Sewing Hoop Wall Pockets!

I stumbled across this fun idea for sewing hoops and had to make my own! There were some really fun ideas. Check it out here! Mine is simple and was easy and quick to make.

This post does not come with how-to photos as the only way to actually make it was to give my iPhone to the toddler and the baby was napping. These are "project complete" pictures ;)

1. I cut two matching fabrics into squares and placed them where I wanted them to lay.

2. I folded the plaid down and sewed a seam for nice edge.

3. I sewed on the ribbon

4. Then I placed the plaid over the floral fabric and following the lines on the plaid, made two seams (perfect size for a pen) to make 3 pockets.

5. I put the whole thing inside the hoop, tightened it and cut the edges. 

My only tip is a reminder to double stitch near the opening as over time it will wear and tear.

Thanks for stopping by! x

My Forever 21 Knock-off Dress

On a trip into London a few weeks ago, I had popped into a few stores on Oxford street, including a Forever 21! I have heard so much about it and didn't know London had one, cool! Had a walkabout and nearly died when I saw this beauty:

I wanted to try and make my own version of it! I definitely wanted a fabric with orange. Luckily I found this website and got this lightweight paisley fabric for real cheap! I love it! 

I do not have a pattern but I do have a top with a similar style and used that as a guide:

I cut the three pieces for the top and finished the edges on each individual piece by folding it twice before pinning together.
I pleated the shoulders and had some pleats just under the bust. I had to hand sew the shoulders because the fabric got so thick. 

For the bottom skirt, again I used something I already had as the pattern but I knew it was going to be very long and flowy so I cut it extra big. The Forever 21 dress is shorter so I might try this again in the future.
 I finished the seams twice. One straight and one zig zag. 

I wasn't sure how to attach the bottom to the top, especially since I also wanted something in the middle. The Forever 21 dress has those red ribbons which give it a lot of pizazz! But in the end I just sewed the top and bottom together and then used an elastic to cinch the waist. Remember to pull the elastic as you sew. (Please ignore my wobbly line! haha)

Here it is all finished!
I wore it with a skinny black waist belt (found at a second hand shop in Sweden!)

With two little ones this took me about 4 afternoons of constant interrupting ;)

Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by! x

Having A Break....In Sweden

We recently returned from a lovely family holiday in Sweden. 

One word- perfect!

 We started off the trip by having lunch with my brother and his wife in Gtbg. Then we stayed with my lovely cousins in Jkpg and were so lucky the weather was perfect everyday! Even on days that rained, the sun came back by late afternoon and we were able to go outside and enjoy the perfect Swedish summer!

Here are a few things we got to do:

Walk along the pier and have a picnic by the beach. This is actually a very big lake. Isn't it beautiful?

Four angelic children patiently waiting for the rest of us!

Love my sisters!

We spent another day in a lovely little charming place called Granna. We watched them make Polkagris- they are like giant candy canes in all kinds of different flavours. Ethan ate his mini one in minutes!

This is the awesome view driving from the car:

We spent time with extended family (sadly not everyone is pictured...) and ate lots of yummy Swedish food!

My aunt who was also at our wedding,,,

My cousin's wife and Elena (and Ethan!)

Another aunt....

Some of the cousins together...

My cousin and his wife and son who is the same age as Ethan!

More summer fun!

We picked Swedish strawberries...

Have you seen the Friends episode where Chandler makes a weird face every time a camera is in front of him? My husband is a bit like that too.... ;)

Ethan tried to help pick some strawberries but thought splashing in the mud puddles with some friends was better...

YUM!!!

One of my favourite places with the kids was Stadsparken. A big park (no entrance fee, it's just a park) with all sorts of play areas for the kids, including a Labrynth, a bird museum, and walk path that leads you to very old houses and animals for the kids to feed. It is also known for its view over the city.

I loved these amazingly beautiful tall trees.

How clever is this? Instead of shouting or using your phone, just talk into this thing to communicate with someone on the other side of the big playground! They are colour coded so you know which one matches! Cool!

Learning to drive early... fun!

Ethan loved the maze and the Labrynth...

We loved seeing the animals and the view too!

And while all of this was happening, Axel enjoyed his time with Elena! 

Thank you so much dear family and friends for all you did for us. It could not have been more perfect and hope to do it again soon! xx

The Friendship Quilt

The Friendship Quilt is an old tradition. Or so I heard. Lots of friends gather together with all their fabrics and share amongst them. Squares from everyone made into a quilt so whenever you look at it, you think of them!

This was the first activity I attended when I joined our church's Relief Society at age 18. I remember there were a lot of women and they had boxes of fabrics to choose from! It was awesome. I still have it. It used to be on display but now it sits in the closet with my other lovely table runners. Anyhow, here is mine:

On the same evening, thirteen years ago, my mom was there too- of course! This is hers:

And two years ago I made one for my little sister. But I call hers "the memory quilt." For each of the 49 squares, I wrote on a separate piece of paper 49 memories we share. To choose ONLY 49 was hard! We have hundreds of memories! Mom helped with the edges and I wish I had taken a picture of it! She has it boxed in storage at the moment. Her squares were bright and floral and perfect for spring/summer.

Thanks for stopping by! x