Wherein I spoil the surprise

I don’t think I’m that bad about keeping secrets, but I am a terrible gift giver because I always want to ensure that the person will like it… which usually means that I ask them first.

But this is for my niece, and since she can’t read, I can spoil the surprise for her mom can’t I?

I finished Miss Ragdoll up yesterday, and I’m pretty happy with how she turned out. Although I had to put that movie Coraline out of my mind, particularly as I sewed on her button eyes (creeeeepy!). I used a pattern from Amy Karol’s (aka Angry Chicken) shop. My niece is just a little peanut, so I suppose this isn’t the most age appropriate gift, but hopefully she will enjoy chewing on her hair (it’s wool felt, so it’s nice and thick) as long as she doesn’t manage to get the buttons off. The dutchkid is insanely jealous, so I’ll probably make her one too at some point. Maybe with multi-colored hair? Ooooh, the possibilities…

Christmas, Christmas

time for cheer. Time for lots of sewing near.

I’ve always wanted to do a Christmas countdown calendar for the dutchkid. We were traveling last year, so I never got the chance to make one. When I mentioned it to my mom, she said that I was welcome to take the one she still had from when I was a kid.  So I decided to revamp it a little bit, it originally had all red stockings, but I’ve added in some others.  I think it’s fun to have one that has a little history to it.

I’m not going to put lots of fancy things in it, really…. a chapstick, some candy, other little trinkets, but I hope she’ll have fun building up the anticipation for the big day.   I can’t believe thanksgiving is next week, although I’m looking forward to getting out the lights!

Happy Happy…

…Halloween to you!

We hope you have lots of fun trick or treating and eat candy until you can’t eat any more!

The newest bag

What? you’re beginning to sense an obsession with bags? You can just never have too many.

I think I just might be the last sewist (seamstress? I never know what to call myself) on the planet to finally get my hands on Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. Mostly because I’m cheap, and I wanted to check it out from my library first before I purchased it. Let’s just say the hold line was a bit long. It was very worth the wait. So many projects I would love to do, and the book is going on my Christmas list.

I did manage to tackle one project while I had the book checked out, the Everything Bag. It’s funny because Liz just wrote about hers, too. I am super happy with mine. I needed a new book bag to lug all my heavy textbooks to class. I know, I just made myself a music bag but it isn’t big enough for everything. I do use that one for lessons. This bag is nice and roomy for all those atrocious theory textbooks and the straps are comfortable. The only thing about it is that I think I didn’t gather it enough in the center, (go look at Liz’s and you’ll see what I mean) but I can live with that! Quick and easy.

I think it’s a nice addition to my collection, if I do say so myself.

Taking shape

I still have to do the zipper.

I’m afraid to even start.

Hoping it will meet the “princess” as well as the “pink and purple” requirements

I think it’s going to be much better than last year’s, only now it may have to be hidden under a winter coat.

Bah humbug to that.

Did you know

that the recommended method for learning intervals by ear (hearing and identifying the distance between two given notes) is to choose a familiar song that has said interval? For example, the ominous Jaws theme? A minor second. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? A perfect fifth. Honestly, I was expecting to learn a well-guarded secret to this in college-level theory. My choir director taught me that method in high school for sight-singing, I guess I should have paid more attention back then. Go Mr. Rozema.

The week is half gone already, it’s mostly been a blur of dental work, class and rejoicing that fall is here. The pattern pieces for the dutchkid’s Halloween costume are laid out all over my kitchen table because dangit, I’m starting early this year. Which reminds me that I wanted to put my last project up here, I finished it just before school started.

I saw this cute music tote project journal on The Purl Bee awhile back and it had my name all over it. It turned out fairly well, although it was quite a pain to sew together. Not the fault of the tutorial, really, just that I think I needed a walking foot, which I don’t have. The sides and bottom are reinforced with peltex fusible stabilizer, and it is thick heavy stuff. My very basic machine did not want to feed it through. The benefit of the peltex is that your music doesn’t get crushed, which is very helpful. And it has some handy pockets

So it’s nice now that it’s done, but it earned a few choice words from me while being made. Let’s hope the Halloween costume goes together a bit better, only it involves a zipper (cue the Jaws theme – minor second! minor second!). What was I thinking?

Giving handmade

My sewing machine and all the rest are finally unpacked. It felt good to sit down and sew something up. I haven’t put anything crafty up here in a while, so I took the risk of ruining the surprise (the things on the right are yours, if you’re reading this Beth!). I had been meaning to send a few baby gifts, this summer has been the summer of babies. I know of at least 6 that have been born in the past few months. I’ve been making these burp cloths for just about everybody, bibs are a recent addition.

Sometimes I wonder what people think when they receive something like that… while I love handmade, and the handmade “movement” is definitely growing, (hello Etsy!) I know that not everyone shares that sentiment. Besides, I’ve received a hideous thing or two from a Grandma and had to smile about it. Fabric tastes vary, so I wonder if I’m forcing my love of psychedelic owls on people?

I guess it all comes full circle. I may have cringed at some gifts as a teenager, but now I would give my eye teeth to be able to knit or quilt like that. I treasure the handmade things I have, we are blessed with many quilts and more afghans than you can shake a stick at. I don’t have any illusions that my burp cloths will become family heirlooms, but I do hope they’re cute and practical. And doesn’t everyone need a psychedelic owl or two?

Sewing & Odds and Ends

Last September, I made a little smock for the dutchkid. You may remember it, it looked like this:

At the time, my mom said that she remembered making me an outfit like that when I was a little girl. When I was home, look what she found!

I’ll be darned if it doesn’t look exactly the same. And don’t I wish patterns were still $1. I can’t wait to give it a try, that rick rack is calling my name.

I remembered too, that I had forgotten to show you what the little dress for my niece looked like all finished, although I’m sorry to say I forgot to take a picture of the diaper cover that went with it.

Anticlimactic, really. It’s McCall 5083, and honestly I was less than thrilled with it. The dress itself was fairly simple, I think really I was wishing I had chosen something a bit “fancier”. The diaper cover that went with it I didn’t think was sized all that well (it seemed very small as compared to the dress). My niece is adorable, though, so she will make it look beautiful.

I’ve decided I’m really going to miss that spot on my porch after we move. Where will I hang up stuff I’ve made and photograph it? Have a great rest of your Saturday, I’m off to celebrate my 11th (yes, I got married when I was 12) anniversary out on the town. Just checking to see if you read this far

Just a little peek

At my niece’s present

My brother and sister-in-law read the blog from time to time, so that’s all you get for now! I was going to make it yellow, but decided against it. I have a thing for white eyelet. It’s just so innocent, and I think it’s perfect for a baby girl. Hopefully it will fit her before the end of summer, it seems big. I will get to deliver it in person when I fly home next week. Welcome to the world, little one!

Just one more thing…

I have been debating with myself whether or not to post this all week.  It just seemed sort of braggy.  It’s about that sewing project I mentioned that I had finished up last weekend.

Well, it was something sort of special and not just the ordinary stuff I make for the dutchkid. I read the blog My Charming Kids, written by a very popular mommyblogger. Her youngest child has been hospitalized with a very dangerous heart rhythm for almost two weeks now. I am not normally even a commenter at her blog, it’s just big for me… often when a blog has a zillion readers I don’t feel the need to add my thoughts. I’m content to be an observer.

When Stellan, her son, was very unstable, I found myself drawn to his “name gallery” where people have sent in pictures of themselves with Stellan’s name written in some way. They are from all over the world.  It’s pretty incredible. 

So that’s what my sewing project was…

I decided to write this, not to blow my own horn, but because Stellan is still in the hospital.  He’s a lot more stable, but he could use all the prayers and positive thoughts he can get.   I know it’s made me even more thankful that my little dutchkid is a happy healthy girl. 

And now I’m going to to go finish packing.