Costume Patterns

I was going through my pattern stash and came across a bunch of old costume patterns.  I didn't make a costume up for my little baby, but maybe someday in the future she can be...

The Chiquita Banana Girl!

There's no date, but I think it's pretty ancient.  It came in the mail back in the old timey days...that's definitely a mark of an old pattern. Plus it's McCall's 101...definitely old, because isn't McCall's up to the 9000's now?

Or someday she could also be Tweety (Butterick 6350) or Sylvester (Butterick 6349).

There are two dates, 1974 and 1978.  I love the matching sneakers on Tweety.  Awesome.

Or how about a freakish clown...

Simplicity 7162.  Circa 1975

I don't think she should be a harem girl, but I'm always game for a pirate or a vampire.

Simplicity 5742.  Circa 1982.

And for those patriotic holidays...Lady Liberty!

Simplicity 6672. Circa 1984.

Or a devil.

And then there's my favorite costume pattern...1980's Space!

Simplicity 5299.  Circa 1981.

It brings to mind Flash Gordon, The Ice Pirates, and Space Camp.  Good stuff!

Boo'd and Bagg'd

I was Boo'd the other day.  Have you heard of this?  You get an anonymous Halloween treat basket and then you make two of your own and anonymously leave them for neighbors.  And you have to remember to put the "I've been Boo'd" sign on your door so you don't get double Boo'd.

I didn't take any pictures of the basket that I received.  It had in it some chocolate, a book for the baby, some window clings, and something else that escapes me.  So that night I ran to the $2.50 section of Target (it's not really a $1.00 section, because it always seems stuff is $2.50).  I picked up some metal containers, glow swords, hand towels, and a slinky for each basket.  And don't forget a handful of Halloween candy in each.

I left them for the neighbors to my immediate right and left at 7:00am this morning.  The baby was still sleeping, so I had to be quick about it.  I was excited to see that one neighbor put out their boo sign, but the other neighbor didn't.  Maybe they are waiting for a second boo'ing?  Greedy!

Anyway, here's the information/downloadable stuff for this Boo project.

After I had assembled my containers, I was still in an assembly-like mood, so I decided to bag up some Halloween treat bags for the Trick-or-Treaters.  A few weeks ago my mom sent me a package with ziplocs full of plastic trinkets, like rubber eyeballs, plastic spiders, tiny rubber bats, etc.

 She also sent little treat bags, like this one:

So, I put one candy and one trinket into each bag and taped it up.  Last year we had like 200 trick-or-treaters and I didn't make that many bags, but once they're gone I'll just give straight candy.

Thanks, Mom!  And thanks anonymous Boo'er!

{apples}

Out and About

It's been a long few weeks.  I've been sick, the kid's been sick.  We've been to a Minute Clinic for me and the ER for her.  I think she's better, but I've got a cough that is lingering.  Not fun.  So we finally made it out of the house for fun and not for something medical-related.  

I went to a quilt shop called Twin Cities Quilting to pick up some sashing material for my I Spy quilts (still no charm squares from the I Spy hostess).  They had a nice selection and in the back of the store they had one of those big quilting machines.  Nuts!  Anyway, here's the selection:

It's hard to photograph.

Next, we went to a thrift store that I had never been to. 

It was the most well organized thrift store, I swear.  Everything had it's own hanger or it was bagged.  I headed over to the craft section, which was pretty large.

They had a large selection of fabrics.

Unfortunately, they were all cheap-o knits and I didn't like any of them.

There were also craft kits and books all bagged up.

Nothing for me, though.

And then bags and bags of craft things.

Still nothing.

PS watch out for the freakish bagged doll.

I was thinking that I would have to return to see if the selection turns over at all.

Oh, and what are your thoughts on this?

That's right.  That's a well-organized rack of men's undies.  Gross.  I didn't get close enough to see if they were used, but still....gross.  I mean, who donates used underwear?  I donate old bras, but they are bras and much less intimate than panties.  I chuck old panties.  Maybe men feel differently about their underwear.    

Felt up

 My felt has arrived!  I got two bundles of colors in the 9x12 size.  Yay.  Quiet booking, here I come!

In other felt-related news, I also found a container for the felt at Target on the clearance rack for $2.88 or $4.88 or something.  Do you see how the side is warped a bit?  Well, that may be why the lid doesn't fit.  They were all like this.  I just needed someplace to store all this felt and its eventual pieces.  This does the job.

Recreate Art: Fabric

What do you think?  Are they a match for the original work of art?

The middle one is a lot lighter than I anticipated.  I was going to get Blue Jeans, but they were out of that yardage, so I got Eucalyptus instead.  Hmmmm....Did I go wrong?  I don't know.  It doesn't have to be exact, because this is an interpretive thing, right?  

Looking Back

Today was my anniversary, but before you start to think things are rocky (because I'm writing about it instead of celebrating it), you can rest assured that all is well.  We celebrated on Friday night with dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse and a little Louis C.K. at the Minneapolis Convention Center prior to my husband's business trip.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some crafty goodness from the day in question.

Setting up at Sand Rock Farm, Aptos, CA

The color scheme evolved as I started to make my centerpieces.  I used the Magnolia Flower Kit from Paper Source.  My inspiration came from this wedding, where someone had made the bouquet.  I loved her color scheme and wanted to recreate something like that.  When I tried, however, I absolutely could not stand the outcome.  It looked ridiculous and, since that was many years ago, I have no photographic evidence to prove it.  Just take my word for it.

Anyway, then I started to play with yellows and oranges and I happened upon my colors.  ("My colors are blush and bashful."  "Her colors are pink and pink!" -- Steel Magnolia's, anyone?)

I added a little piston-thing to the center of some of them.  I changed up the colors of the greens for the leaves.  Getting going it felt like these took forever to make, but I eventually got a little assembly line going.  I used a metal wire wreath frame to wound around the floral wire stems and then I finished it off with some light green ribbon...to cover up all the wire bulk.

For the final centerpiece, I borrowed some fishbowls with floating candles and there you have it:

I didn't have that many tables -- maybe six -- so I didn't have to make a ton of these.  As for those little gold boxes, those are not DIY'd.  We went to Mackenzies Chocolates in Santa Cruz, picked some yummies, and they wrapped them up the gold boxes with the little orange ribbons.

Continuing around the table, I chose little seed packets from Renee's Garden (a local company) as another favor.  I loved that the colors of the packets matched the colors of my flowers. Plus, California Poppies are awesome! But I don't know, did anyone even plant them?

And, yes, I know that the name tags are not super calligraphied or gorgeous in any way.  I don't care.  I did them that morning.   Something always has to be messy.  Isn't that the saying?  

Something old

Something new

Something sloppily handcrafted

Something blue

Anyway, who cares?  Spilt Milk, remember.  

Also, in case anyone is wondering, I also should have put the little mini-grommets (or are they called eyelets?) on the other corner of the seed packets so that they didn't wrap around like that -- they should have draped over the napkin. Oh well.  Honey badger don't give a shit.

Next up, we have the guest book table.  This was also a last minute thing, decided upon maybe the day or so before.  Instead of an actual book, we put out little receptacles for people to predict at future at one year, five years, and twenty-five years. 

I got those little, clear plastic paint cans from the craft store and fancied them up with some scrapbooking paper and stickers.  We opened can 1 on our first year anniversary and it was fun to figure out who said what.  

And then there was the cake.

Or should I say cakes??

That's right.  We had four cakes.  All were so delicious and from local bakeries around the Santa Cruz area.  I didn't make them, but I did make the little signs for them using my go-to font for everything from resume headers to weddings: Copperplate Gothic Bold.  I put the title of the cake and its origination bakery.

And the cake topper was found on Etsy.

What else?  I think that was it except for the bouquet and boutonniere (had to look that up!).

I used the same magnolia flower kit, but I used metallic papers to fancify them.

So that was it!  Happy Anniversary!

Top Contenders

I've been looking for inspiration for the layout of my future I Spy quilt.  Crafterhours has a Pinterest board dedicated to quilt designs and I also googled "charm squares" for additional ideas. 

I like the layout of this one.  It's bright and fun.  I could either cut up the smaller print squares received from the swap for the tiny rectangles or I could use solids/prints already in my stash. 

Source

This next one is similar to the one above, but it has fewer white sashings between the prints.  The pattern uses 38 charm squares, but I think I'd want a bigger quilt, so maybe I'd need an extra row or two?

Source

I also like the idea of a color spectrum quilt, such as this one or this one.  For the latter I think I'd need 600 squares.  Bummer.  Maybe this one would also work?  Any other suggestions?

Crazy!

While I was going through my scraps the other day for my I Spy charm square collection, I realized how many fun brocade/velvet/satin fabrics I have in my scrap stash.  So I looked up "crazy quilts" and came across a tutorial at Annie's Crazy Quilt Studio.  I was using my phone, so I don't know if this is the best tutorial out there, but it worked for me.

So I cut a piece of linen (I know, very posh of me) into something like a 16x16 inch square and then I started adding my pieces.

It looks pretty wonky without everything fully tacked down, but it's kind of addicting and fun to make.  I love the tactile nature of this with the plush velvets, the scratchy 60's shag silver, the slinky satins, and the ribbed brocrades.  I also really like that this is one of those projects that reminds me of past endeavors.  These fabrics were from things like:

1971 Simplicity 9645 

Simplicity 3685

KwikSew 3687

Where did I get this apron pattern?  It was such a lovely design.

And here's a closer shot of the patchwork.  I was considering hand-embroidering them all after I'm done machine quilting, but that will take eons.  Plus, I found out when one of the heavier brocades would not stay down, a machine embroidery stitch gets down to business and that brocade is forever immobilized.

More Squares

I was inspired after cutting out my 56 5x5 squares of the Spoonflower fabric for the I Spy Swap, so I went through my scrap stash and cut out as many 5x5 squares as possible.  I cut out two of each fabric.  For some fabrics that's all I could squeeze out!  

 Just for fun, I decided to do a little temporary arrangement of them.  I can't decide if I want to color coordinate the swatches...

 Or just do random combinations...

I found about 20 different fabrics, so that's pretty good.  I didn't think I would have that many, but I seem to be a little bit of a novelty fabric hoarder.  Oh well.

Four Bucks

I stopped by Artscraps again yesterday and came away with a mini-haul of goods for $4.00.  Yay!

There was about a yard and a half of that checkerboard fabric.  Yay!  There was also a scrap of purple felt for a future quiet book.  I love the little package of applique rainbows.  I don't know what I can use them for...maybe a quiet book?  I don't know, but I love them.  And I also love sequins and these two packages, one of red and one of a peach-y color, will find a good home on some future crafty project.  And finally, there was a package of checkered quilt binding -- always good to have on hand.

56 5x5

I finally got around to chopping up my I Spy fabric.  It was pretty easy with just some long, straight cuts with that roller-thing-a-ma-jig...what is that thing called?  Ugh.  Anyway, this is what 56 5x5 squares look like from the side:

And now I have to send it off.  I can't wait to receive my varied swatches from the other participants!  It's so exciting!

October = Halloween!

Happy October First!  Happy 30-more-days-til Halloween!  I don't know how much time I'll have to decorate and/or make any costumes this year, but it doesn't stop me from buying books and checking out all the fun projects out there.

 I picked up the annual Martha Stewart Halloween Handbook.  They re-use a lot of the same material from previous years, which is mildly disappointing.  There were some nifty things in the magazine, but the outfit that stuck out the most was this one:

What a fun spider baby!

The other book was Halloween with Matthew Mead.  Excuse my craft ignorance, but I have no idea who that person is.  They had some fun party theme pages, like the pirate one and the killer tomato one, but my favorite was this little purple monster eyes cake!  They used fondant and styrofoam balls for the eyes, which is sort of no fun.  I would want to eat those eyes, so maybe they should be cake pops instead.