Panda Bear

Oh my gosh, guys, guess what? I sewed something! Let's take a look back through the blog here and figure out when the last time that happened was. March! No promises that I'll be doing this too regularly. 

I used a Dolls and Daydreams pattern that I bought quite awhile ago, and although I've made this pattern four times now, this is the first time I've ever truly followed it. 

I made a punk/goth panda bear from it for my sister and it was so popular among her friends that I ended up making two more. This time, the panda's face is decidedly different and way more like Dolls and Daydreams original design. I have more plans for this bear. Hopefully, you'll see those soon. 

Holiday Lane Blog Hop

It's here! My day is finally here! I've been so excited watching the other hop participants reveal their pillows! I have to give a big thanks to Madame Samm and Pauline for hosting this huge gathering and cheering us all on!

So, without further ado, here is the back of my pillow!

I'm showing you the back first, because I fell in love with this fabric from Robert Kaufman's O' Tinsel Tree 2 line at a quilt show and immediately envisioned my Holiday Lane. I wanted those wonky doors and window panes, the cute snowman, the wreaths and lights and most importantly, the blues and grays! 

I think I was pretty successful at adapting it for Jill's pattern (which is free if you'd like to put together a Holiday Lane of your own!). 

Ready for some detail shots?

This fabric was supposed to be waves, but I had houses on my brain when I found it. I saw shingles!

I had these miniature buttons made for scrapbook pages in my stash and just had to add them to my snowman! 

It's simple, but my favorite house is this plain blue with the little Christmas tree in the window. I hand embroidered the tree next to it with a motif from my flange fabric using a split stitch. 

I substituted fleece for the wool the pattern called for and used my machine to blanket stitch it down. I absolutely love how this pattern lends itself to customization! I can't wait to see how the other ladies have personalized their pillows today! I just know you'll want to join me in visiting them!

J Kafer on the Net

Busy as Can Be

Dachsies With Moxie

28 Peppermint Grove-You are here!

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Kris Loves Fabric

Linda - that other blog

Dora Quilts

Shedding the Wolf

Quilting, Sewing Granny

Creative Notions

Chickadees Country Cottage Crafts

Madame Samm @ Sew We Quilt

I wanted to buy a little something to give away today, but I couldn't find the time! I thought maybe you wouldn't mind if I de-stashed a little? 

I'll give away this pretty mini-quilt and matching tote pattern I have been meaning to make for ages, along with this Clover Rose Maker in size small (I bought all three sizes and have only opened one...bad stasher!) and a little Christmas fabric surprise to one random person who comments letting me know about something they've been stashing for awhile! 

Giveaway is now closed!

Blog hop begins today & a sneak peek!

Today is the start of the Holiday Lane Blog Hop! I requested not to go today, as this is my first blog hop. I really wanted some time to see other posts to get an idea how to format mine. So, I was assigned the last day of the hop and thank goodness! I have two kids with fevers right now and I'm glad that I only have to find the time to write a couple paragraphs versus a whole post! 

Here's a sneak peek of what you will see on the 30th! I love him! I love the whole thing and I can't wait to show it off! 

Work in progress: applique flowers

I finished the applique on the panel I'm adding to my zigzag table runner/topper. I really envisioned this as hand applique, but when it came down to it, raw edge was just quicker and I want this project finished and on my desk! 

I should have shortened the stitch on my machine for these, but failed to realize that before completely sewing one flower, and I didn't want them to look different, so there are a few wonky spots when you look real close like this. 

You probably won't see this project again until it's complete. I'm attempting to be more monogamous in my quilting (do you just love that term? I can't even tell you where I heard it, but it tickles me to no end!), I really like juggling six projects at once, but it can feel like I never finish anything when there is so much going on. So I'm trying very hard.

That being said, though, Halloween is in six days and my costume is not complete...no quilting for me until that is finished! Then, I will quilt my topper before doing any more work on the Holiday Lane pillow up in my sidebar. So hard! I have such a vision and I can't  wait to see it come together! 

A sewing finish!

Back in March I posted a photo of an embroidered face I had finished for a doll. Recently, a very good friend asked me if I had anything I could finish quickly for an auction to benefit the family of a cancer victim. I love it when things come together perfectly!

I love how she turned out in vintage inspired prints in red/pink and blue! I may whip up something else for the silent auction if I have time, but I have a couple other projects that I have promised to my youngest sister that I need to finish first. 

If you'd like to make your own bunny, the pattern can be found here, as can the skirt. I seriously altered it to make this gathered, aproned number, but the skirts included are so cute! 

Just playing, maybe

I'm well aware that it's past time for Easter projects, but I just found out about this one when I saw this table topper in the finish links for Amy's Challenge. So I clicked around and found the instructions. 

I didn't follow the instructions, but I LOVED the designers idea for using the almost never used decorative stitches on her machine. I had an idea that used much larger eggs and I got out my Brother (I've been using my Kenmore for months because I thought my Brother had a timing issue..turns out it just needed to be shut off and turned back on! Gotta love computerized sewing machines!) to play with it. 

I think I can see why she used the size eggs that she did. Those stitches get longer and longer (the very bottom one in my pic) but not any wider. I think they get lost on my bigger egg, but how much? Do I scrap my idea completely or re-work it to use her smaller eggs? Or is it fine? 

I'm still not completely sure if I'm going to do this now and get ahead of the game, or wait until next spring and pray I remember what it is I wanted to do. Hmmm...

Completed!

Last Monday I posted that I would enter the challenge over at Amy's Creative Side and complete my sister's birthday gift. I'm happy to say that I did it! Her birthday was last Tuesday, and I had most of the doll completed by then, but wanted to add all of the little extras. I hope she really enjoys her.

This was really a project for my sister that was also inspired by her. She really liked this:

   

..Which got me to thinking what that might look like. I think I'm a little too far removed from high school to have any idea what goth kids dress like anymore, but I think I did a pretty decent job. I hope! I'll either be getting an elated phone call or a very confused one. 

Panda and pleated skirt patterns are Dolls and Daydreams (who is having a giveaway right now!). Boots and bag are my own. :)

Challenging again

It has been a long time since I have entered one of Amy's challenges, but I happened to see it this morning as I am desperately trying to finish a birthday gift for my sister. I want to finish it on time, but maybe the chance at some thread and fabric goodies will make me finish it on time.

So, hopefully you can come back next week and see what this is!

And possibly, if I am seriously lucky I can finish this little cutie up now that her face is done and off of the hoop! Big goals for me! What will you be up to this week?

Vote for your favorite!

There is a little sewing competition going on in blogland hosted by Family Ever After. It's called Sew-vivor and it's really exciting and different. You enter by submitting any one thing you've sewn, from there, judges narrow the entries down to ten finalists who then create one new project per week for four weeks. The twist being that, just like Survivor, one or more finalist is voted out per week by the judges.

It sounds fun, right? And bonus for those of us with little sewing time on our hands, the last four weekly projects are listed on the blog right now so you can make them ahead and be all prepared if you progress to the finals!

The Family Ever After Blog suggests that you enter a project that showcases your talent, creativity and personality. I spent a lot of time on the blog looking over some of my past projects and narrowed it down to ten that I think are eye-catching while showing off at least some of the suggested criteria, but I can't decide which one is best to enter.

So, please do me a favor and tell me your favorite in the comments! And if your favorite wasn't one of mine, feel free to tell me that too!

1. Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt 2. Bohemian Diaper Bag 3. Third Birthday Dress 4. Tuxedo Style Purse 5. Batik Log Cabin Stars Throw 6. Bunny 7. Lollipop Quilt 8. Cupcake Puppy 9. Owl Bag 10. Elvis Costume size 12 months

Dandelion

Well, I didn't finish five bunnies like I wanted to, but I did finish one for each of my nieces before the holiday. The pattern is so simple and adorable! I just have not been feeling well. Ugh...



My son named this one Dandelion. I told my niece she could give her a new name if she wanted, but I hope she keeps it. It's so cute and creative, and really perfect for the yellow print ears and cheeks on this girl. Very impressive since he hasn't seen a dandelion since he was two. How does he even remember what they are?



I've been doing these bunnies from upholstery fabric samples and cotton prints from my stash. I played around with appliqueing plush fabric for the tail again. I love the effect, but it really is tricky given that you aren't supposed to iron that stuff.

Oh, and did you notice that the felt sandwiched between the cottons totally works for getting the ears to stand up? Hooray! The pattern designer told me it would on her Facebook page, but I was still so relieved when it worked out that way.

She's finished!

Yesterday was the perfect day. The weather was gorgeous and it wasn't supposed to be. We were really unprepared. I decided I had better haul a quilt (this one was a gift from my mother-in-law) outside and take photos of my finished bunny while I had the light.



Isn't she so super cute? I love her.



This one is for my youngest niece, who is just at that age where she would pull a tail off of a bunny if I hand sewed one on. The pattern I bought had directions for appliqueing a felt tail to the back, but I didn't have any that wouldn't pill like crazy and I wanted this toy to last. So I tried my hand at applique with minky. I just happened to have two or three large scraps of a perfectly matched purple in my stash. I think it worked out well.



I am disappointed in the ears though. I didn't consider for a moment that the comparably stiff felt the pattern called for would be what held the ears up. I thought that it was somehow in the folding of the fabric. I really should have known better. I like the look of the second cotton print, so I'm wondering if maybe I could layer the felt into the ears like batting and get them to stand in the same way they do on the pattern. I will have to try it with the next bunny I have planned.

Looking good

I bought a new pattern yesterday. Because I didn't have enough things to work on? This is the start of my first attempt at it. It's turning out very cute! I hope to have five of them done in the next little while.

Just in the nick of time...

Does this look familiar? It should. This is my entry for the Moda Bakeshop Monthly Contest for March. I started on it in early February, and should have had plenty of time to finish it before today, but there was that trip out of state and me getting sick...



The contest for March was to recreate a tutorial from the Bakeshop blog with Charm Packs (5" squares). I chose the Lolipop Quilt
but instead of making the applique lolipops, I chose to follow the original intent of the tutorial and enlarge the floral motifs from the Fresh Flowers line. The idea struck, and once I saw the little swirls in the centers of flowers that echoed the embroidered swirls in the Lolipop Quilt, I knew that I had to do it!



Originally, I tried sketching my floral designs on graph paper to make sure all of my flower petals were perfectly proportioned. It only took a couple sketches for me to realize two things. Number one, I was sketching in a 5" X 10" field and leaving myself no room for seam allowances, and two, the perfect graph paper petals took away from the hand-drawn quality that I loved so much about the fabric design. (By the way, it turns out that the reason the flowers had a hand drawn quality is that the designer, Deb Strain, actually hand paints her fabric samples! Amazing!)



And finally, just a little close up collage of my interpretations. Check out all of the contest entries (and get an idea of the scope of projects at the Bakeshop) in the Flikr group here.

Oooohhh

I so wish I could show you the rest of this. I mean, I could, but I really, really want it to be a surprise. So I will wait for the big reveal, but I was too excited about it to not show you a little something.

Puppy Love

She looks so cute and sad, doesn't she?



In the event that the purple polka dots weren't enough to jog your memories this is the Valentine's gift (with cupcake applique) that I posted a preview pic of last week.

I have used this pattern a few times before, so you may recognize it. I first made one as a baby gift for my nephew, then his big sister got jealous and had to have her own. Now their baby sister needs one too.

I thought the puppy initially made the perfect baby gift because my sister had decided on a puppy themed shower. I made decorations and cookies in the shape of dog bones and had to order custom birthday invitations with all of the wording changed to fit a baby shower because nothing was available.

Of course, today I got this e-mail advertising all new puppy themed baby shower decor and favors. Thanks! Too late!

Seriously though, I love Simply Baby Stuff. We ordered the Who Smells the Stinky Doo? game for my oldest niece's baby shower five years ago and it was hilarious to watch people sniffing their cards. They really are a fun site, and would have saved me so much work if they had only come up with the puppy idea sooner!

Sweet giveaway

This is just a tiny little peek at a Valentine's gift I've been asked to make. I am loving how it is turning out! And look at that cute loopy stitch my new machine can do. Too bad I still had to do the French knots by hand.

Speaking of gifts, if you'd like to enter to win your own $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop, Suzannah at Adventures in Dressmaking is holding a giveaway right now! Who can resist the chance at free fabric?

Finally!

I can't really talk much about this one. I got sick, then I got worse before I got better. And in the meantime I found out a lot of things I didn't like that were going on with the charity it was for. I let a whole lot of personal feelings get in the way of something that shouldn't have been personal. Now it is finished and chalked up to a big, huge learning experience...finally!

Quilted silhouettes tutorial

Here it finally is, the Mother's Day (or any day) gift tutorial. You know you want to make one for your mom or yourself!

You'll need a...

5X7 profile head shot of your child
1/2 yard of two color print
1/4 yard of coordinating dark solid
scrap of coordinating light solid (approx. 8X10)
scrap piece of quilt batting (approx 12X14)
coordinating thread
fusible web (such as Pellon Wonder Under or Heat n Bond Lite)
6 ft of 1 1/2" ribbon
optional lightweight fusible interfacing

Ready to get started?



Cut your child out of the photo.



Clean up any stray hairs, cut details (like long hair) and remove most of the chest and shoulder area. It may help to do an image search for silhouettes to get an idea of how you'd like to shape yours.

Before we move on we're going to need a template for an oval. If you don't already have one you can make one really easily in Microsoft Word. Just open it up and insert an oval auto-shape. Enlarge it until it is almost the size of the page (check print preview if needed) and print.



Make sure your silhouette template fits inside your oval. If not, go back and enlarge it until you have something like the photo above.



Lay your cut out photo on top of the paper side of your fusible web the opposite way you want it facing in the final product and trace around it. Cut the fusible web, making sure to leave a border around your traced line. Using the directions on your package iron the fusible web to the back side of your dark fabric. Once it has cooled cut out along your pencil lines.

Repeat the process with your oval template on your light fabric. I added an extra layer of regular fusible interfacing on this step, trying to stop the backing fabric from showing through, but it still did. I'm not sure it made much difference, so I'm putting it as optional. If you do decide to use the fusible interfacing make sure you iron it on BEFORE ironing on the fusible web.



Now cut a 10 inch by 12 inch piece from your two color background print. Peel off the paper backing and center your oval on this piece (approximately 1 3/4 inches from the top and bottom and 2 inches from each side, depending on the size of your oval). Adhere the oval following the directions on the package. Peel the paper backing off of your silhouette and iron it in place inside the oval.




Using coordinating thread zig zag stitch around the oval and straight stitch around the silhouette. (This can get tedious, if you'd prefer not to sew in such detail there is fusible webbing available that doesn't need to be sewn in place.)

Cut another piece from your background fabric 12 by 14 inches. Layer this under your top piece with your quilt batting in between, pin in place. Quilt by stitching around the outside edge of the oval, then trim down to the size of the top.



Cut your ribbon into 36 inch pieces. Pin in place 1 1/2 inches from each edge along the top. Fold up the remaining ribbon and pin it to make sure it stays out of your seams when you bind the wall hanging. Stitch along the top, near the edge to help keep the ribbon straight.



Now take the remainder of your dark fabric and cut 2 inch strips that total approximately 50 inches in length. Lay your strips perpendicular to each other and sew from the top right corner to the bottom left to piece your strips together.



When you fold it over it makes a pretty little bias seam like this. Continue piecing together your strips in this manner.



When you are finished, trim the excess and press the seams open to reduce bulk.



Now press your completed binding strip in half lengthwise keeping your seams on the inside. Press the bottom half only toward the center crease in your strip. Once you are finished fold 1/2 inch on the left end. This will become the casing for the raw end of your binding strip.



Line up the raw edge of your binding strip with the raw edge of your wall hanging starting at least two inches from any one side. Start sewing about two inches from the folded end using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.



Stop sewing 1/2 inch from the corner and fold the binding strip so that the raw edges are flush along the next side. Sew to 1/2 inch from the next corner. Repeat the technique until about two inches from your folded edge.



Stop here and place the raw end of your binding strip inside the other piece. Now continue sewing until you meet your starting point. Flip to the back side and hand stitch in place.

Take the pins out of your ribbon and tie a bow. Cut the ends in a V shape and you're all set to hang on the wall!



Gorgeous!