'Sewing for my sanity'

A friend of mine had the phrase 'sewing for my sanity' for her sewing blog, and I kept thinking of it all weekend long.  Between sick children, potty training, night feeding, doctor's visits, and just general spring haywire-ness, I have definitely been turning to my sewing machine for my sanity.  And I am pleased to report that several lovely items have resulted from this therapy...

Toile Love
I have finally cut and sewn with my Anna Maria Horner Good Folks Toile.  It is a bit tricky to work with at first because it is like AIR, or as Anna Maria Horner put it, like BUTTER, but boy, the results are wonderful.  I turned first to a favorite pattern from Oliver + S -- the Swingset Tunic.  I have already made Coco two of these, and now she has a Toile version.  Every time I make this I feel like I perfect my sewing techniques a little more.  But that is true of all the Oliver + S patterns, they are so educational!

With some of the leftovers, I made myself a quick scarf. I've seen several nice scarfs out of this fabric, and I am pleased with mine, except I may redo the edging - some thrifted home decor tassels -- I sewed it flat, but I might try and sew the edging on in a circle, making the scarf just a tube.  Seems like it might be lighter...

Little things
I have a knitting project ready for finishing that I can't share yet... but I am so far very happy with the results!  Knit most often while watching episodes of Northern Exposure.  Love that show :)

And I just finished another Kingpod bonnet, in the Baby size, for a friend's baby we'll be meeting in Phoenix later this week.  I used some nice Japanese sunflower fabric from our local sew/vac Odegaard's.  It is so sunny and lovely, and I thought this little chica needed something sunny since she is only visiting Phoenix and is actually from Anchorage Alaska!  

Finally, I made another kitchen mitt for a young lady who was the recipient of my Kid Chef Kit donated for LUNAFEST earlier this year.  She declared that she needed a mitt for each hand.  Nothing like getting good feedback, and since I had some leftover fabric, I got right on that and even added her initial to this one!

We are ONE!

Miss Coco turned 1 this week, and we had a small tea party for her with some of our new friends.  It was a lot of fun!   There were as usual a few handmade items to celebrate the day, some made by me and some made by my very talented mother in law. 

I whipped up a birthday banner out of some scraps of cotton to use for all of our family celebrations.  Coco's name was made with leftover scraps from the skirt she wore, a Lazy Days skirt in some of my favorite Heather Bailey Freshcut fabric (purchased while pregnant, made the skirt while home with an infant, and now at a year I think it will fit her for at least another year...). And made her a crown that should fit her even as an adult (it fits me, for when I need to feel like a queen I guess). 

She also wore her new '1' t-shirt appliqued by Grandma.  And she received her very own handmade Raggedy Ann doll, made by Grandma, and she came complete with a dress to match Coco's Easter dress.  Grandma also sent me the dress pattern for Annie so I can make more matching dresses, I am excited about that!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful girl, who has brought much delight to us through the ups and downs of this exciting year~

Easter Again

Well, we had a good Easter in our new town out here in the West.  Lucky Coco has had TWO Easters before turning 1!  This year she was much more involved in the activities.  Despite some mood issues, some wind and a slight chill in the air, the day was very nice. 



Coco wore her Easter/Birthday dress today.   Again, the dress is the Oliver  + S Bubble pattern, size 12-18 months, so it will fit through the summer hopefully. The bonnet is Amy Karol's design, in matching Anna Maria Horner Garden Party green.  She rocked the dress, and in the cold air both kids wore there new 'sweatjacks' -- hooded sweatshirts from the Target clearance rack with initials and decorations (a flower, a rocket ship) appliqued for interest. 

While playing in the afternoon, I had time to work on another special item for Coco's birthday -- a birthday banner.  I've seen the ones Amanda Blake Soule has made for her children in her book The Creative Family and have always thought these were great decorations.  And reusable!  I finished the fabric painting today.  Now to finish the part that says 'happy birthday'.  I am going to put the part that says 'coral' up in her room after her party.

Lately I have a ton of little special crafty things going, just the way I like it!

Bonnet Season

Yesterday I made a bonnet to go with Coco's new Easter/ Birthday dress... and IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.  I used the Kingpod Bonnet pattern by Amy Karol.  Let me tell you, it was the best $8 impluse buy I've had in a while.  The pattern is wonderful -- very easy to follow but not too detailed, and leaves room for much creativity.  This pattern will be great for all the other bonnets I am now dreaming up for family and friends of all ages since the pattern has three sizes - baby, child and adult. 

I used the same Anna Maria Horner Garden Party fabric for this bonnet that I got from Sew Mama Sew.  I just love this fabric - the more I work with it the more detail I am picking up with the pattern.  I added some vintage cream and lavendar lace for decoration, and then this stretchy tulle that my mom gave me from a pair of her socks that wore out.  I was wondering what in the world I would do with this stuff, and then realized it would be the perfect straps for the bonnet - soft, stretchy, flouncy -- perfect for an Easter bonnet with frills upon it!

And this project was fast -- altogether with cutting pressing and sewing maybe an hour.  This 'topped' off my weekend very nicely with something tangible and lovely completed, amidst all the unfinished projects and the major tasks of parenting two little kids.  I love how being creative can bring such much-needed joy!

Groovy Couture

It has been one of those weeks where I have been ready to pull my hair out.  So today when both kids were actually asleep at the same time, and I should have been too, I finally got to make something I've been wanting to make for weeks -- a dolly dress.  From start to finish this took about 45 minutes, including pattern design, cutting, sewing, and fitting.  Then Coco woke up.  I did the final thread trimming in the afternoon.

This doll is a Groovy Girl doll.  My mother-in-law introduced me to these cuties.  She picks them up secondhand and has a drawer full of them!  I found my first one at Goodwill about a month ago.  Her name is Kelsey, according to her tag.  Her outfit was a dreadful cheerleader thing, didn't fit well.  So I decided to make her a dress to match Coco's soon-to-be-made Easter/birthday dress (hint:  this is the fabric for the dress!  Anna Maria Horner thankyou). 


I forgot how much fun and satisfying it is to make a doll dress.  Really it makes me a little too happy with myself.  I have a feeling she and Coco may be matching more often...

stewing

I don't have any completed projects to show yet.  Partially due to travel, partially due to sick kids, and mostly due to the fact that I have about ten projects that I'm getting going right now.  Something about the snow here is making me want to just sit around and plan projects and order fabric (which I have been doing and I have to stop now!!!)  Here is where some of my inspiration is settling right now:

Finally getting some of Anna Maria Horner's voile!  I am hoping to make this dress for myself.  I haven't made myself a dress in many years, but think I could use a sewing project that I will directly benefit from. 

I'm making aprons, hopefully some to sell, some to gift.  I'm having fun with the fabric for this!

I just cut out Coco's Easter/birthday dress with the Oliver + S bubble dress pattern.  I'm awaiting some lining fabric before I start sewing this!

I'm planning a sweater project for a dear family friend who has been extra supportive to me over the past year.  She is also a fantastic photographer.  We're planning something appropriate for use while on her boat in the summer, but also a four-season sweater.  Something kind of beachy but classic.  Probably something from Classic Elite's Boathouse pattern book.

And I have started a February baby sweater... hopefully to be gifted in April.  I decided Coco has enough sweaters for now, at least until next winter.

I am also thinking about Easter baskets. I picked up some baskets at Goodwill over the weekend in Phoenix.  I might make a matching doll dress for Coco's basket, and I'm thinking a dog theme for AJ.  We'll see how much energy I have for these....

Kid Chef Kit for LUNAFEST

I am excited to share a preview of the basket I'm donating to the LUNAFEST film festival happening this Saturday, 2/6, in Flagstaff.   This is a KID CHEF KIT!  What kid wouldn't love their very own apron, play mitt and chef hat?  And then there are the cupcakes.  These felt cupcakes would be wonderful for a tea party. 

The KIT



















The cupcakes















The chef hat



















The play mitt














The apron


The KID CHEF KIT will be part of the silent auction at LUNAFEST this weekend in Flagstaff.  Proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund and Girls on the Run of Coconino County.  Thanks to Beth of Stroller Strides Flagstaff for putting this together, I am thrilled to make this donation!