Buzzmills

Secret Valentine Exchange 2018...and a Simple Double Potholder tutorial...

Being a part of last year's Secret Valentine's Exchange was so much fun that I couldn't wait to sign up for Sanae and Ute's annual Secret Valentine's Exchange again this year!

This year my gift was headed all the way to Marion in Germany!  The hints I was given were that she likes red and blue and flowers...and through her Instagram feed I surmised that she also likes to bake bread!

For her gifts...

I made, first, a rainbow clutch (without the paper piecing) from Anna Graham's book "Handmade Style"

Surprisingly I don't actually have that many blues and reds in my stash...

but I found a few that complimented (I think) each other pretty well...

Second, a linen bread bag...

I used some beautiful linen grid from Purl Soho to make a simple drawstring bag

Which I thought might be perfect for tucking her beautiful loaves of fresh baked bread!

Lastly, a handmade linen and cotton double mitted potholder...

Perfect for wrapping around large pots...

or for grabbing breads out of the oven or really whatever you need...

I think she liked the gifts!  Oh, and inside I tucked a little bag of Hershey kisses!

I, in fact was quite pleased with the way the potholder turned out and hope to make myself one sometime soon.  And, in case you might want to make one yourself (or perhaps so that I don't forget how I made it myself, ha ha ha!) I've put together a super quick and simple tutorial...

Make: a Double Mitted Potholder

Supplies: Pattern (download piece 1 and piece 2) , terry cloth, insulated batting, piping, coordinating fabrics for pocket and holder, typical sewing supplies/notions.

Begin:

First...

Next...

Once you've got both the main part of your potholder basted together and the piping sewn onto your pocket, you now need to baste both pockets onto the main part of the potholder...

Lastly, add a piece of twill tape or ribbon with along the center of one of the long sides, and sew bias tape along the entire outer edge of the potholder...

(Looking for help and suggestions with adding bias tape?  This is a great resource!)

It's really such a super simple, but also super useful little project!  

What a treat it was to be a part of a handmade gift exchange!  I've really enjoyed it these past two years and look forward to participating again next year for sure!

Ps.  If you haven't seen what I received...head on over to Instagram to check it out!  It's amazing!

2017, A Year in Review...

Every year I think...eh, maybe I won't put together a year in review post...and then...I do.

The cons...it takes a long time to go through an entire year of making.  It takes a long time to sort through the blog posts and photos.  It takes a long time to put it all together.

The pros...it's all laid out there before you in one neat little package of a blog post.  You are reminded of all the things you actually did create over the course of 365 days.  And, while throughout the year you drew inspiration from so many others, your year in review inspires YOU!  

But, more than all of that...it's a year in review...a review of my makes from the past year, yes, but also of moments in time.  So much of what I make, whether it be sewn or otherwise, becomes a memory.  Makes are memories, makes are birthdays, holidays, vacations, special moments...Handmade is so much a part of our family life that these "year in review" posts remind me of all of that!

And, that, that, I think, is why I make the time each year to walk down memory lane...

January

DIY neck gaiters, nutcracker pajamas and dolls, dopp kit, winter woolies/long johns, King and Queen, faux fur vest and plaid skirt, cat hat DIY, sock monkey, tiny pocket tee and susanne cardi, clear plastic drawstring bag tutorital, birthday doll, poolside tote and teacher gifts

February

birthday nightgown, rowan tee and wild and free loungers, phinney ridge cardi, esme top, laure dress and fishtail kimono, marlene and miss marlene tops.

March

Corduroy dog, french terry hudsons, Secret Valentine Exchange, Toaster Sweater, Elsa tote, Zadie dress, Farrow Dress, kitty pillow, Valentine hearts pins and holiday shirts

April

Coffee and Thread blog tour, polymer clay bud vases, polymer clay egg cups, bunny pillows

and then...speaking of walking down memory lane...

the blog got left behind...It's funny how I didn't really think of it much from April through September.  There were a few (thousand) other things on my mind and more important...

We moved from Maryland to New Jersey, as with any move it was a crazy, emotional, whirlwind time.  And my fabric and sewing machines were tucked away in boxes for months...

And then in September I jumped right back in!

September

Klein dress, Bess top, Sway dress, Feliz Dress, Anniversary ties, Panda Rowan tee and Noa pants

October

Chambray Geranium, baby gifts, Apple Rushbrook dress, Halloween pajamas, Batty raglans

November

Plaid skirt, witch, cat treat bucket, cat costume, family halloween costumes

December

Urban Jungle doll, Yasmeen Maxi, Advent Calendar

And then, ALL those things that never did (and never will...) make it to the blog...

Because, let's face it Instagram is amazing and fun...and loads easier than blogging all of the time!  Ha, ha, ha!  Anywho...if you missed any of those fun creative things above, be sure to find me on Instagram, because, you know there's a whole other world of creativity over there!

And...one more thing...this year Rachael, Imagine Gnats, asked me to be a part of the already amazing team of contributors at the Imagine Gnats blog, which I could not be happier about!  It's an amazing group of talented woman and she's got such a beautiful shop...what could be better?

While many are looking ahead and putting together their #makenine collages or other "sewing in 2018" plans...here I am, taking a look back.

I've not really ever been one to make plans ahead of time.  Not in life, not in sewing.  I'm a procrastinator and a "let's see how things go" kind of gal (and I'm TOTALLY NOT at the same time!)

So, instead, I'll look back and move forward at the same time.  See what projects inspire me, see what memories there are to be made...and enjoy looking back on those that have already been made!

Happy 2018!

 

Clear Drawstring Backpack...

When we decided last minute (the day before) to attend the Woman's March on Washington we found ourselves scrambling to get "march ready" in an afternoon.  One of the things that we needed, was a way to carry necessities, like water, snacks, tissues...yada yada...you get the picture!  Typically I simply toss everything into a backpack and that's that, but, because of the crowds and security, marchers were allowed only to bring backpacks if they were a certain size and they had to be clear.  All of which totally makes sense.  Of course, who owns such a backpack?  Not I.  

But, with a few supplies:  a pair of 54" shoe laces, a giant ziploc bag (I used an XXL one that I already had on hand) and a sewing machine...

I had just what we needed!

Seriously, this was one of those moments where I was like, "Thank goodness I sew!"  and then I kind of laughed at myself...because, you know, I needed a clear backpack...so why not make one?  Sometimes, it's hard not to have a giggle at your own creative ingenuity!

But, two bags only took about 15 minutes to make and they worked really well!  They are still holding strong after a day of marching and wearing!  I'm thinking that these will be super useful for future events, running races, baseball games and more!  

So, maybe you might find yourself in need someday too.  

And in which case here's how to make one yourself!

Start with an XXL ziploc bag, measure 16" up from the bottom of the bag, cut across.  Next, fold the bag in half and cut, this will give you two bags about the size of 16" tall and 12" wide.  (Do not cut the bottom edge or the finished side edge!)  

Stitch along the unfinished long edge with a 1/4" seam allowance, then stitch a tight zigzag along the outer edge as well to reinforce the edge.  Next, fold the top edge toward the inside about 1", edgestitch it down to make a casing for the shoelace straps.  Be sure to leave an opening at both sides about 1" for the shoelaces to ties to exit.

Take one end of one shoelace and stitch near the bottom corner of the bag using tight zigzag stitches.  Additionally, I tied a knot at the end and stitched that down as well for added support. 

Next feed the shoelace up and into the casing, feed it all the way around and exit from the side it entered.  Repeat the same process with the other side.  Pull the strings tight and...you are done! 

Pack the bag up with your necessities...

Pull the shoelaces tight and tie it up...

And you are all set and ready to go!

I really found this to be quite sturdy and comfortable to wear (as did my husband).  Obviously we didn't overload it with heavy things, but there were apples and two bottles of water and more...

I'm really pretty excited with the way it turned out!  

And...for the kiddos...

Gallon sized ziplocs with a shoelace sewn on worked well for them to sling across their bodies.  Though I will say that next time I will poke the shoelace through bag first, then tie a knot and then stitch it to the bag to reinforce it better as their mobile and boisterous bodies jumping around did tear the shoelaces off once and we ended up poking the shoelace through and tying it in the end.

Either way you go...these simple ziploc bags/backpacks are perfect for last minute on the go needs!

Cat Hats...

If you follow me on Instagram you likely saw that I spent much of my last two weeks sewing up "Pink Pussy Hats" in preparation for last weekends "Woman's March on Washington".  I sewed up 68 hats in total and donated them to friends and neighbors who were marching either in DC or elsewhere.  I don't knit, not very well and certainly not very quickly, so I opted to sew my cat hats instead.  

I knew I wanted to make a lot!

It was to be my part in the march, make hats, donate my time and services toward the cause...Because, I wasn't planning to march myself.

It was something I debated for weeks...

I knew of many friends local and otherwise who intended to march and while I believed in the Woman's March and it's intention I couldn't get past my worry.

The more I tried to talk myself into wanting to go, the more I worried about the possible dangerous things that might happen not to mention the fact that large crowds make me extremely uncomfortable!  

So, for me, my contribution was sewing up 68 fleece hats...

And then, as the day approached I began to waiver.  I had spent days emailing folks in my neighborhood, whom I didn't know, about picking up their hats, about the march, about the sea of pink and I got excited.  This was going to be something big!  Something important!  And then I began to realize, hey...we live so close, we have the luxury of "going with the flow", staying on the periphery (if it felt like that was the best thing) but still being a part.  Aren't we lucky!  And then it started to seem a little bit less scary, not to mention both kids had expressed an interest in going as well.  

Once I realized that it clicked that this really was something, while it might make me feel uncomfortable, that was important to me.  Something important to my family.  A movement worthy of pulling on "my big girl panties" and donning my "pink pussy hat"...and off we went...

And something amazing happened.  The crowds were there, immediately, on the metro, off the metro and then everywhere!  I felt my hands begin to clam up a bit, but then...we looked around and while the crowds were there so too was a beautiful energy.  The energy was meaningful, peaceful, and friendly.  The crowds were so accepting that they didn't bother me.

We walked, we cheered, we chanted, we chatted, we marched...alongside all ages, races and sexes.  

And our voices were heard!  

And they will continue to be heard!  There are phone calls to make, post cards to send and momentum to keep moving forward...

In the meantime, I'd rather not sew pink for a while.  Ha ha ha!

But, seriously though, 68 fleece cat hats...is a lot of PINK!

Though I will say that they did turn out pretty darn cute, I think.  

I adapted the "Celia's fleece hat" pattern a bit after making a few and thinking the sizing was a too big.  

Here's how:

 I also happen to think that they look pretty cute a little "scrappy"...

Or, in a different shade of fleece?...

With a few buttons and whiskers stitched on too...

Of course, my kids love both, but Henry has shown a particular affinity to this whiskered hat...

It might, perhaps, be due to it's resemblance to a certain saber toothed tiger?

 

Ps.  I love the sentiment shared here regarding the woman's march and she's summed it up so so well for me.  

This lady rocks and I'm so happy to call her a friend! 

And that things like this are occurring post march is unbelievable to me and it is truly upsetting!

And please, let us all just be respectful of each other and above all be kind!

DIY Neck Gaiters...

As we prepared for our "Winter Wonderland" trip over the Christmas break we took stock of what warm clothes and accessories we needed.  The kids needed long underwear and I...needed a neck gaiter to keep warm on the slopes!

Fortunately for me, I had ordered a little bit extra wool from Imagine Gnats and used it to make myself a double sided wool neck gaiter.  Fortunately for the kids, after our ski trip, I still had a tiny bit more wool and was able to pair it with some ponte from Imagine Gnats  to make them each one as well...

These are really rather easy to make...it's essentially just sewing two tubes together.

To start, I cut two rectangular pieces of fabric ~17" x ~21"

Next, sew short sides right sides facing together with a 1/4" seam allowance, repeat with your other fabric.  Now you have two tubes of fabric.  Place one tube inside the other with the right sides together.  Align the seams and raw edges and sew a 1/4" seam allowance along one side.  Pull tubes out so that the right sides are facing out.

Tuck one tube inside the other with wrong sides facing...

Now, here comes the somewhat tricky part.  It's a bit fiddly, and difficult to explain but...I'll do my best...Keeping the "body" of the tubes wrong sides facing pull/flip the remaining raw edges out/around so that they are actually right sides facing (align the seam together) and sew slowly around (being careful to only sew the edges not the body of the gaiter!) leaving about a 2" hole.  Flip everything back around where it ought to be.  Press the seams at the top and bottom of the gaiter and sew up the remaining hole.  I simple machine stitched it, but you can use a slip stich/blind stitch if you want an invisible closure.  

Now you've got a nice and long and warm neck gaiter to pull over your head and snuggle in to...

It's nice that it's a bit narrow and long...because it stays snug against your face and chin.  

It's length allows you to pull it up over your nose (or your eyes if need be!)

And, it's reversible...which is always nice, but especially nice when you are talking about breathing into something during freezing cold, snowy weather!

We are all pretty happy with them!  

The wool keeps us nice and toasty too!