Valentine’s Day is coming! I love Valentine’s Day. I love the candy. I love the colors. I love the meaning. And I love how you can make it either really complicated… or really sweet and simple. I definitely fall someplace in the middle.
Today I want to share a craft you can do to add a little pop of color and fun to your Valentine’s decorations (if you even HAVE Valentine’s Day decorations). And if you don’t, then this will be the perfect thing for you. Continue reading
As many of you know, once the Pickle arrived on the scene I suddenly had a built-in reason for being crafty again. When she was in my womb, I found myself sewing coordinating ribbon onto a mosquito net to hang over her crib. I threaded old jewelry pieces and hung them from a bangle over her changing table. And I even watched as my husband’s cousin sewed a custom crib skirt to match her curtains.
So it was no surprise that after she was here and I had lots of time on my hands (in between feedings, going to the park, napping, and keeping up with the house) I wandered back into sewing. I had never really been into it, but had tried my hand at a few projects over the years. That Christmas after the kiddo was born, my parents bought me my first sewing machine. And I was hooked.
Since then I have learned a LOT. Continue reading
I’m a little partial, but I think everyone should go to craft fairs… even if you’re not a “craft fair kind of person.”
I know sometimes they’re crazy. Sometimes they smell like potpourri. Sometimes you have to dodge really, really slow people who like to stop and stare before they make their next kill. But beyond those complications, there are even more really amazing reasons why you should hunt for the flyers, punch those addresses in your GPS, and hit up two or three a Saturday.
Because craft fairs are PEOPLE. Continue reading
Gearing up for my first craft fair of the season, I am excited that this year my products will finally have little taggies on them with the name of my shop! Last year was such a rush that I never even thought to sew in little tags. But this year, thanks to a little inspiration and guidance from my friend and partner in crime over at Koalala Kids, all my little Ouchie Owls and Coffee Cozies will be sporting the name “Sweet P’s!”
I feel so professional!
The best part about it, though, is that I did not have to BE a professional (or hire a professional) to make these little tags.
There were completely DIY.
Which means you can make them, too!!! Continue reading
Something I have loved the most about being a mommy is getting to be involved in all of the Pickle’s holiday fun. And while I’m not a fan of the ghosts and ghouls, I have discovered that Halloween is one of my favorite children’s holidays.
When else can I create a totally imperfect outfit and still get rave reviews, adoration by my Sweet P, and loads of candy in payment?
Halloween is a dream! The past two years I have loved coming up with a costume that matches her personality. Getting creative. And seeing a final product come together. And let’s face it, you could put a paper bag on a toddler and it would be adorable.
So here is our Halloween costume this year. I call it, “Inspired by Strawberry Shortcake”. Mostly because it’s not perfect. It’s not like the store-bought ones. I’ve never seen Strawberry wear chevrons. But it was inexpensive. It was a blast to create. And it was, for the most part, pretty easy to make once I got going. Continue reading
Argh! It’s SO cluttered!!!!
I can NEVER find what I’m looking for.
I’m completely overwhelmed and don’t even know where to start.
Every time I go in there I feel like I’m wading through muck, throwing things behind me like some sped up cartoon character.
Then when I find what I want, I immediately lose it again.
But do I clean? No.
Do I organize? Heck no.
Do I keep throwing more junk in there that I will never use (or never be able to find again?) Yes.
Drives me crazy.
I’ve GOT to clean out my Pinterest boards.
As you may have learned, the Mother’s Day Out I work at is hosting it’s first ever craft fair fundraiser in November… and it’s all my fault.
You see, about this time a year ago, my Sweet P’s shop was growing a teeny bit and I was having fun sewing random little things for the Pickle. So when an advertisement fluttered across my Facebook news feed about a small craft fair, it caught my eye.
The very first thing that drew me in was the organization: A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee. This organization is amazing, as they promote and advertise Tennessee’s Safe Haven law, which protects pregnant women who cannot keep their children, but also don’t want to abort them. Too many women feel they have no place to go during unexpected pregnancies and all too often we hear sad news stories of babies found in dumpsters, bathrooms, or worse. This organization helps get the word out that there is a better option available that is completely safe, completely anonymous, and is in the absolute best interest of the baby and frightened mother. I was all over this organization!
The second thing that drew me in was the simplicity of a one-day (evening, actually), low-fee craft fair.
And then the doubts came… Continue reading
I grew up in a crafty family. My Grandma was a woman of her day and knew how to knit, crochet, sew and probably many more things that I don’t even know about. My mother, as well. As long as I’ve known her she’s had some sort of crafty project going, whether it was cross-stitching, quilting, or painting small winter houses to set out at Christmastime. She taught me to sew and always encouraged me in the creativity that we shared.
So as I become a stay at home mom, my interest naturally wandered back to those women in my life who created. Also as a stay at home mom married to a full-time student, our resources have always been… well… lacking. So I began to pray about ways to “help out” financially. I never expected to bring in big bucks, but I firmly believed that every little bit helped!
Thus, the birth of Sweet P’s. (named, of course, after the Pickle) Continue reading
You’ve seen the ruffled rompers, right?
Well, maybe not necessarily. That’s ok. They’re really cute.
Are made from light, stretchy lace.
And only look cute on little squirts who still have chubby legs and cute round bellies.
I would never wear a ruffled romper… or any romper at all, for that matter.
But I found this (pictured right) on Pinterest and immediately thought, “Oh my gosh… my Pickle HAS to have one!” But of course, I didn’t want to pay for one. Or for a pattern. Or for the lace.
So I went sorting through my fabric and found a couple of old crib sheets that my mom had passed on to me. I’m not sure if they were ones that my nieces slept on or actual sheets that my brother and I slept on back in the early eighties. But I was hanging on to them to do something crafty and memorable with.
They have an adorable vintage design on them with teddy bears and ducks and the alphabet and little flags that say “Rah! Rah!”
Doesn’t get more vintage than that.
And since I hadn’t decided what I was going to do with them, I decided this was as good a time as any to get on that romper.
So I figured out what size my kiddo would wear. Cut out a basic romper. And then got to ruffling.
To ruffle my millions of sheet strips I used a simple tutorial. This is not the exact one I used at the time. That website is broken. But this is the same principle. Click and scroll down for Easy ruffles!
Of course, no one told me that sheet material did not ruffle quite as easily as I had hoped and I ended up pulling (and snapping) several threads anyways. But hey, you live and learn.
After a LOT of sewing and eyeballing it, because hey, that’s just how I roll, I ended up with this GORGEOUS little romper. (don’t look too close)
If you recall, however, I mentioned that most ruffled rompers are made out of very light lace or jersey material. Mine, however, is not. It weighs about 3 pounds.
And sadly, my Sweet P never EVER had a proper occasion to wear it. So it was never worn!
Until one cool September day when the light in my tiny living room was just right, and I decided that I WOULD get pictures of her in this romper before she grew out of it. Nevermind that it is a very springy romper and we were embarking on Fall. I captured this beauty and all my hard work.
And it now hangs in her closet.
Don’t be misled. I would never tie up my toddler… without good reason.
However, there are situations where I need her to sit still and the nearest five-point harness is halfway across a parking lot.
Today’s Tried and Tuesday meets the needs of moms out there who want their little one to sit in a chair. You see, someone brilliant began creating handmade things that attach to your chair and Velcro or snap your baby in. It’s called the Go Anywhere Chair, or some variation on that.
Here’s my little girl being oh-so ladylike the first time we ever used her chair… at Subway!
I stumbled upon one model of it on Pinterest about a year ago. At the time, I just happened to have a child who was somewhere between infant and toddler. She was able to sit in a chair for a moment, but needed just a little encouragement to stay there. So I tried my hand at one of these chairs.
And I fell in love.
At the time, however, I was being cheap. I didn’t want to go to the store and buy everything she recommended, so I modified it.
On a whim I had purchased two beautiful half-yards of fabric from the remnant bin, but I had not yet decided what to make with them. They were perfect.
I didn’t have batting, so I used thick fleece. However, I only had a quarter of a yard of thick fleece. So I only used fleece on the seat half of the chair, then I hand-quilted it to keep it in place. It has held up to many washings!
I also didn’t have Velcro. (and I don’t like Velcro very much) So I decided to make it a tie-chair instead of a Velcro chair.
Thus the birth of my sweet little “Tie-me-up Toddler Chair”. (or “Tie up your Toddler” Chair… whichever you prefer)
Here are all the wonderful things it can do:
Interested?
I loved them so much that I started making more and selling them to friends. Now I’m excited to share that a downloadable PDF tutorial for my version of the chair will SOON be available for purchase on Sweet P’s Etsy site. Like… within the week!
Not the crafty type?
Message me about a custom order, or check Sweet P’s Facebook Page for ready-to-ship options as they come up!
I love making these chairs. I enjoy picking out fun, bright fabrics. I like how they are unique, but simple. Practical, but special. And I would be privileged to make one for you or someone you love!
……………….
UPDATE: 9/26/2013
The Tie-Me-Up Toddler Chair tutorial is now available for sale in my etsy shop! Stop by. Pick one up. And start making your own today!
Rediscovering Yesterday 