Berry basket

I am in love with small baskets.  I have made many different types and thought I had seen all of the possible permutations out there, but then one of my favorite sewing bloggers came up with an adorable new design for a "Berry Basket".  I made the larger size, but now I'm itching to make one of the smaller sizes.  I know I keep using the same fabrics over and over again, but I still have a bunch of these prints and I really love them.  Until I'm rich and have a sewing studio full of amazing fabrics, I'm working with what I have.

I wanted to fill the basket with something cute for the picture and my mind blanked.  Charlotte suggested pinecones.  Brilliant!

Such a cute basket, and an even cuter model.  It took me too long to get the focus right and her sweet smile had faded somewhat here, though.  She hasn't had to smile for an entire two-mile long parade while performing colorguard routines, so her lack of stamina is understandable.

I cheated and used two layers of Pellon 808 Craft Fuse (one on the lining and one on the outside) because I didn't have enough Pellon 72F, but the basket turned out great anyway.  I probably had enough Pellon 71F (which is only fusible on one side), so if I make the smaller version I will try it with that.

New and improved Gallon o' Games bag for Bramanda

Last spring, I made a bag for Brad & Amanda (aka Bramanda) to use to replace their tattered gallon-size ziplock bag that held their travel game collection (more affectionately known as the "Gallon o' Games").  It became apparent that I did not take into account just how freaking heavy this collection was.  Their bag needed some handles, so I thought and thought and finally came up with a way to add handles that would also add some support to the bottom of the bag.  

I twisted a long loop of cotton webbing into a figure eight, put the point at which the loops crossed under the bag, and then brought the loops up along the sides.  I sewed the webbing to the bottom of the bag and then securely stitched each strap to the top section of the bag, just above the clear vinyl.  I'm kind of glad that I didn't put the handles on originally, because I probably would have incorporated them into the seam between the top and bottom sections, which would have given no support to the bottom and eventually ripped out.  I mean, this bag is reeeeeeeally heavy.  It could possibly be used as a weapon if you could swing it fast enough.  Please do not take that as a challenge, Brad.

Here it is, with the handles down . . .

. . . and here it is, with the handles up, ready to be toted off to a brewery or game night.

When I was reloading the bag, I noticed that one of the games (a dreidel and a bunch of pennies) was being contained in a sandwich-sized ziplock baggie.  Oh no!  Not in this fancy new game bag!!  I quickly whipped up a drawstring bag out of duck cloth to hold it instead.  Then, I realized that the cloth is so stiff that it still kind of gapes open a tiny bit at the top -- even when tightly closed.  It's unlikely the pennies will fall out since the bag is not really moving around freely inside the Gallon o' Games bag, but I will warn Bramanda of the danger.  Several of the other games with tiny pieces are contained in Crown Royal bags, and after I reloaded all the games into the Gallon o' Games I noticed there was an extra Crown Royal bag that could have been used for the dreidel and pennies.  Oh well.

Fun fact -- the fabric for the top of the bag was left over from making Charlie Jo's nursery curtains.

Aanya's Rapunzel Doll, part II

All right, all right....  I felt too guilty that I was giving Aanya a Vulcan Rapunzel, so I thought for a long time and figured out a way to adjust the hairline without having to re-do the entire head of hair.  Better?

I think so.

Aanya's Rapunzel doll

Aanya, who is one of Sonia's BFFs, is a HUGE fan of Rapunzel and the Disney movie about her, "Tangled".  So, it was not a surprise to me when I asked Aanya what she would like me to crochet for her 5th birthday present that she said immediately "RAPUNZEL!!!!".  She helped me look at Rapunzel  amigurumi patterns, and I found a beautiful one that we both loved on Etsy. Aaaaaaaaand, here's the finished product!

Apparently, in the movie, at one point Rapunzel puts her loooooooooong hair in a braid and decorates it with flowers; that hairstyle and outfit were the inspiration for this pattern.

I'm not 100% happy with how the hair turned out, but it took about 5 or 6 hours to attach the hair, braid a bunch of tiny braids (which you can't see all that well anyway) among the unbraided yarn strands, do the big braid, sew in the flower buttons, and sew the ribbon to secure it, so I think I'm going to leave it alone!

Do you want to hear something interesting?  The very talented crocheter who sells this pattern on Etsy also sells the finished dolls.... FOR SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS.  Yep, that's right.  SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS.  Whoa.  But after finishing the hair, I kind of understand why she charges that much....

Oddly enough, the pattern called for the skirt to be empty (no legs or stuffing), so I crocheted a black circle and attached it to the bottom of the skirt (with stuffing inserted up in the skirt).  I also was worried about the wobbliness of the head (I must not have attached it well enough to the torso because once I weaved in the hair, Rapunzel became a bobble-head), so I shored it up with some toothpicks.  To quote Tim Gunn from Project Runway, "Make it work!"

Eek, from this angle, Rapunzel kind of looks like a Vulcan from Star Trek.  Oh well-- thankfully, Aanya has never seen Star Trek.... yet.... at least, I think.....

Anyway, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my buddy, Aanya, and I hope she likes her Rapunzel!  I'm going to instruct her to keep it away from her little brother (who just turned 2 years old) because I'm not sure this amigurumi would stand up to rough little brother handling.

I AM NOT A QUILTER! (with a wonky table runner as proof)

Seriously, why do I keep fooling myself into thinking that I can quilt?  I just don't have a steady-enough hand or something.  I think I also mess up by using fabrics of different weights together, even though a little warning light goes off in my brain every time I do it.  Still, I decided I needed to replace the simple dresser scarf I had sewed for Charlotte's dresser with a nice quilted runner.  I gave myself a huge headache because I was concentrating so hard, and I regretted the use of cream in the runner.  I didn't have any white fabric, so I figured cream would look all right.  I was wrong.  Sigh.

Anyway, Charlotte says she loves it, and I think it will stay in place until the next time I forget how terrible I am at quilting and attempt something better.  I liked the "Disappearing Nine Patch" pattern that I found, and it probably would have helped if I had followed the directions on color placement a little better.  I also didn't use any of the things you're really supposed to use while quilting (a walking foot, spray baste, etc.) so that also kind of worked against me.  I didn't want to take any pictures of it without the dresser tchotchkes in place so no one could see how wonky it was.

But enough about its shortcomings -- voila, the new dresser topper/table runner for Charlotte's room!

I think I shouldn't have used bias tape for the binding, because it seems to sort of pull and wrinkle sideways.  This also could be user-error, of course.

Birthday backpack for sweet Maisie K.

For Maisie's third birthday this weekend, I am at a complete loss for what to get her for her birthday.  I already made her a bucket for her bike and a "3" t-shirt, but what do you get the girl who only wants to ride her bike and play with her older brother's cars and trucks?  Well, I hope she likes this backpack.  Maybe she can stick her lovies in there for safe-keeping?

I am bordering on stalking-level adoration for the sewing tutorials that the lady behind Sweet Bee Buzzings puts out (I have recently made her Straight-Sided Flat-Bottomed Pouch, her Double-Zip Wristlet, and her She's a Brick Pouch).  I want to be her friend and have half the sewing mojo she does.    So, I guess it was only natural that I continue this trend and sew SBB's Lined Drawstring Backpack.

Maisie's favorite color is green, so I appliqued some green flowers onto some dark denim.  I used my favorite parachute cord for the backpack's drawstrings (seriously, I need to start buying that stuff in bulk).

The lining (and the fabric for the flowers) is from an old sheet that my mom and I cut apart and hemmed to be used in a pack 'n' play a few years ago.  So this is actually the third life for this fabric.  I love using old sheets -- they are nice-feeling fabric and usually the print is actually on grain (unlike a lot of quilter's cottons I have bought).

I tried to get one of my kids to model the backpack.  Charlotte said "no thanks."  Peter put it on, but then proceeded to tear around the house and refuse to actually stand still for a picture.  So you will just have to trust me that it's the perfect size for a three-year-old (though I am toying with creating something to hold the straps together in the front so the bag doesn't slip right off Maisie's little shoulders).  I love how it turned out and now I kind of want to make myself one in a bigger size for carrying supplies when the kids ride their bikes to the park.  I tried sticking the things I wanted to carry in the kids' bike baskets, but they informed me there was no room after their own toys had been stuffed in there.

Playday Frock from my One-Yard Wonders book

I tackled another project from the Fabric-by-Fabric One-Yard Wonders book that Erin got me for our birthday.  I probably should have used a softer fabric (this was a quilter's weight fabric but it's kind of stiff) but I just love the print.  I think I finally used up the bulk of this fabric (originally purchased for the preschool teachers' aprons) but still have some scraps I can use for small bags.

ANYWAY, this project was on page 86 in the section of the book that features projects for quilter's weight fabric.  I think this would be pretty cute out of the teal blue polka-dotted knit that I got recently -- might need to make that for Sonia before I finally send Erin her package with her purse and pouch in it.

I tooooooootally should have made the pockets out of a contrasting fabric -- they really blend in to the background and they really are an important design element.  This would also be a cute pattern for pajamas if you just leave the pockets off and use a soft fabric.

I did a triple line of stitching around the fluttery sleeves as a happy accident (it's a long story).  It looks kind of cool, but isn't really all that noticeable.  I also altered the pattern a little to make French seams down the sides (I HATE raw edges in projects, and I have yet to get my hands on a serger) and to extend the bias tape facing under the arms to encompass the raw seam where the sleeves are attached to the dress.  Worked pretty well, actually.  Why on earth do pattern designers not take the 2 minutes extra it would take to think through how to hide a raw seam in an unlined garment?  It only took me a heartbeat to figure out how to do it, and I'm a complete sewing moron.

Fun pattern!  I will definitely be making it again.