Sunday Sevens – Happy First Day of Spring

Posted on March 20, 2016 by

Yay for Spring and Sunday Sevens. A fun collection of photos to share from our week. Learn the details to join in from Nat over at Threads & Bobbins.

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I am making a side-saddle apron for a woman who is involved in a neighboring county historical society. I like to challenge myself. And this has proven to be quite the challenge. In the meantime I have a saddle in my living room. At least, it matches my color scheme.

   


The weather this week was beautiful. I tried to spend as much time out as I could manage. The dog and I enjoyed some of the flowers on our walks.

Bright blue skies –

 

Flowers by the creek –  

Other people’s beautiful camellias –  

We planted this tulip magnolia a couple of years ago. It is pretty this year. I can’t wait until it’s full grown. I love these trees –   

Our poor, pitiful camellia. We have had this for years and it only manages a bloom or two per year. It looks good all Fall and WInter and then just before Spring it starts to get bare. At first, I thought it was a fungus or something that was causing it. Now we have decided that it is in fact deer. They typically don’t eat these but, because this one is smaller and maybe more tender when the supply of food is low they head for my poor plant. This Spring we have 2 blooms! –

 

I like to joke that we bought this house because of the abundance of daffodils. I look forward to this display of color in our backyard every year.

 
And along with the first day of Spring it is Hubby and my’s anniversary. The feature photo is one of my gifts. Mmmmm, chocolate! When we got married 17 years ago. We also closed on this house the same week and moved in the following weekend. Crazy to think of now. Planning a wedding and moving all at once — with seven of our eight blended kids no less. Crazy, I tell you! (Chocolate, anyone?)

Happy Spring everyone!!! Hope everyone has a great week ahead.
  

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A Tisket, A Tasket. A Little Easter Basket

Posted on March 15, 2016 by

  
I really enjoy making little fabric boxes from scraps of fabric and pieces of felt. I have also become a huge fan of enclosed seams. They are quick and easy. I often whip these out for a quick project in my sewing classes. Sometimes you just need something fun to complete now!

So, while laying awake I realized I can easily add a handle to these simple fabric boxes and create a basket. 

To make this box/basket all you need is some fabric and a rectangle of poly felt. You certainly could use wool felt but, I like the available colors and the price of the poly felt. It made me feel a little better to see it was made from post consumer plastic bottles.

  
I cut my fabric to the same 9X12 inch piece of felt. I then cut 2 1/2 X 9 inches off one end of both for the handle. With the right side facing the felt I stitched a 1/4 inch seam on each 9 inch side of the handle.

  
  
It seems to work best to trim the felt to 1/8 inch in the seam allowance before turning. 

Give the turned handle a good press after turning right sides out. Stitch close to the seamed edges and again across the handle using the pressed foot as your guide for each line of stitching.

  
Now for the box/basket construction. Lay your piece of felt down then the handle centered along the 9 inch edge with the right side facing up and pin in place. 

  Then lay your fabric facing down (right sides together) on top. The handle will be sandwiched inside.

 
Time to trim out the corners. Draw a 2 inch square out from each corner of your box sandwich and cut both fabric and felt square together.

 
Stitch 1/4 inch along the longer edges on all four sides. Leave the cut corners unstitched until later.

  
Trim the felt part of the seam allowance to 1/8 inch like you did with the handle.

 
Turn the box right side out through one of the corner cut outs.

 

  Top stitch around the top edge. It can feel a little fiddley with the handle but, just move it out of the way.

With the felt sides touching create a boxed corner. Pin in place. Repeat for all four corners.  Stitch close to the edge. Trim felt and fabric to create a very narrow seam allowance.

   

Turn your box inside out and stitch just to the inside edge of the corner seams. See photo below.

 

Turn right side out and trim threads. You are done. Fill your basket with eggs, candies or treats.

 
This is a quick, easy and cute project for Easter. 

  
What type of Easter or Spring sewing are you doing?

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Sunday Sevens – At It Again

Posted on March 13, 2016 by

I surprised myself as I didn’t think that I had enough photos to add to the Sunday Sevens this week. Of course, you don’t need seven photos nor do you need to post every week. It’s simply a casual way for bloggers to connect and share their weeks and this whole thing was created by Nat over at Threads & Bobbins. So have a look and join in the fun if you choose. No pressure.

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1 – This post is Spring heavy…’cause like many of you (even across the pond) Spring has Sprung and I am fully enjoying it.

  
2 – Mr. Fox came to pay us a visit. He has been making a regular appearance just to remind me that I cannot have backyard chickens. Oh, no I can’t! There were also reports of a possibly rabid fox in the north end of town biting people and stealing scarves. Our fox does not sport a scarf so, he does not have rabies.

  
3 – More signs of Spring.

  
4 – I made these wall decorations for my sewing room. I am feeling better about my space and more organized.

  
5 – I am still trying to find tiles to add to the ones I already purchased for my kitchen. I really want to finish my various projects around the house. I found these black tiles and decided they would work with the countertops. And 20 tiles cost me less than $5.00. I just couldn’t pass it up.

  
6 – Another sign of Spring. The scooter is washed up and it needed a new battery. I finally got to take it out for a spin. Yay!   AND I put the snow shovels away!!!!

  
7 – My hubby takes the dog for walks up on a trail and once in a while I will go along. The trail is on part of the university grounds. There is an observatory there. Walking and biking trails. Some people run the trails. Lots of people walk there dogs there. Some group (environmentalists? Arborist?) tagged many of the trees. To identify them, I guess.

  
That’s about all for my week. Busy week coming ahead. I hope everyone has a great week!!

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Sunday Sevens – March Brings Changes

Posted on March 6, 2016 by

Welcome to Sunday Sevens. A weekly opportunity to share with other blogs the goings on in our weeks. Natalie at Threads and Bobbins is our lovely host. You should go check her out and join the fun.

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My week went a bit like this:

  
1 – I have several yards of this fabric and pulled it out of my stash to make tote bags with the American Sewing Guild group of youth sewing that I am starting up here in our town.  The girls that joined us brought their own fabrics to use. So I decided to make up one of the bags for my own use. It is almost Spring after all. Time for something new and bright. I have also decided that this fabric will become new pillows for my couch. (Any day now)

  
2 – Sewing sessions wrapped up this week. Time to sort thru and take home some of the leftovers and get ready for the next sessions that begin — this week. We had enough inclement weather that the sessions are running back-to-back where as I usually have a week or two off between to prepare for the next.   

 
3 – Another sign of Spring’s arrival. These are at the farm supply store. I love to go look. I would love to have chickens but, we have too many hawks, fox, raccoons and such in our neighborhood. I heard the fox calling last night as a reminder. But, aren’t they cute?

  
4 – We have a mid-week labyrinth walk at the church I attend. I try to make it every week. It helps keep me grounded. Spring time is a favorite time of mine to go to walk as I can see the changes from week to week in the gardens around the labyrinth.

  
5 – Hubby and I went out for sushi. It wasn’t as good as what we enjoy on our trips to New Jersey but, enjoyable just the same. I love the little tea pot.

  
6 – I have begun working on a quilt for my father-in-law to take with him to use during his dialysis treatments. The sweatshirt was my husband’s. They are both Marines. Like father, like son. We were hoping to find t-shirts in the traditional colors of scarlet and gold to use. They don’t seem to be available any longer. So, I bought knit fabric in the appropriate colors. I will blog more about this soon.

  
7 – I drove my daughter and her boy friend around some of the old neighborhoods in our town. He is an architectural history major at UVA and not from our town so he likes to get a tour now and then.  This is in the Woolen Mills area. And I don’t seem to be able to rotate it in the mobile version of WordPress. Ugh! (Turn heads to left shoulder)

The feature photo is hopefully the last snowfall of the season. It was pretty as it clung to the trees. Not the roads. And melted very quickly. That’s how all snow should fall in my opinion…whatever that is worth.

That’s it for my week. It always amazes me how busy I am when I look back. And this is only reporting a part of all that really goes on. Hope you all have a fabulous and productive week.

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Meet What’s-Her-Face.

Posted on March 2, 2016 by

I have been working hard as suddenly the doors have opened wider to my teaching sewing opportunities. I have had a lot of help as one of my current student’s mom has spread the word of my class offerings to her neighbors that she knew had children who were interested in learning to sew. She even coordinated the days so I could come to their neighborhood and spend one hour at one house doing a lesson and then I move right next door to another house to do a second lesson. I don’t know which is harder, planning a series of lessons or coordinating the schedules of busy kids and their families. So, I really appreciate her help. I have acquired 3 new students through her efforts.

So when I have some extra time I have been enjoying a little personal play sewing. I purchased My Felt Doll Book. I have had a lot of fun in the past making stuffed toys and dolls. I wanted to try some more. 

  
I apologize but, I don’t seem to be able to leave things well enough alone as they are. I wanted a slightly larger doll so I enlarged the pattern a bit and began sewing up the main body of my doll. As I was working on assembling her (I definitely decided it would be a “her”) I was trying to imagine what her face would look like. I hand embroidered her eyes and facial features. And what personality she would develope through those facial expressions. And what style she would had.

 She did get another leg. Isn’t she cute? Some of my embroidery floss tails moved around a big on the inside of her face as I was stuffing her and they seemed to create some weird lines in her complexion. My daughter said that it made her look “old”. I was looking at yarns for hair and spotted a gray and black fun fur yarn and knew it had to be for my doll’s hair. 

  
It almost looks purple in this lighting. I love it thou. Now I need to develope her “style” and give her a name. Any suggestions will be considered and appreciated.

 Have any of you made dolls? Do you find it fun to create a personality in a doll? Please share with me.

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Sunday Sevens

Posted on February 28, 2016 by

I had the honor of hosting Flat Stanley for the past two weeks for a project for one of my grandson’s preschool class. He chose to send it to me because I live near to the mountains and he lives on the coast of North Carolina. Althou, I was sick for part of his visit and we had some rather rainy weather, between Aunt Morgan and myself I think that Flat Stanley had some awesome adventures.

   
Flat Stanley with a bust of Edgar Allen Poe at the University of Virginia.

  
He also enjoyed hanging out with the books in one of the libraries.

 

Finally a nice day to drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is where it starts. I hoped the elevation would impress the preschoolers, if nothing else. It was rather cold and windy.  

 
The peach orchard is just beginning to show a hint of red on it’s tender branches. A hopeful sign that Spring is on it’s way.

   
We then ventured up the reservoir to see how full the streams were from all the rain. It’s so pretty up in this area. One of my favorite spots.

   
Lots of water coming over the dam.

The water was such a beautiful color. Wish it had been a bit warmer. The dog and Flat Stanley wanted to go for a hike.

I think Flat Stanley enjoyed his visit. Can’t wait to see how this project turns out in my grandson’s class.

  
More toys arrived for me this week too. I am hoping that this will be helpful for some of my classes that I am teaching. I am up to holding as many as 6 classes per week and an American Sewing Guild group for kids that is meeting once per month. It’s so awesome!

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Sunday Sevens is a fun way to share our lives outside of blogging and if you want to join in or see what other’s are up to take a jump on over to Natalie’s blog Threads & Bobbins to get the scoop. I have met some really cool people. Have a great week.

 

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Another Sunday Sevens

Posted on February 7, 2016 by

Only have 6 to share this week. So, I will make it quick and sweet.

 1 – My parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. I sent them is Edible Arrangement. 2 of the pineapples are suppose to be cut into the numbers “60”.

  
2 – Halarious Hilda is a bit green around the gills and drippy in this winter weather. I feel ya honey!

 

3 – Car wash time. I call this structure the Dinosaur Bones Car Wash.   
4 – View from my desk one day at work.

 
5 – During the wonderfully, warm summer months the Impatients on my deck reseeded themselves into the potted orchid. One has managed to begin to bloom indoors. A very welcome surprise. 

  

6 – I made a warm cup of tomato soup and a gluten-free grilled cheese. My idea of “Comfort Food”. Aaahh!

 
Sunday Seven is a weekly collection of photos from our daily lives. Natalie over at Threads & Bobbins has all the details and you can join in at any time. 

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I hope that everyone has a wonderful week ahead. I love staying in touch with all of you.

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