April sewing :)

I didn't fare very well sewing or blogging wise in April - I don't even really know what I did the whole month, lol.  I did get a few projects finished though, and now the weather is finally warming up so maybe my hibernation will be over :D

Our twin greats (niece & nephew) turned 3 early in the month, and I made them each a drawstring backpack.  I'm hoping that their mom sends me a picture of the kids wearing them - she HAS to be a better photographer than I am, lol. 

Hubby modelling the floral backpack :D

DS2 modelling the shark backpack :)

Floral backpack :)

Shark backpack :)

In March I stitched a set of dinosaur fabric baskets for a Christmas gift - this month I used the last of the fabric and made one more basket for the set -- this latest one is the 8" size (the others are the 7", 6" and 5" size).

The newest basket, the 8" size :)

Inside of the basket - all of them have a covered plastic canvas removable base :)

Here's the entire set of 4 baskets :)

Another view of the set :)

That set turned out well so I made another one (another Christmas gift) - can you say ... busting stash?  Each set took a meter of outer and a meter of lining fabric, plus I had scraps left over to make a few zipper bags :)

I call this the Roadway set, which includes the 8", 7", 6" and 5" size baskets :)

As with the dinosaur set, each basket has a covered plastic canvas base for sturdiness :)

They stack together so nicely :)

My efforts to work on new-to-me projects didn't go well this month - I only got around to doing ONE new project, and it's tiny, lol (6.5" tall, 5" wide).  Cute, though!

This little gal will go to Blue Hills :)

Now - providing I haven't missed the deadlines (like I have a few times already - timezones apparently confuse me!) I'm posting these projects to:

Celtic Thistle Stitches New Me for April
Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew for April

Stash bustin' and drool catchin' :D

I got into my flannel, scrap and ribbon stashes this month for bib and taggy sets for Blue Hills - I got all these done, but I don't really see any reduction in stash sizes :D

All these pictures were taken within about a 5 minute time span - notice how the background colour changed so much for some of the photos - must be weird camera mojo!

These are in the dryer right now - I'll take them out, give them a quick press to make them look crisp, and will send them on to Blue Hills - I hope the moms and babies like 'em :D

Monday Makers! #32 :)

I'm not starting something new for this week's Monday Makers! - I still need to start (and finish!) the basket set I've been planning for 2+ weeks to get cracking on. The fabric is still hanging, untouched, on a ruler on my sewing table, lol. I did finish all the bunny treat bags I started last week - they're filled and tucked in a basket ready to be gifted :)  Easter sewing is DONE :)  I didn't do all the projects I wanted to do, though.  I Amazon'd 2 of the kids an Easter book (plus I mailed them an Easter card) instead of sewing and mailing them a gift - at this late stage of the game, I can't trust Canada Post to deliver on time.  For the handmade items I did smaller, simpler projects than I originally planned, but reality -- "done and ready" trumps "bigger, better but incomplete or late".  I'm sure all sewers and crafters know THAT feeling :)

 Posted to Monday Makers! #32 :)

Monday Makers! #31 :)

Well - I was 50% successful at completing the projects I picked last week to do for this week - I give myself a 50/100, LOL.  I didn't even touch the roadway fabric that I want to use for a basket set :/  Oh wait - I lie - I moved it out of the way so I could do other things on the table - I think right now it's hanging over top of a big ruler, LOL!  I did get the bib 'n taggy set done, and it is CUTE :)

There are 4 meters of ribbon in that set!  Each bib has 3 pieces 11" long, and there are 20 X 3" pieces in the taggy :D  Good thing I have a few more yards to use up - right, Baye?  ;)  BTW - this bib set hasn't been washed yet - after I wash/dry it the quilting will shrink up a bit and it'll get that soft, lovely crinkled look :)

Last night I kitted up projects to work on this week - I want to get the rest of the little bunny Easter bags finished for the kids.  I have 8 done so far more are kitted ready to stitch.  These are my Monday Makers! project for this week :D

4 bunny bags for the girls ...

2 more bunny bags for the boys :D

I have one more piece of fabric picked out for another bag, but I need to dig around for a piece of fabric I think I have somewhere that will be perfect for the lining :D  I'm pretty sure I can get these bags finished this week, and hopefully I can get to work on the baskets from last week :)

Posting to Monday Makers! #31 :)

Monday Makers! #30 :)

For Monday Makers #29 I posted 2 projects I had started, with plans of getting them done last week.  Happily I got both items completed, YAY :)

Dinosaur themed fabric baskets (7", 6" and 5" size from this pattern)

Easter bunny pouches from this tutorial :)

 I really like the bunny pouches so I made another set of them, and have several more cut out to make for this coming Easter :D  I'm going to tuck a little Easter chocolate inside, and give them to the greats when we see them for Easter dinner :D  I may even make some for the neighbour  kids because they're so quick and easy - and CUTE :D  I did modify the pattern a bit - I increased the fabric to 6.5" squares to make them easier to stitch, and I added a pompom tail for extra bunny-ness ;)  Oh - I also used rattail for the drawstring instead of fabric ties - rattail is slippery so it's much easier to thread through that tiny little casing :D

For the coming week here are the projects I've started and would like to complete:

Future bib and taggy set :)

Future fabric basket set :)

Close-up of the cool road/town fabric I chose for this project :D

Posted to Monday Makers! #30 :)

Monday Makers! #29 :)

Here's the project I started for MM #28 ... and here's the completed project :)  This was a new to me project from Fast Fun & Easy Critter Bags (NAYY) - next time around I'll rejig his face a bit - this looks more like a zombie duck than a cute Easter duck - his eyes need to be closer together, and his face needs to move down his body a bit, LOLOL.  He's cute - but he can be cuter!  ;) 

For Monday Makers! #29 I actually started 2 projects - that's just how I rock ;)  I'm sure I'm not the only one that sometimes just wants to start something new rather than finishing something UFO! 

This is the beginning of a set of 3 stacking baskets from the Nesting Fabric Bowls pattern (NAYY) from Nova @ a cuppa and a catch up :)  The pattern has multiple sizes and designs - it's quite thorough!  I cut out the 7", 6" and 5" baskets to work on.  I have more dinosaur fabric (which I believe is still available @ Joanns, as is the green polka dot fabric from their Christmas line, that I chose to go with it).  This basket set is destined for a little one for Christmas ;)

Once I got Christmas cut out, I decided to cut out Easter as well!  :D  These pretty in pink fabrics will hopefully morph into 2 little bunny treat bags - the multi-coloured poms at the top are just for show.  I'm fancy that way, when I remember to attempt to be so :D 

I had some more pictures to post but the colours went REALLY badly in the basement - the white background turned blue, and the yellow caught on fire and melted - it was pretty ugly.  Will see if I can get outside tomorrow to take some photos - I want to show you what I did with a bunch of ribbon I received recently from Ebay - it took weeks to arrive from China and arrived sporting a disgusting and strong petrochemical smell.  I hung a bunch outside to see if I could destink them - they look pretty cute out there, truth be told, lol!  Maybe the snow (of which we have MUCH!) will absorb the stinkies :D

Posted to Monday Makers! #29 :)

Monday Makers #28 :)

I forgot to post this yesterday for Monday Makers! #28 but fortunately Nurdan lets us link on Tuesdays - very helpful for people who have memory lapses - like me :D

Yesterday I cut out another bag to try - this is from the Fast Fun & Easy Critter Bags book that my pig zipper pouch is from :)  It's certainly a book with many fun ideas in it, although it's not a book I would recommend for new sewers - it's not exactly big on instructions or details :D  I mainly go by the pictures and the pattern pieces, lol.  I'm doing the bag the way I normally do drawstring gift bags - fully lined, with no raw edges - the one in the book isn't lined, and I prefer a more finished look most of the time ;)

A couple of days ago I posted a picture of some bib and taggy sets I had completed for Blue Hills.  I washed the sets after taking pictures - most of them came out fine, of course, but one set - OOPS!  I noticed the velcro seemed
"off" when I was attaching it, but I had no idea it would do this!  I'll remove the velcro from all 3 bibs and redo it with different velcro - I guess I got a bad batch.  I'm glad I caught it before sending the goodies to BH!

I found something in stash this morning that I forgot I had - a while ago I bought some ceramic beads from ebay, with the intent of using them as zipper pulls.  Here's one I found that can now be put to good use - it's perfect for the project, lol!


Posted to Monday Makers #28 :)

I made a very special zipper bag today :)

I'd like to show you some pictures of the bag I made today - see if you can spot why it's so special!  ;)  I've been making denim + batik zipper pouches to use up a bunch of pendants I bought a while ago to use for zipper pulls - I didn't even have a chance to put the zipper pull on this particular bag, lol.  Notice the pretty variegated thread stitching and the studs on the front - so pretty!

Front :)

Back :)

Lining fabric - isn't it gorgeous?

Wait ... what??!!!

Something doesn't look quite right here!

If you guessed that I somehow, in my infinite non-wisdom, managed to trim down the wrong end of the zipper, leaving me with a lovely zipperless zipper bag, you would be right - imagine my surprise when I realized what I had done, LOL!!!  Perfectly beautiful bag - big handicap!  I'm still laughing - it's probably among the top 2 stupidest things I've ever done at the sewing machine :D

Here are a few finishes that turned out better than the previous one - all of these are going to Blue Hills :)

4 seahorse bibs (completed in January) :)

3 Oriental boxy bags :)

3 upcycled denim bibs from worn out work jeans from one of my guys - I don't even remember whose jeans they were, lol :)

4 denim and batik zipper bags - these ones DID work out and include an actual working zipper ;)

Doggy bib and taggy set completed in January :)

One last bib+taggy set from January, featuring a pretty doggy print from Joanns :)  Close-up shows the ribbon I found to go with it, and the quilting on the center of the taggy :)

Bibs and Taggies :)

Here are a few of the bib and taggy sets I got finished in February - all of these are going to Blue Hills :) Note the frequent use of the white and pink flamingo fabric - I bought a LOT of it years ago and am still plowing through it, lol.

This last set was made to use up some pink scraps - these quilt as you go bibs were done on Warm and Natural batting for extra body :)

I have 2 more sets to photograph but I need to run them through the washer/dryer first - I like to wash everything before I donate it (except zipper bags, haha) - to make sure that there are no loose seams that might fray/wobble after washing ;)  I'm working on boy sets in March - I have some pretty blue flannels from Joanns that I want to cut into :)

Ho Ho Ho and On I Sewed :D

These 8 earbud pouches have been completed just in time for the February Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew linky party :)  As soon as I took the picture they went right into my Christmas 2015 box, ready for whenever they might be needed come the holiday season :D  They measure about 5" wide and are just the right size for a mini candy cane, a bit of $$, or a lovely little box of chocolates :) Christmas prep is ON!  Right, Pam?  Pam is February's hostess for the party, and posted a tutorial for adorable drawstring gift bags :)  Yours truly will be co-hostessing in October - I'm already biting my nails about it, lol!  There's a very small large chance that my tutorial will involve a zipper, but you just.  never.  know ;)

Posted to Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew for February 2015 :)

This little piggy went to market ... in my basement dungeon :D

I posted my start to this project on Monday, and got it finished yesterday. Despite one booboo that resulted in me needing to remove her snout and tail, then recut and reattach them (while cursing grumbling loudly :D) she worked out beautifully :D

She measures about 7.5"w (not counting her lil piggy feet) and 10.5"t ... and she'll be going to Blue Hills :)  I have another pink one cut out, and am planning on a blue one as well :D  She's from the book Fast Fun & Easy Fabric Critter Bags (NAYY) - there are lots of other fun designs in the book that I want to play with as well :)

Her little ears are a bit dimensional - I stitched the ears on so they'd be raised a bit - I thought it would be a cute touch :D




If I do say so myself, she's a pretty cute zipper pouch - I think someone will be very happy to receive her :)  

Posted to Celtic Thistle Stitches New to Me for Feb. 2015 :)

NOT posted to the Sew the Library linky party for February - I like to follow along, do my own thing and check out what others have done, without actually posting to it - I'm lazy that way, lol.