Since moving, I have only found time to sew ONE apron, for my adorable 7 yr old niece. It's not that I don't WANT to sew. Quite the contrary. I'm DYING to sew in my HUGE sewing room, I just haven't found a moment since moving, unpacking and of course, taking care of 3 kids. One good thing is that the twins have plenty of room to roll around in the "woman cave" but the downside would be that once they are totally mobile, I'll have to get creative with blocking the stairs off once we are up there. I haven't tried putting the baby gate up there yet to know whether it will fit at the top of the stairs.
Hmm, maybe I should check that out after we watch Parenthood???
I'm itching to start sewing before Shayna and Joseph graduate from college.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Fun, fast, and easy
I'm always looking for something new and easy to try. My oldest daughter has taken a liking to play doh in recent months and i couldn't be more thrilled. I loved play doh as a kid and look forward to hours upon hours of fun with her. Of course, playdoh toys have come a long way since I was a kid. We used to have the barber shop, and that was about as high tech as we got for the 80's. NOW they have an ice cream shoppe, and just about everything imaginable. She seriously have about 45 cans of playdoh in every color you could think of. She has an activity center that has molds, and scissors, and a plate and I can't even begin to list it all. It's a pretty sweet set up for her.
I made 2 goals about a week ago when we were snowed in out here. The first was to make a play mat to go under her activity set. The idea is that she would not get playdoh smashed into the carpet at the new house. The problem is, I have not found the perfect tutorial to help me with that. Oh, I have a pattern for a mess mat, but it's packed away. I should probably just wait until the move is over to embark on this project, right? Sigh, yes.
The second project was a quickie project that i was able to finish whist being snowed in for 3 days. It was an apron. Now, I realize an apron is likely not very useful when playing with play doh, but she also enjoys painting, so I figured, there you go. Thanks to Petchy for her super cute, and super easy dishtowel apron tutorial.
Yes, you read that right, an apron, for a toddler, made from a dishtowel.
Back when I took my first sewing class in Summer 2008, my instructor had given us some instructions to make a cute purse out of 2 dishtowels. I tried it and was not to thrilled with my own results (my instructors bag was MUCH cuter);
But I digress.
I had gone to Tuesday morning in an effort to find, cute, yet unique dish towels to try my hand, yet again, at a dishtowel bag. For the next year or so the cute towels I found just SAT in my storage bin. Untouched, un-sewn, until recently. I was thrilled when I found this tutorial and immediately got out my dish towel collection, chose one for my daughter, and began to sew.
It didn't take long to make and I was so pleased with the end result. I wanted to wake her from her slumber to have her model it, but I knew better. I waited until the morning where, at first, trying to get her to put it on was met with, "No, no, not today." (Oh what comes from the mouth of a 2 year old), but then after some muffins, juice and the promise of a photo shoot, on it went:
I was so pleased with the result, that I immediately sent a message to my friend on FB. She has a daughter who is the same age as mine, and she has a little play kitchen, and I thought it would be a nice touch to go with her little set. Found out that she LOVES pink, and went to Target and found a cute waffle weave towel (in the Valentine's/$1/$2.50 section and voila!!!!
Thus the fascination with wanting to make dishtowel aprons has begun!!!!! Ok, so I won't be churning out aprons by the hundreds, but I am happy to make some for anyone if they ask!!!
I made 2 goals about a week ago when we were snowed in out here. The first was to make a play mat to go under her activity set. The idea is that she would not get playdoh smashed into the carpet at the new house. The problem is, I have not found the perfect tutorial to help me with that. Oh, I have a pattern for a mess mat, but it's packed away. I should probably just wait until the move is over to embark on this project, right? Sigh, yes.
The second project was a quickie project that i was able to finish whist being snowed in for 3 days. It was an apron. Now, I realize an apron is likely not very useful when playing with play doh, but she also enjoys painting, so I figured, there you go. Thanks to Petchy for her super cute, and super easy dishtowel apron tutorial.
Yes, you read that right, an apron, for a toddler, made from a dishtowel.
Back when I took my first sewing class in Summer 2008, my instructor had given us some instructions to make a cute purse out of 2 dishtowels. I tried it and was not to thrilled with my own results (my instructors bag was MUCH cuter);
But I digress.
I had gone to Tuesday morning in an effort to find, cute, yet unique dish towels to try my hand, yet again, at a dishtowel bag. For the next year or so the cute towels I found just SAT in my storage bin. Untouched, un-sewn, until recently. I was thrilled when I found this tutorial and immediately got out my dish towel collection, chose one for my daughter, and began to sew.
It didn't take long to make and I was so pleased with the end result. I wanted to wake her from her slumber to have her model it, but I knew better. I waited until the morning where, at first, trying to get her to put it on was met with, "No, no, not today." (Oh what comes from the mouth of a 2 year old), but then after some muffins, juice and the promise of a photo shoot, on it went:
I was so pleased with the result, that I immediately sent a message to my friend on FB. She has a daughter who is the same age as mine, and she has a little play kitchen, and I thought it would be a nice touch to go with her little set. Found out that she LOVES pink, and went to Target and found a cute waffle weave towel (in the Valentine's/$1/$2.50 section and voila!!!!
Thus the fascination with wanting to make dishtowel aprons has begun!!!!! Ok, so I won't be churning out aprons by the hundreds, but I am happy to make some for anyone if they ask!!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
More on sewing
Ok, I admit it. While I am going to share pics of my latest attempt at some clothing, I have to admit that I AM going to rip this skirt appart and change it up a bit so that by NEXT Christmas Marisa will be able to wear it.
This was my first attempt at a stripwork skirt and I had no measurements for a skirt Marisa's size. So I had to do some guess work and it didn't go over well for the girl who has zero math skills. (Probably should have bought the pattern or had DH help me with configurations.) So I will add more panels, gather less, and go from there. Either way, she still looks cute. DH said she looks like one of those Quaker kids. EEEK, don't say that to the woman who still is not 100% confident in her sewing.
The tutorial I used came from Motherginger's weblog:
Not bad, but needs some work.
On Black Friday, I also had an opportunity to work on some baby legs for the wee one. Since she is not as tall as Marisa, I am able to use crew socks for her baby legs. These were on sale for $.88 at Kmart on Thanksgiving day, so I snatched up a pair and made these to go with her Christmas dress:
Here she is visiting Santa with them on (her dress did not come with bloomers and it was pretty chilly that day as well as on Christmas Eve when she wore the dress again):
I am trying to find time (twins and a toddler can wear one out and keep me from my nightly sewing) to finish up a pillowcase for Marisa (M& M's) and also to get working on some bookmarks for my nieces. I love all the tutorials I have found and look forward to blogging about the projects I have completed!!!!!
This was my first attempt at a stripwork skirt and I had no measurements for a skirt Marisa's size. So I had to do some guess work and it didn't go over well for the girl who has zero math skills. (Probably should have bought the pattern or had DH help me with configurations.) So I will add more panels, gather less, and go from there. Either way, she still looks cute. DH said she looks like one of those Quaker kids. EEEK, don't say that to the woman who still is not 100% confident in her sewing.
The tutorial I used came from Motherginger's weblog:
Not bad, but needs some work.
On Black Friday, I also had an opportunity to work on some baby legs for the wee one. Since she is not as tall as Marisa, I am able to use crew socks for her baby legs. These were on sale for $.88 at Kmart on Thanksgiving day, so I snatched up a pair and made these to go with her Christmas dress:
Here she is visiting Santa with them on (her dress did not come with bloomers and it was pretty chilly that day as well as on Christmas Eve when she wore the dress again):
I am trying to find time (twins and a toddler can wear one out and keep me from my nightly sewing) to finish up a pillowcase for Marisa (M& M's) and also to get working on some bookmarks for my nieces. I love all the tutorials I have found and look forward to blogging about the projects I have completed!!!!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
No motivation to post here anymore
For the last few weeks I have been battling the thoughts of closing up shop here, and starting a new blog elsewere. Partly because a portion of my "past life" i.e. a former community I belonged to, still checks up on me from time to time. Likely out of "concern" or "care". Which, despite the quotes, I don't doubt but the past has proven that no matter how much info I don't want to get out to certain people, always ends up getting back to them.
Leaving this place to collect dust would put the past in the past, where it needs to be. No signs of anything have come from any of it, so I am faced with the reality that nothing was ever intended, other than ties being severed and any resemblance of relationships forgotten forever.
Lives change, people change, and quite honestly I am ok with all of this. Yes, there are times I miss "the good old days," but our lives (mine and Derek's) have taken such drastic and wonderful turns that we have learned to adapt, re-assess and move on.
Forgiveness will com on its own, and while at times I feel we were easily forgottten, I can't say the hurt I feel will be forgotten. But, it will be suppressed.
There is so much happening that is more than exciting right now, that getting this off my chest is like a cleansing of my soul. I want a clean slate. To start anew in a place where memories of past hurt will not haunt me and remind me of what could have been, should have been.
And I am ok with that
Leaving this place to collect dust would put the past in the past, where it needs to be. No signs of anything have come from any of it, so I am faced with the reality that nothing was ever intended, other than ties being severed and any resemblance of relationships forgotten forever.
Lives change, people change, and quite honestly I am ok with all of this. Yes, there are times I miss "the good old days," but our lives (mine and Derek's) have taken such drastic and wonderful turns that we have learned to adapt, re-assess and move on.
Forgiveness will com on its own, and while at times I feel we were easily forgottten, I can't say the hurt I feel will be forgotten. But, it will be suppressed.
There is so much happening that is more than exciting right now, that getting this off my chest is like a cleansing of my soul. I want a clean slate. To start anew in a place where memories of past hurt will not haunt me and remind me of what could have been, should have been.
And I am ok with that
Friday, August 14, 2009
Just one project to share today
I actually finished this one on my final day of my sewing class for the summer. it's a good thing too because 3 days later I was put on bed rest. I got the tutorial from Madebyrae: Itty Bitty Baby Dress. While the original pattern calls for piping at the waist/bodice area, I found that as a beginner, it was too frustrating and left it off. But I tried and my instructor tried to encourage me to keep at it. I guess my hormones got the best of me and I just got too mad. Ha ha
Close up of the bodice:
close up of the bias tape hem:
I am hoping today my Dr will give me the thumbs up to sit up and sew for a bit. I'm itching to complete a couple projects.
Close up of the bodice:
close up of the bias tape hem:
I am hoping today my Dr will give me the thumbs up to sit up and sew for a bit. I'm itching to complete a couple projects.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
2 posts in one morning? Wow She's on a roll
Just saw this (not sure why I didn't see it earlier last night) over at the Sew, Mama, Sew blog and decided to step up to the plate with some info about my sewing machine:
What brand and model do you have? Baby Lock Xscape
How long have you had it? Since April 2008. It was a gift from my MIL.
How much does that machine cost (approximately)? MIL told me it was $500 or so...but she got it for a STEAL when the quilt shop she worked at in NY closed (all the ladies were retiring so the owner closed down the shop)
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? Baby legs, clothes for Marisa, hooded towels, burp cloths, trick or treat bags, a blanket(first oe, and it was TERRIBLE lol but I was learning).
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I sew as often as I can. Sometimes once a week, sometimes more. I do not get to sew often during the day. Having an 18 month old child will interfere with that but I do try to sew in the evenings after she goes to bed (though working full time, carrying twins and again, an 18 month old, will wear you out rather quickly)
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love it. I wish I would get off my butt and read more about what it can do. I have decorative stitches that I tried once, and being a beginner the stitching went crooked, I got frustrated and never EVER touched that feature again. I need to work on that this summer.
What features does your machine have that work well for you? One touch bobbin threading. I just push a button and voila!! Also i love the buutton hole feature. Even my sewing instructor was thoroughly impressed with it last summer :)
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? User error. No seriously, any problems I've had are because I've done something stupid.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! I was interested in learning how to sew, always have been, and a couple girls in my mom's club were offering to teach us how to make Mei-Tai wraps. Being ambitious I signed up to learn, bought the wrong fabric, but learned how to do the basics; thread the bobbin, sew a straight stitch, top stitch, etc. I drove home knowing I would never finish the wrap, but so excited to learn how to do the basics. I called my MIL on the way home just to share the excitement. About a week later she called to tell me she bought me a machine. I was BESIDE myself. Who would have thought that after all these years I would learn to sew, at the age of 34??? Not me.
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Yes, especially for beginners. First off because if you ARE a beginner, it's very portable ad os the perfect tyuype of machine to take with you to classes. Second if you are looking for a lightweight machine (due to frequent get together's with friend for sewing days) it's perfect to tote around. It comes witha bag, but i still recommend getting a sewing tote with wheels. It is very easy to operate, has a needle threader (though not as fancy and automatic and my MIL's), and the button hold feature...AMAZING!!!
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? I'm probably not the person to answer this question really. Being that I am just learning to sew and just learning what to look for in a machine. I doubt I'll need to look for a new machine anytime soon.
Do you have a dream machine? My MIL's. Wish I knew the name of it. I know it's a Baby Lock brand. She is very loyal to them (She's an AMAZING quilter.) Although, I have to say I am excited to learn how to use my Baby Lock Serger this summer. Wish me luck.
I know SMS didn't ask for this, but here is a picture of my machine. Don't mind the cat, she was just inspecting my work (this is the "old sewing table" Thanks to Ikea, I got a new one last weekend)
spring/summer creations...part 1
I've been posting these on Facebook, so if you have seen them there I apologize for the "double post."
Let's start off with something easy. I found this headband tutorial about, maybe 2 weeks or so ago. I love love love tutorials and searching for them online. When I found this I thought, this is something I could do!!!! So I gave it a shot. Not bad!!!
On a very pregnant model:
Next up was a variation of this skirt. I was too chicken to try the top waistband so I opted for a regular waistband. Kind of makes me want to kick myself for not being more daring, but perhaps that is something I can do after this round of sewing classes????
I actually made 2 versions 1...the cheaters skirt, Opted out of the top waistband part and bottom hem because I could not find a coordinating fabric that I had on hand that satisfied me. Although the finished product looked SOOOOO cute on my little sweetheart.
Then the next day, after being so pleased with the look of the first skirt, I went out and bought some red, white and blue fabric to make a skirt for my SIL's Memorial day BBQ (cook-out). Admittedly I messed up on the first attempt. I should have cut the main fabric only an inch or so smaller than what I cut the first skirt, but I didn't and I screwed up royally. (Not sure what to do with the "too short" version, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated). So, if at first you don't succeed, try again:
This version is with the bottom hem band. I love the look and it was so easy to do. (Now to build the confidence on the waistband)
Now, to be honest I made the second one a bit longer than the first but it's ok seeing as how Marisa is so tiny she'll likely grow taller before she grows wider. So she can "grow into it" and well, now she has a cute skirt for July 4th as well.
Upcoming projects include bibs for the baby boy, outfits for Marisa, nap mat (for the days when she is at Mah-Mah's) and mess mats to go under the high chairs of the children!!!!! The mess mats, nap mat and bib pattern all come from McCall's # M5604 (which I got for $.88 at Hancock during their memorial Day weekend sale...yesssss). I'll post pictures as those are completed of course. Lately though with 2 big events on the horizon at church I've been a bit tired.
That's all for now!!!!!
Let's start off with something easy. I found this headband tutorial about, maybe 2 weeks or so ago. I love love love tutorials and searching for them online. When I found this I thought, this is something I could do!!!! So I gave it a shot. Not bad!!!
On a very pregnant model:
Next up was a variation of this skirt. I was too chicken to try the top waistband so I opted for a regular waistband. Kind of makes me want to kick myself for not being more daring, but perhaps that is something I can do after this round of sewing classes????
I actually made 2 versions 1...the cheaters skirt, Opted out of the top waistband part and bottom hem because I could not find a coordinating fabric that I had on hand that satisfied me. Although the finished product looked SOOOOO cute on my little sweetheart.
Then the next day, after being so pleased with the look of the first skirt, I went out and bought some red, white and blue fabric to make a skirt for my SIL's Memorial day BBQ (cook-out). Admittedly I messed up on the first attempt. I should have cut the main fabric only an inch or so smaller than what I cut the first skirt, but I didn't and I screwed up royally. (Not sure what to do with the "too short" version, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated). So, if at first you don't succeed, try again:
This version is with the bottom hem band. I love the look and it was so easy to do. (Now to build the confidence on the waistband)
Now, to be honest I made the second one a bit longer than the first but it's ok seeing as how Marisa is so tiny she'll likely grow taller before she grows wider. So she can "grow into it" and well, now she has a cute skirt for July 4th as well.
Upcoming projects include bibs for the baby boy, outfits for Marisa, nap mat (for the days when she is at Mah-Mah's) and mess mats to go under the high chairs of the children!!!!! The mess mats, nap mat and bib pattern all come from McCall's # M5604 (which I got for $.88 at Hancock during their memorial Day weekend sale...yesssss). I'll post pictures as those are completed of course. Lately though with 2 big events on the horizon at church I've been a bit tired.
That's all for now!!!!!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Shifting Gears
I've come to the conclusion that I no longer post to my blog because life has changed alot for me. I no longer am just a youth minister. I'm a mom, I have new interests in addition to my passion for Youth Ministry.
Last spring I was introduced to the world of sewing. I was given a beautiful new sewing Machine, and figured, instead of letting it collect dust for years to come, I might as well be proactive and learn to sew. besides, Marisa is still young enough that I can dress her in homemade Mommy creations.
I dove head first into sewing class. Starting out easy with making baby legs, then hooded towels, then PJ bottoms, a dress for Marisa, and from there I just took off. I love sewing. I love finding new tutorials to try out, and creating things.
This blog is not meant to be one of those AMAZING sewing blogs out there but just my thoughts, my creations, my finds. I know I am not yet skilled enough to create my own patterns yet...but will give credit where credit is due.
Stay tuned for Kat and Kitten Kreations!!!!
Last spring I was introduced to the world of sewing. I was given a beautiful new sewing Machine, and figured, instead of letting it collect dust for years to come, I might as well be proactive and learn to sew. besides, Marisa is still young enough that I can dress her in homemade Mommy creations.
I dove head first into sewing class. Starting out easy with making baby legs, then hooded towels, then PJ bottoms, a dress for Marisa, and from there I just took off. I love sewing. I love finding new tutorials to try out, and creating things.
This blog is not meant to be one of those AMAZING sewing blogs out there but just my thoughts, my creations, my finds. I know I am not yet skilled enough to create my own patterns yet...but will give credit where credit is due.
Stay tuned for Kat and Kitten Kreations!!!!
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