rostitchery

a little fixer upper, totally rejected

here’s a gift project that takes just a quarter yard of fabric and can be completed in an hour.

my friend jen’s little girl has a dolly that she calls baby.  baby was getting ragged, so jen asked me to make her a little cover up.  but as all mothers know, you can’t just send a dolly away for fittings without completely wrecking the harmony of the home.  so jen got an identical dolly for me to use to make the cover up.

 

using a piece of pink fleece and a scrap of lace, i made a cover up that i thought was adorable and in keeping with the spirit of baby.

 

jen’s little girl is having nothing to do with it.  LOL  which just goes to prove that kids love their babies warts and all—just like mamas do.

it was a very simple outfit and the next time i make one i’ll take pictures to show you.  in the meantime, the basics of the outfit are just 7 steps:

1. cut a rectangle that is long enough to go from wrist to wrist, and wide enough to go from under the arm in front to under the arm in back.
2. cut a slit up the back and a hole for the head.
3. add elastic to the wrists, then sew the sleeve underarms.
4. cut a body rectangle that reaches from the bottom of the bodice to just past the foot—and wider than the circumference of the doll (the exact amount wider depends on the fabric—if it is thick make it less wide, if it is light, make it more wide).
5. gather the body rectangle to the opening of the bodice, leaving a bit in back ungathered to allow for closure.
6. add closure (i used hook-and-loop tape cut into small pieces)
7. add embellishment as desired.

 

 

 

*buy local, buy handmade buyers hack:  most of us want and/or need to make some of our gifts, so i encourage you to think about what you want to make and get started NOW.  remember the rules:  choose projects that you can start and finish the same day, and as much as possible using only items you already have on hand.  don’t make it hard on yourself.  resentment does not promote good holiday spirits.  :)

remembering, again

on this, the 10th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, i am revisiting this post which was originally published in 2006.  

in the days immediately following the attacks of 9/11, i spent a lot of time just trying to keep my mind off my fears.  flylady was a tremendous help in this--she had taught me that i could add to the total peace in the world by creating peace in my own home.  it was soooooooooo soothing to take up a mop and just clean--to spiritually unite my little effort to the efforts of so many brave, heroic men and women who were cleaning up a far greater mess.  a lot of contemplation can be had while swiping back and forth, back and forth, back and forth....

my heart began calling me to do something outside myself, to offer whatever i could to help.  and like most americans, my mind turned to the one symbol the entire world recognizes as "US"--our flag.

from my scrap bin i found just the right red--just the right white--just the right blue (it even had some stars on it).  i cut and sewed and pieced and trimmed and at the end of the day, i had a pile of little quilted flags.  TINY flags, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand--all different, all made on instinct and without a plan, all of them childish and simple and utterly comforting to my sore, scared heart.

i wore one as a pin that night to the show, and so many people asked to buy one that a little "industry" was born--i sold dozens of these little flags for whatever donation the buyer thought they were worth--and in just one week i raised hundreds of dollars to give to the american red cross.

as much as possible, i will describe how i made these, but there aren't really any instructions because the making of them was more a process toward healing than an exercise in creativity. 

i started by cutting several strips of white and red fabrics and piecing them together lengthwise in groups of two (white and red) and three (red/white/red).  i also cut little rectangles from the blue fabric, not really paying attention to how many stars were in each piece but making them about the width of the red/white/red group.

i cut the group of red/white/red strips into segments that seemed proportional to the blue field--i did this by eye, and i think you can trust your own eyes for this too.  i stitched a blue piece to a red/white/red segment, stripes running horizontally of course, making the upper half of the flag.

i cut the white/red pieced strips into segments the same length as the upper sections, stitched the upper and lower sections together, and trimmed them to square up the corners.

lastly, i layered the flags with batting and muslin backing, stitched around them and turned them right side out, then quilted along the stripes and around the blue field.  i sewed pin backs on by hand after the flag was all done.

i kept two of these little flags, the one that i wore, and one other.  i got them out today so i could wear mine to work, ella took the other one (that one does not have a pin back on it), she held it over her heart and sang her ABC's.  i think that is as american as it gets--to hope for a better future as we remember the sorrows of days past--all wrapped up in the hand of a child.

 

luncheon set, part two, with lots of happiness

the luncheon set is complete!

inspiration:

 

interpretation:

 

and it is much, much nicer and better and gooder and spectacular-er and satisfactory-er than it would have been if i hadn't totally messed up at the start.

in fact, it is much closer to the original project as described in the book than it would have been if i had not been thinking about something shiny when i totally messed up at the start.

and thank goodness i had the “foresight” to make two extra napkins.  they made a very nice pitcher grip for our lemonade.

 

as the first placemat was coming off the machine, ella exclaimed, "oh mama, THAT. IS. SO. CUUUUUUUTE!".  i believe i have a luncheon set convert.

 

SRC:  2/3 yard of polka dot fabric that i am never without so it doesn’t matter about points.  but i am taking 100 points for this:

 

the piece of apron fabric was exactly the right size for this project, and there was no waste.  :)

 

*i will confess that i am a polka dot fan[atic].  it’s not exactly as if i horde polka dot fabrics, but it’s not exactly as if i don't horde them either.  i like to think of my shelves as a safe haven for fabrics of all polka dot persuasions.  surely other people offer aid and comfort to fabric as well--do you?

luncheon set, part one

in which i narrowly avert a major disappointment.

the book "encyclopedia of modern sewing" has been one of my favorites for many years.  when published, it was in fact a comprehensive book on how to sew just about anything that could be sewn.  (it still is--but that's a thought for another post).

from time to time i pull this book off the shelf just to browse, and as so often happens, something will catch my eye that i had previously not been at all interested in.  this time, it was luncheon sets. 

 

and i had just the fabric for it--a piece of adorable apron-themed cotton that my sweet friend mamafitz had sent me some years ago and that had risen to the top of the stash in my ongoing war against clutter. 

 

it was exactly the right size for this project, so there would be no waste!

 

whenever you say to yourself, "this piece of fabric is exactly the right size for this project, so there will be no waste!", just do yourself a favor and take a moment to collect your thoughts so you can begin planning how you will proceed when you discover you have cut the first piece along the wrong edge and have thus ruined any possibility of cutting the rest of the set out of the remainder of the fabric.

so--after collecting my thoughts, i cut the rest of the fabric into napkins--there was enough fabric left to cut 6 luncheon-size napkins, so i went with that in the belief that somehow i'd figure out what to do to make things right.  i started rolling the edges on my serger, silently berating myself for not having paid closer attention to what i was doing when i had started cutting the fabric.

and suddenly, this came into view:

 

and i knew exactly how i was going to fix my mistake.

so tomorrow, i will cut out one table runner and four placemats from this fabric:

 

i'll trim them with the "scraps" left from making the napkins:

 

and by the end of the day, i will have my luncheon set.

SRC:  a little more than one yard of fabric (so far) that i've had for about 7 years--that's 7 points, plus a 2-point deduction for messing up, plus a 5-point bonus for figuring out a solution.  10 points and i'm not even done with the set yet.  :)

*what was your most recent mistake? how did you fix it?

quickie kitchen towel upgrade

from time to time i get a kitchen towel that has a little bit of ribbon sewn into the corner. 

 

all this time i've been thinking it was only useful for hanging the towel on a hook or on a knob, but none of our cabinets have knobs, they have handles.  so i've just been hanging the towels on the door handles or the oven door handle, but they fall off and that bugs me.  and then today, it hit me:

pass the beribboned corner behind the handle.

 

thread the opposite corner thru the ribbon.

 

pull the towel thru and admire the non-falling-off majesty.

 

so for the rest of the evening i will be adding ribbons to the corners of any kitchen towel that doesn't have one.

 

*this is going to be added to all future hostess gifts, or at least the ones that include kitchen towels.  what genius ideas are you working on?

old times cape

this is for my sister who needs a cloak but who doesn't have enough faith in her mad sewing skilz.  ;)

our family is deep in the "little house" books right now--we just started "the long winter"--and most of our playtime and learning time and all times in between are about "the old times".

in "little house on the prairie", laura gets a fur cape and muff from the church for christmas.  so one day when we were shopping for fabric ella picked out some fake fur and i made her "an exact copy" (sic) of laura's cape.

details:  i used the free wild things patternmaking program from wild ginger software to figure out the dimensions for the cape but instead of printing out the pattern i just drew it directly on the fabric.  i used some pretty, shiny stuff from my stash for a lining, stand collar, and ties.

this would make a quick and easy christmas present--you could use some fleece, or some pretty wool, and line it with something unexpected so there is a flash of surprise when you twirl!

and now my secret:  95% of the time, if i don't need an exact color or pattern of fabric, i make capes from skirts or dresses i find at the thrift store.  if i use a skirt, i just slash it up the front and finish the edges.  if i use a dress, i cut off the skirt then slash and finish.  sometimes i don't even have to slash--if it has a front opening i can use that as a decorative element.  the skirt/dress doesn't have to be a circle skirt--a half circle will make a more fitted cape, and a rectangle can be pleated or gathered at the neck to make more of a cloak or mantle.  i've made really pretty capes from velvet dresses and you can even use parts of the dress for decoration--the collar can be re-used, the buttons, sometimes there is even a lining already there.  if there are pockets in the right place, you can cut them out and you have instant arm holes!!!

and now--to make the muff!  details when i get it done.

looking for old friends in a round robin quilt

while sorting thru years and years (nearly two decades) of pictures i found some very low resolution images of rows for several quilts i helped make almost 15 years ago.  i'm hoping that by posting pictures of these rows, someone will recognize them and will be able to help me get back in touch with these friends.  these are rows i made for a quilting round robin consisting of members of the rec.crafts.textiles.quilting (RCTQ) usenet group (this was back before there was even a world wide web--back when screennames were assigned to you by your ISP and had all the randomness of car license tags).

the idea was for us to get to know each other more personally by each making one row for a quilt for each participant.  we each put together a box that contained some fabrics we'd like included in the quilt, and the coordinator created a shipping sequence so we'd know who to send our boxes to each month.  we would get the first box, make a row, then send it on to the next quilter so she could add her row, etc. when all the rows were done our own box would have made it thru the round and back home, where we would each assemble the rows into a quilt.

when the box arrived each month we had the whole month to create a row, using the fabrics in the box plus any other fabrics we wanted to include.  some participants had themes they hoped we'd follow, some didn't, but the idea was that the rows we made for each other would reflect both the makers' creativity and the recipients' taste.  some quilters wanted their rows signed, and some wanted the quilt label signed, but in the end there would be nine quilts that each had nine different makers involved and documented in their creation.

i felt completely out of my element in this round robin because i was a beginning quilter and i had seen the wonderful things the other quilters had made, but they very graciously let me join the group and over the course of almost a year i got to know each of them so much better and become so fond of each of them (none of us ever met in person--the whole project was all coordinated and conducted via snail mail and email).  and by getting to see each of the previous rows as the boxes came each month i learned so much about the art of quilting (or rather the art of patchwork--i never saw the completed quilts in person).

each quilter also put in her box a journal that the other quilters could read and add to along the way.  it was fascinating to read the makers' thoughts and inspirations and challenges in their own handwriting--so revealing of the depth of feeling and consideration each quilter put into the row she made for each recipient. 

month by month, the boxes grew heavier--because being quilters, we each added a little something to the box for the recipient, and often for the quilters who would follow.  i always added a fat quarter of my hand-dyed fabric, and a postcard from nashville, and usually some small token such as a packet of hand needles or a spool of good thread.  just something to connect with the quilters down the line who i knew would one day be kind enough not to mock my work out loud.  ;)

the following pictures are of rows i made for the other recipients. (edited to add:  i can't find pictures of all the rows i made--or at least i didn't find them today.  if i do find them, i'll let you know).  if you have one of these rows, or know the person who does, please contact me!  i'd so love to catch up with old friends.  i know the names of the quilters who got each row, but for privacy's sake i will not post them here, only the initials to help identify the owners.

this row was for M.G. who is french i believe and who had such beautiful fabrics that i had my local quilt shop order a yard of each for me.  i can't remember the name of the block i made for this row (please feel free to jog my memory).  that's my beloved pal fable sitting next to the row, she was one of three resident quilt inspectors at that time:

  

this row was for "robin" (forgot her last name--so sorry!), i made what looked to me like a heartbeat with a heart intertwined:

this was for S.D., who wanted something for her child that would reflect her christian beliefs.  she loved rainbows, so i used the snail's trail quilt block to make multi-colored ocean waves broken up by a rainbow and a dove:

 

this row was for another S.D., it is the churn dash block with fussy-cut centers that feature cows (the block at the beginning of this post is from this row--i guess you figured that out by yourself).  i can't remember why i chose this particular block, maybe i was just in a churn dash mood.  i do remember that mood, it was like a lot of my other moods, it just popped up one day out of the blue.  (don't you love the sewing area?--that was my entire shop!  would that i were still so self-contained and orderly):

 

this row was made for "mim", it is the TN waltz block, with fussy cut centers that feature things that represent nashville--guitars and cowboy boots.  again, i can't remember why i made this particular row or block for her--it might be that she asked for something representing where we lived, although it is just as likely that i wanted to learn how to make a TN waltz block and took that opportunity to do so:

i do hope some of you recognize these rows!  i'd like to think there are fewer than six degrees of separation between me and these other beloved quilters.

edited to conceal the names on the photo files--thank you to the reader who alerted me to that oversight!

my "stash"

about twice a month i'm asked about my personal fabric stash, and since this is fabric week i figured now would be as good a time as any to show it to you but i'm afraid it will be something of a disappointment. 

yes, that's it.  one shelf.  plus a basket above to hold some cutting scraps.

there was a time when i had much more--way too much in fact--but eventually i came to a point where having all that fabric seemed like such a waste.

not of money.  a waste of opportunity.

i don't buy into the motto, "she who dies with the most fabric, wins."  quite the opposite--i believe she who has fabric at the end didn't get to enjoy it.

some people don't use their fabric because they are afraid of "ruining" it.  well, that is what making muslins is for--you get to try out your pattern on fabric that is not so precious, make sure you get things right, then when you use the good stuff you don't have to worry about whether or not the thing will fit, or whether you know how to make the fancy hand-rolled hem.

other people are afraid to use the fabric they have, just in case they need it in some unknown future.  but the truth is that there will always be more fabric--they are making more of it at this very minute--much of it is beautiful and you will love it just as much as the stuff you have right now.

however, my fear is that i will have a piece of pretty fabric that i never get to wear, or that my child or husband or other loved one won't get to enjoy.  to me, that would be the ultimate loss.

so now i use up my fabric as soon as i can.  i cut it with (almost) wild abandon, and if whatever i'm making doesn't turn out "right", i know there is someone in the world who will like it, who it will fit, and who would be grateful to have something so well made (ok, so i flatter myself).

so this week, along with my intention to try using both sides of the fabric, i'm going to also try to make that piece of fabric something that i've been holding onto--something that i have been "saving".   but i'll save a small scrap of it too--just in case.  ;)

in memory of fable

on this day last year we said our last goodbye to fable, the best dog who ever graced my life.   i'd like to share a very humble project that i did for fable.  this project uses only the materials you already have on hand.  even someone starting her very first sewing project can do this, although you might not have enough materials to finish it right away--don't go out and buy more, just finish it as time and materials permit.  someone who has sewn a long time might have enough materials to complete it within minutes.

when fable was a young dog, she used to sleep on the foot of our bed.  but as she aged, it got harder and harder for her to climb up, and eventually she started sleeping on the floor.  but the floor is hard, and in the winter it gets very cold, and besides, i missed fable and i know she missed me.

so i made a sack out of some kooky polyester fabric that i bought years before, not to use but simply because it had little sleepy dalmatians all over i--and i stuffed it with scraps of fabric.  i just took all the little bits and pieces that were left over from cutting dresses, tote bags, quilts--all fibers, all colors, all types--i cut them into little bits with my rotary cutter and i filled the sack till it was just right.  i stitched the end closed and fable had her bed, which came with something no store-bought bed could ever have:  my scent, and the work of my hands, and my love.

fable slept on that bed the rest of her life.  and every night i leaned over to pet her and whisper my goodnight in her ear.  her little pillow bed remains on the floor by my side of the bed, i can't bear to let it go because it has what no other dog bed could ever have:  her love.

if you don't have a dog to make this bed for, please consider making one to give to your local animal shelter.  the dogs (and cats) there need a little human compassion, and i would consider any such gift you were to make to be a personal favor to me.

hug your babies, including the furry ones.

good luck fabric

as i was going thru some scraps to give away, i found a few pieces that i decided i couldn't part with.  this is one of them.  it is cheap "quilting cotton" (lordy, how i dislike that term), with origami cranes and a gold swirly background.  when i bought this fabric, i didn't really "like" it, but for some reason i was drawn to it so i bought 5 yards (it was in the clearance section at jo-ann's, so buying 5 yards didn't seem like much of a splurge).  it sat on my shelf for ages--i often thought about just giving it away or selling it on eBay--but each time i thought about gettting rid of it, the fabric seemed to plead with me to let it stay, so i did. 

it took several years, but the fabric finally revealed its mission:

after an eight-year-long nightmare, my youngest sister finally escaped from an intensely-abusive relationship.  it was christmas time, and usually the siblings in my family draw names for christmas gift swapping (because there are so many of us, and really none of us NEED anything, the gift swap is just for fun)--but that year the rest of us got together and secretly decided that we were all going to give to this sister, because she left with literally nothing but a small bin of clothes and her crazy little dog. 

a friend had recently told me that folding 1000 paper cranes would bring abundant good luck.  when i was searching my stash for inspiration on what to make for my sister, this fabric literally fell off the shelf into my arms.  i decide that making something with 1000 cranes-worth of fabric did, in fact, constitute "folding", so i made her a long, wrap skirt--i used as much fabric as i could to make sure she got at least 1000 cranes.  and i believe it worked--last summer, this sister married the man of her dreams, a man our whole family adores and who loves my little sister with his whole heart.

the summer after i made my sister's skirt, i made myself a blouse with the rest of the fabric--there aren't 1000 cranes on it, but it was still good luck--that was the year i got pregnant with ella.

this scrap has a place of honor in my heart, it reminds me of new life, and new beginnings, and the virtue of waiting patiently for the muse to show up.

now it's your turn:  what stories are in YOUR scraps?