Christmas

Oh I do hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  I was trying to prepare myself for it and thought I was doing pretty good....but I have to say it came so fast and now its over...  I have to admit...I sent a Christmas Card just yesterday (after Christmas) in the mail to my grandparents and included a Thanksgiving family picture in the card and hoped they had a Merry Christmas and wished them a Happy New Year.  How sad?! Right?!  But we had a wonderful Christmas around here.  The kids I believe got everything they wanted and they are enjoying a couple of weeks with my parents during the holidays while I have to work.  I want to share my new Christmas present!  My parents got me a serger!!  I opened the box last night and just stared at it.  Where do I begin I ask myself??!!  The story is to be continued.....LOL.  Please wish me luck!

A Special Order

A friend's granddaughter is getting married this December and she asked me to make a tutu tote for the little flower girl who is very girly and age 4.  The tote is all the wedding colors and theme

Just about sold out!

Woo hoo!  After the market and bringing my leftovers to work, I'm just about sold out now!  I have two tutu totes left to sell and for some reason its the giraffe ones - a Large and a Small.  I would have thought those would have sold first.  One lady almost bought one at the market but she put it down and decided on the pink zebra instead.  But I have those totes and 10 flat iron holders left with interest from others that have stopped by here at work asking about them.  So excited!  Now on to making some Christmas presents for my family and getting ready for Thanksgiving just next week!  Wow!  I did hear on the radio this is as early as Thanksgiving can be but to look on the brighter side - we get more shopping days for Christmas.  LOL. 

River Market

Its Monday and this past Saturday we had our booth at the DownTown River Market.  Overall I think it went pretty good especially our first time to really have a booth.  We learned some things I think for our next time around for sure.  We could have done better but we could have done worse too.  We had wreaths, party decorations, paintings, tutu bags, and flat iron holders.  Below are a couple of photos from our event.

Its a Giraffe!!

A couple of coworkers have started a little small business called TiddlyWinks!  Bridgit makes wreaths for all occasions and Donna creates party events and supplies.  Two very creative ladies!  They have asked me to be a part of a upcoming market that we have new to our town called the DownTown River Market.  A very nice place the city has created for our town!  So Im going to try making my tutu totes and flat iron holders for the event.  Im very excited and super nervous.  I pray things sell for all of us!  Here is a tutu tote I made last night.

Been working on a few odd and end things

Just finished up with Halloween last night.  I've been here and there on the sewing machine and having fun.  Been making some new and different things too!  I like to always try new things and challenge myself as you may notice reading my blog and the different things I have attempted.  My friend Bridgit recently asked me to make something for a wreath she was making for Halloween as she needed some witch legs.  So after finding ideas on the internet, I got them all made up!  Here below is a picture of a Hallloween sock that I have cut off the toes.  You can notice the heel of the sock is now the knee of the witch leg. 

Here below we were playing around at work.  Thats just a black table cloth we had here at work and we pretended it was the witches skirt and my cube fell on her.  LOL.  I love the ladies I work with.

Bridgit made the wreath and it looked so great too with those witch legs hanging down from it and she sold it really quick too!  I'll have to get a picture of it though for my blog from her. 

I have also been making pot holder flat iron cases for friends and sold some too!  They are loving these things and super easy to make.  I have to mention I love sewing things together that come together very quickly too and usable!  You can use these for your flat iron OR you can also use them for your curling iron BUT you can't sew all the way up the side for the curling irons because they do have that trigger handle so you have to stop a little above mid point on sewing those to leave room for that.  They work great and safe and heat resistant because they are actually pot holders that are folded in half and then sewn.  Such a cute idea whoever come up with the idea.  I found several people who have done this on the internet so not sure who to give the credit to for the idea but they are genious!

Watch out for snakes!

This snake was in my parents front yard this past Sunday.  Too close for comfort!!

Angry Birds!

My youngest son loves Angry Birds!  It is a pretty addicting game.  We are talking about having an Angry Bird birthday party too in September.  Im very excited.  Between Pinterest and other ideas on the internet - oh wow!  So back to sewing...I made Conner an Angry Bird tshirt.  I used felt and cut pieces and made an Angry Bird Applique and then sewed it on one of his tshirts.  I'm proud of it and he loves it!  I've take a few pics of it along with another applique I made, also Angry Birds, and I have put it on a pillow case - though its not on the pillow case in this picture yet.

Etsy

So I've decided to try and sell a few things I have made.  Have to do something with it!  lol.  I hope you take the time to stop by and check out my shop on Etsy that I have created.  I know it will be a slow start and new things will be added from time to time.  Hope you enjoy!  Please feel free to leave me comments

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MatildasHomemade

APPLIQUE

So I got a Cricut and having fun with it! Practicing now on adding little options to my clothing to dress them up a bit and give more character if they need it.  Sometimes it just makes the outfit pop you know?  Well this little shirt I picked up at a craft store and went home and added a little pumpkin to it.  Could be for a boy or a girl for sure.  Ok - I know the shirt needs ironing but its been washed and dried and I havent ironed it yet. But you get the idea...  See!!  Cute and simple here.  Just says fall to me and it can be paired with a pair of jeans, jean skirt, or something. 

Getting more comfortable

So I've made about 3 pairs of size 1 pants for a toddler.  Thought I'd go up a few sizes and give it a go at a bigger size.  So I have made a size 8 now.  I compared them to my younger son's size 8 pants - lol.  They were the same in length and the crotch areas seems to line up pretty much the same as well.  Hooray!  Now to let some little girl try them on and see how they truly fit!  Lets cross our fingers!  They are finished - still need elastic in waist and I could add a little more color...just an option.  But so darn cute!  My oldest son said to me this morning, "Mom those are those peace pants!".  LOL  Maybe he meant like from the 70s or something?

This is called Bees and Hearts!

I started making these pants and thought I'd try a one ruffle but go bigger....

They needed a little something I thought.  I looked in my supplies to see what I may have.  I didn't have any red ribbon, but I found I had some red binding!  Light Bulb!

Oh that red I think really made it POP!  So looks good....but then another light pops on....I didn't sew down the folded part of the binding so now I know at this point after these pants are washed/dryed - that is going to open up and look way different.  And it does.....but not really in a bad way.  Just now has a more rugged look.  Some people like it all neat and tidy and then someone people like it more rugged.  Just a matter of taste.  They look duller in this photo here below but I think its because of the red and the lighting here at work compared to home.  But another friend did tell me about this stuff called Stitch Witchery I may want to check out if I want to use the binding in the future and dont want the rugged look.

Cricut!

I found another new love!  A few of my friends have Cricuts because they do a lot of scrapbooking but I dont scrapbook.  A friend told me about a great deal and where her aunt was selling her Cricut.  So I bought it from her because I heard you can cut FABRIC with it!  Oh yea - so on to making some applique's!  See below.  Just practicing right now.  Gave the kitty towel to my mom/law and the pink flower towel to my mom.  They just loved them!  : )

Been busy sewing!!

Wow - I have to say I'm on a role again!  Been sewing a few things!  Lets go in order...

A friend had this shirt from Disney World brought back to her and it fit a little snug to her as she likes for her shirts to hang a bit looser.  So...I added some sides to the shirt using as close of fabric as I could for the shirt.  Her shirt was 100% polyester and the only thing I could find was 65% polyester/cotton.  I was told this is the closest I'd fine as we can't buy 100% polyester. 

Here is the results. I chose black to bring out the Mickey in her shirt.  It looks great and Debbie loves it!  Thanks Debbie for trusting me with your shirt! : )

Next....I made this blue/brown pillow case dress.  I used...get this....Bandanas!  It turned out so cute.  I brought it to work and a coworker immediately said she wanted it!!  However she had one other request.

Bridgit requested I make some of those ruffle pants to go along with it.  Below is a photo of the not finished pants but gives you the idea of what 2 ruffles look like vs 1 ruffle.  Bridgit really likes the 2 ruffles and so do I!  so cute.  I didn't make them overly big though because this is for a soon to be 1 year old and I didn't want the ruffles to swallow her legs!  LOL.

And last but not least!  Here is another pillowcase dress I made.  My husband picked out this fabric and suggested the front/back differ. I call this the Love dress.  Either or could be front or back.

Pillowcase Dress

Got in the mood of sewing!  Made a dress the other night and brought it to a coworker for her little girl.  She loved the dress and hung it outside her cube wall all day long and people were coming by commenting about it.  Made me feel good.  She took it home and let her baby girl where it today to daycare and she looks so darn cute!!  Brought tears to my eyes to see someone wearing what I made!

Back from Vacation

Oh my - I had an awesome time on vacation.  Enjoyable, fun, wonderful, time!  Our first time to Destin was great.  It was beautiful.  Here are a couple of pics to share with you.  We all can't wait till we go back again!

Off I go on vacation!!

How to make a Maxi in less than 2 mins for the Beach!

Found this video and this is very neat!  I tried it and it works!  :)
 
http://youtu.be/fsdy2MccSTo

Quilting done for now...

I've made a couple more blocks on my quilting class and I've called it done with that.  I think I have the "just" of it now and might try making my both of my sons a quilt sometime in the future.  It was a nice time to enjoy with my mominlaw in the classes but we both find our schedules a little hectic to continue the classes.  We both work fulltime so our weekends - well we want them!  LOL.  Its summer time - so you should see a little more sewing out of me.  Both of my sons are at the grandparents in the summer time due to my schedule of work.  They come home on the weekends though - another reason I quit the class and so I can spend time with them.  I've been checking out the site Pinterest.  Very cool site.  I did make a mod podge photo flower pot for my mominlaw for her birthday that I found out how to do from Pinterest.  I plan on making one for my mom too as a big old thank you for helping out with the boys this summer.   My youngest son, Conner, just finished up with Tball season and thats come to an end.  He's graduating to 2nd grade this next school year.  My oldest son, Casey, has graduated to 6th grade -Middle School here we come.  Well check back soon and I plan to have a few more updates and photos.  Maybe I should call my blog something about sewing with the seasons..lol...since I find myself here and there with sewing...but I am enjoying it when I find the time. 

Quilting!!

Been a while - I know!  But here I am.  So in January, I get a call from my mom-in-law and she's headed to a quilting class that started up in 2012.  She asks would I be interested in joining with her.  So long story...I say yes.  Here I am...quilting now.  Not only a beginner to sewing..but here I am tackling the art of quilting.  WOW!  Yes I'm nervous about it.  So each month I'll be making a square for my quilt and at the end of 12 months, I'll have a full 12 squares that go in this really pretty quilt - well I hope it is when I'm finished!  I have completed January's square.  Everyone says it was hard - that made me feel better!  I think I did a good job...being a beginner sewer and starting on a hard block for an "also" beginner quilter!  I think I liked it too!

So here above is what the completed quilt should look like.

My January Square...