Sewing/Crafts
Handmade Christmas Project #1
On the first day of Christmas, a seamstress made for me . . . No, really, I’m not going to sing a new version of the twelve days of Christmas, but I do have twelve handmade projects that I’d like to share between now and Christmas Eve! (Most of them are done already, but I do have few projects that have made it to the last minute scramble)
First up is this simple quilt for my youngest niece. She is a big fan of anything giraffe related, and I think she’ll love these!
Because I didn’t have a lot of time to put this together, I pieced the quilt top together from solid 10″ blocks, alternating the four block fabrics. Then I put a quick border around it, backed it with minky, quilted it in diagonal lines and machine-bound it. The final quilt is about 50″x60″.
I love these minky-backed, no-batting quilts for little ones because they’re warm and soft, but they don’t take up a lot of storage space in your closet when you store them or in a bag when you travel.
The Everyday Camp Shirt!
Introducing the Everyday Camp Shirt! Every little boy needs a closet full of camp shirts, and this camp shirt is sure to make him very happy! This is a perfect everyday top that you can sew up with those amazing cotton quilting fabrics that are available in your local quilt shop or your favorite online fabric store.
The Everyday Camp Shirt has a comfortable fit through the body and a square hemline. It’s perfect for leaving un-tucked on busy little boys. You get to choose whether to finish the top with buttons or metal snaps.
You can sew this shirt with or without the yoke to give you multiple looks from one pattern, and my testers say that my method for attaching the collar is “brilliant”. It will give you a nice, clean, finished look, and it’s really easy!
The PDF version of The Everyday Camp Shirt is available now at Fishsticks Designs at Etsy and The Fabric Fairy. Paper patterns will be available at retailers including Fat Quarter Shop and Sew Baby in the next few days!
(I know it’s winter and this is a short-sleeve pattern. What was I thinking, you ask? You know, it does look adorable over a long-sleeve knit shirt . . . like the Charlie Tee pattern.)
Sewing Machines for Christmas
This picture warms my heart so much . . . from the shiny new sewing machine to the the happy babies worn close to their mamas to the joy on the faces of the whole family. This family received this sewing machine through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog. This simple $85 treadle-operated sewing machine can make a huge difference in this family’s ability to make a decent living. Within no time there’s money to purchase food for the children and to send them to school—with new clothes to boot! And, the giver has the joy of knowing that they’ve shared the real meaning of Christmas with a family on the other side of the world.
The Fabric I-Spy Book Tutorial
Have a pile of scraps waiting for a good use? Need a quick last minute gift for the toddler or preschooler on your list? How about sewing up a Fabric I-Spy Book? I originally created this tutorial for the Holiday Bake, Craft and Sew-Along over at Skip to My Lou. If you’re looking for more Christmas cooking and crafting ideas, there are some great recipes and tutorials over there that you have to go check out!
This Fabric I-Spy Book is a perfect gift for toddlers to preschoolers, and it’s a great way to use up those scraps that you’ve been hanging on to! The book is folded accordion-style so your little one can read it like a book:
or unfold it to seek and find on multiple pages all at once:
Can you find a white measuring tape? a dalmation with spots? #18 celebrating? two barbecue grills? a swimming dinosaur with rainbow dots? a mama with six little babies?
Ready to get started? Gather up the busiest, most colorful fabric scraps you can find and click here for the downloadable pdf tutorial: Downloadable I-Spy Book Tute.
Enjoy! If you make one of these, I’d love to see!
National Tie One On Day
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is celebrated annually as National Tie One On Day . . . tie on an apron, that is! Participants pause in their busy Thanksgiving preparations to make or purchase an apron and gift it to a friend or neighbor along with a freshly baked loaf of bread. National Tie One On Day provides the opportunity to return the “give” to Thanksgiving by simply sharing a kind gesture. You can read more about it here: Apron Memories.
Last Wednesday, I spent the afternoon sewing up this apron for a friend. She was out of town with her family for the holiday and should be home this evening, so I haven’t given it to her yet. This morning, I baked a loaf of cinnamon bread to give with the apron. (Actually, I baked two, so I can tell you for sure that it is very yummy!) I hope she likes the apron and the bread, and I pray that it will bring a smile to her face and joy to her heart. (She has a way of always doing those things to me every time I’m around her!)
It’s all packed up and ready to deliver tomorrow! (Don’t you love my “upcycled” gift bag?)
Quilt Market . . . the rest of the story
I swear I have not dropped off the face of the earth! These last few weeks have been packed full with filling and shipping orders, following up with people I talked with at Market, finishing up my pattern cover updates, working on a new pattern, and, of course, all my regular mom and homeschooling responsibilities. The new pattern is one that I previewed at Market, and my amazing group of testers is helping me finish a few last minute tweaks as we speak (er, I mean “type”). Want a little peek?
So, I promised to share a little more about Quilt Market. I really wish I’d taken more pictures, but I was so busy. Ray and I drove down on Thursday and started the set-up. Ray left me in the early evening to drive back to Dallas, and I hung out in the hotel room, finishing up stuffed apples until it was time to head to the airport to pick up my dear friend, Jamie, who flew down (all the way from Canada) to help me out for the weekend. Jamie’s flight was late leaving Toronto, so it was very late when she made it in and we headed back to the hotel. It was even later when we finally made it to the hotel after driving around in circles on the one-way streets of downtown Houston for . . . um . . . we’ll just say a while.
We spent the day Friday setting up our booth and enjoying some U. S. shopping. (I think Jamie took back half her body weight in fabric. It’s a good thing she brought an expandable suitcase.) Friday evening we dropped in for a bit at Fabric 2.0 where I managed to maintain a fairly professional appearance among people that I had never before met in person. Professional, that is, until I happened to see Rashida Coleman-Hale across the room, at which point, I might have sprinted across the room in an “Oh-My-Gosh-There’s-A-Celebrity-Who-I-Have-To-Meet!” moment. Rashida, by the way, is the sweetest! She very kindly acted like I was a perfectly normal person. (Even after I told her that I’ve been “stalking” her for years! Really, who admits to being a stalker the very first time they meet someone?) Not only did she encourage me and wish me the best, but during Market the next day, she stopped by to say, “Hello”. I was busy with a shop owner, though, and only got to wave.
From Fabric 2.0, Jamie and I walked over to check out Sample Spree. It was crazy and loud and loads of fun! At Sample Spree, designers offer sample packages of their latest fabric or patterns, and attendees purchase them at a discount to take back to their stores. Some designers even sew up their patterns or their fabric and sell those finished items for display in fabric and quilt shops. I’m thinking that I might have to join in and offer pattern samples at Spring Market.
Saturday, Sunday and early Monday were busy with actual work! (Should you really call it work, when you enjoy what you do so much?) Ray drove back down Monday morning and with his help on Monday afternoon we tore down in about 20 minutes what had taken us two days to put up.
Jamie’s flight was due to leave Tuesday morning, and she thought she needed to eat a real Texas dinner on Monday evening. After a bit of searching, we found a BBQ place not too far from us and Mapquested directions that kept us off of the busy rush-hour highways. However, the fourth time we arrived at this intersection, from a different direction each time, we just drove up the entrance ramp to the highway and followed the GPS!
The BBQ was amazing! It was almost worth driving over one of those crazy-high, I-have-no-idea-how-they-don’t-come-crashing-down ramps. I hate those things, for those of you who don’t know that already. Jamie, on the other hand, thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was busy looking straight forward, praying that we’d soon be on the ground safely and begging Ray to please drive slowly while Jamie’s camera snapped away and she excitedly pointed out how very high we were above the multiple bridges circling beneath us.
Tuesday morning, we packed everything up, dropped Jamie at the airport and hung out in Houston until she’d cleared customs before we headed north to Dallas and home. (Actually, that last part is not really the truth. We got lost leaving the airport, and it took us until Jamie cleared customs until we figured out where we were–but we don’t have to tell her that!)
The Mama & Baby Bag
Searching for the perfect diaper bag for mama and baby? Having a bag that is fun, fashionable and functional for both you and your new addition makes life so much easier in those first few years! I designed this bag do that and more! I think it’s the perfect size for moms who use cloth diapers or disposables—not too big, not too small. I even included patterns and instructions for a waterproof zippered wetbag and a changing pad with a hidden waterproof layer.
The outside front of the Mama & Baby Bag features two elasticized pockets and two flat pockets for those things that you need close at hand. On the back side, you’ll find a large zippered pocket to keep important documents and records safely contained. Just below the strap, a side pocket holds mom’s cell phone within quick reach. The tie-on strap easily adjusts to exactly the right length, from shoulder bag length, to stroller bag, to messenger bag. The strap is designed to be worn folded in half over the shoulder or unfolded for comfortable wear when worn across the body.
Inside, a divider separates mom’s things from baby’s. Mom’s side features a divided pocket with compartments for a pen or pencil, business cards and notes. On baby’s side, you’ll find three elasticized pockets to separate diapers, wipes and changing pad.
This pattern will be available in pdf format in my Etsy store on Wednesday, 10/19. The paper version will be available after Quilt Market on 11/2.
The Which Way Out Jacket
I’ve heard rumors that it’s getting cold somewhere, and your little ones need some bundling! My Which Way Out Jacket is designed to keep them all warm and cozy. (Here in Dallas, it’s still in the 80s, but winter will come eventually!) This hooded jacket uses two layers of fabric and with the right zipper, it is completely reversible for two looks in one.
One of the things that I love about sewing outerwear for my children is that you get a lot of wear for your sewing time! Unlike tees and pants that get worn one day and thrown into the wash until laundry day, jackets are worn every time your little one is out of the house in the cooler months and because they don’t tend to get dirty as quickly, they spend a lot less time in the hamper.
In sizes 12 months to 5T, the Which Way Out Jacket features roomy pockets and fold-up cuffs. For extra insulation, you can add a hidden layer of cotton flannel or thin quilted batting, or you can turn your Hooded Jacket into a windbreaker and raincoat by using PUL (polyurethane laminate) as the outer layer.
The PDF version of this pattern will be available on Wednesday, 10/19, along with one other pattern that I’ll be blogging about later today. The paper versions of these patterns will be available after Quilt Market on 11/2.
The Buttons & Buckles Overall and Shortall
I’m not really allowed to pick a favorite pattern, am I? Okay, I won’t because I do honestly love all of my patterns. This one, though, I think is an absolute baby boy necessity! I love little boys toddling around in overalls. They just look like . . . little boys! Charlie will definitely be wearing these overalls all winter, and since today’s high is still over 100 degrees here in Dallas, I suspect he’ll get plenty of wear out of the shortalls before it cools off, too.
The apples on our backyard tree were ripening while I was working on this pattern last month. Since it’s been so hot and so dry, they were teeny tiny making them perfect Charlie-size. I adore all the pictures that I snapped of him pulling off apples and eating them right off of the tree.
Of course, little girls do look adorable in overalls, too, and baby Katie shows them off beautifully!
The PDF version of the Buttons & Buckles Overall and Shortall is available on Etsy: Fishsticks Designs at Etsy, and the paper pattern is available in my main store: Buttons & Buckles Overall and Shortall.
Inside or Out Pocket Pants in Big Kids Sizes!
A friend called me a few days ago to check in on me. She said, “I haven’t seen you, and you haven’t blogged in weeks!” LOL! I am still here and plugging away! I have a new pattern — well, an old pattern in bigger sizes really — ready to release and I’ll have one more finished up and ready to go early next week. I’m also working on several other patterns that will feature a new fabric line from Michael Miller, and I’m wrapping up my Create Hope Designs pattern. Oh, and it is summer, and we’re trying to squeeze in a little fun in spite of the 100+ degree weather here in Dallas.
On to the Inside or Out Pocket Pants for your big kids! Just in time for back to school, I’ve finished up the Inside or Out Pockets Pants in sizes 5 to 12. Like the smaller sizes, this pattern includes multiple options for pockets on the front, back and sides.
You can buy the pdf version of the IOOP Big Kids in my Etsy store now: Fishsticks Designs at Etsy, and the paper copy of the pattern will be available in my main store on Monday: Fishsticks Designs.
I can’t promise that they’ll have your kids flying off to school like superheroes, but my boys seem to really be enjoying theirs!
