How To Train Your Dragon Toothless Inspired: Thumbs Up Tee by OUSM Designs {pattern test and review}

Little man loves his Thumbs Up Tee by OUSM Designs! I did not expect him to be so enthused and enamored with having the thumb hole in the cuff of his sleeve, but something is almost ninja about having the thumb through the cuff.... Add to it this awesome Toothless inspired outline, and it is a win for any 4 year old boy!

I will admit. The cuffs were so confusing to accomplish, at first. I may have had to rip seams from them once or twice. But that is only because I got my right and wrong sides confused. OUSM Designs created this incredible helpful video, and I have to say that I wish I watched it first!

Once you have the construction down with the cuff, it is so easy! And, it is surprisingly quick! Not as fast as a standard cuff, but still quick considering all seams are hidden within the cuff! Yay for clean lines!

Speaking of being almost ninja like, this shirt requires showing off some ninja moves while taking pictures... With sound effects and all!

I have been meaning to create a toothless inspired shirt for little man since I started planning his birthday. I couldn't bring myself to create the freezer paper stencil for just any standard shirt. It needed to be awesome. When I signed up for this pattern test, I knew this was it. The sleeves on this shirt just fit in perfectly, the thumb hole just happens to be 'Astrid like' adding to the element of "How to Train Your Dragon" inspiration!

The white and black fabrics are all re-purposed from my old clothing! Turning something old into something new is so much fun! The red was an interlock fabric that I already had on hand. Hurrah for not having to run to the store!

I love the customize-ability with freezer paper. These free printables from Confetti Sunshine worked out perfectly for this shirt!

The diagrams for the pattern are easy to follow and clear. Printing is one of my favorite features as you can print only the size you want! It's amazing to be able to print only one size at a time. No cutting, taping, tracing and cutting some more. just trim, tape and cut! 

2015 Finish-Along: Quarter 1: Goals {2015 FAL Q1}

I am such a horrible finisher! I set these goals (more like carry over the list) and never work on a single thing! How do you stay, get, be motivated to work on your UFO's? I think I need some tips!

So... Here is my goal list (again) for this quarter!

1. Labyrinth Lap Quilt... I am still debating the backing for this, if I really want to use it...but I have nothing else...

2.  My band shirt memory quilt... Still trying to find backing fabric for this... I would like a large print musical theme but that seems hard to find...

3. This is baby girl's baby shower quilt.  No extra signers. I think it is time to just sew it up. She needs a momma made quilt. The blocks are back into the box I got them in... :( Poor thing. By this time I was finishing up Nikolai's first quilt.

4. This is my checker-board quilt. It is still hanging on the design wall. I need to clean up the craft room so I have easier access to this...

5. Jelly roll quilt... I still need to fins a good enough yellow... Separate the rows and add in the sashing...

6. The Dinosaur quilt that was *supposed* to be Little Man's birthday present (last year). At least I have started the quilting! Sad thing? He says he is scared of dinosaurs now! Oh no! 

7. This circle quilt. It was supposed to be for the fabric challenge, but honestly, I know I am not going to be finishing it in time. I seem to sew so slow... But it'll be cool when it is done! I am not sharing what it is going to look like when it is done, but you are more than welcome to guess! ;) I just hope it looks as cool finished as it does in my head! LOL

8. These are supposed to be some Peasant Tops pattern by Tie Dye Diva Patterns (affiliate link) for Baby Girl. I was working on them, then got carried away with something else and I hadn't gone back to them and now, sitting in a manilla folder in the craft room. Better finish them before she cannot wear them! 

9. This is going to be Little Man's Going to Grandma's/&or/Grandpa's over night bag. It is going to be the Dorothy Day Tripper by Swoon Sewing Patterns (affiliate links) ... 

&

10. If I have enough left over I also want to make a Tiny Explorer Backpack by Diedelbug Handmade for him when we go to MOPs meetings, the Zoo, and anything else that seems to fit with learning and fun. ;)

I hope to at least finish the Dino and labyrinth quilt... 

Linking up to the new Finish-Along host, On the Windy Side!

Establish a Budget: Free Budget Printable

One of my New Year's Resolutions, you can read about them here, was to start continue working on getting out of debt. 

I've been working on the budget, more making it habit, for the last year and a half. It hasn't really gotten really nitty-gritty until these last several months where I really buckled down and started following the zero-balanced budget as suggested by Dave Ramsey. I really suggest that you read his book Total Money Makeover; and, if you have kids, read Smart Money Smart Kids which he co-authored with his daughter. Really great reads. I borrow them from the library every now and then to refresh my brain and discover something I missed. They also have sheets that you can copy and use for your own budgeting in the back of the book.

I will say, before my introduction to Dave Ramsey, I had no idea how to build a budget and (key) make it work. I had ideas and kind of categorized what I already spend, but had major difficulty going that next step into using that to plan out how I was going to spend my money. Since starting the envelope system I literally carry standard paper envelopes in my purse when I leave the house and only for the intent for something specific. But, it took a while to figure out how to document my plan

So I came with these printable pdf sheets to use for my Budget Binder. They are not very pretty but solely focus on function. Beside, the kids usually color all over them anyway.. :)

The Budget Binder Printable pdf sheets has 12 printable pages with fill in blanks for writing down info. I have columns that divide the months down by weekly and bi-monthly. You can pick. 

Included and brief:

1. Record of Accounts - a place to write account log in info. For those times you forget your password.

2. Income Tracker - this works best for weekly or bi-monthly incomes. I write down net and gross

3. Debt Tracker - Write down your debt balance after each month statement. Watch your balance drop

4. annual expenses - for those expenses that are easy to loose track of. Break down by month, or by paycheck to see how much to stash away to cover those yearly doozies

5. Annual expense account - have you bought a home and had an escrow account? This is what I use for a savings account solely devoted to paying those annual bills. I keep track of how much goes in each month and when bills are due to make sure I am on track. I basically treat it like an escrow account. write down the total amount the month it is due and go from there with the monthly amount to set aside.

6. Monthly Due Dates schedule. I don't use this anymore, but it's great for starting so you can see what bills are due when

7 Monthly Expenses Worksheet - Write down the total amount of the bill due, divide it amongst the regular number of pay days and deduct that from your pay. When the bill is due, you have the money to pay the bill.

8. Monthly Expenses Envelope. I write down the envelopes that I have, use the number of money left over after bills are paid and disperse into the envelopes until all money is in a category

I am sharing these budget printables with you for free to share the knowledge and basis to begin living within your means and Establish a Budget. 

What do you do. Do you have a strict budget? Or just enough to get by? Or are you like how I was a few years ago and new where the money was going but need that extra step to make a plan for where it will go in the future? Do you use a certain printable, or create your own?

Happy New Year: Welcome 2015 (New Year's Resolutions - Goals)

Happy New Year! Welcome 2015!

I am not one for setting new year's resolutions because I know that I'm not going to keep them. You know, those silly ones...

But, are they really silly? I mean, if we set attainable, measurable goals, who's to say we wont keep them? Here's to making those Resolutions more like Goals we can Keep!

So here are my resolutions...

My first resolution is that I want to start selling handmade (no, Handcrafted as a fellow seamstress, blogger and friend had said). I sent out my first invoice New Years Eve and I have to say that it was exhilarating and exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time! Based on the same conversation from aforementioned friend, I know I can make things, and make them well. But just because I would rather make something than buy it does not mean others feel the same way. The Yoda Inspired Hoodie was a pretty good start, right?

My second New Year's resolution is that I really need to get into action and start getting out some paper pieced patterns I have been working on. I have a bunch of them sitting in a file on my old computer just needing directions written up, tested, corrected, published and listed. I am hoping to get some time to get those out there! I love paper piecing. I even started last year with my Arizona Flag Mug Rug paper pieced pattern on Craftsy.

New Year's resolution number 3 focuses on that Hubby and I have been working on getting debt free. Have you read any of Dave Ramsey's books? SO awe inspiring! I remembered hearing a while ago that in order for the economy to improve people would have to go further into debt. When (at the time) the average American had 14 credit cards and owed thousands, that made no sense to me. It still doesn't make sense to me. I have had people who believed this lie try to explain it. But if I didn't owe hundreds of dollars every month in debt that money could go to business and independent designers and the community. I see that as doing more to improving the economy than my money going to backs that use it to sell more debt. (rant end) But it also helps us here in the now and in the later.

Our 4th is to buy a bigger car. Ok. Maybe this one is shooting more for 2016. But hey, it's a goal to make #3 more enticing right? Besides, it would be so wonderful to be able to car pool in one car rather than take multiple cars. Plus it gives more room.

Now for those ones that seem 'silly', but really they are all about health! 5th is not to skip meals. I think I have been working on this one already, without success. Does coffee count as breakfast and lunch? No? oh... well... Yeah, I need to work on that.

My final big goal for the year... Sleep 8 hours a night. Tonight (if I went to bed now, as in right this minute) it's not gonna happen. Hmm, sew, crochet, sleep? I pick the first two. Sewing uninterrupted by children. Crocheting without littles pulling at the yarn? Wonderful!  Waking up feeling icky and sleep deprived with getting a migraine later, not so wonderful... Darn those consequences... I'll just have to reprioritize my day. After all, we don't need clean dishes to eat off of, right? ;)

These are my big ones.

Tell me: What is your big goal for the year? Or are you like me and do not usually set them?

New Year's resolution or not,
Hope you have a Happy New Year!