil to draw the "R" onto the white dupioni silk before I hand embroidered it, though. And I did look around for some padded hanger patterns, but I ended up using hangers I already had at home and simply re-covered them with new tubes of fabric.

Yes - I am still on my "handmade gifts" roll. The only gift I've given since July that was a store-bought item was for Blake at Christmas. (He wanted a DVD and a game for Wii.) Otherwise, everything I've given as a gift has been handmade and I intend to keep it up!

I have a feeling my mom will gift her with a robe. Or perhaps flannel pajamas with footies. ;) Joe would love that.

Found it!

2009-01-30T15:52:00.003-06:00

I finally know what I’m going to work on as soon as I finish a stack of baby shower gifts that I’ve had in progress…

I’m going to make myself a twin sized quilt. Boring you say? Perhaps. But not after I tell you the *story* behind it. I stumbled upon this "birthing quilt" while reading the Chickpea Sewing Studio blog and I really liked the idea of bringing something cozy, cheerful and familiar with me to the hospital when it came time to birth the kid. I also liked how she made it really easy to piece together, although it LOOKS to be a lot more complicated than it really is. I figure it will also be a really therapeutic project for me to work on while my belly expands and the kid grows because it’s a pretty simple project, yet it will definitely take a while to complete.

I’ve only made one quilt in my life and I didn’t really dig it. This will be a refreshing change of pace for me. I’m imagining crisp and clean colors. For my own kid, I’m not really into the whole pink for girls, blue for boys and yellow for surprises; but I know I’ll never be able to get away from it. I’m finding out that I’m more of a purple and green girl. So for the quilt, I’m imagining it will have mostly grass green and lavender shades with some lemon yellow and a bit of sky blue. Like a walk in a park. :) We’ll see what fabrics speak to me when I go shopping this weekend, though.

I was curious to know how Juliette from Chickpea finished her quilt since there is no finished object (FO) photo and her pattern didn’t give directions on how to actually quilt it together. She strongly recommended that I have the birthing quilt finished by a professional quilter like she did. I’m kind of thinking I might want to try and tackle that myself, though. Then again I don’t want to ruin it. I’ll have to make 80 blocks! and if I mess up all that hard work at the very end by my crappy job of finishing, I’ll be pretty ticked with myself. Does anyone else have strong opinions on this? I really want it all to be handmade by ME (and I think I can do it even if it’s not 100% perfect!) but I’d also like for it to last a really long time. I wish I knew a professional quilter…

Classes Coming Soon!

2009-01-29T13:54:00.003-06:00

I’ve been teaching sewing and knitting lessons for a few years now. I enjoy teaching others almost as much as I enjoy making things myself! Not only does it give me such great joy to continue doing what I love in new ways while meeting interesting people and making new friends, but the happiness I get from helping others (women especially) recognize their talents and hidden gifts is so incredibly rewarding. After every single one of my lessons so far, the student has looked up at me with wide eyes and a huge smile and proclaimed some sort of satisfaction or intense pride in what their own two hands just made. I love that.

So in addition to offering my one-on-one lessons, I will also be offering 2 hour classes. I'm thinking they will be on Saturday mornings and I bet it will take 2 hours 2 make it. What’s it, you ask? Well, I receive requests in my one-on-one lessons from a variety of people for some of the same sorts of things; so these are the classes I plan to offer:

MENDING CLASS: I’ll teach you how to do minor alterations and hemming by hand-sewing, machine-sewing and no-sewing! So, bring that ripped shirt, the jeans with the hole in the bum and some work pants that need hemming. Not only will you learn basic sewing skills, you’ll also save your hard earned money by keeping it away from those over-priced tailors! We’ll take 2 hours to 2 make it all like new again!

NURSING COVER CLASS: So so soooo many of you have told me that you want to be able to make those fancy nursing covers (aka: Hooter Hiders) as gifts for all your expectant friends. Bring one yard of your favorite fabric with you and I’ll provide the other supplies. It will take (less than) 2 hours 2 make it!

PAINTING CLASS: After people come into my home for their sewing or knitting lesson, they usually take a peep at my artwork (since it is usually a work in progress and taking up space on my cutting table) and they realize it actually looks pretty ugly until it’s totally done! True. It does. They wonder if they, too, can paint one by themselves. I say SURE! Just show up in ugly clothes (my dog won’t care) and bring a positive attitude. It will take 2 hours 2 make it. You’ll actually bring home a custom painting – with your signature at the bottom. Although, it will have to lay flat in your trunk on the way home so it can properly dry overnight! :)

KNITTING CLASS: After all of the knitting classes I’ve taught, I’ve finally figured out a REALLY easy way to teach people how to knit so that they remember the steps long after they go home and try to start up all over again. I simply incorporated some hand symbols from a few Texas universities and a little mantra to remember the motions. It totally works – and you’ll be knitting a scarf in no time! It will take 2 hours 2 learn how 2 make it.

If you have additional ideas for other classes, please let me know. I’m still working out all the details for dates, times and class fees, so that information will come soon. If you do leave me a comment – please include your thoughts on the best days/times for you as well as what you think a reasonable fee would be. I’d love to hear your opinions - they help! Thanks! ~Lisa

More Heart Art

2009-01-26T22:00:00.001-06:00

Angela’s painting really inspired me. I love hearts. I'm officially on a painting binge now. I’m glad she asked me to do that for her. I made another one just like it – but with different colors.

Again, it looks SO MUCH better in the right light, though. It’s a shame I’ll probably never be able to capture my paintings properly in a photo for your online viewing pleasure. ;) I’m not that talented of a photographer and I don’t have the right light. Even if I were talented and even if I had the right light – I don’t think I’d have the patience to take pretty pictures. I prefer to sew, knit and paint than to take pictures of it all. I guess you’ll just have to come see them in person. AND - if all goes well, I may be able to show off my paintings at the Etsy Dallas craft fair coming up in May. We'll see if they accept my application to join...

I’m giving my onesies and other baby items a break for now and I’m going full speed ahead with my paintings. It works out. I’ve got babies on the brain right now anyway because I’m 10 weeks along myself, but also because five of my close friends are due in the next 5 months! So, I’ll have plenty of shower gifts to keep me busy with the baby stuff I plan to knit or sew and I’ll be able to dive into my paintings for a non-baby creative release. Then again – I can’t help but think that some of these paintings I’m working on could be an excellent addition to a nursery!

Cute Hats

2009-01-24T21:08:00.002-06:00

My friend Kirsi is a talented photographer. Check out her photo gallery. She saw these hats on Etsy and asked me if I could make them for her. I figured the pattern out by myself and then the Etsy shop owner actually put the pattern up for sale as well. So, I saved myself the trouble and went ahead and bought the pattern from her so I wouldn’t make any unnecessary mistakes and so I wouldn’t abuse her copyright or steal her unique idea. ;)

Kirsi wanted to use them as props in her photos, but I wanted to give them as gifts to all my pregnant friends. The pink one is going to Mary. The blue one is going to my friend Kristan. Neither of them know Kirsi yet so they definitely need one of these hats for when they have their own infant pics done! They are SO stinkin’ cute and they knit up super fast. It was my first attempt at intarsia and now I love it. It makes a simple little project so much more challenging and interesting to knit. It was a great project for me to take on the airplane as I flew to Chicago and New York over the holidays. It was also pretty therapeutic because we had just discovered that I was pregnant, so even though I couldn't share the news with everyone just yet - I could proudly knit a baby hat and smile to myself when I thought of our happy little secret!

Now I’m on a mission to find another cute baby pattern FOR ME this time (!) that includes intarsia. I don’t really care to knit socks and I’m done knitting hats and gloves so I’m looking for another cute baby item. Maybe a sweater or a baby blanket?

Gifts Galore

2009-01-07T21:06:00.004-06:00

Christmas has already come and gone…and I’m just now getting a chance to post some pictures of the things I made as gifts. I made my mom and dad fingerless gloves. Mom requested purple and I thought dad would like the tweed.

I made a hat for my brother.

And I made an ear warmer/headband for my future sister-in-law.

They all seemed to like them, but we’ll see if they ever actually wear them! ;)

Heart Art

2009-01-07T20:56:00.003-06:00

I FINALLY completed this heart painting for Angela. She commissioned me to make one special as a Christmas gift for her sister. I had the hardest time with this one. I don’t know what it is with me and painting for someone else. I love to paint and I especially love it when people like my art enough to purchase it…but it definitely added another element of stress to the existing emotion and expectation level when I’m asked to make it for someone else. As a special gift. Just how they want it. With specific colors and a certain size and with specific shading and so on. I also had the hardest time trying to make the background “pretty”. Brown is brown ya know. I love working with brown when I can blend it against a red or in yellows and oranges, but this just wasn’t blending. It was just brown. Still, I think it turned out alright – although I personally like some of the other ones I’ve done better. I will say that this photo does not do the colors justice. It looks a ZILLION times better under lighting. All the different colors and flecks and specks really pop off the hearts and glitter and shimmer in the lights. It’s really pretty. I believe it’s the colors that Angela wanted and she already told me she’s really happy with it and wants one of her own for her bedroom, so hopefully her sister enjoys this as well. It definitely inspired me to do more painting.

Mary's Baby Shower

2008-11-24T20:51:00.004-06:00

I know how much Mary likes zebras and I also knew she wanted a hooter hider, so I thought I’d make her a bib, a onesie and my own version of a hooter hider with some fun fabrics.

I used my own hand-drawn heart templates to appliqué the onesie, but I found the bib pattern from Chick Pea Studio. For the hooter hider (or nursing cover) I loosely followed this tutorial from Made By The Mama Monster.

Now we just have to wait patiently for the little one to arrive!

Pumpkin Contest - Results

2008-11-24T20:18:00.006-06:00

I realize I promised the results for this a while ago, but my life has been consumed with something other than sewing, knitting, painting and *making stuff* for the last 4-5 weeks. Perhaps I’ll tell ya more about in a future post. For now, here are some of the other submissions to the pumpkin decorating contest at the New Job. You can't see it in these pics, but “pimpkin” was the overall winner. He was dressed like a pimp. It was awesome. My personal favorite was the pumpkin that dressed up for Halloween in a banana costume. teehee ;)

Zippy Pouch

2008-11-04T19:00:00.001-06:00

For some reason I felt inspired to sew up a little zippered pouch for my best friend, Terri. We’ve been friends since 7th grade even though I moved away about 12 years ago, now. I’m quite sure we will always be friends no matter how different we become or how much distance is between us. Since I’m still on a roll with all my gifts being handmade, I thought she might enjoy this...

I'm very pleased with the black 'n white with a green zipper. That turned out a lot better than I thought. I want to make more of these, now. :)

Happy Birthday Terri! Love you!

Smiley Maile!

2008-11-02T19:00:00.000-06:00

I hand drew and cut out a "b" for a custom appliqué that I sewed onto a cute little turtleneck onesie as a surprise gift for one of my friends. Her husband is the best high school football coach out there and their adorable daughter is the team's cutest fan. See - look at how cute she is! I love those lashes. Go Blue Raiders! :)

Boo!

2008-10-30T22:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween!

I’ve been at the New Job for a little more than two months and it is such a refreshing change from where I’ve been the last few years of my career that I can’t help but have an attitude of gratitude. I get excited by the small things. Some people may roll their eyes at company antics, but I think it’s cool that they have a pumpkin decorating contest for Halloween. I think it's even cooler that so many people participated.

This is what they passed out to everyone last week:

This is what I decided to do with it:

I couldn't think of a clever name for my pumpkin like I was supposed to, so I just wrote "It's all fun and games until someone loses an EYE." on the front. Weak, I know.

I'll post an update on some of the other submissions (and winners) next week. Stay tuned…

CUTE Lunch Bag

2008-10-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I discovered this fun oilcloth lunch bag tutorial. It inspired me to sew with oilcloth, but I didn't have a good enough reason to shop for the fabric just yet. When Kirsi's birthday came around, it got me thinking. Since she's a vegetarian, she probably takes her lunch with her most days and who wouldn’t want a really CUTE lunch bag? :)

It had been a while since I looked at this tutorial, so when I bought the oilcloth from a shop on Etsy, I didn't even realize I was purchasing the exact same fabric as shown in the tutorial. Ha!

The only thing I changed up on the tutorial's instructions was to add a lining. I took some cute purple polka dot fabric and added a layer of thin vinyl so it's totally washable inside and out. It was a little tricky to sew with vinyl and oilcloth since they stuck to the foot plate on my sewing machine, but I enjoyed the process anyway. A single piece of scotch tape solved everything. Go figure.

I hope Kirsi enjoys using it as much as I enjoyed making it. Happy Birthday!

High School Football Tee

2008-10-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

I received a request for a custom T shirt about 3 weeks ago. It was for a 6 year old girl. Her brother is a freshman on the football team (I'm in Texas - so this is a very big deal) and her mother thought it would be cute for her to have a fun shirt for her to wear to the games.

I got excited about this special request because it brought back high school days for me. I loved going to the games in my puff-painted overalls and bizarre homemade outfits. Fun!

The high school's colors are black and gold. (Same as the first high school I went to.) I got the "great" idea to use some really awesome metallic gold pleather for the letters (as *bling*) and applique them to a cute black tee from Old Navy. I was so proud of myself for getting the top online for only $4 (inlcuding shipping!) and then I went and goofed up the shirt. That gold pleather gave my machine fits. Well, the shirt turned out okay, I guess. Just okay, though. Not "fun" or "wow". I wasn't 100% pleased with it, so I figured the mom wasn't either. I was in the mood to sew this weekend, so I made another one. I always feel bad when I think people don't get their money's worth. I like this one a LOT better. I mailed it yesterday as a surprise to them. Hopefully both those girls enjoy it. :)

Antique Singer

2008-10-13T20:43:00.005-05:00

Look what I found! :)

My husband and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary this weekend by going camping in East Texas. We also visited First Monday Trade Days in Canton. Now that I think about it, it sounds more like something my grandma and grandpa would have enjoyed...

We walked all around the market (it’s gigantic!) and only found a few items that we just “had to have”. We left with some money in our pocket and headed back to the campsite. While we were driving down a quiet farm road that led back to the lake, we passed an old ranch house. Clearly they were having a yard sale. I noticed an old washer, dryer and some beat up golf clubs propped against their fence. Then I saw the Singer table! Since we are really trying hard to cut back on the frivolous stuff and save away… I decided to keep my mouth shut. My sweet husband glanced at me and said “You saw the sewing machine, didn’t you?” I nodded and smiled. “Wanna go back and take a look?” “MmmHmm.” So we did. And now it’s mine. :)

I started out by googling the serial number. G434655 got me to a page that basically told me it was released on or near April 20, 1910 and that it a model number 31. However, when I do a search for model 31, I get information regarding industrial machines. This is not an industrial machine. I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong or if I've got the wrong serial number. I checked it about 5 times now, though. Other than a small "9" to the upper right of the last 5, there's nothing extra and all the numbers are very clear. (If anyone knows where I can find out more info on this sort of thing, please let me know.) I'm not really into antiques, but I had to have this. It's not exactly in the best shape, though. The machine itself is obviously worn and it appears to me that someone actually tried to scratch off the beautiful decal work - it's not just "worn". (!) Also...the cabinet drawers are pretty beat up. The decorative wood thing fell off the knob of the bottom right drawer and if you pull it open, it's clearly warped from either a LARGE spill or perhaps even a rain shower. Parts of the decorative wood thing on the upper left drawer's knob fell off too. Otherwise, though, the machine itself runs just fine for me. It sews. The belt is a bit dry - so that could be replaced in time, but I really just wanted it to "look pretty" in my sewing room. :) I'm not going to sew with it.

And did you notice the clippings hanging from my "idea board" above the machine? One of them had cowboy boots: I really want to paint my boots sort of like they are in this magazine ad. I'm not sure what paints to use on leather cowboy boots, how to seal it after I'm done or IF I should even ruin my boots doing it...but daisies and vines and hearts and flowers are so "me" that it just seems far more appropriate to give my boots a personality. I'd actually wear them more often, too. Anyone have ideas on how I should paint these?

Happy Birthday to Niki!

2008-10-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

I hope these fingerless gloves come in handy for you in D.C. Miss you, love you, see you soon!

Fingerless Mitts

2008-10-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I finished these fingerless mitts not too long ago - I just haven't had a chance to post about them, yet. Since I messed up a touch on the length and thumbs with this pair, I decided that they, too, were to become Blake’s. He digs ‘em. The mistakes are hardly noticeable, but the perfectionist in me doesn't allow me to consider them gift-worthy. He already placed them on the back seat in his car; ready for the first chilly drive to work. I’ve got that warm fuzzy feeling again.

I loved using this tweedy yarn. It was also my first attempt at using double pointed needles, too. I think I like knitting with dpns better than knitting with circulars. At least for now. Although, I broke one of the five. I sat on it. :( They were the "cheapest" set I could find from my LYS and they cost me about $10 for the set - so that's a bummer when one breaks. Although, one of the friends I meet up with at Knit Nite (I'll call her E.) said she got 13 pairs of quality bamboo knitting needles off Amazon for only $24!! I checked it out and they also have circulars and dpns for the same price. That's just crazy pricing. That's less than $2 each! E. got a fantastic deal and I never even thought to look online for needles. They aren't cheap or poor quality, either. I might have to write a letter to Santa for those...

Soft Fabric Activity Book

2008-09-29T18:00:00.002-05:00

I absolutely *loved* sewing this soft fabric activity book together! It was such a great refresher course on how to add a zipper, create buttonholes, secure grommets and I got to use quite a few of the fun stitches on my machine that I don't normally get to use. Plus I got to experiment with lots of random do-dads, trinkets, buckles and yarn as well as use some of my random bits of fabric scraps and trims that I had stored away AND I got to use felt! I love felt.

It made a very special gift for a special little girl. It's always more special when the recipient of a gift like this knows how much time and/or hard work were put into it, too. I know that the mom sincerely appreciated it and it was very evident that this will be something treasured for years to come.

Inspiration for the cute birdie on the cover came from this great blog: Crafty Daisies

Since I usually sell or give away most of the things I make, I am really liking how my blog chronicles everything I do so I can go back and remember them. It's also neat to see how I grow and what new things I learn along the way.

This time I tried to post as many pictures as I can (although I do have MORE!) in case someone else wants to make the same thing. I looked long and hard out there to find ideas on how to make a soft 'shapes' book or a soft 'numbers' book and I only found a few that weren't quite what I had in mind, so I made this one instead. If you decide to make something similiar to this, please leave me a comment, photo or link to your finished project. I'd love to see it! I know there are a few lurkers out there because I get emails from you instead of comments. Dno't be shy. You're asking me the exact same questions that the other emailers are asking me, so go ahead and post it as a comment and we can all become friends. :)

Inspiration for the braid-able hair came from this great blog: forty-two roads

The Boy Hat

2008-09-28T20:12:00.004-05:00

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted about my knitting, sewing or painting projects, but I haven’t neglected them. I’ve actually been busy the last few weeks meeting up with two good friends for a new weekly “Knit Nite” and thinking about how to get started on a commissioned painting. I’ve also been teaching more sewing lessons, knitting Christmas gifts and finishing some random projects I decided to make for some up-coming birthdays. I guess I’ve just been too busy knitting, sewing and painting to post about knitting, sewing or painting!
Before I started knitting up the Christmas gifts, I decided to “try out the patterns” on my husband first. He wanted me to make him a hat for Christmas, anyway. He’s very particular, though. He didn’t want it to fold or roll up at the brim and he didn’t want it to be too girly or plain, either. You try looking around for a pattern that fits those specifications and it’s actually not very easy to find a decent one. With the help of Ravelry, I did find The Boy Hat pattern and Blake approved. I knit it up in only two nights. I made a few mistakes while decreasing up at the crown (as you can totally see) but I know how to fix it now so my next hat won’t be so wonky looking. Also, I kind of wish I had made this hat about a half inch longer, but Blake seems to like it just the way it is. It gives me warm fuzzies inside when people actually wear what I make for them. He even wore it inside the house for a little bit to reassure me that he likes it just the way it is. I love him for that.

Great idea for magnets!

2008-09-13T20:35:00.008-05:00

Another friend of mine just announced that she's pregnant! Yay! :) She ordered these cute magnets from me as an original way to announce her good news to family.

I love it when people think outside the box and come up with new and clever ideas. :) It totally inspired me to create some other magnets sets, too.

Needle Roll-Up

2008-09-10T21:08:00.003-05:00

Not sure, but I think this makes me an official knitter. I made myself a needle roll. For all the cool needles and stitch markers that I *don't* even have. How dorky is that?

I tried to find the perfect tutorial for what I wanted, but I ended up borrowing inspiration from each of the following folks to make my own:

MultiCrafty
WikiHow
LupinBunny
Stitch 'n Moan

I used up a lot of my random left over fabric and found some ribbon that kind of coordinated, so this cost me absolutely nothing to make. Love that.

I especially like the flap on top because my needles don't slip out. I also like the diagonal cut on the top/smallest pocket because it holds my darning needles and stitch markers nicely without me having to dig down into a deep needle pocket to find them. This is super easy to make. I tried to rescue the sketch I made with all my measurements on it in case someone else wanted to make it, but the waste basket ate it first. Sorry. If you don't want to make one - you can pick one up from sarahkincheloe on Etsy. I think her products are great. I totally would have purchased a lovely roll up from her if I didn't know how to sew. Hers are way cooler anyway. I love her domain name too! :)

Duduza Comfort Doll

2008-09-07T18:55:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I knit up the "comfort doll"I mentioned earlier just to see what he would look like. It turned out better than I thought and it knit up pretty quickly. Poor dude has pink pants, though. Sewing up the sides was a bit tedius for this simple of a project, but I think I'll keep the pattern around so I can use up my stash of yarn and make a family or two before I send them off to their new homes.

Blake went ahead and named this guy "Uno". (It's my first one, he said.)

Grab My Button!

2008-09-04T08:37:00.020-05:00

Frances with thoughtsperinch made a button for my blog this morning! See below and if you’re at all interested in swapping buttons with me, just let me know and I’ll go visit your blog and grab your button for my side bar.

Copy and paste the following code to embed my button into your site:

Christmas, already?!

2008-08-29T06:12:00.001-05:00

Yep. It really is time for me to start thinking about Christmas knitting. If I start now then maybe I'll be able to complete some thoughtful gifts for family members before midnight on Christmas Eve! I made out my gift list this week and then I went to my local yarn shop (LYS) and picked out some really great yarn and my first set of double-pointed needles (dpns). I think sewing just took a back seat for now. :)

I probably won't be posting photos of my progress or the finished projects until after I give these as gifts just in case the recipient happens to click on my blog. I don't want them to read about their gift. Plus, if I royally mess up - I'd like to have an out and not actually feel committed to finish making it for them! I'm pretty excited about the projects though. I really think they're going to like them and I know it will mean more to all of us if I give thoughtful, handmade gifts this year.

I'm keeping it!

2008-08-28T18:12:00.000-05:00

For once, I'm actually going to keep something that I made! Almost every other project I've made has been gifted to someone or specially made-to-order. In my last post I mentioned that I was going to try to make a teddy bear from this pattern. It was super easy! It's definitely not an advanced pattern, and I'm still not sure if I like my yarn choice, but it knit up to be a pretty decent little teddy bear. I've never been a sucker for stuffed animals, but this little guy kind of spoke to me as I was making him. When I finished him, I actually hugged him. Twice. We totally bonded. How could I give this guy up? :)

My husband even admired it and then said "keep it for your kid". Nope. Not a typo. He said your kid not our kid. Although he did say it with a smile, so I know he was just teasing me.

This little guy inspired me to knit for charity again. While searching, I stumbled upon comfort dolls and Teddies for Tragedies. I'm motivated by both, but I especially like how the comfort dolls actually take the place of packing peanuts when shipping medical supplies. I also think it's a cuter pattern than the bear. I think that bear is kind of plain looking and it kind of bothers me that it has a "human body" instead of a stuffy tummy. I know, I know - I shouldn't say that because it's for CHARITY and the kids probably love them just the same, but still. I think I'd prefer to knit the doll than the bear. We'll see.

Lapghan/Baby Blanket is DONE!

2008-08-25T19:52:00.004-05:00

I'm finally done! It actually looks really good in this photo BUT that's only because you can't actually see the joined areas up close and you can no longer tell that every single one of those squares is a different size! I totally forgot how many rows to cast on and how many to knit up as I kept switching colors ... so, um, yeah - every block is different. That's not good knitting. That's like forgetting the eggs when baking a cake or skipping the soap when starting the dishwasher.

I actually kind of feel like I owe Kim an apology before I send this "prayer blanket" off to her and her new family since I'm about 98% sure that it will fall apart a little bit every time it is washed or crawled on. If someone has good tips on how to tightly weave in ends and/or tie off tails, I'd love to read your comments. I've tried searches online and listened to what my knitting friends told me - but I guess I just need some more practice.

I did find what seems to be a pretty easy pattern for a "knitted cuddlie" bear that I am going to try next. It even said "easy" on the pattern. We'll see how that goes, though. I don't know how much easier a blanket made from garter stitch blocks could get, though! That poor 'lil bear could end up with three arms and one leg at the rate I'm going. At least I know Bella would still like to play with it!

Busy Week!

2008-08-19T20:37:00.006-05:00

This has been a really crazy week for me! It's been good - just a bit busy and hectic. I started a new 9-5 job on Monday and every night after work I had some sort of fun social "event" to attend. I also had a list of custom orders that I needed to complete. At least now I can scratch ONE off my list! Take a look at this cute little birthday outfit for a special little girl. She's already turning ONE year old!

As much fun as I had making this dress - I've decided to take a short break from custom orders. I've always known this to be true for me ... but the minute my passion becomes a "have-to" instead of a "get-to" or a "want to" it ends up zapping a lot of the joy out of it for me. It becomes one more thing to add to my already long to-do list instead of being a good form of stress relief or therapy. Plus, I unknowingly crank up my perfectionism to an even higher standard and nothing seems to be just quite right in my eye for custom orders to pass as "done". I also don't like it when my little Etsy shop goes neglected for this long. So, although I enjoy a good challenge and I like to learn new things and get new ideas from others - I'm going to take a break for now and focus on building inventory before Christmas arrives. :)

Back to Work!

2008-08-07T19:46:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed a nice little vacation and now I'm back to work! I received a special request from a good friend to create a custom applique for a baby onesie using her sorority's symbol. It happens to be a lyre. I had to google that to find out exactly what it is. Evidently, it's a lot like a harp.

The first image she sent me was a very intricate and detailed illustration of what a lyre looked like. I told her I'd have to think on it some because I knew it didn't seem like the easiest thing to make into an applique. The next image she sent me was this whimsical lyre from her AXO logo and then I knew exactly what to do!

Her sorority's colors are red, green and gold. (Merry Christmas?!) So...this is how the final product turned out:
The back looked kind of plain to me, so I had to add a little ruffle butt!I think it's cute! It kind of makes me wish I had been part of a sorority in college - just so I could be part of a great sisterhood as an adult and go to conferences like my friend did to catch up and mentor the next generation a bit. But that thought only lasted for about two seconds. :)

Now I'm off to slowly piece together that blanket I started a long time ago and also get started on another custom order. This time the request is for a really cute little cupcake pinafore with matching bloomers for a special little girl's first birthday!

Great Minds Must Think Alike!

2008-07-30T19:33:00.003-05:00

I *love* Etsy, but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed when I went to search for my "apples and pears pinafore" today and I bumped into a TON of other pinnies just like the one I had posted about earlier.

Funny how that works. Quite a few were up there before mine was up there, so I'm sure if anyone else were to battle me on it, it would appear as though I copied them. All of them. So many people (including me, now) are protective of their copyrights, yet it's nearly impossible to accuse someone of copying their original design. I actually purchased this fabric back in May and made the dress in June, but didn't post it up on Etsy until July. Today is the first day that I noticed so many others - and this one even has the exact same fabric on the INSIDE as well! Great minds think alike, eh? :)

There are debates in the Etsy forums every day about copyrights and stealing ideas and borrowing concepts, etc..., but I just don't have the energy to bicker about that stuff. Especially when things like this happen all the time! Even though each one of us unique sellers used the same fabric to create a reversible pinafore - they all turned out completely different from each other! Besides, all of us CLEARLY did not know about each other before we all decided to make these. I mean, really. Upon walking into the fabric section of JoAnns, it's awfully difficult NOT to notice this fun, bold print by Alexander Henry and it pretty much screams at you that it's just dying to be made into a little girl's dress! I'm encouraged, actually, by seeing so many others out there similar to the one I made because now it gives me more motivation to keep on making what I like!

Another reason I love Etsy? Because the same fun fabric that all of us chose to use for a dress inspired others in completely different ways! Take a look at the matching tea bag book, tissue box, hair clip, bib, diaper wipes clutch, apron, tote, and mouse pad! Fun, huh?

Applique Tutorial - Part B

2008-07-29T19:03:00.014-05:00

Continued from Part A.

Finally! No more prep - I get to SEW! I like to use the free arm feature of my sewing machine to reduce the risk of me accidentally sewing the front and the back together. If if didn't have this option with my machine, then I'd just have to take special care not to sew the bodysuit together!

I like to start sewing near the bottom of a pattern so the stitch will end there also.

Some folks suggest that one should never zig on the fabric and zag on the bodysuit since the two different fabrics will usually pull apart from each other after the stitch is complete. Also - sometimes, the needle will drag the stretchy bodysuit fabric down into the bobbin and jam the machine. Since I already ironed that extra layer of interfacing on the inside for extra stitch support – I'm good! I like to create a satin-stitch over the raw edges of the fabric. This way it helps prevent fraying after laundering. I think it also helps to keep the bodysuit looking newer, longer.

Continue sewing all the way around design.

Make sure to trim all the ends of threads and take out all the pins.

I turn the bodysuit inside out and iron/press the stitches I just made.

I flip the bodysuit right side out and press these stitches as well. Ironing/pressing really helps secure those stitches and gives the final product a clean finish.

Done! Front:

Back:

These were actually a custom order, so I won't be listing them in my shop. She wants to give them to the twin boys. Such a sweet gift!

I hope that helps you understand how I like to appliqué. Everyone seems to have their own method, but this is what I've found works well for me. I've collected constructive feedback from a lot of moms who were able to hand down my bodysuits to their second child, friends and cousins and still feel glad about doing so because they stayed in such good condition after numerous wears and washes. The only part that comes off (as it should!) is the interfacing on the inside. It was simply there to help secure the stitches while sewing, but once it goes through a few washings - it has served it's purpose and can easily be removed.

It took me some time to learn how to make these *cute* and still keep them rather sturdy - but if you have other suggestions, please comment! I'm always open for new ideas and advice. :)

Applique Tutorial - Part A

2008-07-29T18:21:00.025-05:00

There are probably a million different ways to appliqué something – but this is the way that I like to do it for bodysuits (aka: Onesies®). I thought you might find this tutorial helpful in case you were wondering about the quality of items for sale in my shop, or in case you want to try this yourself. If you have any questions or helpful tips – please add comments.

Supplies Required:

Scratch paper, cardstock, ruler, pencil, pen, seam ripper, PRE-WASHED bodysuit, thread, sewing machine that can zig zag, lightweight fusible interfacing, PRE-WASHED fabric scraps, hot iron, sharp scissors, pins.

1.) Even though I might go to menus, coloring books, magazines, catalogs or the internet for inspiration in helping me create patterns – I always scratch them out myself on regular ‘ol printer paper first.

I only cut out half of the above cross so I can flip it over and trace the other side to create my symmetrical pattern.

I take the lightweight copy paper cross (white) and trace it onto heavyweight cardstock paper (orange) so my pattern lasts a lot longer and I have a thicker edge to trace against when I place it on the fabric.

I actually made TWO crosses (one little and one big) because I want the bodysuit to have something cute on the back as well. At this point, I usually write “this side down” on the pattern to remind me to put it on the fabric the correct way, but since this cross is perfectly symmetrical, it doesn’t matter which side I put face down onto the fabric.

Now I just trace my patterns onto the wrong side of fabric with a water soluble pen or fabric pencil.

Next I lay a piece of the lightweight fusible interfacing on top of the tracing and on a high-heat setting, I move the iron over it until it sets. I make sure the interfacing is bumpy-side down so it fuses to the fabric. Otherwise the bumps will fuse to the hot part of the iron...

I prefer to use a lightweight fusible interfacing instead of the ever-so-popular webbings or adhesives. Interfacing doesn’t jam my machine by leaving a gummy residue on the needle, and it’s super soft against sensitive baby skin while still adding enough strength to the fabric to battle kids and a ton of laundering.

After the heat bonds the interfacing to the fabric, I cut out the design.

Now I go back to my cutting table with a sheet of interfacing. Since I already fused (strengthened) the crosses, I need to fuse (strengthen) the bodysuits.

I lay the patterns face down onto the interfacing. Again, since these crosses are perfectly symmetrical, it doesn't really matter which side I lay down - but I've adopted the (good) habit of always going face down anyway. I simply cut large sections all the way around each of them. As you can see…I’m making TWO bodysuits here (for twins) which explains the FOUR crosses.

Now I grab the over-sized pieces of interfacing and my bodysuits. It is SUPER important to pre-wash all fabrics and each bodysuit before sewing anything together. Most fabrics don’t shrink the same amount, so I’ve learned (the hard way) that the appliqué could end up looking puckered or sloppy if it's not washed and dried first. This also helps prevent color-bleeding onto a white bodysuit too.

I turn the pre-washed bodysuit inside out and lay a piece of the interfacing on top of the back side. I make sure the bumpy side (fusible part) is facing DOWN on the fabric.

I use the smaller cross as a simple guide to determine where I want the interfacing ironed onto the inside/back of the bodysuit.

Now I fuse the interfacing to the bodysuit by ironing. I don’t iron the actual cross since I'm just adding a “layer” to the bodysuit for extra durability and support. I make sure to do the same thing on the inside/front as well.

Now I flip the bodysuit right side out and pin the design to the front.

NOW I'm finally ready to SEW! Continue to Part B.

Photoshop Fun II

2008-07-27T23:04:00.006-05:00

More fun with Photoshop!

I'm still learning the software and now I'm also getting used to a new computer and a roller ball mouse, but I think I'm improving daily. I bet if I took photos on a pink or blue background instead of the gray background, I'd have a much easier time with the magic wand and lasso tricks...

BEFORE:
AFTER:BEFORE:
AFTER:

I plan to clean up these images a bit more and then I'll post 'em in my shop. I'm still working on getting all the other onesies photographed, photo-shopped and then listed for sale! At the rate I'm going now...I probably won't have everything listed until Christmas! :\ If you have any tricks or suggestions - let me know! :)

Photoshop Fun!

2008-07-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Wow! Photoshop is pure magic! I'm amazed at the things I can do now! I'm learning so much every single day and I am absolutely LOVIN' it. Look what I can do!

BEFORE:

AFTER:Thank you Susan!! I could not have done this without your help! I think I did okay for the first time - what do you think? Did I mess a step? I'm definitely more concerned about the quality of the garments than I am with the images - but I think this will help my shop look cleaner and a lot more professional.

Okay ... only 200 more to go, now. :) heehee

Hand Knit Prayer Blanket

2008-07-14T18:00:00.001-05:00

For some reason I am especially tired today. This weekend went by way too quickly, so I plan to sit on the couch all night and relax while hopefully making some progress on a blanket I started knitting a while ago. I decided to make it for a friend after she said she was pregnant with twins. Then I found out that she and her husband were going through a really tough time as their baby boys struggled with Twin to Twin Transfusion syndrome in the womb. The Houston Chronicle tells their story better than I can, though.

The simple blanket became a way for me to shoot up specific prayers with each stitch I made. If I was working on a blue block - I prayed for baby Blake. If it was purple, I prayed for daddy Nate. When I made a gold block, I praised God for His goodness in the midst of all the worry. Pink was all about momma Kim and green was for baby Owen. I think everyone is thankful for the miracles along the way and the sovereignty of God is clearly evident - but I'm also so grateful for the intelligent doctors, nurses and staff that practiced such great discernment in diagnosing this early on and that knew how to properly and effectively treat this disorder. God is good!

Now that the boys are doing quite well and impressing their parents daily by overcoming obstacles, I need to hurry up and get this blanket done so they can enjoy it! I think I only have about 3 more blocks of each color to go and then I can sew it all together - patchwork style.

So...while I was blogging, our little Italian Greyhound, Bella, thought she could "help" me. I swear she's more of a cat than a dog. Look at this photo. (And no, she's not possessed. Her eyes always go red in pics and this is the best I can do until I learn Photoshop!) Thank you Bella for bringing me the ball of yarn! Now, come join me on the couch.

Back in Business!

2008-07-08T06:00:00.004-05:00

I did it! I've formally registered my business name, filed for a state sales tax permit, and now you’re looking at the new face of Angel Droppings!

I will admit that I had second guesses about staying with my original name, so I actually did a bit of research to find out what people thought. Without already knowing what I do, most people responded by saying they thought angel droppings were either Hershey kisses, wishes, hopes, dreams, hugs/kisses from children, snow, white clouds, stars, hail, rain, thunder, etc… There were also a few oddballs that mentioned angel farts, bird-poop or Cheetos. ? Whatever. What do you think angel droppings are? I like to think they are *pleasant surprises and random goodness*. Not. At. All. Like. Bird. Poop. Bird poop is not typically considered a pleasant surprise, although it is random. Just not goodness.

In case you’re wondering…my husband was actually the one who came up with the name last summer. We walked across the street for lunch one Saturday and I asked him for help with a business name for my Etsy shop. I told him I didn’t want something boring like “Lisa’s Sewing” because, well, I think that’s just boring. I also didn’t want it to be a name that was super specific to one particular skill or craft because I’m constantly coming up with new ideas and I might not always be sewing. That particular morning, I had been making ring bearer pillows and tooth fairy pillows, so the floor of our office/sewing room was covered in plops of polyfil when we left for lunch. He thought about it for a little bit and said “Well, evidence of your hard work usually results in a lot of those little angel droppings, so how about….” and I interrupted him (as usual) and said “That’s it!” He finished his chips and said, “Great, honey. Sounds good. Roll with it.” I went straight off into La-La-Lisa-Land thinking of what new projects I should get started on!

That was last summer and I’ve recently re-focused on my dream to create stuff for a living and set forth to seriously pursue my heart’s passion. Cliché? Perhaps. But it’s still the truth. I plan to work very hard at it (it doesn’t really feel like WORK anyway!) and continually learn new things from others online as well as folks I know in real life. We’ll see where exactly God wants this to go…but for now I am super pleased to be back at it. I am also really diggin’ my new logo and the colors and my blog design! Thoughts Per Inch designed it for me and she deserves some serious kudos! One of my favorite parts is the avatar of “little lisa” at the sewing machine. I didn’t see it at first, but the fabric makes an “L” for my name! Love it!