Month: February 2014

Top with Knit Lace Panel

February 25, 2014 kimberlee 9 Comments

I recently designed this new shirt that has a lace knit panel insert on the front and back. The idea for creating this was for two reasons. One, this shirt was a little too small (tight) for me and Two, I really like this easy to knit lace stitch that I had recently used to create another project.

To make this you will need to know how to knit and how to use a sewing machine.

Supplies needed:

Size US 8 knitting needles
Worsted weight yarn that is washable – I used Hobby Lobby I Love this Yarn
T-shirt that is a little too snug or one size too small for you
Fabric scissors
Sewing machine
Sewing thread to match shirt

Step 1: Using your fabric scissors cut up the center front and center back of shirt – use a tape measure or ruler to determine the center point.

Step 2: Knit your lace panels

Cast on 16 sts – knit the first row

Row 1: *k2tog, yo, k2; rep from * across

Rep Row 1 for pattern – measure your front cut center line of shirt and when your knitted piece is close to that length knit 1 more row, then bind off.

Make another panel for the back following the same pattern above – note that the back section will be longer so you will need to measure that and knit this panel a little longer.

Step 3: When both your panels are knitted you will then pin them to the shirt front and back and using your sewing machine and a stitch length of approx. 3 stitch the shirt and panel together with the shirt laying on top of the panel – use the inner edge of you presser foot (see below) as a guide for a seam allowance. You will have to stitch down each side of the panel so you will stitch 4 different times. Weave in the ends of the yarn when you are done – or you could do it before but I did mine at the end.

That’s it – all done. Super simple and fun to wear. The top can be worn as is or with a camisole or tank top underneath. I have a tank top under mine that I found at Old Navy and it was the perfect red to match the shirt.

I am currently working on a short sleeve version for spring using a different lace stitch and I will be sharing that on my blog in March – so be sure to follow me via bloglovin, email or RSS feed for future updates.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Knitting Sewing

Working Out Week 8 of 2014

February 22, 2014 kimberlee 6 Comments

This is the end of week 8 of 2014 and week 7 of the P90X3 program for me. I am now more than halfway through the 90 days of workouts. It has really gone by pretty fast.

This past week was the same workout schedule as the past 2 weeks. I had to go a little easy at the beginning of this past week since my left knee started bothering me on Sunday. I think I twisted it somehow during the CVX workout last Saturday. Thankfully it feels better today. I did CVX this morning but I did not push quite as hard on some of the pivot and twisting moves while using the weight.

On Tuesday was the Warrior workout. I like this one – not as well as some of the others but it is an awesome total body workout. I had to be careful with some parts of it and the jumping since my knee was really feeling it that day.

Wednesday was Yoga day and I was really looking forward to that workout. I thought it would help my knee feel better and I believe it did. This gave it a break from the high intensity and provided some extra stretching. I love yoga anyhow and this yoga workout has quickly become one of my favorite yoga workouts. I think my cat really likes it too because he was around for most of this session.

I finally got around to embroidering a new workout T-shirt. In some of the workouts Tony mentions that “Aging is for Idiots” I decided I wanted that on a workout shirt. I also wanted to put something on the back so I embroidered “Stay Fit Stay Young” across the back. Below is me wearing the shirt after the MMX workout on Thursday – the dark dots are sweat on the shirt.

The photo below shows a close up of the embroidery:

This week will be week 8 of P90X3. It is the transition week so not quite as intense as the past 3 weeks – it still is not easy but I really enjoy doing Isometrixs (one of my favorites), Dynamix and the Pilates workouts. We will still do Yoga, too.

I will also be starting in a new fitness group this week with my husbands work. It is called the Power of Vitality challenge. I am still in my facebook fitness group, too. I think being in a group really motivates you to exercise and stay accountable.

I hope everyone had a great week of working out. Click on Leave a Reply and let me know what workouts you are currently doing and how they are going.

Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Categories: Embroidery Exercise

Tags: embroidered workout shirt, fitness, P90X3 workout, tshirt, working out, workouts

Deco Mesh Olympic Wreath

February 20, 2014 kimberlee 4 Comments

As I mentioned the other day in my post, Crochet and Knitting Olympic Style, I have been on an Olympic craft spree lately. This past weekend I created this really fun wreath from a wire wreath frame and deco mesh that I bought at Hobby Lobby. This is the easiest project and can be made in less than an hour.

To make a wreath like this you will need:

16 inch wire wreath frame
1 roll 21 inch wide deco mesh
1roll 5 1/2 inch wide deco mesh
1 roll wire edge ribbon
pipe cleaners to match your deco mesh
scissors

Wrap 21 inch deco mesh around frame using pipe cleaners to secure every 5 or 6 inches leaving the mesh kind of full to hide the pipe cleaners. When you make it all the way around to the place where you started overlap the beginning a little and secure to the back the end – you will have to cut the deco mesh
Use the 5 1/2 inch wide deco mesh in between the previous wider layers – this layer I just secured at the beginning and end with pipe cleanrers
Make a bow with your wire edge ribbon – (I am not the greatest bow maker so I am not going to tell you how to make your bow). Secure bow to wreath using a pipe cleaner or some type of floral wire

That’s it – All Done! Super EASY! I really like how it turned out and I have had it up all week to show my Olympic spirit. I will also be able to use it for other holidays like Memorial Day and 4th of July. I have quite a bit of the deco mesh left so I figure I can use it to make another wreath or decorate my patio out back for the holidays I just mentioned.

I am thinking this deco mesh would also make a fun St. Patricks Day wreath.

I hope you enjoyed this short tutorial on how to make this fun wreath. Please follow me via bloglovin, email or RSS to receive future updates on other craft and sewing projects. The icons are in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Linking to:

Categories: Crafts

Tags: craft project, crafts, deco mesh wreath, making a wreath, Olympic wreath, red white and blue wreath

Crochet and Knitting Olympic Style

February 18, 2014 kimberlee 4 Comments

The opening ceremony of the Olympics in Sochi inspired me to get busy and crochet and knit some Team USA scarves. I really liked the sweaters the USA team wore and I decided to design my own Olympic knitwear.

The first project I designed last week and crocheted every evening while watching the games was this Infinity Scarf. I used a US K crochet hook so it worked up pretty fast. The scarf is a multi color scarf using 3 different yarns. It was a lot of fun to make. I have already wore it a few times – although our weather in Texas has gotten kind of warm the last couple of days so I am glad I wore it last week.

This crochet Infinity Scarf can also be worn long – the above photo it is double wrapped. I wore it to church the other day the long way since it was a little warmer that day.

The other scarf I designed is a knit version. I knitted this one in a pretty feather and fan stitch. It was fairly easy and I think it actually went faster than my crochet version – which is unusual because I think I crochet faster than I knit. I used size US 10 needles for the knit version and again 3 colors of various yarns – 2 of them the same as the crochet version. This too was a lot of fun to create. It could also be made in other color combinations for various holidays or seasons.

Both of these scarves are patterns I have designed and they will be coming soon to my etsy shop and to my craftsy pattern store.

I have been in Team USA creative mode and also made a really pretty wreath. I will be posting that in the next couple of days with instructions on how to make it so be sure to subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS by clicking on the icons in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Crochet Knitting

Tags: crochet infinity scarf, crochet project, crochet scarf, knit scarf, knitting project, olympic color scarves, red white & blue scarves, tri color scarf

Working Out Week 7 of 2014

February 15, 2014 kimberlee 6 Comments

I have now completed the 6th week of the 13 weeks of P90X3. This week was the same schedule as last week. I think from this 3 week rotation of workouts my favorites are Triometrics and MMX. I still really like CVX as well but since that was a favorite in the first 3 weeks I wanted to pick a couple of new ones for the new round of workouts.

Triometrics is a leg burner for sure. I mentioned on my facebook page the other day that it should be called Killer Legs. This workout is definitely transforming my legs, hips and glutes.

MMX is the kickboxing – mixed martial arts workout that is a lot of fun. Time flies when you are doing this one – it hardly even seems like 30 minutes. This workout is a total body routine. I am looking forward to doing it again in the coming week – week 7.

I have been trying to maintain eating a clean diet while doing this workout. Actually I try and eat clean most of the time. I did splurge a little this week with it being Valentines Day yesterday and I made some homemade chocolate peanut clusters for my family. I ate 2 of them. I feel like it is okay to have a treat a couple of times a week as long as it is in moderation and you limit how much you have. I don’t think it is a good idea to deprive yourself of everything especially if you have been working really hard.

I have also been trying to take in more fiber. I have been eating Bob’s Red Mill 7 grain hot cereal in the mornings. That cereal is pretty good with a little honey and almond milk stirred into it. I have also stirred in some honey and peanut butter with a little milk. It is very satisfying and keeps you full for quite a while. It has 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving. 6 grams of fiber is 23% of your daily fiber.

My motivation quote this week was:

This week I also got Tony Horton’s new book that was just released last week. It is called The Big Picture – 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life.
I have not started reading it yet as I am currently reading three other books and I want to finish one of those first. I have skimmed through it and it looks like an excellent book and I can’t wait to start it. I am hoping to finish a book this weekend so I can start reading Tony’s book. I will update more on the book in my weekly fitness post as I start reading it.

So, how are your workouts going? I would love to hear about them – just click on Leave a Reply and let me know.

Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise

Tags: exercise, fitness, workout routine, workout schedule

Red Crochet Tunic

February 14, 2014 kimberlee 3 Comments

This week has been filled with crochet projects. I recently finished this crochet tunic design and figured today was a great day to share it since it is red and today is Valentines Day!

This project took me a while to complete. I think it was because I made it quite long and you have to crochet a front and a back. The one side I got crocheted pretty fast but I kept putting the other side in my UFO (unfinished objects) pile and would work on other designs and ideas. Once I finally finished both sides they sat there for a week waiting to be sewn together. That is one of the things about making a garment – you have completed all the crochet or knitting and then you still have to sew the pieces together…

Well, I finally got the pieces sewn together and even wore it the other day to church with the black leggings I made a couple of months ago. I really like how it looks with leggings or with jeans. I am also thinking it will look good with a tank top or camisole underneath it for spring and summer.

I will eventually have this pattern available in my etsy shop and on craftsy. I was so happy to get it finished I wanted to share it on my blog first.

What crochet or knitting projects have you recently completed? Click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Crochet

Tags: Crochet, crochet tunic, crocheting, red crochet tunic, red tunic, tunic

Crochet Cowl – Infinity Scarf

February 11, 2014 kimberlee 9 Comments

I recently stumbled upon a facebook page called Frayed Knot by Jonna and learned about a crochet challenge. The challenge is called the Design Wars Challenge . The challenge is to create a crochet item using Red Heart With Love yarn. I decided to design a new crochet pattern for a cowl, or infinity scarf, since I happen to have one skein of this yarn in a deep purple color. Here is the design I will be entering in the challenge:

I really like how my pattern turned out and it can be worn long or double wrapped for warmth. The yarn is a worsted weight acrylic yarn and very easy to work with. I plan to have the pattern available soon in my etsy shop and on craftsy. I was so excited about finishing it and I wanted to get it entered in the challenge and share it here on my blog first.

This challenge is for the whole month of February and you can click on the link above to learn more about it if you are interested in entering.

What crochet or knitting projects are you currently working on? I am crocheting a new infinity scarf that is in Olympic USA team colors. I got inspired to make something red, white and blue after the opening ceremony and seeing their cool sweaters and hats that they wore. I have been working on it the last few nights while watching the games. I hope to have it done in the next few days and share it on my blog soon. Be sure to subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS to receive future posts. You can find the icons in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Crafts Crochet

Tags: crochet cowl, crochet scarf, design wars challenge, design wars project, infinity scarf, purple cowl, purple infinity scarf, purple scarf, with love yarn

Working Out Week 6 of 2014

February 8, 2014 kimberlee 1 Comment

This week was my completion of week 5 of P90X3. The schedule was different from the previous weeks. I would say the intensity has increased with the addition of some of the new dvd’s. The schedule for the past week and the next two weeks are as follows:

Monday – Triometrics
Tuesday – The Warrior
Wednesday – X3 Yoga
Thursday – MMX
Friday – Incinerator
Saturday – CVX
Sunday – Rest or Dynamix

The workouts that were new: Triometrics, MMX and Incinerator. Below are my photos from those workouts:

I really liked Triometrics. It was challenging for sure. Each move progressed into a more intense version of the move. I was definitely feeling this in my legs all over when I was done and the next morning.

MMX is a martial arts – kickboxing type of workout. I really like kickboxing workouts and enjoyed this one a lot. The time flew by because you were so busy punching, kicking and sprawling. A great cardio and total body workout.

Incinerator was not what I thought it was going to be. Based on the name I thought it would be some high intensity cardio workout but it was more of an upper body and core workout. The workout uses dumbbells or resistance bands, a pull up bar, if you have one, or a resistance band attached over a door and you also do lots of variations of push ups. The reps are not that high so I am thinking I need to up my weight next week. This past week I used 8 and 12 pound dumbbells. Next week I am going to try 10 and 15 and see how I do. I may have to use 8 for some of the tricep exercises. This is a great strength training workout and I felt it in the back of my arms and shoulders the next day. Especially since the morning after doing Incinerator I had to do CVX – the cardio workout that uses a dumbbell.

I am also big on motivational quotes and this was mine for the week:

I will update again next week on the workout program. I really like all the positive changes I am seeing from doing P90X3 – not just physically but even mentally. I think a good exercise program and being healthy really does give you a positive mental outlook. It probably does not happen over night but after a month or two you begin to see all the benefits.

Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: exercise, fitness, health, P90X3, P90X3 workout week 5, workouts

Sewing Napkins Double Sided

February 6, 2014 kimberlee

Sewing your own napkins is a really easy and quick sewing project. We usually use cloth napkins at our house. I started doing this many years ago as part of a green living movement in our home and because paper napkins are rough on your face. I also like the look of cloth napkins on the table over paper napkins. You can coordinate fabrics to go with your dishes as well as sew cute seasonal napkins for various holidays.

This is a tutorial on how to make pretty double sided napkins from cotton fabric. You will need:

1 1/2 yds of cotton fabric (quilters fabric) – this will give you 6 napkins
sewing machine that does a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch
sewing thread to match fabric
rotary cutter or sewing scissors
quilters ruler
point turner
iron

First thing you need to do is wash and dry all your fabric. I have learned the hard way that you need to do this with anything that is going to be washed or you will be sorry.

Then you will need to iron the fabric and fold it in half right sides together like it came off the bolt, before you cut it.

Cut fabric 13 inches wide by width of fabric
Cut 13 inch strips into 13 inch squares – you should be able to get 3 squares total per strip
Place squares RS(right sides) together and sew around edges using a 3/8 or 1/2 inch seam allowance – leaving a 2 to 3 inch opening at the center of one side for turning
Turn napkins RS out, clip corners, use a point turner to press corners into a point
Press napkins with iron
Set your machine to a zigzag stitch and sew using the edge of your presser foot or a 1/4 inch marking as a guide around all 4 edges – this will close up the opening you left for turning

Now your napkins are all done and ready to use and they look pretty on both sides. The napkins can be washed with your regular laundry and dried. If they are really soiled you can always soak them in color safe bleach like Oxi-clean. I do this a lot with having 3 boys.

I hope you enjoyed this little sewing tutorial. Please subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS feed for future sewing tutorials. All icons for subscribing can be found in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Sewing

Tags: home dec sewing, how to sew double sided napkins, napkins, sewing cloth napkins, sewing projects

Valentines Day Mantel

February 4, 2014 kimberlee 6 Comments

After seeing so many pretty Valentines Day mantels on pinterest lately I decided I needed to get busy and decorate mine for the holiday. I usually just put up my little heart fabric and button garland that I made many many years ago (like before I had kids) and leave it at that along with my regular mantel decor.

This year after having my husband get the Valentines decorations out of the attic I decided to pull out some things to go on the mantel. I also went to Hobby Lobby and bought this pretty flower garland. It was not considered Valentine decor but I figured I could use it now and still use it in the Spring.

As you can see it is quite simple. I used some candles on the ends. One is handmade from soy, the white one, – my neighbor makes them and gave it to us as a Christmas gift. The other is just a red Yankee candle in a large jar. I love my little heart garland that I learned how to make so long ago from a book all about holiday fabric garlands.

The picture in the photo above is a very old frame and print I have had for almost 20 years. This was a wedding present from one of my sister-in-laws. I have always loved the saying in the picture “Those who love have all things.”

The vase above is also pretty old and was a wedding gift from some friends of ours. It is a Lenox vase. I have not used it very much in the past since breakable things and a house of 3 sons do not mix so well. The boys are older now though and the vase is probably safe up on the mantel, I think.

The clock that is always above our mantel was also a wedding gift from my parents. It matches our mantel really well. I once had a friend that was visiting ask if the previous owners of our house left the clock there for us since it matches the mantel almost perfectly.

Click on Leave a Reply and let me know what kind of decorating you do for Valentines Day. Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Decorating

Tags: heart garland, hearts, mantel decor, valentines day, valentines day decorating, valentines day mantel