Hangin' It Up, Babs is tired!

Of course I'm not "hanging it up."  I'm just going to give BABs a rest.  She's going in for a tune up.  It's been over a year since I've taken my machine in to be cleaned and oiled, etc....  BABs (my grandmother's initials - the one who was my first sewing teacher) needs a good cleaning.  After all the sewing she's done for me this is the least I can do for her.   She'll be in the shop for about a week.  I've got stuff going on that will keep from sewing anyway, so the timing is good.

When I get her back, she'll have to work extra overtime to help me get all of my sundresses, etc... done for the people who are paying me $$$$ for doing what I love to do.

This is my last project on my list that I've been able to get done.   There's only about 3 things left.

These are twirly skirts that I made using this site's directions.  I changed a few minor things, like adding rick rack and not measuring exactly.

This first one is Riley's.  She did like bees.  I don't know if she still does or not, but I saw this cute fabric and thought of her.  I bought the shirt and embellished it with cutouts from the fabric using double sided iron-on adhesive to attach them.  

Jenna's is all hearts and flowers.  She's a real girly girl.  I thought I was through with hers, but the more I looked at it the more I felt the shirt needed something more, so I added the rick rack around the  perimeter of the heart.  

Kellen's is polka dots, swirlies, and flowers.  The flower on her shirt mimics the shape of the flowers in her fabric.  I've been seeing lots of really cute black and white little girls' outfits and wanted Kellen to have one.

Whew! Three more projects marked off!

I've been busy.  This is another wrap from fleece that I made for my mom.  I gave it to her for Mother's Day.  She seemed very happy.  She liked the color and the edging.  I simply used a blind hem stitch on my machine, making sure that the stitch that goes out went off the edge.  I tightened the tension so that it would make a more pronounced shell stitch, or as some call it, a picot stitch.

Again I made the back short since she is always in a wheel chair or bed, and it's hard to put something down behind her back and the chair.
I had a pretty polka dot ribbon that I sewed around the neck and left long enough to tie a bow.
Next I made three baby slings. For some reason this link didn't work.  Go to Maya Baby Slings.  There are different sites.  To see the finished product go to their regular page.  To see how to make them go to the Patterns for Maya Slings.  I have made these for two of my daughters, and they love them.  I knew that I was saving the cardboard from rick rack and binding packs for something.  Now I know that I was saving them to use as spacers for these slings.  The directions say to pleat in 4 - 6 inch pleats.  These cardboard pieces are 5 inches.  So, they are perfect.  When I've made these before the hardest part was getting the pleats even for the whole length of the sling.  I know the pattern directions say that you don't have to make the pleats the whole length, but I find that it makes it easier to fold to wrap for a gift and that the presentation is just better  this way.  I bought these rings at slingrings.com.  I couldn't find them in any store.  They come in different colors and sizes.
Last, but not least I have made doll dresses to "sort of" match the big  girls' sister  Easter dresses.  Since they are doll dresses I didn't put quite the effort into them that I do when I am sewing for a real child.  They have American Girl dolls.  

Now, I'm working on twirly skirts for the three big girls.

A Trunk Full of Puppets

These are two puppets that my puppet team at church needs for an upcoming performance.  The song they sing is called "Have Patience."  It is a really funny, but teaching, song.  The snails have extremely DEEP voices.  The striped one is the Daddy Snail and is a lot larger than the brown one.  It's hard to tell that in these pictures.  The striped one is made from an old turtle neck of mine that I haven't worn in years.  The brown is made from two pair of socks that I also never wear.  Is this refashioning?  I guess it's more reCYCLING.  The eyes are made from ping pong balls cut in half and colored with a permanent marker.

These two puppets were used years ago at my old church  for a skit about Noah.  The whale looks much better in person.  

The cow and pig were also from years ago and for a skit about "The Little Red Hen."  I can't remember the actual hen puppet.  The cow is fake fur and the pig is felt.  They have been in a trunk for years.  I just let them out yesterday.

The dog and cat were also part of "The Little Red Hen."  The dog has lost one eye.  Poor thing.  He is made from an old chenille bedspread, and the cat is felt.  Please don't judge these puppets too critically, as I didn't have patterns for them, just my imagination, the materials at hand and my limited skills and time.  Please keep in mind that these are in no way supposed to be realistic, more cartoony was my goal.

The favorite puppets I ever made were a pair of camels.  They are near life size.  Two people actually stand under the body to make the humps and the front person controls the head.  I made the heads from towels.  I will try to get those for a post soon.  I think they are at my church.  We used one of them for our Christmas play last year.  They were originally made to act out the song, "Humphrey the Camel."  Have you ever heard of that song?  Probably not.  

I've been busy working on my project list.  I got to mark off the baby slings and Mother's new wrap and the snail puppets.  I also got the doll clothes cut out, to be made tomorrow.  I'll post about these soon.

I have been commissioned to make not only the 5 sundresses and bonnets, but also another bonnet and 3 boys outfits of shorts and shirts.  Aaaaccccckkkkk!  Can I get them done?  Of course I can.  Sure I can.  I know I can.  I keep telling myself I can.  I just have to get my project list finished. 

 One of the ladies I'm sewing for told me yesterday that she doesn't need hers until June 5th!  Whew!!!  She is one of the ones who wants 2 sundresses and now outfits for her three grandsons.  She first said she wanted the dresses by May 16th.  That wouldn't have been a problem except when she added the boys outfits to the order --- I almost panicked!  

Little Man's Birthday gifts! And reflections on motherhood!

I'm getting there.   Another thing marked off my list.  These jeans shorts are for Little Man's first birthday!!  How can it be that a whole year has already gone by? I used Butterick 6894.  

Well, I sort of used it.  I made the side pockets the way jeans' pockets are made.  I also made back pockets.  I added belt loops, as well.  I did the double stitched seams except on the side seams.  I did French seams there.  

Notice the two different styles of back pockets.  On the first try, I had them too high, too close to the waist band.  So, I took them off and before I sewed them back on in a lower position I added more decorative stitching.  Since his mom and dad sometimes call him Little Man, I made and L and an M.  The left and bottom lines make the L.  Both sides and the dip in the middle make the M.  I guess this is corny, but I did it anyway.

I also made him another pair of shorts with a shirt to match.  I used the Butterick pattern for these shorts, pretty much by the pattern directions.  Then I made the shirt by the Simplicity 2627 pattern shown here.  I made the boys' view A, the plaid shirt.  

As you see, I only made the front yoke from the plaid.  I top stitched the collar, sleeves under the yoke, and the hem with the stretch triple straight stitch on my machine because I wanted the topstitching to really show up well.  I used this stitch on the jeans shorts, too. 

 As you know, if you've been following my blog, I like finished insides so I finished the seams of the shirt by trimming one side of the seam allowance very close to the stitching and double folding the other side over it and stitching next to the seam.  Does this make sense?  There is a name for this type of seam finish,but I can't think what it's called.  It almost looks like a French seam when it's finished.  I used French seams in the shorts.

On Another Note - Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms and grandmoms out there.

• Remember when your child was first born, and he/she needed you for EVERYTHING?  You felt like you would never get any sleep again, or have any "ME" time again.
• Then he/she hit two years and everything was either "NO!" or "Me Do It!"  This child, all of a sudden, wanted to be INDEPENDENT, but as you knew he/she wasn't.  There were still diapers to change, toys to put away, boo-boos to kiss away, etc....
• Then there were years three and four, which went by WAY TOO FAST!!  Your child could really do some things like dress him/herself, well sort of, and feed him/herself without TOO much mess.  Diapers were no longer needed.  Whew!
• Then five came along and he/she started Kindergarten!  How did that happen?  Now, you were no longer THE smartest grown-up in your child's life.  The TEACHER was!  Ouch!
• Then 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10!  All these years went so fast.  There were t-ball games, dance lessons, soccer, swimming lessons, maybe piano lessons, and church choir practice.  Scouts, gymnastics, HOMEWORK!!! and school projects.  There were school plays to attend, etc................
• OH NO! now your child hit 11, 12, and 13.  Who was this person in your child's body?  Did some extraterrestrial take over?  This child was an exaggerated TERRIBLE TWO!  He/she thought that he/she was all grown-up and could or should be allowed to DO EVERYTHING because EVERYBODY ELSES' moms and dads let them!!  "EVERYONE" had a cell phone, an ipod, a computer, a flat screen tv in their room, etc.................  He/she had to have the WHATEVER label clothing was IN at the moment. According to him/her your main purpose in life must have been to embarrass him/her!!  You did it well!  But, when it came to stuff like homework, or hurt feelings, etc... mom was still needed.  (I know these things because I taught 11 and 12 year old for nearly 20 years!  Even though my girls went through some of this stuff, they weren't nearly as bad as most. I was a pro at embarrassing them, however!)
• HIGH SCHOOL - seriously, you weren't old enough to have a kid in high school!   Talk about homework!!   It was endless.  There were boyfriends and girlfriends.  Of course, those have been in his/her life since at least kindergarten, but now it was different.  Girls wanted to go out with boys who can DRIVE!!  Boys were not ready for the girls who were lurking around every corner.  
• 16! Driver's Licenses, real dating,  part time jobs, and looking at colleges!!
• Then came senior year!!  Where had the time gone?  Where was your little baby boy/girl?  Yet, weren't you proud that he/she turned out so well, despite YOU?  
• Off to college.  If you were lucky he/she went somewhere close to home.  Most of the calls home were to tell you how much books and supplies cost, that the food card is out of money, that there is a formal event that calls for a new gown or tux.  Then there are the calls about speeding tickets, car accidents, etc....  Then there is the announcement that he/she had met the ONE that was meant for them and that wedding plans needed to be made.
• After college: marriage, first homes, grand babies.  Life came back around in a circle.  Did you ever get any "ME" time again?  What's "ME" time?

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig!

We've been on a trip out west.  We flew out on Saturday and came back today.  It wasn't a long trip, but it was a great trip!  We went to visit our daughter, son-in-law, and grand daughter, Emory.

Wide-eyed at the zoo!

Riding her "sicle"

Eating one of the few real treats she's allowed to eat because of her allergies.  Special ice cream that her mommy makes.  It was really good.

Playing on the steps at the penguin exhibit was more fun than watching the penguins!

On the go, as usual, in her new dress.  Look here to see her in her Easter dress.

Our older grands call us Granmomma and Grandaddy.  That's what I wanted to be called.  My DH didn't really care.  We hadn't seen Emory since Christmas.  She's only 20 months old so she doesn't, or I should say didn't, really know us.  It didn't take her long to start calling me Momma (she calls my DD, Mommy most of the time).  She started calling my DH, Daddy, but with a slightly different inflection than she uses when she calls her dad, Daddy.  This really made my heart feel good!!

Tomorrow, May 7th, is my 57th birthday!  What a completely RANDOM age to be!!  May is a huge birthday month in my family.  I was born on my grandaddy's birthday.  Other May birthday's in our family are my: grand daughter's, grandson's, sister's, mother's, father's, son-in-law's, and sister-in-law's.  One of our DD's missed it by a day, June 1st.  I was glad because she was born 2 days after my first year teaching at the school I taught in for 30 years.  I got to miss inservice that year!!

Blogger Buddy Award!!

Jazzy Jems just honored me with this award. I love the blogger buddy idea. Jazzy Jems and I have been checking out each others' blogs. She is one talented mom. She has all kinds of creative ideas. One of my favorites is the nursing blanket that affords privacy to a mom when her baby needs to nurse in a public place. Check out her blog if you haven't already. She's part of the ArtFire Cafemom group.

Now, to pass this award on, I am going to choose some folks who I really feel like I have formed a bond with through this blog.

• Cindy who is being very encouraging to me as I set out on a venture to teach sewing and try to sew for $$$. She's been very successful herself and is a real inspiration.
  
• Gwen who always has such nice things to say about my children's clothing. She makes incredible garments, or should I say works of wearable art, herself!!
  
• Faye who lives in Georgia, about 2 hours south of Atlanta. I live about 2 1/2 hours north of Atlanta. We are going to try to meet each other sometime.
• Angelia whose sewing blog was the first I ever read and who inspired me to start my own. We are also both native Tennesseans.
• Rachel who also is so encouraging with her comments. I love to see that I have a comment from her, because I always know it will make me feel good.
• My friend at Window Dressing who is another very encouraging person. Do you know that she knows how to make tatting?! I am so envious!
• Sharon who makes incredible little girl dresses. I love to see what she's made.
• Mary who makes all kinds of stuff. She's even upholstering boat seats. I feel for her because her daughter is getting ready to move FAR away and I know how that feels. At least mine aren't out of the country.
• Meg who is inspirational when it comes to refashioning clothing from pillowcases, etc... She is also living far from home. I identify with her mom.
• Knit Machine Queen has been a real inspiration to me. She has gone on with her life and her sewing right through her illness almost as if it were nothing more than a bad cold or something.
  

There are many others out there who deserve this award so pass it on. "Pay it Forward" as the movie taught us.

1. Be sure to copy the blogger buddy award logo and put it on your blog.
   
2. Then link to several or more of your blogger buddies and post their info on your post.
   
3. Then, visit their sites and let them know that they have been awarded.

Kellen, close your eyes!

This is what I've made for our almost 9 year old grand daughter. The new background is in Kellen's honor.  She loves horses!  I used Simplicity pattern 5540.  She can wear it simply as a dress if she buttons it all the way down.  Or, if she wants to wear it with the shorts or capris she can leave it unbuttoned from the waist down. I have another top that coordinates cut out, but not made, yet.

I first bought this polka dot fabric. I love the different colors and sizes of the randomly spaced polka dots.  Then I found the flower print, and when I got home I saw that it had the same colors.  So, then I found the plaid print, yes, it is a printed plaid.  Of course, it isn't printed on grain so I had some problems.  And, yes, of course, I decided to use it as the straight edge trim. How smart was that when it is a printed-off-grain plaid.  I worked it and worked it until I got it as straight as possible. 

 One thing those of you really observant folks will notice is that the buttons are on the wrong side for a girl's garment.  I did that because the plaid trim on right side was so much straighter than it was on the button hole side.  I don't think that will matter very much, and most likely won't be noticed by most people.  

I used different colored buttons, as you can see.  I thought that made it more playful.  I'm going to change out those purple buttons on the straps, though.  I think yellow would look better.  The purple ones are too dark.  

The only variances from the pattern are the shoulder straps were supposed to be sewn into the front bodice, but I wanted to be able to adjust them if need be.  I also added the rick rack around the waist and hem line.  I love rick rack!



By the way, I got another order for one of the sundress and bonnet outfits.  The grandmother who had me make the coordinating outfits for that I posted about a couple of posts ago, wants one for her grand daughter.  She also wants a bonnet to match the dress I made already.  I know I said that I don't want to make a bunch of the same thing over and over, but since the fabrics will be different in each one, maybe this won't be so bad.  That will be 6 in all, though.  I'm not showing it to anyone else. LOL!