Friday randomness

I have just had a lovely online chat with my brother where I heard about his new girlfriend and we geeked out over camera gear.We almost always communicate online these days. How about you? Are you using the computer instead of the phone to connect with people?

The three older kids and Kenny or enthralled with the season premiere of Star Wars:the Clone Wars cartoon. My husband likes to tell me how the cartoons are way better than any of the newer Star Wars live action movies. I tend to tune out after the first 5 seconds of him telling me this every time, but I do agree that the cartoons are better. It wouldn't take much though to be better than those movies. I think eating melba toast while watching paint dry would be much more entertaining than being forced to watch Star Wars episodes I,II or III. 

So anyway, they are enthralled with Star Wars and I am enjoying a Blue Bell fudge bar while surfing the net. I just looked to see what parts of the country Blue Bell is available in. Oh my goodness! A lot of the country is missing out! I love their website design too. I tend to like more visual representation of categories myself.

Anyhoo, here are some things I found this week that either made me laugh, cry, or dream up a new project. Just what I need...

I have wanted to do a crochet project for a while and even bought an adorable booty pattern on etsy when I was preggo with Deke but once I actually read the directions, I got a headache and never went any farther lol. of course my friend Emily actually used the pattern and the booties turned out to be so cute!

So I've been seeing these adorable zig-zag or chevron patterned crochet blankets everywhere and I want to make one. Here's one I saw on Anna Maria Horner's blog and here's a tutorial I found on making a Ripple blanket  

The newest edition of LMNOP is out. It has some fabulous pics of kids spaces including this unbelievable room with built in bunks. With all these boys, I would love to have a room with built in bunk beds.

I have to make a Belle dress for halloween for Claire and found this adorable Belle dress tutorial from crafterhours. Too cute!

Kathleen Fasanella from Fashion Incubator had an interesting poll and post on what makes a good design. It comes down to what sells profitably. This is a reality that explains my entire excursion into design and selling boutique childrens' clothing on ebay. That's a long post for another time...

This guy seriously needs to cut down on his caffeine intake lol

I do not understand why Gretchen is never in the bottom. Seriously. Jackie O would not be caught dead in that. I thought all the designs were pretty hideous though. Mondo's was the closest though wild in color and pattern. I do appreciate that he lined the jacket in a contrasting fabric. I love details like that.

I would love to make Deacon a Gnome costume for Halloween but I don't think he'd keep the pointy hat and beard on...

You might notice the link over on the right to the Kid's clothes week challenge. I really want to participate but boy I need to kick it in to high gear because I have my sewing stuff all torn up because I've decided to purge and only keep what I can fit into one armoire. Yes I'm crazy! But already going through my magazines and tearing out the pages i want to keep has helped me get rid of at least 60 magazines. Yes 60! So now I'm on a mission and there's no turning back.

Have a great weekend!

Comments

[Emily]

I never had Blue Bell until I moved to Texas; it really is amazingly delicious. We always had Kemps growing up (purchased in huge plastic gallon buckets... Mmmmm).
I read that post on Fashion Incubator, and while I do certainly agree that a lot of your stuff wasn't enough wacky enough to be 'in line' with the taste of the ebay shoppers, I do not agree with her statement that quality of design is entirely subjective. I think that fit and true quality are fairly objective; a person's preference might not be the same as what is objectively a good design, but that's just because that person hlikes looking like a cheap hooker! Haha.
P.S. The button I put on slightly crooked! My filthy windowsill! Aaaah! lol

[Lori Newton]

Hi Elizabeth:
I love the "j crew" dress! So cute! Did you figure out how to make the roses yourself or did you find a pattern somewhere?
Congratulations on the new little Scagel!
We don't usually have BlueBell in Kansas, but once in a while I see it in a big grocery store.
I am just sewing for neices and goddaughters these days. I still love doing it, but I don't have a little model anymore, and if I ever get Maggie to try anything on for me, she makes faces and says she hates the fabric--especially polka dots. Can you imagine anyone hating polka dots?!

[Lizzie]

Hey Lori! The roses are pretty easy. It's a long strip of fabric folded in half and gathered on the cut edge. Then you just start rolling and hand sewing the layers together. I made two versions of the dress. The white one for Easter and then a bright orange with hot pink roses. The orange one I used heavier quilting weight cotton and those roses held up so much better through the wash than the seersucker ones. Those held up but wrinkled badly after the wash and dryer.

I wish I could sew more but am pretty busy chasing all these kids around. I did sew 2 Halloween costumes but never posted them to the blog. I hope I can get some sewing in for Christmas. Thanks for the comment!