Turkey!

Anyone want some more turkey?!

Here's what I made for Em to wear to Thanksgiving dinner!



Turkey shirt!



How flippin cute?!  

I was inspired by this lil cutie to try out this tutorial from The Cottage Home.  It was so super fun to make this.  It really put me in the Holiday spirit.  :)

Heehee!!

I decided against stitching a little face onto him - I was so in love with the result at this stage that I didn't want to fuss it up.  

I also pinked the feather pieces instead of just straight cutting them... I think it looks more... feathery, no?

  

For the body I fused two layers of felt together.  I only had the cheap stuff on hand, so one layer was pretty see-through, and not so cute.  To fuse the felt, I used this magical stuff called Steam-A-Seam - amazing!  I've had it forever but never used it.  [Side note: when I start a new hobby or craft, I tend to gather everything I will ever need for that particular craft, before I can actually start making/doing stuff.  True story.]

Now, the fabric for the feathers?  I did not have that on hand.  I didn't have any fallish quilty (I'm making up words) type colors or patterns, so I had to go into the local quilt shop.  I had never been there - I usually just go to Jo-Ann's; more apparel fabric and more people of my own ilk - garment sewers (if that's what you could call me ;).  The people in the quilting shop looked at me like a wounded lamb in a wolves den.  Eeesh.  So I grabbed a little stack-o-eighth-yard-cuts, and I ran out of there.  Like, literally.  :)  

Nothing against you quilters out there.  Yall just scare me to bits.

Inside out.

I used a lightweight fusible interfacing on the inside to make sure the stitches wouldn't pop and to make sure it was stable.  Looks damn good, eh?? 

I know, it's barley visible, but it's the only shot I got!

Loved this project!  I did it in just one evening after Loubs went to sleep.  I see many more of these in her future!  Maybe birds?  An elephant?  Fun!

 

Fancy Schmancy!

Oooh...

Whipped up these pretty ladies after being insanely inspired by Aunt Peaches version.  Hers are SO gorgeous!  I think I'll make more and jazz them up with greenery and berries and whatnot for Christmas.  I didn't get any action shots of them on the Thanksgiving table, but trust, they were so pretty!!

The best part about these?  SO cheap to make!  I got the round glasses at the Dollar Tree for... a dollar, and had the gold leaf on hand.  I think it was less than $10 for the leaf and the sealant when I bought them.  Sweet!  I'm totally going make silver ones too. 

Lit by TV glow :)  So romantic...

     

Love to all!

Gobble!

How was everyones Thanksgiving?!  

Ours was THIS fun:

Emmy had her first Thanksgiving meal!  SO cute!  No pictures of her eating, of course...  Too busy oohing and ahhing over her cuteness.

It was a wonderful day with family and food and merriment.  I can't wait 'til Christmas!  Maybe I'll actually get pictures of Emmy at the actual event :)

But, did you notice?

 

Teeth!  Two of 'em!  

Love to all!

More later...

We're Friends!

Me and the Singer, that is!

Ahh, how GOOD it feels to be sewing again!  After all the hemming (pun intended) and hawing, I LOVE this machine.  We have officially made nice.  For proof, see Prudent Baby Baby Pants, V2.0, below:

[disclaimer: my photography at the moment, is sh*tty, at best]



Scrumptious Limited stretch-corduroy pants that used to be mine.




Little tag!  Ah!




This pic is a note-to-self to save up for a new flippen camera!



For these pants I used an older pair of Limited cords I got pre-baby.  Funny thing is - they fit like Mom Jeans then, and fit better after I had the Loubeedoo.  Nonetheless, they still fit funny, and I wasn't ever going to wear them.  Perfect candidate for Lou Pants!

Love them!  And they fit her!  And she wore them all day today!

  

Dragons and Hearts and Freezer Paper, Oh My!

So me and my mother Emmylou may or may not have opened one of her Christmas presents a touch early.

But she's thisclose to walking!  She needed it! ;)

How stinkin' cute?!  She loves it and I also love it.  It's soo close to the ground and it morphs to adjust to her standing/walking needs.  And of course, she adores the music.  Atta girl.  :)

And upon closer inspection, perhaps you'll notice her sillycute shirt?

 

Made it!  

Well, not the shirt itself... I bought that, gimme a break.  But the heart garnish there?  All me!  I used a combination of fantastic posts and tutes on the subject of Freezer Paper Stenciling, like this one, this one, this one and this one.  Those Gals are clearly more skilled in the way of the stencil than I - this was sort of just a trial run.  A trial run that turned out faaaar less heinous than WonkCandles.

So cute, yes?!  It was really easy too, almost makes you regret every buying anything screen-printed!  But then you remember you can't draw worth boo, and the regret goes away.

I'm going to have to track down some Copyright-free images to try something more intricate.  Also, I love love love this silhouette idea for maybe a pillow or a tank for me!  Presh!

Action shots:

Cute!

Premature removal of one of the stencils...

 

So much fun.  I'll definitely be adding this technique to my arsenal o' cute.

Cheers!  

Presents, Patterns & Teeth.

So may milestones this week!  

Happy 25th, Kelly!

[insert picture of hot pink slippers and fierce skinny jeans here]

Happy 30th Jonas!

New Used Ashland Banjo (!)

[insert also Lap Steel Guitar, and Trampled By Turtles concert]

And happy Teeth Popping Through to EMMYLOU!!

[insert cranky baby noise here]

What a week it was!  

Especially for Ms. Lou, who, as of last week couldn't yet sit herself up.  She's now standing on her own, falling often without too many tears, and looking at her feet wondering why they aren't doing her bidding.  And her bottom two teeth popped in!  I'm sooo happy for her - she has been in misery the last week or so. Yay Emmy! 

And yay me for scoring this bananas cute pattern off eBay!

Vintage McCalls 6944

Gah!!!  It's a size 2, so I'm hoping it'll be perfect for next summer.  I'm thinking she ought to trade in that basket of apples for a pail of Rhode Island Clams for steaming in Charlestown!

Source

Ahhh... summer.  Already miss it.  :)

Off to make nice with my new sewing machine and Jonas's new steel guitar.

;) 

   

Wherein I Whine.

So since the untimely death of my Brother and subsequent replacement, I've had the task of getting acquainted with my new friend, a Singer.   Please, to meet her:

We're both sort of giving eachother the stink-eye for whatever reason (what hers is, I couldn't gander a guess), but in honesty - she feels a bit sturdier than my Brother did.  I'm sure we'll be fine.  

The one thing I don't think I'll get used to or ever come to like, is the Crouching Shuttle Hidden Bobbin.  wtf.  Going from a drop-in bobbin to this?  I don't recommend it.  How am I supposed to know when I'm low on bobbin thread?  It just seems like the only way you'll ever find out that your out of bobbin thread will be in a frustrating and time-consuming way. 

That said, I feel good about the amount of metal parts to this machine.  I think only the outer bits are plastic.  There's a sense of security in that, for sure.  And I suppose the fact that it doesn't have a puppy on the front could suggest that I'm moving up in the trade.

Gosh, I'll miss that pup though.  :)

And on a related note, I am definitely in the market for new camera, as mine is still on deaths door.  Still a black screen when I turn it on and aim.  It's like 5 years old anyway, and has seen the World (6 States) so I don't feel too bad about retiring her, rather than getting her fixed.  I'm thinking I'll save my pennies up for this Bad Larry:

I die.

It's like my old 35mm, but digital - no film! (and not in pieces on the cobblestones of Italy!) 

I am going to wait and research a bit more about these hybrid-type cameras.  I'm not really sold one way or the other on cameras.  Some people swear by manual - some by digital.  I want the performance and photographic quality of a manual with the convenience of a digital.  Obvi, I need something that can easily go from camera to computer - so a film camera is pretty much out-the question.  

Is this the one?  I know at least a few of you are into photography, so any suggestions would be super!

Oh, hai!  I stand!

Oh boy, are we in trouble now.

Emmylou stood up today!  And Didn't. Stop. All. Day.

Within the span of three days, she has mastered sitting herself up, kneeling up unassisted, and now STANDING!  With like, very little support!  Ahhh!  

And, oh my god, does she LOVE it.  She is so proud of herself!  She looks around to make sure all in attendance are taking note of her brilliance.  And, yeah, we are.  :)

When I put her down for bed tonight, she immediately stood up and peered over the side of her crib.  Horrifying!  I laid her back down and then crept around in the hall outside her room for a while just to make sure she wasn't going to try any funny business.  At this rate, she's going to have choreographed a Tap routine by like, next weekend.  

Yay, Emmy!  Congratulations!    

NooooOOOOoooooOOo!

I was going to call this post 'My Brother has Died', but that's clearly in poor taste, even for me.

My BROTHER XR7700 has died!!!

By absolutely no fault of my own...

...

...

...the feed dogs just stopped feeding!  Disaster!

I was making another pair of tights.  I wasn't 100% happy with the pair I made for little Sophia last week, because I cut them on the wrong grain.  Rookie mistake - I'm really getting used to making them!  I thought the fabric was equally stretchy all the way around, but it wasn't, and so I ended up making a pair of Chinese Finger Trap Tights.   Not what I imagine Rae had in mind whence drafting said Tights.

Anyway, in my hurried state on the morning of the party, I
a) didn't switch to a stretch needle,
b) was using stitches/feet I'm uber-unfamiliar with, and
c) was way over-confident due to how specfabulous the first pair turned out.

That there above is a recipe for disaster.  And I sure cooked up a good batch!
She's going back to the store Friday to hopefully be exchanged - she's still under warranty, thank heavens.

So, now I've got nothing to do but clean the house and take new pics of Miss Lou.  Both overdue anyhow.

Love to all!  

 

Finished Object Satisfaction!

Baby (and her Mama) loved her new corduroy Charlotte Dress!

YaaaAAAaay!!!



I didn't ask baby for Publication Rights, hence her non-face here.  She's adorable, trust.



SO HAPPY!  

She got sooo so many clothes at her party, and she chose to put this on right away!  I could not be more proud.  It fits perfectly, and she looks bananas cute.

Again, this pattern is silly easy!  It goes up to a size 5T, so there will be several more of these in Loulou's future.

Yaaaay, me!

Err... Happy Birthday Sophia!

 

Finished Object(s)!

G'mornin'!

 

Little Miss wasn't feeling her best last night :(, so she went to bed really early.  She's much better this morning!  Yay!

But, since she went to bed so early, I got a boat-load of sewing done!  Hoorah!!

We're going to a one year olds birthday party on Sunday, and initially I was going to gift her one of the things I've made for Emmy that's too big, but I decided last minute to whip her up something of her very own!  Sweet, yes?

So, I made her a version of the Charlotte Dress from Mama Stellato.  I've already made one of these for Emmylou, so I knew the pattern was super easy and fast!  And cute!

I just shortened the length by quite a bit, at least 4 inches I would guess.  And I didn't add the adorable sash.  I didn't add it on Emmys either, so I totes need to make this again - as a dress, with the sash.  Ya know, like the actual pattern.  :)

Half Painted Wall - Don't judge me.

This print elates me :)

Little Corduroy Faces!

I even added a little tag!

How cute, right?!  I LOVE that pattern so much.  It whips up in like 45 minutes, and it's perfect for showing off precious fabrics that I can't seem to stop collecting.

And now as if that weren't exciting enough, I also made LEGGINGS!!!

!!!!!

Gah!!  I finally put on my Big Girl Pants and sewed something that required a serious upping of my skills.  I have been wanting, needing to make these silly cute Baby Pants from Made By Rae for SOOO long, but I was terrified of a) sewing with knits, b) using a stitch other than straight, and c) buying the right foot for my machine.

But, I have this stitch on my machine called 'overcast', and a corresponding 'overcast foot'.  Apparently these two things have been in my possession for a while, as they came with the sewing machine.  Are you picking up my sarcasm here?

I'm a dim-wit!  I could've been bumping these babies out for months now!  And it was soooo easy to do!!!  Look how lovely this overcast business is:

Gah!

And the stitch stretches just as much as the fabric itself.  Who knew?!  Oh right, everyone.  :)
Now, along with WonkCandles, you will all be getting leggings for Christmas.  That means you, Bobby.

Me and the Missus are going over to the Good Will this afternoon to score some cheap-o sweaters!  I'm super excited to try out some of Kathleens awesome refashions!  Check'm out!






 Have a great weekend everyone!