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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Erin's Blessing Dress

My sister Vicki has a best friend.
We grew up across the street from her.
They were even born one day apart from each other.
First Vicki and then Erin
They have been best friends ever since.
Our parents have been friends since college.
What I am trying to say is that we go way back.

Two years ago when my sister got married Erin followed right behind her.
She was married last year.
When my sister got pregnant this year,
Erin was right behind her again.

Vicki had her baby girl on the 31st.
Erin is going to be having her baby girl next month.
I am sure that those two will be best friend also.

It has been so fun seeing the two of them sharing each step along the way.

Erin's baby shower was yesterday.
I have been thinking about what I could make for her.
I mean she is just like family.

I called her on Thursday to see if I could make her a blessing dress.
She was blown away with the offer.
She was offered a family dress but didn't really like it.

I cut out the dress on Friday,
sewed it up on Saturday, just in time for the shower.


There they are (Erin and the dress)
She always makes that face, and I am glad that I got it on camera.


Here is the dress alone.
It is a full length princess dress, it has a 34" long skirt.


The fabrics are satin and sheer.
The sheer is embroidered with this lattice pattern, 
and there are sequin flowers on the center of the points



You can see it sparkle a little more in this picture.
Erin has a very sparkly  personality, 
and so I had to use this sparkly fabric for the dress.


Erin is also very tall,
I am standing on my tippy toes just as much
 as she is squatting, and she is still taller than me.

She was so happy about the dress, 
and I was so happy I got to make it for her.

Her older sister is my same age 
and is due with her first daughter the same day as Erin.
I get to make her dress too.
 I will show you that one when it is done.

My sister Vicki's dress is going to take a little extra time. 
It is full of shadow embroidery. 
It will be fabulous when it is done.
Don't worry I won't let you miss out on that one.

I hope you had a great weekend as you can see 
I finished my weekend sewing projects.
I hope you did too.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Christmas Swap Quilt

OK we are back and ready to talk about my Christmas swap.
Are you ready? 
Let's go.

I started my Christmas swap last year because I wanted to remake my quilt as a Christmas quilt.
You can read about it here.

Last year I had to take two spots in my swap, to fill it up.
I knew I did not want to have repeats in my circles, so I wasn't sure what to do
 with my second package of swap fabrics.

I thought about making a Christmas zig-zag quilt, but decided to wait.

First things first I had to make my circles.
Now I know you have admired my Jeweled wedding ring quilt,
 and you totally want to make one your self.
This is how you start.

You need to make 525 patterned circles.
I know you can do it because I did it.
here is how I do it.

  First things first, you need a circle.
A two inch circle to be exact, 
I found this glitter container was exactly two inches.


Next get some of your thicker template plastic.
trace your circle.


I then took one of my quilts, circle templates,
centered it and traced around that.


I then drew a cross, that way I know exactly where the center is.
It helps when you are fuzzy cutting.

I now know where the center is,
and what will be showing when the seam allowances are gone.
I know, pretty brilliant. 


Now go to your fabulous stash of Christmas fabrics that you got,
 or will get from the Christmas swap.
Take one square at a time, and fussy cut away.



Note how the template lets you perfectly
 center your little Christmas packages.

                                     

Cut on your traced line...


And voila a perfect little two inch circle.


Repeat with all your fabrics.
Yes all two hundred of them.

Now last year when I was making all my circles, I was left with a quandary.

What to do with the scraps.

I thought about having a giveaway or something.
Then I thought to myself what is someone going to do with those scraps anyway.

Then I started thinking about what I would do with them, and this is what I came up with.
I think you are going to love it.


I cut them up in to two inch squares.

You may notice that those are not true square squares.
It is not going to matter.

I separated them into three baggies.
I didn't want the chance repeating a fabric, so I kept them separate.


You may be thinking
Robyn what are you going to do with a square missing a whole corner?

I am making snow balls.
Are you ready for phase two?
OK let's go.


You are going to need a solid background fabric.
I loved this white on white, I mean it even looks like snowballs.
Cut them four inches square.


Now take your two inch squares, and mark a diagonal line.
Making sure that you are keeping one side perfect, and true. 

  
See what I mean.



Line up your little squares around your big square.
Making sure that the true side is in the middle.

Take it to your sewing machine, and sew on the lines. 


Line up your ruler so that you have a 1/4" seam allowance.



Trim off all your corners.
I have wondered what to do with those triangles. 
I think I am going tot let them go.


Press and look at that cute snowball.

Like I said I had two spots in my swap, 
so from my other pile I took one of the four inch squares,
and sewed it to the side of my snowball.


Repeat


Sew them together.


Look how cute and scrappy they are.
Want to know what is even cuter?


                                       

Sewing a lot together,
because if you look closely...
there are stars.


See how stinking cute is that.

I have a lot more to go but I can't wait to see it all done and adorable.

There are still two spots available in my swap.
If you totally want to copy me you can, 
I'm not going to stop you.


If you only want one spot I will let you do that too.
the deadline is August 25, so you can't think about it too long.

Until next time have a great week end.

I think when the Olympics are done, I am going to be going through withdrawals.
I am now totally in love with synchronized swimming.
It just makes me giggle with joy.


Monday, August 6, 2012

My Summer Break

This summer has been crazy.
I am sure we would all say that.
I mean really, it is August already.

One would think that I would be blogging more than I have.
I mean it is summer, and we really don't have a pressing scheduled.

This is what happened to me over summer break.

I got a job.

I worked up until the day before Baubi was born,
and she was ten days late.
After that being a mom was my job. 
it has been my full time crazy job for almost 15 years.

I was not looking for this job,
it came and found me.

I used to work for a friend who made coats.
She had a store at one of the ski resorts and her company made coats.
When Baubi was a baby I would sew her hats.
She had matching hats for her coats, 
and that is what I would sew for her while Baubi would be 
sleeping an playing in her crib. 
I did it for several years and then stopped about six years ago. 

In June I got a call from her.
I saw her name on my phone and thought...
Does she need hats?

Nope she was working for another company, and they needed a part time seamstress.
their full time one wanted to stay home with her son during summer break,
they needed someone to fill in for her three days a week.
I was honestly flabbergasted. 
I told her that I had to talk to Good Looking about it.

Now as some of you may know being a stay at home mom is not a lucrative position.
We have been trying to get out of debt and this little part time job would certainly help on that front.
I went in for the interview my first in over seventeen years.
I am sure I must have sounded like a dork.
When I heard that other people were coming in for the position,
I got competitive about it.
Now I am normally not a very competitive person.
When it comes to my sewing ability, I guess I get a little defensive about it.
I sent her an email and apologized for being a dork,
and telling her again how awesome I am.

Well you already know the rest of the story because I told you.
I got the job.
I work for this company, I get to make dress ups all day long.
I get to be covered in sequins, and sparkles.
I get to make all the cute fluffy things and get paid for it.
The only bad thing is I had to sign a 
non-compete, nondisclosure.

Oh the things I could be putting on this blog, you would die 
from cuteness, and I am not even lying. 

As you can tell from my posting, 
I have not conquered the world of a working mom.
I am tired and grouchy.
I feel like the girls are losing a little bit of their innocence, and it is my fault.
I guess that is the quandary of all working moms.
How to make it all work.
I do have somethings to show,
 and I still have openings in my swap if you want to play.

I want to say that I will be back tomorrow with a new post and a tutorial.
But part of me thinks their will be a breakdown somewhere in the day,
 and that plan will be for naught.

We will see how that goes.