not on my to do list.

Making a table runner was not on my list to do but I just set everything down this past weekend and made one. I thought it would be nice for our Thanksgiving table and luckily I LOVE these colors so it will probably stay around all year. I got to try out stippling to quilt the runner. I was glued to my sewing machine, I literally was in the stippling groove for 2.5 hours...I really like it. I am slowly gaining the courage to quilt my grandmothers quilt top.

Happy Thanksgiving!! I have so been looking forward to this day for weeks and now that it is here I am a little sad. so silly. The upside is now I will allow myself to watch Christmas movies.

Now it can be December 1st.

My advent is finished! I hung it up and filled it with ornaments. I was admiring it when my husband came in and said I think it needs a border! HA! How rude! (as Stephanie Tanner might say). But I do agree. Maybe next year.

I first posted details about the advent here but had a few steps left.

I attached the numbers with a spray adhesive. My daughter promptly starting to pull them off. So I embroidered a running stitch into the the middle of each number. I like this much better then plain.


I sewed on 25 buttons to hang each ornament up with embroidery floss.

I just really like it!

Scribble Ornaments Tutorial

I wanted to start the tradition with Lilly of making a different Christmas ornament every year. We came up with scribble ornaments, great for a 21 month old to show her creativity! These took about an hour to make 7 ornaments (plus the scribble time).
Materials: freezer paper, markers, Muslin or other of the like, scrap fabric, ribbon, embroidery floss, fiber fill.

Tools: iron, scissors, sewing machine, embroidery needle

First iron on a piece of fabric (I used muslin here) to freezer paper. This gives the fabric stablility so when your kiddo scribbles the fabric won't bunch up. We used regular old markers.
My kiddo isn't in to markers this week. (She is really into stickers and stamps but she wanted to do that on regular paper.) I would have liked more scribble but oh well this is her ornament too.


Peel off the freezer paper.

Cut fabric into 3 3/4in by 4 3/4 in or whatever size you think.

Choose and cut the fabric for the back of the ornament.

Cut a 10 inch ribbon. Pin the ribbon in between the two layers of fabric, now right sides together.

The loop should be on the inside. Pin all the way around and stitch. I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Remember to leave a 1-2 inch opening for flipping and stuffing.

Cut the seam allowance and clip the corners. This allows for pointing corners when flipped to right sides out. I don't cut the seam allowance where the whole is for stuffing. It just seams easier when I blind stitch.

Poke out your corners with a crochet hook, scissors or whatever.

At this point I wanted to mark that Lilly made this ornament in 2008. I used a simple back stitch to embroider an "L" and "08". I didn't put this in a hoop. I am sure it would have been easier to do this before it was sewn but I just wasn't sure where to embroider.

Now stuff!

At this point Lilly came back to help. Great job kid!

Blind stitch the opening close.

You can really get an assembly line going with these and work them up no problem. I think rick rack around the edges would have been cute to sew into the seam but I didn't have any big enough and wanted to use what I had on hand. Maybe would be cute to make scribble sachets?

These babies are ready to attach to presents for our family!

Crafting: bringing friends together

We had another crafting food night this week! This one was much more about the craft than the food though. We made fabric quilted ornament balls! I think there were 9 or 10 of us and I have never taught that many people at once but I think it worked out just fine. One of my neighbor's daughters just loved the ornament and now she wants to have some friends over to make them with her. Crafting: bringing friends together!

my new hat

My first crocheted hat. I used a pattern from the Purl Bee. They have such pretty things there. This hat was very quick to work up. I had a rough start simply because this yarn was hard for me to see where my stitches were. But after I just started over completely, it took less than two hours. I didn't block my hat like the purl bee suggested. I really don't know what that is and think my hat looks okay as is. In fact, I really like it. Except when it is windy, windy, bitter cold, = not so warm (snow flurries yesterday here!). I must make a new hat without the pretty pattern. I have one pattern in mind and am pretty excited about it. Well, I just really like crocheting.


I was thinking in looking at these pictures that my hat is kinda dorky. Then I realized it is just me!

mama to mama: Caps for Haiti

I made two caps for the mama to mama Haitian project. I was hoping to make more but I had real problems sewing the jersey with my machine. So I just made two. Pretty cute hat pattern though. Any mama would like these I think. They are now accepting receiving blankets for donation too. I just bought some new material for another Linus project blanket so if I have any left over I will use it for that. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Project Linus: Check!

My Project Linus blanket is done! I am very happy that I decided to do Project Linus for Christmas this year and it was my first finished Christmas gift. I am almost happy with how it turned out. I decided to add a layer of batting mostly so I could use my new quilting walking foot. I didn't pin the quilt enough so I got 3 tucks of fabric sewn into the quilt seam. I tried to rip out the stitch but because of the type of fabric and all that batting I couldn't get the seam ripped out without ruining the fabric. So I left them. It really bothers me, those tucks. Also my blanket is a little smaller then what my local chapter of Project Linus say they want. So I hope to make another blanket that is better and give them both.

But this one is still good. It is soft and warm. The top fabric is that soft minky fabric.


The backing and the binding is a polka-dot flannel. Very soft too.Nothing fancy for the quilting. I just stitched in the ditch, both good for the kind of fabric I used and for learning the ways of the walking foot.

scarflet

I wanted to make our sister-in-law something for her birthday. I know she likes blue. I found a pattern on Etsy from this seller that seemed like a nice project. This took me forever to get it started right. I kept messing up and not following the pattern exactly. I guess that is why I was sticking to dish cloths and granny squares. But it turned out so pretty. and the yarn is baby soft. I hope she likes it!

my super Saturday fall wreath

Have you heard of Super Saturday? I started to see crafty blogs all a buzz about ideas for Super Saturday. What is Super Saturday, I thought? A day full of crafts? Where do I sign up? Well lucky me, my neighbor invited me to her church where a Super Saturday was held! Apparently, Super Saturday is an annual day put on by their church. I signed up to make two crafts. One I am sharing with you today, a fall wreath.

Isn't it great?

I have never made a wreath like this before and honestly it wasn't high up on my to do list. But to have all the supplies and someone to show you how seemed like a good time to learn. The sign had a layer of background paint, then painted the Welcome, then used a crackle paint system. Finally a stain. (see a lot of work to get all the supplies for this).

Then the rest was decorating with spanish moss, raffia, flowers, leaves, and greenery. and using a lot of hot glue. a lot.

my Christmas cards?

Craftypod posted about these cards in the new Craft magazine. (I think I need to subscribe.) I have a few ideas for stitching Christmas cards but this. THIS, is fabulous! and less time to stitch because of the various mediums. hmmm. I think I shall try a few of my ideas and see what best represents my little family.

I have so many projects to show you it is just a matter of sitting down to organize them and show you. Taking clear, natural pictures has been a challenge with the time change and winter darkness. I almost have one foot out the door to purchase a new lens for my camera. Hope your weekend was full of completing projects! I came down with a nasty cold and can only stare at the TV. My daughter even took a 3 hour nap yesterday, absolutely unheard of for her, and I did not do one piece of crafting. On Saturday night however, I finished my Christmas advent!! I love it, pictures to come soon.

Freezer Paper Pillows

These turned out different then what I imagined but they fit on our couch nicely. I like them. I took step by step photos...now to organize them and share with you...soon I hope

Crafting food night

We had our crafting food night again. Our group is getting bigger and bigger every time. The theme was your favorite fall food. Funny is we had all desserts! We made these fabric flowers as our craft. My friend Nicole made these and attached them to ribbon to use as corsages in her unbelievable wedding (you should seriously click to see her photos, I am still upset I couldn't make the wedding). She first posted about the flowers on her blog. Then she wrote all the steps and was featured on this blog.

I really enjoyed seeing how we all made different flowers. I wish I had taken a picture of them all.

my little crocheter

I was in the kitchen and came out to Lilly crocheting! The pictures almost look the same but she is actually moving the hook back and forth under the string of yarn. Every once in awhile she would stop and poke the hook into the ball of yarn. Very serious business. (Note to self: she watches and can replicate my actions).