entertain in style...

Wow, this blog is turning pretty random, huh?  I'm posting about all kinds of things on this one, but not very frequently, sad to say.

Sorry 'bout that.

Here's another random thing to post about -- our brand new entertainment center!

THAT.MY.HUSBAND.MADE.

Beautiful, huh?  That's the only kind of work my husband does.  :)

I kinda of don't even want to show you what kind of set up we had before he got this built.  It.was.ghetto, ya'll.  GHE -- TOE.

But to appreciate the beauty of what we have now, I have to show you.

Ugh.  Yes, that is 4 TV trays with various and sundry equipment, and I attempted to cover all the wiring by throwing some fabric over 2 of the trays.  That pretty much just served to ghetto-fy it even more, and collect dust.

The entertainment center we had before we got this nice TV (from my oh-so-generous parents) wasn't going to work so we had to quickly get rid of it and kind of "make-do" with something else until Jeff could get one built.

That was us, making do.

But look at us now!

a gardening progression...

Nothing to post on the sewing front right now, but I do have something house-related to post: my husband has decided to grow a garden this year!  Not a topsy-turvy garden, but a full-grown (no pun intended, ha!), raised-bed, in-the-yard garden.

He did a lot of research on the front end, about dimensions, irrigation options, seeds, etc.  Then he got to work in April putting his plan into action.  I'm pretty proud of him...

[the board he used to measure his beds out, then he spray-painted around the corners and edges to mark]

He decided he wanted 3 raised beds and then decided how much room between each bed, how far back in the yard, which side of the backyard, all that kind of stuff.  He really thought of everything, taking into account that eventually Deacon will be old enough to play catch so Jeff didn't want the garden to hinder throwing across the full length of the backyard...plus, we'll eventually have a shed out in the backyard, so he decided which side the shed would be on and left room for that.

I'm telling you, everyone says I'm the planner -- maybe I've rubbed off on him in a few areas.  :)

He got a strapping young man looking for some extra cash to come out and dig the sod out around the whole area so he could put mulch down around the beds -- he'd already thought of the issues with mowing around each bed and decided to just make one big rectangle.  Such a smarty-pants.

The next thing Jeff thought of was how to efficiently water the garden once he got his seeds planted.  His brother, Tim, and his wife, Leslie, were down the weekend of Easter and they helped Jeff put in his irrigation system.  He'd already had a line brought out to the garden from the spiget (sp?) on the back of the house so all he had to do was put in each line (4 lines per bed) and connect it all.  Each line has holes that drip water once the water is turned on...

See how the soil is dark in spots?  That's the underground irrigation system after it's been on for a little while.

I'm telling you, the man is BRILLIANT.

So now we wait.   And wait.  And wait.

About a month later (the beginning of June), this is what we have:

The very early stages of banana peppers, watermelons, sweet corn, pumpkins, cucumbers, green peppers, yellow squash and zuccini.  Oh, and we bought a tomato plant to put out there.  The banana peppers are in the hanging basket.  Also, he started some of the watermelons, green peppers and banana peppers inside in pods and then transplanted them after about a month.

And this is what we currently have, as of this very morning, June 18:

Look at that!  The first fruits of his labor!  It's crazy but there is a tiny little watermelon out there, about the size of a large marble.  But it looks exactly like a watermelon, with the stripes and everything.  Jeff says it will likely get to the size of a small basketball so we have a while before we can pick it.  :)

We're excited about the garden, but we're trying not to have expectations that are too high with this being our first year attempt.  We'll see how it goes and make adjustments as we need to for next year.  If there is a next year.  :)

I'm sure I'll post here and there as we get more growth and veggies popping up...

Home EC Class: Project 19

Full Apron

**Yep, I skipped another one -- project 18 was a laptop case and I do plan to do that one, but I need to get my materials for it.  UPDATE: posted here. **

Lessons learned:
   creating a rounded pocket
   creating binding
   customizing to fit your body

I really like how this project turned out!  The only thing I kind of messed up on was the measurements across -- the next one I make will be wider to come around my body more, but for my first apron and semi-piece of clothing type of sewing project, I'd say it was a success!

I think the color scheme is really cute, too.  The body of the apron is a fitted sheet (that was tagged as a flat sheet) and the tie and pocket details came from a pillow sham (I already had the green fabric I used for the sash).  I found both pieces in a local thrift store.  :)

Home EC Class: Project 17

Fabric Storage Cubby

**Yes, I skipped project 16, which was a ruffled duvet cover, for now.  I'm thrilled to be able to learn how to do something like that but I'm not quite ready to tackle something that large right now...**

Lessons Learned
   constructing a cube
   working with interfacing

Okay, so the plan originally was to build three of these little deals and use them for toys, etc. in Deacon's room.  I was going to have my husband build a simple 3-opening structure to house them and that would go underneath the window in the nursery.

However, I got all the panels built for ONE box and then I had the baby.  Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech.  No more sewing going on for quite.some.time.  I finally got tired of looking at the panels and got a hankering to move on to the next projects so I finished up the one and decided to use it as photographed above.  It works.  For now.

I think what delayed me in finishing this up (besides the obvious task of caring for a newborn that takes.a.lot.of.time. :) was that I didn't exactly follow directions in one particular section.  We were supposed to leave room on the edges to be able to just sew right up the sides and connect all the panels together.  I, um, didn't do that.  So I had to figure out a way to connect mine a different way.

I basically just tacked them together with thread at the corners and then tied a ribbon around the perimeter to minimize the gaps.  Obviously, there are still gaps (hence the reason we're not throwing toys in there), but they are minimized so my mission was accomplished there.

I was kinda bummed at how this one turned out but really, that's my own fault.  In the future, when I get around to using up the rest of the materials I purchased to make three of these, I will do things a little bit differently.

Christmas 2010...

Just as I took a break from posting house-related things to post sewing-related things, I'm taking a break from sewing-related things and going back to house-related things for a minute.

If you read one of my other blogs, Our World = Rocked, then you know that I've had our baby.  Deacon Josiah was born October 26, 2010, so we've had him for 8 weeks already!  Hard to believe.  Since he's been here, I've come to a screeching halt on the sewing thing.  I plan to get back to it at some point but it's not real high on the priority list right now.  :)

That being the case, I thought I'd post photos of what Christmas looks like at our house this year --

This year will be very different for us since we have our little one.  My mom & dad are exorbitantly excited to have another grandchild to lavish love on this Christmas.  It's been 6 weeks since they've seen Deacon, so they are ready for Christmas to get here already so they can get their hands on him.  :)  My brother, sister-in-law, niece and grandparents have yet to meet him and Christmas will finally allow that meeting so that will be an exciting time in the life of our family, too.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a blessed-beyond-measure new year!

Home EC Class: Project 15

Pillow Case with Piping

**You will notice that I've skipped a few more projects -- 12 & 13 were some type of clothing and as I said in my last post, I will not be attempting anything like that until after this baby arrives.  Project 14 was for a "plushie toy" and while that IS something I could do right now, I've not come across a pattern, etc. of something I'd like to make for Deacon yet.  Hopefully, I'll find something soon and be able to get that project done before he gets here.**

Lessons learned:
   adding piping to a pillow
 *adding straps to a pillow with piping

my straps...kinda proud of these :)

the rocking chair for which I made the pillow/cushion

see how well the fabric on the pillow matches the nursery decor?

I made this pillow case with piping with the idea of making it into a seat cushion for the rocking chair we have in the baby's room.  The beautiful chair is the one that my parents had in MY room when I was little.

*Since I didn't want the cushion to slide out every time we sat in the chair, I had to figure out how to add straps since that wasn't part of the tutorial.  I was pretty pleased with how they came out.  And how simple that idea was to incorporate.

I couldn't be happier with this project -- it was easier than I thought it would be considering we used piping, and the end result is just perfect!

Home EC Class: Project 11

Zippered Pencil Case

**If you noticed that I skipped project 10, I commend you on your keen observation!  :)  Project 10 was for hemming jeans and while I'm still in the present state of pregnancy (not to mention 7 weeks away from delivery!), I will be avoiding those projects that have anything to do with clothing until after the baby comes.  UPDATE: posted here.  **

Lessons learned:
   installing a zipper
   lining a pouch

closed...

open...

I was really looking forward to this project -- I think knowing how to sew in a zipper will come in quite handy.  I enjoyed this project, though, I did get a little frustrated about how my particular pouch wasn't quite so square (or rectangular, in this case) when I got finished, and also in trying to sew the other side of the zipper (with the particular instructions we were given), but everything turned out relatively okay in the end.

I think the old saying, "Practice makes perfect." will apply tremendously here.  :)

Home EC Class: Project 9

Reversible Bib

Lessons learned:
   piecing fabric
   using (or making) a template
   using double fold bias tape to finish edges

the front...

the back...

You would think that I'd be really excited about this project for the simple fact that I'm going to have a baby in 2 months, right?  Well, I was.  Until I got into it.

This project has actually turned out to be my least favorite so far.  Hard to believe I know, but there are several different reasons why that is:

1) I made my own template from a bib we already had in our baby's closet and though that wasn't so bad, I think it may have turned out a little small (and I know he IS going to start out pretty small, but I'm just sayin'.)

2) I made the straps too short -- they're supposed to be long enough to tie in a bow behind the baby's head.  As it is, I'm going to have to put some velcro on the very ends of the straps and even THAT may cause minor suffocation after a time.

3) The quilting didn't turn out near as well on this project as it did on the potholders.  Not sure if it's the fact that I used felt instead of batting for the padding, that I had striped material that wasn't all that even, that it wasn't a square piece of fabric that I was sewing on or that I sewed my quilting lines a little closer together this go-round so there were more of them, but whatever it was had me rushing through just to be DONE with this project.

4) The bias tape didn't go around my bib quite as smoothly has I thought it would or should and I don't know if that was because my bib was more squared than the bib in the instructions but I did my best with it.  It doesn't look too bad in the photos, but there a couple of quirky places if you look closely.

I really don't want to finish this post on a negative note so I will say that, though I'm glad to be past this project and not sure I'll attempt another bib, I did learn how to piece fabrics together and that wasn't too bad and also, even if the bib turns out too small for him, I can always turn it into a sign to hang on his doorknob or something.

Home EC Class: Project 8

Curtains (Grommeted)

Lessons learned:
   lining up a pattern
   double hemming
   spacing & installing large grommets

one panel, for our kitchen window...

I am SO EXCITED about how this project came out!  The grommets were so easy to put in (just snap in place after cutting out the circle -- no tools required).  I sewed just one long panel (instead of 2 like the instructions suggested) just because I was only doing a valance and I saw no reason to do 2 panels.  And I.am.in.love. with this fabric that I picked up at Hancock Fabrics!  It's a little pricey (but I did purchase it at 40% off :) but matches my dishes perfectly and I'm so pleased with how it looks.  It surprises me every time I walk into the kitchen.  In a fabulous way.  :)

I have a patio door to the right of these photos that I'm already calculating yardage for...

Home EC Class: Project 7

Quilted Potholders

Lessons learned:
   batting
   closing in a double-sided square
   blanket stitch

The tutorial for this project only instructed us to sew the parallel lines (shown on the printed side), called "quilting", I think.  And that was okay.  However, I saw another classmated do the square "spiral" design on theirs (in the collection of flickr photos we have access to) and I thought it was pretty neat-looking so I decided to give it a try on my 2nd one.

I like the look of the parallel lines and it was easier than I thought it would be to get them relatively straight but my beginning and ending w/backstitching turned out kind of messy (you can kind of see that in the 2nd photo above).  But I really like how the spiral turned out and it was much faster than the parallel lines because I didn't have to remove my needle until I got to the center/end.  The only thing that didn't turn out was that when I got to the center, on the backside (the printed side of that one)...oh, my stitching was horrendous.  I'm wondering if it was because the batting inside was just really thick there at the end.  Not sure, but I've decided to just use the orange side of that one, and the printed side of the other one.  :)

These potholders match the napkins that I made for Project 1 and just on a side note, we had dinner guests last night and I busted out my napkins for them.  First time in use -- I was so proud!  :)

Home EC Class: Project 6

Ironing Board Cover

Lessons learned:
   using old cover (or board) to create a cover for the new
   edge-finishing options
   elasticizing an edge
   calculating fabric required

close-up of my fabric...love it!  :)

This project came at just the right time.  Some of you know that my husband and I are getting ready for a baby due the end of October so we're having to change what used to be the guest room into what will be the nursery, and in the process, keep the full-size bed that was in the guest room so we'll still have a place to house guests who come to visit (the baby or the beach.  Or both. :).

To do that, my handy husband is building a murphy bed to encase the bed which will go in our other bedroom which is currently known as the "craft/computer/catchall room".  But not only is he building the murphy bed cabinet itself, he's adding shelving, etc. on either side to create a "wall" structure.  It's absolutely amazing (and nearly done, hooray!).  Anyway, one of the features he's building is a fold-out ironing board for me.

I have a full size ironing board right now that we store in the laundry room.  I hate ironing in the first place and it's so difficult to get out.  And it has this really ugly gray cover on it.  :)  This new fold-out ironing board will be so nice because it will be easily accessible and it has a beautiful, though not perfect, cover on it!  That I made!

I chose this fabric because it matches some other countertops in the room itself and when everything is complete, I'll post photos of it all and you can see for yourself.  I'm so excited about how this is all turning out.  :)

The cover was a good challenge -- we took the board that Jeff built and laid it on some thin kraft paper to make the pattern.  We went out about 3 inches from the board itself to allow for overhang, etc. and drew around and then cut it out.  Voila -- my first pattern!  :) Then I pinned the pattern to my fabric and cut.

As I said, the cover isn't perfect and I do need ironing board clips (like everyone else in the class has said) to create a more tight effect, but it's functional for now.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Home EC Class: Project 5

Supplies Roll-up

Lessons learned:
   creating sections (albeit uneven :)
   working with thicker material and heavier needle
   installing an adjustable strap

open with the flap closed...

open with the flap open...

open & filled with my sewing supplies...

closed (rolled) up...

closer detail of the ribbon closure...

It's cute, right?

I made a few modifications to this project:

1) I couldn't get my hands on oilcloth specifically (which is what the project called for though they said we could use a few other materials) without ordering some and I wasn't patient enough to wait for it so my (wonderful) husband picked up some vinyl for me at Hancock Fabrics.  It worked just fine.

2) I couldn't find O-rings very easily so I chose some (too large) D-rings that worked.

3) I didn't have any matching ribbon that was 1" thick but I had this really cute ribbon "that matched and everything" so I decided to use 2 strands of it.  THAT was a challenge.

As was sewing the straight lines to form the sections inside.