I Made a Quilt.

It's true I made an itty bitty quilt for Conster.  Today we took down the crib and put up the toddler bed complete with the new "Farm Quilt" and matching pillow.  I cried a little because my baby is no longer going to sleep in a crib.

I used the pattern for the farm quilt from Alicia Paulson's book An Embroidery Companion I've mentioned many times how much I like her patterns and projects and the same is true for this little number.  I did add two rows to the bottom because it didn't seem big enough and I'm glad I did it just barely covers the toddler bed.

Why I did it: I like sewing and always want to learn a new skill. I want my kids to have unique hand made things, and I find that finding cute things for boys is really difficult so I decided to make a cute quilt instead of buying a stupid monkey or truck blanket.

What I Learned:

Making an itty bitty quilt is very time consuming.  There are lots of steps.  Because this one has hand embroidered farm animals it takes a little longer (though I enjoyed that part a lot and think the animals just totally make the blanket).  While it was time consuming it was super rewarding but because it was time consuming I'm not sure I would make one bigger then this it seems like it would take forever.

Picking out fabric for a boy quilt and using almost totally scraps from my stash is super fun and super exciting.  I felt very very frugal when I was able to use up the last bits of some of my more charming fabric (mushrooms and three little pigs just to name a few.)

However, it's a good thing I used all those scraps because just the batting and backing was $30.  I did splurge a little on the batting, I got 100% cotton because I'm hoping Conner uses it a lot, I want it to breath and it's going to get washed plenty. However, if your thinking of making a quilt because the only ones you can find that are cute for a boy are from Pottery Barn Kids and seem really pricey, you may want to price out making one first (especially if you don't have a stash to bust) It might not be that much more to purchase one from a higher end retailer (especially if you won't find the project enjoyable and need a bigger size then toddler).  I used the word "especially" a lot there, I've also used the word "rewarding" a lot sorry about that.

The actual quilting part (that's when you make the little stitches in each square to hold all the layers together, it's also decorative) is the worst part.  It's very tedious and hurt my fingers (doing it in front of the television helped).

Which leads me to the fact that I learned using a thimble type thing to quilt would probably have saved my finger tips some bruising.  I also bought a walking foot for sewing the "sandwich" together and that was awesome, best $20 sewing money I've purchased (plus it looks cool).

To sum up, I'm glad I did this it was very rewarding, and while it's far from perfect I think it's really really cute.  However, I don't know that I would do it for some one I loved even a scosh less then my sons.  I mean part of what made it great was knowing they would have something hand made from me that was really unique and all those little stitches are filled with love.  I liked the different steps and found that seeing it come together was a neat feeling but I like sewing and I'm not sure I would have been able to stick with getting it done if it had been bigger (unless I wasn't doing all the embroidery before hand) and would have taken longer.  So if your wondering if you want to try something like this the answer is... I don't know either you'll love it or hate it but I hope my experience helps you make the decision.

I like To Torture Myself.

It may be an oldest child thing but when I decide that I am going to do something I will do it and do it and do it no matter how hard, stupid and frustrating it is. If I get an idea in my mind then I will continue to bash my head against the wall until that thing is done. This is both good and bad. It's the reason I can make really good yeast bread including cinnamon and pie crusts, it's the reason I can crochet, and it's the reason my oldest son is potty trained. However, it's also the reason I have tons and tons of jewelry making supplies that I no longer use, the reason my relationships in college suffered because school work consumed me, and the reason that I am 30 pounds over weight (see yeast breads and pie crusts).

I love Alicia Paulson. She is so talented owns a corgi dog and creates patterns and kits that make me drool. I own both her books. Her latest book Embroidery Companion Classic Designs For Modern Living, has a skirt on the cover that I fell in love with. I have had semi-good luck with sewing skirts for myself (zero luck with tops, and dresses) so I got it into my head that I must make myself this skirt...

Well First you have to create the pattern sew the skirt and then embroider the design on it. My first attempt was such a horrible miserable failure and waist of fabric that I should have stopped there, given up and gone about my life recovering the hours I had already put in. But no, that would go against every fiber in my crazy body. So I found some better fabric started again and put in a lot more time. This skirt turned out relatively well, after several bumps in the road (it was way to big and I had to, gradually and carefully so as not to ruin it, take it in). I am pleased with it. It's far from perfect and not as flattering as I would like but it's pretty, warm and soft and after finding and purchasing a suitable top I think it was worth it (as I learned new skills) and definitely worth wearing.  What do you think continue learning to sew my own clothes or just stick with turtles?

Would you like to sew an easy apron?

Well then I have the project for you.  In fact I almost hesitate to share this with you because it is so simple that you will start to question all of my "hand made" gifts.  Sometimes, however it's nice to have a project that isn't the marrying kind of commitment but just a summer fling or evening flirtation.  What I mean to say is sometimes I'm in the mood to create but I want simple, fast and minimal clean up.  So if you are in need of a project like that or are new to sewing this will be perfect.

Find a dish towel.  Yes, a dish towel, one that is already made and one that you like a lot.  Twos Company sells really cute ones but they're just a little too expensive to buy to fill my washing and drying needs but not too expensive to turn into super cute aprons so that is why I came up with this idea.  I mean I could cut and applique and embroider the perfect dish towel but why should I if it's already been done?  Any way this particular apron is made from a Twos Company towel as a gift for one of my coffee girls graduation present (perfect right?).  Then go to the fabric store or your stash (if your lucky enough to have the space for one) and get a yard or so of a coordinating fabric preferably in a cotton.  This next step is my least favorite because by now I'm really antsy to get started but you MUST wash your dish towel and fabric before you sew or all your hard work will be for nothing (imagine the different pieces shrinking and tearing when you wash them after spilling chocolate milk on your apron for the first time because that will happen eventually; the spilling I mean).

Next get out your ruler or tape measure and shears (I have no idea how to spell scissors so I'm going with the Granny term shears) and measure across the width of your apron (the part that will be the apron waist) add two inches onto that measurement, this will be the measurement for the width of your fabric for your waist band.  Then decide how tall you want your waist band to be, I like mine pretty tall say six inches, then double that and add on two inches (so 14 inches in my case).  Your measurements will make a rectangle on your fabric cut out this rectangle and fold it in half down (so that the waist band is now longer then it is tall or in my case 12 inches by 7 inches, this fold will sandwich the top of the dish towel).  Open up your waist band and fold each raw end in one inch and iron (this way when you go to sandwich the towel all the raw ends will be folded under).

Next cut your apron ties from what's left of your fabric.  Decide how long you want them and then make them about six inches wide.  Cut two.  Iron them in half, folded down so that they are now three inches wide, with right sides (the pretty side) facing.  Sew along the long edge 1/4 inch away from edge and then turn and sew down one short side.  Turn right side out.

Finally sandwich your dish towel in your waist band and pin in place. Then put the ends of your apron ties (the unsewn end) in each end of the waist band and pin in place.  Sew 1/4 inch all the way around the three sides (short side, long side being sure your catching the towel, and short side).  And voila you now have a finished apron.  And I promise it's easy, if my directions are rambling and confusing just use your common sense.  If you try this and have a question for goodness sakes Face Book me or leave a comment here.

this was so fun and easy I felt guilty plus I wanted to use my new book "An Embroidery Companion" so I cross stitched the student's first initial into the waist band before I sewed it to the dish towel.

Sometimes Giving a home made gift isn't what you dreamed it would be.

As in I dreamed that this giraffe would be the hit of the birthday party.  People ooing and aahing over how talented I am and how hard I must have worked to finish this little cutie.  I imagined that in time this giraffe would become my nieces favorite stuffed toy; you know the one she can't sleep with out the one that goes every where with her.  I imagined that this toy would be loved so well it would loose an eye and get really floppy. That some day it would end up in an antiques shop and someone like my mom would see it and fall in love with it and buy it for an unreasonable sum saying all the time "I have to have it, you can tell how loved the poor thing was." then they would take it home and display it on an old child's rocking chair next to a ratty stuffed dog and a bunny missing an ear!

That is what I imagined would happen... what actually happened was my sister-in-law pulled the toy out of the bag while my niece was trying to escape off her blanket back to her cake and said "Oh how cute a sock monkey." (let yourself pause here to get the full effect of my let down) then I giggled politely so she would know that wasn't right and she said "I mean sock giraffe." Friends this toy is neither a monkey (I hate monkeys) or was it ever a sock.  I CROCHETED this GIRAFFE during the afternoons while the children were asleep and in the evenings after they were in bed, I went to wal-mart (WAL-MART YUCK!) because the face didn't look right in the colored yarn I already had on hand and it was late.  Oh well my favorite crafter (I hate that term isn't there a more romantic term then crafter?) Alicia Paulson (who's new book, The Embroidery Companion, I LOVE) warned me this could happen.  In her first book, Stitched in Time, she talks about how there will be times when people won't appreciate what you've made them quite as much as you do...

And you know what that's all right with me because I still feel like a hand made gift is more special then any thing I could buy in the store (especially any fisher price light up crap) Tasha Tudor says that when you make someone a gift you gift them twice; once in the actual gift and a second in the time you took out of your schedule to make them something because you thought of them.  I like to use the time when I'm making something to stitch and sew little prayers and hopes for that person (especially when it's children) into the project.  And I like to think that some of that magic is left there.  A piece of me, so that when they hold the toy or wear the garments they will feel how much I love them and how much I hope for them.  The blessings that I want to give them but am not sure how to put into words I put into stitches instead.

This giraffe has rather large arms which I like to think of as muscles; and really doesn't a little girl need a stuffed animal with large muscles to keep her safe from the boogy man at night?  The bib I did mostly in the car on our Maine trip.  My niece had a rough start in life spending the first many months of her life in the hospital so I wanted this bib to be light and free, full of colors and flowers and the idea that she will be a free spirit blowing with the wind, following her dreams.  And a sun because of that Irish blessing, "The Lord let his face shine upon you."