GreenTree

Long time, no see

I must begin with an apology. It has been so hard to make time for blogging. The baby is getting bigger, busier and has decided to grow some teeth. No evidence of said teeth yet but she is giving it serious consideration. It amazes me everyday how busy my day can be with nothing more than naps, feedings, playing, repeat.
I have been fitting in sewing time and that is thanks to housing several play areas in my sewing room. It keeps me sane and gives her some time to figure things out on her own. I am trying to wrap up some projects I started before the girl was born (over 5 mo ago!) and some needed projects have also sprung up. One of those new but "I gotta have it" projects was a camera bag. Garrett gave me a new camera for my birthday so I can take really kick ass pictures of the girl to blanket the wall of our stairs. I felt so conscious of how precious this camera was to me when I would tote it around in the diaper bag. This was no place for camera equipment. I drew up some schematics and a few days and many interruptions later, my camera bag was born. I hope to be better about posting from now on. I really missed it.
  

I am between naps...

 and thought I would post some pictures of the pants I made for Devon recently. I wanted these pants but not for those prices. So I made my own from this book. They were quick and so much fun. They take so little fabric that I can whip them up from scrapes.   I made them 6mo size for 2 reasons. 1) I didn't want to make something for her to wear for 2 mo when I could spend the same amount of time and she can wear it for twice that (hopefully). 2) Devon is tall so the pants her size are just at her ankles and with it still chilly out, I wanted the pants long now so she would be covered. These are cropped pants so when she grows into them she will be hanging out but it will be warm by then.

I'm a writer, Ya'll (Just like Laurie Perry)

Well almost like Laurie...Ok on the path to be like Laurie Perry. I scored a pretty sweet part time gig writing Arts & Crafts Articles for the Examiner.com Atlanta . I love it- I totally work from home and am writing about one of my biggest passions. Check it out and pass it one to anyone who might be interested (because I am paid per page view and I need to buy more fabric to keep up with Devon's rapidly growing legs...more on that later). I am also always open to topic suggestions, so feel free to drop me a line if you have a new fabric that you love or that you are debuting (nudge, nudge designers), a pattern that is beyond amazing, or just amazing, or any project that has you all hot and bothered. I will include your name and links as a thank you for helping me deliver new content.
On to Devon's ever growing legs (and the rest of her). She is already into 3 mo clothing and soon to move up to 6 mo and she is just 9 weeks. I can see the changes everyday! I have pulled out many of my fabric remnants and am beginning the process of making pants for my little one. She has rompers out the ears but when it comes to dressing her bottom half, she has maybe 2 pair. Mom to the rescue. I am pulling out the rick-rack, ribbon and buttons. I can't wait to have to finished projects to show you. I better get back up there- Time's a-wasting.

Vintage inspired nursing cover

Long time no see. Devon is now 2 months and we are working on a nice little routine that I hope will allow me some time for sewing and knitting. I have been fitting some in here and there. Garrett really helps on the weekends with her which gave me time to make myself a pretty sweet little nursing cover, if I do say so myself. I didn't use a pattern but kind of winged it from pictures I have seen. I had some scraps of Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt and some thick cotton ribbon. I left the selvedge on the top because I really liked the look.
Ok..originally I forgot as I sewed around all the edges except the top (left open for turning) but once I saw the mistake, I really did like it. It adds character and some detail. It reminds me of an old flour sack for some odd reason. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Anyway, I am so pleased with the result. I didn't even think about making one before the little one came along but realized quickly that when friends and family come over, I don't want to be sequestered to my room but also I am not comfortable letting the 'girls' out in front of my family. I have no problem with it- it just isn't for me. This is the perfect solution for me. I can stay in the conversation and still feed Devon on time. Maybe, just maybe I will one day work up to using it in public.

Shameless Plug: Modeling by Maggie

Refurbishing a dresser

I started this project about 3 weeks before my baby was born but I didn't have it finished till just a few days ago. I needed some longer screws for 2 of the drawers but no time to run out for screws. Garrett and I bought this dresser from Goodwill for $27. I painted it using the left over paint from our dining room and we purchased new drawer pulls. So the total cost of this dresser was approx $37. Isn't that awesome. Check out the before and after pictures. I am definitely going to have to do this for my bedroom furniture. So far we have a bed and an Ikea dresser to store the Tv. I am getting desperate for new furniture in there. Must make time for Goodwill/Thrift store hunting.

 

 

Blog Name Change

Hi All, I am making some changes and have some big plans, so stay tuned (but not too closely- I am still dealing with a 4 week old baby).

The first order of business is a slight name change. I have gathered from my friends that GrueneTree is not as pronouncable as I had thought so I made the name more obvious: from GrueneTree to GreenTree. Both are pronounced the same but as a glance GreenTree says what I want my blog to say instead of people stumbling over the name.

Update your links, please.

I must go design a new banner now, unless the little one gets hungry first!

Tara

Another Changing Pad

When I moved into our house, I got excited about everything. I even purchased Bamboo Bath mats because I thought they would be super soft and nice on the feet. They are, indeed, both descriptors, however these mats are without the handy non slip backing that most bath mats come with. So they were retired. What do you do with bath mats such as these? Why you turn them into changing pads, of course. They are the perfect size and as mentioned above, they are super soft. I used some of my handy Chocolate Lollipop by Anna Maria Horner plus some ribbon and a little extra batting inside (because even bamboo is not quite soft enough for my little monkey) and Voila.
I just laid the bath mat on top of the fabric, right sides together and cut the fabric to size. Next I pinned the two pieces together plus some batting. I next sewed down one long side around the short side and back up the other long side. I clipped the corners and turned it right side out. I tucked under the open end and added a long length of ribbon to the center and then top stitched the open end. Done. It is cushy and warm. I use it every day and plan to turn the rest of the mats (I have 4 khaki colored and 1 more green) into changing pads so I always have a clean one and so does Garrett.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

All three events took place on Jan 26th:
The Good: I have a baby and she is adorable. Giving birth was the hardest thing I have EVER done but it is so worth it. I love her so much and it is so much easier with her on the outside. I can put on my own socks. She has been attacked by family members and I have barely been able to hold her but I am so in love.
The Bad: My cat, Scout, was hit and killed by a car while I was in labor. I miss her very much and her death really puts this day into a tail spin. I was so excited to introduce the baby to all of my animals, especially Scout (Since Scout had adopted the nursery as her own) and I get a little weepy imagining how it would have gone. Some of that is probably hormones though. She was our only cat and I miss having a cat around. I would adopt another but I am scared it will happen again.
The Ugly: My mom had major surgery that went very well but it was hard not to have her with me in the delivery room. We had tried to arrange to have her surgery on a later date but her doctor had to reschedule. In the end it was for the best that she had her surgery earlier, because she really needed it and there were a few surprises that confirmed this. She is doing much better now and having the new little one seems to have sped her recovery.

Recovered Baby Swing

Like many of my baby items, I inherited my baby swing. It was in the best condition and was everything I could have registered for but with one big difference... It was FREE! So far Garrett and I have spent less than $100 on the baby. Thanks in no small part to family, neighbors, Craigslist and Good will. My favorite is a dresser that we bought for $27 and have since painted. I will have pictures of that later this week, we still need to put the hardware on.
Back to the swing. It had one fatal flaw- that fabric. It was ugly but practical. I knew as soon as a saw it that it would be a cinch to recover. It took no time at all and I am ever so pleased with the results.
Plus I remade the mobile that went with it. It was nothing exciting. Just some white and green bears. I whipped up some of my fish and using a button and embroidery thread...voila!

Cancer Cards

Someone close to me was recently diagnosed with cancer. It was quite a shock but the outlook is good. It has made me realize how hard it is to really tell someone you are there for them and want to help them battle their cancer. Hugs and words go far but sometimes you want to show someone you care.
My friend and neighbor, Sara creates cards for just such a situation with her company Ribbons and Shadows. She specializes in cards for loved ones with cancer. I discovered this when I recently participated in a Breast Cancer walk with many other neighbors including Sara. Her company donated a card for the walker gift bags. I fell in love and sent the my card to my Dad's friend just diagnosed with Leukemia. He also loved it and confessed to crying after receiving it.
Sara recently gave me some cards as a thank you for teaching her to sew and lending her my extra sewing machine. I knew I had to blog about them and tell everyone. Her art is so amazing and not only are the cards warm but they are witty and charming as well. I love the concept of these cards so much' they go way beyond the regular "Get Well" cards you can pick up anywhere.