Because, who doesn't need a stump?

First off I would like to say I have no idea where this idea came from... one day, a few months ago I decided I wanted to make a stump ottoman for Baby MAC's room... Why? I don't know. Anyway, I went through a lot of different ideas on how to do it - I even searched Etsy to see if it had been done already so I could get some ideas... unfortunately I totally struck out.... then I saw a post on Young House Love featuring a small storage ottoman they had bought at Target for a ridiculously cheap price and knew that was my best bet. I ran by Target and picked one up.

Fast forward a few weeks to my Mum's arrival and soon after that, the excessive amounts of wool roving I had asked her to pick up. I finally had all of my supplies in order and a slave to do my bidding... ahem I mean my lovely mother who is exceptionally awesome, talented and helpful.

We got busy collaborating on what I was wanting and then she got to work sewing the whole trunk together. So all I had to do was the fun stuff! How awesome is that?
We didn't bother taking a lot of in progress pictures... so here's the final product and a brief run down of how we accomplished it.

Using the cylinder ottoman, we recovered the whole thing with 100% wool suiting that we washed in hot water, sliced into bark like pieces and sewed together; leaving the seams exposed to give it the raised look. We stuffed it with poly-fill it to give it a trunk like shape.

I used wool roving to add in all of the detailing.
The inside is lined with a Joel Dewberry print.
I wanted to add a zillion more animals... but decided to stop and live with it for a while before doing anymore... I don't want it to be crowded!
MUSHROOMS! I can't wait to make more of these!
The leaves are cut from felt sheets and then the veins are needle felted in.
A little sneak behind the scenes of Mum cleaning it up for the photos.
Which of course she took and edited and handed to me to blog... because she is awesome like that.

It looks fantastic in the nursery... which is SOOO close to being done!

Jessica + Voile + Summertime Top = Cute

It’s been fun getting back into the groove of sewing. There were a few things I brought with me when we moved so I could have projects to do while waiting for my household stuff. One of the items was the Summer Time top pattern from Favorite Things. Another was AMH voile diamond mine in ink. I was hoping Jessica would like the combination and she did.

Of course, we had to put our own twist on things. She’s not a big fan of ties. I knew this, so I wasn’t surprised. We decided on buttons. I added a placket down the front on both sides because it was too small across the front. This is not her fault. The girl is tiny. I should have checked to make sure the pattern fit. I just started cutting to her normal size without compensating for some new attributes that she has acquired. I made the cap sleeves a bit shorter too.

I love the way it turned out. Voile is the perfect fabric for a top like this. 

Photo Shoot Part 2

You guys are all so sweet thanks for all the nice comments! Here's part two of the photos and then I will stop torturing you guys with pictures of me!

These were all taken in the little down town area of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island - which is about a 40 minutes north of us.

I LOVE this wall.
I think this one is my favorite!



Uber is so hot...and awesome because he humors me way longer than he should!
Holding yourself up when your front heavy is interesting... I love the pictures but if Uber and Mum hadn't been nice and helped me down I would have fallen over!

Mum did a FANTASTIC job I am so happy with all of the pictures and these were just a few of my favorites!

Back to crafting tomorrow... and it's a good one!

A Day in My New Life

Today I went on my first adventure by myself since coming to my new city. I was called up for jury duty. Crazy right? I mean I am almost 50 and this is the first time ever that I've been selected and I'm brand spanking new to the city. I know how it happened. I got my driver’s license here two years ago so as far as they know this is where I've been living.

I was seriously dreading this, for no other reason than I was going to have to be a big girl and drive myself someplace new. But it wasn’t bad. If you have nothing important to do, and don’t mind sitting around waiting it would be interesting to be called every now and then. I was fully prepared with entertainment (love my e reader and iphone!) so did not have the impatience for the situation that some people did.

When the day ended without me getting the chance to be chosen I was kind of relieved and kind of disappointed. I found it interesting that everyone in the court building treated the 500 or so of us there kindly, humorously and respectfully. We were told multiple times how much our time and cooperation was valued. Though I am sure they say that all the time, I really felt it was meant. My first encounter with the judicial system up close and personal was fairly positive.

After being dismissed I took the opportunity to walk along the river for a bit. I love looking at the bridges crossing the river between the downtown areas. I am not as keen about driving over them but this view is lovely to me. My new city has some very pretty areas that I can’t wait to explore.

Photo Shoot Part 1 - At the beach!

One of the things I really wanted was some decent pictures of Uber and me before Baby MAC makes his appearance. Just some fun pre-baby look at how fat and happy we are shots. So we've been dragging Mum around tormenting her... Or maybe Mum and I have been dragging Uber around and tormenting him... either way I may be the only one who has had fun with this! But since I want food every hour there were lots of rewards for them on our excursions!

Here are a few of my favorites these were all taken out at Jacksonville Beach.

Awe! Am I allowed to awe myself?
Mum chopped our heads off because Uber kept strangling me!
We are slightly heart retarded...
I know we are totally goofing off in this shot but this is my favorite! Of course we spend so much of our time goofing off that it isn't surprising I would like it the most...
This one is pretty awesome too though!
More tomorrow!

Bunting!

Here's one of several sneak peeks of the nursery...or nursery related items I'll be showing you over the next few days. We (read Uber) put the shelving up on the side of the closet... not that this is their final placement because we are still waiting on the dresser/changing table.... but it's pretty close.

I had planned on adding a thicker molding across the front of the shelving to hide the brackets... but I am SO OVER PAINTING so instead I decided to make some fun fabric bunting.

I'm totally loving it! Yes you can still see the uprights but the brackets have disappeared now and that's really what bugged me. And the bunting matches some other items in the nursery... which you will see later!

I also must mention that you have my awesome Mum to thank for ALL of the photography on my site the last few weeks... I have been making her take all of the pictures... I am SOOOO lazy!

P.S. Look at all of those adorable shoes!

Lovely Pillowcases

Another step in getting Jess ready for the hospital was to make her pillowcases. She was told to bring a couple of her own comfy pillows, but to be sure that the cases were distinctly hers.  Do you think these will work??

She had just a yard of her most favorite Mendocino fabric and a white cotton pillowcase. It was destiny.  It was magic. It was fun.  I did the planning and cutting, she did the sewing. 

For Jessica

One of the things I’ve been trying to do is help Jessica get ready to go to the hospital when Baby MAC decides to make his entrance. A couple of weeks ago we were looking high and low for an appropriate nightgown for the hospital.  There were specific criteria to be for it to be deemed appropriate. It had to be comfortable, easy for nursing and visitor friendly. Oh and not ugly.  We came to the conclusion that there was nothing that fit our standards. No thing.  Nada.  Then I had a moment. Ya’ll know the one. The one where I am brilliant. I said, “Jess, I know how to sew, it’s something I do. What if I made you a gown?” She told me I was brilliant and said yes please.  Actually I think she rolled her eyes and said took you long enough.  Anyway, I would of showed you this last week but I decided to go and get sick and make my very pregnant daughter wait on me hand and foot for two whole days.  I’m better but only because I got tired of all of the attention.

More later!

Thundercats

Remember Ubers cousin James and his wife Ashley? You've seen them a few times before on my blog most recently from our Memorial Day weekend trip. What I don't think I've told you yet is that they are also expecting their first baby in January- we found out in May when we visited them but we were sworn to secrecy... BUT not only can I tell you they are expecting I can also tell you that they are also having a BOY!!!! How exciting is that? Uber and I are stoked that Baby MAC will have a cousin (2nd cousin?!) so close in age!

So notice the awesome Thundercats shirt James is sporting in the picture above... it got LOTS of attention on our day trip into Atlanta from all sorts of different grown men. (I should add here I didn't know and still don't really what the Thundercats are all about) ANYWAY I was brainstorming something fun to send up to them and thought it would be awesome to make the boys matching Thundercats onesies...
Yeah I am pretty thrilled with the outcome! And Uber is totally stoked about it so I'm pretty sure James will love it to!
Something else a little crafty... With Mums expert help I was able to make a bunch of double sided fleece washclothes for the baby I love having someone around who is willing to read the manual on your sewing machine and tell you how to do things.
20 washclothes for less than $5 ... can't beat that!

Lots more baby stuff to come! I know you are SO excited!

More Beach

Starfish are hard to come by but some neighboring beach goers let us play with one they caught.

Mum is loving being so close to the water.
What is this? It's so small but we were pretty sure it was alive.
Mum holds things too! It kept suctioning on to her hand!
The beach is getting cooler... not by much but enough to make shell hunting much more pleasant!