Tutu Skirt

Everyone is making these tutu skirts, and they are absolutely too cute. I LOVE the pettiskirts, and have seen several different tutorials for them, but I know myself too well, and I would be ready to throw my machine out the window if I attempted one. So I decided that the tutu skirt would do just fine. I found a video tute on You Tube. These are super simple to make. I made this one while the kids were napping yesterday.  S.R. will be wearing hers for her birthday. I plan on appliqueing a t-shirt I found at Target the other day for $1.50 to match the skirt. I also got her some cute leggings. She isn't really pumped about wearing the tutu, probably b/c it's so stinking bulky, but she looks like a doll in it....so she's wearing it:o) I think I will let her play in it a few times before the party so that she will be used to it. Tell me what ya think...have you guys tried to make one yet? I would love to see your pics. I am thinking about adding some embellishments. I am dying to try to make one of those gi-normous flowers as a hair bow to match it. Any advice?

Super Cape...for S.R.

About a year ago, I made E a Super Man cape. He wouldn't touch it. He didn't like anything on his back or neck...we're just now getting him to wear clothes at home:o) (I say that, and I just saw both of my children run upstairs in their skivvies) Anyway, when little sister started showing some interest in the cape, he began to wear it. You know that little thing called sharing? Well it happens on rare occasions in  this house, so S.R. needed her own cape. All the fabric that I used was on hand. Like the left over fabric from her curtains(yeah, I know, it seems like I have used that fabric in SOOOO MANY projects..I'm trying to get rid of it!) I used another coordinating fabric as well. I used E's cape as the pattern b/c somewhere along the way I lost the other pattern I made. I cut out the emblem using the white fabric, and I embroidered her name on it. That was almost a pain....my machine only embroiders in a 4x4 square and I wanted her name big. Let's just say that I ALMOST have the lining up of letters mastered. Anyway, after appliqueing the Super Man emblem onto the top fabric, I joined the front and back together, leaving the shoulders open, flipped and sewed on some quilt binding with a little velcro on the ends to make it easy to get on and off. She was in love with it. She has been showing it off to E which makes him want to go grab his...I have two little super heroes running around in true super hero form...in their undies;o)

The New Federal Mortgage Rules.

A quick post from my holiday.

The new Federal Mortgage Rules, which are the worst kept secret in the country, are likely to be announced tomorrow by Minister Flaherty.

There is lots of analysis on the net, see Vancouver Condo Info for a quick summary.

Here is my 2 cents. In one sentence..

Too little too late.

Lets think about it. The BOC and drop rates to the same level as near bankrupt countries like the US, even Europe which is in worse shape didn't drop that low. Then the Government increases the CHMC borrowing capabilities, doubling it, despite what happened in the US with Freddie and Fannie and sits back while folks are pulling out 95% of their equity or buying with 5% down and then say..

"Where did this housing bubble come from??"

" What's that? If I mix gasoline and tinder and add a match we get a big fire... wow I didn't know that"

It came from the policies, of encouraging debt and speculation and absentee owners, and all back-stopped by the tax-payer.

Anyway these changes are more important for their optics than their effect. Everyone is now saying we are in a bubble and this needs to be dealt with.

Of course if we were serious, we would shutter the CHMC for six months too. that's what the Chinese just did. They told their banks to just stop lending to try and break the bubble in Shanghai and Peking.

Imagine if we stopped CHMC-backed mortgages and banks had to lend high leverage loans on risk to their own balance sheets. And imagine those same banks were told, that losses which lead to policy change (bail-outs or fiscal accomodation) would lead to a complete change of the senior management...then we would see some real action.

However our politicians and bankers don't really want housing to return to a reasonable multiple of income, they want to show their clean hands and say.."We did what we could. It is all your own fault".

Easy Pillow Sham Tutorial

A few weeks back I made an extremely lame attempt to make shams for S.R.'s bed. I had some left over fabric from her curtains, and thought I new what I was doing. I was gettin' all crafty thinking I was going to put a ruffle on it...it turned out terrible. So for that amount of time, I have been trying to tuck and disguise my terrible sewing job...

 

I had some white fabric lying around, and thought...why not give the shams a try...again...now that I have had ample time to figure out how to really make them. I had some pillows stuffed in a closet that weren't fluffy anymore, so I figured I would just cut open a few and use those to stuff the shams.

 

I wanted to put her initials on them so that they wouldn't be just plain Jane shams...no offense to any of you Jane's out there;o) Anyway, I went to the computer, found a font that I liked (Elephant), blew it up to like 400 or so. I made the W slightly bigger. I ran out of fusible stabilizer, so I had to use what was on hand. The thick stuff that doesn't stick...oh well. I had to be extra careful. I used some more of the pink and white gingham and cut out the initials...just a reminder...if you have 2 pillows, you need to do this twice;o) I always forget to double up;oP....

Next pin the letters on the white fabric...making sure to keep them somewhat centered.  Sew, using a zig zag stitch.

After that is complete, put right sides together and sew around edges. I used a 1/2"-ish  inseam. Make sure to leave a whole to stuff the stuffing in. 

Clip corners and turn right side out. Press all seams flat. Stitch a line 2" from the outside edge, making sure to keep that hole open. Now it's time to stuff the sham. 

 

Put in as much or as little as you desire.  Take the sham back to your machine and close her up. You could hand sew these together, but I was feeling lazy:o)

 

And there ya have it....well, not yet...they seem a little nekked....

 

That's much better. I just tacked on some bows, and voila...lurve it! Wait a minute, one more thing...

 
 

There we go...Gotta have the full effect;o) I hope that this has inspired you to make some quick and easy pillow shams...have fun!

Have a Great Heart Day!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day. I am really looking forward to mine...Try to stay warm, since everyone I know will be experiencing some form of precipitation....

 

  

  

Butterfly Birthday

S.R. is going to be 2 years old in just a few short weeks. I have already been collecting stuff for the big bash. I decided to do a butterfly theme, just because...no real reason, other than I thought it would be sweet:o) I started making tissue paper pom poms today thanks to sweet Martha's help(and thanks to Deanna for pointing me in the right direction). I dreaded making them, but they were very simple. I have also cut out DOZENS of butterflies to use as decorations. I am going for a very whimsical look, and can't wait. I will definitely post the pics. Here is just a smidgen of what's to come:o)

 

The pom poms are in the background, and as you can see, there is all sorts of favors, decorations, and fun stuff. I haven't spent over $1 on anything accept the Elefun game(butterfly catching game) and it was $13.88 at Walmart.  Hubs is very proud, since I went completely over board with E's carnival party last year:o) Anyway, besides playing Elefun, there will be a Butterfly Salon where little girls get their hair done with butterfly hair bows(off which I intend to make), get their wings and a tutu skirt. Little boys will have their hair done funky and get bug wings, cape style(that I will also have to make).  I got some wooden butterfly cut-outs at the Dollar Tree that they will decorate and make into magnets. They also get to make necklaces, butterflies for girls, bugs for boys. I am so glad that my baby was almost a spring baby and that retailers always put out seasonal stuff 6 months before the actual season:o) Butterflies are very popular this year and I keep scoring every time I go out.

Picture Frame

Ok, I know I said that I was making this baby week, but I had to post this b/c I was so excited about it. Remember the coffee table makeover? The one I got from Goodwill for I think $7.50? Remember the ugly top that used to have glass in it? Well, we FINALLY got it finished and I am so pumped about the results. The Before.....

 

Blech! 

And the After....

 Ahhhh!

Here's how we got to the after...I have a gallon of black paint that will last me until my children go to college. Used that...2 coats. Went to Lowes and had them cut 4 panes of glass. The openings were 15x15...easy enough. Then over to Hobby Lobby. This was the expensive part. I had them cut out 4 mats with an 8x10 opening. That was $32:o( Wasn't so happy about that one, but I knew that I didn't want to put myself thru the frustration of trying to keep everything even and so I left it to the pros. Taped our sa-weet beach pictures in them...from LAST YEAR!  Next came the glazier points. You should probably put some form of backing between these and the mat board, but there just wasn't enough room, so in they went. Picture hanging wire on the back and there you have it. I love how it turned out. Now to find some cute shelves to go on either side:o)