Hello Homeschool!

It has been over a year since my last blog post...I even considered deleting my blog.  However, it seemed very sad to wipe out everything that I have shared and comments from sweet readers.  So, where have I been???  Well, last year (January 2012), I entered the world of homeschooling.  Always be careful about saying, "I would never do that!"  God had different plans, and I am thankful that He did, because it has been such a wonderful blessing to my family!  Do I still craft and sew?  Yes, but not as much.  My children have grown to be a 5th grader, 2nd grader, pre-K(er), and an almost 3 year old!  Homeschooling keeps us tremendously busy...then you add in extracurricular activities and...whew!  I do try to carve out time for myself, whether it is a little soak in a hot bath or on occasion, sewing a project for the kiddos.  I really am going to attempt to be a better blogger!  Only now, I will also include things that may help other homeschooling families.  I was a kindergarten teacher for 7 years before having babies of my own, and I really feel that God used that to give me a comfort level that I needed to ease me into being a teacher again...this time to my very own children.  The thought of being completely responsible for my children's education was terrifying at first, but now, it seems like the most natural thing in the world!

I'll close this post with a few pictures to share our homeschool area and my kids in action...as well as a picture to show my latest sewing project.  :)  Please excuse the blurry photos!  They were all taken with my phone... I must get back into the swing of things!!!

Sombrero Cookies for Spanish class! 

I highly recommend BJU Press Spanish Kit A for elementary kids.  It is so much fun for all of us!  Kit A only concentrates on speaking and understanding Spanish.  The kids sing songs, memorize Bible verses in Spanish, and learn so many fun and interesting facts about Spanish speaking countries.  It is so much better than any Spanish class I ever had!  Kit A can last 3 years, so it is worth the money.  Kit B is also available and meant for older elementary children that have completed Kit A.  It focuses on writing and reading in Spanish.  My 5th grader is enjoying Kit A with the rest of us, and it does give suggestions on things to do with an older student.

 



My little preschool group!  

 

I'm VERY glad we replaced the dining room table with a sturdy, play-doh safe table!

 

 

Baby Girl Loves Starfall.com!!! 

 2nd Grader hard at work!

 

5th Grader...posing!  :)

 

 

100th Day of School

Earlier this week, we celebrated the 100th Day of School!!!  Woohoo!!!  We did many activities, but they really enjoyed working together to color a 100" Inchworm.

 

 

 

Lastest Sewing Projects...

This is my first attempt at a soft sculpture baby.  I used the Dinky Baby pattern, and it was a lot of fun to make.  The dolly diaper bag was sewn up on Christmas Eve (nothing like the last minute!), and I stuffed it full of goodies that every little mommy needs to take care of her new baby.

  

 

Well, that is just a smidge of what we have been up to!  I will continue to share project that hopefully inspire my crafty readers, but I hope to share ideas with fellow homeschoolers as well!  :)

Fancy Legs! Giveaway!

I am currently working on a very special pair of "Fancy Legs" legwarmers to offer as a giveaway prize!  To enter, you must become a facebook follower of Sew Bananas Boutique.  When the legwarmers are offered on my fan page, I will let everyone know so that they may comment telling me who they have in mind for some "Fancy Legs!" 

Find Sew Bananas Boutique on facebook here.

Freezer Paper in the Printer?!

I love coming across a new tip or trick that makes life a little easier.  I remember how excited I was when I found out that freezer paper makes great pattern tracing paper because you can iron it directly onto your fabric.  I was ecstatic when I realized that I could put the freezer paper in my printer!  Yep!  It works!  You can actually print out your patterns right from your computer files to your freezer paper.  I don't recommend it for a pattern that you don't intend to use more than once or twice, but if you will be using a particular pattern frequently, then this little trick is for you!

I could have sworn that I took a picture of the first step, but I cannot find it.  Basically, I took a piece of freezer paper (I used Reynold's freezer paper) and cut it out so that it was the same size as a piece of card stock paper.  Lightly tape it to your card stock before putting it in your printer.  This will help to guide it through your printer.  Just print your pattern pieces just like you normally would.  After you print the pages you need, untape the freezer paper from the card stock.  Save the card stock to be reused again!  Cut out and tape your pattern pieces together.

Here's the part I love... Iron your pattern pieces directly to your fabric.  You will not have to do any pinning!  Just cut your pattern out.

You can then peel off the freezer paper pattern and it can be reused many times just by ironing it back on to your next piece of fabric!  How cool is that?!

I really dislike pinning, so I loved how easy it was to just cut around the pattern!  If you have a time saving trick that you love...please share!  I'd love to hear it!



Silent Auction Projects

It seems like I either haven't sewn in a while, or I have so many sewing projects at once that there is smoke coming out my ears!  Right now, I have more than I can do...!  With Valentine's Day on Monday and two of my children's birthdays this week, I didn't think I would be able to sew anything for a silent auction benefiting my daughter's dance team....However, I did manage to whip up a few things yesterday, and then I "stole" one from my Etsy store.  :)  That only means that my Etsy store is seriously depleted, and I have more sewing projects coming up!

My corn bags (Therapy Bags) were very popular around Christmas, so I made two of those...

...and hooded towels are always a hit with the kids.  Since I couldn't monogram something for a silent auction (obviously), I used decorative fabric for the hood, and I really like how it turned out.  If you would like to try making one, "The Cottage Home" has a great tutorial here.  She has several fun tutorials.

I also took my cowboy bib set out of my Etsy shop (which I dislike doing) because I really wanted to have one more thing but ran out of time for sewing anything.  We shall see how it goes tonight!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!



The Infamous Pillowcase Dress...

I know millions of these dresses have been made....(Actually, it's the very first thing I learned to sew), but I can't help it...I still love them!  I learned to sew when my 8 year old daughter was 3.  I now have another baby girl, and it has been soooo much fun sewing for an itty bitty girl!  I decided on a pillowcase dress because this dress is limited to October, and I kind of got a late start.  She can wear it next year as a tunic top with leggings (I like it with leggings this year too!).  My oldest daughter has gotten as many as three years out of her pillowcase dresses!  I can't wait to see her in it, but it isn't worth waking her up from her nap...almost, but not quite!