Hopeful Shorts Sewing

Hopeful Threads' July service project was to sew boy shorts that will be sent with Children In Families to Cambodia. You could use any pattern you wanted, but Fishsticks Designs offered a new, free pattern just for the July project - Mud Puddle Splashers!

I said right off the bat that I would sew three pairs of shorts in size 3T. It took me all month, but I finally got them finished this week! They'll be sent off as soon as I get an email from Kristy with her address!

The first pair I made was from some fabric I picked up last winter - some lady was trying to lighten her stash on Craigslist... The fabric is a little weird, since the planes and cars are going in all different directions. Thus, some are upside down, but I think it still works.

I did make sure that the helicopter on the single pocket was in the right direction!

My second is a plaid from a thrift store. I just love plaid on boys!

This pair got two pockets :)

And finally, a blue seersucker stripe - remnant from JoAnns!

This pair got two pockets as well, but I decided to try a pair without the cuffed hem.

I enjoyed the pattern, even though I didn't try the side pockets or the faux fly. I'll definitely be keeping this pattern on hand!

Thank you Kristy for this awesome opportunity to sew for boys in Cambodia!

Skirts All Around!

Simple Simon and Co is hosting a July service project - they asked for skirts to be made and donated to foster care agencies to be distributed to girls in foster care services. I knew right away that I wanted to help out - I love making skirts... they are quick, easy and fun to embellish! Besides, I have plenty of fabric at my finger tips to play around with :)

Here are my three "smaller" sized skirts. 

Itty-Bitty Flowers

Size 3T

This fabric is from a bed sheet and the rickrack was picked up at a thrift store or rummage sale. I used the large hem on the sheet for the bottom hem, so I just sewed the rickrack right on top of the stitching.

Dorothy Skirt

Size 3T

I call it the Dorothy because the blue gingham reminds me of Wizard of Oz! At first I wasn't going to add the blue gingham, but as I was sewing the pink gingham up, I realized that it was a bit see-through. I decided to add the overskirt by hemming the top and bottom and then sewing it just below the elastic casing. The blue rick-rack had already been added, so the overskirt had to be shorter than that!

Sherbet Skirt

Size 2T

This was some seersucker I had on hand - probably a remnant from JoAnns. I thought the cream rickrack was a perfect touch to this cute, summery skirt! PS: My two favorite sherbets are Raspberry and Rainbow - this fabric just reminded me of fruity ice cream!

Border Skirt

Size 12

This was a late addition - something that I sewed up quickly this afternoon. I had the border fabric on hand from a Craigslist purchase last winter. The white part is see-through, so I cut it long enough that I could just fold it over and then sewed my elastic casing next to the fold - I've never tried that before, but it worked out really well!

I added a bit of decorative stitching with variegated thread on the hem.

As I was sewing it, I got a little nervous - some 12-year-old girls may not like such a flowery skirt, so I whipped up a quick headband. It doesn't match the skirt, but I'm sure it will be fun to wear to school this fall! I used this tutorial here (found via Pinterest). I hope the recipient likes it!

These will all be mailed off tomorrow! Yay for meeting deadlines! :)

WIPs: The Last Week or Sew :)

So, here you go folks. I'm just loving all my free time during this summer. As you'll see, I'm in the middle of quite a few projects, but thankfully, I've had a few finishes along the way! We leave to visit family in a week and a half, so I need to keep chugging along on my "to-sew-list" since I won't be bringing any sewing projects with (except for maybe some hexies for the car ride!).

I finished binding this quilt last Saturday - I couldn't wait to finally finish it, so it even came along on two short camping trips with us :) You can see a full view of this top here, but I'm waiting to get a fun quilt-in-nature picture to show you the whole entire completed thing!

This basket of joy is done and ready for a certain baby to arrive. You'll get to see all of it once the gift is given!

I finished two skirts for Simple Simon & Co's Skirting the Issue Project (more info here!)...

... but I've pulled enough fabric for three more! They are so quick and easy to sew up and  I just love the finished product!

 I've also pulled fabric for Hopeful Thread's July Project - Little Boys Shorts Sewing - I've promised her 3 - 3T shorts, so obviously I won't use all of these fabrics... which ones do you think I should use? (The top one has airplanes on it, and the 2nd-to-the-top is actually a blue plaid, but all you can see is the wrong side - oops!)

I'm over half way done with the binding on my Giant Vintage Star quilt - soon and very soon, I'll have another quilt finish!

I told you that I had cut these vintage sheet remnants into squares... well, here is the quilt top! Baby patchwork quilts are such a quick finish!! That blue stuff on the left is what I'm planning for the backing. Now, I just need to quilt and bind!

 I've had these Christmas squares cut for awhile, and it was time to sew them up. I can't tell you anything more! (Secrets secrets!)

Same thing here!

 And finally, for some non-sewing news... I had fun on Sunday playing with some vintage sheet music, mod podge and canvas. This is only one example of the five that I worked on. There's still a few more steps I want to take before I have some fun, Christmas wall hangings for myself or to use as gifts... once they're all prettied up, I'll show you the final product! Sometimes it's fun to get all crafty on something that doesn't involve the sewing machine :)

But now, I must go clean (and sew!). Grizz has some relatives coming tomorrow!

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