Fluff Project: Closing in on my goal!!

In case you forgot, this quarter's charity sewing project (via Hopeful Threads) was a double dip with the Fluff Project.  The Fluff Project is the ongoing charity sewing project at Hopeful Threads.  But Hopeful Threads also does different quarterly projects (for different charity things).  I was very pleased about the double dip.  So pleased, in fact, that I got all worked up and made myself a personal sewing challenge.

40 items.

Yeeeeah, I should have thought that through just a tiny bit more BUT. . .there you go.

So, I need to get my items mailed out by July and it just so happens that I'll be on vacation the last week of June so guess what that means?  I need to get my items in the mail by June 20.

For those that aren't keeping track (or don't have a calendar hanging on the wall RIGHT next to their head) that gives me exactly 11 more days to meet my challenge.

That there is what I currently have done.

That's 10 bunnies, 6 dollies, and 9 puppies.  A grand total of 25 items.

That means I need to make 15 more items in the next 11 days.  Totally doable considering there's a weekend in there and I'm not going to painting right now (summer break) so I can take the three hours on Wednesday evening that I normally paint and make them sewing hours.

I did already cut out a dinosaur and get the face all stitched on.  I'm giving the pattern a test drive to see if it will lend itself to mass production.  So far it's no more time consuming than what I've already made.  I'm just curious to see how fiddly the pattern will be.  It has a belly piece that attaches to the front and it's a big ole curve.  And the body has some dips and humps to it (to make a limb).  So we'll see how irritating all those warbles and curves will be.

If the dinosaure proves too annoying, I'll at least have one for the pile.  I may push through and make a second one since, in a fit of dumbness, I cut a few of the pattern pieces in the wrong direction.  So I have a belly and front body already cut (facing the opposite direction of the one I'm working on).  So I'd only have to cut the back body, head pieces, and limbs to make a second dino.

I'm not sure what pattern I'll make if the dinosaur proves too annoying.  I'm tempted to re-visit some patterns I've already done.  Maybe the monster.  It was so cute and you can use a variety of fabrics.  I like picking fabrics.

Ok, time to check out the puppies in detail (since they haven't been profiled here yet).

It's a My Funny Buddy pattern.  They really are nice patterns for pillow style stuffed toys.  (Pillow style means they're rather flat, so no gussets to make them stand up).  They have nice details like hand stitched faces which can be fiddly but I've found once you get in the groove the faces are easy to mass produce.

The most fiddly part of this pattern are the ears.  You can make the ears without the flip to them, but the flip is so freaking cute it really is worth the tiny bit of fussiness.  Really, it's not that bad.  You just sew a curve into the underside of the ear and then put the two pieces together.  The curve is easy but putting the two pieces together is where the minor irritation comes in.  I just always worried I wasn't keeping the fabrics lined up well enough and would get puckers/folds along the top.  It never happened but I fretted it each time (despite copious pins).

The collar involves a few steps, too, but it's not fussy. Just straight sewing.  And the finished results are totally worth it.  The collars are also fun scrap busters.  All the collars on my pups came from my bucket of small scraps.

This was the first one I made.  I always do a test item to see if the pattern is good for mass production.  Nine times out of ten, the test item turns out well and I can use it.  This puppy is definitely good to go.

I was testing the face fabric along with the pattern.  The face fabric is a rather thin muslin from my stash.  I like it for the faces since it matches everything and is a natural shade.  It also made it so I could use off white for the eye patches.  Pure white just attracts so much dirt and dark fuzz.

The test puppy is the only polka dot one and the only one with a bright yellow collar.  The other eight puppies come in pairs.  OH, and for the record you can get two puppies out of one fat quarter of fabric and still have a nice piece leftover.

Patriotic puppies.

That fabric is so dang cute.  I got it in a swap and I liked it for the cuteness but (since it was patriotic) I really did think "what the hell will I use THIS for?"  But that's the fun of doing a fabric swap series.  You get a few fat quarters of different themes so you have them around when/if that them comes up.

I used it because it was puppies.  I dug around my stash specifically for dog print fabrics and found quite a few.  This fabric also has the bonus of being glittery.  I'm a sucker for glittery fabrics.

Groovy puppies.

That fat quarter came in a scrap vomit fat quarter bundle I got many moons ago from Pink Castle fabrics.  I recommend their scrap vomit fat quarter bundles.  You get nice fabric at a good price and it really is a grouping of miscellaneous fat quarters that really don't go with each other.  Mystery fugly fat quarters?  Yes please.

Big puppies.

Another random fq from my stash.  Cute dog print fabric perfect for making puppies.

These are my favorites (well, I really like the polka dot one, too).  That fabric is so super cute I could die.  It's also really nice quality.  I'm pretty sure it came in a mystery fat quarter bundle I bought when I first got really into sewing (I would buy mystery bundles to build my stash) and I've been deliberately hoarding it for a while.  I needed just the right project to show off the cuteness!  LOOK AT THE PUPPIES!!!  And I made sure to fussy cut the ears so puppies would show on the flopped over part.

See, that fabric is why I'm so happy there was decent scrap left over after cutting the patterns (even with a bit of fussy cutting).  I didn't want to use up every last bit of that super cute puppy fabric.  I need to have at least a charm or two to add to my 2.5 inch postage stamp charms (which some day before I die will become the world's most heinous quilt).

I will be taking a small break from the Fluff Project sewing while I finish up a swap I need to get out (by the same date as the Fluff stuff).  The swap item is going VERY well (after a bit of drama involving my cat, Olive, trying to EAT part of it. . .bad girl!) and as long as there is no further drama I think I can get it wrapped up in just a few hours of work.  I do need to fire up the glue gun and I'm not sure if the glue will play well with the paper clay (dried) that I'm using it one so. . .we'll see!  I can't wait to see how that project turns out, it's looking very cute so far.

For a swap AND Fluff Project Preview

See, this is why I wanted to break these posts up.  This next item was originally planned for the Fluff Project but once I had the practice one completed I decided to use it for a swap I was signed up for.

Ok, get to the pictures.

March Hare!!

Yup, I'm being silly for my next Fluff Project shipment and making March Hares.  It also ties in with Easter (which is just around the corner).

Look at that face.  How freaking cute is he, huh?

THAT freaking cute!

Technically this is my second stab at this pattern.  Oh, and the pattern is my take on Urban Threads' Giving Bunny (a free download but I didn't use it, I just took the idea and free handed my own version).  I found the Giving Bunny via Pinterest (not sure if it was the Hopeful Threads pinterest or some other one).

I just loved the simplicity of the Giving Bunny and wanted something fast to make for the Fluff Project.  And I wanted to use some fleece I had in my stash.  You see, I'm not a huge fan of sewing fleece so that means I need to work with it more so I can just get over my dislike of it.  These sew up fairly easily so maybe I'll be a fleece convert by the time it's all said and done.

The first version of this was a mess.  The body was ok (had a bit of wonky stitching but that's typical for a first go).  But I tried out machine stitching the eyes on and it was AWFUL mostly because I can't make a perfect circle with my machine stitches (hand stitches are actually neater!).  I think I'll take the practice bunny and stuff him and give him to my cats.  I think they'll like snuggling him (no scarf though, they'll tear that off and probably eat it!).

This first bunny also has "bad" eye stitching.  I did like a whip stitch on the eye (so the stitch goes over the edge of the eye) but it's better with a running stitch (where the stitch doesn't cross the edge of the eye).  This doesn't look BAD, but the running stitch looks better (doesn't make the wavy edge on the eye).

So far I have scarves cut for 8 bunnies (4 blue, 4 pink--just because that's the only colors I had).  I have four gray bunnies ready for the machine (that means the faces are all done and they're pinned together).  Then I just have to put the tails on (crap, I forgot to show the cute tail on the back).  Then I'm planning to make a few brown and a few white.  I'm not sure on the white yet, since I'll have to rethink the eyes (will white on white show up?  maybe I'll need to use off white for the eyes on the white or make bigger pupils or something).

So I think these really will stitch up nice.  I like that their fast/easy to make and they're small so they might appeal to older kids a bit more.  I also like how easy it is to switch up the expressions just by moving the pupils (and I can make the pupils any color I want, so I just grab a bit of floss out of the nest and use it--great scrap floss buster).

I'm hoping to get the whole Harey (see what I did there?) bunch out to the Fluff Project in time for Easter.

What else have I been up to?

Well, over the weekend I got the guinea pigs done (finally!) but I also got a good start on a few other projects.

One is for the Hopeful Threads first quarter challenge, to make bags and pouches for kids in foster care (and fill them with personal hygiene items).

I grabbed up my handful of zippers (assorted colors) and headed up to the craft room to find coordinating fabrics.

Here's what I decided on:

(oops, that's technically upside down!)

The pics are bad, but that first one is light blue fabrics.  The outside is cotton/linen blend fabric (kokka for the win!) with toothpaste tubes.  I bought it on a lark about a year ago and this project is PERFECT for it (I had 1/2 yard, so I still have a nice fat quarter plus scraps for whatever else might come along).  The lining fabric is light blue with tiny polka dots (I think they're brown).

Gray with assorted colored elephants (with babies) and purple polka dot lining (that has different stripes of color--really nice fabric).  I got both of those through swaps.

Aqua Hello Tokyo print (that I got as a gift) line with pink (from a swap).

Simpsons print with blue leafy design lining.  I have a yard of this fabric and only ever used one little swatch so I might just make a grocery style bad from the rest (and donate it too--or maybe keep it for myself, we'll see).  When I was cutting the fabric I got to thinking about how dang OLD I am.  Would little kids even know who the Simpsons are?  Maybe teens would.  Then I thought maybe I should get some Family Guy fabric, since that's more what kids would recognize!

Orange/blue/assorted colors with animals and polka dot for lining.  I have half yard of each of these, so now I still have a FQ of each (plus scraps).  This was some more fabric I bought on a whim (on sale) and am just now getting a chance to use it.

Purple Arabian Nights print (with sultans and genies and horses and this really cute monkey that makes me think of Aladdin and a funky little cat that I never noticed until I was cutting the fabric).  Liner fabric is from the same line and has appropriately themed buildings.  I had to fussy cut that FQ a tiny bit so I'd get buildings on each lining piece.  I've had these FQs for a while.  I got them in a mystery FQ pack I got a while ago and was hoping to find a project that would use both.  I almost gave them away a few times and I'm glad I didn't.  They work well with that purple zipper.

Lorax prints.  The brown tone will be the outside (it has the Lorax and some animals) and the green will be the lining.  I've had this fabric for few years.  I got it to make things for my sister (and did) but still have a lot left over (I think I bought a yard of the green and half yard of the other--this was when I thought I wanted to make my sister a quilt but I got freaked out so I only made her a zipper pouch using some coordinating panel fabric for the outer pieces and the green for lining).  I still have a lot of the green so I might make a grocery bag for myself (the Lorax is all about conservation, after all).

Girly print with polka dot lining.  I got that stylish/girly print in a swap.  I really like it but it's kind of a large print so I was wondering what I'd use it for (had a FQ of it).  I fussy cut it a bit so I'd have at least one full girl on each side (and not the same girl).  The zipper is bright yellow which matches well the yellows in the print.  The polka dots came from my FQ stash (I'm sure it was part of a mystery bundle I bought--I bought quite a few of those when I first started sewing).

I managed to get them all cut on Sunday (since the Super Bowl was so dang boring!).  I probably won't get back to them until this weekend.  I know they'll sew up fast once I get into the groove (using the zipper foot and all that).  I will have to trot out my black threaded bobbin for the one, so I'll probably do it first.

I scored a few great things to fill the bags, too.  I found some great socks on clearance at Target.  They're Prospirit low socks in really bright colors.  I got the last two packs on the clearance rack.  They were $3.25 each, so that came out to just over $1/pair of socks.  Excellent price for those socks (they're good quality, I wear them myself, only with a higher top).  I also got three packs of chapstick for $2 and change.  So less than $1 per chapstick.  So I have six pairs of socks and six chapsticks.  I couldn't remember if I was making six bags or eight (and there were only two packs of socks) so I just went with six.  Then I was looking in my medicine cabinet and I found an unopened package of hair ties.  My hair is way too short for them and they're brand new so into the donation pile they went (I'd totally use them if I had long hair, so they're definitely "good enough" for donating--I try not to donate things I wouldn't use myself or think are junky).

I'm aiming to fill them with things for teens (boy and girl).  I realized I know ZERO about babies and younger kids (what sizes and all that stuff) so teens it is.  I figure teens wear adult sized socks (and/or underwear if I happen to find a steal on them, I'd buy them) so that takes all the size issues out of the discussion.

I already have more than enough girly socks, so I'll get at least two pairs of "boy" socks and two more lip balms (maybe "girly" ones if I find Lipsmackers or something like that for a super good deal).  Then I was thinking a toothbrush and small toothpaste for each (including a cover for the toothbrush).  I was toying with deoderants, too, but they are kind of heavy so I might try and get lighter items just to keep my shipping down.  Unless I find them for a great price then I'd get them.

I'm planning to check out the dollar store near my house (for the toothbrushes and covers) and the Shop and Save, too.  You never know what random things you'll find at the grocery store.  This weekend I'm hoping to con my hubby into a trip to the craft store which will put me right next to a Five Below, so I can check them out for things, too (maybe something fun for each pack).

But first, I need to work on some stuff for swaps.

A doll and a unicorn (walk into a bar. . .wait, no, that didn't happen!).  The doll is coming along nicely.  We'll see if I'm still feeling the same way when I get to making the clothes (sewing tiny hems and attaching itty bitty snaps is always "fun").  I don't anticipate any drama with the unicorn, as long as I can remember how I made the horn.  I'm sure once I look at the toothpick and the ribbon again it will come back to me.  (I've made a unicorn from this zebra pattern before I as REALLY tempted to just give away that unicorn but it's farting a rainbow and I didn't want to remove the rainbow sewn to its butt so. . .time to make a new one).

DONE!! Guinea Pigs for Fluff Project

At long last. . .

*flourish of trumpets*

THE GUINEA PIGS ARE DONE!!!

It's a piggy army!

Ok, so eight guinea pigs do not an army make.  But they do fill up a decent sized box and will make eight kids happy (hopefully).

I'm also happy to report I used fabrics from the 12 pound remnant box.  Their bodies are all from the remnant box.  I used scraps for the belly appliques and for a few of the feet.  The felt for their features wasn't from the box, either.

STOP!

Closeup time!

The two colorful ones.  Green and pink.  I just notice they have the same color legs.

Orange and yellow.

I really like the orange one a lot.  The color and pattern are vibrant but still kind of look like a shade you might find on a real guinea pig.  Ok, except for the bee print legs.

Brown and gray.

Love the belly on the brown one.  That's some cotton/linen mix fabric.  Brown's feet are white with a white pattern (kind of looks like dandelion fluff).

Brown and tan.

They both have the same belly fabric, which is also the same fabric I used on the brown piggie with the car belly.  You can kind of see the pattern (like fathers or dandelion fluff).

The tan one was the first one I made and I noticed he's a tiny bit larger than the others.  I think that's because I used a smaller seam allowance.  I like the smaller ones better only because they were easier to sew with the bigger allowance.

Had a learning moment with this set of pigs, too.

Needle position makes a big difference.  The slightly larger pig was made with the needle all the way to the right (and keeping the edge of the fabric at the edge of the foot).  The slightly smaller pigs were made with the needle in the middle position.  I like the slightly smaller ones better because they were easier to sew.  I didn't have the worry that I would botch a seam since I had a nice allowance (approximately 1/4 inch--I think it's a smidge larger than 1/4 inch).  I did all the basting with the needle all the way to the right, which helped to better hide those stitches, too.  OH, and you can totally chain baste all the limbs and ears.  It makes it faster and, if you have to break while sewing, it keeps all the limbs together.

I'm so glad these are DONE and they all turned out very well.

I do want to improve on my closing stitches.  I'm not sure if it's just my lack of skill or if it's because the opening is on a curve, but the hand stitched openings are all a bit flat (my pigs have flat butts!).  It's not necessarily BAD looking but I notice it and I'm not satisfied.  I think I'm not doing an accurate ladder stitch and that's the problem.  I'll have to work on that.

I'll be mailing the piggie out by the end of the month.  They'll go along with the pouches I'm making (which I'm showing off in my next post).

WEEEEEE.  WEEEEEE.

That's the sound of excited piggies ready to travel!

Another Guinea Pig

I finally got back to working on the Fluff Project guinea pigs last night.

I wanted to pull one particular pig out of the poke and finish him/her up.

You see, I showed off the first guinea pig and someone asked if I'd sell one to them (wee, I do like a commission).  Of course I jumped on the idea and the colors they liked just happened to coincide with a piggie I already had cut out and half finished.

Piggie at the office!

So I finished this cutie up last night.  It took almost exactly one hour to finish.  I had to cut and add the eyes, turn and prep the ears and limbs (turn them, stuff limbs, baste all closed then baste to the front body), sew, turn, stuff, and close.  That time included winding a new bobbin and going up to my craft room to get more stuffing (so a bit of down time).

This little piggie turned out very well.  Though I'm still placing the one ear a little oddly.  It looks plenty cute but I want to get that left (when you look at the pic) ear a little lower.  I got a lot nicer of a close on the stuffing opening on this one.  It's very smooth which I like.  I had to free-hand the eyes since (despite my best efforts) I lost the eye pattern piece.  I could have traced it from the body pattern (which has the whole face drawn on it as a placement template) but to be honest I didn't think of that until right now.  Duhr!

If this color set doesn't work for the buyer, I'll make another in different colors.  But they said they liked icy/winter blues so I figured this one would fill the bill.

I still need to finish the rest of the piggie herd (7 toys not including the fuzzy one just incase it doesn't turn out well).  So I'll definitely have a total of 8 piggies for the Fluff Project.  I'll probably make two more just to have a nice round 10.  Ten little piggies!  Wee, wee!

What I'm working on: December Fluff Project Items

Sunday I sewed just about all day.

Correction.

Sunday I cut out fabric almost all day (then finally got a bit of sewing done).

I kind of hate that you have to do all the prep before you can actually sew.  But at least this round of cutting out wasn't too annoying.

What is all that mess?

Well, that there is a mess o' guinea pigs in various states of being sewn up.

The one in the foreground is the only fuzzy one of the set.  I'm not entirely sure it will turn out so I'm not guaranteeing it will make the final December Fluff Project box.  Last night (after I took this pic) I did get the face and belly attached and all the limbs and ears put together and turned.  So far, so good.  But when I get ready to attach the limbs and sew the beastie together I'm not sure how the seams might come out (super bulking seams could spell bad things--though I've worked with fat seams before and it worked out so. . .here's hoping this guinea pig turns out well).

OH and to be brutally honest, if the fuzzy one is a pain in the butt to sew but turns out super cute I might just keep him for myself.  I reserve that right.

The pile in the right back corner have all the front body embellishments (sans eyes) attached and all limbs/ears sewn together and trimmed with pinking shears.  The left corner pile are ready for that step.  Then everyone will get eyes (I cut them as I put them on so I can pick the best color and so they don't get lost--I can just bet my cats would love to carry off a guinea pig eye).  Then stuff and baste closed all the limbs and baste them to the bodies.  Then pin fronts and backs together and sew up.  Then turn, stuff, and close.  Then squeal like a little guinea pig over how effing cute they all are (and wave them in my hubbies face asking him repeatedly if he thinks they are super cute--he'll just roll his eyes which means he does but won't say so lest I get the satisfaction).

I did get one little piggie completely finished.  I did that on Saturday.  I like to do a full run through with a new pattern (this is a Dolls and Daydreams pattern I got on sale--so happy!) before I decide to mass produce it.

This pattern is perfect for assembly line production.  There are a few futzy pieces about it (the wee little felt eyes and the embroidered nose/lips) but for the most part the pattern pieces are easy and straight forward and cut and sew up fast.  Especially if you're using cottons.  The thicker fabrics are more laborious (ooh, I forgot I wanted to try this pattern with corduroy--I have both wide and small wale in brown--but I need to get this herd o' piggies done first).

For being a first go with a pattern this little piggie turned out VERY well.  His one ear is a little crooked (but it looks cute) and he could use a second set of stitches on his belly bib (I started doing that on the others) but there were no issues at all making him.  All the limbs attached easy peasy and everything lined up well.  OH, his stuffing hole sew job it a little wonky.  It's always tricky when the stuffing hole is on a curve, so I need to pay a tiny bit better attention on future ones (but the sew job is good, just kind of indented a tiny bit--something I totally notice but others might not).

And once again I'm reminded of a sewing truth.  Basting is necessary.  Baste the limbs closed and then baste them to the front body before putting the front and back together.  It's totally worth the few extra steps/minutes to not have to deal with pins while putting the body together (that's the one critique I have of the pattern--it has you pinning the limbs in without basting and then dealing with pins when you turn the item--holy hassle batman, not to mention the blood letting that could occur!).

I'd love to fill an entire box with these cuties but for now I do have at least 9 to give (not officially counting fuzzy yet).  I think I will cut out a corduroy one tonight to make sure I have a nice round 10 to give (and plan to just keep fuzzy no matter how he turns out).

The only bad thing?  I'm running out of Heat and Bond!  I had more than enough to make the piggies (and still have a nice piece leftover) but it's going fast.  The good thing is you don't have to do the double belly layer.  You can just use plain felt and it looks every bit as cute (in fact, one of the pigs in my current herd has a single layer belly because it just looked better that way--and fuzzy has a single layer since I used fleece for fuzzy's belly).

What else am I up to?

I need to get some christmas sewing done once one of my supplies arrives (I'm making some pot holders and had to get the heat resistant stuff) and a two zipper pouches.  Then I'll whip up some blue Teesha patches and a dotee (for swaps).

I want to give the other Dolls and Daydreams pattern I got (during the sale) a try but I don't have time right now (and I don't think I have the right fabrics).  It's a super cute gingerbread man doll with rufflie icing accents.  But first, the piggie herd.

Hello Tokyo Panel Dolls (for the Fluff Project)

I got a surprise in the mail about a week ago.

Kristy (from Hopeful Threads) sent me a fabric gift.  Inside was the Hello Tokyo doll panel (and two cuts of fabric, one from the line and one from another line).

I was THRILLED.

Not only have I been wanting to get and make these dolls for the Fluff Project but this month has really had its way with me so I hadn't even thought about what I was going to make (if anything) for the Fluff project this month and this fixed that problem.

I got sewed them up immediately but didn't finish them up until a day or so ago.  Then I had to wait a day or so to get some half way decent pics (natural light is so fleeting this time of year!).

SUPER CUTE!!

I backed two with the ballerina fabric (which is really a light yellow/beige--this pic doesn't do it justice) and two with the blue fabric from the Hello Tokyo line.

I think the gal in the green is my favorite.

There are also cats on the panel (one is just a face, the other is a full body doll) but those are for ME.  I haven't sewn them up or anything yet.

I'm so dropping the ball on this month's sewing challenge.  It was blankets/quilts for kids and I just ran out of time.  Really, it's been a long time since I've had a month just whip by like this but November just disappeared in front of my eyes.  I do have a quilt I can donate (I won it and it's fabulous but I have never used it and it seems wasteful to keep it when I can give it to someone who will use it) so I don't feel super bad about crapping out on the quilt challenge.  I'm sure it will come up again.  NICUs will always need blankets for the bitty sproggen, so. . .

These cuties (along with the quilt) will go off in the mail (hopefully) next week.  I should have boxed them up last night to join the pile of stuff I'm mailing out this morning but I just didn't do it.  I was lazy last night and just had pizza and watched t.v. (and my cats chasing each other, they're so cute!).

Charity Sewing: Super hero dress up set

I'm totally tagging this with the FY14 Charity Sewing Challenge even though none of the fabric came from the scrap box.  Hell, none of it even came from my stash at all.

BUT. . . that doesn't mean I spent a ton to make this.  I was working with some other super charitable and fabulous folks (through the Regretsy forums) and they funded the fabric panel and I provided the notions and sewing time.  And I didn't fall into my normal trap of "oh, I'll buy extra for me".  I bought just what I needed (with a tiny bit of wiggle room).  Though that did mean I ended up with a butt load of elastic.  I couldn't find a tiny pack, so I have a few YARDS of elastic on hand now.  Guess that means I need to find uses for it now.

But I digress.

Show the pics for crying out loud!

Up, up, and away!!

It's the Riley Blake My Mind's Eye super hero cape set (in green).  It's a yard sized panel that includes the cape front (the horizontal stripe), mask, arm bands, belt, and the "decals".  Oh, and instructions printed on the fabric.

True confession, I love cut and sew panels like this.  They are a lazy person's DREAM.  Just buy the fabric, wash it up, cut and sew.  Yes, I pre-washed this because I figured if it's going to go to a kid it's going to get dirty and need to hit the laundry at least once.  Best to shrink it up a bit before hand so it will hopefully last a good while.

The only thing you need to provide is:  backing fabric if you want the cape to be reversible (you could just cut the cape out and serge the edges and move on with life but that would look cheap as hell), elastic (for the mask), velcro (for the belt and wrist bands).  Totally optional items:  batting (for bands, belt and mask) and fusible web.

You can totally make the set without fusible web but I had some light weight Heat and Bond on hand so I used that for the patch on both sides of the cape.  I didn't want to sew it down because it would leave stitches on the opposite side which would look bad.  I suppose I could have sewn the patches on before assembling the cape but I didn't think of that ahead of time and the instructions didn't mention it, either (for the record, the instructions are only "meh". . .but what do you want for instructions printed in the leftover space of a fabric panel?).

While I'm discussing the directions, they had typos in them which made me laugh but was also annoying.  They also had you make the bands and belt in a kind of dumb way.  They wanted you to attach the decals in the same spot where you put the velcro which would mean having ugly stitches on the decals.  Also, I think it would have been more wear on the decals.  If they're right at the fastener, I'd bet kids would pull on them to open the bands/belt which would lead to ripping (eventually).  So I put the decals opposite the fasteners so the stitching wouldn't be as ugly.

The instructions also fail to mention that if you're using a backing fabric or the cape (to make it reversible) you can use that same fabric to make a reversible (and matching) mask.  The mask pieces in the set are stripes on one side and black on the back (so technically could still be reversible but BORING).

I had to get something snazzy for my backing fabric so I went with green and shiny silver zig zag.  Not for the low profile hero, that's for sure.  Hell, I wanted to wear the mask just for shits and giggles (and I did model it for my hubby and I tried to get him to model it for the pics but it was cold out and football was on and he was not putting on pants for my crafty shenanigans--he did smirk at the set, which for him is big approval).

(oh, the instructions call for 5/8 yard backing fabric.  I upped it to 3/4 since I was going to pre-wash and it gave me plenty to make the mask back and left me with a bit of scrap which made me happy.  I love obnoxious shiny fabrics).

I decided to skip using bating on the belt/bands/mask (even though I had some on hand).  I was worried it would shrink and make everything get funky and I didn't want to wash the whole big piece I have (lazy!).  The items aren't as rigid as they would be with bating but they aren't droopy and cheap looking, either.  I had that mask on my face and it definitely hid my true identity.

OH. . .I also found THE BEST VELCRO.  I've only worked with velcro a tiny bit and from that limited experience I HATED IT.  You had to sew the loops onto on side and the hooks on the other and the hooks were always grabbing the thread and it was a big ole pain in the butt.  BUT. . .they have this version (velcro brand) that's hoops and hooks all in one.  The hooks are short and hidden below the hoops so you don't have two separate pieces and the thread doesn't get all caught up in it YET it still holds together great.  I used it on this project and on my cat's sweater (posting that next!).  Really, it was worth the price (it was a tiny it pricey but all velcro is. . .this was worth every penny).

Ok, so that's the super hero set.

Next up. . .my cat and her new sweater.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!

Congratulations to Barbara Woods (comment #6).

Barbara, I'm emailing you now for your address.

Thanks to everyone who entered, I'll have another giveaway in September!

GIVEAWAY: Giant Scrap Pack!! CLOSED!

It's that time again.

Time for the monthly giveaway.

As with every giveaway, this is tied to my FY14 Charity Sewing Challenge.  And like other giveaways in this series, its a scrap bundle featuring fabrics from things I've made since the last giveaway.

But this time there is a twist.  I did a LOT of cutting for a 2.5 inch charm swap I'm in (I cut almost just shy of 400 charms--crazy!) so the fabrics in this month's giveaway probably haven't been featured on my blog (since I didn't show off the piles of charms).

But never fear, I have a few pics to show you what you might win.

That's the whole pile.

It's really big.  I'd guess it's about a pound of fabric.  It features some smaller bits and pieces (scrappy scraps) and a lot of larger pieces.  I don't have actual measurements but the larger cuts aren't larger than a fat quarter and most are pretty evenly cut (so very few trimmings from when you cut out a pattern piece--so really even scraps, if you will).

That's the "scrappy scraps" and the strips.  Most strips are around 2.5 inches wide and vary in length.

Now, some pics of the larger pieces.

These are familiar.  They are from the 12 lb remnant box and I've used them in some projects.

Yes, there are some seasonal prints in this pile.  Cute gingerbread kids.  These haven't been used in any projects this month, they are purely from my charm cutting project.

Fun novelty prints (yes, that's Hello Kitty).  Again, these are all from my charm cutting project.

Country themed fabric and some more repro looking prints.  Hearts and flames and little cars and. . .yeah, there is just all kinds of stuff in this package.

All fabrics are quilting cottons.  Most have not been pre-washed.  I don't think there are any solids in this pile (but a bit may have snuck in, it's a fat pile).

I'm really excited to give this scrap pack away.  It features a lot of fabric I've had for a bit and have used here and there and am really ready to move along to help thin out my stash. Lots of good usable fabric you'll have fun sorting through.

OK, here are the few lone rules concerning this here giveaway:

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

1.  One entry per person.  Just leave a comment here about any old thing.  If you happen to mention some of your favorite colors/prints, I just might check my stash and add your favs to the pile (if you win).

2.  International entries are welcome.  But I reserve the right to put the pile on a small diet if it has to travel (if removing a bit of fabric will mean I can save significantly on shipping--if not, then you'll get every last bit--and I'll probably remove the tiny bits first, so you won't be missing out on much if the pile has to diet).

3.  Include your email in your comment (or make sure you're not a no-reply blogger).  If I can't contact you to tell you won, then I have to pick again.

4.  Winner will be drawn 10/25 (Friday October 25th) and will have until Monday October 28 to provide a mailing address.  New winner will be drawn if necessary.

5.  Winner will be announced in a separate blog entry.


GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!

FY14 Charity Sewing: Monster Mash!

Holy crap!  It's only the middle of the month and I already have a set of stuffed toys ready for my Fluff Project box.

This weekend I got a lot of stuff done.  Among the finishes was this set of monsters.

How freaking cute are these?

They're a My Funny Buddy pattern.  The patterns are fast to sew up and make a really cute simple finished product.  Yes, it's probably a pattern I could have figured out on my own, but for $5 I'd rather just buy the pattern and not have to futz around figuring it out myself.  Sometimes it's worth paying a tiny sum to save my time and sanity.

And in the case of this pattern, I got it using a promo code My Funny Buddy offered with last month's Hopeful Threads sewing project.  If you bought a pattern from the charity for that month (that was the pony pattern I made last month) then My Funny Buddy offered a coupon for $5 off in their store.  So I got a pattern pack (five patterns) and saved a few bucks.  So now I have a nice little collection of fast and easy patterns for when I want to make Fluff Project toys but feel I don't have a ton of time.

I love making the mermaids and other patterns I have but some of those have a definite learning curve and are a little more labor intensive.  The My Funny Buddy patterns produce every bit as cute a finished result but sew up so much faster!

AND, a lot of the fabrics came from the 12 pound fabric remnant box, so they count toward the FY14 Charity Sewing Challenge.

The green polka dot, the grass print, and the colorful diamonds were all from the remnant box.  I managed to use up all of the diamond print.  I only had one strip of it.  I think I still have a bit of the polka dots and grass print.

The solids and the confetti print are from my stash.  The felt for the eyes all came out of my scrap bags.  I knew it was worth saving every little leftover bit of my felt.  Honestly, I throw away very little of my wool blend felt.  It has to be a super small wisp of a scrap before I let it go.

I'm going to try and make some more items before I mail them out, but I can't make any guarantees.  First I need to make a skeleton cat (or three) for my Day of the Dead Shrine for my deceased cats.  I *might* make one for the Fluff Project but I haven't played with that pattern yet so I'm not sure how labor intensive it might be.

It feels great to have some Fluff items done already.  I'm so happy.

Giveaway WINNER!

Congratulations to Laura Aust and her lucky number 7 comment (picked by random number generator).

An email has been sent.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

(and keep your eyes peeled, I'll be having another giveaway about this time next month. . .giveaways are FUN!)

GIVEAWAY: Fabric scrap pack! (edited to correct dates) CLOSED

Guess what time it is?

It's GIVEAWAY time.

Yes, I'm sticking with my once a month FY14 Charity Sewing themed giveaways.

As they will always be, the prize is a scrap pack of fabric.  Some pieces will be large sized scraps and some will be smaller "scrappy scraps".  All will be fabrics featured in projects I've completed since the last giveaway.

This month's package also has a special bonus that comes to you courtesy of some bad cutting on the part of the employees at fabric.com.

Ok, check this out.  

Do you see what I see?  Notice how poorly it's cut at the bottom of the image?  Yes, I was not satisfied with that half assed cutting so I sent a message to customer service telling them as much.  I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a panel to be cut so that I get all of the images.  It's a PANEL, you're supposed to get all the images.

Customer service at fabric.com is very good.  They had no problem sending me a new one (and as with any replacement, they let me keep the original item).  I can't praise fabric.com enough for that.  I've never had any problems with them making an order correct.

BUT. . .

The second piece they sent was cut just as poorly.  *headesk*  Instead of making a big stink about it, I decided to just cut my losses.  After all, they had given me two items for the cost of one and clearly they weren't capable of properly cutting the fabric so I'll just chalk it up as a lesson learned and not buy any more panels from fabric.com.  The kicker?  Both pieces were cut poorly in the same spot.  So of the two pieces I received, neither had a full "leaping cat" image.

(and I did put a review on the item to let folks know that panel cutting isn't fabric.com's strong suit, just to give folks a heads up--I did praise customer service in the review, too, because honestly I'm not that upset just kind of "oh for crying out loud" about it).

SO. . .long story short, I have two sets of that panel fabric so one of them is included in the giveaway pack.

Want to see what all is in the pack?

My photos don't do the fabrics justice.  The colors are much brighter in person.  If you want a better idea of the colors, just browse through my blog and see the different items I've made since the last giveaway post.  the pack features fabrics from the pony dolls, mermaid dolls, pencil pouches, and crazy 9 patch blocks (civil war reproduction fabrics).

To give you an idea of the sizes, the blue fabrics on the left of the pic are each pretty large.  Not quite fat quarter sized but very generous.  The mermaid fabrics (chartreuse chevrons, yellow, gray floral print, aqua polka dots, and tea dyed) are medium size scraps.  Definitely large enough for some patch work or small projects.  The rest of the fabrics (yellow floral from pony dolls, car print from and punctuation fabrics from the pencil pouches) are "scrappy scraps".  They're smaller and/or odd cuts.  Great for paper piecing or small projects like applique (or if you make teesha moore style patches).

The only fabrics that are pre-washed are the tea dyed ones (tan shades).  The car print and "back to school" prints (used to make pencil pouches) are cotton/linen mixes.

And the extra panel.  Again, the "leaping cat" panel is not whole.  It is cut into a bit along the bottom.  There are 6 images total that run the width of the fabric and are about 1/4 yard in length (each image is about 10 inches square).  The colors are super rich and bright.  It's a really fun panel which I'm very happy to share with folks (and can't wait to find a use for mine).

I'll most likely add a bit more to the package, too.  I know I have more of those civil war reproduction fabrics which I can share.  

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

1.  One entry (comment) per person.

2.  MUST have your email address in your comment (do it the "no spam" way   email (at) place (dot) com  )  

3.  International are welcome.

4.  If you mention colors/styles/prints you like, I'll see if I have your favs in my stash and add a little extra should you win.

Giveaway will close (and winner drawn) Friday SEPTEMBER 27.  Winner will be emailed and have until SEPTEMBER 30 to reply.  No reply from winner will result in another winner being drawn.

Thanks to everyone who looks at my blog and GOOD LUCK.

Made for Swaps: Dotee and Quilt Blocks

Time to show off some stuff I made for swaps.

First up, a dotee.

The title was Dotee with a Butterfly.  You just had to make sure a butterfly was prominent on the body of the dotee.  I received this fabric as an extra in another swap and it was just SO perfect.  The only problem was figuring out how to make the body.  I decided on a free form body that kind of ended up looking like a Shmoo.  I embroidered eyes on the face but it was just so flat.  Then I remembered I had a set of charms that are different glasses, so I added some sunglasses and that was it.  Perfect.

The flower on the front is a crocheted applique I also got as an extra (a while ago).  It just looked so cute next to the butterfly I had to add it.  That and the doll needed a bit of bling.  The tail features butterfly beads.  Overall it's not one of my most fancy dotees but I thin it's darn cute and a very "classic" style dotee.

Next up, Wacky 9 patch quilt blocks.

Hee hee, this is upside down (but you can still get the picture--double pun!).  I made two sets of three, but I'm only showing off the two I'm keeping.  No need to see all of them since one of each set shows clearly what fabrics I used.  Both sets are made from fabrics from the 12 pound fabric remnant box (purchased for the FY14 Charity Sewing Challenge).

For the record, I'm not a huge fan of civil war reproduction fabrics.  They're just so dull and matronly to me.  They do look nice together but I can't see myself ever seeking them out to make stuff.

The center fabric on the top block is very cute.  It's made to look like a cross stitch sampler.  I'm not a big fan of the other fabrics it's paired with.  Like I said, they go well together but on their own they are old lady boring.  As a whole, I like the bottom block the best out of the pair.  Each of the fabrics in the bottom block are nice on their own and they work well together, too.  And, the middle fabric is actually little tiny stars.  I think all three of these are technically christmas/winter fabrics but they didn't scream "christmas" to me so I went with them.  The flower print is the most "christmas" of them but the flowers aren't totally poinsettia so I think it will be ok.   (the only "rule" about these blocks is no blatantly seasonal and no religious).

Next up, Polaroid Blocks.

I only needed to make one for each of my two partners but I just couldn't bare to separate the cute kitties so I'm sending them both to my own partner (who really likes cats).  Also, the gray kitty one is kind of wonky.  I'm not sure if it really is constructed wrong (like the fabric was cut a tiny bit too short and then I used a tiny bit too big of a seam allowance or what) but overall the block is smaller than the others.  I think when the are all trimmed they can be made more even.  Good thing these are supposed to be sent untrimmed.

This was my first time making this type of block and it was super easy.  (maybe that's what's wrong with the gray kitty--it may have been my very first stab at this block).  The best part was, I have a butt load of 2.5 inch charms for my postage stamp quilt, so I didn't have to cut any of those.  Just cut the 1 inch strips (for the top and sides) adn 1.5 inch strips for the bottom and good to go.  The only "rules" for this swap were to use white as the edge fabrics and to not trim after you're done.

I'll be mailing all these out by the end of the week.  I just need to pack up the wacky 9 blocks and then cut some fat quarters for another swap so I can take a bunch of swaps to the post office at the same time.

Linked up at Cat Patches.

FY14 Charity Sewing Challenge: Some finished items!!

Oh yeah, oh yeah.  I got some serious stitching done this weekend.  And, and, and, it's a TRIPLE DIP, y'all.

Everything I sewed this weekend is for my FY14 Charity Sewing Challenge and the Fluff Project.  AND, it also works for Hopeful Threads September Monthly Project (Create H.O.P.E. Sew Along).

OH freaking YEAH!!

Ok, time for pictures.

Look what I finally finished!  These are the mermaids I started at the beginning of LAST month but things got busy and I had to put them aside.  I was disappointed that I didn't have a Fluff box to send out last month but then I remembered that I did send out a box for the Hopeful Threads August Monthly Project (the pencil pouches with supplies) so it's not like I dropped the ball completely.  I did do some charity sewing.  But it wasn't from the 12 pound fabric box that I bought specifically for this challenge (or, rather, I came up with the challenge after I bought the box because I needed motivation to actually use all that fabric!).

Good news!  Everything I made this weekend used fabrics from The Box.

But now that I'm looking at the mermaids again, the tail fabric on this doll *might* have come from my stash.  I was going through The Box (to pull scraps from all the projects I've completed this month--for this month's giveaway--coming soon!) and I couldn't find any more of that aqua fabric.  So it might have been from my stash.  Eh, no biggie.

This lovely lady is ALL fabric from The Box.  This pic doesn't do her justice.  She's loaded with bright colors (but her yellow hair got washed out in the pic).

This gal's hair did come from my stash.  I could have just doubled up on either the yellow or gray fabric but I wanted each mermaid to be different.  I'm doing a series of swaps for blender fabrics and got this navy camo fabric from that.  I was wondering what on earth I'd use camo fabric for and I happy to see it looks damn good as hair (if I do say so myself).  It balances the bright tail colors and really pops against the skin tone.

Speaking of the skin fabric, it's some of the fabric I tea dyed.  I had quite a few pieces of very pale green (think celery color but not as bright) in The Box so I used it to try my hand at tea dyeing.  It turned out really nice.  My crappy photo doesn't do it justice.  It's a very light tan color, so all my mermaids look sun kissed.

I'm getting a lot better with this pattern, too.  I only wish there were more hair options for it.  I tried my hand at making my own hair shape but it's not there yet (it's good enough for my practice mermaid I kept in my Misfit Toy collection, but not good enough for donation).

I'm definitely improving with my embroidery.  I'm very happy with how all these faces turned out.  Man, I remember the first time I tried to embroider eyes on a sock monkey.  It worked, but it looks as homemade as homemade can be.  These look very neat and "professional" (if you will).

Next up, a whole herd of ponies!

The herd is where the triple dip comes in.  This pattern is a H.O.P.E. Designs pattern.  The purchase price of the pattern (only $5) goes to charity and now the finished products will go to charity, too.  I liked the pattern a lot.  It really was a quick and easy pattern.  I was able to whip this herd of eight ponies up in one afternoon, start to finish.

All the fabric featured in the ponies is from The Box.  I had equal amounts of all four patterns, so I used it until there wan't enough left to make another pony.  I probably could have done a patchwork pony (different print on each side) but I prefer the bodies to be all one print so the mane/tails better contrast.

It leftovers fabric from the ponies has been added to the giveaway pile.  I'll be posting the official giveaway announcement some time the week of 9/16.  It will be another scrap pack (with some larger pieces and some "scrappy scraps") and will (as always) feature fabrics I used in projects I finished this "month" ("month" being the length of time since the last giveaway, not a calendar month).  The giveaway pack will also include fabrics featured in the pencil pouches and some fabrics I haven't shown off yet (for projects I'm finishing now).  Most of the fabrics will be from The Box.  And there will probably be some bonus fabric in there, too (lord knows I have enough from that 12 pound remnant box!).

Ok, time to go show this pile of stuffie goodness off at the Hopeful Threads flickr group.