Back At It

I have failed at blogging from a mama's stand point. The last time I was here was 2011! Terrible I know. I have since had another little girl to dote on and sew for. With the sewing a flowing, I am going to change this blog over to a Sewing Image Gallery. And that means a name change! Grande's Threads will be few words and a lot of pictures. Let's show off some cute sewing projects. 

MLB Applique!

Ok, so I hate to admit it but I used to work at a Shell gas station.  It was 3 years ago before Charley was born and I hated the job. Except for the fact that I got to work with 2 of my best friends!  But really, the job tasks were awful and so were the uniforms.  We had bright red polos (mine was 2 sizes too big!) and gray polos (mine was stolen from the hubby -I was hired to replace him when he got his Big Boy job).  The only part of the uniform I liked though was a gray fleece.  It was a pullover style and they had our names embroidered on them. But it also had a huge Shell logo embroidered on it :( 

I quit working there when I was pregnant and planning our move, but I loved that sweatshirt so much I couldn't get rid of it.  And it had my name on it so it would be weird to donate. Who wants a sweatshirt with a red and yellow shell on it anyway... I decided to hang on to this awesome, warm fleece and see what came to me. 

Sidenote: I like the personalization you can do with embroidery and screenprinting.  But most of it is done professionally on machines. This makes it very difficult to remove even when you're actively trying to get rid of it.

Over the last 2 years, I've been picking at the Shell logo with a seam ripper. 

I only got HALF of it removed!

It was taking way too long and I can have a short attention span when it comes to projects.  So I stepped back and looked at it again.  What could I do to make it everyday wearable?

 I came up with this!

Perfect shape to cover what was left of the Shell logo.  My favorite team... The Milwaukee Brewers!

And... Simple enough to applique for a first-time attempt. 

Being my first time at trying applique, I used the tutorial here to get me through step-by-step. 

I traced the mitt-and-ball logo from my computer screen onto my fabric - which was free from my mom's stash of leftovers! :)

And used some Heat-n-Bond to iron the design onto my fleece. 

Then I just stitched around every piece. 

Be Patient!  Go Slow! It'll pay off in the end. 

 I'm not a very patient person and mixed with inexperience, it's noticeably wonky in places.

But I'm glad I have something to wear to those early spring games when it can be chilly.  And at a fraction of the price!



On Sale for $44.97



On Sale for $44.97

My price... only $6 for Heat-n-Bond and matching thread! Thank you Jo-Ann's 50% off coupons!



Linking up to:
Tip Junkie - Tip Me Tuesday
Sugar Bee Crafts - Take a Look Tuesday
Sew Much Ado - We Did It! Wednesday

1 year! Happy Birthday!

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of my blogging life.  I started off with the idea of using this outlet as a journal and baby book of sorts.  I should have known from past experience that I don't journal.  I've tried in the past to actually keep a journal/diary by my bed and write daily; it just never last long.  It would be great to write down thoughts and frustrations and celebratory days somewhere and be able to read them later.  The habit just never stuck. Just like working from home. I don't have the self-discipline to write everyday.  But I started up a blog just the same.  Low and behold, I didn't blog much so 2010 was a slow year.

In November though, I started getting alot of creative ideas/reading craft blogs.  This blog kind of transformed itself into a craft blog in a way.  I still write about Charley, but now it's more about what I make for her. And for our home.  (Foam crafts are right up my alley! Ha ha)

I'm glad to say that making this blog more crafty has helped me be more present with my family. I'm always thinking of ways to involve Charley.  And I know Jeff enjoys the sweet treats that we make!  Plus, I never really had a hobby and now I've found my niche.  I love to sew, knit, crochet, and repurpose/ upcycle furniture. Anything that makes me a happy mommy is good for my family, right?

Thanks to anyone who has stopped over to read my little slice of sanity.  The comments keep me going!

Cookies for Daddy

As a special treat for Jeff, we Charley decided that we should make some cookies. Sounds like my idea of torture fun! Who doesn't like getting dough everywhere and then having to clean up the mess myself.  I said "Oh, yes, let's".  And I just happened to have a bag of peanut butter cookie mix in the pantry.  Yay for cookies!

The first step of baking... wash your hands, of course!

Mixing the dough is hard with a spoon that is half your size!

She rolled most of the balls of dough herself.

They look so good! Hope Daddy enjoys them! 

Wedding Gift for the Toddler-Aged Daughter

Early in January, we had friends that were having their wedding reception here in their home state. I was so excited to look at B's registry because she loves to bake and cook. There were so many things that would make baking for their daughter R(who is Charley's best friend and the same age) so much fun. B even had some little aprons on the registry for R but I thought that I could make her one.  I hadn't really sewn much in the last decade, but I had started up again recently and had gotten a sewing machine for Christmas that had yet to be used.  I had 1 week until the wedding and a great idea in my head.  I didn't use any patterns or tutorials and just free-handed some shapes that would fit R. It was my first time doing ruffles and I wouldn't have it any other way.  R is a princess all the way, she needs a girly apron.  The sewing went without a hitch and I love the apron.   

 

R is a little bigger than my peanut and it's big so she'll be able to use it for a few years. But for now, it is full coverage.  Which is necessary for a 2 1/2 year old! No chance of getting her clothes dirty.  Oh, wait... she's 2 1/2. Wishing thinking...


Here are the link parties I'm joining this week!
       

Homemade Christmas Gift #3

OMGosh! I know I'm so behind on getting this one typed up, but you know how things can get! Life can just suck all the hours out of a day.

One of our Christmas traditions is for everyone to get new, snuggly, warm pajamas.  This was the first year that it made sense to include Charley so I set about making her some pajama pants.


We only open our jammies on Christmas Eve





Christmas Morning






 And made myself some to match. I can get away with matching jammies now because she's young and I'm going to take advantage of it while I can.  My mom and I had saved the fabric from a relative's house when she passed away so these pajamas were essentially free. Just had to buy some extra elastic!

I loved Christmas morning when we woke up in our warm flannel jammies to open the rest of our presents. 

Laugh until you Cry

Being a mom brings joy to my life everyday.  Yes, there are the hardships and sacrifices, but there are 2x as many enjoyable moments. 

Enjoyable and... FUNNY!!!!

Charley has a bedtime around 9:30pm (later than most, but it works for us!) and I'm usually tired after running around with her all day.  Well...one day last week during our bedtime ritual, Charley decided that she wanted to read to us instead of hearing us read.  Which was just fine with me because I was exhausted. So with Jeff lying on her left side and I lying on her right, she pulled out the book, opened it up, and started "reading".  At 2 1/4, she doesn't know how to read, but she can describe what's happening in the pictures.  The problem is that she has a limited vocabulary. So she starts throwing in sound effects and gibberish. 

This story of gibberish and "moo" and other oddities didn't mix well with my overworked, exhausted brain. I just lost it! I laughed out loud, tried to cover a giggle, accidentally let out a snort and was shaking the entire bed with my hysterics.  And she just kept reading!  Tears were pouring down my face and my gut hurt. 

But a family who laughs together, stays together... I love when we laugh and play as a family. It makes for a whole lot of enjoyable moments.


Linking up with Mama Kat and her Writing Prompts