The Back Story

Monday, November 27, 2017

Bowl Cozies

A couple years ago I received a 
bowl cozy as a gag gift. 

As it turns out, that had to be
one of the most useful gag gifts
I've ever gotten. 

We eat a lot of hot foods
in bowls, from soup to
rice with vegetables, and of course, 
our morning oatmeal routine. 

I'm always heating up a bowl 
of something in the microwave. 

Since these have come in 
so handy for us, I decided to
make a bunch for Christmas gifts.


I've picked up a few helpful hints
that have made the process of making
multiples much easier. 

First I made a 10" template out
of cardboard which included the triangles
for the darts. This saved a lot of time measuring. 

There are several good instructional videos
online that will give you measurements
for the right size bowl you're looking for. 

I cut the cotton batting an inch smaller (9")
than my fabric (10"). This made finishing much simpler. 


My last helpful tip is to work
in an assembly line process
instead of making one at a time. 

This saved me so much time and 
was much more efficient.

I hope our recipients get
as much use out of these as we do!




Monday, November 13, 2017

Travel Pillow Case

My little travel pillow is one of those
things that ranks right up there with my 
toothbrush when it comes to daily use. 

From cushioning sore bones at night,
to resting on my lap while I drink
my hot tea and chat with my husband
on our couch, it's never far from me. 

I've made at least half a dozen
custom pillow cases over the years for it. 

They're so much fun because I can
play around with some funky combinations
and fabrics. 


I've been happy with the
way they've all turned out with
the exception of the inside. 

My raw edges were exposed and
would fray and tangle and make
an ugly mess if you ever took a peek inside. 

Well I was really excited this time, 
because I finally learned how to 
do a french seam!! 

It's just as beautiful on the inside
as it is on the outside (if I do say so myself). 



It's so much fun learning 
a new skill an upping my
game (especially as I get older). 

I'm already gathering material
for my next one. 


Sunday, November 5, 2017

New Folk Art Dog House

There's a bit a humor
related to this latest project. 

My husband decided he wanted
to build a dog house for a larger dog.

He'd built several for 
small dogs, but this is his
first one in this size. 

He also wanted to make
it more comfortable for me
to work on, so he built it in our
family room!

The problem arose once it
was finished and we needed
to get it out of the house and 
into the garage. 

We only had one inch to spare around
the front door frame, it had to
be turned on it's side to get it out,
and the thing weighs a ton!

He ended up building a contraption
with wheels and figured out a way
for us to remain safe, but it wasn't easy
and we won't be doing that again! 





We just bought some
material to start on a second one. 

This time it'll be built and 
completed in the garage!