Awesome Cupcakes of Doom!

I have finished my felt cupcakes for Little Miss, you will notice that only half of them have bead sprinkles.  After beading them for two nights and only getting three done, I just couldn’t make myself do all six.The sprinkles are super sparkly and I hope she likes them.  I guess if it is really a big issue with her I can always go back and bead the three plain ones.Happy Holidays everyone, I’ll see you guys next week!

Very Last Minute Knitting

I have been working on a few final gifts, knitted scarves.  I really enjoy knitting, but it is not something that I would consider quick, however the “Mile-a-Minute” scarf from Turvid is!  I finished the purple one up last night while watching TV and started the thinner red one today while watching Christmas shows with my kids.

These scarves really work up fast and they are open, lightweight and squishy warm.  An added plus is that they also appear fancy and complicated.  I imagine you could even add in some novelty yarn, like eyelash, and make them furry.  There’s still time to make one for someone you know, pop over and get the pattern now!

Simplicity 2699 Pattern Review

This pattern really appealed to me because all of the aprons were full and vintage styled with more details and cuteness that just a plain apron.  All of the designs feature pockets and bias binding.  View A could be worn as a summer top.  I chose to make view C.

I decided to use two different fabrics for the design to highlight the ruffles and ties.  The directions are easy to follow and all of the seams are enclosed or finished with bias binding, which I really like.  If I made the pattern again I would make the waist ties differently, probably doubling the width of the pattern and sewing a tube and turning rather that trying to double fold the fabric into a narrow hem around the edge. I was disappointed that a pattern that uses so much bias binding has no hints or suggestions for working with it.  “Apply binding to pocket edge” is not the easiest to accomplish when the pockets are heart shaped and there are no suggestions for getting the binding into that shape.  I did try to pre-shape it with my iron and I very carefully sewed it on, but in the end was unhappy with how it looked.  You’ll notice that my finished apron has no pockets.  I would also like to mention that I ironed all the creases out of my binding before I began applying it.

I do plan on making at least one more of the views of this pattern and since this was purchased to $.99 (Hobby Lobby sale) I feel it has been a real value.  This pattern is for you if you are looking for a more elaborate apron for a special little girl and enjoy applying bias binding.

This apron goes with the felt cupcakes for my daughter for Christmas.  I also used the leftover fabric and binding to make a drawstring bag to wrap the present with.

NOOOOOOO, Everything Was Going So Smoothly, WHYYYYYYY!

So I’m having a great day sewing.  I am almost finished making this adorable apron for Little Miss when I realize I am almost out of thread, NOOOOOOOOO.  There are a lot of decorative stitches on this apron and it has used a ton of thread, plus I have used this same thread to sew the set of felt cupcakes (which still aren’t finished).I have to finish the binding on the apron and finish/add the pockets and I also need to finish beading the felt cupcakes.  In order to leave the house I would need to shower, get dressed, dress the children, gas up the car and drive over to Hobby Lobby for a spool of thread.  I’m feeling a bit lazy and I don’t really want to leave the house, wishing I had another color of thread that I could use…maybe purple, would that be weird? an apron stitched in half pink and half purple, it is just a play apron, are the sewing police going to knock on my door and force me to rip it out and re-do it if I use two different colors of thread?  I think not, purple it is and I’ll save the rest of this pink for the cupcakes.

It really is turning out nicely besides the thread mishap.  I have enough of the cupcake fabric left to make a drawstring bag to wrap up this apron and the cupcakes.  BTW this apron is from Simplicity 2699 (expect a pattern review later this week).  I guess I’ll go and load up a bobbin with purple and get back to sewing and maybe some more cleaning, I still have eight loads of laundry to fold, it’s clean, just not folded.

The Official Update

I have grounded myself from doing any more crafting that is not Christmas gift related until I have cleaned up some of this mess.  I have never been an extremely tidy person and I tend to overtake any flat surface with all of the various projects that I am currently working on.  Let me be clear, my house is not filthy it’s cluttered, I do maintain basic cleaning, like washing dishes, laundry, cleaning the bathroom, etc., I just don’t do a great job of picking up after myself.  I have made a lot of progress this week, the kitchen is looking great and all the countertops are visible and the living room is coming along nicely, I just have to find a new home for some gigantic totes.  I am even getting a handle on all of my fabric in the craft room.

This photo was taken at the end of November and I am happy to say that a lot more of the floor is visible and the furniture has been rearranged, but I am still struggling to find homes for all of my carefully hoarded supplies.

I am also still working on those darn cupcakes, their frosting has been applied and now all they need is some beaded sprinkles (I did decide to go with orange, thanks Kelly), but I refuse to post another picture of them until they are finished. 

I have not wrapped any gifts yet, since I am still waiting for most of them to arrive, traditionally I spend Christmas eve in a package wrapping frenzy and it seems it will be that way again.  I hope to be ungrounded and back to crafting soon, I have a gigantic back log of projects to complete and now that my fabric is getting organized I have a ton of sewing projects that I am dying to work on.  Have a great weekend!

Bone Crusher Quilts

I grew up in a drafty farm house and every winter the quilts would come out and be stacked on the beds.  The heaviest of the quilts were called bone crushers because of how heavy they were.  The best bone crushers were made from denim, old, soft, worn denim from our old jeans and overalls.  I still love denim quilts, although now I prefer the lighter “rag” quilts as opposed to the traditional quilt top with batting, binding, and backing.

My Mother made an awesome denim quilt for my son with stars and even the pockets from the jeans.  I love it, he has been using it for a couple of years and it just get softer and softer and it is super warm.

I also made some matching curtains, they are a little short for the windows in our new house, but I’ll just add another strip at the bottom.  I’m also going to add a lining to make it a little more insulating, his room is on the North side of our house.

These curtains were so easy to make, I just tore the legs of jeans to get a straight edge and sewed them together the wider strips are from the back of the pants and the narrow ones are the front.  I put the seams on the right side and snipped them about ever 1/4” and put them into to washing machine to fray them.

I love denim, it is such a versatile, long wearing fabric.  I just wanted to share some of the great projects I have made with it.  I have started a shag style rug, the strips are cut and I just need to decide what kind of backing to use and how big to make it.  I’m lucky, I seem to have a never ending supply of denim, everyone in our family saves it, and if I do need more I can always pick up a few pairs of jeans at the Goodwill on dollar days!  What kind of great projects have you made using denim?

Frugal Friday: Star Wars?

My son, who is five, loves Star Wars and let me tell you it is NOT frugal to shell out money for all of these toys!  He has quite a collection, but is always wanting more, this year I spent the budgeted amount on him and he is getting one item.  I need a bit of really inexpensive stuff for him to unwrap, we don’t want a present counting contest to start between him and his sister.  Today I hit the jack pot!  StarWars.com has free coloring pages (and games for the older kids).  If you want a few more pages check out the Galactic Colorbot, just print without coloring!

I printed out a large selection, two of each design.  I’m going to put these into a folder and get a box of markers or colored pencils from the Dollar Tree and call it good.  The best part is he’ll love it and I’m only out a buck or two.  I’m counting the coloring pages as free, I already had ink and paper and I don’t budget it that tight.

Now I just need one more little thing and I’ll be finished with him, I’m thinking a stenciled shirt with a clone trooper helmet or something, stay tuned for that.

I almost forgot, almost any of your child's favorite characters can be found, just search for “your character free coloring pages” and you’ll get tons of results, it’s a great last minute frugal gift.