Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Christmas Stockings Dilemma

I'd really like to make stockings for my family for Christmas this year. Really, really. The trouble is that I just can't seem to decide on a pattern for them. Or fabric.

I keep looking around on Google for pattern ideas. And while there are just so many different ones out there, nothing is really jumping out at me as perfect - except for the ones that I'd never in a million years be able to make! Well, that's not entirely true.

I came up with four ideas that might work:

Star Stockings

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Striped Stockings (some variation of the picture below)



Zigzag Stockings



And Peter decided he would like a snowman on his. Here are a couple ideas:

This one is from this website

 This one I can't find a website that actually brings it up, so I'm not sure where Google gets the picture from...but either way, it's cute!

So, okay. I have ideas. But I guess the next dilemma is fabric. Last night I decided I needed to just use what I have. No matter that none of it is remotely Christmassey (except for the solid red!), I have it and so I should just use it! I started working on the zig-zag stocking cutting out some gray corduroy and turquoise with tiny white polka dots.

But then I decided it wasn't very festive. So this morning, the boys and I piled into the van and drove to Walmart (my closest fabric destination!) and as soon as I walked into the fabric department, I was sorely disappointed with my decision. Why didn't I go to JoAnn's??? We came back home empty-handed, and I am newly resolved to make do with what I already have. I just wish I could figure out how to make it work.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Projects Past

It's fun for me to keep track of the projects that I've completed. Sometimes painful, but mostly fun. I guess it's good to go back and see how much I've learned, especially when I'm feeling frustrated with a current project. It makes me think, "Wow, I guess this one isn't so bad!"

Know what I mean?

So today is the day that I'm going to post pictures of all projects past. Be kind as you scroll through!

 I transformed an old bed sheet into matching crib sheets for the boys for Christmas last year. It was so much easier to do than I thought it would be that I'd like to make more, but honestly, how many sheets does one really need? I used this tutorial, except I made French seams for the corners (and I do not have a serger). Pretty easy to do and simple to find directions online, too!

 My aunt made a hooded towel for Peter when he was born. I just love it and almost three years later, we still use it with every bath. I found some ideas online for embellishing them a bit and I tried it out with these three. Not bad. Not great, but not bad. 


 This was truly my first TRUE sewing project ever. David was coming; I needed a baby quilt for him (Peter got one from Great-grandma Ruth [who, by the way, passed away this morning - we will miss her!] and since she was, by the time I was pregnant with David, living in a nursing home, unable to sew anymore, I decided to  attempt learning. Glad I did! I bumbled around online looking for a pattern I liked (disappearing 9-patch), found some fabric at good old Wally World and got to work. I love, still, how it looks, even though it is FAR from perfect!
 Luke picked out the cowboy fabric.
 Peter also received a fleece blanket made by my aunt Carla when he was born. It has since become one of his favorites (his other favorite is his quilt!). And so, well, I decided to try making some, too! They are probably some of the easiest blankets to make. Buy some fleece, buy satin edging, pin the edging on, decide which pattern you'd like the stitching to be and attach! Corners are a bit tricky. The very end of the satin edging is tricky, too. You have to turn it under so it doesn't fray and then make sure it's all tucked in nicely...


 This is my most recent project. I love how it turned out, except for the quilting. I really need to get a quilting foot for my machine. I used this tutorial for this pattern: Lemon Squares by Faith @ Fresh Lemons Quilts.

 This was a very simple quilt made for my cousin Jade's little baby girl. I hadn't figured out how to make my own binding yet at this point, but a regular satin binding was too large, so I used a 1" ribbon folded in half. Worked perfectly!

 I made this apron for my aunt Yvette's 50th birthday. I can't even begin to tell you where I got the pattern idea for it. I think, honestly, I found several and mashed them all together to get this one. The pocket colors are all wrong and the apron strings are waaaaaay too long. Unless you want to tie them in front, I guess...but oh, my, do I love that green fabric! (thanks, Walmart!)

 This quilt I made for my friend Honey's daughter. This is actually not the final quilt, as one of the fabrics frayed BIG TIME after I washed it (glad I washed it before giving it to her!) and I forgot to take another picture after I took apart the offending blocks and repieced/resewed them with new fabric. I think, if I remember correctly, that I liked the final version better than this one. I don't remember where I got the tutorial idea to make this one, either. I'm sorry! It's a sort of rag quilt. All three fabrics for each block are stacked one on top of the other and then sewed together, leaving about a 1/2" section around the outside of each to allow for fraying after washing.
 I especially like the quilting and backing on this one.
 This is a "basket weave" pattern. Mostly. There are a few solid squares, as well. Some fabric came from Walmart, again, and some came from my random stash at home. I made this one for my sweet little cousin Evelyn.

 And, because I liked the Lemon Squares pattern so well, I made another. This was for my friend Laura's daughter. I especially love the quilting, even though it was very tedious! I got a little crazy with this quilt (and the other Lemon Squares quilt) and bought some name brand, designer fabric online. The pink block in the backing on the bottom left is from Lecien and the orange on the top left is from Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush line.

And there you have it! Happy Wednesday!!

Monday, October 10, 2011