goody-goody

Yay! It's all about me.

I got a copy of the September issue of Family Fun magazine at Borders...and there's my project! And a web shout-out! I know! Too many exclamation points!

A big thank you to the magazine and Deborah for including me in it. It gave me a much-needed boost today.

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.

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!

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

tgif quickie :: Patchwork Eye Pillow

Seeking your own spa day? Looking to make a super easy, personal but not TOO personal gift? This project is sure to please. You'll be closing your eyes and saying "Om" in no time.

Get it:

• Four patterns of fabric (something not too rough..we're not exfoliating here!) cut into the following sizes: two 4x5", two 4.5x4", two 3x4" and two 1.5x4" rectangles.
• Sewing machine--this could be done by hand, but the stitching needs to be super tight to keep all the goodness inside
• lavender, flaxseed or rice, essential oils (if you're not a lavender fan)

Do it:

 

• Divvy up your rectangles into two sets. Line 'em up in a pleasing order. Right sides together, sew pieces with a .25" seam allowance. Once you have all your friends sewn together into a nice strip, do it again with the other set of pieces. Yay. Front and back. Iron flat.

 

• Pin your strips right sides together. Square it up if necessary. I'm a crooked cutter, myself.

• Sew all around the edge, leaving a 1.5" hole for turning and filling.
• Trim seams, turn and iron. Poke out your corners with a chopstick.
• I like to topstitch my pillows around the outer edge--for two reasons: it looks cuter and more "done" and gives you another seam for strength. 'Cause cleaning up a pool of lavender and flaxseed isn't relaxing. Topstitch all around except for your hole.

• Use a small plastic funnel to fill your pillow (I bought a whole set of sizes at the dollar store) or make one from heavyweight paper. I usually mix my filling as 50/50 lavender and flaxseed. If you're using rice, you can add a few drops of essential oil and mix it in. Fill it to desired heft. I like mine to be nice and full but still a bit floppy. Stitch opening closed on machine or by hand.

Ta-da! Put it in the freezer to chill your peeps or microwave to soothe what's aching. Do you like my model? It's rough work being a four year-old.

New fabric! New Pimp Stitch Patterns! New book!

Holy moly. I didn't post much last week and now I have lots to talk about. First, I got my new stash of Heather Ross' Mendocino line today! I held back and ordered only a few patterns. Mostly because I know I'll probably order more later on when I have a better idea of what I'm doing with them. I love all the colorways..the electric fuschia is really cool. But I'm not a huge purple person. Bah. Boring, I know.

Tomorrow is new pattern day at Pimp Stitch. We're getting spoooky with Halloween themes this week, so check it out. Don't be too scared. You know they'll be cute. Fall is right around the corner. Thank goodness. I'm so tired of sweating!

As if that's not enough, superlady (and fellow Pimp Stitcher) Tamie Snow has a book signing this Thursday for her adorable new book, Tiny Yarn Animals. She might even be coaxed into giving us a demo. She's an awesome crafter and a wonderful person. Come meet her and celebrate with us.

That's all for now. Toodles!

It's here! and other fluffy bits..

Meet my new friend. I don't get out much, so I had to mailorder her..kind of a tech version of Lars and the Real Girl. Hopefully I won't have to fake her death so I can go on to have relationships with living, breathing people. I'll just stay in my little sewing cave, thank you very much.

And look at these new fabrics from Erin McMorris' new line called Park Slope. I'm in love with their funky retro feel and can't get enough birds. I got mine here, the shipping was pretty reasonable. I know, birds are sooo three years ago. But in this house, birds are always in fashion. Except when they hit our picture window. Then they are in pain.

Well, back to my cupcake crusade '08. I just finished a batch of chocolate ones. They were so beautiful and puffy when they came out of the oven and then turned into wrinkly old men when I turned my back. Why does that always happen to the chocolate ones? Well, good thing I plan to cover their faces with oodles of Amy Sedaris' frosting. I thought I would shrink these and use them as cupcake picks, but nothing lined up right and they are decorating my trash can instead. Bummer.

Check in on Pimp Stitch for Tamie and Missy's new patterns! They are so cute--a perfectly adorable ending to our week of new releases!

Hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Yuck and Yum..

 
My computer went dark on Thursday evening and never came back. Time of death? 8:53 p.m. I'm hoping it will be up and at 'em soon. In the meantime, I'm using the hub's sad little laptop from work. My tgif quickie will have to wait until next week. I couldn't bear to post without a picture, but since I can't access mine, I thought I would share this new yummy fabric line from Heather Ross that's coming out this summer. Mermaids and octopi. And it's called Mendocino...which just happens to be one of my favorite places on this earth.

The winner of the humpday giveaway is Sue Cahill! If you're Sue, please e-mail me your addy and I will get your tote on its way to you. Thanks for all the comments, y'all! Hope you're not groggy from those virtual margaritas we shared. Hic.

Be back soon (hopefully! If the computer gods smile upon me..)

humpday giveaway! or why I hate point and shoots

I had my little linen tote ready to take pictures for Wednesday's giveaway. At which point the camera batteries died. During a moment of eco-friendly shopping, we have replaced most AA batteries in the house with rechargeable ones. Which is annoying only because there are never batteries available when you need them. A normal, sane person would buy more rechargeable batteries than needed at any given time. I'm neither. In the past, I have scavenged from assorted clocks, remotes and Leap Pads--desperate to find just one pair with enough juice to give me a decent picture. And then, just when you switch on the macro...beeep, beeep, beeep.

So, if you'd like this little poorly-photographed drawstring tote, leave me a comment. It's the perfect size for all kinds of travel needs or would make a cute little lunch bag. I'll draw a name at random tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for stopping by!

Busy busy..

Whew! We made it to Friday. Slap! (that's the sound of me high-fiving you..) I've been kicking the 'ol craftworks machine up a notch, getting ready for Baz Biz and a Mother's Day open house the following weekend. These are some of the quilted snappies I've been making. They're a mix of new and vintage fabrics. These days, I've been more and more drawn to vintage, though. I love the thrill of the hunt. It's something you just can't do online (where the prices get all icky, anyways). If you know of any kick-ass places to find some in CA, let me know.

On the subject of vintage...I don't like to attach the labels of "eco", "green" and "repurposed" to things I make and, honestly, the word "upcycling" that's being thrown around makes me want to upchuck. It's just kind of an ugly word, I mean. For some reason, a picture of a unicycle always pops in my head. I hate that the environment has become yet another marketing tool..but that's just the way the world turns, I suppose. Sell it however you can. For me, it's more about the little daily choices we make. The trash we pick up when no one's looking. Washing out a plastic bag when it would just be easier to toss it. It's not the same as the thrill of finding a wadded up bunch of old fabric at the thrift store. Wondering where it's been and who it was important to at some time. Finding a way to give it new life..stitching together bits of the past. Passing it along. And, yes, selling it. Your thoughts?

The winner of the hump day giveaway is Ginny! If you're Ginny, please e-mail me your snail mail and I'll get your tissue cozy on its way! There's plenty of sneezing left in this allergy season, so I'm sure it will get a lot of use. Thanks to everyone who commented. I like hearing from you. Really.

I'm a little behind on this week's tgif tutorial so bear with me..but my idea has been stewing in my head for a few days. It will be cute. Promise.