Tuesday, October 4, 2011

no rest for the weary, unless you're a stuffed bear

Have I mentioned recently that things are really busy around here? I always think that once fall comes around, things will slow down. I'm always wrong. There is soooo much to do.

Anyway, to add to the busy season, I signed up for a big holiday craft fair the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Anchorage Etsy team received a grant to cover some of the costs of a group booth, so if all goes well, I'll need to make a lot of stuff! I've got a whole slew of ideas to try. One thing that's been on my list for possible sale is the Three Bears' Sleeping Bag by Florence at Flossie Teacakes.


I made the middle size (for Mama Bear) out of some cute hedgehog fabric I've been wanting to use for ages.


I'll admit, I only read bits of the pattern before I started. Because of this, I quilted the back of the sleeping bag (unnecessary), chose a precious pink Lecien stripe for the lining pieces (which no one will ever see) and skipped all instructions on applying bias tape around the edges (not smart for someone new to the stuff). So I ended up making bias binding like I would for a quilt, then folded it over and machine stitched it all around. Honestly, it doesn't look that great on the back and there is too much bulk. All my fault. I might need to suck it up and do it the right way (imagine that?). Although if I'm going to sell these things at a reasonable price, I'll still need to figure out the best way to machine stitch the bindings.


A big thank you to my sleeping bag model, Purple Baby. She was Claire's favorite for many years, but has been stuck in an under-the-bed bin for so long that I'm afraid she's been forgotten. Hopefully seeing her in the new sleeping bag will encourage Claire to add her back with the dozen or so stuffed animals that cover her bed. If not, I'm sure Cooper will adopt her as a friend for his Baby.


On a separate note, my sweet girls have decided that they only want to dress up as scary things for Halloween from now on. Claire insists on being a vampire, and Avery will be a zombie. Long gone are the days of hot dog and cow girl costumes :( I'm trying to feel better about it by making their costumes (see why I'm so busy?) and having some control, maybe by adding some humor or cuteness. Any zombie/vampire costume tutorials you've seen out there?

10 comments:

Heather D. said...

That is so adorable!! I have some little girls that I know who would LOVE LOVE LOVE little sleeping bags for their favorite stuffed friends!

Michele said...

Cutest sleeping bag ever. Your baby is pretty sweet too. Have fun making your stuff.

Amy Friend said...

Oh no, no more cute costumes? I am not sure my kids will ever go for scary. We'll see. If Darth counts, Timothy was scary last year, but certainly not this year. The sleeping bags should sell well.

Anna said...

i love it krista! so so cute, good luck with your craft show, wish i could be there to buy up some goodies! hey, scary costumes can be fun too!

Heidi Grohs said...

Oh...when they start wanting to be zombies...saddest day ever....

Heidi Grohs said...

Oh...and love the sleeping bags;)!

Leslie said...

that little monkey is a favorite around our house. i love that little sleeping bag. it is such a cute idea.

Lynz said...

THANK YOU!!! I've been looking for this tute for months - I lost my link! I have now pinned it. Excellent.

On Halloween? My 9 year old wants to be a goth fairy!!! Although that HAS to be easier to make than the ponies and unicorns I've had to do in the past!

Poppyprint said...

Those little sleeping bags are adorable!!! I machine all my bindings on and use Roxanne's glue baste-it to secure it to the back for stitching in the ditch from the front.

One of my fav Hallowe'en years was when my adorable little blondie (I think she was 5) desperately wanted to be a vampire. It was hilarious!!!! I'll try and find a photo for you (it was pre-digital camera). We already had a cape from her big brother and she just wore a white collar shirt and black pants. I did some really spooky make up (white face, dark eye circles, dripping blood...the whole bit). It was awesome!!!!

Marisa said...

This sleeping bag is ADORABLE!!! So super cute.