Spoonflower Order Placed

Yesterday I sent off my first order for Spoonflower, a custom fabric manufacturer.  Perhaps some of you may remember I was making the quilt from the children's artwork, and I decided to have it custom printed on fabric?

Well let me start by saying the world of custom fabric is amazing in how freeing it is.  Sashing?  It can be random, tilted, multicolored, you dream it you can have it!  Once I got past the tracks of my own metal blocks to realize making your own fabric is like flying.  Okay, maybe walking instead of being stuck on a train.

The owl contained hereon is made up of all the children's names, I transformed the lines I drew of the owl to make them that way.  ALL copyrights for original artwork belong exclusively to the children, but that owl is mine.  Don't you just love him?  I kicked down the resolution as well as blacking out the children's names for privacy but you can still see the overall appearance.

Turn around time is about 10 days so I'll be posting later on how everything printed out.

The Great American Teach In

I've been busy planning and working on what I would do at my daughter's school for the Great American Teach In. The Teach In invites family members and adults in the community to come in and share with the class what they do and why school is so important, you're allowed 15-20 minutes depending on the school, and while I thought perhaps my own 15 minutes wouldn't be enough it turned out to be the exactly the right amount of time.

I was certain a quilt with the children's original artwork was the answer. When I was in first grade I wanted to be an artist. I was discouraged by one of my elders because "there's no money in it". But in reality art is everywhere. It's in nearly everything we see and touch. All carefully designed and planned by more different job types than I can think of let alone count. So that's what I wanted to teach to the children in my daughter's VPK class. Art is everywhere and many jobs require you to be creative. So you can grow up to be an artist!

What I found upon arriving at the school was a great class filled with smart amazing children all eager to talk to the adult sitting on the floor with them! It was a very rewarding experience to me, and I'm very glad I took the time to go.

How in the world did I plan to make a quilt from artwork? (See below for what I went through before I came up with this solution). Computers! I scanned all the children's images in to my computer, but instead of printing them out myself I am going to have a custom fabric company print it out on real cotton fabric. Then the final beautiful fabric will arrive to me just like a store bought cheater panel ready to sew on the sashing to quilt it up. Sounds expensive you think, but since I made the entire project fit on a single yard of fabric I only have to buy one yard which will cost me $20 AFTER SHIPPING!

As I was inserting the scanned images the world opened when it dawned on me that it's custom fabric. I don't have to make the sashing one color. I'm unlimited, I can make it however I'd like. So then I started working with swatches and effects for the background.

I researched all the other options that I could think of, printable fabric -expensive at 5 sheets for $10+/- as I needed 20 sheets at least (always take extras just in case), homemade printable fabric sheets - which seemed both labor intensive for finding the ingredients and then for making it, or simply allowing them to color directly onto the fabric. I did the math for fabric crayons $2 for a box of 8 is not bad one box for every two children, that's 9 boxes at $2 = $18 just in crayons... So then I thought well I just use regular crayons, but the wax paper didn't want to stick to the fabric as well as I thought it should, so I went for 40 gsm stabilizer with hairspray. That worked well but when I had my daughter test it out for me I found that anywhere she pressed hard with the crayon (to make the crayon show) the fabric lifted from the stabilizer and any further coloring in that area was very light, combined with the standard non-washable crayons, seemed like a quilt I didn't want to make.

Stay tuned for a review of my custom fabric in the upcoming weeks.

I am a firm believer that all artwork belongs directly to the artist. Be they 2 or 102, so all rights are reserved for the children whose artwork is pictured here in.

Mommy?

Mommy, can I check out a Cinderella Book at the Library today?

My brain wheels a bit. Honey of course you can, but you already have two Cinderella Books here at home.

Is this what happens when you have lots and lots of books avail. to your child at home? I don't really know as Jessica has all of my children's books and all of my four siblings children's books (I am the oldest and the youngest is 19 my junior). She also reaps the rewards of a used bookstore going out of business and all children's books that I was buying that day were only 25 cents. Not to mention all of the books she herself has selected and has had purchased just for her. We easily spent 40 minutes reading to her or having her "read" (talk about the pictures) back to us. Often it's more. I timed our book reading over the course of a day over a year ago, just because I was curious.

So today is library day at school, it's the 11th week of "school library day", on three different weeks she selected books we already own. Twice she picked Cinderella (one was paperback and later it was hardcover) and once she picked "I wish I had Duck Feet", which is a great book, a holdover from my childhood days that we hadn't read in a while. Hey at least she knows what she likes!

Homework for Sewing?

This...
For That... I could hardly believe it myself. I've been very sick the past few days and had been unable to find time to work with Jessica on her homework. But then she came to me. She wanted to sew. Setting up the machine for her takes a bit of time so I asked her if she would do her book report first and sure enough she said she would. My day included cherishing my family, folding laundry, and making this. Even though it's not a real apple pie it was still a bit much for me, hopefully the flavor will make the effort worth it.

Sick Again?

It's a good thing fingers do the typing or else with my croaking voice you'd have to wonder who was authoring this. Everyone here was hit with a second round of who knows what bug this time. We all seem to be doing better, but after all day I'm really tired.

We're having concerns about Jessica's work load as well as some other details at her school. Why can things never be easy?

First Homework

Jessica's first ever homework assignment was to listen to a reading of her library book and draw a photo of what the story was about. Her book was "The Mysterious Tadpole" by Steven Kellogg. She's been four for exactly five weeks. I am so proud of the job she did on this. The Tadpole grows and grows. He is green with brown eyes and pink spots on his huge body. Come to find out he's not a tadpole at all.

Oh My Could it be?

Tomorrow is my birthday. I was planning on painting ceramics but then Rob got sick and then I found out they changed their hours and aren't open on Tuesday's anymore at all. So today the mailman rang the doorbell. Who could that be? I'm nearly certain everything I ordered before school started I've gotten? Hmmm. A box, before the mail lady even handed it to me I spotted Vicki's name from Feline and Fiber Arts. Oh my oh my. Let me tell you if I'd known all the goodies that box contained I might have saved it till to tomorrow just because. This was from her 100th post giveaway that I mentioned. The photo doesn't contain everything the box did either.

Not pictured but in the box were some sour gummys, how she knew I can't help a bit of sour every now and then I don't know, as well as some dried cranberries. Both of these packages where thrilling for the French Translations on them. Here in Florida if we have a second language on anything it's Spanish. Jessica my daughter told me that I could have the fabric and she could have the candy. LOL! We'll see honey. Blessed be the parent that came up with "We'll see". Not as good as yes, but a far cry better than no.

That box also contained a pattern from Pacific Rim. Those of you who don't know they make all sorts of Hawaiian style quilt patterns, as well as many others. I've always wanted to try one of the patterns, but never placed an order. Well this pattern couldn't be more perfect, it's called Sea Turtles & Dolphins. I have already read every word. I'll need to do a bit of fabric hunting before I begin though as I'm already thing wouldn't it be neat to make the turtles in deep turquoise the dolphins in grey all on a hand dyed blue. Not exactly traditional. Maybe I'll start with just the turtles.

Jessica had a much better day at school. She was thrilled to have completed all of her required workbook pages. Jessica is a joy, she always tries so hard, and is so pleased with just a bit of attention as a reward for her efforts. Though in the case of getting her workbook pages done she was able to have extra free play time and what child wouldn't want that on the first day of the second week of school? In a room full still of toys they haven't touched yet?

Rob is still stuck in bed with whatever bug has hit him so hard.

Orphaned Sewing Projects

What are Orphaned Sewing Projects? Orphaned Sewing Projects start out life with someone else. With the best of intentions they planned on doing the project perhaps even started it and then left it abandoned. These projects could have been abandoned for any number of reasons and the original purchaser is unable to finish them. Months even years pass before someone else, finds and finishes them. The finished project is found a forever home. They are now no longer "orphaned projects" and are instead are have been completed and adopted.

I have brought one such project full circle already, though I did not know I had done so at the time. You can read all about it here That Dress found it's forever home when I mailed out the 24"x24" box to Mary and her daughter. I've been working on the Bonnie Bear and Barely Sleeping Orphaned Sewing Projects from my neighbor when it hit me this is what I've been doing! My goal yesterday was the little vest, but when I sewed it wrong sides together it required more than a little bit of seam ripping. Today I've finished the vest and am working on the mini quilt from the Bearly Sleeping Panel, and just had to share the vest before I could continue quilting. No skirt yet as it requires elastic that I don't have on hand.

I'm glad the first week of VPK over. Currently Jessica and her daddy are enjoying lunch out just the two of them. Would you believe she's already four and they've never done anything like that together? I hope they have a good time, as there is homework that we'll need to work on later.

A Better Day

Today was a better day all around. The cock pot isn't simmering with something yummy for dinner, but I got to play at my sewing machine... ALONE... With the Music turned up! My kind of music even... Yesterday evening I pulled out some thing called cheater panels. These are to make stuffed animals. While a Cheater Panel for a Quilt I completely understand the "cheat" part of it I fail to understand "cheat" on these stuffed little bundles of joy. Front of jacket
I read the directions once, twice, three times. I looked at the pattern pieces and back at the panel. I don't understand why, but the pattern had me using 1/4" and not finishing any of the edges or seams. That seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. After all children play with stuffed animals. So I started with the Jacket. I lined it so completely with some re purposed leftover muslin that it is in fact reversible. Maybe while Jessica naps I can start on the skirt. Reversed aka inside out
Jessica did indeed have a better day, and I was greeted with a smile. I completely forgot to mention that yesterday Jessica counted to 39, hows that for barely 4? She told me they didn't count at school yesterday so I can give all the credit to singing that Cinderella jump rope song. Awesome hu? I also finished my knit trivets. These turned out really pretty and because they are 100% cotton knit they feel amazing. I am hoping that with these as well as the panels I've pulled out of my stash pile I will have a little bit of inventory for my on little online shop. Who knows, and only time will tell.

First Day of School

One special cubby. Do you know what happens when you expect great things? Sometimes a little sand gets in there and fouls things up. At least that's what happened to Jessica today. Let me start at the beginning. Every time I have taken Jessica to school I see something like this. She's well away from me and enjoying every moment. My sister who joined us on this special day was lucky to capture the photo below. Check out that jumper! With a wave goodbye we were gone. I went home, I checked the schedule Jessica's teacher gave me to see what she was up to at that moment. On an inspired whim I threw things in the crockpot for a Chicken and Dumplings Dinner, I checked the schedule again. I spent some time just talking to my husband, etc. and eventually it was time to go pick her up. This is the face that greeted me. Sure it looks like she's crying because she doesn't want to leave school yet, but that's not the case at all. She's crying because mere minutes before our arrival another little girl told Jessica she wasn't her friend. Aren't kids wonderful?

Here's to a better tomorrow.

The Night before...

Homemade Jumper, click to see glitter detailing.
This weekend has been a busy one. I wrapped up the fleece Barbie Blanket (no photo yet as Jessica whisked it off to her bed yesterday). That was the fabric destined for the nap mat we didn't need. I also cut and sewed the Second and Final Jumper. Jessica seems to be much happier with this one. I finished it during her nap and hung it up to await her awakening. Of course when she first saw it she was certain it needed pockets. Perhaps she's right but I don't know how to put them on in such a way that they look like they are there "on purpose", the gathered skirt gets in the way. So instead I dug out my pee wee fabric glitter and did just a little detailing on the butterflies. Well that had Jessica dancing with the hanger. She has already picked out the shirt she will wear with it tomorrow for the first day of school.

I like the colors in this fabric. They translated better from online into reality than I would have hoped. The colors are nice ranging from peach, pink, blue, yellow, and green. I think Jessica will always be able to find a shirt to match.

Tags for the Tagless

Today I found the living room floor. It's been missing for a couple of days now, so I dug it out. I didn't bother to dust it off though. I also made these tags for my daughter's tagless t-shirts which she needs for school. I didn't know where to write her initials so I took little scraps of fabric (leftovers from a muslin backed quilt I made this time last year) and told the sewing machine to sew her initials.

For anyone looking to make their own tags (for post clothing completion)
1. grab a fabric pen and write whatever you'd like,
2. then sew it to another scrap of fabric - sew on three sides leaving one end open
3. turn right sides out and tuck in the ends.
4. Sew around and voila a fabric tag.

I won something! As a dedicated non-winner it's pretty thrilling. Thanks Vicki over at Felines and Fiber Arts no matter how it sounds it was fun just reading all the comments others made. My kudos to Vicki can be found here. I'm feeling restless with Jessica starting school on Monday. LOL! I think everyone who reads this blog or knows me gets that feeling too and would call that an understatement. I went ahead and made a tag for the butterfly jumper I'll be making for my daughter. I be using a Vintage "look" butterfly fabric, which has been in transit for 9 days! I'm so spoiled, I tell you what, it's making me batty because it's taking so long. I'm planning on the gathered hem skirt. I hope she loves this jumper right off the bat. Not like last time...

Now I'm certain...

I am 100% sure that I just birthed my daughter. It was yesterday or something! How in the world can she possibly be 4 already! I'm telling you it was just yesterday.

My husband tells me it's because time flies the older you get, but I'm certain that can't be what is going on.

We went to Jessica's school for "Meet the Teacher" today. First let me say Jessica had a great time, but I couldn't help noticing that she is a good 4 to 6 inches shorter than all the other kids in her class. It was enough that the other mothers assuming she was in the Preschool I class for the three year olds.

I know in my heart of hearts that Jessica is ready for school. She is so much more ready that I was at her age. Yet still it was a recurrent blow to the heart to repetitively field the comments. "No, she's in one of the VPK classes". What a way to review yourself.

Doesn't like it?!?!

I have a wonderful daughter. If I try on a dress, she loves it no matter what and will tell me when I should wear it. If I make her a dress she loves it hot off the sewing machine and will drop everything including her clothes just to try it on. As some of you already know I love jumpers. Two days ago I finished my first one. I used a purple blender fabric (her favorite colors are purple and pink) and then I decorative stitched on it (go ahead click the photo to see better, it's little bows). Since blenders are pretty "plain" all by themselves I ironed on a kitten her cousin had given to her back which she had stored away with all of her precious things in her jewelry box. Then I used what I think is a Timeless Treasures Retired cat fabric to make pockets. The first thing out of her mouth when I was checking the pocket height was "it doesn't fit". I explained it's a jumper and you wear a shirt underneath. Later when I held it up to check my sewing she gave that poor jumper the nastiest look...

Now I don't know, she was wearing her all time favorite "down dress". Perhaps she simply didn't want to remove the dress she was wearing to try on a "mom made one". But her actions effected me in such a way that I merely hung up the jumper where she can see it when she gets dressed in the mornings. I didn't tell her it was finished or anything. Hopefully she'll come around, but if she doesn't I'll be sending it off to school as "change of clothes". At least I know she wont be missing it.

I really hope when I make the butterfly one next week it gets better reviews!

The Pursuit of Sewing Through Math

I am currently working on lengthening the shoulder straps of a jumper my mother in law gave my daughter earlier this week. But all rights and means the jumper is to small, but that is a story for a different day. First, I was just going to add to the bottom of the "skirt" to lengthen it, but then I discovered it has a pleated hem. So I changed my tactics and went for the shoulder straps. Since the underside of the strap is the same material as the top side I decided to steam rip both straps apart and completely remake them instead of merely making a new strap from some other fabric. The way I figure it is if I use the fabric from the back side of the strap as well as the front side the length of the dress can grow up to 3"! Don't worry I'll use something like red for the back side of the strap. This will allow the dress to maintain the original appearance, without me having to come up with straps to match. So far it has been much more work than I anticipated, but I do hope it will be worth it.

In my original math, I somehow thought I needed to divide by 3 (aka three straps!?!?) instead of two. So glad I took a moment to check my math!

I did a little bit of online fabric shopping and I found fleece for Jessica's nap mat (oh do I have an idea for that!) as well as a pretty "vintage-looking" butterfly fabric. I'll be using it to make a gathered hem jumper. Do you sense a pattern? I'm so excited I can hardly wait for the order to arrive.

Nap Mat and Pillow Case

Jessica's school supply list requires a nap map and a pillowcase to store it in. I haven't quite decided what I will do about the nap mat, but I did make the pillowcase to keep it in. I raided Jessica's pillowcases for one in the way back and here's what I came up with. I made a tube and then tucked everywhere I needed curves to spell out her name. As you can see it's applique. I looked around this morning for applique letters, and somehow this way just seemed more like what I wanted.

The bunny fabric is a stash raid from my mom's stash, which is living here these days (no complains from this lady!) It was originally purchased in Fort Lauderdale to one day become a bunny quilt for me (I selected the fabric). Two daughters later mom made three quilts from that fabric, isn't she great? While I'm unsure as to the whereabouts of my sister's quilts, mine is tucked away safely in the closet. While I am a quilter for use, this quilt has been much used and until it's ready to be to be loved that way some more - my closet it will stay.

It's nice for me to see this little strip put into use once again, and hey as a bonus that tired quilt now has a matching pillowcase.

A Pocket For Corduroy and School Stuff?!?!?!

Jessica is four now and that means things like school supply lists (I received my first one as a parent two days ago, more on that in a jiff). Backpacks, clothes for her first day, as well as Friday Spirit Day Clothes. It's really feels like a lot to do before the month is up. After I made my first pair of boxers, for my husband, I learned tags are there for a reason, so I always put in at least a scrap of fabric so the wearer gets it on the proper way.
So what do I do? I go on a tangent looking at little girl jumpers. My all time favorite line in the Harry Potter movies -to date- is Ginny saying "Mummy, have you seen my jumper?" I adore the way she accents that! My mom offers up her pattern from when my sisters where little, which I promptly alter to make pjs. Not bad for an deviation from the pattern, if I do say so myself. Everyone knows it's very important for children getting ready to start school to have new "jam-jams!" LOL, right! Yes, that's a Purple Punch Vera Bradley Backpack, Jessica's auntie loves her very much!
As for that school supply list, it says EVERYTHING must have the child's initials on it. Want to take a guess at my daughters initials? JR! Right, like I'm going to cover her things with that. So JCR it must be. I had a fight with the embroidery machine about it. The embroidery machine won, but I got my way by turning the flywheel by hand 1198 times - one turn per stitch, now there is a workout for you. DH started calling around about the sensor the machine needs (of course we don't have a part number!) and the only quote he was able to get today was $90 to start and any parts needed would be on top of that. I know, Eeegads! Of course my sister tells me after I did all that that she could have had the kind people at Vera Bradley do embroider it for me.

I'm a first time mom, I can't help myself. Since I am also armed with the knowledge that I'm a last time mom, it's really important for me to do everything right, can't you tell? Jessica's school supply list says "12 pack of crayons". As a child of the 80's I know there are two kinds of crayons. The good kind made by crayola, and the bad kinds made by everyone else. Even today I find this to be true in every pack of crayons I come across. Like a good little mommy I go online and type in "12 pack crayola crayons" I can have 12 boxes of fill in the blank number of crayons made by crayola. I can have 12 crayons all the same color... Or I can buy something else. Melissa and Doug are making plastic ones now... That seems wrong, like somehow you'd have to press harder or something I dunno. Then I found another place P'kolino. Their own website doesn't show the crayons as being available (only the colored pencils), which makes me uncomfortable.

So here's what I've learned. Most 12 pack crayons (including the lumber crayons believe it or not) are not round. In theory preventing them from rolling, and allowing for a better grip. Another thing about crayons that my super artistic daughter taught me is that washable is the best. Crayon isn't fun to try and get out of anything... So I'll be hoping for a box of triangle washable Crayola's! I will have accept the yoke of "one of those parents who can't follow directions". Because if I order something online and it's wrong... Grrr...

"A Pocket For Corduroy", while not the first book of the dearly beloved little bear named Corduroy, the pocket one is the one we own (you try having oodles of voucher money at a paperback bookstore that is going out of business and see what you buy!) After reading that book the other day Jessica insisted on him having his own pocket (I selected purple fabric to sew on, just like in the story). No photo of him as he's tucked into bed with my little one this evening.

Today is my 6 year wedding anniversary. I had it all planned out. I was going to give DH a Bobby Flay Reversible Double Cast Iron Griddle, and then we could enjoy bacon and pancakes for breakfast. Well Kohl's was out of them, so we'll have to save that for another day. So since I have vested interest I hope all of you had a great day. Because that's all that mattered anyway.