Widget Worm

Widgetworm

2012-02-11T07:19:00.000-05:00

I'm just havin' some fun with the latest trends.

Embroidery hoops and buntings are everywhere.

And apparently so are mice, they have been leaving

me unwanted messages around the house. They will have

to go. But this little guy can stay and hang around
.

In case you wondered?

Widgetworm = small fidgety-wriggly child

That is what I am guessing was the thought when

my Dad gave me that nickname. My brothers nickname

was Pattywaxel, and I used to secretly wonder if he had

alot of wax in his ears. Pat + wax = Pattywaxel?

made sense to the 5 year old me.

And this is where Mr. Mouse sleeps when he is not

hanging out with the scissors.

Cozy Quilt

2012-02-03T07:31:00.003-05:00

I finished my first Cozy Quilt

I joined a local Cozy Quilts group almost a year ago.

Shortly after my Dad passed away from lung cancer,

I was talking to a friend about the Chemo-Caps

project that my Dad and I had been working on

during his months of Chemotherapy and Radiation.

And how I missed that special connection we had

making and giving those caps away.

She introduced me to Cozy Quilts Ministries, where

groups of ladies get together and make Quilts

for cancer patients. I feel in some small way

that Dad is doing it with me. So if your looking

for something to do that will warm your own heart

as well as someone elses check out www.cozyquiltministries.org

Re-fashioned Sweater

2012-01-29T18:16:00.000-05:00

I bumped into my friend Mira from Our Daily Minutiau

the other day and she had on a great re-fashioned sweater .

She gave me a few tips and inspired me to fix this cashmere

sweater I have been holding onto. Thanks Mira for taking the

scarey out of this for me :)

Yup! it was that simple. I laid out my best fitting sweater

trace, cut, sew!

Blog Design

2012-01-29T09:32:00.000-05:00

Its that time of year agian.

I get brave enough to re-do/learn/get-frustrated

with the design part of blogging. NOT my specialty.

I decided to search for some freebies. ShabbyBlogs

is where I landed. They have some wonderful graphics

and thier directions were fairly easy to follow. They also

recommended Fotoflexer where you can do all sorts of great

things with your photos! I may have to do some experimenting.

I-Spy-Swap

2012-01-26T07:50:00.002-05:00

UpDate!

This is the fabric I found for the swap

I made it into an I-Spy-Swap!

Lorelei at Midnight Maker is hosting 2 I-Spy-Swaps

( they are both now full) I thought I missed out

on yet another one, BUT I submited my name anyway

and I made it in as an alternate.

Hooray!

Here is a flickr group of all the fabrics in the Swap.

Below are a few of my favorites

Lil' House

2012-01-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

I was inspired partially by Scandinavian-Stitches

(which I do not own but have drooled over many times,

thanks to the local library and loitering in JoAnn's book section).

And This picture I found on Pinterest

I would love to make a whole passel of these for

Christmas next year. Stitch my peoples names

over the door? Would be cute hangin' on the tree?

Reflections and Predictions

2011-12-31T10:40:00.000-05:00

SewMamaSew is having a link-up with a chance to win gift certificates. Click here to see how you can participate and checkout what everyone else has to say.

Sewing Industry Reflections + Predictions ~ What do YOU think?

Looking back at the 2011 sewing scene, what trends stand out in your mind?
Needle work, hand quilting and playing with threads on applique. I love the unique handmade charm it adds, and gets rid of that cookie-cutter look in some projects.

What were some of your favorite things related to sewing this past year?
Color, Color, Color, I have been inspired this year by the reds and aquas and the crispness of white.

What did you make that you’re most proud of? (Share a photo in your post!)
This modern baby quilt modern baby quilt that I designed and made for my nephew. and this map quilt that I am working on.

Modern Baby Quilt

Map Quilt (in progress)

What sewn projects have you seen this year that you absolutely love? I love that people are incorporating more recycled things into there project. Re-cycled T-shirts for one!

Do you have a favorite sewing book or pattern from the past year to recommend?
I picked up a few issues of Mollie Makes and absolutely loved them. I also think Scandinavian Stitches Scandinavian-Stitches is inspiring.

Are there any trends you’re over and done with?
Mug Rugs. Sadly. I made some this year and enjoyed it, but I'm ready to move on.

What are your thoughts about social media? How is it going for you? What do you love or hate?
I love it! Facebook, Pinterest, Blogland. I find it helpful on a personal level to stay in touch with friends and family. On a creative level it challenges/inspires me, I am also humbled by all of the talent out there.

Did you have a favorite fabric collection or print in 2011?
I woud have to say Alexander Henry's Farmdale Crossing

What do you predict for 2012 in the sewing industry?
Yikes, I don't have a clue.

Can you tell us what to expect from you in 2012? Any big projects or life-changing goals?
I am going to challenge myself to participate more in blogland activities. I'd like to get into an I Spy Swap, or quilt-a-long, step out of my comfort zone.

Zippered Laptop Sleeve

2011-12-30T07:58:00.000-05:00

I found this tutorial over at Crap I've Made .

Not only am I afraid of zippers, but the idea

of concealing both sides of a

zipper on corners! no less was unthinkable.

This nice little tute led me through just fine

(although there is one part where I believe

I was sewing blind!)

The end result was worth it, I do like the

tidy-ness of the zipper over the envelope

cases I made here , here and here

Sewing Buddy

2011-12-29T06:28:00.000-05:00

Meet my new sewing buddy!

The Hemostat!!!!

Dear Whom-ever reads my blog,

If you walk away with only one bit of info let it be that these are the most amazing things ever.

Love, Me

Trying to stitch up that softy? hemostat

Trying to turn that long strip inside out? hemostat

Fabric to thick to pull that needle through? hemostat

I could go on...............

Anyways, THANK-YOU to my Good friend B

for giving them to me for Christmas :)

Angry Birds

2011-12-26T06:48:00.000-05:00

I found this great Angry Birds Tutorial over at Obsessively Stitching!

My hubby (mr.incredible) plays Angry Birds all the time,

on his computer and phone. The ~~bonus~~ is he has a dog .

So I figured they could play Angry Birds together.

(note the slobber in the post-played-with-pics?)

and that took care of two presents in one.

I tweeked the beeks a little,

I liked them shorter and thicker than the

one on the pattern, but they were easy to make.

Taggies

2011-12-21T19:30:00.001-05:00

Taggies for my nephews for Christmas

these were very easy to make and

I had fun playing with all that ribbon.

they are the size of a very large pot holder.

I need to make more of these from scraps to have

on hand for little ones

T-Shirt Scarf 2

2011-12-20T08:16:00.003-05:00

They say that necessity is the mother of invention.

so true.

I was more than willing to pay for a black and white scarf,

but I could not find one exactley like my daughter had in mind.

enter thrifted t-shirts

and yet another reason for me to hoard them.

( a fancier t-shirt scarf here. )

Giveaway Winner

2011-12-16T22:55:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for your comments, and participating in the SewMamaSew giveaway. I am still trying to check out all of your fabulous blogs.

So....... this little guy is getting ready to travel

All the way to Virginia to be with commenter # 109

sarcasticquilter

Its been alot of fun participating, I think I had more fun hosting a giveaway than winning one!
now it's time to get back to work
I am off to finish more Christmas presents
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
~Kelly

Give-A-Way Day!

2011-12-12T05:37:00.001-05:00

SewMamaSew

Hello, Bloghoppers! Glad you stopped by

I thought I would join the fun this year

and give one of these hedgehog pincushions away.

I know your all in a hurry to get to all that fabulous crafyness out there

So I am going to keep this simple:

(The winner will get this little hedgehog AND the package of pins in the picture.)

All you have to do is leave me a comment saying where you are from

I would love to see how far or near you all come from.

I'll Start :)

I am from Western New York, USA

Rules:

1. I will leave my giveaway open until December 16 at 5 p.m. PST.
2. I will ship internationally!
3. Winner will be chosen randomly from a hat. Low tech I know ;)
4. You must leave a comment (where you are from)
5. I will contact the winner by e-mail by December 18th. and ship the item by December 24th

Coming Soon!

2011-12-07T07:25:00.001-05:00

SewMamaSew Give-a-Way!

Here is the date for SMS give away.

And I am going to be joining in the fun this time!

They will be leaving it open for a week

Which means I will have alot of time to cozy up

with my slippers and coffee and drool over

all that creativity out there in blogland :)

Picture and info on what I will be giving away coming soon

Hedgehog Pincushion

2011-10-30T09:17:00.001-04:00

I know this is not an original idea.

this prickley lil' guy is

ALL over the web

in felt and fabric!

This is my version and he is oooh so cute!

I made a nifty little pattern that

I was going to scan and post

BUT I have been to lazy to do.

So if anyone is interested your just

going to have to leave a comment

and beg me to post the pattern :)

Chicken Wire Bulliten Board

2011-10-13T07:29:00.002-04:00

I got this idea from Pinterest.
Chicken wire+oldwood+homedecor= My style
Never been to Pinterest?
DO.NOT.GO.THERE.
you will be sucked into its vortex of ....of everything.
don't say I didnt warn you.

Crate Covers

2011-10-09T07:10:00.002-04:00

Here is proof that I did get something done this summer.

I found this crate cover tute over at lauragunn.typepad.com

Genius!

I went to the thrift store and bought old white bed sheets

and made LOTS!
this should take care of the wayward shoes in the back room

Signs

2011-10-02T15:16:00.003-04:00

I made this sign back in the spring.

I thought I would try out freezer paper stencils.

but freezer paper stencils and painted wood are not very good friends.

So I scrapped that idea

and did it he old fashioned way.

kind of like paint by number.

Creative Pillowcase

2011-07-23T05:20:00.008-04:00

So. My 14 year old came up to me the other day.

And asked if I had any extra pillowcases.

(it just so happens that I had a like new thrifted one)

score 1 for me.

She cut off the corners and made ears

then embroidered a kitty face on it!

score 1 for her.

Gray Quilt

2011-07-23T05:03:00.004-04:00

Finished.

and just in time

A certian young man arrives home today.
and I thought this would be a nice surprise.

Quilt Top

2011-07-13T17:55:00.002-04:00

Finished. One quilt top

for child #2's dorm room.

Re-Do Reveal

2011-07-05T21:08:00.004-04:00

Here it is...

Before
After
Before
After
Before
After

Inspiration

2011-06-29T12:24:00.008-04:00

Yes.I.Did.

I bought the first issue of Mollie Makes .

(There are exceptions to my cheap and thrifty rules.)

and Yes, that is a yard of Alexander Henry's Farmdale Fabric

Child #2 has graduated and will be leaving the nest. Leaving in his wake,

a spare room in the house.

LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN.

Spare room?

Spare room!

No, I will not make the spare room a shrine to my son's life,

sorry that shrine is in my heart.

and THIS room is getting a re-do
My Way :)

stay tuned.

Grandpa Pants

2011-06-13T08:06:00.005-04:00

You know what I'm talking about!? The kind of mens jeans that are stiff and plain AND just begging for someone to stuff a hanky in them? Where the back pockets are spaced so far apart you could park a Hummer?

Yes, those jeans.

Well, to get to the point.

I've always wanted to try moving the pockets on a pair of jeans

(serious bucket list stuff here)

anyhoo

Enter:free-jeans-my-size-I'm-cheap-I-know

I ripped off the pockets and the small "roebucks" tag.

( a girl has to have some standard ya know)

And sewed on this cute bit of ribbon.

I grabbed a pair of my favorite jeans,

with pockets in just the right spot to use as a guide.

and stitched them right back on again.
only now there's no parking space!

Book Bag

2011-05-10T07:36:00.005-04:00

Child # 3 was in desperate need of a new book bag for school.

She picked this delicious fabric from JoAnn's.
We mixed some old with some new
and for $3.00 she has a fabulous bag.

I used the shopping bag pattern from the Green Bag Lady
and added a lining and a flap.

Mother's Day

2011-05-06T12:45:00.003-04:00

I did simple for Mother's Day this year.

Mug Rug's and Coasters.

She really deserve's a standing ovation.

but this this will have to do.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Quick Photobooth

2011-03-19T07:59:00.004-04:00

I've been struggling to get good pictures from my camera. As blogland grows I see better quality pictures out there. You know the ones I'm talking about, where you can see every detail of the fabric- the grain-the stitches- the loveliness. I'm really not one to keep up with the Jones's. BUT, I do like a little stitchy eye-candy once in a while.

More than once I've seen someone make a photobooth out of a cardboard box, which is great except for the fact that you have to have a place to store the box when your not using it. So I decided to give this a try.

isn't this a delicious picture!

all I did was lay some posterboard around the bottom and back of my basket. Draped white fabric over the top to soften/even out the light and a little aroung the bottom. Ideally it should have a light/lamp on the sides too for a better pic. But I'm not complaining.

aren't these little peepers darling!

Map Quilt

2011-03-10T07:19:00.003-05:00

that little spot is Tazmania, an island of Australia

and the start of my next project.

I love geography, cartography , historical books and ancient history. I've always thought it would be nice to have a map quilt to cozy up with while I'm reading about ancient times or far off places.

I am not impressed with the screaming colors of the fabric map below. So with some inspiration from fantastic map quilter Leah Evans , I am embarking on a new quilting journey. It will literally require me to stitch my way around the world :)

eat, pray, love....and maybe sew

2011-02-25T14:29:00.003-05:00

I found this book at the library before I headed out for the sunshine state where I'm spending the week with my parents. And I have been doing just what it says : Eating, Praying, and Loveing the time I have with my folks.

This woman talks about Depression and Loneliness like they are detectives hiding out and trying to trip her up. How they catch up with her, and interogate her.

"They come upon me all silent and menacing like Pinkerton Detectives, and they flank me--Depression on my left, Loneliness on my right. They don't need to show me there badges. I know these guys very well. We've been playing this cat-and-mouse game for years now."

she tells them to go away but;

"Then they frisk me. They empty my pockets of any joy I had been carrying there. Depression even confiscates my identity; but he always does that.

Anyways its a great book for anyone who knows these thugs.

oh yes the sewing part. Well...um that just isnt happening. I packed half of my carry-on luggage with fabric, because I thought I would want to take advantage of this time to sew.(come to find out napping is the hobby of choice down here) Above is a project I started a year ago. Someday it will be a quilted world map with applique and embroidery.

Nook case + extras

2011-02-24T05:50:00.008-05:00

My daughter will be doing alot of traveling this semester for college

thats my cue to start sewing.

a nook case

camera case

and luggage tag

I cant say that the nook and camera case were that much fun to make

but, I could make a million of those fun little luggage tags!

Scraps

2011-02-17T17:01:00.006-05:00

One womans trash is another womans treasure.
I volunteer at our local MOPS (mother's of preschoolers)
and as I was leaving the moms were cleaning up after a sewing class,
I overheard one of them say they were going to throw these scraps away.

I'm not sure what it is about such things that thrill my soul

but ~ oh happy day!~

Blanket Buddy

2011-02-07T06:14:00.002-05:00

cute little birdy rattle for my nephew Jayson to chew on.

I wanted to make a whole flock of them but I did not have time and my sewing list is long right now. I wish I could remember which (library)book I got this pattern out of *darn* I love to give credit where credit is due. I think I will tweek it a little next time and make the beek smaller.

Modern baby quilt done!

2011-01-29T15:21:00.003-05:00

Yes, its done. Yes, it's the best quilt I've made thus far.

and Yes, my nephew will be here soon.

lots of cute squiggly free-motion quilting

cutest flannel backing ever.

modern looking fabric bars.

and a cute silouette camel.

lots of color, contrast, batiks, flannel and 100% cotton

baby friendly with a touch of elegance for Mom to enjoy.

Under Construction

2011-01-26T07:46:00.003-05:00

While doing a little construction, giving my blog a new look. I came across these vintage "Sewing machine trading cards" on the web! I LOVE the look on this little girls face. This is what I feel like every time I sit down at my machine.

Luggage tags

2011-01-23T11:10:00.003-05:00

February is quickly approaching and I have more sewing deadlines! Child no.1 is traveling to China to study for a semester so of coarse I have to make luggage tags :) .....and a Nook cover....and an Ipod cover and....and.....and...I'm blaming it on blogland because there's so many cute ideas out there!

Luggage tag experiment #1

Beasley Bed

2011-01-21T06:38:00.003-05:00

Mr. Incredible requested a knock-off beasley bed for his

side kick Mr. Comfortable for Christmas.

I'm obviously forgiven for being late :)

FYI i did not take a picture of the inside but lets just say an old pool noodle and 2 discarded comforters (been saving for a while) + 50% off coupon at JoAnns let me do this on the cheap. I put a zipper in the back so I can wash the berber covering and a nice little reversable quilted pad for more frequent washes.

Baby Quilt

2011-01-16T07:50:00.004-05:00

I'm going to have a new nephew soon! I want to get this quilt done BEFORE he arrives. It was supposed to be done by Christmas but a nasty little cold decided not to let that happen. So now my goal is to have it done before the end of January. Not a tradition pattern, but I'm in *Love* with modern quilt patterns right now. My daughter and I picked the fabrics so that Mom AND Baby could enjoy the quilt. Very much my daughters idea to incorporate a little something femanine/elegant in the quilt, also seen here in another baby quilt we made. The camel is pulled from an image on the back of the quilt which I did not get a picture of yet, but lime green flannel animal print and all baby :) can't wait to put on the brown/spot binding and give it a snuggle. But first I have to go talk sweet to the Green Machine so she will do some flawless quilting for me.

Emerging Talent

2010-12-31T18:32:00.004-05:00

Daughter No. 2 decided to make a last minute gift for a friend. Seriously I wish I could think on the fly like this. All hand sewn and with no pattern ! I love it :)

A very "Tim Burton" look would'nt you say?

Finishing up Christmas

2010-12-31T18:29:00.004-05:00

The last two Christmas presents are now done, finished after Christmas. My oldest daughter oohed and aahhed over this fabric everytime she saw it so I made her a throw pillow/cover. I had all sorts of ideas for the leftover half yard! BUT .... I gave it to her for her stash :)

i know where to find more ;)

The laptop case is for her boyfriend, they've been together for over a year so I figure he's good for homemade gifts :) the batik reminds me of the Nazca lines in peru, and I'M keeping the cast-offs from this. Now I'm off to finish a dog bed, which was supposed to be for Christmas but instead it will be "oh here! its January have a dog bed" and since its for OUR dog I think that will go over just fine.

Sweater and a Sidetrack

2010-12-24T08:17:00.003-05:00

My daughter love's the british band Muse. But finding thier stuff here in the U.S. is not so easy, so this is my knock off version.

don't ya just love how the little tag on the sleeve makes it look official!

You know they say a picture is worth a thousand words. If you look real close you can see all the medicines I've been taking to stay functional. Instead of the "12 days of Christmas" I'm partaking in the "12 days of Sickness" I'm on day 8 and still going strong, fortunately my autopilot has craftiness mode (all other modes are temporarily out of service) and I was able to finish up some of my Christmas presents in the few coherent moments I have.

I still have 3 more presents to sew................and its Christmas Eve! not sure if I will make it sniffle sneeze cough moan

Hello Kitty

2010-12-24T07:56:00.004-05:00

Child no.3 is getting Hello Kitty pj's for Christmas. I could only talk myself into paying for the bottoms, thinking I could be thrifty with the top. And would'nt it be just my luck that Old Navy had long sleeve shirts on sale for $3.oo in the mens department (men's small should fit #3 just nicely)

A little freezer paper

some black paint

and a little pink :) being cheap is kinda fun :)

Stuff

2010-12-24T07:36:00.002-05:00

All the blog hoppin' I did during SewMamaSew.com give-a-way week inspired me to have a little fun. Seriously who does'nt love Mac-n-cheese! I think I will have to do some more of this "thread playing" later :)

What seemed to be the hottest item this year is the "Mug Rug" coffee goes on one end a treat on the other, I think this would be cute with a cupcake stitched on. I believe I know what I'm makeing for simple Christmas presents next year.

And a simple Batik pillowcase for a Christmas present. For those of you in the Non-sewing world (Mom, I know you'll ask) Batiks are a type of dyed fabric. Okay enough playing around, I have to get Christmas presents done!

Hooray!

2010-12-12T09:12:00.004-05:00

Hooray! its finished. I had put it at the bottom of the pile because of all of the Christmas sewing I'm doing. BUT then SewMamaSew announced that December 13th would be a Give-away-day! I promised myself that I would finish the projects that I was making from my last give-a-way loot before I participated again. Lets just say that the binding magically appeared on this quilt. Loot used, let the give-aways begin! If you've never participated then you need to hop on over to sewmamasew.com right now and read all about it! Hours and hours of Blog-hoppin fun.

authentic

2010-12-05T15:15:00.003-05:00

I was suppost to be spending the day quilting. BUTT (and I feel like one) I got ready to make my quilt sandwich and realized I didn't have the batting!!! How on earth do you forget something like that. Its like planning a picnic with no food! UGH ....

So instead I decided to use my little swatch of "Pure" fabric by Moda and make a pillow for a gift. The print has such wonderful words as - Original - Authentic -Simple and Real so I decided to magnify my favorites. Just wainting for it to dry so I can stitch it up.

November in Pictures

2010-11-19T14:19:00.005-05:00

Picking LOTS of Rose hips

Quilting

(still no binding)

Christmas pillowcases

with zippers!

making a complete mess

of my sewing corner

cute fabric for a

secret project (shhh...)

Getting a basketful

of auction goodies

and secretly hoping

for some of this

No-Sew T-Shirt Scarf

2010-10-23T09:07:00.003-04:00

Seriously NO sewing what-sew-ever :) Same scarf 2 different looks. My oldest daughter works at a trendy clothing store and has a similar scarf that cost mucho $$, I found an ugly t-shirt on the clearence rack and decided to give it a try for less $$.

1. Did I mention ugly? I dont know who designed this t-shirt but it was the most mis-shaped shirt that I had ever seen. ENTER cheap experiment. (thanks mis-shaped-ugly-t-shirt-designer)

2. Cut off bottom edge and top

3. Re-fold the middle piece so the seams meet. Cut from the edge up to 1 inch from seams.

4. When your done making all those snips grab the shirt by the seams (one in each hand, kind of like one of those rubber exercise bands) and stretch gentley. This will make the cut strips roll around the edges and give it a finished look.

That was easy wasnt it!

okay, now I have to get back to work and do some serious sewing. Wait till you see what I'm finally finishing. Its been a long time coming.

Chemo Caps

2010-09-29T16:35:00.007-04:00

Hot off the machine, these hats are headed to the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa FL.

I made some for my Dad (here+here) and he always has one on his noggin. The nurses at the hospital admired them and asked if I would make some to share with other chemo patients. Of coarse I am a huge fan of "Pay it forward" and since my Dad has been sick and some 1000 + miles away there's not much I can do to help, so I JUMPED at the chance to give back in some way.

So if you see a bunch of bald men with really great hats in Florida, you know where they came from ;)

Keychains

2010-09-23T07:48:00.002-04:00

One more thing checked off my list of ORGANIZE.DOWNSIZE.CLEANUP.SPICEUP.

No more wondering which key goes to what.

Oh For the Love of Chickens!

2010-08-10T15:59:00.006-04:00

Finally, I had some spare time to make something out of the "Lil Plain Jane" fabric that I won at the last sewmamasew.com give-a-way.
I love chickens and I love fabric, so it only made sense that the two should be together.

What is it you ask? hmmmmm, I've asked myself the same thing..........a wall hanging!? ya sure thats it. Too small to be anything else. What am I going to do with it you ask? Well I thought about painting an entire room red and white just so I could hang this in it. Where I would lock the door and no-one would be allowed in except maybe a pizza delivery guy, oh and my mother cuz she's that special.

But, I have no idea what I am going to do with it. I thought about maybe auctioning it off at my son's senior auction for school this fall. That is if I can pry it away from my youngest who would really love me to just give it to her

Experiment

2010-08-04T09:47:00.003-04:00

Its been very hot and sticky around here, so this strappy top that my cousin gave me got to budge to the front of the line at my sewing desk. The main problem was that it was too wide for me so I took it in on the sides. Then I used the trimmed off scraps to make a ruffle for the front.

I cut the scraps in strips. No measureing just guessing. Stuck the little bugger under my machine on a baste length stitch and then scrunched it up to make a ruffle.

I Hand stitch the ruffle on and now a have a cute new top

Headboard Re-make

2010-07-07T08:23:00.005-04:00

Blogland is harmful to my free-time. As if I dont already have a wish list of things to sew. Now I have a wishlist of things to build. I found My Re-purposed Life which is amazing. This lady can transform anything. You should check out her blog. My power tools were begging me to visit them. so heres what I did.

I found this old headboard at the local thrift store. I removed the thin paneling piece in the back and the pegs sticking off the top.

took some extra wood I had laying around (also repurposed from an old cabinet) and sanded it down roughly and cut to fit my headboard. I added layers around the top "Mantel" to trim it out.

put some scraps in the inside to hold shelves

lots more sanding to rough it up and make all the different wood tones blend

you wouldnt guess that there were two different types of wood and stain at the beggining.

nice primitive-rustic look. My fave

There it is, my new Faux fireplace-shelf-mantle. Now I have to make a screen for the front to hide all of those ugly electronics.

Cardboard Jeep #2

2010-07-06T08:34:00.003-04:00

For starters I did not make this jeep. Diana stumbled across my blog and saw the Jeep I made here and decided to make one for her VBS program. I actually like the height of hers better. You know that Imitation is the best compliment *blush*. Great job Diana and Thanks for letting me share the pics

Wood Box Footstool

2010-07-03T07:26:00.006-04:00

Okay the cat is out of th bag, I found some REALLY beautiful furniture at the thrift store last month. I'm cheap, I never buy big ticket items (thats Mr.Incredibles job) but when I saw this set I HAD to have it. This has sparked a chain-reaction-redo-update of my living room because now my colors are co-ordinated. Instead of blue furniture that was my mothers from like 20 years ago (sorry Mom) I now have beautiful neutrals to work with. I LOVE NUETRAL!

I have a pair of these loverly wooden boxes that were screaming to have tops on them so they could be functional storage/footstools. I had to do it just to shut them up ;)

I cut a board the size of the top, and some canvas cut bigger than the board.

used lots of hot glue, I also stitched some velcro on top before hand so that my pillows would stay in place.

Waa-Laa! Happy box-Happy feet-Happy me.

Canine Couture

2010-06-20T07:35:00.002-04:00

Woo hoo, I've been wanting to experiment a little more with knits. After seeing all of the cool things that Sachiko makes over at Tea Rose Home, I decided to experiment small scale.

I used the scraps from a previous re-make . I love the ruffles and flowers made from the knit fabric, one of these days I will get brave and fancy up some knit shirt for myself, but for now Bridgette gets some flashy doggy couture.

Mitred Corners

2010-06-15T07:54:00.007-04:00

I love learning new tricks! Here's the latest in step by step, because I know I'll forget how I did it :) Perfect Mitred Corners

1. Cut 4 fabric strips, making sure to add extra length depending on the width of the strip. My fabric strips are 3.5 inches wide. So I need to make sure my fabric goes over by 3.5 inches on each side. Mark 1/4 inch in from the striped(bottom)fabric, this will be where your stitch starts on one side and ends on the other.2. You should have a gap that looks something like this on both ends. keep fabric folded back like this for the next step.

3. Repeat the same process with all 4 strips of fabric.

4. Fold in half diagonaly and line up the overhang. In my case the extra 3.5 inches in each side.

5. Draw a line here and stitch on the line.

6. Trim access fabric

7. Press seams down. And you have perfect corners.

That was sooo easy and fun!

Green Bag #9864

2010-06-10T10:01:00.004-04:00

Guess what? I've been keeping a secret. I won something else at the SewMamaSew give-away a few weeks ago. I am the 9,864 th person to recieve a free bag from the Green Bag Lady. Dont know who the Green Bag Lady is? Well then you need to go right on over now and check her out. When I recieved the bag from her (along with fabric to make one more to share) I was so touched it made me all *warm and fuzzy* inside. This woman has a passion for what she is doing, and its so exciting to be a part of that. Her hubby "Bagette Dad" who does her contact/shipping etc. All I can say is that someone should give that man a cookie, lots of cookies and maybe a high five.
Anyways ..... I decided that instead of making one more bag to share, that I would make 4. One for each of my followers. I have been using my bag and I love that its light weight and fits in my purse for un-expected shopping stops. So I made these out of cotten and they roll up nice and tidy to fit in your purse. If you are one of my followers, you'll be getting an e-mail from me soon so I can mail yours off to you, enjoy and don't forget to check out the Green Bag Lady.
p.s. I havent heard from a few of you so I can give you your bag. If my message didnt get to you, contact me at kellysmith89(at)hotmail(dot)com and I will get your bag out to you :)

Deer......

2010-06-06T07:56:00.003-04:00

Deer Freezer Paper,
You make the best fabric stencils ever.
Love, Me :)

More Caps

2010-06-02T20:01:00.003-04:00

More caps, so much fun I had to post a pic.

Pappy Cap?

2010-05-26T09:32:00.003-04:00

My Mom called the other day and asked me if I could make a hat for my Dad who is having chemo-therapy. Dad + sewing = fun. I was all over it. I found a free pattern here after much searching I decided that Scrub hats, Chemo hats, and Skull caps are one in the same. I didnt think the tails/ties would be very comfortable for napping , which he is very good at so I eliminated them from the pattern. This is what I came up with, a "Pappy Cap". Cheesy, I know.

Its a Win!

2010-05-21T12:45:00.002-04:00

Sadly SewMamaSew Give-a-way has come to an end. I LOVE bouncing from blog to blog and finding new inspiring ideas and feeling connected to so many stitchy people. AND of coarse its always exciting to win! This year I was lucky number 405 over at Froth and Bubble's Blog , scoot on over and check out the Lil Plain Jane fabric that I won. I kept staring at that beautiful RED flower on the inside of my eyelids all night. red being my current favorite color! Thanks Froth and Bubble .

Me Time

2010-05-20T22:44:00.003-04:00

For my birthday (way back in February) my daughter bought me 2 yards of Deer Valley by Joel Dewberry. I decided to make a little pouch to keep all of my reciepts tidy in my purse. Its so hard to find ME TIME and it felt soo-oo good to just sit down and wip up a little something - yes better than a back rub and even better than chocolate :)

Give-Away-Day

2010-05-17T14:08:00.003-04:00

Its give-away-day over at SewMamaSew.com and I'm headed there right now. Lots of blogs to see and fun prizes to win.

Walking Sticks

2010-05-03T18:45:00.003-04:00

One of the latest projects at Pre-School. Walking sticks! The wee ones painted these beautiful driftwood sticks today and I would love to just put them all in a short wooden barrell and keep them :)

Red Obsession

2010-04-24T07:13:00.002-04:00

I'm slightly obsessed with red. and birds.

Fessing up

2010-04-23T15:21:00.002-04:00

I was cleaning my room today and un-earthed this quilt. I made this for my Mr. Incredible a few years ago. For some reason I am not super fond of how it turned out, have you ever made something and just thought (from a design point of view) what was I thinking? Anyways my hubby loves it and likes to use it -when its not buried- in the mess I call my room. I figured it was probably time to fess up and take a picture and claim ownership. Yes Mom, my room is still a mess, but you probably already knew that.

Flying.Family.Florida.Fabric.Freetime.Fun!

2010-04-13T15:09:00.003-04:00

okay, in the midst of my n0-time-to-sew-or-have-fun-april, I had to make an unexpected trip to see my parents in Florida (and don't I just love to say F-L-O-R-I-D-A instead of say...Alaska) Anyways since I flew down solo (no kiddo's or hubby) I had some free time on my hands. It wasnt until the last day I was there that I realized that there was a Hancock Fabrics just a few miles down the road from my folks. WHY my Mother, who knows I love fabric, did not tell me this sooner I can only speculate...hmm maybe it has something to do with all the piles of laundry I left lying around my room as a child or the fact that I-eh-hem didnt always listen. BUT had I known she would withhold this kind of information from me 30 years later I promise you my 8 year old self would have behaved! Anyways I found this great embroidery book that I got cozy with on the flight home, I stiched up this cute little squirrel and trees.

oh and I treated myself to some fat quarters :) I told my Dad (who had surgery) that he could go right ahead and schedule another one next year and I would gladly come down and visit them AND the fabric store ;)

Progress

2010-03-11T16:42:00.003-05:00

Guess what?...............this quilt has a sister, and boy is she beautiful. You can see it over at Obsessively Stitching . It makes me want to finish mine and curl up with a good book..........BUT. ugh, its spring and I dont know about the rest of you but that = temporary shutdown of all things stitchy. So for the time being It will have to wait. Sunshine trumps sewing. I am slowly bringing this quilt together, now for the dreaded quilt sandwich, basting, and ahhhh onto the fun part :) you can see more pics of this quilt here. I used 2 charm packs of "full moon forest" by Tula Pink for Moda

Throw pillow Slip-covers

2010-03-07T09:37:00.002-05:00

Back in November I bought a pile of brand new dishtowels at an auction and they came with matching placemats. I am not a placemat person. So for the last few months I have been trying to figure out what to do with them. (very sad that it took 5 months for a lightbulb moment) anyways WHY have I never thought of this before! Placemats are readily available nothingness -my apologies to anyone who loves them- I cant tell you how many times I have come across beautiful placemats at yard sales and thrift stores and thought what a waist of cute fabric. Well I will never again want for pillow slipcovers. Below are the simple steps I used :)

Step 1: placemats, seam ripper and a cozy chair

Step 2: Remove the lining, this was lined with an iron-on type stabilizer. It left little pieces of itself behind but no one is going to see the inside of the cover anyways.

Step 3: cut the back into two equel pieces. Then cut about 3/4 th of the way up on the front. Or what ever size you want your pillow to be. The great thing about this is it doesnt require exact measurements

Step 4: Iron out the folded edges on all pieces then fold in twice on the back pieces where you cut them to make a nice seam

Step 5: layer the pieces with Right sides of the fabric together overlaping the two back pieces and pin.

Step 6: stitch all the way around with a straight stitch and then a zigzag to keep it from fraying. Or just surge all the way around if you have a serger.

Step 7: turn pillow case right side out and pop in you pillow!

Help Wanded: Desparetly Seeking Spring

2010-03-01T07:11:00.003-05:00

Job requires lots of sunshine and singing birds. Must work long hours and
wear appropriate attire (will be expected to wear green at all times).
Please apply in person at:

Winter Blues
234 Snow Lane
Frigid, N. Y.

Shout out......

2010-02-21T08:39:00.004-05:00

Help! I need some opinions Mr. Incredible and I went to an auction yesterday and while I wasnt looking he bought a pile of "stuff" in a corner for $1.00 yes o-n-e dollar or 100 pennies. When I realized what he did, I initially was upset, I said "No more junk to take home....ugh" he is known to bring home all the junk that NO-one else wants. As I was degrading him I peeked in a plastic bag amongst the pile of junk and instantly ate my words. It was SEWING STUFF ! Over 30 cross-stitch kits most un-opened, and a nice needlework stand. (The wooden ironing board was my find for $3.00). Anyways, back to my Shout out. I need some opinions here folks. A huge part of me would like to rip the kits apart and keep the fabulous embroidery floss and maybe find a use for the crosstitch fabric. AND then a part of me...............remembers that the first thing I ever learned to do with a needle was Counted Cross Stitch, forth grade afterschool program, Mrs. Forkey.
Now, I have since moved on and I am not particularly fond of cross stitch anymore, but I am sure that there are some folks who are. Yikes, do you know anyone who would love these, some, any, all, more than me? I am definatly keeping the stand because I do like to emroider.
Soo-ooo..............do I tear them apart? or give them away? Please do let me know what you all think. Thanks

Redwork

2010-02-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

I spend way to much time surfing the internet looking at stitchy-sew-y-crafty-things. The plus side of it is that I come across some great ideas, some new and some old. Redwork, believed to have originated in 19th century Europe, refers to needlework done with red cotton thread. I fell in love with the old designs and have been thinking of something to try. Trees are trendy right now so I gave this a try, I would love to do something more elaborate when I have the time. Speaking of time, I'm suppost to be spending this time (right now) painting my back room! Not posting on my blog. I wonder what kept 19th century women from thier chores ? Hmmm

Freezer Paper Stencil

2010-02-14T15:20:00.003-05:00

I can check one more thing off my to do list. This is my first try at freezer paper stencils

1. draw a picture of what you want on the dull side of the freezer paper, and cut out with a razor knife.

2. Iron onto fabric, shiney side down.

3. Paint! I used spray paint and I really like the results. But I would think that fabric or acrylic paint would be just as nice.

4. Sew :) I only waited about 5 mins for my paint to dry (because I am impatient) before I started sewing.

The spray paint I used was actually a rusty brown primer color but looks pink on the fabric ( how lucky for me) so its always a good idea to do a test swatch. I believe this was enough fun that I will have to make some more.

Hug yer Chickens

2010-02-08T17:03:00.006-05:00

Ok, this is so darn cute it makes me want to go out and hug my chickens. My good friend B gave me a copy of this pattern to play with. I may have to add Chicken quilt to my list. Thanks B, and I was wrong *grimace* this is a great pattern. Also my first time paper piecing!

P.S. Thanks Chris from Jamonkeyshwap for the quick paper piecing lesson via telephone.

Tea-dying

2010-02-07T08:17:00.005-05:00

I've been playing with my tea, which is not unlike playing with your food only less messy. I simmered the teabags 6 of them (cheap ones) in a quart or so of water for 5-10 mins. Then took out the tea bags and stir/soak fabric for about 10 mins. Rinse, dry, and press. Woo hoo a whole new batch of fabric :)

Bunny Wallet

2010-02-01T16:31:00.004-05:00

I'm having a grand time ignoring my serger (I want to rub it in). I had a good sit-down heart to heart with it and we're still not seeing eye to eye. I may have to do an intervention or send it for therapy. Anyways the library called with some more yummy books and child #3 really liked this wallet. She had to twist my arm really hard to get me to make it. IT WAS SO FUN! I made it up out of scraps while the rest of the house was watching a movie, simple and rewarding.

I'm thinking of makeing more only different. mind wandering at possibilities

2010-01-31T15:21:00.003-05:00

Whooo Hoo! this purse has been in the making since October. I bought a simlicity pattern (2251) when they were on sale, with intentions to make this purse from the leftover jellyroll fabric from my quilted scarf . To make up for the $$ spent on the pattern (yes, I'm that cheap) I decided to make use of some old curtains.

Yep! these fit the bill, r-i-p. FYI, I once spent an entire 8 hour day ripping seams when I was working at the clothing factory. Anyways the print became the quilted backing (never to be seen again) and the loverly tan fabric became the base for my birdy design.

And I completely pimped out the inside, no more messy purse.

Serging

2010-01-30T12:55:00.003-05:00

I found this book at my local library and its chuck full of ways I can have fun/damage my serger . Actually I am thinking about writing my own book..............fer real! I am going to call it "101 ways to ruin you serger" I'm already on damage #2. I am making myself a new purse from some old curtains and my serger vomited it back at me, broke a needle, and now skips a thread. So I put it in the naughty chair till I feel like dealing with it!

Mr. Incredible's Laundry

2010-01-23T12:11:00.005-05:00

Mr. Incredible needs a laundry bag for his travels, so I whipped this puppy up this morning. I've been hoping to try stenciling on fabric, perfect opportunity :) And just incase you wonder why I call him Mr. Incredible? ( see below) thats him, personality and all! only minus the spandex and a little hairier (okay ALOT hairier) but a good likeness all the same. When we watched the movie the kids and I were giggling the whole way through " thats Dad! its his double, his twin" especially the part where he is crammed into that little car. So he's been Mr. Incredible ever since.

Surviving January

2010-01-17T19:10:00.002-05:00

Besides drinking my coffee stronger and spending way to much time on the computer (this is how Northerner's survive January) I've been experimenting with softies - Formerly known as stuffed animals to some of us. It is way too time consuming and tedious but they are darling. Oh and I made my first label (above) with iron on transfer that I ran thru the computer.

of Rants and Re-makes

2010-01-10T18:57:00.006-05:00

Okay, the T-shirt remake first. I am totally in love with the idea of making things from old t-shirts, so when my friend Mira from our daily minutiae posted a pair of yoga pants on her blog I had to give it a try. It was soooo easy and took less than 15 minutes*. I used a size 3x mens shirt and it fits my size 14 kaboose with lots of room to spare. clip off sleeves and top of shirt. Clip down the sides of the shirt, so the front and the back are separate.

Fold each piece in half and stitch up from what would have been the bottom of the shirt to the armpit. Then stitch both armholes together to make the crotch seam, add a waist band and you have a comfy pair of sleep pants.

* NOW about the rant. Remember when I said that it only took me 15 minutes to make these? thats because I was careless and stupid and impatient and unkind to my new serger, I had assumed it was a beast and would cut through all of the old seams and junk and crammed the thing through in a hurry and and *sniffle* I broke-dulled-ruined-??? my blades *sniffle*. TOTALLY my fault, not the machines or the fabrics or the dogs. all mine. BUT and here is the rant. Sewing Machine Manufacturers PLEASE take note: I will pay an extra $1.00 or 2 or 5 or whatever if you would P-l-e-a-s-e give me a separate manual in English! Its not that I dont apprieciate Spanish or French or Slavic. I love them all but NOT when I am mad and doing stupid things to my machine and I live in an English speaking country where I paid English speaking dollars$$ for a machine that I could curse to in English. K? good, now I am off to find out how much extra blades are for my machine :(

Seeing Spots

2010-01-10T06:38:00.002-05:00

this is the layout so far of the quilt I am making from my "full moon forest" charm packs. I layed it out on the floor and left it there for a couple of hours so that I could walk by with a fresh look to make sure I had the spots exactly where I wanted them. When the time was right, I pin them down and woo hoo off to the machine. And then can you guess what happened?.............you know Murphy's Law does not allow anything to happen so easily. I pinned them precisely, perfectly, exactly where I wanted them ON THE WWRONG SIDE OF THE FABRIC! Oy Vey!

Truth be Told!

2010-01-04T18:10:00.003-05:00

(Note-to-self )when I look back and see how much sewing I was doing over the winter of 2009-2010 and wonder how I did it all? Truth be told ...... Stress Relief! I'm looking around at all of the projects I have going and want to start and think... Wait? What? Who? Me? Yes! Me sewing obsessively to avoid the reality of the major changes in my life right now. Child No. 1 has all but left the nest throwing me into fits of identity crisis. The reality of leaving my home of nearly 20 years for a different one. Mr. Incredible in the midst of a job change. AND I like the color Pink! (I believe this falls in the identity crisis category) I never, never, ever liked the color pink in my whole tom-boyish-dirt-lovin-hammer-swingin'-manure-flingin life! The world as I know it is no more. On the brighter side, there is alot of pink fabric in the world, So I am going to stress on.

I'm turning the charm packs I won from D is for Dovey into circles, which will turn into a loverly spotted quilt. Serger! Serger! Serger! I got one for Christmas! and I would hyperventilate if I said anymore about that

I made this great pillow from a pattern in this book I checked out at the library. Two-Hour Mini Quilt Projects - by Mackenzie Kate

Finishing up 09'

2010-01-02T20:43:00.003-05:00

This is the last Christmas gift I made in 09'. Child #1 is taking Chinese so I gifted her a challenging present. Known as "Go" in the U.S. and Wei-qi in the orient and normally played on a wooden board with stones. I decided to make it out of fabric after seeing how expensive a set was, and used buttons in place of stones. It has matching button bags and a shoulder sling to carry/store it in.

Dog Sweater

2009-12-24T13:31:00.002-05:00

This is a Christmas present for my Mother-in-law. She likes to take her dog for a walk in the evenings and this should help keep them warm. My husband and I originally looked to the internet to find matching sweatshirts. And what a Void there is. Note to anyone looking for a niche, with all of the pet apparel available we could not find people/pet clothes. S0-oo you know how the story goes, buy 2, rip 1 apart and sew it back together.

T-Shirt Pillow Case

2009-12-24T13:10:00.002-05:00

Basically fabric stores have zilch that would inspire a 16 year old boy, and after searching far and wide for something to cover the new pillow that my son is getting for Christmas, I decided that this t-shirt was what I was needing. I snipped off the arms, stitched some fabric into the neck hole and closed up the sides.

The Purr-fect Apron

2009-12-23T12:48:00.003-05:00

This is the purr-fect apron for child #3 being modeled by child #1. I wanted to make a matching oven mitt and towel but I have to move on because it IS December 23rd and I have more to make..........................

Lurking Softy

2009-12-23T12:37:00.002-05:00

Something is lurking around my sewing room. ............Its a finished present for a man child!

Whole Wheat Bread with Flaxseed

2009-12-23T07:47:00.004-05:00

2 TBS. yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water
4 TBS. honey
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 - 1/2 cup whole flaxseed
6+ cups whole wheat flour

mix warm water, tsp. honey and yeast. Let set for 10 min or so. Add oil, honey and salt then add 3 cups of flour, I mix well for about 5 minutes, then add the flax, mix well for a few more minutes ( I find that all this extra mixing/strengthening the gluten holds the bread together better ) the flax tends to make the finished bread fall apart when you slice it. Add more flour and knead 10 min. I let my dough rise for 1 hour, punch it down and rise for 1 more hour. Place in loaf pans and let rise (about 30 min). Bake 350 for 35 minutes. makes 2 loaves. I usually double this recipe for 4 loaves and freeze it. This is the staple bread in our house, once I started adding the flax seed the family would not let me make bread any other way. I think you could add it to any bread recipe, It will just use a little less flour.

Food Freak

2009-12-21T16:23:00.004-05:00

I think there are a few people who think I have lost my marbles because I have stopped making my cookie trays and started finding healthier alternatives. This year I made jam and bread (whole wheat with flax and local wildflower honey). Click Here to see the vast array of sweets from Christmas pasts. But.... My marbles are all there, well at least all the ones I started out with anyways. I remember a few years ago (before I got serious about eating better) coming across people who were strict with thier diet and anal about what they would put in thier body..........I believe my reaction was something like P-f-f-t *food freaks*. Well I have willingly signed on to that bandwagon.

Proof of life

2009-12-15T12:47:00.004-05:00

When I scoot past my blog to get to my dashboard I am constantly reminded that I have NOT posted anything since last month. I like to keep myself updated so I have a visual of all I have been doing. Since most of that has been top secret and I cant post pictures, here is a note to self: Coffee mug on corner of table = .50 thriftstore find of the season and when filled with coffee a reason to get out of bed in the a.m. Cream colored paint on wall freshly done (Caution to self = dont wait till December to paint the living room). Jar of "purple goop" = failure to make grape jelly on the first try, although if anyone ever wants a grape gummybear recipe I think I found it.
Jelly-Jam-Preserves Success! as well as tags and bows for all and I feel a little less guilty about having NONE of my Christmas shopping done.
And the icing on the cake...........I won good stuff at the SewMamaSew giveaway day! I won these Moda Charms as well as some other goodies over at D is for Dovey . I will be daydreaming about what I am going to make whilst I prepare for Christmas.

100% Recycled 100th Post

2009-11-18T19:40:00.002-05:00

For my 100th post I have been trying to find something extra special. The other night I had the mother of all headaches and decided that supper would be from a can, beef chow mien to be precise. As I was washing out the cans for recycling I was noticeing how shiney and clean they were and since my can opener removes the lid with out rough edges I was popping it on and off as I was waiting for supper to heat up. The light bulb went on (advil must have kicked in) and I thought it would be cute to make coasters that would fit in the can! So the next day I pulled out some recycled supplies: the fabric was a skirt in its former life, the cotton towel was a rescue from the thrift store, the paper on top of the can was the inside of a junk-mail envelope and of coarse the can! that beautiful CAN :)

Seed Sack (part 1)

2009-11-11T13:48:00.003-05:00

Okay, I bought these hideous linen pants at the thrift store last year, NOT because I wanted to wear them but because of the cute embroidered seed packets on them. I was cleaning out my sewing cupboard the other day and decided to make something. It all looks well in the picture, but it ended up to small to hold actual seed packets, my machine was not threaded right and I had bad stitches and I found out that burlap is not so fun to sew. I will be trying this again with different fabric.

Ready for Winter

2009-11-10T18:15:00.003-05:00

I actually took pictures of this scarf to do a tutorial but I'm too lazy to upload all those photos and add directions, so Its just the finished product. I LOVE this quilted scarf, I made it last month and we have had a few days that were cold enough to enjoy it. I bought my first jellyroll of fabric to make this and only used half. The inspiration for the scarf was this coat I found at a yard sale this summer. Yup! I'm ready for winter

Did Someone Say Chicken?

2009-11-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

Before the little green swine, I was dabbling with this chicken. I could not find a good pattern that I liked so I ventured into the scarry land of MAKE YOUR OWN. This is the result. It has some serious beek issures and lets just say that I had to rip and re-sew its chest 4 times to get it where I wanted it to be. The wings are actually pockets that are suppost to hold eggs or chicks but I have not gotten that far and I may never because around that time I found the pig and got sidetracked. I have Attention Defecit Hyper-sewing Dissorder.

Pig Softie

2009-11-03T17:14:00.003-05:00

With all the talk of Swine flu, I thought it would be good to get cozy with a safer variety. This is a pattern which was origanally made from felted wool on MarthaStewart.com but I had different ideas, I re-eally wanted him to have spots along with his flowers but I could not get friendly with the french knot and I was too lazy to google "french knots for dummies" . I think I may have to make another one because my son grabbed up on him to put in his locker at school?!?... well thats what he said, but I have been around long enough to know that 16 yr old guys don't just keep cute things in there lockers unless they plan on giving it to someone?? hmmm

UpCycle Wool Mittens Tutorial

2009-10-26T16:28:00.006-04:00

With what is left of the sweater from the Wool Hat Tutorial I made matching mittens. I found the Pattern Here and enlarged it 330%. The pattern fits a womens large but could be adjusted to fit other sizes depending on how much you enlarge. I found the directions on the website with the pattern to be very helpful but there were two flaws in the pattern/directions. 1. one side of the thumb is bigger than the other and is very apparent when you match up your cut pieces so I just trimmed the larger one the same size as the smaller. 2. they also call for 4-1/2 inch pieces of elastic, I used 4 inch and liked the fit better.

Cut pieces out of felted sweater, making sure you have a right hand and a left hand. (ask me how I know this is important? you could end up with 2 gloves that fit one hand! not fun) I used pins and paper to identify each peice so this would not happen again. I also took advantage of the ribbing on this particular sweater and made sure that my cuff pieces butted up against it.

Cut 4 piece of elastic 4 inches long and zig zag stitch it to the wrist of the gloves. You will need to stretch it gently as you sew.

Stitch the top thumb/palm piece to the bottom thumb/palm piece

Stitch down the small palm seam.

1. Use a scrap piece of fabric 2-1/2 inch X 1-1/2 inch and fold in long edges 1/4 of the way then in half, it will look like quilt binding or bias tape. 2. Stitch around edges and fold in half. 3. Tack in place on finished side of glove at the elastic line, this will give the option of clipping the gloves together and also adds a touch of flare. 4. Stitch front and back together starting at the cuff and stopping at the thumb. Cut thread and start stitching on the other side of thumb finishing with the opposite side of the cuff. (not sure if that makes sense but that was the best way I could describe it)

There it is a nice cozy glove. You may notice that I added a lining to them in the very first photo, this was just for extra comfort, you make the exact thing from a soft stretchy fabric ( I use a cotten shirt) and insert into the glove stitching together at cuff.

UpCycle Wool Hat Tutorial

2009-10-26T15:52:00.005-04:00

Cut the hood off of a felted wool hooded sweater. I found this one at the thrift store for .99 cents and felted it in my washer/dryer.

trim the cut side to match the uncut side like above

stitch together

Stitch each side of your seam down, this will give a nice finished look on the outside of the hat as well as making it less lumpy on the inside.

Use a piece of scrap fabric roughly 2 -1/2 inch by 1-1/2 inch and fold sides in 1/4 of the way, them fold in half (just like quilt binding or bias tape). Stitch around edges. Fold ends in 1/8 inch and stitch to hat, this leaves an opening so you can hang your hat on a hook as well as giving it a little flair.

and there you have it! One very cheap AND warm wooly winter hat.

Cheap Wool

2009-10-24T08:19:00.004-04:00

I am exploring a new found love for wool, and the fact that I can find it cheap at second hand stores. I'm going to start collecting and felting wool sweaters for various projects. The older I get the colder my feet seem to be. I remember when I was younger being able to walk around the house in the winter in my bare feet and thinking nothing of it, I may have even ran out to the mailbox barefoot in the snow. NOT anymore! I have to have something on my feet all time. I found this pattern on MarthaStewart.com very simple and got the job done.

NightShade the Fox

2009-10-24T08:04:00.003-04:00

Once again J. can't resist taking a pile of scraps and making something awsome. She has not yet submitted to the idea of using an existing pattern, so this was made completely off the cuff and from her imagination! I love seeing her ideas come to life.