This is why we save every button that ever came off anything.

Plus, since I save lengths of ribbon and scraps of fabric I can probably make like five more of these before I run out of buttons.

For the baby's room, which did not need another piece of decor (shrug), I stretched scrap of grey herringbone over some foamcore and added black ribbon before gluing on the buttons.

It will sit on the highest shelf of his bookcase until the day I disassemble it because it is without a doubt the most dangerous thing in the room - what with the chewable foam, sharp pins, toxic glue, and throat-sized buttons.

For when you lose one mitten.

Aaaand when you don't care what your baby's mittens look like ...

Cut the sleeves off an old baby outfit that has cuffs and sew the top shut. Add a little fleece liner if you want to be fancy about it.

Cat-dog gets a new bed.

So about 15 years ago, my mom had this grand scheme to teach me how to sew by helping me make a tshirt quilt. We got a large piece of fleece for the backing and cut out rectangles from all the tshirts I had acquired in junior and senior high school (summer camps, school spirit events, badminton team - that kind of thing). Then we threw all these pieces into plastic bags to save for when we'd have more time to work on the project.

I *may* still have the tshirt scraps in the bag stashed under the basement stairs. Stupid depression-era rationale all running in the family and ruining any chance any of us has at ever being tidy, normal people. 

But wait! I knew I saved that stuff for a reason (other than my mom never letting me forget it if I had done something drastic and recycled it all).

 I took a cheapo pillow and used some of the fleece to make Penny a bed for the living room. My hope was that she'd take the reasonable opportunities to get in my lap (i.e. when it's empty) and STOP trying to take non-opportunities (i.e. when I'm on the laptop while feeding the baby). I mean, a nice cozy pillow bed is way better than someone constantly shoving you aside so your ears, eyes, and fur don't get scratched, gouged, or yanked.

What will I do with the rest of the fleece? I'll recycle it. There was a problem with that whole "measure twice, cut once" thing.

Drawings 48 and 49.

Trouble is, the sun was an afterthought and I put it in the wrong place according to the shadows I had already drawn.

Nobody looks good in a crystal ball.

Drawings 46 and 47.

Who puts hammers in a bag?

Almost no one. That's why there are like three Google images. Although this is apparently the title of a movie that came out last year.

Aaaand, here's something delicious:

My beans would be of the lemon-lime variety, obviously.

Drawings 44 and 45.

Is anyone else confused about how juice containers can claim that they're "100% juice," but also "from concentrate?"

I don't get it. Also, I don't get all those juice flavors people seem to like. Fruit punch, cranberry, strawberry kiwi, raspberry pineapple ... gross. Berries are SO INCREDIBLY GROSS.

If it's not apple juice, orange juice, lemonade, or Ecto Cooler I am out.

Actually pretty proud of my jar of pennies with all the tiny, blob-like presidents.

Drawing 43.

I guess my strands aren't long enough.

You can bet if my drawing were in color they would be BLUE AND ORANGE!

Drawing 42.

Mmk. I'm still trying to figure out the scanner, but here is the first in a series of catch-up drawings:

There is a wealth of fantastic Google images of synchronized swimmers - some seriously impressive, and others ... well ...

I didn't realize my drawing would need to portray such painful and frightening drama.

New favorite craft: gift card holder.

It's the gift that says, "I didn't know what to get you!" Unless the gift card is what they put on their wishlist, and if that's the case then you're welcome, mom.

I finally found a use for the piece of red and silver double-sided paper I've been saving for who knows how long. Ever since that time I went to the scrapbooking store because I had a coupon and ended up buying nine other things. That one time.

I cut the festive cardstock so that it would fit in a necklace box and I could wrap it like a real present. Then I punched holes in it for the ribbon and button closure. The inside ends of the ribbon and button thread are hidden by the white insert, the edges of which I brushed with a powder-blue ink using a sponge. Then I stamped a line of snowmen in the same blue ink and drew over parts of each one with a clear sparkle pen.

The card itself is held in by pocket made of the same double-sided paper. You can follow this template and just use your own dimensions and omit the top flap. Rounded top corners make it look nicely finished. The only potential trouble was in getting the margins around the white insert to remain even as the envelope is folded shut. Cutting the white paper *just* shorter than the red/silver helped.

File it under "Projects that are pretty quick, pretty cheap, and pretty cute."

I MADE A QUILT! AND IT'S FANTASTIC!

Yes! I finished it! The day after Christmas on my shiny new Brother sewing machine that Hubs gave me. 

If you don't count the new sewing machine, which I don't, I literally spent $0 on this quilt. The only thing I didn't have was batting, but I decided to skip it because I doubt my machine (old or new) would be able to go through it. The myriad clothing patches on the front and sweatshirt knit on the back make a nice weight, and it's super soft.

Somehow - I really don't know how - it turned out beautifully. I ironed a total of two seems, did very little measuring, and was working mostly with stretchy fabrics that I don't know how to handle. Yet the blanket is quite square, the perfect size, and I had just the right amount of fabric lying around for the backing and contrast strips. It was meant to be.