Holstein chicken

It's not easy being the roosters favortie girl.  He "likes" her so well she has no feathers on her back anymore.  Poultry romance is, well, kind of violent.  So with a bald hen it was time for action. Either Rooster would need a pedicure or  the hen needed some protection.

So now there's a chicken running around in my yard with a jacket.

The free pattern I used was found on Back to Basic Living.   The one I made is from the same template but I used scrapcanvas and lined it with fleece.

FO: Pirate Coat

Thing 1's pirate coat is done! It tried to melt my brain at several points but it's done and on it way south for Halloween. 

Since he's been obsessed with Jack Sparrow for years (the boy has a pirate ship/fort in the backyard) Thing 1 already has most of the other accessories. Hopefully light weight garments since this coat is heavy naugahyde and weighed a ton before I put the brass buttons on. The side and back pleats for maximum twirling added a lot of extra fabric. A nine year old boy probably wouldn't like to be thought of as a twirler. Maybe I should say the jacket has extra fullness at the hips for more dramatic billowing during sword fights. 

WIP

Pirate coat for Thing 1 is coming along. I've figured out the kick pleat for the back but the giant French cuffs are still breaking my brain. 

Pirate costume for the boy

packing my pins

Farewell to February

What a crappy month it was. The Internet has been back up for a while but I  have been in such mood that I haven't been back as my gift to the world.  No one really needs to hear me complaining about winter, of gray skies and white landscapes. The irritations of sinus headaches and head colds. Compounded by the anniversary of cancer diagnosis (who's treatment is still giving my problems) and my birthday.

 So good bye February! Hello March! I'm looking forward to Spring with green things and colorful flowers.

In between my kvetching I made a sateen ensemble for a sock who's will be going to Vegas with J.

Lucy supervised. 

KCWC weekend

Reversible work vest for Thing 1 for when he helps his Dad. This started out as a quick project until I got to the button holes. For some reason my buttonhole foot hated this vest. It took two stitches and then had a nervous break down. Getting stuck on the flannel and then going to far over. Three hours later I took it off the machine and put in drawer. The foot and I are taking some time apart.

After spending far to much time contemplating buttons I made a pair of moccasins. Crochet is so much more forgiving than sewing. If something doesn't look quite right, just unravel an go again. 

KCWC : Moose Shirt

Pattern: Simplicity #5581

Fabric: batik moose print bought locally

I cut out this shirt sometime this summer with the thought of the boy wearing it while camping. Seemed logical, make a camp shirt for , you know, going camping. It turned into the never ending, brain killing project. I partially view my sewing projects as brain building exercises in the battle against chemo brain. This shirt, or rather the collar, turned me into mush. The pattern instructions for applying the collar and front facings make no sense. It used a here before unseen technique that quite frankly kicked my butt. After ripping out the same seam three times, I threw the thing at my mom in defeat and had to lay down until my brain recovered from it's state of overcooked oatmeal. 

Poor Mother fixed the wretched thing. It still has some issues, but I can't stand to work on it anymore. I'm handing it over to Thing 1 safe in the knowledge that small boys don't look at seam lines.  

KCWC: The Indigo Cat Dress

For the last couple of years Elsie Marley has been doing a kid clothing sewing week. It's set up as a challenge week to make kid stuff, to stop procrastinating and make/finish all those projects that have pilled up. As I need all the help I can get in the stop procrastinating department, I've jumped on board. 

I found this marvelous fabric at Fabric Temptations several years back while visiting my brother. They have a   small but wonderful collection of indigo, and this is one of several prints I picked up. Now I've used it so this wasn't really an impulse buy. See I'm not a fabric hoarder. 

I used New Look's #6309 as the basic pattern. Although the overall look is kind of based on The Happy Tunic by Simple Simon and Co.

Sun dresses for fall

Finally finished the crocheted collared dresses for Thing 2. My timing is as always off kilter. Hopefully California's north coast will have an Indian summer so she doesn't have to wear a turtle neck under these. The yellow dress (which I really should have ironed before photographing) went together really fast. I should have known that would lead to problems with the plaid. It took me forever to find something that would match the lite blue of the collar in my fabric stash. Then I had the brilliant idea to use a lace pillowslip as lining. My seam ripper got lots of exercise while I tried to get the lace to end up facing the right way. I had to call in Mom to finally get everything pinned and then turned the right direction.

Now I'm onto a camp shirt for Thing 2 and the collar is breaking my brain. I really hope this is building brain cells and not burning them.

Time for more coffee.

FYI: crochet collar pattern is free from Lulu Loves  and the very cool button is from a stash I bought from Lisa of Lil Fish Studios.

Ruffles and Ball Fringe

I've survived my sewing projects and everything's packed up and on it's way south for Thing 2 to turn 4.  The purple jumper dress has ball fringe on the hem and a matching softie in the pocket. I couldn't send it out with an empty pocket.  I had thought the pinafore might be a  possible sale item in a shop that sold some of my horned hats, but it was such a pain in the tucus that I was just happy to see it go. It's one of these projects that seemed so simple at the onset. Anyway survived another sewing birthday without giving myself an aneurysm, so two thumbs up and high fives all around.

Pinafore problems

CAUTION  RANT AHEAD

Thing 2 is turning 4 this month and being a masochist, I'm sewing for her. Somewhere in the last couple of years I decided I would do something handmade for the kids at every holiday/birthday. Well all week I've been struggling to make a pinafore. I have a pattern for a basic one but I had a better idea. Why I can't just do the pattern as written I don't know. Mine is going to have ruffles and be reversible. Thing 2 is the queen of ruffles so that is a must. Thanks to the internet the ruffle addition isn't a problem. Making it reversible however is another matter. Getting the neck lined and then trying to turn it properly has pushed mental capabilities to the limit. Granted since I was nuked by chemo my mental abilities aren't what they used to be,  but still. It's just a small apron. It shouldn't be this hard. I've had to take several rest breaks when my brain turned into overcooked oatmeal along the way and there have been some major melt downs. Last night being the worst when a screw driver turned up in the lettuce crisper. Mom laughed and just put it away. Living with me often means a continuous game of charades while I  struggle to find the proper word, but tools in the refrigerator doesn't happen that often.  Logically I know this a minor thing. There are a lot of people who live with far more serious and debilitating problems than household items appearing in the refrigerator. A touch of chemo induced dementia (chemo brain to the support groups) is not the end of the world. But seeing that screw driver in with the asparagus made me want to throw myself on the floor like some over sugared toddler, wailing and screaming at the injustice of it all. I refrained, maintained my dignity,  poured a stiff drink and watched a comedy with the dog.
 The pinafore is moving along, I just need to attach the ties and finish off the ruffles. Hopefully I can do that without anymore brain malfunctions. And if not, Thing 2 is 4 and won't care if I go with a back up gift.

Finished Objects

Knit cat_____goofy hats_______bed pockets for Thing 1and 2. Slushy weekend with lots of fog. Thinking about quilts and new old fabric.

Fudgy Brownies, Fine Cooking Jun/Jul 2006

This is the brownie recipe from last week. The version that is on the Fine Cooking website looks to be a bigger batch to me, but there were some very mixed reviews in their comments.

Toy Society Drop

Mooshy Bunny dropped in Colville courtyard

This bunny is the first (hopefully) of many toy drops this year. After hearing about The Toy Society through Little Fish Studios I just had to make something. I love the whole concept of the group and already have lots of inspiration for toys. 

Velour Mooshy Bunny

This little bunny is made from an old velour jogging suit. At one point while wandering in Costco I must have thought I would become a jogger. I not sure where I got that idea. In actuality I don't run unless something is chasing me. I think squishy bunnies are a much better use for the material. The inspiration and pattern for this bunny came from Chez Beeper Bebe`. (Who is wildly talented.) I've become obsessed with her chickens.

While still thinking about bunnies I made this guy. He'll go to my nephew (Thing 1). I think a seven year old is the right audience for a somewhat demented bunny.

Wednesday WIP

I've gotten back into embroidery lately. I did a few sack cloth towels for Christmas presents but didn't keep any. The birds and the row of dogs were found on flicker ( Vintage Embroidery Patterns) . These and other patterns are also on my Embroidery Board. 

I also joined The Toy Society. I love the idea of random acts of kindness and this will provide another outlet for my new interest in softies. Besides I only have so much room in my house for calico elephants.

Handmade Holiday 2011 re-cap

Sister in law chef apron

for Thing 2

for Thing 1

piles to be boxed up

Why I decided my brother's family all needed aprons is beyond me, but here they are. I fully blame Pinterest for having far too many cute kid aprons.  Halfway into the process I decided to trim both aprons in red gingham. Which turned out to be a major pain and no doubt a cause of Christmas insanity of which I'm still recovering. For future reference, don't make ten yards of gingham bias tape. It will make your eyes cross and refuse to behave while attaching it to a small canvas apron.

In the end, everything was a hit and the pictures of the kids in their new chef's hats makes up for whatever sanity I lost last month. Isn't that what really counts?

A far less stress inducing project was lavender filled owls. inspired by these, I made a few dozen palm size owls from scrap fabric. Mom and I had a blast putting on felt features one evening. It was a bit like being a little kid again. I can't tell you last time I did anything with felt eyes but this was a lot of fun. The only real problem came when it was time to parcel these out. I wasn't sure anyone other than me would be so enamored about having a lavender owl hanging out in their sock drawer. Personally I find the idea of having a small creature looking out at you as you look for a stray sock entertaining. I sent them off anyway.

I finally got around to updating my Ravelry page and discovered December was a very productive month. I was a knitting machine! It's a wonder my wrists still work at all.

Thing 1 & 2 in the Zsa hats or Batman and Robin as they call them.

Weekend Pictures

stained 90 feet of deck railing, (my hand may never be the same)

raining

canned a dozen quarts of red sauce

people under my desk

which check to use?

Piggy