Happy Halloween!

This isn't a post about money. Strictly about crafting. I know some of you appreciate that part of the blog so I thought I would keep up with it, mainly because I really love hearing what you have to say and it's nice to have someone to share these things with. Around here lately, as you know, we've been really busy. Part of that busyness involves a LOT of unfinished craft projects. I never know which one to pick up when I have some time. It's almost overwhelming. First up:

This is going to be a "happy birthday kedzie" banner. For those of you who might already know this, I'm a bit obsessed with a blog called soulemama. She is full of amazingly crafty ideas, photography is lovely and, someday, I hope to be a homeschooling mama of four children. Check her out, she's inspiring. Anyway, I recently acquired her new book Handmade Home. It's full of awesome ideas. This first one is her banner idea. I found an old wool blanket at our goodwill clearance store, for probably $1.50/pound. Awesome. I'm slowly appliqueing each letter of happy birthday kedzie onto the little rectangles I cut out of the blanket. Slow going, but I absolutely love sitting around and hand appliqueing. I think I'd like to try hand stitching a quilt someday. I'm hoping to be finished by November 15th, when my mama group and I are having a joint birthday party for all the babes. 8 babies. Tons of fun!

Second:

a new envelope in the works. I'll explain more once I finish it!
Third:

a quilted advent calendar. You can download the instructions here. (You can also buy amazingly beautiful Christmas/Holiday fabric from her website: Sew, Mama, Sew.) I altered it a bit, because I didn't like the busyness of the original pattern, so I have way less fabric choices and I hand appliqued on each number. Sam helped with one number...it takes him a bit longer than myself. No judgement, just observation.

Last, in the spirit of Halloween:

the doll of the undead I mean, unfinished. Not too much about her, as she's going to be a gift and I don't want too much of the beans spilled. Here's the pattern, called Poppy Doll. (That bunny pattern might get purchased for some Christmas presents!) I did purchase the pdf...she's not a freebie. So far though, worth the bucks.

That's all of my crafting in a nutshell. Here's hoping something gets finished soon, as our house looks like a Martha Stewart whirlwind. Fun, but hard to get an 11 month old from grabbing needles, scissors and pins. He's fast!

Love, nicole.