Skirt Week 2013

Skirt week 2013

The sun finally came out and we took some hurried pictures of the skirts I made for skirt week hosted by Crafterhours...

But first of all I would like to explain that I'm an......oddball,,,,when it come to what I wear.  I don't like what's in style, or what everyone else is wearing.  That is part of the reason why I started sewing to begin with,,,I was an old soul even in my youth.  I always leaned toward midi's and maxi's when it came to skirts.  I loved the idea of the swish sound a full skirt makes and lifting the front to climb stairs....it just seems feminine to me....or if it isn't on the longish side it might as well be "quirky"!!  So here is what made for skirt week......

First off I took this cotton and crocheted lace table oval tablecloth I found at a thrift store...

And made a midi, hi-low skirt...It was a bit breezy, but the sun was shining, finally, so we just snapped a few off.  So that is my feminine Victorian full style.

My quirky turned out like this.....

 

I used a pattern from the book Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt....I love her designs!!  She has a couple of new dress patterns out that I can't wait to try, but I already have this book and it is Skirt week.   As you can see it's a mix-it-up have fun with it type of skirt and that's the way I like it.

It has a faced waist, (no waistband) which is my preference also.    Then my daughter loves to model so she went a grabbed the skirt I made for her, a simple elastic waist dirndl with a twist...we used a quilted fabric with appliqued butterflies on it.

So there are my skirts for Skirt Week 2013...Can't believe I got it done, (between deciding to do it, rain, and sun at the last minute) but it's all fun stuff.  There is a lot of inspiration so head on over to see what everyone else has sewn up!!

Until next time....

Happy Sewing

xx Kim

3 Days...

Well it's been three days of cold, wet, dreary weather here.  No sunshine to take photos of things I would like to show you.  I did get these photos taken last weekend so I will share them. 

A few months ago I splurged and bought a couple of books I fell in love with.  I follow Helen Philips on her blog and her latest book, Pretty Patchwork Gifts, is full of wonderful little gift ideas.  Not only did this book reach out and grab me because of all the cute little things in it, but I like to do my hand stitching in the evenings and many of the items I can work on and actually finish !!  

Here is the book in case you happen upon it in your travels:

She combines patchwork, applique and embroidery to create some wonderful little items for everyone from the baby to the grown up.  There are pillows, banners, stuffies, bags, mini quilts and hearts.  I want to make them all they are sooo cute!!!

Since I'm "Luvin my Hexies"  I chose to make the Little Hexagon Quilt, a doll size quilt which my daughter has already claimed..

This was made using 3/4" paper pieced hexagons appliqued onto the main fabric.  Again sorry for no close ups as I wasn't thinking these would be the only time I could get pictures for awhile,,,,errrrrg.  Then there were these cute little fabric pins....aren't they the adorable?!!  I just love "little" things.

They are about 2 1/2 x 2" and fun to make.  I love to do hand turned applique but I rather enjoyed the quickness of just blanket stitching these little flower and leaves on.  AND I can use some of my fave scraps in a way others can enjoy when I give them as gifts.  

Then I just had to make one of these....

The little Stuffed Houses are everywhere I know, but I hadn't made one yet so I whipped up a few to sit around and use for pin cushions.  She has given directions for three different sizes, (front cover photo) and I just had fun with it.  Helen's blog is just as yummy as her book!!  If you get a chance to visit her blog, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Hoping the sun comes out soon, I would like to take pixs of a skirt I made to put in  Skirt Week which ends tomorrow.  I'm also hoping to do A Season by Hand, a series with Clover and Violet over the next couple of months.   

What type of sewing plans do you have for this summer??

Until next time...

Happy Stitching

xx Kim

Mat Sew Along Completed

I finished  the Mat Sew Along a few days ago.  I tried to wait for some sun to shine to take pictures, but the weather just is not cooperating so I'm posting even though the photos aren't the best....

 The sew along hosted by Ros at Sew Delicious was so much fun.  A good tutorial, a small project that can be completed even with the busyness of family, and seeing what everyone else created is always so inspiring.
I chose to do a bit more quilting on my mat than what was in the tutorial. I  quilted along both sides of each seam, then I also then did a criss-cross on each block.

Some of the quilting lines aren't perfectly straight....I should have drawn a line, but instead just eye-balled it, I always get excited and just want to see it finished when I sew for myself!!

I made my own binding out of the same fabric that I used for the backing of my mat.  I use a 2 and 1/2 inch strip folded lengthwise (wrong sides together) stitched to the front of the quilt, then folded over the seam and hand stitched to the back.  I must admit I can't use packaged bias tape, I end up with a real mess whenever I try to use it.  AND I love hand stitching.  Stitching  the binding on a quilt, to me, is soothing to my soul.

Sew there it is....my first mat my machine has ever had!!!  I'm loving it.  Thank you Ros for hosting this fun sew-a-long!!!  Be sure to check out the flickr group to see what the other talented ladies made who joined in on the fun.


I linked up to:     And Sew We Craft Linky Party

Until Next Time

Happy Sewing, Quilting, Crocheting and Knitting

xx Kim

Merrily We Sew-along!!

Ros of Sew Delicious is hosting a quilted mat sew-along!!  It's the perfect little project to do since spring is here and I'm busy outside also.   I had bought two of these charm packs quite some time ago...I used one pack to make a couple table runners....as you can see only one is finished.  I enjoy hand quilting during the winter so it won't get done till next winter now....

 It is a Moda charm pack from Fig Tree and Co. from the line Mill House Inn.














I thought this little project would be perfect for the second pack ....It only uses 12 squares....

 

Mat Sew-Along

.....but Ros also has a Sewing Machine Cover Tutorial that I've been wanting to make, so the rest of the squares will (hopefully) be used  for this.

I'm quite excited as I've never had a mat or cover for my machine!!    Are you sewing along???   

Until next time

Happy Sewing

xx Kim

My Little Embroidery Swap received !!

Up until last weekend, our spring here in Wisconsin has been cold, wet, blustery and down right gloomy.....which I do not cope with very well.  So when we (my daughter and I) checked the mail on Saturday and found this in the box we were thrilled !!!  

                                       

This package filled with handmade goodness and sweet goodies lifted my spirits out of the grey gloominess .

Turns out Molly of Rose & Odin had me for the Little Embroidery Swap which is hosted by Sweet Little Pretties.  The date to have our projects done and shipped had been extended so I wasn't expecting to receive anything for a bit yet.  AND I follow Molly on her blog and FB and IG and never guessed she had been paired up with me.....that girl, she can keep a secret!!!

First she embroidered little pink star flowers with yellow centers onto a gorgeous piece of  aqua linen, which she then added to a wide-mouth zipper pouch....I LOVE ZIPPER POUCHES, and aqua linen, and embroidered flowers.....you get the drift... it's perfect!!

Had take pic with it next to my new Fairy I got for Mothers Day!

And  cheery fabric on the inside!!!  I had mentioned I like fairies, and she added a wonderful piece of fabric with Fairies surrounded by flowers with SPARKLES on it....I LOVE FAIRIES with SPARKLES!!!

She also sent CHOCOLATE, (which is gone,lol) a sweet note, and a card with all her info on it, which I love because I can file it, you know not loose (throw away with scrap threads, etc.) it with all the other sticky notes that don't stick anymore....

So I THANK YOU  Molly for your kindness, your beautiful embroidered pouch, and the thoughtful gift of Fairies floating on fabric.  It came just when least expected, but much needed .

Please drop by Molly's Face Book page and say HI and give her some love,,,,It's her birthday this month and she has a surprise going on!!!  You can find her blog here.

So until till next time.....

Happy Sewing,,,Happy Spring!!!

xx Kim

UPDATE:  June 10th, 2013   My partner, Toni Spencer, has received the Little Embroidery items I made for her!!!  In an email she said she loved them, so now I can show them to you.....

The info said she like black, white, red and elephants...so I created a mug rug/hot pad and a redwork tea towel.  It takes me longer to decide and design something than to actually make them. My heart goes into everything I make so I'm very pleased (and relieved ..whew!) that she "Loved" it.  I'm off to link this up to the Sweet Little Embroidery Link Up.  You can see what every one sent and received there.  A big Thank You to Lisa for organizing this fun swap and link up!!!

A Special Little Dress

I was very pleased when my niece asked me if I would re-create a dress she had worn and had her picture taken in when she was 6-9 months old.  Her daughter is now at that same age and she wants to have side-by-side Mommy-Daughter pictures.  Isn't that wonderful !!!  So you can imagine how happy I was to help her in creating a memory !!

This is "Mommy" in her baby picture.....

Yes we have red heads in the family...and Mommy still has a head full of beautiful strawberry blond hair!

And this is what I created for her.....

I probably should have waited till the "daughter" has her picture taken, but I was just too excited to show and tell you about this wonderful idea to create a lasting memory!!

I ended up not being able to find navy with white dots...I thought it would be easy....and because I didn't think it would be a problem to find the navy/white left it to the last minute.  So I didn't have time to find and order any online..."Last Minute Kim" they call me.!!  So we went with black with white dots since they were at least the same size dots.  When the pictures get taken I will update you, soooo excited!!

And while I have you here just wanted to share some happy Spring pictures....

My Johnny Jump Ups (wood violets) are blooming and I think I found the perfect spot to make our Fairy Garden!!!!

A nice shady spot with white wood violets because if the Johnny Jump Ups are blooming the Fairies are singing and dancing !!

I hope you are having a good Wednesday....  If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, click here and be sure to leave me a comment.  It ends Friday May 10th and I will announce a winner by the 12th.

So until next time my dear friends

I hope you are happy

Sewing, Stitching, Crafting, Creating

and do drop by again soon.

xx Kim

 

Giveaway Day !!!!

                 GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - Winner will be announced shortly !                                           

WINNER OF THE BONNET IS.....

Mary Ann Kinsinger

WINNER OF THE MUG RUG IS....

Tammy Lyons

Check your emails Ladies....so I can get your snail mail addresses!!!

Thank you all for entering my first Giveaway,,,it has been a lot of fun !!  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.!

Hi everyone!!  I'm so glad you stopped by.....I've been wanting to have a giveaway on my blog, but being new at this, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. When I found out that Sew Mama Sew was hosting a Giveaway Day today, I figured it was the perfect opportunity and decided to join in all the fun !! I hope you are enjoying browsing all the creative blogs and seeing some of the beautiful items being offered!!

 I'm offering one of my Baby Bonnets ....It's a sweet little Scalloped Brimmed bonnet made of 100% cotton, fully lined, and has grosgrain ribbon for the ties.  It's soooo spring like with it's pansy/daisy print.   I'm sure your little princess will look like a CutiePetutie  with the double scalloped brim framing her face!!  ( I just love sewing for Babies!)

This fits a 17" head size...it is 14 1/2" (37cm)side to side and 3 1/4" (8cm) crown depth measurement .

But just in case you don't have a darling little princess floating around to give this to, I (quickly) decided to make up this little Mug Rug to set your cuppa on!!!  Hope you like it!

                                                                 

                                                                     

                                                                                      

You can check the details of this giveaway at Sew Mama Sew .  While you are there be sure to check out all the other wonderful blogs and what they have to offer!!!  

This giveaway is open through May 10th at which time I will pick a winner through random generator.  I will ship internationally.  I will update this post with the winner's name.  Please leave your email address if you are a no reply blogger so I can contact you if you win.

Sooooo if you would like a chance to win one of these items please leave me a comment telling me which one you would choose...If you would like to follow along with this blog (through bloglovin)  or on FB, that would be super, (but not mandatory) just click on the tabs  on the left hand sidebar .     

I do hope you've enjoyed your visit and look forward to seeing you  again soon !!

Until next time

Have fun Sewing, Stitching, Knitting, Crocheting

xx Kim                   Winner of the Bonnet Is....

HAPPY MAIL!!!!

I know I've been dormant for a month, now two posts in one day...But I couldn't resist telling you about my Happy Mail!!

YAY   My Happy Mail !!

In the beginning of April I found a sweet new blog to follow ...The Gregarious Life, and she, Sarah was hosting a Vintage Pattern Giveaway!  Well lo and behold I was the lucky winner of the those patterns..Can you believe it!!!

Aren't they wonderful...A cute little dress/pinafore pattern and a jumpsuit with a sailor type collar.  I love all things retro/ vintage and these are soooo very typical of that era!!!   BUT that wasn't all she put in the envelope.....

Not one but TWO more patterns and a GORGEOUS piece of fabric !!!  I'm dancing in my seat as I'm typing this .....The little thank you note was tucked inside an envelope made from paint sample cards, sooo cute!!! 

I have found that the sewing/quilting/crafting ladies out there in blogland are kind, generous, encouraging and love to share their time, insight and talents and Sarah from Gregarious is no exception.  Take a minute and go say Hi, see the beautiful things she creates, and follow along if you wish.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend....I know I will be playing with some fabric and patterns...and check back next week, I hope to have a surprise...........

Till next time

Have fun sewing 

xx  Kim

One of my Favorite Things-

Bonnets...I love sewing them and seeing them on babies and little girls.  They have long been a staple in layettes and for toddlers to keep that precious baby skin safe from bright sunlight and windy days.  I started sewing bonnets for my daughter and kept her in one till she was about 4 years old.  I fell in love with making them but there didn't seem to be a lot of new mom's using them.....until this spring !  I'm finding there is a new love of bonnets out there so I thought I would share some of the bonnets I have made, and a few patterns I have found if you would like to sew one for your little princess!!

Open T Back Bonnet

 I made the itty bitty dress to go with this bonnet with piping and bias tape to finish the look!!

This one I hand embroidered a simple design (on both sides) and used a petite cotton lace for trim.

 I used a cotton/linen blend fabric for this scalloped brimmed beauty!  A pleated satin ribbon frames the face with a picot edged satin ribbon tie.

Large Floppy Brimmed Bonnet

 These two have a large floppy brim edged with lace or ruffled fabric to look like lace edging.  This is the pattern I used for my daughter's bonnets and I loved how her little face peeked out of the floppy brim!!  Oh and she hated shoes so I made numerous fabric booties/shoes to coordinate with her bonnets and/or outfits.


These are just a few of my favorite bonnets, I have many more and even more ideas..LOL  oh I will have to live forever to make all my favorite things!!!!



If you would like, I take orders....or if you would like to sew a bonnet for your little princess here a some wonderful tutorials and patterns that I have found that some very talented ladies are sharing !!! Oh happy day!!


First is The Reversible Bonnet Tutorial by CassCanSew.  This is a cute little bonnet, very quick and easy, plus you get two looks for one!!  While there be sure to check out her other tutorials, they are all super cute and have a vintage/retro look.

There is a new free pattern from Mommy's Apron Strings.  I'm sooo looking forward to making this one,, it just came out yesterday and it looks wonderful with a scalloped brim and the option to smock or not!!!

Southern-Stitches has Tapered Smocked Bonnet free pattern which I have used and given to family and friends..  

I hope you find the perfect bonnet for your little one...I'm hoping to try a few new patterns !!!

My version of Tapered Smocked Bonnet

Until next time..

Happy Bonnet Sewing ...

xx Kim

My Covert Robin Gift Received !!!

I have finally calmed down enough to sit and write a post on what I received from Brooke for the Covert Robin Swap hosted by Rachael of imagine gnats.  The parcel arrived yesterday...

Beautifully decorated with pink dots and gingham paper...

The first item I pulled out of the box was the gorgeous Heart Pillow..She had read on my blog that I love hearts and repurposed fabrics and created this pillow for me!! Isn't it beautiful?? The colors are perfect and the lace gives it a romantic feel which I also love...I will be using that word alot because I am sooo touched by this box of goodies I can hardly contain myself!!!...(lots of !!! too) LOL.  

And if that wasn't enough.....

 There was this cute little drawstring bag...
FILLED with vintage striped sheet remnents.

Can you believe it??  It's just the sweetest thing...I love using vintage sheets for repurposing and this is just.... well, lets just say I did the "happy dance"!!..  Oh and the chocolates, pictured above, are divine!!  So to put it mildly  I was blown away with my Covert Robin Swap Gift.

I can only hope the gift I made for my swap partner is enjoyed when she receives it.....

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My partner is an amazing quilter...so I was a bit intimidaged.. but in the end felt good with what I made and sent her.

Thanx to Rachael and all her co-hosts for hosting this swap...it has been a wonderful experience and alot of fun!!!   Be sure to pop over and check out the linky party going on and see what talented ladies are out there blogging and swapping their beautiful designs !!!

Until next time

I hope you have fun

Sewing,Creating,Crocheting,Knittin

xx Kim

p.s. sorry for poor pics, we've had alot of "gloomy" days.