Day 10: A Stationery Case

My Mom requested a custom Stationery Case for Christmas. This is great because she is really hard to shop for! She wanted a zippered pouch 6"x8".

I love making cases "in the hoop" on the embroidery machine. It is quicker and the zippers are perfect. Also, it automatically quilts it for you. So, I searched for a 6"x8" case and I could not find a single one!! I found all sorts of sets, but none that size and none with the quilting. So, I re-sized a diaper wipes case that I already had and didn't it work well!?

I only have about a yard of this gorgeous fabric. I think I got it at one of my Guild's auctions. I've been saving it for the right project. I think it looks wonderful! I used a pale yellow zipper and pale yellow thread for the quilting. The top picture show how notecards will fit. My Mom likes to keep notes, stamps, and address stickers handy. Maybe if I make myself one I'll remember to send thank you notes like my Mom taught me!!

I'm running out of finished projects to share and still 15 days to go! I am going to have to share some recipes or decorating while I finish a few more projects!!

Day 9: I'm Hoping to Make This...

Years ago, when I was first married, my Mom and I took a class in tole painting. It was at a huge craft shop that used to be nearby. It had 4 floors of different types of projects: smocking and heirloom, wooden items, cross-stitch and needlework, knitting, painting, etc. It was awesome, but unfortunately went out of business after AC Moore and Michael's arrived. They can't hold a candle to that old store. It was where I found my first Sew Beautiful magazine when I was a teen!

This is one of the projects we did in the class. It is on slate and my Mom has the same one at her house. I love it!! So, anyway, I haven't done any tole painting since then, but I was thinking how nice it would be to make a little something for my Mom & Dad's beach house. I found the lighthouses pattern on ebay for $1. It is meant for glass ornaments, but I am thinking of a small wood plaque or Shaker box. Do you think it will come back to me??

Day 8: Maxaloones to the Max!

I tried something really different this week. I sewed with knits. For all of my extensive stash hoard, I really have no knit fabric. I have used it for knit waistbands on Andy's pants, but not really for whole garments. I'm hoping Santa will bring me a serger in a few weeks, so when the Black Friday pattern sales came out, I looked at knit patterns with new interest.

These little pants are called "Maxaloones" and the pattern is from Max & Meena. Apparently, these are practically world famous, yet I had never heard of them. You can buy them custom made on etsy. Of course, I would rather do-it-myself.

I didn't want to use anything expensive for my first try, so I bought 1/2 yd of "sweater" sweatshirt fabric at Joann's for $3. I could probably make at least 3 pair from the 1/2 yd. I also bought the red cotton ribbing. These go together very easily- less than an hour start to finish. Don't you love the "bum circle?"

The cool thing about these is that the belly and leg bands just keep unrolling as your baby gets longer. I made size 1, which fits from about 6 mos to 3 years, but they come from NB up to 5 years. The first picture shows the cuffs rolled up twice and the bottom is all the way undone.

I ordered 3 different knit fabrics on Black Friday from the Fabric Fairy. I thought I would like these rainbow stripes better than the other print, but now I'm not sure. This fabric ended up being very thin, like a very light t-shirt and I like the cotton knit with more body.

Back view, also with the cute bum.

Here they are with a red shirt from Walmart, size 18 mos. I think I am going to make a matching hat from the sweater knit and see how I like them as a set. Which one do you prefer? I also have an adorable blue/green "hats" print, but I need to find some coordinating ribbing.

Can you tell I have been pretty busy- tomorrow I am chaperoning Davy's Field Trip to the Museum of Science in Boston! Thursday is my Smocking Guild Holiday Party!! Whew- fun week!!