Microwave Bowl Cozies

I've been thinking about making microwave bowl cozies for family members for awhile now, but it's just been something that I have thought about and not done.  A week or so ago the stomach bug made its rounds through the family and my daughter-in-law said that she really could have used them with all of the chicken soup that she was microwaving in shifts for the kids.  That was all it took and I got busy sewing!  Everyone is feeling better now, so I'm going to hold on to them until Easter.  Filled with packets of instant oatmeal, microwave macaroni and cheese, and of course some candy, I think they will make fun Easter baskets!

Christmas Sewing

I didn't do much sewing for Christmas this year, but while wrapping presents over the weekend, I realized that I needed to wrap an odd shaped gift.  Making a fabric gift bag seemed a lot easier than trying to wrap it with gift wrap.  I used a pillow case pattern rather than making the bag to fit the gift exactly, that way it can be used as a holiday pillow case or used as a gift bag again next Christmas!

Another Zip Bag

When Miss Two came to visit last week, first thing on her "to do" list was to make a zip bag like the one her older sister made...only different.  I have a feeling that I'll probably be making at least three more zip bags, so that all of the grandgirls have one.  I wonder if the lil' cowboy would want a zip bag to keep his treasures in too?  I better stock up on zippers!

Makeup Bag

My oldest granddaughter stopped by the other day and asked if I could make her a new makeup bag.  I told her that I could, but suggested that I could help her make her own bag if she wanted, so we headed off to the sewing room.  She really wanted to use turquoise fabric, but the best I could come up with was a few scraps.  Then I remembered what I learned from Pat Sloan a few weeks ago and we put those scraps together to make a striped turquoise and green fabric.  We ended up with just enough for a fun new makeup bag that matches her favorite color nail polish perfectly!

Mass Production

I don't normally make more than one or two items from a pattern, but when my four oldest granddaughters saw the cell phone wallet that I made a few weeks ago they all begged for one of their own!  They really are just the right size for girls, so how could I say no?  They are easy enough to make, but I don't think I'll be making any more any time soon!  I'm ready to work on something different for a change!

Just Right!

How cute is this little cell phone wallet?!  I love how it turned out.  It's just the right size to hold cards, cash, and a phone.  Perfect for those who like to travel light or it could even be paired it with a larger tote bag! (Which kind of makes me wish I had bought more than just a fat quarter of the blue floral print!)   

Big And Small

I don't do well with bags that have a lot of pockets.  Seems that I spend more time looking for what I want by searching through pockets than if I just throw everything in my bag loose!  Some smaller things do need to be contained though, so I made this little zip bag to match my new tote.  It is just the right size to keep the smallest things together and right where I can find them!

Warmer Weather IS Coming

Oh, you have to love spring in Pennsylvania!  One day it's sunny and 70 degrees and then the next day it's 30 degrees and spitting sleet and snow!  I am sure that nice weather will soon be here to stay (at least for more than a day or two at a time) so I've been working on a new bag for the warmer months.  I like a larger bag for the summer and this one is just the right size for my camera, Kindle, and just about anything else I might need while out enjoying the nice weather!

1/4"...Who Knew?

I've been working on the Anita's Arrowhead blocks and at one point you have to stop and pivot around a corner at the 1/4" mark.  I'm pretty good at eyeballing a 1/4", but for these blocks I've been marking them...just to be sure.  As I was sewing along, I noticed that when I stopped to pivot there was a raised mark on the left side of my foot that lined up with the edge of the fabric.  WHAT?  Seriously?  All this time I thought this quarter inch foot was just to get an accurate 1/4" seam, but had NO CLUE that there are 1/4" registration marks along the other edge of the foot!  Perfect for these blocks, mitering bindings and probably a bunch of other things that I can't think of right now.  Who knew?  And why didn't you tell me???

A Deal On New Curtains

Not only have we been helping to remodel our son's new home, but we have been doing a little work on our own home too.  Most recently we added new doors on our front porch and of course one thing led to another and I decided that I needed new curtains for the porch windows and doors.  My husband said to just buy new curtains and wasn't convinced that I could make them cheaper.  This proves that I was right...I got 8 yards of red check homespun at Joann Fabrics and with an assortment of coupons, it cost just over $30 and that includes the matching thread!  Definitely cheaper than buying curtains, but probably not faster...no telling when I will actually get them made!

Tools Of The Trade

My daughter-in-law inherited a sewing machine awhile ago and has now decided that she wants to learn how to sew!  I spent an afternoon showing her the way around her new machine, but I quickly became frustrated with her lack of good sewing supplies.  I knew if I was frustrated with cheap thread and dull scissors that she would be too and sewing would never be fun for her!  For her Christmas gift I purchased all the necessary tools and then made a sewing caddy and matching pin cushion to keep all of her new notions close at hand. I'm sure her next sewing project will go a lot smoother now that she has the right tools for the job! 

Drawstring Backpack

Miss One, our 12 year-old granddaughter, asked if I could make her a bag for her gym clothes.  Easy enough!  We searched the web for bag patterns and she decided on a drawstring backpack like the one in this tutorial from Material Girls Quilts.  Then we went to my stash to find just the right fabric.  I really thought she would pick something a little more girly than the USMC emblem fabric, but she insisted that was the fabric she wanted.  Maybe there will be another Marine in the family someday!

Iron Tote

I'm sure most everyone has seen the casserole carrier patterns around, but if you haven't, you can find a great tutorial at Karen's Crafty World.  Anyway, when I first saw the casserole carrier pattern I thought that it would make a great iron tote/ironing pad for classes and retreats.  I used Insul-Bright for the batting, silver ironing board fabric for the lining, and a cute cotton print for the outside.  I got to try it out last Saturday and it works perfectly with my little travel iron!

Treat Bag

I made this little treat bag to put a few goodies in so I could send it to our grandson for Halloween, but I think I am the one who got the real treat...this is a fantastic pattern!  The size of this bag is perfect for small projects.  It has a flat bottom and the handles are positioned so that it sits upright without flopping over at the top.  I have a feeling that I'm going to be making a few more of these bags!

You can find the complete tutorial at Fishsticks Designs.

Quick Kindle Case

My back still isn't letting me do much sewing, but when my granddaughter asked if I would make her a case for the Kindle that she just received for her birthday, how could I say no?  Besides, I've made enough of these cases that it hardly takes me any time at all to whip one up.  It honestly takes longer to decide what fabric to use than it does to sew it together! 

The Avengers!

My youngest son and his family all love the Marvel comic book heroes, so when my daughter-in-law made it a point to tell me that she saw fabrics of their favorite characters I knew that I would have to get some and make them each something...but what?  No one in the family needs another quilt, so I opted for pillowcases!  Now they can all go to bed at night dreaming of Thor, Captain America and Spiderman!  

Spring Strings

It's hard to come up with gifts for nursing home patients and it's even more difficult to come up with gift ideas for someone who is in an Alzheimer's unit.  There are so many things that aren't allowed in the unit for safety reasons, so it really limits what kind of gifts you can give.  My mother-in-law just celebrated her 80th birthday and I racked my brain to try and come up with something to give to her that she would enjoy.  I finally decided on a mini makeover for her room.  I made two spring string table toppers, added a little pot of brightly colored silk flowers and some newly framed family photos and it all made for a very happy birthday indeed!

Mama's Got A Brand New Bag!

It's the truth that one thing always leads to another!  I found a lovely green wallet on sale that I couldn't resist, but that purchase meant that I needed a new bag to match.  I didn't have a pattern, only an idea in my mind of what I wanted.  I simply stitched some 2" Civil War Reproduction strips together, quilted the pieces in a 1/2" grid, added a pretty green lining and scrappy handles, then finished it off with a vintage button closure.  It turned out just as I had hoped it would and I couldn't be happier with my new bag!

Meet Henry

Meet Henry!  I don't make a lot of stuffed animals, but when I came across this Softie Scotty Dog pattern I knew that I had to make one for my daughter-in-law.  Henry made with upcycled wool from a thrift shop skirt and hand stitched, so he's a little "ruff" around the edges, but I know he's going to be loved!

Pint Size Snuggie

It seems that the lil' cowboy loves his daddy's snuggie, but he gets frustrated with all the extra fabric due to its extra large size.  I am not a tailor, but I figured that even I could make a blanket with sleeves.  A quick Google search provided several tutorials for snuggies in all different sizes, with all of them claiming that a snuggie could be made in less than an hour.  I used this pattern as a starting point. It is a great child's snuggie pattern, but I still had to scale the measurements down for it to fit a three year old. Time total to adjust the pattern, cut the fabric and sew the whole thing together?  Less than one hour!  Hopefully this little snuggie will keep the lil' cowboy warm without frustration.