Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

.

Christmas time around the world and for the different religious beliefs means lots of different things to lots of different people. But in my experience, everyone does similar things around the holiday’s no matter where you live or what you believe.

.

It usually involves traveling somewhere to spend time with friends, family and loved ones. Church, School and Work Holiday celebrations and parties. Enjoying all of the yummy foods and treats that seem to be everywhere you look this time of year. Looking at all the pretty lights and decorations. Trying to figure out that perfect gift for that perfect someone.

.

.

I’m normally very busy at work during the holiday season so I don’t have a lot of time for Christmas sewing or crafts but I do what I can, when I can.

.

For past Christmas seasons I have made new Holiday Table Runners, Tablecloths, Place mats and Napkins for the big family Christmas dinner at my house. One year I made a bunch of Toll Painted Snowmen as party gifts for one of our Christmas Parties. And other years I have made a new Christmas Shirt or Sweater to wear around the Holidays. One year I even made a festive Holiday Apron, so that I could wear it while I was making the several hundred Frosted Sugar Cookies I make every year to give away.

.

This year I enjoyed making a few fun creations from the Christmas Things to Stitch and Sew book and it was also fun to follow along on Nancy Zieman’s 12 days of Christmas Blog Posts.

.

What fun Christmas sewing and crafts did you get done this year? Share your thoughts in the comments! I’d love to hear about it!

.

.

Wishing you all a Happy and Joyous Holiday Season and Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men and Women!

Mixed Up Monkey

I found this monkey pattern on Ravelry.com and fell in love with it. I printed out the pattern and it quickly made its way to the top of my to do list.

. 

Excited about crocheting this monkey, I went to the yarn stash but could not find the correct brown colored yarn that I had pictured in my mind for this monkey. Flustered, I checked out the local places I have to buy yarn but I really did not find what I was looking for. Then I ran across this variegated yarn and decided it would work ok. I was not thrilled about it, but it was better than anything else I had found. For the accents, I picked the cheap tan brown yarn I had used to make Calli the bear,  a while back. I did remember that I really did not like this yarn as it has no stretch, but decided to use it anyway. Boy, I could not have picked two different acting yarns. The variegated Vanna’s Choice yarn stretched quite a bit as I crocheted, and the cheap tan yarn did not give at all. In fact, the variegated yarn gave too much. When I stuffed the monkey, the variegated yarn showed larger holes in the crocheting than I like.

.

As far as the pattern goes, it is very well written. I had no problems following the instructions, and the body parts turned out just like the picture showed. I did make one modification to the pattern. Row 1 started with 8 sc in the ring. I knew this was going to make a large hole at the start of each body part, as I learned from Blue, the giraffe. So, I made the first row 4 sc in the ring and row two 8 sc, increasing each body part by one row. I am pleased with the end results using this technique and will try to remember this lesson on other amigurumi’s I make later.

. 

I think I overstuffed this monkey though. As I crocheted the body parts, I pictured this monkey being a rag doll monkey, his body hanging in a floppy lump as he is carried by his arm. I stuffed the body and the head firmly but only stuffed the arms and legs at the base. I got the effect I was looking for from the arms and legs but the body and head is too full to hang flopply as I had envisioned.

.

As usual, I was not happy with the results as I sewed the parts together, partly because of the stuffing problem, but as he reached completion, he turned out as cute as could be. His ears made all the difference. When I attached the ears, he took on his own personality and his cuteness really popped. I want to make another monkey though and see if I can get the rag doll look I was going for. This monkey’s pattern came with a banana pattern. I have not tried it yet but I will. He needs a banana. He also needs a name and a home. Any suggestions?

Towel Baby Bibs – Neck Binding Tutorial

.

Due to the popularity of my previous Towel Baby Bibs posts, I have recently received several questions regarding the baby bibs that I make for my friends and family.

.

Because of this I am going to do a couple of new posts answering those questions and give a little more detail into the construction of the bibs so that people new to sewing will have less trouble figuring out how to make them. Then in the next few posts I will get creative and show you all the fun things you can do with the bibs once you have made them.

.

This first post is a tutorial of how to apply the ribbing to the neck of the bibs. I am going to be using black ribbing with white thread. Hopefully, this will make it easier to see how to sew them together properly in the pictures. Just in case you didn’t know already you can click on any of the photos below to make them larger if you are having trouble seeing them.

.

So here it is in just 10 easy steps:

.

1. Cut the ribbing 10 1/2 inches by 3 inches. If the ribbing has a lot of stretch, cut it a little shorter. If the ribbing is not that stretchy, cut it a little longer.

.

2. Place the circle pattern on the towel and cut the circle from the towel. I like to center the circle from side to side and place it about 1 inch from the top. You can place the circle anywhere you want but be careful not to place it too close to the top. Make sure  to leave enough room for your seam. I cut the circle out with my rotary blade so I don’t trace the circle first. If you are going to cut the circle out with scissors, it might make it easier to trace the circle onto the towel and then cut it out so you can pick the towel up. Plus, even though I have given the dimensions of my circle, you can be a little off from that, so don’t worry about the exact size too much. (I kept the circle I cut from the first bib that I made and serged around the edge, so I could use it as my pattern for bib making.)

.

3. Fold the ribbing, right sides together, matching the width, and then sew the ribbing together.

.

4. Fold the ribbing lengthwise, wrong sides together,  to form a ring.

.

5. Pin the ribbing into fourths. Start by pinning the ribbing in half. To do this, I hold the seam in one hand, fold the ring flat and pin at the end of the piece. Then I place the seam and the first pin together and pin at each end.

.

6. Pin the circle in the towel into fourths. I do this by folding the circle in half and pinning the sides of the circle. Then I fold the towel side to side, matching the pins, and pin the top and bottom of the circle.

.

7. Matching pins, pin the ribbing to the towel. Make sure to put the seam to the top of the towel which is also the back of the circle.

.

8. Stretch the ribbing and sew between the pins. Make sure to have the ribbing on top, this will make it easier to sew.

.

9. Finish the edge. I use an overcast stitch in my sewing machine to finish the seam. I could use my serger but I like the cleaner look of the overcast stitch.

.

10. Trim the edge next to the overcast stitches. Of course, it you serged the edge, the serger did this part for you.

.

And now you have finished applying the ribbing to the neck of the bib and now it is complete!

.

Congratulations on a job well done! This is what it should look like once completed.

.

Stay tuned for my next posts on the fun part of embellishing the towel baby bibs.

.

If you would like to see the ORIGINAL Baby Bib post you can find it HERE.

.Burda Design Baby Bibs

Happy Easter!

Here is wishing you all a Good Friday, a Great Earth Day,

and a Happy, Hoppy, Easter!

The Night Before Easter ‘Twas the night before Easter. All was calm and laid back. Fred, the mouse in the kitchen, snarfed down a late snack. The eggs were all dyed but still drippy and sticky… To be honest, they looked just a little bit icky. There were big jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and such, And as Fred stuffed his face, he sighed, “This is too much!” Phil and Rose were in bed watching late night TV, While munching saltines with low-sodium Brie. Then a sudden commotion rang out in the night. It shook Phil and Rose, really gave them a fright. Phil’s hair stood on end, and his eyes bugged out big… Rose whipped off the covers and knocked off her wig. They lunged to the window, yanked open the blinds… What they saw was amazing; it boggled their minds: Across the night sky, with a noise like the dickens, Soared a minivan drawn by eight overgrown chickens! At the wheel sat a bunny — cute, fuzzy and fat – In designer blue jeans and a Panama hat. Like a speeding space shuttle, those chickens they flew, As the van driver called to each hen in his crew: “Now, Ashley! Now, Sheila! Now, Kelsey and Bo! On Bethany, Liza! On Daphne, on Flo!” The van made its landing lickety-split … Nearly wiped out the shrubs and the barbecue pit! Then up on the roof, much to Phil’s consternation, They squawked of egg prices and space navigation. They made so much noise that Phil started to stammer, “If you guys don’t shut up, we’ll get thrown in the slammer!” Fuzzy hopped down the chimney, amidst all this racket, And emerged from the fireplace, adjusting his jacket. This bunny was chic, he had class, he had flair .. Not your average bozo, not your typical hare. His ears were enormous; his huge overbite Was right under a nose like a pink neon light. His manner was smooth, he was hip, he was cool; This floppy-eared bunny was no fuzzy fool. “While I’m here,” he smiled, “Everybody relaxes … I’m not selling storm windows, won’t audit your taxes. I’m just here to bring you some fun and delight. Eat, drink, and be merry! Let’s party tonight!” So they sipped diet soda and swapped silly jokes, Those birds and their bunny just being plain folks. Then flop-ears said, “Hey, friends, we’ve had quite a ball, But my chickens and I are now due in St. Paul!” He crossed both his eyes. Then he wiggled one ear, And he yelled to his chicken team, “We’re outta here!” As the minivan rose in the 3 a.m. sky, He called out, “Later, Phil! And to you, Rose, good-bye!” As he sped out of sight, his two friends heard him say, “Happy Easter to all! Have a beautiful day!” Author Unknown

The end of my career as a seamstress

Well I have some really bad news to tell everyone. I was just told by my doctor today that I have an incurable case of sewer’s elbow, and a very, very bad case of crocheter’s wrist (which might be cured but only after months of painful surgeries and physical therapy) so I am going to have to give up my sewing and crafting hobbies for the foreseeable future.

 

.

I am not very happy about this turn of events! But my doctor is ecstatic!  He thinks that with several surgeries and lots and lots of doctors visits and physical therapy, I could be back to maybe fifty percent mobility by next Christmas. And he said he has had his eye on a new Yacht for sale down at the marina and that my current problems might just give him the money he needs to purchase it.

.

So I will be selling all of my sewing equipment, and my crafting equipment, and my 4111 yards of fabric in my stash to try and come up with the money to afford all of these medical bills that I am anticipating.

.

So if anyone is interested in some slightly used equipment or fabric please let me know as I need the money fast so I can begin my road to recovery!

.

..

Well not really. Happy April Fools Day everyone! Hopefully you are not pranked as badly as I plan on pranking all of my co-workers at work today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a time to set aside your differences and come together as family and friends to celebrate your good fortune that you have experienced throughout the year. I hope this year everyone is especially thankful for all we have considering all of the hard times Americans have been experiencing the past few years.

.

I’m not a poet so here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving Poem’s and Quotes. I hope you enjoy them.

.

What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? ~Erma Bombeck, “No One Diets on Thanksgiving,” 26 November 1981

.

Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet.  Believe in man.  Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place.  There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in.  ~Phillips Brooks

.

Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday.  People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year.  And then discover once a year is way too often.  ~Johnny Carson

.

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs! ~Author Unknown

.

Happy Independence Day!

I would just like to wish everyone out there in the blogosphere a happy, safe and sane 4th of July! I will be spending my 4th with family and friends and I sincerely hope all of you will be able to do the same!

Have a slice of Apple or Cherry pie for me!

And no blowing off any body parts with illegal fireworks!

It’s a little hard to sew, crochet or craft when you are missing some fingers.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

As the new year begins, everyone is excited for the fresh start and of course making some new year’s resolutions. I don’t normally set any NEW new year’s resolutions. I just renew the same ones from the last year that I broke, which are the same ones from the year before which are the same ones from the year before that… This year besides renewing the same old resolutions from past years, I am going to add a new sewing resolution to the list.

While reading another blog, the writer said that she considered herself a beginner seamstress because there are so many sewing techniques she has not tried to conquer. This got me to thinking, with everything I have done, there are many things I’ve never done or even tried to do. Yes, I am pretty good at making all my sloper patterns, but I have never tried a zipper, regular or invisible, in a dress. I have never attempted a tailored jacket. I have never made a quilt. I have always wanted to try making stuffed animals, but have just never gave it a go. With my new love of amigurumi, the desire to sew stuffed animals has greatly lessened I will admit. I have everything I need to create any of these projects already. There is plenty of fabric in the stash and lots of sewing supplies in the closet. I even have the patterns for most of these projects. So, this years new year’s sewing resolution is to try new sewing techniques.

That is a pretty big resolution. My first step will be just to sort through patterns and books and write a list of things I want to learn and try. Then I will plan each project and try to set some time limits. If the time limits pressure me too much, I will just ignore them. I hate to sew under pressure. It takes all the fun out of sewing. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I will have a few new sewing techniques mastered.

So, wish me luck as I start my new year’s resolutions! And a very Happy New Year to you all!

Improvising Tip Towels to Make Baby Bibs

When I pulled out my box that contained the fingertip towels for baby bibs, I found that I had less tip towels remaining than I remembered. As I dug though the box to get an inventory of what I really had left, I found at the bottom of the box some towels I had purchased for another project that never happened. They are bigger than tip towels, about the size a large hand towel.

.

As I laid a tip towel on them to see just how big they really were in comparison, I found that width wise they were exactly two tip towels wide. So, by cutting the towel in half, I would have two tip towels to use as bibs. This would have been perfect except for the decorative stripe on the ends of the towels that would then be on the left or right of the bibs once they were cut to size. I decided to give it a try anyway and see how the bibs turned out.

.

.

I measured the towel into fourths and luckily on the 1/4 and 3/4 mark I had room to put a 4 X 4 embroidery design before the stripe got in the way. After embroidering the two designs, I cut the towel at the 1/2 mark, serged the edges, turned and stitched down, finishing the raw edge. I then measured for the neck. To center the neck, I had to cut into the stripe. I thought about moving the neck off center so the stripe was not involved, but I did not like that look. It was too far off.

.

I decided to go ahead at cut into the stripe for the neck and just see how it turned out, and as you can see, it turned out just fine. In fact, I think that the bibs turned out pretty well on the half towel. The back side is not nearly as pretty as the bibs made with the tip towels, but the front look is all I really care about and I believe the functionality will still be the same, if not better. These are pretty nice towels and are thicker than most I use. Some of the tip towels I have used previously have been pretty thin.

.

Finding ribbing I liked with the green towel was a chore. I did not have any matching green so I tried to match with the embroidery designs colors. Snoopy was easy of course. I chose the red ribbing, but white would have worked as well. The dinosaur design was a little more difficult to pick a color. I  had no brown ribbing so I dug deep into the back of the closet for find this manufactured ribbing I had bought many years ago and never used. It matched well, but it definitely made the bib more masculine.

.

The 3rd bib I made is from a tip towel from the box. I wanted to use the cream towel with this design. I wanted to put brown ribbing on the neck, but as I already mentioned, I had no brown ribbing. (I know what I will be buying on my next trip to a real fabric store since Wal-mart does not have ribbing.) I tried pink ribbing but just did not like the look, so I settled for the cream ribbing, even though it is not my favorite. I think the bib turned out cute anyway.

.

I am excited now to make more bibs and will not hesitate so much in making them do to my lack of tip towels since I think the hand towels cut in half work out just fine.

.

(NOTE: I’ve added a  small update to this post HERE. And the ORIGINAL post is HERE)

Towel Baby Bibs

HEY! Hello visitors from Vanilla Joy! Thanks for visiting. If you have any problems or questions with this pattern I have created a new post with simplified step by step instructions so you might want to check it out too! It is available HERE.

.

Someone asked me the other day for the pattern for the towel bibs that I make

and I thought it might make a good blog post.

.

The biggest challenge to make these bibs is finding the fingertip towels. I just call them ‘Tip Towels’ for short. Years ago, Wal-mart sold them in 5 packs. When they stopped carrying them and put them on clearance, I was lucky enough to get a good supply, so I haven’t done any shopping for them since then. I can tell you that the tip towels that I use are the same size that golfers use for golf bag towels. If you are unable to locate the size that you want, you might try a sporting goods store, but I have noticed that a lot of the golf towels have a grommet in one corner so you might not want those. I have made the bibs with bigger towels for bigger kids, just make the neck part bigger. I could always cut a towel to the size I wanted and hem the edges, but that is more work.

.

.

As far as the construction goes, they are simple to make.

.

1. Cut a piece of ribbing 10 1/2 inches by 3 inches, sewing it into a neck band, and pin into fourths.

.

2. Place the circle pattern on the towel in the center and a couple for inches from the top.

.

3. Trace around the circle, cut the circle out and pin into fourths.

.

4. Pin neck band to towel and stitch. Finish the edge however, serge, zig-zag, so on.

.

Now the fun starts. Add some ribbon or lace for a little girl, or an applique or iron-on for a little boy. Go crazy designing the bib and have a good time. Remember though to make the embellishments washable.

.

If you try them please let me know how the bibs turn out for you here in the comments.

.

(NOTE: I’ve added a follow up to this post HERE and another small update is HERE.)

.