carnival is a coming...

It is skating carnival time once again.

The last while I have been very busy cutting, pinning, sewing and serging skirts

for 10 very excited girls.

Once Bugsy's skirt was done she decided to model it

and try her waltz jump in it

Seems she is all of a sudden looking a little bit older than before.

She wasn't this big last year was she?

The skirts were actually quite easy.

I modified a skating skirt pattern by eliminating the casing

and sewing the material straight onto black elastic.

Simple and easy!  And so glad they are all done!

the catch all

This bag will be under the tree this Christmas for our oldest daughter. I hope it will be the bag she grabs as she goes out the door. Maybe to throw in her snack, water bottle and vest for skating. Maybe to throw in her tap and jazz shoes on a Saturday morning.

The bag is quite roomy. The finished dimensions are 13x12x10" (without the straps). At first it doesn't sound big but it should easily hold the things she will need it for.

The polka dot fabric actually has blue dots on it. For some reason they seem really white to me in the pictures.

I found the pattern called "Daisy Dazzler" in the Quilts and More Fall 2009 magazine. You can find a link to the pattern online.

summer skirt...papaya style

Back in June the girls and I went to the fabric store to buy material for a skirt.

The idea was they each got to pick what they wanted and had a t-shirt to co-ordinate with. Papaya, who is usually quite quiet, got the sunshine yellow-orange fabric. If truth be told, I was voting for this really nice subdued cream and yellow fabric and everyone in the store (3 other ladies and 2 girls) voted for this fabric. I am big enough to admit they were right!
So, since yesterday was a rainy day we finally got at it. Papaya and I were both in an out of sorts mood. So a project was definately a good thing.

First she sewed selvage edges together. This became the side seam.

Then we pressed all the fabric. Then we folded and pressed the fabric for a casing.

Then she sewed the casing. She was a little stressed about this because it was edge stitching but she managed with minimal help from me.Then I sewed a ribbon on to make a hem. I sewed the right side of the ribbon to the wrong side of the fabric. Once it was on, I folded it over, pressed, pinned and then edge stitched in on. What a great way to make a hem a little snappy!

And tada! We are done! She is very proud of her skirt and accomplishment!

Obviously it is comfortable enough for lounging!

And for reading a good book!

This is my third project finished from my project lineup

The idea came from the Lazy Days skirt found here

the after bag

I am calling this my "after bag"

~~~

I made this after work,

after I took the babysitter home,

after I made supper,

after I cleaned up the kitchen,

after I tucked the kids into bed,

after I put out the garbage,

after I tidied up the family room,

after I started a load of laundry,

after I checked my emails

After all those things it was only ten o'clock and I wasn't quite ready to go to bed.

I was really only going to cut it out, but one thing lead to another and then I just couldn't stop. Today I am so glad I did! Even though I was bleary eyed this morning.

The actual pattern is called "Gilly Bag" and I got it free from the quilt store on Salt Spring Island when I purchased a package of fat quarters.

This is my second project finished from the project lineup

off the presses

Last night I finished the last seam of my quilt top that I was working on here
Today I got the backing and batting! Soon I hope to sandwich it all together and start quilting!
Here's a sneak peek. All the fabrics are scraps and the off white is from a friend.
I love re-using fabric! So fun to give it another purpose!

project line-up

My daughter told me today that she couldn't vacuum my sewing room

because it was too crowded (she meant cluttered) and I am afraid that I am guilty as charged!

So, I went upstairs this evening for just a little bit to organize and claim some space back again. Here's some of the projects that are on the line up, in no specific order

~~~~~~~~~~

First, here is what is evolving from the pile of yellow and green fabrics I pulled a while back. With all our hot weather, I haven't touched the sewing machine much at all lately. I prefer to grab the sun when I can because it might not last long!

Second, I have some a nice little stash of fat quarters from Kaffe Fassett that I want to do something with but I am not entirely sure what! Any ideas? Purse? (Sorry for the blur)

Third, Busgy wants to turn this, which is actually a nine patch, into a pillow or something for the top of her dresser

Fourth, the girls want to sew skirts (fabric on top that they picked)

to match the t-shirts underneath!

Fifth, I have a few beautiful balls of sock yarn that I would like to make into socks. Thinking that is on the burner for Christmas

P.S. Note to self: This list can change or self-destruct at a moment's notice pending other project interest!

in our house today

In Canada it is the Victoria Day long weekend.
Usually that doesn't mean much for our family because my husband's business is in full swing. However, this weekend we were going to try and go out to camp in our trailer and join him. Yesterday the weather decided to be difficult and it poured rain for most of the day. It was finally decided that we would stay home, even though we were all packed and ready to go. The bush roads/logging roads can get really messy and slick (not fun for pulling a trailer) and it just wouldn't have been fun to be freezing, wet and cold all weekend. We still can't quite convince our oldest daughter of that rationale however. As of this morning she has still been spontaneously erupting tears.

As a cure all for ailing emotions and slow weekend mornings I occassionally make Overnight Cinnamon Buns! Yes, I can and do make regular CB's! However, when I want them tomorrow morning I don't feel like staying up late to get them ready. These however take 5 minutes to put together and are ready for the oven in the morning. I love that! Enough time in the morning to put them in the oven, put coffee on and take a shower!

If you interested here is the recipe:

Overnight Cinnamon Buns

20 frozen bread rolls (2 pkgs)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. vanilla instant pudding

1 T. cinnamon

1/4 c. melted butter

raisins

Grease bundt pan, place rolls inside.

Sprinkle with sugar, pudding, cinnamon and raisins.

Pour melted butter over all.

Cover with damp tea-towel and leave on counter over-night.

In the morning, preheat oven 350 C

Lightly cover with foil, bake 20 min.

Remove foil and bake approx another 5-7 min.

Don't underbake or it won't be cooked in the middle!
Let sit for 5 minutes and then turn out from the bundt pan.
Pour a coffee, put your feet up, grab a book and enjoy!

Not necessarily in that order!

One last note, since it was raining yesterday there was no chance of outside play! No gardening! No housework because I had already tidied up! So, I walked into my sewing room, pulled fabric from two of my cubbies and started to play. Pretty soon the girls followed me in and we all spent the afternoon creating. I will tell you that I pulled yellows and greens and hopefully soon I will have something to show.

sunday afternoon

After lunch i wandered upstairs to my sewing room. I found these old t-shirts from last summer and fabric that had been buried under some other projects. All of a sudden i was motivated to sew and whipped both dresses off in under an hour. My youngest daughter had her nose over my shoulder most of the time. She was helping anyway she could, she was so excited to see the outcome.

I figure if spring isn't coming to us, then we just need to make some inside the house.

mini-quilts

my girls are constantly raiding my scrap basket

and without any sewing

they make pet shop homes

barbie carpets

doll clothes

really anything their imagination creates

i love watching their creations unfold

the other day they decided to make mini-quilts

i thought they were really quite good

yesterday the scrap basket was transfered to a shoe box and i found them playing with it outside ... my first reaction was to say "no", but i just couldn't when i saw how much fun they were having ... instead i just asked they bring it back in when they were done (which they did) ... after all isn't sharing fabric with friends what it is all about?

won't you be mine?

i baked cookies

the girls decorated
the girls got little valentine gifts
and kinder surprises
in the package i made each of them a new pillowcase
i had the fairy fabric in my stash and just needed to use it for something
all three pillowcases sewed up in an hour
fast, easy and economical
tonight the big cheese is taking me out for dinner!

how nice....sushi! yum!

lucky mommy coupons

my very sweet girls decided to make some coupons for mom

okay, maybe they didn't come up with the idea by themselves

their sunday school teacher gave them the idea

but it is still sweet, nonetheless!

i got coupons for:

hugs

kisses

dusting

sled ride

tea and a walk with a friend

i feel pretty blessed by my little group of girls

______________________

tonight i plan to sew a red dress for my oldest

for a wedding in the summer

will keep you posted

_____________________

updated: i went into my sewing room tonight to sew that red dress

but landed up being responsible!

what's up with that? i do that all day don't i?

and continued working on the curtains for the living room...

sigh! blah! yuck! boring!!

yes, i wanted to have them done in december

no, i didn't even start them till january

goodness, why didn't i snag my mom to do them while she was here?

guess i will have to wait to reveal the dress