goody-goody

Happy 4th!

 

Hope you have a safe, fun day. I hastily made a flag out of Krusteaz lemon bar mix and some fruit we had around. Hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Hey y'all

Summer is here and my blogging has been temporarily replaced with swimming, drippy popsicles, loungy days and giggling girls. And, oh yeah, napping. Lots of napping around here. Hot days are made for it. I'm hoping to have a new tutorial for something fun soon. But the hammock keeps calling me...

I have a few new things in the shop. I'm saving a lot of my creations for Renegade, which will be here before I know it. So many big crafty types are on the vendor list..I'm a little intimidated.

Hope you're keeping cool wherever you are.

xo

Slow going

I've finally completed another doll! At this rate, I'll be making what? Maybe four a year? I keep getting distracted with other projects and that whole "mothering" thing I'm supposed to be up to. 

More stash

My dad went fabric shopping for me at Liberty when he was in London. Now that's love. Aren't they delicious? I wish I could give each of you a bite!

happy tuesday.

Little bits

I made a doll quilt this weekend! It's only 18x22" in size, my binding skills stink (despite watching Amy Karol's video umm..like four times), but I love it anyways. And it only took a few hours to make, which encourages me to make more. For wall hangings, doll beds..who knows.  Sometimes it's good to make things for the sake of enjoying making them and not stressing too much over where they'll go or who will buy them. Just go with it. And check out this Flickr group. Such inspiring pieces!

Bitty Bug Pincushion

Looking for a quick fix? This pincushion is the perfect answer for Mother's Day or when you need to make a little somethingsomething to give to a crafty friend. It's so super easy you'll squeal! (And not in a "Eek, it's a bug and it's flying at my face" kind of way).

Get it:

• 2 circles of linen or plain fabric for tummy and back. I used a jar lid about 3" in diameter as a template

• 2 circles of print fabric for wings, same size

• 1 darker circle of linen or plain fabric, slightly smaller

• 2 antennae--I used jute twine cut into two 3" pieces, knotted on one end

• Optional ribbon loop (ribbon about 5" long) for hanging or attaching to scissors

Do it!:

• Get your pieces cut and laid out. Fold calico pieces in half and place, fold side towards middle on one of the plain pieces. Fold dark circle in half and place perpendicular to wings, fold side middle, as well. I know, it sounds kooky in writing--just look at the picture!

• Iron pieces flat. Pin to keep in place, if needed. Place antenna on top of darker folded circle, knotted ends towards the middle. I left a lot of the length hanging off--easier to cut it off later than to have them too short and pop out.

 

• Fold ribbon in half. Place loop inwards and cut ends on the side. I put mine off to the side a bit, so it doesn't look like he's pooping. I know, I think about these things way too much.

• Place other linen circle on top and pin all around, making sure you've got all your pieces where they will be sewn in nice and snug. Nothing's worse than having to go back, turn it again and sew a seam that didn't catch the first time. I back-tacked over the antennae and ribbon loop to make them extra secure.

• Sew all around edge, like a fabric Moon Pie leaving a thumb-sized hole for turning. Trim off excess twine or fabric, turn and stuff. If you'd like a little heft to your bug, add a few of those glass gardening pebbles to weigh it down. Stitch closed. Add french knots for eyes. Voila!

These would also make a fun gift for a child--sew a "hatch" of three or four without the ribbon loops and put them in a small floral drawstring bag. Or fill them with lavender for a sweet-smelling sachet.  If you decide to make some, be sure to post some pics to the goody-goody Flickr group. I'd love to see what you come up with.

thanks for stopping by!

*btw, pincushion design and pattern is for personal, non-commercial use only. Please do not sell items made from this tute. Thanks!

New bits

 

Some Spring creations I made for nina and tom in Davis. I have a few flower clips left and may add them to the mushrooms I have in my shop. We're on Spring Break around here..same chaos, more time at home goofing off. I'm hoping to plant my seedlings (from Melissa's seed planting party) this week. We've had a good soaking rain today so, hopefully the ground will be nice and welcoming to our new sprouts.

Goody girl v2

Um, wow. So many people came by to look at my free pattern. It was very exciting to bust the 2000 hit mark. Thank you! I'd love to see some of your finished projects..if you don't mind sharing, of course. I've started a Flickr group for completed projects. Join here! 'Cause I got lots of patterns and tutes to share.

Over the past few weeks, I've been tweaking my doll pattern a bit. The face especially. A little less Angelina..a little more Ramona. The eyes are essentially the same and I added a smidge of a nose. I defined the hands into fingers and shaped the feet to hold shoes (which I still have to make). I tea-dyed the muslin before sewing and it gives a nice skin tone--not too splochy or country-ish but not flat, either. I used instructions from here, but it's pretty simple. I always tend to think things are more complicated than they really are.

 

I really liked the dolls before, but now I think I love them. In a David Cassidy kind of way. (And now I've spent an hour looking at Partridge Family clips on YouTube. Great.)

Hope you had a nice weekend.

xo

Lauren

Pint-Sized Pocket Pillows

Whew! Finished just in time for the weekend! These little guys (and girls) are about 5" tall--the perfect size for little hands..and possibly Easter baskets? The pockets can accomodate all kinds of small and wonderful treasures--a lost tooth, a little love note or a tiny treat. I like customizing the patterns with bits of color on the clothes or changing the hair a bit. I'm not too fussy an embroiderer--if one foot ends up bigger than the other, eh, no biggie.

Get it:

Download Boygirlpillows

• small scraps of linen or other plain fabric
• embroidery thread, needle
• patterned fabric for back, pocket
• polyfil or wool stuffing

Do it:

• Print out pdf, transfer to plain fabric by taping to a window or tracing, using a light box, or an iron-on tranfer pen. I use a disappearing ink pen and a light box.

• Stitch your design. I use simple backstitching with two threads for the body and three for the colored accents. Tie off your ends well, cause you'll be yanking, turning and stuffing those kiddos.

 

 

• Once you've finished embroidering, dissolve ink pen with water and iron flat. Place stitching face down on fabric (right side up), pin, and cut out an eggplant-ish shape. As an added bonus, you get to see the seedy backside of my embroidery. Oooh. Naughty. Fold over the other patterned fabric and tuck (fold edge up) in between the other two layers. This is your pocket. Cut around the pocket to match the other shape.

 

• Pin all layers together and stitch all around, leaving .25 or .5 inch seam allowance. I tend to use a .5 just to be sure I get all those layers sewn in there and prevent the linen from fraying and popping out. I leave my opening on the side, to avoid involving the pocket. Turn, iron, stuff and stitch closed. Give 'em a squeeze. Just because.

Thanks for your patience on this one. And for the nice comments. You guys are wonderful cheerleaders! Happy weekend,

xo

Lauren

It's coming...really!

I've been procrastinating on my free pattern, but it's coming, I promise. It was a crazy-making week--what with having to put my kitty Earl to sleep to celebrating my baby turning 5. The circle of life. Plus, to be honest, I am having some crafting jitters..and trouble getting back in the saddle. So..instead of doing what I promised, I'm dorking around with my blog layout and making a new banner. Eh. Same goes for the pile of laundry in the bedroom. Time to get to business! Thanks for keeping with me.