My resolutions for the New Year 2012:

1.  Be daring in mixing and matching fabrics, and make free doll pattern from One Red Robbin.

Completed February 19, 2012

2.  Make a quilt from this pattern with this yummy jelly roll.

3.  Crochet this hooded scarf with this fun yarn.

Completed January 1, 2012

4.  Applique this strutting Rooster using this template.

5.  Make this panda with furry fleece and not curse myself when it sheds like the dickens.

6 & 7.  Make one item from each book below.

Completed April 29,2012

8.  Get this table topper done before Halloween.

9.  Find a pattern worthy of cutting into these fabrics.

10.  Watch the entire season of Game of Thrones in one week, before due date from public Library.  Happy & Safe New Year to You!

Hurray, I'm Done!

My last fleece money holder is complete!  I'd like to introduce you to Bowling Pin Girl.

I call her Grace because it was by the grace of God she became complete.  Not having any idea what I was doing, just getting inspiration from this picture.  I learned so much from making her. Mostly from my mistakes. Her head was not suppose to be like a bowling pin, but I actually cut her form out before sewing and sewed her face on without stabilizer and the fleece gathered shrinking her head to the size it is now.  She is a happy gal who likes her misfit pals and is very affectionate with them.  Jester man doesn't mind but he gets a little nervous with all her affection because she can get carried away and gets entangled with him making him feel a little claustrophobic.  That's when he gets bunny and politely excuses himself with a chore that needs doing. He is sure skeletoR is calling him.

She adores bunny because he is her favorite color, purple.

The making of Bowling Pin Girl.  This was my solution for where to put her limbs while sewing her  bowling pin frame.  I basted her limbs on before assembly.

Well it's off they go to start another adventure in a different house with different kids, 3 boys & 1 girl.

Friends come in all sizes, shapes, color and disposition.  And that's just describing my multiple subpersonalities, when I try and befriend myself.  (LOL)  One should not be blogging at 12:46 am... good night/morning.

p.s. The ugly chair is actually very comfortable.  Can you believe I have two of them!

Fun Money Holders for Kids For Christmas

My sister has four young children, one seven, two six and one five years old.  Three boys and one girl. Usually I buy gifts for them throughout the year, with a few last minute finds during Black Friday. This year, gift ideas did not jump out at me.  I asked her if she wanted me to get them savings bonds.  She said to get them Walmart gift cards and they could have fun picking out their own gifts.  I decided to send them cash, and also decided to make an elaborate money holder.  A fleece softie of my own creation.  I have to say I have more respect for those fleece softie makers.  Trying to make a cute or fun face and body is harder than I thought.  I did get inspiration from seeing a picture of the McCalls pattern M5826 called Creature Dolls for the first two shown today.

I first started with freezer paper and folded it in half.  Then drew half of a body.  Changing my mind several times.

Cut it out and open it up.  You can fold it back up and cut/trim it some more.  I wound up trimming more around the underarms and body so I had room to sew around it.

Find some fun fleece and put right sides together, then pin template to wrong side of fleece.  Then as best as you can sew around template trying not to sew on top of the template. You can crunch the paper, it doesn't hurt it when you need to turn and some of it goes under the sewing machine's arm. I do a lot adjusting with needle down and lifting the foot to straighten the fleece.  It is stretchy so I try and go slow adjusting all the way.  Leave 2 to 3 inches not sewn on the side for turning and stuffing. I found out the hard way this locations works the best because you need to stuff real good in the arms and legs, and you can't do that if there is a hole in it for turning.  After sewing cut around sewing line leaving a generous 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.

Before turning make sure you clip all around it up to the sewing line.Don't clip the opening where it is not sewn.  Make sure both pieces of fleece get clipped.  The figure is all curves and curves need clipping!

I made a face using off white polar fleece with felt pieces for eyes, nose and mouth.  I craft glue the pieces of eyes, nose and mouth before sewing.  The placement of pieces can give different looks.  The yellow piece is going to be the pocket for the cash. I wish I had red, which would have looked better.  I wound up trimming the face, but be careful, it's like trimming your own bangs, before you know it, you wind up looking like skeletoR.

Stuff good and plenty with polyester fiber and then whip stitch the opening shut.  I sewed by hand the face and pocket to the body because I still don't have this system down to its most efficient sewing steps and I just wanted to sew around the pattern first before cutting.  I made the one on the right (blue and green) first.  Don't assume your second one will necessarily be better.  I do have a girl to sew for and I already know pink cheeks will be used.  I will update the post with pictures of the next two. Looking at the fleece pattern, my imagination is already going wild with ideas. Working at the office during the day makes it hard to take good pictures. It is dark, dark, dark, by the time I am ready to take pictures.  My apologies for the dark pictures. My choices were underexposed or overexposed.  I thought underexposed suited these monster-like figures better. ($20.00 will be put in pockets. They should be able to buy some fun Legos with that much.) I had to borrow some cash from hubby to take the picture.

Don't hate me because I'm so scary looking. My creator made me this way.

In the picture above, our young football star has the misfortune of being the keeper of secrets. Creepy?  Yes!  Ever wonder who makes the toys for the island of misfit toys?  Looks like I would be one of them.

My girls... pictures like these make me so happy.  The years when doing this to yourself and thinking you are so cool are fleeting.  (I could be very wrong about this.)

Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year!  But the days start getting longer, whoop, whoop!

May you all be blessed with good health, sunshine in your heart and the amazing ability to forgive everyone for their idiot behavior!

Making a Toy for Audrey

I have been thinking about making a tree ornament of an animal with corkscrew legs and arms.  So today I went about trying the corkscrew crochet stitch.

I think it will work.  My Jamie wanting to hold it while I photo it.

My Audrey saw this and started playing with it saying it was her snake.  I told her I would make another one for her to play with, but I already had plans for this one.  So using my imagination I tried making her a snake.

Looks like noodle to me, but she loved it.  For a few minutes anyways, and of course I have to now make one for Jamie too.

I managed to keep a little bit of the yarn coming out the end to make it look like a tongue.

I believe Audrey has just been initiated to House Slytherin and its all my fault! (LOL).

Hope you have a great week.

My First Attempt at a Bavarian Crochet Hat

I think Bavarian crochet is so unique.  I took a book out of the library and tried to follow the pattern for a hat and scarf.  I finished the hat and was disappointed that I deviated from the color scheme that was in the book because the colors I chose did not optimally show off the hat.  I really feel I learned a lot and that my crochet skills grew from the experience.  There is magic in the process of creating.  It is delightful to do a great job and to cherish the end result, but the end result is not where the magic is, am I right?  So with kind eyes, I look upon this hat.  Is it perfect? No, but the process was magical because it was real hard at times trying to figure out the pattern.  I wanted to call a teacher, to ask someone for help, and for someone to give me an answer immediately.  But I had to be patient, and to look and study the pattern, to wait for an idea to develop that would gave me a clue as to where my hook was suppose to go next.

The hat was made for me, but I had my daughter, Audrey try it on for the pictures.

My daughter has a terrible habit of sucking on blankets.  I didn't realize while taking this picture she snuck the blanket back in her mouth.

My inspiration is the picture above.  I should have chose the pink and purple color combo.  I chose my colors because I have a jacket that is purple and the multicolored yarn was so pretty.  Oh well live and learn!

Holiday shopping is making me feel like my girls.   Like the world is upside down, but still fun!

Pretty soon one of my favorite days, winter solstice.  I like knowing we will slowly be getting more daylight!!

Good bye, good bye!

Gingercake's Winter Caroler

I have been wanting to try out Gingecake's winter caroler for almost a year now.  As with all my projects, it just got pushed to the back burner.  I am so happy to have accomplished this goal in a few hours this evening.  I had been wondering how would it look if I printed out my girls faces on fabric and then tried this tutorial?  Well I got a new laptop and my Macbook pro would not recognize my printer.  Then just the other week I came upon some Christmas fabric with some cute faces on it for 50% off and I wanted to try it.  Not that the tutorial's face isn't just adorable, which I do want try that one too.  I haven't had time to go to Goodwill and get some tweed or other wooly fabrics, so I just used up some fabric I had for her body.  I'm not used to using the zigzag stitch.  My face shifted a little but now she looks like she is tilting her head.

There are several faces on this fabric I want to make carolers out of.  I think they are just so cute!  My little Jamie's eyes lit up when she saw the caroler.  Not as much as when she is allowed to play on my iPod, but I'll take what I can get.  My Audrey frowned and backed away.  She was not impressed and said she would rather play with her puppy.

Have a great day!

Fun Times in Duluth, Minnesota

My husband's parents decided to treat all their kids and extended family to a few nights in Duluth, MN. as a Christmas present this year. We went for some holiday festivities that were in town such as the Bentleyville light tour, Polar Express and our hotel the Edgewater had a water park.

There was a beautiful almost full moon this last weekend, but what we really needed was snow.  Last December we had a record breaking amount of snow, this year the snow we did get has pretty much melted.

The first tour we enjoyed was Bentleyville Tour of Lights.  Free with hot chocolate, cookies, popcorn and roasted marshmallows.

My daughter, Jamie and her cousin, Christy.

The girls loved seeing Rudolph and a penguin.

And Mrs. Claus too.

Later that evening in the hotel room was opening presents while playing the dice game where if you get doubles you can trade gifts.  I scored on some nice pair of black gloves that look real warm.  I put in two of my snowflakes and they were a big hit too.

The next day was some fun times at the hotel's water park.

My husband's parents, so young at heart with their grandchild, my daughter, Audrey.

Yes that is me going down the water maze.  Fun, fun, fun!

I made it!

Later that night was a train ride on the Polar Express to the Depot where they have antique trains.

The conductor will take your ticket.

 At the Depot where they have some beautifully restored trains.  The story of The Polar Express was read to the kids.

And guess who was there at the Depot?  Yes, Santa!

Time to get back on the Polar Express, the fun evening is drawing to a close.  My husband's sister and brother-in-law.

Good times with good food.

The day we checked out of our hotel, we went to the pier and watched a big 1,000 foot long coal-bearing ship leave the port.

I leave with this Holiday message.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!