The mother of invention...

...Or rather the mother {me} of the inventor {that would be him}.  Can you spot the invention?

 Meet the "Wocket"...a handy, dandy, upcycled pet care product—the perfect accessory for walks with man's best friend. 

A bag that attaches to Fido's leash—just the thing for carrying doggie biscuits, poop bags, keys and a little mad money—unencumbered dog walking at last!
This little gem was created for a school project—the invention convention—and it is my guy's first ever sewing machine project.  He did a great job {if I do say so myself}, and he loved using the machine.  It makes a mama proud.
When we started brainstorming for this project, the inventor informed me that he "did not want to do a project that involved sewing" because they "have been doing sewing in art..." and he "doesn't like sewing"...Nooooo!...Say it isn't so!...How did this happen?  Well anyway, I'm sure you can imagine how that comment wrangled my heart and rang in my ears.  Doesn't like sewing indeed, well we'll just see about that!...
"What if I let you use the sewing machine?" she says nonchanlantly.
A glimmer in the boy's eyes..."Really?" 
Oh yes, now I've got him!...Enter the rag bag and an old pair of jeans.  We looked at them and planned...snip, snip, snip..."we should use the pocket," he says...a pin here, a pin there and it's off to the sewing machine.  As my guy sewed the bottom and side seams together {so carefully and with such concentration} we talked about the straps and closure of the bag, and how to attach the wocket to the leash...it must be easy to get into, but not too gappy, and it must be secure on the leash, but removable.  He decided we really needed a button or snap.  Back to the jeans to decide what part of them we could use.  The two ends of the waist band were perfect for this.  Two quick seams later and voila!...

We stuffed it with a couple of  bags and some treats and took it for a spin around the block...

Big smiles all around...A very useful invention, and an altogether satisfying opportunity for my guy to design and make something of his very own...and a chance for me to watch him discover that he really likes doing something that he thought he didn't, something that I love.  He's already planning a pair of summer pj pants—can he know how happy this makes me?...shhhh, don't tell...

xoxo~
alison

A container for my joy!...

Hello my dears...
Remember my last post, where I extolled the virtues of fusible web and all of its no-sew, reversible-fabric goodness?  Well, here I am again with another no-sew tutorial just for you...and just so you know, there are already a couple more tutorials in the works!...I've been in kind of a gotta-make-it-must-share-it frenzy lately...so much fun!  Anyway, here is my latest distraction...

 ...little origami pockets...containers of joy~love notes~party favors~Valentines~chocolates~and all sorts of other sweet things.  They are fast, fun and easy...a great big-kid and little-kid project!

I am going to go through the directions for these step by step.  There are lots of pictures to help us along the way.  Before we get too far in, though, let me give you a peek at some of the other little pockets that are hanging around here—it might be helpful as you choose your materials.  There are two-sided fabric pockets, like the cotton ones above and this linen~on~linen one...

 

And there are paper-backed fabric pockets, like this map~on~linen one...

I used pages from an old, tattererd atlas {like in this project} for this pocket, but you could use any medium weight paper you choose.

Here is what you will need—

~fusible web
~fabric square and another piece of fabric or paper for the lining—the amounts needed will vary depending on the size of your pockets {one square foot is more than enough}
~an iron
~ruler
~scissors
~optional supplies include—a bone folder, glue, needle and thread, ribbon and any other embellishments desired.

Finished measurements—

Large—3 1/4" tall and 4 3/4"  wide at the top opening
Small—2 3/4" tall and  4" wide at the top opening

And now without further ado, let's get started!

First we fuse...

Iron the fusible web to your fabric following the instructions on the packaging.  Then peel off the paper backing...

 

Next iron the lining material {can be fabric or paper} to your piece of fabric ... 

 

Here you see the two-sided fabric {one piece of linen lined with the map and the other piece of linen lined with a lighter weight white linen}...

Next, we need to crop the fabric so that it is ready for origami.  You want a perfect square.  The larger pockets are made with an 8" square and the smaller pockets are made with a 6" square...

Now we begin the origami!... 
This is the simplest origami pattern that I know, and one that I remember learning as a girl.  Maybe you went through a phase where you made these little paper cups when you were young too?  I remember making dozens of them, filling them with water, drinking out of them, filling them with snacks, and feeling so cool {geeky, no?}...anyway, suffice it to say that it is perfect for any kid looking for an alternative to traditional Valentines.

First, place your square on the table just like so, with the side that will form the lining of your pocket facing up and with the square arranged on point so that there is a corner at the top, one at the bottom, and with the other two corners to the sides... 

Just a note:  It helps to have a bone folder handy {that thing on the left} to help you form crisp creases in your origami.  If you don't have one, you can use an unsharpened pencil, the flat edge of your scissors, or even the tip of your iron {doesn't have be on}.

The first fold—bring the bottom corner up to the top corner and fold the square on the diagonal, forming an isosceles triangle like so...

Press along the fold to get a good crease {you will do this for all future folds}...

Next, you will bring the corner on the right over to the left leg of the triangle like so...

 

As you make this fold, you will create a smaller isosceles triangle at the top of your piece, the base of which should be parallel to the base of your original triangle. 

Fold the top corner of this triangle down...

This side is done...

Turn the piece over...

 

 And repeat the all of the steps above on this side of the piece...

 

Your pocket is now complete!... 

 You may want to add a little bit of glue to the middle of each flap to secure it...

This is not necessary but it allows you to thread a ribbon through the top of the flaps to form a handle...

 

You can also secure the flaps with a button...

And attach handles by sewing to the sides...

...or to the middle of your pocket...

Embellish at will!...

And then fill your little pockets with whatever your heart desires...

These sweethearts were made with this brilliant and free pattern on Ravelry {thank you Annri!}—the larger one on a US 7 knitting ndl with Cascade 220 and the smaller one on US 00 with embroidery floss—just because : )

 Delicious!...and I'm so loving that button~it looks just like my girly.  

I can't wait to distribute these little pockets!...I think they'll be as much fun to give away as they were to make.  Here's hoping that you enjoy these as much as I do!...and if you do make some, I'd love to see what you come up with...love getting pictures {just sayin'}.

So long for now...much to do today...there's another tutorial in the works, a birthday cake to make, a snow storm coming {yay!...bring on the snow!} and, of course, my knitting basket{s} are calling me...looks to be a very busy, but very nice day!  Wishing you the same!...

xoxo~alison

Fickle heart garland...

Just a bit of silliness by way of another hearty garland {sorry I couldn't resist!}...this one is a quick and easy, almost no-sew project {just sewing buttons on} that was born out of the need to display some gorgeous Amy Butler prints in in a way other than leaving them in stacks all over the living room.  But which one to pick?  They are all so beautiful...you can't use just one...so this garland is two-faced...in a good way...two prints on one side...

...and coordinating prints on the opposite...

The no-sew part was prompted by the unhappy grumblings of my sewing machine  : ( and my fear of pressing my luck with too much sewing before getting it serviced...enter Heat and Bond.

Have you ever used this stuff?...I'm sure you have.  It's fusible web.  I think there are several brands of it, but this is the one that I use.  I love the stuff!  It's great for applique work and all sorts of other fun things.  It works on paper and fabric...I love it for making two sided fabric like in this garland.  It comes in several different weights and is so easy to use.  Every time I pull the stuff out I think of new uses for it...all sorts of ideas that would be fun to try.

To make the garland, you will need...

~one yard of fabric total {two or more coordinating prints}

~an assortment of buttons {two for each heart in your garland}

~needle and thread

~1/2 - 1 yd. fusible web {I used med-heavy weight for mine}

~ribbon or rick-rack {about 1 foot for each heart, plus and extra 3 feet for each end of the garland}

~notebook paper

~light weight cardboard or cardstock {an old cereal box works well}

~pencil or marker {if you have a fabric marking pen or pencil, that works best}

First, select several coordinating prints {I used 3} and, following the package directions, fuse them together using fusible web.  Ta-da!...two sided fabric...like magic!...I'm so easily amused...but I really do love it...so easy and the weight of the fabric is so nice and substantial.  

Next, make a stencil for your heart cut-outs.  I drew and cut a heart shape out on notebook paper, traced it onto an empty cereal box, and cut it out.  The hearts here are about 5" across {at their widest point}.  After that trace around the cardboard stencil {directly onto the two-sided fabric}...

 

Cut out your hearts...I used pinking shears for mine, because I like the zig-zaggy edge but regular scissors would work just fine...

Once the hearts are cut out, cut your ribbon/rick-rack into 4-6" lengths.  These will be the lengths that connect the hearts—you will need one for every two hearts on your garland.  This rickrack frayed badly so I fixed the ends to keep them from unraveling with a little fray check—worked like a charm.

Next, sew the trim, to the heart with one button on both the front and back sides of the heart, like so...
First, thread the needle with sewing thread, knotting the end of the thread, and make a stitch on the heart at the spot where you wish to attach the trim.
Next, make a sandwich by placing the trim on top of the heart and placing a button on top of the trim.  Bring the needle from the back of the work, through the heart, the trim and the button.  Place a second button underneath the heart {on the backside of the piece} and bring the needle down through the first button, the trim, the heart and finally through the second button...

 
Sew the buttons on in this manner, going through a button on the front side of the garland, the trim, the heart, and a button on the back side of the garland with each stitch.

Repeat for each heart.  As you work your way across the garland, you will use the trim attached to the previous heart, thus connecting the hearts together.  For the last and first heart of your garland, you will use the longer lengths of trim on the outer edges.  This will allow you to hang your garland.

Easy~peasy...just a little ironing, some cutting, a bit of armchair sewing, and VoiLa!!!

Many hearty returns...

xoxo~alison

Hearts and flowers...

Now that we are halfway through January, I think it's safe for me to indulge myself in a little Valentine's day decorating.

Valentine's Day is sort of like Halloween for me...I love the colors, the chocolate, and the opportunity to festoon the house with decorations {I've found that I'm a much more accomplished festooner than cleaner, and fyi—the more you drape the light fixtures and deck the halls, the less noticeable the dust}.  I've never been in to the whole lovey-dovey, perfect date, big gift,  prove how much you love me thing...I see Valentine's Day more as an invitation to send a little love out to friends and family, usually by way of a posy or two, a card, or some little something freshly baked or made.  So with that in mind, and because I always seem to need a little pick-me-up this time of year {feeling itchy after the lull in all of that holiday crafting}, I have started planning and collecting the materials for some little love tokens.  Hopefully all of my planning will be fruitful...I have been known to be overly ambitious in this regard before...you know collecting materials and planning but never finishing...but I have faith this time...I can do it...more on this later. :)

In fact, the lad and I have already gotten started.  He helped me whip up these festive and oh-so-easy hearts and flowers garlands...see...

Okay, we didn't keep them outside, but they did look pretty there...if only they were waterproof.

First we collected the materials...we used vellum {any paper would work well, as long as it isn't too thick}, paper punches {you could use scissors instead}, sewing machine, thread...

See those punches?...I put the package in the pic for you so you could find them if you're interested...I was skeptical about buying these—I hate buying things that don't get used and just end up taking up space—so while I shopped the punchers took a ride in my cart and I did a mental checklist of the potential uses (it was surprisingly long).  Obviously, I decided to give them a go, and so far I love them.  I really like that you can see where you are cutting with these—no more shapes with chunks missing.  I also love that they are easy for little hands and that we don't have to dance up and down, pressing with all my might to get them to cut...very nice...

Once the shapes were cut, it was on to the sewing machine...

*Place the edge of your first shape under the presser foot and sew through it, grab it with the left hand as it emerges at the back of machine and gently pull it and keep the machine stitching away {through nothing—I know it feels weird, but keep going—the bobbin and needle threads will form a chained thread between the shapes—this is particularly pretty if you use two colors of thread}.  Once the chained thread is the length desired, feed the next shape under the presser foot, and repeat from the beginning {*} until your garland is as long as you like it.  Here are some close-ups of the chained thread connecting the shapes...

 

Note... As you pull your shapes through the back of the machine take care to stack them neatly, otherwise they will become hopelessly tangled.

 

Now it's time to festoon, drape and deck the halls with your newly minted heart garland...

Silly, I know, but they make me happy, and I kind of love them.  Plus, I think they look pretty with our  snowflakes! 

Wishing you a day full of hearts and flowers...
xoxo—alison

ps~Thanks for all of the mom love out there and the warm wishes for our visit.  It was wonderful and I miss her already, but am so grateful for the days we spent together.  Here is a pic taken right before she left...

...sorry, I couldn't resist...love my little shoe shiner.

Wrapping up...

Today I had a little last minute fun wrapping these gifts.  One old piece of canvas, a couple of cuts, a fold, two seams on my sewing machine, a rubber stamp, some acrylic paint, and a jaunty red bow later and you have eco, cheapo, super cute wrapping.  I don't know why but these little guys make me inordinately happy.  I had a really hard time boxing them up and taking them to the post office because they looked so cute on my mantel.  They are so happy looking.

 

Then there was this last minute gift wrapping...

 

My brother-in-law traditionally gives all of his gifts wrapped in newspaper.  He's done this for as long as I've known him, long before it was cool.  So in honor of his traditional wrap, I thought I'd make a newspaper gift bag for his present this year.  It turned out pretty cute, I think...

Then there was this...

Okay, before I incur any outrage let me say, that I am absolutely opposed to defiling books, but these two poor souls are an exception—one was the victim of an untimely eggnog incident and the other is a battered and bruised copy that I rescued from a friend's garbage can {please tell me that I'm not the only one ready to raid a friend's trash for the sake of future crafting possibilities—it was a good move too, as this book has lent its worn and torn pages to lampshades and all sorts of collage projects}.  Even so, on the few occasions when I do take scissors to the pages of one of these two books, I cringe, but I put guilt aside, and look what my old book's tired pages gave me...

...I kind of love it, and it's just right for a certain gift for a sweet somebody!

Of course now I'm thinking of all of those little pieces of discarded gift-wrap that I have collected over the years—you know the ones that are too pretty to throw away—and then there are all of those papers that collect throughout the school year {not the precious ones that have to go into a drawer for safe-keeping, but all of those math assignments and spelling tests that come home and never quite make it to the recycling bin} wouldn't they make cute end of the school year gift bags?  Now I've got patchwork paper gift bags on the brain, and I can tell I'm going to have to dig all of that paper out of the cupboard and raid the pile of papers growing on my desk to make some little patchwork gift bags.

For those of you who are wondering about this weekend's cake....Yesterday...yes, it was yesterday, though it seems like it had to be several yesterdays ago {time somehow seems to get a little blurry during the holidays*does that happen to you too?} I finished and delivered this...

This one was a real squeaker...a last, last minute order and it got done just under the wire—literally not a second to spare...not at all the way I like to do things—way too much drama for this girl, but in the end, the cake got baked, decorated and delivered, and the bride was happy and that's all that really matters.

I'm off for now...still more shopping and wrapping and baking and even some decorating still to do...busy, busy, but so good!

Happy Monday, friends!

sos  
too funny!...I just typed sos instead of xoxo—do you think that means anything?
 ...xoxo—Alison

A day in the life...

The other day my husband and older son were off on an outing together and I was minding the home fires with a very dejected and sad younger son.  This little guy is completely devoted to his dad—he is happy to accompany him everywhere—whenever and where ever my husband is, this kid wants to go along for the ride.  This doesn't bother me a bit.  I know my little guy loves me and he knows that I love him, and it's not like he doesn't love being with the rest of the family, it's just that for now, he is feeling especially close to his dad.  Normally this is just fine, but last weekend was one of those rare times when he couldn't go along and he was feeling pretty fragile, sad and a little grumpy too.  So, what do you do with a kid who clearly doesn't want to be home and who  doesn't want to be with anyone but the one person he can't be with?...hmmmm...

Making something almost always gets me out of a funk—and if I need a really quick fix, it almost always comes in the kitchen.  So I gave my Grumpy Gus the choice of gingerbread men or pretzels.  Cue the moany, mumbly response....prrreeetzeeels...Iiiiii...gueeeeessss....
 
Okay, so he wasn't overly enthusiastic in the beginning, but by halfway through, my guy had found his smile and I knew he was back.  This recipe is just the ticket for chasing away the darkest storm clouds.  I mean what's not to love...you get to play with dough (always cathartic)...
 

...do a little science experiment (pretzels are boiled in baking soda and water—who knew!)...

...and paint...

and the finished product?...soooo yummy!...
 

...and my guy?...he ended his day all smiles, with a full tummy, so happy and proud to share his made-by-hand-pretzels when his dad and brother got home.  Me?...well I got to spend the day baking next to one of my favorite people...enough said.

Have you seen these goodies...
Before signing off I wanted to check...Have you seen these cute little gnomes, this pomander decoration, this little village or these wooly snowflakes or what about  these papery snowflakes?  We made tons of these 3D snowflakes last year—love-love-lovely.

There are so many fun things to make out there that I am actually considering putting myself on a project diet...I want to make every little thing I see, and sadly I haven't figured out how to eliminate the need for sleep or to be in two places at once...what to do?

...xoxo—Alison

On the road again...

Hello there!...

It seems like I've been away for ages—I honestly don't know where the time goes, but go it does!  I'm recently back from a college visit with my girly.  I think this is the last one for a little while—we have the information we need and all that's left is for my sweet girl to wend her way through the winding path that is the college application process.  WoW!!!...what a lot of work that is!  It's  very different now than it was in the dark ages when I applied to college.  Now you can spend weeks of your life giving each school's website a thorough once-over—so much information to review.  And so much to prepare—forms to fill, essays to write, and audition tapes to make—a lot of work!  I find myself anxiously anticipating mid-January, when she has turned everything in, a little of the pressure is off, and we can just enjoy the remaining months of senior year without having this big to-do list hanging over the house.  It is moments like these when I am so thankful for these college visits—for the time stuck in the car with each other, driving and talking, laughing and shoulder dancing, and just being with this young woman that I love, and more importantly, that I like so much.

Home again...to cold, wet weather...but nothing that a pitcher of sunflowers and a little origami can't fix...

The lad is working on making a collection of little boxes and containers for snacks and odds and ends...
{these pics are a lesson in perspective for me — He had a blast folding the afternoon away — what you can't see (and what I too often focus on) is the rest of the table, littered with books and art supplies, or the side board in back of him piled high with stacks of books and paper}

—oh well, it's a journey, right?

xoxox—alison

The Merry Month of October...

Home again!  I'm just back from a quick visit to see my mom.  She just had surgery and needed a little cheering up, and I needed to sit with her and see with my own eyes just how she was really doing—much better—thanks for asking.  My time with my mom this week was full of sweet moments.  A while back Annri blogged this lovely post about mothers and mothering and it has really stayed with me—she said it all so well—I love that about her.

What does a girl need for a short stay away from home?...

Well, I'll tell you...she needs at least a half dozen knitting books, a basket of wool for working on the mini-stocking knit along, her mystery socks, several odd skeins and stitch guides for random swatching, an apple coffee cake, a batch of cherry scones, an assortment of teas to help settle Mom's queasy tummy, at least two books for reading, because you don't know what you'll be in the mood for, a camera which she will promptly forget about until after she's left her mom, her ipod loaded with various podcasts, her favorite slippers and...oh yeah, a change of clothes...This is why it is dangerous for me to travel by car.

{sorry for the blurry pics in this post —my camera is being persnickety these days}

Now that I'm home, it's starting to look a lot like...

Have I told you how much I love this holiday?...the dressing up, the crafting, the pumpkins, the weather, the colors, and the candy!!!

 In the interest of full disclosure (you're only as sick as your secrets, right?) I will own up to the fact that this is about the time of year when I stop eating meals and just forage for candy.

I didn't even buy treats that I like this year and still today's lunch was a handful of candy corn and a cup of coffee...and I don't even like candy corn, but, after all, it is candy and it's here...pathetic, I know.

Even more than the candy though, I love the creative opportunities surrounding this holiday—so many fun crafts, so little time.  We made this little door pocket a while ago.  There have been many like this through the years.
 

It is a perfect first sewing project—perfectly imperfect!  Terrific for new sewing hands.  You will need some wool felt scraps, some buttons and yarn scraps to make this quick project.

Here's how...All we did was draw the outline of the shape we wanted onto a piece of paper, pinned the paper pattern to two layers of felt and cut around the edges.  Then we raided the button jar and the scrap pile for eyes a nose and a mouth.  Time to pin the facial features to one of the layers of felt and sew them on with a whip stitch or running stitch.  There is really no way to mess this up.  The results are always cute and a little funny.  Finally we layered the pieces of felt together and sewed around the edges using a blanket stitch.  Leave the top of the head open for candy, notes or whatever, and tack a ribbon or spare piece of felt to the inside back of the pocket for a handle and voila!  Easy-peasy, and once it is filled with candy, this cranky kitty is absolutely delectable!

This just in...

If you're still trying to figure out how your little darling is going to carry all of her Halloween loot, or if you're feeling the need for a festive and seasonal knitting bag/purse, you might want to check out the Going Batty Treat Bag pattern — free for all who want it! 

Glad to be back...I missed you!...Alison