Saturday, April 30, 2011

Sew Something New - Doll Dresses

Sew Something New Friday
For "Sew Something New" Friday.....err, Saturday... we happened to have two sweet little girls visiting with us (who also happen to be twins). Both of the girls absolutely love their American Girl Dolls! They love the books about them too, and I was amazed at how they knew the stories of each one and would describe their personalities (the characters) to a T. Since they love their dolls so much, I just knew I had to make something for their dolls. So, I made them both little dresses out of their choice of fabric!

The first chose zebra print and lilac fabric....


And the second chose a blue fabric with white and yellow flowers print and yellow with white polka dots....

You can't see the pocket very well b/c of the sunlight, but it's in the same yellow with polka dots print as the sash.


They were fun to make and I enjoyed seeing the girls enjoying them so much!! Thanks for the inspiration girls! :o)




Friday, April 15, 2011

Sew Something New Friday - Cornhole Bags

Sew Something New Friday

Lately sewing something new has been far from my mind! But several orders filled later, I'm ready to work on something new again. Cornhole bags are not necessarily a brand new sewing adventure for me, but they are still pretty new.

It all started when my brother asked me to make cornhole bags for him. Now I admit I had no idea what "cornhole" even was....let alone cornhole bags! But he was sweet and sent me some directions to make them, and I took it from there to do my research on them. (By the way, when I started sewing, I had no idea any type of "research" would be required). I found out from various websites that cornhole is a game played much like a bean bag toss game but slightly more complicated (find actual description here). I also found from my research that "regulation" size bags are a certain size AND weight. From the ACA website ("American Cornhole Association"...no I'm not kidding) I learned that "finished bags should be a minimum of 6" X 6" square and weigh between 14 and 16 ounces". I also learned that they are commonly made with duck cloth. Duck Cloth is a super strong fabric that comes in a variety of colors. My brother chose Clemson colors (Orange and purple) since he's a Clemson fan (and he plays mostly while tailgating at Clemson games), and while I'm a gamecock fan I obliged because well he's my brother and I do love him more than football. :o)

Here are the bags all sewn into squares but not yet filled....
"Homemade" funnel....i.e. Card stock rolled and taped into a funnel shape.....AND one of the most important parts whole kernel corn feed!
Here's what I think is the funnest part...Weighing the bags!! 1 lb. (or 16 oz.) even for this one! Doesn't get more perfect than that. (In case you're interested I use a food scale to measure the bags. I bought this one inexpensively at Wal-mart I think...)
Double sewn around the inside and double sewn on the edges to make them more durable. The bags are thrown for the game and do have the potential to burst open! Double sewing helps to protect against that, but my brother threw the other ones for almost a year before they busted. And they don't last for life b/c the more they're thrown, the more the corn breaks down, and creates a "powder" that is evidently valuable when playing the game.
8 bags total for a set....4 of each color!
This is my favorite picture! Don't they look fun?
So that's it!

P.s. This entire post was written by a girl who has only "researched" cornhole and not officially played it, so I can't help you with tips for playing! LOL.

P.s.s. These would make a great gift for the "tailgater" in your life! My brother said people are always asking about his set! Now I can direct them to my site!!

What about you? Have you ever played cornhole?

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Here Comes the Sun

I am loving the sunny warm weather!
I was totally inspired by it to make this treasury...
Check it out....




There are several more sunny items in my treasury! Go check them out!
It'll make you feel more sunny on a rainy day....