The Stitches Are Flying

A staff at the group home told me last night that she could not believe coming into work the Saturday before how she found the kids up doing their needlework and craft projects could make them so calm and quiet. Then she told me that she would pay money to see our newest resident (a hyper teenage male) sitting doing needlework. This may be my newest challenge, but I think it will have to wait until a certain girl departs the home in a couple of weeks as she is keeping drama alive and well.



The 13 year old boy created the above embroidery piece and I turned it into a tote bag for his 10 year old sister. She is very pleased with it. Now I have to finish her 12 year old sister's project, but I am undecided as to whether a tote bag or a pillow will be the finished product. Tote bags take a little bit longer and more planning to finish.



I made my very first apron for a staff member that was moving to California. The 17 year old girl resident did the giraffe because Shannon loves them and then asked her what she wanted it turned into. An apron was the reply and me being a "Mary Poppins" type person had to rise to the occasion and try to fulfill the request. All in all, I was pleased and will probably do some more exploring on aprons in the future. One thing I did not included on this piece was pockets as time just didn't allow it.



The 13 year old boy resident said his youngest sister liked fairies and princess things. I found this picture online and made it into a pattern for him to embroidery. Wanting to do something different, she was made a draw string purse with a rounded bottom. There are things I would like to do different if I ever attempt another similar design.



This last piece is from the 17 year old girl resident. She has a very up and down relationship with her mother. I did find it very interesting though that when she wanted to start stitching to make something, her mother was the first person on her mind. A big smile came on her face the morning she got up and found her mom's pillow sitting on the table for her to have.

They are wearing me out. Forcing projects to come faster and faster for them. I ended up doing 4 patterns on fabric for each of them with an under the sea theme. This is giving me a break, but I was shown last night that these are mostly completed and today is a new week. Now one wants jungle theme animals to stitch and the other I have talked into making something really pretty for his grandmother as a peace offering to get him back in her good graces and maybe back home sooner.

I also made a smaller floral door knob hanger out of felt for a girl in the home that has a much lower cognition level but wants to be doing projects like the others. I had her work on stitching some on the little item just for decorations. Wish I had remembered to take a picture -- maybe another time. I also was able to purchase her some $1 items that required double sided sticky dots with sequins and plastics gems to be put on preprinted colorful pictures. She was spell bound and determined to keep on working.

These kids are thriving on a sense of accomplishment and on the communication they are getting that is positive while working on their projects and then when finished. I hope it will last long enough for them to remember that feeling and use it to their advantage in the future.

PS: We do get them out of the house on a daily basis with weather permitting -- yesterday we went to a local park and flew my huge frisbee, played with my big bouncy ball and let them climb on the play equipment. Plus, they got to play on a slip and slide the home purchased for them. -- Got to keep them active and busy!!!

Reversible Tote Project

This past week I found a blog from a lady in Romania about a shopping bag. She made the pattern and illustrated the instructions for making it. The link can be found here from Geta.

I like to call my shopping bags TOTES. This one is sweet because you can reverse it to your liking very easily.

This was my first attempt at making her project. I decided to add one of my many embroidered pieces onto one side of the tote.



Once completed exactly to her instructions, I have decided that I will work the closure of the handles a little differently on my next creation of her tote pattern. Also, an adjustment on longer length handles for the pattern might be worked on as I prefer longer.

My finished project was snapped up by Savannah Rose to be used for her dolls and their many accessories. She is always carrying a handful of items with her on our outings.

A Cheery Quilted Tote Bag

It all started with Savannah Rose (my daughter, age 15) wanting to embroider a flower. She picked out the pattern and the color of her threads. She tried to stitch one of the outer petals in the pink but this project did not last long for her and her attention span issues.

Her embroidery hoop lay on my sewing table for months and I asked her several times if she wanted to pick it up again. Her idea was to maybe choose another picture pattern. I let her do this and she came up with more involved pieces as far as stitching goes. I will eventually get her fabric ready and help with that down the road.




So, I could resist no long and completed her flower. When stitching I was thinking what should I use this in for her . . . a doll blanket, a pillow patch, an apron for her dolls . . . then it hit me!!! I could make a TOTE bag for her to carry all her goodies in when we go on outings. (This is always an event for her to get everything ready and loaded on outings.)

Last night was the grand finale on getting my vision completed. Even though I was up till 3 a.m. doing the free hand machine quilting, it turned out beautifully.




Savannah was so cute as she was up with one of her not sleeping nights. She said, "Mom, this is beautiful. I bet you could sell these at the Farmer's Market next year. Maybe for $5 or $10." A business woman is behind those young eyes, but I think I might have to raise her prices on items for sell.

I included something in my machine quilting for her to carry with her in this piece. I hope she knows it always . . .