Queen Phoebe of Wonderland

I'm so excited to be helping Melissa from Polka Dot Chair kick off her Wonderland Fabric blog hop with my newest creation, Queen Phoebe (Queen of the Wonderland Bunnies).

Queen Phoebe clearly loves stripes and lots of ruffles. She is a good leader in her colony and loves taking care of all the bunnies by reading to them and giving them lots of cuddles. Queen Phoebe's staff is the same one her mum used and passed down to her, as is her golden crown. She reminds all of her bunnies to be good examples and to always be kind, helpful and of course, cuddly.

My family has had a bit of a bunny obsession since Christmas as we have been searching for a Netherland Dwarf for our daughters. Combine that with the fact that Easter is around the corner, the obvious choice was to make a bunny. I got this "Queen of the Bunny" idea from the laurel wreaths on Melissa's bunnies and thought if she was the Queen, what would she look like. This bunny is made using a mix of my Sizzix dies - the Kid Giddy Doll (head and body), and the Kid Giddy Fox (arms and legs), adding simple bunny ears and a quick muzzle.

A lot of people have asked me how I made the Little House on the Prairie dolls from quilt market, so I decided to make this little bunny dress the same way and write up a little tutorial (photos are coming) for you. The Bubbles dress tutorial is similar but does not lift up as this one does, as it is part of the body. This Queen Phoebe dress acts like a separate piece, except at the neck where it stays attached. Neither dress is completely removable and only requires an extra piece of of fabric for the skirt (cut from a fat quarter).

To make this dress, you'll need two body pieces cut from the bunny fabric, and two body pieces cut from the dress fabric. You'll also need your rectangle panel cut for the skirt (please refer to the Bubbles tutorial for additional photos, details and the sleeves to help make your bunny/doll with a dress). 

Step 1: Cut the dress fabric body pieces across the midsection so it's 2 1/2" from top to bottom, and sew the dress body pieces right sides together. 

Step 2: Cut a piece of fabric that is 5" wide x 19 1/2" long. ((Please note: If you have a ruffler foot, PLEASE test a length of 19 1/2" fabric to see how long it is once ruffled before continuing)). Gather the top edge of the skirt panel, and pin it to the dress fabric body pieces. Sew the ends together (which will be in the center back of the doll) and sew the whole skirt to the bottom edge of the body pieces. Trim seam allowance accordingly.

Step 3: Sew Bunny fabric body pieces together. Turn the dress right side out and place the bunny fabric body piece wrong side out over the dress. Sew a zigzag stitch around the top neck edge to connect the two layers making it easier to sew the body to the head. The above pic is what it will look like after turned right side out. The bunny body is underneath.

Step 4: Adding a Collar: if you want to add a collar, you need to attach a collar to the neck edge on the head before attaching the arms to the side edge. Sew a zigzag around the neck edge on the head pieces to keep the arms and collar in place, again, to make it easier to sew the body to the head. It will be very thick and difficult, but baste stitching helps tremendously.

I decided to make her ears have pipe cleaners in them so I could bend them just the right way for her photos. If you want to use pipe cleaners too (also called chenille sticks), sew up your ears and turn them right side out. Bend a pipe cleaner in half and push it up towards the pointed top of the ears, and out to the sides. Using a zipper foot, sew around the inside of the ear to secure the pipe cleaner towards the outer edge of the ears. Using jewelry pliers, roll the very ends of the pipe cleaner and crimp, to prevent the wire spikes from poking anyone or the fabric. Continue sewing the bunny head with the ears in place, being careful as you sew over the wire. If your needle hits the wire, it will break it the wire making the ear flop a little more at the base.

To make the staff, I fussycut one bunny head and a fabric backing. Place them right sides together and sew around the outer edge, leaving the bottom open. Clip and notch around the edge accordingly, and carefully turn right side out. and gently stuff the head. Using a left over piece of ruffled fabric, sew the ends together and cinch it up tight. Sew the opening of the bunny head, to the center of the ruffle. Sew a few strands of matching ribbon to the underneath side of the ruffled fabric and then place a bamboo stick up into the center of the ruffle and into the head.

To make her crown, I used a piece of glittered acrylic felt from National NonWovens as the base and fussy cut a gold bunny from Melissa's fabric. I glue basted it to stay in place, and then stitched around the bunny. I used some gold iron-on 1/8" ribbon (not realizing it was iron-on) and stitched it down all the way around the edge of the crown, top and bottom.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading all about Queen Phoebe. Thanks to Melissa for inviting me to be a part of her fabric blog hop, and to (Riley Blake Designs) for sending me the beautiful fabrics. If you have any questions about this tutorial, please leave me a comment below so I can answer it for all to see and benefit from as well.

Please sign up for my emails to get info about new patterns, new dies, future sales and other fun stuff. I have yet to send out my first one - but I will soon and will surely include something fun.

Around the World Blog Hop

Back in August I received an email from Mollie Johanson over at Wild Olive about this Around the World blog hop she wanted to start. It was a no pressure thing but sounded fun so I agreed to do it - when I got home from my vacation. When I returned though, deadlines overwhelmed me and I put it on the back burner more than once.

Towards the end of August, maybe even at the beginning of September, Amy Friend from During Quiet Time emailed me about it and wanted to tag me. I agreed to do it (once again), but a couple of days later my life changed course for the week and my last living grandparent, my Granny, passed away. I completely forgot about it for two more weeks as I went through boxes of tissues. (This is my Grandpop and Granny, and these were some fabrics I remember Granny using for her purses, along with her craft fair tags many many years ago)

I'm still overwhelmed with loss and deadlines - but sometimes it just feels good to get things done that have been on the list the longest. So here goes:

What am I working on?
Kid Giddy wise - I can't really share all the details. Isn't that how it goes in this industry? Everything is a huge secret and when we can finally talk about it - we are already onto the next secret and to us it's old news, but the rest of the world hasn't heard a lick of it and we have to still pump out the excitement. I can say, that I am working on a blog post for a fabric company and catching up on my Etsy thumb cover orders (to help kids stop thumbsucking). The other major thing involves a contract - so that's the one thing I can't share any info on yet.

On a more personal note - I'm finishing up my very first embroidery project, which is one of Heather Bailey's embroidery birds. I'm not sure what I will do with it yet - but I work on it while waiting for my kids and while watching TV. I should probably also finish my cross stitch Woodland Sampler from the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery - since that was last years new skill/personal project.

I'm also debating the fabrics for another dress I want to make based on this dress - since it's an all time favorite and fits like a glove. It also goes well with my boots - so I need more of them.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I started creating patterns because I found many pattern company patterns to be so technical and frustrating. I also had ideas and wanted to get them out of my head. I'm not sure how they differ - that's something someone else has to answer. I sew what I need, what I feel and love, and just go with it. When it works I squeal with happiness and look forward to seeing the reactions from my girls and my husband.

Why do I write/create what I do?
I started blogging as a way to record my ideas and things for my girls. I stopped blogging so much when it started to feel like a competition. Trying to get my voice heard over everyone else's. I'm not like that - I just want to share the things I've learned and the talents God has given me. I don't want it to feel like a rat race. I don't want to feel bad about myself because I am comparing myself to others and their successes. So I scaled back. I also feel like I am suffering from sewist block. It's a horrible disease and I am hoping it goes away soon - it's been around all year. Until then, I'm sewing for fun. I forgot what that was like. It's a huge part of my process now. Sewing for fun in between the deadlines. Try it some time.

How does my writing/creative process work?
Up until last year - I just did what I always do - sew. That's it. Maybe crochet a little...but only in the colder months and not every year. Last year I decided to try something new. I started with Cross Stitching (you know - that woodland sampler that I haven't finished yet). Then this year I wanted to try Embroidery and making some of my own clothes, and some for my girls too. As any good art teacher will tell you (thanks mom), you have to constantly be trying new things. If you go to college for art and you want to major in photography, you won't only be taking photo classes. You still have to take drawing, painting, sculpture and all the others too. I'm trying to go back to my art college roots and explore other creative outlets for inspiration. Somehow they intertwine and I miss that exploring outlet so much. I had a dream last night that I had given someone a bird and a tote bag as a giveaway at some conference, was in a hotel and saw them both in the garbage with the card to the person. I was devastated. Lately I have felt in such a slump, that I'm not surprised I dreamed that my creations were in the garbage - happens easily when someone tears you apart for their own gain. It takes a toll on your psyche. I know they are not garbage, but like I said - it's been a hard year. So I guess I don't have a current writing/creative process so much right now as I used to. Things change and I'm riding the waves. Maybe I have simply forgotten that previous process, or how to trust it, in all the chaos of writing my book, doing such extensive home renovations, and being ripped apart by by a mean person?! Maybe my process will change. Either way I will keep going. That is what an artist does. And deep down, I'm still an artist...in the words of Carrie Bloomston - I'm just drawing with my thread and my fabric. This is why I call myself a sewist.

I have not previously asked anyone to tag, but if they are so willing and would like to do this, I am tagging Kristi from Schnitzel and Boo (who won my Sewing Tales for the Holiday contest), Angie from GnomeAngel (we just swapped some fun packages overseas...for the fun of it), and Maya Donenfeld from Maya*made (we haven't met yet in person, but met through IG...looking forward to that day - she's so sweet). NO pressure ladies - it's just for fun. Thanks Mollie and Amy for asking and tagging me. It's always good to contemplate why I am doing what I'm doing every once in a while.

Thanks for coming by and for reading all the way to the end of this rambling post. xo

The Need for Sunshine and Little Miss Lily

It is now mid-March. There is still way too much snow on the ground for my liking, and it's still freezing. Actually, my husband just advised that he started a fire in the wood stove. It's cold. I'm cold, and it's been a very long winter that seems to be lingering despite my constant prayers. It's during this time of year when I feel beyond depleted of vitamin D and sufficient sunshine to make me happy. It usually starts by late January, and ends in April. I have a ways to go. Truth be told, I found myself wanting to crawl into a hole, hibernate, and never come out most of February. Not just because of the cold, and snow, but because of people judging me, my book, family things, parenting things and then I got sick. All these things added up and it became the loneliest feeling and one I don't wish on my worst enemy. It was then that I started praying for sunshine. I certainly didn't leave out blue skies and birds chirping, but of all the things I needed....it was sunshine.

A few weeks had passed and I get an email from a dear friend, Laura Kelly. She had emailed a slew of friends/bloggers to join her rainbow blog hop. I've participated in a two of her hops, and they are always fun. Truly. But I was in that deep dark hole, and didn't want to come out. She must have sensed something, because I didn't reply right away - and posted a message for me on facebook to see. She told me to check my email - and to hurry up with a reply so I didn't miss out. I ended up emailing her and said "I was trying not to reply". I didn't want to do a fun blog hop, because I was feeling quite the opposite and was too much in a slump to think of anything fun. I didn't want to sew - was even at the point of packing up my brand new baby bernina and putting her deep into a closet. I didn't want to do anything. But she convinced me to reply, so I did....reluctantly. While that was going on - I was in the process of making a huge duck tape house. With my girls playing on occasion, and collaborating with me - I was able to stop thinking of everything that brought stress or sadness.

I continued to think about the package Laura was sending and what would I make with random green things. Yep - I thought she was sending me green. SO I had this grand idea...and when I got the package - I tore into it and saw tons of yellow. What??? Yellow - Laura? Seriously. I could've sworn she'd mail me my favorite color, but she didn't. Now what? What am I'm going to make with all this yellow.

Somehow, someway - she must have gotten a message. A message passed down from a prayer. ANd this was my answer. I needed more sunshine in my life - and she sent me yellow. One of my most favorite and special patterns from my book is the Gnome Doll. I decided to make a yellow Gnome. A little girl that brightened my days, as I worked on her. She gave me hope. I debated her name, as did my daughters, my mom and my sister...and ended up on Lily. Little Miss Lily. I could've named her Sunshine, or Summer, or Daffodil, Lemon Drop, Lemonade....but Lily seemed like a more gentle name. Most lilies are white, but many are yellow too.

As sad as it will be to see her go, I have decided to spread the sunshine and send her off onto new adventures in a new home. In a way she saved me. She helped me to think of spring and summer, and all the beautiful good things to come in just a few short weeks. I can hold on a little longer now. If you have gotten to the end of this - thank you. If you are feeling the same way as me - I'm sorry. And yet - I'm so glad to not be alone. The sun will come out tomorrow. That is my hope. That is my wish.

So here's the deal - visit me on Instagram....I will post this giveaway image (above - the one with the extra fabric/thread and Maine candies) on Monday...follow the instructions on there for your chance to win this most special Gnome. Did I tell you - this will be the first Gnome I've given away? She can be yours - if you try your luck. Thanks for reading my long winded sob story. Thank you Laura for inviting and encouraging me to participate in your rainbow hop, and for giving me yellow! Please visit Laura's blog for a list of the other participants and to see what they made or see links below.

To find out more about my book Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love, click the book link to the right. To sign up for my newsletters, click the link below.

So sorry to Laura for leaving out the fun Rafflecopter! Enter for your chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop: Day 5 and A Turkey Bunny Cover-Up

Good Morning everyone.

Today is the last day of the Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop, someone pass me the tissues. It's been so much fun seeing all the projects others have made and their stories; the why or who they have made it  for, and the memories it sparked.

Later today I will take a much needed nap, and make chicken noodle soup in the hopes of curing this cold that is just now running through our house. I will probably go back through the week of posts and enjoy reading them again and all the comments - and you should to. Why? Because some of them are giving away some of the goodies. Until then, let's read the bloggers posts for today:

Emily Levey - Strawberry Patch Ramblings

 Nicke Cutler - Kiss Kiss Quilt
 Cathe Holden - Just Something I Made
 Kate Henderson - Two Little Banshees

I was working last night on the final bonus project but it wasn't shaping up as I hoped it would. I'm going to rework it today and post it when it's ready. In the meantime, you can enjoy those blog posts up above, and come up with a funny caption for my trial and error photo shoot from last night, before I decided that going to bed would be my best defense against this nasty cold. Isn't she so funny?! She was having a giggle fest in her little get up and couldn't help herself and finally fell over laughing!

Ok - off to reworked this outfit, and then get some thumbcovers shipped, then a nap while soup simmers on the stove.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I hope you have entered for your chance to win a copy of my book and a goodie box the size of Texas to go with it on my giveaway post!

If you haven't already, please click that link below and sign up to receive my newsletters. Have a great day.

Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop: Day 4 and All the Little Extras

It's the second to last day of the Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop and I don't know about you, but I am having a blast! I really hope you are too, esp with all the free bonus projects. Have you made one yet? If you have, I'd love to see it. You can tag me on social media (I'm @kidgiddy everything), and you can use the hashtag #SewingTalesBookBonus too. Then I can see what you made.

In the meantime, please go have a looksy at what these 4 bloggers made from my book:

Shari Butler - Doohikey Designs
Jodie Carleton - RicRac
Jen Goode - 100 Directions

Justine Henshaw - Sew Justine Sew

"All the Little Extras" are here. Many years ago when I first created the mouse pattern that is in my book, I also made it into a Kitty, Puppy and Bunny. Check out today's free bonus project sheet, so you can convert the mouse pattern - into a Kitty, Puppy or Bunny instead.

Thanks so much for coming by and for supporting the blog hop and my book. Make sure you stop in tomorrow for final 4 bloggers and the final Sewing Tales Book Bonus project, I'll try not to cry if you won't! It's been so much fun, I hate to see the hoppin' party end. If you haven't already, please click that link below and sign up to receive my newsletters, to find out when other fun things are happening. Have a great Thursday.

Enter for your chance to win a copy of my book and a goodie box the size of Texas to go with it on my giveaway post! Giveaway ends November 14th. 

Thank you again to the Sewing Tales Blog hop sponsors. You can click on this image below and find out more information about each sponsor. Thank you Fairfield, Dritz, Fiskars, Bosal & FreeSpirit.

Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop: Day 3 and a Tiny Canoe

Hi everyone, It's Day 3 of the Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop and the fun is still going strong! Here are today's bloggers:

Miranda Anderson - One Little Minute
Andrea Taddicken - Knitty Bitties Sews
Kristi McDonough - Schnitzel and Boo

Terri Harlan - Sew Fantastic

Whew, the canoe is done. This pattern can be printed at the regular size and fit two little mice inside. You can also shrink the pattern and make it a cute personalized, tiny ornament for your holiday tree.

Today I will also be posting an awesome giveaway you won't want to miss so keep your blog eyes open...and think winning thoughts.

Thanks so much for coming by and for supporting the blog hop and my book. Make sure you stop in tomorrow for 4 of the final 8 bloggers and another fun Sewing Tales Book Bonus project! If you haven't already, please click that link below and sign up to receive my newsletters. Have a great Wednesday.

Enter for your chance to win a copy of my book and a goodie box the size of Texas to go with it on my giveaway post! Giveaway ends November 14th. 

Thank you again to the Sewing Tales Blog hop sponsors. You can click on this image below and find out more information about each sponsor. Thank you Fairfield, Dritz, Fiskars, Bosal & FreeSpirit. Thank you also to National Nonwovens for providing the wool felt for this project.

Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop: Day 2 and Gnome Cape with Satchel

It's Day 2 of the Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop and despite the mornings getting colder and colder up here in Maine, things are heating up in here in the kid giddy studio. It's not snowing yet outside, but my daughters are asking for it already. So on this chilly morning, I have 4 new bloggers to book hop along with, and another Sewing Tales Book Bonus Project to keep you warm.

Sabra Gubler - Sew a Straight Line

Amber Carillo - One Shabby Chick

Caroline Hulse - Sew Caroline
Amy Friend - During Quiet Time

We've even been listening to Christmas songs already *gasp* and I can't help myself and want to call this bonus project the "baby it's cold outside cape and satchel". As soon as the weather turns cold - we get the Christmas fever. I think it's hereditary?! You should play some holiday music while making this project. It will make it all the more fun. Click on the Bonus project image below to take you to the PDF Google Doc to print out.

Underneath the base of this triangle is where you want to place your elastic. I bought this Clear Dritz Elastic myself a long time ago thinking it would be useful someday. I was right. I love the fact that you can use it and won't see the elastic as you would if it were white, on this tan sherpa material. It works perfectly and I love sharing good things!

Any elastic will work really well if you stretch it as far as you can while you are sewing it down. You can add frog closures or ribbons on the two ends of the elastic for the cape if play will be involved, but I preferred not to on this one.  It was nice and snug and stayed on the gnome without falling off. I wasn't playing with it though - so use anything you have laying around.

Thanks so much for coming by and for supporting the blog hop and my book. I can't wait to see your Gnomes all dressed up for the winter weather. You can shrink/enlarge and re-size the measurements to make capes for the mice too or any other doll or animal (This is the same way I made the teeny tiny cape for the Queens in the Snow People Chess Set)! Make sure you stop in tomorrow for 4 new bloggers and another fun Sewing Tales Book Bonus project! If you haven't already, please click that link below and sign up to receive my newsletters. Have a great Tuesday.

Enter for your chance to win a copy of my book and a goodie box the size of Texas to go with it on my giveaway post! Giveaway ends November 14th.  

Thank you again to the Sewing Tales Blog hop sponsors. You can click on this image below and find out more information about each sponsor. Thank you Fairfield, Dritz, Fiskars, Bosal & FreeSpirit.

Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop: Day 1 and A Baby Gnome

Good morning everyone.

I'm so excited to start off this Sewing Tales Book Blog Hop that will be going on all week long. Each day this week, I will post a link of the 4 bloggers participating in that days hop, so you can see what they made. I will also be giving my readers a bonus project each day to make, that didn't fit in the book because it was already jam packed with goodness (today's "baby" project is below).

I sought out 20 awesome bloggers from the world wide web to get a peek into my book, create a project and maybe even write a story (as was done in the book), or just simply have fun with it. We have 18 folks from the United States, 2 from the UK and 2 from Australia. Some of the bloggers have chosen to offer a giveaway as part of their post, be sure to check them all out. Today's bloggers include:

Mollie from Wild Olive

Jennet from The Feathered Nest 
Jessica from Happy Together

I also sought out some amazing product to send these folks, because I had no way of knowing what tools they would have and what they wouldn't have. I wanted to make sure that each person would have the tools they needed to make their project most successful. If you come into my studio or catch me off at Quilt Market - you'll find many of these tools on my tables or with me in my little pouch. I rarely leave home without them (unless they are too big, in which case they have to stay home alone). Please see the sponsors and their links by clicking the graphic below which will take you to my post from Saturday - these really are just a few of my favorite things.

Speaking of Quilt Market {again}...if you were there, you just might have seen me toting around a little Baby Gnome (in pic above) on my quilt market ID lanyard. In true baby fashion - this little one got lots of "oohs and aahs". Make your own baby gnome, or twin gnomes, maybe even triplets with today's Sewing Tales Book Bonus project.

It is very small and can be tricky with it's tiny seam allowance, but it's oh so cute for that young gnome that can't wait to be a mommy or daddy some day. You could even tie a loop to the top and hang it on the tree for baby's first Christmas?! This pattern is for home and personal use only. Please do not copy, alter or otherwise distribute. Click on the image below to get to the PDF on google docs.

Thank you to the bloggers and sponsors for all of your love and support.

Thank you for coming by today, and for your love and support as well. Make sure you stop in tomorrow for 4 new bloggers and another fun Sewing Tales Book Bonus project! If you haven't already, please click that link below and sign up to receive my newsletters. Have a great Monday.

Enter for your chance to win a copy of my book and a goodie box the size of Texas to go with it on my giveaway post! Giveaway ends November 14th.