Project 48...???

I'm not sure if you will count this as a new project or not, but I am! I was actually a little productive this week and it has felt great. I ran in to Hancock's today to grab some sewing machine needles since I broke my last one on my lunch bag. When I walked in they had all their remnants on sale for $1! That is a pretty big discount so I thought that I would look through it all to see what I could find to make me some more scarves. (I think I might be a little addicted!) The first on is aqua blue knit that I found today.




This fabric I got the other day at JoAnn's when their clearance fabric was 50% off. It is more of a sheer type fabric, but I thought it was so pretty and would make a great spring scarf. I think it is fun and will be perfect when the weather warms up (okay, when it is officially spring here, not winter interrupted by spring-type weather).


This fabric I also grabbed at JoAnns. It is silky and shiny. I love how it hangs. The bottom looks really big, but I promise that is just how it was hanging. I didn't wrap it a second time but just left it hanging. I think it turned out very pretty.

So this is what I have been up to, what about you?

Project 49

I have been working practically full time now since October. Part-time at church and part-time cleaning houses. Needless to say, I am pretty busy outside of the home. In order to cut down on costs and eat healthier, I try to take my lunch. I, however, did not have a lunch bag. Yes I know, I could easily go buy one but where is the fun in that. I did a lot of research, looked at a lot of patterns, scoured Pinterest but still could not find what I had in mind. (Sometimes I wish I could hook up a printer to my mind.) So I came up with my own pattern. I will say that if I ever make another one I will be adjusting my pattern.It is lined with vinyl for easy clean up and is insulated so I can keep my cold stuff, well, cold. There is a pocket on the front and it has a top Velcro closure. I am loving it so far and I think that it is really cute!

Project 50

Yep, I'm behind a week or two and I need to catch up. I did this scarf this morning and I plan on making something tonight so hopefully I can get caught up. On to project #50. My birthday was last week and I was fortunate enough to get some spending money. I bought some fabric to make some scarves with. I have been on a scarf kick lately. My mom made some really pretty ones at Christmas that I wear a lot. I have been eyeballing these infinity scarves and I just love them. I scored some clearance fabric that was marked to 50% off the clearance price, so I bought a few different ones to make some scarves with. I actually made two of these, one for me and one for my friend. I think it is so cute and super easy to make!

What projects have you been making lately?!

Project 51....

Okay so this project is not necessarily crafty related....I do have a project in mind that I want to make I just need to get in there and do it. Last year my mom and went thrift store shopping for my birthday and I loved it! We scored this Ikea pot rack for cheap! I have been wanting one for a while to hang up my iron skillets. I had this grand idea to hang it above my island that my daddy built. However, I forgot that I don't have very high ceilings, the pots would hang, and I am tall.....all add up to a very bad combination. So I had to brain storm again and this is what I came up with. It only took me a year to hang it up, but at least it finally got done!! One more project knocked off the list. I will work on my other project hopefully tonight or tomorrow as I will want it for next week. :-)

52 Weeks, 52 Projects....let the year begin!!

So it is the beginning of a new year. It is crazy how fast 2011 went by. A lot happened this past year for me and my family. God has done some amazing things for us this past year and I can't wait to see what else He has in store.

Part of my new year goals is to jump start my blog again. I want to get my self back on a crafty track so I am going to start my 365 days of projects! I KNOW it is impossible for me to get a project done a day, I realize that, but a girl can dream right! More realistically I am going to do a project a week...maybe more depending on time and energy level. So here is my first one....


I followed a tutorial from here. I love the idea of the purse. I just have two problems with it. It is small and there is no structure. I will be remaking it bigger with some stabilizer added to give it a little more stability, and a closure of some sort so that it won't flop open when it is set down. I did make an "organizer" to hold my wallet and such and that has helped the structure a little bit, but it is still a bit small for my liking. So here it is, my first project of the year! Only 51 more to go!!

Shabby Ruffle Apron and Ruffle Scarf

All my energy lately has been poured into getting things ready for a craft show I have each year at my home. I have been busy making just about anything I can think of. I always wait till the last minute...although I don't know why. Maybe I think that I will have time later, but I don't so....hum. Anyway, I got this really cute "Prom" fabric a while back and knew I wanted to make an apron with it. When I ordered it I failed to find out if there was coordinating fabric to go with it and with my time constraints, I knew I couldn't wait on it to be shipped. I ran to my local fabric store and found this pink and black polka dot fabric. It matches perfectly! I had this crazy idea to make a "shabby" ruffle. I ripped the fabric, ruffled it, and attached it on top. I think it turned out so cute! The tie is extra long so it can fit any size person. I love this adorable apron!



My mom is doing the show with me and she is making these awesome scarves! I LOVE mine!!


These products and more will be available at www.petalpickingdesigns.com after Thanksgiving!

Going a little greener

So I have been trying to go a little green-er here lately and save a little money where I can. So I have been making my own laundry detergent. It is SUPER easy to make and I like the way it smells and cleans. I was stocking up on supplies tonight (because I like to make a large batch at one time) and a lady said, "so that must be good stuff". Me - weird look on my face. Lady-"you got 4 bars?". Me-"OH! I make my own detergent". I'm going to spare you the whole dialog, but in the end she decided to put back her Tide and try my way. If she likes it, it will save her some money. So, I am going to share what I do. You can google it and find many a recipe for home made detergent, that's what I did anyway, but to spare you the search:

You need:




1 bar of Fels-Naptha (.99 at Publix)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda

Grate the bar of soap with your cheese grater (because who uses it any more when you cheese comes already grated nowadays). Mix with the other two ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Use 2 Tbs per regular load. (A little more for larger loads.) Or the #1 line on your detergent scoop for your regular detergent that you have been using before you saw this.

Very very easy to make and use. I love the stuff. All ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle (at least it is at Publix).

Have fun and let me know if you try it!