Time for Sewing - March

I didn't get any sewing in, but Destini has been working hard on her quilt that she will turning in to a competition at the end of April. She is up to the point of putting the quilt top together and then it will be on to quilting the top. Here are some pictures of what she has done so far.

1. Sewing. 2.Spool quilt blocks. 3. Finished quilt blocks.

4.Laying out the spools for her quilt top. 5. Quilt top strips. 

She has sashing to put on the sides and then she will have a 

completed quilt top.

Linking up:

Time for Sewing - February

I have trying to be intentional in making time to sew. I was successful in January and February also turned out to be a great month for sewing. Thanks to our snowstorm we experienced two weeks ago I ended up having quite a bit of time to sew. This month I not only sewed up fabric from my stash, but I re-made and fixed a few things that have been sitting by my sewing machine for far too long! In this very lengthy post I am sharing the results.

Delani's "Valentine's" Skirt:

 

 I made this skirt for Delani and actually used fabric from my stash that I had originally bought years ago to make a skirt for Destini. Yeah, I've had it that long!! The Tween & Teen Flared Skirt PDF pattern is from YouCanMakeThis.com. I love the look of this skirt, but the fit is a little off. I got to thinking that maybe I'm not printing the pattern off correctly so next time I am going to be paying attention to that.

Summer skirt for Delani:

 

I started this skirt last summer and had got to gathering the skirt and attaching it to the top of the skirt when I bought a new sewing machine. Needless to say it sat on my sewing table gathering dust until this month. It is very springy so Delani will have to wait a month or two to add to her wardrobe. This skirt is the Bridget Skirt Sewing Card from Valori Wells Designs. 

The Mary Engelbreit Skirts:

Destini (left) & Delani (right)

In 2011 my mom gave me the black and pink pieces of Mary Engelbreit fabric to make one of my girls, who were 11 & 3, a skirt. Later I found another black piece on clearance and made both girls a skirt. This skirt turned out to be Destini's favorite skirt. She has worn it so much now it is very soft and doesn't need ironing anymore. When we look at pictures taken over the last few years more than half  of them have her wearing this skirt. It is our big joke that it is the only skirt she owns. 

 Last year my mom found more of the black fabric in her stash and sent it out. I still had the pink fabric and the cherry fabric was still available at JoAnn's. My intention was to make the skirts last summer, but that didn't happen. This month I sat down and made both skirts for the girls who are now 14 & 5. I used my favorite pattern, Butterfly Kisses Olivia Skirt Pattern.

I did make adjustments to add the pink strip above the bottom band. Destini is too big for the pattern so I just added to the measurements in 1/4" increments. When I finished it the first time it was a tad long, so I took off the bottom band, cut off some of the pink fabric, and sewed the bottom band back on. Now it only needs washed 100 more times to get to the softness of her first skirt and we have another bunch of years of looking at her in the same skirt!

Re-makes:

I bought these jumpers (plus a pile more) last year for a great clearance price last year. Last March I turned two into skirts, but never got around to the other two I had. During the storm I sat down and cut of the tops of the jumper, sewed the elastic around the top, tacked it down, and viola--new skirts!

 

I found this skirt at Goodwill for Destini, but it was too big in the waist. The ruffles made it impossible to take it in along the side seam, so I just settled on sewing a piece of elastic from one side of the zipper to the other. From the front it doesn't look the nicest, but her shirt covers it and it does hand nicely on her. She loves it. I consider this month a great month in the sewing department.

I'm not sure what next month will bring. Destini will be making a quilt for student convention and it will probably be the main focus. Here is a glimpse of what is to come:

 

I am linking up:

Time for Sewing - January

One of my goals this year is to give more time to my sewing. I have been able to find a little time this month and was able to two skirts for Delani and also an apron as a belated Christmas present for my SIL. Here are my final products:

1. Apron - I used See & Sew B5125 to make this. This is not a pattern I will probably make any time soon, though now that I've made it I have a much better idea of what not to do! The utensil fabric is I bought purposely for my SIL, but it has sat in my drawer for over a year. The polka dot is a piece I bought just because you can always use polka dots and it ended up matching really well.

2. Skirt 1 - This is made with my go-to skirt pattern for my girls, Butterfly Kisses Olivia Skirt Pattern. The fabric is Heidi Grace from Joann's. I am not a big fan of JoAnn's cotton fabrics, but I really like these prints. I wish on this skirt I had made the middle section from the blue floral and put the pink band on the bottom, but I had already bought the fabric to make the skirt the way it is made and so it had to remain that way.

3. Skirt 2 - This is a corduroy skirt. Again the fabric is from JoAnn's. I found the top piece on clearance a few months ago and could not pass it up. (I have a closet full of fabric, but you don't pass up corduroy at $3 a yard!) My main thought was that I was going to just keep the fabric until I decided exactly what I wanted to make from it. After Christmas I went in and found the bottom piece of the skirt on the clearance rack. It was from the same line as the top piece so that clinched the deal for making this skirt. I still have more of the top piece that I may make something for Destini, but that is yet to be determined.

I am linking up:

Football and a Crafty Idea!

Fall means football and listening to NFL and college football is big in this house!! When I first met my husband he had to teach me how to understand the game since I was totally clueless. I did my part keeping up with football for awhile until my boys were big enough to take over.

When Chantry was 3 he decided that the St. Louis Rams were his team. I'm not sure where this came from since we live in Oregon, but that was who he picked. So now our team loyalties are quite divided. My husband and Caleb go for the Seahawks, Chantry for the Rams, and I don't really care until the Green Bay Packers (my Wisconsin roots) play the Seahawks and then I go for the Packers. I know, I'm ornery!

So you are probably wondering where this post is heading. Well, with all this football loving it is easy to make my guy's day with a new Seahawks (or Rams) shirt and though Chantry will wear a Seahawks shirt the Rams is "his" team. Since we live in Oregon it isn't very easy to find football gear for my little Rams lover.

Thankfully, my parents are in the mid-west and occasionally make a trip to St. Louis. Several years ago Chantry had received a Rams shirt for a gift. He has worn this shirt for quite a while now and I finally had to tell him that it had to go since what had originally been a long sleeved shirt was now a 3/4 length shirt and it was just too small. Actually in the picture below it was already too short in the arms and he wore it for another year and half longer. So you can imagine how little it was on him now.

While folding up for the last time I really didn't have it in my heart to get rid of it, but how much stuff can you store? I decided to see if I could turn it into a pillow. Off I went to JoAnn's and found a little pillow form and came home and cut out the shirt, serged up the sides, stuffed it in, finished sewing the closure and had a pillow. The fun part was I didn't tell him what I was going to do so it was a total surprise for him and definitely made his day.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Clothing (Or the 'Hidden Art' of Sewing)

{Affiliate links enclosed.}

 

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Chapter 12
 

I entered this this jumper I made into the County Fair and won
Best in Division and Best of Show.

This chapter Mrs. Schaeffer talks about creativity in our clothing and covers quite a multitude of topics that could leave me writing for days and could even get quite controversial, so I am just going to talk about a few things.

"Is it not important that a Christian represent in his clothes, the One in whose image he is made?...Is there any reason why a child of the One who designed, created, brought forth and clothed the flowers should set out to look ugly and drab? Are we representing Him by being unattractive?" p. 186

Many years ago I realized I had some outfits in my closet that just had to go. They were only good for maybe painting, and since I don't paint there wasn't any point in owning them. I begin to take more care with the clothes that I brought into my house and to honestly ask myself if it was something I really loved or not. If not, then I didn't bring it home.

I have became more secure in "my" style rather than what the latest fashion is. I am a shirt & skirt kind of girl.  When I layer something it is usually only a sweater and that means it is winter. Also, during the winter I rely heavily on tights to keep my legs warm, but always with cute shoes.

Another thing that we do in our house is that on Sundays the kids dress up for church. I know there isn't Scripture for it, but we are trying to instill in our children a respect for God and His house. Call it old fashioned, but it hasn't hurt my kids one bit. In fact, they love to dress up for church.

All dressed up for church. Skirts made my mom.

Creativity...as, in this area of clothing, some people have their 'hidden talent', their 'hidden art' which should be expressed and fulfilled. Some people have an ability for designing, cutting, sewing, tailoring, fitting, doing handwork, embroidering, knitting and crocheting, as well as weaving cloth in the first place! - p. 187-188

Creativity, beauty and aesthetic taste are all employed in her own dressing and in the clothing of her family. p.191

The finished products give satisfaction too, both in the sheer fulfillment of accomplishment, and in the usefulness of the finished garment. p. 191-192

Mrs. Schaeffer lists a long lists of 'hidden talents' of which I can only do a few, but these are ones that I really enjoy doing. I love to sew skirts and dresses for my daughters. While others are cooking up a storm in the kitchen I would much rather be in the sewing room making something. My girls are always excited when they know the mom is making them something.  So here is just a small sampling of my creativity in this area and something I truly love to do.
 

Different skirts I've made for my girls over the last couple of years.

 

My latest creation.

 



More from this series:

Chapter 1 (The First Artist)
Chapter 2 (What is Hidden Art?)
Chapter 3 (Music)
Chapter 4 (Painting, Sketching, Sculpturing)
Chapter 5 - Part 1 (Interior Decoration)
Chapter 5 - Part 2 (Interior Decoration)
Chapter 6 (Gardens and Gardening)
Chapter 7 (Flower Arrangements)
Chapter 8 (Food)
Chapter 9 (Prose & Poetry)
Chapter 10 - Drama (Part I)
Chapter 10 - Drama (Part II)
Chapter 11 - Creative Recreation

I am linking up with Cindy at Ordo Amoris.

Easter Skirts (and more)!

Easter is always a time I feel the need to sew something for my girls. I had fabric picked out to make Destini a skirt and Delani a dress, but since I never found a dress pattern that I really liked I ended just making them both skirts. Both of the girls' skirts were made from an Amy Butler fabric that I bought on clearance earlier this year.

 



Delani loving her twirly skirt.

 



A closer view. 

 

My sweet Destini is growing up way too fast!


I put a small ruffle on the bottom.
I will not tell you how long it took me to gather it up,
but I am now determined to learn to use my ruffler foot!


Easter candy & a book! Caleb received another Scout book,
Destini's is the next Swallows and Amazon's book, Delani's book is
The Three Billy Goat Gruffs (Galdone), and Chantry's is a Usborne book on Warships.


Right before heading off to church.


Easter Sunday 2013

Clothing Remodel: Jumper into a Skirt

 

I found several of these jumpers on clearance at The Children's Place. I wasn't really crazy about the jumper, but I loved all the ruffles on the skirt. Another thing I didn't like was that the size 5/6 was almost too short on her. I meandered around the story for awhile trying to rack my brain what I could do with the jumpers, especially since they were sale for around $4 a piece. Finally, it hit me that if I cut off right at the top of the underarms that I could sew it down, run a piece of elastic through it and voilà I would have a skirt.

When I brought them home Delani wanted it as a jumper and I let her wear one of them. I finally got around to trying my idea and thankfully it work. When Delani saw it as a skirt she quickly brought back the one she had worn and told me she wanted that made into a skirt, too. It didn't take much time. I spent more work ripping out a small part of the side seams where a tie belt was sewn in than in putting in casing for the elastic.  I completed a black and gray skirts and have a navy and hot pink ones to finish. The best part is that Delani loves her new skirts and they look too stinking cute!

Showing off her gray skirt.

Great for twirling!!!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: Happy 2013!

1. Caleb with his triple decker peanut butter sandwich. 2. Delani's new skirt. 3. Posing!
4. New fabric!!!! 5. Books I plan to read in 2013.

In my life this week…
It has been a couple weeks since I posted an update of the happenings in our house. Due to my husband's job and with Christmas and New Years falling on Tuesday it upsets our household a bit since he has to work on Saturday of these weeks. I always spent these two weeks confused on what day of the week it really is!

We had a real low key New Year's Day. Shade and boys were immersed in all things college football and the girls played. I went out shopping for a little bit and brought home some more fabric for spring skirts and dresses. Later we ordered in pizza and we finished it off with apple bars and pumpkin roll.

I spent a lot of time doing some sewing when I wasn't fighting a cold and the crud. When I started to get sick I had a hard time focusing on my sewing and  some of the projects I wanted to do went by the wayside, but I still got quite a bit accomplished. I was able to make a skirt for Delani but my biggest accomplishment was making bedding for the trundle bed that we had my FIL make for Delani's Christmas present.

I put cut foam to put in the beds and then covered them in green striped ticking fabric. I had the hardest time getting these to fit just right. The first one I did was too small and then the other ones were too big (sigh). I finally left them a little big and started working on the fitted sheets. These weren't a piece of cake either. The green one turned out better than the pink one since I did that one second. The quilts, pillows and pillowcases were the easiest. This was the first quilt I've ever made with binding. Outside of the ticking fabric I used fabric I already had in my stash which made me very happy. (Tutorials used: Trundle Bed, boxed cushion, fitted sheet, pillows & pillow cases, & quilt)

6. Trundle bed with green ticking mattress covers. 7. Fitted sheets and pillows.
8. Finished with quilts. 9. Good night, Lizzy & Belle!

In our homeschool this week…
I actually had dreams of starting school this week, but personally I couldn't face it yet. My kids didn't need a break, but I did! On Wednesday though I announced that Math and free reads would start back up. Caleb also started up Spanish. Next week we are back at it full force.

I am inspired by…
A new year!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Outside of church and running errands we have been homebodies.

My favorite thing this week was…
Sewing and using my new Kitchen Aid hand mixer which my mom and dad blessed me with for Christmas.

Questions/thoughts I have…
Why do I need about two weeks off of schooling before I feel rejuvenated enough to do anything creative? I'd be a terrible candidate for year round schooling.

Things I’m working on…
The L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge for 2013.
My reading goals for 2013.
Taking down the Christmas decorations. I know many people already have their down, but we wait due to Shade's odd work schedule.

I’m reading…


Also check out the books I read in 2012 and my Top Reads of 2012.

I’m cooking…

• Quesadillas
• Spaghetti
• Breakfast for dinner
• Apple Bars
• Pumpkin Rolls

I’m grateful for…
My church family.

I’m praying for…
Revival in our country and churches.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
I wasn't able to share before Christmas due to these being surprise, but these are the gifts I made before Christmas.

10 & 11. For my nephew: a car carrier with road and pockets to store them in.

12 & 13. A sewing case for traveling which I made for my mom since she does travel with her sewing. 14. A skirt for Destini.

I am linking up at: