Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Crafting with Colleen

Monday was craft day!  After making my checkbook holder & skirt-apron I was inspired to continue using my sewing machine for a few more days.  I called Colleen and told her to come over and craft!  She gladly accepted.

I made her an apron & checkbook holder (both which took no time after already once doing them) and she made me a wreath for our front door (which sadly fell down today! [I think it was too heavy for our 3M hook that had been baking in the hot sun all summer, so I'll remount the hook with the other sticky thing that they come with]).  Below are some pictures of everything.

Our first stop on our crafting day was JoAnn's.  Ryan's mom had sent me an email with a 50% off coupon!  I printed two so we could both use one!

Side note:  While in JoAnn's we were in line to get our fabric cut and there was a lady there with three kids.  She was buying gobs of sparkly ribbony stuff (Colleen things she is making costumes for beauty pageants.)  Any way, two of her kids, girls, the oldest and youngest are kind of running around the store.  Two other kids of joined in.  They ran past us and knocked over a bunch of material.  Then she looks at the boy in the cart and says "Do you want to get down and run around too?"  I was shocked and appalled.  I wanted to rip her head off!  Are you kidding me?  This is a store, not your back yard or the playground!!!!!!  The police officer in line behind Colleen and I then went to her and said, "They just knocked down a whole bunch of material."  She was like, "the kids???!?"  No lady, the little old lady in front of us with her cart!  YES THE KIDS!  Then, noting the police officer, she decided to be hard core on the kids and keep them from running, but they still ran.  Except the boy in the cart, who started screaming because she wouldn't let him get down and run around.  *rolling eyes*

 Measuring and ironing nice neat hems.
 Like my awesome snap bracelet/pin cushion?  I was going to use my 50% coupon on it, but it was already 50% off, and the coupon was only for regular price items.  It was helpful and allowed me not to have to sit down and the sewing machine, realize I didn't have a pin cushion and then get up and go to the ironing board--or vice versa.
Sewing away.  Actually at this point my machine was being a pain in the @$$!!!  It used to always have a special bobbin, then one day I used it and BOOM it worked.  Well, Monday it went back to it's old ways.  I think it has to do with the tension, but I don't know how to change it.  (Mom, how do I change the tension?!?)

While I sewed the apron, Colleen worked on painting the numbers for our wreaths.

And then glue them onto the wreath...
She burnt her thumb on my "high-temp" hot glue gun.  After that she wasn't so fond of it.


The wreaths--though not quite finished.  Mine is the burgundy one & hers the baby blue one.
 Cyndi came over in time to model the apron.  It was bright in the house! :-P
All done!  Much easier to make than mine.  Though I almost cut the top part with the pattern going to other direction...that would have been crap-tastic!  I used a ribbon for the ties because sewing two rights together and then flipping them the proper way is a pain in the butt--I only do it for the neck part.
 
Finally, below we have two pictures of the checkbook cover I made for Colleen.  She loves owls, and when I saw this fabric, I knew it would be perfect for her, and it was on sale!  She carries two checkbooks, one for her business & her personal one.  Knowing this I wanted to make hers a little different to make it easier to get them in and out.  I decided to make it a tri-fold.  (Oh, & I bought the interfacing stuff to use rather than an old Hudson Garden's folder.)  I had received a bunch of fun buttons from Lois's sewing supply so I wanted to use one of those too.  [note to self & mom--Learn to use the button sewing function on the machine] 
The loop that I tried, unsuccessfully to hid between the seam is a hair elastic (unused).  I was going to cut the half that wasn't being used off, but I feared that it might slip out then.  I probably should have hand sewed it in, but I just kept running the machine over it. 



There you have it, crafty goodness.  All accomplished in one day.  (Oh, do you like the pretty yellow fabric that the checkbook cover is on?  I bought it to make placemats for our kitchen table.  I made the first one and realized I didn't have as much fabric as I thought.  I tried to find the same fabric again at JoAnn's so that I could make 4, but I couldn't so now I'm not sure if I'm going to make three and keep looking, make two and call it good, or just use the one as a mini-runner?)



5 comments:

Colleen Oakes said...

It was the BEST DAY EVER! We need to have craft day once a month. I LOVE my apron, I am even making a special hook so it can hang in the kitchen for all to see EVERY day.

Anonymous said...

from Pam-
For the placemats, could you use a different fabric on the back and make the last 3 reversible? Everything turned out so good- cute fabrics, pretty wreaths. Poor Colleen- I know first hand hot glue burns HURT!

Anonymous said...

ps- check that your bobbin is in right side up before messing with tension???

Unknown said...

How fun! You guys always look like you're having the best time. I think I need to crash your parties. :)

Anonymous said...

Maybe the next time your back you could teach Kayla some sewing tricks. :) She has started cooking but still refuses to sew.