Boy, Oh, Boy, Oh Boy!

Sewing For Boys Raw Edge Raglan Tee

2012-01-28T02:14:00.000-08:00

I've finally finished my pair of raw-edged raglan's for the Sewing For Boys sew along. Both C and K got a shirt of their very own.

For C, I went with a gray and black striped, lightweight knit and upcycled an old, black t-shirt of mine for the sleeves. He has been all things Star Wars since the Fall . . . so really, there wasn't much choice in how I was going to embellish this one.

I decided to use a freezer paper stencil. I simply created a stencil using my Silhouette machine. Once I saw the image on the stripes, I decided to go for a graffiti feel.

C's worn the shirt two days in a row. This makes me smile a) because it totally means he likes it and b) because he's got very few years left where this is acceptable. I can just imagine the fights we're going to have over body odor.

For K's, I recycled some long sleeve waffle knit, used a heavy sweatshirt knit for the body, and appliqued a few superheros. I'm still mulling this one over. I like the overall look, but I should have cut off the original seams. I'm not psyched about the way the neckband lays. It's just a bit too thick. I think I'll be redoing that part.

What I do like about it, is how soft the gray sweatshirt material is.The older boys approved the embellishments at the bottom. C thought it was pretty funny how the superhero looks like he's taking off into the air.

I know I'll be coming back to this pattern time and time again. The pattern itself, I found very easy to use. The second shirt took me less than 30 minutes to make. Even with the extra time I'll be spending fixing the neckband to my liking, it's a good deal. And considering I've done very little sewing with knits, I'm not only happy with the overall turn out, I'm excited to make more in the future.

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I Spy . . . I-Spy

2012-01-26T05:04:00.000-08:00

When my Spoonflower I-Spy Swap packaged arrived last week it looked something like this:

photo via crafterhours

Which made me realize, I still hadn't done anything with my squares from the Boy Fabric I-Spy Swap I hosted oh . . . LAST YEAR. I know. Crazy, right? I just couldn't commit to doing any one thing with them and found the quilting options overwhelming. And since all of my friends decided to go and have GIRLS this year, boy themed I-Spy gifts were not so appropriate.

Ironically enough, getting a new set of I-Spy squares (and my 4 " tumbler template) has really kicked my butt into high gear. Okay, so maybe it had more to do with realizing a whole year had gone by but whatever.

Either way, I finally sat down in front of the TV and did something about it.

I'm still playing around with the layout. I was thinking monochromatic circles in rainbow order but I'm a little thrown off with the missing purple. I'm not a huge fan myself but I'm pretty sure the boys would notice if purple was missing from the rainbow. Plus, I have some issues with asymmetry.

With any luck and a wee bit of motivation, we'll have a new quilt sewn up by next week. On the other hand, if I can't get my mind wrapped around the lack of purple and the fact that the last row only has two circles, it may be a while.

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A Wee Bit o' Beading

2012-01-23T03:07:00.000-08:00

I recently made a new friend. She invited me over last weekend to do a bit of beading with her.

She delved into the beading/jewelry making arena after realizing the shop keepers she'd been buying jewelry from for years, we're buying the beads from the local markets and, while talented, were really just employing a few basic techniques in order to produce their jewelry.

She decided to give it a go herself and quickly found she was addicted. Her beading ventures have remained a hobby but you should see some of the stuff she's made. She's made herself and family/friends hundreds of necklaces and earrings. If I'd waited a little longer than a month to take her up on her offer of an afternoon of crafting, I'd have begged her to allow me to photograph her hoard of beads and amazing jewelry pieces. The colors. The variety of bead types and sizes. Drawer after drawer of beauty.

I confess, I did bring my camera along. You know, just in case what I made turned out decent enough to wear. Or I mustered up the nerve to document the process. I chickened out though. A little early in this friendship for her to realize what a crazy, crafting, nut I am. That will come soon enough because I plan on holder her to her offer to host another beading night.

I'm happy with how my first beading experiment turned out. I stuck with a relatively simple pattern and didn't go all wild and crazy but that really is more my style anyway. So . . . . what do you think? Would you call it funky, stylish, or just plain boring?

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Linking Up Here:

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway

2012-01-19T00:34:00.000-08:00

If you've been surfing around Blogland in the last year or so, then I'm sure you've heard of Shabby Apple. You know, the super classy women's dress company. If you don't, let me school you. At shabbyapple.com you'll find fabulous dresses for women and girls, from amazing women designers.

What I love about this shop is the fact that the dresses are flattering, flirty, and yet comfortably sophisticated. I've entered myself in every Shabby Apple giveaway I've seen in the last 6 months. And you lucky, ducks have the chance to win one. Today, we're giving away THIS gorgeous Shabby Apple dress.

When Shabby Apple contacted me about doing a dress giveaway, I flipped. And then they told me to pick the dress. This seriously took me hours. There are so many great dresses. But with Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought something special was in order. I love the details on this dress. The satin bow. The bouquet of appliqued, ruched flowers. It's the perfect dress to sweep your man (or future man) off his feet.

And it's yours. Well, one of yours. To enter visit Shabby Apple. Take a look at the dresses and come back here to tell me which is your favorite (sorry, no exchanges). Make sure to include your e-mail address so I can contact you. Sorry my international lovelies, but this giveaway is only open to those with a U.S. shipping address.

I'll pick a winner on January 30th.

And if you're not the lucky lady? You're still in luck because Shabby Apple is offering MY readers 10% off anything, good for 30 days. Just use the code "boyohboy10off" at checkout.

I encourage you to stop over and LIKE Shabby Apple on FB. They often post special promotions and exclusive discounts. Since I can't win my own giveaway, I just used their latest 20% off deal to order myself a few dresses. I can't wait until they arrive.

Okay, go look!

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Dapper Dillinger Trouser Pattern Review

2012-01-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, without sounding like I've developed an obsession (although after you read this post you might think it's true), today I'm reviewing the Dapper Dillinger Trouser Pattern from Pattern's By Figgy.

Now that I've finished them, I'm totally excited about this pattern and can't wait to make more. I can't say their completion wasn't without a bit of frustration and seam ripping on my part but I can confidently say this had everything to do with the fact that I'd never sew pants with pockets, anything more than a fold over elastic waistband, or finished my seams, and nothing to do with the pattern or instructions.

The pattern is very easy to use and unless my kids are just way, way down in the growth scale (which is highly possible after their last few illnesses), the pattern is generously sized. If you have an averaged sized/weighted child, think toward the bottom end of clothing sizes. I didn't have trouble with the sewing of the waistband, as I've seen others had. I think the trick is to use the water soluble basting tape recommended in the instructions.

Most of my sewing experience has been in quilting and small projects and I still have a lot of growing to do in clothing sewing. Don't look too closely at some of those seams. But the pants have finished seams and workable pockets and the pants did not fall apart when worn or washed.

I love the cuffs. So manly and yet so adorable dressed down with a tee.

The pattern is easy to use but unless my kids are just way, way down in the growth scale (which is highly possible after their last few illnesses), the pattern is generously sized. I used the 18 month pattern which ended up being a bit long for K and I used a shorter elastic than recommended.

So I set out making the pants for K and they ended up fitting S (almost 3) Instead of getting to work, shortening the legs, I gave them to big brother. I'm thinking of hiding some calorie booster in everything he eats.

They fit him perfectly. And he loves them which is throwing me for a loop since he's been on a pajama only kick for the last 3 months. The pattern calls for a contrasting fabric on the inside of the pockets but I chickened out and kept with the gray corduroy.

This pattern is very versatile. It's the perfect upscale comfy pant. I can't wait to try a few pairs in linen or seersucker. I'm already planning on the the next pair to have a few more hidden patches of color.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: That's a Wrap

2012-01-16T01:25:00.000-08:00

The Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series has come to an end :(

I've had a blast, so I hope you have too. I've finished my January pattern and will be posting it in the next few days. I'm so grateful to all of the ladies who've posted over the last two weeks. Your insights into each Sewing For Boys pattern is invaluable as we embark upon this year long sew along.

Just in case you've missed something a long the way here's a recap of the Pump Up Series (top left to right):

1. Twill Tape Project Round Up 2. Sewing For Boys Car Play Mat 3. Add a Pocket Tutorial 4. Sewing For Boys Raw Edge Raglan Tee 5. Sewing For Boys Matching PJ Pants 6. Sewing For Boys Carryall Bag 7. The Henry Shirt Sew Along 8. Sewing For Boys Recycled Patchwork 9. 1 in 2 Jacket Video Tutorial 10. The Sewing For Boys Henry Shirt 11. Embellishing Boy Clothing 12. Retro Jammies 13. Sewing For Boys Let's Go Fishing Hat 14. Authors' Interview

I can't wait to see everyone's Raglan Tees. Remember to comment on this post once you've finished. You've got two more weeks left to get them done. Plenty of time!

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: The Authors

2012-01-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

Eeeek! I'm so, so excited to have Shelly Figueroa and Karen LePage, authors of Sewing For Boys: 24 Projects to Create a Handmade Wardrobe, here with us today. These lovely ladies have not only inspired us all to get sewing, but they've been incredibly supportive of this series and the year long sew along. And trust me, this has very little to do with the fact that they stand to profit from the books that you lovely people have purchased. These ladies are genuinely interested in supporting and mentoring us sewing mommas of boys. Karen and Shelly have been all over the comments section of the blog in the last two weeks and if you've seen the Sewing For Boys-The Book Flickr group, you've seen that these very busy ladies have made comments on almost all of the photos posted there. Amazing!

In this spirit of support, Shelly and Karen have answered a few questions for me and I'm sharing their answers with you. Now, I warn you, I'm no journalist. These were just the things I wanted to know about them and their creative journey. If you have questions of your own, comment below and maybe these fabulous authors will have time to answer a few.

Okay ladies, on to the interviews. We'll start with Shelly.

1. When did you first start sewing? Did you take classes, learn from a relative or friend or just dive in?

I first started sewing when I was 5. My mother is an amazing sewist and started us with hand sewing doll clothes. By the age of 6, I was sewing with a machine. I also attended 4-H club where they taught us how to sew and crochet.

2. How did you get started in the sewing pattern business?

I first started sewing ready-made garments for sale in 2008. I found myself frustrated with the lack of available large and independent pattern companies that would allow a stay at home sewist to use their patterns and sell at markets or on sites like Etsy. I then decided it was time to start designing and creating my own patterns. In 2009 I took one of my designs to a local fabric shop and the owner asked if I could make a pattern and teach a class. It began and blossomed from there.

3. What is your favorite boy article of clothing/accessory to sew and why?

If you know me, then you know I love simple; comtempary pieces. I love sewing the boys "kickin back sweats". It's a very versitale pattern, you can use woven or knit fabric, add applique or pockets and create three different lengths to use as sweats/pants, skate pants or shorts.

4. On average, how many pieces of clothing do you hand make each year for your children?

Good question. When Karen and I were writing the book, I made close to 40 garments for the boys in 5 months. Now that the book is finished they get a new pair a PJ's every other month and with each season I make Tee's, sweats and Easy Linen shirts (not always in linen). Probably about 18-20 garments a piece, per year.

5. What are your favorite fabrics, embellishment techniques for boy clothing?

For my boys definetly knit. They need to jump, bounce and be comfortable. During the winter months I'll line their pants with knit which also allows for some extra warmth and durabilty.

For embellishment techniques, this is my favorite:
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2010/06/tips-for-embellishing-knits-knit-applique-tutorial/

5. What is your favorite thing about being a mom of boys?

I love to wrestle and rough house with them because then at the end, they love to hug me and snuggle. I feel like I get the best of both worlds because I am currently the only girl for them. As much as I'd love to have a little girl, right now I feel I was made to raise boys and I've been blessed to have received two healthy and really unique boys.

And Karen, how about you?

1. When did you first start sewing? Did you take classes, learn from a relative or friend or just dive in?

I started sewing when I was five. I think I really began to LOVE sewing when I realized I could make clothes for myself, and not just Halloween costumes, or blankets for my stuffed animals. I started really caring about learning to sew well when I started watching "Sewing with Nancy" on PBS.

2. How did you get started in the sewing pattern business?

I've made my own patterns as long as I have sewn. But, when Shelly asked me to be her partner in PBF was the first I'd ever thought of selling patterns.

3. What is your favorite boy article of clothing/accessory to sew and why?

I love sewing shirts. My (currently man-sized) son always wears what I make him, but he seems to get the most use from his button-down shirts.

4. On average, how many pieces of clothing to you hand make each year for your children?

I make anywhere from 20-30 garments a year for the little one, and 4/5 more for the older kids.

5. What are your favorite fabrics, embellishment techniques for boy clothing?

My favorite fabrics for sewing boy garments are cotton shirting, linen, and any soft knit.

To embellish, I'm a fan of the subtle approach; contrasting facings and anywhere else i can inject a surprise bit of color. I really love to appliqué in a free-hand style on tee shirts.

5. What is your favorite thing about being a mom of boys?

They love their mommies :)

Thank you so much ladies for answering my questions and for your amazing support over the course of this series. For more information about Shelly and Karen, visit Sewing For Boys The Website.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Rock N' Regalia

2012-01-12T23:51:00.000-08:00

Meet Jayna Rae, our last ( and definitely not the least) guest for the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series. Jayna writes a rockin' blog that's full of crafts, sewing, party ideas, and boys. She seriously rocks it out over there.

You've got to check out this Awe-some pirate party.

And these adorable vintage chic sweateralls.

Today Jayna is sharing the Henry Shirt from a less experienced sewers point of view. I think this is very important when looking at a book of sewing patterns. There are certain garment techniques and patterns parts that experienced sewers have just internalized so I think it's important to have a feel for how patterns from this book will look from a beginner's point of view.

Rock on, Jayna Rae!
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Hey there. I am Jayna Rae from Rock N Regalia.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Gomez Photography

I am honored to partake in this super fun event.

Isn't Stacey awesome.

I was honored that she was willing to have me.

The projects are great!

The book is great.

The ladies are GREAT!!!!!!!!

I have two wiggly boys who I love so much.

They are known to the world as Monster and Roly Poly.

We live a Rockin' Life Fueled by LOVE,

and we are making leaps and bounds that keep us busier and busier by the day.

Okay, so on to the project at hand.

I instantly knew that I would be sewing the Henry shirt when my book arrived.

I have some fabric set aside that I really want to use for this shirt,

but as a first try I used some remnants.

I used material left over from Monster's first birthday party;

it was a Vintage Americana theme because his birthday is Fourth of July.

I also cut up an old sheet for the main color.

The Henry Shirt is found on page 30 of the book.

And, although this pattern is labeled Advanced,

I found that I was able to complete this project in one LONG night.

There are of course some flaws in my sewing because I am truly an amateur,

but I know that next time I will be able to navigate around these puckers in the fabric.

So, even if you are a beginner,

I say brave this pattern.

Try it!!!

You will be surprised at how much easier it is to follow

than those silly ones from the sewing section at retail stores.

I am already planning my next project from this book.

I think I am going to do the patchwork quilt.

Monster is excited that he will be wearing this to his friend's Birthday Party Saturday.

Thanks again to Stacey. I wish all of you boy moms, grandmas, aunts, and friends

HAPPY SEWING!!!

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Thank you so much, Jayna Rae for sharing your Henry Shirt with us today. I love the vintage feel of it and I'm totally impressed that you rocked this out in one night. This definitely adds to the testament on the ease of this pattern.

Today may be our final guest poster but the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series has a few more surprises left. I'm very excited about tomorrow's post so make sure you stop on by.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Embellishing Boy's Clothes

2012-01-12T00:22:00.000-08:00

When we think embellishment, so many of us turn our thoughts to ruffles, ribbons, piping, ruching, embroidery and for the most part these are thought of as "girly" embellishments. So, I thought we'd today we'd focus on ideas for embellishing your Sewing For Boys wardrobe.
I mean really, no matter how "unisex" we try to make embellishments, bows and ruffles are just not going to cut it in the boy fashion world. But that doesn't mean our boys' clothing must be plain and boring. We have a variety of options that if used correctly, can give our little gentlemen a very hip look.

1. Simply altering your pattern to use coordinating or mismatched fabrics.

like this Pieced T-shirt from indietutes

2. Patches!!!!!!!!! I love how patches are functional (if you've got a hole to cover up) but also bring a bit of spunk to any pair of pants. My two favorite tutorials for this are;

Smartigan from Just Another Day in Paradise. I love how she's added elbow patches and knit stripes to liven up this boy cardiagan.

and Made's Knee Pad Pants which make the pants. I'm diggin' the "quilting" on the knee pads.

3. Embroidery. Okay, I'm aware that this one walks a fine line. Most embroidery patterns congure up images of flowers and butterflies, but I'm sticking to my guns. Embroidery can be for boys just as well as girls. It's in the execution. Two examples I like:

Embroidery from Me Sew Crazy

Sprinkle Shirt by Made

Rock Star Pants from I Am Momma

4. There is always, of course, the tried and true embellishments; applique and stenciling.

Personalized Applique from Living With Punks

Football Shirt Applique from Make It and Love It

Distressed Stencil Shirt by kojo Designs

5. Buttons add a whole new flavor to boy clothing. Add them on shirts, pants, shorts, or sweaters. I especially love tab and fabric buttons.

Back Button Shorts from Sew a Straight Line

Moon Coat from Made By Rae

6. Let us not forget the infamous hood. Add a little coordinating fabric to the inside and you've got a look that will please most every child. I mean, come on. Who doesn't look adorable in a hood?

Lined Hood Tutoial from this is Marzipan

7. Argyle is popping up all over boy clothing these days. Appliqued, stenciled, embroidered. The addition of a few contrasting diamonds is just so boyishly cute.

The boy vest from Shwin & Shwin

I think that gives you a pretty good start. I could keep going; piping, pocket placement, tie dye, drawstrings ect. Have I left any out? Do you have a favorite boy embellishment technique?

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Thar She Sews

2012-01-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

A little deviation from our planned guest today. Instead, meet Krista. My savior for the day. She has so willingly volunteered to fill in today and I can't tell you how grateful I am. And bonus? She and her blog are amazing. She swears she's a new sewer but everything I've seen on there looks perfect. The story behind how I found, Krista? I have been drooling over the already sewn garments on the Sewing For Boys-The Book Flickr Group and came across pictures of her finished Henry Shirt. When I clicked to view further information about this adorable shirt, I saw that she (along with Bilingual Baby) had done a Sew Along for the shirt back in October. So when our original guest for today had to drop out, I sought her out. And lucky us, she's here today. Since then she's sewn several patterns from the book, so she's officially a Sewing For Boys expert.
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Hi, I'm Krista from the blog Thar She Sews! I'm a mom to two boys and a relatively new sewer, just getting started about two years ago. Another blogger and I did a Henry Shirt Sew Along in November, and this is the final post in that series. This project was a first for me in a lot of ways. Certainly one of the more advanced garments I've ever made, and I learned a lot. Hope you enjoy it, and if there are any questions, I'll gladly answer them in the comments. Thanks to Stacey for the invite!

There it is! My Henry Shirt in action. Isn't it cute? I really do love it. I'm so thankful for this Sew Along because I don't know I would have tackled this project without it.

Two notes about those photos: isn't that dogwood a wonderful red? I love it in the fall. And yes, my kid is wearing his pants backward. You're not crazy.

Back to the Sew Along wrap-up: I learned so much. I know next time the results will be even better. I want to jot down a quick list, for my reference and anyone else's. Here are some things I would do differently next time:

Take more time cutting. I think my cutting was not 100% as accurate as it could be.
Use 3/8 inch -- or maybe even 1/2 inch -- seams. This is because I make such skinny little children. (Like, my 3-year-old weighs less than 30 pounds.) The shirt doesn't fit too badly honestly, but a slimmer cut would work well, too.
Try a fabric besides cotton. I love cotton for the ease in sewing and the fabulous patterns and for being the fabric I'm most comfortable working with. But I think it might be good to try a different textile for this shirt, especially for the main body pieces.
I'd follow Leila's lead and cut the shirt a little longer. I believe she did that by adding two inches or so to the main front panels, the side panels and the back. This would help not just to lengthen the shirt but to make my hemming issue a non-issue.
I'd add some top-stitching to the pockets and the collar.
I'd like to try buttons next time, if only because these snaps just aren't working for me! (And I realize the issue there is probably me.) After I took these photos, they all basically popped off.
My collar skills need work. This one is a little messy.

If you want to make your own shirt and follow along with this Sew Along at some later point, here are all the posts you need.

Day 1: Preparing your fabric and getting ready. Krista /Leila
Day 2: Cutting. Krista//Leila
Day 3: Preparing to sew. Krista ///// Leila
Day 4: Assembling the shirt body. Krista/Leila
Day 5: Assembling and attaching the yoke and sleeves. Krista/Leila
Day 6: Assembling and attaching the collar.. Krista/Leila
Day 7: Finishing touches(snaps and hem) and reveal. Krista / Leila

Also, here are a few links to some other relevant Web sites and resources.

Sewing for Boys: Official Web site
One Girl Circus: Blog of book author Karen LePage
Patterns by Figgy
Sewing for Boys Flickr Group

That's it! Thanks to anyone who followed along. :) I can't wait to try something else from this book. What should we do next?!
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Thank you, thank you, thank you Krista. The shirt turned out lovely. I love the fabrics you chose and your tips are invaluable. And I love the fact that your little guy has his pants on backwards. These are real-life pictures. It makes me smile because I get a sense of just what kind of guy he is. You can believe we'll be giving this one a go during the year.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Everywhere Orange

2012-01-09T23:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, we've had so many great guest over the last week and a half! For Day 10 of the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series, meet Kris, who likes orange. A lot. And her adorable little boy. Just look at that smile. It just melts my heart so it's a good thing he's not mine because he'd get away with everything.

I've you've been around awhile, you might remember Kris from this Fall when she saved the day by filling in while we moved. If you haven't been over to everywhere, I encourage you to do so. Kris has a ton of wonderful recipes and crafts. Right now she's Reorganizing 2012. I'll be following along. I can't tell you how badly this house needs to organized.

Okay, Kris, take it away.

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Hi Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! readers, my name is Kris and I blog over at everywhere orange.

I am a wife and stay at home mom to an almost 3 year old boy. I gave up my job as a high school art teacher to stay at home with my son. Everywhere orange is my space that is just for me to share crafts, cooking and a little orange. Every Friday I share an orange item in my house. It is shocking how much orange is in this house :) I was so excited when Stacey asked me to be apart of this pump up series and had a hard time deciding which project to pick from this awesome book. I can't wait for the sew along because there are so many things that I want to make!!

When I was looking through the book one thing stood out as the first thing I needed to make... matching cousin jammies!! We had just booked our flights to go to Arizona for my nephew's first Christmas when I got this book. Cousins need matching pajamas. My mom used to get me and my girl cousins matching pajamas for sleepovers when we were little. It was so cute and fun so I wanted to do the same for my little boy and his cousin.

N, my nephew and Peanut Butter (PB), my son

I used the goodnight, sweetheart pjs pattern for PB's bottoms and the Mr. Two Face pants pattern for N's bottoms. I made appliqued shirts to go with the pants.

I modified the pattern by making the cuff and the pocket a contrasting fabric.

The pants are plain when extended and then you can see the contrasting fabric when cuffed. The cuff is tacked in place and can be let down as your little one gets bigger. Genius!!

The Mr. Two Face pants pattern doesn't have a cuff so I added some fabric to the bottom of the pants to match PB's pants.

I just cut the pants a little shorter than the pattern and added a 3 inch piece of the contrasting fabric. All of my seams were serged but a serger is not necessary.

The Goodnight, Sweetheart Pjs pattern in the book has a matching shirt to go along with it. I have been sewing for a few years but am still not confident making shirts. I am scared of sleeves. Hopefully i will get over that fear doing this sew along :) So I went back to an old favorite of mine and did a little applique with some red fleece.

I used one of the snowflakes in the fabric pattern and enlarged it for the applique on the shirts. I couldn't find a cheap, long sleeve shirt for PB so...

... I cut off the sleeves from one of his old shirts and attached them to the short sleeves.

Matching cousins jammies sure do make for a cute Christmas morning.

Thanks Stacey for asking me to be apart of this pump up series! I have had a blast seeing what everyone is making. I am officially pumped!

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Thank you, Kris. That is one cutie pie set of PJ's. And cousins. I love the fabric you chose for the the pants. And keep working up the courage on those shirts. The patterns in Sewing For Boys make them much less daunting.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Couturier Mommy

2012-01-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

We're starting week two of the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series, off with a bang. Please help me welcome, Eva Marie. Eva is the queen of sewing tutorial videos. If you are a sewing beginner or it's been a while, her blog is the place to visit. She's got a whole page (I'm talking 24 videos) of sewing tutorials. I can guarantee, I'll be making a visit or two over the course of the next year because along with my sewing clothes resolution, this is going to be the year I finally attempt an invisible zipper. Eva has a great video tutorial today for the 1 in 2 Jacket from Sewing For Boys. Take it away, Eva.
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Helllo everyone. I am Eva Marie from Couturier Mommy and I am so very pleased to be visiting Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! today.

I am a southern girl from Atlanta, Georgia (originally from the mountains of western NC) and a SAHM of two boys and two girls.

In my former career I was a fashion designer and a pattern maker. Now my job is much more challenging. I try to teach and entertain my kids all day everyday.

I also have the pleasure of using my talents and gifts to teach the art of sewing. Many of my students prefer to watch instead of read, so I videoed a lot of my posts. I promise if you give me the time I will teach you how to sew or make you more efficient at it. I also post mommy tips and ideas. Things that have made my life easier or more fun.

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Join me today as we make our boys the 1 in 2 Jacket from the book Sewing for Boys

Side 1 has a simple welt pocket

Side 2 has a patch pocket!

It is a super cute jacket I think you will love.

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Thank you so much, Eva for your advice on the welt pocket. It is so nice to be able to see the sewing done, in process. I think this makes the 1 in 2 Jacket a little less intimidating for those who have less sewing experience. I'll be back to watch this again when I'm ready to make mine.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Freckled Laundry

2012-01-07T23:42:00.000-08:00

Today I want to welcome Jami (who needs to come decorate my home) to the blog. You've seriously got to hop over there and take a look at her home. I just love the simplicity with which Jami creates beauty over at freckled laundry. Jami is another fabulous momma of boys, blogger, and business woman. I was so glad that Jami was willing to visit with us today so she can pass some of that designer inspiration on to us.
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Hello! I'm Jami from freckled laundry and happy to be included in this sew-along! I'm also happy that I was introduced to Sewing for Boys as a result. It's such a cute book. Thank you, Stacey! Although I can't wait to try my hand at some of the clothing, I chose the adorable Patchwork Blanket to share today. I've been wanting to re-purpose some of my twins' baby clothes into a rag quilt (Note: I'm not a quilter!) so when I saw this pattern, it was a no-brainer.

I sew for three little ones (an 8 year-old son, and 2 year-old boy/girl twins), but this sweet blanket is for my Grey...

The blanket pattern in the book uses re-purposed jersey knit t-shirts but I had all sorts of materials to work (knit, tweed, cashmere, etc.) with so I incorporated them as well.

I love the fact that the only thing I needed to buy was a $4.00 piece of flannel for the back!

You need to assemble sixteen 9-1/2" squares and in instances where the clothing was too small, I simply appliqued it to a 9-1/2" square of cotton jersey cut from Dad's old t-shirts, using a straight or zigzag stitch.

Or both.

There is no need to be perfect with your stitches. Imperfect works with the casual nature of this design! The frayed edges work too.

Just have fun with this blanket. I appliqued a little tooth fairy pocket using a piece of sweater...

...and cut a "G" from a pair of overalls.

Some tips when working with this pattern:

1. Just say NO to shrinking! Make sure to wash and dry your flannel beforehand (and any other fabrics that haven't been washed and dried), especially if this blanket will be used and loved...and laundered many times.

2. Although the pattern calls for a 1-1/2 yard (by 45") piece of flannel for the backing, you only need one yard. Assembled, the blanket measures 35" square. At first, I thought I might have missed a fifth row of squares.

3. Also, I did not sandwich the 1-1/2 yard piece of jersey knit between the front squares and flannel back as the pattern calls for. I believe you would only do this if you want some extra weight or did a peek-a-boo cut out on one of the squares (so that the jersey would peek through).

4. Pin like the Dickens! Knit doesn't like to stay put so be sure to pin your squares to the backing before sewing together and finishing off. This will keep everything place.

5. For the edge of the blanket, I set my stitch to a zigzag at 1.0 width and 3.0 length as the book suggests for the other patterns. I actually straight stitched first and then went back over it with the zigzag. After I wash and dry this, the edges ought to fray more and soften up a bit.

6. Have fun and try not to cry as you remember the memories attached to each of the little outfits! :)

Sure beats sitting in a box in the attic.Happy sewing! Thank you for having me, Stacey!
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I so love the monochrome color scheme and that you included the embellishments and such from the original items. Thank you for sharing your beautiful blanket.
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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Always Expect Moore

2012-01-07T00:24:00.000-08:00

Wow, can you believe we're coming to the end of an entire week's worth of boy sewing projects. The exciting part is that we've still got another week to go. Today's guest is Carolina, whose blog, Always Expect Moore is chalk full of fun craft tutorials, sewing projects, quilting, and kid friendly projects. And since I first discovered Carolina through her super, fun "Pocket Week", I wouldn't expect any less than to be featuring a post full of pockety goodness.

************************************************************************Hi! I’m Carolina from Always Expect Moore, and I’m so excited to be guest posting here today! I have one son, Little Moore, and a second due at the end of April! There are so many cute girl projects out there… but not nearly enough ideas for the little men in our lives! It can be tough for me to come up with ideas that are “cute” without being feminine.

My son loves pockets. Loves them! And I especially love this big pocket that I made for him. It can fit several of his little toy cars, and it is easy to slip something in the pocket while he’s not looking… and surprise him!

For this tutorial, I’ve added a plain pocket to a shirt made with the 90 minute shirt tutorial over at Made, but if you grab 2 older, stained shirts, you can cut one up to make the pocket (using the ribbing from the neckline for the sides, and attach the pocket to the second shirt. And NO, you do NOT need a serger or overlocker to make this – just your regular sewing machine! Easy-peasy.

You’ll need some scrap knit fabric (or a shirt you want to cut up), some ribbing (or the neckline from an old shirt), and the shirt you want to add the pocket to. Start by cutting your pocket. I cut my pocket 5” x 9” for a 3T shirt. Cut a rectangle based on the size of your shirt, then cut off the corners (this pocket would be super cute on a onesie as well!).

Open up the ribbing and pin it on the two angled edges. You’ll want the fold in the ribbing to cover the raw edge of your knit fabric. Stretch the ribbing a little as you pin it.

Sew on the ribbing using your regular sewing machine. Stretch everything flat as you sew. You don’t need a fancy serger or overlocker to do this. With your regular sewing machine, stitch ¼” away from the edge of the ribbing, then go back and do a second stitch 1/8” away from the edge to give the nice, double-stitched look. Because you’re stretching everything, it will look a little wonky right now… but don’t worry, it is going to turn out just fine!

Press the pocket flat using a nice hot iron and lots of steam, then trim your pocket so that everything is even.

Pick which side of your pocket is going to be the front (the side that looks the nicest), and put your pocket on your ironing board with that side down. Fold in your raw edges about 3/8” (somewhere between ¼” and ½”) and press down.

Now, pin the pocket to the front of the shirt, (I used lots of pins to keep everything in place), and stitch on all the folded areas. Stitch the same way you put on the ribbing – first ¼” away from the edge, and then a second time 1/8” away from the edge. Try not to stretch the shirt or the pocket as you go.

Adding a fun pocket to any shirt or sweater is that easy! And now, the little man in your life has a little extra storage space for whatever he might need!

Thanks for stopping by, and if you have time come visit me at Always Expect Moore!

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What a fabulous tutorial. I love how you've used recycled ribbing to accent your little man's shirt. Thank you for sharing with us today, Carolina. I know a few boys, in this house, who like a good pocket, too.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Blue Susan Makes

2012-01-05T22:47:00.000-08:00

Onto Day 5 of the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series. Please help me welcome Sarah. You may remember her from the Wednesday's Wickedly Awesome post. I first stumbled upon Susan when I was searching for ideas for C's, Ben 10 party. She'd made the perfect Ben Ten jacket for son and as I browsed through her blog, I was just blown away by the MANY handbags and sewing projects she'd completed. I really do need to sew myself a bag.

Sarah is joining us today to share her experience with the Sewing For Boys Carryall Bag. Just wait to see how these turned out. Fab-u-lous!
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Hi there! I'm Sarah from BlueSusan Makes. What a fun opportunity to get to help "pump you up" for the Sewing For Boys Sew Along. I have 3 little boys (and 1 big girl) that I would love to sew more for, so I'm excited to sew along this year and make them some stuff. If you zoom over to my blog you'll see that I make a bunch of random things to give as gifts or for my house and family. But what I'm most obsessed with sewing is handbags. I have a seasonal business/hobby of sewing and selling them at craft fairs and farmer's markets.

Since I've made so many bags, it's what I'm most comfortable with. So when I saw the pattern for the Brick Bag Carry All in Sewing For Boys, I just had to try it...all the zippers and pockets, I love a good challenge. Of course, it helped seal the deal when my 9 year old picked up the book, saw the brick bag, and asked with excitement,"Mom can you make me this??" He's all about Lego these days. Actually I have 2 Lego fanatics here so I made TWO. I plan on having the boys use these as travel bags for our airplane trips as well.

Here they are looking "tough".

I freezer paper stenciled minifigure heads onto the fronts.

For supplies, I chose heavy black canvas for the outside, Osnaburg for the lining, and "jacket" zippers. I like the easy double zipper closure and there is a large outer pocket as well, for building plans or coloring books.

This a great pattern and produces a very solid bag with major "wow" factor. You can customize your pockets and elastic strips. I made one elastic strip with larger sections so they could slide their small ships in as well. Cars fit in the loops too.

Actually the brick bag can hold a variety of toys for on the go fun.

As far as constructing the bag goes, it actually sews together pretty smoothly as you build all the components. There are a few tricky spots though, so I took some pictures of the process and compiled some general tips to make it easier for you all. These may make more sense when you are actually making the bag.

TIPS and SUGGESTIONS

First of all when cutting out your pieces, you will need 2 of each of the zipper panel fabric instead of one. (I chose not to interface the Zipper panels to reduce bulk since the canvas was so heavy)
You'll read on and see that you'll need to interface your lining pieces as well as backing them with flannel. Stack them up in this order (flannel, interfacing, then lining) and treat them as one piece the whole time. Basting if necessary.

When it came to creating the casing for the elastic I used single fold bias tape. I opened it up and sewed alone one of the folded creases. Then pressed it over and stitched it down (see pattern instruction #7, p.107)

I thought the final construction phase was the trickiest part, possibly making the authors categorize this pattern as advanced. I wouldn't consider my self advanced, I think an intermediate sewist could handle it with a little patience. Here are a few tips. (Pattern instruction #22-28 p.109)

Pin the bag at the centers of the long sides first. I found that my zipper panels would not quite make it all the way to the corners. It's okay, just center the short sides so your corners are even. I found it easier to pin if I unzipped the zipper.

To conquer the zipper bulge at each corner, sew until the bulge gets in the way and then, with the needle down and the presser foot up, re-adjust the bulge so it is out of your way as you sew around the corner.

I took a little liberty with the way I attached the lining. First I pinned it all around, making sure my pin heads were sticking outside the edge of the fabric. (Those boys will never see those flannel flowers He He!)

Then I flipped it over and sewed along the same stitching line. You can easily clean up any wobbly seams as you go.

Using a zipper foot, with the needle positioned all the way to the left, allowed me to get around the corners cleanly with out my needle jumping around too much, you'll see what I mean.

I hope this helps. You'll be so impressed with yourself when you finish making this bag. I hope you'll try it!

Thank you, Sewing For Boys team, for such a great pattern!

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Wow, aren't those some tough looking boys? Ha, ha! The bags look wonderful, Sarah. Thank you so much for sharing with us today. I now know what my oldest is getting for his birthday!
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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: A Little Gray

2012-01-05T00:03:00.000-08:00

I'm so, so excited about our guest poster for Day 3 of the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series (SFBPU). I happened upon today's guest a few months ago, shortly before my Sewing for Boys book arrived. I remember being immediately impressed by the amount of sewing going on in Jessica's corner. I spent several hours browsing around at all of the wonderful projects that she's completed, created for, and shared with her readers and a blog crush was born. Jessica's blog is serious motivation to get behind that sewing machine.

As a momma of one boy and, recently, one girl, A Little Gray is full to the brim with fun, kid centered projects, many of which are items of clothing sewn for her gorgeous little guy. He seriously has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. This is a lot coming from me, the girl who fell in love with her boy for his stunning blue eyes.

So, on to Jessica. She's got some fabulous tips for working with knits and working with the raw edged, Sewing For Boys, raglan tee.

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Hey! I'm Jessica and I'm so excited to be a part of this sew-along! I am just in love with every project in this book and CANNOT wait to make some more of them with Stacy and you guys this year.

I have a boy and a girl that I sew for- Hendrix who is 2, and Elsie who is 8 months. I gotta say, I find sewing for my boy to be a little more fun! Of course, I've been sewing for him longer, so maybe I'm just not used to all the frilly girly sewing yet. But I just love the idea of making easy, comfy, every day boy clothes. Even though there will always be way more projects and patterns out there for girls, sewing for boys might always be my favorite. (Shhhh... Don't tell Elsie. She already has a bit of a second-child complex going on.)

I knew right away that I wanted to make the raw-edged raglan tee from the book first. This is just the essential go-to boy pattern in my mind. It's something I'll be making all year long for both of my kids.

For my first one, I used two old tees of my husband's. This is something else I LOVE about sewing for boys- recycled material from our clothes tends to lend itself to cuter boy clothes.

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, this shirt says "More Cowbell." Not familiar?!? This must be remedied.

I adore the way the pattern authors have all the seams on the outside of this shirt. Perfect for kids. And it came together very quickly and smoothly. In fact, the hardest part was remembering to sew wrong sides together. As you can see, I used the long sleeve option, but the pattern has long or short.

I made a second version of this shirt in some very nice new blue knit from Michael Miller. I've used old shirt jersey a lot, but this was actually my first time sewing with store-bought! It was a dream to sew with. It's a bit sturdier which makes it easier to work with. Recycled shirt jersey tends to be a little softer, but it's also thinner and the edges curl up more, making it a bit wily.

I love to embellish my knit projects with appliqué or freezer paper stenciling. For this one I wanted to try something a bit different and appliquéd a design using the same material as the shirt. I love how the effect is more textural than graphic. My husband drew this octopus for me, and I applied it with Heat'n' Bond fusible web and a straight stitch. I think it will look even cooler when I wash it a couple more times and the raw edges curl up.

This is a great first project for the sew-along, and the perfect first project if you have never used knits before. Whether you are recycling something or using new, here are just a few simple tips for working with knits:

Use a universal stretch needle. These help a lot, but I actually couldn't find mine for these projects and it was not a problem. So I say get one if you can, but don't let that stop you from jumping in!
Set your stitch to a zig-zag at 1.0 width and 3.0 length. This is a fantastic tip from the book, it gives the perfect amount of stretch.
Use a lot of pins. Knits don't cling together like quilting cottons or other wovens, so you have to manipulate them a bit more and pin closely together to keep everything in place.
Don't start stitching right on the raw edge. Especially if you are using a thinner material, it has the tendency to get "eaten" by the machine if you start right at the edge. Start a little bit into the fabric, sew your seam, then turn it around and go back to where you started in the middle, stitching out to the other raw edge.
Use spray starch on your fabric pieces to help with curling edges and added stiffness.
When cutting out your fabric, trace your pattern pieces onto freezer paper. I cannot recommend this method enough for knits. The shiny side of freezer paper sticks to fabric when you iron it on. This makes the cutting much quicker and more precise. I explain a little bit more about this here, but if you have questions feel free to ask!
Lastly, don't be scared of trying knits! I promise you can do it and you will love it. A kid wants to wear knits all the time, so anyone who is serious about sewing for boys should learn to embrace the knittiness. Trust me :)

Happy sewing! I can't wait to see what everyone creates. Thanks so much for having me Stacey!
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Thank you, Jessica! What fabulous tips. From now on, I'll be ironing my freezer paper pattern pieces. Genius!

I myself have boys who demand "soft pants" every day so I can't wait to see how the raw edges go over with my crowd. Happy sewing indeed.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: Simple Simon and Company

2012-01-04T00:23:00.000-08:00

When I branched out to my blogger idols asking, "Would you want to guest post to help my readers get pumped up for a Sewing For Boys Sew Along?", I never imagined that so many amazing bloggers would jump at the opportunity. It is such a testament to the quality of this book and the importance of its subject.

The Elizabeths of Simple Simon and Company were no exception. With 3 boys between them (as well as 3 girls), they can't help but sew up some wonderful boy centered goodness. They've also come up with some general kid centered projects (summer camp chairs, fabric fort, target practice) that have filled my "To Do" list with fun things to sew until kingdom come.

They are here today to share a fabulous pajama shirt tutorial. Ugh, don't you just want to kiss those cheeks?

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Hi, I am Elizabeth from Simple Simon & Co, where I blog with my sister-in-law who has the same name. Confusing, yes, we know. We tend to joke about who is the "good Liz" and who is the "bad Liz" at any particular family event.... Anyway, we blog about our love for sewing, all things vintage, and recently competed in Season 2 of Project Run and Play....where we originally made these jammies for that series.

But, boy oh boy, I love little guys in fun retro jammies. And those cheeks are some that I could kiss all.day.long.

So, if you need some cute, retro jammies that make your heart melt too, here's what you will need:

Fabric- I used a 1 1/2 yards for about a size 2T (that made the pants too)

Double Fold Bias Tape- either handmade or 1 package (I made mine.)

A tee to cut up or a pattern for a shirt

Cut out two fronts (add 1 inch to overlap for buttons), 1 back piece (cut on the fold) and two sleeves pieces. I used an old stained tee shirt for the pattern. Go HERE to learn how to cut up a tee and use it for pattern pieces.

Once you have your pattern pieces cut, you are ready to start....

Cut out this new line so ONE front piece is now curved on the top and bottom. (The other one will be square and button undeneath the curved one....just like a retro baseball uniform.)

Your pajama shirt should now look like this.

Ok, below is where you are going to start your bias tape. The non-curved front piece will ultimately be inside the other one...so the seam will be less noticeable. Pin and sew your bias tape on....it will be one long continuous piece that goes around the bottom, front and neck of the whole shirt. (That probably doesn't make a lot of sense now, but it will when you are pinning it on.)

If you don't know how to make or sew on bias tape, go HERE. It's a great tutorial.

After you have sewn the unfolded part on, fold the bias tape around to the back and pin. Now topstitch the bias tape down.

Here's what it will look like when the bias tape is all sewn on.

Two more things and you are done.

Hem your sleeves.

Find where you want your button holes to be and stitch them in. Sew on the buttons and you are done!

I did make all the boys pajama pants by tracing existing pairs to complete the looks. If you don't know how to do that, go HERE. They are very easy to do. I did add bias tape around the hems of the pants to tie in the bias tape on the shirt but that was about it.

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Thank you so much for your inspiration, Elizabeth. I just love these "Big Boy" pajamas and the fabric is adorable. I have a little boy who wants to live in his PJs. Maybe I wouldn't mind so much if they were this adorable?

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: 3 Four and Under

2012-01-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, here we go. Day 2 of the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series. Our guest blogger today is Trisha. She's ancient. I mean in terms of her blogging life. Trisha has been blogging since 2007, which in my mind is forever. No wonder she's amazing. And even though she and I have the same number of children, she gets way more props for having TWIN BOYS!!!! I mean really, how does one survive that?

Some of my favorite things about 3 Four and Under are Tutorial Tuesday and In The Kitchen Thursday. I'm never disappointed when I pop over. The creative ideas abound. Just take a look at her Top 10 Posts of 2011.

So, without further ado, meet Trisha.
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Hello Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy readers! I am Trisha, mom to a spunky daughter and rambunctious twin boys, that blogs over at 3 Four and Under. And I am so thrilled to be here today!

I tend to sew a ton of things for my daughter, and usually have a hard time coming up with ideas of things to make for my boys. So, I was very excited when my Sewing For Boys book arrived at my doorstep! I couldn't wait, I had to open the box right then and take a look at all of the fun things that I can make for my boys!

As I was pursuing each page, I decided that my first project would be the Let's Go Fishing Hat!

My boys love hats and will actually wear them! So, I knew that this would be perfect for them!

To make the hats for my twins, I used one of my husband's old t-shirts and some cotton fabric that I had on hand. The hat came together fairly quickly, and would be a great project to make during nap time!

The book says that this pattern is a for an intermediate sewer, but I think that it would make a good beginner project!

Now my boys are armed and ready for their first fishing trip, or maybe just having adventures in the backyard!

Come stop by my blog anytime to see some more of my boys adventures, as well as crafts, sewing projects, recipes, and more!

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Thank you so much, Trisha for sharing your Sewing For Boys project with us. The hats look great!! And now I'm even more impressed because I couldn't get a boy of mine to wear a hat if their lives depended on it. Amazing!

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series: The Train To Crazy

2012-01-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

I'm so PUMPED today to bring your our first guest poster. No, really, like get up before the kids do, early. Andrea is a blogger that I hugely admire. Not only is she hilarious, she raises four kids, makes her own patterns and sews her kids' clothing, runs a business and still finds time to support new bloggers such as myself. I think she is an incredibly talented lady and I'm so thrilled she's joining us here for the Sewing For Boys Pump Up Week. Okay, I'll finish gushing and let you all get on to meeting her.

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I'm so excited to participate in this Sewing For Boys series! Any time I can find something to sew for my little boy I get excited. You can find me blogging and sewing over at The Train To Crazy where I sew for my three girls and my little guy.

Sometimes I even have time to sew for myself or other people. I love hosting guests and sharing tutorials so hop over there if you haven't visited yet. I hope you find something helpful! I'll be participating in Project Run & Play begining this week so check back to see my first entry!

I was so excited for the book Sewing for Boys: 24 Projects to Create a Handmade Wardrobe to be published. I patiently awaited it's release date and flipped through it as soon as I received it. The first project I chose from the book is the Car Play Mat. My kids love little cars and my son received a whole box of hot wheels for Christmas so this was perfect!

I followed the pattern for the road but made some of my own adjustments. I wanted a play mat that would be used for more than two minutes so it needed a bit more appeal.

To make your play mat like mine you'll want to cut your background fabric larger than the pattern (I used a heavy denim which I think is a great weight for this). Mine is about 36"x36" but you could certainly make it larger.

Then you can add a zip pouch to the background by cutting a piece of fabric about 18"x7". I used a 12 inch zipper.

Cut a slit in your garage fabric an inch shorter than the length of the zipper teeth.

Then cut a little "Y" at each end and iron it like this. You will now have an open rectangle in which to sew your zipper.

I then laid the zipper down and used stitch witchery (double sided bonding) to attach it to the fabric before stitching.

Then flip over your garage fabric to the right side and, using a zipper foot just sew a rectangle around the zipper. Most machines can't sew through a zipper so if your fabric covers a bit of the zipper end make sure to avoid the teeth.

Easy, right?

Now fold the edges under 1/4", iron, then fold 1/4" again and iron. Pin it in place on your play mat. I pinned the two long edges down, leaving the side edges unpinned. I pinned the sides 5" apart. Then sew the long sides down 1/8" from the edge.

The short sides will be loose like the above picture. Make a fold on each end so it lays flat then sew.

Now customize your mat using wool felt. Why wool felt? It looks best, holds up well and because it is felt you don't need to worry about fraying. Most chain fabric stores carry some wool felt blends and those work great.

Those cars need some place to go so make your mat interesting! I added a tunnel but made it detatchable with Velcro.

And finally, because I made it from a heavy denim, I didn't back it. That way I can continue to customize it! I just finished the edges of the mat and it is ready to play with.

Do your kids need a car mat?

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Oh, I just love the garage and removable tunnel. Thank you so much for helping us to jump start the series, Andrea!

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January Sew Along Prize

2012-01-01T04:16:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy New Year! I hope you had a blast and are ready to join me in my crafty New Year's resolution to bulk up the boys' wardrobes with handmade clothing. The Sewing For Boys Sew Along starts today so get going on your sewing, Flickr uploads, and blogging. When you've finished, head back over to the pattern announcement post and leave a comment telling me where you blogged about this months pattern or what your Flickr name is. This is VERY IMPORTANT. If you don't comment on the pattern announcement post, I can't enter you in the drawing for the January prize.

If you're just finding out about the sew along or just need a refresher on the rules and regulations, click here.

Okay, now that the business is out of the way, let's move on to the prize announcement. I'm totally psyched about our first month's fabulous prize sponsor. . . TWILL TAPE GUY. . . . who is offering a 25 dollar gift certificate over at his shop twilltape.com!

His name is really John but the above mentioned name, so deemed by the Crafterhours team, just fits so perfectly, I can't help but use it too. I first discovered Twill Tape Guy when those lovely ladies hosted Twill Tape Week and filled the world with a week's worth of crafty twill tape ideas.

When it comes to twill tape and grosgrain ribbons, twilltape.com has it all. Not only do they sell great products, that come in bulk sizes, but they offer them at amazingly reasonable prices. 72 yards of twill tape for less than 8 bucks? And in so many different colors.

Twill Tape Guy also sells custom printed cotton tapes/ grosgrain ribbons in a variety of colors. If you already have a label idea, this is the place to get them printed.

As you can see, 25 dollars will go a long way. If you have any doubt, at all about the generosity of this prize, or are stumped as to what you might use your winnings for, here's a round up of twill tape projects just calling out to be made.

From left to right: Twill Tape Chair Back, Twill Tape Bag Accents by Saltwater Kids, Twill Tape Photoboard by Georgica Pond, Dishtowel aprons from Angry Chicken, Mummy Candle by Stamp Cravings, Twill Tape Chair Upholstery, Ruffles With Twill Tape from Sweetwater, Twill Tape Road Pants from Ottobre Designs, Hand Towel Embellishments from Purl Bee, Twill Tape Scrapbook Freebies, Twill Tape Necklace, Twill Tape Skirt Embellishment by Happy Find

I could go on and on, as my Pinterest account can attest to. What can I say? Twill Tape makes me happy. And I'm sure it will make you happy too, if you're the winner of this fabulous prize. Luckily you have the rest of the month to get your submissions in and if you just can't wait to get your hands on some Twill Tape, John's button will be on my sidebar all. month. long.

Now off you go. Go on. Get sewing. Your boy's wardrobe is demanding it.

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Sewing For Boys Pump Up Series

2011-12-31T04:23:00.000-08:00

It's time to get pumped up. Pumped up kicks . . . pants . . . shirts, you name it. If you've got a boy and you like to sew, wish you could sew, or dream of sewing better, you'll want to tune into the blog for the next two weeks.

To get us pumped up and ready for the Sewing for Boys Sew Along, I'm declaring the next two weeks, "Sewing For Boys Pump Up" series. Each day from January 2nd through January 14th, we'll have a guest poster with a preview of the patterns from Sewing For Boys or a boy clothing design of their very own.

And what a list of bloggers! I'm so excited to have the lovely and experienced bloggers below joining us to kick off this great sew along.

January 2nd- Train to Crazy
January 3rd- 3 Four and Under
January 4th- A Little Gray
January 5th- Blue Susan Makes
January 6th - Always Expect Moore
January 7th- Freckled Laundry
January 8th- Courturier Mommy
January 9th- Everywhere Orange
January 10th- The Boy Trifecta
January 11th- Simple Simon and Company
January 12th- Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!
January 13th- Rockin' Reagalia
January 14th- Figgy's Patterns

Feel free to grab the series or sew along buttons below and help spread the word: Crafty moms the world over are sewing for their boys!!!

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Star Wars Playing Cards

2011-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

I know I said I wouldn't be posting until the new year but I've been stuck home with a sick baby while the rest of the family is taking my in-laws out for some sightseeing. The poor folks have been here for almost two weeks and have barely seen anything of where we live since the weather has just been plain miserable.

I thought since the little one was napping, I'd finally get down to fixing my printer (which hasn't been working since the old laptop died and we moved causing us to misplace the USB cord). Now that I've finally gotten it going again, I can finally show you one of the stocking stuffers I made for the boys.

The theme for Christmas this year was overwhelmingly Star Wars so I thought I'd carry it over to the stockings. Each of my older boys got a set of Star Wars playing cards.

The card game is played like Old Maid except the card you do not want is Darth Vader. I simply printed them out on the color copier, then cut and pasted each character onto a larger piece of card stock. If you have a color printer and white card stock, you can save yourself a step and simply print and cut.

I laminated the cards with sheets of clear contact paper for durability. Sigh! In this house, everything needs a force field of protection if it's going to last more than a month.

The cards can easily be used to play memory or, if you print out an extra set, Go Fish! Since I have a feeling my son's 6th birthday theme is destined to be Star Wars, I'm thinking I'll probably be making card sets for the party favors.

Here's the link to the google doc. if you'd like to make some of your own. Since the images are pasted from Google images, personal use only, please.

Just a little something to while away the cold winter nights.

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Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T02:02:00.000-08:00

Hi there. I didn't mean to take a break this week, but some how it's Thursday and I haven't posted in a long time. My in-laws arrived this time last week, and we've been busy touring the city and getting ready for Santa's visit. Plus the big boy is off of school for the next THREE weeks. It's so nice to have him home but I have to admit, I'm not used to taking care of three children all day long. Thankfully, I have plenty of help until January.

When we're not sightseeing, we're having so much fun completing our advent activities. We had a rip, roaring Christmas music dance party last weekend that was so much fun. This proud momma has to say, her boys have got some moves.

We had to improvise a bit with the fireside meal. I'm still too nervous to burn an actual fire in there. Not because I'm afraid someone will get burnt. As you can see, we've installed a burn proof gate. There are several cracked bricks on the bottom of the fire place, and while the landlord insists this is perfectly fine, I'm just not sold. Not to mention the horrible clean-up job that awaits the fire's completion. So candles will do for now. And since it get's dark here by 3 pm (woo hoo for the longest day of the year being O-V-E-R), the candles are doing double duty as sunshine imitators.

And I have to guiltily admit . . . I was so glad to pass off the Christmas Cut-out Cookies to the grandparents. I sure love to eat them, but man are they a pain to make with the little guys. Roll, cut, bake, cool, ice, decorate. Thank goodness for grandparent patience. It made me tired just to watch them.

So, I'll finish my ramble. Don't forget, it's not too late to ask Santa for a copy of Sewing For Boys so you can join me for our Sewing For Boys Sew Along. Our first prize sponsor will be announced on January 1st. If you're just hearing about this series, click here to learn about our January sew along pattern.

In an attempt to pump you all up, the first two weeks of January will be filled with some seriously amazing bloggers guest posting on patterns from the book and other fabulous boy themed sewing projects.

I'll be taking a little blogging break until the New Year. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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Chocolate Spoons

2011-12-16T02:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I wrack my brain each Christmas, trying to come up with small gifts for our neighbors and my son's teachers. I think these are the hardest gifts to give since we generally don't know them extremely well. I think I've got something this year that will please them all.

This year we're giving Chocolate Spoons. A super easy treat that the boys were even able to help with. These are great for coffee lovers as well as those who like a little "spice" to their hot chocolate. Once gifted, the recipient simply grabs their favorite heated beverage, adds the spoon, stirs and awaits the flavored goodness.

Supplies:
- plastic or wooden spoons
- milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips or go crazy and grab some caramels
- embellishments ( candy canes, sprinkles, toffee, coconut ect.)
- microwave, hammer, waxed paper
- clear or decorated plastic bags, baker's twine or ribbon

1. Crush your "larger" embellishments using a hammer and place in a small bowl.

2. Melt your chocolate chips and white chocolate in separate bowls, in the microwave. I started with 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, on high, for 2 minutes. Stay right by the microwave and check in every 30 seconds or so. Pull the bowl out every so often to check for melted-ness. Once the chips are melted they are ready. This can be a tricky process because if they are in too long they are going to turn crunchy instead of smooth.

3. Dip each spoon in the melted chocolate, making sure to cover the entire spoon.

4. Sprinkle one embellishment on each spoon and set aside on waxed paper to cool/harden. Another embellishment option: drizzle a milk/dark chocolate spoon with white chocolate or vise versa.

5. Once the chocolate has set, wrap the top of each spoon in a small, plastic bag and tie with twine or ribbon.

You can skip this step and just wrap the container, but I feel like the individual bags keep the spoons fresh until they're ready to be used.

It's not too late to get those teacher/neighbor gifts done! Go on, get going!

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Christmas Wreath Alternative

2011-12-15T02:12:00.000-08:00

Last week, the weather gods gifted us with extremely high winds depositing a few free Christmas decorating goodies, literally, on my doorstep. Something free or on the cheap always gets my blood flowing and since we don't have a Christmas wreath for our front door, I knew just what I wanted to make.

I think the cool kids are calling it, "Door Swag"?

Here's how it all went down.

1. Tied bow to evergreen bough. (This was a go with the wind type of project. I wasn't sure how it was all going to turn out so yes, the picture is a bit out of order.)

2. Looped the ribbon for the door hanger through the loop of the bow.

3. I came across a set of fake cranberries at the grocery store and added them for a pop of color. The wired stems made these easy to insert and arrange.

I liked what I had but thought it was missing something,

4. So I made three, white stars. I have a ton of leftover quilt batting that I'm determined to find small projects for. It turned out to be perfect for adorning my swag. I cut two for each star, quickly sewed them together with the machine and then gave each a quick blanket stitch with embroidery thread.

Not bad for a project that is made entirely of free or laying around the craft pile things, right? Now if only I could figure out a way to install an outside outlet so we could have some twinkly lights outside, I'd finally feel like our Christmas decorations were complete.

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Guest Slippers

2011-12-12T23:32:00.000-08:00

Every November, I promise myself that I'm going to get started on making everyone handmade Christmas gifts. Thanks to Angie over at Country Chic Cottage, this year I got started on the right foot.

We've lived in cold countries for the last few years and something I've noticed and thought is such a great idea, is the idea of slippers for your guests. A few years ago I'd read an article about taking your shoes off at the door, which basically just grossed me out, and now we're an "Inside Shoe" kinda family. When guests are over though, I always give them the option because I know myself and I don't always feel comfortable taking my shoes off in some one's house. Especially when I don't know them very well. I confess I bring along my own slippers when visiting close friends, just so I'm not paranoid about my exposed toes. Not that they smell or anything, naked toes just make me feel a bit insecure.

Here's the point: I'm making a few sets of guest slippers for a few of my friends who have a "No shoes, please", policy. This way their guests will feel pampered while being asked to go shoeless.

Supplies:

Wool felt
Nylon thread and needle
Yarn
Slipper Gripper (optional)

To create my slipper pattern, I traced a set of my husband's shoes as well as my own. Cut out and trace 2 of each pattern for each slipper.

Then cut and trace the slipper top pattern. Be sure to place the pattern on the fold of your fabric.

When the slipper top is cut it will look like a folded oval.

Now you are ready to sew.

Grab two right foot cut outs and sew them together (If you're adding slipper gripper, add this to the bottom of the pile). Because you are using Nylon thread the seam will be invisible. You'll be sewing over it later with your embellishing stitches so it doesn't need to be turned.

Now sew the folded slipper top to the sole. Use a blanket stitch.

Now flip the slipper inside out so you get a clean edge to the slipper toe.

Sew around the entire edge of the slipper using yarn and an embroidery needle. Any form of blanket stitch will look nicely here.

Add some form of embellishment or if you're going for a more unisex look, leave your slipper with just the blanket stitching for pizzazz. Now follow the same procedure for the left slipper.

If you want to create a "Guest Slipper" basket for someone, go ahead and create 6 to 8 pairs, making the sizes 1/2 women's and 1/2 men's. If you make your pattern from a larger male or female foot, their small and average foot sized guests should be very comfortable.

My example of "manly" embellishment

Place your slipper sets in a small basket or box and they make a great gift for the perfect hostess!

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm working on a printable to go along with the slipper set. You know, just in case pretty, comfy looking slippers aren't invitation enough.
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Christmas Mantle

2011-12-09T06:10:00.001-08:00

Well, to be honest, I don't really have a mantle per say. It's more like a radiator in disguise.

Either way, it's beginning to look a lot more like Christmas around here.

Last December (way before I had a cutting machine of my own), I purchased a set of vinyl Christmas Subway art from Andy over at Poppies at Play. I had the full intention of reclaiming the perfect piece of wood or the perfect sized canvas and just never came across what I had pictured in my mind. After our recent move, when we put everything up on the walls, the piece of art in this frame just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the wall art. After transfering the Christmas subway art, I realized there was just too much empty space. After a fierce battle with the machine, I added the manger scene. It's still driving me nuts that the manger is missing. Silly machine was acting like the anti-christ

I made this chalkboard banner back in October (using it for Halloween and Thanksgiving), and just haven't been able to find a place that would allow me to get a decent photograph.

The vinyl stars for the candles were done on the Silhouette machine and the metal stocking hangers I picked up years ago from Target. They've never done a particularly good job of holding up stockings but they're working well to hold up the banner so I won't hold it against them. I was looking for a bit more red, the other day, to spice things up and finally decided on the candy canes. I'm sure one of them will be snatched by bed time tonight. I may have to find an alternate source of red since candy canes are rare in these parts.

Have a great weekend!

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Mod Podge Christmas Trees

2011-12-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

I found a set of wooden Christmas trees on sale after Christmas last year and stashed them away. I swear sometimes I have crafty ADD. I get started on something and then forget about it, or buy something and "lose" it in a pile of crafty things. Thankfully, the unpacking and semi-organization that happened just before Christmas this year, reminded me they were there.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to paint or decoupage them. I had a debate with myself for several days over which would better compliment the "stick" tree stems. As you can see, Mod Podge won out. It must have been calling my name. The red and white papers reminded me of a more Scandinavian Christmas, which seemed appropriate this year.

Once the papers were Mod Podged and dry, I gave them a little swipe with some white craft paint which was immediately wiped off with a cloth.

Once dry, I went back over the edges and the circle shaped bases with an antiquing medium. It ended up being a bit darker than I had wanted so I wiped most of it off with the cloth. Last, but not least, they got a vigorous sanding.

I'm still not sure about the little guy. I ran out of the red and white tissue paper and had to switch over to scrap booking paper.

He's actually reversible. But I'm not sure I'm feeling the green.

Especially since I found this cute, little couple to keep the trees company. Don't you just love them? I found them at the grocery store of all places. Luckily, decoupage is an easy craft to revamp if need be.

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Scandinavian Advent Candle

2011-12-05T01:10:00.001-08:00

I grew up with a traditional advent wreath but as I was searching around for the perfect one, last year, I made the decision to modernize just a bit with the intention of creating something that would last through the years. It's not that I didn't factor in the fact that others would be moving out belongings this summer, it's just that I thought they might take a bit more care. So last year's advent wreath is looking a bit sad. It's not unfixable, it just needs some time with the glue gun to fill in the spaces where the beans have some off during it's transport. And really, that's not the biggest issue. The reason we're not using it this year is because, heck if I can find the little, metal candle holders that popped right in.

While out searching for new candle holders, I came across the traditional Scandinavian advent candle. I like the idea of lighting one candle and having it burn down a little bit each day instead of hoping that the smallest candle will burn all the way through to December 25th. And let me tell you, they've got this down to a science.

I wasn't thrilled with the designs I saw, but visions appeared in my head in how to make one myself.

I marked a spot, every centimeter, with a sharpie marker and then added the numbers.

Then I went back over each number with some puffy glitter paint. I'm still trying to figure out how to spice up the white plate. I have a holly bush outside that's calling to me, but am a little nervous about adding branches to something with a flame. Plus, adding anything around the bottom will block the last two days.

We light the candle each night at dinner and sing a Christmas song, letting it burn down to the next days number. Since the boys eat (or not eat depending on how you see it) at record speed, when it's not sitting with us at the dinner table, it's hanging out with the other candles. It generally takes the candle about 30 minutes to burn down each centimeter.

And now that the winter darkness has settled in we're burning candles from about 3pm on. I like the cozy atmosphere it gives our home. And the extra heat too, cause' man it's getting cold out there.

Happy Monday!

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Advent Calendar Activity Cards

2011-11-30T23:26:00.001-08:00

Okay, so in true Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! fashion, I'm running a little behind this year. I've been mulling over the advent calendar thing for several weeks now, but only just got around to doing something about it. I have two children this year, maybe three since the littlest guy wants to know about everything his brothers are doing. This is just a bit too expensive for my tastes and as I've thought it over, really doesn't prepare the boys for the true meaning of Christmas.

Instead of small toys, this year we're progressing to Advent activity cards. Mr. Wonderful and I sat down last night and came up with a list of Christmas activities that all the boys will enjoy. Since each bag will contain an activity card this year, we can alternate who gets to open the days bag and ideally there will be nothing to argue over.

I printed the cards out on green card stock and just cut on the lines. I made sure to print a copy for myself, on printer paper, so I have a heads up about which activity I'll be needing to be prepared for each day.

Here's the link if you'd like to print them out for yourselves. Some of our activities are specific to our locale, so once you download the doc. you can change a few around. I would love to have included things like driving around to look at the Christmas lights, attending the cities tree lighting, and going ice skating but they are things that are unlikely to happen in our neighborhood.

If you're wondering how to make the advent calendar bags, hop over here for the tutorial.
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Christmas Mug Rugs

2011-11-30T06:30:00.001-08:00

I fooled around with those fabric scraps I showed you yesterday and finally got my Christmas Mug Rugs out to my lovely swap partner.

There's nothing like a deadline for a crafty friend to get your "fix the sewing machine" motivation flowing.

The backing is made of 2 by 2 inch squares of Christmas fabrics, most from Michael Miller's Funky Christmas.

Since my original plan flopped, I used leftover scraps to make two Christmas ball ornaments and added a funky "hanger" in metallic silver thread.

Now that I have the machine all figured out and back in good working order, it's time to get to work on the Christmas Tree skirt that was supposed to be sewn last year. Ha, look at me, procrastination works because I've already gotten a head start on the project!

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Thanksgiving Mishaps

2011-11-28T23:23:00.001-08:00

Did everyone have a good Thanksgiving? We had a fabulous time but not without it's minor cooking catastrophes.

It all started with the pumpkin pie. I rolled out the dough, mixed up the pie filling, put it all together and slid it into the oven. Not a minute after I put it in, it dawned on me that I've never have leftover pie filling. I raced over to the counter to look at the pumpkin can and could have killed myself. I'd put the entire can of evaporated milk into the pie filling. Doh! I mean come on, I've made pumpkin pie at least 8 times now. You'd think having leftover milk would stick in ones brain. Luckily, I'd purchased an extra can for future use in pumpkin bread or pumpkin cookies. At 6 dollars a can, it was to be a future luxury. So, I went through the steps again. Mix, chill, roll, mix, fill, and into the oven. In the end, we had two pies. The first suprisingly did set up and the second (after ironically giving me a terrible time setting) was finally finished about 45 minutes after the normal cooking time.

The next disaster came in the form of what we're calling "Mortar Mashed Potatoes". Again, a mistake in something that is made in this house all the time. I guess I was just in a hurry when I grabbed the bag of potatoes. I know I have to be careful here. I know each potato dish is made with a specific type of potato. I know this particular type can NOT be mashed. Well, to be correct, they can be physically mashed but heck if they are actually edible. What they turn into is a form of potato glue. I'm thinking of looking into a patent for using them as brick mortar. Or maybe a new type of craft glue.

Thankfully the turkey and the rest of the fixings came out well, because I later managed to make butter instead of whipped cream. Ah, the joys of living in places without Cool Whip or whipped cream in a can. There are certain conveniences, especially around the holidays, that I so miss about America.

So when I sat down on Sunday night (after our guests had left, the house was returned to some semblance of normal, 4 days of laundry done and put away) in front of my beloved sewing machine, which I have not used for 5 months, it should not have been a surprise that my plans would go awry.

All I wanted was to create a set of mug rugs but alas, after 45 minutes of frustration, I stopped and went to bed. Whether I was just too tired to sew a straight line or the poor little machine needs a tune-up, we'll see.

I'm hoping I can salvage this pile of scraps and make something pretty. I'm also realizing that I only have a few days left to get a new header up. I'm blown away by how quickly our December calendar is already filling up. Geesh, before I know it, it will be time to announce the January "Sewing For Boys" prize. Are you ready? Do you have all of your sewing notions for making the January pattern? I'm ready to sew and hoping you'll be joining in.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T23:49:00.001-08:00

I know I'm a day early but I wanted to stop in and wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We're blessed to have good friends visiting for the holiday and weekend so I've been frantically running around trying to get all the little errands done before their arrival this afternoon. It's amazing how much longer those things take when you're biking around town.

I've been trying extra hard to reflect over the blessings we've received this year and to be truly thankful. While there are oceans involved, I am constantly surrounded by the love of family and friends. In each country we've lived, we've also found life long friends. We have more than enough to eat and a comfortable roof over our heads. We've been blessed, in this time of economic challenge for many, without late night financial worries. And maybe the most important, besides the ever present boogers, we are healthy. We have so many things to be thankful for!

Have you had a decent year? What are you most thankful for this year?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I plan on taking the time to thoroughly enjoy my little family and guests. My motto this year: run around today so you can relax tomorrow. I plan on eating my weight in mashed potatoes and stuffing-- with a little bit of turkey on the side.

Back to work! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Moustache Week- Pinterest Round-Up

2011-11-19T04:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's time to wrap up Mustache Week. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as the boys and I have.

If you're joining us late, here's a run down of the week:

Mustache Wreath Tutorial

Mustache Mugs w/Silhouette file

Keep Calm and Mustache Candles

To send us off I've put together some of my favorite mustache ideas from Pinterest.

1. Mustache Bash 2. Mustache Straws 3. Mustache Bandages 4. Mustache Bag 5. Mustache Wrapping Paper 6. Mustache Chocolate 7. Mustache Clips 8. Mustache Cupcakes 9. Mustache Bandits

Have a terrific weekend!

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Keep Calm and Some Candles

2011-11-16T23:53:00.001-08:00

I promise I'm not becoming the crazy Silhouette lady, but I couldn't resist using it for one last vinyl mustache craft.

But then again, maybe I am getting a little carried away because one thing led to another . . .

and now I have a whole display of mustachioed candles

which make me smile every time I look over there.

And this leads me to wonder, how it's Thursday of Mustache Week, and my husband has yet to comment or question his house full of mustaches. Which may mean he just shakes his head over most of the crafting that goes on around here.

If you'd like the Silhouette file, feel free to download by clicking the link below. The mustaches on the candles were left over from the Mustache Mugs.

Mustache On.studio

Oh, and Jo,

Jo said...

I haven't made many clothes for my boys, yet. I'm looking for inspiration! I did enjoy making a backpack and wallet recently.

November 4, 2011 6:00 PM

Congrats! You're the new winner of the "Sewing For Boys" book giveaway. I'll be e-mailing you for your address.

Happy Thursday everyone!

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Does the Mustache Make the Man?

2011-11-15T23:30:00.001-08:00

Carrying on with our week of mustaches. Have you seen this children's book?

If ~~you~~ your children are into mustaches, I highly recommend Moosetache by Margie Palatini. Big C picked it out for his Scholastic order last month and I think we've read it every night since it arrived.

This poor moose has a major problem involving an unruly mustache. Talk about a bad hair day. The book follows the moose as he tries to solve his problem. Let me tell you, that's one inventive moose! And C just thinks the problematic mustache is hilarious. I'd like to chalk it up to boy humor but I'll admit, I think it's all pretty funny.

We'll be reading it again this afternoon as we enjoy our mustache cupcakes (cupcake topper PDF below).
Mustache Cupcake Toppers

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Mustache Mugs

2011-11-15T01:08:00.001-08:00

In continuation of our celebration of mustaches and Movember, I bring you . . . Mustache Mugs. I can't claim this as an absolute original idea, as I've seen different versions of them on Pinterest and Etsy, but I thought for those of us with less mustache knowledge, the mugs needed names.

I downloaded some mustache graphics from the Silhouette store and played around with the text, getting it all to fit on the page.

Then cut the vinyl on the machine (first time using mine and I'm already in love!).

I think this is my favorite one. Something about the Yo Sammity Sam mustache calls to me. I guess I've got a thing for cowboys? I had to rush the big boy out to the bus this morning before they were finished but I can't wait to see what he says about drinking his juice out of a mustache mug. I can't wait to see that little face peaking out over a mustache tomorrow morning.

These would be super easy to make with a freezer paper stencil and a ceramic marker. Much more time consuming, yes, but still do-able.

I'm still working on how to share the Silhouette file but I promise as soon as I figure out how to get it uploaded, it's yours. And anyone with the knowledge on how to to that, will be my best friend for life. No joke!**** Update *** Trying out this on-line file sharing site. Let me know if it works.

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Get Your Craft On

Mustache Wreath

2011-11-11T05:36:00.001-08:00

Hi, folks! You might have noticed some changes around the blog design in the last few days. It's all in support of an important cause: Movember. You know, the one where the guys in your life vow to not shave their mustache for the month of November in order to raise money for prostate and other male cancers initiatives.

If you are a wife to, mother of, or daughter to an overgrown boy, it's time to get your ~~nag on~~ support britches on. If your male loved ones are anything like mine, they tend to ignore their yearly doctor visit. It's up to us ladies to gently remind them.

Each day this week, I'm be showing off some fun, supportive, pro moustache projects and activities. First up, the mustache wreath.

Supplies:

wreath base
twine
hot glue gun
felt scraps
nylon thread and needle
scissors

Step 1: Decorate Wreath Base
Wrap your wreath base in twine, hot gluing it as you wrap. I glued about every 5 or 6 turns of the twine.

Step 2: Create a felt mustache set.
For mustache styles see here. For a printable version see here.

Printable image from fabuloussavings.com

Making a set of mustaches allows you to trade out several times during Movember, but if you have a favorite, make just one. If you chose one of the longer mustaches, you may want to do two layers of felt and sew them together.

Step 3: Hang Your Mustache

Thread your needle with nylon thread, starting from behind the mustache, stitch up and then back down, tying a knot in the back. Cut the threads at the needle. Do the same for the other side of the mustache. Then knot the thread ends to the top of the wreath, so the mustache hangs in the center of the wreath.

Hang your mustache wreath in a place of prominence so your Mo will be reminded of this great cause.

Add a' "Bonjour" and I also think it makes a fun welcome wreath.

Linking Up Here:

Making The World Cuter

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Sewing For Boys Pattern Announcement and Mustache Week

2011-11-11T05:06:00.001-08:00

Alright, it's taken me almost a month, but I've finally settled on the January pattern for the "Sewing For Boys" Sew Along. It's been so hard to decide which to start with, there are so many great items for our boy's handmade wardrobes.

Get yourselves ready . . . in honor of all the boys out there who like to wear comfortable clothing . . . we'll be starting with the Raglan Tee! The pattern in the book is for short sleeves but since our final goal is to embellish our final projects, feel free to make yours long sleeved.

I'm giving us all extra time for buying of fabric and notions and sewing, since the holidays are just about upon us. The prize for January will be announced on/near January 1st. At that time and up until January 31st, comment on this post (in order to be entered for the January prize), upload your project pictures to the Flickr group, and link back to your blog's post about your item. If you need more information about the rules and guidelines, see this post.

I'd be thrilled, if you have a blog, if you'd place the button on your sidebar and help spread the word.

One more short announcement: in honor of Movember, I'm declaring next week "Moustache Week". All next week on Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!, I'll be featuring tutorials, round-ups, and kid book choices centered around the infamous "mustachio". Because with great mustache comes great responsibility!

Well, I really mustache.

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Distressed Herb Garden Tutorial

2011-11-09T23:50:00.000-08:00

It's gotten pretty cold, pretty fast around these parts and the cold combined with the ever present clouds can get a girl down sometimes. I think bringing some green inside helps brighten the place up. A super cheap craft, using things I've already got laying around the house, also makes me happy.

Supplies:

4 tin cans
2 X piece of wood
white and turquoise acrylic paint and paint brushes
Crackle Finish Medium or Elmer's Glue
Light to medium grain sandpaper
Antiquing "glaze" (see recipe below)
Hammer and nails

Step 1: Tin Can Prep.

Wash and dry can, then paint them white. I gave mine two coats. Another option would be to spray paint but since I was going for a distressed look, I thought making the cans a bit "streaky" would lend itself to the faux age factor.

Step 2: Paint and Distress Wood

Paint your piece of wood with a thin layer of turquoise paint. Once dry, spread a thin layer of crackle medium or Elmer's glue on the surfaces you want to crackle. Let dry, but not all the way or the paint will not crackle. You want the glue to still be a bit sticky.

Paint a thin layer of white glue over top the Elmer's glue. The white topcoat will start to crack as it dries.

Step 3: Sand

Step 4: Antiquing

Mix a small amount of brown paint with water. You want it to be runny. About a 1 part paint to 4 parts water ratio.

Apply a small amount of paint, going with the grain, and immediately wipe it off. Work in this way, leaving a little more paint or less. You can always go back over it with a second coat to make it darker. The more you let sit in the cracks the more they will stand out. This is what give it the aged look.

Step 5: Attach cans to wood and fill with plants

Measure your board and lay out your cans so they are evenly spaced on the wooden board.

Attach each can using nail/hammer or by drilling a hole and attaching a screw.

I decided to use a nail since I'm using "disposable" herbs. I wanted the small, plastic container that holds each herb bunch to be held in place by the nail.

Since each herb is "disposable" and contained in a plastic planter, I'm able to pull it out each time it needs to be watered. If you plan to plant your herbs directly into each can, think about adding a few small holes at the bottom of each can, for drainage.

I also like the portable-ness of this garden. When the weather is nice, I can relocate for watering and general sun absorption.

Which my poor plants apparently need. I super, pinky swear these herbs were purchased yesterday. The parsley gets extra points for proper modeling behavior.

The dill and basil do not. In fact, as punishment, I'm using them up for dinner. I mean, if you can't stand up to a bit of snipping, you've got to go. At least that's my excuse for why I'll be making Caprese pasta-again. Tonight.

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Sewing For Boys Book Winners

2011-11-07T23:09:00.000-08:00

I got so much done yesterday, I'm feeling totally pumped today. I even fit it some crafty time. Woo hoo! But that's not what you're checking in for today, I'm sure. In order to choose the three book winners, I created a random list from your comments, using Random. org:

List Randomizer

There were 10 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. h hock drei,
2. cook clean craft,
3. louisa,
4. tamster,
5. jayna rae,
6. just a little joy,
7. ashley,
8. alyssa,
9. sara,
10. jo

I then used the random number generator. The fancy shmancy computer told me the winners are . . .

1. Contestant number 9: Sara

2. Contestant number 6: Just a Little Joy

3. Contestant number 5, Jayna Rae

Congrats! I'll be in touch via e-mail, ladies about where to send your book. Everyone else, get those books ordered soon because the January pattern will be announced this week. Trust me, you're going to want a chance to win the January prize. It's a doozie.

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Where Have I Been?

2011-11-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

So . . . . . our stuff finally arrived on Friday. Which brings this house so much happiness. and chaos. It looks like a bomb went off here. Or we are tornado victims. It's really that bad. I'm trying very hard not to feel overwhelmed by the claustrophobic feeling that of being surrounded by huge boxes induces. In reality, what is causing the anxiety is the clear and utter inability to decide where it all goes. This house needs to have a serious purge before Christmas.

That said, I'm so excited about being reunited with my sewing machine and craft supplies. I'm not feeling a bit guilty about the fact that I unpacked the "craft room" yesterday while there are still boxes in the boys' rooms. Feel free to judge. This lady hasn't seen her craft/sewing supplies in FOUR months and besides, the boxes in their rooms are just filled with clothes they've probably outgrown.

Two little pieces of business to share with you before I go take care of some more boxes.

1. I'll be working on picking the winners of the "Sewing For Boys" book giveaway. Entries closed last night. I'll announce the winners tomorrow, so make sure you check back.

2. Before things got crazy around here, I actually got a start on my handmade Christmas gift list. I know, unbelievable, right? Me, ahead of the game. A full tutorial for these felt guest slippers is over at Country Chic Cottage. Angie is hosting 12 Days of Handmade Holiday Gifts. Stop over for some great ideas and handmade gift shops.

Happy Monday!

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Sewing For Boys Sew Along

2011-10-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

In the past, if you tried to search for sewing patterns for boys clothing, you'd come up short. I've always wanted to sew clothes for my little guys, but honestly, I lack pattern generating talent. Thankfully, for us sewing moms/grandmas/aunts, this is a growing trend. With the institution of blog series such as "Celebrate the Boy" and "The Kids Clothes Week Challenge", there are finally more places to turn to for great tutorials and patterns.

Sewing For Boys: 24 Projects to Creat a Handmade Wardrobe, recently landed on my doorstep and I was thrilled to find a book full of things my boys would actually wear. Just looking through the book has been so inspiring so I've vowed to dedicate time each month, for the next year, working on clothing projects for my boys. I plan to tackle at least one pattern each month. I'm hoping you'll sew along with me and keep me honest.

The Sewing For Boys Sew Along begins January 1st! Whether you plan to sew along or just sew at your own pace, you can buy your copy through Amazon or your local bookstore. Starting in January should give us plenty of time to get our books. To keep us motivated, I've lined up prizes for each month.

Rules and Guidelines-

- I will announce the patterns on or around the 1st of every month. We will have two patterns for most months. I plan on starting with the patterns deemed "beginner" and work my way up to progressively harder patterns (according to the book this just means there are more pattern pieces).

- You'll need to join the Sewing For Boys Sew A Long Group on Flickr.

- You must make some sort of additional embellishment on your creation! Add embroidery, tie dye, fabric printing, applique, quilting, patchwork, beads or something else that makes it truly unique.

- When you finish take some pictures and post them to your blog or flickr page. Be sure to tell us about what you did and how you embellished the pattern. Be sure to link back to this post or include one of these buttons somewhere in your blog post (and elsewhere on your blog too!).

-Submit your photos to the flickr group Sewing For Boys Sew Along. Give them the tag "Sewing For Boys Sew Along" and add a link to your blog post in the photo description so we know where to find more about your project.

- Most Important!!!!!! When your project is complete, submit a link in the comments section of the pattern post for that month's pattern so you are entered in the contest for that month. If you don't post your link you will not be entered in the contest.

I think that's it! I will announce the project for January soon so you can have a little extra time to buy the fabric and supplies for the first project.

Too start us off on this great sewing journey, Wiley Publishing, is sending me three "Sewing For Boys" books. Since I've already gotten my copy, these are just. for. you! Want one? Comment below and tell me what your favorite boy clothing item is. Make sure to include a way for me to get in contact with you, should you win. This giveaway closes on Nov. 7th.

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Monster Eyes Bottle Cap Necklace Tutorial

2011-10-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

This idea has been swimming around in my head ever since I saw these adorable Monster Eyeball Candy Favors from It Is What It Is . Don't you just love this blog title? How many times have you said that to your child?

Colin's school doesn't do the Halloween thing, but our class moms have amazingly invited everyone over to party before the neighborhood Trick-or-Treat. I thought it would be fun to make a set of Monster Eyeball necklaces to bring along with us for his classmates.

The necklaces are super simple to make.

1. Collect your bottle caps. I prefer the invite a bunch of people over to drink beer/soda method. That way you get what you need, but don't have to down a whole case yourself.

2. Print (document below) and cut out eyeballs.

3. Mod Podge paper eyeballs to bottle caps.

4. Use an awl and hammer to punch a hole in each bottle cap.

5. String your necklace through.

The Mod Podge does the job of adhering the paper to the bottle cap and at the same time gives it a creepy, wet eyeball kinda look.

I'm off to string the rest of the necklaces. Have a Happy Halloween!
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Ghost Candles

2011-10-24T01:23:00.000-07:00

In a last ditch effort to spookify our house before Halloween comes along, I picked up a few glass candles at my local dollar store. When I say dollar store, what I mean is "really expensive stuff because the current exchange rate is out of control store". And when I say spookify, what I really mean is cutes-ify because I'm not really into scary stuff. Since my boys are sure to be (I found them snickering over the scary Halloween costume ads the other day), I've only got a short time left to keep things cute.

As you can see, this little trio of ghosts is definitely NOT scary.

But they give off a super cozy glow, which is going to glow brighter as the candle burns further down. I'm also digging the fact that I can simple insert votive candles after the original candle has burned away, so there'll be years of cute to follow.

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Linking Up Here:

Chrismakwanzaka Mug Rug Swap

2011-10-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

Flickr Photo Collage by Kelly O.

My sewing machine is supposed to be here next week. I'm getting a bit giddy thinking about all of the things on my sewing to-do list. Which led me to reminisce about the things I accomplished last year and what I'd like to do some more of. The Spring Mug Rug Swap came to mind and while there were some challenges involved, I think I'd like to give it another go.

I was thinking about a Christmas Mug Rug Swap but when I thought about it, it felt a bit limiting. So I thought I'd give a Chrismakwanzaka Mug Rug Swap a go.

I was so excited in the Spring to receive my Mug Rug but afterwards I realized, one was not enough.

1. Because it was just so adorable and makes me smile every time I use it and
2. If I have someone over for coffee and a chat, only one of us gets it.

So this time we'll make two Mug Rugs for our partner's holiday of choice. No secret partners this time around. I think it's best if we are able to communicate directly with our partner to make sure preferences and shipping go off without a hitch. This also relieves me of some of the stress involved when something goes amiss.

Here are the rules:

Make 2 Mug Rugs, finished size- 8 1/2" X 11" ish. Feel free to play with the shape but keep it similar in size.

Let's give ourselves a few weeks to complete and mail them. Make sure your Mug Rug is mailed by Dec. 1st so that we'll be sure to receive our Mug Rugs before the holidays.

Feel free to include some of your favorite tea/coffee or other small gift. Don't feel like you have to and remember your swap participant may choose not to.

Serious swappers only please. I don't want anyone disappointed by a non-mailer.

Sign up by leaving a comment below which includes your e-mail. Registration will close Nov. 1st. I'll let you know who your partner is by Nov. 8th.. Then hop over and sign up for the Chrismakwanzaka Rug Swap as we'll use this as our forum for questions, inspiration, and record keeping.

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Pringles Can Mummy

2011-10-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

There's another mummy loose in our house. Sadly, if he's looking for brains to eat, I think we're in short supply. It's just been that kind of week.

Want to mummify one of your own? Here's how we made this fun, little guy.

Step 1: Remove organs (aka; eat the chips)
Step 2: Gather large amounts of salt. Just kidding, we've already covered that part by eating the chips. Paint your Pringles can black. We gave ours 2 coats to make sure all signs of previous life were covered.
Step 3: Cut what fabric (we used an old pillow case) into 2 inch strips.

Step 4: When the paint is dry, wrap your "bandages" around the can and attach with glue.

As you're wrapping, be sure to leave a hole for the eyes.

I'm thinking the mummy will be even more authentic as the years go by and the cotton fabric starts to fray. I helped it along in a few places. If you put the cap back on, these would make fun candy holders for a Halloween party favor.

I'm envisioning a whole Halloween crew; monster, witch, vampire. I'm off to eat more chips.

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Apple Dumplings

2011-10-18T23:51:00.000-07:00

The final apples fell from our lone apple tree last week. Mr. Wonderful has been begging for an apple pie since we moved in, but the pie plate is still on a ship, packed in boxes, somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic. His poor, sad face was pulling on my heartstrings, so I did the best I could to fill his craving.

In the end, I think the dumplings turned out better than a pie. I didn't have to cut the apples, or fight to make the pie crust look pretty, and yet the apples just melted in our mouths.

They are seriously easy.

Steps:

1. Peel and core apples.
2. Make pie crust and roll it flat or open a store bought package.
3. Cut dough in squares big enough to wrap over the apples.
4. With dough square underneath, fill each apple hole with a pat of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
5. Wrap up each apple and bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yum!

Pinterest Lego Round-Up

2011-10-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

I promised you a Star Fighter Lego Ship tutorial today but we're at a bit of an impasse at our house over who (Mr. Wonderful or I) made the best looking Star Fighter. Which hasn't bothered the boys in the slightest since they've won either way. They both get a ship to play with and in diplomatic fashion, are refusing to put in a vote. Or give them up so I can take a photo and give you guys the vote.

Does your little guy like Lego? Until we get things figured out here (or the boys let me borrow mine- since it's clearly the best-), I thought I'd bring you a Pinterest round-up.

Lego Fabric

Lego Clock

Lego Room

Lego Wall--C is seriously coveting this wall and I may be a bit crazy but I'm seriously thinking about making one room of the playroom--Legofied.

Lego Costume

There are so many fabulous Lego Party Ideas out there in Blogland. Here are some of my favorites:

Party Bags- These party bags make me want to have a Lego birthday party. Who can I convince?

Cake- I think even I might be able to pull off this cake.

Party Favors

Birthday Banner

These were just a few of my favorites. Am I missing any of your favorite homemade Lego goods?

How to Build a Lego Star Wars Army

2011-10-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I promised you a tutorial for the AT-AT. If you're new to the world of Star Wars this stands for All Terrain Armored Transport. I know this because C checked out a very descriptive Star Wars book from the library last week. The book had diagrams of each vehicle and spaceship, which is what started us down this road of Lego engineering.

The AT-AT, being a vehicle, takes a few more steps than the clones and major army players. I've started from the ground up but you could easily make one by starting the opposite direction.

Once you've put each layer together. let the games begin.

Mr. Wonderful informed me that the Millenium Falcon is impossible to make with our current Lego supplies. Since most of the ship is round, I guess I'll agree. For now. Since C has the week off of school, and the Rebel Army is sorely lacking in defenses, we'll be working on a Star Ship tutorial for tomorrow.

If you have a chance today, stop over to the Crafterhours Handmade Label Design contest and vote for a winner. I'd be ever grateful if you voted for mine. If you like it, that is.

How to Build a Lego Star Wars Army

2011-10-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

The boys and their dad have spent hours over the past few days building a Lego Star Wars army. I'm blown away and totally impressed by Mr. Wonderful's engineering abilities. Geesh, you know someone over 15 years, you'd think you would have discovered all their talents. I love the fact that he can still surprise me after all this time.

The Force is strong with this one.

I'm not sure if I should be nervous that they clearly put more effort into the dark side.

I mean there is an obvious discrepancy between the Republic's size. Seriously, 4 AT-ATs? Does the Rebel Alliance even stand a chance?

I'm hoping they're just the kind of kids who cheer for the underdog.

Want to know how to help your little one create their own Lego Star Wars scenario? Get yourself ready by humming the theme song: Dun, dun, dun . . . dun, dun, dun, da, da dun, dun. Now that you'll have that playing repeatedly in your head all day, you're ready.

The "players" are pretty simple to construct and all follow the same basic steps:

Since the AT-AT's take a few more steps, we'll continue the tutorial tomorrow so you have plenty of time to grow your army.

And We Have a Winner

2011-10-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. Things have been pretty quiet around here. We've finally gotten the boxes empty and everything put away. The weather was beautiful today and took our first step, climbing out on the "making new friends" limb, by having a neighborhood family over for brunch. Things went well and the kids had a ball. I worked on the finishing touches of my label design for the Crafterhours handmade label design competition. Since I have absolutely no design experience, I have no expectations for actually winning. I was considering the whole thing a major push for getting something done that's been on the To-Do list for a long time. If you have some starting Monday, head over to the Crafterhours Facebook album to check out and vote for a winner.

And we have a winner. . . The winner of Microcraft giveaway is . . . .

April, who said: "Mini monsters and robots would be super cute! "

Congrats, April. E-mail me and let me know where to send your copy of the fabulous Microcrafts.

Halloween Envy

2011-10-13T02:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, note to self, next time we move, make sure to pack the Halloween decorations. Even if we move in December because obviously things don't always go as planned.

I've been experiencing some major Halloween decoration envy the last week or so as everyone is starting to post about their seasonal mantels and wreaths and such. And since I failed to pack ours in the "quick arriving" boxes, we'll not be displaying ours this year.

Just in case you weren't around this blog space last year, here's a re-cap of last year's Halloween decorations.

1. Decoupaged Boo 2. Monster Jars 3. Ghost Bottles 4. 20 Minute Bunting

Here's a taste of last year's Halloween Bash.

Putting this post together makes me miss having our decorations even more. We need to get on that this weekend. What are your favorite Halloween/Fall decorations?

Off to find a craft store within biking distance. Wish me luck!

R2D2 Costume Tutorial

2011-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Since we're in the middle of unpacking our air freight boxes, I thought I'd re-run the R2D2 Pillowcase Costume tutorial. Just in case you missed it over at Train to Crazy. Hope you're having a great week and making headway on your own Halloween costumes!

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We're in the middle of a recent move and Halloween has gone from creeping up to practically right on the doorstep. Since my sewing machine is packed away in a box, on a very large ship, our Halloween costumes have fallen into the no sew category this year. I'm here today to share my tutorial for a very simple R2D2 pillowcase costume.

Now that I've made one, I see about a zillion possibilities for using a pillowcase for a costume base. What an easy way to beef up your child's dress-up closet.

What You'll Need:

1 white pillowcase

Blue and black fabric markers

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil

1 plastic bowel
Glue gun, nail or drill
1 jar top
Blue and black permanent markers
ribbon

Step 1: Body of Costume

After cutting, have your child try on the pillowcase.

Using pencil and ruler, draw a series of rectangles in the basic positions of R2D2's body. Utilize Google images for proper placement. If your child is anything like mine, authenticity is extremely important. Can you see where I had to erase the pencil and try again?

Once you're happy with the general placement, outline with the black fabric marker.

using your Google image as a reference, fill in boxes with the blue fabric marker. Can you tell that nap time was looming?

Step 2: The Hat

Use your black permanent marker to color the entire jar top black. Set aside to dry.

Again, using Google images for reference, draw a series of trapezoids and rectangles and color them in with your blue permanent marker.

Once dry, use a glue gun to attach the black jar top.

Use a nail or drill to punch holes on both sides of the helmet. Thread your ribbon through each hole and knot.

There you have it. Thank you for letting me share. May the force be with you!

Microcrafts Book Review and Giveaway

2011-10-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

When Quirk Books first approached me about reviewing Microcrafts, I have to say, I wasn't so sure. I mean, a whole book on miniature crafts? But I thought I'd give it a look and see if it might appeal to my followers. Boy am I glad I did because I was totally convinced as soon as I saw the book. I'm so excited to review Microcrafts for you today.

As the name suggest, Microcrafts is a compliation of 25 tiny craft ideas to make using the "odds and ends" you have lying around. As one would expect from amazing craft bloggers such as Holly Keller from Chez Beeper Bebe and Larissa Holland of mmmcrafts fame, this book has some majorly adorable ideas.

Some of my favorites:

Dogs and Accessories (This would keep my puppy obsessed sons busy for hours)

How seriously cute are these mini monster babies. They also come with the patterns and instructions for making little baby accessories.

And I'm still not sure what it is, but this mini plant stand speaks to me. Maybe it's the hope that I, the notorious plant killer, might even be able to keep these alive. I have a feeling though it has more to do with the fact that it has such a vintage feel to it. Only in miniature form.

Put the fabulous ideas together with clear cut, easy understand directions and miniature patterns, a whole slew of ways to modify and use these crafts in significant ways, adorable design details such as the gift tag side notes and "sewn on" titles and the whole publication just makes me grin from each to ear. I'm so glad I got an early look at this beautiful book and I can't wait to get my hands on my scraps because I'm definitely itching to microcraft.

Oh and guess what? It's also someone's lucky day because I have an extra copy to giveaway. If you'd like a chance to get your hands on a free copy of Microcrafts:

1. Become a follower of Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! (if you already are, just remind me)

2. Comment below by telling me something you think could be made even better by miniaturizing it.

3. Like Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! on Facebook.

You'll get an entry for each one. Entries close at 6 am (Easter Time) on Friday, October 14th. And if you're not the one lucky person to win a copy, you can always pick one up here. Good luck!

Guest Post- Pick Up Some Creativity

2011-10-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to bring you our next guest host. I've been following Chris' blog since I first learned how to follow people in my Google Reader. Chris never fails to provide crafty inspiration and as a mom of two boys, you bet I'm asking her advice on all things boy related. Chris also has an Etsy shop, so be sure to check that out as well. She's got a PDF for a Build Your Own Robot project that your boy will just love.
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Hi Oh Boy x3 readers! My name is Chris.

I share my thoughts about life, family, and creating at Pickup Some Creativity. I'm happy to be here today, and thought I'd share a perfect (and new to me recipe) for fall. I actually was given this recipe in a cookbook about 14 years ago. One of those great church lady recipe books with the homey recipes.

It's called McCoy's Mill French Toast. Let me preface by saying I'm not a food blogger, and the day I made this it was rainy and cold, which is perfect for a warm gooey dinner, but not so much for photos. It was just too good not to share!

You'll need:

1 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter (no margarine here!)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tart apples, peeled and sliced thick
1 loaf French bread, 3/4" slices
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

To begin, cook the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan until it is like syrup. Pour into a greased 9x13 Pyrex type pan. Spread apple slices over the syrup. (I was lucky enough to use apples from the trees in our yard!)

Next, spread the bread slices on top of the apples.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.

Cover and refrigerate several hours or over night. Bake the French Toast at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon to taste, and serve.

I wish I had tried this recipe sooner! It just takes some planning to pull it off...and the results are so worth it. If you like caramel, apples, and bread, this is definitely a treat to serve your family. We had it for dinner last night with bacon on the side. My diet went completely out the window!

Thanks for inviting me over, Stacey. As a mom to two boys, I love all the boy themed projects you come up with.

Thank you, Chris for filling in and blessing us with this yummy breakfast. I know what we're eating at our house Saturday morning.

On a side note, I'm over at RockNRegalia today posting about C's Knight Bedroom. Jayna Rae is hosting a week of boy spaces. She made an amazing Space themed bedroom for her little guy. Definitely check it out!