Sewing Passion

Christmasy Placemats & Napkins

2011-12-15T18:32:00.006-05:00

Awhile back Sew, Mama, Sew had a placemat and napkin sew-along. I decided to make these for my mom for her birthday. She decorates the house in blues and silver for Christmas, but I threw in the green to tie together the one print with with green in it. She really likes these placemats. Although I don't think she'll ever use the napkins. I really like how these turned out and now have placemats on my ever growing list of things to make for our house.

When I was a kid we opened one gift on Christmas Eve after church and we are carrying on that tradition with our kids. Every Christmas Eve after church we go to one of my husband's sister's houses and have a bite to eat. After eating each child gets to open one gift. For the past 4 years or so I've made something for my kids Christmas Eve gift. Right now I'm working on those Christmas Eve gifts. I'm not sure how much longer this will last as it's getting harder every year to come up with something for the boys.

Skirts

2011-10-15T13:00:00.001-04:00

Both of these skirts were made using Anna Maria Horner's tutorial. I ordered some lawn fabric from Sew, Mama, Sew! specifically for these skirts this past summer and wore them a few times each. I love, love, love, love, love these skirts. They are so comfortable to wear to work, around town and at home. I wouldn't recommend wearing white to garden though! But then I always end up dirty no matter what colour I wear gardening.

Farm Themed Birthday

2011-10-08T13:00:00.002-04:00

My youngest son is wild about cows and all things farm related. He was very insistant he wanted a cow cake again this year. I managed to talk him into having a barn cake with farm animals made out of cookies.

A few weeks before his birthday he told me, "You know mom, a barn really needs a tractor." I said, "Oh, really?" He said, "Yes. I think I need to have a tractor cookie to go with my barn cake and animal cookies."

Where in the world could I get a tractor cookie cutter? I needed to find the farm animal cookie cutters already (except the cow - that I already had) so I searched the web to try to find a tractor cookie cutter too. The shipping costs to and in Canada are unbelievably expensive so I managed to talk him into having a barn cake and a John Deere tractor cake with farm animal cookies. I did finally manage to find the pigs and ducks cookie cutters at the Bulk Barn (2 trips to 2 different stores though).

I made the cookies early in the week of his birthday and froze them. The cakes were baked the morning before his birthday and iced along with the cookies the night before his birthday. He loved these cakes and cookies. I made lots of cow cookies since he loves cows so much and each guest took a cow cookie home with them. (Sorry about the side-ways picture. Blogger won't let me load it turned around.)

He asked me the other day when I was going to make more cow cookies because he'd like to take some on his school lunch. He rarely askes for me to bake anything special for him, so I was pretty surprised. I think I'll have to get some made this week for him.

Diaper Clutch

2011-09-30T18:22:00.003-04:00

This diaper clutch was made for a friend's friend. They knew they were having a boy so I got some great boy fabric from Country Quarter, my local quilting shop. My friend loved the clutch and changing pad and was excited to give this diaper clutch to her friend. This is a great shower gift or a welcoming baby gift. Moms are loving that they only have to grab a diaper and a small package of wipes to go to the park, shopping, etc. and they get to carry it in a great small bag. I wish I had one when my kids were in diapers.

Ottawa Senators Birthday Cake

2011-09-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

My oldest son's favourite hockey team is the Ottawa Senators. So of course he wanted an Ottawa Senators birthday cake. I found a picture of the Ottawa Senators logo on the internet and printed it out in colour. I decided it would be too hard to cut the cake into the shape of the Senator, but I knew if I coloured the icing black and used round cake pans I could make a puck. Luckily my son agreed to a hockey puck cake with the Senator on it. I just free-handed the design onto the iced puck cake and filled it in. It's not exact, but the birthday boy and his friends thought it was "sick". From what I gather that's good!

Great Teacher Christmas Gift Idea

2011-09-17T17:23:00.008-04:00

My kids love to make gifts for their teachers. The boys made these snowman pins for their teachers with a little help from me. They picked out the buttons and ribbon from my stash. I glued the buttons together and glued the ribbon and felt hats to the snowman. Then I glued the snowman to broach pins. This was a quick gift to make and an excellent teacher gift.

Christmas Bag

2011-02-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

Outside flap

Outside pocket under the flap

Awhile back I made a really cute patchwork flap messanger bag for a swap. My daughter loved it and said she would like a patchwork bag. Well I knew then what I'd be making her for Christmas Eve! I went to Country Quarter and bought a really cute charm pack. I can't remember now what the fabric is named but it's a Moda charm pack. Blue is her favourite colour right now and I chose a charm pack with lots of blue and blue-green as my starting point. The bottom left-hand charm is not part of the charm pack. That was from a fat quarter I picked up at Country Quarter. The middle charm is from a fat quarter I bought at Quilt n' Stitch. I had bought the stripe fabric in the summer from Fabricland but had no idea what I was going to make with it. I used a combination of tutorials I had seen on the internet to make this bag. She loves this bag! I think I need to make one for myself soon too.

Another Christmas Scarf

2011-01-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

Once I knew I was making a scarf for my youngest son I knew I would have to make one for our oldest son too. Luckily I had quite a few blue (his favourite colour) fabrics in my stash. I found one really nice blue and gold star fabric from Country Quarter for his scarf and added a few remnants from Fabricland. He says he loves it - but he hasn't worn it that often yet.

Christmas Scarf

2011-01-22T17:42:00.011-05:00

This cute scarf was for my youngest son for his Christmas Eve gift. Each child in our family gets to open one gift on Christmas Eve after church. He had requested a scarf about 3 months before Christmas and little did he know I was planning a scarf for him for Christmas Eve. He asked about every other week if I was working on his scarf. He requested orange (his favourite colour), green and brown. I had very few of these fabrics in my stash. I visited my local quilting shop - Country Quarter and got one of the orange fabrics. The rest are from the Fabricland remnant section. He love, love, love, love, loves this scarf.

Messenger Bag - Patchwork

2010-11-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

Signed up for a bag swap awhile back. You had to list in the comments what type of bag you wanted to receive. My swap partner wanted a bag that had a strap long enough to cross-over the body. I knew I wanted to do a messenger style bag and searched out the fabric. I found this lovely yellow and orange striped fabric in the clearance section of our local Fabricland. I also bought some orange raw silk for lining. I had thought about doing a reverse applique for the flap of the bag, but remembered I had some really nice charm packages in my stash. Once I put the bag fabric with some of the charms I knew the flap would have to be patchwork. I love, love, love, love, love this bag so much and I don't really care for yellow. I asked my daughter for her opinion on what charm squares to use. She mentioned that she would like a patchwork bag too. That makes two of us! One for her is on my list and further down on the list - one for me. This bag would make a great Christmas or birthday gift too.

Lost My Sewing Mojo

2010-11-16T10:20:00.004-05:00

So it's been a long time since my last post. I've lost my sewing mojo. That's not to say I haven't been creating a few things here and there, but just not as much as I usually do. And I really have to say I haven't felt like posting an update, given that we have dial up (high speed is not available in our area). So that's always a headache too.

For my daughter's birthday she requested a John Deere cake. She specifically requested the John Deere symbol. She loves John Deere and has so many t-shirts and sweatshirts with John Deere on them that she can wear a different one everyday.

I don't know how often I'll be updating this blog. I guess just whenever I have a chance. Life is very busy here with 3 kids in school full time this year (including the Kindergartener). What with homework for all 3 kids, activities (inlcuding 2 dance classes and a hockey game and practice), having friends over, going to friends houses and spending some quality family time, I have to prioritize my time.

I am slowly working my way back to the sewing machine and I have a few things I want to share in the coming weeks. Also I have my sewing list of Christmas gift this year to tackle too. I have an idea of what I want to make for each person so I just need to make the time.

Apron Winner

2010-04-22T12:08:00.001-04:00

Thank you all for visiting my blog and entering the giveaway. The winner of the apron is edmontonjb. Email will be sent momentarily. Congratulations!

Giveaway

2010-04-14T22:35:00.009-04:00

Have you seen some of the really great kids beds out there lately? I can see my boys, who share a room loving this bunk bed. With the cool slide down from the top bunk and the awesome tent for the bottom bunk maybe there wouldn't be any fighting over who got which bunk. They could even be open to switching bunks!

Or this bed since they both love Lightning McQueen. I remember when our oldest son got the Cars DVD in his stocking for Christmas a few years back. We must have watched that movie thousands of times. It's still a family favourite and we know all the words to the entire movie.

This bed would be great for a little girl!

Check out the other kids furniture and room accessories on this web site. Including wall hangings like below (love them!).

And this one would even work for a tween's room and could still work in a teen's room (if you have a girly-girl - which I don't).

I can so see my boys loving this Farm Themed table and chairs set.

My daughter would have loved this table and chairs set when she was little.

All of the above items (and more) can be found on this web site.

I could see myself baking cookies in this fantastic apron and getting kids the cookies and milk while they sit at the Farm themed table and chairs.

Want to win the apron??????? Ways to enter:

1) Comment below to enter. Please be sure to include an email address so I can contact you if you win.

2) Spread the word - blog about this giveaway and I'll give you another entry. Just be sure to come back and comment again telling me you blogged about the giveaway and include a link to your post.

3) Become a follower of my blog for another entry.

Giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US only.

Contest will close April 21. Winner will be announced April 22 and you'll have until April 25 to send me your contact info to claim your prize. If the prize is not claimed by April 25 at 10 pm EST, I'll have to announce a new winner. Thanks to CSN Stores for sponsoring this giveaway! Want to see more aprons? Go here.

Grocery Bag

2010-03-31T11:58:00.000-04:00

Signed up for a grocery bag swap. This is what I made my partner.

It's reversible.

Snow, snow, snow

2010-03-28T13:24:00.004-04:00

I can't believe I forgot to share this snowflake ornament with you!

A few weeks after Christmas I was feeling like I needed to make a snowflake ornament - maybe it was because we haven't had much snow all winter. I had some plastic covered wire and was playing around with it and got out my buttons to try to see what would happen. This ornament took hours and my hands hurt by the time I was done threading the buttons onto the wire and bending the wire. I even borrowed my husband's pliers to help bent and pull the wire. I love this ornament and can't wait for next Christmas to hang it on the tree. I have to confess I still have it hanging on our buffet cabinet.

King of the Class

2010-03-21T13:02:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago it was "King and Queen for a Day" in my eldest son's Kindergarten class. All the children could wear a crown at school and this optional. Of course we don't have a crown suitable for a boy and I don't think we even have one of my daughter's princess crowns anymore. For a week I asked my son if he wanted a crown and his response was always no. The night before "King and Queen for Day", right after supper was done (around 7 pm here) he said, "I think I'll take a crown to school tomorrow."

Why do they always do this to me? It's always a last minute decision. I should have listened to my instincts and just made one for him at the beginning of the week.

I got out my felt and told him he would have to have light blue since the only other colours I had enough of were pink and white. Then when I went searching for heavy interfacing and couldn't find any. Luckily we have a Wal-Mart close by and I ran in there to get some heavy interfacing. When I was standing there waiting for someone to come and cut my interfacing I found the dark royal blue felt. I knew he would like that much better than light blue felt I had at home and got some of that as well.

Once I cut out the crown shape, I decided to put his first initial on the crown. It still looked kind of bare so I got out my button collection and found some great boy buttons. Of course it was past the boy's bedtime and he was in bed so I wasn't asking him what he wanted and decided it would be a surprise. I had a rocket ship, an airplane, a saw, a great sized yellow star and a flashlight button - all things he loves. When I showed the boy his crown in the morning before we left for daycare he was really excited about wearing his crown at school.

After school I asked him if any other boys wore crowns and he said yes. I asked if anyone had a crown like his and he said no. (This is our quiet child.) Daddy said to him, "I bet no one had a crown as nice as yours." He didn't reply but every once in awhile he still gets his crown out and puts it on. So I call it a hit.

Our youngest will be in Kindergarten next year and I was thinking I'll have to keep the crown for him and just put his initial over top of this brother's. However he keeps reminding me he hates blue and really loves orange. Maybe I should get started on his crown now!

Birthday Cake!!!!!

2010-02-18T11:01:00.007-05:00

My oldest son's birthday was in January. (He's our middle child.) All he could talk about for months (besides Santa and what he was going to ask for/get) was his birthday cake. Last year he just wanted a spiderweb cake - easy enough. This year he wanted a 4-wheeler cake. And not just any 4-wheeler - it had to be just like his 4-wheeler.

The Cake

The real 4-wheeler

I think it turned out pretty good. He really liked it and his friend that came over for his birthday thought it was "sick". Wonder what kind of cake he'll ask for next year?

Christmas Eve Pillows

2010-01-10T17:23:00.010-05:00

I can't believe it's taken me so long to post this! We had a wonderful Christmas and really enjoyed the Christmas break together. Usually my husband works during the break between Christmas and New Year's. This year he had the week off so we had lots of family time. We also have a birthday in our family early in the New Year (more on that in a different post). We went back to work/school/daycare on Monday but by Monday night 2 of us came down with the a tummy bug that has been going around. By the end of the week all 3 kids and I had had the bug. We are all back to normal now though.

Anyway, on Christmas Eve after we go to mass, we get together with my husband's family for some snacks and togetherness. After we have a snack each child is allowed to open one gift. For the past 3 years I've been making something for my kids for Christmas Eve. This year I made pillows with their names appliqued on them. Two of our kids have unusual names so they will hardly ever have anything with their names on them unless I make something for them.

I searched high and low for some reasonably priced pillows that would be the right size. I really didn't want to spend anywhere near $20 on a pillow that would be used as a pillow form. I got lucky and found 1 pillow at Wal-Mart on clearance for $6 early in December. Then I spent the next 2 weeks searching for 2 more cheap pillows. I finally found some at Sears on clearance for $7 - which is still at least $3 cheaper than the small pillow forms you can buy at Fabricland (I think they are more than $10 but I can't remember). I measured the pillows to determine the size of the pillow cover I wanted and included a zipper in the bottom so the cover can be washed seperately from the pillow. Two kids love blue and one loves orange. I couldn't find any sturdy solid orange fabric so I had to settle for blue for him too - which worked out perfectly anyway since the boys share blue room. I used a cotton canvas since I wanted something very strong and sturdy for the base of the pillow. I thought this would help to secure and support the applique as well.

For my daughter - Caelen (I know the n looks like an r in this picture but the pillow is really full).

For my oldest son - Tyler.
For the youngest - Rhett.

They love these pillows and sleep with them every night.

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-12-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!
Go check it out. I'd love to win this book!

Christmas Apron

2009-12-12T17:41:00.002-05:00

I signed up for a great swap on Swap Bot awhile back. My swap partner received her package so I can share what I made for her now. For this swap we had to make a half apron and the inspiration was peppermint candies – you know those red and white candy mints you get sometimes at restaurants. As soon as I signed up I knew that I could use some of the Christmas fabric I had left over from the Christmas apron I made for a swap awhile ago since it was red and white. It has snowflakes on it and every time I have one of those candy mints I think of snowflakes. I needed to find a striped fabric to go with it for the ruffle and waistband/ties. I looked at a few stores, but just couldn’t find the right stripe. I finally found this one – it reminds me of candycanes. With the narrow green stripe through the fabric I thought this added some richness to it.

I couldn’t find a tutorial on the web for exactly the apron I wanted to make and I didn't have a pattern so I winged it. I knew I wanted the ruffle to be full. Without pictures to show how I made this apron, directions would be little wordy. Of course I didn't even think to take pictures as I went along until I was almost done the apron. I may just have to come up with a tutorial in the New Year - I don't have time before Christmas.

Are you still working on your Christmas gifts too? I still have a pile of sewing to do, a few more gifts to purchase and everything to wrap. Oh and I haven't done any Christmas baking yet either!

We have a winner!

2009-12-07T07:54:00.003-05:00

Thank you all so much for sharing your favourite part of the holidays with me. I started to respond to comments, but with a slow dial up connection (we don't live in an area that has access to high speed internet or cable) that is not going to be possible - it would take at least 4-5 days and I just don't have time right now. Please know that I do appreciate all of your comments. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope I have some new regular readers.

In fairness to all the others who did tell me their favourite part of the holidays, there were a few people that did not answer the question, and they were removed from the draw. I used the random number thingy. The winner is baukje. Baukje I will email you today. Please contact me no later than 9 PM Eastern Standard Time with your full name and address and I will get your package sent off to you!

Sorry to all of those who did not win this one. I plan on doing at least one giveaway in the New Year - so check back again!

Aprons, Aprons

2009-12-04T19:06:00.001-05:00

If you are here for the Giveaway Day, please feel free to check out the rest of my blog. The Giveaway Day post is in the next post below.

I recently participated in an apron swap. My partner has received her package so I can share this now. For this swap we could make a half or full apron and we could make requests - like a child's apron, full apron, half apron, certain colours etc. My partner wanted an apron for her son who likes bright blue or one for herself - not too girly. I wanted to make an apron for both my swap partner and her son. I'd never made a child's apron, but looked on the internet to see what sort of ideas I could find. I knew a full apron would probably be the best bet for a 5 year old. I made up my own pattern for this apron. I think it turned out perfectly. My 5 year old modelled it for me so I could see how it fit. All the fabric is from my stash. For the tie around the neck I decided to make it shorter and used velcro so it could be taken off quickly and easily. The tie around the waist is a regular tie.

For my swap partner I had some fabric in my stash that I thought would be perfect - not too girly but still pretty. I decided on a half apron for her. The apron pattern is from the Bend the Rules sewing book again. As I've gone along making aprons from this pattern, I've found a few shortcuts. I love the look of this style of apron.

Both my swap partner and her son really like their aprons. I hope they get a lot of use out of them!

Giveaway Day!!!!!

2009-12-01T18:28:00.008-05:00

Thanks to the ladies at Sew, Mama, Sew for organizing this whole Giveaway Day!

Sorry the picture isn't better. It's dark outside when I leave home to go to work and it's dark when I get home and to tell the truth I just decided when I got home tonight exactly what I was going to giveaway.

I'm giving away a half yard of the black fabric with the red, yellow and pink flowers on it and a fat quarter of the green fabric. The green is actually more of a lime green than it shows in the picture. The black fabric has been previously washed and dried in the dryer. The green fabric quarter has not been laundered. I wanted to throw some buttons in that went with the fabrics, so I sorted through my button collection. There is 1 red button and two yellow buttons to go with the black fabric. To go with the green fabric I found a cute blue flower button, a green heart, and 3 other blue buttons (2 small buttons and 1 larger one). I'm also giving away a little box of bobbins - there are 12 in the box. I'm also throwing in a little handmade something. I haven't decided what it is yet - so it will be a surprise.

This giveaway is open until December 6 at 9 pm eastern. I will randomly pick a winner shortly after. To enter, please leave a comment telling me your favourite thing about the holiday season. It could be a favourite recipe (please share - I like to try out new recipes), an activity etc. Please ensure you leave an email address so I can email you if you win. Any anonymous comments without an email address will not be entered. The winner will have until December 9th at 9 pm eastern to claim their prize. If the prize is unclaimed I will announce another winner. Good luck! And go check out the other giveaways at the Sew, Mama, Sew blog!

Edited to add - This Giveaway is open to international entries as well.

More Baby

2009-11-27T18:32:00.007-05:00

These little onesies and blankets were made for my friend at work who had her baby 10 weeks early (I also gave her the diaper clutch). She was very lucky that her little guy has been able to breathe on his own right from the start and is really strong. He is doing very well and they are actually home now (3 weeks before her due date). Her baby shower was a month ago (I know I have a terrible timeliness problem with blogging my projects). Anyway I bought some onesies and had some owl fabric scraps and cut out one owl to applique on the onesie. The bird onesie I had some scraps and used them to make the birds, and the wings. I stitched the birds' legs on the onesie before appliquing on the birds. I didn't have that much fabric that went with green onesie and had no idea what to do for that one. I found the dotted fabric and knew I wanted to make an E applique for that onesie given that the baby's name starts with an E. I love these onseies. I know it will be awhile before he can wear them, but he is growing so quickly and doing so well.

Theses blankets I made using 1 metre of each of the flanellettes. I love nice cozy, soft blankies for babies. I just sewed them up right sides together and left an opening to turn them right side out. After turning them right side out I tucked in the open end and stitched all the way around the blanket. The blankets were really popular at the shower. I love making something for someone who really truely appreciates the thought and care that goes into each item.

I wish my friend and her new little family the best. Keep growing and thriving E!

VOTE FOR #7 Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

VOTE FOR #7 Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!
You can win this dress on Grossgrain! Vot for #7 on Shabby Apple. This dress is so cute!

Charm Design Bags and Totes $50 gift card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-26T07:59:00.000-05:00

Charm Design Bags and Totes $50 gift card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
Check out Grosgrain for a chance to win a $50 gift card at Charm Design. Wow there are some fabulous purses you can use your gift card for!

Addicted to Making Bags?

2009-10-29T11:48:00.005-04:00

If you are a regular reader of my blog it comes as no surprise that I love bags. I love making bags. When I have a few minutes I find myself thinking about what bag I want to make next and envision the fabric(s) I would use or find for the bag. I have ton of tutorials I've found on the internet to try out for bags - small, medium and large. When I need a pick me up, I look at the patterns and tutorials I have or look for new bag patterns and tutorials. I also check out my stash or go shopping for new fabric for bags. (My fabric addiction is a whole other post!)

My daughter's friend had her birthday party and I made her a Buttercup Bag. I love this pattern and it's just the right size for taking shopping. My daughter selected this fabric that was on the clearance decorator/drapery fabric table at Fabricland. The gift was well received and all the girls at the birthday party have requested a bag for their birthdays.
My daughter loves this fabric and has hinted around that she would like a bag made out of this fabric. Maybe she'll get one for Christmas or her birthday, or maybe I'll just have to make her one just because. Either way it will be a surprise. I think she might be a bagaholic in the making!

Tote Bag

2009-10-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

I've been doing some swaps on Swap-Bot. This tote was made for one of the swaps. My swap partner likes blue. I thought this fabric was perfect for a tote. We had to include some items in the tote we thought our swap partner would like. I included some note cards, sticky notes, recipe cards and some scrapbooking items. I love tote bags and don't think you can ever have enough, especially handmade ones!

Fall Applique Table Runner

2009-10-08T15:28:00.001-04:00

I signed up for the Seasonal Celebrations - Fall Swap. You had to make a fall decoration for your swap partner and include your favourite fall recipe and some way that you welcome fall (a tradition, poem, song, etc.). I knew I wanted to make a fall table runner and had a few ideas. I really love the way this table runner turned out and I think I'm finally getting the hang of binding! I'll be making one of these for our home and maybe one for my mom too.

Is it too early for Christmas posts?

2009-10-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

04I've been doing some swaps on Swap-Bot. One of the swaps was Chirstmas in July. These are some of the ornaments I made for this swap. I love felt ornaments.

The sewing thread spool is Santa's list. I put names on a piece of paper and hot glue gunned the list to the thread spool. Then I tied a Christmasy ribbon around the spool. I have a few more ornament swaps coming up and I've been thinking about what I want to do for these. One is for an angel and the other is for a snowman ornament.

Grab 'N Go Diaper Clutch

2009-09-27T10:12:00.002-04:00

I’ve started pattern testing for SewFun. The first pattern I tested is the ‘Grab ‘n Go Diaper Clutch’. The pattern and instructions are for the clutch and a changing pad. The changing pad folds up so you can tuck it in the clutch. Add a couple of diapers and a travel container of baby wipes and you're ready to go. I used some fabric and a button from my ever growing stash for this one. I’ll be giving this diaper clutch to a friend at work, as she is having a baby in December. I sure wish I had one when my kids were still in diapers. It would be so handy to just grab it on the way out the door and it looks pretty too. The pattern is available now at the Sew Fun website. Go check it out!

A Doll Blanket for My Niece

2009-09-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago it was my niece's 2nd birthday. I always buy my niece and nephew a book and some clothes and one toy. She loves pink and horses. I had picked up a pair of pink rainboots at the local Hatley outlet for her. I'd also found some pj shorts that were pink with horses on them at the same store so I got her a size 2 and a size 3 so she has a pair for now and a pair for next summer. I also had an outfit for her for next summer. That took care of the clothes (all that for under $20 - I love bargains!). I looked at every store in the area for a cute stuffed horse but couldn't find one. I did find a My Little Pony baby. I was pretty sure she would like that so I got that for her. The only thing was her baby needed a blankie. I've had some charm sqaures for awhile and knew I wanted to make her a doll blanket. I just sewed the charms together and used some really soft pink minky that I had bought a year or so ago . I sewed them right sides together leaving an opening for turning. Once I'd turned it right sides out I top stitched around the edges. I decided to leave it and not quilt it since I was running out of time and the minky was quite hard to sew to the pieced top. Even while I was topstiching around the edges it was hard to keep it from slipping around.

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Another Skirt

2009-08-24T14:37:00.000-04:00

I decided I needed another skirt for summer. I knew I wanted an A-line skirt with a zipper (no elastic). So I went shopping for some fabric at a local quilting shop. I found the green patterned fabric and fell in love with it right away. I purchased 1 metre. After looking at the fabric several times over the course of a few days I realized I would want to have a solid strip of fabric at the bottom of my skirt because the brightness was a little much for me. I found some broadcloth and decided to use it. I decided not to buy a pattern and used a few tutorials I found on the web to get a clearer idea of how to go about this (mostly from Sew, Mama, Sew). It came together pretty fast and love this skirt! Please pardon the wrinkles - I had to wear this skirt the next day to work, I loved it that much.

And the best part is I still have some fabric left - not sure what I'll do with it, but I'm sure it will come to me!

Another Birthday Cake

2009-08-16T12:16:00.004-04:00

My youngest son turned 3 almost a month ago. As his birthday approached we started talking about what kind of cake he wanted. He kept saying "White cow cake."

Let me give you a little background - Last year I made him a cow cake for his 2nd birthday. I had to work the day of his birthday and had it ready the night before after everyone was in bed. I figured that way when I got home I would just have to get supper ready and not have to worry about getting the cake done. My mom was babysitting that day for us and around 4 pm he went to the fridge to get a drink and noticed his cake in the fridge on the bottom shelf. He sat on the floor with the fridge door open and kept saying "My cow cake."

So this year I made hime the same cake. He knows he can have other cakes. I offered to make a pig or goat or anyother farm animal or a construction cake or Bob the Builder or an ATV or a John Deere tractor cake. He said, "No. White cow cake." So that's what he got. I had enough cake batter left over to make some haybales for the cow.

Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Summer Skirt

2009-07-25T14:51:00.006-04:00

This skirt is perfect for summer. It's light weight and pretty. It can be worn to work, out for dinner (not that that happens much here anymore), shopping, around town etc. The fabric was purchased last year (or maybe the year before). It was a little see through so I lined it with a light pink broadcloth. I made up a pattern based on a few tutorials over at Sew, Mama, Sew. This skirt was cut out, sewn together, hemmed and completed in under an hour. I love fast skirts!

2009-07-17T09:35:00.000-04:00

I signed up for a Celebrate Summer Swap that was on Inspired Mama Musings blog. We had to send a summer decoration, a recipe and share how we celebrate summer.

I made this apron from the Bend-the-Rules Sewing book (Another project from that book!) The fabric is some fabric I won from Sew, Mama, Sew. I'd been holding on to it waiting for the perfect project and this was it.

I also made my swap partner these appliqued tea towels. I used my flip-flop template from for one tea towel. For the other one I had some fabric that had various sized flowers on it and I cut out a bunch of the flowers and figured out placement. Then I sewed a line on the towel for each stem and appliqued the flowers on the towel. I decided I needed leaves for some of the stems and found some green paisley scraps in my scrap stash. I just drew up a leaf shape and cut the shapes out of the fabric and appliqued on the towel. I love these how these towels turned out. Now I need to make some for myself!

My partner for this swap made me the most beautiful cards. They are so pretty I just want keep them to look at! She also sent me some gorgeous fabric and a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan. It sounds yummy - now to trick the family into thinking it's something else so they will at least try it!

I really enjoyed this swap and there will be an Autumn round of this swap too.

Quilted Table Runner

2009-07-07T15:35:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to try quilting for a long time. I finally decided to get my courage up and decided a small project would be best. I found a tutorial for this table runner on the Moda Bakeshop blog. I have a ton of scrap fabric and some fabric squares from a swap and decided to use it rather than buy a charm pack for this. It went together pretty easily. The tutorial tells you can stipple or stitch in the ditch to quilt. I really love the look of stippling and wanted to try it, but I knew I would be better off to stitch in the ditch for my first project. Since I tend to want perfection in my projects I told myself that unless something went really wonky, I was not going to be ripping it out. I stuck to that too, even though the corners of my binding aren't quite right. I really like this table runner and it is on my kitchen table now. My kids have made quite a few comments about how much they like it - which must be true, because we all know how honest kids are.

I found the thick ric-rack at Fabricland and it was on sale for $0.50/metre. I bought lots of it in four different colours. I can 't wait to find other projects to add the ric-rack to. I just love the way it finishes off this project.

Bags for Teachers

2009-07-04T14:16:00.008-04:00

I made a bag this year for my daughter's teacher. She is young and stylish and very keen. She is a fabulous teacher and my daughter really learned a lot in her class - academically, socially and personally. The fabric for this bag is a screenprinted canvas. The lining fabric was from my stash. I stole 2 buttons from my daughter's button collection for this bag.

Our oldest son was in Junior Kindergarten this year and I made a bag for his teacher as well. She has a very structured classroom. Unfotunately he will not be in her class next school year. I am hoping that the new teacher will have a similar structure to her class. He loves school and can read quite a few words already. I never thought he would like school - he's never been interested in reading or sitting for very long to colour, but school made him interested in these things. He is quite shy and he has improved so much socially.

For his teacher's bag I used some fabric from my stash that I used for a handbag on a previous post. The yellow buttons are from my button bag. The pattern is the Buttercup Bag available on Made by Rae.

Hobo Bag

2009-06-27T16:23:00.000-04:00

My mom and dad went to Nashville for the CMT Music Festival yearlier this month. This year is their 40th wedding anniversary and it's something they've always wanted to do. I was planning to make this bag for Mother's Day, but just was too busy to get it done. I had it cut out a few weeks before Mother's Day. I sewed it up a few days before they left for their trip. I wanted my mom to have a stylish bag that would hold her things and still have room to stash a few things she might buy on her travels. I looked at a few tutorials on the web to get some ideas of what I wanted to do for this bag, but pretty much was confused. I knew how I wanted the bag to look, just didn't know how to go about doing it. It's not perfect, but my mom loved it (I think moms have to say they like things their kids give them though, don't you?).

The fabric for this bag is home decor weight. The outer fabric is Liz Clairbourne and the lining is a cotton canvas. Both of the these fabrics were on clearance for under $5 per metre.

This bag includes 2 inside pockets - a zippered pocket and a pocket for a cellphone and pen/small note pad etc. This was the first zippered pocket I've done. It ended up pretty bulky around the zipper closure. I think I just need more practice with that. I also used some cross stitch (maybe it's needlepoint? - I don't know I hate handsewing!) plastic in the bottom of the bag between the outer bag fabric and the lining. I was hoping it would give the bag a little stiffer bottom. It looked good with a few things in the bag. There are many things I would change if I make this bag again. I guess I should have made a muslin first, but I always feel that it's a waste of time to do that. I just want the pretty end result - I'm not very patient when it comes to sewing. Oh well my mom loved it and that's all that matters. But next time I may try a muslin first!

2009-06-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

I joined Swap-Bot. I love swaps and really wanted to find more crafty/fabric/button/trim swaps. I've particiapted in a Buttons & Ribbons Swap and in a Charm Squares and Button Swap.

The third swap I did was a Square Pin Cushion. I used the Heather Bailey pattern on All People Quilt. It was pretty easy, except the directions call for you to use a doll maker's needle and pull the trim through the pin cushion with the needle. I couldn't get it to work so tacked the ric rack in place instead. When I sewed on the button I made sure a few stitches went through the ric rack to hold it in place.

I used some fabric scraps I had in my stash and some teeny tiny ric rack I got in a swap. The button is from my button bag. I think this is so cute and my partner's favourite colour is blue. I haven't received my pin cushion yet, but I'll post a picture when I receive it.

My Janomes

2009-06-19T21:33:00.005-04:00

June is Sewing Machine Month over at Sew, Mama, Sew. They are celebrating by giving away some fabulous prizes - including a sewing machine. Also they are doing a Sewing Machine Meme. You can read all about my two machines below.

This is my regular sewing machine:

What brand and model do you have? Janome SW-2018E

How long have you had it? 20 years

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? I can't remember how much this machine cost, but it's not made anymore.

What types of things to you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? Handbags, mens/womens/childrens/tweens clothing, pillows, curtains, cushion covers, softies, toys, just started quilting

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? It really depends on how much time I have. I work full-time and am away for 10 hours of the day with travel time to and from work. Lately I’ve been sewing every night for at least 2-4 hours after the kids go to bed. I usually go in spurts of a few months of sewing and leave it for a few weeks. My machine is 20 years old and when I first started sewing I would make 3-4 garments a week.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love my machine and am passionate. She does not have a name.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? There are a ton of stitches and a guide at the top of the machine that shows the various stitches and what tension/foot/stitch length and width to use. It has a drop in bobbin and that is so much easier to use. Also it came with a case so I can stick it in the closet or in a corner for a few weeks or months and not have to worry about little fingers touching or playing with it. I don't have a sewing room and no designated area I can set up as a sewing corner.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? No

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e. Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper? Got it from your Great Grandma? Etc.!)? This machine was a 17th birthday present from my parents. I had used my mom’s Kenmore but it kept breaking and was given a used White machine that kept acting up. My best friend and sewing buddy Nicki helped my mom pick it out, as she knew exactly what I would need. It was definitely a surprise!

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I would recommend this machine to others. I love my machine. It’s reliable, durable and has lasted a long time.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? You need to know what you are going to use it for. Make a list of everything you know you want your machine to have and make dream list of what you might want the machine to have. Go to a knowledgeable dealer who answers your questions and lets you test drive the machines. Tell the dealer your price range and your show your list. Even if they don’t have something in your price range, they may have a sale coming up, or will keep you in mind if they get a trade-in. Make sure your dealer services the machines they sell. My dealer is great! One time the backstitch button stuck and he just fixed it right on the spot for me and didn’t charge me anything.

Do you have a dream machine? I would love to have a computerized machine. I would love to try machine embroidery. My Grandma had a trundle sewing machine. I would love to inherit that machine. Whenever I go to visit my Grandpa I always ogle it. Also now that I’ve almost finished my first quilted item (more on that later) I would like to have a long-arm quilting machine – hey it’s a dream!

This is my serger - I've wanted one forever and I finally go it:

What brand and model do you have? Janome 660D

How long have you had it? Since Christmas

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? It was on sale for $350 or $399

What types of things to you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? Handbags, mens/womens/childrens/tweens clothing, pillows, curtains, cushion covers, softies, toys, just started quilting

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? It really depends on how much time I have. I work full-time and am away for 10 hours of the day with travel time to and from work. Lately I’ve been sewing every night for at least 2-4 hours after the kids go to bed. I usually go in spurts of a few months of sewing and leave it for a few weeks.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love my machine and am passionate. She does not have a name.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I’m still learning what my machine can do. I went to round one of my machine lessons and should call my dealer for round two, but I really like playing with it.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? No, not that I've found yet.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e. Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper? Got it from your Great Grandma? Etc.!)? This machine was a Christmas gift from my husband and kids. My husband had said years ago that he would buy me a serger, but they were too expensive for us then. He mentioned it again last year and I went to the dealer on my lunch hour (a 10 minute walk from my work) and checked out what he had in stock.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I would recommend this machine to others. I love my machine. So far it is reliable and durable

Another Charming Handbag

2009-05-16T18:03:00.003-04:00

Sunday was my S-I-L's birthday. I made another bag for her this year. This time the Charming Handbag from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing book. I did cheat and made it at the same time as I made the other Charming Handbag. The fabric is Amy Butler that I got last year and have been saving for a special project. The blue ribbon is some from my stash and the button is from my button jar. I love buttons and this one I think really completed this bag. I don't really like yellow and tried several different buttons, but the yellow really finished this bag off. I almost kept the bag for myself, but then realized if I gave it to my S-I-L I would be finished her gift over a month before her birthday! I love this bag and I think she really loved it too.

Birthday Zippered Pouches

2009-05-01T20:05:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago we had my daughter's birthday party with her friends. She wanted something different in the loot bags. So I whipped up some zippered pouches. Since she decided she wanted to do this a few days before the party and didn't really like what I had on hand for fabric a quick trip to Wal-Mart found the perfect fabric for 11 and 12 year old girls. This is an outdoor fabric, but it worked perfectly for these pouches. The lining was scrap pink canvas that I had in my stash. Each zippered pouch has a different ribbon and a different coloured zipper. There was handsewing involved in these babies - that is so not my thing. Next time I make a zippered pouch I'm going to have to come up with a way that won't have me hand-sewing.

My daughter loves penquins and we made up a penquin invitation that I got on the web somewhere. She wanted a penquin cake too. Not too hard to do. I made a 13" x 9" rectangle cake and an 8" x 8" square cake. Once the cakes were completely cooled I rounded the top and bottom of the 13" x 9" cake. I cut the 8" x 8" cake on the diagonal to make the flippers/fins, rounding the edges to make it more realistic. Then I made some chocolate icing and put some concentrated black colouring in the icing to make it more black than brown. I also made up some white icing and put a little of the white icing in seperate bowl so I could make an orange beak and feet. First I put the white icing on the belly of the penquin then put the black on the rest of the penguin. Next I used the white icing again to make the whites of the eyes and put black icing in the centre of the whites of the eyes. Then came a triangle shape for the beak and some feet. This cake was a hit and her friends were amazed that I made this cake. Over the years I've done a butterfly cake, Spongebob cake, a beach cake, tractor cake, Spiderman web cake, cow cake, construction cake, Bob the Builder cake and plain old chocolate layer cakes. This was one of the easiest cakes I've made.

Free Applique Pattern

2009-04-18T14:56:00.007-04:00

This is the appliqued t-shirt made for my daughter for Easter by me (t-shirt is purchased and the applique is done by me). She loves flip-flops and is starting to love other shoes too. The fabric is from some scraps left over from a beach bag I made a few years ago. The ribbon is from my stash/collection.

This t-shirt I wanted to give my daughter for Easter, but ran out of time to get it done. Last year for Easter she got a t-shirt with a guitar appliqued on it (by me), but it's too small now. She had hinted around that she would love another guitar t-shirt. The fabric is also from my scraps.

I have a pattern for both of these appliques that you can download here. For the flip-flops I appliqued the shoes to the t-shirt and then added the ribbon. There is a great tutorial over at the Sew, Mama, Sew blog if you are new to applique or need some tips and pointers.

Charming Handbag Swap

2009-04-04T14:22:00.006-04:00

Charming Handbag from Amy Karol's Bend-the-Rules-Sewing book made for the BTRS Swap. The outside fabric is from my stash (I can't remember where it came from). The lining fabric is leftover from a dress made awhile ago. The pink button I convinced my daughter to part with from her button collection.

I love the look of this bag and it's the perfect size for going out and even to take to work. This little bag took about an hour to make, but the instructions were confusing in places. Luckily there are lots of pictures to help clarify the instructions. The handle I made is a bit longer than the instructions called for, but I wanted to make it long enough that you can throw it over your shoulder and not have to always carry it in your hand.

Part of the swap was to include something crafty - either handmade or some crafty supplies.

I decided to include 2 metres of pink velvet ribbon and some other ribbon from my notions stash - each spool has 18 inches of ribbon. Also included were 2 vintage buttons. The picture above is a little fuzzy, but it gives you the idea.

Another Giveaway Link

2009-03-04T09:54:00.001-05:00

You have to check out this fabric giveaway! A fat quarter bundle in some fabulous fabrics! Go enter now!

Sunday Laundry Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-03-04T08:28:00.000-05:00

Sunday Laundry Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!
Click on the link above to see the beautiful dress giveaway. This dress really makes me think summer!

Pillows

2009-02-28T15:05:00.005-05:00

We've needed new pillows for our couch for over a year now. I loved our old pillows but they got holes in them and we all know what happens when kids are around and something has a hole it.

I knew we needed pillows with a zipper so the pillow covers could be removed and washed. The only thing is I always forgot to get the zippers while at the fabric store. So a few weekends ago I went to Wal-Mart specifically to get zippers. The closest fabric store that carries zippers is about 45 mintues away and Wal-Mart is just a 10 minute drive and luckily our local Wal-Mart is still carrying fabrics and crafts. I had this green square fabric for awhile and bought it specifically for the pillows. The fabric was on sale and I bought what was left on the bolt which gave me just enough for the pillows with a few scraps of it left. The pillows look good on the couch and have already had a lot of use, but I would really like to find a fabric that I love and that has more umph to it. But for now they'll do.

There's Still Time to Sign Up

2009-02-23T12:27:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed (or not) the little button in my sidebar BTRS Swap. Well I've signed up for this round of swap fun. The project is the Charming Handbag. There is still time to sign up. Sign up deadline is February 28. Go here to get in on the fun!

Pattern Review - Newlook 6496

2009-02-22T14:31:00.005-05:00

Pattern Photo (View A):New Look Pattern Info

I've had this pattern for awhile and have made another view. A few weeks ago I bought some baby cord at Fabricland for $3/metre and knew I just had to use this pattern. The skirt was made last weekend and I had to wear it on Monday. It was a little cold here for a skirt, but I do have a long coat. The only problem was I don't have dressy winter boots, so I had to wear shoes. That was cold on the feet on the walk from the car to work, but it was worth it.

Fabric: Corduroy

Pattern Description: A-line skirt, 6 panels.

Pattern Sizing: 8-18 Newlook patterns tend to make up bigger than the indicated measurements on the back of the pattern envelope. I measured my waist and hips and cut a size smaller than I would need according to the measurements, as I have used this pattern before and found I had to take the finished skirt in a bit. Even with cutting a size smaller than I measure, I still needed to take in the skirt this time, so it wouldn't fall to the ground as I walked.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love that this pattern was easy to follow and had good descriptions and drawings to follow. What I don't like about the pattern is that the measurements on the back of the pattern envelope that you would use to help determine the size to cut aren't accurate. I would measure as a size 14, but I cut a size 12 and could easily have cut a size 8 instead.

Fabric Used: CorduroyPattern

Alterations or any design changes you made: I cut out View B, but did not use the band for view B, as I wanted the skirt to be a solid black. It was still too long for me and I had to cut another 4 inces off the bottom to have it come just below the knee.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes. I plan to make one in a light cotton for the summer as well. I have made View D before and really like that skirt as well. I would recommend this pattern. A beginner could easily make this skirt, maybe not as a first project as there is a zipper. I would cut at least a size smaller than what you measure according to the measurements on the back of the pattern envelope.

Conclusion: An easy, quick to whip up skirt that looks great and is easy to wear.

Valentine's Cards

2009-02-11T14:57:00.003-05:00

My daughter is 11 and really wants to give her class Valentines, but she's not into Hannah Montana, Barbie, Bratz etc. so we decided to see what we could find for her on the web. The cutest owl Valentine cards and bookmarks ever can be found here . She is so happy with these cards for her class. She decided to give out the bookmarks to her closest friends too (discreetly).
Still looking for Valentine's Day ideas? There are lots of Valentine's Day crafts, cards etc. here

Pattern Review - Fleece Pullover

2009-02-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

Project Photo:
Pattern Photo:	Simplicity Pattern Info
Pattern Rating:	Highly Recommend



Fabric: Fleece
Pattern Description: Pullover for boys and men. Pattern has several options. There is a hood or just a collar, with velcro closures. Optional flap pocket on front. Elastic can be inserted on sleeve at cuff and on bottom or just have a regular hem. Pattern Sizing: Boys' size S-L and Men's size S-XL. I made a Men's size L. To be sure I got the sizing correct I measured one of my husband's fleece pullovers at the chest, since I've never made a Men's pullover in any Simplicity pattern prior to this. Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes. I did make View A, but did not include the front flap pocket. The picture makes it look a little wonky since it's hung on a hanger, but when it is on it is straight. Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. Between the pictures and the written directions, I was able to make this in about 3-hours. At the time I did not have a serger. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It was pretty easy to understand, however more clearly described instructions or more pictures would be good for a beginner. Fabric Used: Polar Fleece. I used quite a thick polar fleece and without a serger the stitches sometimes skipped when the fabric was too thick. Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I made View A, but just left off the front flap pocket. Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would definitely sew this again and am planning on making both of my boys a pullover in the camo fleece since I have a lot leftover. When they saw Daddy's sweater, they wanted one right away. I would recommend this pattern. On the envelope it says easy-to-sew, which it was, however I would recommend this for the Advance Beginner as there is some twill tape to be added to the collar facing to stop chaffing. That step can be a bit intimidating for a beginner. Conclusion: Love this pattern and with so many options it can be made over and over again with a different look acheived.

Funky PJ pants

2009-01-24T16:19:00.008-05:00

Last week was my daughter's BFF's birthday, this weekend is her party. My daughter wanted me to make pj pants for her BFF for her birthday and asked me about this the beginning of December. We were at Fabricland a few weeks before Christmas when my daughter found the circle fabric and convinced me to buy it to make pj pants for her BFF. Of course I don't need any convincing to buy fabric, since I am so addicted to fabric and knew this would be perfect and it was on sale (the best!). BFF saw this fabric on my ironing board a week before Christmas when she was over and told my daughter she loved the fabric (which worked out perfectly because the fabric was bought specifically for her for pj pants). Of course BFF needed a shirt to go with the pj pants. The shirt was plain and purchased at Wal-Mart. I then appliqued the cupcake on it to go with the pj pants. We were at Old Navy two weeks ago and saw the cutest slippers - pigs, cows, sheep and rabbits on sale so we got BFF some pig slippers too. I also threw in the gift bag a stencil book and a note book both found at a toy outlet in Toronto in November for dirt cheap. I love picking up little things to have in my stash to add to a gift.

We went to Fabricland today - it's their Last Call sale and got a bunch of fabric. Instead of my usual - oh look this is so pretty and on sale for a great price I'll get it now and figure out later what I'll make - I bought with purpose and knew exactly what I was going to make with each fabric that I bought. Yeah for me! Now to get the time to make everything!

Whirl Into Winter Giveaway - Winner

2009-01-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

The giveaway is now closed. The winner is KK. There will be another giveaway on this blog in the spring, so come on back! I may even have another giveaway before spring as this one has been so much fun!

There will be some sewing updates soon!

Handmade Christmas - Part 5

2009-01-04T16:06:00.002-05:00

This is the last of the Handmade Christmas posts.

Below is a picture of the bag I made for my daughter's BFF.

The rainboots fabric is from Hancock's of Paduca, purchased on clearance a year and a half ago. The stripe fabric on the handles is also the lining of the bag and came from Hancock's of Paduca as well. The pink dots fabric on the inside of the handles was also used for the inside pockets and is left over from a top made for my daughter in the spring.

I received two amazing gifts this year. The first is a photo album my daughter made for me with pictures of the kids, friends, family. She worked really hard on it and is very proud of herself. At one point she didn't know if she would get it finished in time, but she made it! This is a gift I will treasure for a lifetime.

The other amazing gift I received was a Serger (Janome 660D). I had looked at it the beginning of December and it was on sale for half price. I talked to my husband about buying it, but decided to wait, as I really didn't have to have it. Well I was surprised to open the box on Christmas morning! Even though we agreed to handmade gifts this year, I think I can over look the rule breaking, given that I can use the serger to make gifts - right? I do feel badly though because I stuck to the handmade rule and didn't spend that much money, but did put a lot of myself, time and effort into the gifts made for him.

Handmade Christmas - Part 5

2009-01-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

These are the pjs my daughter made for her brothers.

For the youngest.

For the oldest.

The tool fabric was purchased from Joanne's Fabrics. She sewed the pants together on her own, and I did the hem and the elastic casing as she is still nervous about having her stitching showing on the outside of garments. We were running out of time so the shirts were purchased at Wal-Mart and she made a freezer paper stencil to get the hammer and saw shape and used fabric paint to get the image on the shirt. We did the freezer paper stencil on t-shirts for her birthday party last spring and it was a hit with her friends. She kept this idea in mind for Christmas gifts. She did a great job and I think I've convinced her to really take the chance on doing the hemming and elastic casing for the next pair of pj pants she makes.

She also sewed 2 other pairs of pj pants for her cousins, but I forgot to take a picture.

Handmade Christmas - Part 4

2009-01-01T15:54:00.008-05:00

The boys made each other these tractors for hanging on their bedroom wall. The tractors were purchased as a felt kit at Michael's for $1.50 each. I thought we would have to glue the tractors together, but they came as one piece which we glued onto a foam rectangle with a hot-glue gun for the background. The boys then cut around the glued on tractor. This was a very age (4 and 2) appropriate project. The boys told me where to put the glue and I used the glue gun given that the glue was very hot. They really enjoyed spending the one-on-one time with Mommy for this. My husband spent one-on-one time with the other boy so what they received from each other remained a surprise until Christmas morning. We used double sided foam stickies to stick the tractors to their bedroom walls after the gift opening on Christmas morning.

Our 4-year-old boy made this bulletin board for his sister.

The stripe fabric came from Fabricland. I think I picked it up in June on sale and didn't have a plan for it. The ribbons were purchased at Michael's for 60% off and there is still some leftover. I had a bulletin board kicking around here and used it. We hot-glue gunned batting on the top of the bulletin board, cut the fabric down to fit the bulletin board with a little extra overhang to keep the stripes straight. We then stretched the fabric around the bulletin board and staple-gunned the fabric in place. Then we determined the placement of the ribbons and staple-gunned those in place. This project didn't take very long and the 4-year-old was quite happy to use the staple-gun (closely supervised of course).

Our 2-year-old boy made this picture frame for his sister.

We glued the guitars on the top corners of the picture frame, then glued the buttons on. He chose the buttons and helped glue the buttons in place. I put a picture of the two boys in the frame for her. I erased the boys out of the picture before posting the picture of the picture frame as I don't want pictures of my kids on the internet.

I think there will be one or two more days of Handmade Christmas gifts to come.

Whirl Into Winter Giveaway

2008-12-31T16:44:00.006-05:00

UPDATE (2009JAN16): The winner is KK! KK, I've sent you an email. Congratulations!
There will be another giveaway on this blog in the spring. Thank you to everyone who visited and left comments.

I decided to participate in the Whirl Into Winter Quilt Blog Giveaway. This is my very first giveaway. Front View - various scraps from my stash.

Brown Flannel on Back has a swirl pattern -from my stash. There is another layer of flannel between the patchwork front and the flannel backing to add warmth.

The idea for this patchwork scarf came from a tutorial on Sew, Mama, Sew.

To win this patchwork scarf:

Please leave a comment between January 1 and January 15, 2009 telling me your favourite thing about winter. It could be an activity, craft, drink, recipe, etc. If your favourite thing about winter is a recipe, feel free to include the recipe in your comment.

Make sure I can get your email address from your blog profile. If you do not have a blog, please make sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.

The winner will be announced on this blog January 16th. Please note any comments posted before January 1 and after January 15 will not be entered to win.

UPDATE (2009JAN05): You will have until noon (Eastern Standard Time) on January 18 to claim your prize, after that I will redraw a winner. There have been a few comments left with no email address to connect to i.e. email address is not available on your profile, your profile is not public. Please ensure to have an email address available, to make it easier to contact the winner.

International entries are welcome!

There are about 60 participants in the giveaway, giving away fabulous prizes. Click on the snowflake icon on my sidebar to be directed to the Whirl Into Winter Quilt Blog Giveaway. On the sidebar of Whirl Into Winter Quilt Blog Giveaway there is a list of blogs participating in the giveaway. Check out all the fabulous blogs and enter on each blog to win the prize they are giving away.

Handmade Christmas - Part 3

2008-12-31T10:15:00.004-05:00

These are the handmade things made for my daughter.

The guitar bag was opened on Christmas Eve. My daughter has been taking guitar lessons for 3 years and loves this bag. There is a tutorial for this bag on http://boredandcrafty.wordpress.com/2007/12/31/my-own-guitar-bag-oh-yeah-happy-2008/. The pink is a canvas from Fabricland. I bought it full price (which I almost never do), but only needed .5 metre. The black is broadcloth. The strap is made from webbing and is adjustable. The silver-gray circles are all handsewn. Any one who knows me knows how much I hate to handsew and will try anyway to machine sew. These circles were so small I knew there was no way I could machine sew them. It took about 2 hours to do all of the handsewing, including sewing on the buttons. I would imagine that if I did any handsewing at all it probably would have taken considerably less time to do.

The turtle is from Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. The flower fabric is scrap fabric left over from pj pants. I used the same cordory remnant as I did for the boys' turtles. I also made one of these turtles for my niece.

Last February my daughter chose this yarn for a scarf. I tucked it away and worked on the scarf for about an hour a couple of nights each in September and had it completed by the end of September. It was the first handmade Christmas item that I made for this Christmas.

Still to come - handmade items made by the boys and by the girl for each other. Also the very thoughtful gift made for me.

Handmade Christmas - Part 2

2008-12-30T14:30:00.005-05:00

These are the gifts we gave our boys for Christmas.

Bean bags - well actually rice bags. The fabrics are from Joanne's.

Turtles - made from the Bend-the-Rules sewing book by Amy Karol. The John Deere fabric is from my scraps stash, leftover from pj pants I made a few years ago, the beige cordory is a remnant picked up at Fabricland when they had remnants marked down 50% off.
Capes - these were opened on Christmas Eve. We let each of our kids open a gift on Christmas Eve after church. The fabric is broadcloth from Fabricland I got for $1/metre. The appliqued initials are from scraps leftover from some beachbags made for last Christmas. You can't see it in the picture but there is red bias tape around the top part of the cape, purchased at Value Village - 8 packages bagged together with some pink velvet ribbon for $1. The capes are secured around the boys' necks with velcro. I thought this would be easier for them to put on and take off the capes on their own.
I also made a cape and a turtle for my nephew, given that he is a year younger than our oldest and a year older than our youngest.

The capes were a hit and had to be worn right away. The turtles were put in their beds on Christmas night and have been carried around the house ever since. The bean (rice) bags haven't really been played with yet, but we do have one sick boy, who hasn't really felt much up to playing and the other boy is kind of lost without his older brother to lead in the playing.

Handmade Christmas - Part 1

2008-12-29T16:41:00.006-05:00

This was our family's first Handmade Christmas. I think everyone liked what they received and more importantly liked making something for each other. I'll be breaking down the list and will try to post once a day until all of our handmade items have been posted.

For my husband I made a fleece camo pullover (see picture below). He is into hunting, so I thought this would be perfect. He seems to like it and has already used it a few times, so I would call that a success! The fabric was on sale at http://www.wazoodle.com/ two summers ago and I think it was around $4/yard. The pattern is Simplicity 3651. I plan on doing a pattern review of this pattern in January, so check back for that if you are interested.

Also I knitted a simple scarf for my husband for hunting.

It was made short to go under his coat. The yarn came from a yarn store in downtown Kingston, Ontario. They have a fabulous selection of yarns and the owner is extremely helpful. I will definitely be going back there again. This is the 4th knitting project I've done, all scarves. I think I might be ready to start trying other knitting projects, but have no idea what to try next. Obviously it will need to be relatively simple, since I've only done the straight knit stitch for all 4 scarves. Any suggestions on what my next project should be?

Holiday Traditions Exchange - package received

2008-12-28T11:43:00.004-05:00

I received my Holiday Traditions Exchange package from Tamara on Monday. Tamara is extremely talented and makes these fabulous gift tags.

The package I received from Tamara included a gorgeous handmade necklace, beautiful hand beaded tree ornaments, a recipe for shortbread, Merry Christmas stickers and ribbons for our handmade Christmas and Tamara's holiday tradition. I hung the hand beaded tree ornaments on my Christmas tree right away. They look absolutely beautiful on my tree.

Holiday Traditions Exchange

2008-12-14T21:09:00.005-05:00

Tamara (http://www.inkredible.typepad.com/), my swap partner for the Holiday Traditions Exchange received her package, so I can now post my pictures of the Christmas decorations I made for her. All 3 ornaments are made from felt. The snowman ornament is just freehand drew and sewed some beads on for the eyes, nose, mouth and buttons. The ribbon is some scrap ribbon I had left over from some other project years ago. The mitten ornament is based on mitten ornament I saw on http://www.bhg.com/ only mine isn't stuffed and it's bigger. I left the top open so she can stick a candycane or little treat in there for her daughter. There are beads crazy glued on under the ribbon trim. For the snowflake I traced around 2 snowflake cookie cutters and cut them out. Any one who knows me knows how much I hate to handsew, but I do think the blanket stitch around the outside of these ornaments adds a little more craftiness to them.

Also included in the package was a recipe for chocolate cookies that I add crushed candycanes on top of, and some recipe cards. I also shared one of our family's Christmas traditions with her.

This swap was a lot of fun and I couldn't wait for her to receive her package. My package is in the mail now and I'll share when I receive it.

Yet another bag and more finds!

2008-11-15T17:01:00.008-05:00

This is the bag I made a few weeks ago for my daughter's friend's birthday. The denim is from the sale fabric I got a Fabricland. The front pocket is a scrap I won from http://sewchristine.blogspot.com/

This ribbon was found at the local Dollarama for $1 for each package. I love the colours!

I Won, I Won

2008-10-14T12:42:00.002-04:00

I always enter Sew, Mama, Sew's Free Fabric Friday giveaway. I won 1 yard of fabric ($9.18 and under per yard). I've looked at the fabric on the website and have narrowed it down to 7 or 8 choices. I'll have to think about which one to get. I'm so excited! I love their blog and they have tons of free tutorials!

Another Bag

2008-09-28T17:42:00.008-04:00

This totebag was made for my daughter's friend's birthday. The pink fabric is from Fabricland and was on the clearance table last November. I had already made my daughter and my niece beach bags for Christmas last year from it. I still have a little bit left! The inside lining fabric is a green print that I found on sale at Wilton Creek Fabrics last December. I had used some of it to line my niece's beach bag and had just enough left to line this bag. I can't remember where the stripe fabric for the handles came from but I do know it was on clearance. And the green ribbon with the brown polkadots is from the packages of ribbon I found at Target.

My daughter's friend loved the bag and thanked me profusely for making the bag for her.

We are starting to plan the handmade Christmas items to give this year. Every year my daughter has given everyone we exchange gifts with something hand/homemade. We have decided this year that instead of buying for each other (in our little family/household) we will be making something. At first this was met with great apprehension from the oldest. After all what great thing can a four year old and two year old make her? I have reassured her that I will be lending a helping hand on this front. I have also reassured her that it is the thought that counts and that she will be surprised at how much more a handmade item is treasured.

I am also planning to give hand/homemade gifts to everyone this year, even if I am buying something there will be something hand/homemade with it.

Do you plan on giving hand/homemade items this year? If yes, what are you planning?

Finds and Bugs

2008-09-07T14:21:00.008-04:00

I know I promised to come back with some pictures of projects I've been working on. And now I'm ready to share the few things I've acutally completed. We have been busy with summer parties, birthdays and birthday parties and just having fun!

Found these spools of ribbon at Target - each package was $1! There is only 18 inches on each spool. I don't have a plan yet for these but I just couldn't resist the great deal. My daughter is thinking about switching bedrooms and moving downstairs. Of course that means redecorating, so she may want to use a few of these for decorative trim on new pillows.

Found this funky print at my local Fabricland on the clearance table. It was $2/metre! I picked up 2 metres and am thinking of using it to make a top for next spring/summer. Fabricland also had denim on their clearance table for $2/metre. I had to pick up 5 metres, but have been kicking myself for not getting more. I'm hoping the next time I'm there they'll still have some.

These are the shorts and pants I made for my boys. They are so cute with the frogs and snakes and so boyish. They love them! I got the fabric at Fabricland (in May?) on sale for $2.99/metre. The pattern is one I've used many times before, but really you don't need a pattern if you use a pair of pants that fit right for your template. I have a pattern that is for kids, youths and adults that way I can make bigger sizes for the kids to grow into (for next summer).

These shorts were made for my daughter. Made from a knit found at a yard sale. The lady was retiring from her sewing business and had tons of fabric and great deals. The piece I got was a little over 1 metre and was $1. I still have a little bit left and have it in my scrap pile now.

Overall, not a lot of sewing got done over the summer. But the kids and I did do a lot of crafts, colouring and gardening. We did manage to get a way for a few days as a family.

Hope you had an incredible summer!

Now that school is back, it feels more like we have routine here. The bedtimes are a little earlier and the days are more structured. Although we did start the school year of with a case of headlice. This is the second year in a row we have had lice the first week of school. So far only 2 out of 3 kids have it, but how do you keep it that way? I've been cleaning, vacuuming and doing laundry in hot water. I've taken all pillows away and everyone gets a blanket rolled up and stuffed into a pillowcase. It's easier to wash a blanket than washing pillow everyday for at least a week. I'm getting new pillows for everyone just for my own piece of mind. I know it's kind of wasteful, but what if there is one still alive even after being washed in hot water and run through the hot dryer twice and not being used for a week?

The lice got passed on to the youngest (2 years old). The poor little guy ended up with a 1/4" long brush cut because he can't sit still to get his hair combed to get rid of the nits. I do have to say that that worked though because so far (fingers crossed) there hasn't been any sign of any more. The one that brought the lice home had a Nix treatment, but I was still finding live little buggers in her hair 4 days later. So I went and got a new product called Resultz. That stuff work wonders! It can only be used on 4 year olds and up. It takes the protective coating off the lice and the nits and makes them dehydrate. I know what I will use the first time around if anyone 4+ get it again here.

Last year I tried the more natural remedies of mineral oil and vinegar and picking the nits out of the hair (which you have to do no matter what). That did not work for us. Maybe because she has long hair, but I ended up doing 2 Nix treatments and 1 other treatment (I can't remember what the product was called now) before we ended up getting rid of the bugs altogether.

So hopefully all the lice is gone now. I'm still washing everything in hot water and using the hot dryer for a few more days until the final treatments are done, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And I have bought tea tree oil to mix in with the shampoo as a preventative, but I think some are using a little too much all they need is 1 or 2 drops, but I think they end up with more. So I'm going to get some tea tree shampoo. Hopefully that will keep the lice away for good!

Hope you don't end up with lice at your house!

Long Break

2008-08-15T15:52:00.001-04:00

Wow - that was a long unintended break!
Been busy with summer fun, gardening, vacation etc.
Back soon with some photos of projects I've been working on!

Giveaway at Lila Tueller's blog!

2008-07-28T08:15:00.005-04:00

You have to check out this giveaway

You can win a purse made from some of her fabric and second place giveaway his a copy of her Peasant Blouse pattern and a copy of her Bohemian Bag pattern

What a great giveaway!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 3546

2008-07-13T10:12:00.008-04:00

Pattern: Simplicity 3546 (Project Runway)

Pattern Rating: Difficult (this pattern is for Advanced Sewers)

Pattern Description: Girls' dress or mini dress

Pattern Sizing: 8-16 (also available in plus sizes 81/2 - 161/2)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope when finished? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, however the pattern pieces were difficult to pick out. But once you have the correct pattern pieces the instructions were easy to follow. There were lots of pictures as well to help clarify the instructions.

What did you particularly like/dislike about this pattern? I liked that there were lots of pictures to follow as sometimes the explanations were confusing. Also I liked that there were many different variations of the dress to choose from. I disliked that finding the pattern pieces was so difficult as they didn't seem to be clearly labelled. As well the facing around the neckline doesn't sit as flat as it should despite several attempts to do so (as well as multiple pressings). Next time I will line the entire bodice to avoid this.

Fabric used: Cotton - from Fabricland (on sale) and velvet ribbon trim from WalMart.

Pattern alterations/design changes made: I made the mini dress, but my daughter wanted more of a top so I cut 6-8 inches off the bottom to make a top. I also had a hard time finding ribbon trim for the midriff that was wide enough and that my daughter liked. So I just sewed ribbon trim on the top and bottom of the midriff, which I think looks nice.

Would you sew it again? Recommend it to others? Yes I would sew this pattern again, as there are many ways to make different looks with this pattern. I would recommend this pattern to advanced sewers, as it may be difficult for beginner sewers to choose the correct pieces and there are some curves to manipulate. As you can see from my picture above I do have some wonkyness going on on the neckline.

Conclusion: Overall an easy pattern to use that took 2-3 hours to complete (including seam finishing).

Strawberries & Jam

2008-07-09T10:50:00.006-04:00

Instead of sewing I've been picking these.....

and making this.......

At first I was quite intimidated to make jam. But it really is easy and doesn't take nearly the amount of time I thought it would. We don't really eat that much jam. Maybe 3 jars a year, so I've arranged to trade some jam for pickles and we'll give some away.

More Bags!

2008-06-25T15:07:00.006-04:00

School finishes on Thursday, so I thought I should whip up something for my daughter's teachers. Both teachers love green and my daughter wanted to give them totebags. I swear she is getting just as addicted to bags as I am. She keeps going through my fabric stash saying you should make a bag out of this fabric or this fabric or this fabric, even though she knows I have other plans for the fabric. The fabric for the first bag (above) are both from Sew, Mama, Sew. The outside fabric for the second bag (below) is from Hancock's of Paducah. The inside fabric is a remnant from Fabricland.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-06-20T20:15:00.006-04:00

I found a recipe on the internet for banana chocolate chip muffins a few months back. I was wanting a good, easy homemade banana muffin recipe. Well this was a hit! The other day I made 11 muffins.The next morning I was going to freeze some, but when I opened the container to see how many were left there were 3. They only lasted 2 days! The recipe was from http://www.catcancook.com/. Click on the banana muffing recipe on the sidebar.

Summery Apron and Owl Bag

2008-06-20T18:06:00.014-04:00

This is the apron I made for my daughter's class play. She was cast as the mom. I love the flip-flop fabric. It's so summery. I knew I would use this apron after I made it for her. The fabrics are both from my stash - leftovers from other long ago projects.

Fnished this owl bag last night when I got home from work. This is from the Bend-the-Rules Sewing book by Amy Karol. The owl fabric I won on an e-bay auction last summer and it's lined with fabric I got from Sew, Mama, Sew. (love that website!) Took less than 2 hours to whip up from selecting fabric to cutting, seamfinishing and completion (with interuptions). I like how it turned out. My daughter is invited to a birthday party today. The birthday girl's favourite colour is purple. Hope she likes it as much as my daughter does.

Hundred Skirts Project

2008-06-17T15:06:00.005-04:00

I'm sewing 3 skirts (2 girl's size 14 skirts and 1 ladies small skirt) to send off to Charity, who has organized the Hundred Skirts Project . As well I'm going to include t-shirts to match. This is for orphans in Guatemala - you can find out about it here http://vintagethreads.blogspot.com

First post

2008-06-08T12:20:00.010-04:00

Here are some projects I worked on in April and May.

First is the Pleated Beauty Handbag made for the BTRS Swap (http://btrsswap.blogspot.com/) for my swap partner. The pattern is from the Bend-the-Rules Sewing book by Amy Karol. Both fabrics are from Fabricland. The second round is for placemats and napkins and the sign up just completed, but there is to be another swap round later.

The second bag I made was for my Mom for Mother's day. The green paisley I got from Hancock's of Paducah about a year ago on clearance. The brown is fabric I bought at Fabricland to make a dress for a wedding later this month, but I just had to use some for this purse!

This is the bag I made for my sister-in-law's birthday. I had started it a few days before her birthday thinking it would be done in time, but the boys ended up sick and it was late getting to her. Thank goodness she was understanding and she loves it.

That's all for now. I do have 5 projects cut out and two that I have been thinking about getting started on. 4 have to be done soon so hopefully I'll get everything done that I have planned for June. Now on to sewing......