Showing posts with label Handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Handmade. Show all posts
Friday, January 13, 2012
January 12th, 2011- 365 Photo Project
My love for homemade goes beyond just love....it could be considered an obsession. I want to make everything....EVERTHING!!! With this includes learning a lot of different skills. One would be crocheting and knitting. I hear knitting is hard...so we are starting with crochet. My aunt who is amazing with crochet is teaching me. So far I am a pro at the first chain! Which isn't hard at all! With time I am hoping to be making lots of different things and of course will be sharing it on here.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sewing and Menus
One of my goals this year was to get more comfortable with my sewing machine. Doin' it and lovin' it! I haven't gotten too fancy with the machine but I feel pretty comfortable with the few projects that I have done. It feels pretty darn awesome to be able to create my own things even if they aren't perfect. But I actually love the imperfections in my creations. In my eyes they are perfect and in my dreams my grandchildren will think they are perfect too.
My latest creation was my Christmas tree skirt. I found one I loved online but it didn't have any kind of tutorial. So I asked my aunt if it was doable and she said it would be pretty simple. I went to her house two days in a row and got it done (with her amazing help of course and two kids in tow)! My husband was out of town with our camera, so unfortunately I didn't take any pictures except for afterwards!
Since I don't have any fun pictures to go along with this.....I will share a short version of how I made my tree skirt. It was pretty simple!
-Using two yards of burlap, I cut out a 50 inch circle with a slit and circle in the middle.
-I then cut out some muslin to match the burlap in size. I then pinned the burlap and the muslin together.
-I wanted a ruffle, so I took some soft scrim style fabric and tea-stained it. Then I took the fabric and pinned it between the burlap and muslin.
-With all those pins in place, I sewed the edge of the circle, slit, and middle circle together leaving about a 6 inch gap.
-I then turned the fabric inside out through the gap and GASP......a tree skirt. It was exactly how I wanted it.
-I then added some strips of satin ribbon to the slit for ties and sewed up the gap.
It isn't perfect but it is definitely perfect for me and I love it! I can't wait to start sewing more things and especially my own children's clothes. A HUGE goal of mine! What a better way to be sustainable then to make my own children's clothes! There is just something about putting your own time and sweat into something you use and wear! The sewing machine can be a bit intimidating but I will share more of my creations (and difficulties) as I get braver with the machine.
Here are some pictures I took of the skirt after it was all done.
I am posting my menu SUPER late this week. It is a busy time of year but I still wanted to share some dinner ideas for you all! My Christmas week menu will be up on Monday! Even with all the temptations this time of year we are doing our best to eat organically and as healthy as possible. But we are still enjoying some pretty delicious food!
MENU:
MON: Whole wheat spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce and a green salad
TUES: Garlic Tilapia Pasta (used less butter and less spice)
WED: Veggie stir fry over brown rice and Egg Drop Soup (We used veggie broth instead)
THURS: My husband's work Christmas party
FRI: Snowman Pizza and green salad
SAT: Baked salmon, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli
SUN: Leftovers and a big green salad
Peacefully,
Alyson
Memories are stitched with love. ~Author Unknown
My latest creation was my Christmas tree skirt. I found one I loved online but it didn't have any kind of tutorial. So I asked my aunt if it was doable and she said it would be pretty simple. I went to her house two days in a row and got it done (with her amazing help of course and two kids in tow)! My husband was out of town with our camera, so unfortunately I didn't take any pictures except for afterwards!
Since I don't have any fun pictures to go along with this.....I will share a short version of how I made my tree skirt. It was pretty simple!
-Using two yards of burlap, I cut out a 50 inch circle with a slit and circle in the middle.
-I then cut out some muslin to match the burlap in size. I then pinned the burlap and the muslin together.
-I wanted a ruffle, so I took some soft scrim style fabric and tea-stained it. Then I took the fabric and pinned it between the burlap and muslin.
-With all those pins in place, I sewed the edge of the circle, slit, and middle circle together leaving about a 6 inch gap.
-I then turned the fabric inside out through the gap and GASP......a tree skirt. It was exactly how I wanted it.
-I then added some strips of satin ribbon to the slit for ties and sewed up the gap.
It isn't perfect but it is definitely perfect for me and I love it! I can't wait to start sewing more things and especially my own children's clothes. A HUGE goal of mine! What a better way to be sustainable then to make my own children's clothes! There is just something about putting your own time and sweat into something you use and wear! The sewing machine can be a bit intimidating but I will share more of my creations (and difficulties) as I get braver with the machine.
Here are some pictures I took of the skirt after it was all done.
MENU:
MON: Whole wheat spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce and a green salad
TUES: Garlic Tilapia Pasta (used less butter and less spice)
WED: Veggie stir fry over brown rice and Egg Drop Soup (We used veggie broth instead)
THURS: My husband's work Christmas party
FRI: Snowman Pizza and green salad
SAT: Baked salmon, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli
SUN: Leftovers and a big green salad
Peacefully,
Alyson
Memories are stitched with love. ~Author Unknown
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Conscious Gifting and Menus
One of our goals as a family is to make a difference in this beautiful world and our local community. During the holidays I feel like there are more opportunities to strive for this goal. One of ways we work towards this goal is the way we buy gifts. This year we made 4 guidelines on our gift giving. We must buy gifts that are either......
1. Local
2. Handmade
3. Eco-friendly
4. Educational (books)
In our world at this time I believe that we need to be way more responsible for our consumerism and our footprint on this planet. By buying locally we are keeping the dollars in our community and during these tough economic times we need this more than ever. Really there are a few hundred reasons why buying locally or handmade is better for our country, planet, and ourselves. Some of the reasons why my husband and I have decided to do this are.....supporting our local small businesses and artists, lessening our carbon footprint by buying things that are NOT shipped from over seas, staying away from toxic plastic yucky toys and gifts, and buying/making things that are unique, thoughtful, and with LOVE. I am also making a few handmade gifts myself which I am having a ton of fun with.
Now, I must say that I did buy a couple clothing items that were not from a local store or locally made. Which was kind of a bummer but I needed to get these items and the sale was amazing! BUT I do feel like I am doing an awesome job with the rest of the gifts. I'm making the right steps and maybe in a few years I will be making my own clothes or shopping all local. Plus, small steps will make it easier to achieve my big goals in the future. Taking the steps towards my goal of conscious gifting and sustainable living is what feels right to me and I am glad we are doing this.
There are a couple items that my son is wanting for Christmas that we really want to get him and that I am hoping we find locally. One being a telescope. There are a couple locally owned toy stores in our area that I will check out first. The other being books. Of course I will buy any books I can through our local bookstore. We also look for eco-friendly options instead of plastic yucky toys. Now a days, you can find lots of toys made out of recycled plastics or non-toxic materials and I hope to find these at a locally owned store as well. This has been an extremely fun challenge for us, one I hope we do year round when thinking about gifts for people.
Have you thought about conscious gifting this year?
For fun, I posted pictures from Christmas last year!
On to this week's menu. Which is a little sparse since we will be out of town a few nights.
MENU:
MONDAY: Spaghetti bake with mushrooms, olives, and broccoli
TUESDAY: Veggie Stir fry over brown rice
WEDNESDAY: Leftover and a big salad
THURSDAY: Out of town
FRIDAY: Out of town
SATURDAY: Out of town
SUNDAY: Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms
For more meal plan inspirations, visit I'm An Organized Junkie every Monday.
Peacefully,
Alyson
"May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!" -Author Unknown
1. Local
2. Handmade
3. Eco-friendly
4. Educational (books)
In our world at this time I believe that we need to be way more responsible for our consumerism and our footprint on this planet. By buying locally we are keeping the dollars in our community and during these tough economic times we need this more than ever. Really there are a few hundred reasons why buying locally or handmade is better for our country, planet, and ourselves. Some of the reasons why my husband and I have decided to do this are.....supporting our local small businesses and artists, lessening our carbon footprint by buying things that are NOT shipped from over seas, staying away from toxic plastic yucky toys and gifts, and buying/making things that are unique, thoughtful, and with LOVE. I am also making a few handmade gifts myself which I am having a ton of fun with.
Now, I must say that I did buy a couple clothing items that were not from a local store or locally made. Which was kind of a bummer but I needed to get these items and the sale was amazing! BUT I do feel like I am doing an awesome job with the rest of the gifts. I'm making the right steps and maybe in a few years I will be making my own clothes or shopping all local. Plus, small steps will make it easier to achieve my big goals in the future. Taking the steps towards my goal of conscious gifting and sustainable living is what feels right to me and I am glad we are doing this.
There are a couple items that my son is wanting for Christmas that we really want to get him and that I am hoping we find locally. One being a telescope. There are a couple locally owned toy stores in our area that I will check out first. The other being books. Of course I will buy any books I can through our local bookstore. We also look for eco-friendly options instead of plastic yucky toys. Now a days, you can find lots of toys made out of recycled plastics or non-toxic materials and I hope to find these at a locally owned store as well. This has been an extremely fun challenge for us, one I hope we do year round when thinking about gifts for people.
Have you thought about conscious gifting this year?
For fun, I posted pictures from Christmas last year!
 |
| These last two photos are my favorites. On the left, Ayden is hugging on my aunt and uncle's doggie! On the right, he is on the rocking horse that once was my mother's and all her siblings. It is still being enjoyed in the family! |
MENU:
MONDAY: Spaghetti bake with mushrooms, olives, and broccoli
TUESDAY: Veggie Stir fry over brown rice
WEDNESDAY: Leftover and a big salad
THURSDAY: Out of town
FRIDAY: Out of town
SATURDAY: Out of town
SUNDAY: Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms
For more meal plan inspirations, visit I'm An Organized Junkie every Monday.
Peacefully,
Alyson
"May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!" -Author Unknown
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)