# 2015 Projects



## Marsha Cassada (Apr 28, 2015)

The other topic was getting into quite a few pages, so thought it might be time to start a new one for 2015.

The pajamas I made didn't turn out very well. I got the fabric design upside down on the bottoms. My husband said that won't matter, as he can look down at the design and it will look right side up to him! But I'm going to check if Joanne still has the flannel and make new ones. Also not happy with my button hole placket. I guess it will be fine since no one will see him except his Thomas the Train when he's wearing them. Overall, not a success.


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## chandab (Apr 28, 2015)

They are really cute Marsha. With as fast as little ones grow, I don't think I'd worry about remaking the bottoms. Wait and make him his next set with his next favorite thing.


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## Marsha Cassada (May 2, 2015)

Mom said he loved his new jammies. She suggested making the legs not so wide, and she thought the gathers at the sleeve tops looked feminine. No one commented on the design being upside down! Guess they thought I did it on purpose. Not sure how to get the fullness of the sleeve in, for comfortable movement, without a slight gather with flannel, but I'll work on it. Glad I went ahead and sent them, so I have an idea how the pattern looks now. It's hard to sew for people long distance.

I ended up using some train buttons, which he loved.


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## Silver City Heritage Farmstead (May 2, 2015)

Biiiiig smile!! What a cute 'lil fella he is.

Oh, the jammies are nice too!! LOL


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## Marsha Cassada (Jul 13, 2015)

Wow, guess no one is arting/crafting lately. Busy outdoor work, and show season!

I just finished another silk tie tree skirt. It takes 37 ties; didn't think I would accumulate so many so quickly. I'm sure they will be harder and harder to find in the future. The skirt needs to be ironed, but I'll wait till I get ready to use it at Christmas.

I put the extra tie pieces on Etsy, as I thought someone might want to use that gorgeous silk for something. I kept a few for myself.


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## madmax (Jul 21, 2015)

Okay I'll bite. I needed some serious stress relief so I took paint brush in hand and did this acrylic of a water fowl. At the least I enjoyed my quiet time.

I love your tie projects.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jul 23, 2015)

Very serene. I like that blueish tint at the top.


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## amysue (Jul 24, 2015)

I love your tree skirt Marsha. I used to collect silk neck ties from thrift stores for dyeing Easter eggs. If you are looking for some way to use up the remaining silk. You wrap the silk tie scrap around a fresh white egg, wrap cotton fabric (I used old t-shirt scraps) around the silk wrapped egg, secure with an elastic band and boil for 10-15 min. The silk tie pattern will transfer onto the egg beautifully. It only works with 100% silk ties and if they are really old and faded, the color is less vibrant on the egg. It looks pretty though and its a lot less messy than all of those little cups of food dye. The pattern on the tie will neatly transfer onto the egg.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jul 24, 2015)

That silk tie idea is amazing. I might try it. I saved a few pieces. One has an elephant, one has a pheasant, and there are some neat paisleys. And of course some nice stripes, which would work on eggs. If one wanted to keep the egg, could one blow it out and boil the empty shell with the silk around it? Might give it a try...

I just listed all the tie remnants on Etsy. All that beautiful silk should be useful to somebody.


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## amysue (Jul 24, 2015)

I have dried out hard boiled eggs before. I put them in an old cedar chest to dry and they essentially mummified themselves. Came out real pretty.


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 8, 2015)

I made a sign for my garden gate. A friend made some of the letters; I made the R and D.

Two grand daughters are coming tomorrow. We plan to make bandana backpacks, which require sewing and installing eyelets. Also we plan to make felt snakes for toddler little brother, and a plastic jar full of sand and metal stuff that attracts a magnet for another brother. You put the magnet on the outside and watch the metal stuff inside come to the magnet. The felt snake is pieces of felt with a slit. A button sewn onto a ribbon makes the body and the toddler buttons the felt pieces onto the ribbon body.

We'll see how our crafts turn out!


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## amysue (Aug 16, 2015)

I decided to put some of our ribbons to good use. We do not hang them all up, and I hate to throw them away, and they take up so much room. I cut up the cardboard box they were stored in and broke out the old glue gun. My husband thinks we need more ponies like these and less that eat hay.


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## Silver City Heritage Farmstead (Aug 16, 2015)

Very cute! I like them....however....at the rate I'm going on earning ribbons (zero miles per hour) my GRANDCHILDREN will have to help earn enough for even one. ;-)


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 16, 2015)

That is a lot of ribbons!


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 2, 2015)

Awfully quiet here! Isn't anyone creating lately??

I've been playing with gourds. I made a spoon a while back and decided to make a bowl for it. I had to use paperclay to fill in the stem top. It is pretty hard to cut a gourd accurately. If I had a gourd with a really thick skin it would probably work better. I wonder if anyone is raising gourds with really thick skins? Or is it a drying method?


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## Marsha Cassada (Oct 28, 2015)

That is so cheerful!


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## Marsha Cassada (Oct 28, 2015)

I've been making wheel chair bags. I think I have the pattern finally figured out and they will go pretty quickly now. Everyone in the Home wanted one! Can you believe no medical company seems to be making them? They hang over the arm of the chair so the occupant can reach his possessions easily. I've worked up two styles; I think the square one is sturdier, but someone who has trouble using his hands might find the purse style easier. Will make both.


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## Marsha Cassada (Dec 25, 2015)

I like the idea of making pillowcases! Thanks for the idea. About how much fabric is needed?

Making "dresden style" ornaments for my feather tree got me into making more paper ornaments. I have saved Christmas cards from every year (O dear, that is a very heavy box). It's been fun to look through them and choose some that have the image suitable for ornaments. I wrote the names of the sender on the backs. Some are as-is, some I used glitter glass or die-cuts to enliven. The stockings open so I can put in a candy cane (could not find any in the stores at this late date, but next year I'll plan better). They are displayed on an old door from my grandfather's shop, now torn down.


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## chandab (Dec 25, 2015)

Marsha,

The pillowcases take about 1 yard each; 24" for the body and 9" for the cuff. I either got the directions at the local quilt shop or on-line, the directions are pretty easy, but have a few specific directions that hide the seam in the cuff. [if you add a little piping, then there is a bit more fabric used.]

Craftsy.com has directions for the type of pillowcase I made, looks like they include the piping: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/07/burrito-pillowcase/


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