This bucket hat was a snap to make–thanks to the excellent pattern from Liesl Gibson in her book Little Things to Sew. My daughter is on the cusp of being too old for all the patterns in this charming book, so I had to make something quick. I finished this hat in a morning, just in time to head out into the Florida sunshine.
Here is a peak at the interior fabric–Walk in the Woods from Moda.
This quilt was adapted from a pattern in Quilting for Peace. The author Katherine Bell kindly pointed out in her instructions that the stars are time consuming–ahem, yes they are, as in they will consume months of your time. But she also notes that the results are worth it, and I have to agree. I learn something new with every quilt. This time I learned all about the stretchiness of fabric cut on the bias. Fortunately, quilts are forgiving of–maybe even improved by–their idiosyncracies. After lots of experimenting with more interesting color combinations, I went with charcoal for the binding. I think it adds an elegant touch.
These fabric eggs–ok, in this case, lumpen footballs–come from a pattern posted by retro mama. Mind you, her eggy creations aren’t in the least lumpen, and she seems to have mastered the ladder stitch (that maddening little stitch!).
(I like these house ornaments on retro mama, too. Could imagine making a more disheveled version myself.)
If you have some fabric scraps, leftover cotton or polyfill, this is a fun, quick project with an upside: no endless egg salad.
Happy chocolate bunnies and matzo ball soup, everyone!
My daughter and I made these slippers in one (chilly) morning. They were so simple and fun to make. I’ve attached instructions here, but the process was really simple. We created a pattern by tracing her feet, then cut the felt with an extra half inch around for the seam. The soles are two pieces of wool felt with a double layer of batting for warmth and comfort, and the upper is a double layer of felt. The hearts were my daughter’s embellishment–I like how she put them off to the side.
To make these you will need: approximately a quarter yard of wool felt for the soles, and another quarter for the uppers, some batting, and thread. It is important to use good quality wool felt, such as Wollfilz (available from Purl Soho in an array of gorgeous colors).
Finished these heart-stenciled drawstring bags just in time for Valentine’s Day. Whew. Tomorrow I’ll toss in some trinkets and goodies for my little sweethearts. (Later, I figure they can stash their school valentines in them.)
All the materials came from stuff around my house: stray pieces of fabric, ribbon, and some muslin. I cut a heart stencil with freezer paper and vinyl alphabet stickers to block out the letters. (For a visual, click here. For information about using freezer paper stencils on fabric, here is the complete how-to).
I improvised the drawstring bag (although I did measure to keep things relatively straight). Thank you to Kate K. for loaning me a tapestry needle–a perfect implement for threading a ribbon through a drawstring bag.
Here’s a side view–with the candy that inspired me. (By the way, Sweethearts are Made in the U.S.A, specifically by the New England Confectionary in nearby Revere, Mass. So this V Day, buy American.) Happy Heart Day, everyone!
homemadecity.com 