I love that my daughter has her own sense of style. And has had it since the very beginning. Unfortunately, that also means she can be very picky about what she wears. And lately, she’s not been content with alot of her clothing choices. So after a few mornings of going a few rounds about what she was wearing/not wearing to school today, I offered to make her a new shirt.
I used this pattern last summer and made it out of a white tissue weight linen. It was an easy pattern (a must for me) and it really flattered her. And, most importantly, I started and finished a project in two sittings, in less than a week. I don’t know why I like to stretch these things out, but that’s what I do.
I’ve had the ladybug fabric for a while – I know it came from the remnant bin at JoAnn’s eons ago. There wasn’t quite enough to make the whole blouse, so I used a plain white cotton on the yoke and it works. It works so well Pat didn’t even notice I had used two different fabrics. Most importantly, she couldn’t wait to wear it.
Category: finished projects
From the vault.
That there pillow got started I don’t even know how long ago. It had been moved from the basket of unfinished projects to a new location and when I went through the stash this weekend, I found it. I had pieced it together before I put it away – it had trim covering the seams pinned down, but not sewn. I can’t remember why I put it aside, but it had been long given up on.
Pat’s grandmother was a quilter and while I admire the craft of it, I just haven’t felt drawn to it enough to do it. This was my first feeble attempt at it. While I like the results, I’m not sure I’m going to jump into more quilting anytime soon. Grandma had made this amazing crazy patchwork quilt that I fell in love with, that she used old ties in the making of. It’s really a work of art and way beyond my feeble beginner skills. Somewhere along the line, I acquired a book about crazy patchwork and it broke down the crazy quilt process into small bites, pillows, laundry bags, instead of a queen size bed quilt, so it seemed dare I say, approachable? Although I still don’t think I could ever come up with something as beautiful as Grandma’s crazy patchwork quilt.
The pillow in question was made of various scraps from items in the living room, or things that would seem to flow with scraps from items in the living room. The leopard print is some throw pillows, the purple canvas is a fabric sample from the company I bought the slipcover for, as is the red canvas (it was the reject color), the red geometric pattern is from some pillows, as is a white brocade, the rest just seemed to flow with what was there. I even threw in some patterned purple velvet that was a dress scrap, as a small shoutout to the purple velvet sofa that lives under the purple canvas slipcover (Because babies & purple velvet sofas don’t mix well. Although that statement also applies to me I need a slipcover. On everything). I can’t even remember how long it took me to put it together – not long I think. The trim I pinned down was mostly upholstery trim, white & blue (?), with some chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon thrown in here & there. I left some of the white down and then proceeded to swap just about everything else out and start over. I used bits that went with the color scheme, bits that I love (the green leaves and the chicken ribbon) and that fringe piece? A scrap from Edie’s Christmas stocking. Over all, I think I like it. It looks great with my orange walls and my purple velvet sofa, even when it’s slipcovered. I might try another one sometime. Maybe.
I love my new sewing machine.
Among the items in the long ignored basket was this vintage embroidered tea towel that had definitely seen better days. I knew I could salvage the good part, but what to do with it? Do you see how flipping sweet that is? It needed a new life and one that would showcase it well.
My top of the line circa 1960-something Singer had stopped holding a stitch and I never could get it to do anything fancy. Certainly nothing like this:
So this Christmas eve, when Pat put a great big box under the Christmas tree, I recognized the paper from the bag Uncle Kevin had dropped off a week or two before. It must be for Edie I thought – I went to bed thinking he’d gotten her something big she’d been begging him for. Was I surprised when the next morning, Pat put it in front of me! And what was in there but a brand spanking new sewing machine! A computerized one no less, a realm I had considered entering, but had no idea where to begin and just not sure I wanted to invest our money in. Problem solved all the way around.
I noticed last time I had visited said uncle that I had left my favorite apron – nothing fancy, just a plain white workhorse I’ve had forever that has definite chocolate and red wine stains. Next time I went to visit, I managed to see the apron, but it mysteriously disappeared before I could pack it. Uncle Kevin mentioned something about perhaps using the new sewing machine to make a new apron to replace it – I’m not sure if I was supposed to make one for me or for him.
I’ll admit, it took me awhile to really delve into using the new machine. Between losing my creative mojo there for a bit and then having the learning curve of a new machine, I was hesitant to start a full blown project. I needed the instruction manual in my lap the entire time, the presser foot arm was in a totally different place, how could I really sink my teeth into anything new? It required way more concentration than I had.
I’ve played around with it on some little projects – like some applique T-shirts for Edie’s pals – to get my bearings on it. Finally, I started feeling a little more comfortable with it. Really started liking it. Realized it had been way too long since I had a sewing machine that I had any confidence in because halfway through anything on the old one, I would have to stop and take it apart and put it all back together again, fingers crossed I could finish. Half the basket I have sitting there blocking the entrance of the happy corner are things that my old machine crapped out on, that I got frustrated with and put aside.
I really started missing my apron. I used that thing almost daily. I decided to make myself a new one, but without the apron in hand, I didn’t have a good pattern for one. But I really needed another full apron. They work so much better for me than those half ones (as evidenced by the stains on the missing one) especially when rolling anything out. My wardrobe choice of wearing mostly black and a love of baking bread need a moderator. A full apron works beautifully in that capacity. I used another apron I have (but admittedly, don’t like the line of as much, but it will have to do for now) and managed to find a way to use some of my fancy new stitches on the hem and the tea towel on the top.
A little unbleached muslin, some off white grosgrain ribbon for ties and voila. My first completely finished project with my new sewing machine.
Thanks Uncle Kevin. Hand over the apron in question and you will get a fancy new one too, just like it. Well, minus the flowery parts.
On a roll.
I don’t know if it’s because the weather is warm and I feel like I don’t need to spend all my energy keeping warm, or if it’s because I can see all the dust bunnies living right out in the open of my house with this more light and longer days of the approaching spring or if it’s because my dear babydaddy is not home and so therefore I have no one to hang out with so I might as well get some stuff done, but I have been a bundle of productivity lately. In a myriad of ways too. Over the weekend, I cleaned multiple closets out, actually scrubbed our bathroom down, worked in the yard AND found time to make things. I am very impressed with myself right now.
I made those lovely hoops for Edie for Valentine’s Day and finally got around to hanging them this weekend. (I also got around to hanging the lovely mirror she painted and gave me for Christmas. Clearly, we don’t hang things in a timely manner around here.) I had totally intended to make a whole collection of them, only to find that I could not find any wooden hoops around town the Friday before, so I grabbed what I had and used them. I think I ended up hanging them a little too far apart, which will force me make a few more for her, which I had originally intended, I just need to remember to look for some new hoops next time I’m out (that would be key, really). I filled them with a vintage linen napkin that had seen better days but was somewhat salvageable, a sheer green paisley that I thought would look divine on her pepto bismol pink walls and fabric from her great grandmother’s stash. Actually, it is a lovely lavender on lavender satin that was her grandmother’s prom dress. I just cannot take a decent picture of it and I’ve been trying for days. I’m going to fill in around what’s there, but I love she has family heirloom vintage scraps hanging on her walls. I’m pretty sure I have some more lying around here somewhere.
And, both sewing projects I did this weekend involved pieces from the big basket of unfinished projects/ironing. I am really proud of myself for finally tackling that. I need to finish one project (that required a trip to the store today, where I realized when I got home I totally forgot to look for wooden embroidery hoops, ARGH!), the other won’t get posted until someone returns from the Great White North. I gave myself a week to clear that pile out and while I haven’t met that goal, I really have been working on it a little bit at a time. Clearly, I am on a roll and I kinda like it.
Chicken Wire & Paper Flowers 
