three sheets to the wind

When we were picking out a toddler bed for the kiddo, we made the brilliant decision to get one of those cute beds from Ikea. They're stylish, adorable, and just seemed to fit perfectly both in terms of aesthetics and dimensions to his room. The unfortunate thing is that those dimensions are an irregular size, and as such, you cannot easily find sheets for the bed. I should have researched a little more because the only sheets that fit are the ones from Ikea that slide around a lot and are not meant to withstand many washes. Then I came across this awesome tutorial, and my problem was solved in the time it took me to iron, cut, and sew (which was maybe 1/2 hour per sheet). The most difficult part of this project is running the elastic through the casing, and I wouldn't really say that was difficult so much as it was vexing maybe. 

I figured while I made sheets for the kiddo, I may as well make sheets for the wee, so I went at it:

The fabrics are (l to r) Squirrel & Trees from Get Together by David Walker, Tonal Stripe from Echo by Lotta Jansdotter, and Critter Community by Suzy Ultman. (Not pictured are toddler sheets in Teal Stripe by Lotta Jansdotter and Outfoxed in yellow by Lizzy House.)

While it's certainly not as cost effective as buying cheapie sheets from Ikea, making sheets gives you the freedom to pick out prints you're crazy about that work well with your space. And I trust that they are well-made and will last because I made them and know exactly what I put into the construction of each one. I reinforced all my corner seams and double stitched the casings in hopes of making sheets that are durable and can handle being washed over and over again. Because let's face it, they're meant for kids, which means they're going to get washed at least once a week.

the year end review (or something like it)

Apparently, this was the year of the quilt for me. In addition to the ones in the mosaic above, there are two more tops that didn't get quilted, one in the process of being quilted, and two more tops in progress. (And a partridge in a pear tree!) I only knit three things, two of which were worsted-weight socks and one just a wee baby sweater. I think I crocheted a couple of things, but other than the hand-warmers, I can't remember what I hooked. I started teaching at gather here, which has been a wonderful experience, and I hope to continue in the new year. I've got a ton of new quilts planned for classes! As for my other crafty endeavors, I released one softie pattern, but I have a few more that I only need to polish up & release. Maybe I'll finally get to that in the coming weeks since I don't foresee too much sewing getting done. Right now, I'm in a frenzy of nesting. Matt & I are putting the finishing touches on the kiddo's room. He is successfully sleeping by himself there through the night. We're tying up all our loose ends and getting ready for the New Tenant to join us. Fortunately, there isn't much that's left to do, just little last minute things like washing all the crib bedding. I have no idea if this will be my last post for the year or not. In case it is, I want to wish all of you a very happy new year full of love & laughter & all that good stuff. Happy New Year to you all!

I may be biased, but....

...this bias tape totally reminds me of fruit-striped gum. Gad, I used to love that stuff as a kid. Sometimes my dad would buy me a megapack as a treat, and I would save and savor every stick, stashing it somewhere that my anti-chewing gum mom wouldn't find it. Anyhow, this tape? It's going to make an awesome binding or edging for some fun project. If you're at Bazaar Bizarre Boston this Sunday, you should swing by gather here's table to check out this and a ton of other tapes, kits, and DIY goodies to get for your favorite crafters for the holidays.

coasters are a plus

While coming up with ideas for pretty, useful, and easy gift projects for gather here, I whipped up these plus-sign coasters which make for a super-quick project. Not too much to say about them other than the hand-quilting took longer than the actual construction of each coaster - they were that speedy and easy to make. You can bang out a batch of these for the kids' teachers or for some of your favorite co-workers.

tea towels for two

So speaking of simple, satisfying projects, here's one I whipped up recently that only took about half an hour to complete. I was inspired to make patchwork tea towels the moment I saw toweling at gather here. Funny coincidence that - Matt and I had been talking about no longer using paper towels in our home, and lo! I walk into gather here, and see they now carry toweling. Perfect! (So really, these are intended to be used as hand towels. Whatever.) I bought a few yards and set to work. I had all these leftover scraps of Outfoxed from another project and wanted to use every last bit of it. I combined those with some Castle Peeps I had cut a while ago for a demo and some other matchy-matchy scraps. They work so well together:

So here's how you do it.  First, if you want to add a strip of patchwork as your design element, piece that together now. I used 2 strips composed of 9  2 1/2 inch squares pieced together. Next, score each strip on the wrong side (using a hera marker) 1/4 inch from the top. Now cut your tea towels to size. As these were already 17 inches wide and hemmed, I only had to concern myself with the length. I cut them to 24 inches using a rotary cutter. Also, you should cut 2 strips of fabric 2 inches wide. Cut from selvage to selvage (the width of your fabric) that way you get 2 pieces at about 20 inches or so from each strip. 

Iron your toweling and set aside. Take your 2 inch strips and make tape out of them - iron them with both sides folded toward the middle:

Let's sew these onto the ends of the toweling. First, align the center of the tape with the edge of the toweling. You want to see only one half of the tape. Make sure you have overhang on each side. Cut away most of the overhang so you have about 1/2 an inch peeking out on each side, like so:

Fold that overhang twice and press the hell out of it. Now fold the other half of the tape over the edge of the toweling and press the hell out of that:

Now stitch that sucker up about a scant 1/8 inch away from the top edge of the tape:

Use your hand to guide you because it's easier and less fussy than using a million pins to hold the tape in place:

Repeat for the other end of the toweling. Look at that edge. Aw yeah!

Now position your patchwork strip. In this case, I wanted it to be 3 inches from the bottom, so I marked the toweling at 3 1/4 inches to indicate where the patchwork should line up (remember, we're using a 1/4 inch allowance when sewing, so that 1/4 inch I added there disappears). Pin it right side down pointing toward the bottom of the toweling and sew up that bottom edge:

Once it's sewn down, flip that sucker right side up and press the bejesus out of it. You remember how we scored it earlier? That makes it easy to fold that top edge down 1/4 inch and press it nice and flat:

Now topstitch about a scant 1/8 inch away from the bottom edge of the patchwork:

Do the same for the top edge:

Take your overhang, fold it in twice, press it, and sew:

When sewing that, lock your stitches a little before and slightly after the width of the strip to really secure it:

Hooray! You have tea towels! Go forth and prettify your kitchen. Or just wipe stuff up with 'em. Because they're useful like that.

simple projects/simple pleasures

Ah, placemats - such a quick, easy yet satisfying project. And? They pretty up the place. This one's the prototype for the class I'll be teaching at gather here this Tuesday. Of course, I forget how teeny our humble little kitchen is and use the 50 mm lens when I can't get more than a couple of feet away from the pretty. Derf. But hey, enjoy this detail shot:

more spontaneous projects

For some reason, I felt compelled to crochet some wristwarmers recently. This yarn called to me. It's some Blue Sky silk/alpaca blend, and it's been hanging out in my stash for ages. I would keep coming back to it, squishing it fondly until I finally knew what it must become. I actually finished the first warmer last week, but it was too big and floppy so I ripped the whole thing out and whipped up a new one using less stitches. So it's one down, one to go. Hoping to knock that out in the next day or two.

time for tricks or treats

I am sitting here over-thinking this post, partly because I'm so tired that I can only think in terms of slap-happy profanity. Also, I am trying way too hard to think of something even remotely profound to say about Halloween. Oh, Halloween.... It thrills me every year and takes me back to the awesome parts of childhood. When designing a trick or treat tote for a class at gather here, I kept thinking back to those plastic orange jack o' lanterns my mom would get us from Woolworth's. We would take them along with us as we hit every store on the way home from school and every apartment in the building later that evening. The goal was always to fill it to the rim and then some. Later that night we would sort through our treasure like satisfied little pirates, separating our plunder into three basic categories - "Yum!" "For Trade" or "What the fuck were these people thinking and how old is this gumdrop?" I would try to convince my sister that she wouldn't like my favorite candies so she should trade them with me for something "better." What can I say? I was a fiend for Almond Joy.

So this tote... easy to make, a fun project for the kids, and all you need is a couple of sheets of felt. If you're in the Cambridge area, come on by and join us next Tuesday. I also have a batty version of this which will be included in the class pattern. I'm hoping to have some photos of that before the end of the week.

bits and bobs of bats

I've been meaning to blog, but you know how that goes sometimes. There is so much awesome stuff going on right now, and I've been enthusiastically making stuff again (I'm happy to report). I am finally getting around to executing some ideas I have had for far too long, and it feels great. I've been meaning to make a bat mobile since shortly before the kid was born. That's what? Well over 16 months at least. While coming up with a project for a Halloween-themed class at gather here, I already had what I thought was a great idea to begin with, so I ran with it. Now to figure out where I can get a spinny little music box type attachment that plays Ozzy's Mr Crowley....

hello, stranger

 

photos by Brandy Fortune ©2011

So a few things have happened since we last spoke. Let's see.... I've got a project tutorial in the latest issue of Petite Purls for some playful rattles. Brandy and Allegra put together such an adorable and totally fabulous Summer edition of Petite Purls, and I am honored to be included in the special all-toy edition of this great online publication.

I am also scheduled to teach a 2-session 9-patch picnic blanket class at gather here, which is super-exciting. I am thrilled to join Virginia and the rest of the awesome crafty folks at gather here on July 5th and 19th for what will be a super-fun class.

I am working on other projects, too, including bee blocks that I am embarrassingly late with,  blocks for a throw for our sofa, some gifts for friends, and new softie designs (which I hope to unveil VERY soon). And oh yeah, there's been a lot of this, too:

Seriously, so much sand! And I am not a fan of the sand. Oh, the sacrifices we make! Heh! Hope you are all having a wonderful summer so far!

night time is the right time...

...for a little stealth crafting. Every night when the kiddo goes to sleep, I get to knit, and let me tell you, I am relishing every stitch. I'm hoping in the next hour to get him in bed and to put on Law & Order and finish this hat because I would love for him to wear it to the kiddies' tea party we're going to in a couple of days. For the record, this is no relation to that tea party - this is the kind where pretend tea is served to the wee ones and adults get to have actual tea or perhaps other beverages. Just wanted to be clear about that. Ahem.

Also on deck is this:

It goes without saying that I'm nuts, but this begs the question just how nuts. Why? Because I plan to have it done in the next 2 days. Or something like that. Heh. I'll settle for just finishing the top. It's going to be small. It's just a lap quilt. I think I can manage it. Only one way to find out. Let me get at it!

jingly balls

So, what do you think of my balls? Heheh, I said "balls." When I saw these lovely fabric balls over at Urban Patchwork, I thought they would make a great gift for a baby.

Not only are they a fun tactile object that you can also make visually interesting using playful fabrics, but if you throw in a little jingly bell or two, as Jess suggested, they double as a rattle/sound ball. I didn't use a teeny plastic bag and instead bought a bunch of jingly cat toys so that the bells wouldn't be muffled:

Because I have decided that this will be the most fabulously laid-back, low-key holiday season ever at our place, I am all about the quick and easy projects. This is seriously one of the quickest, easiest projects ever. You can find the tutorial over here. Hope you're all having a wonderful and stress-free holiday season!

slapdash and happy

My favorite thing about the kiddo's costume yesterday? The fact that it took me about 15 minutes to put together. Sure, it wasn't the most creative, inventive, or intricate costume at the party yesterday, but it was a great improvisational piece. And boy, did my little dude make an adorable pirate! I might be biased, though. Ahem. Anyhoo, I actually surprised myself with my ability to whip up the hook and wee parrot without drawing a template for myself first or anything, just cutting shapes out of felt and banging them out after months away from making softies. It felt good - so very good. It felt like home. I'm totally looking forward to next Halloween now.

duck duck goose

Well, would you look at that! It's that duck that every craft blogger was making like 4 or 5 years ago! We're calling it a gosling after coming across this book at the bookstore yesterday, which naturally, I had to get for the wee one. But still, this is the duck... you know the one... from that awesome nuigurumi book now out of print (but I think you can find the pattern in this book, too, if I recall correctly). It was the first gusseted toy I made, I believe, years ago when I first started sewing. For a while, it was my go-to toy to make for people's babies. In this instance, it is the first toy that I have made for my wee one. Shocking that it's taken me this long to get around to that. Even then, I sewed up the parts in a matter of minutes and left them waiting on my work table for over a week to be stuffed and pieced together. Gah. 

I had all these grand plans for making the wee one a bunch of toys. Originally, I had hoped to crochet an amigurumi rattle for him during the ravelympics. (Yes, that's how long ago I've been meaning to get around to this.) I signed on for the Knit Toys team and picked out my pattern. I was psyched and set to go. Then, like those unfortunate skiers that fall about ten feet after the starting line and slide the whole way down on their butts, the sting of defeat punctuated by an icy cold douche, I stumbled as soon as I started and knew I wouldn't be able to finish in time. Other projects quickly piled up like a mini-avalanche, and before I knew it, I was out for sure. Besides, crocheting worsted weight yarn on a small hook to create a dense fabric always gives me claw-hand, and I am not so keen on that. 

I decided it would be easier to sew a toy instead. I had a few ideas - a baby-friendly bat, a bunny rattle, a mini-critter to match one of the quilts I made for him. Meh. I wasn't able to get around to any of it. I am hoping to make up for that now, though, with whatever bits of time I can eke out here and there. Based on his response to this toy, I think it will be well worth it. 

busy as a bee

With Spring finally upon us, there seems to be no shortage of virtual quilting bees happening on the ol' internetz. Why, it's all abuzz with quilty love these days, and I am falling right into it myself. I decided to join some old friends in a little bee of our own. The timing might not be perfect what with the wee one due in just a few weeks (holy crap!), but I'm going to try. I keep sitting out bee after bee because of one obligation or another, and I didn't want to sit out yet another and end up regretting it. Because you know what? Bees look like a ton of fun. And they are! And honestly, it might be the only sewing I do for the next few months. (Let's not speak of how the very thought of working on assembly lines of softies makes my head hurt. Oy. I don't think that's going to happen again until Xmas.) Might as well sew something that inspires me.

And let me tell you, sewing these blocks for Minty definitely inspired me. For her month, Minty decided she wanted wonky stars. Her requirements were simple - she wanted us to make stars in different colors so that ultimately she would end up with a spectrum's worth of stars. She sent us a background fabric and asked us to use fabrics from our stash for the points. She also directed us to this wonderful tutorial. I made a few test blocks, which I'll post about next week since I stupidly didn't photograph them today, and I fell in love with the results. I went a little head over heels with it and made a couple of extra blocks for her:

Here's hoping that she likes 'em. And here's to virtual quilting bees! I'm looking forward to working on everyone else's blocks. It's interesting to see what patterns/ motifs people choose and to play with fabric again.