homeofthebudds

quilt

I'm not gonna blog about everything we did for christmas this year, but I am required to mention the completion of Bryan's quilt.

This baby was started a good ten years ago and has been patiently waited for ever since. Work on it has been gifted for many birthdays.

It started as a King size (Queen maybe?) and decided really it would rather be a large throw. It's definitely big enough to lay under, or snuggle under during a movie, but not quite bed sized.

I couldn't quite get a good picture to show the quilted portions - I free motioned all the white areas - since I finished very late at night and wanted to ship it off right away so couldn't wait until the next days light.

And now I'm pretty sure I want one myself.

In which I want to paint, but sew instead

I've managed to get off the couch and sit down at the table with the sewing machine. I'm learning how to draw with the free motion foot.

 

This one I did several months ago, but I don't think I ever showed it here.

 

This one I did tonight. I want to add a little jack-o-lantern to the swing, but I'm gonna have to go to Joann's for some orange thread.

And the last one. I was trying to rework the first Spring tree, but with the right colors of thread. Looking at it here I think I might need to add a bit to the bird - it's looking rather skinny for spring time.

I want to figure out how to mount them to a wood frame. Or something. For now the masking tape holding it to the wall is doing it for me, but it can't last forever.

Things I'm making...bag edition (yes, again)

*love!*

This is a heavy duty canvas so it can hold a lot heaviness-wise. I can not wait to try it with different color trims and see how that changes the whole vibe.

Dave's been taking those drawstring bags I mentioned awhile ago to work with his lunch packed inside. (Only the manly looking ones, of course.) Some of the ladies were admiring them, so I whipped up a few more for them using some scraps from my stash.

(Do any of those fabrics looks familiar, Mom?)

I can not, for the life of me, think of a good way to take a picture of these drawstring bags. Unless I stuff them full. Any ideas?

Things I'm making...dress, doll, present edition

I've been making several of these little dresses lately. I love them.

My very first embroidered doll, inspired by Emily, for Emily.

And my new favorite wrapping paper - sewing designs on kraft paper. (I totally saw this in a book yesterday...when I remember the name of it, I'll let you know.)

In which Brennan has a new favorite shirt (if he knows what's good for him)

I made a shirt!! I made a shirt!!

(picture me jumping up and down with excitement)

Button up shirts, for some reason, have always held this title of 'difficult-to-sew' in my head.

Turns out they're not so bad.

I did go very, very slowly and checked the direction and pattern multiple times.

And there are little problems.

For instance, I winged it when cutting out the sleeves the first time and then had to redo it to make the animals of the pattern be the right orientation. And then, after all that trouble I put the wrong sleeve in the wrong side so they're upside down. Oh well. Maybe next week I'll fix it. Or maybe I'll just enjoy upside down crocodiles.

After all, Isaiah's wondering when his will be ready.

Things I've been making...shorts and bag edition

My girly loves to wear skirts and dresses. It's actually work to talk her into pants. And she desperately needed some little shorts to go under these skirts and dresses cause she also loves to try turning cartwheels and wrestling and riding a bike. I've been scoping out the thrifts stores, Target, Fred Meyer, everywhere but no one seems to be selling these little shorts. At least not on the days I was there. I did find one pair at a thrift store a while back and I finally decided to use them as a pattern and just try making some for her.

I'm happy to say it was remarkably easy. The only problem now is that she absolutely loves wearing them and I'm having to talk her into putting a skirt over the top to go out of the house. Hmmm.

I was worried about sewing with a knit (this was my first time) but it was no trouble at all. And now, suddenly the world of knit fabrics has opened to me and I cannot wait to get to Fabric Depot and buy myself some Organic Cotton jersey.

Can. Not. Wait.

Just have to use up some more of my stash first. Alright, a lot more of it.

So I will be waiting. For a bit.

And here's a little drawstring bag that was inspired by the book Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. That book is awesome. I'm definitely buying it seeing as the library keeps telling me I really should return the copy I borrowed.

(Kidding! I never return books late. Ever. Mostly ever. Usually we just loose books altogether.)

I stuffed it with some laundry freshly pulled from the dryer but was informed that was the wrong decision by a certain someone who was slightly grumpy and insisting this bag was for food and only food. He didn't want to eat food, he just wanted to pack it up for a trip to the park. A trip that we were not about to take. But the bag reminded him of another drawstring bag I'd made earlier in the week and used to pack an earlier picnic lunch in.  So clearly, putting clothes in it was just wrong.

Now I know.

Things I've been making...apron edition

What child doesn't need an apron?!?

This one obviously does. It makes him sassy apparently.