Crafter’s Wishlist 2011 – Jacinda Edition


It’s the MOST WONDERFUL time of the year! I’m sure you agree that handmade gifts are the most magical gifts of all but us little prudent elves need some tools to make the magic happen. So let’s talk about the crafty supplies that we’d like to find under the tree. Some of the items on our Crafter’s Wishlist are items that we personally can’t live without and some are goodies we, ourselves, hope to open up on Christmas morning!

Thick Wool Felt
I keep seeing gorgeous projects using thick wool felt and can’t wait to get my hands on some in a rainbow of colors!

A Rainbow of Thread
Jaime and I had the pleasure of trying out this beautiful collection of Pacesetter Embroidery Thread. I use this thread for sewing and embroidery every day… and lovingly caress it at least once a week. It’s like a work of art on the wall.


Silhouette Cameo
At the risk of being predictable, this list would not be complete without the Cameo. This machine is amazing. It makes so many projects easier, the designs are adorable and it’s mesmerizing to watch. My wish is for each of you to find one under the tree!


Bias Tape Maker
You know we love the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker. This year they’ve introduced an updated model, Simplicity Deluxe Bias & Piping Maker. This is probably awesome and I’d like to try one please.


Fabric
In my last Fabricworm order, I picked up some solid Kona Cotton in a bunch of pretty colors.  It’s so soft and lovely. Not sure what they will be but it’s great to have them on hand.

But there’s more…
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Update: Prudent Baby Put a Serger in My Stocking Contest


This just in! The 9 runners-up in the Prudent Baby Put a Serger in My Stocking Contest will win a yard of Organic Birch Fabric from Fabricworm. Any one they want from what is in stock! Maybe a yard of the brand new Woodland Party? Or the Field Stroll we used for our cheater quilt tutorial? Or how about some Avalon His Cruiser for the little man in your life? So basically I’m saying that you should make a stocking and enter because there is some gorgeous organic fabric in it for 9 lovely sewists!

Contest details can be found here…

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Link Love

I’ve got these red velvet christmas pancakes on tap for Christmas morning. Recipe at That’s So Yummy.

Ok, here’s another adorable idea we will have to take to the snow with us this winter. Make food coloring rainbows! At Really Quite Lucky.

Freeze bubbles with the kids! So cool, makes me wish it was not 80 degrees in LA. No, not really. At Science Made Fun.

Serve olives on a rosemary wreath at your holiday get-togethers. Genius!

Some fun free fonts at MissTiina.com ( I especially like Under Your Skin and Porkchop.

Law and Order: Mommy and Me. A very special 3 min episode you won’t want to miss.

Here’s a great rundown on how to use your DSLR camera. Useful for beginners and those of us with a little experience alike. At Kevin and Amanda.

Also my brother Bruce (the photographer who wrote our 25 Tips for Taking Great Photographs) is doing 101 Photography Tips in 202 days. He’s cranking ’em out! Check them out at BT Leventhal. Also his picture of tree frogs is a finalist in the Nature Conservancy annual photo contest – give those tree frogs a vote here!


Are you working on your contest entries? Only FIVE DAYS LEFT to send us a picyture of your stocking for your chance to win a Brother Serger! Details here: Prudent Baby Put A Serger in My Stocking Contest.

I was looking for a book pic to include here and I came across this video from the launch party last year. It was so fun! So, have you wrapped up copies of my book for the holidays? Might I suggest them as a lovely gift for the ladies in your life? Prudent Advice: Lessons for My Baby Daughter (A Life List for Every Woman).

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Hey Baby! Shower







My BFF Mary is about to have a baby. Like, any second now. You met her when she and I made DIY Duct Tape Dress Forms last year. So of course I wanted to throw her a baby shower along with our other two fave ladies, Felice and Kristen. Mary is keeping the sex of her little one a mystery until the big day, so we went for a gender neutral shower. This was easy, because her favorite color by far always has and always will be green. So with the idea of green in mind, and a brainstorm with Jacinda, we went for a sort of non-theme theme, “Hey Baby!”  Check out our fun-filled morning…
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Ruffled Keyhole Shirt



I never seem to get tired of finding new sewing tutorials for little girl clothing. How could I when there are so many creative ideas to choose from? One of my favorites is this Ruffled Keyhole Shirt that Jessica from A Couple of Craft Addicts made. Jessica and her partner Heather are always coming up with new projects like Picture Coasters, Holiday Card Display, and the Isabella Dress. Today Jessica will take you through each step of making this adorable shirt. Her inspiration came from this beautiful ModCloth dress.


I just love it. I love the neckline, I love all the embellishment details around the neck and hemline. I love the color. I was so inspired by this dress that I decided to make a similar top for my daughter. I wanted to try something new. I wanted to push myself and my machine. I have not sewed much with embroidery stitches so this was the perfect project to experiment.

Keep reading to get the full Ruffled Keyhole Shirt tutorial after the jump…

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Vintage Pillowcase Nightgown Tutorial


While getting lost in the sea of Pinterest boards I found these beautiful pillowcase nightgowns on iCandy Handmade. I knew I just had to get my hands on this tutorial, which led me to Gingercake. You may remember before the genius Pajama Pillow Virgina, from Gingercake, shared with us earlier this year. Since I was loving these pillowcase nightgowns so much I just had to see if she would share them. She happily agreed and here she is today with this adorable tutorial…

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Jersey and Wool Felt Stocking


December 7th is quickly approaching which means the deadline for the Put a Serger in my Stocking Contest is drawing near. We have been putting all our old clothing to use with a Baby Onesie Christmas Stocking and a Recycled T-Shirt Stocking. If you don’t have a piece of clothing you are ready to part with no worries, you can always pick up a bit of jersey at your local fabric store like we did here. This stocking is easy to make and perfect for someone who is just starting out using jersey/knit fabrics. Learn to make this classic Christmas stocking after the jump…

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Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes Plus Thanksgiving Tabletop Decor

Untwist your tongue and check out some of our favorite Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes Plus Thanksgiving Tabletop Decor projects from the early years of Pretty Prudent. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to nest, making your house more welcoming for you and your guests, and to cook up a storm of delicious Thanksgiving Recipes that they will request year after year.

Everything from warm and hearty breakfast muffins, to beginner sewing projects, teacup candles, a cute idea for a first thanksgiving keepsake card and a cute scrappy pumpkin sewing project. I hope that you enjoy these favorite Thanksgiving recipes and Thanksgiving Tabletop Decor projects. They are the perfect things to try as we head into The Season of Cozy. 

If you would like to take a peek at our entire eight years of Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes Plus Thanksgiving Tabletop Decor, visit our Thanksgiving section.

Reversible Napkin Rings (above)
Thanksgiving on one side, Christmas on the other! I bow before Jacinda’s genius.

Reversible Table Runner
Also part of the switcheroo… This is a great project for beginners who want to quilt without piecing, and to practice your bias tape skills on, or use Jacinda’s quilt binding tute to machine finish.

Scrappy Pumpkin
Completes the look, though it’s not reversible 😉 These look great on the table, or on the mantle of even the sofa.

Baby Food Jar Candle Place Cards
A pretty way to recycle those glass containers.

Or make tea cup candles and scatter about the table…

And you HAVE to make Baby Hand Turkeys! Too cute.

And I was gonna save all our holiday recipes for another post, but I had forgotten all about these, so when i stumbled upon the post I had to make another batch, and now I basically just have to insist y’all make some right now so we can nom nom nom together: Butternut Squash Muffin Recipe

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