Brag about my youngest daughter

My family has never been one for going out to shop on black Friday. Since we had a free day to just hang out I was in my craft room looking for something to work on. My youngest daughter came in and started looking around. After a few minutes she asked where 'the girls' sewing machine was, its an older machine my husband's grandma gave me so that my two girl would not have to use my machine. With a little hint she quickly found it and pulled it out trying to set it up on the floor. She asked when could I teach her how to use it. Since we had the day and I had not yet started to work on my own stuff. I got her set up on a table and taught her to thread the machine and gave her a piece of fabric to practice sewing on. I think she practiced sewing two lines of about four or five inches each, then she was done and wanted something to sew. We pulled a few different fabrics out and cut some squares for her. The first picture is her first four patch. She got sad after she finished it because I had to leave so she could not sew till I got back. As soon as I was back she made sure we went back in to sew some more.   

 

 

I got to help with finger pressing and running the thread through for her to tie the little quilt. I also got to help with some hand sewing on the binding. Over all she was more then happy to get her directions and take care of it all herself. She did a great job for being her first time using a sewing machine. 

 

So proud of her.

 

This morning I was up early, so I finally got around to picking a project to work on myself. Since I knew that my youngest daughter would want to sew again today, I picked something easy for her to do also. I was just finishing getting all of my pieces cut when my daughter came in to join me. She was wanting to make another little quilt until I told her we were each making a drawstring bag. I cut out the pieces she needed gave her the first step directions and went to sewing my own bag. Since she stayed on the same step as me it was easy for me to just stop and give her the directions for the next step before completing that step myself. She did a great job.

 

Here is a picture of both of her sewing projects. I am very proud of her.

 

 

Below are the pictures of my drawstring bag that I made today during our sewing time. My oldest daughter has already said she might be stealing my bag from me. I told her she could sew her own bag and she said no thanks. She tends to start projects but then I have to finish them, so I am sure she will be happy to just steal my bag from me until I get tired of it and make her one of her own.

Update for September and October

This is going to kind of be a bigger update since it has been a while that I last posted something.

 

Back in 2008 I decided to make some shirts with my kids for my husband. I painted their hands and feet and put them on the shirts. I repeated it in 2010. So this year my husband wanted another set of shirts. Although the other shirts where done for Father's day, the ones this year were done as a late birthday present for him. Each set of shirts are marked with what year they were made. In the past I let the kids pick what color they wanted. This year I had them use 'their assigned colors'. (Large family-similar items-different colors then you know who belongs to which item)  

Normally I only put the hands and feet onto the front of the shirts but this year I wanted to try something different with the hands shirt. I started out with having the kids put their thumb prints on the front were a logo would be. Then I kind of drew in patterns to try and make them look like thumb prints and made our own little logo for the hand shirt. Then on the back we put all of the hand prints.

 

My birthday was at the end of September and my friend got a rag doll kit for me. Since we had not managed to get together most of the month of September I got at the beginning of October. I set to work making it right away. After I finished the embroidery part of it I decided that I would hand sew the entire doll. When I was done my family kind of laughed at me because I carried the doll around the house with me for a few days. Then I decided that it will have a permanent home in my sewing/guest room. Since I spend plenty of time in there I get to see my pretty doll.

 

Since I made my monster pouches for cells for my daughter and myself I have had a few people that like them and asked about them. A friend of mine had liked them and asked if I could make her one. I ended up making it for her birthday the following week. The day we made it I had my craft friend and her youngest daughter over. We all went to Hobby Lobby to get the supplies, I wanted my friend to pick out her own fur so that it ended up how she wanted it. Then we went to lunch before coming back to my house and getting to work on her monster pouch. I think the funnest part of these monster pouches is playing around with the face pieces.

 

 

 

 

Behind

I seem to be a little behind on getting things posted again. Truthfully I have not been on the computer much even though I have had time to...I just choose not to. Instead I used that free time to work on my cross stitch. I have finished a few new projects that I need to post and will have a few new Halloween costumes to soon as well. Luckily most of my kids will be wearing costumes that we already have from other years. Its great when the kids want to wear a passed down costume. It saves me time and money. I just need to really get to work on the few I need to do so that they are ready for all the fun coming up. So I think tomorrow will be a post update and sewing day for me in hopes of getting everything caught up to date and finished in time.

This week I also have my oldest sister coming out to visit again. It will just be for a week this time but should be fun. She is planning a Halloween party for the kids and a few of their friends. Plus all of the other Halloween fun with school and the trick or treating.


Update: I did get some of my projects posted in another post. Except for Halloween costumes, which I only got one costume completed. Yet the one I got completed did not even get worn because my oldest had a change of plans for Halloween. My other kids had all decided to raid the costume box and use ones that we had. My sister and I did get dressed up this year too. We had a great visit with my sister but it was not nearly long enough.

A Few Crocheting Projects

The past few weeks I have been croctheting a lot. Actually I saw something that talked about plarn, a plastic yarn made from recycled plastic bags. I figured that I would give it a try and turned sixty grocery bags into plarn for me to use. I did not know what I was going to do with it. Just as I finished making all the plarn that I was going to I decided to make a bag. Since I did not want the bag to stretch to much I paired it with an acrylic yarn, which gave it more color.

My family recently went to a friend's daughter's first birthday party. To add to the pretty princess that she is, I made her a little tiara. It was kind of unplanned because I had nothing to do the morning of her party and just picked up the yarn and made something. Since I finished right before we left for her party my younger daughter gave it to the little girl as a gift.  

Unfortunately I was not feeling good at the party due to a sinus infection. So when I started feel like I had enough of the fun I sat down at one of the picnic tables and picked up my bag which had some yarn in it and stated crocheting something. I think I had two people ask what I was making and all I could say is I don't know. Well in the end it turned into a head band that my younger daughter has claimed. My older daughter wanted one to so I reversed the colors for one for her.

Since I liked the way the little princess tiara turned out for my friend's daughter's birthday, I decided to make a crown prince one for my youngest son's birthday tomorrow. Hard to believe that he started school today and tomorrow he turns five years old. They sure grow up so fast.

Cell Phone Pouch

I made another cell phone pouch. My kids say it looks like a funny cow or a silly puppy. 

I had cut the pieces and put them in my purse package for a take along project. At church on Sunday I was having a hard time just sitting there and only listening so I pulled it out to work on. Once my projects get started I tend to keep working on them till they are completed. I had finished one section at church and finished up the rest at home that evening. Now I have my own funny creature cell phone pouch.

I have been wondering what other funny creatures I can make. Guess I will hunt through my supplies and see what I come up with. Any suggestions?

Heart Box for a friend

I recently was given kits to make heart shaped boxes in different sizes. I put one together so far and thought it would be nice for one of my friends. I gave it to her for her birthday on Sunday. Unfortunetly I was unable to get my others friends box done in time for Sunday since they have the same birthday.

So as not to give an empty box to my friend I found a few good size peices of fabric that she would like from my supplies to put in the box for her.

Now to just get my other friends box done and figure out what to put in it.

Patriotic decoration

I thought it might be nice to finally have something patriotic to put up beyond just a flag this year for the Fourth of July, specially when we have BBQ and get together at our house with friends. So I made something to go along the brick wall on my porch. Something so quick and simple to make that I am kind of mad at myself for not having put it together before now. specially since I got the fabric I used a few years back from my husband's grandma.

 

Daughter's gift to her Grandma

A while back my mom sent my oldest daughter a box of fabric. Her first projects with the stuff was hair flowers. Which are still needing finished. We need to get her clips for them so she can finish them, just like my crocheted bows. But now I am getting off topic.

She wanted to make something for my mom in a way of saying thanks. So with my help she made a set of place mats for her as a gift. She started them at least a year ago and put them not ready to finish them. Since her grandma will be here in a few weeks we decided to finish them up so she can have them finally.

Sad and Depressed

Today I am a little sad and depressed because of yesterday. It started out alright but did not end that way. The morning and afternoon was normal.

While I was making dinner though my step mom called to let me know that an Aunt had passed away. She was my Dad's sister. On his side of the family I now have his two brother-in-laws and six cousins. I am sure there is more extended family but I would not know any of them. If I had ever meet any of them it would have been before I was six years old.

Follow that by my daughter's friend that was going to spend the night collapsing on the floor in pain. I was trying to get my other kids to bed when it happened. Made them all start worrying when they heard her crying out in pain. Her parents picked her up and took her to the hospital. She is doing better today. I guess the problem was that she went horse back ridding with my daughter and it aggravated an existing medical condition she has. Hopefully we wont have any problems tonight as they are trying the sleep over again. Everyone also knows now that she should not be horse back riding.

Anyways today I have tried to keep myself fairly busy cleaning house, reading, and a little sewing. Still feeling a little sad and depressed though but I guess that is acceptable considering.

Needlework

Recently we received some old hand embroidered pieces from my husband's mom that his grandmother on his father's side had actually done. I guess some of the pieces were wedding gifts and others his parents had gotten after his grandma had passed away. The skill and detail in the work is so great. My husband did not even know that she had known how to do that kind of stuff. It is great have the pieces and to really be able to look at them up close. 

Some of the patterns that are on the piece I remember seeing in books in my grandma's sewing stuff. While at the library with my kids the other week I managed to find a few books with some of those old classic designs in them. So I have traced a few of the patterns to have in my files. I might have to look to see if there are anymore books with patterns that I like when we go back this week. For now I am happy with what I got and can not wait to start working on one.

Working on any right now though might have to wait since I already have two cross stitches in the works. The one of my mother-in-law and her dad. Yes I am still working on it, no it is not as much as I should be but at least I do pick it up to work on now and then. Granted I have not touched in in the past month. The other is a cross stitch kit that my husband bought me years ago that just got rediscovered along with a few other kits. If I manage to at least finish the kit piece then I might be willing to start an embroidery piece.   

Monster cell phone pouch and another angry bird pig

My oldest has been been wanting a cell phone for a while. With her now in high school and more after school activities we finally got her one. A while back I told her I would make her a small pouches to keep her phone in while she is out, she got a little Monster. Since she can't be using it during everything and she would want to have it handy it can stay attached to her backpack or purse. That way she would not be temped to play with it, like if it was in her pocket during those things. I used it today when I went out to pick up a few things and had a few people looking at it from across the room. So I know it got a few peoples attention but I would like to know what people actually think of it.

Once my daughter got her angry bird pig she showed her friend and her friend asked for a matching pig. So this last week I got one sewn up for her friend. I remembered to sew her friends name into the bottom of it. Unlike last time I made matching toys, this time they can tell who's is who's. I also took the time to put my son's name on the bottom of his android doll so that he can tell his apart from his friends. Good thing too, because my daughter and son's friends are spending a few night over here at my house. So there are two android dolls and two angry bird pigs floating around my house for the next few days.

Hand sewn kids toys

Over the past month we have had anywhere from one to five people in my family sick. The last person sick happened to be me. I had another round of pnamonia, which seems to happen at least one a year for the past six years.

 During that time the only craft I managed to work on was  to crochet hair bows. The only problem with that is that I need ot get hair clips to attach them to so that they look like bows. Right now most of them are just flat rectangles for now. It makes them easier to store until I buy some hair clips.

Now that I have been feeling better I managed to get out and take my kids to their church activities and a ton of appointments this last week. On Tuesday at their church activities, one of my friend gave me a new pattern. It is ball shaped pillow charactors like birds, monsters, and pigs. A few of the birds look like they are from the popular game called 'Angry Birds' so it was funny that it had a pig in the pattern too. In the game the birds are trying to get rid of a bunch of green pigs. Anyways, the day after I got the pattern from my friend I had some time before some kids appointments and I found some left over green fabric and the other stuff needed to make a green pig like in the game. So I cut out the pieces I needed and put them in a ziplock bag in my purse and headed to the appointment. In the course of three days, working on it only while waiting at appoinments; I managed to complete the pig. My oldest daughter laid claim it while I was cutting out the pieces.

  

(hand sewn green pig)

Once I was done with the pig, I wanted something else to do. I had already planned out the fabric that I wanted to use to make a puppy toy that I had a pattern for. So last night I cut out the pieces for it and got the ears sewn together before I went to sleep. Today I finished the puupy up and gave it to my youngest son.  

(hand sewn puppy)

It seems like I might need to make a few more of both so that all my kids have one of each. Although I might just make puppies for my boys and kitties for my girls, since they have both in the pattern.

Android dolls

A while back my oldest son was looking at a craft web site with me, while I was trying to find something to make. He saw a picture of an android doll that he liked. Since then he has been asking if I could make him one. Since he wanted one so much I made my own pattern and did my best to come close to the android figure. I made one for him and one for a friend of his, since his birthday is next week and his friend's birthday was a few days ago. They both seem to like them so I am happy.

Spring/Easter Decorations

A few weeks ago I got a call from a lady from church asking if I could help with decorations for the Relief Society activity in honor of its formation 170 years ago. She asked me to think spring and let her know if I think of anything that might work, so I did. These are what I came up with that we used: 

The above picture are just mason jars that I painted with some stain glass paint from one of my girls sun catcher kits and some puff paint. I had seen a picture similar to them that I think said they were used as drink glasses at a picnic themed wedding or something. We tied raffia around that top of the jar and put flowers in them. 

Then I made some thread nest baskets that would be on the tables with some eggs, pompom chicks and candy.

These are pictures taken tonight at the activity. We kept it simple but I think it turned out really cute. The larger thread nest basket I made was used for an egg tree that was on the dessert table.  

It was fun getting together with a few ladies to cover the plastic eggs with fabric for the egg tree and put the pompom chicks together. It was even funner enjoying the evening with some of the other ladies from church that were able to make it this evening for the activity.

What a weekend

What a long weekend we have had at my house. On Thursday my family got woken up at 4:30 in the in morning when someone was pounding on our front door. When we investigate we found that it was an emergancy first responder trying to let us know that someone had crashed a car into our brick wall that goes around most of our property. So Thursday and Friday was then phone calls and some people stopping by to look. Thursday and Saturday evening we also had stuff going on for my oldest daughter because she was in a beauty pageant. Thursday evening I got a decent size burn on my stomach when some boiling water spashed onto me. Friday evening we had dinner with some friends because we had to pick up their daughter who was spending the weekend with us while the rest of her family was busy. That evening one of my boys ended up sick, not much sleep for him and me that night. Come Sunday he was feeling a little better but stayed home with his dad while I took everyone else to church. Last night three more kids got sick, right before our friends picked up their daughter. Another long night but amazingly not as long as when I just had one sick. This morning another one of my kids was complaining of not feeling good so he stayed home to be on the safe side. So today I have five kids home sick. My husband called a few minutes ago to tell me that our friends daughter is now sick too. I feel so bad but had know way to know because no one was sick until after we already had her at our house for a while. My oldest is the only kid not sick and I pray she stays that way all week because she has a formal ball to go to this weekend. I would hate for her to have to cancle it at the last minute because she gets sick. At least what ever it is they got seems to be a twenty four hour thing. I am just keeping the one that got sick on Friday night home as a save measure. It has all just one long blur of a weekend that I would like to forget. Other then my oldest daughters beauty pageant which went well and I am proud to say that she came in, in the top ten for her grade level.

Pot Holders

Some of the things that I have been crocheting lately. The first picture is a pot holder for a casserole dish. I was visiting a friends house and wanted something to do while we sat talking. I was lucky to that I had some yarn in my purse.

 Next I have a set of pot holders that I found a pattern to online somewhere and wanted to see what it would look like since there was not picture of them. I must admit that this was the first time that I crocheted something with an actual pattern. Usually I just start crocheting and things end up what they are going to end up as, or it is something that I saw or had shown to me once and I am able to recreate. It was kind of crazy realizing that while I was making this set since I have been crocheting for about thirty years now.

 The next set of pot holders was another pattern that I found that had no picture of the actual item so I figured that I would give that pattern a try also.

 Since I was crocheting I went ahead and made a simple set of Granny Square pot holders with a scalloped edge.

I made a few more sets of pot holders but have not gotten pictures taken of them yet. I also need to find the name of the site that I got the patterns for the first few sets.

Table Topper

I finished up a new table topper last night. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. I did the piece work in December. Since I have not hand quilter in a very long time, probably about a good twenty years or more. I needed to work on making even stitches. I used a few different patterns in the individual squares in two rows across the middle of the table topper. Then quilted diagonally for the rest of the table topper, following the diagonals of the half squares.