I’m happy to say Katie Kortman is back today (remember her ruffle bottom onesie tutorial?). Here is her baby legs tutorial.

I’m really seriously thinking of making my baby these. Is it socially acceptable for little boys to wear these?! Help me out here.

HOW TO [...]]]> Back to baby. (Have I mentioned how excited I am for another baby!?)

I’m happy to say Katie Kortman is back today (remember her ruffle bottom onesie tutorial?). Here is her baby legs tutorial.

I’m really seriously thinking of making my baby these. Is it socially acceptable for little boys to wear these?! Help me out here.

HOW TO MAKE BABY LEGS (LEG WARMERS)

When I first got pregnant and started looking at baby clothes (I started buying them when I was only 3 months along… I bought at stores with a 3 months return policy so I could return once I found out what the sex was. I KNOW I am crazy. But I was just way too excited about all the cute stuff I was seeing! Anyway, I happened upon “baby legs.” These are super cute little legging/legwarmers that are basically socks with no foot. Great for warming the legs and not having to take them off for a diaper change! Anyway, the REAL things are $12. That is just ridiculous. So I perused the internet and found a tutorial. I was able to get the idea of how to do it, but the images were less than inspiring. SOOOO alas, here is my own tutorial on how to make them! Enjoy!

1. cut off a 2.5-3″ piece of the sock (if you are using regular socks, then this would be the section where the foot goes. just trim off the toe cap, and the heel, and you have the middle section to work with)

2. Push the little tube through itself, so that the wrong sides are facing each other.

3.Put the long part left from the sock inside the hole created by the little tube you just made. Right sides should be facing each other.

4. Once you sew the 2 tubes together with your machine (or hands I suppose), you may want to turn the entire thing inside out and then sew it narrower if your baby has thin legs like mine does….

Turn them right side out and there you have it!!! Your own baby legs!!! Almost as cute as the little legs you are about to put them on…..

Alternative way to make these: Cut the sock and just serge the raw edge. Done.

As you know, I have a baby on the way so I thought it’d be fun to have a few weeks of baby-related tutorials (at least for me, haha!).

Katie Kortman of Blue-Eyed Freckle is the genius behind this ruffle bottom onesie tutorial. She has so many great ideas and is such an artistic and fashionable girl! [...]]]>

As you know, I have a baby on the way so I thought it’d be fun to have a few weeks of baby-related tutorials (at least for me, haha!).

Katie Kortman of Blue-Eyed Freckle is the genius behind this ruffle bottom onesie tutorial. She has so many great ideas and is such an artistic and fashionable girl! We first met in college on a study abroad to New Zealand. You are going to love her.

(do you think baby boys can have ruffle bottoms? haha. kidding)

HOW TO MAKE A RUFFLE BOTTOM ONESIE

Materials needed:
-( 1 yard-ish) nylon chiffon or tule, or other non-fraying translucent material
-thread/ sewingmachine
-onesie/bloomers

1. cut 3 strips of the chiffon the lengths you want the ruffles to end up. make the strips about 3/4 to 1 inch wide.

2. next, cut out approx 9-12 circles per strip (depending on how long your strips are. mine were 5 1/2 in. long and I used 9 circles that were 2-3 in. in diameter).

image via mikisatoillustration.com

Tell us about what you do.

I’m an illustrator in Toronto, Canada that works with things such as [...]]]> Miki Sato is a brilliant illustrator. I find everything she does so inspirational! I especially enjoyed watching this video of how she makes her works of art. Thanks, Miki, for sharing with us!

image via mikisatoillustration.com

Tell us about what you do.

I’m an illustrator in Toronto, Canada that works with things such as textiles and found surfaces. I also like to integrate sewing, drawing and painting, depending on what I’m working on. The pieces I make are usually small, but I like to try and put as much details as I can. I am also strangely drawn towards the colours green, yellow, orange, and teal.

image via mikisatoillustration.com

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

When I was little I used to be very influenced by Japanese comics and animated movies (like the work of Miyazaki Hayao/Studio Ghibli) so I think it’s influence still carries over to this day, though probably not as strongly. I also find that ideas come to me when I’m mindlessly doing something unrelated like showering, browsing the internet, or walking around outside. I enjoy nature and animals, so I’m sure that has some play in my work as well.

image via mikisatoillustration.com

What motivates you to keep at it?

I always liked to draw and make things with my hand ever since I was small, so it’s become sort of a natural thing for me to do. I think even if I were to be doing something completely different than being an illustrator, I would still be drawing on the side. Being able to do something that I enjoy as a living and a career is definitely a great motivator for me.

image via mikisatoillustration.com

What is one thing you are looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to be able to fully support myself financially with just the work I do. Not only for myself, but it would also make a few people around me be less worried about me and my future.

image via mikisatoillustration.com

Are there other talents/skills/hobbies you hope to add to your repertoire?

I’ve been hoping to play around with things like polymer clay sometime soon. I think making small three-dimensional sculptures and trinkets would be fun, including things like magnets, brooches and the likes. I’m up for trying anything!

You can find more of Miki here:
website: mikisatoillustration.com
blog: mikisatoillustration.blogspot.com
store: mikisato.etsy.com

Eva Jorgensen already covered the correspondence [...]]]> Today’s tutorial comes from Mara Zepeda of Neither Snow. She believes (like me) that mail matters. Mara is a brilliant calligrapher – tomorrow I plan on shining the spotlight on her and her work. But for today, she is here to share her tips and tricks on writing postcards. Welcome, Mara!

Eva Jorgensen already covered the correspondence bases in her great post on the forgotten art of letter writing so I thought I’d create a companion tutorial on postcarding.

This year I am in graduate school. Every day I am faced with an hour and a half commute back and forth, and I’ve been flummoxed about how to spend this time. Recently I’ve taken to writing postcards on the subway. This is because often my days are so busy that I can’t even reply to a friend’s email. So this is my way of reminding them that I’m thinking about them and love them enough to get to a mailbox, even if I can’t manage an electronic missive.

Here are the four obstacles I’ve found to postcard writing:

1. The Postage
2. The Postcard
3. The Message
4. The System

Tackling these in order:

#1: Right now we have one postcard stamp ($.28) option: the unoriginal and uninspiring (in my humble opinion) polar bear stamp.

I have worked around this problem by creating my own $.28 “stamp” with two $.10 clock stamps and two $.04 Chippendale chair stamps. It’s an imperfect system but at least it isn’t the polar bear.

For people with would like to scour Ebay, visit their local stamp shop or work with me, the postage options are limitless. Here is a sample of my most recent scavenging. These stamps celebrate, in no particular order, mineralogy, the 5^th world forestry congress, steam engines, butterflies, city planning, higher education, Emily Dickinson, youth, and wool…yes, a stamp commemorating America’s wool.

While the value of these stamps is small ($.3 – $.18), I think an assemblage of them looks lovely.

Finally, there is the world of vintage postal stationery (and yes, that bottom envelope celebrates the American seafaring tradition):

#2: Too often we think that if we don’t have the perfect card, we shouldn’t write. My solution is to go minimalist. I found these postcards at a tiny convenience store in Cambridge years ago and I try to go through a package of them every month (and stockpile them via friends visiting the UK as often as I can). But the key is to find something basic that comes in quantity. The Paper Source has a dizzying array of options and the A2 size will go through the mail with regular postage.

#3: Keep the message short and simple. Choose a favorite line of a poem, write it on a scrap of paper and then copy and send it to everyone you think would appreciate it. Tell them something you did that day that made you think of them. Recount a memory or reminiscence.  Some phrases to start things out: “Remember that one time when…”, “Today I saw….and it made me think of you.”

#4: The final obstacle is how to pull all of these elements together so that the postcard actually makes it in the mailbox. Here’s what I propose:

1. Pre-stamp 25 postcards with the correct amount of postage
2. On Sunday evening (or at another regular interval) once a month, pre-address the cards to their recipients – now is a good opportunity to see who has a birthday or milestone coming up.
3. Set aside a sturdy, purse sized pouch or envelope to carry the supplies: your cards, a pen, a few extra stamps (if you want to send internationally).

Keep this pouch in your purse at all times, write a card when you have a spare five minutes and the drop it in a post box, which you’ll soon discover are everywhere.

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[all images Mara Zepeda]

Thanks, Mara!
website: neithersnow.com
blog: neithersnow.blogspot.com

Due to my “Christmas Brain” I totally forgot to post this awesome embroidery hoop ornament tutorial yesterday! So here it is on Wednesday instead. Chris has been home all week so I’ve been baking, playing at the park, raking leaves, reading Christmas stories, doing some last minute shopping and just hanging out with the fam instead [...]]]>

Due to my “Christmas Brain” I totally forgot to post this awesome embroidery hoop ornament tutorial yesterday! So here it is on Wednesday instead. Chris has been home all week so I’ve been baking, playing at the park, raking leaves, reading Christmas stories, doing some last minute shopping and just hanging out with the fam instead of blogging (can you blame me?!)

This project  is perfect to do with the kiddos or to give to friends or as a stocking stuffer or maybe just to log away in your projects folder for next year.

Thank you Katie, for sharing this project with us! Sorry for the late post.

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Homemade Embroidery Hoop Ornament

Start with your materials.
You need:
Small embroidery hoop
Scrap of linen fabric (muslin will do just fine!)
Xerox of a Christmas image that could fit inside your embroidery hoop (I chose the nativity, but you could do a Santa silhouette or something else.  Keep in mind that the image will be flipped so if you are using words make them backwards in photoshop.)
Chartpak blender pen
Bone folder
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Ribbon
2 Jingle bells

Flip your xerox image face down on your fabric.  Working in batches, use the blender pen to draw over the back of your image.  Before the space dries, use your bone folder to burnish (or rub) the image on to your fabric.

Peel off the paper and you should have your image.  It may appear light, but that gives it kind of a vintage appearance.

Next, place the inside you your hoop over your image.  Cut about an inch around the edge.

Take the fabric and put it on top of the inside ring.  Place the outside ring over it.  Make sure your image is centered.

Flip your hoop over and begin glueing and tucking your fabric around the center hoop.

Next thread your ribbon through the top of your embroidery hoop and thread on some Jingle Bells as well.  Those are optional of course!

Next tie a simple bow and glue it on the ribbon loop.

And now you have a homemade ornament!

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Other tutorials by Katie:
+ burlap mat tutorial
+ autumn centerpieces

Today’s tutorial comes from my super talented friend Ruth. She can do everything: quilting, baking, mom-ing, homemaking, and even wardrobe consulting (she takes me shopping). Owning her own bakery is a dream of hers, so I thought I better get in on her cake secrets now before she has to guard them for the business’ sake [...]]]>

Today’s tutorial comes from my super talented friend Ruth. She can do everything: quilting, baking, mom-ing, homemaking, and even wardrobe consulting (she takes me shopping). Owning her own bakery is a dream of hers, so I thought I better get in on her cake secrets now before she has to guard them for the business’ sake (if you know what I mean). So here are some cake-making tips with photos from a cake she made for her son’s birthday.

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First things first plan out how you want the cake to look when you are finished but don’t be afraid to modify it half way through if your 2 year old just can’t wait for the finished cake and takes a corner while you aren’t looking. I prefer homemade cakes over cake mixes only that they are denser and tend to flake less when you are frosting them. That being said there are some fabulous recipes to modify cake mixes and make them denser.

When frosting I start with a dirty ice or initial layer of frosting. I heard the term dirty ice somewhere and love it because I can’t stand when my frosting gets dirty with crumbs when I am doing a cake. Also to help avoid that frost in one direction not back and forth across the cake. So frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting and let it dry—about 10 or 15 minutes. If you want to make the cake have some dimension use leftover cake pieces to create some hills or mountains or anything else you can imagine.

Fondant is so much fun to play with I think of it as a baker’s playdoh. So easy to work with all you have to do is roll it out and shape it how you want it to look. You can buy it colored or do it yourself just make sure you use frosting coloring not food coloring or it will break down and fall apart. If your frosting is not quite dry just lay it on the frosting and it will stick. If your frosting has already dried just lightly brush it with water and stick it on the cake.

Next just add your details. I added grass around the bottom of my hill and all around the sides to cover flaws. Don’t be afraid to use other food items to decorate. I just crushed up graham crackers for sand and sprinkled it on the cake. So easy my kids can do it   Remember it’s not rocket science and you will be just fine!

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Thanks, Ruth, for sharing! I can’t wait to try your tricks out. Leave a comment if you have a question for Ruth about anything (cake or which jeans would look best on you!). Happy Tuesday!

Jes is back (she taught us why we should do this and how we can do this) with great tips for you as you write your Christmas letter this year. I usually get Jessie to write mine for me, but I’m feeling pretty confident after reading through this tutorial that this year I can do it.

All. [...]]]>

Jes is back (she taught us why we should do this and how we can do this) with great tips for you as you write your Christmas letter this year. I usually get Jessie to write mine for me, but I’m feeling pretty confident after reading through this tutorial that this year I can do it.

All. By. Myself.

And now you can too! Thanks Jes!

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[image via Sycamore Street Press]

i’m a little terrified that the tradition of the Christmas letter will disappear with blogging, facebooking, emailing and the like. but i love the Christmas letter. absolutely love it. some of my favorite holiday memories are getting home from school, slogging up the street, making a mug of hot chocolate and sitting down with my mom to look through all the Christmas letters that came that day. i loved the long ones and the short ones. i poured over the family pictures. (i guess it’s no secret that i’ve always been obsessed with people and their stories.) the Christmas letters that piled up in the basket in front of our fireplace cracked the world between me and my parents. i loved hearing about their friends from graduate school. or elementary school. or their first job. or first neighbor near their first house. as i paged through Christmas letters, i was running my fingers through the sediment of their lives–all their friendships and adventures. this is a tradition i hope to keep alive. and that i hope you will keep alive. don’t be afraid of the Christmas letter, imagine it as a gentle, quiet phone call from you to all the friends you’ve ever loved. and whether you blog like crazy or not, there is something tender and irreplaceable about a real piece of thoughtful mail in the box at Christmas time.

so. here are a few tips for writing a Christmas letter. (but, remember, any Christmas letter you write will be appreciated and hung above doorways and fireplaces by grandmothers and young women leaders and teachers and aunts all over the world.)

1. be yourself
writing is just like talking, only quieter. pretend you’re chatting on the phone. or emailing. or whatever you’re comfortable imagining. use your voice. use the words you would use. (don’t get fancy with the thesaurus.) no one needs you to sound like a rhodes scholar. we just need you to sound like you.

2. include a brief update on each family member
it’s tempting to only write about the people in your family who have done “interesting” things. but people want to know that you’re into making your own stained glass in your garage just as much as they want to know that timmy is on honor roll and is quarterback on the football team.

3. be concise
we’ve all seen the tiny type front-and-back letters in size 8. i think the human race has an understanding that it’s impossible to write a Christmas letter including everything that happened in the previous year. don’t try it. we want to read something that gives us a sense of who you are, not every single thing you’ve done.

4. don’t brag

5. format wisely
there’s nothing more frustrating than an impossible to read curly-cue font or a teeny weeny font size or green type on magenta paper. pick a readable font. pick a normal font size. (at least size 12.) don’t be afraid of white space. give your reader visual cues (like white space between each family member). be kind. if you can’t read it, i can’t either.

6. include a family photo
i like photos. i imagine you do too. make sure that you’ve labeled your photo in some way or explained your family specifically in the letter so that it’s simple to know who is who.

feel like you’ve got the tips above covered? try your hand at advanced Christmas letter writing. try picking a theme and using that theme to write a line or three about each member of your family. for example, write about everyone’s favorite book or favorite memory from the year. write about everyone’s favorite movie of the year or most significant piece of schoolwork. writing about the same types of things for each person gives your letter a feeling of cohesion. and it allows you to be creative without being corny.

need an example? here’s a Christmas letter i wrote a few years ago. (names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

We’re sitting on the edge of another year’s end and it went too fast. Simply too fast. Let’s slow it down and delight in the gift that it was.

Charles is still cutting his way through the academic underbrush to his Ph.D. in Arabic literature. Harriot runs a book group, helps with the neighbor’s triplets, and is becoming acquainted with the local flora and fauna. After another sweltering summer teaching Arabic at Middlebury College, they’re happy to be back in Michigan enjoying long bike rides along some of those great lakes.

Susan wrote a book, got pregnant (due Dec. 26th), and graduated with her master’s in English. Kevin single-handedly packed and moved the pair to a two-bedroom apartment and started his second year of dental school. It sounds hectic, and it might have been … but, for the most part, Susan is on the couch, her feet propped up, leaning over to Kev saying, “Look! I think I’m getting vericose veins.” With Kevin saying, “Veins are blue, Sue. They just are.”

Ginger and Bronco took this past year to be the first of the children to foray into adulthood.  Bronco managed to secure a job in ****** come January and they just bought a house. It’s an adorable little place to move their burgeoning family—Owen made the pair three earlier this March.  Take a peak at them in their living room, with Owen on the floor finding fuzzies and bits of leaves to stick in his mouth, while Ginger cooks tasty dinners and Bronco avoids his homework by reading the latest on BYU football.

Frank lives in Mexico and eats rice and beans and adobo. While our vision of Frank is limited by imagination, we see him in a fast-paced walk through the dust of South America, sometimes chased by rabid dogs and sometimes chased by the feeling that he’s running out of time to do everything he wishes he could.

Michael and Darleen marked their 30th anniversary with a trip to Alaska, and in the midst of plans for uprooting, downsizing, and retiring, Dad got called as bishop. Mom is balancing her even emptier nest admirably. And thankfully, some things never change. She still talks to the flowers in her garden and grows zinnias nearly four feet tall. While Dad is busier than ever, he pulls on his jean cut-offs every evening and hops on his mountain bike for a ride through the South Valley.

Gary Saul Morson wrote, “What if important events are not the great ones, but the infinitely numerous and apparently inconsequential ordinary ones?” And they are, aren’t they? In the midst of chaos, it is the little things that hold families together, that make the world beautiful. May your coming year be full of such priceless and seemingly inconsequential pieces. May you find the hand of God in those infinitely numerous ordinary moments.

happy writing to all of you. remember the spirit of season, the joy of Christ’s birth, and the miracle of a chance you have to reconnect with the people who mean the most to you. put the Christmas letter back on your to-do list and remember to send me a copy.