Baby It's Cold Outside

Music on my mind

Another one I could listen to over and over. I was surprised that this voice came from this guy. Not expected.

Christmas Market

We went to the Oppenheim Christmas Market last weekend and had a great time! I find that the bigger markets throughout Germany tend to repeat themselves a bit. The same wares sold over and over. Honestly, we tend to go for the food and drink and not so much to buy things. If we find something we love it's a nice extra. Anyway, Oppenheim market is only one weekend a year and is much smaller and more unique. Tons of handmade items and people dressed in period garb. It was advertised as a fairytale market and I agree. We even got snowed on! It was beautiful and magical.

Pepper fell for a felt flower hairband. It had to have pink in it and she had to wear it as a bracelet. I know I can make one but she loved it and we're suckers.

These felt slippers were amazing. They would have been mine if they weren't so darn expensive ($65!!). Everything this vendor had was beautiful felt.

B loved the helmets and had to try them all on.

This booth was amazing. I have seem these ladies before at other fairs and can never get enough. One woman sat knitting and the other was spinning - both in full period garb. The colors are beautiful and so vibrant. They sell hand spun, wool roving, and some finished items.

A cute handmade hen. There was a ladder full of them in different sizes and colors.

There were murals of fairytales along one street. The kids loved them and this one was my favorite.

Tea towel bag

I found this cool tutorial and loved the way it looked. I had jumped on the Orla Kiely/Target bandwagon and had bought a couple of dishtowel sets determined to figure out a bag. Well, I wanted something fast so I thought I would do an unlined version. I loved the end result. It was pretty fast to sew up too!

I did no cutting on the main body (brown) opting to use the exsisting seams to make the unlined inside look more finished. I boxed up the bottom - also no cutting but I sewed the triangle flap up for a bit of detailing. I left the hanging loop intact so it could be used to hang keys or whatever on a loop or small caribiner. I cut up the orange matching towel for the handle and base. The handles were each one strip. I think mine were 3.5" but don't quote me! Then folded in half, seamed, turned inside out, and stitched 1/4" down both long sides to finish. The placement on the bag was pretty random on the first one - just what I thought would feel comfortable and look OK - then I matched the second strap alignment to the first. The bottom was made using the measurements of the bottom that I had created sewing a casing with the rest of the fabric and a strip of cardboard for support.

I am just do happy with it! I made one for my sister for her birthday and gave her a matching mug. This one's for mom for Christmas. Sorry to spoil the surprise! Next up are some made out of vintage dishtowels. I'm happy to not have to cut them up with this method.

Things I learned

:: Don't sweat the measurements. The bag will turn out whether the bottom is 2" or 3" wide. Do what you prefer to suit the use.

Toadstools and hoops

This was done some time ago but I had such fun with it I wanted to share. The background is an old corkboard I covered in muslin and the pins are flat head pins with shrinky-dink toadstools. This was made to showcase sets of earrings and now resides at a friends house.

The earrings were inspired by ravelry. I was looking for a way to jazz the hoops up a bit as they were looking worn. Perfect solution!

Things I learned

:: Make more shrinky-dink pins than you think you'll need as they might not all come out the way you want them.

:: Crocheting with sewing thread is not the easiest thing I've ever done.

:: Use more base chain stitches than you think you'll need as they squish down quite a bit as you do more rows of the lace.

Growing skirt

The smalls are getting big so fast and it's hard to watch them grow out of clothes with lightning speed. With a boy first and a girl second we go through lots of clothes. Pepper doesn't like boy clothes so the hand-me-downs usually have to be reworked in some way. This was a skirt that was basic and cute but getting way too short. I took an outgrown t-shirt and added another layer to lengthen it. Then I made a simple flower to coordinate with three rounds of the same t-shirt tacked down on the hip. The t-shirt I used was too small to ruffle and so it hung a bit straight and obvious. I thought some kind of pattern would help take away how flat it was so I stamped onto it with fabric paint and little owl stamps.





Things I learned
:: A bigger t-shirt to cut up would have been better to keep the ruffle going.
:: Stamping jersey is tricky. Less is more.

Music on my mind

There are some songs that I go to over and over again and this is one of them. I love the song and the video.