Christmas hats!

Sew December is always crazy! I have been mostly working with Evie on sewing, so my things have gone on the back burner. I did make a few hats for presents, and did these for my cousins....

I wanted to see if I could embroider on fleece. Not to hard, but just like applique on fleece, you have to use a bit of stabalizer. I also used a 90/14 needle. Hope they like them!

I realized I didn't post anything about my My Little Pony Hats.

This is the one that came out nice. It took me a few tries to applique fleece. I found I had to use 2 layers of stabalizer and  not forget the wonder under!

I also had to make Vasili a stocking this year, I chose rocketships!

Evie helped me make the tree skirt. She is loving sewing. We are currently working on a quilt.

Happy Sewing!!!

E is sewing!

My 7 year old has been learning to sew for a while, and these past two Saturdays has taken the kids sewing classes at Joann Fabrics! It was nice, it gave her a chance to learn from someone else for a bit, and she had time to sew where we weren't being interrupted by everything else that goes on in our house! Her first class, she made a pillowcase and this week she made pajama pants!

Her teacher was a member of the quilt guild, and taught her how to do a french seam for the pillow case. She has already started her list of things she wants to make.... I think I might have to buy her her own sewing machine!

She also started her first quilt... well, helped me get this one together for her student teacher, who is having a baby. the class is having a baby shower for her this week, and E really wanted to make a quilt for her. She picked all the fabric and helped piece most of the blocks.

All the pieces are from the stash I keep of 6.5 inch blocks leftover from other projects. I was impressed how good she is at keeping a straight seam!

This week we have a doll for her to make, and she has all the other scraps that she wants to use to make a lap quilt for herself! I love that she has chosen sewing as a hobby, it is nice to share it with her! I hope S decides to try it in a year or two also!

Happy Sewing!

Make a pin cushion cup thingy!!!

I made this pin cushion cup thingy this weekend, it was really easy! First, I found a container...

measured the height

Then around. It was 4.5 inches hight by 12.5 inches around. I cut a piece of heavy fusable interfacing the same size and fused it.

So I cut the interior piece 13 bt 5. I took the lid and added 1/4 inch around for the bottom for the interior bottom...

again, I used heavy interfacing. I assembled these pieces by making the tube, then attaching the bottom. Then I took my measurements from the cup and came up with the "ball" piece pattern. I knew I would have 8 pieces, so 12.5/8 = 1.5 plus .5 for seams, so the TOP has to be 2 inches wide. I wanted the ball to be really fat, so I wanted the center about twice that, and so it would be nice and cushiony it had to be about twice the height. I came up with this piece...

I curved the top edge and cut it on the fold. Cut 8 of these. Then cut fusible interfacing and fuse to pieces. Seem them together like you would a ball, leaving 2 openings to stuff

Now you should have 2 pieces

Pin together and sew!

Then invert and add to your container...

Cut another circle using the lid with about 1/2 inch extra to turn in to seam. press the seam allowance.

I stuffed a little bit from the bottom, then hand stitch the bottom piece on, stuff from the openings to get the shape and density you want, then handstitch those closed, and there you go!

Cowboy booties!!!

A few weeks back the quilt guild had a retreat I was able to go to, and there I found some great deals from Blackberry Patch Quilt Shop. It is a great online shop, but since she lives nearby she came to the retreat! She had Curby Closet's cowboy booties pattern on sale, and they were so cute I couldn't pass it up! She also had some great Fat Quarters for 1.25, which is always worth checking out!!!

Pointy toed boots!!

Round toed boots!

I loved this patten! It was easy and fun! I made these 2 pairs for baby gifts, and hope to have time to make a few more soon! 

Speaking of shopping, I have found out that Fabric Designer Tanya Whelan  is coming out with her book in time for Christmas! I am so excited! I first discovered her patterns and fabrics in an issue of Quilts and More, where she had a ruffled skirt pattern for little girls. I made several for Evie and Rena when they were younger! I had to search down her fabric, which is manufactured by Free Spirit. 

 

Anyway, her book can be previewed on Amazon and on Barnes and Noble website.Sew What You Love looks amazing, she is giving us little peeks at projects on her blog. Check out the bag on the cover ...

 

 

I already told Kevin he is buying me the book for Christmas :) I think the bag on the cover will be my first project!

Doctor Who Halloween!

We are done with our Halloween costumes! Now, we have a rule in our house. We make our own costumes. We start planning for Halloween about the beginning of September. Why? Well, because that is how it was when I was growing up. My dad and I would start planning and sketching things out as soon as school started. We would start collecting materials and constructing by the end of September. Sometimes my sister and brother and I would just raid the closets and see what we could find. Other times, we would spend weeks working with glue, tape, cardboard and paint to make something different.

Another reason we make costumes is because when Evie was 2 she wanted to be Ariel. I started looking at costumes and decided to make her and baby Rena's mermaid costume because I thought it would be easy. It was. It was also lots of fun, and no one else had their costumes! On the other hand, I had a friend who spent $120 on a complete Disney Princess getup. Yup, $120 for a costume. Granted, it included the wig and shoes and jewels and a Disney store deluxe dress which her daughter played with until she outgrew it, but for me, that is a lot to drop on a kids costume! We have had years where we coordinated with friends for Halloween. At 3, Evie and her friend Lio were Japanese princesses. The year after the girls were Tinkerbell's friends with another set of sisters! It's just more fun to go in groups!

This year our idea for Halloween started with Evie, who wanted to be Amy Pond from Doctor Who. She talked her sister in wanting to be River Song, and it just went from there. As you know, I am the TARDIS, Vasi is The Doctor, and Kev is being Rory.

Kev's costume is all felt, and also cost only $12 to make! The girls clothes are from their closets and a few pieces from Goodwill. We found the wig at Joann Fabrics, all their Halloween stuff is currently 60% off.


Happy Halloween!

Make a TARDIS costume

We are doing a Doctor Who themed Halloween! I finished my costume today, I am the TARDIS. It cost about $12 to make and about 2 hours!

Joann Fabrics had classic Felt on sale for $2.99 a yard for the 72 inch wide classic felt, so I bought it there.

1 and a quarter yards of blue
1/2 yard black
1/2 yard white fabric
elmer's glue
fabric paint white
fabric marker black
scrap of white fabric, cut about 6 wide by 7 high

I found a bucket hat pattern online here. But since I was making it out of felt, I cut out 2 side pieces in white and the top in black. I also cut strip and wrapped it on itself to make the top bit. Sew the sides together, then the top on, then handstitch the knob on top.

Cut a strip of black fabric about 5 by 22 for the Police Box sign. Use white fabric paint to write on.Set aside and let dry. Cut the black fabric into 6 windows 8.5 inches by 8.5 inches. Then cut a few 3/4 inch strips. cut to size and add a 4 strips spaced equally to the hat going up and down, then one around the hat about at the center. Glue.

for the body, I measured from my shoulder to my ankle, which was about 48 inches. I laid the blue fabric on the floor and pinned up the long side and the top. I found center on the top and left a generous opening for my head, then 5 inches down on the side I left an arm opening about 16 inches long. I had to cut a matching arm slit on the other side.Turn so the seems are on the inside and press up the corners.

From the white, cut windows 8.5 wide by 10.5 high. add black strips. Glue and let dry a bit. Then write the the Free for Public Use saying on the little white scrap of cotton. I used cotton because the fabric markers do not work on felt, and it was hard to paint letters that small! glue to one of the windows. Then lay everything out
.

glue in place! You're done!

bowties2 and Baby Doctor Who!

I have become addicted to making bowties! They use so little fabric and sew up so fast, and look so cute! I don't have the other costumes done, but here is Vasi as The Doctor for Halloween (I made the fez too!)

Today I found a few scraps of Penn State and Steelers fabric, so I whipped up a few more!

Then I made a few more...

I think I need to stop, there are Halloween costumes to be made and a quilt that needs finished!

Happy Sewing!

Bowties are Cool!

After last night's episode of Project Runway I grew to have a greater appreciation for Viktor Luna. At first I didn't like him. I thought he was a cold fish. But even though he is not BFF material, he is a great designer and a pretty cool guy. Super cool, because he wears bowties, and wears them well...

I will say it, Bowties are cool.  Very cool. Even the latest Doctor Who sports one!

Let's face it, the bowtie is back. It's not just for men named Orville anymore.

Here in the south, bowties have never gone out of style.  On any given Sunday, there are a few men at my church sporting seersucker suits with bowties. It's just classy. It just says Southern Gentleman.

 

Today I had to make a few bowties for Bubba. OK, so one big reason is I need a red one for his Halloween Costume. I also wanted a few others for my little southern gentleman. I found this tutorial from Prudent  Baby. There are a bunch out there, but I liked this best. I didn't use interfacing though, after the bows were sewn and pressed open, I sprayed them with stiff starch. 

I started with three double ties.

I raided my stash of fat quarters for these, and went for my vintage reproductions! Love how these turned out, so I had to try 2 or the single bows.

I think this last one is the one Bubba will wear to be the Doctor for Halloween!


I still have bowties on the brain! I have to finish the neckbands and will probably make a few more when I get a chance! Bowties make me happy!

Dress2

I was messing around with the easy jumper pattern, and raided my stash to make a little size 3 one for a friend's youngest daughter who likes frilly things.

The bodice and bottom are leftover from a quilt backing, and the skirt is from 4 fat quarters I bought at the quilt guild's retreat a few weeks ago! They were $1 each. Can't beat that for a little girls dress! The snaps are vintage mother of pearl I found in my sewing stuff.

I wanted to see if A letter would fit in the bodice, so I broke out my embroidery arm. I really should use that thing more often!I also think the pink breaks up the sea of brown a bit.

To make the bodice pattern, I copied the top half of a jumper pattern I have. It runs a little big, so I have to remember to shrink it a bit next time!

dress

I had a bit of fabric left over from the bag, so I whipped this up today! I kind of made up the pattern, tracing the top part from a jumper and then rotary cutting the bottom.


Of course, I am procrastinating with my current quilt. I am doing the blocks in steps, so it is going slow. I have also been making hair accessories!

We added buttons to Evie's yo-yo's!

Flowers made from knit fabrics. 

a bunch of lace and tulle bows.

A brocade flower.

Large brocade flower.

I had a lot of fun, and it is nice to have handwork I can do when Bubba and I are playing on the floor!

Go Mama! Diaper Bag

Sew... after doing the StudioKat Designs Quattro Bag, I decided I really like the front pouch detail. I love the Quattro bag I made, and use it when I go anywhere without kids. I still need to carry quite a bit for the bubba, so I started looking for patterns with a front pouch I liked. I found this Go Mama! Diaper Bag Pattern on etsy. Here is how mine came out...

front of bag

back of bag

side view

inside with pockets, 3 on each side.

It's always a gamble when buying patterns from etsy. You never know how well the pattern maker will explain the directions, or how well drawn the pattern itself will be. This pattern was easy to follow and well written. I did make a few changes, I did 2 sets of pockets on the inside, and instead of just folding down the top edge I lined the pockets. I also lined the back zipper pocket. I think when I do the next bag from this pattern, I might stich the front pouch into 2. The bag itself is wonderfully huge. I am totally in love with the shape and back zippered pocket. The designer only has 2 patterns for sale at this time, a cloth diaper and this bag, but I am hoping she comes up with a few more patterns!