Family Sillouette Seiries

For our latest sewing bee project we were asked to create something that we could hang on the wall and admire. And lately, I’ve really been into the whole heritage/legacy thing and I saw this idea of fabric silhouettes in a book.

I made Hubby’s first because he’s bald and I figured he would be easiest (love you, Baby). When I showed it to him, I asked if he would like any words printed on his. He immediately decided upon “Papa Bear.” And thus the series was born.

Turns out this whole thing was freaky-simple. All I had to do was:

1) Take a profile picture of my subject
2) Blow up the picture on the computer screen to desired size
3) Trace out silhouette on tracing paper
4) Cut out the shape
5) Trace around cut out onto desired fabric (If you are using a light quilting fabric you might want to consider a stabilizer, but that’s optional)
6) Cut out shape
7) Adhere to background fabric (Again, you might want to consider a stabilizer for the background)
8) Stitch into place
9) Stamp on words (optional, I used just regular stamp ink, like for paper)
10) Cut out background fabric to fit your frame

See? Ten easy steps. Each project took maybe 45 minutes. And it was totally worth it. Now I smile every time I look up at the wall. And I know these are going to hang in our home for a long time.

The Amazing Casserole-Dish-Transport-Device

When we moved into my Grandmother's house we had to go through her things and divide them up. Sell what could be sold; keep what should be kept, etc. While filtering through her kitchen things I came across an absolutely horrible, but freakin brilliant casserole-dish-transport-device. It was peach, of course, my grandmother sure loved peach. In fact the entire house was some version of peach. I'm serious. Floor to ceiling. Carpet, fireplace, furniture, curtain, blinds... even the CIELING WAS PEACH!! Anyway, I digress. The casserole thing (I don't know if it had a name of its own or not) was peach and quilted with peach lace trimming. Absolutely awful. But I kept it. Because if nothing else, it would provide me with a template to make my very own casserole-dish-transport-device.

And lo...

Isn't it fun? The design is so simple, though some of my measurements did go awry. I originally wanted a 10" pie dish to fit, and it can, but it’s a bit tight. Still, this was an easy project. I used 2 wooden sticks for the handles and a piece of plywood at the bottom for stability. I like it so much, that I decided to make another BIGGER one for my lasagna pan. Now, somebody invite me to a potluck pronto!

Cards Cards Cards

I'm definitely one of those people who has a rather difficult time sitting still. Don't get me wrong, I love to "relax", sit back, and watch movies with my main squeeze, but I have found that it is damn near impossible to literally sit and watch and that's it. I've always got a project in my hands. Lately I've really been getting into card making. Its so fun and easy and you get instant gratification because your project is finished in 3 minutes. Every time I finish one I run up to Hubby and show it off like I'm in second grade and I just discovered the genius that is the macaroni necklace. He always fawns appropriately. And I love him for that.


Here are a couple that I've cooked up. I've leaned heavily on inspiration from (read "copied") other cardmakers, but that's only because they have way better ideas than I do.

I also made this super-cute pincushion tomato out of some scraps! Fresh picked. (Based off of a Heather Bailey pattern) Fun!

Sweet Tree Pillow

This is another sewing group project, but I thought I would use it as a warm up for the family tree project I'm working up. And it turned out specatularly well... if I do say so myself.

This whole thing was finished in about 2 hours.

I used a natural colored linen blend fabric for the pillow. The purple tree that you see is actually a pieced-together stamp that I made. Then I used some fabric paint to stamp it on, piece by piece. First the trunk, then main branches, then smaller branches. Next I cut out the leaves out of some leftover scraps and sewed them on with a criss-cross stitch. After that, just sew the pillow pieces together, stuff it, seal it, and Voila! Tree pillow.

Soon, I'm going to make a much bigger version of this to hang on the wall where the leaves will have our ancestor’s names going back 5 generations. Should be pretty bitchin.

Oh, Hello again...

Ah yes. Another wide gap in the posts. And I got a ton of excuses, but who really cares? So here is the first of another string of posts to update ya'll on what I've been up to.

First off, I recently joined a sewing group and here is one of the projects we did. It is a woven fabric bowl and it was really fun to do. Plus I LOVE how it turned out. I will definately make more. Here is the tutorial for anyone who's interested. The tutorial uses a machine to sew it, but I did it by hand. The cording I got was real fat and wouldn't fit in the machine, plus it was something easy to do while watched movies.

On a more personal note, today marks the last day of my vacation. Boo. And I just checked my work email. Which was a poor idea on my part. Anyway, Puppy, Hubby, and I rented a cabin out on Gold Bar on the Snohomish River for a week. We invited our folks to come out as well. They didn't stay the whole time, though. It was awesome vacation spot. It was a 5 acre fenced property so Puppy just ran wild for a solid week. She loved it. We loved it. We went hiking, river-tubing, hot-tubing, shopping, and played wiffle ball. There was also alot of sleeping, lounging, eating, drinking, and laughing. It was super fun. So sad its over.

The Almost Quilt

You see this quilt? Perhaps you don't. You probably just see little piles of fabric, but I see a quilt. A lovely quilt. But this poor quilt has been sitting here in pieces for weeks. The sun keeps coming out. I'm drawn outside to dig in the ground. But I must find time for this almost quilt. It'll really be something someday. Perhaps exposing my procrastination to the blogging world will spur those sewing juices. Only more time will tell. Perhaps I should also post about cleaning out the gutters or painting the basement...hmmm, maybe not.

And the (Belated) Winner Is...

Oh my goodness! You guys, I'm so sorry! I'm late in announcing the winner of my little giveaway. So I'll get right to it... the winner is: Quilting Melodies! Horray! They will receive the very fun Reversible Apron with Lemon Embroidery.

Thank you so much to all who participated! It was a very fun giveaway even though I'm an incredible flake on posting the winner. But hey, life happens, right? I've got a few new things up my sleeve that I will try to post about as soon as I have 2 seconds to rub together. (new quilt for us and a fleece for the pup, its freaking cold outside, have you noticed?)

Anyway, hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season.

FREE Apron Giveaway

Horrah! It is here! Sew Mama Sew's Handmade Holiday giveaway is here! In addition to this blog there will be many many other blogs giving away handmade goods and/or supplies to the crafty world at large. It is a fabulous event!

This year I decided to make a curvy reversible apron. It was inspired by the one in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing book. One side is black with a stitched floral pattern and the other is solid muslin with a bit on lemon applique.

All you have to do to enter to win this item is leave a comment below and the winner will be randomly selected. Be sure to leave me some way of finding you if you win (by either linking to your own blog or posting some form of contact information.) You have until December the 6th to leave a comment and I will post who the winner is on December 7th. No international shipments, sorry guys!

Incase you have never heard of the epic event known as Handmade Holidays, you should most definitely check it out. Everyday the wonderful folks over at Sew Mama Sew posts new ideas of things you can make for gifts (or for yourself.) An awesome spot for sewing inspiration.

Belated Halloween Post

I know its a wee bit late and this one is just a quickie, but I've had a lot of requests for pictures of the puppy during Halloween. She must have thought she looked cute because she tolerated that costume all day. Who said its over the top to sew your dog a costume for Halloween?

Perhaps the udders were a bit much?

Aprons are Awesome

Aprons are totally coming back into style. Personally I think half aprons are the best. And I love making them. I actually hung a rack in my kitchen specifically designated for aprons that I make. You know... in case other people want to come over and cook with me and may have the need for an apron. Ok, ok. I know I'm a dweeb. And I'm hanging my head on the inside.

The apron to the left is one I made for my stepmother but I think I want one for myself too it can join this one on the kitchen rack. The pocket was inspired from another one of Lotta's books. I think next time I will use more solids though.

Kitty Catnip Patchwork Toy

No parent is supposed to show favoritism, right? Well, since the pup came along last spring, I'll have to admit that the love scales have tilted a bit away from the kitty. My kitty that I have had since I was twelve. Together we've been through some rough times and some good times in the past 14 years of our lives. And these days I find myself constantly tripping over bones, squeaky toys, and tennis balls. So I thought it was high time to do something nice for him. Plus, Sew Mama Sew (one of my favorite blogs) is holding a contest for the month of October called Scrap Busters and I wanted to enter.

And thus we have what I like to call Kitty's Sticky Icky Icky patchwork toy. (Don't worry folks, it's just catnip.)

Assembly is very simple and will used up a few of those pesky scraps you have in a box next to your sewing machine.

You will need:
Dried Catnip (may be sold in bulk at your local co-op or grocery store)
Dry Rice
Insert (I used a reusable muslin teabag, but you could make you own or use something similar)
Scraps for outer bag

Measurements will vary based on how big of an insert you use. I sort of eyeballed mine.

Step 1:
Fill insert with rice and catnip. (the rice is so that when kitty begins to loose interest you can warm it up in the microwave and... viola! New again!)

Step 2: 

Assemble outer layer and patchwork piece. I used denim for most of the shell because my cat likes to grip his catnip toys in both claws and suck on them. So they need to be durable.

 Step 3:

With right sides together sew your patchwork piece to the back of the outer piece, leaving a 2" space in the side so that you can fit the insert in. Trim corners being careful not to cut the seam. Next, turn the shell right side out, pushing out the corners. Place catnip bag inside the shell.

Step 4: 

Topstitch around the outer shell 2 times to close the hole and reinforce the outer seams.

And it is ready to be introduced to the cat...

Mission accomplished.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Do you ever have those instances in your day to day life when you experience pure and inexplicable satisfaction? Here are a couple of mine:

• Waking up to the sound of rainfall
• Cracking my neck after not being able to all day 
• Coming home to find the the green pepper I have been watching all week finally turned red
• Hot tea on a drizzly morning
• Finding five bucks in my coat after not wearing it for a year 
• Popping the pit out of an avocado
• Having a beer after gardening all day 
• Butter Rum Bread Pudding at the Boat Street Cafe
• Stuffing the bell and filling into the below project 

When my good friend Jenn got pregnant, I began digging around for some crafty gifts I could send to her. I checked out Lotta Jansdotter's new book, Simple Sewing for Baby.  And the one of the cutest projects I saw also happened to be the easiest. Soft rattles shaped like strange little giraffe. You just fill them with stuffing and a bell and *POOF* its a rattle. Genius.

My First Quilt

It measures 32" x 24". It is very small indeed. I was testing the quilting waters. But it worked out because it is just the right size to be a nice traveling changing pad for my good friend's baby-to-be. I threw some ties on the end so she could wrap it up and toss it into her diaper bag.

Let me tell ya. This is tough. All the measuring and precise cutting is hard work. Doing a full size project is going to take me a long time, but I'm looking forward to it. Oh, how I love to sew.

New Feet!

I've been sitting on my porch, watching a storm come in, and admiring the changing leaves while I cook up some new sewing projects. I'm totally in my happy place. The rains are on their way to the great Northwest and I couldn't be more pleased.  The sky is getting grayer. The days are getting shorter. The temperature is dropping. Pumpkins are at my local veggie stand and I have dusted off my slow cooker. It is officially Fall and it is my favorite time of year. My coworkers cast looks of great annoyance my way when I voice this opinion. As natural born sun-lovers, as the days get grayer. they come into the office, one by one, heads hung and grumbling. Why they have chosen to live in the rainiest region on the planet while maintaining these opinions is another discussion entirely. But we had plenty of sun and blue skies this summer. And as I am not one for heat, its my turn! Bring on the rain!

One of the things I really wanted to make this season was a quilt. I kept reading all these articles and books that had the most beautiful handmade quilts on them. Like this one and this one. And I said to myself, "How are they doing that? My machine can't do that. It only sews in one direction. Perhaps they have special quilting machines. Bummer." But after careful research I found this. And lo. A beam of hope shown down upon me. Its not a special machine one needs to make free hand quilts. It is a single attachment. A foot that can snap onto my current sewing machine which costs about ten bucks. It wasn't until later that I felt a twinge of shame at not already knowing about the feet, but I forgot all about it when these arrived at my doorstep. Oh happy days. Let the quilting begin.

Teeny-Tiny Tote

*Gasp!* What's this? Oh, ANOTHER bag. I don't know what's with me, but I have just been inspired to create things that hold other things. This is the teeny tiny bag that I made for my coworker for her birthday. It can fit keys and not much else. But she received it graciously.

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

This bag is a more sophisticated (in terms of fabric choice and everyday wear) version of this one. My mom saw the other one and and dropped quite a few not-so-sutble hints of wanting one for her birthday. Something like, "That is so cute! I want one." So, we went to the fabric store and she picked out these three fabrics. They are so her. It was fun to make.

Get 'em While They're Young

Hubby and I went to Portland a couple months ago to watch my little sister and brothers (ages nearly 10, 7, and 5, I think) for a few days. I brought my sewing machine and plans to explore the local fabric shops with my sister while Hubby watched the boys. We came back from the store with visions of back-to-school projects dancing in our heads.

So, I set up the sewing machine, walked away for a minute, and came back to this:

Isn't she cute? Fully concentrated. In the zone. Determined.  I loved watching her make up her own project. (That is a decorative "dishtowel" made from scraps by the way.) When I was her age, my mom taught me to cross-stitch. I have many very fond memories of sewing cross stitch next to my mom while we watched movies. Then that opened a big door to creative hobbies.

Anyway, she told me that she wanted to have a new headband to show off at school when they got back from spring break. So we made this:

I hope that her first sewing experience went well. I had a good time at least. She walked away from it with a spiffy headband and a sassy little tote (which I forgot to photo) and begging her mother for her own sewing machine.  Ahh, nine-almost-ten year olds...

I am Captain Domesticity and THIS is my Cape!

I know I know. Cheesy right? But I just made this apron and it has tiny plates and forks on it and I love it so. I feel like a hip, pants-wearing June Cleaver when I wear it and skip about the house picking herbs, reading books about cupcakes, and wishing I knew how to knit socks. Ok, maybe a nerdy June Cleaver.

Angry Owl Tote

What better way to end the summer than with an Angry Owl tote? Sturdy, made of canvas and denim, and it has fall colors. Currently holds my lunch on most days. Plus you just can't miss the owl. I'm not sure why he came out angry, he just did. You would think its all in the brows, but I think it goes deeper. The tight-fisted little claws. The pursed beak. The cramped-looking wings. I didn't feel angry while I made it. Hmm... perhaps its just a coincidence.

 
I thought about making an Indifferent Owl. Shrugging Owl. Cold Shoulder Owl. Awkward Silence Owl? Perhaps Angry Owl is plenty. Look! It even looks angry from the back.

What about other moody woodland creatures? Any thoughts?

Catch-Up and Carry-All

AHA! It has taken just over 6 months, but I have finally secured an internet connection. Yea! So let me do a quick catchup for anyone who once read this blog and have returned to read it again.

Hubby and I moved to Des Moines WA. Only about a half hour outside of Seattle. Very close to the airport. The planes are loud, but we hardly mind. We have TONS of space and a view of Mount Rainier that would shock the fur off a cat. We are now responsible for quite a larger living area than our previous one-bedroom in Seattle. We're in a full-blown house in fact. Who knew that we could ever be so fortunate? We also adopted a heart-meltingly lovable black lab/great dane puppy named Denali.

And did I mention that I now have more than just a cubby to sew in? I have a full-on workstation. I have my grandmother's old sewing table. I have bay windows with a view of the mountain. And I have space to spread out my mountains of fabric. Jealous much? I know I don't deserve it. Any day I'm going to wake up and *poof* we'll be back in our little apartment, but until then, I'm milking it for all it's worth.

And my dreams of owning a farm have only strengthened in the past six months. Now that I have some dirt to dig in, I will have lots of time to practice. Plus, I have (not-so-subtly) been dropping hints to Hubby of a yearning for backyard chickens.

So, even though no one has heard from me in awhile, I have been very busy with my craftiness. First up is one of my prouder accomplishments. I made a carry-all for myself a couple weeks ago.



And I love love love it! I got the pattern from Anna Maria (don't you just LOVE her?) Highly recommended. Very fun bag. I can carry all the normal stuff: keys, wallet, phone plus my lunch AND any due library books. My poor messenger bag couldn't handle all that. And I was frequently seen on the bus with three to four different totes just trying to get all my crap from A to B. But no more. The Multi-Tasker tote can handle it all. Ahhh, satisfaction.