Fun Applique Tees for James

A few nights ago my fun friend and craft neighbor Flannery invited me over to do some appliqued t-shirts. Let's just say that after I finished the first one I was HOOKED!

The first one I made was this fun lowercase j for James. The shirt is from Target ($6) and the applique fabric is from one of Flan's husband's old seersucker shirts. (Thanks Garland!)


We just found a font that we liked in word, printed out the letters (a few hundred times) to get them the right size, cut them out, traced them on heat 'n bond that was ironed to the wrong side of the applique fabric, cut the letter out, ironed it on to the shirt and then zi-zag stitched around it!

One of the reasons I love my sewing sessions with Flan is that I learn a lot. This time I learned three important things:

1. She has a self-threading needle doo-hickey on her machine. Grrrr . . . why don't I have that???

2. Once you iron the Heat 'n Bond to the wrong side of the fabric you have to peel away some paper stuff to then affix the applique to the shirt when you iron it. (Thus "Heat" and "Bond" DUH. (Stephanie--not sure how those applique onesies I made you are holding up . . . LOL)

3. Flan showed me that if you kine up the edge of the applique with the inside right edge of the sewing foot, the zig zag stitch will perfectly overlap the teeniest bit right to the edge of the applique (see poorly-drawn diagram below)


So needless to say, after that first "j" shirt I became a sewing fool. You know how I get obsessed. Like with the Ruffle Shirts. I couldn't make just one ruffle shirt. OH NO. I had to make 8. Well, it was no different this time. I made four shirts for James, one for Ella, and two for my youngest nephews.

Here is a #4 shirt for James (I was pretty happy when he asked if he could wear it on his first day of school!)


Remember the 80s Solar System curtain panel fabric project? Well I made a shirt from that, too!


Here are some shirts I made for my littlest nephews, Garrin and Matthew and one for James. I found these long -sleeved t-shirts at Old Navy for $6.


I found this great tough-guy but still cute for a little boy fabric for the appliques. Just look at that precision stitching. I know! I can't believe it either!


Here's James on the first day of school in his #4 shirt. I just love that I made him something special that no one else had!


This post is part of a few link up parties. Go and visit!

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake

For today's link up party I decided to blog about my favorite baked good--Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake! My Mom made it every year for my birthday.


She used a recipe from Marjorie Standish's Keep Cooking the Maine Way. I blogged about Mrs. Standish's cookbooks here.


This is unbelievably moist. I think it's due to the fact that you separate the eggs first, whip the whites with some sugar and then fold them into the batter at the very end.


The cream cheese frosting is out of this world--and so simple to make! I could never eat it out of a can when I know how amazing this frosting is. (Oh, and I double the cream cheese and the butter but I use less sugar.)


Sometimes I make two 8 inch rounds, other times I just use a sheet pan. That's what I did this time around.


Yum! Make one--and if you do, let me know how you like it! (I think I have one piece left--breakfast, anyone?)

Please go visit these fun link parties for more great recipes and crafting ideas! And don;t forget to follow me and leave me a comment.

Thanks!

I'm A Finalist in the Great Ugly Knit Upcycle!

Blog friends I REALLY need your help--

My Toddler Dress Tutorial was picked as a finalist in a national upcycling sewing contest!

(It's gotta be because my model is so dang cute!)

Click this link and vote for me--Finalist #7!

If I win I will get a Singer 2932 Sewing Machine!

Thanks everyone!

Here are the fun link parties that I am participating in today!

I am also playing with a blog hop today!

Allison

A Little Friday Love for My Antique Bench

One of my most prized possessions is my antique bench.


Just ask my husband. We have moved out West and back in the 12 years that I have owned it, and it was lovingly wrapped with layer upon layer of bubble wrap and moving blankets, swaddled like a newborn each trip.


The bench was a present from my parents. What a gift! I look at it every day and I think of them. I think of the day I walked into the shop and it was sitting there, adorned with white ribbons and vintage silk roses, waiting for me.


How old is it? I don;t really know. Deacon's bench? Parson's bench? Just a bench? I don't know. It is one of those things that I should have asked my Mom while I still could. Where did she get it? Not sure. I will need to ask my Dad when I talk to him this weekend. Then I will post back about what he says. My guess? They found it at a flea market or an estate sale. I am sure it came out of a sweet New England farm house.


I love the little details. The patina. The craftsmanship.


The antique hardware.


I have it filled with pillows made from beautiful carpet or quilt or homespun remnants.


It is simply beautiful and it brings me such pleasure.


Won't you come and sit enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation with me?

What is your most prized vintage or antique piece?

This post is a part of:

A Little Twisted Vintage Golden Book Humor

I am so fortunate in that my Dad sends James and Ella storybooks that he finds at the flea market. Boxes and boxes of books arrive from Maine for the kids, and we never know what we might find inside. Sometimes there is a real gem, like this sweet Golden Book, "My Baby Sister."


Awww, how sweet. Don't you love her little push cart, her Mary Janes, the bear. Adorable!

What? You didn't notice what the real title is?



That's right. Somebody decided a better name for the story would be "My Baby Sister Smells." I tried to change the contrast in the photo so you can really see it.

I was laughing out loud when I discovered it. I had just sat down, gotten all cozy with the kids to read the book. Little did I know that I was in for a twisted surprise.


Let's start right inside the first page, with this adorable little girl holding her dear teddy bear:


Oh boy.


Looks innocent enough, but then you have to put the book right up to your nose and start reading those little conversation bubbles that some child started adding to each page.


Here Baby Sister is saying "I killed the bear." Oh my. Someone has some anger issues.


Here big brother is feeding the kittens. But someone has written "How can they eat pewk." NICE.


Here's another page about sweet Big Brother putting on a puppet show for Baby Sister.


"I'm going to EAT you" it says.


Here's a classic early look at brother sister relationships!


Here was my first hint that the bubbles were written pre-1970. I mean, who says "fink" anymore?


Here's my favorite page, and the one that really brings this child's twisted humor to light.


"Let's kill the dog and bury it." and "I'll bury you alive." Does that one make you as uncomfortable as it does me? Well, in between bouts of snorting laughter, I mean.


Here Big Brother says "I'm going to tip the table over."


Awww . . . if this is any indication of how teddy bears were treated in this child's home, I feel bad for the poor things! "I'll pull it's leg off." and "Leave him alone!"

So who do we think was the owner of this book, back in 1958?


Oh, Becky. Dear, dear girl. I hope you aren't locked up in a women's penitentiary right now, serving time for some unimaginable crime. And little did you know that as a little girl you would have provided us with so much fun 52 YEARS LATER!

Hmm, UNLESS this was done by poor Becky's older brother, in an attempt to further terrorize her when tipping the tea table, teasing the kittens and pulling arms off teddy bears wasn't enough!

Okay, hope you enjoyed that little blast from the past. I'm off to look through the hundred or so other Golden Books I have for another gem!