Betty Bowlegs and Sister Susie

Done with making bibs? You kiddin?? I’m just getting started!

Yep, still contributing to the overall cleanliness of our younger generation. But, having no younger generation in my house, I decided I needed a model. And since I didn’t have one the proper size, I rummaged – and I do mean rummaged – through a mountain of stuffed toys and other junk stuff at our local H2O (Help and Hope to Others), and found a 19″ (newborn size) doll. It’s a bit smaller than I want, but it’ll do in a pinch, as my foster father used to say (only he said peench). The bibs were just a wee bit overpowering for it, so I’m guessing they’re more a 6-month-old size. Seems that size baby doll is nigh onto impossible to find – hey! I wonder if I could find a mannequin?? It could happen!

You just know I had to name my new find; she is now fondly christened Betty Bowlegs, for obvious reasons. And her “sister” is Susie – a gift from the friend I made the size-12 purse for. Susie’s not exactly the proportions I need in the neck, but she gives me an idea of what the bibs will look like on a bigger model. And she’s cute, so that covers a multitude of perceived shortcomings, doncha think?

Here they are (see photos below), modeling the bibs. The white one I call a poncho bib, because it reminds me of – what else?? – a poncho. It was the easiest to make so far. I just cut a rectangle from terry cloth, used a coaster to cut the hole for the head, and then slit the short side to make it easy to get on the baby. The bias tape was made from the last of the paisley material, then a strip of Velcro added to the slit. This one is reversible. I only had one of those cute flat buttons. I made the flower yoyo from a scrap of the paisley, and found that butterfly button in my collection. This idea came from another friend who was describing a bib her kids had when they were little. I figured the old adage was true: if you can imagine it, you can make it. So I did.

Susie is modeling the Country Calico and the Cowgirl Cutie for our viewing pleasure. Betty sports the poncho and the Cowgirl Cutie (talk about sibling rivalry!) Cowgirl is from the same pattern as the red bandana bib  (bet you never guessed that, huh?).

calico print, terry cloth back

denim and paisley print, hand embroidered

All that’s left…I see another project in the making here!

One of our missionary wives is due to give birth any day, and as they serve the LORD in a farming/ranching area, I’m thinking either Cowgirl Cutie or Country Calico might find a new home very soon.

Well, there ya have it, the end of the leather pants saga, but just the beginning of the baby bib binge (doncha just love alliteration).

By the way, speaking of alliteration, did you know I belong to the SSS? That’s right, I have now begun a new club, and you are most welcome to join. It’s the Sliver Savers Society – I’ll be President, and you can be … uhm … you can be ….

HA! and YOU thought I was done with bibs and leather … NOT!

NNNNNNNNOOOPE! But I am now. Done with the leather pants, that is. There were hardly enough slivers left to show (but, of course, I’m gonna show ‘em anyway). And this is what came leaping and cavorting all over my sewing table from that last fair-sized sliver of leather. What to do with cavorting leather? Make a phone case, of course – what else!!

The shape of the top? Well, that’s because that was the shape of the sliver. So I just gotta go with it. And that little strip that goes ante-gogglin’ across the body? Yep – I had to sew two slivers together to make it the right width, and that little bit of lining material just covers up the seam in a most ingenious way – looks like I planned it that way. Amazingly, it was *just* long enough to fit all the way around the phone. The sides were done from three small strips just under an inch wide. I sewed them together into one longer strip, and cut it to fit the sides of the pouch. I had to use pretty small seam allowances – somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4. Luckily there’s not much strain on a phone case, so it should be all right.

And I had just enough lining material left to make this, plus a little bit to fix the fabric-covered button on her purse that came apart. I don’t think it’ll be too rebellious in the future, though, after I gave it a good talkin’ to with the hammer and pliers. Well … OK … just with the pliers – but I wanted to talk with the hammer!

SO – now my friend is not only sporting a size 12 purse, she is also the proud owner of a phone case to match. Not that she needed one, mind you. But I had to stop that wild party on my sewing table! Leather jumping all over the place, evading my every attempt at subduing it, resisting a respectably functional life – see, I just HAD to take action! When I finally corralled it, it took every bit of my sewing prowess to actually produce that usefulness. And boy, did it fight me, every step of the way! The first two tries were aborted. Bad. Very bad. But thankfully, this particular piece of leather finally cooperated, and gave a fair performance in the end.

swappin’ howdies with the last of the size 12 pants

inside the phone pouch

that’s all she wrote, folks – not enough left to shake a stick at

size 12 purse – now has a matching phone case

And how ’bout those bibs? I’ll be posting a little bit about them too. Just wait and see!

Hey! Y’all a-follerin’ me? Y’are? YAY!!!

WOW!! Really??  T W O   H U N D R E D  followers ? ? ?

Oh. Uhm … hey … this means … I have a great big responsibility. OH.MY.GOODNESSGRACIOUS.MEOHMY!

As Doug (I love that doggy) said in UP, “I just met you, and I love you.” Well … I haven’t actually MET you (except maybe for my sister – hi Sis!! oh – and my friend Debra – hi Debra!! oh – and hubby – hi honey!!!), but the last part is accurate.

I   L O V E   Y O U ! ! !

Country Callie and Cowboy Cody

Bibs are fun to make, especially the ones that are fun to make. Yah, go figure that one out.

These last two were the MOST fun to make, and I would love to see them on a baby. I found a picture in a Better Homes & Gardens craft book from 1986, and just had to try them out. The bib pattern was very small, but done in a gridwork that was made to be enlarged. I didn’t use that for the country girl bib, but did try it on the cowboy one. I don’t actually think I like it, so the next one will just be the regular bib pattern I already had. But I’m tellin’ ya, these are the CUTEST lil critters!! Both bibs in the BH&G book were made with ties, but I have this irrational fear of tying things around a baby’s neck, so I made them both with Velcro closings.

The country girl (I named it Country Callie) one was made from a scrap of fabric I didn’t even remember I had, and a little piece of eyelet that had gotten washed with something red and came out pinkish. I started out to just make a little round collar, kinda like a necklace, but I didn’t really like that look after I got it finished.

SO … what’s my claim to fame? Yep, make it once, then make it again. I didn’t change a lot on this one – just cut that little eyelet necklace down the front and hemmed it to make a little collar, and then put three little  buttons down the front, and made a little bow. That was how the original picture in the book was, so I did it their way. Sometimes there’s something to be said for following the suggested method!

The cowboy, though … oh, that lil cowboy! I just fell in love with that one – had to name it Cowboy Cody. But, as usual, I didn’t have all the stuff I needed, so I had to improvise. I could truthfully sing, “Yes, we have no bandanas, we have no bandanas today.” I did have a scrap of bandana material from another long-ago project that I found, so I made do. The main part is cut from the leg of a (yep, you guessed it!) pair of old jeans in my jeans box. It looked rather plain when I got it done, so I embroidered something on the bottom. If you can’t read it in the picture, it says, “Let’s rustle up some grub, pardner!”

It’s not nearly as full as I would like it, and it wasn’t long enough to make the ends into a knot. I figured a way around that too – just sew another little piece on and tie that in a knot. Well, that would’ve worked great … if I’d sewn the proper length on. But NOOOOOO … I don’t DO that. I sew an itty bitty short piece on each side.

What to do then? Improvise AGAIN. I had a little scrap of the scrap left, so I just made a piece to loop around the first improvisation and make it LOOK like it was tied in a knot. Maybe I should go into improv. Jes sayin …

Anyway, nuff said. Here are my two darlins. I love them so much I think I’ll make them some cousins.

first attempt – nah

terrycloth backing for Callie

final: my lil Country Callie

always with the improv!

denim and bandana, hand embroidered

Country Callie and Cowboy Cody

But that’s not all, folks! I was busy making a couple of other fun things too, which is why I haven’t been keepin’ up with y’all very well. And it ain’t over – got lots of stuff to make for our July 4th sales booth, so gotta git er dun. I finally used *almost* all of my size 12 leather pants, and made a wallet to match the purse I kept. I didn’t think there was enough left of those jammies for the lining, but hey – that’s why I save the slivers!!

Wanna see? It took me days of walking around it, looking at it, laying it out and sizing it up, to finally get it put together. I finally gave up and just looked at the one I’d made a couple of years ago to refresh my memory of how to do it. Went a whole lot faster after that. I know, I know. And YOU know – I don’t do things the most logical way, but I do finally get things done.

made from the last leg, down around the ankle

love this calculator!

just enough left to make 4 cardholder pockets

the whole leg … almost!

Oh yeah…also made a couple of little pouches from the last of that zebra material, for the girl I’d made the flop-top purse for, as a Christmas gift. I think she liked them … sometimes it’s hard to tell with a 14-year-old (these were for her birthday), but I’m thinking she was happy. Who wouldn’t love zebra striped mini-pouches?? And there is STILL a tiny scrap left – oh, what to do, what to do???

remember this? The cross/body flop-top made for my friend’s daughter.

last few scraps of the zebra material

button pouch (l) and zipper pouch (r)

This is it! The moment we’ve all been waiting for. I think

Yes, it’s true. I’ve been on WordPress a whole year, and the time has come to pick a winner in my very first EVER giveaway. I can’t wait to stick hubby’s hand into the hat. He will draw out the winning name – oh, I’m so excited! Here are all the names, ready to be cut apart and put into the hat for the drawing.

which one do I choose?

The hat? Oh. Well, it was given to me by my son. I wonder if he’s trying to tell me something …. You’ll notice, I’m sure, that there are NO PHOTOS of the garden or the yard right now. The yard and the garden both look like nobody lives here, but that will change – soon!

get ready…

get set…

Anyway, back to the business at hand. And that hand was supposed to be hubby’s. Problem is, he ended up having to work late, and STILL isn’t home at 9:00 , so I guess it’s either me or the dog – and all the dog wants to do is eat the papers. Well … here I go … into the hat …

OK, reckon it’s up to me

HARK! Is that hubby’s vehicle I hear approaching?? YES! IT IS!

And how do I greet my hard-working, long-suffering, sweet manly man who buys me expensive sewing machines? With a hug and a kiss? No.

I say, “Quick, pick a name so I can get this blog post finished!” What a guy – he obediently follows me into the sewing room, reaches into the hat I have all prepared, and voila!

pickin’ a name

As his hand comes out of the hat (or is this called a cap??) … we see … well, whose name do we see? Oh, the suspense is KILLING me!! It’s … it’s … unfold it, honey, so I can read it …

what’s it say??

And the winner is … wait for it …

Pillows A La Mode!

TA-DAH!! Contact me at theremissionary at gmail dot com, and I’ll get your address, etc. I just don’t think I can wait until March 12 to send this, like I’d planned. Nope nope nope. I’ll send it as soon as I get an address!!