Cutie Patootie Valentine Shirts

I had these two little t-shirts laying around since before Thanksgiving and I had planned on making them for our trip to Disney, but time got away from me.  So I figured I better use them before my two little ones grow out of them.  :)  

Here's an up close of what the hearts look like.  I wanted something a little more than a plain heart so I made it gathered.

I cut a six inch heart out with my cricut.  I traced it onto my heat n' bond and cut it out.  

I then ironed the heart onto the fabric.

Waited until it was cool and then cut the heart out and then peeled the paper backing off.  

I then ironed it onto the t-shirt.  To secure it even more I stitched around the heart.  The other shirt I ran a zig zag stitch around the heart.   I thought this shirt needed something else so I added the wide brown grosgrain ribbon to it.  I, of course, gathered that too.  

To attach, I just ran a stitch down the ribbon and cut the ends to fit to the heart.  And here are the finished shirts.

My two girlies couldn't wait to put them on when they got home from school.  :)

I'm linking up with:

Spooky ghosts

I was inspired to make something today and I wanted to use my Happy Hauntings Cricut cartridge.  I went rummaging in the garage for a piece of wood.  As luck would have it, I found the perfect piece and then painted it black.  

I cut the Spooky phrase from the Happy Hauntings cart at five inches.  I tried it with plain white paper before I used my good scrap booking paper, just to make sure.  The ghosts, I cut one at five inches and the other at four inches.  

 Then I mod podged everything on.

 I sanded the edges for a distressed look and then used distressing ink around it.

To finish off I stapled wire to it and curled the ends of the wire and added a few ribbons.
Here are a few parties I'm linking to:

Coloring Briefcase

Who doesn't like coloring?  Here is a cute and quick take along coloring briefcase for your kiddos.  

Here's what you need:  3/4 yard of quilted fabric

1/4 yard of coordinating fabric for trim 

thread

crayons

coloring book

Cut a rectangle from the quilted fabric 12 1/2 by18 inches (front and back).  

Cut two rectangles from the quilted fabric 6 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches (inside flaps).  

Cut two strips from the quilted fabric 2 by 13 inches (these are the handles).

Cut two strips from the coordinating fabric 2 by 13 inches (these are the handles).

Cut a rectangle from the coordinating fabric 3 1/2 by 10 inches (crayon pouch).

Cut two strips from coordinating fabric 1 by 12 1/2 inches (trim for the flaps).

Cut two strips from coordinating fabric 1 by 18 inches (trim).

I've used 1/2" seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

I started by putting the trim on everything first.  With right sides together pin 1" x 12 1/2" strip to one of the inside flaps.  Sew together.  Fold trim in 1/4" and press, then pin on other side of flap.  Stitch together.

Do this for the other flap and for the long edges of the front and back piece of the case.

Do you have everything trimmed out?  Cool.  Moving on. :)

Now for the handles.  With right sides together pin a 2"x13" quilted strip to a 2" X13" coordinating strip.  Sew both long sides together then turn.  Press.  Make the other handle the same way.

With the right sides together and the handle sandwiched in between the front/back piece and the flap pin it all together on one side.  We still have more work on the other flap.  

Take the 3 1/2"X10" piece of coordinating fabric and press down 1/4" of the long edges.  Stitch that down.  Now press the remaining three sides of the fabric down 1/4".  Position the stitched edge on the flap away from the trim.  Pin the pouch onto the flap and stitch the three sides down.

Now you have one big pouch.  Divide the pouch into eight small pockets for the crayons, approximately and inch apart.  I put a pin for each row and then stitched them down.

Almost done.  With right sides together and the handle sandwiched between the front/back and the flap with the crayon pocket, pin and sew.  Sew the other side also.  Turn them right side out and your done. 

I'm linking to all these great sites:

Chirp, chirp, peep

I've had this idea rolling around in my head for a few weeks and I have finally got around to executing it.
I'm really into birds, maybe it's just because of spring, I don't know, but I wanted to make a bird to go with my nest I made a month or so ago.

I started by sketching out a bird.  I cut it apart to make it into a pattern.

I made a copy of the pieces and drew cutting lines around them.

Amazingly enough this is all by someone who doesn't draw well at all.  I'm really good at stick figures.
I pinned it onto three different fabrics.
Once I had it cut out I pinned and sewed the three pieces onto a 12X12 piece of muslin, but I left the edges out.  I washed it so the bird's outline would rag.  I had to cut the edges down a bit before I washed it.

Not bad but it needed something.  Of course a beak, which I embroidered on.

It still needed something.  So I started playing with ribbons.

I thought I had some stitch witchery around but I couldn't find it, so I cut thin strips of heat n' bond and attached the ribbons.
I could've stopped there but no, I didn't want to make feet for this bird.  Nest? Perfect.  I just picked up a remnant of burlap at Jo-ann's the other day.

I hand stitched it on with a few gathers and stuffed with the burlap strings.  I then used my distressing ink on the nest area for a contrast.  I trimmed the muslin to fit my frame.

Lastly I thought I would pull the burlap over the bottom of the frame to add a bit more dimension.

I had originally wanted to bring the burlap up the entire back of the frame and make a bow at the top with it, but it was way to bulky to do that.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Here is the pattern.