I was inspired by this pin, I liked the pin but it didn’t actually have any instructions so I made some up!

All you need is -

• One hoop of some size, I of course picked the biggest oval shaped quilting hoop.
• Cork sheet
• Fabric of choice
• Foam board
• Hot glue/ gun

I used the hoop as my guide to trace the cork and the foam board.

I glued the cork and foam into the inside hoop then stretched the fabric on top. Once you put the outside hoop on then turn it over and glue around the edge to keep everything neat and tidy.

After it was all together we needed some pins so I grabbed a cheep set of push pins and my jar of buttons and ta-dah!

I’ve been busy as usual but I have squeezed a teeny bit of sewing time in and this is what i’ve been working on.

My first Colette pattern the Sencha blouse!

I just need to purchase different buttons and hem her up!

Well my scallops aren’t wrapped in anything but I’m wrapped in them!

After my previous post about my ill fitting bodice I had to practice my least favorite stitch – the frog. “Rippit Rippit” I shortened the bodice by a couple inches, took in the sides by an inch or so and fixed up the darts. I nixed the pockets because they threw off the pattern on the skirt.

After all the work I am overwhelmingly pleased with my finished product.

Here is how the back of the wrap dress looks.

This boy and I rode our bikes over to a cute little historic square for these pics.

After all that work sometimes I start to wonder if sewing is worth it but once you get the exact finished look you were dreaming of how could you ever want to stop?

If you are like me then you are hopelessly addicted to the endless inspiration that is Pinterest. Recipes, craft ideas, home inspiration, outfits galore, and tons of tips and tricks. The list goes on and on.

I have found that I get so many ideas from the site but never do anything with them. So I decided I need to start using the information I’ve gleaned.

I decided to try a little home decor craft to start off. The original pin I saw was this one. 

The wreath was made by The Pretty Poppy who happens to be an Arizonan like myself! How cool well, Az is not usually cool but ya know what I mean.

So for less than $5 I made my own version to spruce up my front door.

I got the twig wreath at Michaels for about 3 bucks cus I had a coupon and then about 4 small sheets of felt in my desired color.

I started by cutting my felt sheets into circles using a CD as a guide for size. I then rolled them up keeping one side flat so that it could be attached to the wreath.

The finished little flower looks like this. You can roll up one whole circle for the bigger sized rosette or cut them in half for two smaller ones.

Once I got a few rosies going I started arranging them on my twig wreath and decided to do just a portion of the wreath instead of the whole thing like the inspiration pin.

Once I had all the roses I wanted I glued the last flap down to hold them tight and glued them onto my wreath. Once it was all done I picked some ribbon from my stash for hanging it and ta-dah!

I’m still not sure about the ribbon but it was the best that I had from the stash and it wouldn’t be difficult to change later on.

I think I’d like to bring more pins I’ve found inspiring and bring them to fruition!

Btw if you want to follow me on pinterest try here.

My apologies for my absence so soon after I promised to return. I had some technical difficulties including needing a new harddrive then some other more complicated stuff that went right over my head. So remember that dress I was making weeks and weeks ago.

I got the gist of the dress together and then tried it on and oops….

Looks like this one needs some more work… The bust and darts and waist are ALL wrong. Back to the sewing board!

On another note I also have joined the new SewWeekly crew. Who else is in?

So 2011 didn’t turn out quite as I would have expected but all things happen for a reason.

A lot of big things happened, like…

• Finished nursing school
• Got my own place ( a cute condo in Tempe)
• Got a major big promotion at work
• Met some super nice new people and had some very fun adventures

But I of course want 2012 to be even better.

I think my key for the new year will be learning. Exploring new ideas, hobbies, and experiences!

Here’s the first project of the new year.

What are your goals for the brand new year?

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I hope you are all snuggled in cozy scarves and sweaters, eating tasty cookies, and laughing with your friends and families.

I am headed off to church and to spend the day with the fam but I wanted to share a simple little gift I made for all the girls in the office this year for the holidays but is great for all year around!

When it comes to the holiday season I try to take advantage of all of the pumpkin pie and gingerbread scented and flavored items while they are available – pumpkin coffee, gingerbread muffins, pumpkin soup, the list goes on and on. So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew it was the perfect thoughtful yet easy gift to make. It’s a Pumpkin Pie sugar scrub!

The recipe -

2 Cups of Brown Sugar
1 Cup of Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Cup + 1 Tablespoon of Sunflower, Safflower, or Vegetable Oil (I used Safflower myself)

I found that pumpkin pie spice its kind of ridiculously expensive so I found you can just mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to make your own!

1. Measure 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger.
3. Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice or ground cloves.
4. Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
5. Stir to blend.
6. Makes 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

I bought a bunch of little canisters at Ikea and here’s how they turned out…

Now don’t you wish you lived here and were my friend?!

I’ve been using it in the shower and it makes the whole place smell so tasty for the whole morning! You must try it out!

Lot of love to you and yours on this holiday from me and mine!!

So remember when I said there would be a relaunch?

Well here she is!

And to kick things off I finally finished the dress I’ve posted about multiple times. A pretty navy striped dress for my lovely seester.

The dress is Butterick’s reprint 6582. I hated the shoulders and found my own much simpler way to do things. I love when it works out like that.

Here are a few more shots of her clearly enjoying her new creation.

And here she is with the Stig, my mom’s new kitten. Yes, we are big Top Gear fans.

Isn’t he the cutest little sewing helper? He’s holding down my next project pattern for me.

I am so grateful for anyone who is left reading this thing and I hope you stick around while I clear the cobwebs. Thank you for all of your patience!