We had an absolute WONDERFUL time on out trip to Hawaii. It was so nice to see Megan and her family and our beach cottage at Turtle Bay Resort was HEAVEN. I really don't think I've ever been anywhere so beautiful. I'll do a post with pictures on that on my other blog one of these days.
In the mean time, I have been sewing some things. I'll work backwards - today I made a pencil case for Alyssa (our oldest granddaughter who turned 10 in February). She needed one to put in her binder, so I looked on Pinterest and found this tutorial. (You have to log in to get it, but it's a good tute.) As usual, I didn't make mine exactly like the tute, but the only thing I changed was how I did the zipper. Mine is how I make cosmetic bags and I think looks a little better. Since I don't have a really fancy sewing machine (yet) that does cool names, I just used the Bernina that was my MIL's.
It turned out pretty good. I think she'll like it. The only thing I should have done differently is make the buttonholes on the bottom a little bigger. But I can always make them bigger if she wants me to.
I had to make a quick trip to Nebraska to see my FIL. He's been diagnosed with an Aortic Aneurysm. Since he's 78 and pretty hard of hearing, we thought someone needed to go to his Dr. appts with him. Since Todd's brother and his wife both work full time, and Todd's our only breadwinner, I thought I better be the one to go. I was there a week so decided to make myself a flannel pillowcase to take along!
I had bought the fabric at JoAnn's a while ago and didn't know exactly what I'd make with it. (I do that a lot - expecially with sewing themed fabric.)
While emptying Todd's truck one weekend when he was home, I noticed that his blue jean comforter is looking a little ragged, so I made him a new one. Used lots of old jeans, then also added a few squares of clothes that were his mom's and grandmother's that were left over from the Memory Quilts I made back in 2010 after they passed away.
This one is REALLY heavy!!! But that's good, since he goes through lots of snow in the winter.
And finally, I made some more belly bands for Brute. The first ones I made I used velcro to close them, but he figured out that he can go underneath the couch and get them off. So I had to figure out how to make some that he can't do that anymore. I made them long and used elastic and buttons to close them. I had some plastic that was sandwiched between flannel (so they don't soak through), so layered that and old towels or terry cloth. I figured out that it was much easier to make the inside layers, sew them with my serger, then make the covers a little larger and slip the inside layers inside. I topstiched all the way around to keep the inside layers from turning. I also used a different flannel for the side that goes to his body so it's easy to identify.
These are the first ones:
Then I did a few that are a little longer. (But these need the buttons adjusted - they are too loose and he gets out of them, too.)
Outside:
Inside:
I now have enough that I do a load in the washer when almost all of them are dirty. He'll be celebrating his 12th birthday in August, so he's getting old. :(
One last project isn't a sewing project, but an addition to my desk in the office. It's an "Ikea hack". I saw some of them on Pinterest and decided that was what I needed. I purchsed a plain "Billy" bookcase, but had Todd cut it into three different pieces. We put each piece together, then put the largest piece on it's side an attached it to the two smaller pieces and ended up with LOTS more storage!!!! I'm hoping I have time sometime this summer to paint both the desk and the bookcase so that they match.
(I know, what a mess on my desk. You'd think I'd now have room for everything so I could clean off the top, but I'm waiting for another phone call from my FIL and I'll have to leave to go to Nebraska again.)
Anyway, sorry it took me so long to get another post done. I do have a few more projects that I've made but haven't taken pictures yet. So keep checking back!!!!!
