Puffins and Mushrooms and Hedgehogs, Oh My!

I recently made some shark fin cupcake toppers for my son's swim team....just for kicks. They turned out pretty cute so I thought I'd join a 'handmade cupcake topper swap.'

I forgot to take pictures of the ones I sent my partner but these are the ones I received.....aren't they cute?
The actual colors are MUCH brighter than shown here....I didn't want to take them out of the packaging.



I wish I could find those double prong type of toothpicks she used. They are much sturdier than the normal toothpicks I find.
I can't wait to have an 'excuse' to use these little toppers!
Thank you Megan!

Another good meet!

Last Friday Ripstick boy was in a swim meet......I posted about it on Monday.
Here he is now with his ribbons. One first and 2 fourth place!
Not bad, not bad at all.

Keep up the good work! The 'A ' meet is this coming weekend.

Roosters and dots.........

Here is my latest creation for an apron swap I'm in.

I found this cute rooster fabric while visiting my family in Fort Walton a couple months ago. I've been 'saving' it for something special because it is sooooooo cute! When I read my partner's profile I knew she would love it!

I didn't have a pattern this time around but I really like how the apron turned out. It has 3 generous pockets.....all the way up to the first section of polka dot fabric.

I included a couple of kid approved recipes and a wooden spoon for kicks.


Doesn't "April" look wonderful in it?

A Fish Called Wanda.......

I'm in a swap on swap-bot right now for 'stuffies.'
My partner likes tropical fish and loves the movie "A Fish Called Wanda" so I made her this little goldfish. She doesn't read my blog so I'm not concerned about posting it right away.

This is my 3rd stuffie so far and she turned out just like I envisioned. I had planned to embroider her name on a fin but decided against it and added the bow instead. That way, if she winds up being a child's toy, they can name her whatever they want!

Don't bonk your head!

Ripstick boy was in another swim meet this past Friday. He did pretty well....we still don't have the official scores yet though. He was in one last week too but got DQ'd for something...still don't know what. And the week BEFORE that, his goggles fell off when he dove into the pool....yea....we won't talk about that one. It was his only heat too. Not fun.

Overall, he has done very well for his first time swimming on a team. And considering he hasn't had swim lessons since 2004, he has done great!
He FLEW out of the gate and won 3 first places in his first swim meet. But that was BEFORE he realized how things work. Now that those competitive juices are flowing, he gets anxious and watches other kids. Which isn't a problem except when you are actually swimming IN A RACE.

I think he should wear blinders like some racehorses wear so they can't see the other horses. That way he can only concentrate on his own performance. Couldn't you just see that?

On to the pictures:

I still don't get the back stroke.........first you run into the lane dividers.....




then, you bonk your head.........well..........almost.

He got lucky this time....no headache!

Seeing double..........

Last Monday, a friend of mind from Fort Worth gave birth to twin boys!
I usually crochet baby blankets but I've been busy and didn't get around to making them this time.
Hmmmmm, maybe its because I've been sewing all those APRONS.....

Anyway, I thought this cowboy flannel was sweet so I bought 3 yards of it and made large swaddling cloths, burpies and bibs.



BTW I got the bib tutorial from Chickpea and was pleased with how well they turned out.
The bibs are backed with more of the cute cowboy flannel.

If I know Rita (and I do) ...she has tons of GORGEOUS baby goods, so this fun set will be perfect for those more casual outings.

Tie One On and Apronista challenges.....

Here is the apron I made for the June Apronista challenge of 'applique' AND the Summer Tie One On theme of 'gingham.'

I have always loved owls and thought it would be fun to make myself an apron with owls featured. I'd never done applique and I actually did it completely W. R .O. N. G. I just used my zigzag stitch but then found out I was supposed to use satin stitch or an applique foot.
But "whooooooo cares?" Not me.......I still like how they turned out.
I think I'll try to find an applique foot for my sewing machine and do it right next time!
This could be my latest obsession........

Here are a couple closeups of the owls: