October Paper Craft Calendar

Scout Creative just released their paper toy calendar for the month of October. I know it's still September but if you want to enjoy the calendar for the entire month, you might want to start making it now. Just between you and me, this is also a reminder for myself. Every month I plan on making the calendars and then I forget about them until it's the middle of the month *face palm*.

Knit Baby Doll Blanket

After I posted the chevron pattern a couple weeks back, I decided to put it to use and make a doll blanket. Well, in this case a lemur blanket. I just doubled the cast on to 88 and changed colors every six rows. I'm so glad to have it done (can move on to new projects). I was in a hurry to finish it so I was knitting all day. Unfortunately, now my hands feel like they're going to fall off. I think I need to do some kind of knitting hand stretches next time.

What have you guys been making lately? Has anyone started on Christmas gifts?

One Hexipuff down. . .

. . . only four hundred ninety-nine more to go.

After some consideration and a little cheering on (thanks Michele) I decided to purchase the Bee Keeper's Quilt Pattern by Tiny Owl Knits. I was surprised to discover the pattern is knit in the round which actually makes more sense (no sewing seams). The pattern comes with detailed directions on how to make the hexipuffs, how to embroider flowers on the hexipuffs and a how to construct the quilt. In my opinion, I think the pattern is worth the six dollars.

Short post today, I have some hexipuffs to make. Have a great weekend everyone!

I Heart Hexipuffs

Photo by Tiny Owl Knits via Mollie Makes

Have you seen The Beekeeper's Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits? I just recently discovered it and I am completely smitten with this quilt! It's composed of small knit hexagons (also called hexipuffs). It looks so inviting and comfy and just plain adorable. And with fall approaching, I just want to curl up on the couch and knit one. I think I'm going to have to buy this pattern. What do you guys think?

Want to learn more about the quilt? Stephanie Dosen, created a little video about her quilt here. You can also find the pattern for purchase at Tiny Owl Knits.

San Francisco Kite Festival

Over the weekend we attended the San Francisco Family Kite Festival. I found out about the festival through a site called Savy Cities. And if anyone is interested, the site is a great resource for finding things to do on the cheap. Or in this case free which is even better. The kite festival sounded fun so we decided to check it out. Here are few pictures from the day.

There was a booth set up for kids to make their own kites for free. My children must of played with the kites for a good half hour. They would have played longer but I had to pull them away for lunch.

Large puffer fish kite

This never made it up into the air. I'm not sure if it could fly or not. I still thought it was pretty cool. Random fact about me, I heart puffer fishes.

See that guy in the photo with the skateboard? He had a giant kite pulling him back and fourth which is apparently called extreme kite flying. Who knew? There were also some vehicles that looked like go carts but we didn't get to see anyone ride them.

So, what did you guys do over the weekend? Try anything new? Please share.

Missoni Inspired Chevron Knitting Pattern

Yep, that's me wearing one of the Missoni sweaters from Target. Just to get everyone up to speed, Missoni created a line for Target. It was available for purchase September 13th, sold out the same day, and caused a little bit of craziness. But that's not really what this post is about so lets move on, shall we. When I was examining the sweater, I noticed that the chevron pattern was very similar to a blanket pattern from one of my very first knitting books. Now I know some of you are going to ask what the name of the book is and I don't really know (embarrassing). All I have left of it are loose pages (from wear) and no cover. All I know is the book is from the 70's and my Grandma gave it to me.

I decided to alter the chevron pattern from the book and make it similar to the pattern in my sweater. Use this pattern to make whatever you want. With the right choice of yarn, I think it would make one fabulous scarf.

Close Up of Missoni Sweater

Missoni Inspired Chevron Pattern

No Gauge

Cast on 44 sts

Row 1 - 3: K across
Row 4: k1, k 2 tog, k8, yo, k1, yo, k8, (k 2 tog) twice, k8, yo, k1, yo, k8, k 2 tog, k1
Row 5: P across

Repeat rows 4 & 5 to desired length

* To make stripes, add a new color on even rows. For a scarf, knit pattern to desired length, K across the last three rows and bind off.

Knit sample from above pattern.

On a side note, I've got to give props to all you fashion bloggers who take pictures of yourselves. I had so much trouble holding the camera at the right angle and not moving it. I think I took about 30 pictures just to get a decent shot. In most of the pictures I was either blurry, looked mad or part of me was chopped off. I almost wish I saved them, would have made one hilarious post!

Craft: Fabric Yo-Yo Coin Purse

I had this idea of making a fabric yo-yo purse for a while now. With the kids back in school, I finally got a chance to sit down and test it out and it worked! It's so nice when projects turn out the way you envision them, or even better, morph into something you never expected. Either way it's always nice to see a craft concept come to life, agree?

Okay on to the project, today I'm sharing how to make this fabric yo-yo purse. All you need are some basic sewing skills to whip this up in a day or less.

Supplies:
Coin purse frame set (pictured above) - I purchased this one at Daiso. You can also find them at fabric stores and online.
Fabric & matching tread
2 Buttons
E-6000 Glue
Scissors
Pliers

First you want to create two fabric yo-yo's. The size of your yo-yo's will depend on the size of your purse frame. Most frames come with a pattern which you can adjust the size of your yo-yo to. You can find the directions to make fabric yo-yo's here.

Hand sew wrong sides together with a whip stitch where you see the blue dots.

Cut raffia (will come with kit) to the length of your frame. Sew on the opening of both sides of the purse.

Add glue to inside of the frame. Push fabric into the inside of the frame. Crimp the frame closed with a pair of pliers. Cover frame with fabric when crimping to protect the frame.

*Usually a purse frame will come with instructions similar to this tutorial.

Book Review: Sewing with Oilcloth

Sewing with Oilcloth by Kelly McCants

Sewing with Oilcloth is a book filled with 20 projects to make with, you guessed it, oilcloth! The table of Contents includes: Tools Tips and Trims, For the House, For You, For Kids, and Pattern Pieces. The patterns are fresh, contemporary and vibrant. What I like about this book is that every project is practical. The book also appears to be well researched. For example, Kelly shares about what oilcloth can not be used for (coming in contact with food because it contains phthalates). It's the details like this that I really appreciate.

For those not familiar with Kelly McCants, she is the author of the blogs Oilcloth Addict and Modern June. She also has an Etsy store also called Modern June.

If there's one thing on my wish list to make, it's these little sandwich bags. I should also point out that these are made with laminated cotton instead of oilcloth.

Sandwich Wrapper

Messenger Bag
Don't you love the faux bois oilcloth?

Want to get a better feel for the projects in this book? Here are two free patterns to check out:

Oilcloth Table Runner
Farmers Market Tote

Kid Craft: Superhero Stuffed Animals

Just for fun, I decided to make some superhero eye masks and capes for my children's stuffed animals. My inspiration came from a how-to kid cape post I saw on Ohdeedoh. Just like in the Ohdeedoh post, I used old t-shirts to make the capes. They were simple to make and it only took about 5 minutes to whip up a set. After my kids saw the first set I made, a whole line of stuffed animals were waiting to be turned into cape crusaders.

Click on image for a larger view.

For the eye mask: if it's too loose, just cut the back of the mask down the center and tie around the head. I also found it was easier to cut out the eyes when the mask was on the stuffed animal to get it positioned just right.

For the cape: Look for old t-shirts that have interesting prints on them. Center the image in the center of the cape to cut. In the picture below you can see how I did this for the smaller stuffed animal. Other option, have your child decorate the capes with fabric markers.

Online Magazine: Styled

The newest issue of Styled is out. It's an online magazine dedicated to handmade entertaining, filled with crafts, recipes, and loveliness. The magazine is created by Victoria Hudgins, author of A Subtle Revelry. View the free online copy or buy the newest issue in print.

Below are a a couple photos from the newest issue.

Handmade wooden stamped tags

Fabric Balloon Parade

Craft: Friendship Bracelet Inspired Earrings

Photo credit (minus earrings) - Calvin Klein Ad

In case you're not tired of the whole friendship bracelet trend yet, and I'm hoping you're not, I've got one more craft tutorial for you. This time I decided to make some earrings based on the knotted patterns of the bracelets. If you've made a friendship bracelet before, you'll find these earrings very simple to make. Use this tutorial as a template and change up the colors, beads and length to make them your own.

Supplies:
2 earwires - I used a Leverback Earwires with a closed loop
5 14" strands of embroidery thread
2 Beads
Scissors

Click on imaged for a larger view.

Left picture: Thread all 5 pieces of embroidery thread through the bottom loop of the earwires making the thread equal on both sides. Right picture: Thread one bead through all 10 strands of embroidery thread and bring to top.

Use this tutorial (click here) to make the friendship pattern. Once you get to your desired length, knot off thread in pairs of two (refer to picture). Trim and fray ends. Done.

Back To School Shopping

Colorblock Dress by Truly Me

It's that time again, back to school shopping. And I'll tell you a little secret, I actually enjoy it. I like seeing what the newest fashion trends are and picking out that perfect first day of school outfit. Anyone else like me? Well this year I got a little help from my local mall (Stoneridge Shopping Center) and was given a $100 gift certificate to purchase a few things and share about my experience. I'll also be sharing a few tips for maximum savings, regardless of where you're shopping.

To start off the school year, I always like to purchase one special item which I consider "the splurge". I can't afford designer everything but I can afford to buy at least one special piece. This year I purchased a colorblock knit dress by Truly Me at Nordstroms ($48). I love that it has an art deco feel to it which has been popping up on the runways.

Another must have item on my back to school list is a hooded sweatshirt or sweater. With the weather still warm, kids are not ready to wear a fall coat so a hoodie is perfect for those in between temperatures. I chose this knit sweater hoodie from the GAP ($34.95) for my son. It's casual enough for him to wear with a t-shirt but has just enough style to be paired with a polo. It's the perfect compromise for parent and child.
This year my son wanted a pair of Converse. We picked up this blue pair of chucks at JC Penney for $30. I like these shoes because they're classic, reasonably priced and will hold up on the play ground.

Even though all these item are full price, I also like a deal. In fact, most of the time I will buy items on sale. Currently Labor Day sales are in full swing and you can snag some really good deals by shopping now. Here are few tips:

*To ensure you get the best selection, shop as soon as the store opens. It will be less crowded, the racks will be organized and the clothes will not be picked over. Also, many stores have special sales for only the first few hours which are known as doorbusters.

*Almost all deep discounted items are placed in the back of the store or on the back side walls.

*Ask if what you're purchasing will be going on sale soon. Most stores will give you an adjustment if your purchase goes on sale within the next ten days of purchase. You just have to come back to the store with your receipt at the time of sale to get the adjustment.

*Check to see if your mall has a website. Simon Malls has a website with a list of discounts and sometimes there are even coupons to print!

What are your best back-to-school shopping tips? Please share in the comments.

This post does not necessarily represent Simon Property Group's positions, strategies, or opinions.

Kid Craft: Moving Ballerina Toy

If you haven't noticed, my favorite crafts are the ones easy to make and require basic craft supplies. Of course I appreciate craftsmanship and projects that require time and planning. However, sometimes it's nice to sit down for even 10 minutes and have an end product to show for it. Such is the case with this little tin box with a moving ballerina. Make one for a child or have a child make one for themselves. Simple directions below.

Supplies:
Candy tin - An Altoids box would work well too
Toothpick
Extra strength small magnet - can be found at the hardware store
Paperclip
Paper + colored pencils or markers to draw
Scissors
Glue

Cut toothpick to fit on one side of tin. A regular pair of scissors will cut a toothpick, you don't need anything fancy. I used some E-6000 glue to adhere the toothpick.

Fold the center of the paperclip up. Cut part of the paperclip off (refer to picture). I also coiled the bottom of the paper clip which isn't shown in this picture but can be seen in the top picture.

Create a small drawing along with a mirror image of it. Glue onto paperclip. Click on images for a larger view.

Place an extra strength magnet on the bottom and move around to move your ballerina.

When not in use, place all pieces in box and close shut. Decorate the box anyway you want. I also made an alien version. I colored the inside of the box with a sharpie to look like outer-space. There's lots of possibilities with this craft so have fun.

Make gifs