“On Wednesdays We Wear Pink”

Mean Girl’s Day (October 3) may have already passed, but it’s still October, so it’s close, right? Off With Their Threads released this mini Burn Book (notebook) on Monday and I couldn’t resist making one. It’s so Fetch.

I wound up using a hot pink promo vinyl for the exterior and a pink metallic for the interior (some of the same vinyl that I used for the Dumpster Fire fobs). While the metallic works great on exteriors, it doesn’t do as well (I think it’s too “sticky”) on the underside of the project, so the interior isn’t so pretty. But other wise this project is awesome – I may make a few more as gifts this season…. maybe one for myself too!

Confession: I originally bought Made for Mermaid’s Oaklynn because I’m too lazy to color block a top myself. Little did I know how much I would love the end result.

I’ve been seeing a lot of color blocked tops in online boutiques recently and I’ve been really wanting to buy some. But with a whole closet full of fabric, I thought I’d be better off making some for myself. Right in the nick of time, Made for Mermaid’s comes out with the Oaklynn pattern, so I scrap the projects on my table and start making this one.

I really wanted to use my leopard remnant somewhere in this top (I made the Selija Knot earlier in the year with this), so I built my fabrics around this fabric. I opted to use a black cotton spandex from Girl Charlee and a peach cotton rayon blend that came in a bundle from So Sew English Fabrics. Both the leopard and peach were close to the same weight and drape, however the black was slightly heavier, so I opted to use it for the bottom tier and waistband.

Sewing this one was very straightforward – the only issue I had was that I thought the color-blocked sleeves were cuffed, but I never could find a pattern piece for a cuff and the sleeve it plenty long enough hemmed…. so I guess it’s not?

As for the fit, I think it’s perfect. In fact, I love it so much, I’m considering making a solid version (with cuffed sleeves) next. I’m not completely sold on the v-neck yet (personally, I find the neckline very thick), so it’ll be another crew, but if I stumble across the “right” fabric in my stash, I may give it a whirl anyway.

I like to keep sewing notes and projects in little notebooks that I put next to my sewing machine (although in complete transparency, I haven’t done a great job since mid-lockdown). When I saw that I could make my own mini notebooks with my embroidery machine, I jumped all over the chance to give it a try. Since it’s “spooky season” I decided that I would start with this fun Ouija Board cover:

There was quite a bit of stitching involved with this one, but I love the way it turned out. Unfortunately, I slightly snipped one of the pen holders, but managed to mend it by zigzagging the cut part back together (crossing my fingers it holds over time). To complete the look, I’ve decided that I need to make a planchette that will dangle off the end of the bookmark. I also need more black vinyl because I can see making more notebooks in my future – these are fun!

I had good intentions in posting Linky Thursday yesterday, but I was indisposed all morning – as I finally had my colonoscopy appointment. Since my dad passed away from colorectal cancer, I am considered high risk (2-3 times more likely) and have to have testing early (and more frequently) – and this was my first test. Thankfully, everything came back clear and now that my anxieties (both for the procedure and results) are over, I feel as if I’m ready to tackle all the stuff I wasn’t able to do for the past few weeks (I’m not kidding when I said I was anxious!)… starting with this week’s Linky Thursday! But before I forge ahead, if you’ve been putting off getting tested, don’t wait – colon cancer in the second leading cause of deaths in the US and is very treatable in the early stages. It may not be the most pleasant experience to prepare for, but the nap at the end is really nice.

If you missed my post earlier in the week, I have a new tutorial up at WeAllSew – The Easy Strip Mug Rug and Cozy set. It’s a great scrapbusting project (or use Jelly Rolls like I did) that’s perfect for gift giving.

For us, fall soccer means bundling up under blankets during games and I’m in desperate need of some new ones. I usually rely on the tied blankets, but I love this braided edge version.

Christmas is right around the corner and this beautiful applique Joy pillow would make a great decoration or a sweet holiday gift.

Looking for a quick costume (or have a kid that feels like they’re too old for a costume, but sort of wants to dress up anyway)? How about this lobster hoodie?

Sew yourself up a pair of wide-leg palazzo pants to lengthen your frame.

Little pouches are one of my favorite things to sew and always make great gifts. This half moon version uses clear vinyl so you can always see what’s inside.

Stocking up firewood for the winter? This cute firewood carrier looks quick to make and helps tote all those bundles.

Infinity scarves are always a great wardrobe staple, but it gets even cozier and more fashionable in faux fur.

I have several sewing projects ready to go on my sewing table, but I got a little distracted (because I have sewing ADHD) when I saw Made for Mermaids’ latest release, The Oaklynn. I had recently seen some cute boutique tops that were very similar to this style and decided I wanted to make some for myself.

While searching for fabrics for this project, I discovered that my poor sewing closet was a hot mess – so much so that I couldn’t find fabrics that I needed. Needless to say, that turned into an afternoon of cleaning… so there’s no progress on this project, but my sewing area looks…. better (again, sewing ADHD).

Hopefully, I won’t have any more distractions and can start this project today. It’s supposed to be chilly this weekend and I think this would be perfect to wear!

Confession time: You know those fun Jelly Rolls you see in quilt shops? The ones with the coordinating and\or designer prints that are pre-cut and ready to use? I love them, but I never know how to sew them up since I generally don’t quilt…. that is until recently when I was asked to make my latest project for WeAllSew: The Easy Strip (Pieced) Mug Rug & Cozy.

This is a great beginner-friendly project: there’s lots of sewing straight lines and no bindings! It’s also a great way to try your hand at some quilting (totally optional) and using some of those built in stitches inside your machine. Best of all this entire set comes together quickly, so it’s possible to make several in a day and give them as gifts!

While I used Jelly Roll strips to sew this project up, feel free to use any remnants you have on hand. This is a great scrap busting project!

I was feeling matchy-matchy over the weekend and decided that my Hug Hoodie needed a coordinating pair of pants. So, I pulled out the Carita Joggers and went to work.

I used the camo french terry for the base of the pants (which I also used for the hood lining) and the sweatshirt material for the pocket bands, cuffs, and waist band. I was skeptical that the sweatshirt material would have enough stretch to work, but I have to say, this is the best fitting pair of jogger that I’ve made. I’ve been using knit around the waistband, but find that a lot of times they start sliding after wearing them for awhile. These seem to keep their shape a lot better. Overall, I’m very pleased with how these turned out and they look cute with the hoodie too!

Get your living or bedroom ready for Halloween with this cute cat pillow. Pair it up with my mummy pillow tutorial and you’ve almost finished decorating your area!

This stuffed kitty looks simple to make and would look great with the pillows above or just as a gift to your favorite little person this Halloween.

One of my favorite things to wear in fall is a cardigan – learn how to make your own version with this tutorial (and it has a hood and pockets too!)

Enter to win a 20 piece fat quarter bundle of Sweet Caroline fabrics.

Stay cozy in the crisp, fall air with this Spring Tee hack.

Tiny things are always cute – like this milk carton coin purse.

This button up front skirt for girls is a perfect fall look – I can totally see this made in corduroy.

This tiered, ruffled dress looks comfy to lounge in, but dressed up enough that you can wear it just about anywhere.

Thinking ahead to Thanksgiving? This table runner and mitered napkin projects are perfect for your place settings. If you want to think way ahead, here’s a tutorial for some cute Christmas Tree napkins.

Looking for a quick costume? This Haunted Hat project tops off any cape for an easy witch look.

This flared t-shirt makes for a great transitional piece – perfect for both warm days and cool nights.

Hot off the sewing machine (literally, it is just minutes old!) is a second Hug Hoodie – this time with an actual hood.

I had really good intentions in finishing up a few projects that I had already cut, but it suddenly got chilly and I decided I needed another hoodie. This time around I opted for a plain gray sweatshirt fabric for the body. As much as I love the yellow polka dot version, I’m finding that there isn’t a lot that I can wear it with (I guess I need to start thinking about some new bottoms), so I decided to go with a more neutral look. I did add a fun camo print for the hood lining, in part to make it more interesting, but also because this sweatshirt fleece is pretty thick and I didn’t want a bulky hood. Overall this is a much cozier feeling top that the French Terry and I think it will look great with a pair of black, high waisted leggings…. although I’m thinking this camo print may make a cute jogger too – can anyone say matching lounge set?

If 2020 had to be described in 2 words, chances are it would be Dumpster Fire. I’m at the point in my year that the only way to keep my sanity it to approach everything with humor. Thus, my latest project: Key Fobs.

I recently saw some “pretty” (well, they were pink and I thought they were cute) 2020 Dumpster Fire ornaments and I bought a few – unfortunately, they were sort of pricy so I couldn’t buy more of them. Luckily String Theory Fabric Art released an embroidery design with the same idea last week and I knew I had to get it. So, I spent the weekend making key fobs for the rest of my friends and family that I didn’t buy ornaments for. I made a portion of these in a pink metallic snakeskin vinyl, another in a salmon metallic snakeskin vinyl (both inspired by the ornaments that I saw), and one in green – I finished them off with silver rivets and a simple split ring.

I’m not going to lie, I love the way these turned out. They stitched out well, even through two thick layers of vinyl (the metallics are much beefier than the green promo vinyl that I used). I can’t wait to use these as stocking stuffers!

FYI, if you own an embroidery machine, String Theory has 2 new freebies available for today only. Be sure to grab your candy corn snap tabs while you can!