Go figure...

You'd think with weekly projects due on SYTYC that would be just about all I could accomplish, but I guess it's kicked my creative juices into overdrive or something because I am on fire today! :) 

I sewed two pairs of pajama pants for Jake, a pajama outfit for Evie, hemmed two pairs of pants into shorts for Jake, and put new elastic into the waistband of a pair of dress up pants. 

All things that have been hanging around in the mending basket for awhile.

 It's the sewing version of clearing out your inbox!

My Scrappy project entry and on to week #2

Did you guess my Scrappy Project was the Kindle Cover?

Well you were right! :)

I actually made it for Caitlin. I got a nice red leather cover with my Kindle for Christmas, but she's had her Kindle Fire (which is why my Kindle pictured about doesn't fit quite right, it was made to the Kindle Fire measurements.) since her birthday in March and no cover.

She was thrilled when I gave it to her and it makes me happy to see it being put to good use. I thought it was funny, when I was trying to type up the description I wanted to add that it was very tactile-ly pleasing. To feel the different fabrics and run your fingers over the stitches. But then I thought that maybe sounded just a bit creepy, so I left it out. The first thing Caite said when I gave it to her and she put her Kindle in it? "Oooh, this is very tactile-ly pleasing!"  I swear! The exact same made up word! I guess that sort of thing is genetic... 

Thank you to everyone who voted for me and helped me make it through to week #2. 

Repurposed Crafts

Or Upcycled, or whatever you want to call it. I had the most fun with this project and would love it if you voted for me!

I'm official...

See, on the right there? I have the button to prove it and everything. :)

Season 12 has started and the polls are now open. So head on over and check it out. There are some pretty crafty ladies putting up some pretty neat ideas for your consideration. My hope for this week is not to be the first person voted off! Mostly because I have something very cool in the works for week two that I really want to share... 

I hope you pick me! 

A serious case of awesome!

So a couple of weeks ago I saw this post over at Sewing in No Man's Land and I immediate stuck it on my Pinterest board of projects I want to make. We are hard core Lego fans around here and all three of my kids will spend hours playing with them. I even ran right out and got all the supplies we would need. But then I ran into a bit of a snafu. There are no ready to download and print out easy Lego head templates out there. At least none that I could find. I hemmed and hawed and tried to find someone I knew with a Cricut and more computer savvy than myself to help me design one. And everyday for the past two weeks my kids have begged and pleaded with me to make the shirts. Finally today I said, "Okay." I figured the worst that could happen is that I waste an entire roll of freezer paper trying to draw a stinking Lego head....

First things first, I had the kids round up all our Lego heads for inspiration. 

Then I started sketching. 

Here's the part when I pat myself on the back for free handing these suckers!

 That's right. I looked at the tiny Lego heads and drew the faces onto the freezer paper and then cut them out. No tracing, no time saving machines, no down loads. Not too shabby if I say so myself. :)

The kids were eager to start painting.

P.S. I totally underestimated how much paint these would suck up. Fortunately I just happened to have an extra tube of the same yellow paint in a kit. But if you want to make more than one, buy the big bottle!

The hardest part was waiting for them to dry.

Jake's two shirts.

(Why does he get two? Because the shirts were 4/$10 and he gets far less things made for him than the girls do.)

The girly version. 

(I'm seriously considering making one for myself...)

Quick! Photo shoot before the sun goes down!

These were really fun to make and even though they aren't perfect I am pretty darn pleased with how they turned out!

I made it!

My audition piece was the Sweet Little Sun-Dress 

Now I can show off how cute my darling girl looks in it!

Vintage embroidered pillowcase and silk ribbon.

I didn't take pictures for a step by step tutorial, but it is pretty straight forward and uses pretty basic sewing techniques.

I cut the skirt to the length I wanted, then cut the rest of the pieces from the left over fabric.

(I always add 1/2" seam allowance to each side, so doubled it's 1". It makes the math easier, and I am all about making the math easier...) 

The finished band is 2" wide so my strip was 5" x (chest measurement + 1"). I folded it half and then realized that I needed an opening in the skirt since I wanted the top to be fitted. 

I cut a small slit about 4" down the center back, then finished the edge with a small piece of bias cut from the same cloth. 

I added a  3" placket to one side of the band to sew the buttons to, and the buttons can moved to allow her to wear the piece longer as she grows.

The 1 1/2" shoulder straps were 3 1/2" x 18". (I only take a 1/4' seam allowance when sewing a tube so the seam won't be too bulky.)

I pressed the seam to the center of the strap so it would be hidden against her skin when worn. 

I gathered the skirt to fit the band and pinned the shoulder straps into the seam in the front before sewing it in place. 

When they were tacked into place along the top of the band it makes a fun detail along the front of the dress, and a convenient place to hook my finger and keep her from running away during church. :)

I added the ruched ribbon trim and the buttons and we were ready for her to model it!

So... now for my story about timing. 

Last year when I tried out for this contest I was so bummed when I didn't make it. Then Missy emailed and asked if I was interested in trying out for later season, in the fall. I said "For sure!" and went about my life.  Which included some craziness like this, this and this. When Missy contacted me and told me that it was time, I asked to be put back on the waiting list as we were getting ready for a major remodeling project. But I underestimated just how slow government red tape can be. Fast forward another six months and we finally have been approved for the funding and are starting our major remodeling project, which entails packing up and moving out for the next 3-4 months, in the next few weeks. At the same time Missy emailed me about auditions. I wasn't about to put this off again, so I said, "Why not?" 

It's do-able. Crazy, but do-able. It actually made for a nice difference, last year I was a nervous wreck the entire week the auditions were posted. This time around I've been much more relaxed and had an attitude of "If I make it... awesome. If I don't... it wasn't meant to be." (Don't get me wrong. Now that I'm in, I'm super excited and my brain is going overtime thinking up crafty ideas!) In one way it's really good for me because the situation (packing up and being away from my sewing room for months) means that I have to be very organized and prepared. No last minute procrastination for me, I have to decide on my projects and get them done. So even if I get voted off I will still post them over here and play along at home. 

Long story short, life is what happens when you're busy making plans and if you wait for conditions to be perfect before you craft you'll never make anything but plans!

Auditioning is really scary...

So.... because I am a very particular type of crazy I am auditioning for a crafting contest again. Auditioning for anything is always nerve wracking. Putting yourself out there to be judged... kind of scary. But I am feeling good about what I created and whether or not I make it into the contest. 

You can go here to vote.

So You Think You're Crafty?

There is whole long story attached to the timing of all this, but I'll save that for another time. If you felt like popping over and voting that would be great! Maybe you'll even be able to guess which one is mine...

Sock it to me...

I am trying to be good and finish up the five pairs of socks I have on the needles before I bust out the really cool sock yarn I got this last weekend.  (Mostly I'm just trying to free up some needles rather than buy another set of size 2 dpns.)

First off the needles, this fun pink and grey colorway. 

I went for a simple pattern of 2x2 ribbing to let the stripes steal the show. 

These were the pair furthest along in the basket, so they were up next. I call them my "Sour Patch" socks because the colors remind me of sour candies. The pattern is Esther and while I love the look of them I'm not crazy about the fit. 

I tried the picot edge cuff just to try something different. I like the technique but it makes it a real struggle to pull the sock over the heel because there isn't enough give to the cuff. I will probably knit this pattern again, but with a regular ribbed cuff.

Only three more socks to go and then I can cast on my sparkly new yarn... it literally has sparkles in it!

Isn't it pretty? It's called Vampire and I am trying to find the perfect lace pattern to make with it. 

I also got this skein called Sunshine. I didn't have any idea of what I wanted to make out of it until I was winding it. I realized I was so strongly drawn to this color because it reminded me of my mom. I am going to find a floral lace pattern and make a scarf. Seriously, how could you not be cheerful when wearing an accessory like that?