The Latest

Here are some of my latest sewing therapy projects. The flannel blanket above is a baby gift for an adopted child. My oldest daughter designed it and it turned out so cute, I think. I like the pink and purple together.

Here's a close-up.

When I look at this shirt I did for a friend's grandson for Christmas, I think the title of my post should be Paying My Dues!! I did this shirt three times before I got it right, and as I was working on this last one, I kept saying to myself "you gotta pay your dues, you gotta pay your dues." ha! On the first shirt, the design was just too small without a name or some type of lettering to go with it. On the second shirt, it was looking good until the satin stitching started on the tires. I was trying to take a short cut and not put spray adhesive on the fabric for the tires and the fabric slipped on one tire so there was a tiny little place where the fabric was not caught in the satin stitching and it would have raveled when washed. Hence, this third shirt. I took my time, didn't take any short cuts and it turned out good. I'm such a perfectionist anyway which drives me crazy!

Here's a blurred close-up. I tend to get the camera "shakes" with close-ups some of the time!

No camera shake here with the close-up but I didn't iron out the puckers. I was in a hurry on this one getting the photo done.

And the final photo. All was good therapy for me.

Now I'm working on yet another baby blanket in a soft green with hemstitched and crocheted edging. I haven't decided what I'll applique on it yet but will post it soon.

Something For A Baby Shower

I began this baby receiving blanket two days ago and finished it in time to give at a baby shower today. It is white 100% cotton flannel with hemstitching done on my machine and two rows of hand crocheted border done in 100% cotton bedspread weight yarn. I used flannel for the cross and Minkee fabric for the lamb. The Minkee is very popular now but I won't use it again for a design as small as this. I only like sewing it with bigger projects like blankets. But I think it's sweet and this was a gender neutral receiving blanket since the parents decided not to find out whether they're having a boy or girl until he or she arrives.

I'm just so glad and thankful to be creating again. :)

Paige-isms

Today I took Paige to school and came right back home to clean house. I got a LOT done. I may start doing this on Tuesdays! I didn't completely finish but I did get a lot of cleaning done.

When I went to pick her up after school, we went shopping just a wee bit for some blank Tshirts (of course!) to do designs on and I was just about ready to go home with her when she said she needed to go to the bathroom. I like the bathrooms in Books-A-Million so we went in there. When we were finished, we went to sit on the benchs where the magazine racks are and she looked up at me and said, "Bear Bear", I'm fruster - rated." ha! I asked her why and she said "because I want to see my Mama." Out of the mouths of babes. :)

More Tshirts!

Just call me the Tshirt Lady!! That's all I do lately but I enjoy it and at least I'm in the sewing room. Here is a cute design I downloaded last night that I put on a Tshirt for a little boy. It was tedious because of all the little bitty pieces of fabric to be appliqued but I think it turned out cute.

Here's a close-up.

And here's a design I think I've posted on here before but just on a turtleneck and with the wording gobble gobble. In this particular set of designs, they had three choices of sayings - gobble gobble, happy thanksgiving, or my first thanksgiving - that were already in the design. Or you could just do a turkey or a turkey with an initial on his tummy.

A close-up of gobble gobble.

And here's the shirt I've posted before but I added the trim and wanted to show how cute it looks with the trim. Turkey time is coming!

Now I've got a little pilgrim boy and pilgrim girl I want to put on a shirt, jumper, overalls or something. And some Christmas designs.

Yep, I'll just keep on being the Tshirt Lady!

A Little Vintage Going On!

This is the first vintage embroidery design I've done and it was quick and fun because it's so different. I would like to use some of the larger designs on a blanket or larger clothing. I just think it's so sweet.

Here's a close-up of the little chick or bird on a branch. The lace I sewed on the neckline is very old. This will be a gift for someone very special (and, no, it's not a grandchild! ha!).

I'm On A Tshirt Kick!

I'm on a Tshirt kick lately, doing almost one a day. I love Thanksgiving and found this applique pattern and just had to do this for Paige. Isn't it cute?

Here's a close-up. I always told my girls that I feel sorry for Thanksgiving because it's kind of "looked over" being between Halloween and Christmas.

Ornament Tshirt

I did this Tshirt for my little great niece for her to wear during the Christmas season. It's done in nontraditional colors but I think it's cute and sure will look cute on her!

Here's a close up. It needed ironing but was just too late when I photographed it. I mailed it to her today.

I'm just so happy to be doing some sort of sewing again!

Cute Little Doggie Blanket!

Isn't this just one of the cutest little things you've seen?!? I just returned from a visit to the beach. A friend and I went to a new quilt shop that sold applique designs and I just couldn't wait to try one out. Just got home last night and started right away this morning. This is a gift for a special little someone:)

Here's a closer look. I've never sewn with Minkee fabric before. I like the feel and the look of it and it's just perfect for the blanket on this design but, boy, oh boy, does it ever "fuzz" up your needle. I can't imagine making a garment with it but I'm sure I will one day! ha!

Enjoyed this design so much! I hope the recipient likes it:)

It's That Time of Year!

Finally I'm back in the sewing room! Oh it feels so good! I appliqued a little orange shirt for my great niece who's two with a ghost and her first initial, a very cute pattern and forgot to take a photo! When I made her shirt, it had been so long that I forgot how to start the applique, too - which button to push!

I made this for Paige to wear to the Auburn games when it's cool or she could just wear it to school or anywhere when it's cool. It's an embroidery design that really looks a lot like Auburn's mascot, Aubie, who is cute as can be. And she DOES love Aubie!

I wanted to put the same trim that's on the neck around the cuffs but was about 1/2 inch short of having enough! I'll have to go get some more tomorrow and finish it. I can't wait to see her in it. And it just feels so good to be creating something again, even if it is very simple.

Question

I am finishing up going through my mother's sewing/craft things and putting them in place in my sewing room. I came across this "thing" pictured above. Does anyone know what this is?

It looks like it might be handmade. The thread is threaded through the bottom and comes up where these little nails are in the top and a pattern is weaved there. I really don't know what to do with it but kept it because it was so unusual and interesting.

I hope someone out there can tell me what it is!

The colors aren't true in this photo but for you, dear blogging friends, who are prodding encouraging me to show what I'm creating, here IS something I've been working on from time to time. This is a needlepoint piece that was handpainted that I bought in New Orleans the last time I was there. I really cannot tell you when that was! ha! But it seems like a l o n g time ago. I am finally working on the background. I plan to make a pillow from it when I finish and I am stitching it in basketweave stitch.

I haven't needlepointed since our church kneelers were finished. See THIS POST. It is relaxing and mindless to do this and watch it develop before my eyes.

I also am creating a clean, organized "studio" for sewing and quilting and appliqueing and embroidery on the machine and all that jazz which will be fun again. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and concern. I do appreciate it and it worked!

Paige-isms

Haven't posted here in SO long because I'm still grouping, organizing, cleaning, just all kinds of things EXCEPT creating! But I have hope that I will get around to it soon. SO. . . here is a little Paige-ism that tugged at my heartstrings. :)

One day last week, my husband and I were to keep Paige and we planned to take her with us in the afternoon to visit his mother, take her to the bank and then to the park to feed the ducks and let Paige play on the playground, just spend some time with both of them. I guess we don't realize that she's listening to everything we say. My mother's grandmother/great grandmother name was Gann. My husband's grandmother/great grandmother name is Maw.

The next morning when we picked her up and we were talking to her about our plans, she said to me, "Bear Bear, I wish Gann could get out of heaven and go with us." :(

More Unbelievable Treasures!!

I really did feel like I was looking in treasure chests as I went through my mother's sewing and crafting bags, boxes, etc. I remember when she ordered the fillet crochet pattern above for the Lord's Prayer. I remember thinking, what a unbelievable undertaking!

I found this first. This was the work she finished. I guess you work the pattern from the bottom up. If you click on the photo, you can see a much clearer photo of the words - the end of the Lord's Prayer. It is just beautiful.

At first, I couldn't decide what to do with it and then I decided to take it and try to finish it. I may be taking on too much with this AND the cathedral window quilt but I just couldn't let them go. It's too much work.

Here's a close-up of her work. I've done fillet crochet before but it's been a long time. I will have to practice a little scrap piece first but I know I can finish it. It's just taking the time to do it!

I saw this framed and hanging in the foyer of a church where I attended a wedding in Tennessee and it was so beautiful! My mother did phenomenal work and took on phenomenal projects!

If Not Me, Then My Mother!

For right now, if I can't post my creations on here, then I'll show off my mother's. I call them Mama's treasures. :) When I was going through her crafts and sewing things, I came across this beginning of a cathedral quilt. I had seen it before and even asked her if she'd show me how to do the cathedral quilt method. She always said she would but another day when she felt better. :(

I really would like to continue this and make it quilt size. I do have a book that shows how to do the cathedral quilt and I've read and tried it but don't understand it. Maybe just those instructions are confusing and I can find some better instructions.

Also, I really don't know how it would look to continue with the fabrics I have. I did find some vintage fabrics in her things and could take those to finish it. I have a sister that has started doing some quilting, though, and I wouldn't want to take it unless she agreed. Maybe we could share the fabric.

This is a good close-up of the vintage fabrics used. These were probably fabrics she made our clothing from when we were children. A treasure, indeed!

Paige-isms

A couple of days ago, I was keeping Paige while her mother worked and took her with me to have my driver's license renewed. You know you always have to wait so long in lines to have that done!

So we walk in the door and the security guard explained to us that we needed to take a number from this table he pointed to and then take a seat and wait for our number to be called, etc. I did as he said and we took a seat.

While we were sitting there, Paige was just jabbering and asking me why we had to take the number and why we had to sit where we were, etc. and I was trying to explain to her what we were doing and why and what was going on.

Then when I finished, she just looked up at me and said, "comprende"! ha! I asked her where did she learn that word? Was it on Dora the Explorer? And she said, "no, I just learned it!" ha!

I never fail to have a fun time with her when we're together! And she never ceases to amaze me. :)

My Mother's Things

Since I'm not being very industrious at all with creating anything, I decided to share with you how industrious my mother was and the unusual things and various things she created (or at least to me they were!). When going through her things, I found this huge paper bag and a smaller box full of chewing gum wrappers she had collected. I think others from her office where she worked saved the wrappers for her as well as she saving them. I knew that she had in the past made trivets from these wrappers and she showed me how to make these chains from the wrappers as a child, which I thought was great fun! See how my love of creating came from her?

When I found this huge paper bag and little box of wrappers with some projects started, I just couldn't throw them away. They're still at her house and if no one else wants them, I will take them.

Then when I looked in her tiny little hall closet where she kept her sheets, blankets, etc., on the floor I found a vinyl blanket zippered container with four place mats (pretty large place mats, too!) in four different colors that were finished. I took two, this green and white Spearmint gum one and a yellow Juicy Fruit one. I am keeping the Spearmint one here for Paige to use and gave her mother the Juicy Fruit one since "lellow" is Paige's favorite color.

Here is a close-up of the mat. I plan to buy some of that decoupage-type liquid that you pour over puzzles to preserve them and make them "spill-proof".

I have seen purses made in this fashion from something that looks similar but didn't know what. I'm not talking about the Capris Sun bags. These looked very similar to what my mother did. One day I was shopping and saw a young mother with a bag like that and asked her about it. She told me that it was made from candy wrappers and they usually were priced in the $200-300 range! She said she got hers at market so got a better price and that everyone stops her and asks about her bag. So I guess my mother was ahead of her time, huh?

If only I could call her up and tell her :(

Surprise Still Hopefully to Come but Delayed Again.

No photo. My mother sadly passed away on June 11. The past month has been filled with making her memorial arrangements, going through her things to sort, organize, remember, and grieve. But I keep remembering when I go through her things that SHE'S the reason I have this strong creative urge and I'm so thankful for that. She was a wonderfully smart, creative, and industrious woman. She had more patience than anyone on the planet!

I do plan to reveal a surprise but this has (and still is) taking a long time to tie up loose ends. And the way my mind works, I cannot work creatively with loose ends and clutter which is what I'm dealing with right now.

Thanks for all the support and love I feel coming from all of you! But watch out, I'll be back!!!!

Surprise!

A surprise is coming May 1st!! I hope you'll be watching and waiting for it! I'm very excited!

Capris Day!

I know this looks like a skirt but it's capris. I got these finished. It was a factory today. I cut out four more and need to put them together. The shirts to go with them are done.

I learned a lot about my ruffler (attachment) today doing these. It is SO quick using that attachment! Wonderful!

Such a beautiful day, though, I got distracted with my camera and spent a lot of time outside.

Red, White & Blue!

I had this planned for today and after I cleaned house, I did have time to do it.

I guess I'm in the mood for red, white and blue because a very good friend's son came home from serving in Iraq Friday. His pic is on our frig and we have been constantly thinking about him and praying for his safe return.

So. . . I made Paige another Old Navy Toddler Grunge shirt in red, white and blue. It will be good to wear anytime while the weather's warm and will go with jeans, red, or white pants or shorts but I specifically had in mind some white capris. And with Memorial Day and July 4th around the corner, what a great shirt for those holidays, too! Hurray for the red, white and blue!

Busy, Busy, Busy Fun Day!

I finished another flannel receiving blanket. Since Spring is here, I probably should stop making these in flannel and maybe try some lightweight fabrics like seersucker. But I really enjoy making them.

Now on to the shirts. I really worked on shirts today and the next sewing session will be spent on capris pants to go with them. I love this blue and yellow together. It just looks so beachy and summery.

These last two white shirts I found at Old Navy and I thought they were so cute with the smocking across the top. I decided since there was smocking across the top to put the design off-center on one side. I always pre-wash all my shirts before I applique them and after I did, the sleeves and bottoms curled up. They stayed curled up even after I ironed them! I considered putting a rickrack or ribbon trim on the sleeves and bottom to keep them from curling up but then decided against it. The more I looked at them that way, the more I thought it was cute and probably was meant to be that way. Maybe that's the Old Navy Toddler Grunge look?!? ha!

Here is another Toddler Grunge shirt with a cute little turtle and flower. Capris for all of these are on the way! Don't forget you can click on the photo to get a closer look:) Very, very enjoyable day for me.

Paige-isms

Paige and her mommy came over yesterday to work on her Easter dress. While they were here, Paige wanted to go outside and help Paw Paw with all he was doing to get ready for Easter. We have a salt water pool and he was putting huge bags of salt into the pool. He told us that while he was pouring the salt into the water, she asked him if he was putting sugar into the pool! ha! So I told her that Paw Paw was getting the pool sweet so we could swim in it soon:)

Poor Little Wabbitt:(

Boo boos do happen! My niece wanted a just a plain little Tshirt with a rabbit on it to wear on Easter to hunt eggs in and I had a few Tshirts on hand in her size. The one above is what I started with and we were having tornado-type storms here. I was sewing away and looked up for ONE SECOND to look at the weather map on TV and bam - a boo boo! The needle caught the Tshirt at the bottom where you see that little bump and I had to stop the process, take the sewing needle and presser foot off and untangle the mess. Then I went to the computer and tried to back my stitching up and it started sewing and was way off base. So. . .

This was what the poor little wabbit was supposed to look like. I didn't have another hot pink shirt in the right size but found a white one and did a baby pink rabbit. It's cute and sweet and the model wearing it is only two so the baby pink (to me) is so sweet. I can't wait to see a picture of her wearing this. Her mother is coming tomorrow to pick it up.

Remember this burp cloth in an earlier post? It's official now (meaning the ribbon is really sewn on!) and it's out the door, too, with my niece tomorrow headed for a baby shower. I just love the hungry caterpillar-look ribbon trim. Goodbye all.

Ladybugs Everywhere!

I'm back from my vacation and got a better photo of the ladybug baby blanket. Isn't she cute? This is a close-up.

Here is the blanket with the hemstitched and crocheted edge on the pink polka dot cotton flannel.

And this is a close-up of the same little ladybug on a white Tshirt. I plan to make capris pants in the same pink for a cute little outfit for my great niece. I can't wait to see a photo of her in it!

Ladybugs are just popping up everywhere!

Baby Things and More!

Finally, some projects to post! These baby blankets take a while to hemstitch and then crochet the edging and I appliqued the cute little animals last. Here is one blanket that could be used for boy or girl.

And one for a sweet little girl. These are 100% very soft cotton flannel with 100% cotton crochet thread. Notice the little pink one has a more frilly edge crocheted.

I see Farley's little back leg in the upper left-hand corner! ha!

These would be a wonderful set for twins, a boy and a girl!! I've got this thing for making blankets for twins, I guess. I've given two sets lately and this could be another set.

And another burp cloth from the colored diapers you can buy nowadays. I love the lime green with the hot pink. I've cheated a little for the photo. You can probably tell I really haven't sewn the ribbon on yet but just laid it across for the photo. But the ribbon reminds me so much of the children's book that is so popular now, The Very Hungry Caterpillar:)

And, finally, I did this little ladybug Tshirt in mind for my little great niece. It's kind of a pending thing:) I plan to make a little pair of pink capris to go with this Tshirt but I'm waiting on measurements.

I have another baby blanket with this same ladybug appliqued on it but could not get a good photo of it. Next time!

Hope you enjoyed my post. It's been a long time coming! I enjoyed doing all this work so much:) NOTE: Please click on the photos for a closer look at details.

Paige-isms

Just a short, cute Paige-ism. She really notices what everybody drinks and, for some reason, really pays a lot of attention to that. One day a while back she asked me, "Bear Bear, do you like Dr. Coke?" ha!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice :)

Little girls are so much fun to sew for! I had some glitches in my sewing machine AFTER I took it in for servicing and updating a couple of weeks ago! But. . . we got the problem solved over the phone which saved me driving 60 miles! But I finally got to sew and do this butterfly applique on this little knit shirt I found at a good sale. I'm noticing that I should have photographed the knit pants a little further down because they have such cute little ruffles on the bottom, too.

This is photographed in Paige's playroom at our house with her tea set and her baby doll that she loves to play with so much (even though lately she's really into Minnie Mouse!).

I photographed both of these in such a hurry to get them posted and I'm so tired that they're both too blurry. Sorry about that. But here is a close-up of the butterfly and you can click on the pic to see it even better. It really is cute. All these designs in this set turn out cuter than the photo of them. She has a pair of yellow knit pants like these blue ones with ruffles, too, that would look cute so we can mix and match. Her favorite color is yellow so I HAD to put some yellow somewhere in the butterfly.

I learned something new by doing this design - adjusting it to a 45 degree angle. I like it that way instead of just putting it on the yoke. It gives a little variety. Happy Spring!