Stash busting cushion

So, I found a chair on the curb. 

It needed some love. And a cushion. I didn't know how, nor want to attempt recaning it, so I just hot glued the dangling loose pieces of cane. 

My goal was to buy nothing and to use up some of my supply stash. I traced a cushion shape on some old wrapping paper and transferred the pattern to some stretch denim I had. 

I sewed parallel seams across the two panels to connect them and then stuffed the channels with fabric scraps - lots of them.

The edges were finished with a foldover bias tape edge made of the blue denim. It's actually pretty comfortable!

Reversible Bag

Back on track! I've fallen behind schedule, but that's ok. It wasn't really a commitment.

Here is the reversible bag I made:

I used this Reversible Bag Tutorial from Novita of VeryPurplePerson, which was drawn to my attention by a friend's pin from Sew Fine Fabric.

I like my pocket:

Both blogs mentioned using 1/2 yard of each fabric, but I found that wasn't quite enough. The width of my fabric (I used designs by Ellen Luckett Baker for Kokka, which I believe is 43") wasn't quite long enough for the full strap length on the pattern. The purse is certainly still usable, but I would have preferred the longer straps.

Dinosaur Applique

My nephew turned 6 this week. How did that happen?? I will always remember the call that woke me up to announce his arrival in the world.

He happens to be an expert on dinosaurs, and a big fan of the color yellow, so this is what I made him for his birthday.

I was worried that he might be concerned about the lack of scientific accuracy--this is a guy who can sketch the evolutionary tree of all such prehistoric creatures--but I hear he was pleased. He even noted that it was sewn, rather than silkscreened. He appreciates the craftiness!

I bought the organic shirt from American Apparel and used my stash for the applique. I thought the polka dot scrap had dinosaur written all over it.

My Summer Un-Challenge

I don't like the commitment part of all the sewing challenges I see on my favorite blogs. I suppose I fear the commitment part. Or I dread recognizing that I have failed in my commitment....

So this is not a challenge. Or a commitment. More like a nebulous optimistic concept.

I would like to reach the end of the summer feeling proud that I have sewn one project each week. Can you see me visualizing success?

This is my first project. I used cotton knit from my stash to make a pair of soft shorts for H. This modification of the Oliver & S Sandbox Pants has become her favorite pattern.

Stash busting

I'm on a mission to declutter.  So here's a stab at turning my big box of fabric scraps into something useful. From this:

To this:

It's twine. Not sure what I'll use it for but I now know I can escape from a second story window with a bed sheet. And several hours warning. 

Pajama day

Plan:  

Execution: 

T-shirt with flannel appliqué and reverse appliqué of soccer ball fabric. Embroidery floss detail. 

Why lazy people don't make good bakers

I offered to bake something for a school function. Usually, I'd make banana bread, but I've been wanting to make a smitten kitchen recipe I read about - grapefruit olive oil cake. I just happened to have both ingredients in the title. Nice. 

I even read the recipe in advance and noticed that it called for buttermilk. Something I definitely don't have on hand. I thought about buying it. And also knew I could make soured milk with milk and vinegar as a substitute. I wasn't 100% sure it would work for a cake since I'd only previously used it for salad dressing, but figured I could give it a shot. 

So, when it came down to it, laziness won and I did not stop on the way home. 

Now I knew we had eggs because F had brought some home from my parents. Turns out he had brought home eggs. Plural. 2. And one had already been eaten. 

I needed two and when I said I was heading out to the store, he offered to borrow some from the neighbors. 

So now I was set. I set about making zest. Which is an awful job. It started ok, but about 3/4 of the way through, this grater stopped working. Literally stopped working. The peel became impervious to sharp things and the whole grapefruit turned to mush. 

So I turned to a new tool. And a new fruit. Some huge random citrusy thing I found in the crisper. Pomelo?  I suppose it worked, but it sure took a lot of knuckle scraping effort. 

I now really want the microplane tool my mom has. 

Turns out I had overlooked the "turbinado sugar" that the recipe called for. A quick google search suggested that brown sugar would work. I even used up four sugar in the raw packets I found. Things are good so far. 

Next step is flour. A staple. Except we are nearly out. Because I have forbidden F from buying bulk pantry items and made him return the 25 lb sack he had bought from Costco. I need 1.5 cups. We have what appears to be 1.35 cups. There is no google substitute for flour. Good enough. 

I just avoid accidentally using 1t of baking soda and 1/4t of baking powder when the recipe calls for the reverse and am in the home stretch. 

I go to preheat the oven. And see this. 

F's cast iron obsession. There are 8. They are heavy. There is no counter space at all. I decide to use downstairs oven. 

I look for loaf pan. Realize I gave it away. Decide 3 mini loafs will work instead. Go to grease and flour said loaf pans. I am out of flour. Google it. Conflicting advice suggests powdered sugar, oatmeal(!) and boxed cake mix as substitutes. I decide to just use olive oil spray. 

Now previous recipes have led me to believe 3 mini loafs are the same volume as 1 regular loaf pan. Not in this case. I have enough batter for 2. 

I start washing dishes. We are out of dish soap. I use hand soap. 

It is getting dark in kitchen. Because our ceiling light fixture is out. Bulb works. Light doesn't. 

I head downstairs. Luckily, I remember that mini loaves take less time to bake. This recipe calls for 45min to 1 hour of baking time. I check at 25 min. Cakes are done. 

They look beautiful. We'll see how they taste...

Upcycled Surf Tee

Of course I forgot to take a photo of the ratty tshirt first. It was one of my husband's favorites, and I didn't ask him. I found a hole in the shoulder, so I consider myself justified.

The doll clearly needs board shorts.

American Kid doll

Surely I'm not the only one whose son who wants an American Boy doll for his 9th birthday? "It will be my last doll, Mommy."

But there are no American Boy dolls. There are scary dolls out there (http://www.carpatina.com/boydolls.html). And there are great customized dolls on Etsy. But American Girl does not sell 18" boy dolls. "Why don't they call it American Kid?" my son asked me.

I called the company. "We have boy Bitty Twins," the lady assured me. My son already has a boy Bitty Twin. They are marketed to kindergarteners. Santa brought the Bitty Twin in kindergarten. Now he is turning 9. He wants an American Boy doll. "Which dolls are the most masculine?" I asked her. "Excuse me?" she replied.

So I went to the store in Los Angeles. It was overwhelming, like Disneyland. I found Christian, an enthusiastic guy who was happy to stare at various noses and chins and lips with me. The historical-character dolls go by name, but the "Just Like Me" dolls go by number. Christian explained that 29 is the same as 32, only with longer hair, but 30 is very different (I've forgotten actual numbers). The dolls come with various hair colors, different parts, three skin tones, and so forth. You don't customize; you just choose the best match. We settled on 28 and 29, both with medium brown hair, brown eyes, and "medium" skin. I bought two dolls and a hair brush and headed out to my own stylist. Christian wished me luck.

I have known Victor since long before my husband. I would drive anywhere to see Victor. He decided on 29, which had a slightly rounder face. There was a more delicate chin on 28, which looked more feminine. "We're going to do a proper hair cut," he said, and sat the doll down.

 

At the American Kid store, they have miniature salon chairs. I didn't buy one, so it took two of us to hold the doll steady while he started to cut.

  

He cut a lot. Number 29 had long layers.

 Here is the talented and generous Victor:

Here is the boy, after Victor finished with him:

And here he is wearing his new clothes, which I made for him.

Handsome, no? I think B will be happy with his Last Doll.

Little Coat

I had some orange wool felt left over from a previous project (probably a birthday crown), so I made a doll coat for my 2yo niece for her birthday. It's so nice to sew with felt: no need for hemming!

Quick Change Trousers

With the recent changes to Gmail, I nearly overlooked an Evite to a friend's baby shower. Consequently I didn't have much time make a gift for the baby--her third child, a boy. Sewing made more sense than knitting, and I figured my friend would have about a zillion hats and blankets.

I used the "Quick Change Trousers" pattern from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings.

The little pants are reversible, and I used fabric from my stash. 

And here is the reverse:

iPad cover

Bodhi and I whipped this up. Made from remnant fabric from Trash for Teaching warehouse and cushioned with an old wool sweater scrap. 

I did learn a lesson. Don't sew through sticky-backed Velcro. 

Foray into patchwork

My initial plan was to blindly choose strips of fabric and just let chance decide the pattern. I quickly realized I wasn't so carefree.

I also thought I'd make a whole blanket but realized I'd actually have to measure. So instead, I took Cheryl's brilliant suggestion and made a "taggy" blanket.

And now I've got three more. Because free form quilting is really rather fun!

Suitable Shorts

Shorts, not pants. Soft. No pinching. No rubbing. No scrunching. No buttons. No zippers.

Right.

Here they are:

I used the Class Picnic shorts pattern from Oliver +S. With tan corduroy and a floral print, both from my stash, they made her happy. That makes me happy.

B makes an apron

B decided he wanted to make an apron for H for Christmas. So he did.

He chose the fabric. I helped him a bit, mostly with guidance, but he did almost everything.

I found the free pattern on Sew Liberated. It was super simple and it fits H perfectly.

Photo canvases

For a friend who just lost his dog.

Scanned and sized photo.
Cut tracing paper to letter size and fed through ink jet printer.
Trimmed to 5x7 size to match blank framed canvases.
Spread thin layer of mod podge with foam brush. Adhered tracing paper , smoothed out bubbles and spread thin layer on top.
It is wet in photo - will dry clear.

Thanksgiving dress

This is the School Photo dress dress from Oliver & S. I actually made it for Thanksgiving last year, but (a) it was even bigger then, and (b) she wouldn't wear it for a photo then. This year she liked it, especially the secret pockets that she made me promise I'd keep secret. It was the most complicated dress I've made, and I'm actually pleased with how well it came out. The adorable neckline bothered her eventually, but we've had at least two evenings out of it. Well, she wore it to dinner yesterday, but no during dinner. She ate naked.

Harry Potter tie

Thrift store tie. Strips of yellow felt.

Little bird

Made from wool sweater scraps. Thought it might be fun to make a few
as Christmas ornaments. Turns out, the answer is probably no.

Invisibility Cloak

Obviously you can't see it here, but you get the idea.

B wanted an invisibility cloak, so while we were in MN we went to Hancock Fabrics and found the perfect solution: silver Liquid Foil. He can see out just perfectly, while the rest of the world can't see a thing. And it feels fantastic: it's slippery and metallic and heavy in a cool way. I cut the yardage into three rectangles, and then just sewed the pieces together with a curved seam at the top. The raw edges definitely needed to be finished, as the fabric starts to run almost immediately.

It's even big enough for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. When they were first-years, anyhow.