27 November 2012

Darn, Darn

We are taking Nik to the Hospital on Wednesday, we don't know what will happen but it looks like he might have to have an operation.  Just wanted to let you know in case you are looking for us.

23 November 2012

Nik's first baby tooth was pulled

 The tooth was loose for about 2 weeks, we went to the dentist on Tuesday and he said it would come out on it's own.  Now you maybe wondering why we would go, well Nik really really wanted to go, he loves going to the dentist and has been about 4 times in his short little 4 years, a whole lot more times than I have been while living here.  He hops right into the chair and opens his mouth wide, of course his favorite part is having the water pour into the little cup next to the chair.  He was very upset that the dentist did not pull it out and pretty much refused to leave the Dentist office (read here, I had to drag him out screaming and kicking).
His other bottom tooth is loose also I predict another week before that one comes out.

21 November 2012

Congratulations Nikolaos's Donkey

"Kamaki Ass" here visiting from Travel Thru Greece to say Congratulations to Nikolaos's Donkey for winning a prize over at the Donktober Fest.
A Hug from Kamaki
He won best looking donkey and got a $20 gift certificate to Marmalade Fabrics, now Mara can get more fabric to feed her addiction, maybe she will get us a girlfriend.
"Nikolaos's Donkey" Well Thank you Kamaki you are not such an ass after all, I wouldn't mind having a girlfriend also, what can you do about that Mara?
"Mara" I will work on it!  Thanks for the gift certificate Tammy of Marmalade Fabrics.

20 November 2012

Stockings

I made 4 Christmas Stockings, 2 for the kids and 2 to donate.  I would like to make more but we will see how the time goes, they are for Hopeful Threads November Project.  You can find the button to the right.  I particularly like this project because Nik spent so much time as a baby in the hospital, lucky for us not on Christmas but for Thanksgiving and his 1st birthday.  We also fear that he will have to again have another operation but the doctors would like for him to be older and that will make things so much more difficult.
So here's some pictures, of the ones I am sending, Nik and Kat's were prototypes and not as pretty, I think I did a better job the second time around.
The Cars material and buttons are from Rhonda and Dad.

a little button detail on an otherwise plain stocking.
I didn't have any Christmas fabric so I had to make due, I like the girly one and made it really easy, in fact I was thinking of making a tutorial, what do you think?   
French Seam Flannel Christmas Stocking Tutorial?
I am also making Nik a placemat for school out of the Cars Material, that should be done by Christmas, hopefully.

14 November 2012

Pin It Win It! Fresh Squeezed Fabric

Once again Fresh Squeezed Fabrics is having a Pin It Win It! Contest.
This time I picked Berry Patch to help me make a Travelin' Pic Stitch.
Berry Patch
If you have Pinterest can you come pin it, the rules are here if you want to join in on the fun.
And this is my Pin.

Donkey for Nik

If you are looking for the UR Priceless post it is the one just below this, I want to thank everyone for the sweet comments.  I started responding to each and everyone but I have to do it the old way (press, click, copy, open new window, etc. etc.,) if anyone knows a better way to respond to comments please let me know.

Nik was a little jeaous of his sisters dress and purse and wanted me to make him one, I tried to explain that dresses are for girls but that didn't go over so well.  So I whipped up this little guy in about 30 minutes, I had wanted to make one as soon as I saw it.
Sock Donkey


You can find the tutorial over at Missy Mac Creations (Sock Donkey) she is having a Donktober fest and you can make one of these by Friday you will be entered in a contest.
All you need are a pair of
Old socks, thread and needle a sewing machine if you want and a few buttons
The socks are at least 5 years old, both gifts, the one on top from my brother Jon with little individual toe socks, love these but they got holes in the toes.  The bottom ones came from my Grandma Doris, she passed away this year and I think she would have loved what I created with them, she was very crafty, they had holes in the soles, hehe, that rhymes.
Yes, he is holding a sewing pin, both kids want to help and "work" with mom, ? the help part.
 If you can't tell from the picture, Nik loves his donkey, it turned out bigger than I thought it would, but I loved making it.  He still wants a purse so I will have to think of some manly fabric to make one up, or I can just copy the awesome Batman one made by Carolyn over at Sew Darn Quilt, of course Nik would want the bad guy in the jail, so I will have to see if there is any joker fabric around.

You have until Friday, November 16 to make one of these Donkeys and you can join the Donktober Festivities.  It was super easy to put together and would make great Christmas gifts, so check it out.

13 November 2012

UR Priceless

Hello, Welcome to my blog, my name is Mara and I live in Greece.
I completed many first with UR Priceless
  1. First time participating in a Blog Hop
  2. First time using a PDF tutorial and pattern (UR Priceless Coin Purse)
  3. First time using a paper pattern (Little Girl Dress)
Thank you so much Katherine and Madame Samm for giving me the opportunity to join in this hop, without any experience and limited sewing skills.  I was afraid for a moment that I would let you down when the purse frames hadn't arrived, but they made it safely and you can read that story here.
And let me tell you I love, LOVE getting a pattern over the internet, Madame Samm has created wonderful instructions for making the coin purse but the best part is all of the pictures, for me a picture is worth a thousand words. I made several mistakes on the dress I made for my daughter because there were no photos, but I bet if I had the pictures to go with the words it would have turned out just as wonderful as my purse.

I followed the instructions but had to make a few changes, it's hard enough to find cotton fabric let alone any type of batting or fusible fleece here in Greece.  So I worked with what I had and used Fast 2 Fuse on the front and back panels only, it's very stiff and I didn't want the purse to be completely hard.  I sewed my Ladybug Button Mad button on first and then did a little stitching following the already marked antennae and squiggly line behind.  Then I stuffed my fusible inside and steamed both sides so it would fuse, then I added the purse frame.
Close up of the Ladybug
 The hardest part about making this purse was finding where I put the red thread, I spent at least 3 hours looking for the special thread I had bought to sew the frame on, when it only took me about 30 minutes to get it done and that was with 2 kids jumping around me ( I think they hid my thread but they won't fess up).  I finally borrowed some from my MIL and it's not quite red but you can't really tell in photos or in person it looks okay.
bottom
The inside and sides are up-cycled from a shirt of mine.
Now the reason I made this UR Priceless purse is for my Priceless Treasure, my little Ladybug and companion, my precious daughter, Katerina.
Not only did she get a new purse today but she also got a new dress.

Me: "What's inside honey?" Her little voice :"Nut-thin" , awe, we will have to work on that!
Where we live, Kalampaka, Greece, surrounded by rocks.
Please hop around to my fellow bloggers of the day and if you haven't already you can see the rest of the schedule here.
Day 7 - Nov. 13

Julia P
Tina
Dachsies With Moxie
Marci Girl Designs
The Sunflower Patch
Wish upon a star
Mary on Lake Pulaski
Greco Mara - You Are Here
Linda M
Mack and Mabel
Dreaming in Patchwork
Judith Handmade Treasures
Kaydie
Caesarea Scrappers
Patchouli Moon Studio
Sew We Quilt

Also make sure you visit sew darn quilt, she moved to this day.

I don't necessarily have a giveaway but the lady I bought the frames from sent me a glue in one (picture here) and I have no plans on using it, so I saw that several people have used those and if you want it just e-mail me and I will send it grecomara at gmail dot com.
I am also doing a Pay It Forward and well no one has come forward for wanting  a homemade gift.  I know I am new to sewing so that means it might not be perfect but it will probably be awesome since there are so many things I want to make.  If you are interested come check this post out.
Thanks for stopping by today.

10 November 2012

Love getting mail

4 Packages in One Day
This came in the mail on Friday, 3 purse frames and 4 packages of 2 1/2 squares from the I Want Candy Swap.  I was desperately waiting for the frames I have to make a blog post on Tuesday about my so cute UR Priceless coin purse.  I ordered my frames from Etsy and the owner is very nice but it takes a while for things to get here from Hong Kong.
I was so worried that they wouldn't arrive in time that I contacted Celine over at Espritpatch, she lives in England and her UR Priceless day was Wednesday, she wrote on her blog that she ordered 3 so I asked if she wouldn't mind sending me 1 of hers, maybe it would get here in time and she so kindly did exactly that.  Thank you so much Celine.  Update: She shipped it out on Thursday night and I got it Tuesday morning so even if the above package hadn't arrived on time I would have completed it in time for the people in America to see.   I better thank my husband too, for taking the kids away for a little bit so I could get some sewing done.

04 November 2012

My first blog hop starts tomorrow

I am so excited I am participating in my first blog hop, we are making these totally cute coin purses.
Sew We Quilt's Coin Purse
Is that not the cutest purse ever, it looks like origami made out of fabric, such talent, I wish mine was going to look this cute.  I am actually crossing my fingers because I am still waiting for my purse handle to arrive, please please be here before my day, thank goodness I am on the last day of the hop.  Here is the schedule, try to check out a few and some might even be having giveaway's.

Day 1 -  Nov. 5th

Quiltin' Jenny
Hill Valley Quilter
Loopy Lou's Adventures Into Handicrafts
Just Let Me Quilt
Lixie Makes It
Beaquilter
Sunshine, Handmade
Buzzing and Bumbling
Sew Much 2 Luv
ANNIEOFBLUEGABLES
Needled Mom
The Slow Quilter
A Quilting Sheep
I Have a Notion
Quilt-n-Queen

Day 2 - Nov.6th


The Crafter's Apprentice
Jane's Fabric and Quilts
Rosemary B
Why-Knot-Kwilt
Random Thoughts..do or "di"
Mary T.
Supermom No Cape
Lily Pad Quilting
.Quiltscapes.
Stitch, Stitch, Stitch
Rose Creations
The Treehouse
Gracie Oliver Arts
Quilting Prolifically
Stekje
Grammie Q's

Day 3 - Nov. 7th

I Love Wool
I Like to Quiltblog
Keep Your Fork There's Pie
Sew.Darn.Quilt.
Retired to Quilt
Selinaquilts
From This to That
Jenny E.
Domestic Deficit Disorder
Pig tales and quilts
CherrysPrairiePrimitives
Espritpatch
Maria
Count it all Joy!
Creative Notions

Day 4 - Nov. 8th

Stitchin By the Lake
as sweet as peaches
Deborah B
Birgit H
Fish Creek Studio
A Quilter's Table
Lily Patch Quilts
Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio
Mary F
Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm
The Desert Rat Chronicles
Sally K
Paris at a Certain Age
From Blank Pages
Quilt Taffy
Barb H

Day 5 - Nov. 9th

Polka Dot Classic
Geta's Quilting Studio
Busy Bee Free
Briarside Lane
Quilts and Dogs
Blueberrymoon
Debbie R
suebee's World
Englating
Les passions de Cliodana
Colorpoint Quilter
On the Go Quilting
Personalized Sketches and Sentiments
Freemotion by the River
grannygoodstuff
Scrapbook-ChickADoodle


Day 6 - Nov. 12

Read, quilt, cook, pray...
The Learning Curve
Bacon Then Eggs
Nati's Little Things
by Mary
Feltfree på Åsly
El Patchwork de la Abuela
Amy's Crafty Shenanigans
Maryjo J
s.o.t.a.k. Handmade
Chloeandme
Janice M
throw a wench in the works
Everyone Deserves a Quilt
A Stitch in Time
Sew Me Something Good

Day 7 - Nov. 13

Julia P
Tina
Dachsies With Moxie
Marci Girl Designs
The Sunflower Patch
Wish upon a star
Mary on Lake Pulaski
Greco Mara - You Are Here
Linda M
Mack and Mabel
Dreaming in Patchwork
Judith Handmade Treasures
Kaydie
Caesarea Scrappers
Patchouli Moon Studio
Sew We Quilt



01 November 2012

New Blog

Hi Family and Friends, I have a new awesome blog, please stop by and say hello, so I know that you saw it.
http://travelthrugreece.blogspot.gr/
It will have some travel and craft post, also if you like you can become a follower so that it will show up in the reading list when you go to your blogger dashboard.  See you in Greece.