Fabric Pumpkins

I decided to participate in U-Create's September Create with Me Challenge: Fabric Pumpkins. Here's more info on Create with Me and past challenges.

I participated this time because they seemed easy enough, and I needed some more fall decor. The tutorial for the pumpkins was from Holly Brimhall.


The first step wasn't too hard to understand. The second step I had to reread several times and try it out myself before I understood it. You lay your stem upside down on the right side of the fabric with some excess of the stem hanging off the fabric. Then place your other piece of fabric on top of that with the right side in.

Then when you sew them together, sew probably 1/2 in. in from the side to make sure you didn't miss any parts. My first pumpkin had some holes in it because I tried to sew so close to the edge. Also sew in a circular/pumpkin shape and then trim off the edges before turning inside out. I didn't do this so well with my first pumpkin (the yellow one) that its shape turned out interesting.

Oh and after I put my stuffing in, I added a plastic sandwich bag of beans to weight down. In her tutorial, I think she makes a pretty fabric square filled with rice to weight, but I'm lazy - who is going to see the beans anyway =D


Here are my finished creations. I added some flower wire and wrapped the ends around my finger. I need to look for some big fat ribbon to make it better and then find a good spot to put these guys.
I really like them even though they're not perfect. I just went through all my fabric and coordinated colors and patterns as best as I could. The polka dot and the yellow fabrics are actually napkin/towel place mats.

I have 4 other pumpkins cut out, ready to go, but I ran out of stuffing. Next time I will make my stems shorter too.

9-29-10
I found some ribbon at Wal-mart and bought some more stuffing to make a couple more. The ribbon totally makes them look a hundred times better!

 I now have 5 pumpkins instead of the 4 and put them on our mantle. I think I'll finish making the other 2-3 that I have ready to sew and place them in my kitchen.

Here's the link to see others who participated in the challenge: http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2010/09/september-pumpkin-gallery-create-with.html

Loved seeing how others did them to make them their own and what fabrics they used.

16th Mommy Mondays

Potty Training - who has tips for me or great resources to share?

We've introduced our son to potty training. He picked out a potty seat (there's not enough room to store a potty chair in our bathroom) and a bunch of underwear. He likes to sit on the potty and wear his underwear.

We put on hold a bunch of potty videos and books for him.
His favorite video so far is Potty Power (he calls it Power) and he loves the book Chugga Chugga Poo Poo: The Potty Train.

 

 Unfortunately though he will not pee in the potty. One day, his diaper was totally dry so we sat him on the potty for as long we could. Then gave him a bath. Of course he starts to pee in the tub, the second we try to put him back on the potty, he stops peeing. He has total control it seems of his urine, but he refuses to go in the potty. He doesn't mind sitting on the potty and has even sat there for about 7 minutes. We let him read a potty book or sing songs while he sits there.

I'm afraid to truly start the training process until he actually pees once in the potty. I think if he would do it once, he would get excited especially with all the praise from us, he'd do it again.

I'm waiting for Potty Wise book in the mail. I read some of it from the library once I finally got my hands on it and then decided to read the rest of it once I owned the book.

Fashionable Fridays #20

My son's fashion - Rockin' Out

2T top from a baby Thrift Store - Once upon a Child
2T Jeans from The Children's Place
Black shoes from Payless

Paci-Catchers Giveaway Winner

 The winner of the Paci-Catchers Giveaway! Sorry yesterday was a very busy day.

Out of 60 entries, the winner was #7!

Congrats to Sarah from enjoy every moment! I have forwarded your e-mail to the sponsor.

15th Mommy Mondays

Don't forget the Paci-Catchers Giveaway! They can be used as a pacifier clip, toy tether, bib clips or nursing cover clips! LOW ENTRIES STILL!
ENDS TONIGHT AT 11:59 MST!
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I've been meaning to share with you this newspaper clipping photo that I found, I believe, on someone else's blog.

Do you ever feel like this with your single friends or friends with no kids? I know when I first got married, I felt like my single friends didn't want to hang out with me anymore as much as I tried to keep in contact with them. Then I'd worry that we'd never be friends again because by the time they got married, I'd probably have kids and that would differentiate us still. For the most part I have found that to be true too. It's hard to stay friends with someone or keep in contact with them when they don't try anymore.

Now that I have my son, it's even harder for me to keep trying to do stuff/keep contact with friends without kids especially now that my personal time is so very limited and getting babysitters are difficult. Now I'm sure not all people are like this, some people/couples don't mind spending time with their friends who have kids.

I love this article too because it shares what stay at home moms/dads do - some people think we don't do anything, that it's the easy life. It's not the easy life, but it's definitely rewarding. I know that those who have to work also have it difficult too, but those parents who work shouldn't look down on those who stay at home or think that they have more time than you do. We just use our time differently.