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Aprons

August 22, 2008 at 4:27 pm | In Craftin' With Hali, Crafty, clothing, sewing | 2 Comments
Tags: aprons, crafts, gifts, kids, sewing

Despite the weather (it’s been raining every day this week and doesn’t look like that is going to change any time soon) I knew I’d better snap a few pics of completed projects while I remembered. This is Hali’s apron. I just made up a pattern, because I wanted something very simple. Just enough to protect her clothes when she helps me bake or for particularly messy crafts.

She liked hers so much, I decided to make another for her friend who just turned four yesterday. I had her model it before we headed out to his party:

With my assistance, Hali ironed on some letters to personalize the apron a little as well. This apron is actually made from a dish towel I picked up at Garden Ridge. I just added some matching bright green bias tape (you can’t see it well, but there are a couple rows of bright green stitching in the towel) and flipped up the bottom to make pockets. As this was a gift for a boy, the little princess cat that was embroidered at the bottom of the towel also had to be cut off.

We made and bought a couple other gifts for him as well, I just didn’t manage to get pictures. Maybe next time we are over for a play date.

I Miss My Machine!

January 17, 2008 at 6:03 am | In sewing | No Comments

I have been without my sewing machine for about a month and a half. It is KILLING ME!!! I am just dying to get started on so many projects. We are moving in a few days and I will NEED my sewing machine. There are pillows for my new couch I will be buying to be made. There will be window treatments to be sewn. There are window seats in the new house that will need to be outfitted with cushions. SO much to do!

Luckily, I will finally be able to drop my beloved off at the nearest service center. Which isn’t exactly so near. It’s a good 45-60 minutes away. Luckily, we are going on a small road trip this weekend and can drop it off on our way through.

Picking it up may be a problem. The shop is in Houston and I. Do. Not. Drive. In. Houston. But my dear husband knows how much I love my machine. He has even actually liked some of the things that have been produced with The Machine. So, it may require ~~exhausting sexual favors~~ bribery of some sort, but I will hopefully be able to have my machine repaired and returned to me in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, I will just lust after all the pretty things that all the talented seamstresses and sewing talents out there are making. And continue to lovingly caress my favorite fabrics in my stash. Poor things.

Heeeellllp! Sewing Machine Trouble!

December 7, 2007 at 4:30 pm | In sewing | No Comments

My sewing machine is sick. I’ve been in denial for a few days now. The lower bobbin will not catch and be brought up to the top. I believe the timing may be off- I was sewing some heavy stuff (too much to ask of my little machine, I know!) when the incident occurred. This is VERY bad timing (hee- get it!?). I have many things to sew before Christmas!!!

HELP! I have no idea how to try and fix the timing myself. I need to call Grandma. She will know what to do. I just can’t bring my machine in somewhere! We’ve never been apart! The machine cost me less than $100. Is a $30 or more repair worth it? Is that what it will cost?! I don’t know!!! Advice anyone?

Random Craftiness #2

November 30, 2007 at 6:14 am | In For Hali, Home Decor, accessories, paper crafts, sewing | No Comments
Tags: , book bag, camera, crafts, crayon roll, Home Decor, pillow, sewing

I’m trying to play catch up here and actually post some of the things that I have sewn/crafted lately. So here are a few things:

Crayon roll and little notebook for Hali. Excuse the untrimmed bottom there. This comes in really handy for church, in the car, or visiting relatives. Just do a search for crayon roll and you’ll find plenty of tutorials. Or go to etsy and buy one. I have plans on making a few more for some younger (and not so young) family members. Plus a few larger pencil rolls.

A bag for Hali from the same loud material. I machine embroidered the pink felt “H” onto the front pocket, which made from almost coordinating stripped material. I even did a lining for it.

It’s meant to be her library bag and it goes across her chest like a messenger bag to help make the weight of a couple books easier on her little body. Her “I want to do it” tendencies seem to be getting stronger lately and she really likes doing everything herself. Wonder where she gets this from?

It’s been used a couple times for ballet class, a few times just to tote random stuff in and possibly twice it has been taken to the library.

A new pillow for a chair in the living room. Really, it’s just a recovered pillow. When we bought our couch a few years ago, it came with these pillows that were in the same material as the couch itself. Kind of blah and no contrast whatsoever. So I found this sturdy home decor fabric at Hancock’s and thought it was perfect. The couch has a slight green tinge to it and I have a big brown shag rug in the living room as well, so this pillow ties in nicely.

I’ve had it with my sucky camera. I don’t want to sound ungrateful- my mom did the whole Black Friday thing a couple years ago and got it for us for Christmas. I was so happy! It really was the perfect gift.

I’m so glad that I have had it these past few years to document my daughter’s life. Before we got this digital camera, we just didn’t take as many photos as we do now. But I know I can take better photographs with a better camera.

This, and the husband keeps taking it to work with him, and of COURSE I need it when I discover it’s gone! So, I’ve decided that we (the royal we of course) are getting a new one. One that stays at home. So I can take good, decent, clear and focused photos of our daughter and the stuff we do. Luckily, our anniversary is in less than three weeks, so I guess I know what I’m getting us!

Two Black Cats

November 27, 2007 at 6:05 am | In For Hali, accessories, clothing, sewing | 2 Comments
Tags: black cats, black hair, costumes, Halloween

For Halloween Hali and I were both (as per her request) both black cats. I made us ears and tails. I also made her some furry little cuffs to go around her tiny wrists to complete the look. She already had the clothes, so it was a very inexpensive costume. I was really prepared to go all out and sew up some fabulous costume for her, but she just wanted to be a black cat ( I think because her idol, Dora the Explorer also has dressed as a cat for Halloween) and she wanted Mom to be one too.

The big surprise of the night was me dying my hair. I am actually a blond, but decided to have some fun and try something new for Halloween. Turns out I really like it (for some reason my hair looks super greasy in that picture though) and so does everyone else. So it remains, although it is already fading.

I just realized that I didn’t draw and whiskers on myself. Just as well- Jeremy’s cousin was so kind as to point out that Hali’s look like a spider…

Random Craftiness #1

October 25, 2007 at 5:15 am | In Crafty, For Hali, accessories, paper crafts, sewing | No Comments

Felt cell phone cozy for my little sister. We have the same phones (magenta razrs) so I could measure it for a good fit. She isn’t big on pink or bright colors really, just earth tones, black and white for her.

I’ve actually made several of these little notebooks, but somehow only managed to take a picture of a couple. They are really handy and I always have the materials on hand, as do most crafters! I changed mine up a little from the tutorials I’ve found online like this one, but mainly because I’m lazy. No other good reason, really!

A quick bag I made for Hali to put her tools in:

Just some scrap red fabric, scrap white bias tape sewn together and some velcro to close it at the top. I didn’t even line it. I just wanted to get it done.

The tools had previously been in a plastic Walmart bag, which I hate. I am this close to making some fabric shopping bags of my own instead of using plastic ones. I don’t toss mine, though. They get recycled/reused. I even made a plastic bag holder for them that I need to post!

Bag For Me and Backpack For Hali

October 17, 2007 at 4:19 am | In For Hali, accessories, sewing, thrifty | No Comments

Clearly it needs a good ironing, but here is a bag I put together for myself. When I say put together, I mean it: the seam right down the middle is pretty obvious! I made a pair of pants that were too short for Jeremy (he’s 6′0, so this happens occasionally) into shorts, and took the cut off portion and made it into a bag, then sewed some of my absolute FAVORITE fabric that I found at Hancock’s on around the middle. I covered up my sloppy sewing with some orange grosgrain ribbon, added some loops at the top and connected a brown leather strap from another purse that I didn’t like it on. Talk about refashioning, eh?

For Hali, she needed a bag that she could carry her ballet and tap shoes in easily, so I made a simple little backpack. I’ve seen them everywhere, but didn’t have a pattern so I just kind of started sewing. I picked a kind of “mod” fabric out of my stash- a quarter yard, and used all of it.

A (blurry) close up of the back view:

This little backpack is ridiculously fast and easy to make. Hali wouldn’t even wait for me to get my camera out for a picture of it before filling it with the “stuff” that little girls find necessary. She is quite happy with it, as am I.

Getting Use Out of the Useless

September 1, 2007 at 3:42 pm | In Crafty, clothing, sewing | 2 Comments

I am very picky about fashions in clothing. One item of clothing that I have never been particularly fond of is the bloomer. You know, those cutsie little elasticized diaper/underwear cover ups? To me, they are just overboard. Too much. I have to say that they just don’t look comfy, either. Plus, down here in the south, where its over 100 degrees, plus the heat index (which is a lot seeing how humid we always are) it is just one more extra layer of clothing that no one needs.

Unfortunately- or rather fortunately, now that I have figured out what to do with them, they come with dressed for little girls a lot. I brainstormed after cleaning out Hali’s closet a few weeks ago, and came up with in my modest opinion, a great use for them.

No, something better than laying them out on your carpet or wearing them as masks (though that is super fun and entertaining for a little while)! Keep going….

Purses! Or is it a bag? What’s the difference? Should I look this one up? Should I medicate my OCD?

The cute little bugs on this fabric were just too cute to toss, so I cut off the leg holes, sewed the bottom up, added a liner (my very first liner, I might add, thank you very much) cut some white ribbon for a handle, and presented it to Her Royal Highness.

Her Highness was quite pleased and proceeded to Her Royal Bedchamber wherein she commenced to Fill it with Jewels and Coins- not to mention the ever-so-important Markers and Paper.

This is the biggest purse she has, so it did seem very spacious to her. I was just happy she managed to hold still for exactly two and a half seconds so I could snap a picture of her with it. Not to mention she actually modeled it for the shot- normally she refuses out of principle. What that principle that is, I don’t know…

Eyelet Apron

July 13, 2007 at 5:59 am | In Crafty, sewing | 1 Comment

I very quickly put this together a while back for Hali. It is made from an old shirt of hers that was such a cute little eyelet with embroidered/appliqued flowers on it that I couldn’t bear to part with it. Glad I didn’t! With some matching white eyelet ruffled ribbon that my wonderful grandma sent me, I turned it into a little apron (you can’t see the ribbon- that is in the back- it was hard enough to get the one shot):

Feeling crafty, I went for a matching accessory- a headkerchief, using more scrap ribbon and the back of the old shirt:

I have yet to get Hali to actually wear this.

First Official Entry

July 6, 2007 at 5:04 am | In clothing, sewing | 1 Comment

This being my first official entry for my craft blog- my other blog being Mom and Me, I thought to start off with the first clothing item that I made. Ever. I made this last week in preperation for our beach trip:

It was inspired by this (who was inspired by her- I read them both religiously and love what they come up with). I started thinking what a great cover up it would make and having not found anything that I actually wanted to buy for Hali, I decided it was time to sew my very first article of clothing.

I learned a bit in the process. I didn’t do the sides the way I should have (doubled them over so they don’t fray). Ruffles really aren’t that hard to do. I like double bias tape- it’s my friend. It looks a bit wrinkled in the picture, but it actually went on quite smoothly. I just didn’t feel like ironing for a picture. I hate ironing.

I did not however, start with a pillow case. I just used what I had: some soft solid pink fabric, some pink dotted fabric, and white bias tape. The little rectangle on the chest was appliqued on using the smallest zig-zag setting on my machine.

I had to beg Hali to try the dang thing on, and when she finally put it on, she didn’t want to take it off and got spaghetti sauce all over it, so I got to wash it so it could be worn the next morning to the beach.