puddle jumping designs

When You Need 15 Minutes

2010-08-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

Let me stress that this is only good for about fifteen minutes. Work quickly!

We Try to be Artists

2010-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

I recently scored a bunch of canvases from an art store sale (buy one, get one free ... how cool is that?) and I couldn't resist. I know, I KNOW I already have a bunch of stretcher bars and a big fat roll of canvas in my basement. I KNOW I haven't broken these out in ages (since art school?). I just don't feel like stretching a canvas these days. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a truckload of pre-stretched canvases and figured I'd decide what to paint later. Don't we all do that with our crafting and art supplies? C'mon.

Just as we were trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the blank walls in the children's room, my eyes rested on the still-sitting-in-their-bags canvases. I dug out my old paint box, brushes and other painting accouterments and we headed outside.

As always, I just let my kids choose their colors and go at it, painting whatever they felt like painting and then, painting over that with something else. On the drop cloth, we sat and chatted about summer, swimming, our garden and what they were painting. The afternoon was so lovely!

I'm the type of mom that doesn't control the kids' creative activities. They want to paint on the canvas? Fine. They want to paint on their arms? Okay, but let me take off your shirt first. They want to make the once beautiful purple picture look more like dirt? Okay, then make it the best looking dirt.

I think painting or any craft project, especially with toddlers and preschoolers, is more about the journey than the destination. How does the pink paint look on the stark white canvas? What if I make my brush go this way instead of that? How does it look when I jam the bristles down? What color does green, red and gray make (a question often wondered by my son for some reason).

As a child, I distinctly remember loving the black crayons. My mom probably worried that she had the early stages of a goth kid on her hands and envisioned years of dark clothes, fishnets and L.A.R.P.-ing in the community park. No, that wasn't for me though. I just loved the black crayon because of the way it felt when I swiped it across the paper. It made a bold, dark mark and the texture was nice. I didn't care so much about the color as the experience I had when I colored with it. Do any of you remember a favorite crayon color? I'm sure most of you do and probably for the same reasons: texture, tone, color and feel.

My children didn't want the painting to end, though we had to at some point or the paintings would have taken a week to dry with all the layers of paint on them. Chandler used his favorite colors: red, green and gray. Ava used hers: purple and pink. I personally thought that they were interesting and they will look nice in their room. They are so proud of them.

If you ever see a sale on canvases - grab a few! I encourage you to make some fine art with your children and proudly hang them in a place of prominence in your home. This will brighten up your living space and your child's heart and mind.

Happy creating!

Summer Fun

2010-07-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it's definitely been an interesting summer. That's the time we're all supposed to relax, but for most of us, it's completely jam packed with summer camps, vacations, family get togethers, and lots of travel. For me, it's also packed with lots of work. I have a wonderful job that allows me to work from home, but I also have my busiest time of the year in spring and summer. Oh well.

So please forgive me if my posts this time of year are few and far between. I am still here. I am still creating and I will post things as I get time. Like now, for example.

How have your summers been so far? It looks like it actually might be a warm summer for us so I'm hoping that I will have a LOT of tomatoes this year (none from last year). My herbs are happy and I think my son's beans are growing. We're not quite sure yet what he planted so it will be a surprise.

I finished up two quilts for the little people a few weeks ago. These were started back in November and I quickly realized that I was not going to find the time to work on them. They were not finished for Christmas I can tell you that much. Knowing me, they have lots of appliqué and I tried some hand quilting out which I now love. I will share these lovelies with you when I can get them outside for a photograph.

In July we have some birthdays and two vacations but I will try not to stay away too long. I also have some appliqué patterns in the works so I will be getting those out to you all too.

See you soon!

Alien Boy Goes Dotty

2010-06-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a tabloid headline, doesn't it? I really wanted to share these super cute pictures from one of my good friends. This is a onesie she decorated for her boy during our appliqué party.

Hey guys, get out there and download a free pattern! I'd really like to know if anyone's tried it and what your appliqué looked like. Please share!

Also, can you STAND the cuteness level of this post right now? I can't.

What I WAS Going to Do and What I Actually Did

2010-05-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I had so much fun with the commenters and the comments on the last giveaway, that I decided to participate in this giveaway that was supposed to happen this week.

Oh well.

I was busy having fun over the weekend. I hope you all had a great weekend as well.

Maybe soon I'll do another giveaway for the heck of it.

And the Winner Is...

2010-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

And that means that the t-shirt duo goes to:

Thanks SO VERY MUCH to everyone who left a comment. It warms my heart that all you ultra-creative people out there enjoy this blog on some level. Margit, I will truly enjoy shipping this package to you! However, I didn't see any email listed on your profile or blogs, could you please send me your mailing address to puddlejumpingdesigns(at)gmail(dot)com?

I love to give things away ... it's so much fun! I don't like that there are so many of you left out, though. I am thinking that I'll participate in this giveaway next week. Are any of you going to join in? I'll be excited to see.

Hey, I was thinking that if any of you have tried any of my patterns, please let me know! I would be happy to hear about any praises or problems you encountered while making them.

- Jen

The Contest is Now Closed

2010-05-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna say that the contest is now closed. Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment! I have had lots of fun reading your blogs (if you have them) and profile information. You are an interesting group.

The winner will be revealed in tomorrow's post. Thanks for playing!

- Jen

Tutorial: Here's Lookin' at You Eye Patch

2010-05-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have too many good jeans and pants that give in the knees well before their time. I did try the iron-on jean material patches only to be disappointed that the patch either fell off or was ripped off by restless fingers before the day was over.

Another problem was trying to use my Steam-A-Seam to cover a hole. Inside the fusible web left a sticky or scratchy surface and bothered little knees. So I came up with the idea of doing a reverse appliqué, appliqué. Or as I like to call it, an Eye Patch.

This patch was WELL received and even though I hadn't washed the pants yet (yeah, I know, I should have done that first), the jammies were off and these were on before I could mention the washing machine.

I think they go really well with an alien graphic t-shirt, don't you? My little one picks out his own clothes most of the time. As an aside on that subject, I heard a mother at the playground once declare that her son was absolutely NOT going out of the house with his red ball cap on (it would clash with his green and yellow complete John Deere outfit)! Seriously chick, get a grip.

Whooo, I'm back. (slapping face) I can't get on the subject of playground mommies. I do like the nanny that comes with her charge, though. She keeps it real.

Well, let's get on with the tutorial, shall we? I know you are ALL wanting to make some eye patches for yourself, so without further ado, here it is:

Tutorial: The Eye Patch

Step 1: Find a hole. (I couldn't resist)

Step 2: Download a copy of my eyeball cutouts, or draw some eye elements onto your fusible web.

Step 3: Apply the pattern onto the main patch fabric. I'm using a red patch as a base for my eyeballs. If you are a little confused by this step, please refer to my tutorial on how to appliqué using a fusible web by clicking on this link.

Step 4: Iron on your pieces and allow to cool. Make sure these guys are on really well. Once he's on the jeans, I'm sure he'll be taking a lot of face-plants into the ground.

Step 5: Carefully insert the entire patch into the pants leg, centering your eyes directly underneath the hole. Make sure the fabric is flattened down. See him peeking out? That's what you want.

Step 6: We needed to make sure the eyes were in the right spot because for this step, we need to pin down the patch all around the opening of the hole. I'd place the pins a little inside of the good fabric, on top of where it's starting to wear away.

Step 7: Now here's where we reverse appliqué the appliqué (say that 10 times fast). I like to use a small embroidery hoop on this so the fabric layers won't slip and slide around as I sew.

Step 8: Secure your fabric and trim away any excess or stray jean/pants threads. Get out an embroidery needle and some floss. I did an organic sort of circle around the eyes. No need to be perfect. I used this basic back stitch, making sure to knot my thread securely when complete.

Here's what he looks like after the embroidery. Isn't it nice when wiggly lines actually look good?

With the pants leg turned inside out, you can see that there are places where I had to 'reload' my needle and a couple of knots. This brings us to step 9...

Step 9: To make sure that my knots will not come undone and to clean up the backside a little, I put a few scraps of fusible web onto small strips of fabric and bonded those strips to my knots (see the three knot areas?). This way, the fabric strip on the top is permanently bonded with the thread and fabric underneath. Now I don't have to worry about anything coming loose. Carefully trim around your stitching, leaving .25" or .125".

Step 10: Last step! Now we need to free out little monster and give him (or his eyes at least) room to breathe. I like using a seam ripper for this job. Just pierce the worn fabric with a seam ripper and follow the stitch line all the way around the circle, leaving .25" or .125" of fabric.

You're finished! Now go take him out on the town and have some fun.

I really hope you'll give this a try, you won't be sorry! Be creative with your reverse appliqué and there will be smiles all around.

This is just a friendly reminder to you all to:

Project: How to Get Dinner on the Table

2010-05-06T16:07:00.001-07:00

I've always felt that it is extremely important to involve children in the purchasing, preparing and serving of family meals. We love to shop together and I ask them questions about various fruits or vegetables (i.e. find the most red apple! Which one is softer?) and have them choose some. I try to involve them as much as I can with prep work, however, our kitchen is just too small sometimes to have both children at our tiny counter right next to the boiling water or bubbling oil. Eek.

So, sometimes we work at the kitchen table but lately, the little people have enjoyed bothering mom the most. It's their recreational sport. Only when I decide to start dinner. Only then. And when someone calls on the phone, or an adult tries to speak to me. Or when I go to the bathroom...

Anyway.

I decided on the spur of the moment to get out my craft rice. I have been making some scented eye pillows lately (recipes and pattern from this book), and had a big bag of uber cheap rice in my closet. So, out came the sheet cake pan, some spoons and cups et voilá! Forty-five minutes of cooking time with only two sweep ups back in the pan.

The last spill was really colossal (courtesy of Little Ms. A) and as they tried to sweep up the grains, they ended up sweeping the rice in all directions. What was I to do? As always, I put them to work.

I think the thing I like most about the above picture is her pacifier. She's not supposed to have it during the day but, meh, I picked my battles that day.

And THAT'S how Mama got dinner on the table. Well, it worked this one time anyway.

Giveaway: Because You ROCK!

2010-05-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yo.

Remember back when the bigger was better? If the boom box completely outsized the person carrying it, then they were the COOLEST person around. Rad. Wicked.

I think I went waaaaaay over the top with all the little small pieces in this appliqué but I think it's 'da bomb. Heh heh. I went nuts putting on all the little finishing touches, but I really love this boom box.

And ... drumroll please. I'm going to Give. It. Away! I can't think of anything better than honoring a mother on Mother's Day with a ginormous boom box to splash across her chest. Can you?

But wait! There's more. Along with this women's cotton t-shirt (size medium), you'll receive a boy's size xs (5-6) t-shirt as well.

The winner of the mother and son shirts will be awarded on Mother's Day by random drawing. Please leave a comment and a way for me to contact you to be eligible. That's it!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Cuteness: Sam

2010-04-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

Introducing, Puddle Jumping in action! These designs are meant to get dirty and have fun with the wearer. Here's Sam in the a cute vintage pickup shirt his mom made at the appliqué party:

Give one a try for yourself!

Appliqué Party: Chattanooga

2010-04-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

Well, this winter/spring has turned into quite the crazy schedule for me. Many profuse apologies to those of you who might have checked back a few times in these past months only to see the same, sad post staring back at you.

Life happens and I chose to put family and work ahead of everything else in order to maintain some sort of sanity. Pairing priorities down to the bare bones when life's schedules get crazy really helps. However, designing and blogging was truly missed! I also have a lot of blog reading to catch up on.

Anyhoo, on to the MAIN EVENT. I am so excited to say that I recently got together with some dear friends for a girls weekend. Everyone agreed that they would like to try out appliqué so I brought my patterns, fabric scraps and Steam-A-Seam 2. The hostess provided the iron and scissors. Then we all went at it!

APPLIQUÉ PARTY 2010: CHATTANOOGA

Alas, since I had only one day in between traveling to pack for this trip, I forgot my decent camera. Also, we had this party at night. So, please excuse the picture quality, but I wanted you all to see how easy and fun it is to appliqué with this technique. NO SEWING REQUIRED.

Many of these girls are self-proclaimed non-sewers. They were wary of working with fabric as it conjured up visions of presser feet, bobbins, thing-a-ma-bobs and whatchamacallits. I promised them that this process was simple and once they understood the principles of working with the bonding agent, they would be masters.

It worked.

You can be as detailed as you like or keep the shapes simple. My recommendation is to just be creative. The designs definitely look better the more detailed you get, but you can either trace and cut out the small details provided on the patterns or use things like embroidery floss, fabric paint or buttons.

The first step is easy: cutting out the pattern pieces. Some are small, so we got out cereal bowls to put our cut pieces in to avoid them getting lost in our fabric mountain.

Here is a picture of some pattern tracing. The patterns are traced directly onto the Steam-A-Seam. We wanted to take advantage of space and materials so we tried to trace as many parts onto one sheet as possible. (Diet Dr. Pepper helped with our concentration.)

Christy, who had no former appliqué experience, really churned out the designs. I believe she won for most appliquéd patterns in one night. Here she is assembling her Vintage Truck in layers onto her onesie before using the iron to bond them all together:

Appliqué Party Results:

Every person there was super excited about the appliqué patterns and vowed to do it again. One girl even plans on hosting an appliqué party for her womens' group at church. Another still self proclaimed non-sewer is making plans for more appliquéd outfits for her boys.

Sooooo, that brings me to my next point. You really should try out appliqué. Click on the How to Appliqué button at the left or click on this link. The tutorial is truly step by step and will guide you through the entire process. Visit the shop by clicking on the button at left or on this link. There you will find many patterns to choose from!

As always,

Project: Play Room Bins

2010-03-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, I didn't expect to be gone longer than a week but here we are. I apologize if you happened back once or twice only to be confronted with the same old post. I was planning on posting while I was gone this past week to an out of town meeting but it didn't go as well as we had hoped. Sigh.

So, needless to say I've been really thinking about things other than work. One of the big things on my list has been reorganizing what used to be our spare bedroom into a play room. Wanting to take back our living room, this was our way of sequestering the toys into one space.

This is what the room looked like one we cleaned everything out:

We had taken out a full bed, a night stand and a dresser and I was in the middle of reclaiming the closet when I decided to snap this shot. I was beyond excited to get this room back into a functional space again (we don't always have overnight guests and when we do, they end up in our bed!).

I added a few shelves and some cubby shelving I purchased on clearance and, VOILA!, here is our playroom now:

Yes, it is still messy, but it is a controlled mess. This was after a day of playing. Isn't it fun? I wasn't sure about the natural wood look of the cubbies below the white shelves, but I really think it works. I'm not a matchy-matchy person at all so this suits me just fine.

This room is a work in progress so I'll be revisiting this room once in a while to show you something else we've done. We are so short on space in our house so I am trying to be extra creative in how we organize our stuff. (My son is still wondering what happened to his oversized, plastic workbench. It took up so much room that I thrifted the piece in a second hand shop. Too bad the kid is so perceptive.)

In order to have some catch-all bins to corral the little toys, I found this fab tutorial from an awesome lady who, sadly, is no longer blogging. She is leaving up her blog for a while though, so hop on over there while you can to check out her tutorial on how to craft fabric bins.

Instead of putting the label on the front of my bins, I opted for a handle. I measured the cubby size and made a bin that just fits! It's better than being a little too large and I've been down that sad road before. More than once.

With the repurposed cardboard inserts, the bin is really sturdy. I made sure to use the heavy-weight fabric too in order to hold up to all the rough play.

So far I've just made two, but I have plenty of fabric to make more! I plan on making a few more to hold all the other little toys that seem to find their way to the floor...

To Market: Dear Deer

2010-02-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

So, I never thought I end up doing a sort of shopping post, but it seems natural at this point. I will occasionally spend a lot of time perusing, tagging and bookmarking items that are really unique or catch my eye in some way and I thought it would be a good time to share with everyone.

Instead of just putting up some of my favorite Etsy finds in a sort of collage, I'd really like to point you all to those particular vendors who make or supply these wonderful items via a direct link. I will apologize in advance if some of the items are not available or the links no longer work. Because of their pure awesomeness, these items will, quite likely, already be sold and gone.

Le sigh.

So, with that, I present today's to Market as Dear Deer. We are a hunting household. Well, I take that back, my HUSBAND is a bow hunter and is pretty eaten up with it. Subsequently, my son is a bow hunter in training. Anything that has to do with deer, the forest or hunting, he loves. My daughter just likes to do anything that her brother does.

So, we like nature, animals and most of all, deer. Now, don't get me wrong, we don't glorify massive innocent animal bloodshed in our house. It's quite the opposite. My husband is really good about teaching respect to nature and to animals. My son, at an early age, understands that you should only take what you can eat and not just kill for the sake of killing because as he says, "Animals need their mommies and daddies too."

ANYHOO ... I digress. May I present...

Happy Friday!

Tutorial: Animal Tails

2010-02-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Well, dang. I had anticipated posting this tutorial LAST week, but well, you know. Last week wasn't our week to meet deadlines of all sorts. Deadlines with work, but also our laundry deadline (i.e. we are down to our last skivvies), grocery store deadline (i.e. do you think that thing in the back of the fridge is edible?) and other stuff. Ugh.

Anyway, I know I said that last week I would post a project and this is it. Our animal tail tutorial. It's really no big deal, but lately, my boy has been running around with pipe cleaners attached to his belt loop calling them a tail. So, I decided to make some tails that may hold up a little better than a pipe cleaner (after playing with them for a few days, it looked like the pipe cleaner had mange).

Okay, let's start! Just find some old (or cheap) socks. I like the long tube socks - the longer the sock, the longer the tail.

Turn the socks inside out:

We want as much length as possible on these tails so I'm incorporating the foot as well. In order to make that look more like a tail and less like a sock, we need to very carefully cut out the heels.

Carefully pin the heel openings together. We're fashioning a tube, so we want to close up this hole.
Sew up each hole. My socks were extra stretchy knits, so I went over the seams again just to be sure. Turn them inside out:

Now you have two tubes instead of socks. The tops of my socks are way too thick, so I'm trimming these away (note: they make excellent arm bands).

I don't want thick ends on my socks because I'm going to cut down about two inches into the sock top (below). These will become my ties to tie the tails onto belt loops. Since this is a pretty good knit fabric, I'm not going to worry about unraveling fabric.

Fill your tails with cotton or poly-fill but not too tight.

Once filled, you're going to sew up the opening. I didn't do anything too fancy here, just made a seam and went over it one more time for good measure. Sew right below your cut.

I like to roll the finished tails in between my hands to get the lumps out and make them more even. Then tie one on and get ready for fun!

Have some fun with your little animals!

Ice!

2010-02-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Someone recently posted photos of the icicles on their house to their wall on Facebook and wanted others to do the same and compare. I think that we can definitely be in the running to win. What do you think?

And for all you mothers out there (I don't think there's too many holding out) who are still trying to erase that temptation in their boys to turn the mundane into tools of death:

Yes, he turned his icicle into a gun after I mentioned it would make a cool trombone. Oh well.

Be Mine

2010-02-16T07:02:00.001-08:00

Did you have a great Valentine's Day? When you have people in your life that you love, this holiday is a wonderful day to celebrate. We get excited to fill up the heart bags each year with some goodies for our children.

This year we had mini cupcakes (Actually, they were brownies. I felt like plain chocolate cake wasn't chocolatey enough!) and left it at that. I knew that the PEZ dispensers the kids received from their babysitter (God bless her!) would add to the sugar rush that day.

So, what do you get two little people that you love dearly? Well, we thought love would be in the form of wiggly snakes. Yes people, the snakes were a hit. Nothing says love like a terrifying, wiggling, scaly reptile. ;)

I truly hope all of you had a great day! I'll be back soon with some new projects this week.

Take care!

Down Time

2010-02-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Isn't that what the weekends are for? I am so thrilled to have had all the activity and wonderful comments yesterday and today. If you are new to this blog, welcome! Please leave me a comment so I can get to know you and maybe check out your blog as well.

Ah, back to down time. This week has been a little more busy that we'd like it to have been (you know how that goes). Now we are enjoying our time with family and friends and just hanging around.

Someone who has been hanging around with us is a new friend named Archie. I will definitely post more on him later but for now, Archie is busy going on adventures and being a companion. He's already showing signs of wear and tear and I'm contemplating a re-do but wondering if the preschooler will notice the switch. Hmmm...

Have a happy Saturday!

Appliqué How-To: A Tutorial

2010-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I have started offering a few appliqué patterns on this blog, I think it's high time that I offered you a lesson on how to actually DO the appliqués so you can get busy putting these cute patterns to work.

I have been graciously invited to be a guest blogger, participating in Celebrate the BOY hosted by Rae from Made by RAE and Dana from MADE. They both have gobs of wonderful patterns and crafts for boys on their sites for the month of February so please visit these sites (and get ready to bookmark the heck out of them).

TUTORIAL: HOW TO APPLIQUÉ

MATERIALS

1. Puddle Jumping Designs Retro Race Car Instructions
2. Marker for tracing
3. Double-stick fusible web
4. Scissors
5. Fabric scraps (you really don't need much!)
6. T-shirt (I made mine based on Dana's tutorial. Check it out here). Or any fabric surface you'd like to appliqué.

Notice there isn't any sewing machine in this picture? That's right! When you use the double-sided fusible web, there really isn't a need for a sewing machine. So if any of you were a bit worried that you'd never be able to do this project, never fear! You just need to reach back to the basic skills you learned in grade school: tracing and cutting. Oh, and there's also ironing, but I don't think that was part of the curriculum. Anyway, this is EASY.

First, cut out all of the pattern pieces from the second page of the pattern design. Some pieces may be small so it's up to you if you want to cut them out or freehand them later. I include them so that people who enjoy doing intricate work can do so, but embroidery, freehand or leaving it blank is just fine.

Next get out one sheet of your fusible web. I like to use the Steam-A-Seam 2 Double Stick Fusible Web. The fabric doesn't fray, it bonds instantly with heat and washes well.

Notice that one side of the fusible web covering comes away easier than the other side:

This is the side you do NOT want to trace your pattern on. Flip it over and arrange the pattern pieces on the fusible web paper. Make sure you place the pattern pieces FACE DOWN on the fusible web. This will ensure that your pattern will turn out pointing in the right direction (I have done this the wrong way too many times to count. Urg.).

Cut out all of the pattern pieces leaving at least 1/8" to 1/4" of space around each shape. This is very important! I can't stress this enough. Leave room around each shape. Trust me.

Place each pattern shape on the WRONG SIDE of the fabric. This way, the right side of your fabric will be facing outwards and not bonded with the fusible web. Press down pretty hard to be sure the web is sticking to the fabric and won't move when you're ready for cutting.

If you'll notice, I did not use the wrong side of the orange fabric. I ended up having to re-do these. That happens! At least the pattern pieces are so small that I have plenty of fabric left.

Now you can cut out your pattern pieces. Be careful not to move the traced paper too much as you cut, so your fabric piece can be as accurate as possible.

Once all of your pieces are cut out, you are ready to layer your pieces on your t-shirt. Just refer to your pattern instruction to see how each layer will work. This is how they will look:

First Layer
Put the car body in position.

Second Layer
Tuck the three wheels in under the car.

Third Layer
Add with wheel detail, windows and grille.

Fourth Layer
Final touches! The racing stripe, license plate and headlights finish up your piece.

Once you are satisfied that your fabric pieces are exactly where you want them, follow the instructions for your fusible web to adhere them to your shirt. I set my iron on the cotton setting with no steam. Press for a few minutes and let it cool completely.

You're done! This should make some boy (or girl) very happy. Be sure to click on the SHOP button or Free Pattern button on the sidebar at the left for more appliqué patterns.

As always...

'Schmallow Fun..

2010-02-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

My little ones have been requesting marshmallows for the past week. I think I really am asking for it when I have to take them shopping and need something in the baking aisle. Right when we pass the brightly-colored mini-marshmallows, my four year old starts in with, "We haven't had marshmallows in a looooooooong time."

So, instead I picked up some unflavored gelatin and crossed my fingers that I could make them at home with this recipe. I haven't had much luck with meringues yet so I was a little wary that these guys would even turn out ... but they did! Oh, they are so yummy. Please try them!

Gelatin and tons of sugar with a dash of vanilla churned out the most lovely marshmallows we've tasted (okay, we don't get out much, but they truly are very good). I am always second-guessing recipes and with this one, I followed the directions exactly and got the desired result.

The recipe did call for one 9"x9" pan but I ended up using two because there was so much fluff, it would have overrun the first pan. I may try a 9"x12" next time to see what happens.

Normally, this is where bloggers will show you their perfect, homemade 'schmallows slowly melting in some hot cocoa, but we did some indoor campfire cooking:

Yuuuuuuum! The toddler helped put these together (with minimal consumption of ingredients) and we toasted them under the broiler.

They won't last long!

Guest Blogger

2010-02-02T15:26:00.001-08:00

Guess what, guys? I am completely thrilled to announce that I'm going to be a guest blogger on Celebrate the Boy Month hosted by Made by Rae and MADE. I am beyond excited to see what fun stuff each blogger and guest blogger has to share with everyone.

Much more exciting is the fact that I'll be making my Retro Race Car appliqué pattern available FREE as my contribution to the Celebrate the Boy month. How exciting is that? Puddle Jumping's scheduled appearance is set for February 12th so please be sure to check out the site by then to get your pattern and see the tutorial.

Love with Muscle

2010-02-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is almost upon us and as we look for something to celebrate this dreary winter season, we get really excited about V-day in our house. To celebrate this day on PJD, I've come up with this quirky way to say "I love you, Mom" through a fun and easy appliqué.

Love with Muscle is a free downloadable pattern for you to use to brighten up any shirt, sweatshirt, bag, card, gift ... whatever!

If you are going to do some embroidery to finish off this burly pattern (I recommend it - give it a try!), I advise you to either embroider the felt or fabric pieces before they are fused to the fabric. Otherwise, you can just grab a thimble and push through the layers. Takes longer (believe me, I did it this way) but still has the same nice effect.

In order to cover up the stitching on the inside of the shirt, I cut out a square of lightweight, extra-soft fleece and fused it to the inside fabric. Now the embroidery floss is glued to the fleece with no chance of it coming out!

We really had fun with this shirt and as you can see it has no effect whatsoever in making a boy slow down a little bit. But that's how we know it's fun, right?

PLEASE REMEMBER: All Puddle Jumping Designs appliqué patterns are FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please respect this rule and craft responsibly!

As always ...

Celebrate the Boy

2010-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm innocently meandering through the blogs, getting caught up on a month's worth of not reading them when what do my wandering eyes see? CELEBRATE THE BOY month at Made by Rae! Finally, another mother, designer and blogger who feels the way I do.

All through the month of February, Made by Rae is hosting an entire month of crafty fun geared just towards boys! I can't think of anything better, can you? Boy stuff all in one spot. She and Dana of MADE will be hosting the event with over 20 guest bloggers contributing.

Please stop by and be sure to tell her thanks for doing this! I know I am excited.

PJD

The Workshop Worked Out...

2010-01-29T05:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who left a comment this week on how to organize and layout the wall pockets. The advice was really helpful in a lot of ways. It looks like this layout wins (with changes):
Jackamo mentioned that having larger wall pockets will increase the possibility that heavy items will weigh down the fabric and/or the rod so the huge wall pocket was out. However, people mentioned that the other option looked more balanced, so I'm nixing the banner and will add some artwork of mine and my children's in that spot. Watoosa had the great idea of coming up with a painting and then having my kids to a "study of" and putting those drawings next to mine. What a great idea! The outcome should make any abstract expressionist proud.

I also really like the idea of cubby organizers mentioned by Cheryl and Elle. There are small items that may get lost in the bottoms of the pockets or heavy items that will rip the fabric with daily wear and tear. So to find some sort of organizing cubby system that won't take up too much space for moving in between the beds and the wall is on the list of to-do.

Thanks to everyone!

- PJD

Workshop Wednesday

2010-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's well into the new year and time for me to share what I've been working on around here. January for me is all about organizing, cleaning and doing all the things that were put on hold during December. Does anyone else find January busy? I do, in a different way of course.

I really have been busy creating, sketching and whatnot, but just not recording as well. There are so many things on my to-do list to check off. Enter: Workshop Wednesday. This is a fun little workgroup created by a good eFreind, Cheryl over at Naptime Quilter (if you happen to also be a foodie, check out her gastronomical blog). Cheryl is an amazing quilter and creator in a couple of ways: a. she makes beautiful, artful quilts. b. she finds a way to make these quilts with two little ones, a full time job as well as being a domestic CEO.

I would LOVE to jump on this bandwagon and get your opinions and eye for design/layout with my new project. For Christmas, my babies both got toddler beds.

They were completely beside themselves with excitement! They are about 18mo. apart so the transition was pretty easy. Ms. A keeps finding a way to the floor most nights, but she's happy to have a bed like her brother's.

Anyway, getting rid of the changing table, the cribs and all has really opened up the room. We now have two large, empty walls. It is a very small room with the only storage inside the closet. Now that we don't have the changing table, we really need a place to put all the fun stuff in an organized and beautiful way. This book inspired me to make modular wall pockets (if you don't already have this book, I highly recommend it).

I had to make up my own pockets as the pattern from that book wouldn't work, but I think my first three are GREAT! Now I can't decide what to do next. Can you all help? I have these things in the closet in a huge jumble:
1. shoes - these have no home and sometimes get lost in the mix
2. diapers - Ms. A refuses to go potty so we're stuck with these for a while
3. books - our little shelf is overflowing so we need a place to put a few important ones
4. stuffed animals - need I say more?
5. whatnots - all the little floaters like clip on ties, belts and hair bows

Here is what I have so far (sorry for the blurriness but you get the idea):

I could go for option A:

We've got another set of three pockets to the right, some shoe pockets above and some larger, double pockets on the top. With a garland or some sort of artwork. Yes? No?

Or I could go for option B:

Entirely different set of pockets on the right, same three above the first three and some framed pictures (like my art?). Yes? No?

OR I could do something different entirely. Thoughts?

Thanks to anyone and everyone who may give me some inspiration. We need to get ourselves organized. If you are interested in how I did these pockets, I'd be happy to post a tutorial in a later entry.

PJD

Play Clay Dinos

2010-01-05T16:54:00.001-08:00

I had all the intentions of posting this before the Christmas frenzy hit, but we went right into hunting and gathering mode (i.e. hunting for the gifts and gathering up the clean laundry). Still, I believe that this project is fun and easy to do for a winter's day activity.

I decided to do some play clay shapes for a playdate, but instead of just regular play clay, I wanted to find the right recipe to bake the shapes so they could be painted and hung up as decorative ornaments. I think that this recipe (I altered it slightly) will do the trick.

Play Clay (or Baker's Clay) Recipe
4 c flour
1 c salt
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c water

Mix all the ingredients and knead until dough is smooth and ingredients are fully incorporated.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4" thickness and use any shape cookie cutter. I used a regular straw to poke holes in each shape for a ribbon to go through later.

Bake the cut out dough at 275° for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours until the shapes are completely dried and hard. Once the shapes are cool, get out your glitter and paint and go to town!

As always, remember to

Welcome Back, Me!

2010-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well that break certainly turned into a long one! We moved right into the handmade mode, making last-minute gifts for friends and family. After that, it was off to laundry, packing, planning, and what turned out to be over a week-long Christmas and two birthday celebrations. By the time we returned home, we were sort of celebrationed-out.

Nevertheless, we pressed onwards and had our own small family celebration here at home. Things started to calm down and the house was settled once more. That is why I have returned to the blog to start posting again. I truly hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you were able to spend it with a lot of friends and family. We certainly did.

I am certainly looking forward to 2010 and all the exciting things a new year will bring.

Get Out Anyway

2009-12-07T20:59:00.001-08:00

All I've been hearing around the neighborhood (and the blogosphere too) lately is all about someone's either come down with the:
1. flu
2. H1N1 (or swine fever! heh, heh)
3. a virus
4. something that's going around and I think we got it from uncle marty at the last family get-together

... or some such icky-ness. Well, it's been through our house too. As much as I wanted to keep myself 'clean' of all illness, I was struck with it as well. My husband kept apologizing thinking that he gave me the flu, while my daughter coughed in my face and my son tried to stick his finger in my mouth to kiss a boo-boo.

No, honey, you probably didn't give me this flu. (I hear all you mothers of toddlers laughing in agreement)

So, just to get out we sometimes go for walks and waddyaknow? We also got some entertainment to boot. My children decided that they liked watching the roofers put on a new roof for a neighbor so much that they plopped right down to watch the action. These guys had some good music blaring and were in generally good spirits (even for a really cold day). Once they caught sight of their little audience, they really put on a show. Some of the guys waved while others tried tossing soft drink cans up to the guys working on the roof. A few of those cans I probably wouldn't try to open.

This is all just to say that we do find fun in the ordinary, don't we? My children are constant reminders that there are all kinds of interesting and exciting things going on around us all the time. We just have to look for it.

Stay well everyone!

Christmas Lights

2009-12-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

Celebrate the season with this free download appliqué pattern! Make as many lights as you wish ... the ways in which you can use them are truly endless. (see the bulldozer pattern). Use as many different colors of scrap fabrics as you have for a wonderful variety. Great scrap stash buster!

Download this free pattern today and remember to:

Pattern: Bulldozer

2009-12-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

There's so many holiday decorations this season, you'll need a big yellow bulldozer to get the job done! With our without the holiday lights, this bulldozer will brighten up any child's gift this holiday season. Please go here for a link to download the free Christmas lights pattern!

This pattern is perfect for any t-shirt, sweatshirt, bag, backpack, pants pocket ... any fabric surface! You may also use the pattern to create a unique scrapbook appliqué that will have all your scrapbooking buddies asking where you bought it. It's up to you if you want to tell them you actually made this appliqué from a very simple pattern.

I used Steam-A-Seam 2 Double Stick Fusible Web to adhere all the pieces onto this t-shirt. This is so easy that even a crafting novice can whip out a unique appliqué like this one in no time. Stitch around the pieces by hand or with a machine or leave it as is.

This pattern also translates very well onto heavier fabrics (corduroy, bottom weights and jeans) with felt!

Explore all of your pattern possibilities by downloading a pattern today.

By purchasing this PDF pattern, you agree to use this pattern for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not sell this pattern or offer it for public use. Craft responsibly!

Please click on the button below to purchase this appliqué pattern. It will be sent to you in a zipped PDF file via email once the payment is made. If you don't have a PayPal account, please remember to include an email address when using the non-member check out option. Thank you!

Bulldozer Appliqué Pattern and Instructions
$3.00

Pattern: 18-Wheeler

2009-11-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

What could say Merry Christmas better than a large, red 18-wheeler and a bright, green wreath? Nothing, I believe. This big rig pattern can be a stand-alone truck image or be paired with the wreath which is a free download!

This pattern is perfect for any t-shirt, sweatshirt, bag, backpack, pants pocket ... any fabric surface! You may also use the pattern to create a unique scrapbook appliqué that will have all your scrapbooking buddies asking where you bought it. It's up to you if you want to tell them you actually made this appliqué from a very simple pattern.

This pattern also translates very well onto heavier fabrics (corduroy, bottom weights and jeans) with felt!

Explore all of your pattern possibilities by downloading a pattern today.

By purchasing this PDF pattern, you agree to use this pattern for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not sell this pattern or offer it for public use. Craft responsibly!

18-Wheeler Appliqué Pattern and Instructions
$3.00

Christmas Wreath

2009-11-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

Celebrate the holidays with a little Christmas wreath! This pattern is small but there is plenty of room on the pattern page to increase the size to fit all kinds of projects. Please follow this link to download a free pattern for the Christmas wreath and start your appliqué for the holidays now!

So, remember to:

Pattern: Retro Race Car

2009-11-24T20:46:00.000-08:00

This Retro Race Car appliqué evokes the exciting car chase scenes of certain 70s movies. With the sleek racing stripe and wide grill, this baby is ready for some action!

This pattern is perfect for any t-shirt, sweatshirt, bag, backpack, pants pocket ... any fabric surface! You may also use the pattern to create a unique scrapbook appliqué that will have all your scrapbooking buddies asking where you bought it. It's up to you if you want to tell them you actually made this appliqué from a very simple pattern.

This pattern also translates very well onto heavier fabrics (corduroy, bottom weights and jeans) with felt!

Explore all of your pattern possibilities by downloading a FREE pattern today!

By downloading this PDF pattern, you agree to use this pattern for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not sell this pattern or offer it for public use. Craft responsibly!

Pattern: Alien Boy and His Dog (?)

2009-11-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Take me to your leader! Every little boy either wants to or already has a pet; even alien boys! This cute little guy will liven up any children's item you appliqué him to, with or without his dog (?).

This pattern is perfect for any t-shirt, sweatshirt, bag, backpack, pants pocket ... any fabric surface! You may also use the pattern to create a unique scrapbook appliqué that will have all your scrapbooking buddies asking where you bought it. It's up to you if you want to tell them you actually made this appliqué from a very simple pattern.

This pattern also translates very well onto heavier fabrics (corduroy, bottom weights and jeans) with felt!

Explore all of your pattern possibilities by downloading a pattern today!

By purchasing this PDF pattern, you agree to use this pattern for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not sell this pattern or offer it for public use. Craft responsibly!

Alien Boy and His Dog (?) Appliqué Pattern and Instructions $3.00

Tutorial: Matchbox Mouse

2009-11-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

After time spent with a very good friend and her new baby, I'm ready to get back to blogging. What better way than with a tutorial? Let's learn how to make matchbox mice. Unbearably cute, these little mice love to be a constant companion, to explore the world and to be tucked into their snug little beds.These little friends were made two weeks ago and they are still hanging in there, still riding around in pockets and book bags.

To begin with, you'll need some supplies and best of all, some very small (and I do mean small) scraps from your stash:
• all-purpose glue
• scissors
• fabric scraps cut into approx. 1"x1.5" rectangles with pinking shears
• indelible marker for eyes
• pink embroidery floss for the ears and tail
• felt scraps cut into 1" long teardrop shapes (white, brown or gray felt would make a great mouse, but don't let me stop you from using another color!)
• decorative paper (scrapbooking works well)
• needle and thread
• cotton ball (not pictured)

Cut your scrapbook paper in a long strip the width of your matchbook and roughly 5" long or so to give you enough room to cover the entire box. Wrap your paper strip around the box, making a crease in the paper for each corner of the box (see left).

Remove the inner tray of the matchbox and apply a thin layer of glue to the entire surface of the outer cover of the matchbox. Make sure to spread the glue to the very edge. Carefully press down your creased strip of paper around the entire outer cover until the two ends meet. Trim off any excess paper and glue the final edge down. Re-insert the tray after the glue has dried.

Now cut a length of floss about 3" long and wind it around in a small bunch, leaving a tiny portion sticking up. Place the bunch of floss onto a felt teardrop with the small portion (about 1/2") laying over top of the rounded edge. Place the other teardrop on top and whip stitch around the outer edge of the felt making sure to sew around the tail portion a few times. Leave a 1/2" opening and turn inside out. Your tail should now be on the outside. Stuff with all or part of the cotton ball.

Don't sew up the belly yet! We still have to make the ears. Thread your needle and tie a knot. Stick your needle through the open belly and out in a spot towards the nose where you want your ear. Pull out the needle and make a french knot in that spot. Do the same for the other ear.

Now you are ready to sew up the belly. Place a dot of ink with your pen on either side of the head, just below the ears. Isn't he (she?) cute?

Now for the assembly and presentation. Place your mouse inside the matchbox tray with his blanket snug around him, nose pointing out, and close the box.

Go build an indoor fort, take a blanket outside and spread it underneath a quiet tree, get under the kitchen table, whatever it takes to make a little magic in the air. Gather your little ones and, with great solemnity and in hushed tones, announce that you have a little friend you want to introduce to them. But they have to be quiet! This little friend is sleeping.

Slowly, with your finger to your lips, pull out the matchbox and push open the tray. Brace yourself for squeals, intake of breath, whispers of surprise or just plain old having that box swiped from your mitts the moment that pink ear hits the air. Have fun! Go on adventures! But most of all...

Pattern: Vintage Pickup

2009-11-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Rather than a wardrobe full of the screen-printed popular cartoon images, we prefer quirky, apppliqué in this house. Take this vintage truck for example. We took my son to a car museum this past summer and he loves anything that has a motor in it and can appreciate vehicles from yesteryear. Fill this truck bed up with your favorite things: presents, apples, toys, a tree, etc. Or, just leave it as is, on it's way to another pick up. Happy crafting!

This pattern is perfect for any t-shirt, sweatshirt, bag, backpack, pants pocket ... any fabric surface! You may also use the pattern to create a unique scrapbook appliqué that will have all your scrapbooking buddies asking where you bought it. It's up to you if you want to tell them you actually made this appliqué from a very simple pattern.

This pattern also translates very well onto heavier fabrics (corduroy, bottom weights and jeans) with felt!

Explore all of your pattern possibilities by downloading a FREE pattern today!

By downloading this PDF pattern, you agree to use this pattern for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not sell this pattern or offer it for public use. Craft responsibly!

Craft: Autumn

2009-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Yellow leaves + glue stick + paper + glitter + beautiful fall day =

Of course, the artists signed their work (or were helped with signing their work). We usually post artwork all over the house since there isn't much wall space and we sometimes enjoy using the backs of doors.

I must say that on this particular fall day, the sun is out, the wind is gently blowing and there is a calm and peace in our entryway where these fall art collages hang.

It's amazing what a little bit of glitter can do to elevate an image!

Happy Autumn to everyone.

~ PJD

Welcome William!

2009-11-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

Please join us in welcoming a wiggly new friend to the PJD family:

Will is such a sweet little guy, as annelids go, and he is our resident bookworm. That means he is perfectly suited to grace the front of your library book bag! The weather's getting colder now and Will enjoys wearing his monogrammed sweater when he wiggles out and about.

The best part about William Worm? The pattern is available as a FREE download! Please take advantage of this opportunity to try out a PJD appliqué pattern for yourself.

William Worm came about from a certain boy's love of things creepy and crawly (i.e. "Mom, don't scream, it's just a bug!"). How to make the crawly cute? Enter: Will. He's approachable and cute in his sweater and sure to make the girls smile as well as the boys. If girls still say "EWWWWWW!" at the sight of Will, well it's all the more exciting if you're the boy wearing him. Right?

Jump on over to our Flickr site to check out Will's sister, Wilhelmina. Like Will, she enjoys being on book bags as well. She also enjoys wearing bows, even though she's as bald as her brother!

PLEASE REMEMBER: All Puddle Jumping Designs appliqué patterns are FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please respect this rule and craft responsibly!

So, go ahead and...

The Shop

2009-11-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a one-stop post so you can browse through the pattern collection without having to go through a zillion posts to find them all!

Thank you for stopping by and remember to also check out the Tutorials and Free Patterns sections.

Free Patterns:

about

2009-11-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

Puddle Jumping Designs was created on the belief that not all patterns have to be about dresses, ruffles, flowers and pink. Not that there is anything wrong with those things. Not at all.

However, after searching endlessly for edgy, fun and cute designs for her little boy, Jen got tired and decided to start making some herself. What came out of all that brainstorming was Puddle Jumping Designs.

Puddle Jumping Designs would like everyone stopping by to note that, while these designs were created with boys in mind, they are, in no way, limited to boys only. What girl doesn't love a good muscle car, bug, or truck?

Please have a look around. Take advantage of our free, downloadable patterns. If you like them, do a little shopping in our Puddle Jumping Shop. I am so glad to have you here.

Sincerely,
Jen, a.k.a. Puddle Jumping Designs