Buzzmills

A visit from a hummingbird moth...

In the middle of dinner on the deck Violet is often shouting "Hummingbird!"  At which point we all look toward the direction she is pointing and smile.  The other night, instead, she exclaimed, "What's that?!"  I turned around to see a hummingbird moth! 

He stuck around for a bit so I ran in to get the camera, but the pictures were taken a bit hastily.  None the less, very cool!  

Violet seems to be our resident nature watcher, she's always finding something new and exciting in our own backyard, a girl after my own heart!  Have a lovely weekend!

Beach hats...

Ever since seeing this Oliver+S bucket hat made by Jessica during Project Run & Play I knew I really really HAD to make one for Violet and Henry!

That so called need of mine and their genuine need for beach hats got me sewing up a pair of hats just in time for our trip to the beach!

My fabric is from Drygoods Design online and was part of my winnings from the Feather your nest series that Stumbles and Stitches held back in April.  

I used Bistro Menu for one side of Henry's hat and Avante Garden for one side of Violet's hat.  For the reverse sides I used Summersville Weave for both (so they could be matchy, if they wanted...).  

I really love the Summersville for one side, it sort of gives the illusion of a colorful straw hat, I think.

I had fun with the contrast stitching.

In fact, Violet's hat has all THREE of her favorite colors, pink, purple, and turquoise!

I made Henry's hat following the directions, except that I used Jessica's no hand stitching method (no hand stitching for Violet's either).  And for Violet's hat, I added a bit extra to the brim as Jessica did here, except that I only added an additional 1" instead of her 1.5".  I was afraid that it might be a bit too floppy, thus the 1" verses 1.5".  The only other difference between the two is that I used sew-in interfacing for Violet's hat (double layer of light interfacing) and a single layer of medium fusible interfacing for Henry's hat.  Why two different kinds of interfacing you may ask?...Simply because I was scrounging for it!  I never seem to have enough or the right kind of interfacing sitting around :(  Anywho, the fusible interfacing is definitely much easier to manage, especially when you use the no hand stitching method.  The fusible interfacing makes it easier to have all the layers fit just so after you turn the hat right side out.  Aside from lots and lots of pinning and many little triangles snipped to get the sides and brim attached without puckering, the hat is super easy to put together.

Seriously, you should make these if your kid even remotely wears hats!! The payoff in adorableness pays off ten fold!  I am not kidding!!  

And the best part, well, of course it is that they LOVE wearing their hats!! Hooray!  At least their heads are ready for the beach! ;)  I better go get the rest of everything else ready!!

Do over...

I made a mistake!  Not an "It's the end of the world" sort of mistake, although it did at the moment sort of feel like that to me!  It was more like a darn it, "I wasted all that time because I didn't read the fine print, you are an idiot!" kind of mistake.  You know the kind of mistake where you rub your eyes and forehead over and over again muttering a few expletives to yourself for being so stupid!  

Well, yup, that kind of mistake!

You might remember last week I posted this picture

of my handprinted fat quarters for the Maze and Vale handprinted fabric swap.

I was feeling pretty good about them.  And, then, something just before I was about to head off to the post office to send them out clicked in my head...what if I used the wrong ink (ahem, remember I told you I am a novice!) and what if it wasn't washable?!  

I tested one and washed it to be sure.  It turns out, it wasn't :(  Virtually all evidence of my birdies had been washed away!  What?!  Are you kidding me?

How did that happen?  Well, I think I just got confused.  I saw one of the brands that leslie had recommended when I was at the store.  There was another one, but I didn't go with that brand, I should have, because I think that one specifically said washable (or something like that).  As I was paying attention to Violet and Henry and making sure they weren't getting into too much trouble I think I got mixed up and thought I read washable on the ink I purchased, boo!  

So, what to do!!  I couldn't, in good conscience, send off my birds if they weren't washable!  So, off I went to the store again for supplies...And, in the eleventh hour, I started over again.  It felt like those moments in college when the night before a big paper was due and you realized you royally screwed something up and you had no choice but to start over or mostly over the night before!  

This time, sadly, I must say I am not quite as happy with my printing.  The colors aren't as nice, the placement isn't quite as nice and the stamping itself wasn't as good.  The ink I used the second time around was not nearly as thick as the ink I used the first time which, to me, made it harder to apply onto my stamp.

So, this novice learned a lesson, and feels a bit guilty about the less then perfect fat quarters she sent off.  Sorry swap partners!  You should know that you are getting both the original, non washable fat quarters and the second round of washable ones!  

Oh, and ps...you should definitely take a look at the flickr group for this swap, there are some amazing handprinted fabrics in there!  Something for me to aspire to next time.  If there is a next time... ;)

Shirts on the line...

Yesterday I brought you, or rather told you about, Shorts on the line...and today I bring you...some shirts on the line!

No, it's not another sewalong, but they are some onesies that I have been working on for custom orders and baby gifts.

I always have so much fun making these little onesies and appliques.  And, it always surprises me how long it takes me to make them, not because they are difficult, but because of the process.  First comes the design idea, then comes picking out the perfect fabrics and putting it all together just so.  But, I really love that process!

Animals are some of my favorite things to do

especially swinging their tails around to the back of the shirts...

Here are a couple not too girly shirts...

I particularly love the the Heather Ross sleeping beauty shirt, perfect for a May girl baby with the lily of the valley (May's birth flower) surrounding her. 

And then a not too patriotic shirt for the Fourth of July (and many other days...)

And, lastly, but not least...the good old birthday calendar shirts...

I had so much fun making these and I hope the babies that get them enjoy them too!

Shorts on the line...

Check out this super fun summery sewalong!  Shorts, Shorts and more shorts!!  Coming this July (ahem, which is only a week away!).  

Join imagine gnats, Designs by Sessa, and small + friendly who will be hosting "shorts on the line", a summer sewalong. 

I'm joining in the fun!  I'm on the 17th! (That reminds me, that's also my sister's birthday!)  My hope is to get some super cute beachy shorts made before our trip to the beach!  They will get done by the 17th ;)  but, fingers crossed by our vacation which is coming up oh so soon! Yay for me, not so sure about those shorts though ;)

Anyhow, check it out for the first three weeks in july, Rachael, Carla, and Vanessa will be sharing guest posts with shorts inspiration, tutorials, and pattern reviews.  those sewing along at home will have a chance to be featured in the sewalong round-up posts the last week of july.... and some *great* prizes, including fabric, patterns, and gift certificates!

7.1 shorts on the line kick-off!

week one: imagine gnats
7.2 Rachael (imagine gnats) and Melanie (A Sewing Journal)
7.3 Courtney (mon petit lyons), Inder (Inder Loves Folk Art), and Nicke (Kiss Kiss... Quilt)
7.4 Rashida (i heart linen) and April (Sewing Novice)
7.5 Andrea (the train to crazy) and Kristy (Hopeful Threads)
7.6 Shannon (luvinthemommyhood) and Erin & Carla (Clever Charlotte)
7.7 Emma (Hello Beautiful) and Cassandra (Cass Can Sew)
7.8 Gail (probably actually) and Becky (Owly Baby)

week two: small + friendly
7.9 Carla (small + friendly) and Sophie (cirque du bebe)
7.10 Ros (Sew Delicious) and Veronica (sewVery)
7.11 Shelly (Figgy's) and Alyssa (Pile O'Fabric)
7.12 Jessica (a little gray) and Diane (from blank pages)
7.13 Kristin (skirt as top) and Kelley (Casa Crafty)
7.14 Katie (There and Back) and Tara (girl like the sea)
7.15 Alli (B. Yazoo) and Jennet (Feathered Nest Studios)

week three: Designs by Sessa
7.16 Vanessa (Designs by Sessa) and Jessica (Me Sew Crazy)
7.17 Cherie (You and Mie) and Jane (Buzzmills)
7.18 Karen (Sew Well Maide) and Stephanie (The Crafty Kitty)
7.19 Bianca (Sweet Diesel Designs) and Tara (true, pure, lovely)
7.20 Jenny (Stumbles & Stitches) and Susan & Adrianna (crafterhours)
7.21 Danny (Mommy for Reals) and Marian (Lady Face)
7.22 Jill (Made With Moxie) and Christina (2 Little Hooligans)

features and deadline
7.23 sewalong features, Rachael's favorites
7.24 sewalong features, Carla's favorites
7.25 sewalong features, Vanessa's favorites
7.26 final deadline for shorts sewalong entries
7.27 viewers choice voting begins

winners annoucements
7.28 judges' choice third place announced
7.29 judges' choice second place announced
7.30 viewers choice winner announced
7.31 judges' choice first place announced

the full sponsor list and guest judge line-up will be coming soon. until then, get ready by joining the shorts on a line flickr group and check out our shorts on the line pinterest board for some short-y inspiration.

grab the code and share the button!

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