Goliath Run 2013

My Husband is busy planning an event for spring of 2013.....

yes it will be here before we know it!

We are doing this as a fundraiser event for our Beyond the Door youth ministry from

Honeycomb Baptist Church

and also the Baptist Children's home in North Alabama.

We have great hopes of this event growing and becoming an annual event.

It is a 5K high endurance trail run

1 mile gentle walk/run

craft vendors

BBQ cook-off

Car Show

Taking place April 20, 2013 

At Cathedral Caverns State Park

For more info please follow TheGoliathRun on FB

To register  Goliath Run 2013 with active.com

Happy Running!

For the Love of Sock Knitting

You may call me crazy, but I absolutely have fallen in love with 

knitting socks! I know, tedious, time consuming socks. 

And even more than that, I love wearing them.

A basic rib sock in the most yummy wool and bamboo blend yarn.

Abby wanted a sock in reds.....these are beautiful even though they

ended up having more pink than we thought.

Now we just need the weather to turn cold so she can wear her 

new socks.

My next pair is a 100% wool sock for my husband.

He wants a thin wool sock and hasn't been able to find what

he is looking for. Hopefully he will like these. 

Regia, snowflake yarn makes a beautiful sock

And so many more pairs of socks I plan to knit!

Christmas....Time to Decorate!

At my house we love decorating for Christmas!

 My teenagers are a great help in all of the decorating. I am
so lucky that they enjoy it. I am not able to go out and buy
new decorations to add to our collection every year like I
would love to do. So this year Abby and I got a little creative
in trying to add something new. We decided to use a roll of tulle
I had left over from making tutus, and all the lace remnants I could find
in my sewing room.

We love the look!

The tree is still waiting for the ruffled tree skirt I have in my head, but

haven't had anytime in my sewing room to make.  oohhh some day....

maybe, I hope!

The stocking project Abby and I worked on last year are

still a favorite hanging on the hearth.

We turn on the Christmas tee lights anytime we are in the living room! 

I could live with Christmas lights year around :)

Ruffled Goodness

I recently bought a new Sew Serendipity

bag pattern.....Lola Gypsy Bag 

And it is now my FAVORITE bag of all time!!!!

I have one of Kay's books and many of her patterns

and I have to say they are the best. I get the best fit 

when I use her patterns. Sometimes I use them completely

as written....and other times they are the inspiration and the 

basic foundation of my project. 

This one is a fun pattern for sure.

I did ad trim to the top of my upper ruffle because

I sewed them on differently the how it is done in the pattern.

I am trying to use up my fabric stash and didn't want to buy anything

for this bag.....therefore my fabric weight is a little heavier than is ideal.

I also used a lightweight houdstooth canvas for the bag body and didn't use any additional

interfacing for the bag itself. For inside pockets....I line both sides of the lining with an 8" deep pocket

across the entire width of the front and back, that is then sectioned into three pockets each side, for a total of

6 wonderful, deep pockets for keeping pens, cell phone, lipstick,calender, and such organized. 

I will be carrying this one for a long time....I think I need a few more perhaps :)

Creative Crochet

My kids....well one in particular loves his

fun, crazy, crochet hats. Every year I make him

at least one, but usually more. This week he asked

for aTurkey...with a face

I went to my favorite go to place for inspiration and patterns
ravelry of course.

Where I found three hats that I loved
each for different reasons. Two of them I had
to purchase and one was a free download.
And this was my end result!
Which I absolutely love and adore.

It is a most fun hat for the month of November.

And best of all, he loves it and does in fact wear it

out and to school....high school of all places!

I am one lucky mom that he loves my crazy creations.

My pattern collections came from:

536 Turkey Hat....Sandy Powers

Wild Turkey Hat....RAKJ patterns

B's Oh You Turkey....Crafting ForChrist Designs

Here is the breakdown of my hat.....536 turkey is the overall hat pattern...I made the adult size but did

add about 11 additional rows to the hat body. On my next one I will add one more row of increase and the 11 additional rows for it will fit just a little looser. I also use an I crochet hook...because I crochet tight.

Perhaps my absolute favorite favorite....the legs and feet! Also used this beak.

Next the feathers came from the wild turkey hat. They are just perfect! 

I loved the 536 feather...but these look a little more for a teen boy...and these

were his favorite. Yes, he actually picked everything out.

When I saw the super fun eyes and waddle of the B's oh you turkey hat, I knew I had found

the perfect inspiration for the face!

All these patterns are fantastic!

hhhmmmm what will I make next?

Happy Creating :)

Becoming A Warrior Dash Runner

Warrior Dash 5K Run

A few weeks ago some of my family and friends joined me in 

running the Warrior Dash...In of all places Warrior, Alabama!

We were so excited, and nice and clean at the start.....but that didn't last long,

since it is an obstacle course run. Literally mud crawling, fire jumping!

I am always excited when my husband joins me in a race!

With a blast of fire...

we were off

we hurdled over half walls, crawled up muddy banks, climbed up

a mountain, crossed a pond, traveled muddy trenches, crawled under barbed wire

to name a few......

Climbed this structure

Leaped over fire

My sons photo is amazing!

and crawled through more mud and barbed wire

It was so much fun!!!

And perhaps best of all.....

was crossing the finish line with my husband!

We are now fearless warriors and can't wait to run it again!

A Little More About the Ruffled Skirt Sewing

I love my new skirt and have already had so many 

compliment on it!! Today I wanted to share a little more

of my creative and sewing process for this. 

I first started wanting something a little more fitted than just a regular gathered skirt.

So I took waist and hip measurements and then dropped straight down for the skirt.

It worked and fit....however was a little tighter than I wanted in something I might wear all day.

I really want a great fit, but plenty ease of movement.  The first skirt I made I also used 4" 

ruffles, which are pictured...my second skirt and the finished skirt photos feature the 

5" ruffles which I really love the most. It is all personal preference though.

I ended up using a 48" sweep at the bottom, but will go just a little

more on the next one. Probably more like 50"-52". I haven't

quite decided which.

Cut 5" ruffles for both skirt panels.

Mark the panels where you want your ruffles to fall. 

My bottom ruffle is 3" up, then 2" between each ruffle until the top one.

I used 3" between the very top and the second ruffle.

Run a gather stitch on all ruffles. I just gather and adjust each one

individually on the skirt panel and pin in place. 

my ruffles are cut the width of the fabric, but I didn't use all the width. 

Just gather to you taste and liking for the overall look. 

Trim the extra and sew the side seams. I use a 1/4" seam allowance and then serge the 

seam for a finished look. 

You will notice the ruffles are not hemmed though and the will ravel.

I also serge the very top before tuning it under for an elastic casing.

Turn down 1" and sew in place. I then use 3/4" elastic

I would only wash this skirt on cold and hang dry. You will 

probably have to trim some threads after washing depending on

how much ravels. For a more tailored look....of course hem all the ruffles.

This would also be great done in knits with a yoga style waistband. 

If I used anything other than muslin I would most likely hem the ruffles

to have a more finished tailored look.

But I think the muslin gives a fun messy, and even 

anthropology inspired look. 

Happy Sewing :)

Ruffled Skirt

I have a new favorite skirt for fall! 

My ruffled skirt is made of two colors of muslin

with all the edges left unhemmed to a little but messy 

look. The slight A-line is perfect, and it looks great with boots. 

I found my inspiration on pinterest and then 

had to make one. 

My ruffles are 5" and I used 6 of them. I had to play around

with my overall skirt design to find a fit that I liked. after a couple tries

I found success and am very pleased with the overall look of this

fun skirt.

Happy Crafting!

A little knitting

We have been so busy there has been no progress on the camper in a few day. 

It will mostly be a weekend project in good weather until we get lights 

back inside. 

I haven't had any sewing time lately either. 

But this lovely swirl sweater was finally finished 

blocked and sewn together. 

Now I just need the weather to cool off a little

more so I can wear it.

The pattern is from the the Knit Swirl Book.

It is such a fun project to work on. 

I had a little trouble at first and had to start over a couple times.

But in the end it was worth it to figure it all out. 

(joining your circle and not having it twisted is a HUGE challenge)

This great lace scarf is blocking and should be ready to wear soon. 

Vintage Camper Project

My husband and I have a new project

just for the two of us!

 It doesn't look like much now, but when we
are finished it will be the cutest little
vintage camper ever.
It is a 12' 1960's model

 The guy we bought it from had been using it for a hunting shack.

 We will be gutting everything!

 The plan is to put a full size bed back in and a table for two.
We plan to use the original fixtures and stove if they still work.

 So far we have gutted about half the camper.

The door is beyond repair so Jeff has made new door.

So far it is looking good.

We have totally fallen in love with old vintage campers that people have gone
in and restored and can't wait to have ours finished and start taking it out.
Our kids are almost grown so we are looking to enjoy some travel someday!

Quilt Jacket

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity

to give new life to an old quilt someone

bought. The finished projecct is absolutely

adorable. I especially love the added doilies

on the pockets and as an added collar.

 

 

I am always a little afraid to actually "cut" into

the old quilt. I want to cut is perfect and have the

finished jacket match up beautifully.

 



Becoming a Color Runner

On Labor Day my family and I had the most fun ever ......

as we became Color Runners with some great friends!

The Color Run is said to be the Happiest 5K on the planet!

We ran in Birmingham Al, at the Barber Motorsports Parkway.

We started the 5K pristine and clean....although drenched to the bone
in torrential rains that just wouldn't stop.

We finished looking like a rainbow threw up on us!

We were there extra early and it paid off as we lined up and were in the
first wave of runners to start.....not

only that, we were 10ft from the starting line!

(at the 2K mark we had been covered in red and blue)

The motorsport track is 5K and full of more hills than I usally run.
I was able to run the whole thing though with a 30 min time.

Unfortunately, my husband and son both have terrible chest colds.

At the last minute after getting soaked
they both decided not to run.
Their support of my running madness is so wonderful though!

After we finished we stopped to eat lunch and noticed

that it had stopped raining.......

 

so the girls and I had a little color celebration of our own

on the lawn where we ate.

Good thing the rain will wash it all away quickly :)

 

 

Most definitely a day to remember, and we

can't wait to do this again!

What will I do next????
I am so glad you asked.......
Next month we are running the extreme, mud crawling, fire leaping
(yes I mean all of that literally)
5K Warrior Dash in Warrior Alabama.
 What a great place to run a Warrior Dash.