simple Analogy

2:1

I'm feeling a little crazy right about now.  We've had a busy start to our week and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down either.  With company coming for the weekend and the subsequent cleaning of the house, last day of Bible study, haircuts, and school, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to sew.  I'm hoping for a few hours tonight after dinner because I'd really like to clear off the dining room table before our guest comes.  The dining room is where I sew and right now it is littered with my red fluff undertaking.  My husband (dear man) told me that it is totally unnecessary to clear the table and that we can just eat in the kitchen, but something inside of me just won't rest until that room is presentable.  We'll see how far I get! 

2:1 is the ratio for eating my favorite fall comfort candy.  2 peanuts to 1 candy corn = payday! 

Cherub Sewing

One of my favorite cherubs is turning one and I wanted to make her a skirt.  I knew the fabric I wanted to use, but it seemed like every pattern I looked at called for more than the amount of fabric I had.  Enter Sew Mama Sew's Scrap Busters!  Vintage Fern's Scrappy Skirt tutorialgot me out of my jam.  It was perfect!  Add some leggings and a onesie from Target and I had a very cute/modern outfit for said cherub.  Almost.  The onesie was a bit too plain, so I added a small ruffle to the front.  Wrap it up!

Anything But Petty

Popping in to say that the shirring is going flawlessly this time.  Thank goodness, because I'm shirring a strip 108 yards long by 2 inches wide into one super long ruffle.  That's not a typo!  It really is 108 yards long!  This is a wonderful way to make ruffles.  I've done the ruffling by hand thing which is very slow, produces inconsistent gathers, and raises the frustration level.  Shirring (using elastic thread in the bobbin) is fast and the gathers are perfectly uniform.  Happy thoughts!  

The skirt part of this really is petty.  It's the ruffles that are the star of the show.  I'm up to my ears in "ruffle fluff"!

Groundbreaking Ceremony

I am about embark on a major construction project.  I feel it is appropriate to have a special ceremony to kick off this undertaking.  Drum roll please.....

The Pettiskirt.  I'm following these written instructions, working from bottom to top, and using Martha's video for a visual.  The video alone did not make me feel confident that I had enough information to give this a go.  What am I getting into?  Wish me luck!

Christmas Crafting

This weekend the male species of my family converged at my in-law's for the Florida game.  I was invited, of course, but only as a token maybe-she-might-feel-left-out-so-we'll-ask-her-too invitation.  Thanks guys, but I'd rather be sewing. 

Actually I needed to be sewing.  The Christmas list is long with handmade gifts this year (as it pretty much always is) and though I am well on my way, there is still much to do.  I did spend all of Saturday in my quiet house applique-ing my heart out, so there are three more gifts for the finished column.  Seeing as how my nieces can't stand to wait for Christmas, and seeing how if they knew I posted pictures here they'd be peeking, this is all I can show.  Full disclosure after the festivities of Christmas are over.  Let's just say these turned out just how I hoped they would and I'm sure they'll be pleased! 

Refashion While Waiting

 

I really wanted to sew this afternoon, but forgot to throw my fabric into the wash.  My friend and sewing teacher, Megan, taught me to wash my fabrics before sewing and I have faithfully followed her advice.  So while I was waiting for the dry cycle to finish, I scrounged around in my closet to find a shirt that I'd been saving to try my first refashion on.  What do I mean by refashion?  Reuse, re-purpose, sew green, recycle... RE-FASHION.  

Last week I happened to find Wardrobe Refashion, and while I'm not ready to take the pledge (because I really don't know what I'm doing well enough yet) the idea sparked my interest.  What about that red shirt that I no longer wear?  I bet I could turn that into a skirt for Magdalena.

Dug out said red shirt, cut it one inch above the gathered empire waist, replaced the old worn out elastic with new, sewed about three inches where the stitches had broken, and ta da! 

 

It worked.  My first refashion!  Took all of five minutes. 

***UPDATED 10/26:  I just did what I wished others would not do on wardrobe refashion, and that is just generalize the directions.  So many times I see a refashion that I really would like to copy, but don't have enough information to do it successfully.  To rectify this, I'm adding detailed instructions.

1.  The shirt already had an elastic empire waist.  I lined up the waist and used a ruler and rotary cutter to cut one inch above the gathered waist.  This kind of gives the waist a ruffle of it's own.

2.  Since t-shirt material does not fray, I left the  edge raw.

3.  The existing elastic was worn out.  I opened up the casing and removed the existing elastic.

4.  With new elastic cut to my niece's waist measurement, I threaded it through the casing, sewed the elastic together, and closed up the casing. 

5.  I fixed a few seams where the original stitching had come undone. 

I'd really like to learn to sew with knits.  Anyone have any books/sites you could suggest?

Catch the Spirit

Holiday crafting has begun.  Since I will have TWO nephews by Christmas, which is a first - only nieces up until now, I started searching through my books and magazines to see what kind of boy-ish present I could make them.  These cloth balls (from Seams to Me, but you can find a tutorial here with a variety of sizes) are perfect.  What boy doesn't like to play with a ball?  Of course these balls are very nearly the size of my nephews, but they can grow into them.

I'm thinking they can also come in handy for several other uses besides just playing catch...

1.  Teaching shapes.  Who needs "mama" or "dada"?  Wouldn't it be awesome if my nephews' first words are "pentagon" or "hexagon"?  They just might be categorized as geniuses and all because of Aunt Heather.  Ok, maybe not.  My sister and sister-in-law might never speak to me again if they don't hear their names first.  Maybe we'll start up geometry class when they're three.

2.  Slobber control.  On those days when the slobber faucet is constantly running, these can be used to sop up the puddles.  Nice thing about them - they are MACHINE WASHABLE AND DRY-ABLE which is a major plus for any baby toy.  So, sop away!

3.  Bowling.  Of course the older siblings can use the ball as entertainment while baby is being fed.  How about a nice game of bowling?  Recycle some 2 liter bottles for this purpose.

4.  Yoga.  Shoot!  At approximately 31" in circumference it's almost big enough for a yoga ball.  Ok, exaggeration!  But what little kid wouldn't love to roll around and wrestle with it?

5.  Pillow.  Might give a bit of a crick in the neck, but it's soft enough!

6.  Mobile.  Hang it from the ceiling with some ribbon and give it a spin.  Those patches are sure to mesmerize even the most colicky baby.  No money back guarantee!

7.  Soccer.  Perfect for those indoor soccer games in the hallway - provided there are no pictures or vases to break.

8.  Shooting hoops.  I'm seeing this ball as it sails through the air in slow motion and slams into the laundry basket for a three pointer!  The crowd goes wild!

9.  Floor cushion.  Run out of seats for guests?  Just pull up a ball.

10.  Body pillow.  They may just love the ball so much they want to sleep with it. 

Of course some of these suggestions are far fetched, but really there are so many uses for a cloth ball.  Make up your own!  These balls will make it far beyond the baby years! 

Nothin' To Show

Kind of just left you last week didn't I.  Sorry, but life has been happening, and as sometimes it happens a little more than at other times, it took me by surprise.

I've been sewing like a fiend, but can't show you a thing yet.  It's for my sister's baby shower this weekend.  I must say that I can feel the pressure as I look at the date on the calendar looming before me, see all the scheduled activities that will hinder me from sewing, and realize how much more I have to go on this present.  I might be pulling a few late night sewing sessions.  Blogging this week will be pretty sparse until the present is completed, and then I'll show you LOTS of pictures. 

*This picture was taken this summer in the mountains and has nothing to do with the post.  It's peaceful, refreshing.  I like looking at it.  So there you have it!  

Just Ducky

It's a Red Letter Day at my house!  The postman just left this for me.  I can't tell you how much I love these fabrics.  The zig-zag is Chevron, but it goes very well with the colors of the Day.  All I need now is a nice yellow to go with.  That and to make up my mind about the design for the quilt.  Improv for sure, maybe some curves if I can get up the nerve!

p.s. Sew, Mama, Sew is having a sale!

 

Fall Color Crush

I'm really enjoying working with some fall colors.  Purple and sapphire blue are topping my list. 

I found this fabric in my mom's large cuts stash.  She bought this blue velveteen to make my sister and I some knickers for a wedding we were to be in when I was about six or seven.  The bride must have changed colors, because our wedding knickers ended up being made out of peach satin.  This fabric has been sitting around for about 27 years!  I guess it could be deemed "vintage".  Anyone really know how old something has to be in order for it to be vintage?  Just found the answer on Etsy.  20 years - yep it's vintage, but then that means that I am too!

Mom has pretty much given me carte blanche to any of her fabric or beads, so I took advantage of her generosity and snatched it up along with some nice charcoal gray which I used for the lining.  I just listed it in the shop along with some new Vintaj and pearl jewelry.

Ooo - gotta go check on my cake!  More about that on Monday.