DIY Tailor's Clapper

      I found this video on Youtube, link here and I had to make one.  I haven't purchased a tailor's clapper because it was too cost prohibitive.  I was going to make myself one from a chunk of wood but I thought this was so cute.

     I bought this heart shaped piece of wood at Michael's the other day for about $2.49.  I wanted to do something different with a handle so I bought some vinyl at JoAnn's.  The vinyl was $2.22 for a nice piece (I have leftovers).  I already had the screw.  I like the idea of a soft handle.  

Shopping Bags and Birthday Party

         I finally finished all the shopping bags I had to make from the old curtain fabric.  I got 9 big shopping totes and 2 small totes from those curtain panels.  I gave 4 large and 1 small bag to dear daughter and I kept 5 large and 1 small bag for me.  I use Crafty Gemini's Must Have Tote Bag Pattern as my basic instructions.  The .pdf pattern is on her website and it comes with an instruction video for $7.00.  I've made the tote so many times, I don't even use the instructions any more and you can make the bag in any size.  I did make one change to her pattern, I  eliminated the pocket.  I never used the pocket on the bags I put it on and it's just extra fabric that I could use for the bag.  So I don't even put it on anymore.

         Here is a picture of the bags that I kept.

            Yesterday we celebrated my dear daughter's 45th birthday.  I went to her house to do our usual Saturday meet up.  We walked her dog in her neighborhood, did a run to the grocery store, did some yard work, had lunch and started a movie.  Two friends showed up just about 1:30 p.m. to surprise her.  We shut the movie off and we had a nice visit.  I made her a vegan rum cake.  I used the recipe from Crumbs and Caramel.com.  Here is a link to the recipe:  Vegan Rum Cake.  It was not as easy to make as my regular recipe which uses eggs, instant pudding and cake mix, but it turned out very nicely and dear daughter was very happy with the results.  We pronounced the recipe a keeper.  I bought her the following gifts:

         A manual drill.  (picture borrowed from Amazon)

            In keeping with the tool theme I also bought her a pair of tin snips. (picture borrowed from Amazon)

               I also bought her this fancy tea/coffee mug. (picture borrowed from Amazon)

             I made her more tote bags with this pretty print fabric.  The magnolia flowers were perfect.  She's quite the southern girl.  (This was my secret sewing this year)

         I also gave her some bird and butterfly stickers and a cheap styrofoam toy airplane I found at Five Below because everybody needs a couple of toys on their birthday.

         All in all it was a successful birthday celebration.  There is nothing like a lot of love and a little cake and coffee on your birthday.  

         My next project will be making some embroidered Christmas saying pillows for me and dear daughter to decorate with like I made the Halloween pillows.  I will get my embroidery machine out today and set it up for sewing in the kitchen.  I love having the machine in the kitchen.  I can get to all the working parts easily with it on the counter and I run it while I'm doing other things around the house.   I have to raid my Christmas fabric stash as well.  I have about 9 things on my list to embroider.  I don't know how many I will get done before Christmas, but at least I'll get them started.  

Finished Two Red Knit Scarfs

   I made these two scarfs with a large skein of Red Heart red yarn.  The longer scarf is mine and is 72" long.  The shorter scarf was made with the leftover yarn and measured 54" long.   The shorter scarf will go to my daughter.  I used size 11 needles and 36 stitches for each scarf. 

   Up close.

What was left after I finished knitting.

 

Halloween Decorations Finished

 I finally finished sewing up the embroideries I made for Halloween decorations for me and DD.  It was fun, a process but a fun process.   When I made the  pillows for DD I did each pillow individually and it took me about 5 hours.  When I made my pillows I did it assembly line style and it took about the same amount of time.  Here is a picture of the little pillows I made for DD.

Here is a picture of the little pillows I made for myself.

More Halloween Embroidered Decorations.

 These are like the ones I made last year.  I found a few more quotes and sayings that I wanted to memorialize, so I pulled out the embroidery machine and bought a yard of orange fabric and a yard of purple fabric.   I made two of each embroidery except for the first one.  I wanted a set for me.

You can't scare me, I'm a nurse.  This one goes to DD.

Let's fly witches.

Ding dong the witch is dead.

Fly my pretties

Head witch in charge

Sleep, those little slices of death; Oh, how I loathe them. (Edgar Allan Poe)

I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity. (Edgar Allan Poe)

hocus pocus time witches

So I'll be adding 1 inch borders to each of these and then putting envelope backs on each.  The pillow inserts are being made for each pillow with my fiberfill and white muslin.  So easy to make and lots of fun.  

Light Board Review, New Hand Embroidery Project and Knitting My Red Scarf

     I recently purchased a light board from Amazon and I thought I would do a quick review of it.  Here is a link to the one I purchased from Amazon.  I paid $39.99 for it because it was a little bigger than the $18.99 light board from the same company.  It's described as coming with a magnetic clip which is the black clip on the top.  

     Two things I didn't like about the light board are:  (1) the magnetic clip that is described is not very strong and does not hold anything in place.  I ended up using painter's tape to keep my pattern and fabric in place while I was tracing my embroidery pattern, and (2) the power cord is not very long and this board has to be plugged in while in use.  I ended up using it in the kitchen on the counter so I could have it plugged in and flat on the counter to get my projects traced.

    On the positive side, the light on the board is great.  There are 6 levels of brightness and I enjoyed using the different levels.    

     It's a good tracing tool and I will keep it. I don't know if there is a better light board out there.  I would love a light board with more clips and stronger clips and a longer cord or a rechargeable light board would be wonderful so I wouldn't have to have it plugged in while I use it.  

     So I mentioned that I did some tracing.  I started the Kathy Schmitz (she has tons of embroidery patterns and they are all beautiful) Liberty Sampler embroidery project.  I want to make two of these.  One for me and one for dear daughter.  I did my tracing with a Pigma pen.  I bought a set of these a few years ago and I used the light brown.  I even got started with the embroidery with the top border.

    After I finished the Christmas Tree garland in April I started knitting a red scarf for me.  It's a simple garter stitch scarf.  I'm using size 11 needles and it's 36 stitches wide.  I have 43 inches knitted so far.  I want to make it 72 inches long.  I have plenty of red yarn.  I think this was a huge skein of Red Heart Super Saver that I bought in April.

   I may get a chance to do some sewing this weekend and make the 10 tote bags that I have cut out from the old curtain panels.