Happy Halloween!

Happy and safe Halloween weekend!

sewing challenge day 6 & 7

Day 6
I made a trash bag cover...haha! They actually call it a waste basket cover. I got this Japanese book a while back, Linen Wool Cotton and have been dying to make something...so I made this bag. I love how clean the white linen looks considering what is going inside it...trash!! It will be with the vacuum to pick up trash right before I clean. Our only trash can is in the kitchen and I tend to go back and forth so I get distracted and forget to finish cleaning. (I really do there is always something else I could be doing or helping the kids.)

It came along pretty quick too. Love it! I'm picking up trash everywhere...haha! Isn't it funny when you get something new how into it you are... My straps are just a couple inches shorter because I used this almost perfect scrap of fabric I had from the nap mat.







Day 7
One of my co-workers was having a "Monday" today and couldn't wait for the day to be over. I decided to make him a neck wrap, it's filled with rice so he can get some spa time either cold or hot...hehe! I hope he likes it. This took me about 30 minutes to make because it was so easy even filling it was easy. Sewing is therapeutic for me, as I have mentioned before it relaxes my jaw if you can imagine that, but it does...I'll have to ask Rog if I'm making faces...haha!

sewing challenge day 1 to 5

Day 1
Okay so I'm off to a good start, I didn't think I was going to sew anything today with all the homework the boys have to turn in Thursday and buying a new vacuum, but I finish the sewing machine cover I had started a while back.
I need to tell you about our vacuum dilemma, it died a couple of weeks ago and we started shopping for a new one yesterday. The boys really wanted a Dyson, which are extremely expensive. I do have to say they look nice, but $500 dollars...I couldn't do it. So we ended up getting a Hoover which has a lot of the same features as the Dyson but several hundred dollars less. The boys love it and they have been cleaning the house. They got the carpet done including the corners and the ceiling!!!! I had to make them stop. Rem's chore from now on will be to keep the carpets clean, pretty hard thing to do with Fred in the house. Ram's will be to keep the floor in the kitchen clean. Roger and I will have the rest of the house...



Back to the subject, I use the left over blue duck canvas I had used for the stroller bag I had made for my sister's baby shower for the outside of the cover. I may had some applique to it later but I'm not sure I don't want to make it bulky. When I iron I want to have it smooth. On the inside I used the fabric I had saved from my old ironing board cover, it's that metallic heat fabric. My sewing machine sits on the kitchen table (right now) and the sun hits it I was afraid it would yellow. So now I have a simple cover that doubles as a traveling iron mat! It came out a little shorter than I wanted but that's because one side of the iron cover was worn and the other side tapered.





Day 2
Book marker! Okay the day was almost over and I couldn't think of what to sew (in about an hour or so) so I made Rem a book marker. He had mentioned he needed one and I got to use my Japanese fabric I ordered a while back! The back is Anna Maria Horner scraps I had.
I used my new iron mat, didn't feel like taking the big iron board out for a little thing and it works great!!!!



Day 3
Sick today...I didn't sew today and kind of messed up my challenge, but no one is perfect...hehe. This makes it one whole week of being sick. I slept after I got back from Taekwondo with the boys, I think I wore myself out at work today.

Day 4
I finished quilting my lake quilt and started on the binding! I did wavy lines going the length of it and waves on the border. It was freehand and it was kind of fun not perfect but it was good practice for me. The boys went shooting at Rog's sister's house which they have been wanting to do since the last time they were there...boys and their guns. Bren...Rem got to use the bullets you got him, he said he really didn't want to because they were special since he go them on his birthday, but we explained he could get more...hehe! I stayed home to rest with L but they had a blast they shot and caught chickens...no pictures. Rog didn't take any....



Day 5
Finished the binding on the quilt and went to a Roger's dad birthday, not sure how old he is??? There were no candles and we got there late. The quilt is made from the Odyssea cake layer pack and used some Amy Butler fabrics on the back and borders.

I also made a mat for Luna. She seems to enjoy sleeping on a baby comforter at my in-laws and I didn't want to tackle a quilt just to fold up and use as a mat. I've noticed she lays on Fred's bed so I made her a sleeping mat. I used a technique for making the ties from the Pink Penguin blog, that she used for the handle on her zipper bag. It was easier than trying to turn the fabric inside out! (I'm also going to try and make that wristlet as soon as I get a chance). The print fabric on the mat tore as I was turning it inside out, made the whole to small for such a bulky item out but I think the next time I make one I will use a different approach, stuffing it with batting after I sew the pieced together. I used zig zag to keep it from tearing and I don't think it looks bad since it was a small tear.



Okay I think my challenge was to sew everyday not finish a project a day, but I seem to be inspired to complete things...hehe!

fred's bed

A spontaneous project for my canine companion...since he is getting up there in years, thirteen...that's 91 canine years!!! His health is pretty good for his age. For those of you who have met Fred and have shared a bed with him...haha! Let me set the record straight, Fred is a cuddler he likes to sleep next to someone and some have been fortunate to share a bed with him, not of their own choice...haha!!! He is no longer able to jump on the bed and sleeps on a wool couch in our bedroom which is lower than the bed. He likes to be pretty close to me and prefers the soft couch to the floor. Just to share a little about him with everyone he is a great companion, a yellow Labrador Retriever, he has lived up to his name. He was a puppy for about the first seven years of his life, then he finally calmed down...some...just the past few years he has really mellowed out. His hearing is going, when he was young we could not get past him, now, we could sing a song, flush the toilette and run the garbage disposal before he realizes someone is home. I can tell his eyesight is starting to go too. He has trouble seeing in the dark and runs into me sometimes (because he is following me or waiting for me to come out of the restroom)...hehe! He still gets up and follows me around the house that has not slowed down unless he falls asleep and I get past him. He has recently been fixed and only because he has gotten some bloody growths that keep coming back and the vet said they were due to his hormones, getting him fixed seems to be helping. He also got heart worms about 2 years ago and that was hard on him his health has gone down quite a bit since that treatment, but he made it through and is heart worm free. I can hear him snoring right now...haha!

So to make his life easier I wanted to make him a bed instead of buying him one to show him how much I love that fur ball...he has been shedding a lot lately. The boys helped me stencil his name so no one takes his bed, L may, she is already laying on it...hehe. I used a khaki color duck canvas...love the stuff always looking for something to do with it. I picked the khaki because I thought it would hide his hair the most. I was a Joann's trying to find a dog hair on me, normally I am all covered in it, but I could not find one, finally found one in my bag...just one of all things!!! So there I am trying to see what would hide his hair the best, with one tiny hair...it was between khaki, grey and an avocado green color. They have so many colors to choose from. The back has snaps on the underside and I filled it with my old twin size down comforter. Those old arthritic bones need warmth. I meant to have the stencil closer to the edge and along the long side but oh well it looks good anyways.

Here is his new bed we can move it around from room to room and he doesn't have to jump to get on it.

Bliss!!

I think he likes it!

This is pretty much what will happen to the bed...haha!

September is sewing month! So I'm challenging myself to sew everyday all month long...wooo!! Hopefully this will get some of my WIP's done and I can get ahead...Halloween costumes, Christmas presents and other stuff I'm probably not remembering right now??? So will you sew with me? What are you working on? Come on!!!

I wonder if I can post daily also???? hmmmm that's not part of my challenge though....haha!!

I thought I would make a list of ideas to get ahead, not necessarily in this order:

1. bean bags for the kids (have started from stardustshoes blog)
2. finish lake quilt (quilt and bind)
3. caught up on bunny blocks (April-August...okay September)
4. birthday quilts (only 2 left for the year, this could count as two, have fabric)
5. Maisy quilt for L (have kit)
6. skirt for myself (I have a "flirty skirt" pattern I have been dying to make)
7. Halloween table runner (quilt and bind)
8. Thanksgiving table runner (have fabric)
9. curtains for the living room (already have the fabric)
10. quilt along blocks (actually joined 2 different ones...this should count as 13)
11. reversable applique block (quilt and bind)
12. strip quilt kit - Amy Butler (have the kit)
13. quilt kit - Heather Bailey fabrics (don't remeber the name of the kit)
14. Hot Flash quilt to finish (have it cut)
15. finish fourth of july quilt (I'm thinking about taking apart and redoing)
16. deer head for the spare bedroom (have fabric, Dorm Decor book)
17. baseball quilt for a friend (have the stuff)

Dang! this is just what I have started this doesn't include what I also want...

Black Belt Clubbers

I'm a little behind on posting because I have been sewing some stuff for my sister's surprise birthday shower which was last Saturday and I'll be showing those pictures soon.

Friday before we got on a plane the martial arts school had promotional rank testing and the boys were awarded their high yellow belts plus they got invited to the Back Belt Club (BBC)!!! This is a big deal for the boys and they wanted to join which is even more of a deal. I originally had to drag them to their first few classes they were not sure they liked it. Their self confidence has improved so much and so have their social skills. The instructors are great but strict at the same time. They have positive reinforcement that is great for the kids. In the picture they are holding their BBC blue uniforms, which they are getting their names and the name of the school embroidered on them. They were so excited and I was a little nervous for them. The testing was about 2 hours long but the last half hour was more for the board breakers. I usually never make it into the pictures because I'm the one taking them but you can see me in the reflection next to Rem's head...hehe! {I just noticed the whole picture didn't paste so you can't see me... : (  If you click on the picture it will take you to flickr and you can see me!!!} They worked so hard and they were sweating like crazy...I love it when they sweat!!!

Yesterday they had a board breaking seminar and of course I haven no pictures of that because they had us help, we were the coaches so when they practice at home we can help them. I really did not think they would let them break the boards it was happening so quick and there were quite a bit of kids in the class, but they did!!! They broke wood boards! I got a lecture on wood as well. A lighter piece of wood has less sap in it so it is not as wet. Wet wood tends to bend and is harder to break. If you have a board that is bent, break into the outside of the curve if you try and break into the curve it has bend and will be harder to break.

Here are the boards they broke!!! I am very proud of them. The had started them with a piece of paper for them to break to get their technique and balance. The instructor said it would be harder to break a piece of paper than wood because it bends. It looked pretty easy to me...haha! The boys did break the piece of paper in class. Sooo today I tried to break a piece of paper, I did the side kick they did and I did not break the piece of paper. It was really hard! I'm afraid to try wood because I think I would hurt myself...haha!

back to school

The boys are back in school! Can you believe that today was their first day. It's still so hot around here it feels like the middle of summer. Ram on the left starting second grade and Rem on the right starting fourth grade. The picture was taken on their way to class. They are so cute and little! Even though it looks like they are headed toward their executions...haha! The boys were okay with going to school Ram was more excited than Rem. I remember the first day of school was always exciting and I could not wait to go. I would get up early, have new clothes to wear, see my friends and new classes...maybe it's just a girl thing...hehe!

When I got home from work it was nice to hear they had a good day after all, they liked their teacher (yea! I like that!) and they like their class. Rog got them pizza for dinner!!! Yippee!

I also added pictures of the stuff I'm working on...

I got some fabric from this online store for a quilt I'm making using some Alexander Henry 2-D Zoo fabric. I'm in love with all the Alexander Henry fabrics they are so cute. I've got quite a bit of his stuff...poor Rog he doesn't say anything...hehe! Too much fabric and not enough time...sounds like a slogan for a t-shirt...hmmmm.

I also have a lot of pictures that Ram draws with birds, fish, boats and butterflies I'm trying to do something with them all so here is one of the projects with the cardinal Ram drew. I colored copied on canvas but I may try again just on white fabric...not sure, still trying to figure it out.

calvin and hobbes

Hey check this out I just saw it here at the Letter Writers Alliance blog, it's Calvin and Hobbes! They came out in July. It's too bad we can't get all of just Calvin and Hobbes but you can get them at the post office. I'm smiling just thinking of the comic strip...hehe!