For once, not a Pin-FAIL

For Father's Day, I loved the idea of making this picture collage.   For one, it seemed simple enough not to screw up.  And for two, it gave me an excuse to make a cool speech bubble with chalkboard paint!

First, cut the shape from a foam board (I salvaged the remaining rectangle for a general purpose chalkboard) and paint 3 coats.   This is after 1 coat:

They really enjoyed the chalkboard the next morning.  I may be creative and hang it on the wall like this blogger.

Then go outside and snap a few pics.   My favorite outtake, which is only an outtake because she wouldn't let me use it for the final product:

And VOILA...NAILED IT!

The easiest twirly skirt!

I love this circle skirt pattern.  I have attempted a twirly skirt, in particular this one that is supposed to be the most popular twirly skirt pattern on the web and the waist band ended up so thick and hard and bunched that it was not wearable by the intended child.   I figure since its so popular, it must have been user error on my part.  

But this circle skirt pattern, once you work out some simple math and draft up a pattern is hard to mess up, even by me!   I actually did the reversible version, since I didn't have any thick elastic like in the original   It's so quick, which I love.   Except when you sew your elastic casing before you turn the fabric right side out, in which case you spend 45 minutes becoming intimate with your seam ripper.   *ahem*  And trimming it with bias tape?   Brilliant!

So, reversible twirly skirt in some "vintage" Strawberry Shortcake fabric I've had forever.   Yes, I've had this since before the latest reboot of Strawberry Shortcake (in which she has much better hair) which is why I had a hard time selling my fashionistas on using the fabric because "ITS NOT THE RIGHT STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!".  No respect for the "vintage" there.   But apparently, I could have turned a fabric covered in loaves of bread into something fabulous with this pattern.

"It's so spinny!"

Win.  

Wonky is just another word for "Hand Made with Love"

Gifts!   I love making handmade gifts.  I find I think about the intended a lot while I am making it and it seems to connect me to people when we are all running in so many different directions these days.    Of course, that sentiment can backfire when a project goes on too long and I begin to curse the day I ever met that person or when a project becomes so wonky and haphazard that I wonder if the friendship will even survive the gift.

But I present to you, the cutest little owl set ever (just ignore the trapezoidal shape of the blanket.   (Remember, wonky = LOVE, dangit!).

I've been wanting to make a blanket with stuff applique'd onto it for awhile, but I learned I have little patience for creating the canvas.  Making the design on it was much more fun than the endless....vast...expanse...of white.   I gripe, and yet it's not even standard baby size.  I went with the ever popular "carseat blankie" size, which is just code for "I'm too lazy to make a full 36x36 square".

Blankie was free handed but inspired by this one on etsy, hat was a basic beanie with pom pom top and the owl rattle was from this pattern.

Next up, %^&@$^%#%$#%$#% super hero capes.

Apparently, my machine does not like faux satin because if I had a drink for every time my top thread bunched up and broke, I would be passed out cold under my sewing desk.    And I guess I am supposed to use some sort of different needle, because I kept getting "runs" in the fabric.

And my "decorative zig zag stitch" around the edge looks like it was done by that drunk right before she passed out cold.

But, alas, the reason why I do not sell my items, is because I look at this mess of satin and thread and think...."eh, kids will like it" and proceed to throw it in a gift bag anyway.    But I did have fond thoughts of the children and their mama while I was making it, so that counts for something, right?  In between curses and eleventythousand rethreads.

At least my kids approved.   Although they ordered a set in pink & purple, of course.