The weather is turning nice. we have been getting some of those perfect 70 degree days here. The whole thing set me in the mood for spring cleaning. My neat little craft space that I had bragged about earlier was no where close to clean on Saturday. So I set to work and spent hours folding fabric scraps and sorting yarn. I also gave my pegboard a second look.

I ran to home depot and picked up a few supplies. One more set of magnetic mason jars, a few bars for holding screwdrivers and a multi pack of hooks and I was ready to go. Thread moved from the shelf were it fell down as I hunted for colors to several lines of screwdriver holders. Assorted smaller hooks were added all around for holding tools that would not fit on the big hooks I had before.

To top it off I made a few little bags to hold things that could not hang like pencils, double pointed needles and crochet hooks. The bags were fast and easy and they add great color to the space.

Sometimes I feel truly silly with how giddy being a newish homeowner makes me. Things that seemed so silly, like placemats, now are a source of joy. I can’t help but think what my tomboy ten-year-old self would say if she saw me making placemats for my house.

A nursing cover for my favorite new mom. I looked at this tutorial for direction but ended up making it a little different because I wanted it to me lined.

My husband and I for the first time are in a house this Christmas. We have hardly any Christmas decorations and have not had the time or energy to go shopping for them this year. So on my day off today, I whipped up some stockings. Want to make some last minute decorations for your place? Good, because I got a tutorial for you.

MATERIALS
1. Two types of contrasting fabric. I used recycled fabric from an old pair of pants and about half a fat quarter of quilter’s cotton.
2. Sewing machine or hand sewing supplies
3. Freezer paper & pencil or erasable fabric marker
4. Loop turner and knitting needle (optional)
5. Adobe acrobat reader
6. Printer and Paper
7. Scissors
8. Iron

STEP ONE – The Pattern
Download pattern and print. Cut out pattern pieces along the outside of the thick gray line. The gray represents the seam allowance. Tape piece A & B together to form stocking shape.

STEP TWO - Cutting
Tip: Iron on freezer paper to fabric to mark your pattern. Then cut shape out. Peel off paper before sewing.
Trace the A&B shape on to fabric, then repeat making sure to flip the shape over.

In contrasting fabric, trace shape C four times and shape D once. Cut all pieces out of the fabric.

STEP TRHEE – Loop
Fold shape D in half long ways right side in. Sew along long edge. Turn inside out (with loop turner if you have it). Press flat. Fold in half horizontally and press flat again. Set aside.

Click on image to enlarge

STEP FOUR – Cuff
Take two of shapes C and pin them together, right sides in. Sew along all edges except the longest side. Make relief cuts at the points and valleys. Turn inside out. Use knitting needle to help get crisp points. Press flat. Repeat with the other two shapes C.

STEP FIVE – Attaching the cuff
Pin the long, raw edge of one cuff to the top of the wrong side of one A&B shape.

Sew along edge. Press flat making sure the edges of seam are on the side of the AB shape. Repeat with other cuff and AB shape.

STEP SIX – Sewing the Stocking
Place one stocking half down, right side up. Take loop and place in just under the cuff fold to the inside. Place other stocking half on top. Pin the layers together making sure you put one pin in loop.

Sew along the bottom part of the sticking, do not sew on cuff. Make relief cuts along the curves.

Turn inside out, and then press flat. Turn cuff over. Clean up and cut loose ends.

STEP SEVEN – Decorate

Yay!

For the last few days I have been working on lots of quick projects while trying to finish some projects up.

First I had to make a toy before I went nuts and destroyed the sweater I have been working on. Still working out the pattern but these little guys are fun to make.

And Blake, the hubbie, wanted a case for his DS. So I tried my hand at case making. Took 3 tries for me to come up with something I like, above is a too tight case that is about a half inch to short. My case is coming soon, after I get new needles for my sewing machine… I kind of broke 3.

Oh and ends… lots of ends. I am almost done weaving them all end and then all that is left is sewing the arms on, 4 more ends to weave in and the sweater is done.

Why the hurry to finish everything? I have a commission for a new Kitsune. This one will be a little different than my last one. Looking forward to revisiting my old work.

I live in Georgia and I often joke with people that I have never seen a “real” snow. Only a few times in my life have I seen snow that does not melt away with a single footprint. Because of this snow has always seemed a magical thing to me. So when I saw snow come up as a topic in the Holiday Softie Awards I was immediately draw to it. If I can’t have real snow here I thought it would be fun to make a little sprite that brings snow.

This little guy was probably my most challenging piece construction wise to date. When I was drafting the pattern for him I forgot some basic math. I had in my head that the circumference of a circle was TTr² instead of dTT. Stubbornly I cut the pieces even though I knew it is not look right and I even went so far as to sew them together. Looking at that huge head and tinny legs and body I had to admit defeat. A quick glance at wikipedia and a slap on the head later and I was fixing the pattern. See kids, math is important. It helps you make softies.

After remembering middle, possibly elementary, school math. I was ready to roll. First I made the body, legs and arms, saving the head to later. I wanted the feet to be crocheted but I had to fumble how to do it. I did not want to have a sewn line running horizontally across the arms and legs because that would destroy the bell sleeve look I was going for. So I ended up having to make the crocheted sections fit under the already sewn arms. It would have been much simpler the other way around. Then a quick running stitch along the top edges before attaching the arms and legs and it was all good.

As a final touch I painted the eyes of my little guy blue. I used Testor paints, the kind you use in models. Worked great. I like how the blue eyes are much softer than the classic black safety eyes.

Been working on and off again for almost a month on this little guy for the Holiday Softie Awards. Not happy with the photography yet so I hope to have “real” pictures soon.

On Monday I finally finished my Plush You stuff. 2 remakes of pieces I had done before and one new original.

I will start with the new guy. I have not come up with a real name for him yet (a reoccurring problem I have) but I referred to him on the inventory sheet as just “Cyan” for obvious reasons. He is made from Brown Sheep Company’s Cotton Fleece Yarn in Robin Egg Blue. He took almost a whole skein to make and was by far the largest amigurumi I have ever made at about 9 inches tall. The foot pads are made from fabric from a local quilting shop that I think might be an Amy Butler print.

Now lets have a group shot…

I made some stickers for promos…

And cute paper tags.

I have so much finishing work left to do before these guys are ready for Plush You. It is kind of fun to see all the blobs heaped together though.

I have been holding out on you. I have been busy the last few months but have not posted much on my blog. Why? Well part of it is shyness over showing many blobs that I have made while learning to sew. Rest assured that I have many projects in the works that are not quite ready to be seen. But enough excuses, I would like to introduce you to someone…

Meet Marci. Or that is what I am calling her right now. She is my first complete sewn toy. And I designed her myself because using someone else’s pattern to learn from just made too much sense at the time for me to do.

I really cannot explain to you how happy she makes me. Most of the time when I make a toy I just put it on a shelf and look at it every once in a while. Not this gal. When I am talking on the phone or wondering around the house I often find that I am holding her as I walk around. I must look silly but who cares?

The Long ear were inspired by a stuffed toy bunny I had as a kid. When my grandmother had sewn him I think she made his ears about and inch too short for my taste. I was constantly trying to wrap his ears around my wrist finding that they were just a little to short. I still managed to carry that bunny around where I went even without the convince of easy ear transport.

No Kid would have that issue with Marci though. Her ears are a whopping 18 inches long even though she only stands about 6 inches high. She is made from brown cotton with accents of green wool from a recycled sweater. Her eyes are made from vintage buttons and the ears are sewn on with new button reinforcements.