i want to make...

...a gift for my boys' scoutmaster.

 he has been released and will be attending the new spanish speaking branch our stake just formed.  he is a wonderful scoutmaster and will be missed.  so i pulled out my stash of scout fabric last night to look at and try to figure out what to make him.

.... a lap quilt, wall hanging, table runner, placemats? nothing is sounding right.  do any of y'all have an idea of what to make for an outdoorsy scoutmaster in the army?



a small kind of accomplishment

i didn't have as much time to sew this weekend as i thought i would. it usually works that way, right?  but i did get a small project done.  

this might have been a small project but i feel i've accomplished something.  because this set of scriptures has been in need of covering for a while.

crafty catch-up

last week i helped a friend finish up several projects she wanted to get done before going to visit family.  so i thought this week i would get some of my own finished.

i finished the rainbow suncatcher that i started back in june.

and made a candyland suncatcher

to match the hansel and gretel cross-stitch i still haven't finished.  does anyone remember when i started it? because it has been so long i don't.  i do know it has made a several moves and had to be started after 1995 because the copyright and print date in story book cross-stitch.

i made this petticoat/skirt that i should have months ago.

to layer with this dress.

i made a couple more of these bags.

and picked up some button making supplies.

because i love this fabric so much i don't want to toss out even the smallest bits of it.

i still need to finish my ruby gloom doll.  i'm making her from the strawbeary doll pattern in amigurumi. of course i'll need to adjust the pattern a little; ruby is not that tall.  she's a chibi. 

 when i ordered my buttons i found these bandages and had to get them!

my kawaii tape came this week, and i am waiting patiently (not really) for my washi tape. 

 i'm trying to think of a weekend sewing project to get lost in.  no i'm not going to work on my cross-stitch or ruby gloom because my fabric stash is screaming at me to come and play.

layered ruffled 4th of july skirts

i didn't get all the sewing i was planning on done this weekend.  i did find my girlies new bathing suits, went to the pool a couple times, and made 4th of july skirts using a tutorial found here.  i'm going to share my adjustments to the pattern incase any of y'all want to make one with my girlies measurements and don't want to do the maths of it.

this one is a 24 inch waist and is 21 inches long. 

there are:

4 connectors (red and white polka dots) that are 5.5 inches by 40 inches. 

4 ruffles (blue with peace sign flags) that are 6.5 inches by 80 inches.

i had to sew 2 pieces together to get 80 inches. if any of y'all end up piecing 2 strips together like i did, remember to add 1 inch for the seam allowance. 81 inches between the two strips = 80 inches after sewn together.

this one is a 22 inch waist and is 19 inches long.

there are:

4 connectors (red with stars) that are 5 inches by 36 inches. 

4 ruffles (navy blue with stars) that are 6 inches by 72 inches.

again i had to sew 2 pieces together to get 72 inches so don't forget to add 1 inch for the seam allowance (73 inches between the 2 strips.)

y'all ready for a little weekend sewing?

i am.  i've prewashed, ironed, and folded a lot of fabric the last couple days and have plans to get some projects started (and hopefully finished.)  these are the fabrics to make skirts for my girlies.

and these....

...a bag to start with and then so much more!

  

i'll have one of everything bag

i know i've mentioned that i hoard collect yarn.  well, i also 'collect' fabric, craft books, and patterns.  there's a line of fabric i'm wanting but need to make some room for it.  it comes out in august so i've got to get going on stashbusting.  last night i was looking through my stash and came across these fat quarters.

and decided they needed to become this bag.

want a closer look?

it's in the book seams to me 24 new reasons to love sewing by anna maria horner.  i made a couple alterations like pockets on the outside and inside. also i didn't add the tasseles.

i gotta find my next project and make room in my stash for new fabric.  maybe another i'll have one of everything bag in next stop - london.

stash busting ~ a bit of this and that

This is what I've been working on this week.

I finished up some flannel wash cloths that have been half finished for over a month and crocheted an edge on the wash cloths from last week.

I found 6 skeins of Patons Be Mine in Fuzzy Yellow, 2 skeins of Red Heart Hunny in Sunny, and Bernat Softee Baby in White stashed away and decided it was going to be my next stash busting project.  Three skeins of Be Mine were from the same dye lot so I decided to make a simple knitted baby blanket.  I cast on 60 using 10mm needles and knit every row until it was 40inches long.  Then using a K hook, put a single crochet edge on it.  The blanket turned out so soft and fluffy.

I'm working on baby hats with the yarn that doesn't match up in dye lots. 

This was the favorite pattern of the week at my house and a request went out for one that would fit my girlie.  She also asked if I would make her a bumble beehive hat in black and yellow.  That's what she is calling it...the bumble beehive hat.

child size bumble beehive hat

Using 5 8mm dpn needles cast on 80; 20 stitches on 4 needles using Bernat Softee Baby White. Use a place marker to mark the beginning of the row. Pearl the first row, knit the next 4 rows.  Switching to Pattons Be Mine Fuzzy Yellow pearl the next 2 rows. Knit the next 5 rows with white, pearl the next 2 rows with yellow. Repeat the knit 5 rows, pearl 2 rows  pattern until it measures about 7 inches ending on the pearl 2 rows part of the pattern.

Decrease: Knit rows are with white, pearl rows are with yellow.  Knit 6, knit 2 together around. Knit the next 2 rows. Knit 5, knit 2 together around. Knit 1 row. Pearl 1 row. Pearl 4, pearl 2 together around.  Knit the next 2 rows. Knit 3, knit 2 together around. Knit 2 rows.  Pearl 2, pearl 2 together around. Pearl 1 row.  Knit 1, knit 2 together around..  Knit 2 together around.  Cut leaving a long tail. Using a tapestry needle sew through the loops and finish off.

I'm thinking of making some booties to match the little hats to keep up with the stash busting.

Ohhh, maybe little flowers to attach to the hats too?

handkerchiefs

I like to carry handkerchiefs.  Usually they are plain white men's hankies that I can pick up at a department store.  This year I've decided to try add some character to my handkerchiefs.

January:  crocheted lace edging on 2

February:  I made 15 and sent 12 as valentines.

March:  After making quite a few in February...

I'm starting to think about making my next hankie.

a little sewing

A friend of mine was recently called to Young Women. On the way home from church that afternoon I remembered seeing a Young Women Personal Progress book holder that I wanted to make with my oldest Girlie in the autumn when she starts attending YW.  So I was excited to get to make one for my friend right away!  I don't like to wait on projects.  Probably because when I wait they don't get done.

You can find the pattern at  Chocolate on my Cranium.  I did make an adjustment to the pattern so I could add the Guidebook for Parents and Leaders of Youth.  My fabric and interfacing pieces were 14x24 inches and my pocket guide lines were at 5 1/2", 11 1/4", 12 1/2", and 17 3/4".

i have hope

My girlies found some fabric in my stash and wanted matching pajama bottoms.  This took me by surprise.  My oldest hasn't wanted anything matching her sister EVER.  She is such a sweet girl and has humored me a few times but her heart was never in it.  Today, she wanted it.

I went to cut the fabric and realized there wasn't enough to make two pajama bottoms.  NO!!! They wanted and agreed to match.  When I bought this fabric there was enough to make them both tops and bottoms.  Oh, that was a couple years ago.  Another fabric was picked.

The pajamas were made.

She asked for matching pajamas once.  Maybe she will ask to match her sister again.  I have hope!

catching up ~ four

I finished a skirt that was cut out 3 years ago and abandoned.



Maybe I will get it washed and pressed sometime in the next 3 years.

catching up ~ one

I finished my autumn table runner. 



the last batch...

...of pillowcases for me, until I get some other projects finished up.

starting something...

...new for autumn

piles of...

...finished pillowcases folded neatly on my table.

I wanted to make sure that teen boys were not forgotten in ConKerr Cancer's  Miles of Pillowcase Smiles project.  So my oldest son helped pick the fabric to make this lot of pillowcases.  We hung a few of his favorites on the fence line.

These three are his absolute favorite and the blue peacock one in the middle is our family top choice.  But if it was October, the black and green bats could have won.

I will be shopping for more of the peacock fabric this weekend.  Even though I don't need any more fabric (look at Wednesday's post for proof of that.)  It is just that it so pretty and I can see it as new covers for my pillows.

here i stand...

...at my sewing table. 

Looking at the unfinished pillowcases I need to work on.

Glancing around my work area and seeing the untidiness and unfinished projects that have been piling up for months; I really should tend to this mess.

Then deciding to ignore it and begin sewing.

Here I sit sewing. Wondering how long I can avoid tending to my work area mess.