Sew Crafty Friday

Please visit Shereen's blog (see my sidebar). Sew Crafty Friday isn't up yet--it's early, but you can see how cute her dog RJ is...and I hope that SCF is there later on!

Here are some more St. Pat's things I've made. The potholder on top is a recent project. The back is a plain square of the darker green and the front is just two rectangles sewn together. I free-hand drew the shamrock for the applique, and I made the bias binding. I had bought some insulated batting* for the middle. It makes a pretty thin potholder, but is good for taking things out quickly from the oven, like cookies. If I need to hold something a little longer, I just double-up and use 2 potholders. (*A great investment--one package will make many projects!)

I did the pillows a few years ago. I had a pattern for those shamrocks, which is why they look so much nicer, LOL!

The heart-shaped pillow was the easiest thing to make. You start with a square, then draw two round bumps around two sides. The way I did it was to sew the heart together, then use that to trace a plain heart for the back.

And, btw, you can see that a shamrock is nothing more than 3 hearts put together! So all you really need to do is trace a Valentine's heart 3 times. Or you can get 3 heart-shaped pieces (wood, styrofoam, whatever), glue them together and paint them or wrap them in fabric and you have a St. Pat's decoration!

St. Pat's Apron

Note from mom2fur: I'm so happy to report (thanks for the info, Nanci!) that Shereen is back with "Sew Crafty Friday." You can link there from my sidebar. I hope others will join in the fun, too--you don't have to sew, just be crafty!

One thing that's nice about being snowed in, with no obligation to go places, is you get time to finish something or other. My something or other is this St. Pat's apron. I have an apron I bought several years ago that is flattering on me. It's kind of scooped around the bottom, then it tapers up to the waistline. So I traced around it on this shamrock fabric. I left off a bottom ruffle, which is very pretty but more work than I wanted to do for something I'll only wear one month out of the year.
The binding around the color is bias tape I made myself. I got the idea from "Sewing with Nancy." You just line up strips of scrap fabric, sew them together, then cut them on the bias. If you have an apron you love that lays nice and flat (no gathers, I mean), you could also trace off a pattern from it.

I'm off in a little while to get my hair done--my husband pays for the whole thing every 6 weeks. Isn't he something?

Snow More, please

All right, I know it's still officially winter, but I've had enough of snow! We've got 10 inches on the ground today and it's still coming down.

Oh, well, at least I don't have to go anywhere. I've got banana bread baking in the oven and I'm working on a new apron for St. Patrick's Day. I was really happy when I was putting away Valentine's goodies that I found a box marked "Spring Fabric." Wahoo! Not only were there some pretty ones with flowers (like tulips) and some cheerful pastels, but I bought 3 yards of shamrock fabric on sale last year! I'm making a full apron and some potholders with it, and I'm sure there will be other projects. Don't you love it when you take out a box and find things you bought on sale a year ago, but forgot?

It's almost like a gift!

Hope everyone is warm and safe.