Rush Hour Blog Hop - My Day!

It's poor Rushing Rosie.

Her deadline is near

and rush Hour is coming too soon

she does fear!

Her stockings are snagged

and her hair is a mess!

She needs a good shower 

and she slept in her dress!

But here she is now

all finished. Work's done!

It's time to relax 

and to have some good fun!

by Linda Winters

(My little doll was truly a rush hour project! I wanted to add something to what I did below, but I've been gone so much lately I wasn't finding time. Then I decided on Rosie! Do you sometimes feel like she looks? I know I do!)

Rush Hour! What do you think of? Honking, swerving, speeding cars? Bumper to bumper? Nerves frazzled? Maybe it's finishing a sewing project before a deadline like Rosie above? 

I invite you to think of a slower, simpler time. A time when taking a nap was a dreaded event in the day! (Can you imagine that?) A time when rush hour was finishing your dinner so you could have dessert! (And you stayed skinny!)

I was unable to buy the wonderful Rush Hour fabric by Studio E, so I enlisted the help of my niece and nephew to create some of our own! 

I gave them a Sharpie and a rectangle of fabric and asked them to draw a picture of something they liked to do. 

Tristan drew his family playing with the family dog, Bear.

Emilee drew her family playing with a doll. 

(Rush hour is trying to get an unblurred photo of these twins posing! You have to be FAST!)

Each child chose a border fabric and backing fabric, keeping with the red, black, and white theme of the hop.  I let them sit on my lap and guide the fabric while I controlled the machine. 

We sewed our borders on, pressed the top, and cut the back to fit. 

                                           

I showed them how to pin the layers together.... 

...and we sewed each picture into a naptime pillow. Here is Emilee sitting in my lap and sewing. 

Tristan had his turn, too! 

I gave them the stuffing and let them "have at it!"

"Add a little more, Emilee, so it feels good when you use it!"

"Woo-hoo! Time for a nap!"

Rush Hour? Not for these two!

Be sure to check out my fellow "hoppers" today! 

Wednesday, September 24

Stitchin’ By The Lake

Buzzing and Bumbling - you're here!

Lixie Makes It

Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Living With Purpose

Madly Mid Mod

Coral Canyon Quilting

Our thanks to Mdm. Samm of Sew We Quilt and Carol of Just Let Me Quilt who have brought us this hop! 

Owl Be Seeing You!

When my ten year old granddaughter came to visit during Thanksgiving, she made a few Christmas ornaments for their tree. Do you remember these little owls? (You can find the tutorial here.)

 We chose some scraps and she went to work. She has become very proficient with the sewing machine. Her little owls will join these in her Christmas decorating this year. She made them with almost no help at all!

These young west coast grandchildren learned a little Texas history on this trip. 

We also took a trip to the wonderful San Antonio zoo, where we discovered........

 

a jarring family resemblance! (He had styled his own hair that day!)

Have a wonderful weekend and...

Bee Blessed!  

Spider Web Batk Tutorial

Creepy Crawler Countdown

Look out! It's coming! Only a few more days until all those little goblins will be knocking on your door!

This little countdown wall hanging will help your children keep track of the days in the week before Halloween. (Or use it all year to keep track of other things. For example, "Each day your room is clean the spider will climb one number  away from the child. When you have kept it clean for 7 days in a row, we'll celebrate!" 
The spider web block (there are two of them here) is an easy School Glue Resist project that you can let your children help you with! Take a look before you decide you can't do it. It's EASY!

The spider web blocks in the countdown wall hanging above were just unbleached muslin when I started. Here's how you can make your own:

1. Cut your muslin about an inch larger than the block you will need. If you want a 10 1/2" block, cut it 11 1/2" so that you can trim it to size afterward. It might shrink a little in the process.  Now, using ordinary WASHABLE school glue (it comes in a blue gel or in a white that looks like regular Elmer's liquid glue, not glue stick) draw a spider web on your fabric. Keep the lid on tight enough that the flow of glue is very narrow.  Let the glue dry well.

2. Now brush on your color. I've used Setacolor Transparent Fabric Paint, but watered down acrylic will work as will any fabric dye. Let this dry. I put mine out in the sun to dry. 
After it dries, press it well with a hot iron to heat set the color.

 3. Wash the residual color and glue out of the fabric. You may need to use a nail brush or toothbrush to brush out some of the stubborn glue. After it is all out, you can squeeze out all the water and then iron the fabric dry. 

4. You've made a batik!!! You can add a border and put it in a wall hanging or quilt. I sewed tiny glass beads on my web to mimic dew. 

5. You don't have to design a spider web, you could draw anything you want with the school glue and use any color over it you want! You can be a fabric designer! Give it a try! It really is very easy. 
I have several Halloween quilt patterns available in my Craftsy store.

Can't seem to make him stand up! This is Halloween Skeleton.

 You still have time to make one, especially if you use machine applique instead of hand applique. Just click on the Craftsy button on my sidebar and it will take you there. 
Until next time....... 

Let the Sun Shine In!

I teach 2 year olds at church. After years of teaching elementary aged children, its not easy for me to come up with activities that can be appropriate for a toddler. 
Our lesson was on "God made the sun, moon, and stars." Simple, right? 
Well, nothing is really simple when it comes to 2 year olds......

.... but we gave it a good try. We let the children color on the back of the pillow and then we quickly stuffed them and sewed the small opening closed. Judging from how they held on to their little sun pillows when finished, I think it was successful. You might want to try this with your little ones.

 1. Trace off a circle onto the wrong side of a piece of canvas or muslin. Let your pencil lines show and use these as a sewing guide. Trim about 1/4" outside the line.

         
2. Pin loops of ribbon (I cut mine 4" long) around the edges on the right side of the canvas. Sew around the edge to secure them. Remove the pins.

3. Place right sides together down on a print fabric that you have chosen to be the back of your pillow. Sew around the pillow on your pencil line but leave about 2" open for turning.

4. Turn right side out and press. I made 6 of these in about an hour and had them ready for class. (I took an iron, some stuffing, and a needle and thread. I have two helpers, so we all pitched in!)

 Let the children scribble on the canvas side. Encourage them to put a LOT of color on it.
Be sure your crayons are the regular type and not the washable ones. Heat set with an iron before stuffing. (Put a paper towel between the iron and the fabric!

This was such a simple project, you might want to try it too!
Older children could make one for a new baby in the family. They could use fabric markers instead of crayons for a brighter color. 
How about using flower colors and calling it a flower instead of a sun? That would work! 
Have fun!
.....until next time...... 

Fall Leaves from Felt and Scraps, tutorial

Fall is in the air! 
Unfortunately, here in South Texas we don't have the beautiful change of colors that you see elsewhere. Our live oaks stay green all year and deciduous trees go from green to brown to bare seemingly overnight - usually in December! 
I love fall colors, so I used some felt and fabric scraps to make my own!

These would be fun to make with children and are the fabric version of the crayola shavings in waxed paper that many of us made as kids.
                                       

First you need a leaf shape. I just drew on off, but you can trace actual leaves to get a nice shape. I think maple leaves would be perfect for this! Find some felt that is big enough for your pattern. I used two colors for this one. Cut out your outline, going through both layers.

Here is a more simple shape. Cut the center out of your leaf shapes. Notice above that I chose to use this same opening shape even in the oak leaf.

This is a little difficult to see, but I have two pieces of fine netting here. I've clipped little bits of fabric onto the center of one piece, covered it with the other piece, and then free motion quilted all over it to hold it together.  Be sure it is as large as the center opening in your leaves.

Here is one where I used larger bits of fabric and then straight stitched them together. (I also have a couple of leaves made with the fine plastic netting from a bag of oranges. I used tacky glue to hold sequins inside it. Lace might be pretty! Use your imagination! Lay it over the opening in the felt.

                      Place the second felt piece on top.

      Sew around the opening to hold the netting inside the    leaf. Then sew around the outer edge.

Here is one finished leaf.

And another.

Here are some as the tassel on a wall hanging.

Hanging in front of a window.

Hanging from a wreath.

  Watch for October 8, my day in the Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop, when I will share a really pretty, contemporary block with you! You can click on the button on my sidebar for more information! I'll be "talking to you" before then, but keep it in mind. There will be a LOT of inspiration for you during the hop. It begins October 1. (There will be prizes!)

So...until next time...

P.S. - My friend, Jane, of Projects by Jane, is having a giveaway for her 5th anniversary celebration. Go check her out!