Stash Game

It is now that time of year!  Stash Game started on September 1!  If you recall, Stash Game or SG, is where I earn points for sewing and lose points for buying fabric.  February and September are about the only 2 months out of the year that I almost don't buy fabric.  Almost, because every now and again I slip up.  Maybe a yard or two if I really must have it! 

I have started out strong and mostly made my way through the things I had cut out.  I need to spend some time tonight cutting out more items.  I usually try and trace all my patterns the couple weeks before SG and then the first day or two I go on a massive cutting bender and cut out like 10 or 12 items.  Then I spend the next couple days sewing.

I intend on cutting out some pillow cases for the charity project this month.  I figured with my serger I can whip out like 15 in one night.  They are basically a seam up each side with a hem at the opening.  I also intend on making the girls some pants.  I have a couple colors of twill to turn into pants.  I also am going to make the hubby something!  I bought a cargo shorts pattern from the Kwik Sew co-op a few weeks back.

Let's start with some baby items!  I made this outfit as a present for a baby shower.  Once I had it done I thought it was so cute that I decided to make my niece one also! 

Pattern: Ottobre Design 4/2010
t shirt- #1
tunic- #2
pants- #3
the baby shower gift is in size 62, about 3 to 6 months-ish.  I cut out a size 74 for my niece.  The pants are 74 waist with about 2 inches of added length since she is longer than she is wide!  I do need to find a way to fix the smaller set.  The tunic is so freaking wide!  Maybe some shirring?



The baby set is made from one of my most cherished fabrics. Not my all time fave, but this comes in a close second! It's Alexander Henry and I found it at a garage sale. There was only 1/2 a yard which is not enough for my girlies but was perfect for this project. I think it is soooo beautiful!



close up of the ballerina's!



The pants have these little cut outs on the side that gather up and fit onto these little panels.



I also added cuffs because one of my biggest pet peeves for baby clothes is when the legs ride up and leave the babe's legs exposed. I almost always add cuffs to baby clothes for this reason!!

Hair!

I have probably the thickest hair of anyone I know.  Crazy thick and course and wavy.  Not so great of a combination.  Most of the time I wear it secured in a pony tail because it's just too heavy and hot to wear it down on my neck. 

Just for a little perspective I took some pictures earlier this year before I got my hair cut.

Before:







And in a pony, how it is 90% of the time



After:



Over the years, I have purchased a bazillion hair products that are marketed for people with thick hair. And over the years a bazillion of these products have failed miserably in their attempt to hold up my hair. They are relegated to the back of the drawer never to see daylight again.

This do' took about 40 bobby pins and 2 ponytail holders and half a can of hairspray to hold it up!



I even tried the 5 minute curl tutorial using a headband. Guess what, doesn't work with my hair. I can get about half of the hair up on the headband and can't find any more room to cram in the rest.

5 minute curls

These guys are supposed to hold your hair up by securing it to the hair underneath. They aren't supposed to cross each other and you aren't supposed to use any other pins or pony's. They work, if I use 2 ponytail holders with them....



Not a chance



These



these



and these



not happening. Maybe if I use a pony and 2 of them.

I actually own this exact barrette. That won't hold onto my hair and that I gave to my daughter..



Headbands! I wish! The weight of my hair hanging down pulls the headbands loose and they flop forward. The only way I can wear headbands is if I put my hair in a pony first.





Have this, doesn't even work when I pull half my hair up...



Notice a trend? In my case, ponytails are where it's at.

So I guess this is all to say, do you have any ideas on products I can use in my hair?

Kindergardens

Kindergardens was a bit delayed this week, which is a-okay with me. Perpetually behind is the story of my life.

Pictures of your garden at sunrise. Ha! Considering I am more of a night owl than an early bird you are never going to see pictures of my garden at sunrise. I think the last time I saw a sunrise was when I worked in the bar and was just getting home at that hour!

So I have to settle more for 730 ish. It's the best I got. :)

black petunia



basil? In the carrots.... Alright who put this here?



Moonflower, that is eating the basil. I never got around to putting up a trellis for it, so it kind of sprawled out rather than grew up. But that's fine, because it's about to bloom!! It's supposed to bloom only at dusk. Hopefully I can save some seed since I have big plans for it next year!



me watering the watermelon



tomatoes









squash blossom, I think these are beautiful flowers!



Anyone know what this guy is? He is a moth of some sort, but completely white.

Happenings from the top of the hill

A look at what's going on up at the top of the hill.

My girls love riding the bus to school.  Love it!  So every morning they wait at the end of the driveway to be picked up.  The bus is always late, sometimes by 15 minutes.  But that's another post altogether! 

Some days we pose....



Some days we ignore mom...



Some days we dance...



Some days we make funny faces...



Here's the bus!



First day of school!





Swim time!!





Making cool tie dye swirls on fabric with Sharpies!









Diggy Jr.!!!



Homemade mac and cheese! (the only kind we eat) This was my Granny's recipe. She made this for us as kids and taught me how when I was older. I remember her telling me the most important thing was to "salt the noodles". So I always make sure I do!



Tomato tart. Possibly the best thing I have eaten all summer!

Back to school outfit

I started making the girls some school outfits.  Not in enough time to actually complete them before school started of course.  But school outfits nonetheless!  When the Ottobre 4/2011 arrived in late July KK spent an hour pouring over the pages and telling me which outfits she liked.  Which was most of them.  Most of the older girls clothing was very 1980's!  She picked out this outfit straight away and asked me to make it first.

As KK gets older it gets harder to find patterns that she thinks are cool!  Tunic and leggings always work, so does anything with purple and she will wear skirts as long as they have leggings underneath.  Characters are out, so are things that are all pink. 
Pattern: 
Ottobre Design magazine 4/2011
jeggings- #29
tunic- #37
both in size 134 with a bit of added length

The jeggings are made from the pajama jean material that I found in JoAnn's clearance bin.  It only has 3% spandex so they are a little less stretchy than I like but KK thinks they fit just fine!  I even bought jeans topstitching thread and topstitched them to look like real jeans.  Otherwise they would have been just leggings.  And what's the point right?! 

The tunic is a striped knit that has pieces cut in different ways so that the stripes face different directions.  She loved that part of the shirt the most.  The center front is just a square of black interlock and the hem band at the bottom is also black interlock.
They really do fit her, I promise! She just had them turned up at the cuff like they did in the magazine.





Fake pockets!  Although the back has real pockets, I forgot to take a picture of them.





These are some little iron-on things she found in the clearance bin at JoAnn's that she had to have. So we stuck them on this shirt.