Hope everyone has a great Fourth! The weather is beautiful and we are heading off to the big parade in downtown Apex. The kids decorate their bikes, wagons, baby strollers, and march down main street waving flags and cheering! At the end of the parade, the fire station has a firetruck set up to spray water on the kids so they can cool off. Should be a lot of fun.
Wool Flags
There are some fun little wool flags made from a pattern by Debbie Busby 0f Wooden Spool Designs. A vintage flower frog holds the flags quite nicely. The sticks will be painted black and maybe a bow will be tied around some of the sticks. I thought this would be a fairly quick project, but there is a lot of hand stitching involved, so it took a few hours to complete all 5. They are small enough to carry around in your purse if you want to work on something for a few minutes while you are waiting.
Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted – time gets away too quickly! This weekend my son had a solar system birthday party. You may recall that he had a “space” party last year at this time, but in his mind “solar system” and “space” are different somehow.
Zippered Pencil Case
For the favors this year, I made the kids zippered pencil cases. They can use them to carry school supplies and other little treasures. There was a bunch of rocketship and planet fabric left over from last year (since I didn’t have time to make anything except an apron). The zippered cases are fast and easy to make and hopefully I will get a tutorial posted on them in the next few weeks.
Zipper Pull
The zipper pulls were some space themed charms from Oriental Trading Company. They are attached to the zippers with some lanyard hooks from Wal-mart (found in the children’s craft section). In addition to the charms, I bought a whole bunch of space things from Oriental Trading Company – it was basically like a solar system party in a box.
Solar System Party Favor
If spend about $50 on one of the value party packs (they have many different themes) you can get everything you need! The “space” party theme included an inflatable solar system, cup/plates/napkins, 3 craft projects, 3 party favor items, and cardboard decorations of space things. All in all a good deal and a huge hit with the elementary school crowd.
I Love You!
My son had a great time and was so happy with the favors I made for his friends. He made me a special note with his drawing tablet to thank me! I love the fancy lettering he used.
For those of you who don’t know what I a do for a living, you may be surprised to find out that I make videogames. I’ve been working in the industry since 1996 and have worked on all kinds of titles for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, DS, and many more. Every year, there is a huge convention called E3 where all the game companies show off their gaming line up for the coming year. I’ve been to almost every E3 since I started working in the game industry and always have a ton of fun!
E3 Convention - Los Angeles - 2011
Since my day job directly impacts how often I can blog on Keep It Thimble, I thought it would be fun to show you a few pictures from this year’s convention. I was in Los Angeles all last week and was pretty much in meetings or on the show floor for three days straight. Needless to say, I’ve had my fill of games for awhile.
E3 2011 - Skyrim Billboard
Here is a pretty amazing billboard for a game that will be coming out this fall. I can’t even imagine how long it took to install this billboard, or how they even figured out how to get it this large in the first place.
Another fun part of E3 is seeing all the people walking around in costumes. For example, here I am with two of my Star Wars buddies. I also saw Cooking Mama, and some other game characters, and zombies! In addition, this is a great place to spot celebrities. While there I saw Hulk Hogan, Verne Troyer (Mini-me from the Austin Powers movies), Gene Simmons, and Hiro (from Heroes).
E3 2011 - Rage (yes, those are zombies)
However, no matter how much fun I had seeing what new games are coming out, I couldn’t wait to get home to my sewing room. I have some exciting projects planned for this summer, including a few video tutorials. Let me know if there is something specific you’d like a tutorial on.
My son enjoys all kinds of creatures, both big and small. A few weeks ago he asked me if we could make a stuffed paramecium. He learned about these one-celled organisms from watching the “Cat in the Hat” (proof that television IS educational 🙂 ). For those of you who need a refresher in biology, here is a picture of what one of these critters looks like:
Diagram of Paramecium
As you can see, it is a simple oval, with some colored shapes inside the body, and a row of little hairs around the edge – simple enough to make with some fleece, felt, and pom-pom trim! This is a great project for you to do with your children since there are so many things they can do in the process. I didn’t take photos of the actual project in process, but the tutorial is fairly straightforward (I hope!).
Perry the Paramecium - Standing
To make one Paramecium toy you need:
1/2 yard fleece
Craft felt in assorted colors
3 yards pom-pom trim
1 bag Fiberfill
Google Eyes / Buttons (optional)
1. Starting by drawing 10 – 12 different shapes on the felt. Use a variety of colors and shapes to add interest. The shapes should be various sizes ranging from 2 x 3″ to 6″ x 6″.
2. Cut out the shapes and set aside. I found the shapes to be the most fun for my son. He drew and cut out all the shapes by himself. The bonus was that this kept him busy for about 2 hours (off and on) which gave me time to sew some other project.
3. Take 1/2 yard of fleece and cut it into two equal-sized rectangles (it’s easiest just to cut where the fabric was folded on the bolt). These will be the front and back of the paramecium.
4. Take one fleece rectangle and arrange the felt shapes on it. Again, my son did this step. He took each piece and placed it where he wanted on the creature. Be sure to leave about 1 – 2 inches seam allowance around the perimeter. Pin the shapes to the fleece.
Paramecium - Ready to Sew the Shapes
5. Using your machine, stitch the shapes onto the fleece. Stitch on top of the shapes (basically like raw-edge applique). Since this was a toy, I just stitched around the inside edge of each shape, leaving the edges of each shape raw. Don’t be a perfectionist about this, just get them stitched down securely. For example, I stitched through the center of each star point instead of trying to stitch around the perimeter of the star.
6. Take the pom-pom trim and loosely arrange in the shape of an oval around the perimeter of the fleece rectangle (the one with the shapes). You will have excess fabric at the corners. Caution – do not actually cut the fleece into the shape of an oval, this makes it harder to stitch together later on. Instead, just shape the trim into an oval shape and pin around the edges. Make sure the pom-pons are pointing towards the center of the fleece.
7. From the front, stitch around the pom-pom trim with your machine. You can use a basting stitch to complete this step more quickly.
8. Take the second piece of unembellished fleece and place it RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER with the piece you just finished embellishing. Pin around the edges.
9. Turn the piece over (pins and all) so you are now looking at the wrong side of the piece with all the felt shapes stitched onto it. With pins, clearly indicate where you will start and stop the seam in order to have a 6 inch opening for turning and stuffing (pick the center of one of the long sides).
10. You should be able to clearly see the stitching line around the perimeter that is securing the pom-poms. Using this seam as a guide, stitch the front and back together just inside this seam (about 1/8″ seam allowance). Again, no need to be a perfectionist about this. Remember to leave 6″ open for turning and stuffing.
11. Trim corners so that you now have a nice oval shape. Turn the paramecium inside out.
12. Stuff with fiberfill. This will use an entire bag of fiberfill! Again, kids can participate in this step and handle the stuffing themselves.
13. Once stuffed, whipstitch the opening closed by hand.
14. Optional: Glue on google eyes or sew on button eyes. My son opted to draw some eyes and mouth in the middle with a marker (can you see it in the picture?). However, he did mention he would like to sew on some buttons for eyes so you can see them better.
15. Name your new creature! My son called his “Perry.”
It’s been pretty hot here the past week or so, and unfortunately our AC stopped working 7 days ago. The repairman is coming tomorrow – as you can imagine this is a very busy time of year for AC companies and we had to take what we could get! The upstairs is about 90 degrees right now, so needless to say I haven’t spent much time in the sewing room.
However, I have been hitting up the thrift stores to get out of the house and enjoy someone else’s AC for awhile. Good thing, I did! People are doing a lot of spring cleaning right now and so there are some great deals out there.
Sewing Box - ExteriorSewing Box - Interior
The first piece is a wonderful little sewing caddy that for any UFOs. It’s a perfect fit next to my sewing chair – just haven’t had a chance to sit down with it yet.
Bookshelf with Removable Shelves
Here is a cute little shelf I found at Goodwill. Each shelf can be removed and used as a tray. Also, the little “fences” around the shelves can be removed for a different look.
Mr. Peanut Cannisters
No sewing room is complete without a bunch of containers for all your sewing treasures! Who knows what will actually go in them, but they sure look cute. First is set of Mr. Peanut jars from 1980. My grandmother used to go through these peanuts like crazy! Who knew the jars would become collectibles!
Vintage Rooster Cannisters
Next is a set of wooden canisters with roosters on them. These were very popular in the 1950’s. I think there was probably a fourth canister (a larger one), so you had one each for flour, sugar, coffee, and tea.
I have such a good time seeking out these bargains and treasures – wish I could do it full time!
Miraculously I finished both the ballet bags and lunch bags that I posted about last week! I was pretty pleased with how both projects turned out, but also glad I didn’t have the pressure of sewing deadlines! The next big deadline I have is getting ready for the Porch Sale in October (more details later).
Lunch Bags
Heather Bailey’s Jack and Jill pattern is very cute, but the bags were not as simple to make as I thought. And since I was making two bags at the same time, any missteps I made were multiplied by two! Laminated fabric was used for both the interior and exterior – this is a medium weight fabric that is lighter than oilcloth, but sturdier than cotton. It was very easy to work with – and I had no issues with cutting or sewing with it. I did have a teflon foot which made the fabric slide very easily through the feeddogs. If you don’t have a teflon foot you can also use the walking foot.
The pattern instructions were clear enough in most places, but I think she may have missed a minor step when you have to cut out the fabric for the side tabs. Easily remedied, but it slowed me down because I spent a few minutes looking for the missing step.
Lunch Bags with Accessories
The thing that is most confusing is keeping the top and bottom oriented correctly on the top flap. The finished flap works just like a brown paper lunch bag – you pinch in the sides and fold over the top twice. Velcro secures the flap, so precise placement of the hook and loop strips is important. You must also stay on your toes when sewing the lined flap to the bag body so you don’t sew it in upside down. This is very easy to do – take it from me :). I spent about 30 minutes ripping out stitches since I didn’t realize my mistake until three seams later! Thanks goodness I didn’t make the same mistakes on both bags.
Once finished, I added in a plastic sandwich holder and small soup-thermos (color coordinated, of course). The teachers loved them!
Ballet Bag for Pointe Shoes
The second project were the ballet bags from my friend April. I plan to post a tutorial about how to make them in the near future – so stay tuned! The cute thing about these bags was the monogram in the lower corner. You can use the iron-transfers for the craft store – there are many styles and colors to choose from.
May has turned out to be fairly busy work wise, which means a lot of my sewing projects have been put on hold or left until the last minute. There are two projects that I need to finish by Friday evening. So, I think I will be busy for the next few evenings – but at least it is a fun kind of busy!
WIP - Lunch Bags
The first project is a gifts for my son’s teachers. His last day of school is on Friday and I want to give them something special to thank them for all they’ve done this year. Every teacher needs a lunch bag, and Heather Bailey’s Jack and Jill pattern is the perfect one! I’m using laminated cotton fabrics for this project, which is something I’ve been looking forward to trying — I’ll let you know how it goes. One teacher gets a blue bag and the other gets a pink one!
Fabric for Ballet Shoe Bags
The next project is ballet shoe bags for my friend who runs the dance studio Graceful Expressions. Each year at her recital, the graduating girls receive a beautifully handcrafted bag (by me) for their ballet shoes. Apparently, this is a tradition the girls look forward to, so I have to make sure they are not disappointed this year. There are two different types of ballet fabric – the pink is for the younger girls and the red for the older ones (it looks more chic).
I’ll post finished projects later. Keep it thimble!
It’s been a busy few weeks for me with work and travel (and prepping for potential travel) and it’s really cut into my sewing time! Thankfully it looks like summer is going to slow down and I will have plenty of time to hang out in the sewing room!
Charlevoix – Minnick and Simpson – Moda Fabrics
Speaking of sewing room, I am finally getting ready to re-decorate it. This has been one of the last rooms in the house to get any attention and now it’s time! The color scheme is going to be around the fabric above – it is from Minnick and Simpson’s Charlevoix collection. This fabric will be used for valances and then other fabric from the line will be used to make chair covers. The walls will be painted a light blue (exact color TBD).
Shower Curtain – Pattern from Moda Bakeshop
Finally, for the downstairs bathroom I am going to make a shower curtain. I found a great pattern for making a shower curtain out of layer cakes on the Moda Bakeshop website. I am using the same fabric in the picture above (Clermont Farms – Minnick and Simpson). In addition to the shower curtain I am going to make some hand towels by making ruffles, prairie points and other embellishments from the left over fabric. Should be a lot of fun!
Happy Mother’s Day! This is a great day to thank your Mom for all that they do for you! I am 40 years old, and my mom still worries about me as much as she did when I was a baby :). Thanks for everything Mom!
Mom and GrandsonFive Years Later...Still on Grandma's Lap
Now that I’m a mom myself I finally get what she means when she says “you won’t understand until you have children of your own.” My little guy is only five, but already I am thinking about how sad I am going to be when he moves away from home! It’s so silly, but I am going to enjoy him as much as I can while I still have him all to myself :).
It’s time for another edition of Thrift Store Finds. For awhile there, I was getting disappointed because there didn’t seem to be much out there for a few weeks. One weekend I visited all my usual thrift stores and a few garage sales and I couldn’t find one thing! However, that all changed last weekend – I hit the jackpot!
Vintage Fabrics
The first stop was a local thrift store that’s open only on weekends. For about $10, I walked out with several pieces of vintage fabric, some vintage hand embroidered table linens, a spice rack, and two super cute vintage aprons!
These embroidered toppers need some TLC, but after I wash and starch them, they should look pretty good.
Vintage Black Checkered ApronGrandma's Red Checkered Apron
I was especially pleased with the red apron. When I was little, my grandma’s main form of discipline when she was watching my brother and me was to say, “Don’t do that, or I will have to put on my red-checkered apron.” To this day, I have no idea what would happen if she actually put it on – but in my mind I envisioned her chasing me around the house with a rolling pin and swatting my bottom with it. Needless to say, my brother and I were always concerned when she said this and usually stopped whatever we were doing and snapped to attention. Of course, when I was little, I never actually saw this apron (although I certainly tried to find it). I remember asking my grandma one time where she kept it and she said it was hidden in the kitchen. Well, guess what? I found it!
Hand-pieced Quilt Top
One other treasure I also was excited about was a hand-pieced quilt top. The piecing is almost complete, it just needs a few more diamonds added to the outside border. I plan to finish this and use it on my kitchen table. You can’t see it very well in the picture, but the fabrics are vintage and quite lovely. Luckily, the fabric scraps were also included, so I can finish it up with the original fabric.
Spice Rack
The next stop was a local yard sale. The owners were cleaning out the attic of all their children’s toys. They had tons of vintage board games and toys from the 60’s and 70’s for dirt cheap! She even had an Easy Bake oven (with box!) – which I thought would look cute displayed in my kitchen.
Easy Bake Oven
The last deal of the day was this Kenmore Sewing machine. It’s about 10 years old, but hardly ever used. You can always use another basic sewing machine. Also, I’ve been kicking around the idea of doing offering sewing lessons and this would be great for teaching beginners.
Keep it Thimble 