Music Stand Case

 (Topic: Sewing)

Intro

Friends, although this is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and this is a blog that is largely about life after a loss, this is also where I post about my hobbies - but only on Saturdays! So even for this month, I'll be sticking to my usual format of grief/loss content on Wednesdays and sewing/knitting/etc on Saturdays.

Below are pictures of a project I completed last year. Enjoy!

The Music Stand Case project

I am on of many siblings in a very musical family. I suppose it was inevitable that I would someday be asked to make something related to that!!! As it turns out, I was asked to make a case for the music stand my violin-sister uses. She'd had a bag for it, but it wore out and the folded music stand would poke out. It got to the point where it could even fall out, so I got to make the replacement.

It needed to be sturdy, so I dug through my stash for some durable fabrics, and came up with several pieces of canvas that would hold up to use. I had different weights and colors and types, including a boring beige which was rejected! I ended up using a nice sky blue.

Instead of just seaming, I used a binding like her original bag had had. But not boring black! I found a woven band (again, in my deep and varied stash!). I was even able to find one that coordinated with the colors. And I used some scrap fabric to make a handle.

Back of bag, closed. The woven trim has a blue background, with a repeating floral and some metallic. Handle purposely has slack to be grab-able even when the bag is full.

Back side, open. The piece of trim is to cover and decorate the stitching for the velcro closure.

Front/top open. Trim also protects the edge of the opening.

Front top, closed.

As far as I know, this bag is still in active use! It was a fun project, especially since I knew it was practical but would also be enjoyed, and would be distinctive in an orchestra room with all the black bags and cases!


Yours,

Sarah

To subscribe, find the "subscribe by email" note in the left column and enter your email there. Posts will be emailed directly to you whenever I post them!

Resource list: Visit my spreadsheet at www.tinyurl.com/infantloss

Shoes for 18" Molly Bears

Hi Everyone,

I have finally finished a project I'd like to share!

Molly Bears (Link to Website) is a wonderful organization that creates bears that are the same weight as the infant you lost.

We received our bear on the December 23rd, 2016, and ever since then he has been a comfort to hold, cuddle, and dress. Yes, I like to dress him sometimes. Not every day, but sometimes it's nice to have someone little to care for. Also, I like to take pictures and text his adventures to my husband!

Our Charles Peacock Bear (named after our son), whom we call Pookie.

Soon after I started looking for clothes for Pookie, I noticed that shoes were going to be a serious problem. His feet are not shaped like human feet, so baby shoes don't work, and they are much larger than the bear shoes you can find at certain stores in the mall.

So I have been working on developing a pattern for shoes, which you can see the final version of in the picture above! And I JUST FINISHED THE PATTERN!

Since I know anyone with a Molly Bear has experienced a loss, and I doubt I’m the only one who wants to dress my bear, here is the pattern, available for free to those who want to make their own shoes. Do not sell shoes made from this pattern, or sell the pattern. If you have questions, I can be contacted via glibscribe (at) gmail (dot) com or on Facebook (Sarah Warner), and I will answer any questions posted below in the comments.

***PLEASE NOTE***

This pattern is entirely my own design. I am not sponsored by, or affiliated with Molly Bears. Additionally, Molly Bears appears to have several sizes and designs of bear. This pattern is only designed to fit the style bear pictured above, who is the 18" size.

Also, if you want to share pictures of the shoes you make with this pattern, I'd love to see them!



Printable file with instructions: LINK TO PATTERN

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Playing with food...

What happens when I get nostalgic? I make foods I had when I was little, and take them to a whole new level.

No - not culinarily!

"Potato boats" the way I used to have them. It is a baked potato + cheese, on a bed of spinach "seaweed". The sails back then weren't quite so elaborate, though.

Yes. I made a whole fleet. And yes, the sail configuration tells us the featured ship is a brigantine.

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Golden Spike Triptych

Posting some older items, to catch up with what I'm working on now!


Item Data:
- Type: Acrylic painting on canvas
- Date made: August 2011
- Pattern: used photos of each engine for accuracy
- Fabric: canvas
- Trim: n/a
- Time to finish: several days
- Notes: The engines are painted using photographs of the original engines that participated in the golden spike ceremony (completing the Transcontinental Railroad using the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads) on May 10, 1869 - I edited out the people to focus on the beautiful locomotives (that were painted colorfully originally!).

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Iris Painting

Posting some older items, to catch up with what I'm working on now!


Item Data:
- Type: Acrylic painting on canvas
- Date made: July 2011
- Pattern: Painted freehand, using photographs as inspiration and as a guide
- Fabric: canvas!
- Trim: n/a
- Time to finish: Don't remember. one or two days, I think, including drying time.
- Notes: Kelly's black/purple iris. 4x6 canvas, acrylics. Finished 7/30/2011.

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah