Hello Fall

This is a sampling of all the fun we have been having this season so far.  I forgot to bring the camera with us apple picking but that was really fun too. Tomorrow we go to a fair.

 I have been slowly working on Halloween costumes.  Stella's costume is almost finished and Luke's costume has aways to go.  I enjoy making the costumes more than I could have ever imagined. 

The only finished item I have to show is this pair of mittens.  And it is just the shell with no lining.  But they are now finished because I have become allergic to the yarn.  So I am skipping the lining and I will give them as a gift as is.  I was heartbroken when I first realized I was allergic but I have the rest of my life to make myself mittens so really it is okay.  And they only took so long because I put them down for 6 months or so.  I guess I can never have an alpaca farm (the yarn is alpaca) but I already have way to many hobbies so it wouldn't have worked anyway. 

I hope you are all enjoying the start of the season!

Weekend

Yesterday was so fun.  I took an intermediate sewing class and started working on Stella's Halloween costume.  And I was the only one is the class so it was more like a private lesson.  Part of the fun was just talking to my instructor.  I just love being around others who sew and make things.  And I learned a lot too.  I feel much more confident now doing an invisible zipper.

To show my appreciation to my husband for letting me out of the house, I made this yummy breakfast. I used cinnamon bread.   When I came home from my class it was naptime.  Naptimes on the weekend are really special when my husband is home.  We get to watch TV together.  The kids stay up so late in the evening (8:30-9:00) that these nap times are the only time Matt and I can hang out on the couch together.  I cross-stitched while we watched Breaking Bad (I love that show and will be sad when it is over).  Then both cuties woke up but then both fell back asleep on us on the couch.  So we got to watch more TV and have them sleeping on us.  I loved that even more than cross-stitching.

It is a beautiful fall day here today.  I would have loved to take the kids to the playground or go apple picking.  But my asthma isn't good after the cold I had last week so I thought it was better for me to stay home.  Even though we were indoors I thought we could still do something to celebrate fall.   This summer the majority of the kid crafting was unstructured- what ever they felt like- crafting.  I think that kind is the most important.  But we all enjoy doing planful projects with a cute finished product too.  So I decided we were making scarecrow decorations today.

I love using toilet paper and paper towel rolls for crafts.  We used yarn for the hair and cupcake liners for the hats.  Duct tape holds the hair and hats together and is used to attach the hair  to the head too.  I was going to use scrapbook paper for the clothes but when I was in the basement looking for paper I saw my huge basket of scrap fabric.  And fabric makes more sense for the clothes anyway.  The kids again used Duck tape to adhere the clothes.  I stabbed holes for the kids to stick the pipe cleaners in for the arms.  I was going to have them draw the eyes on, but Luke suggested googlie eyes.  Why didn't I think of that?  The smiles are marker.  And for the last touch, they tucked straw in the shirt.  Okay it really isn't straw but dead chives from my herb garden.  Close enough. 

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend too!

Down with the Sickness/Before I Blogged Halloween

Back to school equals back to the kids getting sick all the time.  And we are.  Look at those little pink feverish faces camped out on the kitchen floor.  Stella is not as miserable as she looks.  It started with Luke Sunday night.  So there has not been much crafting this week.  But I really am okay with it.  Taking care of them is the best reason to put crafting on hold. 

I am in the mood to blog, the kids are happily watching Peter Pan, and we are starting to plan this years costumes (well I guess I have been planning since last Halloween) so I thought I could share last year's costumes.  Stella's cape was made using the cape pattern in Oliver + S Little Things to Sew and her dress was made using the  Oliver + S apple picking dress pattern. I highly recommend both patterns.   I no longer have the apple fabric so I don't know who made it.  I used a red suiting wool for her cape and little red riding hood fabric for the lining (from Superbuzzy).  I used a pattern from Joann's for the wolf costume.  I am sorry I can't find it.  And the fake fur was from Joann's.  It was my first time sewing with fake fur and boy does it shed. 

I was so happy with how they came out.  My town does on a Halloween Costume parade in mid October which is great because then the costumes get to be worn at least twice and once in the day light.  The pictures were taken the day of the parade. 

 

awful news

The awful news is not mine.  Other than Luke and I not feeling great today we are doing wonderful.  And I am actually try to embrace a pajama day of not doing much.  But I just read about this poor girl who had her quilt stolen at a fair.  Here is the story.  It made me cry.   I pray the quilt is returned to her soon.

Penguin Backpack

 Today is my son's first day of pre-school year 2 (he is on the three year pre-school plan since he has a November birthday).  Thursday I thought I would call the school and see if he needed anything.  Last year he just needed a change of clothes.  But this year I was told that he needed a backpack and slippers.  Well I ordered the cutest slippers on Zappos and they arrived the next day.  I knew when I heard he needed a backpack that I really wanted to make him the Penguin Backpack from Oliver and S Little Things to Sew.  I was just a little worried that it was above my skill level and that I wouldn't get it done in time.  But I finished it just in time (last night) and actually thought the pattern was not that tricky after all.  

I used a lightweight blackish denim from Joann's.  It has 1 % spandex so it has a little stretch so I had to interface all of it.  I had a difficult time finding main fabric that I like.  There was a thicker solid black with no stretch but I really wanted it to look textured.  I didn't have anything in my scraps that I liked for the beak or belly pocket (hard to believe).  So I bought some DS quilting cotton at Joann's.   I was only able to find one inch strap adjusters at Joann's (and I did not have time to shop around) so I made one inch straps.

 I finished it last night when it was getting dark and then we kind of barely made it to school on time this morning so this is it for pictures.  I will try to get some up close ones later since I love the beak and belly pocket fabrics.  And Luke loves it too.  He actually announced his love for it when he saw the outer bag finished.  It made me very happy especially since he is pretty honest.  I am so proud of him and I feel pretty proud of myself for making this.  I wasn't sure I could do it and was concerned that I would be at Target late last night looking at backpacks. 

I am linking up at Sew Cute Tuesday at Better Off Thread.