Monday, March 31, 2014

My Garden Play Mat Has a Garden


I have the top together and now it's ready to quilt. I made freestanding rows of flowers.


 I made the flower trellis into a pocket that can keep all the dolls clothes.


 The doll is walking in her garden 


 and Peter Rabbit is hiding amongst the flowers.


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Garden Play Mat

I have a granddaughter's birthday coming up and thought I should get started on a project for her.
I made Eloise this playmat that Juliet is also starting to enjoy, so I thought I'd make her one of her own.  That way each of them have a doll.

I still have some of the paperdoll fabric which I am able to use.
I backed the doll and clothing with flannel so they are ready to go. I just need to do a bit of handsewing to close them up.



 As you can see I'm using scraps. Not all of them cover everything.  But there is a solution for that.


 Put a tree in front of the hole.  
I was going to make a vegetable garden but when I saw this scrap that looks like a trellis of flowers I decided to make it a flower garden.


 Peter Rabbit will be disappointed with no carrots or lettuce.


 The swing is 3-D and a nice little addition.


More to come as I move along.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Making a Cake

I've decided to start a bakery.  A felt bakery.  I already have made a few cupcakes.  Now I've done a cake.
I looked at many tutorials online and took some ideas from several. So now I have a tutorial for you.


 I cut 2 circles of carboard at 6".  I used a saucer for my template.  I wanted 3 pieces of cake out of an 8 piece cake.  That is how I marked it.


This is a chocolate cake with pink frosting.  I cut the bottom pieces and the top pieces just slightly larger than my cardboard. 


 These are the sides of the cake.  I ironed heavy interfacing to the backside to give it more body.  These pieces are 2 1/4" high.  Measure around the edges to give yourself the right length of the strips.  And add 1/4" on each end for seaming.


 I sewed ribbon on the chocolate piece to separate the cake into layers.


 I machine sewed the chocolate strip to the pink strip with a1/4" seam.  I laid it carefully with pins to the chocolate bottom and machine sewed 1'4" seam.  It is important to match the seam up with the corner of the cake. 


Put 1 cardboard piece in the bottom.


 Mark the top of the cake where you want the dollops of whipped cream.  Sew small pieces of velcro to those spots. 
 

 Then buttonhole stitch the top to the cake, adding stuffing as you go.  Before it gets too closed,slip in the second piece of cardboard to make the cake firm on top.


 Cut all your felt for the pieces of cake.  Make sure to add 1/4" to the sides and chocolate bottom of the cake.  I used my cardboard cuts as templates.


 As for the cake, add the interfacing and ribbon to the sides of the cake.


 Sew them as you did the cake to the bottom chocolate piece and add your cardboard.


 Cut a piece of thick polyester batting and roll it up.  


 Put it inside your cake.


Buttonhole stitch your pink top that also has a piece of velcro added for the whipped cream.


 Make sure to put a pin in the center of the chocolate side so that your point ends up where it should.


 Now for the whipped cream dollops.  There are several templates on the web.  I found one and still adjusted the size to fit what I wanted it to be.
I cut my felt from the template and added the other side of the velcro to it.  This is the outside of the dollop.

 Get a piece of long thread doubled up and sew through all the tips around the circle.


 Add a tiny bit of stuffing.  It doesn't take much.


 Pull it all together tightly and stitch through all the points again and bring it to the back.  Add a couple more stitches and secure it and it is all done.


Now you have a beautful cake with pieces ready to serve.


 What should we do with it?


Have a Party!!!































Monday, March 24, 2014

Fruit and Veggie Potholders


These are some that I made up last week one day.  I found the white fabric sitting in my fabric closet.  I don't remember buying it, but it is really cute for potholders and goes well with some of my food fabric that I have leftover from my canning cupboard.
I made this one first and wasn't  quite happy with it.  I thought it had too much white.


So I made these.  I am liking pinwheels these days. 


The back.  Cute isn't it?


Friday, March 21, 2014

Canning Cupboard is Complete

Here are the final pictures of the canning that I do.  I don't do any other type of canning.


 I think my cupboard is a splatter painted one.  I didn't want just a brown cupboard .



Thursday, March 20, 2014

Flowery Hoodie Sweater

I made this sweater for a gift for a friend, but their baby is not big enough to try it on, so Clara gets the chance again.  


 This was a fast knit as it was with worsted weight yarn.  I used a cotton blend that is very soft and very easy care for those moms with little children. 


 The embroidery is a nice added touch.


 The pattern is one of those free ones.  There are some nice freebies out there.




Wednesday, March 19, 2014