Twice in One Week!

 Since I have another finish and I want to drop it off, I thought I would post the pictures.

Another toddler hat, this one with Big Bird, has been created. It will be donated to a winter clothing drive for babies and pre-schoolers in our community. Little people shouldn't be cold. The hat is a kit from Lion Brand, called One Hat Wonder.

Of course, Mudd thinks all pictures should have him in them. So he photobombed the hat.

Emme  was sitting watching the birds until she heard that a trip to the pet food store was planned.

She just wants everyone to know that last time, Somebody forgot to get her favourite food, trout bisque. She says she reallllly needs her favourite, so DO NOT FORGET!

The hibiscus tree has moved into the dining room, now that winter has arrived. It was so happy to be out of the cold that it rewarded us with two flowers.

Now, if Mudd would quit climbing in it.

Pillowcases - A Sort of a Tutorial

 ... Or maybe I should have started with Plan B.

Let's start with the finished project.

My favourite little boy is having a birthday. This year, he is all about Sonic the Hedgehog. While browsing my favourite online fabric store, Funky Monkey, I found this fabric on clearance. To make two pillowcases you need two yards of fabric, that go together, so that was easy. (I might have put some other items into my cart.)

To make two pillowcases I start by cutting 9 inches off the bottom of each piece of fabric. After that things started to go wrong. I tried to add piping to the pillowcase hem but it wasn't cooperating. I should have stopped but instead, I tried to make the best of it. In the end, I got out my stitch ripper, took it all apart and tried a different method.

On to plan B. 

Take the 9" strips of fabric and fold lengthwise in half, wrong sides together, or pretty side out as I tell beginners. Iron the fabric nice and flat and smooth. This will be your hem. Iron the larger pieces flat. This will be the body of the pillowcase.

Set up the serger for a 4 thread overlock stitch. Make sure the tension is even. (that is the longest part of the process.)

Align the hem with the bottom edge of the body, and serge a 1/4" seam.

Iron the seam toward the body of the pillowcase and top stitch on the sewing machine, close to the seam on the body of the case. I use my blind hem foot to make it nice and straight.

Fold the pillowcases, wrong side together, making sure that the hem seams match up . You can trim off the selvedge edges of the fabric at this point, but I just trim them with my serger. Serge the top edge and the side seam. 

TaDa, Two pillowcases in less time than it took me to take the first try apart!

I weave the serge tails into the seams and add a dot of fray check to keep them there.

Kids love these as gifts. His birthday presents are now filling the pillowcases. No waste gift bags. And the Paw Patrol cases from 2 years ago can now be retired.

I have the serger, and I used it a lot when my kids were little. It's funny how I forget to use it now.

Inertia

I don't have much to show for the last couple of weeks. Halloween has come and gone. I again made masks for my neighbourhood friends to wear to school, along with some sweet goodies.

I love this fabric. Baby Yoda was very popular with the recipients. 

I finished some socks.

The colourway was listed as Border Collie but it looks more like Zebra to me.

The Christmas cakes got baked, and are now maturing in the cupboard. Next week, they will be given another shot off rum.

I did some sewing for other people, bindings and labels. I delivered a couple of donated quilts. 

Our favourite little boy came for a sleepover, and stayed for the next day, since it was a PA day for the teachers. 

Mudd got into a tissue box and made it snow in the bathroom. (All paper products are now being stored in places he hasn't found yet.)

Emme would like you to know that she is not getting enough treats for her liking. She also says that healthy snacks are not treats.

I have started my Christmas shopping. I just need to remember where everything has been stored. I am trying to keep my crafting plans down to a minimum. I often plan more than I can possibly finish in November and December. I think all the socks are knit. I have a cowl finished as well. So there is no urgency in the knitting. I have a couple of things to sew yet. 

Meanwhile, our unseasonably warm weather means that the firewood has been laid in, the Christmas lights are up, the snow tires are on the car, and winter can come without a panic. The expectation is that that will likely happen, next week. Perhaps more cowls will be required.