November | 2006 | I knew that!

Yo, Christmas Tree

November 29, 2006 at 1:20 am | Posted in Sewing/Crafts | 14 Comments

edit: I just posted instructions on craftster if you’re interested. In a nutshell, you start at the top, go through to the bottom, and make a U-turn to go back up to the top.

Crafty goodness

November 27, 2006 at 3:58 pm | Posted in Sewing/Crafts | 3 Comments

I’ve been waiting to introduce my little robot friend to you. I was one of the lucky ones who got to test a pattern by Hillary for her latest put-together book (available now). He went together smoothly in one afternoon, thanks to Hillary’s great step-by-step directions, complete with diagrams and helpful hints. Click on the body shot for a few details on his fabrics.

What a great design. He’s just as lovable as a robot can be!

In more recent days, I’ve been winding these scrappy fabric balls like a woman possessed. My friend Kathy and I made a few of these in multi-colored fabric last week, but then I rediscovered a very similar design (Second String by Denyse Schmidt) in a quilting magazine I’d bought over the summer. It calls for monochromatic fabrics, which I think I prefer. I thought I’d make some for Christmas, but ended up making them in colors I could leave out year-round.

We Gather with Thankful Hearts

November 22, 2006 at 3:38 pm | Posted in Family | 1 Comment

We thank you, Lord, for all you give;
The food we eat, the lives we live;

And to our loved ones far away,
Please send your blessings, Lord, we pray.

And help us all to live our days
With thankful hearts and loving ways.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

XO Lisa K.

EDIT: Stephanie at Little Birds has drafted a pattern for her soft trees that inspired the ones that have recently taken over our home!

No thanks, I’m stuffed!

November 17, 2006 at 5:26 pm | Posted in Sewing/Crafts | 3 Comments

For WIP Friday, stuffed Christmas trees!

I’ve long loved bella dia’s and little birds’ versions of these. Then I was nosing around Anthropologie’s sitelast night and spotted their t-a-a-a-a-l-l-l-l-l stripey ones, which I couldn’t find for sale there, so I set out to make a wee forest of my own today from scraps of some of my favorite fabrics. The math really got me, so I just ended up rolling up a cone of paper and using that as a template, then figuring out the size of the bottom circle with Ye Olde Calculator. (Circumference=2πr). For the large one, I traced a big round tray, and for the small one, a bowl, which I then ate lunch from. Chicken and sweet potatoes, yum.

Why, oh, why, didn’t I check Stephanie’s site before doing all the figuring?! As of yesterday, she’s promised a pattern next week! Ah, well, so I exercised my creaky brain.

At any rate, a friend and I are getting together next week for some crafting, and I think we’ll probably whip up a bunch of these for gifties., maybe in sets of three, one of each size. They’re easy and fun to make. I’d recommend checking out Little Birds next week for the pattern.

I’m still here…

November 14, 2006 at 3:41 pm | Posted in Sewing/Crafts, swaps, WIP | 1 Comment

Whew! Busy last two weeks.

I finished and sent all the giraffe invitations for my sister’s shower, the guest list for which grew by 50% from the time I started. All the little pieces were a challenge, but they turned out so cute. My sis is still gushing over them. Ryan and I are heading down to Louisiana in 2.5 weeks for the shower and we can’t wait to see the family! AND it’ll be crawfish season. Yum.

November’s Color-iffic swap-o-rama’s colors were pink, apple green, and burgundy. I made a reversible tote for my partner in Portugal. It’s wide-wale corduroy on one side, and a linen-y upholstery fabric on the other (leftover from slipcovering our nightstands/ottomans). The corduroy was very fuzzy on the cut ends, but the fabric is so plush and luxe that I forgave it once it was all finished. I cut out pieces to make myself one, but I forgot that I need a gift to donate for a teenager, so I’ll just make it up and stick a gifty card inside. Maybe a tissue holder if she’s lucky.

And here’s the whole package:

Here’s a shot of a sock dog I’m making from this pattern. I used a pair of baby socks, so it’s teeny. Don’t you love his nose?I’ve got to finish him soon, though because at this stage he looks like a hairless little newborn rodent or marsupial from those nature shows, which is weirding me out. Bleah.

And I’m soooo excited that I was able to be a pattern tester this week for Hillary of Wee Wonderfuls, who’s quite a celebrity among craft bloggers, and with good reason. Her designs and photos are just so charming and clever. I was able to take the Robot pattern for a test run. I can’t wait to show you the result after she releases her Spaceboy and Robot pattern booklet, which will be available very soon in her shop.