Superhero Aprons

My sister earlier this summer asked me about some cute apron ideas for her cooking class. She teaches Family and Consumer Sciences at a high school. She had quite a few old and ripped old aprons she thought we could up-cycle and repair for some neat ones. I found just thousands of cool ideas on Pinterest.

Like these:

The superhero aprons from a designer called Bethanysewandsew.com

http://www.bethanysewandsew.com/p/superheroes.html

http://www.bethanysewandsew.com/

Originally on Etsy, but cannot find the original link.

This next is from a website called so-sew-easy.

http://so-sew-easy.com/r2d2-apron-pattern/#_a5y_p=4588018

Here are what I came up with.

Black Widow, you can see my sketches on the upper right.

Superman, Black Widow, Iron Man, Captain America, and Batman.

I used regular pre-made aprons, and used a bunch of bias tape, and wonder under, and then satin stitched applique´ around the wunder-under'ed pieces. I painted on some parts, like the wonder woman stars and the black widows silver belt.

My sister really liked the designs and I hope her students do as well.

Toodles, Ruth

frosted glass

So, I had this large empty space in my kitchen. I felt like my kitchen was kind've dark. Not much natural light.

 I thought it would be neat to have one of those stained glass mirrors.

But those are around $200-$300.

So, I tried to find some other mirrors. I tried to figure any way around getting the light I wanted, but without the huge costs.

I finally gave up on finding nicely framed mirrors, and just decided to go with cheap wall mirrors. I bought a can of frost spray paint, and a few rolls of painters tape.

 I used little cut out pieces of contact paper for the diamonds. Not sure why I didn't do the same design on all of them. I couldn't decide.

After spraying the frost paint.

After mounting.

In place. They looked a bit too busy for me. But I got used to it.

It barely illuminated the space, but my husband actually liked it. So I went for it.

My frosted glass stained glass.

The latest rainbow quilt.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE RAINBOWS!!

I think they are super great. I can never decide on which colors I like so rainbows are it. My favorite color is rainbow.

Rainbow brite was super cool wasn't she? Gosh, I wanted to be her.

So wonderfully cool.

So, lately my color theory when it comes to quilting is RAINBOW. I was feeling like using some more of my fabric from the last rainbow quilts.

Picasso had a blue phase, this is my rainbow phase.

So I started brainstorming.

First brainstorm

Second brainstorm with Goose modeling her
favorite Elsa nightgown.

Another idea but I didn't like it.

Starting to like it better. I had to buy more fabric (what?)
and scrounge and sew more colored pieces to expand the quilt
size. I went on a fabric scavenger hunt all over my studio/sewing room.
There were all these large pieces of fabric I could use hidden around!
I really need to organize.

It wasn't a perfect rainbow without orange and purple,
so I added some. At Joann's my children found
fabrics of their own. Skylander and Frozen respectively
that are now some shorts.

My son decided he loved this quilt. So I measured
the size on his bed. But those navy blue ones really flared
out at me and I decided to change them.

I was finally happy with the colors. After I
completely looked thru my entire stash for more
dark blues. And I had to buy some more fabric. ;)

No onto the sashing for the border. More rainbow
please.

And here we have the finished quilt top. It's
folded twice to show the whole thing. It's actually
the size of a twin quilt.

Finished the backing. Which I love piecing.
Not only does it save on backing fabric (old sheet
and leftover fabric from another quilt) but it's fun!

The fabric avalanche in my stash. After going
through all my fabrics looking for a bit more
that matched the quilt. Oh well.
I needed to organize anyway. Or maybe I'll just
make another rainbow quilt.
Yep, another rainbow quilt.

,Ruthie

Well, it's quilting time.

It's been a long drought of new posts and such. That's completely my fault. I was in a very long and dusty creative block. Then, my sister had her baby. And it was QUILTIN' TIME! Thank you dear sweet Sullivan, you helped me out of my slump.

Here's some of the work I did that helped me back into the sewing creative groove.

These were leftover fabrics from another project I had done years earlier.

Another zig zag pattern? Yes I think so.

I made this design wall out of a 8'x4' piece of wall insulation foam board.
Wrapped in a piece of batting and then flannel, I never have to get on the floor to lay
out a quilt again!! Genius. It just lays agains the all, and is super lightweight.

Final idea approved my myself and my sister, and my mom.

I pieced it together, and then just did a basic stitch in the ditch to quilt it on my machine. 

Note my children's artwork and notes adorn my design wall.
I can use straight pins in it as a bulletin board as well.
I always have those around.

The backing had a little piece work in it. I rarely have enough fabric for the backing, and I love pieced backs. It's like two quilts in one!

 My dear little niece, Sullivan.

Thanks to Tery Wiemers for the
embroidery machine help.

My sister Sully is a teacher at a local high school and she helped me to get this embroidered with her name and date of birth. Big Thanks to Terry Wiemers the fashion design and sewing teacher who let me use the embroidery machine and worked it for us.

Actually I must thank Sully, without her I wouldn't have done this at all. Like I said, I was in a creative slump. Sort of. My sister was having a baby in May and was planning on name her Sullivan. So my older sister the original Sullivan, Sully to all of us, insisted we do a project together for our new baby Sully.

Sully: "Ruthie, we need to do a project for baby Sully. And by us I mean, that we brainstorm a project, and that you do it for me."

Ruth: "That definitely sounds like one of our projects."

Now Sully, is and was an artist and art teacher, and Home Ec teacher. And this was apparent even when we were children. She taught me art, and how to make taffy, and how to make candles, how to silk paint, and read me stories, and created treasure hunts and musicals that are lovingly recorded on video for all of our combined amusement and horror. For birthday presents, she would give me "gifts" that were more like projects. Like blank paper and water colors, or gave me an assignment that I would sometimes finish. Once I became a full fledged member of the BFA club, (bachelor of fine arts) we would work on projects together. And by together I mean, she would start one and I would finish it. She has been one of the most ardent supporters of EVERYTHING I do. Well, especially quilts. So after much brainstorming of ideas for little Sully, we decided to do a quilt. Mostly I decided because Sully and I couldn't agree. Maybe this was her plan all along. Hmnn, she's a mastermind older sister right?

So thanks big Sully, and little Sully, and Gracie for conspiring to help me get some fun work done.

Thanks and thanks again.

Ruthie

Finishing tutu's

I have finished the four tutu's I was making for the Nutcracker this year. I still have 2 volunteers working on the other 4. 

Waltz of the flowers tutu's.

Still more work to do, I need to fit them on the dancers they were made for, and add the hook and eye closures, sew the back straps in to the bodice. 

While I was perusing the internet, looking for more tutu's I came across this.....The New York City Ballet Costumer shop.

This is fabulous.

So cool. Oh how I wish I could have explored that place and picked their brains.

While looking at other tutu's; (because I may be insane) I came across some really great videos, and tutorials. As well as a great website to buy tutu's Prima Donna Tutu's. 

I just want to show you guys some of the fantastic stuff they offer.

All property of Primadonna tutu's.

Man o Man. I wish I could create something like this. 

All property of Primadonna tutu's.

They make these either custom, or you can get basic. I would have loved to buy tutus' from them but they are not kidding around. They will cost upwards of $500 a tutu. Which taking into account the work and struggle that goes into making tutu's, it would be worth it. (But out of the question for a some student ballet company's)

Well, inspiration for another day.

,Ruth