Happy Halloween!

The bee (on her blooming bath- which doesn't really fit in my sink as an actual bath-
but really works well as a mat for her to lie on- especially when she's dressed as a bee)

The spooky witch turning her sister into a bee 

 

N wanted to be lots of things this Halloween - and so I held off making any costume until the last minute when she clearly decided to be a witch (a spooky one). So the 30th found me searching for some appropriate fabric, and making a fleece lined cloak and black dress (with the dress being an altered maternity shirt- and the black fleece transformed from an old cardigan of mine. The great sparkly moon and cloud fabric was a hand-me-down fabric from a project my sister started). I always think I should get rid of my fabric- or at least cull the hoard, but then I remember all the last minute projects I complete with fabric I was on the verge of giving away.

 





Mug Cozies

These big mugs of mine are a little large for Coffee, but actually perfect for tea, and for some reason I find tea much hotter than coffee, well maybe just when it's brewed in the cup. So I fashioned a few mug cozies, and even though as always some changes will be made the next time I make one- I am pretty happy with the results. I love that fabric, with the multicoloured flowers all over it, I used it for the big floor pillow I made N for Christmas, and I love using old buttons for that purpose, I think it's a very tactile way to use them, you can really enjoy them that way. 

Bucket Hat

So I finally caved and made N a new bucket hat- I really wanted to use that tweed-y print and I think the blue flowers are so fresh, I love the way it pops.  It was actually very simple- I made up a pattern based on one of her store bought hats, and then sewed it up- it's a bit unwieldy on the inside hat because I didn't topstitch the inside and outside together except at the brim- because they're slightly different sizes at the crown- and this way it's reversible. I think it'll be a good fall hat as well as summer- and best of all N loves it.

After a couple of birthday sewing items for N, I'll also be putting the sewing machine away so that I can start making some more pots and mugs and paintings. Now that I've made the hat I think I am truly done sewing for summer, and Christmas and fall craft shows are looming on the horizon.

Gathering Aprons

N and ducky- hard at work.

Now that I've spoken out against mother daughter matching- I have to come clean and show the gathering aprons I made earlier this spring. They seem fantastically optimistic at this point because Spring 2011 in Manitoba has been more like November in Vancouver, and nothing has been happening in the mud bog vegetable garden, so these aprons got their first use yesterday- when we picked four(!) stalks of asparagus, and did a little more transplanting from the doomed rock garden.

N's apron has just the one big pocket in front, and mine has five pockets that snap down at the sides, and can open out to bring in more, I can put my scissors, and gloves, and seed packs, and hopefully a little produce in there and have both hands free for kid wrangling. I cut both aprons short so that they don't get in the way when we're working, and they're made out of tough washable canvas- a vintage print that used to be curtains somewhere, but my mother-in-law can't quite remember where (yay recycling!).

Tunic Top

I've been optimistically making spring and summer clothes for myself and the girl these last couple of weeks. This tunic top was the latest finished item- made out of fabric I bought last summer and love, love,love. The combo of acid green and violet and pink and blue somehow works, and I love the scale of the print. I've been longing for more prints in my wardrobe for a while, and I'm finally using the fabric I've been hoarding for something useful. I used this tutorial for making costume tops- and inset the sleeves instead of having all that excess fabric in the shoulder area- it was easy, it would have been a fifteen minute project if I hadn't got all fancy with contrasting borders and keyhole necks.

Now if only the weather would smarten up and I could get outside, or wear something other than sweaters and rubber boots. Seriously-the flood situation in Manitoba is intense- you can read about the details here- it's a complicated mess of dikes, and faulty gages, and controlled breaches, and evacuations. In short- it's not good news, and the weather is making it worse. The water table is so high that this rain is just sitting on top- even in areas not directly affected by the Assiniboine- farmland is wet- too wet to work-to wet to plant- hopefully it dries up soon- or food prices will skyrocket and some farmers will lose their shirts.

We're lucky to be high above the Souris river, but even so it's best to cross your fingers and hope for sun.

Bolero for baby

Yesterday the babe and I whipped up a little peasant-blouse/bolero for her to wear over this sundress when we have family photos taken (well, she practiced standing up in her playpen while I sewed, but her input is invaluable).
I was particularly pleased with how the simple zig zag stitch around the edge was fancied up by using decorative rayon thread- in a variegated lilac. The sheen of the thread against the cotton is subtle but very nice. An easy way to add some detail to a simple top.

In the Land of Fabric

Yesterday I went to the time vacuum that is Fabricland-It doesn't matter what I'm there for it always takes an hour- always. All I needed was a backing for this vintage table linen which I intend to turn into a summer blanket, and I did get that- it's really more white than it appears, the pattern doesn't stand out so much.

But I also came away with this fetching bargain centre knit and some brown stretch lace trim.

I'm not really sure how old this fabric is- it's one of those instances of something so wrong it's right, which I've discovered happens a lot in a small town fabric store. Like many yards of fabric that now sit in my 'stash', I just had to have it. I wonder if something you have to deliberately get measured and cut still be considered an impulse buy?