Birthday Outfit # 30

We are getting ready for a birthday around here. I started thinking today that I want to try to take some lovely pictures of the birthday princess, but she needs an outfit. You know one that is clean, new (well at least not worn by 2 older sisters), and representative of her special day. I saw this post on Crap I've Made and really could anything be easier than applique? Then I started thinking about making the outfit complete and made the skirt to match. The princess is getting her beauty sleep right now, but I will update with pictures of her when I get some. There might be a hair bow to match. Although really I don't know why I bother...she pulls them off right away anyway! Happy Birthday!

Any Witch Way #29

I found the pattern for this quilt in a back issue of Quiltmakers magazine. I will have to double check, but I *think* it was Sept/Oct 2009. I LOVED it so I bought the PDF for the back issue and have been waiting to do this. The designer said that her inspiration for the quilt was watching the play Wicked. I just love how the hats intertwine!

One more project to go! It is looking good. I have 15 more days to complete it! Yay!

Block of the month #28

I started this quilt at some point in 2008. It had been the block of the month for 2006. I will look up the website where we got the pattern and add it to the post when I get to it. A whole group of us completed the pattern with all different fabrics. Well a group of us started, I think counting me 3 of us have finished. There are at least 3 more yet to finish. I REALLY LOVE the way this turned out. It is the first quilt I have made without any idea what I am going to do with it when I completed it. Any ideas? It is also the 2nd quilt that I quilted myself on my fancy new machine. It is just kind of fabulous!

Skirts Skirts everywhere!!#27

Probably because it is hotter than... well you know...I decided to make a couple skirts for myself and for the girls. Probably close to 2 years ago my friend Melisa gave me this skirt, unfinished of course. She has a habit of giving me unfinished project. It just needed a hem and a waist band. It has sat in my to-do pile for 2 years. I finally pulled it out and finished it. I have gotten more compliments than I deserve probably, but everyone loves the fabric.

Because the above skirt went together so well I decided I needed another one. So I pulled out some fabric. (Out of the same batch that was given to me the night before baby #3 was born. So again it was FREE!!! LOVE that!) I laid the above skirt on the fabric and kinda cut out around it. I serged and hemmed and whah-la! New skirt. This last skirt I made on the fly with fabric I fully intended on using for myself. I didn't buy enough to make a skirt for me, but I probably have enough for the girls to each have one. I have only made one so far. Pardon the weird crease on the bottom, I was too lazy to iron today. It has already been worn and washed once, so I guess that is a good sign.

It's kind of fun and feminine to wear skirts just out and about. And it beats wearing jeans in 115+ degree weather. Seriously were is fall?

Breast Cancer Quilt #26

This is going to have to an asterick project too... because it was a group quilt. A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to have a single mastectomy. But she is cancer free now yay!!! I was working on one of my other projects while she was recovering from her surgery and I thought she might like a quilt to let her know how much her friends love her. I asked 6 other people to participate, and with some discussion we decided to put together a nine patch block. Everyone dropped off their blocks and I assembled it and added a couple of borders. We then sent it off to her sister to be quilted and to be bound. It just came back, and I think it turned out lovely!! So excited to give it to her! (I hope she doesn't read this blog or this is a big fat spoiler!!)

Tie Onesies #25

These are SOOOOOO cute! I bought one for my nephew at a boutique, but then found this tutorial online from Crap I've Made. These really are so easy they don't really need a tutorial. You could design your own shape, but it's crunch time and I am trying to get things done!!! I dyed these with the onesie in the previous post, just using RIT dye. One I left in longer than the other for a more golden look. Then I used scraps of fabric I had from past quilts. Two onesies in 30ish minutes including dyeing time. FABULOUS!

Pink/Black/White Quilt #24

A couple of years ago my friend decided she wanted to make quilts for her daughters' bunk beds. We went fabric shopping and she started piecing her quilts together. Fast forward 3 years or so... she had the blocks pieced and one whole top done. She had lost steam and gave me the quilt tops. I finished assembling them and offered them back. She declined. So... I quilted them and ta-da I have quilts for MY girls' bunk beds. This is the 2nd one I completed. I just didn't take a picture of the first one. I LOVE them and the girls are pretty fond of them too. (As if they get a choice!) There MIGHT be throw pillows or maybe curtains with the extra black velvety fabric she chose for the border. I will have to think on that for a while. In case you are wondering there are now 41 days until my birthday. I THINK I am on target! :)

Baby Girl onesie #23

This is a project I whipped together yesterday. I dyed a regular onesie and then sewed on a few ruffles on the bottom and made a flower (yep, the same flower from the last post) for the lapel. I saw a very similar something on the blog Crap I've Made, but I tweaked it just a little bit, and I used my ruffle making foot. I LOVE my ruffle foot! I have been busy and there is much to show. I have to get my pictures taken and loaded!!!

Remake of #21

I wasn't super happy with the dress reconstruction on number 21... I know I should be worried about new projects or projects in the works, but I couldn't stop myself. I just finished attaching binding on 3 quilts (whew!!!) and picked this one back up. With a consultation from my friend Elyse from Ellie and Fern we came up with the belt/flower idea. The flower is hers. Maybe I should have taken in process pictures, but oh well. Basically I took in the seams on the sides then sewed on a strip to make the belt and then the flower. Maybe I'll get a tutorial for the flowers...or maybe Elyse will... hint hint. No more back tracking! On to number 23!!!

Pillowcase Dress #22

This was a cute very easy dress I made a couple of days ago. The main fabric was part of a quilt I made a couple years ago and the accent I have used a few times here, here, and here. Very fun. The only trouble is that when a two year old is done napping before escaping from her room she could untie and pull out the ribbon completely. :) Be forewarned!By the way she chose to model this one backward. :)

Dress reconstruction #21

This dress was the unfortunate victim of Baby dropping an oil lamp in the hamper. I was able to get the dress looking clean, but the oil made the screen print curl up funny. I was going to toss it, but then decided I had nothing to lose if I tried to make a new skirt for it. I also somewhat recently bought that ruffle maker, and I am looking for any excuse to use it. I had some random denim laying around so I constructed a skirt and ruffles out of it. I am not sure about the end result. The skirt part is a little bit heavy, and I think that maybe it needs a flower or something either on the waist band or up top. We will see. The only thing further to expect for sure is that I made the ruffles with raw edges so they will fray when I wash it. Maybe it will be re-purposed again, maybe not. Too soon to tell.

Chenille Blanket #20

I saw this on the blog Aesthetic Nest here. I loved this but didn't have the fancy pants Olfa Chenille maker (I do now!) so my hands were quite sore after cutting all the channels. It turned out super cool and I think I will be making more.

Rag Quilt #19

Rag quilts are awesome...have I mentioned that? If you are looking for a project you can do in a couple of hours this is for you! I took some in process pictures this time. This was I kit given to me by my friend Jake. Thanks Jake! Added bonus when all the blocks are pre-cut for you! Now to decide who to give it to. My girls are already fighting over it. Maybe I can get a foot rub out of it or something!!

STAND blocks #18

I had forgotten all about these Mod Podged Blocks we made at camp until the previous post. It was great fun to be away and out of the heat for 3 days. As an added bonus there were several crafts that the fabulous camp director had prepared for us to do. The theme of Camp was S.T.A.N.D. (Stand Tall and Never Doubt). We got to paint, Mod Podge, and embellish the blocks to take home to help us to remember our time at camp. It was great. Can't wait for next year!!

And we're back... with Towels #17

You may (or may not) have noticed the small sabbatical I have been taking from crafting/posting. Not intentional I assure you, but with the sweet little beneficiary of several projects finally came on Father's Day (7 days late) and Camp getting in the way I have been swamped. Thanks to those who reminding me I am running out of time I went for a couple quick wins. These towels fall under that category. I saw the idea on a new (to me) craft blog Aesthetic Nest. She has a tutorial here if you are interested. Back to the grind. I have some big wins in the works, but not quite done. Count down...71 days. Aaaahhhh!

Grocery Bag Holder #16

This is project number 16. I found the instructions here. Like her, I do think it is a tad silly to make such a pretty item that will be kept in the closet, but my other (ugly store bought) one gave it up the other day... well let's be honest... other month so I needed one anyway. I have a small addiction to buying remnants (have I mentioned that before?) and I got to use a bunch of remnants with this. So for a number of reasons this little thing makes me happy. The junky kitchen behind it...not so much, but what can you do?

Ruffle Apron #15

I found this apron on this site here. I did a little tweaking and serged as much as possible. Have I mentioned that I need a serging intervention? It turned out pretty cute and I used fabric I had left over from other projects. I LOVE that. So this brings us to 15 which is the 1/2 way mark. I only have 3 ish months left so I better get busy if I am going to make my 30 project goal.

Baby Quilt #14

I finished this quilt today. I followed the pattern found here. It is part of her 1st quilt ever. This wasn't my first quilt, but I liked that I would get to use 10 fabrics. I had previously fallen in love with the pink/black fabrics at Hobby Lobby. Disclaimer here... there were several places where I think she didn't give very good advice, especially about cutting. If anyone is planing on making this quilt I can give you my 2 cents... but overall the quilt turned out cute.


The quilt top

And the back... I am sort of in love with the owl fabric and really like the extra border she came up with on the back.

Dress # 13

This is the latest in the project completion pile although I have to put an asterisk by it because I didn't actually put the zipper in myself. I am understanding the vast difference in quilt sewing vs clothes sewing. I am the first to admit I am not a super accurate seamstress. Luckily I have practiced enough at quilt type sewing I can *usually* fix or at least minimalize (is that a word?) my mistakes. Clothes sewing... not so much. The important thing? It is finished, she is happy, and her sister is green with envy... which makes her even more happy. A happy kid is a nice byproduct of project completing.