Rootin’-est Tootin’-est Cowboy in the Wild, Wild Cantina!

It’s no secret that Halloween is my favorite holiday. The candy, the decorations, the crisp fall weather… but mostly, the crafty possibility. I try to go all out on a costume every year, and 2015 did not disappoint.

Now that my son is getting older, he was able to have input into his costume choice for the first time.  He couldn’t decide between Woody from Toy Story and Star Wars, so I tried to give him both. Introducing… Sheriff Woody Solo! I tried to blend elements from both characters together into the ultimate space cowboy.

There are so many fun details in this costume, and I’ll try to touch on all of them. First was the bandana. Taking inspiration for a traditional red and white printed bandana, I set out to make a Star-Wars inspired version.

The final product turned out better than I could have hoped, especially considering my limited skills in AI. It went off to Spoonflower for printing.

He loved finding all of the characters once it arrived. As always, I was very pleased with the print quality.

A quick trim and hem and it was finished.

For the pants, I wanted to incorporate denim (Woody) and Corellian blood stripes (Han).

The pattern is free from Dana Made It – Kid Pants. I trimmed a bit off of each outer leg seam allowance to make room for a strip of stripes.

I used the flat front option. Scraps of topstitched vinyl were used for the belt and holster.

It’s tough, but if I had to pick my favorite part of this costume, it would probably be these Millenium Falcon buttons. I designed a very simple outline in Illustrator, and had them laser cut by Ponoko. Their service is so easy to use, even for a novice like myself. They make prototyping and pricing out options incredibly user friendly. I was able to get exactly what I wanted, within my budget, after a few small design tweaks. Their customer service is top notch, too! [No one is paying me to gush, I was just honestly impressed.]

After making the costume, I still have four buttons left over. Any suggestions?

On to the shirt. It quickly became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to find the white and red checked fabric that I had in mind. Again, this is a mix — Woody’s shirt is yellow with red checks, and Han’s is white/off white. I improvised with white cotton and a red permanent fabric marker.

The pattern for this shirt is another freebie, Western Style Toddler Shirt from Barmy Beetroot. My modifications were a velcro closure, faux buttons, and lengthening the sleeves from short to long. I also cut the cuffs, collar, and back yoke on the bias.

For the vest, I drew the structure from Han and the cow print from Woody. First, I sketched out the pocket placement from movie stills and figured out rough measurements.

The vest pattern was the free (surprise!) Very Cozy Vest from Made by Marzipan.

The cow print was freehanded with black Sharpie. Doesn’t get any easier than that!

Another favorite detail — Woody’s pull string. A bit of cord from the fabric store coupled with a painted embroidery hoop innard.

Of course, I’ll take any excuse to use my Silhouette Cameo! The belt buckle, spurs, and badge were all designed with the Silhouette software. Each design was cut out of cereal box cardboard twice, then adhered together with my Xyron machine.

I then used the print & cut feature with Silhouette’s printable & adhesive gold foil. Layered al together, it made for sturdy pieces. I used a metallic gold marker around the raw edges to cover up the white from the cardboard.

Here’s a screencap of Woody’s belt buckle, to show where I got my inspiration for the Leia buckle.

Originally I had attempted to make boot covers, but I couldn’t get them to look how I had pictured them. Instead, we picked up a cheap pair of black rain boots, which I decorated with strips of topstitched vinyl and the gold foil spurs.

The finishing touch was the treat bag. I puzzled over it for a week or so, before settling on a mix of Woody’s pal and Han’s sidekick — Slink & Chewbacca. It took some time, but I came up with a design that I liked.

The finished image was printed on Sillhouette’s printable canvas. It was a fast way to finish up, but I wish the colors had been a bit more saturated. It fit the bill, though, and was stuffed full of goodies on Halloween night.

Here are a few more pictures of our cowboy enjoying his costume.

One final detail: the tauntaun hobby horse. Unfortunately it’s no longer available, as it was an exclusive from the 2012 Star Wars Celebration convention. I bought it back then to decorate our son’s nursery. It was great to incorporate it as part of his costume.

So another Halloween is on the books… and I’m already looking forward to next year!

Happy Housewarming

A visit to my younger sister’s new apartment required a quick housewarming gift. What to do? I used my new favorite crafting machine, the Silhouette Cameo, to put together some easy personalized gifts. And where better to start than with something I’d never tried before: glass etching.

The final project wasn’t perfect (you can ignore the two errant marks from some excess etching cream), but I feel even more confident to try this again. With a bit of care, it’s surprisingly easy to etch glass at home.

First, I came up with a simple text design and cut it out with my Cameo on scrap outdoor vinyl.

You’ll need gloves, goggles, etching cream, and something to apply the cream — I used a popsicle stick. Don’t skimp on the safety gear. This is icky stuff. Work outside if you can, like I did.

To prepare the pan for the cream, I cleaned it carefully with rubbing alcohol. I used my favorite transfer tape substitute — clear contact paper — to center the stencil on the pie pan.

Then it’s just a matter of carefully covering all of the exposed areas with etching cream. One thing I would recommend would be to cover more of the area outside the stencil. I managed to transfer some of the cream on my gloves outside of the stencil, which could have been avoided. Lessons for next time!

I doubled the etching time recommended on the bottle to get a good, deep etch. Pro tip — the etching goop is re-useable! I scraped what I could back into the bottle, then carefully rinsed off the rest in the sink. Pulling off the vinyl revealed a perfect etch.

To round out the gift, I used my Cameo again, this time loaded with black heat transfer vinyl, to decorate a pair of kitchen towels.

All wrapped up and ready to go, it made for a nice little present.

World of Warcraft Diaper Cake

It’s always an adventure exploring fandoms in diaper cake form, so I was excited to tackle a World of Warcraft themed cake for a friend whose wife is expecting their first baby this month. I kept it fairly small and simple, and hoped that he would ‘get’  it, even if no one else at the shower did. It was a hit!

Like our Star Wars nursery and the Harry Potter diaper cake that I made a few years ago, I didn’t have much luck finding WoW baby items, so I made do with some DIY instead. Knowing nothing about this game meant that lots of research was required, from funny bib ideas right down to the exact fonts used in the game.

I used my embroidery machine digitize fonts and logos to make three custom bibs. Unfortunately I was in a rush and didn’t get a chance to take pictures before it was assembled. The first was a twist on the ubiquitous “Green Linen Shirt” available in the game.

The second reads “Home is where the hearthstone is.”

And lastly, “For the horde”!

The plush murloc (an in-game baddie) was an eBay purchase. You really can find anything on the internet these days! Washcloth lollipops and travel sized toiletries rounded out the cake.

Cellophane and a custom gift tag completed the presentation.

Come one, come all!

People aren’t kidding when they say your child’s first year flies by. I feel like we just brought our baby boy home, but last weekend we celebrated his first birthday!

Any and all party planning credit needs to be split with Pinterest. I pinned the stuffing out of this party.

First up we have the birthday boy as a ringmaster, greeting guests at the door.

Here’s the most finished shot I have of the party spread. Too busy enjoying myself to get a final picture! The canopy is from IKEA (MYSIG), as is the red striped fabric (SOFIA).

The banner is made from scrapbook paper, white cardstock, and ribbon.

Staples transformed raffle tickets into a festive chain garland.

The marquee number one is made from posterboard, foam core board, and string lights that I already had. 

I’m so happy with how the decorations turned out! Lots time spent during naps and after Elliott’s bedtime brought it all together.

My mother in law made this beautiful and delicious cake for the occasion. I was blown away! Can you believe it was her first time ever working with fondant?

These yellow carnation “popcorn” arrangements were one of my favorite details.

Paper straws and daisy lids transformed canning jars I had on hand into glasses for the pineapple lemonade punch.

The popcorn maker was borrowed from my parents. I made a mini popcorn bar with candy and savory snacks to mix in. Word to the wise – use coconut oil. It tastes like it came right out of a theater bucket!

Popping action!

I ran paper bags through our printer to make custom popcorn bags. Still can’t believe that worked! I was sure this was going to be a failed project.

There’s chalkboard inspiration to be found all over Pinterest. Here’s my attempt, with black foam core board and metallic markers.

Paired with polka dot balloons!

I bought some circus-y clipart on Etsy and blew it up for decorations. Printed on cardstock, trimmed, and mounted on polka dot cardstock.

 

I used the same clipart (and a Husqvarna Designer SE) to embroider a custom onesie for Elliott. The buttons and bowtie are repurposed from a teeny tiny tux he wore at four months to a black tie event.

I think he looked smashing! And not just because he adorably slathered himself in cake.

I even made a little party hat, which was soundly rejected by the guest of honor.

Here’s the $2 photo booth backdrop I made from crepe paper and painter’s tape.

We took photos with a camera on a tripod, and I used PhotoFunia’s photo booth tool to make the authentic-looking strips below.

All in all, a wonderful day with wonderful people. Happy birthday, Elliott!

My little firecracker

It was July 2nd when I realized our little guy didn’t have a thing to wear on Independence Day. A quick trip for supplies, some craft time after his bedtime, and soon he had some custom threads to celebrate the birth of our nation.

I cut into some freezer paper that’s been hanging around for years for the very first time. Kind of embarrassing!

I traced the design from Word the old fashioned way.

It took a lot of trimming to get it all cut out!

A quick iron, and we were ready for paint. I used Tulip’s ‘Soft’ fabric paint.

First blue…

Then white… then overnight to dry. The stencil peeled off without any problems, and after a few quick touch ups, it was ready to wear.

Of course, any craft project is improved with a pint-sized model.

Especially a smiley one!

The force is strong with this one…

After weeks of work, our little guy’s nursery is finally complete. And not a moment too soon: I’m due in a week, and we’ve already had one exciting (but baby-less) trip to the hospital. I couldn’t be happier with how it all came together. Without further ado… enjoy zillions of pictures of a tiny nursery in a galaxy far, far away.

Paint: Martha Stewart Living Driftwood Gray, Home Depot

LED star ceiling kit: Weidamark

Crib: Baby Mod ParkLane

Changing table: IKEA Expedit with drawer and door inserts, legs, and knobs

Dresser: IKEA [discontinued]

Glider: Little Castle Crown Reclining Swivel Glider from Target

Paper lanterns: Plain from Luna Bazaar, Death Star from ThinkGeek [sold out]

Prints: James Hance, aswegoArts Etsy shop, some DIY

Frames: IKEA Ribba, assorted sizes

Mobile: DIY

Bunting: DIY

Quilt: DIY

Crib Skirt: DIY

Boppy Cover: DIY

Upholstered initial: DIY (might make a tutorial for this at some point…)

Changing pad cover / crib sheet: Land of Nod

Light saber lamp: DIY

Closet shelving: Rubbermaid HomeFree series closet kit

Curtains: DIY, fabric from Spoonflower

You’ve heard of the Leg Lamp…

How about a light saber lamp?

Another simple, inexpensive DIY project for the baby’s nursery. The light saber hilt is from my husband’s collection — just a cheapie plastic model. The lamp base is IKEA’s Hemma and the shade is Jara. Total cost? Just under $15.

This is my favorite kind of project: it doesn’t scream ‘STAR WARS’ on first look, but instead is a more of a subtle nod to the Jedi’s weapon of choice.

Want to make your own? Geek Crafts has a great tutorial on making one yourself. We used it mostly for inspiration and kinda winged the assembly.

In other news, I’ve finally settled on a fabric for the remaining big projects in the room. Current plan is for floor length curtains to replace the closet door, a roman shade for the window, and a simple pleated crib skirt.

The print is ‘Constellation’ by Lizzy House. Isn’t is cute? It’s so new that it hasn’t even been released yet. I can’t wait to get my hot little hands on it. There will be some furious sewing going on in early December so that everything is ready for the bambino’s arrival.

Twinkle Twinkle

I love Pinterest. Where else would I find an idea as crazy as this?

If you can look past my awful video skills, this is the major project we’ve been working on for our little guy’s nursery.

So how’d we do it? First, we bought a kit. Then we pored over the internet, looking for people who had already attempted this project. We got a lot of tips and tricks that saved us time and effort throughout the process.

This is fairly early on in the installation, and the scariest part. We randomly drilled 288 holes from the attic down into the baby’s room. No turning back now!

A lot of people have asked if we included specific constellations, but honestly, it seemed like a lot of extra work on top of an already insurmountable task. Also, it could be argued that it’s an authentic view of the night sky from Kashyyyk or Naboo or something. Yeah, let’s stick with that.

The little doohickies sticking out of the ceiling are toothpicks. After drilling the holes, we realized we’d have to paint the ceiling… something we had hoped to avoid. So Ben did the rolling and I followed behind, faithfully plugging holes to keep them from filling up with paint.

Working from the back of the room — furthest from the light source in the attic — and moving towards the front, Ben passed the fiber optic strands down from the attic to me one by one. I knotted them into groups to keep things a little less unruly. This was the most time consuming part of the project.

The dangling fibers made for some neat pictures.

Slowly we worked our way through the room, threading fiber down from above. Each fiber was secured from the attic with a dollop of regular ‘ol Aleene’s Tacky Glue.

Here’s a peek at the attic during the process. Note the cable management system employed by my highly organized better half. You can also see the light source that makes the whole operation run. It comes with two internal ‘wheels’ that you can switch out. One makes the stars twinkle, and one makes them rotate through a few different colors.

Once all of the fibers were threaded, the last step was to clip each fiber to 1/8" inch from the ceiling. No special tool here — just a regular pair of snips with felt taped to the ends to get a 1/8" length.

Even my husband, who may not have shared my enthusiasm while hunched over in the attic for a solid week, seems very happy with the results. Let’s just say that we won’t be applying this treatment to any *other* rooms in our house… and if we’re in this house in 2043, our 30 year old son will still be enjoying his star ceiling! [Or else.]

If you’re interested in installing your own starfield ceiling, the kit that we used can be purchased from Weidamark. We got ours from their eBay store, where the kit and the shipping were both slightly cheaper.

A Mobile Fit for a Jedi

As you can imagine, it’s not easy to find accessories for a Star Wars themed nursery. Bring on the DIY! My latest project was a repurposed mobile.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, it looked like this:

I took it apart and measured the fabric pieces that came with it, making patterns and using leftover fabric from the R2D2 quilt to ‘reupholster’ the arms and hanger.

Then, I freehanded a felt Death Star to glue over the round mechanism up top.

Sadly, it does not play the Imperial Death March – ‘Lullaby’ will have to do. BUT, the little plushes that I bought on eBay to hang from the arms make their own noises when you squeeze them. Chewwie roars, R2D2 beeps, Yoda pontificates, and Vader breathes heavily… Jawa’s eyes even light up! So still pretty cool.

Each character is attached with embroidery floss, a decorative button, and a generous gob of hot glue.

First FMF Project

Finally made the inaugural cut into my new Flea Market Fancy. But not for a quilt — for a bracelet!

 

Normally I’m not a huge fan of pink, but these prints were calling to me. Purists out there will probably notice there’s a few non-legacy patterns in there as well, from my old FMF stash.

Here’s the tutorial that I used, from Destri on Mother Huddle. All you need is a covered button kit, hot glue, and a bracelet blank.

I’m hoping to wear it next week, when Denyse Schmidt visits the Philadelphia Modern Quilt Guild. I can’t wait for our workshop next weekend!