Monday, March 18, 2024

A Formal Bonnet for LHOP festival...

Creating a "formal Bonnet" for Church... 
(Just in case)

Well, that is the excuse this determined

 to give haberdashery a go told herself.
I started with an old "sunhat".
I cut out a large piece 
from the back and checked fit...
Then I created linings 
and covers by placing hat pieces
 atop and adding outer additions...
I hemmed outer edges to reduce
 chance of fraying by machine.
I created a sleeve for front of hat 
and then machine stitched rows 
round and round to 
keep in place for outer brim.
Next, I snap pinned fabric 
edge snuggly in place and 
hand stitched outer hat cover in place.

Next I hand stitched brim in place.

Back to those clips. 

I carefully tried to gather inner lining evenly and stitched snuggly.

Eventually, It looked like this, 
and I gave it a chance to settle overnight.
Next day would be the fun stuff.
I chose this thick braid trim for outside edge.
I spent some time playing around
 with different ideas, and elements
 from supplies in my collection.
 I eventually recycled these...

Final thing I added,
 was an inner trim
 so I could do one final close
 to very front opening
 between the ruffles with 
my trusty glue gun.
And here she is:
 Prairie dress a ready!

The Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival is this weekend! I decided to add in a “formal” hat to my weekends costume options, since I will be rewearing same dress and changing out the “extras” to create outfit differences. This was my first haberdashery attempt. Mostly hand stitches, I stitched on my Bernina when I could and used my glue gun for all the finishing touches! #tulapinkfabrics#tulapinkdejavunightshade #victorianbonnet#handmadebonnet


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

A "Little House on the Prairie" Baby Quilt!

Grandbaby number 4 has 
a "due date" 5 weeks from now!
And at our place these days, 
It is all about celebrating 
Little House on the Prairie's
50th anniversary!
I found these great panels on Etsy
 and decided they were perfect 
for quilt centers and my Apron!
I added this wonderful 
bluebonnet background fabric 
to make it all like truly applique!
Whilst I absolutely loved the outcome---Alas,
I realized after all that work,
 it would not go with the 9 patch blocks I created.
So I set it aside for the next project,
and started over...
Alas, I got so in to the process,
No pics of my progress.
Now I had a complimentary set
 of blocks and was ready to create my topper...
With tone on tone 
Little House fabrics,
 I used in-the-hoop 
embroidery quilting to 
create heart design blocks...
I surrounded my prairie 
girl in a true 
"Little House on the Prairie" print.
Next, I surrounded it 
with the nine patches 
and "heart" blocks.
close-up:
I trimmed outer border to 4 inch, 
created a quilt binding... 
and began to sew in place.
Binding sewn to front of quilt...
ironed taught and 
clipped in place to the back 
of the quilt to stitch in place.
and here she is... 
ready for grand baby number four
 due this April!


Monday, February 26, 2024

LHOP50th Anniversary TOTE

Here is the tote I created in celebration of Little House on the Prairie. I consider it my final project to complete my LHOP50th Anniversary weekend ensemble. I hand sketched the outline of the Ingall’s house in Walnut Grove and then appliquéd assorted fabrics to create the panel for the tote. Perhaps a metal bucket or basket would be more accurate for costume, but this will be far more practical! See ya’ll at the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary cast reunion and festival March 22-24 in Simi Valley, California. #littlehouseontheprairie#littlehousefestival #lhop50thanniversary #skiptomylou


Now that my dress and prairie bonnets

were complete, I knew I needed a tote. 

I searched on line for an image I liked to copy.

This seemed to be the one they were
 going forward with... literally.

SEW, I set to work...
First I came up with a 
very basic applique pattern. Unfortunately, not may pics as I created this applique...

I kept the totes back relatively simple,

I think it will work well!


SP's Mystery BOM 2024 “No Place Like home”: Jan & Feb



Determination not to join any more Blocks of the Month until I got caught on 2023 EPP lasted “almost 6 weeks”. Here are the first 2 months completed of Sweet Pea’s Mystery BOM Sew Along for 2024 “No Place Like Home”. A new block will be released monthly, far more sedate than last year’s multi block masterpiece. (Some months had as many as 12!) #swpeaembroidery #swpeabom#noplacelikehomebom #bernina700e


I tried... I really did.

My only goal for 2024, 

was simply this: 

catch up and COMPLETE

Stop jumping in to project after project. 

Complete the 2 EPP BOM,

I am falling further and further behind 

on from 2023.

And the BOM that has all its blocks completed from 2022 still awaiting piecing!


It lasted 6 weeks... oh well.

Fortunately, 

I already had a full collection of 

landscape fabrics, 

so It just meant purchasing the 

designs and giving it a go.

I lined up the landscape fabrics 
that I have collected over the years
 to create a pallet for myself. 
Hopefully limiting myself to this
 large collection will allow continuity
 and individuality at the same time.
My Bernini 700E was good to go...
January's block was a home nightspot 
with fireworks, 
so I opted for the darker sky...
As the fabrics and embroideries stitched, 
I begun the desperately needed 
reorganization of my stitch space. 
It had had a VERY ACTIVE 2023 
and had been quite neglected organization wise...
All was going very well splitting the two tasks...
until it wasn't!
ARGGGGHHHHHH!!!
Once again, Distraction caused me to misjudge the power and strength of this mighty weapon. 
As my blood added new color
 to the landscape...
 I was forced to come to a complete halt
 as I hoped the butterfly closures would hold
 and I would not ONCE AGAIN 
be headed to ER. 
(They don't even ask any more HOW?
--- only, what are you sewing now...)
A few days later, with butterfly and multiple bandaids in place---
 I superhero powered forward.
I always wanted to live in a stone house as a child....
(close enough I figured) 
It took a week, 
way too much Neosporin, antiseptic, 4X4, 
and eventually butterflies and bandaids...
But eventually, I was done embroidering
 and it was time to swap machines
 and merge the blocks.
I was careful to match seams with pins
 and butterfly clips--- also, I stitched slow.
Wooo Hooo, Month 1 and 2 completed: