My Little Mermaid

My daughter found a beautiful mermaid costume in a catalog recently. (Why do I even bring those home?) Of course, those mass produced costumes cost around $50, and they are usually ill fitting and cheaply made. (The southern belle gown from last year was in tatters before the trick or treating was over.) I figured for $50 I could come up with something similar, that would hopefully fit my petite little gal better. So she and I headed to the fabric store, where we found the cutest fabric that looked like slinky scales! I of course totally over estimated how much I would need, but considering I was working without a pattern, I think it turned out pretty good.

I don't make clothing very often, so it took a lot of planning. (How will she get it on? Can she use the bathroom? Can she walk? Can she wear sweatpants underneath?) The pink bikini top is completely adjustable (hook and loop tape) so she can wear it over her pink leotard for school and still wear it over her pink coat for trick or treating in our frigid, northern climate. We added the green boa because DD thought it looked like seaweed...

Coming soon:

• Baby brother's skunk costume
• Almost got one sock done...
• Sorting through my ridiculous yarn stash for the proper baby bootie yarn
  

Mommy bracelets

As a new mommy, I totally understand the "mommy brain" phenomenon. The one where you can barely remember your own name, much less what time it was when the baby ate last! I saw some nursing bracelets for sale, and the design was so simple that I wanted to try to make my own. Mine are of course a little different, but I think they turned out pretty cute!

These are made with beads on memory wire so they are simple for nursing mommies to move from one arm to the other to help track where baby fed last. There are numbered beads and little charms to keep track of baby's feeding times and number of diaper changes. Plus, the modern beads are pretty cute! I used mine so much the numbers are wearing off the beads, but these two are destined for some mommy-to-be friends of mine.

Coming soon: (Also known as: the stuff I've started but haven't finished yet!)

• My kids' Halloween costumes (a mermaid and a skunk)
• A pair of socks I'm knitting with some fabulous soy yarn
• Baby booties (for those new babies mentioned above!)
• Cloth diapers

Welcome!

Have you ever been standing in a craft store, surrounded by all the beautiful yarn options, and had a full-on delusion about how often you actually knit? Have you ever said to yourself, "Self, I think I'm going to make all of my Christmas presents by hand next year." Or stood in a bead store and wondered why you don't just make jewelry as a profession? How's that novel coming along? Or that quilt? Or the obsession with making the perfect French pastry?

Welcome to my world, where all of my best intentions need a little push to come to fruition. The rule here is, I will share my crafting projects, but only when they are actually finished. Hopefully this might give me the push to finish more of them! As a creative person, I am more interested in the planning and dreaming phase, and unfortunately I only rarely ever see the final result.

Feel free to comment. (And not because I'm an ego-maniac who constantly needs to know that people love her...though that's hard to deny...)

Enjoy! I would be pleased of offer any patterns that are not proprietary, if there is any interest. Happy crafting!