a year in review

This year was a pretty good year for us as a family and for me personally, work has been going well with interesting prospect for the future (more research on vaccines for developing worlds), but this little blog had a mid life crisis.... Hopefully it can get over it without a sport car! Now let's review this year top 3 favorites: My kitchen remake from a few years ago was #1, more specifically this post here.

It is still actually a work in progress since we just finished adding a back-splash, I will blog about it later next year.... #2 was again as my brownie vest, everyone's favorite: here for the tutorial
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Oh I do miss sewing for the dolls! #3 was this cute plush macaron I made for Miss C. as a sweet treat to get over her new braces.

My favorites for this year were: the outdoor couch, the entryway storage and the sewing configuration book.

For the nest year, I see a few more house projects, like redoing the coffee table (I received the wheels for Christmas), some sewing of course, and probably a few odds and ends things, the usual really!
Thank you for reading.
Farewell 2015.

a wood Christmas tree

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Ours was fun: presents, Star Wars, family and food! I managed to make the little wood tree I was talked about a few weeks ago. Not as good as the inspirations, but I am OK with it.

It was made from scrap pieces from the fence we built 3 years ago, and some 1x2 for the back support. I stained, painted and distressed it to keep it interesting. I only installed one shelf at the bottom. I decorated it with a string of droplet light, and a few simple ornament. I added a red pompom garland for some color.

I stuck the tree in this cool bucket from Michaels, and put my baby slippers at the base, I think they came from Lapland more than 40 years ago, probably made of reindeer fur. I hope to have more time next year to properly decorate it....

Happy day!

a little manicure kit

Miss C. is a big fan of nail polish and nail art, like most tweens, so I made her a little manicure kit as a last minute Christmas present, it is supposed to be a travel one, but I think it would be perfect for home too. I followed this tutorial from Positively Splendid, very fast and easy, the hardest part: finding 3 fabrics and 1 ribbon that worked together! For hers, I used an Australian/Aboriginal print, some green solid and a super cute turquoise kangaroo fabric. (since Mon Cheri traveled to Australia, we are having down under envy!) The mat is a piece of black chalkboard fabric, Inside there is space for some nail polish removers, nail polish, clipper and file. Of course, there is no need to match the nail polish to the kit, but at eleven, one needs green and turquoise nail polishes! Happy sewing!

quick handmade gift

Once again, time was running out, and I needed some cute gift for my girlfriends... I already gave them little pouches and lingerie bags, so I had to come up with something different: purse tissue cover!

I was inspired by this tutorial,  I changed it a little, I used 6.5 x 6.5 for the top, and 6.5 x 7.5 for the lining, with a 1/4 inch seams allowance at the first step, and 1/2 inch on the second step. I also changed from meeting in the middle (hedgehog) to overlapping on the 2 other ones.

I finished the seams inside for the top and bottom, I cannot leave raw edges! I chose a variety of prints for my various girlfriends... the roses are for my friend who has a weakness for Laura Ashley dresses, the flower one is a print that I love using (like on this bunny!) and the hedgehog is for a young modern lady.


Happy sewing!

table setting for Christmas

This week end I did a table setting rehearsal, I know it sounds a little silly, but I will be at work on Christmas eve while everybody else will be home and I am counting on them to set the table for dinner!
And because we will 6 instead of our usual 4, it takes some preparation: I only have 4 red napkins and 4 deer plates with silver rims! I know, right, real drama here... So I had to be a little creative.

For place holder, I am using a pine cone and a German glass glittered initials  that I made during my workshop with Ms Mustard Seed.

So I am using 2 different sets of napkins: the red ones I purchased during my trip at Lucketts and a set of toile ones from Pottery Barn, alternating for each plate setting. 

I have collected over the years various PB reindeer dessert plates  (underneath there are just plain white plates and a plastic silver charger),  so the adults can have the silver trims ones and the kids just plain ones,  same reindeer but much larger (and dishwasher/microwave friendly!)

For the centerpiece, I wanted something natural but easy to remove, after all we need space for food! So I cut some branches from the Christmas tree and holy bushes from the backyard (before all the red fruits are eaten by the squirrels....) and put it together with a little lantern.

Hopefully I left enough directions for my family to reset it, otherwise...well more champagne will be required, not that it is a bad thing!
Happy day!

a little deer, a book and a bag

I had so much fun making my first little deer, that I made another one of course!

This deer (Ms Dandelion Doe) wears also a Liberty of London dress. Because I sewed this one for my niece K (who will be 5 next March), I have added so more deer goodness as the handmade deer is more for looking than playing.

I found this beautiful book about sweet animals in the wood/ Miss C. totally approved of the book, she is even looking forward to seeing her cousin to read it to her!

And to make it even better, I found a little tote bag illustrated by the same person: Teagan White, it is just the right size to carry the book, the deer and other very important treasure.
Happy sewing!