Fidget apron #2!

Woohoo! Both "Fidget Aprons" are done and on their way to The Rag Bag of Shelby! I actually mailed them a few days ago, but I have been busy prepping for another project and haven't had a chance to get the post about the second apron up until now!

My handsome husband...and the face of a man up to nonsense! Needless to say, it was difficult to keep even a semi straight face during this shoot! 

The second apron was made using as many as possible of the wonderful goodies I received in the mail from Kristy, over at Hopeful Threads. All the goodies I didn't use have been kept aside to use in future Hopeful Threads monthly projects!

There are several big buttons, a spring, and a stretchy snapping strap!

Can I just say that I LOVE being able to help our with her monthly projects! I know I don't always manage to help out every month, but I know that even one of anything helps towards the goal! Kristy's post here is truly inspirational and a fabulous reminder of how much difference you can make with just 1 item: The Significance of ONE.

The pocket was edged in a pretty woven ribbon. There is a ribbon strung across with roses to move around. Also there are tags all around the edge to play with.

I added extra fabric ribbons, flowers and beads to help adorn the already gorgeous apron panel.

A removable empty magic tape roll was added on the left of the buttons.
Sorry for the blue color-cast on this one, my editing skills are better but for some reason the photos that day came out with strange color casts that I couldn't eliminate completely.

And then I added a ribbon with a stretchy hair tie and beads to slide back and forth!

And don't forget:

Hopeful Thread's August project can be found here:

Fidget Apron #1

Yay! I finally finished my first Fidget Apron for the Hopeful Threads July Project!



It honestly didn't take me long to make as it's a quick and easy sew, but I kept getting distracted by the items  I was adding to "fidget" with! I kept thinking of new things to add. And I wanted to make the best use of the goodies I won in a recent Hopeful Threads giveaway, between the two aprons I am sewing up for donation.

Apron #1 was supposed to be modeled by my handsome husband, but with his current work schedule and my absent-mindedness...well...let's just say it didn't happen as planned.

So I had to BEG our big boy to model this apron for me, and he was MORTIFIED to be seen in an apron (ha ha!), so I had to promise his face wouldn't be in any shot - hence the headless model! He's also super slim, so I actually had to tie the apron around his body and arms to make all the fidget items show! LOL!

I turned the lace from Kristy into a flower and added a big button in the center. A cute owl iron on design will be smiling at the wearer as they look down at the apron. The purple shaggy strip is another item from Kristy and the perfect strip to add a few hanging items on ribbons, like buttons, beads, a stretchy band, and spring.

I had a big open space under the spring that I wasn't sure how to fill, until I spied a little pile of buttons! I made a very light outline of a heart with my washable fabric marker, and then proceeded to sew on buttons into that heart shape. I knotted the thread at the back after each button to help secure them for the many wash cycles they will most likely endure.

The beads and spring are on split rings (like for keyrings) and can easy be removed by those in charge of washing these aprons. I also made good use of my poly snaps and made up a little snap-strap. That strap can either be used to keep fingers busy, or to attach extra items onto the apron if the person can't easily unsnap them.
I also had fun using my prepped hexies to make a cute flower to look at, and I used the loop strip of a diapering brand of hook and loop tape as the stem.
The fluffy white strip and the blue bobbles below were both 1/4 yard impulse purchases at Joann for the apron, and I am so glad I grabbed them when I did. The white strip is so comforting and soft to touch, as are the bobbles.

I made a silly mistake when I started sewing up the pocket, and it ended working out fabulously! I sewed the backing piece to the bottom of the zipper instead of the slightly smaller bottom piece, which means I now had nothing to back the pocket with! I looked at the fabrics I had sitting on my cutting table and saw this pretty tulip print I've had for ages. And one *lightbulb* moment later, my pocket now has a fabulous contrasting inner that will be great to peek in and see!

I'll be starting on the other apron today using the panel and the rest of the wonderful goodies I won! Stay tuned!

To some bunny with love

I don't get a chance to help as often as I could, but I am working on changing that. Truly I'd love to help by sewing for the Hopeful Threads projects every single month!

This month is all about:

I sewed up two bunnies with the Sew Much Ado, Faux Chenille Bunny Tutorial. They are so cute and fluffy!

Missy helped me fill their hearts with love by kissing them where their hearts would be, and filling them with love and happy thoughts for their new owners. :) I should have grabbed a photo of her kissing them to life, it was utterly adorable to watch!

They'll be on their way to Kristy at Hopeful Threads soon. Say a prayer if you would, that they're exactly what their little recipients were wishing for to cuddle with. :)

Handmade 52: Item 22 - A Christmas Stocking

Every month on the Hopeful Threads blog there is a group project that anyone can sew and donate for. Kristy just loves to help people, and she's truly such an amazing person. I've been meaning to contribute for a while, but something always cropped up and got in my way. This time I decided that I wasn't going to be stopped!

And so here is the Christmas stocking I have sewn up to send in for the current November project!

The front of the stocking.

The back of the stocking.

There's still time for you so sew up a quick stocking before the end of the month! Head on over to Kristy's blog for more details: Hopeful Threads - November 2012 Project.

And don't forget to "Like" her Hopeful Threads page on Facebook!


*I used the Imagine Gnats - Falling Flakes Stocking Tutorial (it includes a printable template) for the stocking, changing only how I added the lining into the stocking and closed off the top openings - only because I wasn't in the mood to do it her (proper) way, lol!