Progress from Santa's Sweat Shop

So, some progress in the past couple of days. This is good. If I can keep up this pace everything should be done in time for Christmas. This year even. Well -- ok, so I may have to speed it up a little...

Anyhooo --- I thought I would share the full extent of the insanity that I'm playing with here in the cornfields. So, like Santa it's time to make my list. Check it twice. And see whether I'm going to get done or not. In no particular order of importance, my "to do before Christmas" list:

1. Commission for Mom. Done!!! In the mail. Out of here! Yahoo!!! (all 5 of whatever it is I was making)

2. Gift for my god daughter. Done!!!! A cutie pie little pair of funky monkey pj's (she loves monkeys -- go figure). And, as a bonus, a little bag to put them in (instant and reusable wrapping paper -- woo hooo). And before you think I'm crazy for making the bag (well -- you will when you see the rest of my list) I will say that I wasn't going to do it. Until, well, someone -- I'm not naming any names mind you, but someone may have forgotten to look and see if this fabric is directional before cutting out the PJ bottoms. And, well, this someone may have had to recut them (thank goodness I someone bought WAY more fabric than the pattern called for). And well -- someone may have decided to make lemonade out of lemons with the bottoms that were cut upside down. Someone mind you -- I'm not admitting to the mistake!

3. PJ's for dd. DONE. Remember that we've been in Santa and Rudolph heavy rotation these days? These will be part of her advent calendar gifts this year. I saw the fabric at Joann's and couldn't resist. Not the best stuff in the world to use -- but for a pair of PJs that are going to be worn for a limited time -- yeah, it works. And since I already was making a pair for my god daughter -- easy enough to make two instead of one.

And just because I can't resist -- a close up of the t-shirt. A simple patch top stitched down. And I chose Santa vs. Rudolph because she loves Santa. Me? I'm in love with that green and red polka dot fabric. Don't know why -- it makes me happy!

4. Knit bag for B's gift. Almost done. Need to finish the icord -- she's getting a smaller (and different color) version of this (the cover photo, not the cabled one).

5. Knit bag for AL's gift. Haven't started. Need to get B's gift off needles.

6. Weave in ends of knit scarf for AL's gift.

7. One on One doll quilt exchange. Blocks made. Need to get together, quilt and bind.

8. C's messenger bag. I have the stuff -- need to design and make.

9. Train panel play mat for dd. Need to back, sandwich, quilt and bind.

10. Hand quilted pillow. About 80% done. I have the hand quilting done. Need to make the pillow backing and binding. Not too bad.

11. Ornaments for teacher gifts. Done!!!

12. Dolly for dd. In progress. Doll body made, need to finish stuffing, attach arms and paint on the face and hair. After that just need to make an outfit. Or two. As for the accessories -- um, we'll see. (and no -- you're not seeing double. I couldn't decide which color fabric to use for the body so I made two. I probably won't give both to dd -- I'll figure out what to with the second one later).

13. Doll crib mattress for dd. I have the stuff I need to make it. Simply covering some foam so shouldn't take long.

14. MIL's apron. I was going to make my mil a quilt this year. Really. I was. I even have the fabrics cut and ready. Um, so not going to happen. I mentioned this to her -- and sweet woman that she is understands completely and asked for an apron. An apron? I can do an apron. And I KNOW this project is an afternoon or less.

15. Small handbag/bag for S. This one -- um, she may be getting a gift card. This one is truly an "If I can get around to it" gift. Though, PamKittyMorning's pattern does work up quickly...

16. Messenger bag for DH. May get delayed until his birthday. Since it was supposed to be a gift for our anniversary, leaving it a bit longer may be ok.

17. Advent calendar. Yeah, I know it's already December. I know this should have been done a week ago. Um...it's not. On the plus side, it's almost done. Really. I just need to finish sewing down the binding and the hanging sleeve. Though, I would appreciate it if you didn't look too closely at the quilting. This was a quick and dirty. I've had this panel by Makower UK hanging around since dd was in an infant carrier. So, it's been a PIP (sorry -- I don't keep my undone projects in grocery sacks. I keep them in plastic bins -- so PIP instead of PIG) since sometime in 2005. So, this is a bit of a stashbusting effort, and a FWYH entry.

I'm really not in love with it either (HEY -- HEY -- I see you, I told you NOT to look at the quilting!) -- which may be one reason it's taken me so long to finish it. It's cute and all, but -- not sure. It just doesn't sing to me. And I've been seeing such cute ideas for Advent calendars all over the blogosphere. Really -- look here, and here, and well -- there's an entire flickr group dedicated to them. Some of the ideas are really great and they are fun and funky -- something my little offering isn't. Hmmnn...next year. At least I can introduce the concept this year and then work on a new one that speaks more about our family's personality AFTER the holidays. For now -- those little tiny pockets (honestly, you can't fit much in them) will get stuffed with pieces of paper that either give dd a chance at some goodies in a grab bag and/or activities we have planned (including some more handmade Christmasy goodness -- but, um, this list thing is starting to depress me -- so, I'll take pics and talk about it as those happen).

And what am I doing hanging out on my blog?!? (other than taking a break from the slave driver elves here in the sweat shop?) I've got sewing to do!

I hate housework

I do, I really, really do. Those dust bunnies haven't hurt anyone -- why do I need to go and disturb them? Let's forget the fact that I have Cheerios and pretzels ground into my living room/family room/main room we live in carpet (unhunh -- for any of you who have lived with a small little Tasmanian devil you tell me you've never had that happen to you). Let's overlook the fact that my husband's idea of "cleaning" the kitchen involves moving things off of the counters onto my sewing area (aka the kitchen table/dining table) and ironing board. Let's just suppose that my bathrooms look like some college fraternity has been living here for a moment shall we? Despite all of this I can muster NO enthusiasm for cleaning any of it.

On the plus side, dealing with portions of the mountains of laundry today meant I was able to finally finish my 'Cause I Can't Crochet (gee it only took me a month to finish getting the binding sewn down -- and only three months from finished top to finished quilt, not bad I guess, but the quilting has been done for two of those months). And finally finish means not only is the binding down but it has been washed and all markings removed. Yeah!!!!

And I am loving the way this one turned out as well. Though, I think I may be insane for having done the quilting myself on a twin sized quilt. It's possible to do -- but, um, not sure I will be doing it again any time soon!

I am also loving the way washing and drying it (yes, in the dryer -- for those of you about to faint, I'm sorry -- but, um, really, I wanted to do this -- and if you're really upset by the dryer part -- um, I guess I shouldn't mention that I rarely, if ever, pre-wash my fabrics) made it all wrinkly and bumpy -- which helps hide the faults in the quilting quite nicely. :0)

And really, I think this qualifies as a FWYH entry since until I finally got around to finishing the binding last night it was sitting over the back of my couch and my daughter has been trying to use it as a nap blankie on the couch for the last month or so.

Ok, ok, at least the health hazards the bathrooms represent has me thinking that MAYBE I should be cleaning. Oh, yeah, and Mom is coming to visit um, well, tomorrow since it's after midnight. And I still have lots of laundry left to do as well as attacking the poor defenseless dust bunnies. Maybe some sleep will make it seem less daunting? Oh well -- maybe Mom will be so impressed with the new quilt she gets to sleep under she won't notice the pit the rest of the house is -- right? right?

Been Busy

But instead of the cleaning (which, there is even more of than I thought. Does it NEVER end? There are advantages to living with a husband who just doesn't see the dirt -- but when it comes time to clean it, um, never mind...), I've actually managed to get some sewing done!!! Woooo Hoooo!

I'm still in Finish What You Have mode here -- I'm really liking the phrasing on this one. I may even borrow another phrase I saw in blogland over the summer soon -- Use What You Have (sounds so much better than "Fabric Diet"). So, no new projects to share, but progress on others -- oh yes.

First up is the t-shirt "dress" I made for my daughter a while back. (OMG -- I just looked at the date on that -- was it really over a month ago??? I have GOT to stop leaving projects 1/2 done -- especially ones that have the potential to be grown out of!!!! It's one thing for a quilt to take 6 months or more to finish, but a child's SHIRT?!?!) I finally got around to putting on the yoyo's I wanted to add. I'm still not sure about these -- not sure what is bugging me. The colors I chose, how many? I don't know. I could add more yoyo's -- super easy to make using those yo yo makers.

Taking any away may be a problem though. 'Cause, I'm not guaranteeing it or anything but I'm pretty sure I used applique to attach these things. Now, the thing is -- applique is NOT my thing. (at least, not yet -- I may be chaging my mind about avoiding it at all costs though) Applique is one of those scary quilting terms and skills I've managed to avoid quite nicely for the past six years. But, I think I may have done some. By hand. And I don't hate it. So, no, these yo yo's are NOT coming out.


Aside from the whole I finally did some applique thing -- these are also attached to t-shirt material! Do you know the pain involved in trying to remove them?? I don't THINK so. So, add some -- I can. Depends on other opinions -- what do you think? But for right now, I'm going to consider it DONE. DD can wear it tomorrow for its first test round of spills, paints, and other gunk to get spilled on.



My other progress has been with the %#@*&*#*& challenge of bias binding. Some of you may recall that I managed to screw up make a mistake while I was making my bias binding for 'Cause I Can't Crochet. I finally got up my courage and tried it again. This time, paying attention to what I was doing. (and thanks to dh for volunteering to do the grocery shopping with toddler in tow when I said "I NEED to sew today" -- he may not see dirt, but, well -- there are many other reasons I love him) So, binding done -- and on the bias this time. Quilt trimmed. Binding attached. Now all I have to do is sit and do the handsewing. (what IS it with all this hand work?) Luckily -- it's premier week for all the new fall network shows. I can sit, I can sew, I can watch TV -- sounds like a plan to me!

So, off to do some more cleaning, some more sewing, if I'm lucky I will get to the post office today to send off some goodies -- I need another me!

Go Fly a Kite...

So I haven't been posting a whole lot of my own quilt/craft work lately. That's partly because not much has been going on here. For some reason I've been in a bit of a "slump". Part of it has been the general clean-up going on at casa de cornfields, but part of it has been that there have been other distractions. Like apple picking, and this weekend, a kite festival.

There were all sorts of kites and flying banners. There were giant windsocks floating in the air attached to kites in the shape of just about any animal you could imagine. The sky was full of dragons, teddy bears, colorful fish and of course, giant gecko lizards. (which for some reason my dd was very concerned would be coming towards us -- she got over the concern eventually -- but it was kind of funny) Not to mention all sorts of fun geometric shapes and not just your traditional kite shaped kite.

There were demonstrations by "professional" kite fliers -- who made stunt kites zoom in time to music and made me wonder how often you have to practice to have that kind of control. And, of course, what would a festival be without vendors selling -- you guessed it, kites. So dd now has her very own first kite. A far cry from the plastic ones I used to get every spring and that
Dad and I would take out to the local school yard. But, oh, just as much fun to fly. (and no spokes in this one to worry about breaking -- which usually happened to my kites on the first or second day I used them!)

And a little girl who had fun holding the string and flying her own kite. (ok, so Nana was really doing the flying here -- but SHE doesn't know it -- and she was so darned proud of herself!) Yep, it's worth not getting much done in the sewing department to have memories like these...

BUT -- I've been going into sewing machine withdrawals lately. Soooo...I did manage to get back to my machine late last night. And unlike other times when I've had one of these slumps, I did not start a new project to jump start my work. Instead, I decided to accept the challenge issued over at turkey feathers to Finish What You Have. I've got at least 3 or 4 projects in progress that need some work -- and a few more that are barely in progress and need to get finished. It sounded like a good way to extend my deep cleaning into my sewing area and make room for all of those projects I keep buying fabric for!

Enter today's FWYH entry. It is a pair of cutie patootie pj's for dd. I used the puppy fabric I bought with Mom a month ago for the pants along with this pattern. And an adorable puppy design by Anna Maria Horner for the t-shirt. I started these before I began my cleaning spree and they've been sitting abandoned set aside waiting for me to finish them up. Since it took less than an hour to finish them I have no idea why I let them sit so long.

I will admit that I cheated a bit with the puppy on the t-shirt. Anna Maria's pattern and instructions (available as a free download here) call for sewing down the applique after preparing it. Um, well, since I reduced it to 30% of actual size to fit on the t-shirt AND I was working with an existing t-shirt (amazing what a little applique will cover up -- some paint/gunk from daycare that just would NOT come out in the wash is now irrelevant!) -- I made the design into an iron-on applique by using some fusible interfacing. It worked pretty well -- but, I think next time I will use a heavier weight interfacing -- I just used what I had which was very lightweight. Nothing a little bit of fabric glue didn't fix at the extremities -- but still.

And just because I can -- one final picture of the back of these pants. I LOVE the little pockets on the tush -- don't know why, but I do. I can't wait to see dd in these -- but I thought that waking her up in the middle of the night to change her pj's was a bit much. Even to satisfy my crafty glee. There's always tonight!