Handmade Christmas Gifts

How are your Christmas plans coming along?  I am slow to get started, but have all my shopping done.  I still have my handmade gifts to work on, but feel good that I finally have a plan and a list. 

Here are a few items on my list this to make this year.  I will also be sharing some canned salsa and pepper jelly from my pantry. 

Plump Partridge Ornaments from Modest Maven blog; thanks, Sew Can She!

Tohuku Totes from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar:

 

No-Sew Fleece Blankets from A Chelsea Morning:
Hint:  Fleece throws are on sale between $1.99-$2.99 this time of year, making these a super-affordable gift for kids & friends...cheaper than buying the fleece!

Check out my Pinterest Page for hundreds more ideas!  Feel free to link me some of your favorite tutorials for great gifts. 

Pattern Testing ~ Go To Leggings

I recently tested a new pattern for Go To Pattern shop, the Go To Leggings.  This is a versatile pattern for sizes 12mo-11/12 that includes shorts, capris, regular and extra-long lengths as well as a skirted option.  Also included are variations including rouching, cargo pockets, bow cut-outs and ribbon trim.  So many ways to customize your leggings!

I made the extra-long rouched leggings.  My free arm made it hard to rouche the inside of the legs, so I only did the outer leg.  These are in thermal knit and my big girl loves them!  I also made a pair of bike shorts using the pattern.  It is definitely a Go-To pattern! 

Andrea is running a sale through 11/9/12.   Use coupon code GTLDAY to get $1 off for the next 24 hours only. http://gotopatterns.com/products/go-to-leggings/

Leah Dress Testing and County Fair 2012

I was able to test the Leah Dress from Pixie Dust Patterns awhile back.  This is a gorgeous maxi-dress for girls size 12mo-7.  This was my first time sewing a Pixie Dust patterns and the directions were pretty good.  The bodice was the only pattern piece to print and the rest is just cutting rectangles.  I found the sizing to be very good and comparable to ready-to-wear sizing.  My girl likes that the sash is long enough to wrap around the front, as she doesn't like big bows behind her back when sitting.  Overall, she likes the dress and it was a good pattern.

I was not able to see a final copy of the pattern to see if my recommendations were used regarding terminology.  Nothing is cut on the bias, yet the binding was referred to as "bias tape."  Picky of me, but there is a difference.  Find more Pixie Dust Patterns on their website here.  You have to register on the website to see all the patterns - picky of me to think this odd. 

We were big winners at the County Fair this year.  Mama won 11 blue ribbons, one People's Choice award and other second & third place ribbons.  I entered mostly canned goods and garden produce but had 5 garments entered as well.  The kids each won a ribon for their entries in art, woodworking and Legos.  In all, we won enough to cover our entry fees and fried food! 

We were able to spend one week at the Oregon Coast at the end of summer break.  It was so relaxing to have an oceanside room and hear the waves crashing.  There were large rocks with tide pools, starfish and other fun sea critters nearby.  It was a good week!  Hard to believe we've been in school for over a month now and it's October already.  Time to work on Halloween costumes then on to Christmas gifts!

Winner!

Congratulations, Kristina!  She is the winner of a year's subscription to Sew News.  Enjoy!

Sew News Givaway!

Happy Fall!  To celebrate the change of seasons I have a giveaway to share with you.  I enjoy reading Sew News magazine.  It has many helpful sewing tips, free templates & patterns and projects to adapt patterns.  I was even pictured in the Aug/Sept issue for a reader comment I left on the Facebook page :) 

My renewal is due and they're having a 2 for the price of 1 sale, so I'd like to offer the free subscription to one of my readers.  To enter, please leave a comment telling me how you follow Mama Lusco Handmade.  You can follow my blog, on Facebook or on Pinterest.  I'm most active on Facebook and Pinterest, so I'd encourage you to find me there!  Please leave a contact address so I can reach my winner.  I'll pick one on Friday, Sept 28th around noon PST.  Good luck and happy sewing!

Summer Fun

Long time, no blog!  We've had a busy summer.  I've been working 3 part-time nursing jobs, so I haven't had much time lately for sewing or crafting.  We've enjoyed a few camping trips and a few days at the beach.  It's football season again, so it's back to work for the hubby and I'll be shuttling the kids to football, volleyball and soccer practices.  Whew!  Makes me tired just thinking of how organized I'll have to be!

I am dusting off the sewing machine & serger to test a new maxi dress pattern.  I hope to share pictures with you soon!

Home Again!

I'm home again, after a crazy week at Wyldlife camp (Young Life for middle-schoolers).  We drove over 1000 miles to get our 3 kids to Grandma's house & back so we could go to camp.  It was a crazy, exhausting week but lives were changed. 

I only had a few really messy moments this year...the mud pit with our team, shaving cream pie in the face and pizza toppings on my face.  Early mornings, a huge water park, crazy games and late nights = one tired Mama!

Awhile back, I used my Twin to make a criss-cross bodice maxi dress.  I drew the pattern off a shirt that fit well and made it using ITY knit so it's super-comfy.  It looks great paired with a big belt.  This was my first time using my Twin and she fits just like me!  I'm looking forward to using my dress form more in the future.  I really liked the hemming tool.

I also made a rodeo shirt for my neighbor girl's birthday.  She does Pee-Wee Rodeo and loved the shirt!

I'm starting another part-time job, so now I have 3!  I'm no longer a stay-at-home mom but am working more like full-time the last 2 months.  I hope to get back to a little sewing as I get used to the crazy work schedule.  It's been great having the kids & hubby home for the summer and we're also hoping to get some camping & fishing in soon.  Enjoy your summer!

Long Time, No Blog!

I apologize for my absence!  Life has been crazy busy in our household the past month.  Mama now has 3 part-time jobs which equals little time for my hobby blogging and sewing.  I am more active on Facebook and Pinterest than the blog these days, so please follow me there if you don't already.

Exciting news!  I had a project selected for the upcoming One Yard Little Wonders book!  I spent time this week sewing the sample item for their book photos and tour and finalizing the pattern.  I hope to have photos to share with you soon.

I hope you are well.  Are you also feeling lack of motivation towards blogging?  It's just more convenient for me to hop on Facebook and see what my family, friends and sewing friends are up to... 

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

It's time for Sew, Mama, Sew's Spring Giveaway Day!  There are five pages of giveaways posted on the SMS blog, so I hope you have time to enter before the giveaways close on May 25th.  Have fun!

~ CLOSED ~ KidsEmail.org Review & Giveaway Galore!

CONGRATULATIONS, KAYLA C!  MY NUGGET CHOSE YOUR COMMENT AS OUR WINNER!  I WILL BE EMAILING YOU LATER :)

Looking for a safe way for your kids to use email?  Check out KidsEmail.org! 

"KidsEmail.org's mission is to protect children from predators, pornography, and email from strangers. With so much technology at the fingertips of our kids, it can difficult to know be aware of who is communicating with your child. Our goal is to give parents the tools to protect their children in a manner that is simple and effective."

Our children have been using KidsEmail.org for several weeks.  The registration process was simple.  Parental Controls allow parents to choose who your children can send & receive emails from, what type of email attachments your child may receive and numerous other levels of parental control are all decided by you.  I like the option of receiving copies of all incoming and outgoing emails to/from my kids accounts.  It's comforting to know exactly what they are sending and receiving.

Free trial

KidsEmail.org is user-friendly with fun colors & graphics on the kids 'send email' screen.  Users are able to add 4-6 emails under one account, great for large families at one low price.  KidsEmail.org offers a 30day free trial and low monthly or yearly payment options.  Monthly accounts are currently $4.95/mo for 4 addresses or $$38.50 for 13 months with 6 addresses.

I highly recommend KidsEmail.org if you are looking for a safe way for your children & teens to use email.  Help protect your children & computers from predators, spam and viruses and have peace of mind when using KidsEmail.org.

Now....for the giveaway!  KidsEmail.org has offered Mama Lusco readers a chance to win a free 6 month subscription and a $25 Amazon gift card!  To enter, leave a comment with your contact info.  Winner will be chosen by random on Sunday night, May 13th.  Good luck!

I was provided with a free trial of KidsEmail.org in exchange for this review.  Opinions in this post are mine alone.

Meet My Twin

I was happy to receive a hand-me-down dress form awhile back.  She is adjustable at the neck, bust, waist, hips & height and has a hemming tool...pretty cool!  Unfortunately,  I am broader, thicker and wider than her in every direction. 

My hubby made a sturdy new stand for my twin and I enlisted the help of my oldest daughter to turn her into a plus-size like me!  We added 4" to the shoulders, 2" to the bust, 5" to the waist and hips and made her my height.  I was able to use batting and fabric in my donation pile after cleaning my sewing room over the weekend.  I'm excited to have a twin dress form just my size! 

While I'm bearing all...Here is my Easter dress.  The girls both had dresses, so I was the only one to sew for this Easter.  I used Simplicity 2444, a vintage-feel knee-length dress with collar and sleeve variations.  I made the boat neck with short sleeves in seersucker and pique as my wearable muslin.  I was a size 18 by the pattern but ended up taking in 2" at the waist and lower back.  Next time I'll know where to adjust and go down a size on the top.  Darts at the waist make for easy adjustments.

I constructed the bodice and skirt separately and also lined the bodice.  I think it was easier to fit this way, rather than make a front & back like the pattern directed.  I highly recommend this pattern if you're looking for a retro-style dress with fun options.

CLOSED -My Memories Suite GIVEAWAY

Ready for another giveaway?  My Memories Suite v.3 plus a $10 store credit is up for grabs!  I started using My Memories Suite about 6 months ago to make digital scrapbooks and greeting cards.  It comes with loads of free content and even more freebies are available on their website.  MMS also allows you to use any picture file in its program, so you can find even more scrapping freebies online.  

I like how easy to use MMS is.  They have helpful video tutorials on their blog that are a great way to get started.  Choose quick pages or pre-set layouts for easy scrapping, or design the page entirely on your own.  Either way, you'll end up with some great digital scrapbook pages!

Ready to try MMS?  Use code: STMMMS87580 for $10 off and $10 credit in the My Memories Suite store. 

To enter to win a copy of My Memories Suite v3 plus a $10 store credit, visit the MMS site and tell me the name of your favorite kit or designer.  For an extra entry, 'Like' Mama Lusco Handmade on FB and leave a comment saying so.  Winner will be chosen randomly on Thursday, April 26th.  Good luck!

Quick & Easy Granola Bars

I cook mostly from scratch to avoid preservatives and know what is in the food we're eating.  Thankfully, I enjoy time in the kitchen!  I was just sharing this recipe with a friend and thought you might like it, too.  These are a fast, easy alternative to store-bought granola bars.  They can be crunchy or chewy depending on how long you bake them.  Change the flavor by trying different dried fruits or chocoalte chips.  Also amazing with 1 c. peanut butter added!  These keep well in a sealed container.

Here’s my recipe for Easy Granola Bars. I started with the Playgroup Granola Bars recipe, with a few changes to suit our family. Here’s the original Playgroup Granola Bars: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Playgroup-Granola-Bars/. 

Double Batch Easy Granola Bars

5 c. oats

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. ground flax seed (or wheat germ)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c. flour (white or wheat)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 c. raisins (or other dried fruit or chocolate chips)
1 c. oil
1 c. honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
(1 cup peanut butter is great to add if using chocolate chips!)

1. Preheat oven to 350’. Generously grease a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan.

2. In large bowl, mix together dry ingredients and raisins. Stir in oil, honey, eggs & vanilla. Mix well. Pat evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake until bars turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Chewy bars: bake 20-25 minutes (convection 350 x 20 min is our family favorite)

Crunchy bars: bake 30-35 minutes

Enjoy!

Learning to Sew

I was so proud of my 9 year-old, Abby...she made Little Lizard King's Garden Party Dress for her little sister!  Liz was updating the pattern, so Abby & I reviewed & sewed the revised dress.  It turned out great! 

This was Abby's second sewing project.  She did great at following the picture tutorial and sewing straight seams.  We used a large rubber band to mark her seam allowance and only had to tear out two seams that went wonky.  Tutorials like these from Little Lizard King are how I learned to sew apparel and are a great way to learn!

Winner!

Congratulations, Kristy!  Please comment with your email or message me at mamalusco at ortelco dot net to claim your prizes!

Pattern Review & GIVEAWAY ~ from Fun4Me2

Dee from Fun4Me2 has two new skirt patterns in her shop and is offering one winner 2 patterns from her shop to celebrate! 

The new Be There or Be Square Handkerchief skirt pattern comes in a huge size range from 6mo-12.  This skirt was very fast & easy to sew.  She gives good instructions and pictures to help you make the perfect mitered corners, too.  I really like the option to make this skirt with 2 layers for extra whimsy. 

The other new skirt is the Whirly Twirly Circle Skirt, also in sizes 6mo-12.  This one comes with two length options and instructions how to add a tulle accent trim.  So cute!

Now, for the good stuff!  Dee is hosting a giveaway on her Fun4Me2 Facebook page.  Share a picture of a clothing item you have  made using a Fun4Me2 pattern for a chance to win a custom dress or skirt from Dee's shop.  Deadline to enter is April 15th.

Mama Lusco Handmade readers are also in on the fun...one winner will choose two patterns from the Fun4Me2 shop.  Leave a comment (with email, please) for each of the options below.  Winner will be chosen randomly on Monday, April 9th. 

1.  Leave a comment saying which is your favorite pattern or item in her shop.     

2.  Like Fun4Me2's Facebook page. 

3.  Like Mama Lusco's Facebook page.

4.  Follow my blog.





Tutorial ~ Easy Dolman Sleeve Shirt for Any Size

Looking for a quick, easy, comfortable knit shirt?  Try a Dolman-style top.  Feel free to make the sleeves larger and lower for a more dramatic look.  Also lengthen or shorten the top to suit your style.  You can also change the look by using different finishing techniques on the edges.  My friend at Jocole Patterns made this great tutorial showing 7 different ways to finish knits and offers excellent PDF patterns to which teach you to sew with knits.  If you have 1-2 yards of knit fabric, 1 hour of time and a sewing machine, you can make this top!  Let's get started....

Please excuse Miss A's bedhead.  She was home sick the day I made this top for her. 

If you use this tutorial, I'd love to see pictures of your finished creations.  Enjoy! ~ Angie