CRAFTS / HOBBIES

When I started this page, I published the next post UNDER the previous one ... and continued the habit. Alas, that now means my MOST RECENT posts are at the bottom of this page ... and will continue to be so unless I can figure out how to change it. I am sorry for any inconvenience this is to you.

This is a quilt and pillow that I made.  I had a lot of fun picking and cutting out the fabrics and sewing it all together.  I hand-sewed little buttons onto the corners of the blocks on the quilt.  It was time consuming, but I truly enjoyed every minute of it.  It was so exciting to watch it taking shape!  I wasn't sure how to miter the corners, but in the end I figured it out.  This is the first quilt I've ever made. It would almost fit a twin-size bed, but not quite.  I also made a matching handbag, but do not have a photo to post.

Now this is definitely one of my favorite projects yet!  The colors just "POP!" and the pattern is so intricate. Much love and hard work was put into each and every part of this baby afghan.  I couldn't believe my fingers were actually causing this beauty to take shape.  I don't mean to sound boastful, but if you've never taken a ball(s) of yarn, a crochet hook (or knitting needle, etc.) and used your own hands to make something out of it, you probably can't quite understand how it feels when you see the finished product.  I can honestly say that I didn't know how to appreciate this type of handiwork UNTIL I had given it a whirl.  Never again will I disregard the personal effort that goes into producing hand-made crafts.  Well, the baby is "Big Baby" and she's been our daughter's doll since any of us can remember.  It was a gift from her Grandmother.    

Here is a 16" x 22" piece of embroidery that I completed several years ago. This was actually my first major embroidery project. I like to call it a "Sampler," because on it I learned a variety of simple stitches. 

There are 11 different iron-on's that I embroidered. The following photos depict each one beginning with the top left and finishing with the bottom right (as you look at the above photo).

This always looked like a type of candelabra to me. Actually, I believe it is supposed to be a flower, though. I really like the combination of black, white, yellow, and light and dark pinks. There are quite a few French Knots - which are really fun to do.

Of course, this is a simple daisy, and I used a simple daisy stitch in which to embroider it.

This is one of my favorites. I just imagined the colors and before I knew it this whimsical little winter-like piece appeared. The silvery green, purples, charcoal, and gold just seemed right to me. When I look at this it makes me smile and think of a beautiful snowy place . . . but, that's just me.  [shown: Daisy stitch, French Knot, Split stitch, running stitch, and Back stitch]

This butterfly definitely took the most time to complete. It is an actual butterfly that I referenced from a book. Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to write down its name. The iron-on butterfly was really plain and not intricate at all. I stitched in all the detail that you see. I guess you could say I was allowing my "creative juices to flow." Who ever would have thought we could do such wonderful things with a needle and some floss (colored threads)?

A simple but delicate pink flower.

This reminded me of ferns and feathers in a little basket. I was playing around with the idea of darker colors on the outside and the softer, pastel colors near the center: lavender and pink; pink and white; white and lavender. Quite eye-catching on second look.

Isn't this one F-U-N? I wanted the yellow to be like a star-burst with the pale and darker greens depicting its radiance to the front and the rear. The French Knots could be planets or moons, could they not? Come on . . . use a little imagination with me, won't you? ;)

Here I attempted to mix 2 different colors of floss on my needle at once - a kind of variegated look - with one light and one dark color. I like the effect. How about you?

Holly berries. I was SO afraid to try this Satin stitch. As I painstakingly worked on it, things began taking shape. It's amazing how those berries "plumped" right up for me. Haha! The leaves, too!

The Satin stitch was not as intimidating this time. I decided on white berries . . . just to be different. Are there any white berries in the world? I don't have the foggiest idea, but I like them with the little black "poppy seeds" on this one. Again, I must say that I really like the way the different colors work together here. I see hues of lipsticks, mascara, and eye shadows. You may think me crazy, but I still see 'em. [lol]

And last, but not least, is this pretty. Kind of blase (that's pronounced "blah-zay"). Kind of heather-y / meadow-y. Kind of harvest-time. Anyone see cantaloupes, lemons, or gourds? Hmmm?

 Today my lovely sampler has an honored place atop my sewing machine. It helps to keep the dust at bay, and it reminds me that there is nothing I can not do IF I want to do it. :)

Here is a fun "patchwork" dress I made for our oldest daughter several years ago. I wish I had made a few more in different colors. I still have the pattern so I just might do that sometime in the future. Who knows?

(This is not our oldest daughter, but our youngest. This dress would not fit our oldest anymore.)

These buttons were pretty exciting and intimidating for me. I'm so glad that my maching does button holes. That made it so much easier!

I didn't want ties on the back. I made this little sash with buttons instead.

Here's a closer view.



Floral

Orange

Green leaves

Light Blue Gingham

 

The Pattern

Here is another dress I made for our oldest daughter, but alas, she just won't stop growing. This, too, has been handed down to our youngest daughter. Y'know it's funny, this girl is following in her older sisters footsteps and keeps trying to grow, too. Go figure.

The pattern shows the hem considerably shorter. I made the dress longer, and also sewed on a ruffle. The white bias tape indicates two little pockets. Personally, I think every dress should have a pocket. Well, almost every dress.

The back



Now this was definitely a first for me - a purse. It is reversible, too. I was excited to try this. After seeing the finished product, I am quite satisfied with my efforts. It's amazing what we can do when we set our minds to it.

I like the way this closure turned out. It was a lot easier than a zipper.

Primary Floral

Secondary Floral (Ruffle and Purse)

The Pattern

I have managed to collect a tidy bit of fabric through the years. One day I realized I had way too much material. It also dawned on me that I wasn't doing anything with it. I vowed not to purchase any more (until I had made good use of that which I already had). So, I got busy.

I made these dresses a couple of summers ago.  These are probably my least favorite of the dresses I have sewn. Too late, I realized my choice of material and trimmings was not what the pattern "ordered". I didn't think it would really make a difference, but it did. Next time I will buy the right stuff. I'm positive it will make all the difference.

In the end, they turned out to be cute and sturdy dresses.  Our girls loved them, and I reckon that's what really counts.

Front

Tie Backs

The lace was too delicate.

Ironing this lace was a major headache.  Just when I thought  it was pressed, I'd look again, only to see some other part of it annoyingly curled up in protest. 

Blue Floral

Pink Floral

 

The Pattern

Okay, now we're talkin'! If the last two dresses were my least favorite, then the ones you see below are two of my favorites. I got brave with this one, and made some modifications to the pattern. I added a button to the dress front, added a lining in the skirts, and even made my own bias tape. I had never sewn a jacket before. It was quite the challenge, but I was determined to get it right. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results.

I just loved the colors and patterns of the material. I actually think I heard it calling my name as I passed by the other bolts of fabric. How could I resist?  ;)



Open Jacket (Front)



Closed Jacket (Front)

The Dress (Front)

This was a very stretchy knit material, and I didn't like the way it caused the neckline to sag. It wasn't very attractive or modest. I made a little pleat, and attached a cute black button to hold it in place. Voila! A simple, yet fashionable, solution. (Notice the bias tape? It wasn't as hard to make as I had thought it would be.)

The Dress (Back)
I wish this dress didn't need tie-backs. I think it makes the back of the dress look "too busy."

 

The Jacket (Ta-dah! :)

 

This was the tricky spot for me. It involved cutting some of the material, and I didn't want to ruin the actual jacket. I got the idea to try it on a piece of scrap material first. So glad I did! Once I understood where to "snip," and what to "tuck," it was a "snap" to finish the jacket. (Haha!) There's nothing quite like the feeling of figuring out something for yourself.

I bought this white material at our local Salvation Army for 50 cents. It worked perfectly as a lining.

Dots

 

The Pattern

Closed Jacket (Front)

 

Front
I made the bodice with the same material as the other dress in an attempt to coordinate them together.

This was such a fun pattern to follow. It was a "first" for me to sew this type of bodice (without sleeves).

 

I decided to line the entire dress, and not just the skirt.

The Jacket

Zebra-ish???

The Pattern

This is the latest dress I have worked on. I always loved Holly Hobbie as a girl. I had three of the dolls: Holly, Autumn, and Heather. I wish I would have kept them. Sadly, I gave them away to another little girl when I had gotten older.

Now I would have like to have been able to pass them down to my girls.  

I love this little dress . . . and most little girls would, too!



Front



Back



Delicate Blue Checkerboard

Holly Hobby from Hobby Lobby  :)

The Pattern

 My friend reminded me of two other projects that I hadn't yet shared on this page. I had honestly forgotten about them.

This is IQ when he was just a small fry. Now he is much bigger. I crocheted this mint green baby afghan for him.  I remember even taking it to a football game and working on it while cheering on the team. Haha! His momma included it in their family pictures.  That made me feel nice.  

 

TWEEDLE DEE AND TWEEDLE DUM
Looking at this picture you can probably see WHY I forgot about this project. Haha! These were supposed to be culottes for our daughters, but I read the pattern wrong when we got to this spot. We sewed up the waist, I think. I'm still not exactly sure what went wrong. My friend is a good sport, however, and we kept working until we got it right. Unfortunately, we thought this was so funny that we took a picture of the BEFORE and forgot to take an AFTER picture. You'll just have to take my word for it, but they did turn out all right. :)

I made these dresses for our girls to wear to a Christmas party one year. I just LOVED the material! The colors seemed to go really well together, and I like candy canes, snowflakes, and snowmen. (I reckon the penguins were almost as good as snowmen. ;)



This was a fairly simple pattern. The front and back look basically the same except for the zipper in the back.

The zipper - tadah!

I added lace to the bottoms of the dresses because I thought it would add a "snowy" dimension to them.

The Pattern

I think these dresses were really fun to make! My friend and I got together to make a dress for each of our girls. At the time her daughter had a thing for frogs. Our oldest daughter loved the color blue, and the younger's favorite color was pink. We worked diligently, and I, for one, was quite happy with the results. My favorite part to sew was the pleats on the front of the dress. We added "ruffles" at the hemline to tie in with the yellow and green in the main material.

The Front

These are the pleats I liked so much. They were so fun to sew!

The Back with it's tie strings and zipper

The first time I tried sewing in a zipper I was terrified I would do it all wrong. My advice is, "Don't be afraid to sew in a zipper." It's really easy once you know how to do it, and it's so worth the effort. I used fabric glue to hold the zipper in place. It's a breeze to stitch it down and no pins to interfere makes for a smooth ride. Scotch tape acts as a wonderful guide to help keep your lines straight, too. Just pull it off when you're done sewing.



I decided on a pleated ruffle. It took some time, but I think it's cute.

I was tuckered out from all that pleating on the blue dress, and settled on a simple gathered ruffle for this one. I used to hate gathering when I first started sewing. It's amazing what a little practice can do for one's self-esteem! Gathering taint nary as hard anymore. :)

 

The Pattern - Notice we did NOT do the pockets. It was just too much with the pleats.

The two dresses you see below were made from some material my neighbor had given to me before she passed on. Evelyn was a dear soul who I miss very much. She and her husband came through the Great Depression. I only wish I had taken time to hear more of her life's stories. She was a wealth of wisdom.

 

The Front - These remind me of Little House on the Prairie dresses. I loved adding on all the embellishments.

I believe there are six little flowers on the front of this dress. I made the green ruffle so long because the dress itself was actually too short. What little wonders those "ruffles" are. They cover a multitude of mistakes. :)

This was my first attempt at sewing a shirt. I could only imagine how incredibly hard it was going to be. As it turned out, it wasn't hard at all. I was amazed! The color of the shirt in this picture is way off. The true dark burgandy color can be seen in the first picture of both dresses.

I chose to sew on one little flower close to the neckline. Looking at this picture reminds me how, once again, I had to make my own bias tape because I couldn't find any in the store that was a direct match even in the shade of green, pink, burgandy, or cream.

Sometimes I get too fancy - I can't help myself. But, ya gotta remember, I was learning. Haha! Here I added some lovely lace, topstitched the hemline, and sewed on some homemade green trim. I'm not sure if you can see, but I also played around with a fancy zig-zag stitch.

I was so happy when I found this material! It was the EXACT shade of the green leaves on the print. I just knew I couldn't settle for anything less than the exact shade. Anything else would've looked very odd. Unfortunately, the sleeves were a wee bit too short. What do you do in this case? All together now, "Add a ruffle!" That's right, ladies. You can even use lace for this purpose.  Lace is almost as useful as duct tape.  :)

The Solution - a lace ruffle



Just foolin' around with a unique stitch



"Old-Fashioned" Floral Print



This is NOT the correct shade of burgandy. My flash just couldn't get it right. Check out the 1st picture with both dresses. You can then see the dark burgandy's true shade.



The EXACT shade of sea foam green - YAY!!!

The Dress Pattern

The Shirt Pattern