Four Little Birds: love

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm all about making traditions and memories for my littles. This year we've started a new one, inspired by my friend Linda, who's children are now grown but still love it.

We made ourselves a thanksgiving tree.

The boys and I shredded and crumpled brown paper bags and packaging paper and taped them to the wall to create a tree. Then we cut leaves out of scrapbook paper, making sure they were big enough for people to write on.

I made a little pocket on the wall next to the tree and filled it with our leaves and a pen. Anytime anyone thinks of something they are thankful for they can write it on a leaf and stick the leaf on the branch. Our goal is to get so many leaves that we have to "rake" them up at the end of fall!

Be warned! Anyone who visits my house will be asked to fill out a leaf, even the Fed-Ex guy!

I also made some grass and a mushroom and few birds to embellish our tree, because that's just how I am. ;)

I finished another paper wreath with waxed fall leaves, this time for Rena. I LOVE how it came out! Makes me want to redo mine!

What traditions does your family have for Thanksgiving?

I've been sewing sewing sewing! I made myself the cutest new dress. I have a passion for vintage dresses from the fifties. Sadly, they either cost a fortune, are disintegrating or impossible to find in my size.

I started snapping up vintage patterns, again hard to find in my size when you consider that a size 12 was a 32 bust, 23 waist! I've also discovered some vintage pattern reproductions. I'm having a blast. I've got to get the husband to take pictures of me modelling a couple and put them up here!

Today, I made good on my promise and created the pattern for my bird potholder, which is available in this post. Just save the images to your computer. Sorry about the quality of the images. I created them in Photoshop and then realized I had to take them down to jpeg files to work for you all.

I refined the shape and style a little since I am no longer free handing it! ( Sorry Greta! Now you've got the original guinea pig potholder. But it's one-of-a-kind!)

Next I made myself a potholder and photographed it step-by-step so you can now make your own should you chose!

It's a fun little project, fairly simple, taking me about a half hour for potholder #2, now that I know what I'm doing and have a pattern!

Without further ado, the tutorial:

Betsi's Darling Starling Potholder

tutorial and pattern by: Betsi Jenkins

Items needed:

cotton fabric
matching thread
extra wide double-fold bias tape
felt
fusible interfacing
poly fill

Directions:

Print out pattern. Size adjustment may be necessary. Each image should fill a standard 8"x11.5" sheet of computer paper.

Trim extra paper from patterns leaving a border around each image.

Fold fabric once in half, right side out.

Pin underside portion (B) with fold line flush with fabric fold. Pin top portion (A 1,2) so that two identical birds will be cut at once.

Cut out patterns.

Remove underside (B) pattern from fabric. Fold piece of felt in half. Pin underside pattern to felt matching fold line to fabric fold. Cut.

Lay felt out flat. Cut fusible interfacing to size of felt. Iron interfacing to felt, following directions on interfacing.

Lay felt out flat, interfacing side up. Lay underside portion (B) fabric flat on top, right side up. Sew felt to underside fabric 1/4" from edge all around.

Lay one side of top portion (A1) right side down.

Fold underside (B) in half, felt on the outside, fabric on the inside. Line up on top portion (A1) with underside fold towards top of bird's "back".

Fold open underside (B). Pin along bottom semi-circle of bird (A1).

Fold underside (B) flush again.

Line up second side of top portion (A2) right side up onto underside semi-circle. Pin half of underside (B) to top portion (A2) at semi-circle. Stitch along pinned sections to create a "pocket".