Mug Rugs a Year Late

 

 

 

 

 

It's 2013. Which is fine. Except that I had said I'd make three people a handmade gift in 2012. I didn't do that. And, I didn't remember until about two weeks ago that I had to do that--last year.

But, I thought what a great opportunity to try out some more paper piecing and quilting.

And, some mug rugs are pretty neat little gifts I'd say. Perfect for the cold Canadian winters to put your mug of hot chocolate, tea, or hot apple cider on it. Or, your coffee of course. But, with a mug of drink ought to come a bite to eat. And, there is room for that too.

 

 

I started by paper piecing their initials out of some scrap Rhapsodia fabric I still had. But, it needed a border. White--the only solid I have. (Yes, I really need to stash up on solid wovens.)

 

The backing is from Michael Miller's Hall of Fame line--sage plaid.

And, the 'batting' is again some of that super cheap pink flannel I have laying around.

I again quilted stitch-in-the-ditch around the letters so they'd show up on the back as well.

 

The binding is some more from the Rhapsodia line. I had a hard time using these--I really like the colors and should try squeeze something for myself out of them...

 

They are about 7" x 7". It's kind of neat how mug rugs have no 'set' dimensions.

 

I had tried adding a column of 1" x 2" strips on one side but it looked like an 'E' (without the vertical line) so I scratched that idea and just went with this.

 

 

 

Now to think of my next project....

Bella Blouse

I recently got to test another pattern from Petite Kids Boutique!

I really enjoy testing patterns and Wong's patterns are lovely.

The pattern I tested?

The Bella Blouse:

 



Picture from Petite Kids Boutique



 

I made two of them:

 

 

The first one--the orange one, is a modified Bella. The width for the size 3 that I made is 15" instead of 17" and the arms' width is 9.5" instead of 14". Plus, the neckband is cut at 32" instead of 38" plus the extra cut off after pinning it to the bodice.

To make up for the narrower sleeves, I cut the ruffles down to 13" instead of 19" and I did not make the casing or add the elastic as required in the pattern.

The second one--the pink/brown one, also a size 3, is the true Bella pattern. No modifications what-so-ever.

 

The orange fabric is from the Fat Quarter Shop. It's Betz White fabric and it is organic. The first time I've used organic fabric and one of the first times I've used orange. I like the change.

 

The pink/brown fabric is from Walmart. Yep, it's not as nice to work with as the nice stuff from the FQS but it does the trick.

I wasn't planning on doing two in less than a week but I'm glad they're done--they look really cute and modern.

The only problem I've found is that my daughter isn't fond of the elastic in the sleeves on the original Bella blouse--she prefers wearing the orange one for that reason.

 

 

Oh, and try taking pictures of a two-and-a-half year old when she is having fun with her brothers. Sigh....

First Quilt

So, I made a quilt.
 

 

First time ever.
 

 

And, I am pleased.

Remember that first paper pieced block I made?

Well, I turned it into a doll quilt.
(The plan is for my daughter's birthday in June. Along with a wooden cradle I have from when I was a kid and a mattress cover and pillow yet. See if I can wait until June...)

 

So, a first paper pieced block turned into a first quilt top which I got to do some first-time quilting on and then had to do some first-time binding.

Good start to a new year--learning some new skills.

And, I learned the skills here:
A mash-up of these two tutorials for the binding:
Perfect Binding Tutorial from Jay Bird Quilts.
Tutorial: How to Attach Quilt Binding by Machine from Olive and Ollie.
I liked how to connect the loose binding ends better from Jay Bird Quilts and I liked the mitered corners better from Olive and Ollie. I used my own width of 2" and after folding the binding in half length-wise, I folded one side into the middle.

And, instead of making another quilted line on the back as Olive and Ollie suggest, I stitched-in-the-ditch to make the stitching somewhat invisible. I say somewhat because I'm not a perfect sewist and did 'drive' out of the ditch at times.
And, the quilting, I just sort of did--I think I've read enough blogs to know how to do basic quilting. Most of that was also stitch-in-the-ditch quilting. I did not want to add too much to the quilt and thereby make the handstitching not stand out so much.
I first quilted around the heart, then the individual 'boxes' around the heart until the last box. The top and bottom where there on the front to stitch-in-the-ditch, but not on the sides. So, I just made corresponding lines going down to make another box on the back.

 

Also, the actual design on the front was my own. I had sort of drawn out what I had in mind and then started cutting and sewing and measuring and cutting some more until it was about the width and length I had in mind. The total dimensions are 11.5" x 14.5".

 

I admit my 'batting' is not batting but two layers of flannel I had laying around.
And, the Linus Heart block, the info for that was on my last post here.
The fabrics I used are again those Lites and brights scraps, some more of that orange pillowcase, the white is from another pillowcase, and the backing from yet another pillowcase. The pillowcases are all thrifted.

I used my box of quilting attachments for my machine for the first time too.
The walking foot, the 1/4" foot, and the quilting guide.
Now, I'm just scared that my list of projects I want to do will increase significantly.....




 

Linus Heart

I attempted paper piecing.

First time ever.

And, I'm quite happy how it turned out:

 

 

 

I used this template. 

And, the fabrics are: the oranges from a repurposed pillow case--scraps from this bag. And, the turquoise/blue fabrics are from Fabric.com and I used them in a dress here. (So, they're also scraps.)They're called Lites and brights mini daisies and paisleys in turquoise. (I looked them up--last time I was too {ahem} lazy to look it up.)

 

So, now I just have to figure out what I'll make out of this--with this as the focal point. Any grand ideas? 

Pete for Brad

I had purchased some fabric from Girl Charlee Fabrics a couple of weeks ago and I had chosen two striped fabrics so I could make shirts for my husband or my sons. I had chosen a 'Green tonal stripe cotton jersey knit' and a 'Cloudy blue charcoal stripe cotton jersey knit' and as I suspected my husband's first choice was the green.

 

 

So, I pulled out my Pete pattern from Burdastyle and thought that I could finish a shirt in an evening.

Nope. It took much longer than anticipated.

 

 

The pattern is quite simple and I've made it before (the solid green shirt (fabric from our local Marshalls Fabrics)). But, the thin jersey fabric kept catching on my sand-paper hands and, my machine was not co-operating this time. I think because it was such a thin fabric.

 

 

So, after giving up my attempts at twin needling--especially after I had figured out how and then to my dismay when the fabric was stretched, it for some reason was not secured at the ends and came completely loose even though I had done the whole backstitch or knot stitch. (If you have any advice as to how to secure the beginning and ending of a seam, let me know!)

 

 

I do enjoy adding the finishing touches like a little love note on the tags. Don't mind the messy seam on the newest shirt--like I said, my machine and I were not getting along during the making of this shirt.

 

So, now my husband has two shirts made by his wifey and he actually likes them too. He has worn the dark green one many times and the striped one he wore for a while last night, letting me know that it is very comfy.

YES! All my mutterings to myself and my machine was not for nothing.

A Blessed Christmas!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7)

 

Who is this Child that was born in a manger? For whom there was no room in the Inn?

 

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over hte house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God." (Luke 1:26-35)

 

The Son of God? The Son of the Most High? Holy? Who is Holy but God of whom it is said, "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.'?

And, why should the Son of God--God Himself, the Creator of all things, humble Himself and be born of a woman? Why should He humble Himself and become a man?

 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

 

Eternal life? Condemnation? What are these? Well, eternal life is pretty self-explanatory--a life in eternity with Christ, in heaven. Condemnation is eternal punishment in the flames of hell where those who continue in rebellion to God will face the punishment we all deserve.

So, Christ came into this world, died on the cross and rose again so that those who believe in Him shall have eternal life instead of the punishment we all deserve!

But is there no other way of salvation? No other way to escape eternal punishment?

 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

 

So, no, there is only one way of Salvation--one way to eternal life and that is through Christ.

How do we go through Christ? How can we get this Salvation?

 

But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ... ...For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romand 10:8-9, 13)

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." (Acts 2:37-39)

Repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! This is the way to Salvation! You do not have to be a 'good' person--none of us are. We are all sinners. And, Christ died for us 'while we were yet sinners.' The 'healthy do not need a doctor but the sick.'
What a blessed gift that God has given--His only begotten Son, to die for us so that we may live!

'Glory to God in the Highest!'

Have a blessed Christmas as you remember what a precious gift Christ's birth is to mankind!

 

 

Super Simple Snowmen

Yesterday, my kids were very bored. I mean jumping and running and yelling bored.

So, I had to get them to sit down quietly, and what better way than to do a craft.

I came up with this:

 

 

Paper snowmen attached to clothes pins to decorate the tree with.

(sorry about the bad lighting in these pictures--our house is rather dark with not much natural light and I am no expert with my camera.)

So, I thought it'd be fun to share this with you if your kids are getting the 'is-Christmas-here-yet itch.'

Presenting the:

 

 SUPER SIMPLE SNOWMEN

 

Things you'll need:

•  white cardstock
• pencil
• glue sticks
• glue gun
• scrap paper
• clothes pins
• ribbon

 

I folded the white cardstock to make three snowmen. Then, I drew a snowman on the top one.

 

And, cut them out in one shot. 

 

I cut out three top hats from black scraps and as the kids were gluing those, I cut six brown 'twig' arms out of brown scraps. Also, three orange scrap carrot noses were required.

That giraffe there, 'Tip Top' is almost a constant companion of my daughter.

 

They drew the eyes on with pencil and one of them drew buttons as well.

Love how my daughter glued on her nose!

 

I took the ribbon and tied it loosely around the neck and fastened it with a dot or two of hot glue. Then, I also hot glued the clothes pin to the back so the opening is facing up towards the hat.

I got this fake tree for free the other day!
Much less mess than a real one and I can't dry it out!

 

And, here they are finished on the tree.

Very quick and simple--perfect for a last-minute craft to keep the kids quiet!

 

I also have an adult or older child version that I made around 6 years ago:

 

 

Cute, eh?