Lindsay Wilkes

Jan

Operation Organization: Velcro Toy Storage Labels

This year is going to be about some serious organization here at The Cottage Home. With having three children under the age of 4, I sometimes feel like certain spaces in my home are spiraling out of control. Well, no more! I’m taking action and going to try my best to gain some control over the clutter that seems to come with having small children.

Now, I know there will be messes and chaos from time to time, but I’m going to try to implement some systems for our family to make life a little more orderly. And hopefully help me keep my sanity. I don’t know about you, but when things in my home and life are in order I can accomplish SO much more.

“A Place for Everything and Everything in it’s Place”

One of my friends over on The Cottage Mama Facebook page chimed in with this quote recently when I was asking about tips for kids toy organization and I just love it. To some this might sound somewhat sickening, but I like it and plan to keep in in the forefront of my mind this year.

My girls toys have been out of control lately. There are so many pieces to so many different toys and they just kept getting all jumbled up. I spent four hours one day just reorganizing the kids toys, only to have them turned into a jumbled mess two days later. I thought, “oh my gosh, what a waste of time!” But then I realized that I can’t expect my kids to know where things go without me showing them. This was definitely a ‘duh’ moment. I am a big fan of my label maker, but it doesn’t do much good for those that can’t read my labels.

This lead me to try a new tactic for our toy organization ~ Velcro Toy Picture Storage Labels. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? IKEA was having a great sale on these bookcases, only $9.99 each! So I bought several. One for the play room and three others for the ‘Cottage Mama’ storage loft conversion that is taking place in our house as well (more on that at a later time). Then my in-laws gave me a gift certificate to The Container Store for Christmas, so I bought a bunch of clear storage containers to get this project underway.

Want to make your own Toy Storage Labels? Here’s the ‘how to’……..

Operation Organization: Velcro Toy Storage Labels

Supplies:

A computer and printer

Cardstock or thick scrapbook paper

Laminating Sheets

Sticky Velcro

Scissors

Paper cutter (optional)

Instructions:

Take inventory of the toys you would like to contain. I pretty much used containers for the toys with lots of pieces. The larger items are still being stored in our woven cube storage system. Once you know what toys you need to store, google the name of the exact toy and save a picture of it on your computer. Print out the pictures at a reasonable size to fit on your containers.

Cut out the pictures of all the different toys. There were only one or two toys where I couldn’t find the exact picture, but try to make sure you come as close as possible to the correct toy ~ this will make it much easier for your little one to clean up. I also added a black border around each picture, just because I liked the way it looked.

I matted each picture onto a thick scrapbook paper or cardstock to add some durability and body to the labels. I put a little piece of scotch tape on the back of the picture (just to hold it in place) and then cut a mat out with my paper cutter. You could also use a ruler and scissors as well.

Once your pictures are matted, you will want to laminate them to keep them looking nice. You can buy self-laminating sheets at your local office supply store. I don’t think a lot of people know you can laminate things at home without a fancy machine, but you can! It’s really easy and they look really nice.

The laminating sheets are generally the size of a regular sheet of paper, so you will need to cut out each label after laminating.

Next we are going to add velcro to the back of each label. Why, you might ask? Because this way if we ever want to store something different in the box, we can simply replace the label without damaging the box. Also, if you decided to re-organize or add to that certain, specific toy, you can change it to another box and still use the label.

Cut a piece of sticky back velcro and stick to the back of each label. The card stock I used happened to be double-sided, so that’s why there is a different print on the back.

After you’ve secured your velcro to the label, you will peel off the other side and stick it to your container. There are some boxes where I secured it to the lid (as the box was too small to place it on the container portion), but for the larger boxes I place it on the actual container.

Once you’ve got the velcro applied to all your containers, begin to organize and sort all the toys. You can have your little ones help you with this. My girls love to help organize (now if I can just teach them to stay organized) and they get a little more excited about the new organization in the playroom if they feel they were part of the project.

Once you’ve got all your toys contained, place them on the shelves. I decided to place the toys that the girls have free range to access without me on the lower shelves and the ones where I want them to ask me before using up higher. I think this is also a great method for when you have a little baby around. You might not want your older children to have certain toys out when baby is around because of choking hazards, so this will give you some control over that. That way the older children can play with the ‘big kid’ toys when baby is not around or napping.

We are also really, really going to try to make sure the girls clean up one toy before getting out another. I don’t mind all the dress up and pretend play things being out because I want to foster and encourage that kind of play at all times, but for the toys with lots of pieces, I think a good clean up is definitely necessary before moving onto to the next toy.

Also, I think if you are a really visual person (as I am), making some picture labels would be good in an adult space too. I can see these being really helpful in my studio, so that I don’t have to read a bunch of labels that all look the same, I can simply have the picture jump right out at me.

I originally wanted to paint my super great deal IKEA bookcase black, but my husband said he liked the raw wood. So we’re going to live with it for awhile and see, but I still may paint it…….

I know I can’t have everything in my life be organized, but I think we all strive to have some type of order in the everyday. I feel much better knowing that we are off to a great start on the road to organization for 2012!

Be on the look-out for more ‘Operation Organization’ posts to come this year.

What aspect of your life are you trying to organize this year?

Anyone else’s kids toys taking over their space?

Jan

A Big Giveaway from Me to You!

I thought we would start 2012 off with a bang here on The Cottage Home with a giveaway from me to you. Why? Because I know I’ve told you before, but I so, so appreciate you all stopping by and leaving such sweet comments every day. This is the least I can do to say thank you for all your support.

So what do I have for you today?

I have a set of my favorite fabric organizers! These fabric organizers are the best. They make organizing your fabric yardage so easy. This set includes 72 organizers in three different sizes (24 of 3 different sizes). I did a post on these organizers awhile back (click HERE to read more).

Here’s how the organizers work:

The organizers pictured above are for your yardage. They can hold up to 7-8 yards per organizer.

I’m all about getting organized this year, so I am so excited for one of you to win this set! There are many ways to organize your fabric, but trust me, these are the best!

In the pictures above, you can see the organizers in action. I took these pictures yesterday so this is what is currently stored in my studio on these mini-bolts (yes, I know, I think I need a support on my two shelves – lol – fabric is heavy). They will make your sewing room feel like a fabric store. When you can see all your fabrics clearly, it is incredibly inspiring and makes you want to create.

Next, I have a brand new book for you called ‘The Busy Girls Guide to Sewing’. Like the title? Yes, I do too. I’m always feeling like there are never enough hours in the day to complete all the projects I have in my head. With ‘The Busy Girls Guide to Sewing’ by Carrie Maclennan, you can focus in on projects based on how much time you have to sew during the day.

My favorite part about this book is the way it’s arranged into sections based on the amount of time you have to sew. Maybe it’s 30 minutes or 60 minutes……..whatever the amount of time you have, you can make sure to get your sewing fix. It also includes information about fabric, the creative online community and lots of other fun sewing tidbits.

I’ve taken the liberty to wrap two of the smaller organizers with some of my favorite trims from my personal collection. A majority of these are high-quality woven trims and all can be great additions to any of your sewing projects. I believe in focusing on the details in sewing and I think adding unique trims can help you achieve that heirloom quality look and feel. I cut most of these as one yard cuts, however, there are a few two yard cuts as well.

And what do you need to complete your latest sewing project? Woven labels! I ordered a set of these because I just thought you all would really love them. I love the saying, ‘Made by Hand, Stitched with Love’. It’s just so true. Whenever I am working on a project whether it is for one of my children, for a friend or even an order from my etsy shop, I am constantly thinking about the recipient. Thinking about how they will use the item, the look on their face when they receive it, and all the fun things that comes with giving handmade.

There are 3 yards worth of labels on one card which yields quite a few labels. I’ve also listed two more of these sets in my etsy shop, in case some of you would just prefer to snatch up one of these right now (click here).

And finally, I have a fat quarter bundle of some of my favorite Anna Griffin fabrics from her line, “Carmen”. You will receive 8 fat quarters in coordinating prints for a total of two full yards. There are so many projects you can do with fat quarters that I think you will really enjoy this little collection.

So there you have it! A nice little giveaway to get your 2012 started off right.

The box of 72 organizers plus all the other goodies is packed and ready to be shipped to one of the lucky The Cottage Home blog readers.

Again, thank you all for your support and I’m looking forward to an inspiring, creative 2012!

~Here’s how to enter ~

*Please answer the following question: Aside from sewing tutorials/projects, what kinds of posts are you hoping to see on The Cottage Home in 2012? I assume most of you are into sewing, so what else are you looking for (i.e. recipes, family life, quilting, clothing design, organization, business, pattern making, entertaining, kids, inspiration, book reviews, giveaways, ect……)?

In addition to answering the question above*, you can add additional entries by:

~Becoming a follower of The Cottage Home blog (follow in the left side-bar of the blog).

~’Like’ The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE).

~Post on your Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway.

Giveaway will be open until next Monday ~ January 9, 2012 at midnight (CST).

Dec

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

2011 has been a great year.

I cannot believe it’s almost over.

Time sure does fly when you are having fun!

This past year has been one of the best years of my life. We were blessed with the birth of our new baby boy, Caspian Finn. And I can honestly say he completes our little family. Not only do I feel blessed in my personal, family life, but I have been incredibly blessed in my professional, creative life as well. The release of my first two printed sewing patterns this year was a major accomplishment for me and I’m looking forward to many new designs coming out in 2012.

Here are some of the top tutorials from 2011 that were viewed time and time again on The Cottage Home:

1. Tile Coasters, 2. Lightweight Infinity Scarf, 3. Twin Onesies, 4. 15-Minute Pillowcases, 5. Embellished Bodice, 6. Potluck Bowl Covers, 7. The Party Dress Free Pattern, 8. Winter Wonderland Dress, 9. Fabric Portfolio and Notepad Holder, 10. Patchwork Travel Neck Pillow.

Another big favorite was the Semi-Handmade Wardrobe Series where I repurposed a lot of the girls clothing and made them into new, fresh looks for spring:

Semi-Handmade Wardrobe Recap

And the most popular party post from 2011 was Matilda’s “Tea for 2” birthday party:

Matilda’s “Tea for 2” Birthday Party

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to visit The Cottage Home in 2011. There are many exciting things planned for 2012 and I appreciate you coming along on this journey with me. And next week, I have a BIG giveaway planned from me to you ~ just as a little thank you.

So tell me, what was your favorite tutorial on The Cottage Home in 2011?

Here’s to a great 2012!

Dec

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year!

Thank you for making blogging such a joyful and fulfilling experience for me. I appreciate each and every one of you that stop by The Cottage Home. There are so many things to be thankful for this year.

We have truly been blessed and my heart is filled with joy.

Love to you all,

Lindsay

Dec

We’ve Been Busy at The Cottage Home ~ Christmas Trees and Santa

This last month seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. We’ve been so busy trying to fit in all our Christmas festivities as I’m sure you have as well. This is a non-sewing, non-crafting, non-cooking related post, but I thought you might like to know what we’ve been up to.

Matilda and The Cottage Papa

The day after Thanksgiving we headed to our favorite local tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree. My husband and I both grew up with fresh Christmas trees and to tell you the truth, there is nothing like the smell of a ‘real’ Christmas tree. We’ve been going to this farm since before we had kids and after seven years, I guess we can call it a tradition.

Savannah and (soon-to-be) Uncle Bryan

My sister-in-law and (soon to be) brother-in-law came with us this year on the great tree hunt. We like this farm because it is very down to earth. There aren’t a whole lot of bells and whistles (some farms around us have rides, attractions, horse drawn carriages), but you get the great feeling of the country life. This tree farm has been struggling the last few years because of a draught several years back. So even though the pickings are a little slim, we like to support them during this tough time.

Savannah Rose

Savannah didn’t care much for the sound the saw made when cutting down the tree, so she hung back a little bit and took it all in from a far.

Aunt Abby and The Cottage Papa

That’s our tree in the picture above or also known as the Christmas ‘bush’. Once we got it inside our house we realized just how round it really is, but it suites us ~ it’s got character.

Aunt Abby and Savannah

The day after Thanksgiving they had some pioneer living demonstrations and Savannah got to hand-dip a candle with some help from her Aunt Abby.

Matilda Jane

One of the favorite parts of our annual tree hunting adventure is getting nice and cozy with a cup of hot chocolate in the little warming house. That hot chocolate hits the spot after the cold, hard work of finding our perfect tree.

After we came home and set up our tree, we decorated it. This little guy (pictured above) was just a sweet, sweet angel throughout all our Christmas activity. We listened to Christmas music, decorated the tree and I made my favorite homemade chex mix (which is a MUST when decorating the tree).

And what a difference a year makes! The week after we got our tree, we took the kids to visit Santa. Last year Savannah would not even get close to the man. This year she ran right up to him, got on his lap and told him exactly what she wanted for Christmas ~ “I want a green dinosaur, a boy baby doll, and a red bouncy ball with a handle”. I love a girl who knows what she wants! Matilda was fine with the man in the red suit, but she didn’t say much. After we left, Savannah said “Wow, he is definitely nice!”

This past weekend my mom, Grandma Jane, and her husband Allen (aka ‘Pepo”) came to celebrate an early Christmas. We had a wonderful time, though our visits are always too short. What I wouldn’t give to live closer to my mama……..maybe someday……one can dream, right? Mom made us the most beautiful Christmas quilt that matches the kids Christmas outfits. I need to take some good pictures of it, but I can’t wait to show you!

This week I’m going to be busy baking with the kids and finishing up my last handmade Christmas gifts. The current project in the works are ‘baby doll kits’ I’m making to go with the girl’s ‘American Girl Bitty Baby Boy’ dolls that they are getting. Savannah and Matilda both really wanted boy babies because of their little brother, so I’m having fun using all of this boy printed fabric to make the accessories for their dolls.

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Dec

The Joy of Blogging

The following post was a guest post I did recently over at Lil Blue Boo. Ashley has had some different guest bloggers over talking about how they find the joy in blogging. Ashley is undergoing cancer treatment. If you don’t know her story, I would encourage you to visit her blog. She is a true inspiration.

I seem to have Ashley on my mind daily with all that she is going through during her cancer treatment. I pray for her and her family quite often and I hope things move in a positive direction. Ashley is such an incredible example of what it means to “Choose Joy” in ones life. I could only hope that if I was dealt the same set of cards, that I could carry on and be a positive inspiration like Ashley. But I honestly don’t know ~ she is pretty darn amazing.

So, the question is “How do you find joy in blogging?”

I started my blog, The Cottage Home, almost exactly two years ago. It originally started as a way to share my projects, recipes and ideas with my family and friends. I began blogging through the encouragement of one of my friends. She was really into reading blogs and knew that I was into, what I like to call, the domestic life. When she told me that she would read my blog if I wrote one, I couldn’t believe it. Really? Someone would actually be interested in my life? I figured if even one person would read what I had to say, maybe others would too.

I find blogging to give me an identity outside of being a mother. Yes, mother and wife are my two central roles, but I think it is so important for us to continue to pursue our passions outside of those primary roles. I also want my children (two girls and a boy) to see me as something outside of their mother. I hope that when they look back at the blog I have created they will not only see their mother, but they will see creativity, passion, drive, a business woman and more.

Being a stay-at-home mom is wonderful, but sometimes it is hard to find other women that have the same passions and interests as myself locally. Through blogging I have connected with more women who share my love of sewing, cooking, crafting and all things domestic than I could have ever imagined. I love knowing that there are other women out there that share my same desire to create, my same addiction to fabric, and my same focus on family and the domestic life.

There is an innate desire within me to create. Whether that may be creating a project for my children, creating a gift for a friend, or creating a comforting meal that I can share with my family. Through creating I show those around me how I love and care about them. The true joy comes when I can inspire others through my way of life to create things in their own lives.

My blog is pretty sewing focused and it is trilling to receive an email from a reader where I have inspired them to get back into sewing. Perhaps they used to sew, but got bored with it and now I have created a project that they are excited about trying. Or maybe it’s someone whose mother sewed while they were growing up and now they want to sew for their own children. Or maybe a grandmother has seen the girls clothing I create and is inspired to create something for their grandchildren. Whatever the reason may be, if I can inspire someone to return to their sewing machine, then in that, I find true joy.

Not only do I hope to inspire others through blogging, I am forever inspired by my fellow bloggers as well. I thought I would share some of the dresses Ashley’s sewing patterns have inspired me to create.

Thank you so much for inspiring us all through your blog, Ashley! Keep staying positive ~ we are rooting for you!

So, if you blog, how do you find the joy in blogging?

I’d love to hear from you!

Dec

Sponsor Love

I thought I would take this opportunity to share some deals/discounts/new stock from The Cottage Home blog sponsors. I love each and every one of these shops. I do not accept every interested sponsor, so when you see these folks listed in my right side-bar, rest assured that I highly recommend them.

If you have any last minute Christmas shopping to do for someone crafty or perhaps you need some more supplies to finish up that last-minute Christmas gift, I would love for you to check out these sponsors before shopping somewhere else. These are all small businesses and in our current economic times, it’s important for us to give as much support to them as possible!

The Cottage Home Blog Sponsors:

Fat Quarter Shop: Currently hosting the Countdown to Christmas. For 12 Days they will be offering deals of 30% – 50% off selected items.

Check back daily for new deals!

Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops: See current promotion below.

Shabby Fabrics: Starting the Year-End Clearance. Click HERE to view all current sale items.

Additionally, they are offering a great new variety of “Block of the Month” programs. You can view the amazing collection of “Block of the Months”, by clicking HERE.

Ellie Inspired Sewing Patterns: Laura, owner/designer, of Ellie Inspired has been a busy lady adding 9 new knit patterns to her shop since her last giveaway on The Cottage Home blog. She is currently offering a couple bundle packages of her knit patterns – Size 1-5 and Size 4-12. Patterns can be purchased individually as well.

Ellie Inspired is offering 20% OFF your entire purchase if you mention “The Cottage Home” at check out.

Butterfly Kisses Fabrics: Currently offering $10 off a purchase of $50 or more with code BK1050 at check-out.

Butterfly Kisses Fabrics recently received pre-cuts for the following lines: Good Fortune by Kate Spain, Reunion by Sweetwater, Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket, A Walk in the Woods by Aneela Hoey as well as yardage and pre-cuts of Half Moon Modern. They also have several new lines scheduled for arrival in January.

Modern Fabric Studio: Check out their sale below!

HeartSong Quilts: Our newest blog sponsor. Check out their unique selection of Australian Aboriginal Designs as well as plenty of other gorgeous fabrics. They are one of the most unique brick and mortar shops in the United States.

HeartSong Quilts also offers long-arm quilting services, so if you were ever interested in having your quilt quilted by machine, this shop can handle all of your needs!

Elizabeth Victoria Fine Stationary: There’s still time to place your holiday card and custom stationary order in time for Christmas. Check out their unique die-cut cards! See sale below.

AccuQuilt: AccuQuilt is the perfect gift for any quilter, sewer or crafter. Check out a couple of their current promotions below.

A big giant thank you to all of my sponsors!

I’m so happy to have each and every one of you and it is my pleasure to help you all grow in your business.
Happy Holidays!

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of The Cottage Home blog, please email Lindsay at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com for rates and additional information.

Dec

From Grandma with Love………Christmas Janey Jumpers

So my mom, Grandma Jane, has done it again! To be totally honest, I don’t think I have ever received something my mom has made and not been totally thrilled. For one, I put a huge value on handmade items and two, she and I have very similar taste.

I was really excited when my mom said that she wanted to make the girls Christmas dresses. Usually I like to do the kids special occasion outfits, but with having three little ones now, I was more than happy to have someone lighten the load. Mom said that she wanted to make the dresses from my Janey Jumper sewing pattern ~ how fun is that?

This is View B from the Janey Jumper pattern. Now I did give the instructions in the pattern in regards to the center panel, ruffles, ect., but mom picked out the fabric and trims totally on her own. She used Kate Spain’s “Flurry” for all the Christmas outfits.

Matilda’s dress is the red one and Savannah’s dress is the green one. I love the red ribbon trim with little white stitching. I think it’s really fun to have my kids coordinate with one another, but not totally match.

When I opened the package from my mom I was excited to see the onesies for Caspian, which were a total surprise. Mom included a striped zip-up sweater for the little man as well (it just didn’t make it into the picture). She said the Christmas tree onesie was a last minute addition, but I really like it. Plus the green and red tie onesies can be worn after Christmas as well.

I can’t wait to get all the kids dressed up in their Christmas best. Savannah has a family holiday party at her preschool this week, so I think I’m going to dress all the kids up for the festivities. I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season as much as we are ~ I just love Christmas!

To view more of the beautiful handmade pieces that have been sent to us from my mom, Grandma Jane, click HERE.

Dec

Embellished Baby Bib ~ Pattern & Tutorial

Christmas sewing is in full swing here at The Cottage Home. I’ve got a million and one projects on my to-do list and am slowly getting through them. This will be my baby boy, Caspian Finn’s, first Christmas so I wanted to sew something for him. Yes, I know he won’t know whether or not Mama sewed anything for him this year, but I want to make sure that everyone gets an equal amount of handmade gifts.

I picked up this woven trim somewhere…..not quite sure exactly. I’m always on the hunt for unique items for embellishing. It’s been in my collection of trims for some time and now that I have a baby boy, I can finally use it!

I’m going to give you the basic bib pattern and a few instructions on constructing it, but the embellishing is up to you. I know some people like to be given exact instructions for each project, but I want to inspire others to use their own creativity to come up with something beautifully and uniquely their own. Use what you have, use what you love, but spend some time planning out your exact embellishments. Think about using unique buttons, ribbons, trims, ric-rac, piping, embroidery floss, appliques, ect……

To print the baby bib pattern, click HERE.

Materials:

1/4-3/8 yard of two different fabrics (one for front and one for back)

Contrasting 4″ fabric for front

Unique trims and embellishments

Square of velcro

Double-sided fusible interfacing

Optional: Embroidery floss and hand-sewing embroidery needle

Basic sewing supplies

Baby bib pattern (print HERE)

Instructions:

Print out the baby bib pattern. Tape together both pattern pieces connecting at the black dots. Cut out pattern. Place pattern piece on the fold of fabric and cut out the front and the back of your bib. For the front I used linen fabric because I like the difference in the texture and for the back I used 100% cotton.

If you would like to add a contrasting strip of fabric to the front of the bib, apply with double-sided fusible interfacing. Apply according to package directions. My fabric strip was 4″ x the width of the bib. Next add and embellish the front of the bib however you choose. Get creative!

Once you have embellished the front of the bib. Place the bib front and bib back with the right sides together and pin.

Stitch all the way around using a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving a 3″ opening for turning right side out.

Notch the outer curves to remove any bulk and to help the curves of the bib lay flat.

Clip the inner curves, again, to help the curves of the bib lay flat when you turn and press.

Turn the bib right side out by pulling through the 3″ opening on the side. Work the curves out and press. Press the 3″ opening in line with the rest of the bib. Edgestitch around the bib with a 1/8″ seam allowance ~ when doing this you will catch the 3″ opening and the edgestitching will close it.

Sew a square piece of velcro to the back of the bib. You could also use a snap if you would prefer. Either way works.

I embroidered my baby boy’s name on the front of his bib. I just wrote his name in a water-soluble fabric pen and stitched over it. I’m hoping this is something he will be able to have for a long time. That little train trim is just too cute. I’ve got an idea for some pants that might utilize that cuteness as well.

I have so many ideas for more bibs for this little guy. If I were doing this for a girl, I’m thinking some ric-rac around the border, some fabric yo-yo’s and vintage buttons. SO many options!

Do you think you might try your hand at embellishing a baby bib? If so, I’d love you to add a picture to The Cottage Home Flickr Group. It’s always a thrill for me to see your creations!

Click HERE to visit The Cottage Home Blog Flickr Group.

Sponsored Fabric Giveaway: Canton Village Quilt Works