LTTSA: Cape

Remember this little number?
For a little gray's Little Things to Sew-Along last October?

Well, it was a huge it... especially with The Monkey. She's been wearing her sister's cape around non-stop the past week or two. It's caused no end of spits and spats around the house (like they need another reason to argue amongst themselves?)

Well, I was cleaning out my stash last night, in preparation for another project, and found almost two yards of the most beautiful moss-green, small wale corduroy that I  didn't even remember buying! It's like finding money in your pocket. I might have done a small little happy dance.

And so, this weekend, The Monkey will have her own cape to run around the house in. Which means I may forgo the Explorer Vest this month, in favor of a second cape. Or at least push the explorer vest back a week.

I'd forgotten how well a deadline motivates me.

LTTSA: Play Town

I'm running behind.

Shocker.

You know, for a gal who enjoys deadlines, I've been missing a lot lately.

But I'm almost down stitching up a couple of cute little houses for a soft, squishable play town for this month's project over at the a little gray LTTSA.

Now that I've made a couple at the suggested size, I want to do some miniature versions.

I think if I made them minis and stuck some small strips of velco on the bottom of each piece, and paired it with a quilted play mat, it would make a sweet little gift. Maybe make the mat roll-up-able and it would tote will for travel and/or car trips... Hmmm...I do have quite a few friends with IttyBitties turning one this year... It's a thought at any rate.

The devil of these was in the details.

And by devil, I mean my favorite part.

The kids had fun helping me to sketch out what houses they wanted me to make...and even though I've only got two nearly-finished, they have a request of buildings nearly a mile long.

It's okay though...I've been hand stitching on the details in the evenings while we watch movies or The Munchkins read their homework chapter books aloud to each other. I'm always surprised at how enjoyable hand stitching can be when I get over the whole but-I-could-be-done-now-if-I-machine-stitched-it mentality. Slow and steady wins the race. Sometimes.

And also? There's this little gem.
It's so lovely. I had to share

Kate Spade "Henrietta Street" Fashion Film from Kinga Burza on Vimeo.

It's just a short little ad film for Kate Spade NY, created to document their Pop Store on Henrietta Street in London.I want to crawl inside this video and stay for a while...

LTTSA: Baby Doll Carrier

This month's project for the LTTSA over at a little gray was the Bear Carrier.

I've got to say that, out of all the projects I've tackled from this book, this one received the loudest cheer when it was finished. The Monkey was simply over the moon at her new doll carrier.  And I was rather over the moon at my successful attempt at Button Holes!!!  I had some extra large and chunky bright pink buttons in my stash (truth be told, all the materials were bits and pieces I'd had squirreled away, so the overhead on this project was a big fat goose egg. Huzzah!)

This is fatbaby.

Actually, this is fatbaby 2.0

fatbaby's namesake is currently tucked away in a doll bed on the second floor with a black sharpie The Last Airbender Tattoo covering the top of her head, most of the stuffing in her body leaked out, head more-than-slightly off kilter. The Monkey is rough with her loved ones...

fatbaby 2.0 was a gift from Santa this year. And let me tell you what, Santa had to search eight store in three counties before he found an exact replica. That Santa deserves a round of applause, and a drink, she'd settle for a nice Irish Coffee about now though.

The Monkey is always pretty pleased when I whip out the camera.

yes, that's a pot of spaghetti on the front burner. No you may not have any. There's no such thing as leftovers in my house anymore. I have three living, breathing garbage disposals these days... God help me when they hit the teenage years... They'll eat me out of house and home for sure.

This is, obviously, her Blue Steel.

 I think it's safe to say this project was a success!

Happy Sewing, gang!

LTTSA - November

Chugging right along on this month's LTTSA.

Determined to finish on time and with this month's actual project...

I've decided on some minor alterations to the designated Puppet Theater Project this month.

Because I have THREE Munchkins, I'm completely certain that ONE opening for the puppet theater simply will not do, so I've altered the design from house to castle (because knights and princesses and Rapunzel have all been big favorites at my house so far this year) with three towers...and three openings for puppets to peek through.

And, because my fabric stash is currently threatening to overflow the small, under-the-stairs cupboard to which I have resigned it (and I've promised myself no new fabric purchases of more than $10 until after the holidays) I'm determined to use only fabric and scraps that I have on hand for this project.

I even have (random, random, random) a spare tension rod to use when putting the puppet theatre between the doorways of bedrooms!




I've started compiling the fabrics and colors in my head and need only get some to-scale measurements done and start cutting and appliqueing everything...

So here's a quick sketch to let you all know I'm at least thinking about the construction, even if I haven't started sewing on it just yet.