battgirl

garden disco

2011-12-02T23:15:00.000-06:00

The garden disco ornament will make a great holiday gift for the gardeners and porch sitters in your life. It would also look lovely hanging indoors until spring. My inspiration was my neighbor's homemade disco garden ornament that entranced my mother last summer.

I have seen other versions of this decoration where the mirrors form a near-perfect spiral. The ornaments I made are asymmetrical and a bit chunky.

I have come to love projects that can be completed in one afternoon, and I made for of these in just a few hours.

I have not provided quantities in my instructions, because you can decide the number of strings as well as the size and proportions that you would like to make your ornament.

Supplies
Monofilament fishing line
Jute, string, or ribbon (if your hanger does not already have a string)
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks*
Hanger of some kind, vintage bed spring, ornament, etc.
Beads
Mirrors, round, square, or oval; 1", 2", or 3"

Possible hangers

Beads and mirrors

Steps
1. Plug in your glue gun.

2. Cut as many long pieces of monofilament as you intend to use.

3. String beads onto the monofilament, leaving some line empty to make room for the mirrors.

4. Decide where you would like to add a mirror between your beads and separate the beads. Lay one mirror face down on the table under the filament line, and have your second mirror ready.

5. Add a drop of hot glue to the mirror on the table and place the second mirror on the hot glue.

6. Once you have added all of the beads and mirrors that you want, tie knots at each end of the line. I tied these through the final beads. The top of the line will be attached to your ornament. At the bottom of the line I made a long tale below the knot and secured it with more mirrors.

7. Attached the lines to your ornament. You might find it helpful to balance the ornament by hanging the ornament to attach the lines.

8. The final step is to attach something to the top of the ornament for hanging it.

Let the disco begin!

*I can not promise that hot glue will hold up through hot weather, rain, ice, or snow.

stocking advent calendar

2011-11-26T10:30:00.001-06:00

Last year I had a hard time finding the right advent calendar, so I made a clothesline of stockings. There are many variations on this, I have seen paper bags, paper cones, and small boxes. I selected socks including adult sized, holiday-themed and ones that will fit my son throughout the new year.

Supplies
24 socks
24 treats, toys, candy, coins
24 numbered labels (optional)
removable adhesive utility hooks
decorative wire or ribbon
clothes pins
decorations (optional)

The rest is simple, hang the wire, fill the socks, and enjoy the countdown.

greeting card ornaments

2011-11-18T21:00:00.000-06:00

I remember making these great paper balls in the fourth grade. I was excited to see the instructions in an issue of Martha Stewart Living. You can use any kind of card stock including wedding or shower invitations, birthday cards, or post cards.

These paper balls look nice on a Christmas tree or collected in a bowl or glass jar. You can make extras for your friends and family to help them remember your special occasion or to mark their own.

Enjoy!

messenger bags for kids

2010-12-16T20:39:00.012-06:00

Last Christmas I needed some fun gifts for a few cool kids. Luckily I found these GREAT instructions from Lang Lang Creations for sewing messenger bags. Lang Lang made the bags from a pair of old jeans. I made bags from fabric I had on hand and old camo pants. They were a HUGE hit - thanks Lang Lang!

The instructions are easy to follow with some great photos to help you along. If you are making bags for kids older than two or three, I suggest that you add some length to the strap. I hope that you and your little ones enjoy!

inspiration

2010-10-17T18:36:00.037-05:00

I have always been inspired and grounded by the amazing women in my family. Most of them have had a career outside of the home while mastering the domestic arts. My womenfolk do not call attention to their gardening, baking, cooking, sewing, quilting, crocheting, canning, fruit preserves, entertaining, parenting, and writing of poetry, these acts are simply a natural part of daily life. I have been blessed by their skill and their attitude that making things from scratch or whole cloth is easy and rewarding. They seamlessly weave Martha Stewart grandeur into their family life. Their motivation is a mixture of family tradition, quality, economics, and geography (rural availability).

In August my family lost our matriarch and domestic goddess extraordinaire. Granny was very loved, young, and energetic - she worked 40 hours a week on her feet through her second chemo treatment. Her brief 5 month illness makes her absence seem absolutely impossible.

During one of our summer visits Granny held my most recent crafts projects in her hands. this has made the next project difficult to start. I know that the best way to honor her and to carry on our domestic tradition is to try to live up to grace, humility, and universal talent at all things crafty.

Granny worked as a seamstress in a small town and ingeniously finessed mass-manufactured clothing to fit her neighbors, friends, and family. Over the years scores of prom gown clad teenagers paraded to her home to show off her master work. During one of our last visits she told me a story about one of her customer that brought in her teenager's new, very raggedy pair of jeans. The customer wanted a repair of the split seam at the ankle, but Granny spent hours patching ALL of the tears, cuts, and holes that were part of the original design!

Granny was the foundation and glue of our loud and obnoxious brood. I will miss her sense of easy humor, unwavering optimism, and kind advice. My mother often complains that sewing talent skips a generation. True or not I will accept the suggestion with honor. Thank you for everything, Granny!

My most recent projects
I made gifts for two sweet babies from adorable Michael Miller fabrics. The backs of both blankets are a colorful stripe, the front of one is made from an adorable bird fabric, and the other a great graphic bee fabric. I finished both blankets with pre-made brown satin blanket binding.

I also made a polka dotted corduroy teddy bear to go with the bird blanket.

I had no part in the bear's BEAUTIFUL home. (XOXO, sweet cousins)

blankies & bears

2010-05-22T23:38:00.001-05:00

The only thing sweeter than a handmade baby blanket and teddy bear is the sweet bebe that loves them.

I love a squishable teddy bear. This pattern is simple and plush Simplicity 9524 Crafts. You will need to choose fabric, eyes, ribbon, embroidery thread for the nose, and stuffing. If you select a furry fabric, as a finishing touch use a needle to carefully pull hair out of the seams.

For the blanket, I pick two fabrics that I would love to have and to hold for myself. For the top you can use a solid fabric or you could piece the top in as many designs as can be imagined.

one of my favorites so far

For extra silkiness the fabric on the blanket back could be satin. If you choose satin, I recommend the flannel back satin at Joann's, it is dreamy. I prefer a lightweight batting and satin binding. If you are feeling brave, you can make your own binding, or you can buy a wide pre-made blanket binding. I usually make my own because of color selection, but it is much easier to use the pre-made.

The blanket is simple. First, cut the front and back into a square (grab one corner at the salvage and cut edge and fold it toward the opposite salvage into a large triangle until it looks even). Cut the batting to the same size. Lay the blanket parts in their finished order: top right side down, batting, back right side up. Pin the layers at the edge and then stitch around each edge. There is usually a bit of shifting, so take a moment to cut the edges to clean them up. Then apply the binding, making certain to miter the corners. My favorite description for mitering (and most other sewing) is in the Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (the Vogue Sewing Book is also a great one, I have the 1970 edition, I am sure it has been update). You may choose to tie the quilt with yarn or embroidery floss, but it is really not necessary because of the size.

Have fun making a blankie and bear for someone you love.

winter wool play

2010-02-13T13:44:00.018-06:00

There is still plenty of cold weather for more wool play. Here are a few of my projects that include felted wool with wool needle felted details.

Felting wool is process of compressing or matting fibers into a new dense wool fabric. You essentially lose the distinction of knits and purls. You may created felt by accident by running a sweater through the washer and dryer. The teddy bear below was made from my sweater that after a trip through the laundry would not have fit my 2-year old! You must start with fabric that is 100% wool, and it can be new knitting or second hand sweaters. I prefer recycling, all of these projects were made from second hand sweaters.

Needle felting is the process of using special needles to incorporate wool roving (not-yet-spun wool) into wool felt. Martha Stewart called needle felting "the new glitter" (that is before she brought glitter back with a vengeance). Needle felting is lots of fun and instantly satisfying. The needles are sharp, but older kids could enjoy.

So get our your wool and play before spring arrives!

In order to maximize the fabric, I disassemble the sweater before running it through the washer, removing arms and separating front and back. How to felt wool:
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/2259/how-to-felt-sweaters

http://www.woolcrafting.com/how-to-felt-wool.html

Needle felting tutorial. You can purchase a wool felting kit with a range of needles and a bit of square foam to felt on. I was inspired by this amazing wool artist featured on Martha Stewart:
http://rosensweet.com/sarah/index.shtml

Teddy bear for Max. The bear was made from a wool sweater. The pattern is Simplicity 9524 reduced by 75%. I love this pattern and have made several in the full size, but needed to reduce it due to the size of the sweater. His eyes and nose are needle felted.

Blanket for Audrey. The squares of this blanket are made from two different sweaters. The flower in the middle is needle felted. The binding is satin piping, and the back is solid satin.

Christmas stockings for my family. These stockings are made from secondhand store sweaters. The ribbing at the top of the stockings is from the neck and waistband of the sweater (no hem required). For reinforcement I lined the stockings with a cute winter print.

for baby

for daddy

for mama

marimekkoesque animal rug

2009-11-21T15:15:00.005-06:00

I found this great large graphic fabric at Ikea. The "Inger" line seems to be Marimekko inspired. I knew that I wanted to make a rug for my son's room, but a square or rectangular shape seemed too simple. While reading "Good Night Moon" it hit me - animal skin rug. The species is unclear - the final shape was inspired by the fabric's print more than an animal.

I folded the fabric in half (wrong sides together), and with a fabric pen outlined the shape of an animal. After I cut the print piece, I kept it folded in half, and laid it on top of the canvas backing also folded in half. I cut around the print animal as a pattern. Then I sewed the front to the back, right sides together, leaving a section open for turning. After pressing the seams, I top-stitched around the edge, closing the final bit with the top-stitch. It was a simple project that only took a couple of hours. I love the rug.

kicky curtains III

2009-10-31T12:54:00.013-05:00

My third and final post about funky drapes - tradition with a twist. These shantung curtains were much cheaper than they appear. I got the primary green fabric at Hancock on sale, and the lining is an inexpensive cotton. It is another example of mixing fabrics, textures, color, and pushing scale. What really amps up the luxury of these drapes is the way that they are hung.

I originally made these drapes for a dining room filled with windows. The wall paint almost matched the green fabric exactly, so I chose the mustard lining as a bold accent color. The shantung is woven from green and yellow fibers, so the mustard is a great compliment. I especially love the way the curtains look when sunshine makes the mustard color glow through the green.

From the front these drapes look like your grandma's drapes complete with traverse rod and hooks, but the application is much easier. I got the idea from a set of drapes we purchased from Pottery Barn. On the back of the drapes, a couple of inches from the top, I have applied wide tabs a few inches apart. This creates more dramatic pleats than you get from a rod pocket. I stabilized the top with some heavy canvas, both inside the curtain and inside the tabs. Enjoy!

creamy chocolate soy ice cream

2009-10-10T18:36:00.000-05:00

I have tried many recipes for non-dairy ice cream like tofu, coconut milk, gelatin. In an effort to create yummy, rich, creamy ice cream I have tried everything from lots of eggs to vegetable oil. I finally found the key (minus the cholesterol) in one of my many vintage cookbooks. In the 1950’s cookbook “Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook” under the section titled “Refrigerator Desserts” there is a recipe for “Custard for Ice Cream.” I have adapted the recipe substituting soy milk for cow’s milk, and I have added chocolate.

Enjoy!

1 Cup chocolate chips
melt in a double boiler and cool

2 Cups vanilla soy milk, scalded
1 Cup sugar,
Dash salt
2 ½ Tablespoons flour

Mix sugar, salt, and flour; add to soy milk.

Cook mixture in double boiler until thick , stir often
(I had better luck cooking this in our heavy sauce pan than with the double boiler. If you get lumps strain the mixture before chilling.)

Chill in refrigerator until needed. The mixture may separate in the fridge, simply remix.

Once the milk mixture is chilled, fold in
½ Cup soy milk
1 ½ Teaspoon vanilla

Freeze in ice cream maker according to directions.

Makes 1 pint

kicky curtains II

2009-10-03T13:29:00.021-05:00

As I promised some more of my funky drapes - tradition with a twist. I have moved a lot in recent years. Each time we sell a house, I do not include the curtains! It is not always readily apparent how I might use them again, but curtains are easily manipulated to suit a new space. These brown velvet curtains have lived a single foyer window, a double bedroom window, and now a double dining room window. These were the first curtains I made with a grand, heavy theatre curtain in mind. It is another example of mixing fabrics, textures, color, and pushing scale.

I found both of these great fabrics on sale. The front is a heavy brown velvet and the lining is a beautiful silk shantung. The shantung fabric is woven from blue and green-yellow fibers. I love to use this kind of fabric as color inspiration for the entire room.

The unique feature of these curtains is an alternative tie-back. By adding a large fabric-covered button to the back side of the curtains at the point of tie-back, the drapes can be hung with the lining exposed (see image below). I made a very small fabric loop to catch the button and hang it over the metal hook. This is a dramatic way to hang the curtains and a great shot of color. I also made more traditional tie-backs from the brown velvet so that depending on the application, I have a choice in hanging them.

I generally hang curtains above the window to help accentuate a high ceiling, or to make a low ceiling feel higher. Regardless, these curtains are long enough to pool at the hemline.

I originally made the curtains for the foyer of a house we remodeled in Salt Lake City. The window was a southern exposure, so these heavy drapes helped to diffuse the harsh, hot sun. I found a beautiful silk sheer to hang with the drapes (10% of original cost at Anthropologie). The ivory and brown sheer had a great single-image print of some birds in tress. Unfortunately, a couple of years in this window damaged the fabric to the point that it was brittle, and our cat shredded the sheers in pursuit of an Anole Texas lizard.

Next the curtains hung in our guest bedroom.

Now the drapes have made it to our dining room.

Buying nice fabric can be expensive. These curtains have stood up well for five years, and I expect I will have them hanging somewhere in the house until they fall apart. So buy some fabric and have some fun!

for the record

2009-09-20T22:33:00.002-05:00

I was the battgirl project before Antonio Ballatore won Design Star!

kicky curtains I

2009-09-19T15:29:00.041-05:00

I love to make funky drapes - tradition with a twist. Curtains can make a big impact in any space. For boldness, I like to mix fabrics, textures, color, and push scale. The first time I attended the opera, I was as mesmerized by the curtains that bejeweled the theatre as the performers on stage.

Over the next few posts I will share a couple of ideas with you. First, our bedroom curtains.

Our bedroom is in the upper half story. The attic ceiling shape has more corners, angles, and hard lines than most rooms, so I wanted something to soften the space. I was imaging a plush quilt. I had to come up with a way to hang the thick curtains over the rod. At the time we were remodeling, and shopping daily for supplies and decorating inspiration. I fell in love with some green glass knobs that I just had to incorporate somewhere. Now they hold up the curtains and add a touch of glamour. (We also used a larger version for our closet doors.)

I constructed the curtains from a heavy linen with a lining of quilted fabric. For extra volume I added a layer of canvas and a layer of batting just at the top. I continued the quilted fabric on the bottom of the front to echo the room's baseboards. We matched our paint color, including floor, to the curtain fabrics. The thick, heavy curtains do a great job of keeping out light. When they are open, full sheers gently defuse the light.

Note the great curtain rod I found at Restoration Hardware. Unfortunately it has been discontinued, and although I have hunted I have not come across anything similar.

The backside of a glass knobs - it is threaded through two grommets several inches apart. Before you go to all the work of putting your grommets on, make certain that the knob will fit through your grommet and the screw head will not come back through.

I bought a tool to cut circles in felt and it works magnificently to make holes for grommets - eliminating the raggedy, uneven edges from trying to use scissors.

Note that when you are working with prints, your finished project will look much better if the print matches from one piece to the next. This is true for fashion sewing as well. You will have to purchase extra fabric to do this.

I love to find great treasures like these lily tiebacks.

tree

2009-08-30T17:50:00.006-05:00

Our son has a small dormer room. The colors were inspired by an alphabet poster - blue, orange, and gray. We found some funky vinyl wall art on Etsy and put it up today. It was pretty easy. Thankfully the design we chose was forgiving - not all cubes are straight, but the curved corners make this less noticeable.

Tree is from
bubbaanddoodle.etsy.com

The owl and bees (caterpillar and bird are going on our cars :)
elephanie.com

Here are a few pics -

mossy tied quilt

2009-08-24T18:48:00.014-05:00

I had been wanting to make a quilt for our bedroom, but with a toddler in the house it seemed like a desire for another day. Purl Soho and the Purl Bee to the rescue with a simple and beautiful pattern. Toddler or not, you have to love a big project simplified.

My inspiration
Molly's Sketchbook: Sunny Tied Quilt

My mossy homage

I used mostly prints from Amy Butler and found some other great items at Purl Soho and QuiltHome.com. (QuiltHome.com has an amazing "design cart" feature that makes online shopping easy.)

I have been sewing for several decades now, and found one of the best bits of advice in the Purl Bee instructions - I have included it here (visit the site for more info)

Since none of these strips have to fit together in an precise way (except of course that they must lay flat) you don't need to use pins for this part... it's one of the reasons this this such a quick project!

To sew, lightly pinch the fabric together before it goes under the needle as shown above. Keep the bottom fabric peeking out from behind the top fabric to ensure that you are sewing through both layers. Sew with a 1/4-inch seam allowance (from the top fabric). The strips should stay together without much coaxing, but go slowly at first until you get the hang of it.
Cheers and happy (easy) quilting!!!

hello hello

2009-08-23T00:09:00.001-05:00

I am finally joining the party . . .
so that I might share a few of my favorite things.