Cute Bear and Bunny Pattern Links and My Business!

A new year, a new blog name! I have changed my blog to "Sew Me At Story at Home" - you can find me now at www.sewmeastoryathome.blogspot.com

A lot has happened since I last posted - most significantly, I started a business - Sew Me A Story Embroidery (you can check it out on my website www.sewmeastory.com). I am now the owner of a ten-needle commercial embroidery machine, and I have been busy stitching up logos on polos, sweatshirts and hats, embroidering names on baby blankets and robes, and monogramming bags and hoodies. My poor "regular" sewing machine had been left in the dust!


I finally pulled out my machine last week after I found the cutest *free* bear and bunny patterns online and decided to try sewing them with my 4 year old. The first pattern is "Pete the Bear" by Abby Glassenberg, and you can find it here on her blog, While She Naps.

"Pete the Bear" pattern by Abby Glassenberg of While She Naps

Zoe picked out the "rainbow" fleece fabric, and she colored the pattern while I cut out the pieces to sew together. Then she helped me put it together, pulling the pins out (I stopped the machine for her to do this) as I sewed. She helped turn the arms and legs right side out, and she stuffed the head and body with polyfil until it was "just right". Such a fun project for both of us!

The second pattern is also a free one from Abby, and you can find it here. It's called "Sophia the Bunny", and it sews up into a sweet ball of a bunny that is perfect for cuddling.



"Sophia the Bunny" pattern by Abby Glassenberg of While She Naps

Abby sells a number patterns to make really cute dolls and stuffed animals (or "cuties" as my kids call them). You can find them here in her Etsy shop. Next I think Zoe and I are going to try her "Benji Bumblebee" as part of a special Sew-Along that she is hosting - great for Valentine's Day!





Back in the "Spring" of Things

Yes, it's been a while since I last posted - other important things (like moving and children!) took precedence - but I'm finally back at my sewing machine - Yea!!!

Because of Pinterest I have a mile-long list of things that I want to need to sew, and these Spring-y things caught my eye:

 

I saw the sweetest little basket on one of my favorite blogs, nanacompany.  I decided to make it up in this birdie fabric from Door County that I've been saving. This is a quick and fun project and would make a great gift with a little something in it (like, ummm, chocolate!)

 

 

This was made from the Mooshy Belly Bunny pattern from chezbeeperbebe. It's soft and mooshy, just right for a little one to snuggle, and it can be made from an upcycled T-shirt! I used minky on the ears to make it even more cuddly.

 

 

I couldn't resist making these mini baskets from another favorite blog, A Spoonful of Sugar.  They are made from felt (I like to use a wool/rayon blend) and ribbon.  They are fairly quick to make, and again, perfect for gift-giving with a little chocolate :) tucked inside.

 

 

 

Right now I'm working on a tote bag using Anna Maria Horner's Multi-Tasker Tote pattern and this great vintage fabric that came from a friend at our church.

 

After a loooong winter (for St. Louis, at least) I'm so happy that Spring has finally sprung!  All this new life around us is a beautiful reminder of the new life that we have in Jesus.  I love the words of this hymn that we sang on Sunday:

 





Life eternal! Heav'n rejoices: Jesus lives who once was dead.

Shout with joy, O deathless voices!

Child of God, lift up your head!

Life eternal! Oh, what wonders Crowd on faith; what joy unknown,

When, amid earth's closing thunders, Saints shall stand before the throne!

Fun with Kids! Playhouse for Z

I'm back! After Thanksgiving things got crazy busy around here, and I just couldn't post. But I made a bunch of things that I'm excited to share with you, and here is the first: a playhouse for Zoe!

This was Zoe's 2nd Birthday present. She loves to crawl into and under places with her books (boxes, laundry baskets, tables, beds...) so I thought I'd give her a safe, cozy place of her own to "read" and play. After scouring the internet and Pinterest (love! love!) I found this playhouse and this PVC fort frame. We ended up modifying the PVC fort frame to make it a better size for Z (3 1/2 feet wide by 5 12 feet tall.)

Making the sides 42 inches also meant that I could just use the width of the fabric for each side - no piecing - yay! I used duck instead of cotton weight so it would (hopefully) hold up better.

The windows are reinforced with another layer of fabric, an overlock stitch and ribbon trim - hoping they'll stand up to lots of peeking!

There's a flap with a slot underneath for postal deliveries...

And just the right amount of room inside to stretch out and relax!

 

Now the older boys are asking for one their size...

Fun with Kids! Turkey Handprint Placemats

I've always loved the turkey handprints that my kids have made in preschool. You know, where the teacher puts brown paint on the palm and thumb and a different color on each finger and than carefully presses the little hand down to make a turkey - SO cute! I thought it might be fun to have the kids color their own turkey handprints and then make them into placemats for Thanksgiving.

Here's the paper version Zeke made in preschool this year. We just love our preschool!

The boys had a great time with this. Here's how we did it. First I traced their hand onto a piece of brown fabric using a fabric marker.

 

 Then they used fabric markers to design and color their turkeys.

I took the finished turkeys and ironed a piece of fusible web (wonder-under) on the back. Then I cut out the turkey just around the outside of the tracing line. If you wanted to make these with your kids, you could just buy a plain placemat and fuse on the turkey at this point. I had some fabric that I thought would be fun to use, so I made my own. For the front I sewed two contrasting pieces of fabric (2 3/4" by 12") to a middle piece (10 1/2" by 12") using a 1/4 seam allowance. I peeled the paper off the back of the turkey and fused it to the placemat.

 

Next I cut a piece of fabric for the back and a piece of flannel for padding (15" by 12" each.) I found this flannel in the clearance bin at the fabric store, and I'm so glad I snatched it up. It's been great for using as a thin batting in bags, purses, etc. I layered the fabrics (right sides together, then the flannel on top) and sewed through all three thicknesses (using a 1/2 seam allowance) leaving an opening in the bottom for turning.

After clipping the corners, I turned and pressed the placemat. I stiched down either side of each seam and then edgestiched around the entire placemat.

Then I did a tight zigzag stitch around the whole turkey to make sure it stays on there! I added some legs so it wouldn't look like it was floating in mid-air. :)

I used varigated thread in fall colors for the front and in the bobbin I put some varigated thread I had that just happed to match the backing fabric (which is from a sheet!)

 

The boys finished up by writing their names and "O give thanks unto the Lord" on the front.

All ready for Thanksgiving dinner! Zoe made a handprint turkey, too, and I'm hoping to have something else to show you on Monday, but we've got company coming, so we'll see if that happens. If not, Happy Thanksgiving!

Wee Wonderfuls Wednesday! Eddie doll PLUS Wes the Baby Giraffe

Since I did two posts on Evelyn (&Elvis) Inchworm, I'm going to get back on my schedule of 24 dolls in 24 weeks (from Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love) by showing you two projects today. The first one is the Eddie Doll.

I made this for my grandnephew's second birthday back in September. Doesn't grandnephew make me sound old?! It's funny, because he is actually four months older than my little girl! This was such a fun doll to make - a BOY doll for a change. (My grandnephew has named it BOY, by the way.) His pants are made from my boys' too small cords, and his shirt is made from a little T-shirt Zeke used to wear. But my favorite part about him is his fun fur hair.

When you shake his hair it stands straight up, like a little Rod Stewart. :) The other project is for a little grandnephew or grandniece due to arrive sometime in December. Wes, the Baby Giraffe stands about 10 inches tall, and has a neck that's just right for a baby's grasp.

I found this soft green and brown houndstooth flannel that I thought was quite appropriate for a giraffe, and would work for either a boy or a girl. The eyes and nose are embroidered and the horns and tail are braided yarn sewn on extra tightly to withstand little baby tugs.

Those green leaves are now orange and brown! How can it be that Thanksgiving is almost here?

Make It New Monday! Treasured Heirlooms

Recently while at my mother-in-law's house I came across this wonderful quilt buried in a chest that was hidden in a closet. I asked her if she knew where it came from. It was her mother's, she said, and would I like to have it? Um, YES!

There are so many things I love about this quilt. All the beautiful fabrics, some of which look very much like the reproduction fabric that I have been stashing. The fact that it was made by my husband's grandmother. And the story behind the quilt. My husband's grandfather was a fruit farmer. His grandma worked in her garden all summer, and in the winter she would sew. Apron after apron she would create for the church bazaar. This quilt was made from her scraps. Can you imagine how many aprons she must have made? Look at all these different designs and patterns! I love the dogs playing baseball.

The quilt's new home is in Zoe's room. Out for everyone to admire. And next to the quilt hangs another heirloom, this one made by my own grandmother.

I've had this sweet needlework of a little girl praying for as long as I can remember. I never had a place to hang it - until my little girl was born. All those intricate little stitches - this was a work of love from my grandma to my sister and me.

These may not be worth a lot of money, but they are priceless. Through them I feel a connection with our grandmothers - a love for creating "treasures" with our hands, a love for family, a love for the Lord.

Future heirloom creator!

Fun with Kids! Pumpkin Pie Playdough

Autumn is my favorite time of year - the changing colors of the leaves, the cool night air and the beginning of the baking season! My friend Kara posted a wonderful recipe on her blog Living Bread from Heaven for Spiced Pumpkin Bread (it's delicious!) that inspired me to make Pumpkin Pie Playdough with the kids.

The recipe for this playdough is super simple to make. It uses ingredients you probably already have on hand and it makes a soft, fragrant, all natural (and non-toxic) playdough that the kids love to play with. It will keep for quite a while in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Stir water, salt, cream of tartar and spices together in a medium-sized saucepan. Kids love helping with this part.

Then place the pan on the stove on medium heat. When the mixture starts to get warm, add the oil. Then add the flour and stir continuously until the dough is no longer sticky and your fingers leave an imprint when you press the dough. This happens pretty quickly, so you want to stir it well.

Take the dough out of the pan and place it on a heat-proof surface. Knead it until it is soft and pliable (be careful, it's hot!) When it has cooled down a bit, the kids can help knead, too.

Now it's ready! This dough is great for making shapes with cookie cutters...

Or rolling with the rolling pin...

Or making a playdough pumpkin pie!