How To Make A Strawberry Pincushion...and Todays Bento

School has started and I'm just starting to get back into the routine...not quite there yet.  There is a huge marsh fire burning in New Orleans East and the wind is sending the gigantic smoke cloud in our direction...gaaackk...it's hard to breath at times.  I'll just have to stay inside and keep the doors and windows shut tight.  So much for working in the garden today.....but...there's plenty...more than enough...to do inside.

I did make this cool little strawberry pincushion I saw directions for in a magazine.  A small bowl of these would be adorable and usefull sitting on my sewing shelf.

First cut out a fabric circle about the size of a CD.  Also cut out an additional circle the same size of fusible interfacing (to stiffen up and reinforce the fabric circle).  Iron the fusible interfacing to the back side of the fabric circle...

...then cut in half.  This will make two strawberries...

...fold in half with wrong side facing out and sew a seam forming a cone.  Trim the tip a little bit and then turn the cone so that the right side of the fabric is on the outside....this is just a random pic of my thread and scrap yarn balls I now store beautifully in jars (I love the way it looks and I get to enjoy the color!).

...back to the pincushion...(see the fabric sewn cones in the back?)....put the cone in a small cup fill the cone with sand about 1/2 way.  I put too much at first and had to dump some out....Next poke a little stuffing on top of the sand...

...use heavy duty thread to gather up the edges of the cone and bring it snugly together...you have to keep poking the stuffing back in!  Tie off.

Make a cute little topping of your choice.  I used a piece of leftover bias tape.  You can use rick rack, fabric scraps,  you can even sew a ring on the top to hold on your finger...sew cute!

Todays bento.  Back to school and making fun bentos again.  This method of packing lunches actually motivates me to make sure my girls have healthy lunches from home instead of the yuck they feed them at school...Today their lunches included...Organic chicken (I saved part of the breast from the chicken I boiled to make gumbo for last nights dinner.) on everything bagel with Tony's (Tony Chacheries a cajun spice), a white cheddar baby bel cheese, green greek pickled pepper, carrot sticks, banana bread and dried cranberries....

....and a happy litle animal to say" hi" and " mommy can't wait to see you this afternoon...do good in school!"

School's Starting!

School's starting Wednesday so I've been sewing the girls new school skirts.  It's difficult to find modest uniform skirts that go below the knee...so my girls love to tell me what type of skirt they like and let me design it.  I have this wonderful book "Sew What! Skirts" by Francesca Denhartog & Carole Anne Camp.  It gives good and simple directions on how to create your own patterns for skirts using your specific measurements.  I use some old Christmas wrapping paper to make the patterns.  Then I write the girls name and date on their pattern and save it.

Here's a close up of my notes for Seleste.

We're both happy with the way it turned out!  One more to go for Seleste and two for Talia.  Talia's is going to be quite different....I'll post a pic.

Don't be afraid to try sewing if you want to learn!  I had no one to really teach me so....I just started reading and looking at how to videos on line.  I'll post some video links that really helped me soon.  Dive in girl!

How to make a serviceable but old book bag fun and new for the new year....Seleste's plan is to add a cute patch and wrap the back straps in zebra print duct tape...you go Seleste!