16
Mar

Girl Scout Swap Dance Theme

We are new to the world of Girls Scouts this year. But I currently have a brownie and a daisy and my girls are just absolutely loving all things Girl Scouts. I did Girl Scouts in elementary school, so it's fun to see my girls enjoying some of the same songs, sayings and activities as I did as a child. I had never heard of swaps, but we got an email a week or so ago from one of Savannah's troop leaders saying they were going to be doing a swap within their own brownie troop. Basically a swap is just a little something that a girl creates to express her unique … continue reading

14
Mar

Fabric Silhouette Art

My husband, Brett, gave me one of the sweetest gifts of all time this Christmas. I've come to realize that you do not need to spend a lot of money to have an extraordinary gift. My two most favorite gifts from my husband (aside from our children and my wedding/engagement rings) have been handmade and truly from the heart. The first was when he wrote 100 things he loved about me. He put this list into my Christmas stocking and I unrolled it like a scroll.......the whole thing was so poetic and was just perfect. And the other favorite gift from him came this last … continue reading

9
Mar

Campfire Birthday Cake

As I mentioned last week, we hosted a camping themed sleepover birthday party for 10 girls (12 including Savannah and Matilda). It was a lot of fun and I will share more party details with you next week (you can check out the invitations here). But first, I wanted to share the recipe for the Campfire Birthday Cake that I created for the party. … continue reading

7
Mar

Lessons with Lindsay: How to Create and Use Piping

It's another Lesson with Lindsay free sewing video day! Today's video is one of my very favorites.......I'm talking all about how to create and use piping. Piping is one of my favorite trims to use in children's clothing and I'm really excited to share all my tips and tricks with you. In this video you will learn how to create your own custom piping, how to set it into a seam as well as many other tips from me along the way. You do not want to miss this video. I promise you, it's a really, really good one! … continue reading

5
Mar

Happy 8th Birthday, Savannah!

Dear Savannah, Happy Birthday! Today you are 8 years old. It's hard to believe that I've been a mama for 8 years now. How is that possible? Time has surely flown with you and you are growing up into such a beautiful young lady. On your birthday today, here are a few things I would like to remember about you and you might like to know about what you were like at 8 years old........ … continue reading

2
Mar

Camping Party Invitations

Are these not the cutest darn camping party invitations you have ever seen? I cannot get over the sweetness here. Savannah is turning 8 in several weeks and she really loves camping. She wanted to have an outdoor camping party, but the weather in early March in Chicago isn't typically very warm. So she decided to have an indoor camping party. We are going to set up our huge tent in the basement, add some twinkle lights and make it feel like they are camping outside (except they will have heat and a potty). She is having 9 of her friends and then she let Matilda … continue reading

24
Feb

Riley Blake Designs Josie Mae Bonnet

Today I'm excited to share the Josie Mae Bonnet that I created from one of my current favorite fabric lines, Farm Girl by October Afternoon for Riley Blake Designs. I can't get enough of this line, every single print is just precious and perfect for so many different projects. I pretty much have all the prints from the collection (if you remember my On the Cutting Table post from last week). I was just telling my mom that I love everything that October Afternoon creates when it comes to fabrics. Their designs are classic, but are always so well suited for … continue reading

22
Feb

Janey Jumper Scallop Tutorial

I have been dreaming about creating this version of the Janey Jumper Pattern for a long time. I always have all these ideas, but actually putting my ideas to fabric doesn't always work out. I'm so glad I finally found the time to create the vision that has been in my head. Today's tutorial will show you how to create this horizontal scallop overlay on the top of the Janey Jumper. This is also how I create scallops on just about everything I sew, so if you are looking for a basic scallop tutorial.....look no further! The tutorial is assuming that you own the Janey … continue reading

16
Feb

Modern Sewciety Podcast: The Cottage Mama

Several weeks back I chatted with Stephanie from Modern Sewciety. Modern Sewciety is a wonderful free podcast where they talk to all sorts of people in the sewing, quilting, fabric industry.......designers, fabric shops, quilters, bloggers....you name it! I just wanted to let you know that my podcast (episode 85) is up and ready for listening over at Modern Sewciety. I had such a fantastic time talking with Stephanie about all sorts of things.......how I started The Cottage Mama, balancing business and family life, what's in store for The Cottage Mama this next … continue reading

15
Feb

Lessons with Lindsay: Getting Creative with Trims

Today I've got a brand new Lessons with Lindsay video tutorial discussing all about Getting Creative with Trims. If you've been following The Cottage Mama for any amount of time, you probably know about my passion and love for trims when creating projects and especially, children's garments. I'm excited to share with you some tips and tricks about incorporating trims into your garments as well as how to create unique, one-of-a-kind trim. You don't want to miss this video! It's a great little peek into my creative process. Hopefully it will inspire you to start … continue reading