The Christmas shopping has begun! I’m feeling much better knowing that at least a few people are crossed off my list now, and I can really concentrate on the toughies… like my dad who has pretty much been claiming he doesn’t need a single thing for the better part of my life.

I had been really trying to keep the “things I’ll make” list pretty short this year, but it keeps expanding – just a project or two at a time – thanks in large part to all of the inspiration I keep stumbling across in internet land and catalogs. Last weekend, I loaded up on fabrics to make soft trees. They’ve been on my Christmas project list since last year when I was completely smitten with the ones at bella dia and little birds. It’s no surprise to me that they’ve seen a huge resurgence in popularity. I think what I really, really like about them is that they seem to look better the more you make. I love seeing little armies of people’s creations. I’ve never made lots and lots of the same thing, but it’s really appealing to me. I wonder how many I can get through… do people machine stitch the bottoms of the tree or is that part done by hand? Hmmm… my little tree farm is going to have to be efficient.

And then there’s this project…

This one came from one of my favorite editions of Cotton & Paint (Vol. 23). The little bird with the washing line (up top) was the reason I HAD to get a copy, but it’s this little dog with backpack and hat that I’m going to try making first. I ordered my copy from Kitty-Craft along with a lot of fabric, and she generously sent me a sample of some pretty cute dog fabric that will be used on the little guy’s hat. (Oh, Kitty-Craft, please come back soon! Molly Chicken, as usual, has some great pictures from this volume if you’re interested.)

So far, I have all of the pattern pieces cut and ready to go. Now, I just need to get the machine threaded and ready to make a mad dash to the finish. If that all sounds too easy… I’ll openly admit that I still have more shopping, Christmas tags, some pretty insane baking goals, and wedding thank you notes on my list. And true to my word, I haven’t freaked out that the decorations aren’t quite up yet. I think we’ll need to do that pretty soon though – I’m not sure how much longer I can maintain my cool.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Now let’s see… where were we?

Well, I’ve managed to miss most of July, but I’m feeling much MUCH better now. Thank you to everyone who commented or e-mailed me. You’re so sweet. And thanks to anyone reading this post. I was wondering if anyone would come back after my unexpected hiatus. It was a little frustrating there during the end – I could manage to get through the work day, but my eyes were completely exhausted by the time I got home.

I did manage to thoroughly clean out my closet for goodwill – 84 articles of clothing and 2 pairs of shoes. 84! I can’t believe I even had that much in there. It was a little bit like looking through a museum of my life. A sometimes scary museum, but still… I realized I was hanging on to a lot of things as memorabilia, and it was really not a good use of space. It was good to get back in there in the depths of the closet and really purge.

I am hoping to take that same resolve and apply it to my desk/workspace. I have some new fabrics and materials, and I need a little space to spread out so I can really dig in. I am hoping to get out the camera later today so I can get some pictures together. It’s hard to even know where to begin; I feel so behind.

And in case anyone is wondering how I’ve amused myself for the past couple of weeks, this photo is a little hint. This is new territory for me. I’ve never been much of a cross stitch fan, but I had a couple of ideas and wanted to try a little practice run. This was easier on the eyes than TV or the computer or reading. I have no idea what to do with this piece once it’s finished. I have seriously contemplated giving it to my blind grandmother. (No, really.) Of course, I’ll have to turn it into a pillow or something. She would be horrified if she felt the back and realized what a mess I made of the stitches.

More to come… so good to be here, you have no idea.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is it already Wednesday? Really? I lost the first part of this week to a business trip. This morning I'm drinking some strong coffee and revising my To Do list. Um, and writing about my fabric obsession. (Read as: procrastinating when I really should be getting ready for the day.)

My wish list over at Kitty-Craft has gotten out of hand. The fairytale motifs get me. I love all of the little storybook themes (Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, even the Bremen Town Musicians -- and I never even liked that story). I almost don't want to write about them, because I'm afraid you will all go over there and snatch up everything, and I won't be able to have them all to myself.

I have been debating placing an order for ages now. I guess I feel that I'm going to spend THAT much money on fabrics, I should at least know what I would use them for... and hording in a secret drawer doesn't count. Then when I think about what I would make (and I think about it quite a bit because I'm pretty desperate to place an order now), I keep envisioning things for children. (Although I've seen at least one ingenious, non-kid usage of the Hansel and Gretel fabric at Yvestown.) The thing is – I don’t have children and am not planning on having any either.

It is a little odd because a vast majority of the sites I visit and love are moms writing about their kids. And although I've found plenty of fellow softie-loving adults, I'd still say a good majority of the creations I admire are intended for little hands. I think a huge part of that is because I have a wonderful mom who was able to stay at home and made things for me. And it's with a little nostalgia that I enjoy reading about other moms who work equally hard to give their children a happy, magical childhood complete with trips to the library and craft projects and homemade costumes. I think that's one of the reasons I still like children's storybooks and any excuse to play make believe.

And since I'm not having kids, I need my sister to have more than just this one so I can justify spending lots more money at Kitty-Craft.

(Side note – Sorry for the dark photos. I don’t know how people manage to get such great pictures of their kids. It’s hard! They’re so squirmy so you pretty much have to use the flash and cross your fingers they’re still smiling when the camera finally snaps the picture. Fortunately, my little nephew didn’t seem to mind being a part of Aunt Kelly’s photo shoot...)

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Squeaking in just under the deadline was my BT3 package for Moki. I had a blast reading Moki's blog and getting to know her (and her many, many hobbies). She is an incredibly talented and prolific blogger. I highly recommend reading through her archives to see some of her wonderful ideas and tutorials.

Here is the description of the bunny I made that I included in her package:

I discovered in doing Back-Tack III that I have a somewhat rebellious nature.

This bunny and his squashy little sidekick were sewn by hand. I went with a simple color palette, because I think what makes a softie really great is a nice squishy texture.

The big bunny is more of a sit-on-a-shelf-looking-cute type. Too much exercise and his head gets a little floppy. His little friend in black is a little sturdier and likes to be squeezed.

For the purposes of not getting me kicked out of Back Tack, we're going to pretend that the yellow in the center of the daisies is really a pale green.

I am certainly not going to win any prizes for most creative use of buttons. The eyes were purchased in the button aisle so we're going to go ahead and count those towards my quota. (Who knew I was such a rule bender?)

As you can see from his squashy little sidekick, I did try to use Hillary's Wee Bunny pattern. Alas, I really struggle with patterns that require symmetry. (Note the ears.) So after reading the guidelines four or five times to make sure this was really allowed, I decided to stick with what I know. The pattern is one made somewhat famous by Sewing Stars. It's from a Japanese craft book that was posted on Craftster sometime ago.

There is an embroidered "M" by his tail. Yes, I know it looks more like an "X."

I am a BIG fan of terry cloth and other fuzzy fabrics that hide sketchy stitch-work. I'm not the best sewer so I like to use my own techniques which are, like, totally wrong. Terry cloth is just fuzzy enough that it hides the fact that you skipped stitches and had to back track and such. You just keep stitching away until it seems that the whole thing will stay together. (Moki, I hope you're not reading this. If you are, keep the bunnies away from any pets.) I'm going to stop outing myself now. I should just pretend that I'm a model participant - ha!

On Moki's blog you can see some of the extras I sent (including some goodies from Mitsuwa, the Japanese grocery store). All in all, I'd say Back Tack was a big success (and I hope Moki feels the same way) -- although I won't pretend I wasn't cutting it VERY close there at the end. Very.

It feels so good to look at my To Do list for the week and see some things crossed off the list!

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been in a frenzy over here trying to make up for my laziness last week. This Saturday is Mr. Bunny Slippers' birthday, and on top of that, I have had to scramble a bit to make sure my Back-Tack project gets to my partner Moki on time. (And while I'm talking about Moki, you should go sign up for her recipe card stamp swap.)

Last Friday, my lovely Back-Tack III package from Ann arrived. I am a little late with my post and pictures, so hopefully she'll forgive me. (There are some great photos on her blog along with her notes on how she made it.) Look at how clever she was with the little bunny cheeks!

The construction is amazing -- there are so many little touches and details which make it special. And the bunny came tucked into this bag with a little window to peer out of... Did you go over to her site and read about how she sewed a rounded soap inside? Ann should win an award for best smelling softie. He smells so good!


[Click on photos to see larger versions...]

She also generously gifted me with a tissue cover, embroidery supplies, and some chocolates which I'm looking forward to trying out (I mean the embroidery, not the chocolates... I already tried out the chocolates.) I’ve been wanting to do embroidery for awhile now; I go over to Yarnstorm's blog and just drool over her work. Ann picked out this wonderful leaf stencil (which if you'll look around just happens to be a favorite motif of mine), a cute set of “days of the week” transfers, and some lovely pink, green, and orange pearl cotton skeins. Thank you Ann!

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I just mailed off a whole batch of presents and cards for birthdays, weddings, housewarmings, and a few thrown in there just for fun. I can now vacation guilt-free. And of course, everything was generously covered in labels. I think it got a little silly at some point, but I really couldn’t stop myself.

To my friend Kristen whose package is on its way, here’s a little sneak peak. (And while you wait for your present to arrive, you should look at this. How cool are these?!)

I know I’ll get it trouble for this, but I’m also baking a cake right now. Mr. Bunny Slippers would prefer that I slow down on the dessert making, but I’ve been daydreaming about cakes ever since I saw this Chocolate Pumpkin cake recipe at My Paper Crane. I know it’s pretty impractical to go around baking cakes when you’re getting ready to leave for a trip, but once again – I couldn’t stop myself.

I also squeezed in time for a visit to the fabric store this week.

I don’t have any projects in mind for these yet, but they felt really fresh and spring-y to me (although they could all use a good ironing...)

I’ve started hording all sorts of new paints and craft supplies, so I hope to come back energized. After some hunting, I found some Delta Iridescent Glass Paints that I’m going to try out for my mirror project. (Seems a little safer than the Liquitex Glossies paint that has to be heat set in the oven.) And while roaming the craft store, I finally found one of those Pebeo Porcelaine pens that allow you to write on porcelain/china. Big plans here. I keep thinking how cool it would be to make simple designs on crisp white china. (Sort of inspired by this.)

Now really, I must stop making cakes and start packing.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 03:56 PM | Permalink

The post in which I reveal my first apron for Amy’s Tie One On challenge and propose my first ever swap. (If you’re interested in having this little apron and doll for yourself, read on!)

I had decided even before the theme was announced that I wanted to participate this month, so I was a little bit distraught when it turned out we would be making an apron for a toy. Most of my stuffed toys are chubby little creatures who I couldn’t quite picture wearing an apron. So I was relieved when I found Miss Madeline hiding in the closet. Of course, she was wearing a Santa-style Christmas dress, so I had to make her not just an apron but a little outfit to wear underneath.

The apron is made of black lace trim, remnants of a white cotton sheet, and some green ribbon. This Anthropologie drawing room skirt was my inspiration. Her apron is really a tiny little copy.

She’s sporting a summer shift dress lined in green cotton. This was my first foray into making doll’s clothes (or any clothes for that matter) so it was challenging at times. In fact, Madeline was going to be getting a black dress instead, but that one was eaten by the sewing machine and ended up in the trash. This one was attempt #2, and honestly, I like the color scheme a whole lot better anyway.

I didn’t know how to make a doll’s dress, but I remembered all of you Blythe fans make doll clothes all the time. So I modified a Blythe doll pattern to make the little A-line dress. Madeline is still growing into her summer dress which is a little big for her in places. (And don’t even ask me to show you the back where the hem is all kinds of uneven.)

Now, the part about the SWAP… This is a little bit dangerous since I think there are maybe 3 people who visit me here, but I would love to do a swap. Madeline was sitting all lonely in the closet, and I would love for her to go to a good home where she could be appreciated. I would be sending you:

• 8” Madeline Doll
• Madeline’s red Christmas hat and dress
• Her summer A-line dress
• Her drawing room apron
• And assorted other goodies to be decided by me

Edited to add: What you'd like to send in return is up to you!

Anyone interested? Please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail at kelly(at)littlehappones(dot)com. Please keep in mind that the apron and dress were made by a very novice sewer, so they probably wouldn’t stand up to a lot of wear and tear from small children and animals. Madeline was never played with, but she did spend time in a couple of boxes during moves. Overall, she’s in very good condition and ready to be loved.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I finally got a chance to properly photograph my Christmas present to my mom. I made her a basket bag (inspired by the ones Hillary makes at wee wonderfuls) along with a knitting needle/crochet hook case.

To be honest, there were some close calls with this one.

In the weeks before Christmas, I quickly had a meltdown as I realized how much I still needed to accomplish despite my best efforts at planning ahead and starting early. My mom kept offering to help me finish up my Christmas projects not knowing that it was hers that was hanging in the balance. It’s safe to say that this was a stretch of my sewing ability, but I’m beyond happy with how the whole package turned out. My boyfriend, trying to be supportive, offered me what he thought was reassurance: "You can really tell it's handmade because the lines aren't straight." Right.

My favorite part was the silver love bird charm stiched onto the needle case. Just a little something extra...

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:23 PM | Permalink

As promised, I made an apron this weekend.

My sister is quite the chef and really loves preparing meals for her family. I wanted her to have something a little special for the kitchen so I made her this set of potholders and an apron.

I will admit that while sewing the potholders I felt pretty stupid. When I was a kid, I had one of those looms where you weave little loops to make a potholder. I couldn’t help but feel like I was 6 again making a present for my grandmother. My sister is cool! She’s cooler than a potholder loom!

I have to say, though, that putting anything into a “set” instantly makes it better. The more pieces I made, the more the potholders started to make sense. They also started to look a whole lot better after my mom patiently sewed on the bias tape for me (evil bias tape!).

I’m not sure how practical the oven mitt is going to be for her. This was my first attempt at quilting something. Maybe this will be her “for show” oven mitt when company comes over. Do people have oven mitts for show?

I had wanted the apron to have a little tulip shaped pocket, but that was a total disaster. Maybe next time after more sewing practice…

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 09:41 PM | Permalink

Sewing is not really my specialty. I figure if you throw enough thread at something, it will eventually stick together. Of course, in my experience, it might not be in the exact shape or dimensions you intended for it to be. There’s a good chance that anything I try to sew will be 50% smaller than intended. That may be fine for some things (stuffed animals come to mind), but it’s really not going to work for projects out of this beautiful (but intimidating) Amy Butler fabric.

For Mom -
• A basket bag for projects (inspired by these creations over at wee wonderfuls)
• A knitting needle/crochet hook case
• A pin cushion – ok, fine. The pin cushion could very well be 50% smaller than intended. It would only hold three needles though…

For my sister -
• Pot Holders/Oven Mitt
• Café Apron (inspired by this apron seen at tie one on.)

I think I’ve successfully sewn maybe two things without having my mom stand over me and fix it. Unfortunately, it’s probably really wrong to have your mother sew her own Christmas present. I hope my pot holders don’t end up being the size of postage stamps, but such things have been known to happen around here.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 10:32 AM | Permalink