Sophia's Sundries (formerly Frugal Ideas from the Parsonage)

Another collage-style card

2012-01-27T07:02:00.001-05:00

After I made the Mother's Day cards, I decided to go ahead and do another collage-style card with these mini images that have to do with writing.

This one could be used for many occasions, and I decided to use a sentiment on the inside. That way, I can decide what to use it for when I need it.

I have a funny problem with my cards. I run out of birthday cards, so I make a whole pile of them. And suddenly I have a need for tons of "thinking of you" cards instead. Inevitably, the cards I just made for birthdays would make perfect "thinking of you" cards, but I already have a birthday sentiment on them. So I decided to experiment and make a few cards that I can add a sentiment to when I need them.

Mother's Day cards

2012-01-25T06:55:00.001-05:00

This is the first card I made on our cardmaking day, and I'm actually quite happy with it. Since I have my mother and mother-in-law both still with us, I needed to make two of these. They're identical because I thought they "fit" both of them very well. I also tried to make them as non-dimensional as possible since they will have to go through the mail.

I had bought a sheet of these postage-stamp-style collages a few years ago, cut them apart, and then had no idea what to do with them. Then, a few weeks ago, I came across an inchie design that I thought might serve as inspiration for using them. You can see the card that inspired me (from Moxie Fab World, the first featured card) here. It was a very loose interpretation, but it really helped me out!

VW Beetle Bug Cards

2012-01-23T07:35:00.007-05:00

Yes, you read that right. I finally got some more cards done!

My friend and I decided to take a day (more like an afternoon) just to work on cards, and I got a lot accomplished. When she had to leave to go home, I kept right on working and ended up with over 60 cards for the day.

Now, before you get too impressed, I don't mind doing assembly-line cards when I hit on a card design I like. I made 11 each of three different designs, and a whole fleet of these VW Beetle Bug cards (14 so far). I have plans to make a few more of them - they're just too perfect!

This is the first one I made, with guys in mind (hence the blue color). Then I got a little braver and tried red ...

I think it still looks enough like a regular car that I can use it for a guy. I need some guy cards.

But I really couldn't stop there. You see, VW Beetles are my absolute, all-time favorite car EVER. When I was a teenager, a local business bought a yellow one and painted eyelashes above the headlights, and I've wanted one just like it ever since. So here is the first of the girly VW Beetles ...

And here is second one (and last for now, anyway) ...

If you're like me and don't like fussy little pieces, this card is for you! You can find the free template here on Stamp-n-Design's blog. I like to cut as little freehanded as possible (because it's faster), so I used my paper trimmer for the bumper and tires, doing a quick scissor-rounding before gluing them down. Of course, the headlights are just a circle punch.

I discovered that I can get four cards from an 8.5x11" sheet of decorative paper, and six cards from a 12x12" sheet. Of course, that's using a plain white cardstock as the shaped card base. For the plain cars, I was able to get two out of one sheet of 8.5x11" paper, using the colored paper as my card base. There was just enough room to cut the hoods from the scraps.

Over the next few days, I'll try to share the rest of the cards I made. It's been so long since I got to work on cards that I wasn't sure I was going to like anything I cranked out. Wonder of wonders, I like them all!

Bitty Twins Clothing: Hats and Mittens

2012-01-18T07:17:00.004-05:00

Since it's a cold winter, even here where it doesn't snow a lot, I knew these dolls were going to need some hats and mittens. It certainly didn't hurt that I found the cutest patterns for them, either. :)

I made the girl's hat from a preemie pattern. It was a perfect fit, and I love the heart pattern!

The mittens were made from an American Girl Mittens pattern. I don't know if it's just the difference in these dolls as compared to the 18" American Girl dolls, but the thumbs on these turned out a bit too long. Oh well, she doesn't care, and neither do I. They're still adorable!

Here she is modeling them both together. I'm still looking for the perfect coat pattern. Until then, I figured we could dress her in a sweater and pretend it is her coat.

I made a hat and mittens for the boy doll, too, but I'll have to post those another day since one of his mittens went missing during our photo session.

Bitty Twins Clothing: Knit Sweaters

2012-01-16T14:02:00.000-05:00

As I was honing my knitting skills, I decided to knit a few sweaters for these cuties, too. I didn't get to try them on until Christmas morning, since I let my daughter take all the packaging off the dolls herself. They fit pretty well, and we were both happy.

This Poppy Cardigan was made from variegated cotton yarn. Despite the way it looks bunched up in the picture, it really does fit well. I'm still perfecting how to pose these dolls.

This cardigan was one of my favorite designs. It really turned out well, and it actually looks like a real down-sized cardigan. It is appropriately named V-Neck Doll Cardigan, and I also knit it from variegated cotton yarn. (Yes, there was a good sale on it, and I wanted to work with it.)

I'm planning to knit more for these dolls, and I think I've discovered the trick to making them look more realistic. Fellow Ravelers have suggested that the best patterns for American Girls (and Bitty Twins) are the ones that use fingering-weight yarn and smaller needles. I have a few projects lined up, and I'll share them when they're finished.

Bitty Twins Clothing: Wrap Skirts

2012-01-13T08:47:00.018-05:00

You probably remember the reversible wrap skirts I made for 18" dolls awhile back. Well, I discovered that I didn't have to lengthen the pattern for this doll in order to get it below her knees, so I was pretty happy about that. I made her a denim skirt from some old jeans that were in the rag pile.

I also made her a floral wrap skirt from some fabric I had purchased when my 12-year-old niece was about 2 years old. I never got around to making her the dress I had in mind, so I decided to sew a bunch of these skirts with it instead.

I just found out that there's a local group that makes doll beds and doll blankets for needy children at Christmastime, and I'm going to see if they could use the rest of the skirts to dress the dolls that accompany those gifts. I have lots of old denim jeans that I could easily donate to the cause, too, so I'll probably be working on that through the year as I get time.

Bitty Twins Clothing: Knitted Undies

2012-01-11T07:39:00.026-05:00

Please excuse the fact that I'm posting my daughter's dolls in their underwear. Since they're not real kids, I didn't think anyone would mind. :)

As soon as I saw the pattern for these undies, I knew I had to knit them for these dolls. Of course, I couldn't add lacework to the boy's undies, so I did his in plain stockinette stitch. But ...

... The little girl got lacy ones.

You can probably tell that they're a little baggy in the waist. The original pattern was for the 18" American Girl dolls, whose bodies aren't as "cuddly" as the Twins' bodies. A fellow Raveler suggested that I weave some elastic into the waistbands, and I'm going to give it a try when I get brave enough.

Until then, my daughter doesn't seem to mind. They fit well enough to stay on, and that's all that she cares about. In fact, as soon as she unwrapped the dolls and the undies, she took off the blue training pants they came in and put these on them instead.

If you'd like to make some, you can find the free pattern on Ravelry here.

Bitty Twins Clothing: Twirly Skirt

2012-01-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

Remember these twirly skirts? Everyone seems to love them, and my daughter is no exception. I adapted this to the shorter doll by using 4" squares instead of the 5" squares the pattern calls for.

This was especially easy, since I cut my sheet/project scraps into squares. I had a huge stack of 4" squares, so I picked out yellows and blues for this skirt.

The shirt is from Simplicity #1952, and I love it so much more than any other shirt I've ever sewn for these type of dolls. Its raglan sleeves are super-easy to work with.

I got about 8 yards of this white knit material at the thrift store, so I have lots and lots and lots. I'm pretty sure most of the girls I know that like dolls will be getting at least one of these shirts this year as part of a gift.

Bitty Twins Clothing: Yellow Fleece PJ's

2012-01-05T06:37:00.000-05:00

Obviously these twins need some nightclothes, right? :) I made both of their pajamas from a remnant of yellow fleece I picked up at some point. I think it was 1/3 yard, but I can't remember for sure. At any rate, it was just enough. I didn't have a scrap left!

These were made with the same pattern as the camo pj's, Simplicity #1952. I love this pattern! The only thing I would recommend is that you cut the neckband (the facing) twice as long as it shows, since the only fabric I've ever worked with that stretches that much is a knit.

If you have this pattern, or if you've seen it, you know that there is no nightgown pattern. For fleece, I didn't want anything with gathers anyway, so I simply lengthened the shirt pattern to the length I wanted it. Now they have matching jammies.

Both of these have back Velcro closures, which I highly recommend for children. Buttons can get fiddly, and zippers can pinch fingers (and dolls' fabric bodies).

I hope you're enjoying my Bitty Twins fashion show because there's lots more to come! :)

Bitty Twins Clothing: Flannel Camo PJs

2012-01-03T07:55:00.001-05:00

Now that my daughter has unwrapped her Bitty Twins, I can start sharing all the clothes I made for them in December. I'm not sure I'm positioning them in the doll stand correctly, so please forgive the awkward placement of his legs.

This set of camouflage pajamas was the very first thing I sewed for these dolls. I was sitting at my sewing table one morning and happened to glance over at the stack of flannel fabric I had sitting out. The flannel camouflage caught my eye, and I had the inspiration for this set.

In case you can't tell, this Bitty Twin (my daughter has tentatively decided to call him Ryan) is very excited about camouflage! ;)

By the way, if you're looking to sew some doll clothes, too, I highly recommend this raglan style of shirt. It's so much easier than the set-in sleeves I've tried before. ETA: The pattern I used is Simplicity #1952, which is specifically sized for a 15" doll.

Homemade Gift: Dog sweaters for my sister's toy poodles

2011-12-30T07:17:00.031-05:00

Now that I've given these sweaters away, I can finally post some pictures on my blog. I couldn't exactly post pictures of "empty" sweaters, now, could I?

My sister took these pictures to show me how cute her dogs looked in them.

Here's the boy dog from the front ...

... and from the side. Isn't he adorable?

I used a pattern from Ravelry called Dog Sweater (how original!). :) It's actually from Coats & Clark.

Max is a toy poodle with a 12” chest and 12-1/2” length (to the beginning of his tail). Like another Raveller, I adjusted the pattern to use just one ball of yarn instead of three. How is that done? By simply making buttonholes for the leg openings, then going back and knitting the legs in the round. It's a lot easier, in my opinion.

This is the female dog named Lucie. I made hers from a pattern called Little Black Dress with Pearls Dog Sweater, but I chose to eliminate the pearls.

Lucie has a 13” chest and is 16-1/2” from back of her head to the beginning of her tail. She fit this perfectly in the Small size.

I think I'm going to be making more dog sweaters in the future because they're so easy - and so cute!!

Senior pictures for my nephew

2011-12-28T10:48:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted any of my photography, so I thought I'd share the senior pictures I took for my nephew. The lighting was terrible because

I don't have professional lighting,
it was dark outside the only time I could get together with him, and
I only had chandelier light and my camera's built-in flash to work with.

Even with all of those negative factors, I love how these pictures turned out!

Isn't he handsome? This is his choir suit and bowtie, and it just may end up being his senior picture for the yearbook.

When our Wal-Mart still carried fabric, I picked up the fabric for this backdrop out of their $1-2 fabrics of unknown fiber content. It looks like a shiny satin, but it's washable. It's also matte, almost like velvet, on the other side. I bought a few yards of it and then seamed two pieces together to get a nice-sized backdrop that's big enough to let an adult stand on it for full-body pictures.

This pose was my nephew's idea. I've learned to let people make up their own poses if they want to because it often captures their personality in ways I would have never thought of. This picture is the perfect example. (Of course, I always have pose ideas in mind because I don't meet very many people that are comfortable enough in front of a camera to make up their own.)

I used a plain white sheet as the backdrop for this picture.

Here's that black backdrop again. It looks just as nice with a casual shot as it does with a formal one.

Do you notice his hands? A lot of people try to tell the person they're photographing exactly how to place their hands in a photo like this. Some of my relatives tried to get him to change his hands so that you could see both of them (rather than having the right one tucked into his arm). I took a few pictures like that, but they didn't look natural at all. Then I told him put his hands the way that comes naturally to him, and he looked more relaxed and natural. Of course, if you have someone that looks like they don't know what to do with their hands, you just have to intervene. :)

Well, those are my favorites. I hope he likes them, too!

Taking a Christmas Break

2011-12-19T07:04:00.000-05:00

I just thought I'd let you know that I'm taking a "Christmas break" from the blog this week. I have plenty of projects to share, but I want to devote this week to family.

Also, any orders placed this week in the shop will ship next Monday (12/26/11), again, so that we can celebrate Christmas with our family.

Thanks for your understanding, and have a Merry Christmas! :)

Knit Gifts: Fingerless Gloves

2011-12-17T15:47:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been AWOL most of the week. This has been a busy week here, not the least of which included five lap quilts for a friend. (They're all done now - YAY!)

Today I thought I'd showcase these fingerless gloves that I made to match the cabled hat for my Secret Sister.

Those are my hands and arms, which are a good bit smaller than my Secret Sister’s. There’s lots of room for hers. The gloves would be a bit too big for mine. If I wanted to make them for myself, I'd go down at least one needle size, and possibly the yarn size, too.

I used a free Ravelry pattern called Wavelets Fingerless Gloves, and I really liked them.

As always, I'd love to hear about any homemade gifts you're making this year.

Knitted Hats: Cabled Women's Hat

2011-12-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

I made a knitted cabled set for my Heart Sister's Christmas gift, and today I'm showcasing the hat. (She has no Internet access, so I'm safe posting this now, even though she won't get it until Friday.)

My daughter modeled it for the pictures since I look completely ridiculous in any beanie-style hat and wouldn't be caught dead in one for that reason. I really wish I could look good in them like so many other people because I'd love to keep my head warmer during winter, but it is not to be. At any rate, my Heart Sister does look good in them, so I'm hoping she'll like this set as much as I do.

You can see that it's a little big on my daughter, but that's a good thing since my Heart Sister is in her 50s and a good deal bigger than my wisp of a daughter. :)

And, once again, no pointy crown - yeah!!

If you're interested, I used a free pattern I found on Ravelry called Irish Hiking Hat.

Are you making any homemade gifts this year? I'd love to see them!

Saturday in the Shop

2011-12-10T07:41:00.018-05:00

I have a few new prints to add to the shop today.

Pink & Yellow Wildflower Bouquets

Antique Sunflower Garden

Butterflies & Diamonds

Faux Cross Stitch Flowers

Pastel Floral Clusters

I hope you enjoy these new prints as much as I do! I have several project ideas waiting for just the right time, maybe after Christmas when I'm done sewing and knitting gifts. Until then, I'd love to see any projects you've made with vintage sheets!

Thrift Store Yarn Haul

2011-12-07T07:50:00.083-05:00

You know I love to shop at thrift stores. I've been looking at sweaters lately, looking for really great yarn that I can unravel for much cheaper than buying the yarn outright.

I've unraveled a few sweaters already, and here are a few pictures ...

This is a lovely angora/lambswool/nylon blend in red - one of my all-time favorite colors to wear!

This is a linen/cotton blend in burgundy. I have the same amount in a blue-black, since this sweater was a stranded one.

I also have some dark blue-black wool, pink lambswool/angora/nylon, and the softest baby alpaca in blue-black and heathered gray. I need to take pictures of them for my stash on Ravelry, but I haven't done that yet.

Now that I've shown you the yarn I worked for, let me show you the yarn I found in its regular form - skeins.

I got all of this in a box for $10. It's not specialty yarn, but the Herrschner's yarn is Aran weight and feels nice. While Red Heart Super Saver can be rough and scratchy at times, I like the tweed for doll sweaters. (They never complain about the scratchiness of a sweater.)

In that same box were a few stray partial-skeins:

... some Vanna's Choice yarn (100% acrylic and super-soft), roughly 5.5 ozs altogether ...

... This wasn't labeled, but I'm guessing it's Vanna's Choice Baby yarn. It has a wonderful silky feel to it. There are about 8 ounces altogether ...

... And there was about 2 ounces of this Bernat Softee yarn in white.

At the same store, my husband found another $10 box of yarn. Check out what all was in this one:

Lots and lots of cotton dischloth yarn, for starters! Those big cones are the ones that go for $12.99 (16 ozs) at Hobby Lobby. (Wal-Mart has them in 14-oz cones for $7.99.) There was also some teeny, tiny crochet cotton and some Knit Cro-Sheen, Omega Baby Crochet yarn in Christmas variegated colors, as well as ...

25 ounces of this unlabeled blue-black chenille yarn. See how big the cone is compared to the 1-lb cotton cone?

It's a DK-weight yarn, so there are lots of possibilities for this one.

At another Goodwill, I got 5 skeins of Lion Brand Tweed Stripes for $5:

And at yet another Goodwill, I got three skeins of vintage washable 100% wool with a nice feel to it:

I think I now have enough yarn to last me about two years ... hence all the knitting projects you're seeing. :)

Have you found anything awesome at the thrift store lately? I'd love to hear about it!

Knit Hats: Brimmed Hat

2011-12-05T07:50:00.000-05:00

I've discovered that I really enjoy knitting hats in the round (i.e. no seaming). When I saw this pattern for a knit hat with a brim, I immediately thought of my son and his love for ball caps. Ball caps aren't very warm in the winter, so I decided to make him this one for wintertime.

Here you can see how the brim looks just like a baseball cap. It's just a little bit floppier since there's no interfacing inside.

My son was so excited when I told him I had made this one for him. I let him choose the color of the band (green), and I also let him choose the buttons that hold it on. He chose these buttons because he said they reminded him of frog's eyes, and the whole effect made him think of a frog. Doesn't that sound like a typical 8-year-old boy? :)

This was one of the easiest patterns ever, even though the brim makes it look intimidating. It took me just a day and a few hours to finish it.

The only trouble I had was finding the size 10 circular needle in a 16" length. Michaels is the only store around here that carries them, and they only carry them in their more expensive bamboo needles, which are twice the price of the metal needles. I must say, I much prefer metal needles because the yarn doesn't slide well on bamboo, but I did manage to get through the hat without too much frustration.

I avoided having to buy size 10 DPNs (also only available in bamboo) by using a trick I remembered reading online. I used the size 10 point of the circular needle to make one DPN's worth of stitches, then I transferred them to the largest DPNs I had. It worked perfectly! I certainly wouldn't want to make an entire hat that way, but it worked great for the 2-3 rows I needed it for on this hat.

If you'd like to try the pattern, it's called Capitan Hat on Ravelry.

Knit Hats: Butterfly Hat

2011-11-30T07:01:00.003-05:00

I love this hat pattern! It's so pretty and easy - and fun! Once again, I used some Caron Dazzleaire that I picked up at Dollar Tree a week or so ago.

It's really an adult-sized pattern (can be adapted to child-size by casting on 80 stitches instead), but I had my daughter model it since I look ridiculous in beanie-style hats. She, on the other hand, looks adorable ...

See the butterflies the stitching creates? They really aren't hard at all.

This one didn't turn out pointy, either, which I love. It took me a day's worth of free time to finish this one, so it's a quick knit.

If you want to make one, too, I used the free Butterfly Hat pattern from Ravelry. I can't say enough good things about the pattern or the yarn.

I'm putting this into my gift stash, although I don't necessarily have a particular person in mind at the moment. I'm so out of touch with fashion that I'm not sure if a teenager would wear this or not. Any thoughts? I have all age ranges on my gift list, so I'd love to know your thoughts on what age range you would give this to.

Cyber Monday Deals in the Shop

2011-11-28T06:01:00.059-05:00

It's Cyber Monday, which means that you get great deals online without having to deal with crowds. That's my kind of shopping!

I don't generally shop on Black Friday because I'm too polite for the shoving and grabbing that I've heard everyone else talk about, and I really don't like big crowds. Not only that, but most of the things that are "great deals" that day aren't on any of my loved one's wish lists. (Nor could I afford them if they were.) The day after Christmas? Well, that's a completely different ballgame, and a story for another day. :)

Anyway, I wanted to do my part in offering a Cyber Monday deal. So for today, until midnight EST, for each six fat quarters that you order from the shop, I'll throw in a surprise fat quarter for free. If you have a color preference, please let me know in the "Notes to Seller" box.

In addition, you will still receive the complimentary charm square pack (five different 5" squares of my vintage sheet fabrics).

And don't forget that I can fit up to 16 fat quarters in a Flat Rate envelope for $4.95. I'm more than happy to refund any shipping overage that exceeds $1.00.

I also added some new, fun designs to the shop today. Let's check them out ...

Fresh Fun Floral

Bright & Busy Floral

Sketchpad Florals

Spring Wildflower Mix

Watercolor Garden

Pink, Orange & Yellow Floral (cotton)

Polka Dot Large Bouquet

Yellow, Orange & Green Stripe

Green & Orange Vines, Full Fitted Sheet (NIP)

I picked some of my favorite new fabrics to list today, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I have lots more new prints to list, so look for them in the coming weeks as I inventory everything.

Knit Hats: Rib A Roni

2011-11-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

I made this Rib-A-Roni hat (and another with a green stripe and brown background) with some teen-aged nephews in mind. As you can see, it fits my 8-year-old son just fine, too. I made it in the Adult Medium size, but I had read other people's comments that little kids' heads are a lot bigger than we think, and I tend to agree! There's plenty of stretch left to fit a bigger head, but it looks fine on my son, too.

This was a fast and easy knit with relatively no thinking involved. Some people commented that they got a point at the top, but you can see that mine turned out fine.

I made this with Caron Dazzleaire yarn I recently found at Dollar Tree ($1/3 ozs). It's supposedly a bulky-weight yarn, but it works up more like a worsted-weight. It's super-soft, though, and I think it's perfect for hats - or anything else that comes in contact with your skin. I had to resist the urge to buy out my local Dollar Tree!

Are you knitting or crocheting any Christmas gifts this year? I'd love to see them!

Fingerless Gloves: Kate's Mitts

2011-11-22T11:45:00.000-05:00

I'm just now getting some pictures taken of my knitting projects. Some of them will have to wait until after Christmas, since they are gifts.

I thought about unwrapping the Bitty Twins to model the sweaters I made for them, but I decided that I want my daughter to get the pleasure of taking all the tissue paper and such off the brand-new dolls (something we don't do often around here). :)

As a result, I only have a few pictures to share at the moment. We'll start with these fingerless gloves. My 6-year-old daughter is the hand model for these pictures, but I have tiny hands and they fit mine just as well. (It's just a little hard to take a picture of both of your own hands at the same time ... )

I used a free pattern from Ravelry called Kate's Mitts. I also used some of my harvested yarn that I recycled from a peachy-pink lambswool/angora/nylon sweater. Let me tell you, that yarn is lovely!

I love how these gloves turned out, and I plan to make a few more sets. Since I like to try a variety of patterns, I'll probably do them all in different patterns.

Do you knit? Are you working on any projects at the moment? I love to get ideas, so feel free to share a link to yours.

Sale in the Shop

2011-11-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd let you know that all vintage sheet fat quarters in my shop are on sale for $1.25 each. I need to make room for some new prints!

While supplies last, each order will include a 5-pack of vintage sheet charm squares (5").

Also, I just found out about Flat Rate Priority Mail padded envelopes. (My post office is pretty small, and they don't have any out for display. Fortunately, a larger post office brought these to my attention.) I discovered that I can fit 16 fat quarters in one of them for $4.95. I'm happy to refund shipping overages that exceed $1.00, so stock up and save on shipping!

This will be a busy week for me since our church is in revival, but I'm hoping to get back to a regular posting schedule next week.

What I've been up to ...

2011-11-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty quiet the last few weeks, haven't I?

Well, I've been busy. You see, I couldn't take my sewing machine with me on vacation, so I took my knitting needles and some yarn. It was great because I got an entire week to stretch my new knitting skills. I did cables, knitting on circular needs and double-pointed-needles, and I even made some tiny Christmas tree decorations (a sock and sweater).

I also nearly completed a collection of knitting needles and accessories, thanks to some great thrift store finds. I got some fabulous yarns, too. There were two different thrift stores that had several carts' worth of expensive yarn for great prices (mostly 75% off or better), and I had to restrain myself. :)

Since I've been back home, my hands have been wanting to keep knitting. :) As a result, I haven't taken the time to photograph my projects. However, here are links to a few of the projects I've finished or am working on:

Preemie Hats
Simple Sweater from a book I picked up at Tuesday Morning - I didn't care for this one as much.
Nena's Jacket - I've done this one in a few colors with no pattern (stranding), but I also just finished one with the pattern and I love it! The neckline is a little tricky, but I love the pattern.
Mochi Plus Doll & Sweater Hat - I've only done the sweater on this one so far, but I've done quite a few. This is easy and cute.
Cozy Slipper Socks - I finished one sock and have the second one about 1/3 of the way done. I lost steam on these, but I do plan to finish them. Next time I make socks (or slippers), I'll be doing them both at the same time.
Poppy Cardigan - This is another really cute doll sweater that I've made in several colors. I have my daughter's Christmas dolls coming in the mail (American Girl Bitty Twins - a splurge), so I'm not sure yet if they'll fit. If not, there are lots of other dolls around here that should be able to wear them. :)
V-Neck Doll Cardigan - I made this one without the stripes, but I can't really remember if I liked it much or not. I honestly can't remember which of the 10+ doll sweaters this one is. :)
Easy-As-Pie Shrug - I made this one with my niece's doll in mind, but it ended up being way too small. I think I used the wrong gauge of yarn.
Alpaca Sox Mini Socks - This is adorable and quite easy!
One-Skein Scarf - I used a thin yarn for this one to see how it would turn out, and it was pretty! It would be mostly decorative, though, since the yarn I used wasn't a warm yarn.

I've also found a few sweaters with great yarn at local thrift stores and have been unraveling them to use the yarn. Most of them have been really boring-looking sweaters with great yarn and colors, so I've been very happy. I can't bring myself to pay the prices for anything more expensive than acrylic, and I can't justify an awful lot of that. As a result, I've been thrilled to get a sweater's-worth of 100% lambswool for anywhere from $1.00-5.50.

I got a Nordstrom camel-colored cashmere sweater on Monday, and I'm having the hardest time trying to decide whether to unravel it or "felt" it and make a few cashmere scarves. (It's a men's size large.)

If you ever decide to try unraveling a sweater, let me give you a few tips:

You must use a swift, or you'll end up with nothing more than a tangled mess. Trust me on this one because I'm speaking from experience. Don't pay $50+ for one, though. I made one just like this one, and it works perfectly. I had everything on hand, so it didn't cost me a cent.
A yarn ball winder is an almost-necessity, but don't spend a fortune. I had one given to me, but I was planning to buy one. This Lacis version is the one I received, and it works great! This Oriental Touch version was also highly recommended to me. Joann Fabrics also has these on their website, so it might be cheaper to buy from them and use a coupon.
This is the best tutorial I've seen for how to deconstruct a sweater. I'd still like a better picture of finding the magic "unzip" thread (I still haven't figured it out, and I'm following the written instructions to the letter), but otherwise it's the best.

So now you know what has been keeping me busy this last little bit! :)

Don't worry, though. I haven't given up sewing and working with my beloved vintage sheets. As I mentioned earlier, we're getting my daughter Bitty Twins (brown hair, brown eyes) for Christmas, and they'll need lots of clothes. I'm working on knitting some sweaters right now, but I'm waiting for them to come before I start sewing for them since I need exact measurements for the boy's pants.

I agonized over these dolls since we don't usually spend that kind of money on toys, but this will be her main Christmas gift. All of the other gifts will likely be clothes I make for them. I looked all over for other twin dolls, but there aren't many choices out there. And none of them are the quality of American Girl, nor do they come anywhere near the cuteness factor.

Although I am a very thrifty person, I never want my kids to view me as stingy. When I saw the longing in my daughter's eyes the last time she looked at the twins in the American Girl catalog, I knew I would get them for her sometime. She has mentioned them several times now, and I know she's a good little mommy that will take excellent care of these two ... And you may just catch me playing dolls with her now and then! :)

Saturday in the Shop: A quilt!

2011-11-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

I just listed the Blue and Yellow Patchwork Quilted Throw in my Etsy shop today. I probably won't be making another just like it, so get it before it's gone!

My house is becoming overrun by quilts. As much as I love them, it's impossible for me to hang on to every single quilt I make, so I'll be listing more quilts and other great Christmas gifts within the next few weeks. I hope some other people love them as much as I do and give them a good home! :)

Missions Month products

2011-11-02T13:31:00.000-04:00

We just had a combined birthday party for my kids last night, so I'm feeling a little out of the loop at the moment. I have all kinds of projects to show you (especially crocheting and knitting), but I need to take pictures first.

In the meantime, I thought I'd let you know that I've decided to leave my Missions Month products in the shop until the listings expire. Even though October is over, I will continue to donate all profits from those sales to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc. You can read more about that here.

Saturday in the Shop

2011-10-29T07:34:00.018-04:00

This is the last weekend of October, which means that Missions Month is almost over. Don't forget to check the shop to see if there are any Christmas gifts you can check off your list early this year!

I have four more prints to add to the shop this week.

Brown Gingham

Green & Brown Diamond Bouquet

Multi-Colored Pinstripes

Pastel Pinstripes

Remember, I'd love to see any projects you've made with fabric from the shop!

Missions Month: Pink Quilted Wristlet

2011-10-28T07:25:00.001-04:00

This one-of-a-kind wristlet is made from upcycled pink sheet fabric. It is lined inside with solid bubblegum-pink vintage sheet fabric.

It is approximately 11-1/2 x 5" and is 3" deep at the bottom. It has a YKK nylon zipper closure and a grosgrain ribbon strap. It was quilted "in the ditch."

This clutch is perfect to take along with you on shopping trips when you don't want to carry a bulky purse. It holds a surprising amount of things!

During October, $8.75 will be donated to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc., with the purchase of this wristlet. (That is 100% of the profit after materials, fees and shipping.)

You can find this, as well as the rest of my Missions Month products in my shop. To learn more about Missions Month and the missionary I'm donating to, be sure to check out this post.

Giveaway Winner: 3 striped cotton crochet dishcloths

2011-10-27T06:38:00.000-04:00

And the winner is ...

Comment #8 which was ...

Congratulations, Patricia! I couldn't find contact information in your profile, so if you'll e-mail me (see the Contact Me button) before Monday, October 31st, I'll get them out to you ASAP. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll pick another winner.

There will be another giveaway next month, so stay tuned!

Missions Month: Purple Roses & Daisies Vintage Sheet Wristlets

2011-10-26T07:22:00.002-04:00

This wristlet is made from upcycled purple floral vintage sheet material.

It is approximately 10-1/2 x 5" and is 3" deep at the bottom. It has a YKK nylon zipper closure and is accented with 1" eyelet lace.

The grosgrain ribbon strap detaches if you want to use it as a clutch. The strap detaches if you want to use it as a clutch, and the metal clasp also allows you to hook other items (key ring, sunglass case) to the outside if you desire.

I made another wristlet with this fabric and decorated it differently.

This wristlet is accented with grosgrain ribbon and daisy trim.

The grosgrain ribbon strap detaches if you want to use it as a clutch. Once detached, the strap can be used as a lanyard for your key ring or any number of things, if you desire.

Both wristlets are lined inside with solid vintage sheet material. There is an inside pocket (approximately 3-1/2 x 5-1/2") to help organize the contents.

During October, $8.75 will be donated to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc., with the purchase of each of these wristlets. (That is 100% of the profit after materials, fees and shipping.)

You can find this, as well as the rest of my Missions Month products in my shop. To learn more about Missions Month and the missionary I'm donating to, be sure to check out this post.

Later today I'll be posting the winner of my giveaway of 3 striped cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths, so stay tuned! (Um, make that tomorrow ... )

Saturday in the Shop

2011-10-22T07:40:00.024-04:00

Did you miss me last week? We were away on vacation and I didn't think it was a good idea to try adding new prints to the shop when I wasn't home to fill orders. Never fear, I have some pink and red prints to add this week!

The first two are some of my all-time favorites, but I'm making myself add them to the shop.

Red & Blue Stripes

Red Berries

Pink Nosegays

Mauve Pinstripes

Beige & Berries

Don't forget about Missions Month going on in my Etsy store this month. You can read more about it here if you're new to the blog and shop.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway of 3 striped cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths!

Missions Month: Chloe's Rose Garden Zippered Pouches

2011-10-21T07:24:00.014-04:00

These zippered pouches have already been sold, but they were too pretty not to share. They were made from upcycled vintage sheet material and lined inside with off-white fabric upcycled from a more modern sheet.

They are approximately 8 x 4-1/2" and 1-3/4" deep at the bottom. They each have a YKK nylon zipper closure.

These little pouches are perfect for organizing a large tote bag or simply carrying some toiletries in your regular purse.

You can find the rest of my Missions Month products in my shop. To learn more about Missions Month and the missionary I'm donating to, be sure to check out this post.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway of 3 striped cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths!

Missions Month: Passage to India Wristlets

2011-10-19T07:23:00.007-04:00

This wristlet is made from Paul Kaufman fabric and upcycled vintage sheet fabric. It is lined inside with brown gingham vintage sheet fabric.

It is approximately 9-1/2 x 4-1/2" and is 3" deep at the bottom. It has a YKK nylon zipper closure and a grosgrain ribbon strap.

I made another one with this same fabric combination, but it is slightly larger.

It is approximately 10 x 5-1/2" and is 3" deep at the bottom. It also has a YKK nylon zipper closure and a grosgrain ribbon strap.

There is a pocket (approx. 3-1/2 x 5-1/2") inside to help organize the contents.

During October, $8.75 will be donated to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc., with the purchase of each of these wristlets. (That is 100% of the profit after materials, fees and shipping.)

You can find these, as well as the rest of my Missions Month products in my shop. To learn more about Missions Month and the missionary I'm donating to, be sure to check out this post.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway of 3 striped cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths!

Homemade Gift: Doll Quilts

2011-10-17T07:15:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to make some doll quilts for a little while now. For one thing, it's a great way to use up small scraps. For another, my daughter has been hinting that she'd like one. It's also a quick project, which is always nice when you've been working on longer ones.

So I pulled out my scraps, sorted them by colors, and came up with these three doll quilts.

(front)

(back)

My daughter liked this yellow quilt, so I gave it to her as part of her birthday gift.

(front)

(back)

I love working with blues, and I love how this one turned out.

(front)

(back)

But, of course, my favorite was the pink one. I've always loved pink, even though I don't wear it as much as I used to.

The backings for these are a great use for a fat quarter.

These little quilts are also a great way to experiment with new quilting patterns. I wanted to see how close, straight-line quilting would look as an overall effect, so that's what I did. You could easily practice meandering or a fancier pattern on these, too.

Have you made any doll quilts? I'd love for you to leave a link to them in the comments! These little things are highly addictive, and I'd love to try some more.

And while you're here, don't forget to enter my giveaway for three cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths.

Missions Month: Tropical Paradise Vintage Sheet Wristlets

2011-10-14T07:18:00.032-04:00

This wristlet is made from my popular Tropical Paradise vintage sheet material and accented with a blue and purple vintage sheet stripe.

It is approximately 10-1/2 x 5" and is 3" deep at the bottom. It has a YKK nylon zipper closure and is accented with a 1-1/2" strip of vintage sheet striped fabric.

The grosgrain ribbon strap detaches if you want to use it as a clutch, and the metal clasp also allows you to hook other items (key ring, sunglass case) to the outside if you desire.

Since this fabric is so awesome, I made another one but trimmed it differently.

This one is accented with striped fabric and daisy trim.

The grosgrain ribbon strap detaches if you want to use it as a clutch. Once detached, the strap can be used as a lanyard for your key ring or any number of things, if you desire.

Both wristlets are lined inside with solid light blue vintage sheet material. There is an inside pocket (approximately 3-1/2 x 5-1/2") to help organize the contents.

During October, $8.75 will be donated to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc., with the purchase of each of these wristlets. (That is 100% of the profit after materials, fees and shipping.)

You can find these, as well as the rest of my Missions Month products in my shop. To learn more about Missions Month and the missionary I'm donating to, be sure to check out this post.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway of 3 striped cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths

Missions Month: Green Vines Vintage Sheet Wristlet

2011-10-12T07:17:00.020-04:00

Today's Missions Month feature is the first of several wristlets I made from my vintage sheet materials. (Don't know what Missions Month is? Check out this post.)

This wristlet is made from my popular Green Vines vintage sheet material and lined inside with white fabric. There is an inside pocket (approximately 3-1/2 x 5-1/2") to help organize the contents.

It is approximately 10-1/2 x 5" and is 3" deep at the bottom. It has a YKK nylon zipper closure and is accented with dark green grosgrain ribbon.

The strap detaches if you want to use it as a clutch, and the metal clasp also allows you to hook other items (key ring, sunglass case) to the outside if you desire.

This clutch is perfect to take along with you on shopping trips when you don't want to carry a bulky purse. It holds a surprising amount of things!

During October, $8.75 will be donated to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc., with the purchase of any wristlet. (That is 100% of the profit after materials, fees and shipping.)

This one is already sold, but there are other wristlets as well as the rest of my Missions Month products in my shop.

Yellow and Blue Quilt from Sheets

2011-10-10T07:34:00.001-04:00

These aren't vintage sheets, but I've been wanting to make something from them for awhile now. I've also been wanting to try out some new quilt designs, so this was the perfect project for the moment.

As you can see, it's all about yellow and blue together. That print in the lower lefthand corner is one of my all-time favorites. I think it's a Laura Ashley print, but I can't remember for sure. I love gingham, so I accented with it in two shades of blue and then the yellow gingham bordering it all.

I joined this one in the quilt-as-you-go style, too. This time, I added stitching on both sides of the joining seams. I really like that look.

This quilt was so quick and easy! I finished it (from cutting out to binding) in two days. It's a lap-sized quilt, around 48x64".

Don't forget to enter my giveaway (3 striped cotton crochet dishcloths) that's open until October 26!

One of my favorite color combinations is blue and yellow. What are your favorites? I love getting new color ideas! (Feel free to link to examples.)

Saturday in the Shop

2011-10-08T09:03:00.001-04:00

Since I've noticed that most of my Etsy sales are on the weekends, I decided to switch my Etsy updates to Saturdays. As you may have noticed, plans are always subject to change around here when improvements come along! :)

I've been so busy finishing the Etsy wedding orders and getting ready for Missions Month these last few weeks that I haven't done my usual shop updates. I also haven't posted about much else. I'm going to remedy that, starting today. Thanks for "hanging in there" with me!

I have some lovely prints to add today, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Every time I get a new favorite print I consider hoarding it and not listing it, but then my better judgment wins out, and I usually list it. After all, with over 75 sheets already in stock, what is the likelihood that I would use 30 more whole sheets all by myself in a reasonable amount of time??

Brown & Pink Plaid

Orange Sherbet Floral

Pink & Orange Stripes

Daisies & Buttercups (restocked)

Yellow Nosegays

I have a bunch more to list in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for them on Saturdays! I've also been working on several quilts this week, so I'll try to post about at least one of them next week sometime.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway of 3 striped cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths!

Missions Month: White/Natural Crochet Dishcloth Sets

2011-10-07T07:09:00.008-04:00

Today I'm showcasing my Back To Basics natural or white crochet dishcloth sets. (Don't know what Missions Month is? Check out this post.)

This set of 4 crocheted cotton dishcloths (11" square) comes in your choice of natural (shown above) or white (shown below).

These cloths are soft enough to be used as a luxurious alternative to washcloths, and they have the added benefit of matching any and all decor.

These cloths are already made and ready to ship. They would make excellent Christmas or hostess gifts for the upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years).

For each set of Back to Basics Dishcloths sold during October, I will donate $6.50 to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc. Get them while you can! :) Be sure to check out the rest of the Missions Month products while you're there.

And if you'd like a chance to win a set of three striped dishcloths, check out my giveaway that's open until October 26.

Giveaway: Set of 3 Striped Cotton Crochet Dishcloths

2011-10-06T15:22:00.004-04:00

This giveaway is now closed. Stay tuned for another giveaway next month!

It's time for another giveaway!

To help promote Missions Month in my Etsy shop, I'm going to give away a set of three 100% cotton hand-crocheted dishcloths. These measure a generous 10x11" each and feature a striped pattern (white with tangerine, mod green and hot blue). I kept the design basic, since that's how I like my dishcloths. Dishcloths with designs crocheted into them are fine, but a lot of them have big holes in the designs, and I don't find them very practical for actual dishwashing. These are made to be used and still look pretty in the process.

Sorry, but the mini shopping cart stays at my house! :)

You can earn a total of four entries by:

leaving a comment on this post (any comment will do, but if you're at a loss for what to say, you can tell me your favorite Missions Month product in my shop)
following my blog and posting a separate comment about it (current followers need only post a separate comment saying that you already follow)
"liking" Sophia's Sundries on Facebook and posting a separate comment about it (current fans need only post a separate comment saying so) - you can do that easily in the sidebar of my blog
posting about the giveaway on your blog and leaving a comment here with a link back to it.

I'll leave the giveaway open until Wednesday, October 26 at midnight. I'll post the winner the next day (Thursday, October 27). The winner will have until the next Monday (October 31) to contact me. If I don't get a response by Monday, I'll pick a new winner. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

Since international shipping is pricey, let's limit this to the US only, please. If you live outside the US but have a US mailing address, feel free to enter. (I know several Canadians who have PO boxes in the US.)

If you like handmade cotton dishcloths, I have two specialty sets in my shop for Thanksgiving and Christmas that would make excellent hostess or Christmas gifts. I also have a Four Seasons set and a Back to Basics (white or natural) set. With the purchase of each set during the month of October, I will donate $6.50 to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc.

Remember, 100% of the profit on all handmade items in my shop this month will go to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc. You can read more about them in this blog post. Thanks for helping me spread the word!

Missions Month: Quilted Potholders

2011-10-05T07:37:00.005-04:00

Today's Missions Month feature is the Set of 4 Country Quilted Potholders. (Don't know what Missions Month is? Check out this post.)

These potholders are quilted with an insulated batting to keep your hands and countertops safe.

These quilted potholders are 8" square and come in your choice of two themes: people (1st picture) or roosters (2nd picture).

For each set of potholders sold during the month of October, I will donate $7.75 to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc. Check out this post for more details.

These would make excellent Christmas gifts, so get them while you can! Be sure to check out the rest of the Missions Month products while you're there.

Missions Month: Burp Cloth Sets

2011-10-03T07:47:00.001-04:00

Today's Missions Month feature is the baby burp cloth sets. (Don't know what Missions Month is? Check out this post.)

I hear a lot of mothers of boys complaining that all baby things are girly. So when I found this soccer ball fabric in my stash, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it - burp cloth sets!

The soccer ball fabric is a quilting cotton, and it is backed by a white and black polka-dotted cotton jersey knit. The jersey knit keeps it from slipping off your shoulder.

Of course, I had plenty of girl-themed fabric in my stash, too.

These burp cloths feature an upcycled cotton bedsheet fabric with polka dots in shades of brown and pink. They are backed by an upcycled cotton flannel bedsheet fabric in pink gingham.

Here again, the flannel keeps these burp cloths from slipping off your shoulder.

For each set of burp cloths sold, I will donate $7.50 to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc. Check out this post for more details.

These would make excellent baby shower gifts, so get them while you can (if my sister hasn't bought them all before you get there)! :) Be sure to check out the rest of the Missions Month products while you're there.

Kicking off Missions Month in my Etsy shop

2011-10-01T06:28:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of October, so it's the official beginning of my Missions Month project in my Etsy shop. During the month of October, 100% of the profit on sales of the handmade items in my shop will be donated to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc. There is a note with each listing that indicates how much will be donated to missions.

To make things easier, I've included free shipping with most of the listings. I've even created a Missions Month section of the shop for the products I'm adding specifically for this project (although all handmade items are included). I've also tried to price everything very reasonably so you can feel good about your purchase, but not break the bank in the process.

If you're so inclined, this would be the perfect time to do some early Christmas shopping!

Let me tell you about the missions organization that I'm donating to ...

You've probably never heard of Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc., so let me tell you a little bit about this incredibly dedicated man and the unbelievable tragedy he has faced this past year.

Perhaps you heard about the American missionary killed in Mexico this past January. She was this man's wife. If you don't remember the news story, please check out these links:

There are all kinds of links to online stories about this tragedy, but those were (in my opinion) the top three.

Sam and his wife Nancy dedicated their lives to evangelizing the Mexican people. They spent over 30 years ministering together in Mexico, and Sam (and his son's family) plans to continue to work there, although he will now have to change his methods just a bit to ensure his own safety.

And that's how my Missions Month idea came about. He needs to raise about $110,000 to put these changes into effect. Yes, that's a large sum of money. No, our people are not independently wealthy. But we serve a big God that owns everything in this world, and I've seen Him come through time and time again on behalf of His people. I've seen it in my own life, and now I'm going to do my part for this need.

There are quite a few products available in the shop already, and I'm going to showcase one each day on the blog, a few times a week. I will be adding some products as the month goes on (hopefully some quilted totes and maybe a quilt), so keep checking back! I just didn't have the time to finish them all by the first of the month.

Today I'm showcasing the Four Seasons Dishcloths.

Change your dishcloth color with the seasons!

This set of 4 crocheted cotton dishcloths (11" square) comes in four colors to carry you through the seasons: Tangerine (for autumn), Red (for winter), Mod Green (for spring) and Hot Blue (for summer). Please note that these cloths are sure to last you much longer than one season.

These cloths are soft enough to be used as a luxurious alternative to washcloths, too.

These cloths are already made and ready to ship. (I will take orders once the first set sells.) They would make excellent Christmas or hostess gifts for the upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years).

For each set of Four Seasons Dishcloths sold during October, I will donate $5.50 to Gospel Proclaimers Missionary Association, Inc.

So, are you excited and ready to shop? Check it out!

Do you need to sign up for an Etsy account so you can shop? This help topic from Etsy should guide you through the process painlessly.

Purple Patchwork Bag

2011-09-30T06:53:00.014-04:00

Here is the last of the patchwork bags for the custom Etsy order.

Since purple isn't a color I find a lot in vintage sheets, I pulled in some fabrics that had purple as an accent color, too. I really like the overall effect!

I made this one more uniform from front to back. The design is pretty much the same.

I hope you've enjoyed a peek at my recent custom purse orders. I'm always open for a custom order, so feel free to contact me if you have something specific in mind.

Pink Patchwork Quilted Bags

2011-09-28T06:42:00.021-04:00

I had a custom order for some patchwork quilted bags in my Etsy shop recently. I showed you the blue patchwork bag last week. Today I'm going to show you the pink bags.

These were made out of 4" squares I had cut from the scraps of the quilts I made for this same wedding.

The front and back of the bags are a little different, but most people probably wouldn't notice.

Of course I added pockets inside to organize the contents.

Here's the second one. It's little different, although some people might think they were the same bag. Notice that I used more of my self-covered buttons on these bags. They're my favorite purse button now.

And here's the back of it.

I really like these totes. I may just make a few more in the coming months.

Bragging on my daughter's creation

2011-09-26T06:41:00.000-04:00

You'll have to excuse a proud mother today. I just couldn't resist showing you what my almost-6-year-old daughter did over the weekend:

She made this hat for her doll using a Knifty Knitter!

Here she is, hard at work. She's left-handed, so at first she was wrapping the pegs backwards. But once I showed her the difference, she was off and running with it.

Yes, she did it herself. She even learned the special "knot" to wrap around the peg each time to keep the yarn from unraveling, something none of my Sunday school girls have mastered in the two weeks we've been working on it.

I did turn up the brim (put the loops onto the pegs) and take it off the loom for her, but the rest was all her doing. She has been playing with them off and on for the last week, so I was especially proud that she took the time to finish this one. She's already started another one since she has so many dolls that this will fit.

If you've never played around with Knifty Knitters, I'll warn you - they're really fun and addictive! I found the first round set at a thrift store really cheap. It was missing the smallest blue loom (the one my daughter used for these hats), but then I found another round set at a flea market a few days later that included the blue loom.

I must have made 15 or more hats already, a few in each size. It's a great use for the huge garbage bags of yarn my mother-in-law gave me, since you can use smaller balls of yarn for these hats. I can knit the traditional way, but I'll admit this is different and very fun. You really should try it!

You can make your own looms at home out of things you would usually throw away. Here's an example of one (a video tutorial), but I've seen lots of them.

Some day I'll have to round up the hats I've made and do a post about them. :)

"Just Married" Quilted Sign

2011-09-22T10:29:00.000-04:00

I just made this banner for the Etsy wedding I've been working on the last few months. I'm all done with the wedding projects, and now I can't wait to see pictures from the wedding itself! (I'll show you the rest of the projects over the next few days.)

This sign was my customer's idea. She had seen it in another wedding and loved the idea, so I adapted it to her theme.

All the fabrics I used had also been used on her quilts, so everything will coordinate. I also added batting between the layers and quilted around each letter so that each of them is like a mini quilt.

So, how did I do the letters? I tried out freezer paper stenciling, that's how!

I had originally planned to applique the letters, but then I remembered seeing freezer paper stenciling online, and I decided to try it. It was easy and worked great!

I'm thinking of making custom name banners for my kids' rooms like these. I wonder if something like that might be a hit in my Etsy shop ... :)

Homemade Gift: Pillowcase Half-Aprons for My Grandmother

2011-09-20T07:04:00.005-04:00

A little while ago, my grandmother called and asked if I could make her some half-aprons. Hers are wearing out, and it's no wonder. She has well-loved vintage aprons that she has probably had since they were new. Hey, my grandmother is vintage! :) She is 84 this year.

I've been busy with other projects in the meantime, but yesterday I looked at a pack of vintage pillowcases that had just a decorative edging on them, and I got inspired. About two hours later, I had two half-aprons ready to put in the mail.

This isn't anything earth-shattering, but I know I like to have all the steps laid out for me before I begin even the simplest of projects. So I decided to write up a detailed tutorial (complete with pictures) for how to make a half-apron from one pillowcase - and nothing else except a sewing machine and thread.

Here goes ...

I used a standard-sized pillowcase with decorative edging.

Cut off the side seam of the pillowcase. (See that stain? It's from the ribbon used to tie the pillowcases together in the packaging 20+ years ago. It will be gone in a minute.)

Cut off the top seam (I turned it sideways to cut it) ...

... then an additional 10” from the top.

From this 10”, cut two 4” segments. Discard the 2” segment. The 4” segments will be the waistband.

Returning to the main pillowcase piece (with the decorative edging), trim 5” off one side, to include the decorative edging. Repeat this one more time.

From the 5” strips, trim the main pillowcase 1” above the decorative edging. These will be the pockets.

Sew the two waistband pieces together on the short ends, creating one long 4” strip of fabric.

Press waistband seams open.

Press waistband in half lengthwise, creating a long 2” strip of fabric.

Fold in 1/2” at each end and press to hide raw edges.

Press sides of main pillowcase piece 1/4”, then another 1/4”. This encloses the raw edge.

(1) Press top 1” of each pocket piece so that it lies flush with the beginning of the decorative part.

(2) Fold this under again and press. This will be the top of the pocket.

Sew sides of main pillowcase piece about 1/4” from the edge to enclose the raw edge.

Sew the tops of the pockets to enclose the raw edges.

Sew edges of pockets at 1/4” to keep layers together and create the 1/4” fold line for pressing.

Pin main pillowcase piece to the waistband piece, matching centers and aligning raw edges.

Sew at 1/4” from the edges of the waistband, beginning at the very beginning of the waistband. (This helps to keep the pieces from slipping in the next part.)

Press the seam toward the waistband,

turning under the edges (along the stitching) that were not included in the seam.

Fold and press the waistband in half, enclosing all raw edges.

Stitch, beginning at the open edges of the waistband.

This is the time to add a sew-in tag, if you'd like.

Press the pocket sides in 1/4” (using basting lines as a guide) so that raw edges are on the back.

Pin pockets to the apron where you want them. I found the center of the apron and measured an equal distance to both sides.

Sew down the pockets, being sure to catch all raw edges in the seam.

You're done! Try it on and enjoy it.

Fine print: Feel free to use this tutorial to make items to sell, or simply for personal use. You don't have to credit me because I'm certainly not the first person to think of this. (Of course, you're more than welcome to link to me if you'd like, but don't feel obligated.)

The only thing I ask is that you do not post this tutorial on your own site and claim it as your own. I don't mind a bit if you want to use one of the pictures and link back to me. In fact, I always appreciate a link-back!

I'm linking to these parties.

My reversible pillowcase apron

2011-09-19T14:58:00.000-04:00

... is featured at The Vintage Sheet Blog today. I'm honored to get to "kick off" apron week.

I can't wait to see the rest of the aprons this week. In case you haven't noticed, I love aprons and actually do wear them more than most people. It's one of the perks of being a stay-at-home-mom. :)

Missions Month Sneak Peeks

2011-09-15T07:34:00.017-04:00

I've been feverishly working on new products to offer for my Missions Month focus in October, so I'm not doing my usual Thrifting Thursday post and adding new fabrics to the shop this week. Don't worry, I haven't run out of vintage sheets. :)

Instead of that, I decided to show you a few sneak peeks of some of the products I have all finished and ready to go. No details and pricing yet, but maybe this will whet your appetite or curiosity.

In the middle of all this, I'm also finishing the last wedding quilt for my Etsy customer, as well as three more patchwork bags for her, too. I'll be showcasing those soon!

If you haven't already checked it out, I posted some fabric combinations on my Facebook fan page. I'd love some feedback. I forgot to mention that I could also pair any/all of the fabrics with white, if you think that would look better. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Feedback needed on some fabric combinations

2011-09-14T08:21:00.000-04:00

I'm working on some Missions Month projects. I've posted some pictures on my Facebook fan page, and I need some opinions about the fabric combinations. I don't think you have to be a fan to "vote" (by commenting or "Liking" a photo), but you're more than welcome to "Like" the shop while you're there.

You can find the album here.

Thanks for your help!

Customized Homeschool Plan Book

2011-09-13T07:33:00.002-04:00

I started our homeschool year fulling intending to use a plan book I had picked up at a thrift store. However, after one week using My Father's World curriculum, I realized that plan book just wasn't going to work. It didn't have enough spaces, and it wasn't set up in a logical order (for me).

So I decided to create a customized plan book ... again. I did it when my son was in kindergarten, too, but I had to add more details to this one since I now have my daughter added to the mix. My inspiration came from a teacher in a regular school who made her own customized planner.

I took her cue and added in all the details I usually have to write in day after day. I thought I'd share it with you today.

I made the cover from an old calendar image. The paper was flimsy, so I mounted it onto one-half of a file folder. To keep it looking and wearing nice all year, I added a transparency to the front of it for protection. Since my transparency was printable in my inkjet printer, I also added the year to the transparency.

Here's the main body of the plan book, showing one week at a glance. We school from Tuesday through Saturday, so I was finally able to change it and avoid the confusion of having to look at "Monday - Friday" and trying to remember where we were.

I've simply deleted my kids' names for privacy, but those black boxes do contain each child's name. I laid it out in the exact order that we do things each day. While I'm working with my daughter, my son does seatwork. While I'm working with my son, my daughter does her seatwork.

You may also notice that I've already typed in things like "Lang", "LS" and "Spelling" under these headings. It saves me a lot of writing, and those are the main subjects that we have seatwork in each day. I've never thought of doing this before, but now I love it!

I included my grade book at the back, and I used another one-half of a file folder for the divider page. I decorated the edge with what was leftover from the cover image.

Here is the actual grade book. It makes so much more sense (at least to me) to do it this way when you have only one child in each grade.

I have grade book pages for each of my kids.

I reused heavy cardboard (non-corrugated) for the back cover and then bound it with my Bind It All.

I love it!

Calendar Challenge: July 2012

2011-09-09T08:00:00.010-04:00

Life has been pretty busy the last few months, so we're a few months behind on our calendar challenges. No big deal, though, since they don't need to be finished until Christmas. :)

Supplies: paper (The Paper Company, GP), stickers (Creative Memories).

I've been enjoying using up my sticker stash with these calendars. I love these stickers, and they really shouldn't be relegated to the depths of a sticker organizer.

You can see what my friend made on her blog here.

Some feedback please?

2011-09-08T07:38:00.000-04:00

In lieu of my usual Thrifting Thursday post today, I thought I'd get your feedback on something I've been thinking about.

I recently read one of our missionary's newsletters and saw that he needed a significant amount of money to continue his work safely and effectively. Of course, I wanted to do something to help. However, I'm not independently wealthy (nor are any of you). So I was thinking about what I could do. I can sew and craft, and I have an Etsy shop.

What I really want to do is donate all profit (above the production costs) of handmade items in my shop to this particular missionary for a certain amount of time. I was thinking perhaps a month.

But then I got to wondering, are there laws that govern this kind of thing? I looked it up on Etsy and I understand everything except the first point, "Members represent that any charitable fundraising complies with all applicable laws."

What applicable laws?? I've googled it and can't seem to find what I'm looking for. All it talks about is direct fundraising, like if I would put a "Donate" button on my site and people would receive nothing tangible in exchange for their donation. That's not what I'm thinking of doing.

I really want to do this, but I know what the legal system has become in our country. I'm sure there are laws about how I can and can't do this, and I don't want to get in trouble trying to do something good. I also don't want to have to hire a lawyer or attorney. I want to help a missionary, not pad the pockets of a lawyer.

I was thinking of telling exactly how much money was going to the missionary in each listing. That way people will know it's all above-board and honest. This missionary has an organization that is registered as a nonprofit organization, so that part shouldn't be a problem.

Maybe I would be safest spreading the word through my blog and not mentioning it on Etsy? Like if I would add a sticky post to the blog that says, "All profit (above manufacturing costs) from the handmade items in my Etsy shop during the month of __ will go to __."

Have any of you done anything similar? Do you have any thoughts, even if you've never done this yourself? I'd love to hear from you!

Homemade Gift: Crocheted Mum Dishcloths

2011-09-07T09:41:00.000-04:00

I love to crochet. I've been crocheting since I was 12. However, I have a hard time finding projects that fill a need, rather than just sit around and look pretty. I've crocheted tons of afghans and doilies in my time, and most of the people I know have all they can use. As a result, I'm always on the lookout for crochet projects that serve a practical purpose, rather than a mostly decorative one.

That's why I was thrilled when my friend brought this project to my attention:

It might look like a doily, but it's really a dishcloth. After I made them and showed them to my friend, I discovered that I hadn't looked closely at the directions, and mine came out a bit different. They're supposed to look more like mums. Oh well, they're still pretty.

The last time Lily Sugar & Cream cotton went on sale, I picked up two skeins of it. I was able to make three of these dishcloths from them.

These were a gift for my Secret Sister. I made sure to include a note explaining that these were dishcloths and not doilies. :)

If you'd like to make some for yourself, you can find the free pattern at Lily's website. You'll have to register first (it's free). Then search for "Chrysanthemum Dishcloth".

My friend is great at presentation, so you really need to see how she packaged the ones she made. You can find it here on her blog.

Blue Patchwork Quilted Bag

2011-09-06T12:07:00.000-04:00

I'm winding down the projects for my Etsy customer's wedding next month. I'm working on the last quilt, a banner, and four patchwork bags yet.

Since I have one of the bags completed (the others are well underway), I thought I'd share it with you today.

She wanted some gifts for friends who were helping with the wedding, and these will look so nice with the patchwork quilts that will be on display. (The quilts are doing triple duty as photo backdrops and bridesmaids' gifts, too.)

I used a bunch of my precut 4" squares for this bag. (I cut all my scraps into certain square sizes so these kinds of projects are so much faster and easier.) I made it four squares across and four squares down, so it's roughly 13x12" finished.

I quilted an "X" on each square, and then I went back and quilted "in the ditch", too.

She asked to have a button closure on these, and I had a time deciding on the perfect button ... until I remembered the stash of cover-your-own buttons I've collected from thrift stores. (Seriously, I must have 50 of them in different sizes.) This button was perfect! The size perfectly highlighted the flower that is also repeated on a fabric in the bag itself.

Of course, I added pockets to the inside to help organize it better. The solid blue lining is also a vintage sheet. I collect solid-color vintage sheets when I find them because they are perfect for this purpose.

I really enjoyed making this bag, and I'm so glad she custom-ordered it because now I have another great bag design to offer! Stay tuned for more patchwork bags because I have three more to go for this wedding order. Who knows? I may make a few more for the shop, too!

Dimensional Crocheted Flowers

2011-09-03T07:42:00.001-04:00

Recently I was given two huge garbage bags full of small balls of yarn. I only accepted them because I was teaching my Sunday school girls how to crochet. However, there is more yarn there than we'll use in a lifetime of crochet lessons.

I thought about donating the small bits to the thrift store, but then I wondered who but me would actually do anything with them. They would probably get thrown away. So I decided to look up a few favorite crochet projects that can be made with small amounts of yarn.

I wasn't looking for your run-of-the-mill, no-name flowers, though. I wanted something really pretty. Something I might actually use on a project.

Well, I haven't tested them all out yet because I haven't had that much extra time. However, I did work up a few of them, and I thought I'd share them with you, just in case you're like me and have small bits of yarn lying around that you don't want to throw away.

1 - 5-Petal Flower from SkaMama's Bone Hook - almost 5" across (I used all one color on mine.)
2 - A Lovely Bunch from A Little Slice of Life - 2.5" across (I only made up one of the flowers; she used some in bouquets, and they're lovely!)
3 - Double Layer Daisy from Daisy Cottage Designs - 2.75" across (I used all one color, but it would be much prettier to use two. I was just experimenting to get an idea how much yarn it would use.)
4 - 6-Petal Puff Stitch Flower from Easy Makes Me Happy - 2.5" across

These are fun to make, and they take almost no time at all. What kind of projects would you use them for?

Thrifting Thursday: Blue

2011-09-01T07:40:00.000-04:00

I have several blue prints to add to the shop today (no, not building plans). :)

Blue & Yellow Wildflowers

Blue on Blue Daisies

Blue Rose Diamonds

Blue Rose Squares

Pink is probably my favorite color, but I really love these blues, too. I'm thinking a blue patchwork quilt would be very soothing for a bedroom. I might put that on my "to make" list. :)

Enjoy!

A change in my posting schedule

2011-08-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of our homeschool year. My oldest is in 3rd grade and my youngest is in 1st grade this year.

If you've ever homeschooled, you know the time commitment it involves. As such, I won't have as much time to devote to my creative projects.

I don't want to feel like I'm cheating my kids, but I also don't want to feel like I'm letting myself down on blogging. Why do I say that? Well, to be honest, I started this blog as a commitment to myself. I needed the discipline of doing something every day. The discipline to be productive and interesting enough to post about something every day. Blogging was my first step, and it has helped tremendously.

So what does this mean for my blog? Well, I'm not going to disappear, that's for sure. I'm just going to scale back my posting to at least three times a week throughout the schoolyear. If I find times that I can post more, I certainly will.

Probably no one else would have noticed, but I thought I'd let you know in case you did. :)

Red and Blue Vintage Sheets Quilt

2011-08-29T09:37:00.002-04:00

First of all, I thought I would let you know that our weekend went very well, all things considered.

Irene was considerate enough to stay offshore, so it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. We live on the Delmarva Peninsula, so we were right in its path.

We had boatloads of rain and some very strong wind gusts, but we had only minor issues with our house (a leaky vent fan) and church (just a little water in the basement). We were also able to keep our power and phone service the entire time, which helped our parents' sanity quite a bit, since we were able to call and let them know how we were doing periodically.

My daughter started into the croup in the middle of all this, but God was good to us again because she didn't have any bouts of breathing difficulties like she has had in the past. There's nothing scarier than having your child gasping for her breath - unless it happens to occur in the middle of a hurricane. That's definitely scarier, and I'm glad we didn't experience it.

My birthday was Saturday, the day we got the weather from the hurricane. It was a memorable one, that's for sure! It was good, too. We spent lots of time together as a family, and I was able to sew and crochet a lot. It's amazing how fast I can crochet when I'm listening to the weather radio talk about tornadoes and flooding all around me! :)

With all of that nasty weather behind us, we have a full week of sunshine to welcome our new school year. We'll be starting schoolwork tomorrow, if I can get our school room put back together today. (It's in the church basement, and we moved all the homeschool materials to higher ground, just in case.)

Today I finally have another quilt to show you. I have one more to do for the wedding I've been making these for, and then I may make a few more that I have been planning in my head.

I love these colors together! I added in two prints that are not vintage, but they are upcycled: the red and blue ginghams.

All the other prints are vintage, most of which can be found in my shop (unless I used the last of them or haven't listed them yet):

Blue Roses
Pink & Yellow Wild Roses
Vibrant Blue Rose (sold out)
Bright Fun Florals (sold out)
Blue and Red Stripe (coming soon)

Have you made anything with vintage sheets lately? I'd love to see them!

Preparing for tropical storm weather here

2011-08-26T07:53:00.000-04:00

I was going to post the quilt I just finished, but it will have to wait for next week. Irene is headed our way, and we'll be getting high winds, rain and possible flooding. Hurricane conditions are possible through the night into Sunday, but we may escape the absolute worst of it. Today's goal is to get our house, yard and church ready, so I don't have a lot of time to spare.

Hopefully I can post the quilt on Monday. Until then, pray for us if you think of us. This is our first time in this kind of weather, and my kids don't do well with extreme weather. (They tend to be panicky.) I may end up pulling those "vacation" supplies out as distractions ... or maybe we can start working on schoolwork a little early! :)

Thrifting Thursday: Orange

2011-08-25T08:58:00.000-04:00

I have some orange prints to add to the shop today. I didn't used to be a fan of orange, but I'm definitely gaining an appreciation for it now that I've started quilting!

Orange & Green Sketchy Bouquet

Orange & Yellow Impressionist Bouquets

This fabric was featured in this Orange & Green Quilt for a customer's wedding.

Orange Multi-Colored Stripes

This fabric was also featured in the Orange & Green Quilt, the Pinwheel Quilt, the Yellow Zig Zag Quilt and my original For the Love of Patchwork Quilt. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of this stripe. It's one of my favorites!

Orange, Yellow & Green Bouquets

That's it for today. Don't forget about the pillowcases I added to the shop yesterday. I listed all that I have of each pillowcase print. Once they're gone, they're gone ... unless I stumble across more in the future. :)

I added new pillowcases to the shop!

2011-08-24T07:56:00.000-04:00

Pillowcase Pairings: Orange, Green, Yellow & Pink

I finally got the pictures taken and have loaded the pillowcase sets into the shop! This first one is the only mix-and-match set I listed. The rest are either singles or doubles of the same print.

Pillowcase: Orange & Yellow Floral

Pillowcase Pair: Multi-Colored Floral

Pillowcase Pair: Orange, Green & Pink Paradise

Pillowcase Pair: Lavender Floral

Pillowcase Pair: Multi-Colored Pinstripes

Pillowcase: Dainty Blue

Do you have any favorite pillowcase projects? Please tell me about it. You know I'm always looking for good ideas! :)

Projects I'm working on

2011-08-23T09:42:00.001-04:00

Right now, I don't have any finished projects to show you. I'm working on several projects, though, so I hope to have finished pictures to share soon.

Here are a few of the projects I have going:

Cash System Envelope Wallet - We use the Dave Ramsey cash envelope method of budgeting, but I needed something more durable to carry my cash around in. I found the perfect fabric at Hobby Lobby last week. I was going to use some that I already had, but when I saw this fabric, it might as well have had my name on it. Seriously, this is the essence of my style boiled down into one fabric:

If you're interested in making your own, there is a link near the bottom of that website that sends you to a free tutorial to create your own. If you want yours to be oilcloth, her kit prices are very good!

DIY Closet Organizers - I originally found this on Pinterest, where a friend of mine had labeled it as "CD Closet Organizers". If you read the article, this lady did not use CDs, but it sure gave me a great idea! I have a bunch of junk CDs that I had been saving for a creative project like this.

I have wanted something like this ever since my kids were born. When I find beautiful clothing at thrift stores for great prices, I usually snatch it up. Often it's a few sizes ahead of what my kids are wearing at the moment (not more than 3 sizes, to account for changes in taste). Most of those gorgeous clothing items would be crushed if they were filed away in a box like the play clothes I collect for them, so I hang them in the closet. I want to be able to organize them by size so I can quickly look to see if I have any "fancy" clothes when they change sizes.

I also have their hang-up clothes organized in rainbow order. (My organization does tend to be a bit obsessive when I finally hit on something I like.) I'd like the kids - or any other laundry helper - to be able to put their clothes back in the right spot so I don't have to go back through and do it every couple of weeks. So I'll also be making dividers for the colors.

I ran into a bit of a problem, though. We have those wire closet shelves, and they don't have much space above the rod for something like this. As a result, I had to cut down my CDs considerably. I used heavy-duty scissors for that part. Believe it or not, the edges are not sharp.

Here is my progress so far (all cut to size with a regular CD to show proportion):

Vintage Sheets Quilt - Lastly, I have another quilt project that got interrupted by church camp, a week's worth of company, and then VBS:

This quilt is my top priority at the moment. I may get the smaller projects finished first, though, since I tend to use them to break up the monotony of a big project like a quilt.

What creative project are you working on at the moment? I'd love for you to post a comment with a link to it!

Frugal Christmas Gifting

2011-08-22T07:29:00.002-04:00

If you've been reading my blog very long, you know I love to give handmade gifts. A lot of my blog focus this year has been on handmade gifts. But I don't want you to think that's all I ever give.

There are plenty of ways of buying retail items brand-new at a great price. I'm just going to highlight two of them, since I've recently found gifts there.

First of all, there are closeout stores. Not all closeout stores are created equally, though, so know your prices before you go shopping. I have a Tuesday Morning store just ten minutes from my house, and I've noticed that they get a lot of Playmobil toys, usually in shipments that they advertise in their flyers. My son was introduced to Playmobil toys about two years ago at his birthday party, and he loves them as much as he loves his Legos.

Just this month, I saw a new Playmobil shipment advertised in Tuesday Morning's flyer. This is what I picked up:

It includes:

Firing Catapult #4278 - $3.99 (retail $7.99)
Speedboat with Underwater Motor #5833 - $6.99 (retail $12.99)
Racing Park #5798 - $6.99? (retail $21.50)
Knight's Ruin #5861 - $4.99 (retail around $15)
Knights with Crossbow #5860 - $3.99 (retail around $12.99)

On a previous shipment this year, I found:

Pirates Octopus Attack #5865 - around $6.99 (retail around $25)
Knight Carrying Case #4177 - around $5.99 (retail $38.99)

I check every time I go into the store, which is once every couple months. They'll occasionally get a smaller shipment of Playmobil toys that aren't advertised. These can't compare to thrift store prices, but Playmobil is good quality and hard to find at thrift stores. I'm thrilled to get them for half price (or better), brand-new in the package.

As I've mentioned before, we also have an Ollie's store about the same distance from us. I recently found this treasure in their book section:

My son is currently obsessed with detectives, so he's going to love this! The enclosed book gives you three crime scenarios and the child is supposed to use the kit components to solve the crimes. For $5 (retail $20), my son is going to get hours of enjoyment.

The second place I've recently found brand-new toys may surprise you: Goodwill!

For the life of me, I can't figure out why someone would never open the box and just donate such a cute toy to a thrift store. It's not like it's an ugly doll or obscure toy, after all. It's a La Baby (retail $24.99)! My daughter loves La Baby dolls, and $5 was an awesome price for this one.

I don't often find things like this at thrift stores, but I have a few times. It's always worth looking!

I haven't given any of these gifts to my kids yet, so I hope they don't find this blog post before birthdays and Christmas. :)

So, what about you? Do you have any favorite resources or tips for getting great gifts at truly awesome prices? Leave me a comment. I'd love to hear about it!

Entertaining Children on Long Trips

2011-08-19T08:24:00.000-04:00

Are you a parent that loves to travel but dreads entertaining restless children on extra-long vehicle rides?

In our family, we're blessed that our children love listening to Adventures in Odyssey CDs over and over and over and ... you get the idea. It's enough to tamper with my sanity on some trips. I love Adventures in Odyssey, but I really don't enjoy hearing the same episodes every trip.

So I was thrilled to find some boredom busters in Michaels' clearance racks this last week. Let me share them with you, along with some other ideas for entertaining kids on-the-go.

All of these items came out of the 70%-off clearance bins at Michaels. When I see a clearance bin at anything over 60%-off, I always dig through it for treasures like this. Unless noted, I paid $0.30 each for most of these items. You can't even buy a candy bar for that price anymore!

So, what all is there? I'm glad you asked! Here are the details:

2 rolls of Highlights for Children Hidden Pictures coloring paper ($1.88 each - 20 puzzles, 40% off) - I'm thinking of doing up a Portable Drawing Desk with these, which will also provide a place to store the rest of the goodies.
2 color-your-own animals, complete with markers ($1.50 each)
velvet art door hangers (2/pack)
funny foam sunglasses (3/pack)
marker-by-number kit
baked suncatcher kit (obviously not for car trips, but I did get it out of the same bin)
velvet art bookmarkers (multi-pack)
decorate-your-own yo-yos
travel games pad
finger puppets pad
paper airplanes pad
simple origami pad
funny faces pad

I've been collecting goodies like this as I find them, so I have a sticker book in my stash, too.

I got this My Giant Sticker Fun Book at Ollie's recently for $2.99. I doubt we'll be using the CD at all, but the inside of the book was worth every penny.

These stickers ...

... go onto these "picture puzzles". What I really like about this is that the stickers are numbered, so even little kids can do this right. My kids may use the numbering system just to make sure they've chosen the right one before they stick it down.

Personally, I thought the whole idea of sticker puzzles was absolute genius. My kids love stickers, and they love puzzles. Combine the two, and they'll be entertained for a long while!

I have one more travel activity suggestion, and this one comes from Dollar Tree:

Hand puppets!

Unlike some of the cheap stuffed toys I've seen for sale, these are actually cute. I was especially impressed that they thought to include a boy puppet. They also have darker-skinned versions of these in both boy and girl versions (with appropriate hair styling), which is especially nice if you don't happen to be Caucasian.

Unless I miss my guess, my kids are going to have a lot of fun making up stories with these puppets and interacting with each other. Since there's a boy puppet, this can be a boys' and girls' activity.

So the next time you have to take a long trip with kids, check out your local dollar store, closeout store, and even the $1 sections in the craft stores. You might be surprised what treasures you dig up!

Of course, if you're like me and like to save money, just keep an eye out when things like this go on clearance - and then hide it somewhere that the kids won't find it!

Thrifting Thursday and Giveaway Winner!

2011-08-18T07:20:00.000-04:00

The winner of last week's giveaway is ...

Which was ...

She chose the Aquamarine Busy Floral. Congratulations!

Today I have some green prints and one purple one to add to the shop.

Flowers & Ferns

I've never seen anything like this print before. I love finding unique prints!

Green Bamboo

Here's another unique print. I love this one, too!

Sage Green Stripes

Here's another nice addition to my stripe collection. This is a different shade of green than the Two-Tone Green Stripe.

Blue & Purple Floral

Lastly, here's another purple print that I was thrilled to find. I'm slowly building my collection of purples.

That's it for this week's Thrifting Thursday, but stay tuned because I have another batch of pillowcases to go into the shop. I doubt I'll get to it before next week because of VBS this week. However, pillowcases tend to go pretty fast, so I'll be sure to let you know when I list them. [Facebook followers usually hear about it first. Hint, hint. :) ]

Etsy Quilt: Browns

2011-08-17T07:10:00.000-04:00

Don't forget, this is the last day to enter my fat quarter giveaway!

Today I'm going to share the latest quilt I finished for my Etsy customer's wedding.

I especially enjoyed these fussy-cut butterflies. I had this combination picked out, but needed just one more fabric to complete it. Just two days afterward, my husband came home with this butterfly sheet. It was a perfect match, and my Etsy customer was in love with it!

I quilted along a few of the existing lines in the plaid, free-motion quilted around the edges of the butterflies, and did simple X's on the rest.

Brown isn't one of my usual favorite colors, but I really like how this one turned out!

A few of these fabrics are available in my shop, if you're interested:

Brown & Orange Rose Vine

Woody Roses

I link to these parties. Enjoy!

Homemade Gifts: More Guest Books

2011-08-16T07:42:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to enter my fat quarter giveaway!

I'm finishing up the guest books today, since most of these are similar. I haven't sent them all out yet, since I aim for about 1-2 each week that I'm home. Since I haven't been home much in the last few weeks, I'm a little behind on mailing them out. I'm sure I'll catch up, though!

Supplies: paper (ATD, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); composition notebook.

Supplies: paper (unknown, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); composition notebook.

Supplies: paper (Making Memories, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); composition notebook.

Supplies: paper (ATD, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); composition notebook.

I really enjoyed making these guest books!

Playing around with some new fabric ...

2011-08-15T06:42:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to enter my fat quarter giveaway!

If you follow me on Facebook, you may recognize the fabrics in this quilt top:

I shared them as just a fabric stack a few weeks ago (on Facebook). I had hoped to get them quilted and finished when I went north to visit family for a few days, but we visited a lot instead. Life hasn't gotten any slower in the weeks since, so all I have right now is the top pieced into four sections.

Last week I had two sets of company, a major dentist appointment, my homeschool review (for last year), and I was getting ready for VBS this week. And now this week I'm in charge of VBS. What does that mean? Probably that I will get almost nothing done in the way of sewing or quilting this week, so this may be the only thing I can show you of this quilt for awhile.

I have quite a few projects on my list, though, so I can at least post sneak peeks into them while I'm busy with other things this week.

I really looked forward to the break from schooling over the summer, but it's been so busy that I'm actually looking forward to starting homeschooling again so that things can slow down. :)

I link to these parties.

Cousin Camp 2011: Cousin Camp Celebration

2011-08-12T07:50:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to enter my fat quarter giveaway!

On Wednesday I shared our Cousin Camp birthday party with you. Today I thought I'd share our Cousin Camp Celebration to finish up this year's Cousin Camp highlights.

Since I went with a western theme this year, I decided to carry that over into our games, too.

"There's a snake in my boots!" The object of this game was to see how many tiny plastic snakes they could drop into a boot. They got a ticket for each one that made it.

Then we did some lassoing with a hula hope and clothesline rope. Our springy horse was lassoed just a few times, mostly by the younger kids. It was a lot harder than it looks! For each time they lassoed the horse in 30 seconds, they got a ticket.

Then we practiced our marksmanship with half-filled water bottles and a dart gun. They got to take all the shots in two guns, and they received a ticket for each time they hit a bottle. The older kids did better with this one, but all of them seemed to enjoy it.

Then we had a short duel with water guns. This is when it started to rain, so only two of them got to duel it out. The ticket went to the last person that was squirted.

That's when we had to move the activities inside. My husband graciously agreed to hold our horseshoe stake in place. I'm sure he wouldn't have done it if they were real horseshoes, but these were just plastic. We did this in our hallway.

As you can see, even the young kids did pretty good with this one!

And then it was time to cash in those tickets at the prize store. As usual, my dad had a blast hamming it up for the grandkids.

He was Trader Jake, and his gun made sure that no one stole anything!

The kids loved the prize store about as much as the activities, and it's no wonder. My dad is a kid at heart and always enjoys this sort of thing.

So there you have our Cousin Camp 2011 recap. If you ever do a Cousin Camp (even a short version), I'd love to see photos of yours!

Thrifting Thursday and a Giveaway!

2011-08-11T08:49:00.002-04:00

This giveaway is now closed. Stay tuned for another one next month!

It's time for another giveaway! You get to choose your print from one of the four prints I'm featuring today.

You can earn a total of four entries by:

leaving a comment on this post telling me which print you would choose
following my blog and posting a separate comment about it (current followers need only post a separate comment saying that you already follow)
"liking" Sophia's Sundries on Facebook and posting a separate comment about it (current fans need only post a separate comment saying so) - you can do that easily in the sidebar of my blog
posting about the giveaway on your blog and leaving a comment here with a link back to it.

I'll leave the giveaway open until next Wednesday, August 17 at midnight. I'll post the winner next Thursday (August 18). The winner will have until the next Monday (August 22) to contact me. If I don't get a response by Monday, I'll pick a new winner. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

Since international shipping is pricey, let's limit this to the US only, please. If you live outside the US but have a US mailing address, feel free to enter. (I know several Canadians who have PO boxes in the US.) Thanks, and have fun!

Now, let's take a peek at the fabrics!

Aquamarine Busy Floral

This is a color I don't find a lot with vintage sheets, but it's a very pretty one. This is such a cool, refreshing print.

Beige & Blue Floral

This is another pretty blue floral. I love the darker beige leaves against the background. It really adds some interest to this print!

Blue and Green Roses & Daisies

This is one of my all-time favorite blue prints. I love the vibrancy of the colors and how they accent each other so well. This is another colorway of my popular Roses & Daisies fabric.

Blue & Purple Stripes

I have limited quantities of this print, but I figured I'd put it in the shop since I'm done with the projects I needed to use it for. Purple vintage sheets don't pop up a lot in my thrifting adventures, so I'm always happy to find one when it does.

If you're posting about this giveaway on your blog, feel free to grab this picture:

Enjoy!

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that I loaded some more imperfect sets into the shop yesterday. You get 12 fat quarters for $14.99 with free shipping. Check them out!

Cousin Camp 2011: Birthday Party

2011-08-10T08:06:00.004-04:00

It has been over a month since Cousin Camp, so it's about time I filled you in on what we did this year. I'm just going to hit the highlights this year; I hope you don't mind. We've found a schedule and some activities that work well for us from year to year, so our schedule was a lot the same as last year.

So today I'm going to show you the details of the big Cousin Birthday Party. (Five of the nine cousins have birthdays within a month of Cousin Camp, so we celebrate them all together.) The theme this year was a western theme, and I had a lot of fun.

I collected plastic and glass boot cups all year at thrift stores, and we had enough for everyone. I got the foam hats and silky bandannas at Dollar Tree.

I used some of my son's toy horses to decorate the middle of the table, and I used these plastic steer molds to hold trail mix. (They're from Oriental Trading company, but I got mine in a big pack from the thrift store.)

I had each of them don their duds for the meal. This is my son.

And this is my daughter, the one we affectionately dubbed "Annie Oakley". (She's left-handed and a pretty good shot, although it looks pretty random when she does it.)

After the main meal, the boys took the play guns to our parking lot and rode around pretending to shoot at each other. I guess the bikes were modern-day horses.

We also decorated the cowboy and cowgirl hats after we ate. We made barrettes with the girls, but I don't have a picture of those handy.

To decorate the accessories, I used some conchos and string I picked up at the thrift store. For the boys, we also made string ties (shown here draped over the hat) from the same materials.

After all of that was done, it was time for the mug shots. I posed each of them on the porch so that I could photograph them through the metal banister, mimicking the look of jail bars.

My plan is to get these made into "Wanted" posters as souvenirs for each of them, but I honestly forgot until just now.

Sorry that the cake picture is on its side. I have no idea why it decided to do that after I uploaded it. We did a basic cake this year and added a silver paper star to the top. I've discovered that Cousin Camp is not the time to attempt elaborate cake decorating. I just miss out on too many things.

So there you have a 5th, 7th, 10th (x2), and 17th birthday party all wrapped up in one! I'll try to get more Cousin Camp details posted within the next week or so. Enjoy!

Homemade Gift: Guest Book #13

2011-08-09T07:13:00.003-04:00

Supplies: paper ( The Paper Company, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); ribbon (Michaels $1 bin); composition notebook.

Here's another beautiful Kinkade lighthouse image. I was at camp last week, and several ladies came over to thank me for these books. It's such a small gesture, but it means so much to them. I'm glad I can do my little part to keep them encouraged.

I'm linking to these parties.

New Blog Design and New Name

2011-08-08T07:01:00.001-04:00

Wow, did you recognize the blog this morning? While I was away at camp last week, I spent some time redoing the blog. I really, really like the new look!

New Features

The first major change I made was to purchase my domain name. I've thought about that for a long time now. If someone knew the name of my shop but didn't know where I hosted it (on Etsy), they might never find me online. It just made sense to make it easier to find me.
As a result of that change, I decided to change the name of the blog, too. Again, it's just a matter of making it easier to find me. Nothing about my content will change.
I changed the blog background and header to be more consistent with the look of my Etsy shop. I love that it's one-of-a-kind and features some of my favorite vintage fabrics from the shop.
I also tried to declutter the sidebars and make things more visually pleasing. As a result, I added the tabs at the top of the blog. Check them out - you may learn things about me that you never knew before! :)

Who designed the blog?

I did! Thanks to some fabulous tutorials and a lot of online searching, I finally figured it out. If you're not familiar with html and CSS but want to try your hand at it, here is a fantastic blog series about redoing your blog at Mandipidy.
I've tried to cover all my bases, but if you notice something missing that you relied on, please let me know. As far as I know, the only thing missing right now is my blog buttons. They still work, so don't worry about that! I just need to redesign the one for my blog (to include the new name), but I didn't get the chance to do that yet. I will be adding them when I'm finished.

So, what do you think? Do you like the new look?

Reusable Swiffer Cloths

2011-08-05T07:29:00.008-04:00

Perhaps you've seen a version of these reusable Swiffer cloths somewhere online. The idea certainly isn't original with me. However, I thought I'd show you a step-by-step tutorial in case you wanted to make some, too.

My parents just got laminate flooring installed in their kitchen, and my mom asked me to make her some of these. Since we had several "old" towels on hand that were perfectly fine (just stained from rusty water), I decided to use one of those. I was able to get three of these cloths from that one regular-sized towel.

Do you want to make some? Okay, let's get going!

What you need ...

a towel without rips or excessive wear (new or old, but old is usually free)
sewing machine and basic accessories
scraps of fabric for binding strips (1-1/2" width)

For the sake of clarity, I'm writing this tutorial based on sewing just one cloth. Feel free to sew several at a time. It's easy to do, and you'll be surprised how quickly they come together.

Cutting

First of all, you'll need to cut a 1-1/2" binding strip from any washable fabric you might have on hand. I used an old sheet. Depending on the width of your fabric, you may need several strips. (Start with one and add more as you need them.)

Fold the binding strip in half widthwise, with raw edges meeting. You'll have a long, thin strip. Iron it flat. (Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of this step, but it's pretty easy.)

You'll also need to cut a 6" x 18-1/4" rectangle, using one of the bound edges of your towel as one of the short ends. This saves a sewing step.

Sewing

Step 1. The first raw edge you're going to sew is the short end that isn't bound. Terry cloth sheds like crazy, so this is a must!

Line up the raw edges of the binding strip with the raw edges of the short end of the toweling and sew with a 1/4" seam. A walking foot is very helpful when sewing this material, but it's not necessary.

Step 2. Then you'll turn over the folded edge of the binding so that it covers the raw edges of the binding and toweling. Sew this in place, stitching close to the edge.

It should look like this. You've now enclosed that pesky raw edge.

Now you want to open out the rectangle so that it looks like this.

Step 3. Measure in 2-3/4" from one side, and fold this in. Pin it in place.

Repeat with the other side. It should look like this.

Step 4. Now we're going to deal with the rest of the raw edges, using the same method as before.

Pin the binding strip to one of the long raw edges, matching raw edges and being sure to catch the folded part (this is how you hold it on your Swiffer). This picture shows the folded edge underneath.

This time, you want to fold your binding strip in about 1/4" at the beginning and ending. This will prevent it from fraying.

Step 5. Sew 1/4" from the raw edge, as before.

It should now look like this.

step 6. Again, turn over the folded edge so that it hides all raw edges of the seam. Sew this in place, stitching close to the edge.

Repeat from Step 4 for the other long side.

Your finished cloth should look something like this.

If you have the newest-style Swiffer Wet Jet, the jets are probably going to be hidden under the cloth. I thought it would be a problem, but it worked quite well. The only thing we can figure is that the cleaning solution dampened the cloth instead of being spray directly onto the floor.

If you have an older-style Swiffer, it will fit something like this. The jet is free to spray directly onto the floor.

These will be a snug fit, but you shouldn't have to sweat to get them off and on.

I hope this saves you as much money as it has my parents!

Thrifting Thursday: Pink

2011-08-04T07:31:00.007-04:00

I'll be away from the shop through Saturday (August 6th). During that time, you can take 20% off my entire shop using the code PCC20 at checkout.

I recently went through my vintage sheets and discovered that there were quite a few in there that I somehow neglected to put in my shop. Over the next few weeks, I'll be remedying that. Here's the first installment, with a batch of pinks:

Pink Roses & Daisies

I already have this print in pillowcases, but I was thrilled to find it in a pink sheet!

Pink Roses & Daisies 2

I apparently have more than one "Roses & Daisies" print going in the shop. I had no idea! This is the same print as Blue Roses & Daisies, just in the pink colorway.

Pink & Yellow Rose Bouquets

This is similar to my Blue/Pink/Yellow Rose Bouquet print, but these bouquets are bigger. They have more of a watercolor effect to them.

Pink Impressionist Floral

This print is the same as my Orange Impressionist Floral, but it's the pink colorway. It also has more of the watercolor effect since it has been washed more times than the orange one.

Have you made anything with my vintage sheet fabrics?

I'd love to see any projects you have made using my vintage sheet fabrics. Everything doesn't have to come from my shop. I'd just like to see what you're making.

You can e-mail pictures (see sidebar for contact information), or post them on my Facebook fan page. I'll be happy to feature them on my blog (and Facebook page if they're not there already) with a link back to your blog.

Thanks so much!

Etsy Wedding Quilt 8: A Tip on Joining QAYG Rows

2011-08-03T07:19:00.003-04:00

I finished another quilted throw for my Etsy customer's wedding!

Here's a closeup of the fabrics. I always like to see the full effect, as well as closeups. :) These are all vintage sheet fabrics from my shop:

Beige Roses
Brown Stripe
Woody Roses
Weathered Orange Posies
Blue Stripes

How to join QAYG sections without losing your sanity ...

If you've tried quilt-as-you-go before, you might have run into the same problem that I did: the seams can be so bulky that your machine won't sew through them. Sometimes it just skips the stitches, but sometimes it refuses to even put the needle through all that fabric.

After a few frustrating joins, I hit upon an idea that works wonderfully: alternating your joining strips. What do I mean? Take a look at this picture (the arrows show which way the joining strips face):

I simply alternate which direction my joining strips face. That way, I've halved the bulk of those seams and my sewing machine happily purrs right over them.

When I do this, I like to start joining my top row squares by making my joining strip face the first square. This means the sewing will show up on the first square, not the second. (You could make your joining strip face the second square if you like. It really doesn't matter.) Then, I make sure that the next joining strip faces the third square ... and on and on in that pattern.

However, you could make it a lot easier on yourself and simply make your first row's joining strips all face the left, while the next row's stripes face the right, then the next row's strips face the left, then the right ... and on and on. It's really a lot easier that way, but sometimes I do things the hard way for awhile before I figure it out. :)

I hope that helps you out!

I'm linking to ... Upcycled Awesome,

Homemade Gift: Guest Book #12

2011-08-02T07:08:00.001-04:00

Supplies: paper (ATD, The Paper Company, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); composition notebook.

Here's another guest book. I love the blue in this one. That decorative paper was one of my favorite pairings!

I'm linking to ... Upcycled Awesome,

Summer Beginning Quilting Series: My Part Two

2011-08-01T06:00:00.008-04:00

Suzy has posted lesson two for the Summer Beginning Quilting Series, in case you haven't seen it yet. I've completed part two and am sharing my results with you today.

So, can I use the QAYG method with this quilt?

I discovered that my project is the perfect size to go through my machine without the need of QAYG, so I simply pieced the top for this installment. However, I don't see why you couldn't use the QAYG method if yours is larger. Simple divide your quilt into manageable sections (maybe 2 or 4), and plan for joining strips between your sections.

How big is this quilt?

My squares were significantly smaller, so my quilt will be, too. I decided to make it a 36x36" baby quilt by varying the size of my sashing strips. I simply added 6" sashing to the outside edges. I'm planning to bind it in a vintage blue solid. (Tip: Pick up vintage solid sheets when you find them, since the colors are sometimes difficult to match up with current fabrics.)

If you follow the instructions and your squares end up "square," your quilt will be a nice throw-size quilt, if a little on the small side.

Do you like this design made with scraps?

Mine has a scrappier look to it since that's what I used - scraps. But since I stuck with two color families, it still has a coordinated look to it. I happen to like that look just fine, so I'm happy with it.

I was a little worried how it would turn out, since these particular vintage colors are more muted than the vibrant (and dark) colors that she chose. However, as you can see, it turned out with a recognizable pattern and recognizable color scheme.

So, what about you? Have you tried this yet? (I'd love to see pictures!) If not, it's still not too late. Here's the first lesson to get you started. :)

I'm linking to ...

Thrifting Thursday: Whole Sheets

2011-07-28T07:28:00.004-04:00

This week I'm featuring some sheets I've collected over the last little bit that I'm listing as a whole sheet. You may have a few questions, and I'll try to address those.

What are the advantages to ordering a whole sheet?

First of all, you may have joined a vintage sheet swap and need a whole sheet to cut up and swap. This is perfect for those of you who may not have good thrift stores near you.

Second, you may want to back your quilt with a patterned fabric. Whole sheets offer lots of uncut yardage, usually in sizes big enough to back a quilt.

Third, you are getting a bigger piece of fabric. This is great for quilts that require more than a fat quarter of each print.

Why did you choose to sell these sheets whole?

Mostly I've chosen to sell these sheets whole because they were either

large prints that work best in larger fabric amounts,
still new-in-the-package
or something I thought a person might like in larger amounts.

So now that I've (hopefully) answered your questions, let's take a peek at what I have to show you today ...

Brown & Yellow Trees Full fitted sheet

These landscape prints are really neat, and I'm thinking this could be combined with the Island Getaway print in my shop for a neat effect. The trees are large, around 10" tall and 10" wide.

Lancaster Patch Full flat sheet

I've had this one for awhile now, and I'm just getting around to listing it. The print is the one featured on the pillowcase. This would make a great cheater quilt, if you don't like piecing and just want to try out quilting. You could even tie the quilt instead of quilting it and make it really easy on yourself!

White Daisy Bouquet Twin fitted sheet

I currently have the same print in fat quarters in my shop with a blue background (Blue & White Daisy Bouquet). This one has an off-white background.

Blue & Green Zoo Parade Crib-size fitted sheet

Are you working on a baby quilt? These vintage animals would be an adorable addition to your quilt. They coordinate nicely with several fat quarters in my shop, including Blue & Green Stripes and Two-Tone Green Stripe.

Have you made any projects with my vintage sheet fabrics? I'd love to see pictures, and I may even feature your project on my blog. You can e-mail me (see "Questions?" in the sidebar) for more information.

DIY Mailing Envelopes

2011-07-27T07:26:00.004-04:00

Today I'm going to share a thrifty tip that I found on a blog called Patchwork Posse: making your own packaging envelopes.

First of all, you may be wondering why I even thought of this. Well, to be honest, it caught my eye because it's really cute packaging. Then I found out the money it could save me, and I was hooked!

Here's the cost breakdown:

6x9" envelopes - purchased (0.08), made ($0.02) - You can make 4 for the price of buying 1.
9x12" envelopes - purchased ($0.10), made ($0.04) - You can make 2 for the price of buying 1.

Maybe that doesn't seem like much to you, but after you've bought 25 of each, you're saving $3.00, plus the packing tape you would usually have to seal them with. The thread to sew these packages together doesn't even come close to the cost of tape, and this has the added bonus of being cute in a rustic kind of way. (Can you say that about those other envelopes?)

I realize this isn't for everyone, but I really like it and thought I'd link to it in case anyone else would like to make these, too.

Here's one of my packages of fabric, ready to be mailed. I blurred it to avoid showing the addresses, but I hope you can get the idea. I've discovered that these packages are much thinner, for some reason.

Another benefit of this packaging is that you can make these any size you want. If you're mailing an odd-sized item, you can customize the envelope size to fit it.

For my purposes, I found that the 28"-wide paper was the better deal, since I wasn't wasting any paper that way. Here are the cutting sizes for 6x9" and 9x12" envelopes:

6x9" - Cut a 10" length of paper, then cut it in half width-wise. You end up with two pieces measuring 10x14". Fold it in half along the 14" side, and you have two envelopes that measure 7x10", which should be about right after you sew the edges. No waste!

9x12" - Cut a 10" length of paper. Fold it in half along the 28" side, and you have an envelope that measures 10x14". You can trim the extra 1" off the edge to make it 10x13", or just leave it as is. It doesn't cost any extra to mail that way, so I just leave it. Again, no waste!

To see the rest of the details on making these envelopes, check out Patchwork Posse's great post.

Enjoy!

P.S. I've mailed quite a few of these already with no problems. Just make sure you tie off the ends of the threads and clip them close so they don't get caught in the machines at the post office.

Homemade Gift: Guest Book #11

2011-07-26T07:05:00.002-04:00

Supplies: paper (ATD, The Paper Company, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); composition notebook.

This is one of my favorite Kinkade images. However, the more I look at his paintings, the harder it is to pick more than one "favorite". I think most of them are "favorites," if that's possible! :)

I'm linking to ... Upcycled Awesome,

Who wants to make a quilt with me?

2011-07-25T06:34:00.006-04:00

I ran across a quilt-along of sorts last week. It's called the Summer Beginning Quilting Series over at Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom, and it's free to follow along. I really like the finished product (which is rare for me for a quilt-along), so I decided to join in.

As you might have guessed, I'll be using my vintage sheet materials. In fact, since I already have scraps cut to 2-1/2" strips, a lot of the work was done for me. It was almost like having my own "jelly roll."

She has great instructions, but I thought I'd address a few questions.

What if I want to pick my own fabrics?

If you're not using a jelly roll and want to go out and buy fabric for this project, you'll need 1/4 yard of 10 different fabrics. You don't want fat quarters, since they aren't 44/45" wide. She recommends that you stick to two color families, ranging your prints from lights to darks.

Once you get those fabrics home, you'll want to straighten the grain and then cut two 2-1/2" x 44" strips from each fabric. When you're done, you will have made your own jelly roll of sorts.

Is the kit a good value?

Of course, I did the math and discovered that the kit she's offering through Discount Sewing Supply is actually a good price, based on regular per-yard prices at my local Hancocks. (I didn't figure in shipping.) It's all a matter of whether you like those fabrics or not. I did notice that the shop offers to work with you on a customized fabric selection.

What is the hardest part of this first step of the project?

Precision is essential in cutting and sewing this pattern. If you vary much at all, you may discover that your "squares" are wonky. Here's an example:

I'm chalking it up to a cutting error, since I was very careful with my sewing. Vintage fabrics aren't as stiff as the yardage you buy in the fabric store (since they've been washed a few times), and mine must have shifted a little during cutting.

Is there any way to correct wonky squares?

If yours ends up like mine did, never fear. Your finished quilt will be smaller, but you can salvage your hard work by squaring them up. Now before I show you how I did this, let me inform you that I have no idea how everyone else does this. This is just what makes sense to me - and works for me.

First of all, I lined up one of the edges so that it was straight on my cutting mat grid at the bottom. Then I determined how much I was going to have to trim off the edges to make them straight.

I trimmed it first on the right side, then on the left side, being very careful about my measurements:

Then I flipped it so that my newly-straightened edges were on the top and bottom. Again, I straightened first the right edge:

And then the left edge:

I ended up having to trim my blocks to 4-3/4" square, so my quilt will be quite a bit smaller than the original. That's okay, though, since I might be able to make up for it by adding in extra sashing. If not, that's okay, too.

Can I do this using the QAYG method?

I'm not sure yet, since there is only one part of the tutorial up right now. Part two will address piecing the top, and that will be the telling part. I'll be analyzing the method of construction to see if I can turn it into a quilt-as-you-go project, and I'll be sure to let you know if/when I figure it out.

So, have I piqued your interest yet?? Is anyone interested in joining me? I'd love to see your progress, if you do. (I'm sure she'd love for you to post a link to your progress at her blog, too.) I'll be posting my results from Part Two next Monday, so stay tuned!

I'm linking to ...

Homemade Gift: Guest Book #10

2011-07-22T06:56:00.002-04:00

Supplies: paper (Making Memories, recycled Kinkade image); stamps (Inkadinkado Coffee House alphabet); ink (Jet Black StazOn); ribbon (Michaels $1 bin); composition notebook.

I hope you're not getting tired of these guest books. :) If I were making them all for the same person, I certainly would be changing them up a bit. However, since they're all going to different people, I decided not to mess with a good design.

By the way, this is the time of year to be looking for good deals on these composition notebooks. Last year I think I was able to get them for $0.25 at Wal-Mart. I don't think it's as good a price this year, but even $0.50 for one of these is good.

I'm linking to ... Upcycled Awesome,

Thrifting Thursday and Giveaway Winner!

2011-07-21T07:32:00.005-04:00

The winner of the pick-your-print fat quarter giveaway is:

That comment was:

who said, "I would pick Pink Roses 2 because I believe my grandmother had that same print, and I miss her."

Congratulations! If you will e-mail me (see the new "Questions?" in the sidebar) with your shipping information, I'll get it out to you ASAP. If I don't hear from you by Monday, July 25th, I'll pick a new winner.

Today I'm adding four new prints to the shop.

Small Pastel Hanging Flowers

This print would coordinate wonderfully with the Pastel Hanging Flowers print that is already in the shop. This is a smaller print, so it would work wonderfully for a larger/smaller contrast print project.

Multi-Colored Rose Vine

This is a different colorway of the Brown & Orange Rose Vine that I already have in the shop. I love it when I find a print in several colorways!

Bright Impressionist Bouquet

This is a lovely bright floral. It reminds me of exotic flowers, mainly because of the colors.

Beige Roses

The last print I'm adding this week is a great neutral that will blend with almost anything. I love roses, so you know I was thrilled to pick up this detailed neutral rose print.

I also found a few non-vintage sheet items at the thrift stores recently.

I got all of these zippers in a bag for $4!

And if you know anything about Creative Memories albums, you can appreciate the deal on these two - $2 for the blue one and $3 for the tapestry one. They both had pages inside, too!

I'm linking to ...

Passage to India Wristlet

2011-07-20T07:39:00.001-04:00

Don't forget, this is the last day to enter my fat quarter giveaway!

Today I thought I'd share my favorite new "purse" with you ...

... my Passage to India Wristlet. I can't tell you how much I love this little bag! I have been carrying a huge bag ever since my first child was born nearly eight years ago. I'm a small person, so it's nice to carry something small for a change! :)

I'm one of those people that likes to carry along everything but the kitchen sink, "just in case." However, I've found that I don't usually use any of those specialty items in my purse.

So what I've been doing is going through my bigger purse (that's still sitting where I usually keep it) and only grabbing what I'll need for the trip I'm taking. As you can see from the picture above, this little bag can hold quite a bit. This is what I took along on my grocery trip yesterday, and I didn't miss anything.

Obviously I've been using this one, so it won't be going into the shop. However, I do have several wristlets in the works right now, so keep an eye out. :)

I'm linking to ... Upcycled Awesome,