Buttonholes Without a Buttonhole Foot

I am attaching 2 giant buttons to my latest project, and they are too big to use my buttonhole foot for.
What to do?
Google.

I found this great video tutorial on how to do it freestyle. The part you want is at around 7 minutes into the video.

It was a little stressful since I couldn't take my foot off the pedal and had to tap the buttonhole thing at exactly the right moment, so I had to distract the girls with suckers and 2 minute tasks to keep them away while performing my buttonhole surgery. It turned out great!

Ladies Weekend (183:365)

Today was part 1 of the rockin' mommy party.

We celebrated 3 birthdays, as well as a brief vacation from motherly duties, by shopping till we dropped, eating out in fancy places where kids are not welcome, doing cartwheels down the hotel hallway, and laughing until we cried.

We are all crafty moms, or are aspiring to be such, therefore most gifts for the b-day girls were homemade. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of what others gave, but I do have pics of what I made.

Hairpins made from vintage cabochons.

Rosette hairpin, button hairpin and hair tie.

Fabric wrapped headband with a gold filigree and rose cabochon.

What have you made for someone lately?

Husker Gear (148:365)

Show was a bust, but I had fun with my crafty friends.

Thanks to Julie, Ashley, Jesa, and Cheryl
for your friendship and goofiness. 

Red Ranch.

I made some husker lovelies today for the craft show.

Cute button rings and hair ties (pony tail holders).

(Those are not "z's", but "N's" for UNL yo! It comes out backwards in photo booth.)

Sorry about the awful pics, I just don't have it in me to be fancy today.

Getting the Word Out (145:365)

The Nie Nie Dialogues had a call for homemade Christmas gifts and I decided to send her some of my stuff hoping she will like it enough to share it on her blog!

Here are all of the things I sent (it is a huge opportunity!), hoping that she'll find something that she'll love enough to want to share it with all her readers.

Wish me luck!

My Latest Favorites


I've got another craft show coming up at Scott Middle School this Thursday from 4-9 pm.
Come check out my booth and see the cute stuff my friends make too! From children's super hero capes, to beautiful hair flower clips, to baby headbands and cute beanies, you are likely to find something for all the ladies on your holiday list!

Felt Flower Headband and a Photoshoot (144:365)

I got to take a nap yesterday (thanks honey!) 

so I was a bit wired last night.

While wired, I made this at 1am.

I think it turned out pretty cute!

I used organza ribbon to wrap the headband, securing it with my new favorite thing, "Fabri-tac" (thanks Jesa!).

Then I cut out 3 circles for each flower and sewed them like this.

Then I attached vintage buttons I found at an estate sale and some fun orange feathers from Hobby Lobby. On the back of the flower/feather piece, I made loops so I can slide it off and on from my headband, making it interchangeable! Because the worst part of making a headband is covering it. Boo.

I also got to help out on a photoshoot for my friends the D family, with my friend Jesa the photographer. She is really great and was generous to give me many tips!

I had a lot of fun trying to help freezing kids smile ('cuz it was like 17 degrees outside!) and to reflect light back onto those smiling faces.

It was my first time and I learned a lot. Thanks for letting me tag along!

The Bazaar (129:365)

It's finally over.

All that work and now I can sort of breathe. 

My next project is filling custom orders (yes, I had two!) and getting product up on my etsy shop.

I have put a couple of things up so far.

Check me out here!

Here are a few pictures of my display at today's bazaar.

(Those cute hats are my friend Julie's.)

Earring Display

Some Cute Chrysanthemum Earrings

Darling Handmade Button Earrings

Button Rings

Lovely Little Hairpins

Giant Button Paperclip Bookmarks

And one of my favorites, the Elegant Bird Ponytail Holder

I wanted to send a shout out to my honey Scott for staying up and tying bows until 1am, my mom for writing price tags until 2am, my sister for going with me to set up and for helping me stay calm, Ashley for encouraging me to try doing a bazaar and letting me share her table, and Julie for pushing my merchandise on all her friends that dropped by our table. Ashley and Julie, it was a pleasure doing business with you both. Let's do it again soon! 

You all rock!

Hairpins (126:365)

Our internet is being wacko and it's making me crazy! I don't have the patience right now to post pictures on our amazing internet, but just know that the fabric covered button hairpins I'm making for the bazaar are super cute!

The bazaar is at the Cooper YMCA from 9am - 2pm. 

Be there or be square!

Earrings and More Earrings (125:365)

Well, the bazaar is Saturday, so basically all week I will be posting about my stress regarding it.

I'm cranking out earrings and such like a crazy person.

My biggest stress is how to package each thing.

I've bought some nice textured cardstock that will be home to them all.

That is a project for later this week though...

Buttons and more Buttons (124:365)

Getting ready for the upcoming bazaar again. 

Today I made more bookmarks and earrings.

They are so cute! Need to post a pic soon.

Cute as a Button Rings (119:365)

'Cuz they're buttons.

I love these little rings.

I made 20 of them today for the upcoming craft fair.

They are so cute and add a fun pop of cuteness/ vintage coolness to your hand.

Buttons and Stew (115:365)

I have a problem with fabric stores.

They steal all my money.

I go in with an idea and come out with enough stuff for 10 ideas, and then only get 1/2 of an idea completed sometime the next month.

It's bad.

I am currently in Step 1 of the correction of this problem:

Admittance.

Now, on to the spoils!

Today I had some "Mommy Alone and Shopping Time" and while out I found some super cute fabric that will become fabric covered button bookmarks for my up and coming first craft bazaar (which I will keep promoting until it's over because it is helping me to remember to DO something to get ready).

So, I worked on those today and we tried a new recipe from the trusty BGH cookbook called Chicken Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings which was liked by Scott and sort of liked by Dee. I liked it too. It was creamy and the texture of the dumplings was nice (and they had cheese in them, so that was a bonus). 

Since it is Daylight Savings, do you think my kids are going to wake up an hour early tomorrow? I used to LOVE to Fall Back, but now I think I'm not going to like it anymore.

Sleep and me are buddies.

If I had any advice for teens that want babies it is this, YOU WILL NEVER GET A FULL NIGHTS SLEEP AGAIN UNTIL YOU ARE 50! 

Unless you are stern and make your kids sleep 12 hours a night like we do. 

They love it though...

Craftin' Up A Storm (113:365)

Making more fabric covered button crafts today for the upcoming bazaar.

Here is one of my favorites.

Don't mind the terrible hair. Eeesh!

Covered Button Earrings and Beef Stew (106:365)

I made more fabric covered button earrings today for the upcoming holiday bazaar. One pair in particular is hot! I'm totally making a ton of them. Even better, they are made from vintage fabric I got at an estate sale. 

And I made a beef stew from the trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I have to say, I was not a big fan of the stew (my favorite from that cookbook is the Polenta and Beef Stew - Yummy!), but Scott liked it. That's all a wife can hope for, a happy honey bunch.

Also, we had Buttered Rosemary Rolls from The Pioneer Woman website.

They are super yummy and really easy. 

A family fav.

Also, have you tried The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti?

I HEART that stuff. Even Scott likes it and there is cheese in it.

Although, I don't think he realizes how much cheese is in it, so hopefully he isn't reading this post or he'll likely stop eating it altogether (mostly out of "principle" or something)!

Regardless, that is going on our menu next week.

I'm already salivating.

Button Earings (88:365)

I'm really into covered buttons lately.

Can you blame me?

These are so cute. 

They make me want to live in the 40's.

Fabric Covered Buttons (80:365)

I'm really into fabric covered buttons right now.

They are so cute and retro and I love that you can customize them and use them for anything.

Today I made a ponytail holder with some of that vintage fabric I found at an estate sale.

I also made 2 baby hair barrettes and 2 hair pins with some quilting fabric scraps.

Gathered Flower and a Homemade Button (46:365)

I made my first button! I bought a kit like this one and just whipped one out! It was really easy. Then I figured out how to gather fabric and made this cute little vintage style flower. 

Purse clip, jacket clip, hair bow for the girlies? 

I'm leaning towards clip so I can put it on jackets and bags to cuten them up. 

How do you think I should use it?