Friday Finishes and GIVEAWAY!

First up, finishes.  Unfortunately, this year's costumes required quite a bit of hand sewing.  Word to the wise:  don't let your kids browse Pinterest for costume ideas, especially costumes that don't link to a tutorial!

Sad chicken inspired by Martha Stewart.  Feather boas pinned to a tee, felt comb blanket stitched to a hat, tights.  Easy peasy. 

Jelly fish, also inspired by Martha.  Scotch tape, Totes bubble umbrella, rainbow lame, glow sticks.  Easy peasy.

Slurpee inspired by Pinterest.  Hoop from an old Ikea net bed canopy.  Lots of felt, tulle, hand sewing and Aileen's Tacky Glue.  I'd recommend a different glue, I had to re-glue parts.  Straw is a wrapping paper tube mod podged with red tissue paper.  

Peacock inspired by Barbie Island Princess.  Dress repurposed from Sharpe Evans Bop to the Top costume.  If you know what either of those things are, you have my sympathies!  Sparkle tulle and netting bustle, netting fan with feathers sewn in by hand.  Hardest costume I've ever made.  I spent $20 on feathers, and they still look too sparse. 

Whew!  That was a lot of work.  So glad I have eleven months to forget how stressful making homemade costumes is.

Next up, our first giveaway!!   Spoiler:  It's not fabric.  

November 1st is a big deal in our house.  It's the day when we start listening to Christmas music.  I know, I know, it's too early!  I know it makes me a big nerd, but my kids love it!  They talk about it all through October.  Before she went to bed last night, the jellyfish whispered in my ear, "Christmas Music!!"

I'm not THAT picky about my holiday music, but if it comes from a "NOW" album, I probably won't like it.  Here's some songs I LOVE, and one song I absolutely hate.

This super speedy Babs song is the first song I usually play on the morning of November first.  It was the first Christmas album we owned as a couple.  I like it's hurried pace and slurred melody.  It will forever remind me of the time we strapped our tree to the roof of our little Civic, and tied the doors shut.    I think we climbed in throught the windows.
  

This is probably my favorite secular Christmas song.  The movie it comes from is a family favorite, too.  

Another movie favorite we sing all winter long.  

We buy new music every year.  I'm always excited to see who is releasing and this year it's one of my favorite bands.  Silent Night sounds lovely, but I'm not sure how I feel about carols being turned into Euro Dance Club hits.

I can't get through this song without getting emotional, even though it's a cheesy pop song.

Hell, for me, would feature this song on repeat.  Like nails on a chalkboard.

I'm probably dating myself here, but this whole album is wonderful.  It's hard to find pop singers who treat Christmas carols with  reverence.

This tender lullaby is probably my favorite Christmas song.  The Mormon Tabernacle sings the loveliest version, it's heavy on strings.  I love MoTab so, so, so much.  When they sing Christmas songs, I feel the peace of the season.  Someday, if I can learn to sight read, I might audition and be a part of that group.  It would be a dream come true for me.  Again, super nerdy!  Now you know.




I'd like to spread a little early Christmas cheer and give away the album this song comes from: Sing, Choirs of Angels.  To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas song or album.  Make sure you leave an email addy so I can contact the winner.  For a second entry, do an act of service, small or large, in the spirit of Christmas.  Come back and leave a comment describing it.  I'll hold the draw next Friday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Pinspot

Linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts

Word Dump

This exercise was harder than I expected. At first I couldn't see very many unifying elements. But as I let it ruminate, I found I could condense very efficiently. (I think this wasn't actually part of step 1, but I couldn't help it.) My condensed words are:
Unexpected
Easy/quick
Fabric focused
Restrained

Unexpected- this covers words like creative, different, inventive, artistic, improv. I think it's the reason I don't LOVE my Starburst quilt. It looks like everyone else's. whenever I go to craft nights at church, I conscientiously change the craft up so mine is different. My favorite quilts are like that. So far I haven't made any quilts that fall into this category.

Easy/quick- surprisingly, I have a high tolerance for mistakes in my quilting. It's why I like improv quilts. I don't want a project that lingers. I want instant gratification. I could never do a whole hexie quilt. I just don't have the patience. I could do hexies on small projects, but I want my quilts DONE. Maybe I'm a lazy quilter. Maybe there's something too expected or traditional about quilts that require intricate piecing. Maybe I have ADD.

Fabric focused- let's face it, I'm in this for the fabric. I love fussy cutting, blocks that thoughtfully use fabric, high contrast, and bright colors. Quilts designed to show off the fabric always catch my eye, and I think that's why I like the square in square on point quilt I made last year.

Restrained- this word encompasses the words like clean, balanced, modern, minimal, simple. These are the quilts I can live with. I LOVE a busy scrappy quilt, but it doesn't belong in my living room. It doesn't 'feel' like 'me.' I'm more comfortable having the minimalist quilts laying around on my couch.


Here is a pic of my entire list. No guarantee of legibility. Can't wait to see what you gals come up with!

The Trim Bin Saves the Day

My dear husband, gosh I love that man.  But he passed along those tall/skinny jeans, and trying to keep Whittaboo in clothes that fit is a beastly task.  In the past two weeks, Lou and Whit have put holes in the knees of every. pair. of. jeans. they. own.  After trying on probably 35 pairs of jeans this week we found none that truly fit Whit.  Two are workable, if we cinch the waist tabs to the max AND she wears a belt.  PHEW!  Along the way I found a darling little dress that I hoped would work for Easter.  She tried it on and...

*Le sigh*  Too short.  Not by a ton, but two years ago when I bought her dress this early she outgrew it by Easter.  She really loved it, and wanted to put leggings underneath (ugg), but then the clouds parted and the angels sang and I remembered....

The trim bin.  Oh, how I missed you while you were packed away in storage!

 

Jampacked full of vintage lacy goodness. Yes, jampacked is one word.

 Does that say made in France?  Why, yes it does.  Denver Thrift Stores, you were so good to me.  I miss you.

At first I tried this pretty piece that some thrifty lady salvaged from the bottom of her slip.  It was too short.  Then I found this piece.

 

It was the right color, the right width, and I had plenty of it.  I narrowly zigzagged (word? This time I'm not sure) it to the bottom of the lining.  Zigzagging seemed like the right thing to do, Jenni?   A half hour later and the dress looked like this:

Super cute, right?  I'm pretty pleased with myself.  Sometimes I'm so glad I'm a hoarder.  And now for some gratuitous lace and trim pictures.  Jenni, eat your heart out. (That is, once you see this post.  I know Duck Dynasty is premiering tonight.)

What the heck IS this thing?

I totally love this one!

 

Some day I'm gonna get me a guitar and learn all the chords to Cracklin' Rosie just so I can make my own guitar strap with that stuff on the bottom left.