Sassy Priscilla

Happy Halloween from the Littlest Dementor

I know it has been ages since I've blogged. I haven't been in the mood though we had a great vacation to South Dakota that I'd like to share. I even had a few Halloween projects to write about but meh. Can't explain the lack of interest in blogging. However, I couldn't resist a Halloween post.

Aidan decided to be a dementor from Harry Potter this year. I wasn't sure how to do this. I was a little sad as he's had such cute costumes in the past. He has been a kitty, frog, cardinal, black widow, mummy and Perry the Playtpus (Agent P). However, his imagination is so fun and I didn't want to steer him in any direction. 

As usual, there is no pattern for the costumes that Aidan chooses. I modified Simplicity Pattern 5512, costume E. The fabric was a nice Kona Cotton. Since Aidan wanted his face to be covered and I wasn't willing to cover his face with the Kona cotton, I did a search for black cheesecloth. Apparently, it cannot be found anywhere. I settled for a wide weave, easy to rip "creepy cloth." It worked for his three costume wearings but by the end of trick-or-treat tonight, it had a big hole in it.

Additional modifications included sewing a layer of raggedy fabric between the bottom sleeve seams. I also left the bottom unfinished and cut a raggedy bottom. I sewed some extra creepy cloth to the outside of his costume and we added a pair of store-bought skeleton hands.

I find it a real treat to be able to make Aidan's costumes. I hope that he always wants my help. My mom and dad came this evening to join us for trick-or-treat in our great neighborhood. As his costume isn't one to be easily distinguished from other ghouls, it made me feel good when Jeff commented as Aidan was running from door-to-door that he really did resemble a dementor floating.

Halloween Night : Agent P

So we had a really long week last week due to the uninvited guest. I also put off Halloween costume making until the very last possible minute. I can't blame Swine Flu as I am a known procrastinator. Swine Flu did not help. That does not mean that I didn't have all the materials ready 6 weeks ago - I did. I had the perfect color Kona Cotton for the costume.

Aidan decided to be Perry the Platypus from the Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb. Ever seen the show? It is hilarious. Jeff and I are known to watch it when Aidan is in bed. 

Not only was Aidan Perry the Platypus, he was secret agent Perry the Platypus. This means he has a secret agent hat and his eyes aren't so wonky.

Now there are no playtpus costume sewing patterns so I had to wing it. I used Butterick 3238 for the costume and hood base. Piece of cake except they neglected a major step. Isn't there quality control at these pattern companies? I winged the tail. The bill was way hard to figure out. I ended up using two pieces and some elastic to hold it on to the middle of his face but, in retrospect, should have sewn it to the top of the costume and added Perry's eyes similar to his cardinal costume (scroll down).

To top off the costume, we used Aidan's Indiana Jones fedora with black ribbon around it.

Aidan LOVED the costume. A lot of the homes we went to didn't recognize him but a ton of kids and adults trick-or-treating did. Jeff leaned over to me last night as we were trick or treating and said "this is where you get your validation" in reference to an earlier sulky conversation we had (I was the sulky one). I brushed him off until I heard someone say "that is the coolest costume ever!"

I started off the evening crabby as we had to cancel a Halloween Open House due to SWINE FLU. The costume took longer than I expected. Aidan was a pill and had been for the week. However, my mom and dad came over which always helps. We snapped pictures of a squirrely Aidan fighting off Doofenshmirtz.

Mom passed out candy and Jeff, Dad, Aidan and I walked the neighborhood. 

Our neighborhood is awesome. We have our own Trick-or-Treat time (night!) and houses go all out. The moon was near full, the air was crisp, we scuffed our feet through newly fallen leaves due to major wind these last few days. Houses go all out with spooky music, bonfires, and creepy decorations. One house even passed out Brain Shots to the parents similar to this recipe except with Peach Schnapps and Bailey's. It warmed us up, lightened the mood and was pretty darn fun.

We came home and had Cuban Rolls and a bunch of candy. Aidan could hardly calm down. When he went to bed, we heard Aidan singing this song before he conked out. Melody is similar to the Lone Ranger melody:

Halloween, Trick or Treat, Halloween, Trick or Treat, HalloWEEEEEN, Trick or Treat. Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, BOO!

Bonez : Martha Stewart Sock Skeleton : Mahar Drygoods

Not every Martha Stewart craft goes up in flames. Perhaps that is because this was created by Robert Mahar of mahardrygoods.com as linked to by marthastewart.com. Yeah, I still watch the Martha show with Aidan even after being seriously dissed by her craft department because of smoking hand warmers.  

Whew - that paragraph was full of links.

Anyway, Aidan and I were watching Martha's show and saw them demonstrate making this sock skeleton. We loved him!  Despite his sour looking face, he was actually easy to make. The only oops I had was that I bought socks with a nice yellow stripe along the toe. I'm pretty sure I specifically looked for socks without any golden toes but I must have spaced out. So I cut off the toe and made a little rounder head.

Look how lovely our tree is in the background! I'll be raking that loveliness come next weekend. Then we can depend on a barren tree for months and months and months.

Patchwork Hot Pad

This week was my friend Jeri's birthday and we went to her house last night for a lovely dinner. So I spent the morning making a gift and tried my hand at some patchwork. 

The photo makes it look wonkier than it really is. As you might be able to tell, I need a walking foot and I also need to learn how to quilt. However, I thought this turned out kind of cute.

My inspiration was from Patchwork Style : 35 Simple Projects for a Cozy and Colorful Life.  I picked this book up from the library and while pretty to look at it, I didn't think the patterns for the hot pads were that helpful. 

I used linen, some vintage fabric, fabric I can't remember what it is, and awesome Amy Schimler owl fabric. I used three layers of batting. The outside batting is the Insul-Bright used with the shiny side facing out and on both sides. The middle is a layer of cotton batting but cotton/poly would be fine since the Insul-Bright is cotton/poly and mylar.

It wasn't difficult to sew through the layers or even to turn the fabric but my lack of a walking foot made things shift a little and the top of the pad (to the left of the hang tag in the first picture) is a little bumpy. The walking foot would have been nice for the top-stitching (see the shifting stripes in first photo). Finishing with bias around the holder might give a more polished look.

I loved making the patchwork pieces. There wasn't a rhyme or reason. I cut the linen in 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 squares and made the patchwork pieces however I felt like it. Then I randomly attached them to the linen and when it came time to finish, recut my new squares to 9 1/2 x 9 1/2.

I can't wait to make more and may come up with a tutorial. Don't hold your breath.

How to Sew a Mail Carrier Bag

Today I made my little cowboy a mail carrier bag. We went to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum last month and Aidan got a kick out of mail sorting and delivering.

For the last month, I've been saving return envelopes I've received in the mail for us to repurpose. I also spent a little time researching how to make this bag. I finally found a tutorial that I based my bag creation on at Craftster. I used fabric from my stash - I think it is Robert Kaufman and it is a lightweight corduroy.

I took pictures and notes along the way as well as measurements for this particular bag. If anyone is interested in a tutorial, please let me know and I'll put one up. This was fun and sewed up quick once I had the measurements.

Quilted Hot Water Bottle Cozy

The evenings are getting chilly in our house and cold feet at bedtime are the norm. The most awesome new thing is our hot water bottle! However, those rubber things can get pretty darn hot. I decided to whip up a cozy for it. In the amount of time it took to boil the water for the bottle, I sewed up this cozy.

First of all, I bought the hot water bottle from this eBay store. It came in no time. I'm on my way to buying another one since Aidan has claimed this one! I need to find a different source -one of these started leaking at the valve and the eBay store wasn't of much help.

I looked through my stash to figure out what to cozy up the hot water bottle in and figured that the most perfect thing would be a scrap of leftover quilt. This quilt was made by my great-grandmother and it saw many better days. A few years ago I made pillows out of it for my siblings for Christmas but never made one for myself. The leftover scrap was just big enough for the cozy. Yeah - I never understood the orange yarn ties but now I dig them. I also kind of heart the rip on the cozy. A well worn quilt makes me happy.

The instructions are easy. Put your hot water bottle on your fabric or a piece of paper and trace the outside, adding an inch on all sides. When you get to the neck of the bottle where it narrows, keep drawing your line straight up rather than gathering in at the neck. This way you can easily scoot your bottle in. End your marking a little shy of the top of the bottle. You won't want your fabric to get in the way when you are filling the bottle up.

Sew up the sides and bottom of your bag using 3/8" seam. Turn under the top of the bag towards the inside about 1/2" and sew around.

Now there are many thing you can do next - use elastic, make a drawstring channel. What I did was sew the cording I used onto the back right in the middle. I did this for two reasons - 1) I was short on fabric. 2) I was short on time as I wanted to put this to bed with Aidan.

I tied one end of the cording to the cap of bottle so the cap doesn't get lost when filling it up.

This would a perfect holiday gift if you dress it up a bit or even if you use a cherished family quilt that didn't win any beauty contests.

My Little Mummy

It may not look like much but this took hours and hours of my time. It also used up two spools of thread and broke two machine needles. Perhaps it was cursed?

To think it all started from this Butterick pattern for a pumpkin.

I used an off-white fleece for the lining and then used bleached harem cloth for the 'toilet paper' as Aidan calls it. I call it mummy wrap.

Harem cloth is wonderful and can be used for sheer produce bags or in chenille projects. It is very much like cheesecloth but with a tighter weave and on a bolt. This took a little testing as I tea-dyed it. The first time I cut it into strips, dyed it and put it in the dryer with some jeans. Oops. I had gnarly, snarled grey-blue strips. The second time I tea-dyed it and then cut.

To tea dye, I used 6 lipton tea bags with about 6-8 cups of water. I boiled the water then let the fabric sit about 8 minutes. I then squeezed out the fabric and soaked it in a 50/50 vinegar/water bath for 10 minutes. I then dried it in the dryer sans jeans.

The strips were cut into 3" segments. They weren't perfect as I wanted to add to the dinge of the costume. I sewed the strips on before piecing the pattern together. I wasn't too perfect in my sewing to add to the mystique of the costume. I left some pieces of the mummy wrap hanging in the back and on the hood

It was really fun to make but time consuming. The instructions on the costume for the velcro closure were sparse and if I had more time, I would have done something different. Even though I measured Aidan and tried pieces on before sewing, I think I did something wrong because it just fits - not a lot of room for wiggle.

I got this done just in time for his school parade. Luckily, he can wear it again on Friday for Trick or Treat!

Sewing Machine Question

I got a new sewing machine for Mother's Day from the BEST HUSBAND IN THE WORLD. I don't have a picture yet and will have to blog more about it later. So we'll have to settle for this happy garden friend.

My question is what should I do with my old sewing machine? I paid $300 for it in 2004. It is a Brother computerized machine and is really a handy little machine. I have tons of feet for it, too.

Should I try to sell it on eBay? I can't find a precedent for it for pricing. At some point, a low price would make it not worth the bother to sell.

Should I get it cleaned before trying to sell it? The needle threader needs to be fixed.

Should I sell the extra feet separately? I'm basically trying to make as much money as possible to contribute towards the cost of the new Bernina.

Success! Amy Butler Stash and Dash Bags

I made these for my friend Betsy for a belated birthday present (yes - I am practically behind in everything I make). These were made using the Amy Butler Stash and Dash Bag pattern and Moda Uptown by Erin Michael fabric.

I made the Toiletry Bag and the Coin Purse. The toiletry bag pictured is actually the first one I made where I screwed up the zipper (my first zipper). With some advice from Stacy about what I did wrong (stitched too close to the zipper), I got the guts to try again and tried small with the coin purse. Success - Yay! So I made another Toiletry Bag (or clutch, IMO), added the coin purse, a matching sunglasses case (I know... tutorial needed), and a matching key fob for a present for my good friend. Wish I had taken a picture of the foursome.

I was grumbling a little bit about how Amy Butler has perhaps too much information in her patterns. Well, after the flea market bag incident, I will not grumble again. Thank you, Amy! This bag was so fun (and uses so little fabric) that I can't wait to make another again using the Paint by Numbers fabric from this line.

Hip Hip Hooray for Free Fabric : Thanks Amy Schimler

I had a lucky week and scored some awesome free fabric in a giveaway by Amy Schimler. Have you seen her fabulous, happy illustrations? She has sold her designs to the likes of Baby Gap, Hallmark, American Greetings, Target, and luckily for us sewers, Robert Kaufman fabrics.

So along with the generous 1 1/2 yards of fabric, I got a great snail card and matching jelly bellies!!!

I just love the fabric so much - it will be hard for me to find the best project to make something with. It is a real treat. Thanks so much, Amy!

Pointing the Finger

Here's the problematic bag. It looks like we got in a prize fight and everybody lost.  However, isn't the fabric beautiful? I don't know the name but it is a cotton nub or something made by Hinemosu Notari. Another good thing is that it is really long - it can be worn over the body and on your hip.

I really wanted this to be an easy pattern so I could make several but I think I'll stop at this one. I had problems making the Stash and Dash bags by Amy Butler but figured out what I did wrong (first zipper) and made a new one. Maybe I was spoiled by Amy Butler's overdone instructions.

I get confused about how to blog. If you talked to me on the phone about this, you might get a tart earful with a few sassy words. Online I tend to censor myself.

So the pattern was for the Grand Revival Design Flea Market Bag. As the bottom suggests, I had no idea how to sew the bottom corners. Perhaps it will look better with something in it. Sorry mom. I'll have something else for you for Mother's Day...

Is it Appropriate?

Quick question - I just made a bag that should have taken only a few hours but ended up taking several more due to, in my opinion, lack of instructions with the pattern.  Can I gripe about it or, because it is made by an independent designer, should I can it?

I mean, if it were a McCall's pattern, I would have any problems saying that the pattern looked easy enough but the instructions are sparse where they are really needed. There aren't even instructions that say which way is the top of the pocket to be added. Additionally, the patterns layout guide is wasteful of fabric.

I want to say all that but am leery of mentioning the designer. Her blog is in my reader - I feel kind of bad. But then again, my time and money on Japanese pricey fabric is worth a bit of a gripe...

Grrr.

Getting Ready for the Sun : Make Your Own Sunglasses Case

Unlike my car trash bag, I am kind of tickled at my sunglasses holder. It is lined with lens cleaning cloth and the outside is home dec fabric. These sandwich medium-weight interfacing. A little bias trim 2/3 down encloses the opening, which is the perfect spot to pull your sunglasses out from.

I made one for Aidan, too in Lightning McQueen fabric. He was very excited. Since his sunglasses were smaller, I shortened the length by 1”.

I plan on making more of these – if anyone is interested in a tutorial, please let me know.

Thanks Junie Moon : Sew Your Own Coupon Organizer

One of my favorite blogs to read is Junie Moon’s. June is so creative on a daily basis and very giving with her ideas and tutorials. She made a coupon organizer with a pattern from JoAnn’s and posted the pattern here.

It took very little time, I only used two kinds of fabric and it didn’t take long at all. I added a little interfacing to stiffen it up.  Doesn’t quite look as nice as June’s but it is very useful to me because it is so light and portable!

I also used her tutorial to make a seat belt sleeve. It isn’t pictured here but is made with fabric I used to make a car litter bag and sunglasses case.  You can see one I made for Aidan at right using Lightning McQueen fabric.  I made it too big as I made it for a wider belt as it turns out my belts are only 2” wide. So I took the Velcro off and did it again.  Aidan is thrilled. I made him a matching sunglasses case, too, but it is in the car as well.

Now Your Trash Can Be Pretty : Homemade Car Litter Bag

So this is what Cher from Clueless would refer to as a Monet. “You see, it's like the painting see, from far away it's okay, but up close it's a big ol' mess.”

I made my own pattern for a car trash bag. I decided to make a removable liner using PUL fabric. This is what people use to make diapers – it is waterproof and I can take it out to wash it. It stays in place with snaps in the front and back.  Because it isn’t so pretty where I sewed the snaps on, I made my first covered button to hide it! I also made my first buttonhole for the top to hang over my car lighter.

Sometimes it is hard to sew with a 4-year-old around and two cats that love to help sew. I wouldn’t have it any other way but mistakes get made and I rush, too.

With this project, I used some medium-weight interfacing and home dec fabric. I accidentally sewed the interfacing in the wrong order and had to take out all my sewing. So that weakened the edges a bit and I had to sew over a few spots again and the bottom of the bag turned out different than I wanted and, and... Well, you get the picture. So enlarge at your own risk.

I think if I sewed one again, I could make a tutorial if anyone is interested.

Recycled Vintage Linen Sewing : Fabulous Bunting

We are lucky enough to live a few blocks away from a consignment shop. I visit every few weeks and always take a gander in the vintage linens room. Every now and then I get lucky - like the time I found a vintage hand-sewn red and white quilt for $8. We snuggle under that quilt every night now.

Last visit I purchased these sweet crocheted-edge handkerchiefs (well, a little bigger than handkerchief) with embroidered flowers. You can click on the picture to see them larger and in detail. 

I simply folded these in half over a cotton cable cord and sewed close to the cord. Completed in less than 10 minutes and so sweet and spring-y!

Stuffed Seal for Mia

My friend Monica's little girl, Mia, turned one last week. I decided now was the time to use a Japanese Craft Book to make this little seal. I had some problems with the overall lack of directions and my fabric. My embroidery skills are pretty lean and I didn't want to sew on anything that could end up in Mia's mouth (the eyes were beads in the book).

However, I think this little seal turned out sweet. Mia's mom is a marine biologist (in Wisconsin? you ask) and her father is also trained in biology. They studied seals together so I thought this little seal would be perfect.

Aidan loves Mia. One day he told me that "everyone should have a Mia." It is true.

Some things I have been working on

This month I made new pillows for the couch.  Too bad I can't reupholster the couch and make soft arms on it so Aidan doesn't keep knocking himself on them. We actually looked for a new couch this past weekend to deal with this issue but our living room is setup in such a way that we can't find one that will easily fit.

I also finally hemmed the curtains we bought from IKEA. We don't have the dough to get super nice ones so I dolled ours up by adding a ribbon trim at the top that matches our living room paint. I thought I was pretty cool until I found that I didn't hem the curtains the same length.

Paper Airplane Drawstring Bag to Hold (wait for it...) Paper Airplanes!

Isn't this fabric fabulous? I mentioned that I started this bag when I got sidetracked by making a fabulous fabric paper airplane. I finished it and Aidan loves it!

This bag is now part of our clean-up routine so Aidan's airplanes aren't littered all over the house.

I love making drawstring bags. I made this bag using a pattern in Nancy Zieman's Sew Gifts with Love. I really like Sewing with Nancy. She's a local gal and very clever and a good teacher. I have to admit they usually use some ugly fabric (what is up with all the batik, too?) but the tips are fabulous. She had a great episode on making your own chenille that I really loved. Plus, they always do some kind of creative kindness segment. So sweet.

Anyway, the pattern is easy and fun and I would use it for all but small drawstring bags.

Valentine's Day Heart Yo-Yo Garland

I can't take any credit for this one. Though I supplied the fabric and the heart yo-yo maker, my mom went to town with the yo-yos and made me this garland. Isn't it lovely?

We are in the Valentine's Day spirit around here. Mom and I made wreaths using yo-yos though mine has been made fun of a bit and I won't mention in what way but you can view it for yourself.

Aidan and I made hanging paper hearts by cutting out three hearts, folding them in half and gluing each side to another heart.  He drew leaves on his - so cute!

Aidan's been making presents like crazy and wrapping them to boot. It is kind of exciting! He made me the sweetest valentine, too.

Even Mucha and Toulouse are getting in on the action.

Valentine pictures here and below.

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Valentine's Day Hanging Heart Garland

I saw a Valentine's Day Heart Garland tutorial on One Hour Craft and decided to make my own and I love it! I opted to make mine from fabric rather than paper.

I used 4" toile fabric squares and fused two together using fusible interfacing web. I then cut out the hearts and pinned them to freezer paper.  I sewed down the middle of the hearts and also added a ribbon on the top so they could be hung.

A more detailed tutorial, plus more descriptive pictures is in the sidebar to the right and here.

It was a lot of fun, easy, and fast. Thanks One Hour Craft!

Caribbean Map Drawstring Bag

Yesterday was sweet Joey's 13th birthday. Long ago, I purchased the Dangerous Book for Boys, the world's coolest boy book. 

To go along with his present, I thought I'd get him a handkerchief and a Swiss Army Knife (um, chocolate as he already has the real thing being a Boy Scout) as part of the list of things boys must always have. I meant to also get a needle and thread but forgot.

When browsing the
handkerchiefs, I came across this Caribbean map one. I bought two and quickly made a drawstring bag to wrap his gift in. I really liked how it turned out! Along with the mapkerchiefs, I used twill tape to tie it.

I'm going to mention Sewing with Nancy (again) as my favorite drawstring bag pattern is from a book of hers. So easy and neat. I'll do a tutorial of that again some day, too.  I used that tutorial for the awesome bags I made for Aidan's birthday.  Oops, clicked on that link and saw something I started and never finished (again).

Custom Dog Leash, er Puppy Leash

I gave this gift early. Couldn't wait! It was one of the most useful presents I have made (though I really try to only make useful stuff with a few exceptions).

I got this pattern from Anna Maria Horner. I used Amy Butler fabric - I hope that isn't a bad thing to do to Anna Maria, it was the longest cut of fabric I had on hand.

It was very easy. The most difficult thing was going to 3 different hardware stores to find the clip.  The second most difficult thing was sewing on the binding. I always have trouble with that.

I used 7/8" canvas strapping. I made the binding strips 1" instead of 7/8" as the pattern suggests. Next time, I'd go even a little bigger on the strips. I'll also buy colored strapping.

The intended recipient in the blurry picture is my parent's puppy, Scarlett. She is as cute and sweet as can be.

Jersey Scarves

I don't know why I can't take clear pictures anymore! Sorry these are fuzzy.

Anyway, I made these scarves using striped jersey fabric. I embellished with flannel and fleece snowflakes. Can you tell they are snowflakes? My close-up shots were too fuzzy to publish here.

I was inspired by scarves found on Etsy. I can't find them anymore or I would like to link to them - they were so cute. The seller had made little houses and gnome-y kind of stuff. She really did an awesome job.

I bought two yards of the jersey and cut them the length of the fabric so the scarves are two yards long (or whatever they shrunk up to after pre-washing). I cut to double the width I wanted (I'd say these are 7-8" so I doubled and added a little room for seam allowance).

I made a snowflake template and sewed it on and embellished with lines for the flake part. You can't tell here but I used two colors on the lines of the flakes.

I folded in half length-wise and stitched along the edge. I left the bottom undone so it could roll-up on its own.

A change I would make - I would have the folded edge be the back of the scarf. 

Two questions I have :

1. If I wash these, what will become of the felt snowflakes? The jersey and fleece are pre-washed. 
2. Who will wear these? I would wear one but I don't know if anyone in my family will like them!

Chenille Christmas Scarf

I made this chenille scarf for a Christmas gift. Have you ever made your own Chenille? It is pretty fun. I learned about it on a Sewing with Nancy TV segment. More information here.

If I get a chance to take pictures during the process, I will definitely show a little tutorial.

You use 1 1/4 yards homespun type of fabric. This is a woven fabric that has the fabric pattern on both sides. You can do it with other fabrics and the effect can be neat but definitely not as nice. Do not use flannel - you would think it would be softer but it isn't at all.

You will also need something to cut the fabric with - I highly recommend the Olfa Chenille Cutter. I think they also used electric scissors on the show.

It is complicated to explain but the gist of it is that you will be sewing on the bias. You fold your fabric in a manner so you can cut on the bias and make 6" layers. You will need 5 layers - this you can get out of the fabric.  The middle layer is left longer with two outer layers on both sides.

You will then sew even channels along the fabric (see the ridges in the scarf?) When complete, you will cut the outer two layers of fabric on each side.  Wash and dry and poof! A nice, soft, fuzzy scarf.

Sorry these instructions aren't explicit.

I really like the Sewing with Nancy show. I learned a lot from the shows when I first started sewing a couple years ago. She and her guests usually make ugly stuff but her techniques and knowledge are first class. Plus they feature Creative Kindness segments which show crafters using their skills to help those in need. You can tell that Nancy is a nice, gentle person with a good heart. Plus, she is a kick-ass business woman from my neck of the woods.

Wee Wonderfuls Santa Gnome

I made Mr. Gnome from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern. Aidan saw me looking at a picture of the project online one day and yelled "Santa!"  Of course, I immediately bought the pattern and picked out Santa colors. I think it is adorable.

I had some problems and one of the worst kind with me trimming a little fabric and cutting a hole in Santa's beard! I hate to say it but I fixed it with a zigzag stitch... I knew if I had to start over it wouldn't get completed. It is fairly obvious where the fix is if you've made the pattern.

I mostly used fleece as wool felt is hard to find (and pricey) and that might have contributed to problems I had. I also wish I had time to practice a new technique rather than jumping in.  Hilary made it very easy to understand, I don't think I'm as experienced of a sewer as I would like to be.

I had difficulty sewing 1/8" seam because my needle doesn't move to that small of a seam and I couldn't see where I was stitching. Finally, something happened with my tension when I was sewing the front and back together (bird's nest). It took forever to undo!

That being said, I know Aidan will love him and will overlook any flaws made out of love.

More pictures here and below.

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The Black Widow

I finally have a better picture of Aidan in his costume. He was sick on Halloween.  We had trick or treaters come and he finally couldn't stand it and said he'd like to go. He didn't last long but it was enough to get the experience.

Our neighborhood goes all out on Halloween and it is fun. They even have a costume contest that I submitted this photo for.  Our close neighbors gave special treats to Aidan which is so nice and sweet.

After we got home, I got sick and am still feeling out of it. We missed Aidan's cardiologist appointment because of it and have to go next week.

See that door hanging open in the back? It is getting replaced next week.  Hooray!

I can't believe we still have flowers blooming in November. Yay!

Happy Halloween from the Littlest Black Widow Spider

Here's Aidan on Monday at his nursery school costume party. I didn't have a lot of time to stuff it (it needs to be stuffed with newspaper). So he is a bit of a droopy spider.  Plus, it might be a little big on him.  Tonight, I will get better pictures as our Trick or Treat is this evening.

I made this costume using Simplicity 3593 (see at right). Aidan requested that he be a tarantula but that made me think of that fuzzy fabric which I used to make his cardinal costume last year.  I gently convinced him a black widow might be fun!

Changes I made included adding an extra set of legs so that, including Aidan's limbs, there would be 8 legs. I put the hourglass on the belly and added the eyes and chompers (chenille pipe cleaners that sewed in nicely) to the hat.

After the jump, I have pictures of Aidan's last two costumes that I made. He was a cardinal last year and a frog two years ago.

 

Silly and Sweet Pockets for Aidan

Aidan started nursery school this week.  Sniff.  To overcome my bit of heartbreak, I used the opportunity to make him a special outfit. 

I used an easy pants pattern that had patch pockets on the outside. Because the ticking fabric I used is woven and the inside and the outside are the same, I turned the facing of the pocket to the outside (I hope I am saying this correct). I sewed twill tape and stamped the words "silly" on one pocket and "sweet" on the other.  I left the edges to fray.

I then cut out fabric in the shape of an apple and did a similar thing with his top. This time, I used the word "happy" and sewed the apple to an Old Navy shirt.  Again, I left the edges to fray.

Aidan loves his new outfit. He wore it Monday and asked to wear it again today!  It was easy, unique and fun.

More pictures here and after the jump.

Wee Bunny for a Wee One

Yay - I actually sewed something!

Today I was supposed to have a rummage sale.  However, Aidan had Nursery School orientation mid-morning, I had to have a blood test, and the sky looked ominous.  So the sale is put off until tomorrow.

I used the free time to be a little creative using Hillary Lang's WeeWonderfuls wee bunny pattern.  I made it for a wee one (couldn't resist having another "wee" in this paragraph) who is yet to be born over in Denmark.

The pattern was perfect for an afternoon of sewing. It doesn't use much fabric, is easy and fun! Mine is a bit bunchy and his ears are droopy so I guess he matches the bunny in our yard that I have nicknamed Van Gogh for his split ear.  My embroidery skills could use some perfecting.  Made with fleece and fabric remnant and a pom pom tail, he is perfect for a little baby.

I put a bell around his neck, added a tag from everyjotandtittle and he is good to go!  I uploaded pictures to Etsy and added him to the weebunny group.

Fabric Folding Your Way to Happiness

So this isn't the best picture but I was having a heck of a time getting a good shot.  I saw a great way to fold fabric to make more space on the Happy Zombie blog and spent a few hours rearranging my fabric stash.

Basically, you take a quilting ruler (mine is 6" wide) and fold the fabric over it. I'd take pictures bu t Zombie's pics are really great.

Though it still looks a little messy-neat, it is pretty organized for me. The top two rows have a lot of my fabric (bins and bins in the basement store more...). I have fabric squares on the second shelf to the right.

The third shelf contains my projects. They are bagged up with all the necessary fabrics and ready to go.

The 4th shelf holds my patterns. Most of them are neatly organized in a Silver Comic Book sleeve with acid free boards. I bought mine from an eBay seller--100 of each for about $17.00 shipped. They are a great way to store patterns.

The bottom shelf (not shown) hold my serger, sewing machine and thread.

I'll try to take a better picture to post.

Apronalooza

Next week is Apronalooza according to Nan.  I'm not sure what that means but I am hyped!

I'm in Love with Buntings : Aidan's Birthday Bunting

Tomorrow my baby turns 4. Hard to believe. I had this bunting idea in mind for a while and, as usual, procrastinated until the very end to make it. I was inspired by Miss Woolly and bought the bunting pattern from her Etsy shop.

I searched for fabric online and really fell in love with Moda's Peas and Carrots collection. I was lucky to find the fabric at my local quilt shop and right next to it was this great alphabet fabric. I picked some up and put Aidan's name on the bunting.

Things I did different:

I used wonder under to attach the letters to the birthday banner and the number "4" to the year banner.  I sewed around the edges. On the birthday banner, I also turned in the edges before attaching Wonder Under and sewing but didn't do so with the number banner.

I added a mid-weight interfacing between the layers of each flag.

I used pre-made bias binding rather than making my own.

I changed the size of the flags on the year banner.

I can use this banner every year and then change the number bunting based on Aidan's age and also the party theme. This year, the birthday theme was Lightning McQueen:

More pictures after the jump.

Amy Butler = Holly Hobbie?

I see that Amy Butler is coming out with a new design book in October. I was immediately struck by how much the book's cover image looks like my girlhood friend, Holly Hobbie.  I had a Holly Hobbie doll, bedroom and once had a Holly Hobbie birthday cake!

Frankly, I can''t describe what Holly Hobbie's appeal is but I still love her and wish I had a little girl that I could make a doll for. In fact, I have a few vintage embroidery and transfer patterns in my stash just in case...

I adore the hat on the cover (Amy's cover, that is) and assume it is the same one as her Blue Sky Hats sun hat pattern. I'm half-way done with a hat using this pattern and love it!! I can't wait to finish it and share it here and wear it.

Update: Did you know that there is a real Holly Hobbie according to Wikipedia? Dang, I didn't know that. She's an American writer and illustrator. And, of course, Holly has been updated for today's girl and doesn't even wear patchwork or bonnets. I guess those clothes blended well in the 70's when I was a tot.

Happy Easter Little Lambkin!

Introducing Bond. Baa Bond.

I really didn't mean to influence Aidan using my obsession with Daniel Craig. We really did come up with names like Lambie, Louie, Shep.  In jest, I mentioned Bond and it stuck.

This little lamb has been a bit of a thorn for me but had a really happy ending.

I started him using vintage chenille (you can see on the front there) and following a 1944 pattern.  For me, vintage patterns and vintage fabric don't mix. I make mistakes and ripping vintage fabric ruins it.  Thus the reason Bond's head is a little cocked and his coat is mixed.

So I used some handy fleece to help with the job.  Vintage satin is used for the ears, vintage buttons for the eyes and a nice silk ribbon is tied around his neck.  My first grade embroidery skills are used for his nose and mouth and branding Aidan's name on. Thus the reason Bond's mouth is a little cocked.

I made this to give to Aidan as an Easter surprise. However, he saw me "embroider" his name on and starting squealing with delight because he realized it was for him! He was so excited he ran around the room.  Mommy shed a little tear. Aidan snuggled with Bond all night.  Thus, the happy ending.

Crazy Quilt or Just Sewing Challenged?

Well, I'm bummed at how my pictures turned out but happy with my little quilt! I made this for my mom's birthday using a quilt pattern included with the Moda Wuthering Heights Tin kit.  I used binding tips from Heather Bailey.

I'm very pleased at how fun it was to quilt and how it turned out. I've been teaching myself how to quilt and I get confused a lot.  This was done with Paper Piecing which was a great technique.  I'll be happy to describe in detail how I did it upon request.

I embellished with vintage buttons, trim, and ribbon.

However, I'm concerned with the binding. The front turned out great but I didn't like seeing my stitches on the back - I couldn't find an instruction for dummies that spelled the stitching out for me. I'd really like it if anyone who quilts could give suggestions. My picture is at right but it may be difficult to see my stitches.

Oh yeah, I don't really know how to do any quilting stitches so I just made it up.

The good news is I think my mom liked it.

Does Anyone Like This?

My mom and I, in another failed attempt to sell in a craft show, made tons of primitive items, including this Primitive Crow.  I call him Russell.  They were a lot of work--coffee and tea stained, painted, sanded, sewing, crying. Not a one sold.  I like it though my house isn't filled with primitive type things.  So my question is do I have bad taste, is my work bad, or is everyone else an idiot?

Do These Things Work?

I don't think anyone is reading my journal yet but I have hopes that some sewer stumbles across it.

I had some problems with making Craig's Apron. For the life of me, I couldn't turn the tubes to make the ties for the waist.  I finally gave up and made flat ties by turning in the raw edges and sewing on the outside.

Nancy's Notions carries these handy tube turners called Fasturn but they are $27 a pop. Is it worth it?  I'd have paid that amount one evening in my frustration working on the apron tubes.

Here's hoping some sewing gadget lover like myself can offer an opinion.

Craig's Apron

Click on any of the images to enlarge.

Look who came to help when it came time to take pictures. This is Mucha (moo kuh), our Siamese kitten. We aren't sure of his age as the people who sold him gave a much, much younger age than the vet who now thinks he is about 7 months. Who cares? He is adorable, sweet, and funny!

I made an apron for my brother, whose birthday is tomorrow. He loves to bake and I wanted to make something special for him. This is Jeff modeling it as my brother lives in Seattle.  Jeff had a sourpuss face on when modeling it which is why I cropped his head off.  That sounds kind of mean after re-reading it but it is too late as his head is now in photoshop heaven.  I should have lined up the pocket in looking at it but I kind of like the effect (perhaps saying this because it is too late...)

I made a matching towel using a bit of leftover fabric and a new flour sack towel (purchased on eBay).

Here is the finished product.  I used a McCall's pattern (can't recall the number right now). It was OK but I am so new at patterns, I'm a bit confused by a few things as the instructions (to me) seem a bit vague.