do it yourself fabric using fabric scraps - YouTube

do it yourself fabric using fabric scraps - YouTube:



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This is a GREAT video, for stash busting!  The Arttist, whost videos I have been watching  a LOT lately, is AMAZING!!  She has TONS if /DIY videis you ALL need to check her out!!  'fran

I'M TATTING!!!! My very first ring!

Today was a low energy day, so inspired by a vintage tatting shuttle in my case I started watching tatting videos on YouTube.  I have always wanted to tat, since I was a child.  I don't really know why.... I remember a childhood friend, Catherine Thompson, telling me about tatting, and then later my dad picked up a few tatting shuttles in his wanderings.  I don't know how I knew they were tatting shuttles, but I did. Now I have those tatting shuttles, and a few more that have wandered in with sewing supplies, and today finally, a few months before I turn 50, was THE day.

Now, this  may not seem like much, but even after watching a couple of different people explain and show it different ways, it takes some patience and some practice, a bit over an hour, to get this very first ring.  Everyone else in my house is asleep, and I have been neglecting my blog, so here I am, showing the internet my first ring.  I am sure many more will be forthcoming, along with picots and chains, because those are the  only stitches you need in tatting.  But THIS is a BEGINNING. YAY!!

Well, I'm off to practice more rings, and then some sleep.  I will show you more later, hopefully better shots, and more interesting results, but it is a begining!!

Newborn Caps for Baby Dolls by Franstuff | Crocheting Ideas

Newborn Caps for Baby Dolls by Franstuff | Crocheting Ideas:

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This is a review I did on my first crocheted baby hat in oh, 25 years.  It's a 1.00 pattern on Craftsy, and I had fun cranking a couple out for my great nieces baby dolls. I made these smaller to fit the dollies, now I want to make one bigger to fit the niece.

I made a great BIG pillow for my niece, Sofia today.  It's almost 3 feet square, and is all soft and squishy.  I made it from the bag of scraps I had still left over from her quilt.  I had bought the whole bag of flannel at a thrift shop, and there were a bunch of squares cut out, which is what I used up today.  Earlier I made her a twin size quilt and then a baby doll quilt out of some extra blocks. Today I used up the last of that stash of fabric

I had no plan except to make her a pillow. I just started sewing squares together, with some sashing strips, then I had to make the other side as big as the first side.There were lots of different sized squares and I added sashing from a large chunk I had.  I must say it's a little bigger than I meant to make it, but she'll probably like it being big. I really like it...going to be hard to give up.

Here's some pictures of it.

I am really happy with how the pillow turned out, especially since I was really just winging it.  It did give me some practice on matching seams up, which I really need.  Not everything matches, but pillows are very forgiving, and so are 3 year olds!

Still around and Sewing Barefoot!

Ok, I'm still not posting regularly, but I'm working on it.  I have sewn a few pieces of clothing since I posted last.   They have all been upcycling projects, for my granddaughter and grandniece.  

The must recent project was a pair of leggings for my 2 year old niece which I made from a small tshirt which sports a zebra on the front.  The zebra now goes across and around one leg, while the other leg is plain white.  I was hoping to get some of the print on each leg, but the shirt was  to small to give me much choice in placement. I am really happy, they turned out really cute!!

                  
I also made a  a layered ruffle skirt made from parts of 2 different bed skirts, one battenburg lace and the other flowered.  This took much longer than I thought it would, but I have since learned an easier way of construction a ruffle skirt, so next time it should be easier.

My next project is this adorable little tank top made from a lightweight sweatshirt that sported a pretty rose.  I used bias tape around the underarm curve, leaving enough to tie them into bows or knots at her shoulder.  This one was really easy to make.

The final piece is a dress made for my granddaughter out of a beautiful vintage bedsheet.  Unfortunately, she hasn't grown as fast as I thought she would.  It looks like it may fit next year.  I made it from a pattern, which I can't find right this minute or I would give you the number.  It is a simple aline jumper with buttons at the shoulders.  Isn't she just the cutest thing ever?

I have a pile of clothes my 14 year old daughter has outgrown, and I am trying to decide which one to turn into toddler attire next.  Till next time, Fran AKA The Barefoot Seamstress.

The Loss of Kathreen, Founder of Whipup, and her partner...

As many of you may have heard, Kathreen and her partner Rob, both died in a tragic accident while on the trip of a lifetime, with their 2 children and some friends in Australia, last month.

She was a big part of the crafting and creating blogging world, and founder of WhipUp.  Sadly their two much loved children have been left without their parents. Blessedly the children were with people they already knew, and not alone.

There has been a fund set up for the children by Jules, and I am posting a copy of that information here, and also a button that leads to the post.

I know I am in shock, and while I couldn't do a lot, I was able to make a small donation, which if we all donate what we can, will add up to much needed help for these beautiful children.  I am also keeping them in my prayers and thoughts, along with all of the close friends and family who must be just devastated.

This text is from the May 17th post on Whip-Up.

"UPDATE: You can now contribute via PayPal. The email address is otilijaandorlando@gmail.com. Hopefully this will remove some of the international barriers that have been encountered

For Australians :

BSB : 633-000
Account# : 149480667
Account Name : ITF Otilija and Orlando Shugg
Cheques and money orders can be sent to ITF Otilija and Orlando Shugg, PO Box 370, Dickson ACT 2602.

For International Contributions :

Account # : 633000149480667
Swift Code : BENDAU3B (International Banks will require this code)
Account Name : ITF Otilija and Orlando Shugg
Bank Details : Bendigo Bank, 161 London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2602 Australia
International people may require an address for the beneficiaries as well. That is PO Box 370, Dickson ACT 2602 Australia EDIT: Overnight I have been advised that some US banks will not accept a PO Box due to money laundering legislation. The physical address for this account is a home address so please email me procrasticraft at gmail dot com for details should you require this.

Enquiries can be directed to Julie McMahon via email to procrasticraft {at} gmail {dot} com or post to  PO Box 370, Dickson ACT 2602 Australia

*All donations, no matter how big or small are gratefully received. However, due to the cost of bank processing fees, we respectfully request that donations be more than $2 as this is the charge of processing an international transaction. Should international contributors wish to send a cheque (check), the fee for processing charged by the banks in Australia is $10.
^Regrettably, contributions are not tax deductible."

Here is the html for a button that will take you to the page itself on whip up. I don't know if I am doing this right, so I will also post the web page html below and put the button on the side of my blog.  I am kind of a newbie at inserting stuff other than pictures in my posts.

Kathreen Rickertson Memorial

This is the link to the page in bloglovin frame.

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1047119423&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=493165&link=aHR0cDovL3dpbGRvbGl2ZS5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20vMjAxMy8wNS9vbi1sb3NzLW9mLWthdGhyZWVuLmh0bWw&frame=1&click=0&user=0

Blessings to all.  Fran

Sewing again, but missing my sewing kitty...

Pepper was my sewing cat. She was very smart, and had figured out when the light on my Viking was on she could stand on the big foot control and it would go. I learned to turn it off, even if I was just pressing, although I did let her have her fun sometimes -- with no thread. She would step on and off the foot control, over and over and over.... I always tired of it before she did. She also knew it didn't work on my featherweight -- the button you push is to small and hard to press for a cat, and she would have had to figure out just where to step.

Pepper sadly disappeared around Christmas. It is one of the dangers of taking on stay cats out in the country, sometimes you lose them. It's pretty tough to convince a stray or feral cat to become an indoor cat. She would never tolerated it, and everything breakable would have been broken. Pepper couldn't meow, so she would get our attention by taking things.if taking didn't get the proper response, she would start knocking things over;  glasses, jars of buttons, figurines, she'd knock it on the ground while staying right at me. The only expensive thing she broke was the shade to my antique bankers lamp, when she knows something off the bookshelf and onto the lamp. Fortunately I have a persistent antique dealer friend who found me an original replacement. Thank goodness for bartering, cause that shade would have cost over 200 bucks!

I just realized I hadn't seen at all since she disappeared, or blogged, so I got my featherweight out, since my roommate had worked on the bobbin case for me. There was a wee bit of corrosion on the bobbin case, which I was pretty sure was causing the driving problems I had been having. James worked a miracle, I thought I was going to have to supporting for another one. Betty Jean now sews like a dream again!

I still miss Pepper, although we still have our other three helper cats, and my daughter found a nearly starved and obviously abused kitten (we thought) about the weeks after Pepper disappeared. Precious was so tiny we thought she was a kitten, then she doubled in size within a couple of weeks. Her tail had been broken in a couple of places and has nerve damage. She can swish the last four inches of her tail, but from the base to that break she can only stiffly twitch it. Her hindquarters are also shrunken compared to the rest of her. Precious is also terrified of men, she still won't let James pet her very often, although she trusts me enough to let me pick her up, and I don't have to fear blood loss when I pet her. She also lets my daughter pet her, but she is nervous about picking her up.

Precious always sleeps near me, occasionally on me. Sometimes the other cats will pick on her, and I am her savior. They are starting to get the idea that I don't approve. I also with a water sprayer next to me, and I'm not afraid to use it! Our make cat, a big orange tabby, is the worst one about it, but even he's getting the idea. Natural selection doesn't apply to our house. The vet told me someone must have loved her once, or I would have never won her over. We also found out she is 2 or 3 years old and had already been spayed.

We think Cassidy chose her name well, since it isn't likely she would have survived much longer if Cassidy hasn't found her. She's still got some hand ups, kinda like she'll shock, she asks to be let out, but sometimes will still his and growl as I approach the for. I am the only one who she will come to when called. James will see her at the door, but she won't come in, if she's upset, unless I call her. She's also afraid of brooms. The vet said someone probably threw her by her tail, this causing the nerve damage. She's not to sociable with the other cats, especially Teddy. She is starting to tolerate the other two females, and they are starting to accept her.

Precious had no reason to trust humans, but somehow she knew Cassidy was safe, and learned to trust me. She is slowly healing from her trauma, as are some of us. She may never completely calm down, but she has come a long way. We feel her trust and love is a special, precious gift. Tonight she watched me sew a bit, so maybe she can help me to.

May your weekend be peaceful, and you have precious gifts come to you that will help you heal too. We all have a few scars.