The Holidays Cometh

I have been doing massive amount of crafting, particularly knitting, in recent history. Sadly, my camera is currently at my mother's house so I can't take photos of anything. Bah! I left it there over Thanksgiving...but I should be getting it from her sometime this week.

ANYWAY....I have done a lot since the Halloween extravaganza. I set up a nature table by the door which I decorated for fall. I will be changing it over to winter/Christmas very soon. Knitting is my top hobby right now. I've made several hats, toys, and am now experimenting with Mobius baskets and bags. By the way, I have no idea why I haven't joined Ravelry till now! What was wrong with me?!? Obviously a site like that is practically made for me...so I seriously don't get why I put it off.

Oh, I have also taken up spinning wool with a drop spindle. It's rather addictive, by the way.

I recently purchased a Waldorf craft book published in 1986 (the year after I was born, by the way) that I'm absolutely in love with. Particularly the gnome hat knitting pattern which is why I bought it in the first place. I highly recommend The Children's Year...and it's a steal if you purchase it used. My copy cost under $3! I already finished Bear a gnome hat which has been a huge hit.

With the holidays coming up I, of course, have massive amounts of things to do. This evening I started work on a foam chair cover for Bear (to replace the original Spiderman motif)...I need to start work on some dolls. I purchased a few odds and ends this afternoon for that.

Beyond the crafting...this has just been a rough time of year for me. We're still waiting for news about our move. It's been a very slow and frustrating process. I'm trying to be patient and not go completely nuts while I'm trying to get work done in a very small space...

More pics coming soon!

Craft Sloth - Not So Much

My lack of posting, thankfully, is no indication of my lack of crafting. I have done quite a bit, actually.
I had originally planned to make The Bear a bear costume for Halloween...however, I really didn't have the time or materials for it. Instead, I put together a quick witch's cloak and wand for her. I had a small witch hat from a previous Halloween that was just the right size for a little one and completed the costume nicely.

At the same time I was trying to finish some knitted Fairies for a friend before Samhain.

My knitted toys have been a big hit. I've have several requests for them.


Finally, I knitted up a couple gnome hats. I only have a photo of one of them, however.

Birthday Gifts

Bear's friend E. had her first birthday this past weekend so Mommy did some sewing.


First I finished off a UFO that I'd had stuffed in a cabinet for 5 or 6 years. I had 5 rainbow Drunkards Path blocks ready to go, added 4 squares of super soft furry stuff I picked up at Joann's, sandwiched the top with a layer of flannel and woven cotton backing fabric, tied it, and then bound it with silky blanket binding on two sides. I'm digging the tying method over quilting right now...hand quilting is impossible for me with a toddler around. Machine sewing doesn't always happen either...but I can easily tie a quilt like this in under an hour.


Next I put together a quick dress, shirt, and set of DIY Babylegs. The shirt was made from a tee of my own. I didn't have to hem it because I used the bottom edge of the shirt as is. I did something similar to the Peasant Blouse tutorial over on Blueprints. The dress was just something I came up with on the fly. I will try to put together a tutorial for it soon. I embellished it with some Yo Yo's, but otherwise it was just a very basic rectangle dress. I again used the same Babylegs tutorial from my previous post.


Then I made some cute knitted little people/animals which I altered quite a bit by the time I was finished. By the way, the loopy skirt thing was the same stitch as the one used in this lion washcloth. From left to right - Suki the dog, Bear, E., and Cerra the horse.


And another split-pea filled monster. This time with horns and a cute little smirk.

SO now I need to try my hand at play-food. E. got an awesome up-cycled play-kitchen from her parents and needs some food to go with it. Bear also LOVED it...so hopefully we'll be making her a kitchen of her own in the near future.

Necessity - The Mother Of Invention

I find that some of the most rewarding projects I take on are often the smallest...and also fill some need in day-to-day life. Have a problem? Craft something to solve it. It makes me feel very accomplished when I can fill a need with my ability to craft. This week as provided several such occasions.

First, a "half belt". I like to dress my daughter in jeans. They look good on her, them fit the glimmer of personality I am starting to see, and the have the added benefit of knee-protection. For Bear's recent birthday she was gifted some great jeans from her grandmother, however, one of the pairs was rather big. I try to purchase things big because I want her clothes to last. It's easy enough to roll up the cuffs on a pair of pants, but sagging in the back remains a problem. This particular pair kept falling down to the point of coming complete off the child! So, enter the crafty-mama-mentality.


I had 3/4 inch elastic, poly resin snaps, and plenty of fabric so I decided to make a short elasticized "belt" to attach to the rear belt loops on her pants. Instant elastic waste without defacing the jeans! Plus, I can use it for other pairs if need be. If I did it again I think it would benefit from wider elastic, but it still does the job.


Next came the need for some leggings. The weather here in Virginia is starting to cool off a bit, though it's definitely not cold by any means. It's nice fall weather, the sort that makes you throw on a hoodie and wear socks. I, like a lot of mamas out there, love Babylegs. Not only are the absolutely adorable, but they extend the life of Bear's dresses beyond the summer. The downside being that name brand Babylegs are $12 a pair! Target has their own version of baby leg warmers for a much more reasonable $3...but the color and pattern choices are limited. Plus, from what I've seen, they only carry them in "girl colors". Not really my cup o' tea. So, I made my own.


These have to be one of the simplist DIY projects a thrifty mama can take on. Check out the tutorial here. I looked through my sock drawer and found a black and white striped pair I rarely wear and also purchased 3 other pair at Target for $2 a pair. A great deal! Plus the added bonus of having way more color choices! They sewed up in a flash, so now Bear has plenty of warm legs to wear throughout the fall.



I also finished some diapers. Finally. Seriously, I started them while my mother-in-law of visiting and I'm just now getting them serged and snapped! Ugh, terrible! They do make a pretty picture though.

Quick Project #1

Another monster doll! I'm going to a playdate/birthday tomorrow and I wanted to bring a gift. Gifts aren't expected, but I wanted an excuse to sew and tweak my pattern a bit. I'm happy with how it came out. This one is taller, has felt embellishments, and yarn hair.

Birthday Sewing - Over And Done

My little girl's 1st birthday was on Saturday! Yay! I'm very happy and proud of my sweetie, and also happy and proud of myself that I accomplished everything I set out to in preparation for her party. It's very rare for me to get that much done at one time, so I feel really good about it. The biggest accomplishment by far being the baby quilt I started for Bear when I was around 5 months pregnant. I intended for it to be finished in time for her birth, but as usual, things didn't work out quite as I planned. Better late than never, I suppose. My hope is that she'll get attached to it despite the delay. I've been putting her down for naps/for bed with it everyday since her birthday. It's a bit different than the previous baby quilts I've done in the past. This is the first time I've used Minky in the solid blocks (for those who aren't up on fabric types: Minky is a super soft, furry-feeling polyester fabric with a good amount of stretch) as well as the first quilt I've tied instead of quilting since the dread polyester-double-knit quilt I tied for my grandma about 10 years ago (Which was a nightmareish quilt, by the way. There is a reason we left polyester-double-knit in the 70's!). All in all, I'm pleased with the results. My mother did contribute one block to this quilt.
After completely the quilt I set my mind towards creating the decorations for Bear's cake as well as a fabric party hat. The design for both came from an adorable flower invitation I purchased at Target for the party. I loved that they were feminine without being all fairy-princess-diva which is ridiculously prevolent when shopping for anything for a female child. The hat turned out great, I think. And the cake also looked really nice when it was all put together. I purchased a completely plain cake from my favorite bakery and then added sugar cookies that I had frosted and iced to match the invitations. I also had plain red, turquiouse, green, and yellow party assecories to do with it.


At the last minute I decided to make a small stuffed toy also. Obviously very Yo Gabba inspired! I filled the little fella with dried split-peas so it's got that nice beanbag feel. I would have liked to make something bigger (my goal is to make at least one handmade gift for her birthday each year...and by the way I'm not completely counting her quilt because it wasn't intended to be a birthday gift, I was just really really slow), but all-in-all I'm happy with what I came up with. We also gifted her a nice set of wooden ABC blocks and a ride-on-toy that we purchased.


After the birthday was over, I turned my attention back to diaper making. I'm currently making a medium-long for Bear with the Daribum's pattern. So far I'm liking it. Lots of butt-coverage and the snaps are more towards the back of the diaper which makes changing a run-away baby much easier. As soon as I order some FOE I need to make some covers...I'll most likely also need to order some poly-resin snaps in the near future.

A current snap shot of my works in progress:

A Busy Week of Crafting

My creative juices have been flowing a bit better since I moved my sewing cabinets and set up my Sewing Area. It has been very helpful to have everything together in mostly one place (with a few exceptions). I still have yet to purchase a cork board to put over my desk (and paint for it as well) and I also have to move some pictures/posters and put up a flannel board over my cutting/ironing area (which are used to lay out quilt blocks - the pieces stick to the flannel)

As mentioned in the last post: I put together a quick Babywearing Bag. My slings/wraps don't have pockets (although they can be added) so this little bag can be attached around the knots/rings so I have a place to keep my debit card, keys, phone, etc. There are poly resin snaps on the strap so I can loop it through whatever I need to. It's a very handy little thing...I got the idea after making a bag to keep clothes-pins it. Same construction for the most part. Because of the snaps you can hook it onto the line and pull it along with you as you hang stuff. Very handy for either jobs. This one was pieced together from six 5inch squares from a batik charm-pack I've had for ages.




Next, my attempt at baby shoes...sorta success. Sorta failure. I'm having a difficult time getting the right fit on my child...so while these shoes came out well, the puzzle shoes are too easy for her to get off and the striped ones are a little too tight around the ankles. Argh! I got tired of wasting fabric under pressure so I purchased her a pair of leather ones over the weekend. I will attempt shoes again...but in the mean time at least my little walker will have something to put on her feet.

My most pressing project at the moment is my daughter's baby quilt. I started it while I was pregnant...but lost momentum at the last minute...so here comes her 1st birthday in under 2 weeks. Ugh. Thankfully I'm doing this one a bit different from the other baby quilts I've done in the past. I'm not going to back it in flannel or use batting between the layers becuase Bear is hot-natured and I don't want her to boil using it. I'm also going to tie it instead of my usual hand quilting. It shouldn't take that long as a result, but it will still require opportunity as well as a run to the fabric store. Sadly my fabric stash is not so impressive that I have everything I need on hand for any project. To purchase this week: soft cotton woven for backing, flannel to act as the batting, silky blanket binding, curved needles, and thread. The photo is 2 of the 5 pieced blocks in the quilt.

Then I have a few random projects floating around. I have a lion washrag almost finished and a stack of 5inch batiks in rainbow colors that are just itching to be turned into a bag like the one I recently made for my aunt.
And then one for the road: Bear seems to dig the Sewing Area too...though I imagine the location of her toys in that corner helps.

A Surprisingly Quick Project

I managed to start AND finish this tote in 2 days.

I've had the pattern for months and Tuesday afternoon my aunt (who actually bought the pattern so that I could make this bag) and I went to Quilting Adventures and she picked out a charm pack of 5" squares in various purple/green/teal/blue batiks. Bon adores purple. As you can imagine she was quite taken with it.

And while I did manage to finish it amazingly fast for me (it's a miracle that it was finished at all with the way I tend to work...)...it damn near killed me to do it! The first day was fun...the second day...not so much. Although it wasn't entirely the bag's doing, but that's another long story.

ANYWAY, I used some of the leftovers to make a little babywearer pouch to attach to my sling/wrap so I won't have to drag a purse with me. I'll post pics of that later, though.


By the way my daughter also enjoyed this tote.

Non-Productive Productivity

I was highly productive this afternoon. I made 20+ pairs of earrings and tailored a pair of pants.

Sadly, none of this was for me or anyone in this household. My aunt put me to work. I don't mind...I just wish I had a chance to work on my own stuff occasionally.

Although I did move the sewing cabinet (it looks like a table, but a sewing machine fits in it...but I don't have the one that goes in there) and it's now a home for my laptop. I had big plans to move the rest of the stuff into the sewing area, but then I fell asleep when my husband got home and it killed the rest of the evening. ~_~'' I was very frustrated.

BUT...there is always tomorrow (and the rest of the week). So, a list:

THINGS TO DO/SEW/ACCOMPLISH
-Move the 2 white cabinets
-Finish planning Bear's birthday party
-Move the printer and install drivers on my laptop
-Try out new diaper pattern and cover pattern
-Make a pair of bloomers

I'm keeping the list short. Perhaps then it won't be so daunting.

A Room Of My Own

I am in desperate need of a sewing room.

Growing up my mom always had a sewing room. In The Old House it was what was once a screened-in porch off the living room. At some point actual walls and windows had been added, the cement floor had been covered with tile that posed as wood flooring, and later a hole was knocked in the back wall to connect it to a newly built utility-room. It was a small room from what I remember. It had a nice sunny glow to it. My mother's sewing machine sat in its cabinet under the front windows. My play kitchen and, a bit later, my roll top desk lives across from it. As I recall the sewing-room was my favorite place in the house. I still miss it.

In The New House the sewing room was actually known as the "school-room". I suppose because we kept most of our books there. Sometimes we actually did school in there (because the couch in there was the most comfy), but not always. You were just as likely to find us at the dining room table, in the living room, or (and heaven forbid!) on our own beds. Sadly a lot less sewing went on in this particular incarnation of the sewing room.

By the way, Mom's sewing room has since moved into my old room. Even less sewing happens there than ever before.

One of the major excitements for me with almost purchasing a house recently was related to the potential for me to finally have a sewing room of my own. I had previously been inspired by the following photo:
I adore this room. It belongs to SouleMama and was recently featured in Mothering magazine. I fell in love with the color on the walls and have since decided that my future sewing room will be painted a lovely shade of Robin's Egg Blue.

Of course, the house purchase did not work out as of yet. We will be in our apartment for an unknown amount of time so I have decided that it is vitally important for me to eek out my own usable crafting niche somewhere in this small space I call home. My sanity may depend on it.

I know that sounds somewhat ridiculous, but that doesn't change how I feel. Since getting married I have given up having any space to decorate as I see fit and call my own. That bothers me to some extent. I'm a creative person...I need a place to get that out. Also, for more practical reasons, I need a place where all my crafting paraphernalia is all together and easy to access. It's hard enough to find time and opportunity to sew! Having to search all over the apartment for an embroidery hoop or pinking shears does not help.

So, is a sewing room possible? No. A sewing area? Maybe.

I'm taking over a wall in our living room. I'm going to have a table for my computer, a desk where my serger and sewing machine live, and then 2 white cabinets that contain fabric, quilting tools, and various other craft stuff. I'd also like to purchase a cork or peg board that I can paint Robin's Egg Blue to put up over my desk (so I can have a bit of that color I dream of) and maybe a few storage cube units to top everything off. I'd also like to hang some of my posters, post cards, and other odd little things on the wall to give my area some character. I'm so sick of plain off-white walls I could spit.

So, the next step in making it all come together: Move said white cabinets and buy some paint. Is it a bad sign that I hear an evil cackle in my head? Most likely, yes.