CAN-CANdy Corn Skirt

Candy corns at EASTER? Oh my . . .

That's right. We do things a bit different around here. To me, candy corns are all sunshine and gold, baby chicks, creamy Cadbury centers and all that good Easter/spring stuff.

How better could I spend the wee hours of the morning than by sewing miles and miles of buttery, golden, candy corn colored chiffon ruffles?

This guy coordinated perfectly in his yellow polo and orange undershirt. Here he is, sporting that classic IAN grin.


Lilly knows that, when surrounded by a house full of boys at grandma and grandpa's gigantic Easter bash, she has to be that much more girly to balance the snakes/snails/puppy dog tails.

I think she managed just fine.

Dana of MADE fame, your CAN-CAN skirt pattern is fabulous. We hope you like our CAN-CANdy corn twist on it!

How was your Easter, blog friends? Any candy corns?

Filmstrip Frames & Project Peek

Elizabeth Kartchner seems so effortlessly creative, doesn't she? (don't know her? she's a scrappin' goddess). Anywho, today on her blog she featured a set of photos framed in a filmstrip. Got me searching on Google for a filmstrip of my own, and directions on how to use it.

If you'd like one too, this site has a free download, plus directions. Played with it today, dropping two strips into each 4 X 6 doc in Photoshop and sent these off to SAM's for printing (only 53 cents total!):

Tonight I cut them apart and started on a new project--a little sampling of some of my sewing goodies. Here is a sneak peek. You can see the filmstrip in the top right of the photo.

Check back tomorrow for the finished project. Have a happy day!

For Betsy

Local favorite: F M Store for amazing deals on fabric and a huge selection of fringe, FRINGE, FRRIIINNNNGGGGE. Beaded, jeweled, tasseled, feathered, shabby, sleek -- they've got the fringe. Find F M Store at the corner of Fremont and Sunshine.

Ian, Lilly and I made a quick trip there today and, between the children dragging out every princess and superhero bolt of fabric imaginable (note to F M: please move character fabric off bottom shelf), I picked out these lovelies:

For what, you might ask? My super chic friend, Betsy, has asked me to make a fabric sleeve to house her wedding photo album. I got to work tonight and sketched out some plans on this torn out catalog page (recycle). No pattern for this one -- but I've got a plan!

I love my life. Really, I do. Nathan, Ian and Lilly, my wonderful parents, friends, Mac computer, etc., are mostly to credit for this. But, also . . . I try always to have some creative project going all the time. It keeps life fresh for me.

Hope you'll keep visiting my blog to see the finished product.

In the meantime . . . start something today. Keep life fresh.

I Like to Make Stuff

Simplicity pattern #7229 and I have made a decision: Skirts will be my summer fare this year. Mom says before kindergarten I refused to wear anything but skirts and dresses. I still prefer a skirt to shorts or jeans, and, lucky me -- Simplicity 7229 agrees. It promises a new skirt in just one hour. I made two this weekend, and trust me, they didn't happen in an hour (oh well). But, if you'd like to try your hand at sewing, this pattern is very simple and would be a good starting place. Just email me if you get stuck.

Meanwhile, I'll be wearing one of my 7229's to Silver Dollar City tomorrow . . .

It's a Generational Thing

Recently I made my first, official, start-to-finish quilt. Quilting was practically a religion to my Ma-maw Huey, and she instilled in me a great respect for the craft. Ma-maw once told me two ladies in her quilting circle at the senior center got into a fist fight over one's stitches being too far apart on a quilt the group was putting together. When I broke into hysterics over the thought of women in their 70's resorting to violence, Ma-maw's face became serious and she let me know it was not funny.

Like I said, practically a religion.

My mother, sewing-extraordinaire-and-perfectionist-extreme (in a good way), taught me to sew. I cannot count the times she has arrived at my door and delivered me from my latest sewing catastrophe (think 'monkey Halloween costume debacle of 2007', mom). She is a gifted, amazing seamstress, and my plan is for as much of her talent to rub off on me as possible!

When I sew on my wonderful Bernina inherited from Ma-maw, using sewing supplies mostly given to me by mom, it means something special to me every time. Seriously. History is significant to me, and I feel each project is a way to say "thank you" to Ma-maw and mom. It's my way of making a statement that what is important to them is also important to me, because of them.

Here are some photos of one of those "thank you" projects, a baby quilt for a friend who was having a girl. I am currently working on a similar quilt for a baby boy.

How do you say thanks to past generations? In what ways do you quietly honor them?