Robot Party

It's finished! If there is anything positive to say about the time change it's that I feel like I've had an extra hour a day on the weekend to get things completed, including this quilt. And a few people at work can attest to the fact that this quilt was finished yesterday, since I had to bring it in and show it to them today. I took the photos yesterday but it was a little late to stay up and post the finished product, completed ahead of time! I must say that every time I finish a quilt and "just" have the binding to hand sew I drastically underestimate the time that it will take me to finish, just want to thank the inventor of the sewing machine for making the rest of the project such a delight. Now that the quilt is completed I can stand back and look at the quilt and I'm not sure if I am more in love with the front of the quilt...

or the back...

I definitely have to rate this "Toddle Time" quilt pattern as very good, I found that I didn't need quite as much fabric as the pattern suggested, but I also like to lay everything out ahead of time and make sure I reduce waste, if it wasn't for the additional fabric I had to buy this would definitely be an excellent rating. The instructions were very easy to read and understand and with the strip piecing option with 2 of the 3 blocks it took little time to assemble. The finished size is amazing, it can be doubled over to fit on a crib/toddler bed, thrown on the floor for tummy time, and then placed on a twin sized bed for an older child. This pattern and fabric has been a hit with moms with boys (I'm lacking in the boy department over here) and I really hope a new mom will appreciate that the robots will be cute for a baby and still practical for an older child. With the due date fast approaching I can hand off the finished quilt, but I still have fabric left over to make a fantastic throw pillow with his name on it, and really isn't that what every baby wants, a matching quilt and throw pillow for their crib?!?

Robot Block Party - Day 5

Well, I didn't think it could be done but I have the front of the quilt complete! I received the fabric last Monday and 7 days later I am ready to start assembling the quilt. The great thing about this pattern is that if I was in a real rush I could have sewn it faster, but I took my time and worked on one piece a time. I'm hoping to get out and purchase the batting tomorrow, and depending how late the trick or treaters come I might get a chance to start assembling the quilt. At this rate I am hoping to be finished by this time next week.

Robot Blocking - Day 4

I'm not sure if today is Day 4 or 5 but since I didn't sew yesterday I'm going with 4. So today I finished sewing all of the blocks for the Robot quilt. There are 14 blocks in each of the 3 designs, and with the addition of the top and bottom scrap pieces I should have a 48x64 quilt when I piece it all together. It may be the fact that I have not done much sewing recently that I have energy to work on the quilt OR the fact that this quilt is extremely easy to put together but after 4 days I did not imagine that I could have all of the blocks assembled ready to piece the quilt top this weekend. I'm already getting excited about how great it is going to look. And with the extra fabric I have left over I am planning on making a personalized pillow with the new baby's name, I will have to wait until after the birth to finish that project. But I have to finish the quilt first, one project at a time.

Stripping - Day 3

Strip piecing a quilt is amazing! Piecing all of this fabric together is such a quick way to make a quilt. I still have to cut out the squares and sew my diagonal squares together but I'm thinking that I might need to buy my batting this weekend to keep my momentum going. I'm not sure how much sewing I'll get done the next few nights, since I have to work at my actual job, but I have a great feeling that I'll get this quilt done before the baby is born.

Cut It Out Robots - Day 2

I'm not sure why quilters get such satisfaction out of cutting up full yards/metres of fabric, only to put it back together again in a completely different pattern, but I am ecstatic with the progress I've made in 24 hours. After pre-washing, drying and ironing all that fabric last night it is interesting to see how little space it takes up now that it has been cut down to size. You may notice that some of the pieces of the quilt are still in strips, so technically it isn't completely cut out but since 2 of the 3 blocks in this quilt can be strip pieced I will be waiting until after I piece it together before cutting out the blocks. I won't give away the rest of the technique, so there is something to look forward to on "piecing" day. I made my first rag quilt for Sophia when she was around 8 months old and I cut the entire quilt out with scissors, I couldn't cut all that flannel in 2 days let alone 2 hours. I really have to thank Joyce for suggesting that I buy my OLFA rotary cutter and mat only 4 short years ago. The time I have saved was worth the price!

Robots - Day 1

When I got home at lunch today and saw my parcel tag on the door I knew that my fabric has arrived. A couple weeks ago a girlfriend asked me to make a quilt for her soon to be arriving nephew. It seems like I've been buying a lot of boy fabric recently so I thought I would switch things up a little and not use flannel. I searched online a week and a half ago and found this adorable cotton fabric from Robert Kaufman, Robot Factory by Caleb Gray. I wanted to choose a fabric that would take a long time for a boy to outgrow; actually Steve wants a blanket out of this fabric so I know it will last a long time!

I picked up my fabric on the way home today (even before I picked up the girls) and was excited to see that it is as adorable as I thought it would be. I chose to make the "Toddle Time" Quilt, by Carlene Westberg.

So like I was saying today is Day 1 of the project. I prewashed all of the fabric and I am hoping to have it all dry and ironed tonight. I'm not sure how long the quilt will take me but I'm planning on documenting my progress. Wish me luck!

Dress Up Craft Creation

While I remain optimistic that the weather during my vacation this week will be fantastic I have been trying to think of activities to do with the girls at home if we are stuck inside.

Sophia has always loved fashion and dressing up dolls and I thought that the "Dress Up Dolls" die cut from Sizzix would be a perfect activity around the house.

Sophia loves cutting and pasting and this activity would definitely allow her to paste and create MANY different possible outfits for the dolls. The options for hair, clothes and shoes are almost endless.

Steve brought home some craft boxes a while ago and I have found a use for a couple of them with all of the patterns that I cut out. I have been meaning to cut these out for a while now, and with the house to myself this weekend it allowed me the time to do it.



I will have to update my post with the outfits that Sophia creates.

Summer Solstice = Summer Hats

Nothing says summer like children playing outside lathered in sunscreen and wearing a great hat. I have been looking for an excuse to make more hats for the girls and the perfect time to do that is the beginning of summer. Sophia has been getting compliments at school with her "fgd" hat and I thought Layla might need a homemade hat of her own. When I asked her what colour she wanted I was a little surprised when she asked for green. But, I listened to her wishes and, since the hats are reversible, Layla can wear green whenever she likes.

I absolutely love the orange fabric that I found and the animals matched it perfectly. Sophia has already been asking for a doll blanket to be made with the animal fabric. The cherry fabric isn't as kid oriented but with the green polka dot lining I'm sure it will be a favorite.

Unfortunately my beautiful models are up at the cottage with Daddy, Grandma and Papa this weekend so I couldn't completely show off how fantastic they turned out but I'm sure Layla will reach for them with a "mine" when they return on Sunday.

A Place for All Her Stuff

For my first trip to Florida this year I bought Sophia an inexpensive vinyl pencil case to hold her crayons and some new stamps that I bought her. By the end of the trip Sophia had crammed everything that was important to her into her pencil case. There was a watch, crayons, stamps, bracelets, chapstick...and I could go on, all together in this pencil case that was not very large. Sophia also carried around a little colouring book with her and had to have this book and her pencil case everywhere that we went.

For my second trip to Florida I decided to make Sophia something that she could carry her colouring books in and a pencil case that could be a catch-all for all the little treasures she came upon during our trip. I let Sophia choose the fabric that she wanted out of my constantly growing stash. I still wasn't exactly sure what I was going to make for her but I started anyway. Sophia asked for a tinkerbell pencil case, an embroidery file that I already had, so I started with the pencil case.

And then she decided on a butterfly book holder. I wanted something that she could put on her lap and was strong enough for her to colour on, I lined the back of the colouring/activity book holder with fairly rigid interfacing. I added mesh at the front of the book holder so that she can slide her pencil case inside and we can stay fairly organized, rushing around at the airport and on the plane.

I lined both the book part of the carrying case and the pencil case with PUL fabric, for all those marker and stamp accidents so they wouldn't soak through the beautiful fabric and added a zipper to keep everything from falling out.


Sophia uses her book/pencil case regularly and she can slip in her books and zip it closed by herself, and anyone that knows Sophia already knows that regardless of whether she can or can't do something she refuses all offers of assistance, so the more child friendly my projects are the better for all of us.

Groovy Wardrobe *UPDATED TO INCLUDE PATTERNS*

On one of my shopping adventures last summer I was hit by a stroke of creativity...I came across a couple of Groovy Girl dolls and realized that this might be my solution to Sophia's constant wardrobe changes. I thought if she could change a doll's clothing she might stay in the same outfit for an entire day! Wishful thinking perhaps, but when I looked at the clothes that come with the dolls I realized the potential for me to make her an entire wardrobe for her doll. Time sometimes gets the best of me and I didn't end up making clothes for Sophia's doll for her birthday, however last week was my niece's birthday and Sophia's doll clothes fit her doll perfectly so a birthday gift idea was created. I spent a while searching through my fabric for the perfect doll clothes fabric and I am so thrilled by the outcome.


3 dresses, 3 skirts, 2 shirts, a purse and a boa (every doll needs to accessorize). As you can see I bought a couple of dolls to give Sophia enough clothes for her doll, but that same clothing gave me the pattern pieces to create the outfits that they are wearing in this picture. A great looking bunch of girls if you ask me.

The Groovy Girl clothes are very basic in terms of sewing technique, since the clothes do not have to go in the washing machine a simple overcast seam around the pattern piece is all that is required to prevent fraying, I simply folded up this overcast stitching and did my seam for the outfit. Ribbon and velcro are necessities for these clothes, and I could see sewing on some buttons or other notions to really individualize each piece. Perhaps even a little embroidery would be needed on special pieces.

If anyone needs a new "little" outfit I would be happy to duplicate these Groovy Girl clothes patterns, these outfits were a lot of fun to create. Wow, I can't believe the response to this posting. I guess I am not the only one that wanted to make clothes for groovy girls. I have created a couple of patterns and posted them below (the patterns did not scan perfectly but you can still see the outline) so people can download them, instead of me keeping up with emails For each design there is a solid line, finished size and a 1/4" dotted line around, for cutting. You will need basic sewing knowledge to make these and you might have to play around with piecing pieces together, to ensure perfect fit. However, none of them are that difficult and with enough different pieces of scrap fabric your groovy girl could have completely different looks using only one pattern. Play around with embellishments as well, nothing adds to an outfit like some sparkle or ribbon. (The following patterns need to be printed on 8 1/2" x 11" paper.) Page 1 - Skirt and Top

Page 2 & 3 - One Strap Dress and Scarf This pattern requires you to cut out three pieces for the top, sew together as I indicated on the pattern and then attach to the skirt (shown on the second page). I also placed a pattern for a scarf on the page with the skirt. To make it I stated you should cut out 2 pieces of fabric, sew together with right sides together,on the long sides and one short end, turn right side out and stich the last end closed. If you are not using two different fabrics for the top and bottom of the scarf, just double the width of the scarf, fold it in half and you only have 3 sides to sew together.

Page 4 - Long Dress and Purse I have placed a simple square shape on this pattern to use for a purse. I tend to make things more difficut than they need to be so I always line the little purses I make. If you want your groovy girl to have a matching purse with all her outfits just simply cut two squares out, sew right sides together and hand stitch a ribbon at the sides for a strap. I think once you make one you will see how easy they are to make and you can play with different shapes or have two straps instead of one.

As I said, these patterns are just my own creations for home use. You may have to slightly adjust them to work. Please print them all on 8 1/2" x 11" paper. I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did, and your little girls love dressing up their dolls. Happy sewing!

Girls Gone Florida!

The girls and I just got back from a fantastic week in Florida. My parents, otherwise known as Oma and Opa picked us up at the airport and we enjoyed a fun-filled week at the....

POOL....


BEACH....




RIDING BIKES....


CLEANING GOLF CARTS....


EATING....


and after all that

SLEEPING....


Thank you Oma and Opa!

oh and there is nothing in this blog about fabric or sewing, because the only store I didn't make it to was the FABRIC STORE!

Luckily we're heading back in a few weeks.

Hip to be Straight

I have been known to blog almost exclusively about my kids and sewing projects that I've made for other people but today I've decided to switch things up a little. It's not that I don't make things for myself, oh wait, I think that's exactly what it is. I get so excited making things for the girls that even little things like sewing buttons on a shirt get pushed aside when it comes to me, although how exciting is sewing on a button. But last night I took matters into my own hands and produced a couple things that I am very proud of.

When I went back to work after my maternity leave, in August, I went through my closet and tried on everything that I thought might fit. After an exhausting afternoon I realized that my wardrobe needed a little update. I love pencil skirts, narrow, knee-length skirts, for work but I searched high and low and could not find any in the stores. I did a search on line to find out how to make one and I came across a blog demonstrating how to turn outdated A-line skirts into pencil skirts. "The New Professional" blog from October 2010 gave me the inspiration to try it myself. Last night I set aside some time and decided to try turning two of my older skirts into pencil skirts, since I don't wear them anymore I couldn't do them any harm. With a quick pinning of my skirts I sewed a new seam, cut off the extra fabric and adjusted the hem. I couldn't be any happier with how my new skirts turned out. I haven't made garments for myself before, but after this attempt at alterations I think I might try it out in the future.

Updating a out-of-date skirt has really added to my wardrobe. Who wouldn't love having a few extra items in their closet that are truly made to order

As you can see it is hard for me to not include the girls in my blog. When I told Sophia that I was going to take some pictures of my new skirts she decided to put it up on the bed and sit beside it. That's right, beside the girl with the bright blue eyes and the cute smile is a skirt : )

Boy o' Boy

It's no secret how much fun I have making things for Sophia and Layla. The fabric that it available for girls greatly outnumbers the boyish type prints. But I have had my eye on a certain Funky Monkey fabric, by Erin Michael, for a very long time. When I found out that friends of ours had a baby boy I finally had an excuse to stock up.

This has to be my favorite rag quilt that I have made to date. I used 6" squares, which I typically do, but I used an extra layer of flannel for added softness. I know that it is being loved and I can't wait for an excuse to make another one!

Which brings me to the second "o' Boy"

This could be the reason that Sophia thinks blue is for boys. I just love how the blue and brown go so well together, and oh wait...do I see more monkeys?

Where does the time go?

It can never be too late to post Christmas pictures, can it? I can't believe how fast the time has been going since I've been abck at work. I wanted to take some time now to show everyone that even though I haven't made time to post anything on my blog I have still been sewing.

Sophia got her "big girl" bed for her birthday, with the quilt that I made for her and I thought she would like a semi-matching one for her doll for Christmas. Can you see the difference?

I made the doll blanket from 3"x3" squares of scrap left over from her quilt, using the Sandi Henderson Farmers Market fabric. And while I absolutley love how it turned out, the pink and white polka dot binding with the blocks, this is how Sophia has decided to showcase my work. I guess that's why the backing has to look as good as the front!

One of the other projects that I wasn't sure I would have time to make was a bathrobe. Sophia loves putting mine on after her bath, and after we roll up the sleeves about five times it sort of, kind of, fits her. I bought a pattern to make Sophia a bathrobe and when I found the perfect fabric 50% off at Fabricland I decided to squeeze in one more project before Christmas morning. I don't have a picture of Sophia in her bathrobe but I hope these pictures do it justice, it has to be the softest fabric I have ever felt.



I can't believe that I started this blog a little over a year ago. It started out as a way to show family and friends some of the sewing and craft projects that I was making last Christmas and turned into a diary of all of my sewing projects and time off with my girls. Who would have thought that I had more time to sew, and post, when I was at home with Sophia and Layla then when I returned to work. I am hoping to post a few different times this week to get everyon caught up with what I've been making.