Cupcake Snack Mat and Thoughts

What do you think of the new blogger?  I'm not sure if I like it myself.  Maybe because I haven't gotten used to it.  Third post since they changed over and I still have to hunt to find the right place to click!

Finally found time to sew...I've been baking and baking and baking...and eating and eating and eating!  I have been having a LOT of fun learning all about baking and making cakes in preparation for my daughter's birthday.  I say to those around me that it's "in my blood", as my Grandmother was an avid baker.  She passed away when my oldest daughter was just a baby, I was only around 20, during a tumultuous time in my family.  Lots of conflict and disconnection that occurred due to events that happened long before I was born.  All things happen for a reason and while the separation may have been necessary at the time, it leaves me wondering if my interest in baking somehow is inherent from my Grandmother.  I would have liked to pick her brain of all her baking knowledge. 

My Mother has taught me a lot and definitely instilled a love of cooking in me and I definitely believe my passion for sewing is a direct result of the hours I spent listening to the sound of her sewing machine as a child.  To this day the smell of starch and the sound of steam from an iron bring me straight back to my youth.

These days I have more hobbies than I know what to do with.  Baking is the latest obsession, but my all time passion aside from my family is quilting.  I don't think anything will make me quite as happy as quilts do.  I am having a good time ticking off the list of each new creative endeavor I find myself suddenly emmersed in however.  But in the end they always lead me back to quilts.  Like cakes...cupcakes even.  I have been dreaming of cupcakes and what do you know?  Somehow my two little hands produced not a cupcake...but a quilted cupcake...isn't that a peculiar thing?  :)

Test Cake - Done!

Here's a sneak peak for my parents of the test cake...it's a little different than the actual cake I'm planning...this turned out well though so I really hope the actual cake turns out this good!!!  :)

Wait, I thought this was a Quilting Blog?

I was posting away pictures of my latest project on Facebook this morning and a friend asked me if I blog...why yes, I blog, and as a matter of fact I didn't post any pictures on it of my new project yet!!!  Well, before I do I have to apologize to the current 169 subscribers through Blogger and whoever else might be reading...this post has nothing to do with quilting even though this IS technically a quilting blog.  Quilting is my passion...it tops the list of my all time favorite things to do next to cuddle with my three children.  (That's number one.)  Problem is I have something like 879 other hobbies that are really fun too!!!  I love anything creative.  (Like blogging.)  I like to write, I like to read, I like to talk, I like to make things, I like to grow things...I especially love to EAT things!  (Usually food.)  So I apologize to those of you who came here looking only for quilts...because I am having a harder and harder time keeping my mouth shut about all the other things I'm doing!  (Facebook and blogging become necessities when a stay at home Mom...stays at home.  What did stay at home Mothers do before the internet?  Drink?  Lol*)

Anyhow I've been busy.  I should be busy working on a pillowcase dress for my Husband's Aunt but I had to do an experiment first.  A cake.  A CAKE!!!  My littlest is turning one!  My cake lady is having a baby and pretty much out of commission for the year so I'm on my own.  I do have a back up...but you know I'm also cheap as heck (I must be with three kids at home) so I had to try to do it myself before going to someone else. 

The theme is...well...duh...Disney.  A particular mouse who dons a bow, usually polkadotted.  Here's a couple of progress pictures...

I made a four layer cake and it's been chilled in the fridge.  Now I'm off to attempt to cover it in fondant.  Woohee!!

Sewing and Random Thoughts

Still having fun making dresses.  I made this little pillowcase dress and diaper cover set for Etsy...and I actually listed it!  I wanted in the worst way to swipe it for my youngest but I used a little self control.  Lol*  I forgot to take pictures of the princess dress I made my middle daughter...she decided to wear the new one instead of the one I made the other day and posted on here...the new one has actual princesses on it...therefore in her eyes, it was MUCH better.  Lol*  :)  She had a wonderful time at the princess party and was thrilled to wear her little dress.  I must tell you I was a little envious of some of the pretty new sparkly dresses some of the girls wore...but my daughter looked just sweet as could be and it made me happy to see the other little girls excited to point out the princesses on her dress and she felt perfectly comfortable and "in" with the group.  :)

Oh I truly wanted for this to be a longer post but the baby is crying.  Princesses come before blogging.  Lol*  :)  I will write some more later.

A Summery Summer Dress :)

Oh my I am having so much fun making dresses!  I can tell you I'm a pretty horrible sales person though...here's why...this little dress began as something I was going to put on Etsy.  Of course, midway through I decided I couldn't part with it because it would look SO cute on my littlest daughter!!!  Yep.  Savvy entreprenour I am not.  Mild hoarder?  Yes probably.  :)  But my baby girl is gonna look SO darn cute!

Here's what I made her...

I made the little hair bow to match, I think it looks adorable clipped on the dress but still perfect to put in her hair...and I made a diaper cover!!!  I don't know why I'm so thrilled with that but I am.  This was so much fun.  My poor quilts are missing me.  I have quilt guild coming up and...ohmygosh I'll have nothing to show.  LOL*  Pooh!  LOL*  Oh well.  I'm having fun.  ;)  Hope all of you out there in blogland are too!

...and another...

Just wanted to post my youngest daughter's top...it was going to be a pillowcase dress too but I cut it too short!  So, I paired it with a pair of shorts in her closet and she'll be all set.

Disney Dresses

I guess now I can say that miracles DO happen!!!  Lol*  I don't know what has come over me, but I have been bitten by the dressmaking bug.  Oh heavens.  I think my Mother about fell out of her chair when I called her for help!  In the past I always saw dressmaking as sort of tedious and boring...and with three little girls at home I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!  But in any case I'm sure glad that I have found some joy in sewing clothing for my children, and now I'm OBSESSED!!!  Move over quilts, you have competition!  ;) 

Here's what I made for my daughters...the Ariel dress is for my oldest to wear at Disney...my very first pillowcase dress!  This was SO much fun...I made this yesterday in between a TON of shopping and running around, so I can tell you they whip up in no time at all.  I made it longer for her because she is a bit older, and she's going to want to make sure everything is nice and covered and comfortable when sitting and riding rides.  I still may make a little pair of shorts to go underneath, I haven't decided.  If she wants to ride a carousel horse she'll need to be comfy too and in this dress that might be difficult.

 This one is princesses, sort of, and I made it for my middle daughter but not so much for Disney.  It was more of an experiment, to see if I could make it!  I didn't use patterns for either dress, I sort of just winged it.  The pillowcase dress is INSANELY simple so you definitely don't need a pattern for that...and this one I just made up as I went along.  I'm so happy with how it turned out!  My middle daughter has a princess themed party to attend in about a week...I cannot seem to find any of her old Disney princess costumes, so I think this will be an appropriate substitute!

 I found the most adorable buttons at walmart with pink castles, gowns, and crowns that say "princess"...but I decided just the lone stars looked best.  I just tied the ribbons on...I may change these in the future.  She wanted rapunzel but I couldn't find ANYTHING rapunzel to add to it, so she gets all the princesses.  Lol*  I'm really hoping at least one girl at the party comes in a party dress so Abbey won't feel left out!  I'm a little nervous about that.

 The crown was a $1 find in the bins at Jo-Anns and I found the septer at Dollar Tree...I think I may add some more princess ribbon to it and some dark purple ribbon so they match a bit more.

Yay, this was so fun!  I am off to get these girls ready for Easter breakfast with family and then come home to make more dresses!  Woohee!  :)