Jan challenge. So the theme for January is YOU!

OOPS! I am writing this a day late... I didn't take on the challenge to win anything... I just wanted to try to find time in the month of January to make something just for me! Last week life got busy and took away a lot of my computer time (my reason for being a day late). Am I the only one wondering how February slipped in so fast?

I am happy to say I made 3 things for myself! I made a simple peasant top. Nothing exciting but a finished project.
I made a headband.

And a makeup bag.

The makeup bag I really needed! I hope to make a few things for me every month this year. I now need to rush off and put my name down that I completed the challenge and take a look at the challenge for February.

I will be back later today or tomorrow with a collage of all my January finished sewing/knitting/craft projects (another thing I wanted to have put together and blogged before the end of Jan).

Leather hair clip

I embroidered a sample heart & Z before I did the embroidery on the black leather shoes. I didn't want to toss out my sample but what to do with a leather Z heart? I thought of lots of fun ideas but in the end it became a small hair clip.

All I did was trim around the heart and stitch it to a little hair clip. It was a 1 minute project.

I stuck it in her hair when she was having a snack. That is why she has cookie on her face.

Church Dresses

Rob gave me this fabric for Christmas. It was 3 yards and I used every last bit of it to make 2 dresses. Both dresses have a zipper back and pleated skirts. This is not one of my "cheap" projects. I know we could have bought dresses cheaper in the store than the price of the fabric. The dresses took a lot of time and fabric to make (set in sleeves and pleats made this a very time consuming project). I think the pleats look nicer than a gathered skirt making the time worth it. I think the fabric is pretty so the cost of the fabric was also worth it. You can't see in the pics but the fabric has gold in all the flowers.
Here is a pic of all my children ready to go to church.
Forgive the writing I still have my headache.

Dreaming up strawberries

I am happy with this project. It is a simple cotton top, with a zipper in back, gathered bottom, and bias tape around the arms. I made it with Child's Play Pattern making software. The fabric was from the $1.50 bin at Walmart. Can you believe I found such a cute print in the Walmart $1.50 bin? I swore I wouldn't buy any more fabric but I couldn't walk buy this strawberry print without buying a yard. I didn't have enough fabric to make a full dress so I made it into a top. I am now happy I didn't have enough fabric because I LOVE IT as a top!


I had Travis call her from my cell phone to get her to stand still.
I think she looks cute so I will be making more like this for her in the future.

Glittery Fireflies

Another very easy no need to think sewing project. It it is a simple peasant top made from glittery firefly fabric.


Demi has worn this top a few times already. I am sorry the pics aren't better. I grabbed the camera and snapped a few quick pics when she was on the floor with the puppy today. I couldn't get her to stay still.

Kissing Frogs

After my pattern flop I decided to do some easy no need to think sewing. I found an old maternity top in my closet. It is a very ugly green (I don't think I ever wore it). I cut off the arms and made it into green yoga pants for Zee. I couldn't leave them boring green. What in the world to do with ugly green yoga pants? I started thinking about all things green. Zee doesn't like many green things except for frogs. I thought adding a frog to her pants might make it look very boyish. I decided to try to girl it up a bit by embroidering Kissing Frogs on the leg to make me think it was a bit princess-y. Every princess has to kiss a frog or two to find a prince. I still have the rest of the shirt I need to make into something with later on. I know the sweater does not match the pants. I was to lazy to go grab a T-shirt. I just wanted a quick pic before I forgot. Too many times I don't take a pic when I first make something then I forget all about it. I think the green color goes nice with the yellow elastic (FOE) and thread. It reminds me of retro gym shorts we wore back in the early 80's I am using my old computer again so I have my fingers crossed that the font, format, and letter s's all show up OK.

Have a hoppy day!

Gift For My Mom and My New Toys.

Rob's xbox caught the red ring of death (that silly machine breaks a lot). The death of the Xbox ended up being wonderful news for me!!! Rob bought a new PS3 with lots of extra stuff (games and such) and he gave me the same amount of money to spend on whatever I wanted!!! I knew exactly what I wanted andwasted no time spending every last penny of my money. I bought the singer 250 futura sewing/embroidery machine (I have wanted this machine for about 2 years now). Note to everyone this machine has BAD reviews on Joann.com BUT I joined the Futura yahoo group and purchased my machine from WWW.SINGERTEXAS.COM . I felt confident that between the singertexas support and the 5,000 members on the yahoo group I would be able to find a solution to any "beeping problems". I have had my machine for a week now and have no problems. I bring up my bobbin thread and hold the ends for the first few stitches (like I do in free motion quilting) and I have had no problems with my machine. I have done about 60 or so trial embroideries and one finished project (shown at the bottom in this post) I know some people don't like singer machines. I LOVE THIS MACHINE!!!! I noticed that doing embroidery is more like quilting than sewing so I can see how some sewers or people learning to sew can struggle learning how to use an embroidery machine. I think a quilter would have an easier time learning. It wasn't hard to use at all!!! Within a couple hours of opening the box I was embroidering things. With the extra money I had leftover I also bought a huskystar embellisher (felting machine) this is something I have been looking at for about a year (safe way to let my children felt). I love felting and being a yarn spinner I have lots of wool around to use with this machine. I also got a few other things (jumbo embroidery hoop, new presser foot,and some linen fabric). I have been having lots of fun playing with my new toys (that is the reason I have been MIA in blogland). I just noticed that I have 50-100 projects that I haven't blogged and I see I am getting into my old routine of not taking pictures of finished projects before giving them away. I have made several things that I didn't bother taking pictures of (I hope nobody asks me how I made them because I know I will not remember). I need to try and do some catching up so I might try posting twice a day to catch up (if I can find enough free time in my days to do that).

The first thing I NEED to share is a garden bucket. I made it for my Mom for a Mother's Day gift. I plan to make 2 more for gardening friends and I am worried if I don't write about it now I will forget how I did it. I can't make the other two until Rob brings me home some more buckets.

To make it all I did was slip covered a 5 gallon bucket (the slip cover I made looked like a huge pillowcase) . I put the closed end inside the pail and folded the open end around the front. Elastic around the top of the "pillow case" is what holds the cover snug on the bucket. I now wish I would have taken pictures of the bottom of the bucket and a picture of what the cover looked like when it wasn't on the bucket. I will try to do that when I make the next one.

Pockets on the front of the bucket is just one long rectangle. I added elastic in the tops of pockets after I stitched them on because the pockets looked way to loose (tools hung WAY out). My next bucket I think I will add elastic across the top of the fabric before I stitch it on to make pockets. I will also tuck under my ends so stitches don't show. I didn't do that on this first one because it was easier to design the pattern this way.

I thought putting the flowers up and down would make it look like flowers growing. The problem is when the pockets are full of large things the flowers look more like mistakes than flowers growing so the next one I will line up all the flowers near the top of the pockets.I do like the look of the embroidered flowers on the pockets. I think the flowers staggered high and low looks nice on the empty pockets (to bad it doesn't look as nice when the pockets are full).


Below is a picture of the back side. I made a pocket for seed packets and two other large pockets. For the 2 pockets on the bottom I ran elastic across the top first then sewed the pockets on. I think if I run one huge pocket strip with elastic on top that goes all the way around the bucket it will be easier to sew it together and it will make snug pockets (things won't fall out if bucket gets knocked over). BUT I am not sure that is the way I should make it because I do like the look of the front pockets a bit better so I will need to do some thinking about this before making my next one. If I ever make one for myself it would be easy to tell if the bucket falls over and needs the tight pockets or if the loose nicer looking pockets hold everything inside.Can you picture how it would hold tight and look snug if the back pocket in the picture above ran all the way around the bucket? I know this would make it a quick sewing project BUT I do like the shape of the pockets on the front side of bucket a bit better.

Pillow for knees!

My Mom's name is Linda (I guess you already figured that out). This was originally going to be a pocket but it didn't look right on the bucket so I turned it into a gardening pillow.

It attaches to the bucket handle with a snap. you can see the button hole I added to the cover so the handle and the bucket can attach without messing up my cover. I made one nice button hole and one not so perfect button hole. I am not sure what hole this is (my luck it is the not so nice button hole). NOTE TO SELF... Don't sew button holes late at night. You always mess at least one up when you are tired wait until the morning to sew any button holes!!!!
For the next bucket I will tuck in the stitching above the snap and top stitch it so it doesn't show.

Below is a picture of the stuff I stuck inside the pockets. I assumed she already had a nice set of gloves and gardening tools so I bought all cheaper things that she could use if hers bend or get lost (or let grandchildren use when they want to help). They are more for looks to fill the pockets than they are "gifts". I had plans for my children to decorate wide pop craft sticks for plant markers to fill the last pocket but I somehow misplaced my huge box of craft pop sticks (shh don't tell my mom she doesn't know her gift wasn't complete).


Below is an odd angle of the bucket. It really looked much better than this (at least I think it did). I wish I would have taken a closeup picture of the watering can and the ladybug. The watering can embroidery looked so nice (it was a free one I found online but I can't remember the web page right now). You can see a close up of the elastic around the top in this picture. I ran elastic around the bottom of the bucket and around the rim. I figured it was the best way I could think of to hold the bucket cover on and keep it from sliding around.



Below is a picture of the front side full of gardening stuff. Notice how the lower flowers look bad when pockets are full? They look like crushed flowers (not the growing flower look I was going for).Inside the bucket I stuck 4 small veggie plants.
I figure she can use the inside to carry out plants or a watering can. She can fill the inside of the bucket with weeds when she is weeding. And she can fill it with her fruits and veggies when it is time to harvest. OR she can use the inside as a place to stick sprinkler or other gardening tools out of the way.

I feel bad that this project was not perfect for my Mom (I always feel this way after making my first of anything). This is the way my designing goes. I don't use patterns so I often have a hard time taking a picture in my head and getting it to work right on real materials. The first of anything I make is usually functional but always has lots of room for improvements. My Mom (like all Moms) is happy with anything her children make (even a child that's 38 years old). She doesn't mind the mistakes (this is the reason my mother gets the first of almost anything I make). Many times I only make one and never feel like making anymore. So even though my mom sometimes ends up with my worst projects she often ends up with the one of a kind projects that nobody else gets. I had TONS of fun designing it. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about how I can improve on this idea for my next one. I feel good that it ended up being a functional garden bucket (but really how can a store bought bucket not function as a bucket). Starting with a bucket was an instant success.

I think before starting my next one I need to decide on the pocket style and elastic placement. Once I figure out what pocket style I like the best making many more garden buckets should be easy. I have plans to make 2 more and I think by the time I finish them I will have my pattern set up the way I like it.

Kitchen gift set (Easter gift for my mom)

My favorite person to make things for is my mom. I love how she gets so excited and makes a big deal out of anything I give her. She always makes me feel like whatever I make is the best thing in the world and how it is just the thing she needed. Do all moms say "this is exactly what I need. I was just telling your Dad yesterday how I needed to go shopping to pick up something exactly like this"? I get that warm, happy, good feeling seeing her face light up. It is the same feeling I would get when I brought her home my art work from elementary school (at age 5 or 6). I guess my Mom has had years of experience in getting excited and pretending the crafts made by her children and grandchildren are the best in the world. She is very believable! I guess that is why I try to make her at least one of anything I make.

I made her up a little kitchen gift set for Easter. I know Easter isn't a "gift giving" holiday. BUT I wonder why not give gifts? It is the biggest most important holiday and day in the Christian religion why not celebrate with a little handmade gift? In past years I would give her a plant but she no longer wants to invest the time in caring for plants. I started thinking about how she loves spending time in her kitchen. That inspired me to make this set.

I started with this hand embroidered chicken. I LOVE this cute chicken. I found the chicken pattern here.
Isn't it the cutest chicken ever? I love hand embroidery and had lots of fun doing it. Most of the time I like using my own designs for embroidery but I could never draw a chick this cute so I was thrilled to find this pattern.

Once my chicken was done I decided to make it into a pocket for an apron (that is why it is pocket shaped in the picture above). My apron sewed up quick. I did not use a pattern I just took a piece of fabric folded it (so it was double layered) rounded the bottom and added straps. I quickly ran into a problem can you spot it?
I hear you all saying how can I miss it? That chicken is so WHITE! It looks REALLY BAD!

I had to unpick my little chick and age her a bit. I coffee dyed the pocket and sewed her back on the next day.
That's better!


I think the coffee dye gives it the look of an apron that has been used for years and years.

I figured out how to fold it so only the pocket shows and the ends tuck neatly inside the pocket. Cute little package! Don't you think?

To go with it I made up 2 finger tip oven mitts.


I then took a dish cloth out of my completed knitted project stash. I have been working on knitting myself a stack of dishcloths but I seem to give them away almost faster than I knit them. I hope by the time I get my kitchen painted to have a couple made up for myself (I can dream can't I ). Maybe I will have one made for myself before my torn worn out one falls completely apart. It has a tear in it and I don't think it will hold up much longer. It gets washed in the washer every day and looks a bit sadder every day. I am worried it is going to fall apart.


I cut up a couple yards of netting and whipped up a pot scrubber. If you do a google search I know you will find a few free patterns on how to make them. Here is a link to what looks like a bunch of them and maybe even more here. I can 't read patterns (I really hope to learn someday soon) after seeing a picture of a scrubber I cut up some strips of tulle and using my crochet hook went around in circles increasing to the middle then decreasing to end. It looked a bit flat when I finished it so I stuffed the inside with a strip or two. I used my ends to chain up to make the loop handle. I think I might have overstuffed it a bit. I have no idea on how it works because my Mom hasn't used it yet (she doesn't want to get it dirty). LOL! My only reason for making this was to add a bit more handmade to my handmade gift. To be honest it cost me more for 2 yards of fabric to make one (about $2) than it would have cost me for a pack of store bought scrubbers (about $1 for a pack of 4). BUT it was a simple and fun thing to design myself. I like small simple things that I can play around with my hook and create something myself. It is kind of like doodling on paper only using a hook to do the doodling (I think 3D doodles are more interesting than paper and pen ones). If you haven't ever designed your own pattern you can grab some tulle and a crochet hook and see what you can come up with. After all you can't mess up a pot scrubber! No mater how you knit or crochet it up I am sure it will scrub a pot! I imagine you could make them in a frog shape, grape shape, apple shape, flower shape, square shape, triangle shape, and just about any shape or color to match you kitchen or in a way that would make you smile when scrubbing pots!I covered an empty coffee can and put in some wooden spoons. I saw a covered can online several months ago but I searched and couldn't find it again (I hate it when that happens). I had to come up with my own way to cover a can. All I did is make a bag a bit over double the length of the can. I stuck the closed bottom of the bag inside the can and pulled it over the front of the can. I used elastic to sew the bottom so it would cup around the can. It worked out great. My cover looked bad until I got the thought of adding the elastic to the outside bottom. I am happy with how nice it turned out (great for a first try and a rushed one at that).

View of inside of can.

Front of can. I did another coffee dyed embroidered chicken but I didn't stitch as careful as I did the apron (I was running out of time).

Bottom. Don't you think that elastic gives it a nice fitting bottom?
The cover can be slid off the can and tossed in the wash if it gets any splatters on it.

To finish it I needed some gift wrap so I took a canvas bag and embroidered one last chicken. This chick is not nearly as cute because I rushed and the thick canvas bag wasn't nice to embroider on.
Here is the completed set.



It all fit nicely inside the bag.

My mom was thrilled. I don't think she uses any of it. I told her I would only give her this handmade gift if she promised first that it would all be used. Even after making that deal with her she refuses to use it! She has all of it displayed around in her kitchen. I imagine she might someday own the longest lasting pot scrubber (I would bet money it is still sitting looking new on a soap dish next to her sink with the bow still on it 10 years from now). I hope she uses it and wears it out before she remodels her kitchen.

I would like to make a few more sets like this (not all with chickens). I would like to have a set for myself and a few more for some of my friends who spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It wasn't one of my quickest projects to complete but it was still a lot of fun to make.