House on Hilltop

When it's time to change...

2010-11-10T12:45:00.001-05:00

...you've got to rearrange. I used to rearrange my living room all of the time. I love moving furniture. When I was a kid, my mom rearranged all of the time. My sister does it, my sister-in-law does it, my MIL does it and I used to. My current living room is big, has a fireplace, a built-in bookshelf and has too many through-ways. I also have a big, nasty, ugly, semi-circle, hand-me-down, sectional sofa. There's no changing the room. There's really only one way to have it. I rearrange the shelf sometimes, but that's all I can do.

So, what should I change? I feel the need. How about I change blog homes AGAIN? I've been thinking about it for a while. I moved to blogger for the ability to make $$ on the amazon affiliate program. If I had a lot of readers that wanted to buy lots of stuff, it might work. But, since I probably only have 3 or 4 readers, it's not worth it. I miss word press. I miss the ease of adding photos to posts. I miss the stats built into the dashboard. I also know that blogger is difficult to comment on posts without a blogger account, your driver's licence and registration, and a passport. So, just in case I have more than 3 or 4 readers that would like to comment, I thought it would be nice to move back. Back I go. I won't be posting here anymore. You'll find future posts here.

Now, every blog post must have a photo. I'm sure I can find something to add. Hmmm. How about the big, awkward living room with the nasty, ugly sofa? If you have any ideas on covering that beast, let me know. It's so comfy and perfect for our family. I would rather make it work than replace it. However, it's not often that you find semi-circle slipcovers at Target.

If you're wondering why we have a room full of teens, Hilltopdad is a youth pastor. Lots of fun.

Happy Halloween & Hurry

2010-10-31T10:24:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween from the Hilltop Clan. Hope you get lots of good candy. Save the snickers for me.

The Matspeaks give-away at MaryJanes and Galoshes ends tomorrow. Run over there and sign up to win. I'm giving away 1 free mat to 2 lucky winners. I've created many new mats including the Halloween mat above. Browse through the store, I know you'll find something you love. Everyone loves gifts that are personalized. You could do a little Christmas shopping.

Hope you have a great day.

Love, the Geico Caveman, Flo from Progressive, Queen Guinevere, 2 cheerleaders and Tinkerbell

Good News and Reviews

2010-10-25T15:29:00.000-04:00

Good News:
I finally have a real website and online store for Matspeaks. My wonderfully talented brother flipped the switch in the wee hours of the morning.

Matspeaks is my custom photo mat business. I create unique and personalized photo mats for all sorts of occasions. You can see them in the store. Many of them can be customized with color choices and text.

Reviews:
I am so thrilled to have my mats reviewed by Taylor of MaryJanes and Galoshes. Run on over and check it out. In fact, Taylor is hosting a give-away for me. I'm giving away 1 custom mat of choice to 2 lucky winners. You better scurry.

I hope you all have a great week. Hilltopdad is on vacation, it's 70something degrees here and we're planning some good times. Maybe even camping. We'll see!

Thanks,
Cindy

Check

2010-10-12T08:51:00.000-04:00

Don't ya love the sound of things being crossed off the list. I'm a list maker. I really accomplish more with lists. I am more productive and I gotta say, I feel so good about myself when I look at a list with lots of check marks on it.

Things are getting checked off around here. I finished this.

Simple block construction with straight line quilting. This is the largest quilt I've ever made. It's a pretty good sized lap quilt. I was struggling so much with the quilting that I was beginning to think that it would be the last quilt I ever made. I was so frustrated. I discovered, after ripping out so many stitches, that my new Janome's presser foot pressure is just too much for quilting. I used a walking foot and it still pulled the bottom layer until it was gathered. The pressure is not adjustable on my model. So, I moved over to my old singer, added more safety pins for security, and things went so much better. I was at least able to finish and feel mostly good about it.

I finished the birthday gifts for my niece. I made a fabric covered binder and a wallet that matches a bag I made for her a couple of years ago. Convic is a nickname hilltopdad gave to her one day when she was wearing an orange and white striped shirt that made her look like a prisoner. We usually just call her Vic, but Convic has caught on.

I finished the tutorial for the re-usable, washable feminine pads. It will be in the shop later today. The wallet pdf is being written and the binder cover pdf will be coming soon.

I have to say, even though the leaves are changing, school is in full swing, and we're watching our beloved Colts every Sunday, it still feels like summer. Today will be the third day in a row above 85. It should be 65. I went to a wedding Saturday night. Outside. In October. It was so beautiful. It was a perfect night for such a special occasion.

Not only is it unseasonably warm, but it's been super dry. We really haven't had much measurable rain for months. We haven't had to mow our lawn since the beginning of August. This dryness is starting to affect some of our usual fall activities. Our county has been under a burn-ban for a few weeks now.

We had to have a "non"fire instead of our annual youth group bonfire. There was not roasting of hotdogs or making of smores, not that we minded because it was too darn hot to want to eat. Bizarre.

On to the next list. Costumes? Our church fall fun is planned for this Sunday, so this is costume week. We have 2 cheerleaders, one Tinkerbell and a Queen Guinevere to make. I was thinking of something for myself too. Maybe I'll decorate myself like a bonfire. It might be the only one we have. Pray for rain!

Oh Yeah! I have a blog.

2010-09-27T16:02:00.003-04:00

I guess I've been a little distracted.

We've started school here...

...that takes up about 1/2 of my day. With the start of school comes dance lessons and music lessons and with 4 girls, that's a lot of runnin'. We've become the parents we said we'd never become. We live on the road. Good thing ballet is only 3 minutes away.

I've been working on getting a few more things on the walls. We have so many big, blank walls and I have very few ideas for them. I tend to like things simple. One evening while I was playing around with some more mat ideas, this happened. I finally got them printed and cut and on the wall. I'm very happy with them.

Here's a close-up. Each mat has the respective girl's name on it.

I've been working on this candy corn quilt inspired by crazymom's candy corn quilt. Mine is not quite as elaborate (I like simple). I can't wait until it's finished. I'm struggling with the quilting part. I got a new machine for Christmas last year and still haven't found the right settings/tension for quilting. It makes me say bad words. Sometimes out loud.

It's going on that bench....to match this.

I've been working on a template/tutorial for reusable/washable sanitary pads. The ladies from our church had a big sewing night to whip up a batch. We're sending them to Ethiopia. The cost of disposable pads there is so high that the poorest women and girls can't afford them. Their cycle keeps them from work and school when they don't have proper protection. We live in paradise, don't we?

To do? Finish the candy corn quilt before another October passes my by, sew a couple of gifts for my niece who's turning 11, clean up this mess...

...and make at least one item from the "mommy-do-list"....

...so neatly organized in this book...

by a 7 year old who claims I NEVER make anything for her. Yeah right.

Summer

2010-08-23T15:40:00.007-04:00

I miss it already. I love summer. I love lazy days, eating outside, sleeping in, family cook-outs, and little trips. This summer was particularly care-free. We had fewer obligations than usual. It was ideal.

However, the end of summer is inevitable and the beginning of school makes me want to organize and whip these little students of mine (we are a homeschooling fam) back into shape. Must return to schedule. Must learn. Must get dressed before lunch. Must get back to doing chores regularly.

Chores? Oh yeah, chores. I've struggled through the years with chores. How much do we give them? How hard should they be? Should they be paid? How do I keep it all straight?

I've learned that "keeping it straight" for me means charts and lists. I accomplish more with lists and I feel more control with charts. I don't have to decide everyday who does what. The chart guides me. The chart is my friend. That's our chore chart up there. I looked high and low for a chart that met our needs. They were either too complicated, too expensive, or too ugly. We can't have ugly now. I finally made my own based on our particular style and needs. It's simple. Simple is goooood. I divided the tasks that I wanted the girls to do into morning, evening, and weekly categories. I made labels with their names on them and stuck them to magnets so each week, we slide everyone to a new row. All I have to do is remember which way to slide the names. Not so tricky, usually. :)

I'd like to share my 50's diner style chore chart with you. I made a blank one that you can fill out for yourselves. I also created a sheet of chore labels that you can cut out and tape to your chart. Print them, share them, stick 'em on your blog, whatever. They're yours. I hope they bring you peace.

Here's the chart! Here are the labels! Enjoy!

Free Pattern...well, it's almost Friday

2010-08-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

Business first, there was no winner of the Melly & Me patterns. I'll save them for another time.

It's been months since I've linked up some free patterns. (See the sidebar for previous free patterns featured on one of my old blogs.) I finally had an opportunity to use a couple that I discovered and am loving them both. They're both for my sister and her new baby boy.

I found the blanket tutorial at You Can Make This. The tutorial gives you 3 options for trimming the blanket, ric rac, piping, or ribbon. I used the ric rac and I love it. I used a baseball print flannel on one side and some plush minky on the other. I gotta say, I'm not crazy about sewing with the minky stuff. I may have uttered a bad word or two. Probaby "crap". We've recently lifted the ban on using the word "crap". Beezer is taking full advantage of her new freedom, using it 2 or 3 times a day. Anyway, the minky tends to stretch and I found myself having to make some pleats to make up for it, even when using my walking foot. Probably won't use it again.

The other tutorial I used was from Noodlehead's Diaper Pouch. Her instructions were super clear and it came together just like she said it would. One think I love about the pouch is the mock binding on the top. The lining piece was 1/2 inch longer than the pouch itself. After you sew the two layers together, you push the lining into the pouch leaving 1/2 inch of it resting over the top, topstitching it into place. I love it. Anna has many more tutes on her blog. I can't wait to try more.

This is a little tote that I threw together for my aunt who is getting married next week, on her 60th birthday. What kind of wedding gift do you give to a woman who's lived in the same house for 40 years and can buy whatever she wants? I found a Moda charm pack called "Objects of Desire" which features shoes. Auntie loves shoes, so I grabbed 2 packs. The tote bag was the most useful thing I could think of. I like to make things that will be used.

Hope you have a good weekend. I'm off for a weekend in Amish country with my hubby to celebrate our 17th anniversary. Yeah!

Give away!

2010-07-31T10:30:00.000-04:00

Is that right? Is it give away, give-away, or giveaway? Regardless, I'm having one.

Occasion? My sister had a baby! I'm so excited for her and trying to figure out what to get her now that I know it's a boy. I love giving gifts to family and friends and I thought, I should give to the blog-o-shpere too.

So, here's the scoop. I'm offering one of the four Melly & Me stuffee sewing patterns shown above. You choose which on you would like. Leave a comment here (one per person, please) before Wednesday, 6 pm eastern time, telling me which pattern you would like and what you usually give for baby gifts. I need ideas. Something unusual. I'll randomly pick the winner. Yeah! I've never done this before here.

Pass on the word. Let's get as many entries as possible to make this a little more interesting.

Go!

Green Jeans is in the house!

2010-07-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

Green Jeans, our latest Etsy shop is open!!! The idea for the shop started last spring when my girls and I were working on a few things to donate to a fundraiser. I was cutting off some holey jeans for one of the girls and thought that the cut off leg would make a great skirt for a doll, so I made several for the sale. One of the girls suggested that we should sell some on Etsy, so here we are. Most of the items in the shop were discovered by accident. Some may be made from patterns. Most will be made from recycled, thrifted, or vintage materials. An item or two may be totally new. All of the items will be handmade by me. I have some examples to show you.

Above is a Denim skirt upcycled from a pair of jeans and appliqued with some Heather Bailey Nicey Jane. Peasant top is made from some Nicey Jane scraps.

Here's another skirt upcycled from a denim leg with a Nicey Jane ruffle.

This is a bib made from a thrifted "the Doors" t-shirt. The back of the bib is white terry cloth. Isn't that so stinkin' cool?

This Brown bib is made from a thrifted pacman t-shirt. The back of this one is brown terry cloth. Dang!

We stumbled upon these by accident one crafty afternoon. I was working on a tote bag for the fundraiser and made the straps too long. Beezer saw the leftovers and asked if we had any velcro. She made herself a bangle. We're making them more finished now and using metal snaps with pearl accents on them.

We're calling them Wrap-n-snaps. That was TT's idea. She's made a million for her friends. They all love them. They're machine washable and the more you wash and wear, the more comfortable they are. We're making child and adult sizes. I'd say they're a little more earth-friendly than those silly bands that are sweeping the nation (and my house).

We've got more ideas brewing. I'll let you see them first, all 2 or 3 of you. ;)

until then,

hilltopmom

Summer Pattern Sale!

2010-07-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

Pattern Patti is have a summer clearance sale. All patterns are $10 plus shipping. Good deal on Modkid Boutique, Melly & Me, and Pink Fig. Run on over there and check it out. Now!

Also, Green Jeans is getting closer and closer to opening. I'll tip you off when it happens.

later,

hilltopmom

Rock stars and Barbie

2010-07-21T08:59:00.000-04:00

Our family was just recently given a membership to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. If you are ever in Indy, you must visit our museum. It is a fantastic place. They do such a great job of bringing in new, exciting exhibits as well as maintaining older ones. A couple of them have been there since I was a kid.

The Dinosphere is only a few years old, but is a permanent exhibit. Very interactive and hands on and very visually pleasing. They even have paleontologists on site and sponsor digs every summer in the west.

We got to see a couple of the temporary exhibits for the first time. Rock stars, cars & guitars is one of them. Check out the pics. They actually had guitars and cars that belonged to rock stars, as well as memorabilia. As always, there were things to do. They had a sound booth fill with Playstation Rock Band instruments that the kids could play. They got to pretend they were recording. There was a station where you could create your own album cover and email it to someone.

This car belonged to David Lee Roth.

I can't remember who this one belonged to. See the Kiss figures behind?

When I was little, I was so afraid of them. I thought my aunt was crazy for going to one of their concerts. She didn't seem to be frightened, though.

This jacket belonged to Johnny Cougar. Oh, sorry. It's John Mellencamp now. I'll always remember him as Johnny Cougar. You see, he's from the town I grew up in, Seymour, Indiana.

Look! It's Mellencamp's original draft of Smalltown. Yep, that's my town. I actually had a t-shirt when I was in middle school that said, I'm from THE smalltown. Can you believe it?

King of Pop and King of Rock were represented.

This belonged to Mr. Presley.

This is only part of the extremely cool wall of guitars belonging to all sorts of rockers. A lot of them were from Cheap Trick. There were also some from Roy Orbison, Kiss, Elvis and I think Johnny Cash. Lots of others I can't remember. I'm getting old. Dangit!

Well, I think I'm going to have to save the equally cool Barbie pics for another time. I may have lost you already.

How about an announcement before I sign off? The girls and I have been working away on getting our Green Jeans shop stocked up. I really hope to get it open by the end of the week.

I'll give you a tour of the shop soon.

until then,
hilltopmom

Well, I've done it again

2010-07-13T17:16:00.000-04:00

It's like I'm some sort of cyberspace gypsy. I just can't find a home that I like, so I hop from town to town, from url to blog to blog. I hope that blogger can be where I squat. It's like I'm moving west and claiming territory for myself. The terrain here seems to be better for my family. Maybe I can make a go of it in these parts. Now I just have to make sure everyone has my new address.

If you're new to House on Hilltop, read my about page. You can also read my previous posts at my old wordpress home as well as Pattern Patti's wordpress home. I know, I'm a gypsy. Well, no more. I've turned over a new leaf. I'm staying here. Unless, of course, I get so wildly popular and sell so many photo mats, sewing patterns, and re-purposed treasures, that it only makes sense to have my own real web-site with a built in store. Shoot, I'd have to move on then. But, until that happens, I'm here. Thanks for reading. My main reason for being here is to promote my etsy shops, make extra money for my family, maybe save for 4 college educations or 4 weddings. Wanna help? Click some of those links.
hilltopmom