PARTS 3 & 4-FELTING APPLIQUED NO PATTERN, LINED SKIRT & TOP SERIES

My couture designs for housecleaning-oh, sure!

Here are parts 3 & 4 in the series for the "Felted Applique, No Pattern, Lined Skirt & Top".

The no pattern, self lined skirt was completed in Parts 1 & 2. Take your measurements according to directions in parts 1 & 2 to make your skirt.

A cream colored t-shirt knit is used for the outfit. The top was cut from a pattern that I have had and used for several pieces for quite a few years. I seem to wear the same thing all the time, just in different colors. 

 Appliques on both the skirt and top have been felted on with felting machine, then thread work done to highlight the motifs which were fussy cut from a floral fabric. After all embellishments were done, the pieces were sewn together and finish work done. 

If you would like more pizzaz, add hot set beads, glitter paints or whatever suits your fancy.  

You can see the following videos with tips and instructions on FaveCrafts.com. For all free videos, tutorials and patterns on many crafts and artistry, join us online at: http://favecrafts.com/. You will find crochet, knitting, needlework, kids crafts, beadwork, jewelry making and so much more that you just can't even imagine.

PART 3-EMBELLISHING YOUR TOP

PART 4-FINISHING YOUR TOP

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This is a different vein altogether but it still has to do with homemaking, craftsmanship, or however you want to put it. From time to time I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes that are quick, allow me to craft longer and still make me look good.

You will notice that most of them run in the same categories:chocolate, peanut butter and quick.

Grandson, Travis, was just in over the weekend from college and requested one of his favorites. Since it is so simple, I thought you might benefit from having the recipe. Now hang on to your seats, or your scissors, machine, glues, fabric or whatever it is you are holding onto-here is a recipe for the easiest [even easier than a mix], quickest, really good-peanut butter cookie recipe. 

you  will need:

1 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

HONEST! THAT IS IT!

Mix all together in a bowl

drop by small spoonful onto greased cookie sheet, crisscross with fork, bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

I have also made peanut blossoms by placing Hershey kisses onto each as they come out of oven-in fact that is how Trav wanted his.

Kids love 'em, they make the house smell great and only take a few minutes.

Happy Homemaking from

Carolyn Wainscott

the quilting granny

PARTS 1 & 2-FELTED APPLIQUE NO PATTERN, LINED SKIRT & MATCHING TOP

This skirt can be made in any length you wish and is simple and quick enough that I used to get up an hour or so early to make one to wear out the door that day. Of course, they were just plain, not embellished as shown.

 This skirt is made the length that I wear which is to the ankle.

The self-lined skirt is formed by sewing fabric into a long tube, folding wrong sides together, matching seams and waist edges-fold will be bottom of skirt.  

Appliques were applied before sewing skirt.

Choose the length and fabric you wish to wear and lets get started. My skirts take less than 2 1/2 yards. I have used my top pattern for several years and it takes just over a yard in this wide fabric.

Elastic in the width you like and sewing tools are the only additional things you need plus optional trims, appliques if you choose to embellish.

I use t-shirt knits for several reasons:

-it comes in a 58"-60" width so it fits hip measurements up to that width and I am not that big yet so I am still safe for a while

- it is comfortable and easy to wear

-it washes well

-it is fairly easy to work with if reasonable care is taken not to stretch while sewing

-it is economical, especially when I catch it on sale  [I have paid as little as $1 per yard-I'll take a $3.50 outfit any day! that is what the one pictured cost]

-Only three measurements need to be taken-

1. waist, then subtract 4"-5" for elastic length [or what is comfortable for you}

2. hip at widest, add 1" for seam allowance, add 3" for comfort [or what is comfortable for you]

3. from waist to desired length, add 1/2" for seam allowance, add width of elastic

double the total of these 3 measurements

[my chosen length is 37" + 1/2" + 1 1/2" [elastic] = 39" x 2 = 72"]

[by hip " [no, I'm not tellin'] ok-45" + 1" + 3"=49"]

so my skirt panel was cut 49" x 72" to include self lining

>watch videos for more information<

-to form skirt tube-

1. fold panel in half lengthwise, right sides together

2. fold this in half of width [bottom of skirt], matching skirt waist edge to lining waist edge

3. from skirt bottom fold-measure  9" on each side, mark with pins 

4. to sew tube:skirt-sew from top of waist edge to pin marking slit, skip to pin marking slit on lining, sew to within 2" of top of waist

in photo below-fabric folded back at bottom of skirt alongside ruler, elastic at waist edge, tube will be sewn alongside tape measure-down one side, up the other.  

Fold tube, wrong sides together, matching seams and waist edges.

To form casing for elastic:

1. waist edges of skirt & lining-fold to inside 1/2" all around, pin together

2. topstitch or serge together

3. sew parallel seam width of elastic all around to finish casing

4. insert elastic in opening left in lining seam

5. finish slit at skirt bottom by turning in 1/2" and topstitching.

The following videos give tips to create the skirt in "The Felted Applique No Pattern, Lined Skirt & Top Series".  

You can see these and other videos on FaveCraft.com. Join us online at: http://favecrafts.com/ for free tutorials and patterns in:crochet, knitting, beadwork, scrapbooking, kids crafts, jewelry making, needlework and much, much more.   

PART 1-EMBELLISHING SKIRT

PART 2-FINISHING SKIRT

                                                  

Happy sewing and I hope this has been of help to you. 

Carolyn Wainscott

the quilting granny    

IS IT JUST ME?

The news is on. The networks news crews are in Joplin, Missouri at the site of the tornadoes that have devastated that area with unimaginable destruction. Several are still missing. Walmart, hospital, Home Depot and the high school destroyed among the recognizable landmarks.

Over head shots show buildings, buses, cars, trucks picked up, tossed and twisted like toys in the reported 198 mile per hour winds. It was just stated that only 1% of tornadoes reach that velocity. There are piles and piles of debris. One rescuer stated that this was worse than any war zone that he seen.

People who have survived are being interviewed. I can't imagine the terror they went through. Some are looking for loved ones and for anything that can be salvaged. 

Still, there are more major outbreaks expected today but now there is no place to take refuge. Really, though, with fury of 190 miles per hour, there is no safe place except in the arms of God.

Just last month storms roared through Alabama, Georgia and surrounding states.  100's killed. 

We think these things are not going to happen to us but now with  darkening skies there is a heightened sense of wariness because weather patterns are changing. Last night with weather reports, came phone calls from my mother, the kids and the grandkids to see what was going on and telling me to beware.  Dopler Weather tracking the storms area by area, telling us to get into our safe place because now we all know where we will go if need be-which room is safest.

IS IT JUST ME  or does it seem as though Mother Nature is getting more angry? Are storms more frequent? More violent? More widespread?

Please, let's be in prayer for all these affected. Some have nothing left. What can we do in our little corner of the world to help in some way? What if it were us?

THE REALLY BIG, REALLY CHEAP SCOOP

No, I haven't completely lost it, not any more than usual anyway.

My "green" sense is kinda always in gear, I've just been toying with some things that we have in abundance around here and I hate to have so much plastic go into the trash.

Since I am a quilter, all those milk and distilled water plastic jugs could be used possibly for templates if the time is taken. I have been working with creating organizers but the water jug I was experimenting with didn't fill the bill. It did show some promise in another direction, though. Having spent enough quality time together to know it wanted to continue its life as useful and not be looked upon as just another piece of trash,  we came up with a design to allow the Plastic Jug or "PJ" as he wants to be called,  do just that. 

The magic marker  magically glided around "PJ" and when I followed the markings with my exacto knife, voila, a really large scoop came into existence. 

So from the job of holding one of our most important commodities, water, "PJ" still has a job to do. 

"PJ" has become  the really big, really cheap [mmm-economical] "Scoop", scooper of the dog food, the one scoop scoop. No more multiple dips into the bag, now you can do it with just one-"Scoop".

The following video was made to detail the process of PJ Scoop's metamorphasis from almost trash to useful treasure.

It can be seen at http://www.favecraft.com/, the online craft site that offers all free patterns, instructions, videos and tutorials in many crafts-crochet, knitting, jewelry making, paper crafts, kids crafts, recycling, and much, much more.

Who knows, you may have PJ's brother in your cupboard.

Happy crafting. Would love to see your "green" creations.

Contact me at: quiltngrin@blogger.com

Carolyn Wainscott
the quilting granny

KEEPING THINGS HANDY IN MY COFFEE MUG

I know this is a strange title but I like using things differently from their intended purpose and like them even more if they are cheap. I do keep quite a few things handy on the table by my chair so I don't have to jump and run every time I  want to do something or forget an idea or phone # if not jotted down immediately. It seems I am in constant need of:pencil/pens/paper clips, pins/needles/thimble/thread, fingernail clips/file, glue stick, notepad/daily planner, etc.

All this paraphernalia has been kept in a basket til now which took up too much space.

When the idea of this little coffee mug organizer hit, I just loved it and had to make one for myself to see if it would hold enough stuff for me. While I was at it, I made several more for friends, my sisters and my mother. I hope they get as much good from this as I do. The cup with its pockets holds everything I need in a much smaller area and looks so much better. 

[All that stuff in one little mug] 

It takes just a few cents worth of fabric and a coffee mug with your every day sewing tools. You probably have a mug in your cupboard that you can use or pick one up at a yard sale for a few cents. I, the great cheapo, broke down and actually bought special friend mugs for the gift organizers. Mine, on the other hand, came from my own kitchen.

The organizer can be really dressed up if you wish with any trims you have. Ours just has some of my plain vintage buttons securing the lace ties. I think these would also make a good bizarre or festival item. They could be made up in theme fabrics for fall, Christmas, teachers, patriotic to be used as a fund raiser.  

The video demonstrating how to make the coffee mug organizer was made for FaveCraft.com, the online craft site that provides free patterns, videos, tutorials and instructions for all kinds of crafts including:crochet, knitting, paper crafts, kids crafts, jewelry making, needlework and much more.

If you decide to make one of these, I would love to see it.

You can contact me at:quiltngrin.granny@blogspot.com

Happy crafting,

Carolyn Wainscott

the quilting granny

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Come over and visit My Craftsy Pattern Store @
http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/toy/ag-hooded-cape/15386


http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/toy/ag-hoodie-from-hannahs-closet/43213

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH RECYCLABLES

Full time job for me-getting organized. Then when I finally get it done, I can't find anything. I knew where it was when it was under something in one of those piles over there.

There is a tendency of too much around here and not wanting to throw anything away that is too good to pitch is part of my problem. I have been watching the shows on hoarding to encourage myself to NEVER, NEVER  get to that extreme.

My habit of not getting rid of emptied containers does come in handy and keeps me from having to send food out the door in my good purchased ones which I would never see again. I make soups, beans and chilis by the gallon[s]. The leftovers are stored in the freezer in the various emptied ice cream buckets, margarine-butter-sour cream-cottage cheese tubs stacked on the shelf. I always buy the giant economy size of anything so the containers are large.

Recyclables are also used in a lot of my crafts and have helped save money, especially when working with childrens' groups on a small budget. I have designed crafts around what was on hand rather than having to purchase supplies. 

I love making a lot of different crafts so have a variety of supplies on hand. Sometimes I think I would like to go out and purchase a system to organize all of them but then it is really more fun and creative to make my own for free. 

Organizers like the one shown in the videos run anywhere from $10 up. Mine only takes a little while to make with everyday sewing tools. It takes very little fabric and the ice cream bucket is free. This one will be used with my fabric paints and accessories. 

For a different sized container, just adjust the measurements to create your own custom organizer.

The videos below were created for FaveCraft.com for the online craft site. I was trying to keep the instructions to less than 5 minutes but that wasn't enough time to give adequate information. The site provides free patterns, free instructions, free tutorials and free videos on all sorts of crafts including: crochet, knitting, jewelry making, kids crafts, paper crafts and much more. You can find information on just about anything you are interested in with links to craft supply companies.

The site has so many beautiful crochet patterns that I must do for my great grandchildren that I almost have carpel tunnel syndrome trying to get them done.

I hope the videos help and if you have any questions, contact me at: quiltngrin.granny@blogger.com.

PART 1

PART 2

Happy organizing

Carolyn Wainscott, the quilting granny

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check out all my designs in My Craftsy Pattern Store @
http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/other/soft-sculpture-nativity-set/147482

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/other/sunbonnet-sue-baby-quilt-pattern/44984


http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/clothing/girls-hooded-cape-by-hannahs-closet/39227

MAKE A QUILT USING UNIFORMS & T-SHIRTS

My family has always been involved in sports-all kinds of sports-baseball, softball, football, basketball, volleyball.

Through the years, I have kept newspaper clippings, rewards, photos, videos and uniforms and I am glad I did. They are wonderful to look back on.

The clippings, rewards, and photos have made it into scrapbooks. I am trying to get the videos organized and the uniforms have finally been put into quilts. 

I had intended to have the quilt for grandson, Travis, done for his graduation but that didn't happen with so much going on even though  many of the blocks had been prepared over many months so he could take it to college with him. He did get it for Christmas, however. I think I have gotten all out of the box of uniforms that can be used and can finally pitch the rest of what is left.

Travis' quilt-12 Years of Uniforms-Basketball, Football, Baseball

Dan's wallhanging-Football, Baseball

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In case you have uniforms or event t-shirts you would like to use and don't have a clue in getting started, I hope the following will help. It is simple to do, just takes some preparation as with all quiltmaking. It doesn't have to be a huge endeavor, maybe just a pillow using basic tools.

Iron fusible interfacing onto the back of motifs to give them stability to keep them from stretching. 

PART 1-HOW TO MAKE A QUILT USING UNIFORMS & T SHIRTS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ_1dflR5e4

PART 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY7JH5OWeZs

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You can also see these and other how to craft videos at: FaveCrafts.com. 

FaveCrafts also offers free patterns and ideas from many designers for crochet, knitting, quilting, sewing, beadwork, scrapbooking, needlework, and on and on and on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLnjs9WtcqI

                                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAvsM2smEHY

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So get out those uniforms you have stuck in the back of the closet and see what you can create,

Happy Quilting

Carolyn Wainscott, the quilting granny