Punkin Patterns

Giveaway Day

2012-05-21T07:59:00.001-05:00

Over at Sew Mama Sew it's Giveaway Day!

This year I thought I'd participate by giving away a free copy of my Lovely Lil Bunny Pattern.

Simply leave a comment below to enter. For a second entry, follow my blog and leave a second separate comment saying you do. This is a PDF pattern, so the giveaway is open to everyone. The giveaway will end May 25 at 5 p.m. PST.

Don't forget to visit Sew Mama Sew today to see all of the excellent things being given away.

Mother's Love

2012-05-20T08:11:00.000-05:00

"Mother's Love is Like a Fragrant Rose With Sweetness in Every Fold"

For mother's day, I finished this vintage linen cross-stitch sampler for my mom. My maternal grandmother started this sampler many, many years ago, before she passed away. She had done the orange stitching.

When I was young and just starting to embroider, my mom went through her box of unfinished projects and among others, she handed me this one to practice on. I must have been only about eight or nine at the time, but even then I knew how special it was and I couldn't undo the orange stitches (although at the time I didn't like the color). I didn't know what colors I wanted to add to it, so it went untouched on the bottom of my sewing basket for years.

Now, many years later, it's finally finished.

Love you MOM! -- From me and grandma.

Easy-Peasy Skirt with a Ruffle

2012-05-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

OK, so it seems like you've seen this fabric a lot lately, but it's almost gone. I think the only think left I could make would be something for a doll. You can read about how I used this seersucker fabric here and here.

But I did have enough for an Easy-Peasy Skirt with a Ruffle added at the bottom.

To add a ruffle to the Easy-Peasy Skirt:::

Determine the length of the ruffle. This one is only about 2" finished. I think I started with a 3" piece of fabric. For the width, use twice the width of your skirt width. Sew the ruffle edge into one continuous loop, then finish the bottom edge with a nice hem. Gather the top edge of the ruffle by sewing a simple straight stitch at the top of the fabric edge using the longest stitch you have and then pulling the back (bobbin) threads. Position the gathered ruffle at the bottom of your skirt and sew together, with right sides facing. You can secure the extra ruffle fabric from the back side of the skirt by topstitching next to the seam of the ruffle.

Fruit Stripe Gum Ruffled Halter

2012-05-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

I had some of this pink/orange/yellow stripped seersucker fabric from another ruffled halter that I made for my niece's birthday, so I made a smaller version for Gwyneth. Someone commented on flickr and said that the fabric reminded them of Fruit Stripe Gum (and that's what I think of too now.) :D

The back was a little loose, but no problem!

You can read about the details of the halter here.

It will be great on hot summer days!

But for now she was having fun picking "wish flowers".

She told me you make your wish and blow the wishes (dandelion seeds) away.

What was she wishing for? . . .

A trip to Disney World to meet a princess.

Petit Pain au Chocolat

2012-05-11T12:26:00.003-05:00

When I traveled to France many years ago, one of my favorite things to eat was pain au chocolat, which literally translated means "Chocolate bread". It's really more of a croissant baked around chocolate. Super yummy! These are little versions -- and couldn't be simpler to make.

Start with a package of refrigerator crescent rolls. I'm fond of the natural brands, but any works. You'll also need a chocolate bar -- any kind that melts well.

Open up your crescent rolls and lay out the triangle shape and place a small amount of chocolate on top.

Fold up the two short corners of the triangle and pinch the seam together.

Fold up the long corner of the triangle. Remove any little extra of the dough that you don't need and pinch closed to ensure the melted chocolate stays inside. Your dough should look like a pyramid.

Bake according to manufactures directions on the crescent roll package until lightly golden brown.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let cool for at least 10 min (the chocolate inside gets really hot) and enjoy.

Bon Appetit!

Easy Peasy Skirt with Pockets

2012-05-08T12:45:00.002-05:00

This is a re-post of a guest blog I did a couple months back -- just in case you missed it!!

Spring is upon us and it's time to make some skirts! Skirts can be an easy addition to your wardrobe and easy on the wallet too -- especially if YOU make it. These skirts have great, deep pockets. So useful and practical. Every skirt should have pockets! The Easy Peasy Skirt with Pockets is simple enough for even the beginner sewer and a quick sew for a seasoned pro. The skirt I'll be showing you how to make has a stripe at the bottom. For more variations on the Easy Peasy Skirt go here!

The first thing you'll need is to measure your waist (we'll call this W) and distance from your waist to where you want the skirt to fall (we'll call this L). I wanted my skirt length to stop just below my knees so for me that was 20".

So let's determine the width of your skirt. If you want a full skirt you'll need two pieces that are W x 2. For a less full skirt do W x 1.5. I made a full skirt. Once you've determined the width of your two fabric pieces let's determine the length you'll need to cut.

If you're making a skirt out of a solid piece of fabric, you'll just take your desired length measurement add 1/2" for the bottom seam and 2.5" for the elastic casing. This casing size is enough room for a 1.5" wide elastic. If using a 1" wide elastic, you'd only have to add 2", and so on.

Because we're adding pockets, we'll be using two panels (a front piece and a back piece) to assemble our skirt. It is also useful to assemble it in two pieces if we're making a skirt for someone other than a small child.

So our final dimensions for our two panels (for a full skirt) are:
Width = W ( + 1")
Length = L + 3"

We add the one inche to the waist (W) measurement for seam allowances.

If you're making a less full skirt, the width of each of your two panels would be:
Width = (W x 0.75) + 1"

If you want to add a 4" stripe at the bottom, you'll need to change your length measurement. So for the main fabric length we take off the stripe length and add still add our 2.5" for the casing and 1/2" for a seam allowance. To the stripe length, we add 1/2" seam allowance (to sew it to the top piece) AND 1/2" for hemming at the bottom.

Main Fabric Length = (L - 4") + 3"
Stripe Fabric Length = 4" + 1" = 5"

So there you go:: You'll need to cut two pieces of each the Main Fabric and Stripe Fabric.

Main:: Width = W + 1"
           Length = (L - 4") +3"
Stripe:: Width = W + 1"
           Length = 5"

Now that you've got that cut out, you can cut out your pockets. Use the pocket template found here. (Note: If you're using the pocket template for a child size skirt, scale it down before printing.) Cut out the two pieces and tape them together overlapping the shaded portions. Cut out two pockets on the folded fabric (so you end up with four pieces).

For your elastic piece, I like it a few inches shorter than the waist measurement. You can simply put the elastic around your waist and see what feels right. Allow for an inch of overlap on each end.

Now we can start sewing!

Lay down your main fabric top piece. Pin a pocket piece 5" down from the top, right sides together (as shown). Sew in place with 1/2" seam allowance. Zig-zag the edge next to the seam you just made. Repeat on the other side of the front panel. Then repeat for the back piece.

Iron the pocket flat. Now all right sides are facing up.

Pin the bottom stripe to the bottom of the main piece, right sides together. Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance and then zig-zag or serge the raw edge.

Fold the finished edge toward the bottom stripe and iron flat.

Top stitch this down to keep it flat.

Place the bottom and top pieces together, right sides together. Pin the sides together, going around the edges of the pocket too. Sew down the side of the skirt, going around the pocket outer edge and continue to the bottom. Finish the raw edge with a zig-zag or use a serger. Repeat on the other side.

Hemming the bottom edge by folding the raw edge at the bottom of the skirt up 1/4". Press. Fold up an additional 1/4" and press. Pin in place and sew in place with a seam close to the upper edge of the fold.

Now let's finish the top. To make the casing for your elastic, fold down the top edge 2.5" and iron in place. Fold the raw edge under 1/2" and iron. Pin in place.

Sew around 1/4" from the bottom of the folded edge leaving an opening of about 3 or 4 inches unstitched. Place a safety pin at one end of the elastic and start feeding it through the hole you left in the casing. Place a safety pin at one end of the elastic and start feeding it through the hole you left in the casing.

When you've gotten the elastic all the way through the casing, pin the two ends of the elastic together with a 1" overlap and sew in place.

Tuck the elastic into the casing and sew up the opening. And you're done!

Angry Birds

2012-05-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

Connor has recently been into angry birds. He loves the games and his new favorite movie is Rio. If you haven't seen it, it's a great family movie. I love the music and colors; the kids love it all. The last time we watched Rio, he drew these pictures. Didn't he do a good job for only being six??

So while perusing the blog world I saw this post about making angry bird softies. Connor saw it and went nuts! So I made him a red angry bird and Gwyneth a girl version (where I added a bow, eyelids and eyelashes and changed the eyebrows a bit).

They were a big hit with the kids. I love how they turned out. Perhaps you may see a yellow and blue bird in the future -- and maybe even a pig or two!

Vintage Sheet Sundress

2012-05-03T15:04:00.001-05:00

I had a few bits of vintage sheets leftover from another project I'm finishing (which you'll see soon). I thought that they'd make a cute little sundress.

The dress is very similar to Gwyneth's Easter dress, but I enlarged it a bit since the Easter dress fit perfectly and I want this dress to fit all summer.

I also changed the straps so that they tie at the top.

The skirt is made up of long strips of different bits of sheets sewn together. They all have some blue in them which helped them to come together quite nicely.

Lastly I had just enough of the bodice fabric to make one pocket -- for all the flowers she picks.

Gwyneth enjoyed stomping around in the wet yard after the rain in her new dress and spiffy green rain boots. I hung out by the lilacs which where weighed down by the rain. They smelled AMAZING!!

This photo (below) had a nice surprise. A tiny little dragonfly hiding inside the lilac bush. Do you see it???

Ottoman cover

2012-05-01T10:17:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago my lovely mother-in-law asked if I could make her an ottoman cover for her. We went shopping for fabric (at Jo-Ann's) a few weeks later. She has a lovely light pink marble surrounding her fireplace and she wanted to coordinate with that.

We found this beautiful soft pink fabric with delicate white swirls in it. It wasn't too expensive and most importantly it was washable. (As she is known to watch some grandkiddos from time to time, that is an important feature.)

I started with a pattern she had (McCall's 7531) but made several modifications. I say the term pattern very loosely -- it was more of a tutorial printed in pattern form. The pattern didn't actually sew the top to the bottom piece - it was merely gathered and pinned with upholstery pins (not good for little ones like my nephew) and the bottom skirt was also tied in place with extra cording from inside the piping. Instead, I made it all one piece and attached the skirt directly so it can be easily washed and thrown back on with no effort at all.

You can see the original cover under. The cushion on top of the ottoman was sewn in place and not quite square on the top anymore. Years of use (or just a few years of abuse by certain grandkiddos) and it was a bit finicky to cover. I did also want to hide the seams in the corner pleats, so with a bit of calculations, I figured out how big my two skirt pieces should be so they'd come together and be hidden inside the corner pleats, so the bottom skirt appears to be a continuous piece.

So here's the finished ottoman -- I put it in my mother-in-law's living room yesterday. She's off on vacation in sunny CA and she'll come back to a nice surprise this weekend. Hope she likes it!

Oh and I hope you all have a . . .

HAPPY MAY DAY!!!

Scalloped Headband

2012-04-24T16:44:00.002-05:00

I'm guest blogging over at Sew Mama Sew today with a tutorial for a scalloped headband. Go on over and check it out! See you over there!

A Teeny Tiny Quilt

2012-04-21T16:09:00.002-05:00

I started making this little quilt just for fun to see if I could do really small free-motion quilting. I'm still trying to get the rhythm down (since I'm new to it), but I am really enjoying it. Gwyneth loves the little quilt and it appears her La La Loopsy dolls do to --- for a picnic

or for a nap. I love that this doll gets milk AND cookies before nap time.

The quilt measures a mere 3.5" x 2". The binding is made from the back fabric just folded over and hand stitched in place.

It was a great way to use up some very small scraps.

Ruffled Seersucker Top

2012-04-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

My niece just turned nine! Yay! Happy Birthday Jana!

She loves tank tops and sleeveless tops. I thought this ruffled halter top would be perfect. I used the free pattern from Oliver+S which you can find here.

It was quick to make and I love how it turned out. I used a striped seersucker fabric which I picked up at Jo-Ann at the end of last summer.

I finished the edges of the ruffles a little differently than the instructions. I like finished edges and I made them quickly by serging them and then folding it up and sewing into place with a straight stitch. I do have a bit more of this fabric, so perhaps you will see another top (or skirt in it soon).

Vintage Rose Dress

2012-04-11T10:58:00.000-05:00

I finished up this simple dress for Gwyneth just before Easter. I used the same fabric I used for her bunny. By the way, she named the bunny "Easter" which she told me is also his birthday.

I grabbed a few photos before she put her sweater back on. It was a bit chilly Easter morning.

This is the Flower Girl Dress from Heather Ross' book Weekend Sewing. It came together quickly and easily. Since the dress was not lined, I used french seams for the sides of the skirt to finish it nicely.

The kiddos enjoyed a little Easter egg hunt in the backyard before church.

The day before, we had dyed a lot of eggs. We ended up dying eggs for both grandparents (a total of 4 dozen eggs), but the kids loved mixing the colors and we ended up with 18 different colors, so dying all of the eggs went really quickly.

Connor made some great angry bird eggs!

Hope you all had a great Easter!

Vintage Rose Bunny

2012-04-06T13:27:00.000-05:00

Easter is fast approaching. I've got lots of things to get done. One more done now. Here's a little bunny for Gwyneth. I found this vintage-looking rose fabric at a fabric store closing a few years ago and managed to grab a couple yards before it was all gone. I thought it would make a beautiful Lovely Lil Bunny.

There's still time to make a bunny of your own! Check out the pattern in my shop. You can use the coupon code "EASTER10" through Monday, April 9th to save 10% on everything in my shop.

HAPPY EASTER!!

The Aliens Have Landed

2012-04-04T06:50:00.000-05:00

. . . . on Connor's head!

I finally finished knitting up this little hat for Connor. Isn't it too cute?? I realize that it's been unseasonably warm, so it will just go into the box of winter stuff for next year.

This adorable hat is the Area 51 hat from SugarLane. It comes in a variety of sizes and is easy to make.

I did modify the original pattern slightly. Instead of a rolled edge, I made a seed stitch edge by alternating rows of knit-purl-knit-purl with purl-knit-purl-knit. It's one if my favorite simple knit edges.

Have a great day!

A Little Garden

2012-03-27T14:13:00.000-05:00

I had this idea for a little garden to sit on our table. It easy to make and the kids got involved too. They love playing with it and it makes a great centerpiece for the table. On Easter morning there will be colorful eggs sitting in there.

For this little garden, I picked up eight of these squares of grass at Michaels. If you choose, you can grow your own grass in a tray and make your fence the size of your tray. We used all artificial grass and flowers (since I'm allergic to grass and lots of plants.) Plus then you don't have to worry about watering the grass -- something I would forget to do (and my children would do in abundance).

Each is 4" x 4", I chose my garden size to be 8" x 16". So I cut a piece of wood the same size, 8" x 16" x 1".

Using craft sticks start to make a bit of the fence. Reinforce with horizontally placed sticks. I used hot glue to make the project quick. The craft sticks I used measured 4.5" x 5/8". I used almost 100 of them.

Start attaching your sections of fence to the bottom board securing with hot glue.

Continue until you've covered the whole thing. If you have any small holes that are too small for one craft stick, you can easily cut it to fit the hole.

Hold the craft stick up to your hole and mark it with a pencil. Grab an craft knife and score it along your pencil line. Bend the craft stick and it should break pretty cleanly along your scored line.

Take the piece you just cut and glue it into your hole.

Next paint your fence - you could use spray paint or just some acrylic paint. I had two eager little helpers so we used acrylic paint.

When it's all dry, place your grass in the garden.

If you like, add a few silk flowers by just tucking them into the grass. If you have real grass, you could tuck in a few real flowers too. It's also a great place for some Easter eggs!

Enjoy!

Easy-Peasy Skirts with Pockets

2012-03-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

It's hard not to get excited about the unseasonably warm weather we're having. One of my favorite things to make during spring is skirts. So here's another variation on the Easy-Peasy Skirts -- one with pockets!

Every skirt should have pockets. They are so useful and practical. This skirt has nice deep pockets.

The fabrics used here are from Lisette, which you can find at Jo-Ann. They are incredibly soft and feel so nice to wear. The top fabric is a Sateen and the bottom, Poplin, but they worked nicely together.

I added a stripe at the bottom and used the same fabric for the pockets. I know those pockets will come in handy, especially with two little kiddos.

So go check out the full tutorial over at Everything Etsy! Hope to see you over there!

I think I can . . . I think I can . . .

2012-03-19T15:23:00.000-05:00

In a recent order from Amazon, I added a little something for me --- a 1/4" foot. If you don't know what that is here's a picture of it:

Since joining the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild, I've really started quilting more. Mind you not everything is completely finished (lots of tops), but I'm getting there. I just used a standard foot for piecing my blocks, but I knew it would be faster with a 1/4" foot.

I set out to make a 36 patch block. This is the tutorial I used (from one of my quilt guild friends). Anyhow -- I really didn't think about it. I just put on the foot and sewed it up. At the end I measured and oops, not big enough.

Well, I moved the needle over to as far as looked safe and tried again. OK, bigger, but still not quite right.

Finally I moved the needle over a bit more (even though it really looked like the needle was being pushed over by the foot, and finally I got the right size block. I totally felt like the little engine that could while I tried to figure this out. But now I know the perfect settings for my 1/4" foot and I'm off!!!

Lovely Lil Bunny . . . THE PATTERN!!

2012-03-09T18:33:00.000-06:00

It's finally here! My very first pattern. Meet the Lovely Lil Bunny.

These little bunnies are very quick to make (in an hour or less). They require only one fat quarter of fabric and a small bit of fleece.

They have a sweet embroidered face to make it the perfect friend for children of all ages. I hope you will love it as much as I do.

They have fuzzy fleece ears, tummy and tail and they love to be cuddled.

They measure approximately 14.5" to the top of the ears. The pattern is available in PDF format and is available in my Etsy shop. The 23 page PDF includes pattern pieces that can be printed on 8.5" x 11" paper directly from your computer and includes step-by-step instructions and lots of color photos.

This bunny will be perfect for your little one's Easter basket. You can order your pattern HERE.

I am so excited to finally get one of my patterns out. There are many more to come (including some handbags, totes and quilts).

Not a sewer or don't think you've got time before Easter??? Finished Lovely Lil Bunnies are also available to purchase in my Etsy shop. They are made with 100% wind power. All scraps are recycled and they are shipped in 100% recyclable and/or compostable materials. Hop on over and check out my shop.

Replacing a Broken ZIpper

2012-03-03T11:47:00.000-06:00

We've all had a zipper break on us -- whether in a coat or a bag, a broken zipper makes a perfectly good piece of clothing (or backpack) unusable. Did you know that replacing a zipper is quite simple? It is. Really. Here's how you do it!

I made this backpack for Connor right before he started kindergarten. It was great, but now that he's in first grade (and it's winter), he constantly stuffs his backpack full of his binder, library books, lunch bag, shoes and sometimes even his snow pants. The stitching held up really well -- so well that it was the zipper that finally broke. Time to replace it!

Note: These simple instructions are for removing a zipper in a backpack (with lining), but the same steps can be used to replace a separating zipper in a coat or anything else!

Start by grabbing a seam ripper. I love the one in the photo. It's actually a small sharp blade so it makes it really fast to remove stitches (however, it can cut through your fabric just as easily).

Remove all of the stitches holding in your zipper. Try to keep the fabric folded as it was when it was sewn. This will make it easier later.

The ends of this zipper are enclosed in fabric so we'll have to remove a bit of stitching at each end too.

Keep going until you can completely remove the zipper. Remove any bits of thread that are left behind. At this point, I like to measure the zipper which needs to be replaced and go to the store and get a new one.

I chose a heavy duty zipper. Connor's a bit tough on this backpack and it needed a tougher zipper. Start pinning the zipper in place, keeping your fabric edge folded like it was before.

If your bag/coat is lined, make sure that as you pin the top piece, the lining gets pinned in place too and it doesn't get in the way of the zipper.

You can test your zipper as you're pinning. If it still opens smoothly, you're ok!

Repeat the pinning for the other side of the zipper. Now grab a needle and thread and baste (simply stitch in place using a large running stitch) by hand. Remove the pins as you go. When you're done basting, make sure the zipper still opens and closes smoothly.

On your sewing machine using the zipper foot, sew in the zipper close to the edge of the fold of fabric. If you don't have a sewing machine, you can sew this by hand - just use small stitches.

Once that's sewn in, remove your basting stitches.

And you've done it! You've replaced a zipper! You'll be amazed at the amount of money you can save if you learn this useful skill. Happy sewing!

Knitted Green Hat

2012-03-01T14:44:00.000-06:00

I knitted up this simple green hat for my husband. It was knit in the round (my favorite kind of knitting) -- it's so simple and super fast.

I used no pattern. Just started knitting and here it is! It actually fits him too! Yay!

Apple Squash Soup

2012-02-27T12:10:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted a recipe in a long time. I make this soup a lot -- it's one of my husband's favorites. I thought I'd share it with you.

I love the combination of apple and squash. We get a crop share of veggies with a local farmer every summer and fall and I always look forward to the variety of squashes we get. For this soup, I typically use butternut squash -- but it can be made with any variety. I've used acorn squash and some odd and beautiful ones from the farm (which I have no idea of their name).

OK, you'll need:

Butternut (or other squash)
Apples, 2 large, peeled and sliced
Onions, 2 medium, chopped
Chicken Broth (enough to cover)
Cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by preparing the squash. Cut off the ends of the squash - cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place face down in a shallow pan with a little water. Bake the squash at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes. Allow to cool. (Note: If you're short on time, you can do this step ahead of time or simply remove the skin of the squash and dice the uncooked squash -- you can add this directly to the soup, but increase cooking time.)

In a large stockpot, add a little olive oil and saute your chopped onions until they are soft and somewhat translucent.

Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add this to the stockpot. Add your apples that have been peeled and sliced. Add enough broth to cover.

Add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes. When the soup is done, puree with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches.

Enjoy!

Simple Potholders

2012-02-24T19:46:00.000-06:00

I finished up these little pot holders today. Nothing fancy.

Got to practice a bit of free motion quilting.

And use up some little bits of fabric - even scraps of seam binding.

There wasn't quite enough -- so I improvised adding a loop in a different print and some buttons.

I added a pocket to make them easier to use.

Now they're hanging in my kitchen -- ready to go!

Four's a Charm

2012-02-20T11:12:00.000-06:00

When my good friend Annik over at Mini Mushroom started a quilt-a-long for her Four's a Charm quilt, I quickly joined in. Another friend of mine had just had a little baby girl and it seemed like the perfect gift.

I chose rich colors for the quilt to match my friends' living room. I also tried out a bit of free motion quilting on the center blocks. I think I'm getting the hang of it. (I only had to rip out one section and redo it.)

The finished quilt size is 40" x 40" so I could use one piece of fabric for the back. This pretty green floral came from my stash. The charm squares are from Domestic Bliss by Moda. The brown sashing is Kona Cotton in Chocolate Brown.

The quilt was very quick to make up (especially with the use of charm packs). I think I spent more time planning out the layout than the construction of the top. I love how it turned out -- now to deliver it to my friend and meet her little baby girl!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Hope you're all having a great day. It's beautiful here -- fresh snow on the ground (finally) and the sun is shining.

I finished up a little Valentine's tee for Gwyneth this morning. I just took a cute striped tee from Target and added an applique to it. I made the applique using my Sweet Little T-shirt Applique tutorial (but used the negative image) -- to make it a little different.

Gwyneth enjoyed her shirt (and the sunshine too). Her daddy gave her some pink tulips for Valentine's day. She loved them too!

Hope you all have a great day!!!