It goes without saying that our weekend activity would include snow. Lucky for us it would also include paint, markers and some sewing. A snowchicken, new cardboard abodes, a facelift (or should I say, seatlift?) for a little girl's desk. Good stuff, this weekend.
For over a year, many of you have viewed varying pieces of this quilt in varying stages in varying rooms of my house.
This quilt is variable, I tell you.
Because of a little oopsy-daisy involving ric-rac not once but three times (ahem) I grew frustrated with this project that should have taken me a month at the most. Combine that with the fact that I would forget (aka: not understand what I scribbled on the sticky-notes pinned to my fabric - please tell me I am not the only person that writes notes to herself only to wonder "what on earth?" even only days later. Please tell me this.)
But! I eventually conquered the quilt top and earlier this summer took it to my mother's local quilting shop and quilted it on their long-arm machine by myself. Well, the ladies helped me load it and advance it, but the rest I did all by my little own self!
So if you are ready for a very large dosage of the color pink, what follows are some very windy day pictures of Ruby's quilt.
(see my helper trying to keep the quilt from blowing off the line? these are not the most perfect pictures, but I think you can see it fairly clearly)
The strips with the ric-rac are quilted with a running flower template. The blocks in between are all stippled free hand.
And this, you might have guessed because I think you all are clever that way, is the back.
Here it is, at home on Ruby's new bed. It totally suits my pink girl.
And to celebrate the first days of fall, August and I made a felt garland. We used this book as inspiration for our creation:
We love these little Lois Lenski books! They are worn, and used and oh-so-loved. The illustrations are so simple and yet very comforting.
We made a few patterns and cut a bit o' felt . . .
We sewed them all together with a little twill ribbon. And then my window guy washed the windows . . .
And we hung it up! (And I know you can't see the whole thing, but I have only one foot to stand on, people!!)
And voila!
Summer's over,
now it's fall;
just the nicest
time of all.
I've been thinking about making some little elastic pants for Ruby to wear. It's so hot right now that jeans are out of the question but shorts & dresses are hard on a little walker's knees. I had in mind some little chambray capris with pink ric-rac around the bottoms. A morning in the sewing room and Miss Ruby had herself these sweet little pants.
I cut up a shirt I don't wear (it is closet purging time around here!) . . .
and the three little pigs fabric that I recently ordered from here seemed to be the perfect addition.
A sweet little pair of pants for a sweet little girl.
I've been gone for a bit. Not physically gone - although we did go on a little vacay - but gone from this space. It was time to wind down the school year and wrap up loose ends with a job I am leaving, so things have been a bit hectic.
So I'm starting back with a goal to post something every. single. day for one week. First on the plate is my sorely overdue showcase from my Kids Clothes Sewing Challenge in May and a few other sewing afternoons. And today is all about Miss Ruby's wardrobe!
*Easter Dress*: this pattern is the Birthday Party dress from Oliver + S. The fabric is from Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley collection.
August and I dug through our jars of buttons for the best vintage button we could find. And August found this one! How perfect!
The buttons on the back are very old . . . they were scattered throughout the jars as a result of many, many 'sortings' but we found enough and extra to boot!
This is the *Tea Party jumper* also from Oliver + S and with more material from the above collection. . .
I love it, but I wish I had had the snap tape it mentioned. It's still easy to get on and off, tho . . .
This little *criss-cross top* is a pattern that I made off one I had when I was a babe. I added little bloomers, but really, we don't 'bloomer' much around here in the summer . . . cloth bums have their own cute covers!
It's made from Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks collection - I {heart} this fabric. (I am very stingy with my stash of this collection!)
My adorable model . . .
I love this little *sundress*! I bought a McCall's pattern for .75 at a fabric store with nothing particular in mind. But when Ruby's shoes arrived, I knew I needed a quick little dress to wear with them. (Hmmm . . . I seem to dress my daughter the same way I clothe myself - from the shoes up!)
Sorry - don't really know what the fabric is. I frantically grabbed it off the shelf while shopping with wee ones, hoping it would match the shoes. :-)
I wonder if I could adapt this pattern for a dress for me? Hmn . . .
5. And one last showcasing: *Ruby's PJ's*!
If you've never worn pajamas made from sheets, you really ought to try it out. It's pretty darn comfty. These are all vintage sheets I picked up from an etsy sale. :-) And made from yet another Oliver + S pattern - I think I've made eight pairs of jammie bottoms from this pattern, before I've had to size up for August's long legs.
Phew! So there you have it! One of these days I'll get the other critter's new duds up.
Today begins the week-long challenge I've been anticipating for several weeks now! By joining, I have just given myself permission to sew well into each evening for a week . . . too fun! And what am I sewing? Clothes for my kiddos! For at least an hour every night, every challenge participant is to sew clothes (or create patterns - which I find more than a bit intriguing!) for her kids. (Or maybe somebody else's kids . . . could be, you know!)
So what's on deck? We've got stacks of materials ready to be made into at least eight pairs of j's for a Sir August and Miss Ruby. When I mow through that, I've got ideas for some summer pants for August and a sundress for Rubes. And if I can find just the right material, I'd like to make a little pant-suit for Ruby.
I probably should never have said everything I want to make. Not out loud, anyway. I know I'll never get it all done, but it's fun to make the list. :-) So no judging if I report back next week with only two pairs of j's!
This momma has really been using her creative juices this winter, keeping small hands busy when it's too cold, and in particular, too windy to play outside.
And so today, August made a train. Want to make one, too? Come along!
:: First, it's good to pick out the fabric you want - if you're not sure what you want, we have an in-house fabric selection expert that can help you out.
:: Once you've drawn your train on the fabric with your momma's "disappearing ink pen" (which is quite coveted, by the way) you cut out the fabric. Momma will help you with the sewing machine and then you cut out pieces of felt that you want to iron onto your train.
:: Like so:
:: Then you'll stuff your train with wool. (That's from a sheep, you know.)
:: You could also have a friend help you with the stuffing. This one will hand you small bits of fluff. (And what a small bit of sweetness she is!)
:: Then you'll need to sew up the seam . . .
:: And then you'll have a train! Voila!
:: Tune in another afternoon for a sequel. It seems the engineer is now wanting to make a dump truck. But first, it's time to do laundry.
I just thought I'd take a few moments to share a few of the projects I've been working on since Ruby's arrival. When I was home on maternity leave, I decided to rearrange and reorganize my craft room. And amidst the piles of assorted crafting materials, I happened upon my sewing machine. At first, I looked at it suspiciously. For some reason, it had a look of distaste about it. I slowly remembered that I had been peeved at my sewing machine for quite some time . . . I tried to remember why, but I couldn't come up with an exact reason or situation, so I decided it was time to make amends and make up.
And voila!
Project #1 - August's tractor lap quilt: I've never made a quilt before, but it turned out pretty snifty . . .
. . . . . four sets of j's for Sir August . . . (yes, one is in the wash)
. . . laundry bags for our suitcases . . .
. . . matching bags for Momma and Ruby & a treasure bag for August (made especially for the dirt on his treasures to fall through before they come to the house!) . . .
. . . and a picnic blanket quilt. Which is in my car. So no photo. Too cold. (The ideas for both bags and the blanket are courtesy Handmade Home, by Amanda Blake Soule.)
Thanks for letting me indulge myself. :-) It's just nice to have a pictures of something I've finished. Unlike laundry. And dusting. And dishes. And putting laundry away. (As if I ever do that.)
