Ruffle Bum Skirt

Newborn Ruffle Bum Skirt

I make photo props for newborn photographers and couldnt find a pattern for a newborn ruffle bum skirt so I created one and it turned out great .  Here is the linkhttps://www.etsy.com/listing/192764211/newborn-ruffled-skirt-crochet-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_4

The pattern works up very quickly and is for beginner to intermediate crochet.

How to stay in shape after your 40's

Hello my friends, I have struggled with my weight my whole life and let me tell you that there is no magic pill to take to keep your weight off. I am 42 years old and it seems even harder to stay in shape and keep good muscle tone.  Eating Clean and exercising are the two best tools you will need to stay in shape.  I am not bone thin, I have curves and muscle tone.  Here are some things to remember when trying to stay in shape. This is one of the You Tube videos I use to exercise with and it is great.  If you have 1/2 hour every day this will work for you.

1. Eat lean proteins and vegetables
2. Keep your goals realistic, It didnt take a day to gain the weight and it wont take a day to lose the weight.
3. Give your body about a month to see results
4. Eating Clean means eating foods in their unaltered state, lean meats, vegetables, oats, brown rice.
5. A sample menu would be, Breakfast two eggs,( cooked with pam) sauteed with peppers and onions ( or any combo you would like) and Drink 8oz of water with every meal and between Snack 1/2 cup of plain non fat greek yogurt with 1/2 cup frozen fruit( no sugar added) mixed in. Lunch grilled chicken breast salad, chicken with lettuce and your choice of veges and 2 tbs of your choice of dressing. Snack 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup chopped up apple, pinch of cinnamon and one packet of splenda. Dinner 4oz sirloin steak cooked with 1/2 tbs oil, with sauteed mushrooms and onions.  1 cup of cooked broccoli , 1/2 cup brown rice seasoned with a little chicken broth salt pepper.
6. This menu isnt a exact science, but this is what I eat with a lot of variations of proteins, good carbs, vegetables , fruits and dairy.
7. Dont give up on yourself,  If you have a day where you eat bad , it's ok , dont beat yourself up for,  Eat better the next day.
8. Allow yourself one day where you eat unhealthy, that will keep you motivated without feeling completely deprived of the food you crave.
9. Make time for exercise( this was the hardest for me).  Think about how much time we spend watching the television or other waisted time that you could have spent 1/2 hour exercising every day.

How to make your Childrens clothes last longer

Making your kids clothes last longer

Im not only a crafter but also a Mother and I know how expensive kids clothes can be.  I have a few tips on how to make your kids clothes last longer.

1. Wash all jeans in cold and inside out ( this will help to prevent your jeans from fading so quick and looking old)
2. Always line dry sweaters or special fabrics,  ( sweaters get very funny after you put them in the dryer and get fuzzies very quickly)
3. If you have an old stain you cannot get out, soak the stain in color safe bleach than launder as usual.
4. Never ever Never, buy your children White Clothes... LOL, my children have only worn a white shirt once and they always get stains on them.
5. When you dry a jacket (with fur on the hood) in the dryer,  the fur always mats down,  I use a fine bristle brush and brush the fur and fluff it up so it looks somewhat better.
6. Washing Tennis Shoes, I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for the bottom rubber sides of the shoes and they come very clean.  I will also pour a small amount of laundry soap on the shoe and scrub with a scrub brush or rag.  You can also throw them in the washing machine, but they will take a long time to dry in the dryer.
7.  My daughter always scuffed the front of her dress shoes and I would get so frustrated how bad they looked after wearing them one time.  Here are some things that worked for me if the scuffs weren't big.  For Black shoes I have used a black sharpee, black finger nail polish, black shoe polish.   For brown shoes , I used brown shoe polish. For white shoes, white out, white paint.
8. I usually line dry all of my kids dress clothes because it keeps them looking nicer longer. The dryer seems to beat up fabric pretty quickly.

I hope this helps you keep your kids clothes nicer longer, It has helped me.  If you have any great tips please share them with me and I will blog about it also.  Thanks Renee

What craft skill would you like to learn?

What craft skill would you like to learn?

I am always looking to learn a new craft skill, and love sharing what I learn with my readers.

If there is a craft or new skill you would like to learn let me know and I will research it and if it is something that I can do, I will post a video on it or at least write a blog on it.

How to crochet

How to Crochet

Learning how to crochet is really about getting used to  holding the yarn and learning the stitches.

There are many tutorials on how to crochet but my best advice is to find one you really like and practice, practice , practice.  Don't give up because you will eventually get it.  The basics of crochet are are the chain, single crochet, double crochet and triple crochet and have variations of these stitches in a pattern.  Here is a beginner video on the basic chain and single crochet.

Sewing with Elastic Thread

Welcome to my blog and to kick off the first day of my blog I am posting a video on how to sew with elastic Thread.

 I had made several attempts before I got the knack of sewing with elastic thread and wanted to pass along a few tips and tricks on how to do it.