Confessions of a Craft Addict

The year has zipped by. I really can’t believe it’s the last day of 2008. Shouldn’t we have at least another month before the new year starts?

It’s definitely been an eventful year for me. I look back at the past 12 months and am so happy at what I’ve accomplished, where I’ve been and, mostly, the wonderful friendships that have added so much to my life. Thank you for coming along for the ride, for your comments, emails, encouragement and sympathy.

Goodbye, 2008! You’ve been good to me.

For an activity that yields something meant to be seen and admired by many, sewing is a rather solitary endeavor. Sure, my kids may be running around downstairs while I’m working or my husband may be reading a book so we can at least be occupying the same space, but it’s not like we’re all involved in the same activity.

Today was my first foray into the world of sewing retreats and I finally get the appeal. I spent the day at the shop sewing in one of the classrooms along with three to six others and it was so much fun. It always fun to meet and talk to other people who sew but it’s different to spend hours working in the same room, swapping stories and showing off works in progress. I was the sole non-quilter and managed to finish a new school bag and bento box bag for Miss L, and start a cool new jacket for her that is going to take forever and an extra dose of patience.

If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend giving it a shot! Oh,and I also suggest heading over to A Month of Stuff to check out my interview over that way, as well as all the great posts from A Month of Holiday Crafts. Great stuff!

Traditions guide our holiday celebrations, from setting up the Christmas tree and decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving to the big brunch I cook and serve on Christmas morning. Yet, this year, our Christmas was less steeped in tradition than ever.

For the first time, my sons were not home for the holidays. It was, if you will, a foreshadowing of the mostly-empty nest that we’ll soon be experiencing. While the boys hung out with their grandparents in a neighboring state, we spent Christmas as a family of three.

And it was nice.

Quiet.

Different.

Fortunately Miss L is just like her big brothers in one respect: she slept until after 9 on Christmas morning. But the pace of having one small girl at home is far different than that of having three — with two of them gregarious teenagers. And her appetite is much less, so our brunch was three items rather than 10.

Traditions are nice but sometimes you just have to adapt.

We were blessed with the most fun houseguests the past few days: My sister-in-law Jenn, her husband and their daughter. Oh my! What fun we have had. They are so awesome and we always have the best time when we’re able to visit with them, although I think we’ve all been a bit sleep deprived from staying up too late talking and laughing!

The big reason for the trip was so that Jenn and I could shoot some new promo pics. I’ve mentioned before that she’s an insanely talented singer/songwriter; recently she’s been picked up by a digital distributor, so her music is now available on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Yahoo! Music and even Amazon.com. Combined with a very successful workout regime, it was obvious that new photos were a must. (You know, because we need an excuse to spend time together. )

I rented some studio space at Studio Space Atlanta, which opened not that long ago. What a cool place! Because I pretty much exclusively shoot on available light, I opted for the small natural light studio and its three-hour minimum. It turned out to be perfect, although it would have been much more comfortable if it had been warmer. The natural light comes in via two loading dock doors, which is great — except Monday’s high was around 43 degrees. I took a small space heater with us and, boy, was I glad for that because it was COLD! LOL! We lowered the doors whenever we weren’t shooting, which helped. And laughed a lot.

In spite of the frigid temps, it was just so much fun and we were so excited to see even the tiny previews on my camera’s LCD. The time just flew! I think we could easily have filled another hour or two, especially after my friend/assistant, Michael, arrived to lend a hand. (Seriously, he was such a great help and great company, too.) By the time it was all done, I think I ended up with nearly 200 photos, which I think I managed to narrow down to around 80 really strong images Jenn can use for her promotional stuff (mostly ads, posters and the like). But I think the best part was just having some great bonding time with my little sis.

Christmas is almost here and I’m nearly done with holiday sewing. I haven’t made it through everything on my list but I’ve accomplished the big things, and I can be happy with that.

One of the gifts I was most looking forward to making is this polka dot dog carrier. My parents adopted a little Yorkie about a month ago and are absolutely just smitten. Every time I call, they update me on his latest goings on and even took a picture with him for their Christmas letter.

I just knew a cute little carrier for Bailey would be perfect, so I grabbed McCall’s 5151, some home dec fabric and got to work.

I did fall back on the Peltex for this project. The pattern called for hair canvas but I had a time of it finding some locally, so I pulled out the evil Peltex and just sucked it up. It did a nice job of giving the bag structure, and it was infinitely easier to use it for the bag exterior than the lining.

The bag has a hard bottom, made with an insert cut from a piece of chipboard I bought at the home improvement store. I also drilled holes through the board and inserted the bag feet through the holes to give them more stability and hopefully keep them from pulling through the fabric.

The pattern was really easy to sew, even with the Peltex. It’s only five pattern pieces and I pretty much got the entire project done in an afternoon (although my sewing was spread out over a couple of days because I squeezed it in between a bunch of errands).

Probably the biggest challenge of my crafty Christmas has been coming up with gifts appropriate for the guys in my life. And of that category, the next challenge was coming up with something for little boys — specifically, my almost-7-year-old nephew. Last year, I made him a cool knight’s cape and shield, so I really didn’t want to make him any dress-up stuff for this Christmas.

And then … epiphany. I remembered a neat play quilt I saw on the floor at Intown Quilters. I hadn’t looked at it too closely but I did notice that it featured a checkerboard, complete with fabric checkers. (I found out later from Sarah is that it’s a free pattern from Michael Miller Fabrics, Checkers in the Garden.)

To make your own checkerboard blanket, you’ll need three fabrics. I think I bought one yard of the main fabric (used for the border  and the back of the blanket) and a half yard each of the other two fabrics (used for the checkerboard and the closing straps). You also need fusible fleece (my piece measured 26.25″x26.25″) and Velcro (I bought a package with three sets of pre-cut squares).

Using your rotary cutter and ruler, cut your two fabrics for the checkerboard into four 3″ strips. Set the excess fabric aside.

Lay out your fabric strips, alternating the two fabrics. Stitch together with a 1/4″ seam and press all the seams in the same direction. Use your rotary cutter and ruler again to cut eight 3″ strips across  your sewn striped panel.

Pick up every other strip and turn it to the opposite end so that you form a checkerboard pattern with the strips. Sew the strips together with a 1/4″ seam and press the seams in the same direction.

From your third (main) fabric, cut two strips that measure 3.5″x20″ and two strips measuring 3.5″x26.5″ (before cutting, you may want to measure your checkerboard to make sure the numbers are correct for your project).

Match the long edges of the 20″ strip to the left and right sides of your checkerboard, then sew together with a 1/4″ seam. Press the seams toward the border pieces. Next, match the long edges of the 26.5″ strips to the top and bottom edges of the checkerboard and shorter border pieces. Sew them together with a 1/4″ seam and press the seams toward the border. Set aside.

Use your rotary cutter and ruler to cut two 3.5″x12″ strips from one (or both) of your reserved checkerboard fabric. Match the long edges of one piece, right sides together, and sew with a 1/4″ seam. Position the seam in the center of the tube and press open. Repeat with the other strip. Put the sewn tubes on your cutting mat and use your ruler and rotary cutter to cut 4″ from one end of each tube. Sew closed one end of each of the four pieces, then turn each tube right side out and press.

Place one short and one long tube together, right sides together, and match the raw edges. Baste near the raw edge. Set aside.

(Before cutting these next pieces, measure your bordered checkerboard to make sure the numbers match your project.) Cut one piece of fusible fleece and one piece of your main fabric to 26.25″x26.25″. Follow the fusible fleece directions to adhere it to the wrong side of your bordered checkerboard.

Next, lay the fleeced checkerboard right side up on your worktable. Grab the pair of attached tubes and place the first pair so the inside edge lines up with the right edge of the second row of checkerboard. Pin in place (the raw edges of the tube should line up with the raw edge of the border). Place the remaining pair on the opposite side of the checkerboard, with the inside edge lined up with the left edge of the seventh row of checkerboard. Pin in place, then baste both straps to the border.

Place your main fabric square (the one that allegedly measures 26.25″ square) with the right side on the top of your checkerboard. Pin together and sew with a 1/4″ seam, leaving a 4″ gap on one side (no more than 2 inches from any corner) so you can turn your board right side out. Trim the corners, making sure not to clp into the stitches. Pull the fabric right side out through the gap, then press, making sure to turn under the edges of the gap. Topstitch around the perimeter of the blanket, close to the edge. (Be sure to move the straps out of the way as you topstitch!)

Measure over 3/4″ from the edge of the shorter strap and pin one of the Velcro tabs to the piece, then stitch it down. (The seam of the tube should be on the underside of the strap.) Repeat with the other shorter strap. Repeat the measurement and Velcro application with the longer strap, except you’ll need to sew it to the seamed side (and make sure that you pair up the hook and loop pair appropriately, or else the straps won’t hold closed). Now you’re done! You can roll up the checkerboard and fasten it closed with the straps.

I made my checkers by tracing 2.5 inch circles on a piece of fleece, then embroidering a crown (the design came with my Babylock Emoré)  in each circle (actually 12 crowns on each of two colors of fleece). I stacked the embroidered fleece on a sheet of plain fleece, then sewed within the circle to secure the pieces together. I used the traced circle as my cutting guide for each checker.

Only one week until Christmas and I think I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m fairly certain it’s not an oncoming train, too.

My goal of makingg many of my Christmas gifts has turned out pretty nicely. There are a few things that aren’t going to be done (no way I’m going to be able to make one, much less two, kilts in a week) but I’ve gotten so much accomplished.

Here’s an armful of my sewing projects, before I started boxing and wrapping. I still can’t believe I made all of those purses! By my count, I’ve sewn around 15 purses. Granted, they didn’t happen all in one day (or week, or even one month), but I’m still pretty pleased with the results.

Somehow in all this sewing I still have avoided making a purse for me! LOL! I’m hoping to rectify that once I get done with the last of my Christmas sewing, but I’m not holding my breath.

I also made a few — OK, about a dozen — coffee cup cozies. I reverse engineered based on a cardboard sleeve from Starbucks and love how they turned out. I used Insulbrite and they keep things nice and cozy. If you want to make some yourself, then check out this great tutorial (which I found after the fact).

And I’ve got to share one more purse, another Melly & Me pattern. I think I’ve had my eye on this pattern since it came out but never added it to my collection until after we came back from Market and Sarah had stocked it at the shop.

I think it’s easily the largest purse I’ve ever sewn. To give you some perspective, it’s hanging on my size 4/5 children’s mannequin. Definitely the bag for the gal who carries everything on her shoulder. The pockets are nice and roomy, too.

The embroidery and applique were all done by hand, which took a little while. Oh, but it’s so worth it! And I think the gift recipient agrees: she immediately loaded it up with all her stuff. That is the best thanks I could ever hope to get.

I’d built up a nice little bag full of fabric yo-yos since I started making them back in May and found a little inspiration in them to make this scarf for my Christmas gift stash. Even with having the yo yos ready to go, it still required a lot of hand sewing to finish the scarf, so this is definitely not a last-minute gift idea. If you’ve got the time to sit and stitch, though, you’ll be happy with the results.

I decided to use a white woven cotton for the top (backing the yo yos) of the scarf and a white flannel for the underside. I lined up my yo yos (made with the large Clover yo-yo maker) on my cutting mat to figure out the dimensions and decided to make a scarf wide enough to accommodate four yo yos (about 7 inches). And then, because I’m mathematically challenged, I used a multiple of seven for the length (48 inches). I’ll be honest: I think it’s a little too short but YMMV.

Based on my measurements, cut a strip of fabric and a strip of flannel, each measure 7.5 inches by 48.5 inches. Place them right sides together and sew around all four sides, leaving about a four-inch gap on one long side for turning the scarf right side out. Clip the four corners (be careful not to nick your stitches) and turn righ side out through the gap. Carefully poke out all the corners with a turning tool, chopstick or favorite blunt, narrow object. Press, making sure the unstitched edges of the gap are enclosed in the seam. Slipstitch the opening closed or use your sewing maching to stitch close to the edge of the scarf to close the gap (the top is going to be covered in yo yos and no one’s really going to notice).

Arrange your yo yos in a visually pleasing configuration on top of the scarf. When you have them set in the pattern you’d like, use a hand sewing needle and thread to sew together your yo yos. Make a little yo-yo sandwich, with the gathered centers of the yo yos touching. Make a few stitches on the top edges, picking up just enough of each edge of the two yo yos to connect them. You’re not trying to sew them so that the yo yo edges overlap but that the stitches form a hinge that will let the yo yos lay next to each other. Tie off the thread and snip, then repeat with the next two yo yos in the row so you have a chain of four connected yo yos. Repeat with each row of yo yos.

When you’ve finished with the yo-yo foursomes, it’s time to connect each chain. Match two yo-yo chains, right sides together, and stitch hinges on each pair. When you open them up, they should be like a little, skinny book. Repeat with each chain. I found it easiest to work in sets of four, connecting four chains, then going back and connecting the four-by-four panels, repeating until the scarf was fully assembled.

Lay the connected yo yos on top of the fabric scarf (woven side up) and match the edges of the yo yos to each short edge of the scarf. Pin, making sure the yo yos on the corners touch both sides of the corners. Work your way down each long edge of the scarf, adding a pin about every four or five yo yos to secure them to the scarf.

Using the hand needle and thread, carefully make a few stitches on the outside edge of each yo yo, sewing through the top layer of fabric, to secure them to the scarf. I watched a movie while I did this, because it’s a LOT of hand sewing. (The tip of my finger is still a little sore!) And there you have it: your very own yo-yo scarf!

I am completely blown away by the number of people who took part in my little giveaway. Thank you so much for sharing about the causes near and dear to you. It was so wonderful to be able to read about the charities that are special to your hearts and lives, especially those that have helped you and your families in some way.

You’ve all been incredibly patient as I’ve followed every link and noted every entry. And now … the moment you’ve been waiting for … the lucky winner of the Have a Craft Addict Christmas Giveaway is …

WENDY!

I hope you’ll indulge me for a few moments as I share a couple of the organizations that I support. I have been involved with the American Cancer Society since I was a teenager. As an artsy-craftsy person, I think it’s incredibly important to support local arts organizations and have done so everywhere that we have lived. My mother, who died seven years ago this month, benefited from hospice and I can’t say enough about the wonderful care and services provided by that agency.

Don’t be fooled by this simple purse. There is far more to it than meets the eye.

This purse required feats of strength and agility heretofor unseen in my sewing studio, and thankfully not witnessed by anyone in my family because I’m certain they would never let me live it down.

Here’s the deal: My mother-in-law 1.0* asked me if I could make her a quilted purse for Christmas, but it needed to be able to stand up on its own because she puts it on the floor under her desk at work. No problem, I said.

I’ve been carrying my own Run Mama Run bag for the past six months and thought it would meet her requirements with a little modifying. The biggest modifications would be to attach fusibile fleece to the exterior fabric and quilt it, and attach Peltex to the lining so the bag would be nice and stiff.

Now, I’m pretty much a big avoider of Peltex (and its evil pal, Timtex) on a good day, so why on earth I would decide to work with it on a bag this style is completely beyond all comprehension. Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice and stiff and stands up like a soldier at attention (OK, maybe at parade rest — it’s not tht stiff). But that stiffness is what makes it such a challenge to work with. Pinning the layers together proved a bit painful. Plus, there’s not a lot of yield when you’re trying to twist and turn a Peltex-stiffened purse around the free arm of your sewing machine. The sheer inventiveness of my acrobatic sewing surprised me and sometimes was a little uncomfortable (I’m not as flexible as I used to be).

And then I had to slip the purse exterior through a four-inch gap in the lining, through which I then had to force a very unyielding Peltex purse form through so it would be right-side out. Methinks I did not plan this project as well as I’d hoped.

The final product is, in fact, a quilted purse that stands on its own. While my sweet MIL may not be able to appreciate the work that went into it, she’ll still be happy with the gift and the love that went into it. And I’m pretty sure the little bit of blood from stabbing myself while pinning the Peltex-lined pieces together doesn’t show.

*I have three. You know you’re jealous.