Fuzzy Fleece Two Layered Scarves

I just made these very cute and very warm double layered tube scarves for all seven of my kids. Having exchange students has been so wonderful, and I am looking forward to making crafts with them over the holidays.

To make these scarves you will simply need 4 yards of blizzard fleece, cut it into 8, 16 inch cuts to make 8 scarves. Sew it together on the machine with a number 2 basic stitch, and tuck each end in and sew it with a zig zag stitch, and you are done. I embroidered a small symbol onto each scarf so that we could tell them apart. The total cost for all of this was $14.00, and it took about 3 hours to complete.

Fuzzy Pink Stuff *puff* *puff*

Today I decided to get back on my sewing machine... after quite some time... a year or more, perhaps. As I get older, time goes by much more quickly. One year feels like simply a few weeks time these days... tick... tick... tick.

Anyway, back to my topic of making things out of pink fuzzy stuff. Today I have been sewing fluffy pink scarves and hats, which I will decorate with lace and sparkly bits tomorrow, after I make another trip to Jo-Ann's.

Soap Making - Teaching My Student From Vietnam

It was a pleasure to teach my newest student Anh from Vietnam, how to do candle making and soap making.

We melted beeswax in a double boiler and added an ocean scent and an ocean spray green crayola crayon for color. We then poured the wax into a foil wrapped corning ware pan and used cookie cutters to cut out the candle shapes when it got to a rubbery consistency. We inserted the wicks while the wax was still warm and rubbery.

For the soap we grated a block of natural soap base with a cheese grater into the double boiler, we added an apple scent, and some grape juice for color. We then poured it into a silicone cake pan and set outside to cool for two hours.

This is a wonderful and easy project, and makes over half a dozen fun gifts.

Four Projects All At Once

It's been awhile since I've posted anything on my blog, but it's also been awhile since I've finished up a quilt. Some people get writer's block... I get quilter's block from time to time. This month I am working on four different projects. I am close to being finished with a really cute brown bear quilt, but I am also cutting out the squares for three other children's quilts. One featuring fairys, another kittens, and also a 50's story book design. I just can't help working on all of them at once. They are just sooooo much fun.

The Friendship Quilt

Detailed patchwork, with boarders, and a story panel at the center depicting the friendship between a little girl and her dog. The batting is 100% cotton, and all materials are 100% cotton. Matching pillows or pillow cases are available upon request.

This quilt was a recent gift to my daughter on her wedding day, but if you would like me to make you one, I would be delighted. This quilt took 3 months to make. To see more photos of this quilt and others, click on my Etsy link > http://www.etsy.com/shop/americamadesafe

A Queen Sized For Sarah

Here I am in North Carolina, the quilting capital of the USA. My Sister Sarah asked me to make her a queen sized quilt for her bedroom. It was quite a task working with that size, it was so large I couldn’t even lay it all out in my living room. This quilt was put together with 90 ten inch squares of 100% cotton. Here is a picture of it in her room. If you would like me to make you a quilt like this, you can order one by clicking onto my shop link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/americamadesafe

The Ancient Art of Batik

I studied the ancient art of Batik this summer quarter through TESC. It is an art that uses cotton fabric, decorated with melted bee & paraffin wax, and then is dipped into a dye bath or is painted with dye. Here is a cute children's picture that I created using this method.


NOTE: If you decide to try this, use only paraffin wax, and a Procyon cold water activated dye, and 100% cotton, and a canting tool. I tried RIT dye, bees wax/paraffin wax, and boiling to remove the wax. My work was ruined.