March 12, 2008
my bff took this snapshot of me and my sweet boy. isn’t she a genius?! i’m not this cute in real life… cooper is a handsome little devil though, don’tcha think???
i’ve been working on a tshirt quilt for a craft swap with erin. she’s making me a crocheted afghan and i can’t WAIT to see it. i’d love to show you a picture of the quilt, but that’d give away the surprise for her, so i’ll just show you this pretty pile of scraps.
i’ll keep you posted on my progress, and hopefully will have a tutorial available for you once it’s done.
and since i know we all love inspiration, here’s one more little bit ‘o love for ya. it’s for a little boy named william, who loves worms, and when he was little he couldn’t say “william”, he said “worm”. so there’s the story behind this appliqued tshirt.
have a great day everyone!!!
March 7, 2008
the moment you’ve all been waiting for (i know your lives have literally stopped since wednesday in anticipation!)…
the original wasp bag pattern called for two straps, and i always try to make things my own, so i stuck with a single strap, and eliminated the inner pocket because it was sooo complicated. i may add one in later if i find that i miss it. i do love a good organized purse with lots of pockets, like my all-time fave vera bradley! 
well, what do you think? was it worth the wait? it was definitely worth the work!!! if you’ve made a bag from another free online tutorial & loved it, let me know because i’d love to try it! xoxo
March 5, 2008
i’ll see you friday with the after! xoxo
March 4, 2008
i promised you an idea for a newborn in your life, and here it is. let me tell you, this was very well-received! the proud new mommy has declared that THIS will be what she grabs in a house fire (immediately after the children are safe, of course)!!!
i used scrap drapery fabric, stitched out the birth info with a pretty frame on my Babylock Ellageo (say it with a british accent and you’ll sound cool), sized it to fit a 5×7 mat, & framed it to match the nursery. sooo shabby chic, and perfect for a garden fairy princess.
March 4, 2008
we took the kids on a mini family escape this weekend to my parents’ lakehouse, aka “happy place“, and we came back exhausted. to a dirty house. and loads of laundry. but i am happy to report that two major things were accomplished while we were there:
1) we reconnected as a family while fishing, riding the golf cart, and enjoying the breathtaking weather…
and,
2) i got a fair amount of paper crafting out of my system…
these were pre-ordered by a family friend. i’ll be the first to admit that i’m not GREAT at stamping cards, but i am fairly competent at copying other peoples’ work. if you’re into stamping, then you’re probably familiar with splitcoaststampers.com. they have lots of ideas for how to use your stampin’ up sets in different applications.
also, as a bonus, i tried out a pattern from the denyse schmidt quilts book. this tote bag is loosely based on her zig zag tote – i added a lining (so the monogramming would be sealed) and a cell phone pocket. it’s a birthday gift, so shhhhh…..
PS: i’ll be back tomorrow with a sweet idea for a newborn baby in your life… xoxo
February 29, 2008
these dresses are for my best friend’s sweet baby Amelia… we call her various renditions of sweet angel garden fairy princess because she really is. wait till you see her (click amelia’s link to be cutiepatootied)!!!!!
if you like my work, visit my new pricing page for more info! xo, jess
February 27, 2008
Isn’t it nice to have cute things to hold your stuff in? What I mean is, I love to make fun things that make functional items more interesting. Like this business card case, for example:
I found the idea in Country Living Magazine and modified it a little to suit my needs. They suggest repurposing a vintage postcard, but since I didn’t have any of those lying around I just used a cute notecard I had received. Have fun making one of these as a gift card case or simple men’s wallet too!
February 22, 2008
you’ll have to cut me a break on the sheer shabbiness of this knitting needle case b/c
a) i didn’t refer to a pattern, and,
b) i committed to using recycled products in honor of the environmentally friendly recipient…
but it is a very special project for a few reasons…
a) the outside was my son’s favorite swaddling blanket (amy coe, anyone?)
b) the thread i used to hold it together was from my grandmother’s stash,
and
c) it is for my sweet sister who requested it.
February 22, 2008
my baby girl turned 5 years old last month, and since she loves to twirl, i figured another twirl skirt & matching shirt might be in order. i followed the wonderful tutorial on houseonhillroad.typepad.com for the twirl skirt, and appliqued a gigantic number five & a cupcake on the shirt.
the main skirt fabric is something from my stash…
i used various scraps to come up with the cupcake applique…
and it was a huge hit!!!!!!!!!
