Sunday, December 9, 2012

He asked and she said Yes!

AHHHHHHHHH! So here is the proposal...
 
Our anniversary is May 9th.  So today is our "Monthly Anniversary" and we spent it with our favortie friends and family members at the Omar Shrine Kids Christmas Party.  I knew Brandon has not spoke to my dad to even ask him if he could have his blessing to marry me so I thought NOTHING of going to IOP at 9:00 pm.  We get to the beach and Brandon says "Wait here".  So I am sitting in the car and then we go down to the beach and I find a log and sit down.  I knew he was working on something but I was not expecting a Handmade Scrapbook made ALL by himself.  He hands me the book and I look at the pages.  I think nothing of it even though the pages are in chronological order.  As I get to the next to the last page I figure out what is happening and I think to myself "Oh Crap What Is Happening?!" I flip the page and it says in pearl letters "Will you marry me?" Brandon then takes a knee and I am so bumfuzzled that I could not even tell you what he said to me on one knee.  The next part was "You cannot answer the question yet..." as he hands me a tube of black glittery icing he opens a box that has a homemade chocolate chip cookie cake with cream cheese icing that says "Check YES or No" and the date 12/9/12.  I of course took the tube of icing and checked YES!!!  Today was the best day of my entire life.  We have spent so long together that I did not think it would even be different but the second I put the ring on I felt our whole relationship change.  The build up of the proposal was great.  Being with great friends and family and special Shrine Heros and our Sweet Little Madison....simply the best day I have ever experienced. 
 
I love you Brandon Fulton, and now I am your FIANCE! :)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

House Update

We have been approved! :) Now it's just waiting for closing. Looks like we will be in before Christmas. If not living there to celebrate the holidays, we should have it ready and completed to start our new life together for the first of the year. Hopefully we get a lot of items for Christmas for the house :) Send on some goodies!

Starting January 1, 2013 I plan to blog everyday. I have been so busy that I don't have the time to blog but I have so many events I want to add to my life blog. So that's my "plan".

Pinterest ReMake: Hanging Dish Towel

I found a hanging dish towel on Pinterest and I loved the idea of it. The pattern is from another Lady's blog. She used a button, but I used a snap since I am not a professional sewer yet I do not know how to make a button hole. LOL! So here's my version!


DIY Hanging Dish Towel


Materials: To make two hanging dishtowels, I used one purchased 24” x 15” dishtowel, 2 pieces of 7” x 12” fabric, one piece of 7” x 12” flannel, and two buttons.

Don’t forget to pre-wash and dry everything to pre-shrink it!

Preparing the Dish Towel:
1. Cut your purchased dishtowel in half so there are two 12” x 15” pieces.
2. Carefully pleat, fold, or gather the 15” raw edge so that it measures 6” across. Stitch pleats, folds, or gathers in place.

To Make the Handles:
1. Print out the pattern and cut them out. The link is at the bottom of this post.
2. Overlap the TABs and glue or tape the pieces together.
3. Use the pattern to cut out four pieces of fabric and two pieces of flannel.
4. Pin the pieces together in this order: One piece of fabric, right-side up; one piece of fabric, right-side down; one piece of flannel. (Do this twice since you are making two handles.)
5. Starting at point A, stitch around the handle to point B, leaving the bottom open. Clip the corners and turn right-side out.
6. Press so that all the edges are crisp, then turn in a one-inch hem along the open bottom and press.

Assemble and Finish:
1. Insert the raw pleated/folded/gathered edge of the dishtowel into the open side of the handle so that it lays full inch inside. Sew at least two rows of stitches to hold it in place.
2. Center your button on the pointed flap (Point C) and mark lines for the button hole. Make the Buttonhole on the flap.
3. Fold the flap over so the point lines up with the bottom edge of the wide base of the handle. Use a pin or mark with pencil where the button should go no the wide base and sew on the button.

Note: You could use a snap or Velcro if you don’t like to make button holes. It would be cute to use coordinating fabrics on the front and back of the handle, so when you fold it over, you see both fabrics. A scrappy handle would be sweet at well.

This pattern is copyrighted, but feel free to use it, just give credit to the source. :)

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Pinterest ReMake: iPad Cover

Recently, my Nan taught me how to sew. Ever since then I've wanted a personalized iPad cover. Well I found one on Pinterest. I used a tutorial I found but I tweaked it to my likings. At the bottom of my post is the link to the pattern and her instructions. My instructions are different since I changed it. Make sure to go by the right version for remakes. Anyway, here's my version!


DIY iPad Cover

Materials:  Chip Board or Foam Poster Board, 1/2 yard material (if you use the same fabric inside and out), 1" wide Elastic, Snips, Rotary Cutter, Cutter Mat, and a Sewing Machine. 


Cut the board into 4 pieces and label them so you do not get them mixed up:  Piece #1/Front:  9 ½” x 5 ½”,   Piece #2/Stand:  9 ½” x 2”,   Piece #3/Edge:  9 ½” x ½”,   Piece #4/Back:  9 ½” x 7 ¾”

 

Cut the fabric into 3 pieces:  Piece #1:  10 ½” x 18”,   Piece #2:  10 ½” x 10”,   Piece #3:  10 ½” x 8”


Cut 4 pieces of elastic 4” long.


 
Take the 4 pieces and lay them on the corners of your smallest piece of fabric and pin them in place.  Make sure the ends of the elastic completely reach the sides of the fabric.  


Next, stitch each end of the elastic, as close to the edge of the fabric as possible.  
    


Then, trim off the excess corners of the elastic.  Don’t trim too closely. 

 
Lay the smallest piece of fabric on top of the middle piece of fabric, right sides together, and line the edges up all the way on the right side. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew the pieces together on the right side, then open them up and lay them flat.
 
 
 
Place the largest piece of fabric face down on top of what you’ve got so far, and line it up on the right side again. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew the pieces together on the right side.




 
Now use your sewing machine to sew along the two long sides of the fabric. You should now have a rectangular “bag” that’s only open on the left, and sewn on the other three sides.


Flip the bag inside out and you should have a set of corner braces on one side.

Take piece #4/back of your chipboard and slip it inside the fabric, all the way down to the end.
With the chipboard shoved down into the fabric as far as possible, and the fabric pulled tight, use your sewing machine to run a row of stitches along the edge of the chipboard, as close as you can get it without sewing through the chipboard (that’s a good way to break a needle!). But what I found better is hand sewing it to get the line straight and you do not run into your board. Continue with chipboard piece #3/edge and piece #2/stand, adding a row of stitches after each one. Finally, put chipboard piece #1/front in place, and you should have a couple inches of fabric left on the end.


To close the end up, start by folding one side of the fabric down over the chipboard. Then tuck the other side in on itself, to create a smooth and even fold. Use a slip-stitch to close up the seam. If you need help with a slip-stitch, YouTube it. Or you could use Tacky Glue.  Works Perfectly!!


Now you’re done! Just slip your iPad under the elastic corners and BAM, you have yourself your own personalized cover :)