Monday, December 21, 2015

CraftingCon Justice League

Hello everyone! I am so beyond exciting to be doing another CraftingCon!  I love these prompts and the slowest part is picking just one of a million ideas.  I grew up in love with the Justice League and all things superhero and I am raising my kids to feel the same.  I thought of a million different costumes and outfit options but then I realized that I could sew more than just clothes.   I have been trying to create other things and stretch my imagination so I knew exactly where to go.  There is an amazing website called Fandom In Stitches that allows all kinds of fandom to be expressed.  There are quilt blocks, applique, hand embroidery designs and more.  And everything on there is free!!!

I settled on using appliques by the talented Brad Felber and decided to make myself a few throw pillows to decorate my bed.  I recently hopped on the FMA bandwagon so I had a ton of paper backed interfacing and I used this to trace my applique pieces.  So first you are going to want to trace each part of the applique on your interfacing and iron it to the WRONG side of your fabric.  (Trust me I have ironed it to the wrong side many times) One note: Make sure you trace any letters backwards or they will turn out wrong. Notice my double tracing.....


Once you have ironed the pieces then cut out your applique shapes.  Now you can see how tragic a backwards "S" would have been? This is where the magic begins.... first peel the paper backing off of the pieces and then layer them so that you have the look that you are wanting to achieve.



Tada! Now you have a sticky applique.  Iron them to your pieces (in my case, the pillow pieces) and sew around each shape. You can use a zig zag stitch to prevent fraying or in my case I used the straight stitch because I hope through a few washings that the fraying will make a little fluff. To make the pillows I just cut squares and sewed them together and stuffed them.  Then I put them on my bed for happiness and style!


How fun and unique right?!? Head over to Fandom In Stitches website or over to the fb group Fandom In Stitches and find your inspiration and let me know what you fall in love with! A big thank you to Maegen for being so patient with me being slow and late and a big thank you to all of you for reading my post!  I appreciate you all!





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CraftingCon.... My Little Pony!

Hello everyone!!! I am Essence from the Amazing Adventures with Bubba and Bug!  This is my very first (but definitely not my last) CraftingCon experience.  I'm so honored and over-the-moon excited to share my creation with you for My Little Pony! My little Diva Bug is the most avid My Little Pony fan! She just loves everything about them. So I decided to participate in this challenge. I had so many ideas and some of them where much bigger than I think I could have accomplished but I finally settled on making something that would be totally geared towards my daughter specifically. She is totally a fan of Fluttershy (I think they are alot alike!) and is definitely my water baby. She just loves getting wet! So obviously I had to create a Fluttershy swimsuit. I started with the basic design of the newest release from Winter Wear Designs the Princess Power Suit. I love this pattern and I have used it more than once to create some interesting suits for my unique little girl. But how can I make it pony inspired? I consulted the resident pony expert. She made sure to explain that there had to be a cutie mark and there had to be a tail.  I think I was successful...


Not only did she love having a pony swimsuit, she really loved getting to take pictures at the park with a sprayground!!!


I know Fluttershy technically has 3 butterflies for her cutie mark but to be honest, that one butterfly took longer than the entire rest of the swimsuit! There is some stabilizer behind it that will not touch my Diva's skin but will probably be in there forever because I improvised!



And the joy of the water!  LOL! Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing me!  Feel free to come visit me anytime over at my blog and let me know what you created!  
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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Sew The Show... Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya....

Hello! I am so excited about this posting guys! This is my official bonus stop to Sew The Show's 6 Degrees of Separation blog tour! If you have never heard of Sew The Show or 6 Degrees of Separation here is your quickie introduction:


  • Sew The Show is a great monthly event that allows sewists to grab inspiration from their favorite shows and movies and create fun and interesting new looks.
  • 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon is an awesome party game that I am super bad at because it takes me so long to come up with answers.  But the overall goal is to link as famous person to Kevin Bacon through 6 or less costars/significant others/directors etc.


I am a bonus stop from the amazing Cassandra over at Pear Berry Lane, so give the big graphic a click and check out her post also! And of course all of the amazing talent in this massive tour! And my connection is The Princess Bride!



 The Princess Bride has been one of my favorite movies for as long as I can remember.  I used to wait patiently for it to come on and record it with my VCR so I could watch it repeatedly until the tape would actually wear out.  Then I would just tape it again. Of course, I have now graduated to DVDs and Blu rays but the outcome is the same.  While most girls dreamed of a love like Wesley, I dreamed of having the cool demeanor of Inigo Montoya.  He truly inspired me because he used his adversity to become accomplished and remained steadfast in his journey.

the princess bride mandy patinkin inigo montoya
Image Credit to: http://giphy.com/search/inigo-montoya


So the question is how do I get cool like Inigo Montoya?  And the answer is an awesome jacket and boots outfit of course! So I pulled out my favorite pattern from Winter Wear Designs, the Provence Pea Coat. It is the perfect coat for the rainy Washington winter months.  There is the option to fully line it, like I have because I am eternally cold... or just use facings, which I will do in the spring.  There is even a detachable hood, which is cut out but not sewn, please forgive me!  I used a stretchy denim that I got from Joann's for my outer layer of my coat. My lining is a combination of a houndstooth woven that I fell in love with at Walmart and a plain black fleece for extra warmth.  



Even at 6 feet tall, this coat fits me well and gives me enough room to be comfortable.  And I love the professional look of it! People can't ever believe that I made my own coat.  I love the little details like the welt pockets and the top stitching.  And because I needed to pay a little homage to my favorite man, I hand embroidered my abstract version of Inigo Montoya's sword on my collar.  I think I might not be getting worse at this embroidery thing!  At least I had fun doing it.  



After looking for my favorite brown boots, I discovered that I didn't have a shirt in my drawers that would look good with this ensemble.  So back to Walmart I went to grab some chocolate brown knit and whipped up a Laundry Day Tee by Love Notions in under 20 minutes (not counting the trip to Walmart). I didn't even put a neckband on it.  I am not modest so I simply folded the neckline over approximately .25" and used a zig zag stitch to secure it.  I live in these shirts.  I probably have one in every color you can think of.  I graciously gave you the link to the facebook group where I "heard" there was a code to get the LDT pattern for free! Tell 'em I sent you!



Wow! I had so much fun with this! I can't wait to sew the show again!  And you should sew the show too! And then head to the facebook group and show off your creations! But first click some of these links and see the other degrees of supreme talent and separation! 
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Christmas Fun With A Vision To Remember!

Hello everyone! Welcome back or welcome if this is your first visit to my blog. I am so excited to be posting yet another amazing pattern from the super talented Bobbie over at A Vision To Remember. She is the reigning queen of all things rag quilt and has opened my mind to creating fun and fuzzy things. So today not only do I have something else amazing to show you, the pattern I am using is free so you can make one (or more) of your own. Check out the tutorial here!

On to my stocking, I used some Christmas like dot fabric because I only have yardage of Christmas fabric and really this stocking is a scrap buster!  I would estimate from start to finish the whole thing took about an hour and I messed up a few times.


Isn't it festive and Christmas-y?  To be honest this might be my favorite rag item I have made so far.  For the previous blankets, I used batting instead of flannel for the inner layer and I wasn't seeing the fraying that I expected.  However, material really does make all of the difference.  Can you see my awesome fraying?  And that is only after one wash!  In fact it is back in the wash now to get even more fluffy!


Thanks for stopping in! I loved sharing this with you and I can't wait to see what I can sew up next for A Vision To Remember!  Don't forget to leave me a comment with your thoughts and check out the other super talented bloggers I have the honor of sharing this tour with.  

 Jan 14: Connected by a thread
 Jan 15: crazy crafty haute mama
 Jan 16: adventures with bubba and bug
 Jan 17: merri poppins
Jan 18: all things katy
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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Momma Quail Pattern Tour - Hobbes Jacket

Hello everyone! Another blog tour?!? Yes! And this one I am super excited about.  Today is my day on the Momma Quail blog tour and I can't wait to show you what I made.  But first, a little bit about this fairly new designer, Amy McDonald.  The main thing you need to know is Amy is a freaking genius! Her patterns are so unique and different that I can't even believe what I have created at the end of the day.  I have been lucky enough to test for her on multiple occasions and I am always pleased with working with her.  Here are a few items I have made but this isn't all by far.  Momma Quail has definitely made a fan out of me!


But enough of my fan girl-ing for right now.... On to my selection, the Hobbes Jacket.  I tested this jacket for my daughter before (the red jacket above) and I used a prequilted red fabric that she loves but it is too thick for our pre-winter weather so she is sweaty while trying to wear it.  If you have seen my Bug's fashion style at all then you know that she is punk rock and super fashionista while being comfortable to run and play.  I decided that denim would be a great choice for my blue loving beauty and I had a great chance to use her favorite outer space fabric as the lining.  



The first thing about this pattern that is going to make you stop and question my wisdom in suggesting it to you is the number of pattern pieces.  There are A LOT! But don't be deterred because every piece has it's own use and amazing things result from it.  So don't fret.  And keep everything together... I lost more than one of the small squares that I needed.  So the details right???


Of course, she was super picky and we ended up in Hancock looking for pink denim topstitching thread and she was wayyyyyy too impatient to let me put on the snaps where they belong on the cuffs and the tab at the bottom of the zipper so you will have to pardon the slightly unfinished look.  But it is perfect for her.


If you are scared of jackets or separating zippers (like me) this is the perfect pattern for you.  There are extensive instructions for shortening zippers and inserting them properly.  I didn't even break a needle this time! My favorite detail is the pockets... they are so fashionable and sit so well.  Bug says they look like a real store coat pockets... sigh.


There is a knit cuff inside of the outer cuff that creates an additional bit of warmth and is soft and the fully lined hood guarantees that this coat is perfect for those of us spiraling quickly into the winter months. 


So now you are wondering, where do I buy this pattern and how do I see more of these great creations?  Fear not! I can guide you to the Hobbes Jacket Pattern, the Momma Quail Shop and the Momma Quail Pattern Group! But before you head out don't forget to grab your favorite pattern and use the code "MQPATTERNTOUR" for 30% off of your purchase.  And as always scroll down and enter to win things because who doesn't love winning?  Thank you so much for stopping in and feel free to leave me a comment!  Or head over to my fellow blog tour members and see their creations!  See you very soon!




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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Friday, November 13, 2015

Swoodson Says - Little Explorer Backpack!


So I am back... so soon you ask? Yes! I am participating in another blog tour and this one I am super excited about.  The amazing Stephanie from Swoodson Says was kind enough to let me sew up her new pattern, the Little Explorer backpack!  First a little bit about Swoodson Says... She has six wonderful patterns in her shop and I will eventually sew them up but I just have to find a reciepient!  They are whimsical patterns that include softie toys, a backpack and even a cape for your ltitle one's stuffed friends!  My two are too old and too cool for such things so I got a little creative with my pattern.  

 So is everyone familiar with those purse backpacks that women carry?  Here is a $300.00 example from Coach:

Well I love those things... but not the price tags or the grown up look of them.  I am way too silly and fun to be held to those grownup bags.  So I used the Little Explorer backpack to create myself a purse to carry around when I am "momming" all weekend long.  

First thing I love about this pattern: there are only 2 pattern pieces and not a million little pieces to cut out.  I really appreciate patterns that make cutting quick and painless.  So I pulled out the last of my beloved minions fabric and decided to use some on myself.  


I love the little details of this bag.  I didn't feel like it was childish at all.  I did not use mesh for my bottom as the pattern called for and instead I used a woven with a stiff interfacing to hold up my hoards of things I carry with me regularly. 




I found some fun colored velcro a while ago at Hancocks on sale that I had been waiting for a fabulous chance to use this was what I had been waiting for.  I also misread my supplies list and had nothing to use as a tie.  Therefore using a method I learned on another pattern I cut a fairly thin strip of yellow knit and used that as my stretchy tie.  



Now you are wondering about space right?   How much can you find in a child's backpack?  Well as a few of you know I am determined to figure out crochet and make wonderful things that I find on Pinterest so I was able to find my large water bottle, a novel for those long playdates, a skein of thread, my crochet needle, my wallet and my super sized phone in it with space to spare.




If you count the price of fabric and the few supplies I had to buy, I think I still came out well on top of Coach's price and I have a backpack purse that is all me!  So if your children are giants like mine and you still want to sew yourself something cute by this amazing designer go grab a copy of this pattern.  And spend a few minutes and check out my fellow bloggers on this tour! They are all so talented and amazing I feel like a little kid at the grown up table!  I have listed a coupon code below to save you a few dollars.  But wait! Go enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win all of the patterns included on this blog tour! That would be so much better! And then come tell me about your adventures in sewing!  See you all soon!!!!

Use coupon code 'SewAllTheSofties' for 40% off all patterns, expiring Sunday 11/16 -  valid both on Etsy & on Swoodsonsays.com

Check out the other amazing bloggers on this tour with me if you missed them before this!

Monday, November 9th: Friends Stitched Together / Sew Happily Ever After / The Crazy Tailor Tuesday, November 10th: Felt With Love Designs / Sew Not Perfect / House of Estrela Wednesday, November 11th: Lulu & Celeste / Handmade Boy / Rebel & Malice Thursday, November 12th: Rebel & Malice / create3.5 / Free Notion Friday, November 13th: Paisley Roots / The Wholesome Mama / Amazing Adventures With Bubba and Bug / Thread Riding Hood / Hugs are Fun

A giveaway running all week, to win all 4 Swoodson Says patterns: a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thursday, November 12, 2015

A Vision To Remember Easy Peasy Rag Quilt Blog Tour!

Hello all of my lovely sewing friends! ! I am so excited to be celebrating my one year anniversary of my blog! I have not been the best about blogging regularly but I have a few blog tours lined up to force me to stay active.  First up is a tour by one of my favorite designers who doesn't do clothes!  I sew for my daughter so much that I love making something and not worrying about fit or hems.

So I sewed up the Easy Peasy Quilt  by the amazing Bobbie Stucki or A Vision to Remember!  This goes in the record books as my first official quilt finished... Ha! I knew it would happen eventually!  And boy did I have a good time doing it. This pattern is for children and my daughter is too big to use it on her bed but she loves lap blankets while watching movies or playing outside with her stuffed animals.  The model stuffed animal for today is tiny zebra... yes he is named "Tiny Zebra".



Western Washington has slid into it's rainy cold season so I used a layer of batting in between my two layers to make sure my little lady stayed warm.  And she thought it was super thick and great for playing outside in the cold grass!


I used a random fat quarter pack that she fell in love with at Walmart for my squares and an Autism Awareness jelly roll for most of the strips.  I didn't have enough strips for the quilt in one jelly roll so if you are planning on using a roll, buy two!  But they work perfectly because they are already the perfect height and anything that makes cutting easier is my type of solution. Now if I could only find precut 12 1/2" squares...

Since Bug was so gracious and helped Mom cut all of those seams, I let her do some wild hair modeling! She has always loved playing outside so having her own blanket brought up picnic dreams and adventurous plans!


Overall, I can honestly say that this was absolutely easy peasy and I loved making it! I look forward to making more and I will probably attach 2 together to make a larger one for my son to have.  Have you made a rag quilt before? Drop me a comment and let me know what you thought.  And don't forget to enter the rafflecopter to win a prize.  Oh and use the coupon code to buy ANYTHING from A Vision To Remember!  I can't wait to sew more quilts!!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


You can get 25% off the pattern using easypeasyblogtour coupon code Here

11/9/15
11/10/15
11/11/15
11/12/15
Adventures with Bubba & Bug
Enter to win a Gift Certificate to avtrboutique.com.
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