Juicy Bits

217: the Harry Potter trio (and their props)

I mentioned that I didn't sew much in the way of holiday gifts this year, but in the past I've always tried to make some.  True, it did elminate a lot of stress this time around, but look at the cute results when I do make them...

Yes, it's now over a year later, and these may or may not have just been finally completed, but I do love how they turned out.

These pictures actually show my gifts for both Aurora and Theo from last Christmas.  Aurora got the cute Harry, Ron, and Hermione dolls.  Theo got a set of branch blocks that I made from fallen branches from that year's storm.  They are cut in increments of 1 inch so they stack nicely together.  There are a ton more than shown here.  Those were actually complete on Christmas. ;)

The dolls, however, were partially naked.  They all had robes, but Ron and Harry were shirtless and poor Herminone had nothing on under there!  Thankfully they're now ready to make their internet debut fully clothed.

The dolls were made from the Pocket Pixies pattern by Ginger Melon.  Hers are not Harry Potter themed, that was my own addition.  I wish I could say I highly recommend the pattern, but I was pretty unimpressed.  Yes, the design is just darling, but I felt the pattern really lacked detail and instruction that I expected especially because I paid $15 for it (I think it's less now).  It was mostly the outline of the dolls that you were paying for.  I did learn how she attached the arms which was useful information.  Some stiches etc were included but if I remember correctly it didn't tell you what stitch to use for every step and it certainly didn't tell you the number of strands to use etc.  Shelly herself was very helpful and responded to my question I emailed her about which color felt to use.  Her style is so great, but I just felt the pattern was too basic for what I paid.

Anyway, the clothes were a pain to sew. SO tiny.  I had trouble getting the hood to look right.  It ended up being skinny and way to small to put on their heads but looked right with the bodies.

They did have shoes, but they didn't last long.  Probably should have sewn them right on.  And Harry's glasses are a little bent in these pictures but I'm too lazy to retake them.  Picture him just a touch cuter.

I'd say it's about time for us to start reading the 6th book.

JT

 

199: bean bag checkers tutorial

This was a Christmas gift I made last year for my then 3-year-old son.  Bean bag checkers!  So simple, and yet I knew he would love them. 

I didn't take a ton of pictures as I went along so this is a more basic tutorial intended for those who already sew/quilt.  If you're a total newbie, it's really not an advanced project at all, but you may need to look up instructions for things like binding etc.

Materials:

 The fabric I used was from the Hooty Hoot collection, designed by Shari Butler of Doohickey Designs for Riley Blake.  As far as I know it's no longer available.  But you can use any fabric (doesn't all have to be from the same collection) that has small creatures or motifs on it.  Check out some of Shari's other collections for cute animals.

1/4 yd each of two contrasting board fabrics (also used for the back of the pieces)

16x 16 piece of backing fabric (or 1 fat quarter)

1/4 yd of binding fabric

1/4 yd of pocket fabric

Enough of the fabric for pieces to cut out 12 of each motif (you need two different motifs that are about 1 1/2"-1 3/4" square)

12 1/2" piece of Velcro

Grain for the "bean" bag pieces

 

The basic rundown of the project is as follows:

            1. Make a mini patchwork quilt board.

            2. Add pocket on back and then bind the whole thing.

            3. Sew little beanbag pieces.

 

Use 1/4" seams unless otherwise noted.

 

The Board:

Cutting:

2 strips , 2 3/8" x WOF, of each of the board fabrics

Construction:

Sew the 4 strips, right sides together, alternating colors, along their long edges.  Press seams in one direction.  Crosscut this strip set in half perpendicular to the seams.  Sew the 2 smaller sets together so that you have 8 alternating stripes.  Press the seam in the direction of the others.

Crosscut this strip set into 8 rows 2 3/8" tall.  Sew these rows together along their long edge, flipping every other row to create the checkerboard pattern.  Press seams to one side.  You will have a board top 8 squares x 8 squares that is about 15 1/2" x 15 1/2"

Sandwich the backing, batting and front and quilt through the layers.  I simply used a straight line on the diagonal through the darker blocks.  Baste around the edges, 1/8" from the edges on the front.  Trim the batting and backing close to the edge of the front.

 

The Pocket:

Cutting:

2 rectangles 5 1/2" x 15 1/2" (you might want to measure your board top and cut these pieces a little wider if needed) (for the pocket pieces I used 2 different fabrics, but you can use just 1)

2 rectangles 2 3/4" x 14 1/2" (for pocket flap)

Construction:

Sew the pocket pieces with right sides together along the top and bottom long edges.  Leave the sides open.  Turn right side out through a side opening and press.

Sew the flap pieces with right sides together along each side and the long bottom edge, leaving the top long edges open.  Clip corners, turn right side out and press.

Center the Velcro strips on the top outside edge of the pocket piece and the bottom inside edge of the flap piece.  Sew them in place about 1/4" from each edge.

Place the pocket piece on the back of the board so it's top edge (with the Velcro) is about 1 1/4" from one of the board's raw edges.  The pocket's raw side edge should align with the board on 2 sides.  Pin in place and baste 1/8" from the raw edge.  Flip the board and align so the pocket it at the top.  Stitch-in-the-ditch along the bottom of the 3rd row of squares (this should catch the bottom of the pocket all the way across.  If it doesn't work out right, you should move your pocket to make sure this seam will sew it on.

Place the pocket flap so the raw edge is centered on the top raw edge of the board.  Baste 1/8" from that edge.

Next, bind the edges of the board using your preferred method of binding. 

 

The Pieces:

Cutting:

Fussy-cut 12 squares 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" of each of the motif fabrics

12 squares 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" of each of the board fabrics

Construction:

With right sides together, sew the pieces fronts and backs together (one color of the board fabrics should got with all the same motif … like my white/blue owls have a blue backing and the green brown ones have a brown back).  Sew around all sides, leaving a 1" opening in the center of one side for turning.  Trim the corners.  Turn them right side out through the hole.

Make yourself a small paper funnel and use that to stuff the squares with some kind of grain.  I think I used barley because I had it and beans seemed too big.  You could also use rice or really any kind of grain.  I guess in theory this could become a snack for mice depending on where you store it, so keep that in mind…

Sliptstich the openings closed.

You can now store the pieces in the pocket and you're ready to play at any time!

 

I originally thought of including a ribbon or a button elastic closure so it could be stored rolled up.  But in the end I like to simply fold it in half because it's flatter.

Enjoy!  And please do share picture in my flickr pool if you make one...

JT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

179: troop 96

First off, thanx for all your praise of Kingdom. I'm so excited to see what many of you will sew with it, so promise you'll share, OK?  And I promise there will be more posts to come with my projects etc., when I get the fabric.

So, I feel like I have a ton to post about and just no time to get to it.  I will be a tease and tell you I have big, giant, HUGE news coming this month!

One project I haven't shared yet is this banner I made for Aurora's Daisy Scout Troop.  They marched in the a local St. Patrick's day parade with it, but sadly I was in Hawaii and missed it. However, they are supposed to use this for many years to come, so I'm sure I'll get to see it in action.

I hear it was cold, but they had a good time. And the troop just loved the banner.  The girls each added a little decoration to a leaf with their name on it.  Is it bad that I didn't actually want them to contribute? I knew they needed to do something to make it their own, but I wanted to keep it with the fabric leaves.  But I was a good mom and let go of the control (a little anyway). :)

JT

165: little time = small projects

Just popping in to say "hi".

I have Aurora's bday pictures, but haven't had time to edit them yet.

This is a little project she and I did over the summer.

It was just an unfinished frame, and we painted it and added some fabric covered cork board.

As you can see, the intended purpose is to give her new Disney pin collection a home where she can admire them and rearrange them to her heart's content.  I personally wouldn't have chosen such a busy fabric, but it's already in her room (some day I'll show you pictures of that) and I let her pick.  The frame is the color of her dresser.  I love that the pins just sort of blend right in now.

Anyway, these are the kinds of thing I had time for over the summer.  Things have settled down a bit since then, but as you might imagine, I'm working away on halloween costumes.  Her school party is friday (annoyingly early) so I don't have much time left.  This year she has chosen Glinda, so I'm swimming in a sea of pink.

What are you up to?

JT

154: fireflies and rainbows

See, I told you I'd be more cheerful. 

Aurora and spent some time painting rainbows the other day.  We've already set the theme for her next birthday party (not until September) and it will be unicorns and rainbows.  So she's decided we should get started on the decorations now.

 

 
At this rate I'll be able to wallpaper the whole house with rainbows when the time comes.  But, it was fun to see her come up with different ways to make rainbow designs.  Of course this was all after she painted quilt and bag designs that she wants me to someday make into a reality.  Someday, my Roar, someday.

She also just had her ballet recital.  She was 1 of 29 fireflies that were, of course, adorable.

Even had little lights on their heads...

Wishing you all days filled with such lovely and fanciful delights.

JT

85: baby blanket gift set - part 2

Well, I'm back with the rest of our gift set tutorial.  I know I said how much work these things were last time, but I think I kinda forgot.  I don't have any others in the works right now, but after a break maybe I'll forget again and come up with something.  :)

So first, the bib:

1.  Using the bib pattern, cut out one piece from the leftover blanket fabric. (You already cut out the one from the binding fabric.)

2.  Using the bib pattern, cut out one piece from the terry cloth.  I use this inside the fabric to absorb lots of drool or spilled drinks.  :)

3.  Pin all three pieces together so the right sides of the fabric are together and the terry cloth is on the outside of one side.

4.  Using a 1/2" seam, start sewing on one side just before the bottom curve.  Sew almost all the way around leaving a 4-5" opening on the straight part of one side.

5.  Clip the seam allowances of all the curves.

6.  Turn the bib right side out.  Press flat making sure to fold in the seam allowances in the opening.  Pin the opening close to the edge.

7.  Topstitch around the entire edge, at about 1/8" from the edge.  This includes stitching over the opening so the seam allowances are caught and it is now closed up.

8.  Sew on velcro at neck.  You can use snaps if you prefer.

  

Your bib is complete!

Next the burp cloths:

1.  Cut a 9"x 16 1/2" piece of the leftover blanket fabric.

2.  Cut four 9" x 16 1/2" pieces of the terry cloth.  (I mentioned before that you can use a towel for this because it will be easier to get a coordinated color.  If you do, it will probably be thick enough that you only need one layer.)

3.  Pin together each fabric rectangle with 2 terry rectangles.  Make sure your right side is on the inside.

    

4.  Now basically you do the same thing as the bib: sew around the edge leaving a hole, clip the corners, turn it right side out, press, and topstitch around the edge.  

5.  Repeat for the second burp cloth.

Finally, the embellished onsie:

1.  First, from your scraps, cut out a motif.  You can choose to cut a out a design in the fabric pattern (I did a flower bunch) or you can make a basic shape (heart, bird, puppy, whatever).  I cut mine out leaving a little extra around the edge that I trim later.

2.  Now use a fusible web to attach the design to the onsie.  I used Steam-a-Seam 2.  It's sticky on both sides so I stick my rough cut design on one side.  Then I trim through all layers close to the edge of my design.  Then I stick onto the onsie and press according to the directions.

3.  The final step is to stitch around the design to secure it.  I simply use a smallish straight stitch very near the edge.  This means the edge of the fabric will fray a touch with washing, but I like like the look.  You could ziz-zag or satin stitch to make more of an outline.

And that's it!  Now you have complete gift set.  You can present it in a nice basket and add few little toys or accessories to complete the look.

I have shown a few more of the blankets in part one and here and here.

I hope you enjoyed this project.  Not ground-breaking I know, but something most levels can tackle.

JT

84: baby blanket gift set - part 1

I've decided to do this tutorial in two parts, because I have a feeling I'm going to get pretty wordy and I don't want it to be "the post that never ends."  So this first part is how to make the blanket and part 2 is how to make the bib, burp cloths, and onsie.

I think this makes a really great baby shower gift.  It's personal and homemade, but still elegant and doesn't take as long as a whole baby quilt.

There are, of course, a million different ways this could be done...I'll give you my reasoning as I go along and you can decide for yourself if you agree.

This gift set consists of:

1 large baby blanket (about 34" x 38")

1 reversible bib

2 burp cloths

1 embellished onsie

I chose the size of the blanket to maximize the use of the fabric and because I think it's a nice size since it's larger than many receiving blankets and can be used well into the preschool years.

Materials:

* 1 yard of quilters cotton for blanket front

* 1 yard of quilters cotton for blanket binding

(I'll warn you right now that I designed this project to minimize waste and it's just barely enough fabric.  If you don't like to live that close to the edge and like a little more wiggle room, you might consider getting 1 1/4 of the binding fabric or omitting that burp cloth)

* 1 yard of plush minkee dot fabric - 64" wide (this is enough for 2 blankets)

* 3/8 yard nice thick terry cloth (you can buy a towel on clearance or wherever and use this.  It shows on the burp cloths so it's nice to have pretty colors)

* 1.5" of velcro

* onsie in the size of your choice (I recommend 3-6 or 6-9 months)

* Coordinating thread

* Pattern for bib

Instructions:

1.  Prewash and all fabrics and press the cotton.

2.  Cut the minkee fabric in half widthwise (so you have two pieces that are about 32"x36").  A good idea is to use the dots as a line so you cut straight.  Also straighten the store cut edges the same way so your pieces are squared.   Set aside one half for your next blanket.

        

3.  Layout the minkee fabric and your blanket front fabric one top of each other, wrong sides together.  It's important to line up 3 edges as close as possible so all the leftover fabric is on one side (instead of centering them).  

4.  Pin frequently around all edges.  (It's important to pin a lot because the minkee might stretch as you sew)

5.  Trim the cotton fabric so it fits the minkee.  It's possible you may have to trim 3 sides a little (or even trim the minkee down) depending on how accurately they were cut in the store.  Leave them pinned together until the binding is sewn on.

6.  Next, using the pattern, from the binding fabric, cut out one bib piece.  Make sure to cut it close to the selvege edge, wasting as little fabric as possible.

7.  Cut out a rectangle 9" x 16 1/2" below the bib, also near the selvege (so the longer 16 1/2 runs along the selvege).  Cutting these first allows you to use every last little piece of the remaining fabric for the binding.  If you don't want it to be so close, you can omit the rectangle and make the gift set with just one burp cloth.

8.  Cut the remaining binding fabric into five 6 5/8" strips.  You should get one full length strip (42" long) and 4 shorter ones (about 33" long).

(I designed this blanket with a 1 1/2" double fold binding.  The reasons were that I like the look of the thick frame around the edge and it makes the blanket slightly bigger because it goes off the edge of the minkee etc.  I did it double fold since it was going to hang off the edge and I felt it needed some body.  You could use less fabric by making it skinnier or single fold.)

  

   

9.  Next, join the binding strips.  I do this on the diagonal.  Lay the ends of two strips together perpendicular and right sides together as shown.  Mark the diagonal across the top strip and sew on this line.  When you open you should have one long strip.  Trim the seam allowance and press them open.  Repeat with the other strips until you have one long strip.

  

10.  Press the binding in half down the entire length.  Fold in one short edge towards the wrong side about 1/2" and press.

(Normally, I would do this part of a binding on the diagonal as well, but actually there isn't enough fabric.  If you bought extra, you might want to do it that way.)

11.  Start sewing the binding on in the middle of one edge.  Open up the binding and pin the bottom raw edge of the binding along the raw edge of the blanket on top of the cotton side.  Sew through only this one layer of the binding for about 3".  Use a 1/4" seam.

12.  Close up the binding and begin sewing through both layers at about 2 1/2".  (This leaves a little flap of the top layer open to tuck the other end in when you get there.)   I don't really pin the binding as I sew along, so it can stretch a little as I go.

   

11.  Next up, your first corner.  This is the hard part, brace yourself.  :)  No really, its not that bad.  First mark 1/4" from the end of the edge you're sewing with a pin.  Sew up to that point and stitch a few stitches in place there (or backstitch).  Lift the needle and foot and pull the corner out from under the machine a little bit (I don't cut the thread, but you can).  Now measure 2 3/8" off the edge of the blanket and mark it on the binding (with a pin or marker).  (NOTE, you are measuring from the edge of the blanket, not 1/4" in where you stopped sewing.)

   

12. Fold the binding out to the right so it forms a 45 degree angle down towards the corner of the blanket, as shown.  Now fold it back down along the new edge, lining up the mark with the corner of the blanket.  The binding will hang off the end of blanket a little as shown.

13.  Turn the blanket and start sewing the new edge 1/4" down from the mark.  If you've done this right it should be exactly where you stopped sewing on the last side.

14.  Sew the sides and repeat the corner process for all 4 sides.

15.  As you near your starting point, trim the binding so it overlaps where you started by about 2 inches or so.  Tuck it into the little flap you made before so you don't see the unfinished edge anymore.  Continue to sew right over the flap through all the layers (the picture shows me holding back the edge so you can see), until you overlap your initial stitching.  Now the binding is secure all the way around.

16.  Next press the binding out so that the seam allowances go towards the binding.

17.  Now topstitch close to the edge of the little flap you made at the start.  This stitching goes across the thickness of the binding and it closes up the little flap.

18.  Fold over the binding and pin it in place, starting in the middle of one side.  How I pin is to stick a pin about 1/8" in on the edge of the binding and then through the seam.  This way you have just the right amount of overlap.  If you fold it over too much or too little you're going to have problems, especially with the corners.

(NOTE: I'm sewing the back of the binding by machine.  I usually do this even on my quilts, but I understand most people do this part by hand.  That's fine if you want, but really I don't know how it's going to hold up just sewn to the minkee.  I assume it should be fine, but no guaruntees. )

 
I usually just pin and sew one side and corner at a time.  This way I'm no holding a blanket with a million pins.  After I get around a corner, then I pin that next side.

   

19.  To pin the corner, keep pinning up the side and the biding will naturally make a 45 degree angle as shown.  Make sure that the little excess flap of fabric all goes up into that angled part...I've shown a little peek.  This is important because if it stays tucked under the first side, you'll still be able to make the corner, but your front and back miters won't be in the same exact place and when you go to stitch them it won't work.  This seemed funny to me at first because it makes one half of your corner thicker (more layers) than the other, but trust me, it's best.

20.  Now fold down the next side so you get a nice mitered corner.  Your angle should end in about 1/8" from the edge of the first side of binding.  If that doesn't make sense, don't worry too much, just try to make a nice pointed corner.  You'll probably have to play with it and adjust it a bit, because it's really easy to get a corner that's "cut off" or not pointed like this:

With a little fussing you should be able to get it fairly pointy.

21.  Now you're going to sew on the front side of your blanket (cotton side).  You will "stitch in the ditch" where the front is joined to the binding.  That just means sewing right along the seam so that you almost don't see it.  You've really got to take your time as you do this and every once in a while check that you are catching the back of the binding in this seam.  If you didn't pin well it's possible to run off the edge on the back and you'll have to go back and fix this.  When I am sewing this I am able to actually feel through the blanket and feel that the binding is overlaping the seam just the right amount.  If you press your fingers along the seam you'll feel a ridge where the binding ends on the back.  Just make sure that's in the right place.

22.  Stop sewing when you get all the way in the corner and turn the blanket.  Continue down the next side.  You'll want to check the corner as you go, because this is the easiest spot to accidentally go off the edge.  It might seem difficult at first and you may have to go back and fix some spots, but I promise it gets easier with practice and if you take your time, you'll be fine.

23.  Since I only pin one side at a time, after I get around a corner, I'll pause and pin the next side and corner.  You want to repeat this for all four sides of the blanket until the binding is secured all the way around.

24.  Now you're almost done!  On each corner you want to go back and sew down the miter.  Topstitch close to the diagonal on the side that is thicker (has more layers of fabric).  Now press the whole binding and your blanket is complete!

I hope that makes sense to you all, and remember, please send me pictures if you make one.

Next up, the bib, burp cloths, and onsies to finish the gift set.  

JT

74: it's never too late for love

Well, I embellished this little number for Aurora some time ago, with plans for a tutorial before Valentine's day.  Now I'm just squeezing in some simple instructions (no pictures....sorry!) just in time.  It's  VERY easy, I promise, so if you need a little something for your sweetie to wear on heart day, you should be able to do it in an evening.  

Plus, nobody says you HAVE to do for the holiday...I think it's a good "anytime" pattern.

So I started with a pre-made dress, but this could also be done on the bottom of a shirt.

I use Steam-A-Seam 2 for my fusible appliques.

So, first step: print out the hummingbird pattern.

Next trace this (not the beak part) onto the Steam-A-Seam.  Make sure you trace the reverse of the final design you want.  Cut loosely outside the lines you just traced.

Peel the paper without the drawing on it.  Stick the pattern piece on the wrong side of your fabric.  Now cut along the lines through the Steam-A-Seam and the fabric at the same time.

Peel the remaining paper off.  Place the hummingbird wherever you want on the garment and iron in place.

Then I did a straight stitch very close to the edge on top of the hummingbird.  The edges will fray slightly with wash, but I like the look.

Finally, satin stitch (a wide zig-zag) for the beak.

I added little heart flowers that rim the entire bottom of the dress.  Cut out little hearts of varied sizes and fuse to the dress the same way you did the hummingbird.  After stitching around the edge of the hearts, I stitched a stem to the edge of the dress by using a straight stitch and going over it 4 times.

That's it!

Many kisses to you all...

JT

73: buzzing in the garden

I've been pretty swamped lately with very un-glamorous stuff, so I thought I'd show you an older project.

This is Aurora's "baby" quilt.  I'm pleased to say I did complete it before she was one year old.  Actually I had the top done before she was born and then quilted it after.  

As you can see, it's not pink but also not all that gender neutral, and I didn't know I was having a girl.  But I was undeterred.  I even painted her dresser pink.  I figured what would a baby boy care, the nursery was really for me to enjoy.

Her room had/has a garden and bugs theme.  After she was born I added some fairies.  No, I didn't go THAT far before finding out her sex - oooh...now I've written "sex" on my blog!  :)

The butterfly design in the quilt is from a pattern, but I made up my paper-piecing pattern for the ladybugs/beetles, dragonflies, and bees.  If you look closely you'll see that they are intentionally not perfectly symmetrical, as the design was more "casual" and "sloppy" than that.  The fabrics are 1930s reproductions that are much cuter up close.

I quilted it with an all-over loopy meander in the background of the blocks.  It was pretty tiny....hence the reason it took me a whole year to complete.

And the border I quilted with free-hand butterflies.  I don't know how well you can see it in the picture.

The only thing it's missing is a label because I'm still holding out to embroider one...

Someday....

JT

69: on a roll

These are the last of the homemade holiday gifts:  marker rolls.

 

They’re essentially the pencil roll pattern by Pink Chalk Studio from the book Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts.  I didn’t really follow the pattern and used different measurements and materials, but it’s the same basic idea.

I actually made 4 of them, but only got photos of the 3.  I think paired with a nice coloring book or activity book, they make a great gift.

 

They’re so happy and colorful…I’d love to have one in my purse to pull out whenever the mood to doodle strikes me!

JT

58: space cowboy

Well, this little outfit for Theo falls squarely in the "project I have no business working on" category.  Really, it's not Christmas related and should totally have waited until after the new year.  My only excuse is that I bought this sweatsuit a while back with intentions of embellishing it, and then I washed it and tried it on him and egads! it just fits him now.  I figured I'd better get to it before it's too small.

 

Originally I figured I would try this as my first embroidery project, but then I realized this wasn't the time to learn a new skill.  Enter Kellie at Don't Look Now.  She has this cute tutorial on art smocks.  I had a plan to do a rocket on the back of the hoodie, and now I didn't even have to draw my own!

Then, not being able to stop shy of overachievement, I added the fun pants details and the little planet on the front.  

  

I think this is super-cute and I can't wait to see him in it.  Whenever I get a picture I'll put it up...

Oh, and as an update, my list has now grown to 48 items, 11 of which I've actually completed and crossed off.  Yikes!

JT

54: turkey day decor

Thankgiving is over and it was mostly perfect.  Lots of lovely baking smells and plenty of messy helping hands.  Dinner was a wonderful collaboration of several "chefs", myself included.  And it was enjoyed by lots of loving family members (we had 17 for dinner).

Most of my photos are of the table all set for dinner.  I did the flower arrangements with cranberries in the vases.  I can't remember where I saw that before, but it was somewhere.  And the placecards are from Paper and Cake.  Check out that new blog.  I think it's a cool idea to do downloadable tablescapes, hopefully they'll keep it coming.

I didn't take photos of all the delicious food consumed, but I can tell you I'm still full.

The kids each made their own little gingerbread house, which was a fun (and they'll say tasty) craft.

Hope you had a great one if you celebrated...

JT

48: "beep beep" blanket

Howdy guys.

This is a little project I've been meaning to do for quite some time.  A simple and sweet baby blanket for Theo.  Right now he's at the stage where a typical receiving blanket is way to small, but an actual adult size blanket (and even his "baby" quilt) is too big.  

So this blanket fills the gap nicely.  It's about 33"x39".  It's quilting cotton on one size and the super-soft minkee on the other, and bound with wide, double thick binding.  No quilting necessary.

I've done several of these blankets before.  Aurora has a fairy version.  She still uses it on car trips, etc.  And I've made baby gifts sets for a few friends.  From two 1-yard cuts of cotton and a yard of minkee cut up the middle, I can nicely make the blanket, a reversible bib, and 2 burp cloths.  And if I'm feeling ambitious decorate a little onsie.

I've been hoarding this particular fabric for quite some time.  It's too cute!  And Theo is crazy for cars, so it seemed perfect.

In fact, I have more than a dozen pairs of 1 yard cuts for vastly different versions of this project.  It's easy to pull them out and whip up a gift when someone is expecting.  It's not a 1 hour project, but definitely faster than a full quilt...

And, before you ask, yes, I am planning on doing a tutorial of the whole set.  You just have to wait until the next time I need a baby gift.  :)

JT

***NOTE: OK, here's how much I love you guys.  There were a few requests for the fabric, but sadly I had sewn the entire selvedge into the blanket.  So, yes, I ripped it open to find out.  It's "LIttle Dudes" by Robert Kaufman.  But I did buy it about 4 years ago, so good luck finding it.  The strip is just called Multistripe by Michael Miller.

46: under the sea and out of a cave

Is that where monsters live?  In caves?

Anyhoo...I'm here to share "Happy Halloween!" wishes and pictures of the kids all dressed up.

 

 

I'll have you all know that I finished Aurora's Ariel costume a full 24 hours before halloween.  You might not know it, but that's pretty miraculous for me.  Typically if I manage to get something like that done ahead of time I just keep adding to it.  I was very tempted this time, but I resisted...

  

I do love costumes and I'm so pleased with how this came out.  But I may have to rethink my approach next year.  Instead of being happy to make something myself that is recognizable and well made, I sort of got caught up in creating more like a "couture" costume.  A bit much for a 4-year-old.

 

And, is it wrong that I'm jealous of her? 

 I want to dress up.  But I really need another reason other than trick-or-treating... Maybe next year is time for another party.  Then I can save the "couture" for myself.  

 

I know you've seen the monster costume already, but I had to share Theo wearing it...

Have a great day!

JT

45: mermaid accessories

As I may have mentioned, I’m working on a mermaid costume for Aurora for Halloween.  Ariel to be specific.  Not that I want to be specific…but you know she does.  I’m not getting too much leeway on this one.  I didn’t make the seashells facing the right direction and I’m still not sure she’s willing to wear it this way.  J

But I’m trying to add a little creativity in here and there.  And these are a few of the little details to it.

First there are the slippers.  I have been informed that “mermaids don’t have feet” but she has to wear something on hers, right?

So her feet and legs are turquoise to look like water.  And, I wanted to make them a little sparkly and sweet so I used the Ballet Slippers pattern from Favorite Things.  Other than the material I choose not being ideal, they came out great.

(You’ll have to pardon my pictures, but it *gasp* snowed here today.  I mean really, it’s not like I live in Northern Vermont…anyway I didn’t feel like bustin' out the tripod, so flash it is.)

Next up is a starfish hair accessory.  This took some convincing.  Luckily I was able to show her pictures of Ariel at Disney World where she had one in her hair.

 

And finally, a sea turtle necklace.   She still says she’s not wearing this.  We’ll see who wins that one…

The costume is almost complete, except for a little cape I needed to make in an attempt to keep her warm in her school parade.  Really?  Snow in October?  Come on…

JT

40: classroom quilt

I don't go looking for extra projects.  Honest I don't.

But they find me anyway.

This year my daughter is in the Bluebird Class in preschool.  When her first calendar came home, it said her book of the month was The Quilt Story.  And they were going to make a class quilt!

I HAD to offer help.  How could I not?  So I mentioned that I sew and I would be happy to help out.  Well, turns out they were just going to make a paper quilt.  Gasp!  Say what?!?

So I said I could whip up a "real" quilt and that idea was met with much enthusiasm...

I brought in the white square and fabric markers for each of the 17 kids to color.  I believe the teachers asked them to draw a picture of themselves.

I used some of the scraps from Aurora's party to make the sashing.  It was down and dirty and super fast.  I didn't even quilt it.  I used a little diamond stitch on my machine to "tie" it in a few places.  I figured it doesn't exactly need to last forever.

I think they're going to use it for show and tell each week...each kid puts his/her iten on their own square.  Cute!

JT

38: extreme makeover: the toy castle edition

Well, it's not quite "extreme" but it is a toy makeover...

(side note:  I wonder how many of my posts I start with "well" or "so"?  I bet a lot.  I feel like I need to write as if we're already in the middle of a conversation.  Not sure if that's weird or not, but it feels natural so I'l go with it.)

I bought this admittedly cheesy toy castle for a whopping $1.41 at thrift shop.  I saw much potential.

 

Really I know how short lived the love of certain toys can be and Aurora has been wanting some of the little My Little Ponies, so I figured this would make a cute home.  I could revamp it a bit and since I didn't add another big heap of plastic to the world, not feel bad when she's over it in 6 months.

I used ribbon, scrapbook paper, mod podge, and some fancy felt stickers.  I wasn't going for longevity and it's already lost a few sparkles, but I don't mind at all...

JT

37: fairy wings and marshmallow wands

I brought these sweet treats to an enchanted fairy birthday party last weekend.  

Marshmallow fairy wands!  They come from the Fairies Cookbook.

I love marshmallows so I thought they were delicious... and so did many of the little pixies...

Who would have thought to freeze marshmallows?

The party was for Aurora's best friend and we had a lovely time.  

So much so that I didn't really take many pictures.

But I did make her one of my felt crowns.

Perhaps she'll be the Fairy Queen now.

JT

35: the monster bash part two: the day

And now for the play-by-play of the big day:

 First, of course, there was a flurry of getting ready.

It really wasn’t too bad that day, as I had stayed up late the night before (Note to self: you CANNOT put M&Ms onto a sundae until right before you serve it…they bleed).

 And Aurora had a friend to keep her occupied.

When the friends started to arrive, there was the Make-a-Monster craft and even monster coloring pages.

Of course they mostly wanted to check out Aurora’s playroom/toys.  Aurora got more into it after everyone had left and made some cool creatures.

Then we played monster hide-and-seek.  The girls covered their eyes while I went and hid our monster.

Then they ran to find him and were supposed to touch him and run screaming back to “home”. 

I had a cell phone sewn into the back so my husband could “ROAR” at them.

As suspected, most of the girls loved the screaming and running part.  The little baby that was there….not so much.

But in general it was very fun.  And prizes were collected.

The monster squeakers were the big hit.

Then it was time for lunch.  Sandwiches and fruit and veggies, etc.  I ordered some for the grown-ups at Panera, but made some simple crustless ones for the kids.  I never got to the mini-monster pizzas I had planned.

Next, since it didn’t rain after all, we headed outside.  The swings are always a fav.

I brought the other games out so everyone could try as they liked.

The prizes were available for everyone who tossed a beanbag,

Or did the monster stomp,

Or knocked over the bowling pins.

Next up…Pinata.  This was a request from Aurora, I think only because she knew there would be candy in it. 

It proved very difficult to break, and in the end the dads had to step in.

And have a little fun of their own.

And then it was time to sing!  Aurora is really much more of a fan of ice cream than cake so we had monster sundaes. 

Yummmm!

Before everyone went home, they had to get their very own monster.

They all have good homes and are quite beloved.

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better day.  Aurora never got really overwhelmed so she was able to enjoy the whole party.  Theo slept for pretty much all of it.  And I had “hosting” to do, but it wasn’t out of control and I got to enjoy it too.

Happy Birthday, Roar!

JT

 (Most photos by Christianne Ebel )

34: the monster bash part one: the look

Get yourself ready for some seriously photo-intensive posts.  I can't help myself.  There are just too many good shots.  Just about all of them are from my good friend Christianne Ebel.  The few that aren't watermarked are mine.

So, since I have so much to show you, I decided to split it up into two posts.  One on "the look" of the day...mostly stuff I made/designed, not many people shots.  And one on the events of the day which is more a play-by-play of the day.

These first shots are the favor table I set up.  The "banner" on the wall is made from my wall dots, but I fused a letter on each one.

Next are some general decor shots of around the house.

We had some games for play at any time which included, stomping on monster "stilts", monster bowling, and this bean bag toss.

Of course there were prizes.  

Among the cutest were these little monster finger puppets and adorable buttons from Nifty Stuff Made by Voz on etsy.  Look at those cute sayings on the buttons: “I’m odd”, “I love books”, “I make art” and my favorite and the one I kept, “I eat cake”.

You can see all the prizes here.

Some of these were also in the pinata so it wasn't entirely candy filled.

There was a make a monster craft table for gluing together silly creations.

And coloring these cute monsters I found online.

We tried to put as many monsters as we could find all around the house.  Here is Aurora queen of all her monster subjects.

This watermelon monster is a complete knock off from mypapercrane.

And the sweet day was topped off with what my daughter calls "monster mish mash sundaes" (a favorite at Friendly's) instead of cake.

Can I just say how totally amazing it was having a professional photographer shoot the day?  A part of me misses having pictures that are my own, because I definitely have my own perspective, etc.  But it totally freed me up to enjoy the day and participate more.  Plus the results are gorgeous and I love that I'm actually in some of them (you'll see later) so I it accurately reflects the day.  I'm lucky to have such a friend like Christianne because she not only did it last minute, but for way less money than she charges and deserves.  

My husband agreed to spend the dough on this party with the agreement that we won't do it for every birthday, but I'm going to have a hard time going without it next year...

JT