Quilting Project.

 

 

 

I started this quilt yesterday. I can count on one hand the number of quilts I have made and half of those were from whole quilt panels that one can purchase at fabric stores. Basically you buy the panel, batting and backing, pin them all together and then quilt them either by hand or on a machine. I have only pieced two or three quilt tops myself and both were simple block patterns I did on the sewing machine. I love quilts, but I believe the reason I don't make more of them is because they are very labor intensive and I like projects that I can complete in one or two sewing sessions.

I didn't piece this quilt top. I actually bought it 15 years ago from a woman that was cleaning out her deceased mother's home when we lived in LaGrange, Georgia. There were boxes and boxes of quilts in various stages of completion and a fabric stash that put mine to shame. I didn't sew much then so I wasn't impressed with any of it and just bought two quilt tops to be nice. I packed them up and only rediscovered them a few weeks ago and that's when I decided to quilt this one. It's made out of scraps and it's not square and there are several places that need to be repaired, but each time I pick it up I seem to fall in love with it that much more. I spent about two hours yesterday ironing it and pinning it together all the while wondering if the woman that pieced the quilt did so with fabric scraps that were left after she made dresses for her daughter(s). I don't know much about vintage fabric, but after a quick search on the internet my guess is that the majority of these are from the 30s and 40s. The patterns have inspired me to make Lilly a few summer dresses from reproductions. They just seem perfect for those hot steamy days we have here in July and August.

I've decided to quilt this by hand instead of doing it on the sewing machine despite the fact that machine quilting is much faster. I don't have experience using my machine for quilting and I was afraid I'd mess it up and that's the last thing I'd want to happen. Unfortunately I don't have a frame so I have to manage the bulk of the fabric in my lap, good thing it is so cold right now and I get to snuggle under the quilt and sew at the same time. That's a pretty good trade off. I worked on it a few hours last night while Ryan and Lilly watched a movie. It's going slowly and my fingers are sore from pulling the needle through the fabric, but I am proud to see it taking shape after all this time.

What will Lilly be wearing this Spring?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just whipped this together.

I haven't sewn in about two weeks. There's been too many other things keeping me from the sewing machine (kids, work, obsessing about the poor economy) and too many nights where I find myself yearning to go to bed at 9 p.m.

But today while looking at Whip Up I found a tutorial to re-purpose a ribbed-knit sweater. I didn't think I was a re-purpose kinda gal, but as I am looking at the photos of the skirt I start thinking about a sweater that I know I haven't worn in years tucked away in the closet. The next thing I know Lilly and I are going up the steps and then down again with the sweater in hand. It only takes twenty minutes or so to cut a wedge-like pattern out of it and sew it all together. Just like that I got my sewing fix. My only regret--when the tutorial said to pull the hem taut as you zig-zag stitch across the bottom to create a ruffle they meant very taut. I didn't pull mine tight enough and I have more of a wave than a ruffle. Oh well, better luck next time.

I tried it on Lilly and she exclaimed, "Wow! Cool Mommy!" as she was galloping around in it. That's her new thing-everything is "cool" and she has this funny little gallop that she does all the time. Oh, and sorry I don't have pictures of Lilly in the skirt; her other thing is running around naked. I can't keep clothes on her and she doesn't seem to care that it is 20 degrees here. I guess that's why she gallops all the time.

Risky Business or Business Casual?

You decide...

Santa's Workshop.

About a month ago I decided to make many if not most of Ryan and Lilly's Christmas presents. One reason is they already have more toys than they know what to do with and the other is to keep from spending too much money. I am also lucky that they are still young enough that they don't ask for specific things and the best thing about presents to them is tearing the paper off.

I spent several weeks looking at sewing books, blogs and on-line market places like ETSY for inspiration. The more I looked the more excited I became about doing this for the kids.

Lilly loves dolls and animals and there is an endless number of projects for her, but as soon as I saw the pattern for this simple rag doll I knew I had to make one, maybe two, oh, why not three for her. There's also a mini-quilt in the works and a few new outfits, too. I am sure I'll think of more stuff along the way, girls are easy.

Then there's Ryan. His new discovery is robots. I plan to applique him a robot t-shirt similar to this one. I also have a stash of Alexander Henry's Robot Fabric. What I should say is I have a huge stash of the robot fabric. It is now discontinued and I saw it on the internet and impulsively bought it. Now I am glad I have it and have so much of it because I believe there is enough to make a new valance, pillow shams and a few other decorative items for Ryan's room. I know these aren't exciting things for a five year old boy, so don't worry he's also getting something that will qualify as fun and exciting in his eyes. But then again, I made Ryan a pair of pants from a pirate print several months ago and he's all about wearing them.

With only 33 days until Christmas I had better get to work. I just hope my sewing list is not too ambitious.

Wedding.

I have been sewing again. Well, to be honest I still seem to manage to sew often, but my latest project has been a flower girl dress for my cousin Elizabeth's November 29th wedding. I still need to hem it and work on the best way to attach the sash, but all and all I am happy with how it has turned out. I am still debating on an embellishment around the neckline. Any suggestions?

Elizabeth's wedding mean so much to all of us. She was the flower girl in our wedding and her mother made her dress, too. That is why I volunteered to make one for Lilly. It hardly seems right that she will be walking down the aisle in a few weeks.

Rourk is also going to give Elizabeth away and Ryan is going to be her ring bearer. I guess that leaves me in charge of getting my children to the alter. I am sure that will be like herding cats.

Spooky.

My sewing revival started last year at Halloween when I decided to make Lilly a dress. If you'd like to see a picture of it go HERE.

I made the one in these pictures a few weeks ago for her to wear to school during October. She also has one with a candy corn pattern. This is my favorite peasant dress pattern and it is super easy. I have made several other outfits for Lilly to wear this fall and winter and hope to take pictures and post them soon.

Amy Butler

I made my first Amy Butler Swing Bag. It took me all week snatching a few minutes here and there. One day I even worked on it with Lilly sitting on my lap. That's how badly I wanted to finish this purse. I am happy with it since it was my first attempt. I added pockets on the inside. I am glad I did because it is a deep purse and it is easy for things to get lost in the bottom. You know, like Hot Wheel cars and Goldfish snacks.

Giveaway Option Number One.

HOSTESS APRON

Giveaway option number one is a hostess apron. The winner that picks this prize will be able to pick the fabric and either a bib, or half apron style. Even if you aren't a gourmet cook, aprons are great for everyday tasks around the house. I even wear mine when the kids are doing messy activities like finger painting.

If you want to see more aprons check out Jessie Steele. She has a great collection and I can only aspire to be as good one day.

The Angry Chicken has aprony stuff too.

Givaway....for all five of you.

I just finished moving Lilly Pad Designs to this blog. I thought it would be easier to incorporate my sewing and family blog in one place. Word is slowly, very slowly getting out about my little business and I want to celebrate.

I thought a great way to do that would be to give away a handcrafted item created by ME. Hey, your odds of winning are pretty good because I know I am not the Pioneer Woman. She gets thousands of comments a day on her blog and when she has a contest she may get 15,000 comments/entries. I'm small potatoes compared to that, but this will be fun for all (five) of us.

The rules are simple: just leave a comment on any post I write between this one and July 7th. A simple hello is sufficient. At the end of that time I'll put all the names in a hat and let Ryan draw the winner. I'll then announce the winner here.

I'll post the details about what I am giving away soon. Just remember...I am all about getting to pick out what you want!

My Challenge.

The other day I was shopping on-line at SuperBuzzy for fabric to use for a couple of birthday gifts when I clicked on the link for books and magazines. The page contained a variety of Japanese pattern books and I immediately fell in love with the one pictured in the above picture. I ordered it despite the fact that it is written in Japanese. The description for the book included the following: Note that the magazine is written in Japanese, but patterns and schematics are included. Crafters who cannot read Japanese but who have some sewing experience are usually able to interpret the instructions without any trouble, and others can use the projects as inspiration for their own creations.

I studied the patterns and the instructions last week and decided my first attempt would be the dress on the cover, but for some reason at the very last minutes I decided to make the one on the right in this picture.


The first step was to trace the pattern on to wax paper. It took almost an hour to figure out how to cut out the white inset on the bodice of the dress. It was during this process that I decided to pull out some inexpensive fabric and make a dress with it first. It took three more hours to sew the rest of the dress together. (For those of you that are wondering when I find the time. I started at eight last night and didn't finish until eleven. The kids were asleep.) It was a challenge and that's putting it mildly. I was able to figure it out because each pattern has detailed drawing like this one.



Here it is....

Here's a shot of Lilly modeling for me.



And here's one of her screaming her head off because Ryan barged in on her photo shoot.


Now I plan to make make one with more traditional fabrics. I am thinking about a cream colored linen, or muslin trimmed in black. I may even embroider something from Sublime Stitching at the hem.

Lilly Pad Designs. How to order.

It is simple....

Step One. Pick out your design.

I make the following items on a regular basis, but please ask if you have something else in mind and I will do my best to help you design a unique outfit.

Reversible Pinafore

Take a look at this modern twist, super-cute pinafore. You can layer the pinafore over a long sleeve onesie, turtleneck, pants or jeans for a cute wintertime outfit. It can also be worn alone in the summer with shorts, bloomers or a skirt. And don't forget...it is completely reversible, so it is like getting two tops in one.

Also a great apron or smock......but maybe a little too cute....

Available in 12 months, 18 months, 2T, 3T and 4T

Cost is $12.00 plus the cost of fabric. If item is shipped there is also a $3.00 shipping and handling charge.

Halter Dress or Top

What little girl wouldn't love to twirl in this great dress?

This is an a-line halter dress that ties at the neck and has elastic to eliminate any drooping or sagging. Like all of my items you can choose the fabric for a one of a kind look for your little girl. This item can also be shorten to create a top.

This item is available as shown in 12 months, 2T, 3T and 4T. A v-neck version in sizes 4, 6, and 8.

Cost is $15.00 plus the cost of fabric. If the item is shipped there is a $3.00 shipping and handling charge.

Shorts and Pants.

I have several patterns for elastic waist shorts and pants in a variety of sizes. They can be made with coordinating fabric to match halter tops, or appliquéd t-shirts.

Cost is $12.00 plus the cost of fabric. If item is shipped there is a $3.00 shipping and handling charge.

Appliquéd T-shirts

The possibilities are endless.... The pictures shown here are just a few ideas for an appliquéd t-shirt. I can do many different fonts for initials and designs. And like I mentioned above matching elastic waist shorts or pants can be made to coordinate with a shirt. Does yous daughter like butterflies? Does your son love dinosaurs? Let me know and I'll help you design and outfit for them!

The appliqué is heat fused to the t-shirt and then hand-sewn for a unique look. I also use fray block around the edges, but slight fraying may occur. I believe this just gives the shirt character.

Cost is $15.00 plus the cost of the t-shirt. I use American Apparel shirts and have been very pleased with their quality. The shirts average $7.00 each and come in infant, youth and children's sizes. The fabric for the appliqué is included as long as I have it available in my massive bin of scrap fabric. There will be an extra charge for special order fabric.

Step Two. Pick out your fabric.

This if the fun part!

I order most of the fabric I use from on-line sources. I use quality fabric from some of the best fabric designers. The price per yard usually starts at $8.00 and can go up from there. Most of the items I create require at least one yard of fabric and I prefer sewing on 100% cotton. Once you pick your item and tell me the size I will tell you how much fabric is needed to complete it. I keep a small inventory of fabric on hand and can e-mail pictures of it to you. If you don't see anything you like just tell me and I'll send you the web addresses of several sources. I am constantly ordering new fabric.

Step Three.

After all the selections are made I will send an invoice for you to review and approve. The invoice will itemize the fabric and construction costs. Once you confirm the order I will request payment by e-mail via PayPal. If you are a friend or family member and I have agreed to accept a personal check I will send you an e-mail with my mailing address.

Step Four.

Now it is my turn to get busy sewing. As soon as I complete your item I will mail it to you, or make arrangements for local delivery.

If you have questions please feel free to e-mail me at rourkmar@charter.net

Chomp! Chomp!

This is one of the few things I have made for a boy. Cute, uh? I appliquéd this as a birthday gift for one of Ryan's classmates. I think I'll make Ryan one too. It will be therapeutic. It will help me forget that my sewing machine in bumping across American in the back of a delivery truck.

Female bonding.

Lilly and I spent a few wonderful hours outside this afternoon enjoying the warm breeze coming down from Paris Mountain. While we were having a little female bonding time Ryan took a much needed nap after his horrific experience having blood drawn a Greenville Memorial Hospital. He routinely has his thyroid levels checked because his TSH is elevated without medication. The last time it was checked it was still elevated, so he has been taking an increased dose of Synthroid and the blood draw was to evaluate if this new dose is working. When Ryan was younger he took these appointments in stride, but now he seems to know what we are going to do to him and he starts crying and resisting me as soon as we step into the clinic. I have started immediately going into the lab asking the phlebotomist to get an assistant and requesting the room with the exam table. I explain to the staff that I'll help the assistant hold Ryan still while the blood is drawn. This may sound awful and it is, but it's the only way to get it done and get it done fast.


But like I said, Lilly and I spent a few hours together. Our first task was to explore the garden and to my surprise the peonies Rourk and I divided last September are going to bloom this year. We split one large plant into six smaller ones. I thought this was drastic on our part and we'd have to wait several years for them to bloom again. Not so, three of them have small buds on them. I guess we didn't disturb them too bad after all.


The bulbs I planted with Ryan and Lilly are also starting to shoot through the ground. I also saw a few Black-eyed Susans making a comeback along side the yarrow. Let me tell you this very quickly...if you want a hardy plant for your garden get this one. A couple of years ago I tried to eradicate it because I wanted the area where it was planted for other flowers. Well, forget that! It keeps coming back and now has completely recovered from my attempts to kill it off. It's definitely a keeper.

After the garden tour Lilly decided to play at the foot of the deck steps, so I took a seat at the top of them to watch her and to finish two bibs for a friend's new baby girl. I hand appliquéd them and love how they turned out. a is for Annie by the way. She was born on March 30th. I know Lisa and her family are proud to have her in their family.




As I was sitting there watching Lilly and finishing my sewing I allowed my mind to wonder a bit. I spent most of the time thinking about Lilly and her temperament. It is the opposite of Ryan's at the same age and let me be honest--she's hard to deal with sometimes. She can be clingy and whiny and difficult to console. I have watched her completely fall apart when she anticipates the slightest hint of trouble. I have figured out that she does this mostly when someone is watching. Like today on the deck, she rode her ride-on toy a half dozen times between the deck and the kitchen, each trip she skillfully maneuvered the slight step-up into the kitchen, but the moment she looked up to see me watching she started reaching out, crying for help and demanding that I get up and push her over the threshold. I couldn't help but chuckle at her attempts to play helpless. I am basically clueless as to how to deal with her, but today I tried encouragement and a " Yeah, Lilly." or two. She smiled and continued on her way. Unfortunately encouragement doesn't always work and she could have just as easily fell to the floor and pitched an even greater tantrum. I just tell myself it is a girl thing and cope with her the best I can most days.

I do think, however, that Lilly needs to have opportunities to foster her independence. At 18 months I find it is difficult to find things for her to do, but I have started letting her explore the backyard on her own. Ours is completely fenced and she's always under my watchful eye of course. I have allowed her to do this 2 or 3 times and I believe it has been good for her. While I was sewing this afternoon I lost her for a few minutes and after scanning the yard I found her sitting on a swing. She was actually rocking back and forth on her feet and happy as a lark. She'll be swinging on her own in another month if she keeps that up.

It may sound as if Lilly and I weren't bonding at all because I was encouraging her to do her thing and I was enjoying doing mine, but I believe spending time quietly and each other presence is some of the best bonding time of all.

Camo for Boot Camp.

Lilly had a tantrum this morning because I wouldn't let her have two cups of milk to carry around. When I took one away from her and gave it to Ryan; she walked up and took it from the table when he wasn't looking. Her behavior is getting out of hand so I am thinking about sending her to Boot Camp. I think the structure will do her good and besides that she's cute in her camouflage.