Punkin Patterns

Wonky Star Block and buttons

2012-01-28T12:36:00.000-06:00

I whipped up this wonky star block for a block exchange. I've never made one before -- it was easy and quick (gotta love wonky). I may have to make some more for me!

Also I've updated the tutorials page. It appears I was very behind on adding some buttons to some of my more recent tutorials. So check them out if you missed them!

Easy-Peasy Skirts

2012-01-18T17:05:00.000-06:00

I have a lot of mom friends who don't sew. I'm always surprised at their fear of sewing. So this tutorial is for all those mom's who need a little help with an easy project -- or for the seasoned sewer looking to use up some fabric from your stash!

This simple skirt tutorial will work for any age (children through adults). The skirt is made from one (or two for the adult) pieces of fabric sewn together with an elastic waistband.

I'll show a few examples of simple variations you can do, but there's so many things you could do to make it unique! You could also try a patchwork skirt by simply sewing your leftover fabric together to make a larger piece.

Start by measuring the waist and length for your skirt. For my daughter, her waist measured 20" around and from her waistline to just below the knee it was 13". You can make your skirt any length you like, but I like it a little longer. To make it a nice full skirt we'll double your waistline measurement (if you want it less full, multiply it by 1.5). To the desired length, add a total of 2.5" (1/2" for the bottom seam and 2" for the top elastic casing).

So here's the dimensions for your fabric piece.

Width = 2 x Waist measurement

Length = desired length + 2.5"

If your desired width is wider than your fabric (most fabrics are 44" wide), you can sew two pieces together.

I like to use 1" wide elastic for these skirts. To determine the length of elastic you'll need, start with the waist measurement and subtract one inch. This will hold your skirt in place nicely.

The Basic Easy-Peasy Skirt.

To make a basic skirt, start by sewing your fabric together to create your side seam. Start by putting your fabric right sides together and sew with a 1/2" seam allowance (black line in the photo). Finish the edge with a serger or zig-zag stitch to prevent fraying (white stitches in the photo).

Alternatively, you can use a French Seam which will hide your raw edges and look very professional. This type of seam does not work well for thick fabrics. So if you're using something thick, like corduroy or denim, you should use the method above. Quilting weight fabric is about the thickness I would ever use a french seam for.

To make a french seam, start with your fabric wrong sides together and sew with a 1/4" (or less) seam allowance.

Turn the fabric and press your seam flat so that the right sides of the fabric are now together.

Sew along your seam with a 3/8" seam allowance.

This catches the smaller seam and traps it inside - so your raw edges are completely encased. Iron your seam down flat against the fabric.

Hemming the bottom.

Fold the raw edge at the bottom of the skirt up 1/4". Press. Fold up an additional 1/4" and press.

Pin in place and sew in place with a seam close to the upper edge of the fold.

Finish the top.

To make the casing for your elastic, fold down the top edge 1/2" and iron in place. Fold down again 1.5" and iron. Pin in place. (If you're using elastic other than 1" wide, you'll need to adjust this size by adding 1/2" to the width of your elastic. So if you're elastic is only 1/2" wide, add 1/2" and then your second fold would be 1", not 1.5".)

Sew around 1/4" from the bottom of the folded edge leaving an opening of about 3 or 4 inches unstitched.

Place a safety pin at one end of the elastic and start feeding it through the hole you left in the casing.

When you've gotten the elastic all the way through the casing, pin the two ends of the elastic together with a 1" overlap.

Sew in place.

Tuck the elastic into the casing and pin.

Sew seam closed and you're done with the basic skirt!

Variations:

Add a little bling!

One of the simplest ways to add a unique touch to your skirt is to add some trim (or bling) to the bottom of the skirt. You could add lace or ribbon or little tiny pompoms like these!

I added the pompoms before I did the side seam, when the fabric was flat so that the ends of the trim are hidden in the side seam.

Add a simple stripe.

To add a stripe at the bottom, determine your stripe width (I added a 3" stripe at the bottom) and subtract that length from your top half piece and add 1/2" to the length of the top piece and add 1" to the length of your desired stripe.

Place your stripe fabric and top fabric right sides together and sew with a 1/2" seam allowance.

Finish the edge of the seam by serging or using a zig-zag.

Iron the seam down (towards the stripe). Photo shows the opposite way.

and topstitch in place.

Continue sewing the skirt stitching the side seam next and then finishing the bottom and top.

Adding some embroidery.

Lastly you can add beauty to simple, plain fabric by adding a bit of embroidery. Here I used Sashiko a type of Japanese embroidery which is simply a series of small, evenly spaced running stitches sewn in repeating simple geometric designs.

The stitch I've used here is a variation of Seven Treasures where two rows of the stitches are made and
horizontal lines were stitched above and below to encase it. To add the design, I made a small sketch of the design on paper and sandwiched it with carbon paper against the fabric. I traced the design leaving the impression on the fabric. I repeated this all the way around the fabric. Then I started stitching. It took a little while (after all the full width of the skirt is 40"), but I love it!

I added the embroidery before I added the elastic, but after the bottom hem was stitched. Of course you could do something much simpler -- a simple running stitch around the skirt or a flower or two poking up from the bottom!

Let me know if you have any questions and Happy Sewing!!

Featured and a Peek

2012-01-17T10:02:00.000-06:00

I just found a great new site (well, they found me to be exact). Today my Table Setting Placemat is being featured on SewCanShe.

It's a great site with lots of beautiful tutorials. You can sign up for an emailed newsletter so you can read about the great tutorials featured at your lesure. When I find a new tutorial I love, I like to pin my favorites to my Pintrest account! So simple.

Stop back tomorrow for a new tutorial!! Here's a peek. . . . .

Another Doll and a Dress for a Twin

2012-01-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

If you read my post yesterday, you'll know I made a pair of "twin" dolls and dresses for my daughter and her cousin. Here's another doll and dress for one of my goddaughters who actually IS a twin!

For her birthday, I made this cute Tag-a-Long doll (from the Wee Wonderfuls book) and a matching A-line knit dress (from Lil Blue Boo).

Happy Birthday Katherine!!

Dolls, Dresses and Twins

2012-01-13T11:07:00.000-06:00

My daughter and niece were born a mere six weeks apart. It's so much fun to treat them as twins sometimes with the matching pj's and clothes. They love to play with each other and play house together and even play "mommy" together. For Christmas, I couldn't help but to make these two little dolls for them.

The doll pattern is the Tag-A-Long doll from the book Wee Wonderfuls. It's a great book filled with cute dolls and things to make. I know I'll be making a few more from there.

I changed a few things on the doll. First I made the legs out of felt instead of cotton and for the dresses, I used knits instead of quilting fabric so that the doll's dresses would match . . .

these dresses. I used Lil Blue Boo's A-line dress pattern and made simple versions to match.

The girls loved the dolls and loved their matching dresses!

Poinsettia Wreath

2012-01-10T20:33:00.000-06:00

Many years ago, I purchased a little kit for my mom which included everything you needed to make this cute Poinsettia wreath out of ribbon.

Well, my mom loves flowers and ribbon so I thought she'd have fun making it. She loved it, but had no time to make it. It stayed on her craft shelf for years and I'm sure she had forgotten about it.

Just after Thanksgiving, I picked it up while she wasn't home because I thought it would be fun to surprise her and make it for her so she could finally enjoy it.

Connor was fascinated by how I took ribbon, cut it just so, and made it into flowers and then into a wreath. He thought it was very beautiful!!

When I told him it was for Grandma, he started crying asking couldn't we please keep it. I explained to him that it was already really Grandma's, so no, that wouldn't be right. We compromised by letting it hang in the house for a couple of days before we'd deliver it to Grandma.

Well, my mom loved it, but when she heard about how much Connor wanted it, she immediately gave it to him. It made him so happy and of course that made her happy too which made me happy too!! . . . It's funny how happiness comes in unexpected ways.

Scrappy Wonky Pouch

2012-01-06T13:59:00.000-06:00

I hate throwing away little scraps of fabric -- especially if it's from fabric I love and let's face it - that's pretty much all I buy. I saved these tiny scraps from a quilt I made for my niece last Christmas (you can see that here). I just couldn't let them go. They are just way too cute. So I started sewing them together and voila. We have a scrappy wonky zippered pouch!

Pieces were sewn together to create vertical strips. Then I used the Quilt as you Go method to join together the vertical pieces of fabric making sure that the horizontal pieces were offset from each other. Each section of fabric was a different width and not sewn completely parallel to each other-- hence the wonky.

The inside was lined and the same fabric for the inside was used for the back of the pouch.

I think it turned out great. I filled it with a bit of candy (including the biggest Smarties I've ever seen!!) and wrapped it up for my niece for Christmas.

Dolly High Chair

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I was little, I had a doll high chair I used to play with a lot. I loved it. As I grew older, it got stored away in my parent's basement sitting and waiting for a granddaughter to play with it. I've had it in my basement for many, many months waiting to be fixed. It had a completely broken tray (so much that it needed to be completely replaced - hence the months of waiting).

Well I managed to get my husband to help with this one. He picked up a piece of wood according to my specifications on one of his trips to the hardware store. I drew out the shape onto the wood with a pencil. He cut it for me. (Although I'm capable of cutting it myself, I knew that if he cut the wood, it would take him 3 minutes, there'd be no cursing, and way less sanding.) He handed me the piece of wood. I sanded it a little and stained it. I put a quick coat of varnish on it and he helped me attach it the the high chair.

I tried to mach the stain as best as I could. I couldn't bear to paint over the lovely yellow details on the back of the high chair. The color is off a little, but she doesn't seem to mind.

Gwyneth really liked it and her dolly "Big Baby" did too.

Jana's Bag

2012-01-04T07:44:00.000-06:00

I wrapped up some great fabric and gave it to my eight year old niece as part of her Christmas present with a note saying I'd give her a little sewing lesson. She's asked me a few times before to teach her how to sew, but we just haven't gotten to it what with her in school, and also in circus school and unicycle club (which she does really well at!). Anyway New Year's Day rolled around and she just couldn't wait any longer - she came over with the fabric and we set to work!

What I had in mind was a simple, unlined tote bag. Great for a first project - simple, quick, and easy. Jana had other ideas.

I wanted to have her make something she wanted so we made the bag she envisioned. It is super cute, lined - even with a pocket on the inside and a loop and button closure! I know she didn't quite understand a few of the steps as we were going along, but when she started turning things right side out, all the lights turned on, so to speak, and she started seeing her bag.

For this bag Jana did 99% of it by herself. Towards the end of the two hours of sewing, she wanted to go play with her cousins, but she still wanted to finish, so I helped a little. She learned how to use an iron, pin fabric together, use a rotary cutter and mat, use a sewing machine, and sew on a button! More than that, I think she's gained a new appreciation for hand made things. On more than one occation, she commented "So, you do all this work with everything you make??" Yup. "Wow."

She did great at all of it! I think she was a little nervous about using the sewing machine, but she was getting the hang of it. Perhaps she'll comeback and we'll make something simpler next time, which I'm sure she'll be awesome at!! Great job Jana!!

Peg Doll Love

2012-01-02T21:59:00.000-06:00

I think I've been bitten by the peg doll bug. I first saw these adorable little princess peg dolls over at Lil Blue Boo and later the boy versions. So cute. Later I saw that Jill over at Handmade by Jill added a few more boy peg dolls. Again so cute. Well it's Christmas break after all, so I took a day off from cleaning and working and blogging and just sat at the kitchen table and made these!

For Gwyneth:

There's Ariel, Jasmine, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, and Rapunzel.

And for Connor:

We have a knight, Peter Pan, a pirate, Spiderman, Superman, Buzz and Woody.

I definitely love the boy versions more. They were much more fun to paint! Connor looked at them and said, "But mom, you forgot Batman." They both loved them and couldn't wait until they were dry to play with them (even without Batman).

Gwyneth got in on the painting too, however her princess were a bit larger

and still a work in progress.

I think these peg dolls might see some more friends soon. . . .

Quick Christmas Dress

2011-12-30T22:11:00.000-06:00

I vowed this year not to make my kids new Christmas clothes. Gwyneth still fit nicely into her dress from last year and Connor had a matching tie, so there was no need. Of course in the days approaching Christmas, I decided to make Gwyneth a fun t-shirt dress for one of the many parties we were going to.

The pattern used was the Sienna pattern from Lil Blue Boo. The reindeer was from here and transfered onto the interlock via a super soft transfer peper from Dharma Trading Co. I really like that transfer paper -- I see more projects with it in the future.

I managed to finish the dress quickly (about an hour) and Gwyneth really loved it!

Puppet Theater

2011-12-29T16:03:00.000-06:00

We're slowly recovering from Christmas here - getting the house back in order and finding new homes for all the toys. I wanted to pop in and share with you one of the last-minute Christmas gifts I made for the kiddos! This little puppet theater was definitely my favorite thing I made for the holidays and it was an instant hit with the kids.

The basic theater came from Oliver + S, "Little Things To Sew". I used a dark brown canvas for the main portion of the theater and added some colorful, fun bunting! I didn't think I'd have any time to make puppets before Christmas, so I picked up a nice assortment at IKEA.

The puppet theater is held in place in a doorway by a tension rod, so it's easily taken down and stored. I think I may need to make a little drawstring bag for it to keep it tidy when it's not in use.

Although it may be up for a little while, the kids seem to be enjoying it far to much right now.

Christmas Snapshots, Day 25

2011-12-25T05:30:00.001-06:00

Hoping your Christmas is filled with

LOVE

and

JOY

Merry Christmas from Punkin Patterns!!
Thanks for reading!

Christmas Snapshots, Day 24

2011-12-24T22:11:00.000-06:00

Christmas Snapshots, Day 23

2011-12-23T13:37:00.000-06:00

Santa

Christmas Snapshots, Day 22

2011-12-22T21:23:00.000-06:00

Christmas Stockings

Christmas Snapshots, Day 21

2011-12-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

Baking (with Love)

Going Fishing

2011-12-20T13:01:00.001-06:00

I'm not making a lot of Christmas gifts this year. Two years ago I went a little (temporarily) insane and made ALL of our Christmas gifts, yes, ALL. All I have to say to that is . . . . never again.

This year my handmade list is much more manageable, however I am behind. I've been trying to get Connor and Gwyneth's gifts done before they're on break because I can easily work on the gifts for their cousins while they're around. Well, Gwyneth is officially done now. Connor still has two more days of school. I just finished up Connor's yesterday. Here it is.. . .

a fishing set!

The fishing set is made from felt using the Bugga Bugs pattern found here. I made my fish plain (no eyes or other embelishments, however now that I'm looking a the photos, I'm rethinking it. . . . We'll see.)

The fishing pole really works and the fish all have NiB magnets in them and the hook too.

I really liked the look of the woven basket.

There was quite a bit of hand sewing and finishing, but I love how it turned out.

Just look at that catch!! Must have been a great day at the fishing hole!

Christmas Snapshots, Day 20

2011-12-20T10:21:00.000-06:00

Christmas Past

My mother and her grandfather, circa 1950.

Christmas Snapshots, Day 19

2011-12-19T07:00:00.002-06:00

Ornaments

Christmas Snapshots, Day 18

2011-12-18T21:42:00.000-06:00

Advent Wreath

Christmas Snapshots, Day 17

2011-12-17T08:35:00.000-06:00

Holidazzle

(The Holidazzle is a parade of lights put on every year in downtown Minneapolis.)

Mug Rug Exchange

2011-12-16T10:31:00.000-06:00

Last night I met up with a few of the other Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild members and we exchanged mug rugs for Christmas! You can see the one I made here. I got this beautiful one made by Nikol, owner of one of my favorite fabric shops, Sewtropolis!!

You can see she has some fabulous fabrics to work with. I love it! Thanks Nikol!

Christmas Snapshots, Day 16

2011-12-16T10:20:00.000-06:00

Wrapping Paper

Another Mug Rug

2011-12-15T13:16:00.000-06:00

So I woke up early this morning and after my husband left for work, I started work on this little mug rug. I was able to finish it just before I had to get up the kiddos, so it was a great way to start the day.

Here's the back:

This mug rug was made all from scraps. (I love that!) I went a little crazy with tiny quilt lines again. They're 1/8" apart and form two triangles that meet on the diagonal and continue into the center.

This mug rug is headed off to be exchanged tonight for another at the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild meeting! Can't wait to see what I get to bring home!

Christmas Snapshots, Day 15

2011-12-15T12:57:00.000-06:00

Warm Woolen Mittens

Christmas Snapshots, Day 14

2011-12-14T17:23:00.000-06:00

Christmas Lights

Christmas Snapshots, Day 13

2011-12-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

Eggnog

Scrappy mug rug

2011-12-12T13:32:00.000-06:00

I made this little mug rug with some scraps a few months ago. I'm still trying to catch up on old projects. I used this mug rug as a test for a larger project to see if I liked how it came together. This is actually my very first mug rug.

I went a little crazy with super tiny quilting lines, but I love the effect!!

Christmas Snapshots, Day 12

2011-12-12T13:00:00.000-06:00

Candy Canes

Christmas Snapshots, Day 11

2011-12-11T21:21:00.000-06:00

Kids' Christmas Tree

(decorated by my kiddos: Connor, age 6 and Gwyneth, age 4)

Christmas Snapshots, Day 10

2011-12-10T12:03:00.000-06:00

Hot Chocolate

Christmas Snapshots, Day 9

2011-12-09T07:00:00.002-06:00

Waiting

Christmas Snapshots, Day 8

2011-12-08T10:55:00.000-06:00

Christmas Wreath

Quilt as You Go (or the pillow that has waited very patiently to be finished and shared with you)

2011-12-07T15:06:00.000-06:00

I made this little pillow many months ago. Once I completed the top, it was left in a pile to be completed. I finally put on a back and a zipper. Then it sat for a while longer. Finally I took pictures of it back in October and here I am in December finally sharing them with you.

It's a small pillow (12" x 12") that has found a permanent place on my kids rocking chair. Don't worry the rocking chair is not sitting in the snow now -- it's inside, of course.

The pillow top was sewn using a technique that I had heard about, but never tried. It's made using the quilt-as-you-go method -- which is exactly what it sounds like. Here's how you do it:

Grab a piece of batting. You start in the center and sew your fabric directly onto the batting, quilting it right away.

To add a second piece, lay it down right sides together matching the edges of your fabric together and sew a seam.

Fold the fabric over and iron it.

Now quilt in place.

Continue until your batting is covered.

This method works well for small projects like pillows, doll quilts, mug rugs and maybe even a baby blanket (if you're brave). I have heard of people quilting smaller sections like this and then sewing the batting together to create a much larger quilt, but I've never tried it. This method is best with log cabin blocks or stripes - but of course you can be creative and have fun!! I quilted each section of this pillow with a different style of quilting (wavy lines, diagonal, zig-zag, straight lines - so many possibilities).

Christmas Snapshots, Day 7

2011-12-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

Elf on the Shelf

Christmas Snapshots, Day 6

2011-12-06T12:51:00.000-06:00

St Nick's Day

Christmas Snapshots, Day 5

2011-12-05T13:22:00.000-06:00

Shopping

Christmas Snapshots, Day 4

2011-12-04T09:28:00.000-06:00

Letters to Santa

Christmas Snapshots, Day 3

2011-12-03T11:14:00.000-06:00

Reading Christmas Books

Christmas Snapshots, Day 2

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Fresh Snow

The Strawberry Shortcake (Cake)

2011-12-01T14:26:00.001-06:00

Gwyneth's birthday was just over a week ago. She's now four years old. She can count to 109 (after that she says it gets boring), she can write her name, add single digit numbers, button her coat, read a few books, and be a great helper. She loves pink, dancing, coloring, her brother, princesses, and Strawberry Shortcake (who wouldn't love a pink doll???).

For her birthday she wanted a pink Strawberry Shortcake Strawberry Cake with real strawberries. I did a quick google search and found this recipe from Paula Deen. I've never made a cake with jello in it (pudding yes, but jello no). It was interesting. It tasted good and the kiddos ate it up.

We had a small party with her cousins -- nothing lavish or outrageous, but fun. There was cake (and cupcakes too), music, dancing, balloons, fairy wands and light sabers (yup, you read that right) and lots of laughter.

To make the cake I just used a bundt pan and stuck a brand new Strawberry Shortcake doll in the center. I added extra icing in the center to hold her in place and pinned her hair up in an updo so it wouldn't get in the frosting. Her dress was coated with pink sanding sugar and an hour before the party I added fresh strawberries to the dress.

Christmas Snapshots, Day 1

2011-12-01T07:00:00.004-06:00

Today is the first day of December. Only 25 more until Christmas. I know my kiddos will be asking that almost every day until the 25th. Inspired by a countdown of Christmas photos I saw last year, for the next 25 days, you'll see a photo or two every day of something that reminds me of Christmas or the holiday season. Don't worry, during the next 25 days there will be normal posts and tutorials mixed in too!

So for Day 1 . . . .

Poinsettias

Pleated Lace Headband

2011-11-28T15:59:00.000-06:00

I'm reposting this tutorial I did over at WhipUp a couple months ago -- just in case you missed it.

Today I wanted to share with you a very simple project: a pleated lace headband. Super simple, but so elegant! It's a very easy project, perfect for a beginner or the seasoned pro.

It's great for little girls or big ones too!

To make a pleated lace headband you'll need lace, a headband, fray-check, glue (either hot glue or fabric glue). You'll also need a sewing machine (or needle and thread). Note: You could substitute fabric for the lace cutting it about 1" wide or to your desired width and then fray-checking the raw edges if you desire.

We'll start by pleating the beginning of the lace (as shown) with your hand.

Place the pleated section under your pressure foot and start sewing slowly down the center of the lace (alternatively you can sew down the pleats by hand). Continue pleating the lace as you go by lifting up a section of lace

and fold it down so the fold goes under the pressure foot.

Keep going until you have a length of pleated lace 2 inches longer than your headband. You can use fray check on the ends if you like.

Using hot glue or fabric glue, place a line of glue along the center of the headband making sure you wrap a small bit around the bottom. Continue all the way around.

You can add a bit of buttons or small ribbon flowers if you like.

And you're done!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T12:40:00.000-06:00

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was quite busy. Even though I didn't host Thanksgiving dinner this year, I ended up with a very busy day.

This little pilgrim dress I made for Gwyneth on Wednesday. She had learned about the Mayflower and pilgrims in pre-school and wanted to have a dress like them. This is my version of a pilgrim dress.

I made it out of brown and cream interlock knits. The shirt portion was made from a modified Lil Blue Boo t-shirt hoodie pattern. The neckline was kept simple.

I added a skirt to it and a built in apron. Pay no attention to the turquoise leggings and pink crocs. I'm sure all pilgrim's had those. :)

The bonnet was made from inexpensive felt using the pattern from Martha Stewart, although hers used paper and glue and I used felt and sewed it into place.

Gwyneth was so excited to wear this on Thanksgiving she wore it almost all day on Wednesday.

Well, Thanksgiving morning came and I woke up early to clean up a bit around the house then the kids and I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (well, about half of it). They lost interest and started making necklaces (according to Connor: "like the Native Americans").

I began working on a last-minute centerpiece for the table. I wanted to make my own version of the Mayflower similar to one I saw here - of course mine only cost about $3 to make. For this I made my own pattern and it came together quite well. The center dowel holding the sail is being held up by a plastic cup filled with home-made play-doh.

Just as I was finishing this up, I got a call from my mom. She needed a ride to urgent care - so my lovely husband stepped up and while I was gone he made the stuffing, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts. It turned out that my mom had pneumonia - so she ended staying back at her house after and my dad, brother and sister joined me and my husband's family for thanksgiving dinner.

When I arrived at dinner Gwyneth plopped down in my lap. She sat on my lap most of the evening. She had a little fever. She's ok, but spent the majority of yesterday in my lap or my husband's napping and hanging out. She's fine now.

I found these photos on my camera. Connor had taken photos of the four pies I made for Thanksgiving, because he knew I didn't get a chance when I ran off to bring grandma to the doctor. Wasn't that sweet of him?? He did a pretty good job. (If you're wondering the pies were apple, cranberry chess, and two pumpkin).

My husband and Connor took advantage of the unusually warm weather here to hang the Christmas lights outside the house. They looked great.

Connor now has a fever, but happily playing Rocket Math on the iPad behind me.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the weekend. Despite all of the unexpected changes to the day, our Thanksgiving was really nice. We enjoyed the company of family and had delicious food!

Groovy Hoodie

2011-11-16T05:00:00.007-06:00

Connor is in need of a few new shirts. I thought he'd love another hoodie.

The pattern is Lil Blue Boo's t-shirt hoodie pattern. It's hard not to think about what Ashley's going through right now. Ashley - our thoughts and prayers are with you for a speedy and full recovery.

The guitar interlock knit is Groovy Guitar from Michael Miller (with the coordinating light blue and black). I used this same fabric on a set of pajamas for a friend's little boy. You can see those pj's here.

Connor really enjoyed his new hoodie. Somehow, the front collar was laying funny while we took photos, but it does lay flat. Really, it does.

Have a great day!

What do you do with yards and yards of tulle??

2011-11-15T05:00:00.008-06:00

Make a tutu - that's what you do.

In less than a week, Gwyneth will turn four. One of her favorite things to do right now is dance or should I say spin and spin and spin and spin to any music. So the perfect gift for her is a tutu.

The instructions for this tutu came from Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson. I don't think I've ever sewn with this much tulle in my life (and I can safely say, I probably never will again.) Although the pattern is quite simple, it was definitely a two person job to get all of the layers (and multiple yards) of tulle layed out and pinned together right.

I love the colors. There's a very light yellow-brown on the top, with various shades of dark to light pink underneath.

The ribbon I used was satin instead of the recommended grograin. I knew it would be more difficult and might slip more, but it was the perfect color. I kept the tails of the ribbon long too, because she loves ribbon right now. It actually turned out similar to color as what's in the book. I would have loved a tutu like this when I was little. I hope she likes it!

A Little Wall Love

2011-11-14T07:08:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago I was contacted by the company Walls Need Love offering me a chance to try out their wall decals and share my experience. Well, I totally jumped at the chance. They have a large selection of vinyl wall decals. I had such a hard time deciding what to try. I knew which ones I really liked, but then I had to choose the colors --- well I had to decide where to put them first so I could figure out what color I wanted. Another tough choice. Well, I finally decided and I love them!

The first one I chose was Love Bird Branch in Chocolate. The decal was quite large, measuring 24" x 48" and used transfer tape - basically the vinyl was sandwiched between two pieces of tacky paper to help you transfer the image without distorting it when you put it on. This was definately a two-person job. Thankfully my husband was home at the time and helped out (and Connor too).

I did have trouble with a few tiny spots where the decal didn't stick. It sort of bubbles up, but they're two tiny spots that probably wouldn't bother a normal person. I just smooth them out every time I walk by.

I chose to have a doorway frame the decal. This is the view when you come in the front door of my house. Nice effect.

The other choice I made was for the Bamboo Wall Decals in Warm Grey and Grey. The Warm Grey is the larger size shown (36" x 18" sheet) and the Grey is the smaller one shown (24" x 12" sheet). These were very simple to put on - just like stickers. Peel and stick. That's it.

There was a lot of flexibility to this decal since each segment of bamboo and each leaf is put on separately. I cut a few so that the images wouldn't all line up and be the same height.

I put these in a little nook in the kitchen - under the decal is a small built in desk where the kids have all there coloring and drawing supplies. I choose the colors warm grey and grey to coordinate with the clock we have hanging there. I think it looks really nice. I also chose to wrap the decal around the corner.

Gwyneth really liked this one. As I was putting it together, she recognized it as bamboo and immediately ran off to get her panda bear . . . . so he could have a snack!

Walls Need Love has kindly offered you (my lovely readers) 20% off everything on their site. Simply use this coupon code: novblog20. This code will expire 12-01-2011.

Adding Grommets

2011-11-09T05:00:00.002-06:00

Adding grommets to your sewing can be a simple way to add style to a project. They can also add function (to hold a strap for a bag, for example) while doing it in a unique way. There are two types of grommets: metal grommets (my favorite) and there are also so snap-on plastic ones. My experience with the plastic grommets isn't quite as positive. Although they are easy to install and you need no tools - just cut your hole and a simple snap together and it's on, I've found it can easily snap apart or the fabric slips out from between the two pieces or maybe that's just me. Needless to say, the metal grommets add a certain style the plastic ones cannot.

Adding metal grommets is quite simple. Purchasing a kit to start is the best because it will contain two tools you'll need. In your grommet kit you'll get an anvil and a setter(your tools) and also several washers and eyelets. You'll also need to grab your hammer.

Lay the eyelet piece down where you want your grommet to be and trace a circle inside it to mark where to cut.

Cut out the marked circle on the line you have drawn. A really sharp pair of scissors helps here.

Next place the anvil on your concrete surface with the eyelet on top so the eyelet sits in the groves of the anvil and will stay in place. Make sure you do this on a concrete floor or outside on your driveway - it can damage your table or other soft surface. I do mine on a small section of concrete flooring in our basement (simply because eight months out of the year there's snow outside).

Place your fabric (right side down) on top of the eyelet letting the eyelet push through the hole. The hole should be just large enough for this.

Place the washer on (prong side down).

Place the setter inside the eyelet and hammer to secure the grommet. It may take several hits with the hammer - it just depends on how aggressive you are.

Remove the setter from the attached grommet. Sometimes it can get a little stuck, but a gentle push from the front side will help it come out.

And there you go! A perfectly set metal grommet to add style to your sewing project.

Details: The project featured in the photos is Connor's Messenger Bag.

Recovering a Chair

2011-11-07T13:34:00.000-06:00

We have two folding chairs that sit in our (my husband's and mine, that is) office. He sits at his computer with one - me at my sewing machine or serger with the other. They're functional, but they were in need of new padding and covers. Recovering a chair is very simple and I thought I'd share with you how you do it!

First unscrew the cushions from the chair frame.

With a pair of pliers, remove all of the old staples holding in the old fabric cover and throw it away with the old foam that was used.

Cut a new piece of high density foam or similar to the size of your seat.

Wrap the chair bottom (with cushion) in the new fabric and secure in place using a staple gun. Make sure your staples aren't long enough to go through the seat bottom (usually 1/4" works well for most chairs). For a chair that will be used a lot, a home-decor weight fabric is best.

Secure the corners well, making them smooth on the finished side.

Trim any excess fabric and re-attach with your screws to the chair base. And your done!

Repeat on the other chairs too!

Candy Corn dress and Owl in the moon Tee

2011-10-31T15:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween everyone! If you're like me, you've already broken out those Halloween treats and are snacking (a bit) while working today. This morning I think I had candy on my mind. I woke up early and made this little candy corn dress for Gwyneth.

She can't wear her costume to school, so I thought it would be fun to send her to school in a festive dress. To make the dress, I used three cheap ($3) t-shirts and cut them up. I used another dress as a pattern for this one and it came together quite nicely.

Connor couldn't be left out of the fun. He also couldn't wear his costume to school, so I painted on this cool moon with a tree branch and owl on it using freezer paper and fabric paint. (A tutorial on painting with freezer paper can be found here.)

I showed it to him when it was all done and he thought it was SOO COOOL! (Yay!) I can't take credit for the image. It was totally inspired by this one I saw on Pintrest. (Gotta love Pintrest.)

Oooo..... spooky!

Gwyneth decorated her pumpkin this afternoon too! It's a friendly vampire. She even added a cape (from a piece of felt) and just pinned it in with two of my sewing pins.

Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!

Cinderella

2011-10-30T18:01:00.001-05:00

Gwyneth wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween this year. Awesome for me since I made her a Cinderella dress for her birthday last year.

Thankfully I made the dress big. It fits much better now.

We picked up some blue sparkly "glass slippers" at Target

and I took a broken tiara and gave it some new life.

And we have our beautiful Cinderella waiting for her pumpkin coach!

Smurf Spotting

2011-10-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

While walking in the garden the other day, I spotted what I thought was a smurf running by. . .

He slowed down to get a better look at me.

Once he realized I was a friendly human, he stopped to be polite.

After a minute of staring at me, he ran off into the trees.

I followed him, but I think he got scared and pretended to be a tree.

So I left (but left my camera behind). . . .

Maybe it was jokey smurf. But I'll probably never know for sure.

The Details: Smurf costume made of anti-pill fleece in white and "smurf" blue. No pattern. Just used a shirt and pants as a guide then a couple of fittings later . . . we had a smurf costume. Velcro closure in the back. Feet are covered crocs to give it a larger foot (like the smurfs), mittens for blue hands, of course, and a lovely smurfy hat! Happy Smurf Halloween!

Simple Green Hat

2011-10-24T13:41:00.000-05:00

I finished up this simple knit hat for Connor. I used Spud and Chloe organic wool/cotton blend yarn - which was fabulous! I was following this pattern (too cute, right???), but Connor simply loved the plain green hat. It sat unfinished for a few days because I wanted to make sure he just wanted it plain - with nothing on top. Yup, he did. OK, so I the finished hat.

Three days later he asks me if I've already started on his "other" hat with the alien eyes. Ummm.... No.

Update: Perhaps he knows me too well, because I've started a second hat.

Hobo Sack #2

2011-10-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

You saw the hobo sack I made for Gwyneth, well of course I had to make one for Connor.

His was slightly larger than the original version in the tutorial (which you can find here). I had two fat quarters that Connor had picked out on a trip to my local fabric store (from last January, I believe). We were saving them for a fun little project.

A perfect bag for some of his favorite little toys!

Hobo Sack

2011-10-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

Before we left on our vacation this summer, I wanted to make small bags for the kids to bring any little toys they wanted. I knew exactly what I wanted to make:

The HOBO SACK!

This little sack, designed by the talented Dana of MADE was the perfect size and I just loved the use of knits for the drawstring.

I love how it turned out. I used a patchwork fabric I had leftover from this dress. I love using up those scraps!

It's the perfect place for all those little treasures!

Little Kiddo PJs

2011-10-10T19:47:00.000-05:00

It's the first day of Elsie Marley's Kids Clothing Week Challenge (or KCWC). If you're unfamiliar with it, it simply challenges you to work for one hour each day for a week on making kids clothing. With two little ones, this is a great challenge for me. While I have not yet had a chance to sit down in front of the sewing machine (yet) today, I did have this little pj set I made a few weeks ago I haven't yet shown you.

I made this set of pj's for a friend's little boy who just turned one! I made the set an 18 month size so he'd have a little room for growth. The top was made using Lil Blue Boo's t-shirt hoodie pattern (minus the hood).

For the pants I used another 18 month size pants that I dug out of the kids old clothes as a rough guide and just went from there. The pants are made from interlock knits and has an elastic waist. I did add a bit of contrast to the bottom cuff to match the top.

. . . And my favorite - I added a little color to the back at the butt.

The details: The guitar interlock knit is Groovy Guitar from Michael Miller (with the coordinating light blue and black). The dark blue knit in the pants is from my stash.

Are you joining in the KCWC?? What are you working on?

In Print

2011-10-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

Well, Punkin Patterns is now officially in print. The German kids magazine Kleinformat has published the tutorial for making Connor's Messenger Bag. I just got my copy in the mail yesterday!

It was really exciting. Ok, I've been in print before. First a short story in a book when I was in high school (which was cool, because you could actually buy the book at Barnes and Noble), then journal articles in college and graduate school, but I doubt you're the sort interested in articles published in the Journal of Chemical Physics . . . . am I right??

Anyhow..... still cool. It impressed my husband.

This actually came at the perfect time. I'll be teaching a class on making this bag at Sewtropolis this Wednesday. Anyone in the Twin Cities area interested here's where you can find the details. I'll also be teaching a class for the Sweet Tooth Pouch on the 21st - more details here.

Well, the weather is gorgeous here. I'm off to fold my laundry (next to some open windows) and work on a quilt later tonight when the kiddos have gone to bed.

One More Summer Hat

2011-10-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

It seems that summer is trying desperately to hold on. It's a warm 82 degrees here. So I thought it would be fun to whip up one last summer hat.

The pattern was from "Oliver + S Little Things to Sew". Love this book!

I made a few of these before, (which you can read about here, here and here) but they're so cute and so much fun to sew - I just wanted to make one more.

This is probably the last summer hat you'll see for a while, although definitely not the last thing from that book! The only question is which project next???

Have a great weekend!

Autumn is Here!

2011-10-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

Autumn is here. We are busy enjoying the last of the beautiful weather before winter inevitably sets in and the ground will be covered with snow for the next eight months.

So you'll have to excuse the lack of posts lately. We've been busy enjoying the outdoors-

taking little hikes,

enjoying the changing leaves,

and the lovely sunsets.

Of course the kitchen is filled with aromas of baking pies! Or an apple galette in this case. . . .

and even a green tomato pie!

Yup see the green tomatoes inside (pre-baked) - sorry no picture of a cooked slice. They were devoured by my family too quickly.

Although I think I see more green tomato dishes in our future.

With the changing weather, I've also been bitten by the knitting bug that seems to be going around.

Connor is anxiously awaiting it's completion. Hope he'll like the surprise at the top! (You'll just have to wait to see too!)

On another note, the winner of the MyMemories software is (as determined from random.org) Kreatita who said "I like the vintage victorian papers a lot!" I'll be emailing you shortly with the details. Thanks to all who entered.

Now back to my knitting, baking and the beautiful weather!

Sewing Creatively

2011-09-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

A week ago I was lucky enough to get a chance to go to a day of the Creative Connection here in St. Paul. I jumped at the chance. It's a great place to meet new friends and be inspired. While there, I was fortunate enough to take some sewing classes with Patty Young of ModKids. Yup! I was so excited!

Patty was teaching classes for her sun and surf tote and also her french window pillow cover. I signed up for both. They were so much fun! Patty was so nice!

In the morning class, (which consisted of four of us) - we tackled the sun and surf tote. This is such a cute tote! So simple. No one actually finished that morning, but later in the afternoon, I managed to finish it up.

All of the fabric we used that day had been generously donated by Michael Miller fabrics and were from Patty's Sanctuary fabric line.

The afternoon class tackled the French Window Pillow. This was an easy project to finish in the time allowed. I also got to meet Jana of Izzy and Ivy designs and Char of Crap I've Made. Both ladies were super nice and made the class really fun!

Here's the final pillow front. . .

The back has a simple envelope closure. I've never actually sewn a closure for a pillow like this before, I've always just used an invisible zipper.

I love the details.

My husband was totally surprised when I came home and had a finished bag and pillow. I think he was impressed with what I could do without the kids around or housework to ~~distract me~~ do.

Aside from some great freebies - including an olfa circle cutter and a new cutting mat, I did come home with a couple purchases from the marketplace.

Needless to say, it was a fun day!

Pleated Lace Headband

2011-09-22T08:33:00.000-05:00

I'm guest blogging over at whipup today! Go check out my tutorial for a simple pleated lace headband!

Digital Scrapbooking Software and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Scrapbooking is an art form that I never really go into. Sure like most artistic venues I tried it. But I didn't find it as rewarding as other mediums like sewing - I think I LOVE fabric far too much!

When I was recently contacted by someone from MyMemories, offering me a chance to try out their scrapbooking software, I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be fun - and it was. I really enjoyed playing with the backgrounds and the different options. Here's a few samples of what I came up with.

I even went through old some pictures from my trip to Paris (when I was 16). Classic views of Paris. Hmm.... needs some journaling though.

I think I still really like to keep it simple.

Well, the kind people over at MyMemories are giving away a copy of their digital scrapbooking software: My Memories Suite v 2.0.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

To enter simply visit their site at MyMemories.com and take a look at their extensive collection of digital papers and come back here and tell me which one you like!

For additional entries you can follow My Memories on:
Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Then come back here and tell me you follow them in a separate comment.

Make sure you leave your email address in the comments!

Giveaway will end: 9/28/2011 at Noon (CST). Good Luck!

If you can't wait: You can use this Coupon Code STMMMS20103 to get your copy of MyMemories Suite v2.0 that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!)

Happy Scrapbooking!!

Little Camera Pouch

2011-09-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

For Christmas last year, Connor received his very own Camera from a good family friend. He loves it! I love looking at all of the pictures he takes! It's so much fun to look at the world through his camera! Well, just before out big trip I whipped up a little pouch for his camera.

I used a scrap of fabric from his backpack (the cars), a scrap from this hat (the lining), and leftover bias tape which I made for these placemats. I love using scraps! The decorative button is made from recycled milk bottles. (I love that!)

To construct the pouch, I simple quilted together the lining, batting and exterior fabric together. Then added the seam binding. Super simple. I gave it a simple velcro closure so it's super easy for him to get to the camera in a hurry to get that great picture.

A Flag, a Winner and a Note

2011-09-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

Connor just joined cub scouts. He's in his first year (Tiger) and my husband volunteered to be Den Leader. Having achieved the rank of Eagle Scout himself many years ago, he was filled with ideas for the boys. The first on the list was a flag for their den that the boys would decorate using fabric markers. It would be their flag that they'd proudly display at den meetings and pack events.

I stitched up this simple flag using Kona Cotton in Snow. The final dimensions are 24" by 36". The flag pole is upcycled from an old broken lamp. It conveniently unscrews into three pieces for easy transport and is hollow in the middle, so it's nice and light.

The boys loved it! But I'm told it's not done being decorated yet. I'll share pictures when it's done.

And now for the winner of the crepe paper giveaway. . .

#1 : Pink Granny

Winner chosen at random using random.org. Thanks to everyone who entered. There will be another AWESOME giveaway later this week so check back! I know you'll want to enter.

One last note. . .

There's still a few spots open in the Messenger Bag Class I'll be teaching at Sewtropolis on Thursday, 9/22. More details can be found in this post. There has been interest in a larger version of this bag. The class will also cover making a larger version which you will see here on the blog soon and which you'll also be able to see in the shop soon.

Braille Art

2011-09-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I wanted to make something for him that was a little different than my usual presents for him. I won't deny that the events of 9/11 were on my mind yesterday when I started working on this. I had rummaged through some old maps and came across this one of North America and all I could think of were those old hand embroidered wall hangings saying "Home Sweet Home" that used to be so common in homes (or at least on TV show homes). So, that's sort of how this came about. For those of you who didn't know, my dad is blind. And so, I wanted it a bit different. I chose to spell out "Home Sweet Home" in braille using brads on this old map.

I started with a map (which was upcycled from the back of an old day planner).

I marked out the words Home Sweet Home in braille (using an on-line English-Braille Translator) - because even though I learned the braille alphabet as a kid, I really don't remember it well. I taped this down to the map using low-tack tape.

When the holes were punched, I removed my pattern (and tape) and started adding the brads and setting them. I added a heart shaped brad where my dad lives.

Once done, mount your art. I cut a piece of foam board the same size as the map. I used some spray adhesive and wrapped the foam board with the map (like a present)

Here's a view from the back.

Secure that to your backing with spray adhesive.

Return it to the frame (without the glass) and display!

Perfect Little Girl Backpack

2011-09-07T12:15:00.001-05:00

Gwyneth started preschool yesterday. She was very, very excited - and ready to go! I whipped up this little backpack for her on Monday.

The pattern I used was the penguin backpack from Liesl Gibson's, Little Things to Sew. It came together beautifully and quickly. I love that the backpack was lined.

The fabric used was Hopscotch from Free Spirit designed by David Walker. I used the lining fabric for the straps which gives it a nice look.

The pocket had a bit of the pink fabric too along with the circle of friends fabric - which you may remember from another dress.

All ready for school!

4,044 miles. 4,191 photos. 2 National Parks. 2 National Monuments. 3 cave explorations. and A GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-05T18:59:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I'm back from a lovely trip with the family. Where did we go you might ask??

Well, we started off here in the Twin Cities and headed for Mount Rushmore, next we headed off to Yellowstone, and then to Craters of the Moon in Idaho. After that we headed north to Glacier National Park and came back home via North Dakota to visit some friends.

I won't bore you with lots of pictures (right now at least), there is a whopping 4,194 of them. Yes, I really did take that many photos in 2 weeks which boils down to about one photo per mile of our journey. I haven't even cracked the surface with them, but here's two of my favorite's from Glacier:

I'll share some more of my trip and some photos a bit later (when I've had a chance to sort through them a bit.) Right now I'm spending a bit of time with my sewing machine (making a backpack for Gwyneth who starts preschool tomorrow!)

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

I'll be giving a lucky reader these four packages of crepe paper in leaf green, french vanilla, whisper pink and pink. Each package contains one sheet that measures 20" by 7.5'. These are perfect for making flowers, banners, or anyting you want. Each person can have up to three entries. Here's how:

Entry #1: Comment on this post (about anything!)

Entry #2: Follow my blog (through blogger or Google Reader or whatever) and tell me. Leave a separate comment stating that. (Already a loyal follower, just let me know.)

Entry #3: Follow me on facebook or twitter, come back here and tell me you're a follower in another comment.

Thanks for reading! Good luck.

(I'll keep the Giveaway open for 1 week - Sorry, open to US and Canada only.)

A hat for Gwyneth

2011-08-20T07:46:00.000-05:00

OK, I know it's another Bucket Hat, but she needed one too.

I love this cute hedgehog fabric! And the reverse a simple solid red.

I'll be taking a break from the digital world for a bit to spend some quality time with the family before school starts. Back on Labor Day with some GIVEAWAYS!! Thanks for reading and all your great comments. They mean a lot to me. See you soon!

Back to School

2011-08-15T07:57:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year. The weather will start to get cooler soon and the leaves will start to change color - it's back to school time. I already have most of the kids' stuff together - Connor will be in first grade (oh my!) and Gwyneth is starting pre-school. I'll have a whole two hours every day to myself! What will I do with myself??? . . . I'm sure I'll find something to occupy my time.

I'm going back to school . . . . sort of. I won't be a student. I'll be teaching . . . sewing classes! First on the list is Connor's Messenger Bag!

Sewtropolis, in south Minneapolis, is hosting this lovely class. It is a fabulous fabric store and sewing studio where owner, Nikol, is always ready to help you coordinate fabrics or just give you inspiration for your next project. There's a great working studio with all you need to sew your next project. If you stop in, you might just get to see Skilos her beautiful dog too!

The class will be Thursday, September 22nd from 6 - 9:30 pm. More class details can be found here along with a full list of classes offered at the studio. You can register on-line or call Nikol at the store. Can't wait to see you there! Happy Sewing!

Another bucket hat

2011-08-09T14:32:00.000-05:00

As soon as I finished Baby G's Bucket Hat, I started a hat for Connor. I choose two green prints (his favorite color) and made it the largest size. It fits nicely.

This robot/rocket print we've had for about a year now. I took Connor with me to Crafty Planet once, and he really loved this fabric so I bought a 1/2 yard and it's been sitting in my fabric stash since then waiting for the perfect project.

He absolutely loved the idea that it was two hats in one. I showed him the hat and he said, "Wow! Is that for me?" I showed him how to turn it inside out. "That's so cool! Mom, you made a neat hat!". Thanks Connor. Glad you like it.

Reversible Bucket Hat

2011-08-06T08:58:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I picked up a copy of Liesl Gibson's Little Things to Sew. It's a great book with beautifully designed projects and amazing photos. I could easily see myself making every project in this book!

First on my list was the reversible bucket hat. I had a cute little boy in mind when I made this one. It was easy to sew and beautifully designed (as all of Liesl's patterns are).

For this hat, I actually used the same fabric that's on Baby G's bedding - made from the scraps. (Always a great feeling to use up those bits we save and save and save!)

This little hat was my way of thanking Baby G's daddy who helped my husband fix the air conditioning on our car. It went from totally not working to so nice and cold! (and only cost us about $40 for all the parts including a new compressor and new coolant!!)

Baby G seemed to love his new hat (and his Mama really did!) I had no idea she was in need of a new sun hat for him (since he had just outgrown his old one) and she loved the fabric. It's such a great feeling making something for a friend who loves what you did AND can really use it!

I made the hat 12 - 24 month size (he's almost 12 months) and it fit perfectly!

Well, with a new sun hat, we all headed to the kiddie pool to have some fun!

You might be seeing a few more of these hats in the future. . . .

Comic Book Art

2011-07-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

This little project was totally inspired by Connor. After all, when your six-year-old starts cutting up a comic book to save his favorite pictures, what else is there to do but turn it into something cool.

This is a really quick project that you can easily get your kids involved in. It's a great upcycling project which reuses newsprint and those old comic books that are falling apart.

You'll need:
a comic book (that you don't mind cutting up)
scissors
a canvas (any size)
mod podge and paintbrush (or roller)
black and white comics (from the newspaper)

Start by cutting out some of your favorite images. (It's great if you can tell a mini story with your selections.)

Arrange them on the canvas to decide how you want it to look.

Set the comic book pictures aside and start laying down a layer of mod podge on your canvas. Get the sides covered too. I like using a small roller to lay down an even layer of mod podge - that way you don't get brush strokes in your finished project!

Lay down your newsprint on top, wrapping it around the sides and to the back of the canvas.

For the corners, just wrap it like you would a present. They'll look really nice (like this).

Cover your newsprint with another layer of mod podge and let dry a bit. (Top and sides)

Add another layer of mod podge on the top and start arranging the comic book pictures. Add a layer of mod podge on top of that when you're done. Smooth it out with your finger or brayer or a bone folder, if needed.

Let dry completely. If you'd like you can add another layer of mod podge, to completely seal it in. And you're done!

Oops.....

2011-07-21T11:13:00.000-05:00

Sometimes projects don't always turn out the way we expect them to. This little t-shirt for Connor started as this

a simple little striped shirt (picked up from Target). I thought it would be fun to put a few cars in that large center stripe. I used my car template (previously used for making stamps) and cut out some cars onto freezer paper.

I started painting, finished and returned a bit later to check on it.

I had a glass of water nearby.

Ugh! . . . Don't ask why.

Although there was very little water in it, when it tipped over it spilled onto part of the t-shirt. Ok. I thought, no big deal.

Well. . . .

the paint was still damp.

So when I pulled off the freezer paper, this is what I saw:

I'm sure my little guy would have still worn it, and loved it, but not me. What bothered me most is feeling like I wasted a perfectly good shirt.

I had to fix this.

After some thought, I decided to add a bit of knit yardage to perfectly fit over that tan stripe in the middle. I carefully cut it out to size and just sewed it right over my painting mishap with a zig-zag stitch around and there we are!

A fixed t-shirt. A happy boy. A satisfied mom.

Perhaps I'll try another little car shirt, but this time NO water nearby.

Playful Puppy

2011-07-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

A week ago, my little boy turned six! I can't believe it! Connor's always wanted a puppy, but we don't really have the space a dog needs and I'm very allergic (cats too). So, when I saw this little puppy pattern over at Bugga Bugs, I just had to get it for him.

It was quite easy to sew, although aside from a bit of the puppy, most of it was hand sewing. I love the details. The cute collar and tag

and even a little bone for his dog dish.

I love how the legs attach so that you can let them move and pose him!

Needless to say, Connor loved him!

Taking the Plunge

2011-07-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I've finally done it! Punkin Patterns is now on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest.

Come follow me . . . if you want. ;D

Also. . . .

Here's a peek at what's sitting on my cutting table this week . . . . Vintage Sheets!

Doll Mattress - how to make one for any size doll bed

2011-07-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

Since we Gwyneth repainted my old doll cradle, her poor dollies have been sleeping without a mattress.

Well, we had to remedy that!

I designed this simple mattress with fun details - piping and fabric covered buttons!

So here's how to make a cute doll mattress for ANY SIZE doll bed or cradle:

Start by measuring the length and width of your doll bed. (Mine was rather long and narrow, 18.5" long by 6" wide.) We'll just call these measurements L and W. Determine how high you want your mattress to be. The cradle was rather deep so I chose to make the mattress 2" high. We'll call your height measurement H.

Keep in mind the final mattress keeps it's shape well. You wouldn't even need a doll bed if you didn't have one! A mattress on the floor would be an excellent simple bed for a doll.

So now that you have your final desired hight (H), length (L) and width (W) of your doll mattress, we can figure out how big your fabric pieces should be. Using a 3/8" seam allowance, we add 3/4" to the height and length. So we need to cut two pieces that are L + 3/4" by W + 3/4". (For me that's: 19.25" x 6.75".)

The final piece to cut gives the mattress it's height. To determine the size of this piece, the length will be the same as the perimeter of your top piece plus 3/4". The perimeter is determined by adding the length of all sides. P = L + L + W + W OR P = 2L + 2W. (For me that's: P = 18.5 +18.5 + 6 + 6 = 49) Now add 3/4" to that. This is the length of the side piece. The height will be whatever you want (I made it 2" plus 3/4".)

Now that we have our pieces, we can start sewing. . . . . Yay!

Add piping to both the top and bottom pieces on the right side of the fabric. To see instructions on how to add piping, go here.

Make sure you go all the way around, and finish it nicely.

Set those pieces aside and grab the side piece. Sew it into a loop (with a 3/8" seam allowance.)

Pin the side to the top piece (right sides together) and sew around following the piping sewn line. For further explanation, see the piping tutorial.

Be careful at the corners so you don't get any puckering.

Sew on the other side of the mattress, making sure to leave a few inches for turning.

Turn right side out and stuff with fiberfill. To make a sturdy mattress, stuff rather well, our buttons will help shape it a bit later.

Hand sew the opening closed.

Next figure out how many buttons you want to add - mine looked good with eight 1/2" buttons, but you can use however many you like. If you're using fabric covered buttons, cover them with fabric. Since I used store-bought piping and wanted the buttons to match exactly, I purchased quilting binding in the same color and just used a bit to cover the buttons.

Grab some thread and a very long needle. I used a doll needle, but any long thin needle will work.

Determine where you want your buttons and mark those spots with a pen.

Sew on your buttons, sewing all the way through the mattress, pulling the mattress together a bit with the thread so that the buttons are a pulled a bit inward. This will help shape your mattress.

And your done!

When Gwyneth saw the final result she said "Ohhh, Big Baby has a mattress . . . but Mom, she needs a pillow too." :D

Don't forget to add your photos to the Punkin Patterns Flickr pool!

How to sew in piping

2011-07-06T07:00:00.093-05:00

Adding piping to a seam can make a beautiful statement. It can add an interesting splash of color to an otherwise dull seam. I'm going to show you how easy it is to add piping to any seam. First off lets look at some feet.

The foot on the left is a zipper foot. Most sewing machines come with a zipper foot. This can be used to put in piping, so no additional feet are needed. But if you're willing to invest a few dollars, you can get a piping foot (shown on the right), and adding piping becomes simple.

A piping foot is shaped perfectly to follow the piping and sew it down at just the right place. Don't worry, I'll show you how to use both feet to put in your piping.

Here's what piping looks like. It's a small piece of cording wrapped in fabric and sewn in place. It's not difficult to make your own, but for the most part, purchasing it is very nice.

When attaching piping to your fabric, place it raw sides together, so that the cording is facing inward. Pin with edges aligned. Store-bought piping leaves 3/8" of fabric from the sewn line on the piping to the edge of the piping, so we can easily use a 3/8" seam allowance for our projects. When pinning your piping to your fabric, leave an extra tail of about 2" - 3".

When you reach a corner, clip the piping from the raw edge up to the sewn line (but not through the stitching) and rotate it. If you're using a 3/8" seam allowance, you'd clip the piping 3/8" from the corner. If your corners are rounded, simply clip darts in the piping to allow it to curve. Again, make sure you don't clip through the stitching on the piping.

When you've pinned all the way around, leave a tail at the end.

Using a zipper foot to sew:

Attach your zipper foot and place the foot so that it's next to the cording in the piping. Move the needle so that it matches up with the stitching. I moved mine over as far as I could to the left.

Using a piping foot to sew:

Attach your piping foot and place the "bump" of the piping in the hole of the foot. Move the needle so that it is lined up with the stitching on the piping.

Sew around your project, following the piping all the way around, working corners carefully. Make sure you leave 2" - 3" not sewn at each end.

When you get to the end, stop a few inches before. Pick one side of the piping and open up the stitching with a seam ripper.

Line up where the piping will meet when on top of each other and trim the excess cording so there's no overlap of that.

Fold the fabric covering the cording (on the side you trimmed) over the cording.

Place the other bit of piping on top.

Fold over the fabric covering the cording over the other piece as well and pin in place. Sew the remaining bit of piping down to secure.

When adding another piece of fabric on top of the one with the piping attached, align the edges as normal, placing wrong sides together. If you're using a piping foot, you have a nice advantage because you'll automatically follow the piping since it's in the ditch of the foot. A zipper foot can be used, but you'll have to be a bit more careful.

So when you open your seam, here's what it looks like with the piping!

Beautiful! So many possibilities!

Here's a simple little project that uses piping.

Riverfest Fun

2011-07-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a great day yesterday! We celebrated the 4th with a little day trip down to La Crosse (WI). Gwyneth had fun reading her map she drew in the car, so we wouldn't get lost in the city.

Connor found this cannon along the river and enjoyed pretending to shoot it.

The kids had lots of fun at Riverfest.

We stopped in the shade to enjoy a kids comedy show. Connor found the slapstick humor hilarious.

Connor had fun jumping high in the air.

Gwyneth had her face painted. She knew exactly what she wanted - to be a kitty!

We had lots of fun. Gwyneth even took a nap in daddy's arms during a very loud water skiing show.

We visited friends and made some new ones - and stayed late to watch fireworks! It was a great 4th of July!

Bubble T dress -- A tutorial

2011-06-27T14:34:00.001-05:00

Bubble Skirt + T-shirt = Bubble T dress

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a little MIA, but my computer was taken over by hostageware! Ugh! Don't know where I got it - I'm always so careful . . . well, apparently not enough. Goodbye Windows. . . Hello Linux!

Anyhow . . . on with the tutorial!

I made the first version of this little dress a while ago as part of a black and white challenge. I thought I'd share with you how I made it!

You'll need:

a t-shirt or tank top
3 or 4 different quilting-wt fabrics (I used fat quarters for this skirt - if you're child is older, you may need some yardage.) - we'll get to how much you need in a second.
different colored jersey knit fabric for a sash (optional)
Some scraps of nylon netting
fabric for skirt lining (a piece of old bed sheet work great)

OK, so first you'll need to lay out your t-shirt or tank top flat on the table and measure the width at the bottom. Multiply this number by 3. (For me, the size 3 t-shirt I had was roughly 11" at the base, so multiplying by 3, I get 33".) This is roughly the number of inches you want for your skirt diameter. Now hold that thought, we'll come back to this.

For the length of the skirt part, measure your child from the waist to just above the knee. (For my daughter that's about 9".) Add 2". (So 11" for me.) This is the length of your outer skirt.

I chose four different fabrics for my outer skirt. I cut my sections in 3" wide x 11" long (11" from the measurement above). To determine how many of these sections I needed, I subtracted my seam allowance (3/8" for each side, so the final width of the sections will be 2.25"), so since I have four different fabrics (and I want the pattern to be consistent all the way around, i.e. A-B-C-D-A-B-C-D), I multiplied 2.25" x 4 = 9", so I have repeating sections of 9".

OK, remember back above when we figured out our target diameter for the skirt (3 x the width of the base of your t-shirt --- for me that's 33"), well we want to find out how many 9" sections we need to get to roughly 33". So if we have four 9" sections that's 36" - close enough. Now we'll have a nice amount of fabric for our skirt to be gathered, and we have our pattern repeating without overlaps.

Hmm.... hope that makes sense. It's actually pretty simple. Let me know if you have questions.

So I need to cut my skirt sections now. From the calculations above, for each fabric, I'll need to cut 4 3" x 11" pieces.

Sew them together in your pattern (A-B-C-D-A-B-C-D . . . ) with a 3/8" seam allowance. Iron seams flat.

Cut your lining to be the same width as your strip piece (you just made above - 36" for me) and cut it the same length as the measurement of the waist to the top of knee (9" for me). So your lining piece is the same width as the patchwork piece, but 2" shorter in length.

Sew the lining to the outer skirt piece (right sides together) along the bottom with a 3/8" seam allowance.

Open up the skirt and place lining to lining and patchwork to patchwork (right sides together) creating a large circle. Sew with a 3/8" seam allowance.

Turn the skirt right side out, so that the wrong sides are together and the patchwork side is touching the lining.

Grab some nylon netting and slightly stuff the bubble skirt so it has a little volume.

UPDATE: To prevent the netting from bunching up, sew it in a large circle so even if it shifts inside it won't bunch up.

Gather the skirt (both layers together). I find that when I'm gathering two layers at once, it's easier to do by hand than by machine.

Turn the skirt inside out and tuck the t-shirt inside, so that the right side of the t-shirt is touching the right-side of the skirt.

Pin in place.

Sew around the skirt. Make sure to use a stitch with stretch (a small zig-zag stitch or straight stretch stitch works) or use your serger.

If you want to add a sash, cut a piece of jersey knit to tie around. I cut mine 6.5" x 22". No need to sew the edges, the jersey knit edges will roll a bit and won't unravel.

Let me know if you have any questions! If you make one add a photo to the Punkin Pattern Group Flickr Pool. I'd love to see them!

Things To Do

2011-06-18T12:45:00.000-05:00

I'm a list maker. I make lists for EVERYTHING. At the beginning of every summer, we make a list of the things the kids want to do for break. We asked them what they wanted to do and here's the list they came up with. I thought I'd share it with you.

GO TO THE BEACH :: PLAY AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM :: BUILD A ROBOT :: HAVE A PICNIC :: SLEEP IN A TEPEE :: GO ON A BIKE RIDE :: READ BOOKS :: HUG :: HIKE IN A NEW PLACE :: SWIM WITH FRIENDS :: GO TO THE MOVIES :: SEE A GLACIER :: WALK TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE :: PLAY SOCCER :: PUT ON A PUPPET SHOW :: SEE A GEYSER :: GO CAMPING :: LEARN TO PLAY “TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR” ON THE PIANO :: HAVE A LEMONADE STAND :: PAINT A PICTURE :: GO TO THE ZOO :: GO FISHING :: HAVE A TEA PARTY WITH DOLLIES :: SEE OLD FRIENDS :: TIE-DYE SHIRTS :: HAVE A NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT :: GO BOWLING :: BUILD A FORT :: VISIT A DINOSAUR MUSEUM :: PLAY IN THE SPRINKLER :: DRAW AT THE ART MUSEUM :: VISIT A NEW MUSEUM :: DRAW A PICTURE EVERY DAY :: GROW VEGGIES :: VISIT A FARM :: GO TO THE FARMERS MARKET :: HAVE LUNCH WITH GRANDMA DOWNTOWN :: MAKE HOMEMADE NOODLES :: MAKE ICE CREAM :: PLAY AT THE PARK ::

I love what they came up with. I don't remember doing so much in a summer as a kid. They inspired me to make my own list for the summer. Here's mine.

GO ANTIQUING :: MAKE SOMETHING FROM A VINTAGE PATTERN :: MAKE A ZIPPY WALLET FOR ME :: FIND TREASURE AT A THRIFT STORE :: PAINT A PICTURE :: FINISH GWYNETH'S QUILT :: MAKE WINDOW COVERINGS FOR THE KITCHEN AND GWYNETH'S BEDROOM :: MAKE PATTERNS :: SEW A BAG FROM A LEATHER HIDE ::

What do you have on your summer list??

More placemats

2011-06-16T19:13:00.000-05:00

I made a few more of the Table Setting Placemats for a friend. These placemats are a bit different than the first ones I made. There's no batting in these, just heavy craft-weight interfacing. Also no binding.

These are sewn together right sides together leaving an opening for turning at the bottom. Trim the corners and turn inside out, then top stitch around the edge. I used decorative stitches for the plate placement, but left off the stitches around the fork, knife and spoon.

I hope my friend's kiddos like them as much as mine do!

Painting

2011-06-15T15:24:00.002-05:00

First of all I want to say a big THANKS for all of your wonderful comments on my Insulated Tote Bag over at Sew Mama Sew -- and all the comments here too! It's really a great feeling to know that people like the stuff you design (and make). Even though I don't have time to respond to them all, I read each and every one and they all bring smiles to my face.

This weekend, I took a little break from sewing and painted the kitchen and hallway in our house. It's actually quite a large task. There are lots of tiny bits of wall to tape around and paint and the hallway has seven doorways. It took up a bit more of my weekend than I planned, but Gwyneth and Connor helped out too!

Connor helped paint a door for an access panel.

Gwyneth gave her "new" cradle a fresh coat of paint. It was mine as a kid, then my sisters, now it's hers.

I see a new doll sized mattress, quilt and pillow in my sewing future.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2011-06-12T09:00:00.004-05:00

I love this time of year! School just let out, the strawberries are starting to grow and it's time to harvest rhubarb! So it's the perfect time for some yummy strawberry rhubarb pie.

You'll need:
a pie crust (top and bottom)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
3 cups strawberries, quartered (if frozen, thaw slightly)
3 cups rhubarb, 1/2" thick pieces
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay out the bottom pie crust in your pan and set aside.

Mix together sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. In a large bowl place the strawberries and rhubarb, sprinkle with the sugar mixture and gently stir to coat. Pour this into the prepared pan. Top with butter cubes. Place top crust on and crimp the edges. Cut five or six slits in the top of the pie for steam to escape. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling and thick. Let sit for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

I love life . . .

2011-06-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

I love life; it's something to do!

This is how my mother-in-law ends every email she sends. It's an attitude we should all have about life, to always look at the brighter side. There are so many, many things to be thankful for (and happy about). Life's too short to not be happy!

I made this simple scrap pillow for my mother-in-law. (I hope she likes it, as I'm writing this and I haven't yet given it to her.) It's sort-of a (very) late mother's day present as (during mother's day and the week prior I was not feeling well.)

Ok, so the details: To make the words, I chose a font on my computer that I thought looked nice, printed it out and used it as a pattern to cut the words out of freezer paper and painted them on. (To see a tutorial on that go here.) Pretty simple. The pillow is 14" x 20", a travel size, so nice to put on any little chair. The fabric was just from my scrap stash and randomly sewn on.

Insulated Picnic Tote

2011-06-08T17:59:00.000-05:00

I'm guest blogging over at Sew Mama Sew today! So head on over and check out my tutorial for an insulated picnic tote, perfect for a picnic at the park

or for just taking your groceries home on a hot, hot day!

Teacher Gift

2011-06-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

Connor is almost done with school this year and I wanted to whip up a little present for his teacher. I love these lil cutie pouches from Anna of Noodlehead. I thought it would be a perfect little present.

The animal fabric is Alexander Henry's mini 2-D Zoo in Chocolate and the orange polka dot is from Riley Blake. I really like how the stripe stands out from the animal print. The lining is a light green fabric with dark green polka dots from Jo-Ann.

Tucked inside, we placed a gift card to a local restaurant so his teacher can have a well deserved night out.

Thanks to all the teachers out there for your hard work! It is appreciated!

Our Weekend

2011-06-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we went camping! We went to Crow Wing State Park, near Brainerd, MN. It was actually quite chilly and there was some rain, but overall it was fun. We stayed in a little cabin (just big enough for the beds and a table). The kids loved it because it had bunk beds!

The kids got to roast marshmallows - for s'mores, although not all of the marshmallows made it into the
s'mores.

We also took the opportunity to take the kids fishing. I'm not big into fishing - nothing against those who love it. (I've only gone one other time in my life - and I never baited my hook, or took the fish off. And I still haven't - Thanks Marie for baiting Gwyneth's hook.) Connor was the one so eager to go as he had never gone fishing before. The fish were mostly eating the bait right off the hook, but the fish were close to the dock so the kids could see them. In the end, Connor decided that "Fishing is boring. You just sit around and do nothing and wait." Yes, that's pretty much it.

On our last day, the sun finally came out and went for a little hike on the trails.

It was really beautiful in the park

and the views of the Mississippi were quite lovely.

Pumpkin Bread

2011-05-31T11:13:00.000-05:00

Here's one of my husband's favorite quick breads: Pumpkin Bread!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the following into a bowl and mix until smooth:

1.5 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil

Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Combine the ingredients of both bowls, folding the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, making sure not to over mix the batter.

Pour into a pre-greased 9"x5" loaf pan and bake for 60 - 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center is clean. Let sit for 10 min. Enjoy!!

This recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma Muffins Cookbook.

I wish I had these to play with when I was a kid

2011-05-23T16:00:00.001-05:00

Seriously, don't you wish you had play food as cute as this when you were a kid??

I made these cute little felt foods for a friend of mine (and her soon to be two-year-old triplets). Yikes! I can't imagine having three two-year-olds running around the house.

The food is made from felt and includes a banana, tomato, cheese, baguette, carrot, potato, corn-on-the-cob and two cinnamon rolls. The patterns can be found from Bugga Bugs. They are super simple and easy to make (although there is quite a bit of hand sewing involved.)

I can't decide what I like more the corn-on-the-cob

or the potato or cinnamon rolls.

Which one is your favorite??

Black and White Challenge

2011-05-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

At my very first Minneapolis Modern Quilt Meeting (back in February), I learned about a challenge they were having. Everyone brought ten pieces of black and white fabric (from two prints) (each 3" x 20"). We each kept two of our own pieces and exchanged the rest. The challenge was open to any project, you just had to use black, white, and only one other solid color.

The big reveal was last night and most made beautiful quilts or pillows. Since I"m still pretty new to quilting (and I had limited time to devote to this challenge). I made this little dress for Gwyneth. It's a fairly simple design and I just sort of winged it.

The skirt is a bubble style skirt, made from the black and white fabric strips.

It's sewn onto a pre-made t-shirt and a simple sash is tied around the waist.

She loved the bubble skirt! (and pushing her belly out in the photos, "like Santa")

Tutorial coming soon . . . . . .

Fighting a Never Ending War

2011-05-17T00:56:00.000-05:00

I'm fighting a war . . . with dandelions.

I think they're winning. But I won't give up! I've enlisted help. I'm paying Connor a penny a flower. If the flowers are gone - no new plants right?? He's picked 700++ so far. Yay! Gwyneth has picked about 45. Connor is learning the value of earning money from hard work and how to count past 100 (since we count the flowers he picks together too). We're trying to keep our lawn organic, but the dandelions are strong little buggers. Picked up corn gluten today and I'm going to spread that out tomorrow. (For those of you who don't know, corn gluten is a great organic way to prevent the germination of new dandelions.) I keep mowing and mowing them down too, but they just keep coming back. I've been digging up the plant with roots as best I can, but it seems a never ending task. They can be quite beautiful flowers (insert gasp of great shock here), I just wish they wouldn't spread so easily. If only the leaves looked more like grass. . . . .

OK, enough ranting. Must include sewing time tomorrow or my sanity will be questionable.

Ruffle Bustle Skirt

2011-05-13T15:48:00.001-05:00

Well KCWC is almost over and I haven't done a thing (until this morning at least). Yesterday, Ashley of Lil Blue Boo posted a free pattern for a Ruffle Bustle Skirt as part of Grograin's month of free patterns. And it seemed like the perfect thing to make.

I rounded up some left-over knits and started cutting away.

I chose to make the bustle slightly different from Ashley's instructions. I just used five long rectangles of fabric (about 4.5" high) and gathered them and added it to the back. I also let the ruffle hang a bit lower than the front section of the skirt.

We went outside this morning to take a few photos.

I didn't even notice she put her boots on the wrong feet until I was looking at the photos. She didn't seem to mind.

Gwyneth really liked the ruffled bustle in the back. Me too (as you can tell from all the photos!)

She kept dancing in it because the ruffle swayed as she danced! She loves her dancing skirt! Thanks Ashley for a great free pattern!

Yard-Sale Wrap Skirt

2011-05-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally finished this skirt! There's nothing terribly complicated about it - in fact it's quite simple and sewed up rather quickly, but like most other things, sewing for myself is always at the bottom of the list.

I started this skirt over a year ago and had to set it aside for some reason or other, and I finally pulled it out to finish it!

It's the yard-sale wrap skirt from Heather Ross' book "Weekend Sewing". The fabric is from the Bees and the Birds collection designed by Keri Beyer for In the Beginning Fabrics.

Perhaps I'll finish a few more projects for myself that have been sitting around. . . . one day.

Fun with Dye

2011-05-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Yup I'm still here. I've been under the weather the last week, so now life is finally back to normal, . . . well almost. I just wanted to take a break from trying to catch up on the laundry (apparently the laundry gnomes went on strike while I was sick, and not much was done) and stop in to share something I did a couple weeks ago.

A couple of weeks ago, I dyed this silk tie for my husband.

It was a plain white silk tie from Dharma Trading Co. I used their fiber reactive dye in Caribbean Blue. Et volia! -- my husband's Easter tie!

I also threw in a silk scarf for myself in the dye bath.

It was so much fun - I may (MAY) try some yardage next . . . .

A Flickr Group

2011-04-29T07:33:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to announce that I've set up a flickr group for YOUR photos of things you've made using my tutorials! So if you've made a Sweet Tooth Pouch, Connor's messenger bag, car mat, a Table Setting Placemat or anything else using one of my tutorials, please add your photos to the pool. I'd love to see what you've all done!

I may even feature what you've done here!

An Easter Tunic

2011-04-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

For Easter this year, I wanted to make Connor a nice shirt (and not a tie, like I usually do). I loved the idea of a spring tunic for him! It's got a great Mediterranean feel to it - especially with that fabric.

The pattern I used for this tunic is the BOY/GIRL Unisex Tunic from Mani Mina. I made it a size six, which turned out to be a little big for him, but . . . oh well....

The main fabric for the tunic is Kate Spain Central Park Hernshead Lawn. It's a great pattern for him - slightly boy-like, but still light for spring and he loves to be outside (picking up leaves, twigs and yes, worms and slugs).

Needless to say the kiddos had a great Easter!

Buttercup Dress

2011-04-25T12:02:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon I sat down and started cutting out fabric for Gwyneth's Easter dress. Yup, I know talk about last minute. I don't know where the time went last week, but somehow I didn't get to it until then. I worked for a few hours, stopped and then went to my parents for dinner, then started again after the kids went to bed. I got it done and even managed to get five hours of sleep before the kiddos woke up on Easter morning.

I was confident I could get it done, since the pattern is pretty much the same one I used for her Christmas dress, except I added little cap sleeves (with lace edge), left off the sash, and added a lace trim to the bottom.

The pattern is from New Look 6648. It's made with Kona Cotton in Buttercup and it's fully lined (with tulle in between the layers to make it a little fuller). The lace is just a simple cotton eyelet lace. The back has a zipper closure.

Gwyneth loved this dress and didn't want to take it off at the end of the day. I'll be back tomorrow to show you Connor's Easter shirt!

All PEEPed out!

2011-04-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

We're all ~~pimped~~ PEEPed out here. There are PEEPs everywhere! Those cute little yellow bunnies are so happy looking! They always make me smile!

I started by making the PEEPs Bunny Bunting from Dana of MADE. I saw it last year and loved it, but never got around to making it. It was very easy and I love it! My son saw the bunnies and asked if I could put one on his shirt. So I made one out of yellow interlock knit instead of felt and appliqued it to an inexpensive shirt.

Actually, I made two of them. . . .

I whipped up this fun little Spring Sienna dress (pattern by LBB) and added the bunny to it. I did a fun lettuce ruffle on the sleeves and a slightly gathered ruffle at the base. The green and white fabric was a jersey knit (the rest interlock knits) and I decided to leave the bottom ruffle unhemmed so that it would have a nice, natural rolled edge.

Sorry about the poor quality of the pics. It's been raining here and I've got limited natural light. I'm off to finish the kiddos Easter (church) clothes. I'll be back to show them to you on Monday. Hope you all have a Happy Easter!

A Quilt of Love

2011-04-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

This beautiful quilt is headed off for Japan next week. I was fortunate enough to help out with Log Cabins for Japan and make a few blocks myself (which ended up in another quilt), but I also got to assemble this beautiful quilt with donated blocks.

I love how beautiful it looks in the sun!

Many different people who never met, came together to make something for someone in need on the other side of the world whom they will never meet. There is love in every stitch. We hope this quilt will bring a little comfort and warmth (both to the heart and body) of someone who lost so much.

Connor wanted to enjoy some of the beautiful log cabin blocks too.

And test it out a bit by soaking up some spring sunshine! He told me he was adding more love to the quilt. Such a sweet little boy!

I donated the batting, backing, binding and some of my time. The binding was a simple light gray (pre-made) and the backing was a beautiful dark green with tiny roses.

Here's a just a few of my favorite blocks (in no particular order):

Does anyone know what this says??

Thanks again to all who donated blocks and thanks to Annik for organizing this.

Finished quilt size: Approx. 49" x 60"