Pattern Winners

Remember these pictures of my daughter?

My so super talented sis painted one! She's going to enter it in an upcoming show. Just had to show this first.

Now, onto the winners.......

First winner is Dawn who said, "how cute! i would love to win a pattern!"

Second winner is Steph who said,"These are so adorable! What a fun giveaway!"

I will be in contact with you this weekend. Thanks to everyone who entered and for you sweet comments and encouragement. Have a fab weekend!

Joy

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful..."
Proverbs 15:13a

"A cheerful heart is good medicine..."
Proverbs 17:22a

Hat is crocheted using pattern from "Get Your Crochet On! Hip Hats & Cool Caps" by Afya Ibomu

New Today: Mod Tie Shirt Pattern and Giveaway (Closed)

Hope your week is going good so far! I'm super excited to present my second pattern to you all:
The Mod Tie Shirt in sizes 2-6.

Description:
This shirt is made from different types of fabric and recycled shirts (or knit fabrics) to create a fun look. It is made from lightweight materials, so it is more appropriate for spring, summer, and fall. The sleeves in this pattern are ¾, but you can adjust them to be shorter or longer. The instructions are very detailed with pictures. This pattern has been tested by a few others as well to help it be as perfect as possible. The instructions are also explained with using a regular sewing machine. The sizes that come with this are 2-6:

Sizing Chest Measurement Height Measurement
Size 2 20 inches 35 inches
Size 3 21 inches 38 inches
Size 4 22 inches 41 inches
Size 5 23 inches 44 inches
Size 6 24 inches 47 inches

It is available now, right here in my shop in PDF format, meaning it will be emailed. I have to give a HUGE thank you to these ladies who pattern tested for me. They were just amazing and sooooo helpful! Here are some of their creations:

*Corey at Living and Loving Every Minute of It

*Beth at From The Hive and Mama Bee Designs on Etsy

*Nicole at Coles Corner and Creations and Coles Creations on Etsy

You can see more pictures of their creations and mine in the Happy Together Pattern Flickr Group.

***Interested in being a Happy Together Pattern Tester? Add your name to this blog post and the type of things you interested in sewing. Thanks :)

Mod Tie Shirt © Copyright 2010 Jessica Fediw. http://www.ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of Pattern and Instructions Not Allowed. No Sharing. Products may be made to sell from this pattern, but not in mass production.


GIVEAWAY (Now Closed):

Two wonderful people will win this pattern! Just leave a comment as an entry by February 25, 2010, midnight ET and 2 winners will be randomly selected. Make sure there is a way for me to contact you if you win!

Spotlight Sunday

I'm going to try and do "spotlight" days every now and then to share some wonderful things that are going on in the craft world and to show off some of your creations that were made from or inspired by my tutorials. I have a few things to cover today, so here we go :)

*The first thing I want to share is something that really touches my heart. Alida, from I Make Stuff, wrote me about a current service project she has begun called Write it Out.

Let me just share her own words with you:
"I am about to share something deeply personal with you my crafty friends. I am an Iraq War widow. My first husband, Sgt. Daniel Woodcock, was killed in Iraq March 11, 2007.
The reason I am sharing this with you is that the 3 year anniversary of his death is steadily approaching and I have been feeling this enormous sense that I need to do something to commemorate it. Then last month a good friend's husband was killed in Afghanistan and it became clear. I need to help comfort these women.
The reason this blog is called "I Make Stuff" is that making stuff is my reaction to the world around me. When my friends are sick, having a baby, or just having a hard time I Make Stuff. When I am feeling the grief particularly strongly, I Make Stuff. It makes me feel as if I have some control. This year instead of spending the day with my heart in the fetal position, I want to make stuff. Not only do I want to make stuff but I want to SEND stuff.
I am starting what I'd like to call the Write It Out Project, handmade journals for grieving military widows. I read somewhere (and now I CANNOT find it!) that people who journal through times of grief are less likely to need depression medications as people who don't. I know that I found it extremely helpful.
So, to make a very long story short, I am posting this tutorial and asking my crafty friends a favor. Would you be willing to make one of these for a military widow? Composition notebooks only cost a dollar and I bet you have all of the other materials in your stash."

Here is the link to the tutorial and please, if you are able to help out, please do. I know I'm going to make a few. If you are sewing challenged, she asks that you can help by spreading the word.

*I want to give some love to my sister Christy who has ventured into the art world recently with painting. She has a blog, Front Porch Studio, where she shows off her amazing paintings that are for sale!

Aren't they just beautiful? It's on my list to get one of these :)

*Angie started to make and sell these beautiful rag quilt letters in her shop based off of the tutorial here. The fabrics used have something on them that go with the letter it's used for. Ex: the "A" has apples on the fabric, etc. If you like the rag quilt letters but can't sew or don't have the time to, head on over to her shop to buy a set or two ;)

Projects from the Happy Together Tutorials Flickr Group:

A beautiful bright, happy, cheerful sweetheart pincushion by Samelia's mom on Flickr.

Doesn't this picture just make you want to have a pom-pom skirt and dance around too? It's by Anna from Noodlehead. So precious!

And look at the cool way this crafty lady hung up her rag quilt letters?

I Also have a new button for grabs if you have been in the spotlight on my blog (meaning your project was shared, I linked back to you, etc).

<a href="/http://www.ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss260/ohsohappytogether/spotlightblogbutton.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>"/>

Guest Giveaway: Sophia Rosebud Brooch (CLOSED)

I'm super excited to share this guest giveaway with you! Rosebud Lips is offering one of her Sophia Rosebud Brooches for one Happy Together reader. Isn't it just beautiful?

Even though it's a brooch, you could also pin it to a headband and make it a hair piece! Her creations are just so pretty and so are the pictures of her products!

Here is a little bit about Lauren (the creator) and her shop:

" I'm 26, and a dreamer. I am a stay at home mommy in The Woodlands, TX, and love to do what I do.
I have always been creative, and learned to sew at a young age. I was taught by my grandmother (Nana) and my mom (Tama). I have always loved fashion, and at a young age moved to New York City. I had the opportunity to intern for designer Cynthia Rowley, which was an amazing experience.
To tell you why I became a designer would have to be because of my sweet memories of being a little girl (about 4) and dancing around in my Nana's silk bed sheets (my cape), adorned with her costume jewelry. I felt like a princess. My Nana has collected jewelry from my family generations back, and I felt like each piece had a story. This inspired me to use antiques in my pieces. I love textures, antiques, fabric and jewelry. Together, these form my concepts for my collection-- Making every woman feel beautiful.
I started the company in 2009, shortly after my mom passed away from Cancer. She was my best friend, and my biggest supporter. She was an artist herself, and she told me to follow my dreams and be creative. This motivated me to leave the marketing/PR world that I worked in for over 5 years. She has changed the course of my life, and I'm so excited for what the future holds. The name Rosebud Lips was actually the nickname that she gave me when I was little, then my little girl (her grand daughter).
My other passion is to support organizations that fight human trafficking. Set Hope Free. This is a project that I'm so passionate about. It's about redeeming women who have been held captive and have been sold into slavery. Human trafficking doesn't just happen in other countries, but in our cities. Please know that each item you purchase contributes to a care package that is being sent to help these women reclaim their dignity. To make them feel beautiful again. To learn more, go to http://www.iamchange.org/and see what we are doing."

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

For a chance to win, visit her shop and leave a comment with at least one thing that you find beautiful.

For additional entries:

1. If you follow Happy Together, leave an additional comment saying so.
2. Blog/Facebook/Twitter about this giveaway with a link back
3. Follow Lauren's blog and leave a comment saying you do.

This will be open for two weeks- last day to enter is March 6, 2010, midnight EST. Winner will be randomly selected.

Hats Off to Her

This is my little on modeling a hat I just finished up for a belated birthday present.

It's for an older girl, so it's a bit big on my daughter, but you get the idea. I used this pattern but did a few things different. I just kind of made up my own flower. After you know how they are generally crocheted, they are easy just to kind of make them on the fly.

I say hats off to her for how amazing my little girl has been while my hubby has been away. I'm just so proud of her! I didn't know what to expect, but she has really blessed me.

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

More Coral for My WIP

I'm being slower on this than I thought I would, but here are a few more pieces I have finished for my wall art I'm working on.

Some grey coral and green coil things.

The beginning of a piece of coral with the Wonder Pets looking on. I couldn't figure out a way to crochet this type of coral, so I made it out of pipecleaners and then crocheted on top of it. I need to clean it up a bit. I didn't have enough of the yarn I used to cover it as good as I wanted, but I didn't want to go to the store and buy more either. SO, we'll see what I do. I highly recommend using pipe cleaners in the color of the yarn you are going to use. It would have made this a lot more easier with the small amount of yarn I used.

Is that a brown striped zebra in the back seat?

Meet the newest addition to our car.

A brown striped zebra car seat cover. Material picked out by my daughter. I do believe she chose it because it reminded her of Marty from Madagascar. She loves Madagascar 2 and the Christmas one. I can't tell you how many times we have watched it (well, she doesn't really sit and watch it, but you know...watching it for two year olds attention span). It was actually birthed out of an accident. When we went to drop my hubby off the other week she said she had to go to the bathroom. There were none, so I asked her to wait. But, home was like 15-20 minutes away. She wasn't able to wait and it was so sad to see how she reacted. She was so upset about wetting herself. It was so sad. I just spoke loving words and told her that it's okay because I should have stopped and found a potty, etc.
Well, the "accident" went down the car seat and all over the actual seat of the car. I wanted to make a seat cover with a waterproof backing in case something like this happened again. So that is what I did. I just traced the pieces of the actual car seat cover then added a seam allowance. I cut my pieces out accordingly and added a yellow piping (made myself) to the side. I used yellow because I was a bit tired of pink, but now I think it looks kind of boyish. Maybe I'll just have to make another one..... Then I made a casing around the edges and added elastic. I made sure that all seat belt slots, etc. were made and it was good to go.

***A Note Concerning Safety:
One lady left a comment about how it is not safe, etc. even though it's cute. Thank you for your concern. It does mean a lot that you care about children and that they are the safest possible. Let me first say, the cover just goes directly over the one already on it. DO NOT completely replace the whole thing. The law does state you cannot add any extra padding to a car seat, etc. The fabric used is a lightweight cotton and the waterproof lining is just underneath the butt part (which was actually from her crib cover that is suppose to be safe, etc), so there's barely anything more than her wearing a pair of pants kind of addition to the seat. As it being fire resistant, hmmm..... her clothes are made of the same material. So, I never thought about that. She left a good link with valuable info. If using a handmade cover most companies will void it's warranty.
I suggest reading that before you make any decision of your own. I read the maunal on mine and it has things in there like using rolled up towels in the seat, other available seat covers you can buy from them, etc. The main thing is that it doesn't mess up the harness. I made sure all the holes on mine were perfectly matching, etc. so it doesn't mess up the harness system at all. I personally do not care about the warranty. I would just buy a new one myself instead of trying to go through a company if we ever were in a car accident. The warranty on ours doesn't even cover accident situations, so it's useless in that case anyways.
So, after thoughtful consideration and research I'm keeping mine on.

Soda Cozy Tutorial

Happy Valentines Day to you all :) We just had a girls day here. My mom is visiting for a bit while the hubby is out to sea, so it's been fun. We had beautiful weather, a wonderful church service, a yummy lunch, and some fabulous shopping! I even had time to rake the front yard and fix up the flower bed a bit. I say that's my workout for the day! Whew!

This tutorial has nothing to do with Valentines Day, but I wanted to share it. A while back when I made coffee cup cozies, Ashley commented about what about the diet coke drinkers? I put it on my list. I made this just for her and wanted to make sure she got it before I posted about it. It's really simple and it probably could work for coffee cups too ;)

What you need:
-13 x 3.5" of fleece (or whatever fabric you want to use; just make sure it can be shirred)
-a piece of fabric 13 x 2.75"
-elastic thread for shirring

How to do it:
1. Place the piece of fleece right side up.

2. Place the piece of fabric on top middle of it right side up, matching up the sides. Pin in place.

3. Put elastic thread on your bobbin for shirring and shirr the two layers for a couple of rows. I did quite a few.

4. Then push the fabric top down and shirr underneath of it at the top and bottom.

5. Place the two short ends together, right sides facing, and pin. Sew that side together.

All done. Now it's ready to adorn some one's soda can.

Simple Felt Shapes Garland Tutorial

This was so simple to do, that when I was asked how I did it, I knew I would have no problem putting together a quick tutorial. These are super cute and would be great for parties, holidays, etc.

What you need:
-Felt
-Yarn
-Embroidery Thread
-Needle
-Scissors
-Pattern for desired shape (I used a cookie cutter; create one in Word; find free clip art on web; etc).

How to make it:
1. Cut yarn in desired length.

2. Trace shape onto felt and cut out.

3. Take embroidery thread and knot the end so there's a loop.

4. Thread through the shape and take the needle through the knot loop to make sure the knot won't be pulled through the felt.

5. Thread through the piece of yarn. leaving it as long/short as you desire, and double knot.

6. Hang it up.

Fantastic Find

On this rainy morning, the little one and I headed out to Michaels. I haven't been there in a while and had to control myself to stay within my budget.Look at what I foundin the $1 aisle.

That's right. Just $1 for each roll of adorable packing tape! I had wanted some cute packing tape for a while, but couldn't bring myself to pay the money for it, so this was a pleasant surprise.

The tape is clear with the print on it (the white cardboard it's on makes it look white, but it isn't). So if you have been on the lookout for some cute packing tape, I highly suggest you go check out Michaels if there's one near you.

Anthropologie Flowers Tutorial

I received an email from Anthropologie with this awesome tutorial on how to make the flowers many of their store windows are using as decorations right now. (The pictures will not show up all together on some computers, but should be fine on most).







How amazing are they???? I so want to make some! I think it would look great on a fence outside, on my bedroom wall, oh the possibilities are endless! They have a flickr group too if you want to check out some of the store windows made with these. Now, I need to start enlisting people to save their plastic bottles for me because we don't really buy too many.


Also, SYTYC has started again and is in their second week! Go cast your vote today! There are some super crafty ladies with some awesome things to vote for.

(Insert Snazzy Title Here)

This is just one of those posts with different things in it and no title came to me, so I'll let you make one up yourself ;).
Life is busy. The hubby is gone for a while. The Coast Guard has him away for a bit. But, my mom is coming to visit soon. So that is going to be super fun! Girl time is a good thing. My darling little one was patient with me and let me get a few things done this weekend. I made this little doll for one of my nieces.

She has a birthday coming up this week. I also made her a few hair clips. I love how the first one looks like I sprayed whipped cream on it! lol. Mmmm....maybe I should go to the store and get some.....

***I also want to share with you a wonderful challenge that Sarah is doing over at Come and See the Seitz. It is a Pattern Challenge. Here is what she says about it:

"I’d love to have anyone who is interested in stretching their skills with apparel construction to join me in these efforts! It’s simple:

1. Choose your goals (ex. To sew 4 garments before your next vacation, or to sew 1 swimsuit before summer, etc.)

-Make your goal(s) attainable and realistic for your personal life.
-Not interested in sewing clothes for yourself? That’s OK! Make your goal to sew clothes for your children, or your husband, anything goes!

2. Put it in writing!

-Blog about your goals, or if you don’t have a blog, get it in writing. You’re more likely to challenge yourself if you have someone to keep you accountable.

3. Grab the “Pattern Challenge” button and Join our Flickr group.

-Post on your blog’s sidebar to get the word out! Post about this on Facebook! Tell your friends!
-Send me an email if you are participating, and I will add a link to your blog to my sidebar of participants.
-Copy the HTML button to your sidebar:

4. Blog about your finished garments and categorize/tag them as “Pattern Challenge” . In addition to this, you can post them to our Flickr group. Be sure to add a note to your picture with a link to the blog post that describes the garment, if there is one.

-Title your blog post according to the sewing pattern name, and include “Pattern Challenge.” For example, my first pattern was Burda 7550, so I’ve titled my first post, “Pattern Challenge: Burda 7550.” This will help when others are searching for pattern reviews.
-How awesome would it be if someday we had a whole pattern library from these posts? My mind is spinning! Please, feel free to offer suggestions!

My vision for this project is that in just a short amount of time we will have a virtual pattern library full of our reviews and photos of finished garments. We will also stretch ourselves to learn more about garment construction and we will have a way to share in the joys (and sometimes terrors!) of sewing clothes!

Please consider joining with me if you have any inkling of a desire to sew more clothes"

She's kicking it off with a $50 giveaway to AllModern.com!!! Head on over and enter the giveaway and think about your goals.

***Also, for those of you who don't know (which is probably not many people at all since these ladies are so popular), Dana and Rae are hosting a whole month of Celebrate the Boy on their blogs.

It's chock full of amazing tutorials/ideas/pattern reviews/etc. of things just for the boys! I highly recommend you follow along. I know I've bookmarked some things for gifts to make for the little men in my life.

***And for those of you who want to learn how to sew, Disney at Ruffles and Stuff, has started writing up tutorials just for you! Check out the first few here.