Christmas Time is Here

Sorry, Charlie Brown, I'm totally stealing your line.

We dug our Christmas decorations out of storage today; I waited until December 1st because Mr. Goodlaff is reluctant to be surrounded by Christmas-y things in November--and October for that matter.  While I think that Thanksgiving Day is still a bit early to be putting up your tree (no offense to all you early birds out there--when I was growing up, we were lucky to get the tree up in the first week of December), I'm not opposed to Christmas decorations coming out a few days before the calendar flips to December. 

One of my favorite things to make are Christmas wreaths, and after inspiration struck at JoAnn's last week (doesn't it always?),  I came home with the supplies to make what I hoped would be a fantastic wreath.  I was not disappointed. 

Here she is, in all her glory:

I am hopelessly, madly in love with my new wreath.  The plaid flannel ribbon started it all, and the bird is the icing on the cake. 

Plus, I just realized it's not overtly Christmas-y, and can therefore be used all Winter long. Genius.

ABC's

My niece and nephew have birthdays within just a few weeks of each other, and each birthday and holiday gives me the chance to get crafty.  In this case, I saw a great online tutorial for magnetic fabric alphabet letters and knew it would be perfect for growing, learning kids.  It was also a great opportunity to work through the massive stash of fabric that I own  (I have a thing for fat quarters--leave me alone).

I used this fantastic tutorial from  Chez Beeper Bebe to create this:

Ta da!  All twenty six letters of the alphabet (plus one extra G so my nephew can spell his name).  I even made a bag for them to keep track of all or most of the magnets when they're not in use.

It's a great (educational but still fun) gift, so we addressed it to all three kids.  I really love how it came out, especially the variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics. 

Hopefully they will use these for years to come!

Shabby Chic Ruffle Wreath

About a month ago, I decided our front door decor needed a bit of sprucing up.  And by "sprucing up," I mean a complete overhaul.  Out with the Spring hydrangea wreath, in with something new. 

I combed through all my wreath inspiration on Pinterest, rummaged through all my crafty odds and ends, and came up with this:

I took some leftover muslin fabric that I had sitting around, cut it into strips and ruffled it (tutorial here).  Raffia, unpainted wooden stars, a paper rose, feathers, white organza, and a little bit of metal coil later and I had myself a wreath. Yes, I actually did have all of that laying around.

Funny story: the white rose was a decoration on one of our wedding presents.  I saved it because I thought I could use it someday-- smart move, if I do say so myself.  I used tulle (leftover from alterations to my wedding dress--seeing a trend here?) to hang the wreath, and I love how it all turned out.

I'm not quite sure what to call it, so I'm going with shabby chic ruffle wreath. It's a little bit country, but a little bit classy too. Organza and raffia in the same wreath my be considered a sacrilege, but I say it works. Plus, it looks nice against the charcoal color of our front door.

I still love seeing it when I come home.  It's a nice little bit of serenity before opening the door to our house full of chaos!



A Few Projects

I haven't been overly crafty lately, but I did want to share a few things that I have been working on in the past month or so. 

A few months ago, I got on a bit of an embroidery kick.  I was on Amazon.com, ordering a birthday gift for Mr. Goodlaff, didn't hit the limit for free shipping, and decided to get a little something for myself.  Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection, ended up in my cart, and gave me the pattern for this design:

I think it turned out well.  The metallic threads were a pain in the ass, but I really like the way it came out.  My next embroidery adventure involves clothing that someone might actually wear, so hopefully my skills are good enough for fashion!

My other project has been a long time coming--over a year in the making. See, once upon a time, I bought a cool frame from a thrift store.  I spray painted the hell out of it and with a little bit of magic, it got a new lease on life as an info sign for our wedding guestbook:

Niki Ross Photography

I love the frame.  The yellow is almost obnoxious, but you never see frames that shape, and I knew it would make a lovely...something...someday.  That day is here, and the frame has now become a chalkboard. 

I cut a piece of wood down to size with a box cutter (that was fun), painted it with black chalkboard paint, and now, our lovely wedding frame lives on as a weekly menu board. 

Here's what's cooking this week (don't be jealous):

 

It's actually a really useful thing.  We plan the week's menu on Sundays, buy all the supplies for dinners, and because we don't assign meals to days--we just see what we feel like eating on any given evening--sometimes we have trouble remembering what we are supposed to be making for dinner.  It's because we're getting old. And we keep forgetting to put Ginko on the shopping list. 

A New Project

I've been sick for a few days now--sort of a mini-cold of death.  And when I'm sick and feeling helpless, I like to try and counteract the patheticness by taking control of some small measure of a thing.  In this case, my desk.  My desk was buried under all kinds of half-done crafts, months and months of receipts, and various other trinkets. I can't control my cold, but I sure as hell could fix my desk situation. It took me a few hours to straighten and sort and file, but I can now say that my desk is clean.  How long it will stay that way is another matter entirely.

In all the sorting and cleaning it became clear to me that I needed a little something extra to display my pictures and mementos, and keep a few things front and center.  Once upon a time, I had a fabric memory board (sometimes called a french memory board), and I found myself needing one right this second. 

I also found that I had everything I needed to make my very own.  Well, almost. 

A long time ago I painted three canvases for my bedroom.  Since Mr. Goodlaff and I moved in together, they've been sitting in a closet, and for whatever reason, we dragged them up here to Seattle (sentiment, I suppose). In any case, one of my canvases went from this:

To this:

Pretty good for a nearly free project, I'd say. Stay tuned for the tutorial!

Hello Hydrangeas

Okay, so it's not officially Spring yet--in fact, our weather is doing a pretty good rendition of "winter," right now--but our front door needed a change and I was inspired by all the pretty spring flowers on sale at the craft store. 

Ah, the craft store: a place where you can walk in with one idea in your head, fill your basket, change your mind, fill your basket again, and walk out with supplies for something completely new.  Like a hydrangea wreath. Story of my life.

I was inspired by V and Co's Hydrangea wreath:

Source

But I decided to do things a little differently.

First off, I wanted hydrangeas in a few different colors; I chose white and green for a bright, springy feel.  I was all set to pick up a round wreath, but I spotted a few square wreaths on sale for just $2.97--sold!

After cutting the stems and arranging the blooms the way I wanted to, I glued them down, turned the wreath on its side, and ended up with this:

I used six bunches of hydrangeas, and definitely could have gone with about two more (one in each color) for a fuller, fluffier look. I wasn't thrilled with my ribbon choice (I should have used a wider, darker ribbon), but other than that, I love the way my wreath turned out. Every time I look at it, it makes me smile, and because its made of hydrangeas, reminds me of Mama Goodlaff (she loves hydrangeas).

It really brightened up our dreary front door, and it's the first thing I see at the end of the hallway after I get out of the elevator.  I've never experienced Spring in the Pacific Northwest, but if nothing else, I will get to see hydrangeas every day!

How are you preparing for Spring?

Faking Feathers

At the beginning of December I went to the Urban Craft Uprising here in Seattle--a craft show for indie, city-types. There were a lot of cool, handmade things, like these purses from Crystalyn Kae:

(I got one for Christmas!)

And I bought a cute embroidery pattern from This Tiny Existence:

Source

But, as the old adage goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and a lot of things were--well, let's just say that they were not my taste.  There was quite the variety of knitted items, recycled pieces, and crazy jewelry. I did find a pair of earrings that I loved, but one look at the price tag, coupled with the fact that I knew it was something I would be able to make myself, meant I walked away.

They were like these feather earrings, but made with floaty, teal chiffon instead.

Source

A few weeks ago, I finally gave them a try.  I didn't have teal chiffon, but I did have white chiffon (from a previous wedding hair flower experiment) and all the other supplies on hand.  Here's what I ended up with:

They need a little bit of perfecting (to stop the chiffon from fraying, you have to burn the edges, then the shape gets a bit messed up), but I think I'm on to something here. 

What do you think?

Smart Case for a Smart Phone

Over the weekend, I finally became a fully functioning member of the smart phone club.  Mr. Goodlaff and I have wanted iPhones for a loooong time, but living in the boonies with limited cell coverage meant that they were not the best investment.  When we moved to Seattle, we decided, we would take full advantage of good cell coverage and get the long-desired iPhone.

And now we have.

I had my heart set on a Great Gatsby iPhone cover from Uncommon Goods, but it won't fit the iPhone model I got.  My little English Major heart is very sad. I've found and ordered another case, but until it gets here, I want to keep my phone protected.

Enter this iPhone sleeve tutorial from Dog Under My Desk.  I chose a dandelion fabric that I had laying about (truth be told, I have a lot of fabric laying about), and an hour or so later, I had a nice, padded sleeve to store my phone:

The tutorial was really easy to follow, but I have a few problems with the construction of the sleeve.  You layer all of the pieces together and turn it, then fold it over and sew up the sides.  It was really hard to sew through all of the layers of batting, fabric, and interfacing folded over at the end.  My sewing machine and I almost got into a fight, but ultimately, I triumphed. 

I'm pretty sure I could come up with an easier way of sewing a sleeve, but I probably won't, because I have one done, and I'm lazy.  I'm hoping that my new case won't add too much bulk to the phone and that I'll be able to use the case and the sleeve for added protection going forward.  The phone is insured, but I can be a bit of a disaster;  I'll take all the help I can get!

Zippered Earrings

A few weeks ago I shared some zippy tutorials with you, one of which was a bracelet using the zipper from an old pair of denim jeans.  It just so happened that Mr. Goodlaff was tossing a well-loved pair of jeans, which presented the perfect opportunity to try out the tutorial. It took me a long time and cost me one seam ripper (damn thing snapped right in half--it never had a chance), but I eventually liberated a perfectly good zipper from the jeans.  Unfortunately, as I wrapped it around my wrist, I realized there was no way that zipper would become my bracelet.  My wrists are just too fat!

C'est la vie.  Mr. Goodlaff's zipper was not meant to be a bracelet, so I decided to turn it into a pair of earrings instead. Initially I was inspired by these:

Source

But, as I bent and twisted the zipper halves into different shapes, decided to go my own way.  Here's what I ended up with:

 

 

I'm actually pretty happy with how they turned out--they add a bit of a funky edge to an outfit without being too outrageously indie. The best thing?  I had all the supplies on hand--they didn't cost me anything (well, except for the seam ripper).

I trimmed the zipper material so the earrings would have a lower profile than my inspiration earrings.  The material frayed a bit, but one pass over an open flame sealed the material back up again. Because I cut off most of the excess material around the zipper, I ended up sewing the zipper together right near the teeth, which meant it was a little hard to sew through at times.  Still, on the whole, these earrings were incredibly easy to make.

Maybe next time I'll do a swirly pattern? Use a different colored zipper?  The possibilities are endless...

Tutorial Twosday: Getting Organized

We all make those New Year's Resolutions:  Lose weight.  Read more.  Get organized. 

I don't know about you, but sometime around January 7th, I realize whatever it is is just not gonna happen.  Resolutions seem to be so absolute, that if you miss a few days, it seems like you've failed, and why should you really continue?

Still, I make resolutions.  After all, tomorrow is another day.

One of my resolutions is to get myself a little bit more organized. Tutorial number one will start my organization streak with my closet.

You've heard of the 20/80 rule, right? You wear 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time.  I know it's true for me.  Here's one of the best ideas for practically weeding out your closet:

Via Ray and Jen

Basically you take all of your hangers in your closet and turn them backwards.  When you wear something, flip the hanger back around.  Whatever you haven't worn by July 1st, goes to the donation bin.  This way, you are getting rid of things based on what you actually wear, and not your sappy sentimental nature (can't just be me).


After my closet, the next thing that could use a little organization in my life would be my craft supplies--particularly my ribbon stash. Enter in this lovely little solution:

Via Spunky Junky

I am constantly amazed by creative storage solutions, and this one is just awesome.  This little trick will be the first of many craft storage makeovers I hope to do this year. Ribbons on a dowel, all in a row.  If only it were this easy to organize my fabric!

Happy Crafting!

A Crafty Christmas: Bunting for Baby

I have the cutest nieces and nephews in the world.  This is a fact. My newest niece is all of five months old, and since she was born in the chaos of summer, I didn't get a chance to present her with a baby blanket when she first entered the world.  With Christmas coming, I decided to remedy that situation.  Baby H would have her very own blanket. 

Deciding on the style was incredibly easy.  I fell head over heels in love with this blanket from the moment I saw it, thanked my lucky stars that I had a baby (not of my own) to make it for, and filed it under "Hell yes."

I mean, just look at it:

Via A Pretty Cool Life

I loved this design for a few reasons.  First, it's a quilt that's not a quilt.  The bunting flags are sewn on top of one big piece of fabric, therefore, there's no piecing to do.  Second, it is so festive and fun.  And finally, it's what those of us who are fabric hoarders like to call a "stash buster."  I am addicted to fat quarters and have so many lying around that all I had to do was decide which ones to use, cut the flags and go.

First I cut my flags (mine were five inches instead of four since the blanket I made was larger than the tutorial's instructions). That was the easy part.  After that I spent about an hour and a half deciding on the proper order of the flags, and I changed my mind right up until they were sewn on there.

I added batting and the back piece, and quilted everything together by following the top line of the bunting rows.



I thought the blanket needed a little bit more personalization.  With an older brother and sister, Baby H is going to have to share a lot of stuff; I wanted her to know this was made just for her.  I embroidered her first (blurred to protect her Internet reputation for posterity) and middle names and a little flower motif that reminded me of a willow tree, and attached it to the back of the quilt.

I found this great quilt binding tutorial from the Old Red Barn Co., and followed it to make my edges.  Having never done a binding like this before, I needed some great instructions, and these are fantastic!

Finally, after spending about four hours hand sewing the binding on the back of the quilt, it was done!  Here's the end result:

The original tutorial uses white thread to sew everything together, but I chose a vibrant green to add pizazz.  I love how this blanket came out--like a daily party in the nursery--and I hope that Mama and Baby H liked it too!

Tutorial Twosday: Zip It

So, I'm a little slow catching up with this whole zipper trend that's been going around (maybe it's already over and I'm slow to learn that too?), but today's tutorials are two different takes on zippers, and I love them!

First up, zipper jewelry.  Or, to be specific, a zipper bracelet. 

Via Cut Out and Keep

This looks like a really easy bracelet to make, and it's a perfect use for the zipper in those ratty old jeans that you were going to throw away anyway!  Sporting three or more of these at once would make you look like a real bad ass.  Don't worry, if you don't have zippers laying around, they sell these at the store (maybe even in a few different colors!).

This next tutorial just blows my mind.  Seriously. Ten out of ten for creative use of zippers. 

Via Craft Passion

First you see a zipper with ribbon, then you have a coin purse.  Um, awesome.  I have this project on my to-do list , mostly because I can't quite wrap my brain around how this thing really works.  Still, it looks really cool, and depending on how easy they are to make, may make really cool gifts. These little pouches could even store jewelry when you're traveling!

Happy Crafting!

A Crafty Christmas

Having so much time on my hands prior to Christmas allowed me to put some time and thought into a few handmade gifts for my family. Now that the presents have all been opened, it's time to share my work!

For Daddy Goodlaff (who is notoriously hard to to craft for), I first thought of a hat or a scarf.  Mama Goodlaff suggested that I make him a shirt, but I didn't feel like my sewing skills were quite up to clothing just yet.  Eventually I decided on a manly version of my "Purse-Aid Kit," which is basically just a wallet full of band aids, or, a portable first aid kit. It's perfect for those of us who are a bit of a disaster and need to have supplies readily at hand in case of emergency.

Daddy Goodlaff has a bit of a wild side, so for his quad-riding supplies, I created this vibrant band aid holder:

After I showed off my Ponytail hat, Mama Goodlaff expressed an interest in having one of her own.  I just so happened to have all the supplies on hand, right down to some fun purple buttons (her favorite color), and after a few pattern adjustments, had a knitted hat made just for her:

Sister Goodlaff's homemade gift took me the longest of anything I made this year. She has recently developed a passion for cooking, and last Christmas, when she was hanging out at our house doing some last minute Christmas sewing, we fed her something I was sure she wouldn't like: pork scalloppini in a mustard creme sauce.  Turns out I was wrong--she thought it was awesome.  I decided to make her a cookbook, using the Goodlaffs' favorite recipes.  I combed through hundreds of pages, and eventually decided on about 60 of the best, printed them up, and made it into a book.

I called the book "Sister Says" because on the bottom of every recipe I wrote a comment, story, or tip on how we made the recipe or why the recipe was in there. I was so thrilled with the final product that I almost didn't want to give it away!

I used fancy wrapping paper that I saved from my bridal shower to bind the covers, and pulled the color scheme for my title and divider pages from that.  I bound the book with standard binder rings--that way, you can pull out the recipe that you're working on if you need it close at hand in the kitchen.  I love the way it turned out, and I'm hoping that Sister Goodlaff will also love the recipes that have become our favorites!

I have one more project to show you, but it needs its own post. Much more to come!

Tutorial Twosday: Easy Ornaments

It's only a few days until Christmas, and you may be jonesing for a few last minute projects.  Maybe that's just me? Ah, well...

Here are a few easy DIY ornaments to keep you crafting Christmas straight thorough the weekend.

First up: the Disco Ball Ornament.  Sequins.  Sparkles.  Styrofoam.  Simplicity.  What's not to love?

Via Oopsey Daisy

The awesome thing is, this ornament is super easy to make.  Sequin strands, glue, ribbon and Styrofoam is all you'll need for this sparkly, festive ball.  You could even make them without the ribbon and use a bunch of them in a hurricane vase as a centerpiece.

Our second tutorial proves that going in circles isn't always a bad thing!

Via Julia Crossland

How cute is this tree?  I love the multi-colors, but I think that varied green circles, with a few discs of red to mimic garland, would be adorable.  Then again, cutting the circles may prove to be a little tedious.  Looks like it would be totally worth it, though. 

Happy Crafting!

Decorating with Disney

Last year Mama Goodlaff had about five Christmas trees in the house. While there's always one big tree for family ornaments, the other trees usually have themes: the woodland tree, the Seussical tree, the Americana tree.  This year, Mama Goodlaff decided to do a Disney tree, and given that I have a lot of free time and an overactive imagination, I decided to contribute from afar in the best way I know how: ornament crafts.

I finished these a while ago, but since Mama Goodlaff is an avid (and maybe the only) reader of my blog, I couldn't post this until she had the package in her hands.

First up, the Jingle Mickeys.  We talked about ways to decorate the tree a while back and came up with the idea of using different sized soft pom balls to make little Mickey ornaments. While tooling around in Michael's I came across Jingle bells on sale and decided that if soft poms would work, so would jingle bells.  Thus, jingle Mickey was born, proving once again that with enough hot glue, you can rule the world.

I used the little green bows to cover up the hot mess of hot glue that it took to get the jingle bells to stick together.  Aside from the hot glue burns, it was an easy project!

My second Disney-inspired set of ornaments took a little longer, but I'm madly in love with them. 

I found online Disney clip art for Mickey's shoes, shorts, and glove, printed it out, and traced it onto felt. I couldn't find a picture of Mickey's hat without Mickey's ears getting in the way, so I kinda had to wing it there (I think it worked). After cutting out the felt shapes, I embroidered detail lines on each ornament, cut out a second piece of felt for the backing, sandwiched the hanger loop in between, and glued them together. 

I like all of them, but my favorite one might be the glove...or the shorts.  I'm not sure.  In any case, I think they'll make a lovely addition to Mama Goodlaff's Disney tree!

Do you decorate with themes in mind?