Heidi's piano bag

Heidi requested a piano tote bag for Christmas.  I managed to complete it 2 weeks after Christmas and now I'm blogging about it 4 months later---how is that for slow?

This project was great for utilizing all the fabric scraps I can't bear to throw away.   Upon opening her present, Heidi promptly named all the houses, "that's Grandma Bishop's house, that's Grandma Clayton's house, that's our house......"  Heidi's so fun to give presents to.  :-)


So, originally I planned to have the trees in amongst the houses to create a neighborhood scene but I realized that would have made a HUGE bag.  I put them on the back instead.
















I love designing the interior of a bag too.

Sewing projects and new sink and faucet

Saturday I practically had the whole house to myself because the boys were driving tractor for Grandpa and mowing their garden, Joel was on call all day, and Heidi and Reagan were playing with the neighbor girl. So I had a chance to sit down and play in the sewing room. Yay! One little project I finished was a new washable slipcover for our old high chair. This high chair has seen a lot of use, especially since it's actually a hand me down from my Mom. It still works great and I like it's small profile since our dining room is very petite. Unfortunately, the back seat is cobbled together with tape and Leif 's decided it's so much fun to try to EAT the tape off when I'm not looking. I used vintage-look fabric and ticking to make the removable cover up. It was a really simple project but I'm so happy with it. If you look close at the background you can see the faucet that Joel put in for me last month. I love it. We plan to take it along from house to house, like we've been doing with our bathroom faucets the last couple years. We are faucet freaks. Nothing makes a kitchen or bathroom feel nicer than a beautiful faucet. Joel also put in a 10 dollar sink I found at DI a few years ago and that has been stored in my Dad's barn. It's a big, deep, porcelain sink. I LOVE IT!! It's so much better than the very shallow stainless steel sink I had before. I am afraid I won't be able to take it with me. I actually suggested we try to take it when we move but Joel vetoed the idea. :-)

Here's another sewing project I finished recently: a skirt for Hailey.

She really likes this style of skirt and I like the fabric. I found the fabric at the Quilt Barn and I think it's from the Amy Butler line.If I find some time, I want to make another one for Heidi.

Sewing

I've been sewing a few little projects during my free moments. It is scrap buster month at Sew Mama Sew so they've been featuring fun ideas for using up small amounts of fabric. (By the way, I love that website. It always gets my creative juices flowing again.)

Here is a binkie holder that fits 2 binkies. I can throw this in the diaper bag and keep the binkies lint and crumb free. It was so fun to make that I'm making a few more for baby gifts. So don't look Mandy! :-)
Here's the view of the inside. I sandwiched a stiff iron-on lining between the fabrics to give it more shape.

And these headbands have been totally addictive to make. I've made about 20 of them. They'll probably be showing up as Christmas gifts.....

I planned to sew one of these Moby style baby slings but I couldn't find the right kind of fabric for a decent price. I found this on Etsy for cheaper than I could have made it! It is very comfortable and snuggles Leif quite nicely.

Sewing Projects

Now that we've been home for a few days, I've been working as much as possible on some sewing projects. Summer is going by too fast and I have to get some creative time in before our crazy schedule comes back!!

Here is a crochet hook "cozy" I just finished. The button flap pocket stores smaller metal hooks. I used a vintage look hanky and some leftover crocheted lace that I made for an apron last year for the main pocket part. I love my wooden crochet hooks!

Here is how the crochet cozy looks when you roll it up....
My inspiration for the crochet hook project came while I was making a crayon cozy for Heidi for this spring.
It fastens with a little elastic loop and a button. Heidi loves the kitty fabric.

Sew many projects....not enough time (or energy)

Note to self: I want to do these projects when I muster up the time and energy.....

*A Notebook/crayon kit - I originally meant to make this for Heidi for Christmas. I could make it and give it to her for a happy June gift. :-)
*Another bag Why do I need another bag?? Well everyone could always use another cute bag, right? Especially one this darling. But, I should probably finish designing and sewing up the one I started this winter before I start into another new bag...
*And these cute bibs looked like so much fun that I've all ready cut out 2 sets. Now I just need to sit down and sew them.

But I think I'll start next week.....why do today what I can put off for tomorrow? No seriously, I am going to get my rear in gear...next week.

Sewing

Lately I've been in the sewing mood. It started when I made Hailey's clogging costume and has just kept going. (I haven't taken a picture of her costume yet and right now it is out in the cold car because we haven't unpacked since the Pocatello competition on Saturday, so I'll just have to show that later.)

Here is a bag I sewed for Reagan. He wanted a bag to put his swimming stuff in but he also uses it when he and Heidi play "hobos" so it's always full of carrots and pretzels and such.
Then I made a pincushion you wear on your wrist. It has velcro to attach it as snugly as needed. I took a picture of it on my arm so you could see how nifty it works- but then I saw in the picture how white and freckly my arm is..... so never mind.
The pincushion itself is some irregular shape with a fancy french name, but if I were to do this project again, I would do a regular shape, because to me it doesn't look right. It looks like I couldn't sew a straight seam :-)

I'm also sewing a dress for Heidi. It's about half done, and I plan to finish it this week. The pictures of it in progress turned out blurry so I'll just wait until it's finished to take another picture.

Last of all- sewing patches on Joel's work pants. Not the most exciting project, but a good wife thing to do. (And he's been working so hard on my new chicken coop that it's the least I can do to try to get rid of the drafts in his pants.)

Sewing Projects

I finally finished sewing some items that I started awhile ago. I wish I had thought of making this apron for Heidi's Christmas present, but it's too late now because she's been watching me work on it! I made it a little big so she could wear it for next 2 or 3 years.

Then I made an apron for Reagan because he's been begging for one of his own. (His is going to be a Christmas present.) The fire engine fabric is one I've been hanging onto since Torsten was 3 years old. I'm glad I finally found something to do with it!

I have enjoyed sewing more lately because I finally got my sewing table dejunked and thoroughly dusted. Yay!
Do you know what inspired my cleaning? The fact that my sewing closet now has shelves! Joel made them for me when I was gone last weekend. It was such a nice surprise. Here is my newly organized closet:

One apron finished!

On Labor Day I was able to finish the apron I had started for myself. I'm not entirely happy with it because it isn't quite the pattern I had originally envisioned. But it was the best I could find at Jo-Ann Fabrics. My favorite part is the pocket with a little bit of handmade lace.


A week after I had bought patterns and fabric for Hailey and I to sew our projects with, I ran into a great little quilt store that I never knew existed. It is Idaho Quiltworks and they opened up in May. (They are right next to Prasai's Thai 2 Go on Fillmore.) They carry Moda Fabric- yes!! I used to have to go to The Gathering Place in Rupert or a little quilt store in Hailey to find Moda fabric so I'm very excited to find a source right here in Twin for great fabric. The friendly sisters who own the shop let me browse the catalog they order from and they showed me what they will be getting in next month. Looking through that catalog, I felt like a child in candy store! Something else I was excited about is that they carry Amy Butler patterns and plan to stock some of her fabric soon. I ended up buying a great pattern book with retro aprons for children. So now I have lots more projects started....

I love independent stores with their owners working in them, available to answer questions and listen to your input, taking pride in what they do. I hope they never completely disappear!

Aprons

I love aprons! I wear one almost every day and I've decided it is time to sew a new one. My ideal apron would be a tailored vintage look style in a fresh and cheery fabric. I better get working on it so I can be finished before school starts. Hailey has been telling me she would also like a new apron because hers now fits Heidi. This will make a great end of the summer mother/daughter project!