enough about the chicken

I'm done with the chicken.
But here is another pic and the linkwhere I got the tutorial from. Yes, it is much fun to make. yes, the children enjoyed playing with them.
I used popcorn in it instead of a dried bean or rice. They are not meant to be heat bags, so I used popcorn in case they should get wet. I mean, imagine, if you used rice or beans and it got wet. It would probably sprout! So popcorn it is.

Now on to this beauty.

The felting is tight and thick. Which leads me to believe that it may have come from Nepal.

Oh look, there are 2 of them!

On a what??@@!!!!!!????!!!

yes, big honkin' orange flowers on purple slippers!

And a nicely done bottom. they do keep the cold out. Do you like my newly sanded and varnished floors? I heart my new floors.

Here's the slipper on my foot. Yes, it's a bit grotesque, but they are mine (only $2.99) and I adore the workmanship. They are loved. :}


Thanks for lookin'
Amanda

chicken teaser

I'm off to rehearsal, but I did manage to make some of these today in my sweltering attic. it was 24 celcius today! That's HOT. Especially for March.
Here's a little teaser...
a chicken teaser.


L8R,
Amanda

Betz's bunny

A few years back, I made some bunnies a la Betz White.
here
and here
Yesterday, I made another with some experimentation in the tail department.


I was going to place a wooden button for the eye, but I lost it here. boo hiss.

So here is the bunny with the looooong tail and no eye. yet.

It was different to work with a sweater compared to the fleece. I'm glad my sewing machine can get through the wool smoothly. like cutting butter.

It's a lovely spring day here today. There are children on my deck soaking the sun, a girlie happily painting a picture with watercolours and a mama who is turning the other direction from the mess. I may have to vacuum though before I go out. I do like to come home to a clean floor.!
have a good one.
Amanda

Hello Dolly

If you're local, come see me in Scarborough Choral Onstage Production of Hello Dolly
info here
We're heavy into rehearsal with next week being dark week. In layman terms: every night spent in the dark of the theatre, running the show with tech rehearsal, dress rehearsal, cue to cue, run, run and stop, etc.
It's a great show. Lots of funny lines that had me snorting a bit in rehearsal. Not too embarrassing, I was sitting in a corner. Surrounded only by friends who know my little charming trait.
I'll post some pics next week.
Cheers,
Amanda

Blue alien in an orange spaceship

Last summer, I made a bunch of these little felties for wee friends.
One little boy has been patiently waiting for the spaceship to go with it. Last week, i got down to business and made one.

I left the opening at the top for the alien to get in. It has to be fairly wide to fit his head in.

Since I didn't have an alien to judge the size of spaceship, I had to make a new alien. Ol' bluey.

Now they will have to go in the mail. I forgot to bring the gift with me. Boo Hiss.


have a good one,
Amanda

stuff

This weekend, I taught the kids how to knit. Or I should say, I put the bug in them and they are taking it as they can. Neve is knitting a scarf for her doll. Rafael is knitting a dish cloth. Neve is slow and steady, going for quality. Rafael has the movements down pretty smoothly, but has, well, let's just say he's going for quantity. I'm not sure how well that cloth will wash dishes with all the holes in it, but it is making a little giggle fest for daddy and me.
Yesterday, he picked up the knitting and said he had a little problem. The yarn was so tangled and wrapped around itself.

I think he dropped a few stitches! I managed to fix that part, but then had to deal with all the strands of yearn that he had knit into the cloth. And then I had to fit the whole ball of yarn through a teeny hole. It was a good laugh.

In other happenings...
12 years ago, I met my husband. 12 years ago, I stopped doing musical theatre. Life took over. Well, this year, I'm doing it again. I'm having a blast! Singing with Scarborough Choral Society. We're doing Hello Dolly. I'll add more details later for local folks who are interested in going.
As a cast member of the show, we have to help with the sets. I grabbed my friend and daughter and went to check it out. It was purple day.

Neve and I went back again today and painted the trap door. Fun.
While sitting in rehearsal in "Hurry up and wait" mode, I made some alterations to a jacket I will be wearing.

My tip to you... Don't sew a coat on your lap while you're watching a rehearsal.

I had sewed my coat to my skirt! We quietly had a good chuckle over it. But when I cut the the thread pictured here, I pulled up the coat and realized that I had sewed the whole coat to my red costume skirt. Well, then there was gut busting laughter. You know the kind where your eyes tear up and you stifle a snort or 2, but you can't make any noise, lest you disturb the rehearsal!
Yep, having some fun.

Ciao,
Amanda

colour and sweets

The grade 7s at our school had a bake sale today. And since I haven't been crafting lately, other than finishing my socks and waiting to cast on some more, I'll show you some sugar. And Colour for these blah spring-like days.


I love these signs. Amazing what a bit of colour wash can do to bring focus to a poster.


Here's the table in action. When I could get to it. It was a mob. A swarm. A pack o fun.

How's this for colour?

And now for some close ups:
Caramel Cheesecake bites.

sugar cookies

star sprinkles

Dirty face. We had a bit of a sugar crash on the way home. Followed by a good lunch.


Hope you find some colour and sweet in your day,
Amanda

another doll coat

Remember this coat?

Well, I made one in red. For a birthday present.

This one is for a smaller doll. All i did was cut some length off the bottom and the sleeves.

And a purse of course! The fancy stitch is something from my machine. I think it's a stretch stitch for stretchy fabrics.


Made from a repurposed wool coat. The pretty blue and red coat fabrics are practically all gone. I just bought a camel coloured one to make a few more coats.
Have a good one.
Amanda

red sock, bluey greeny sock

I finished my red pair of socks

Then I promptly started a new one in this varigated wool.

It's so much fun. Now to start the next one and to really knit the pair I want to. Self striping yarn. whoot.

Salvation Army Thrift shop had a 50% off sale today. So of course, me and my ladies had to go!
Some good sweaters were had....


Can you see this as a few pairs of mittens? The colours are not showing true. There is a bit of neon yellow in there which throws me off, but I'm sure it will be fine in a mitten.

And I just HAD to get this awesome fabric. It is in the shape of a scrub shirt. The front has pockets, but the back is all plain. No interruptions. It will be fun to make a kid's toy with this one.


Have a good one,
Amanda

scrap bunting

Today's guest tutorial is by Rafael.

The scrap bunting

First you pick out your basket of square scraps.

Lift the foot, put your square like a diamond and sew.

When you get to the end, lift the foot and put a new square in. Put the foot down and sew again.

Keep adding squares.

Keep feeding more in until ...

you get a lot.

Then you can hang them up or wear them!



This project has been an easy, successful one for my boy who wants to sew on the machine. And the other thing that makes it a success is my new machine.
I've taught him how to sew on my old machine. It was quite the process of turning the wheel, making sure the needle was always down before you turned the fabric to go around a corner. AND, don't forget to lift the foot first. This time, my machine makes it easier with an option of having the needle end up or down. Every time. So now, he just has to lift the foot and slip the new square in.
Also, the 3 speed variables is great for learning. No worrying about sewing into the fingers with a heavy foot. On the slow setting, the kids can get a feel of the machine and to control the fabric as it goes through. Half way through making 4 of these strings of squares, he increased the speed as his confidence grew.

Another great thing about this project, it is easy and enticing enough for his sister to want to make one for her friend. And while I'm writing this, he's teaching her. ahhhhh, hear that? 2 kids getting along. Creating, sharing, teaching and learning. How nice is that for a Saturday afternoon?

Now, if I can just find something else for them to do. I miss my machine.

ciao,
Amanda