How many outfits can you make with 2 yards of fabric? Apparently my record is 4.

When I picked up this double brushed poly, I didn’t realize how much I would love it. I started by making a Discoverer Tee, followed by a pair of Logger shorties (these have become sleep bottoms because they are too short to wear outside the house), a Valencia Tee, and now a Cascade Tee. That’s 4 projects from 2 yards of material – it’s new record for me!

So, back to the Cascade – I picked up this pattern on a whim when buying a New Horizon’s bundle – it was the ruffles that sold me on this top. With some creative cutting, I had just enough material to make this top… and it’s perfect. The fit is great, the ruffles are fun, and best of all it’s sleeveless… because it’s darn hot outside. I found the instructions were well written, so putting this top together was easy. In fact, it was so easy, I’m thinking about making another one (sans ruffles, because you can only have so many distinctive tops) today!

Looking for a new purse? This minimalist tote is a fun way to carry all your necessities of try your hand at the pretty Kennedy – it’s perfect for statement fabrics. Just ready to get a jump start sewing for fall? Make this suede backpack instead.

If your little one (or even tween) is in need of headbands, you’ll want to give this little bow version a try.

A heat wave it hitting most of the US right now, stay cool with a handmade cooling pad or cooling neck wrap.

Hit the beach this weekend with a brand new mesh bag.

Enter to win a Memories Quilt Kit from Bear Creek Quilting Company.

Learn how to make the perfect summer jumpsuit.

Keep your change handy with this cute star shaped Stela coin purse.

These Boucherouite Boxes won’t just help keep you organized, they’ll add a lot of interest to your area too!

Make laundry more fun with these shark close pin bags (plus it’s the perfect way to kick off Shark Week)!

Make the most of Christmas in July and whip up some of these stuffed fat quarter trees.

It may be too hot outside to wear fleece, but have you ever thought about decorating with it?

As excited as I was to sew up the Sporty Piko, my result was just as disappointing. I knew going in that this top was a very relaxed fit – I just didn’t realize how “relaxed” it would be…. it’s HUGE.

The photo on the left is the initial fit of the top. For reference, this is a size small and you can easily see how over-sized it is. Between the color and the fit, I felt like I was wearing a hospital gown….

In an effort to salvage this tee, I decided to shave 1 1/2″- 1 3/4″ off each side (I kept the initial fit of the sleeve because I was afraid I would make it too tight) and I think that the end result is much better. It’s still loose, but not sack-like. However, I’m still not in love with the end result… this pattern still needs some work. I may consider giving the Sporty Piko a try again in the fall (in at least one size down) because I love the idea of creating a PomPom Jersey with a team logo across the back, but I’ll have to rethink how I may want to go about sewing it up.

It’s one of the most anticipated shopping days of the year – Amazon Prime day. Yes, I’ve already visited. I’ve even scoured the sewing\crafting deals (admittedly I only picked up the 3 pack of Cricut mats… for $12, I couldn’t pass that up because I always need new mats).

Probably the question you’re asking, “Is there anything worth buying today?”. Honestly, you can probably save your money in the crafting department – sure there was some good prices on thread (but they were brands I’ve never heard of), carrying cases (most were open totes), and an occasional machine (mostly minis, but this bag closing machine was interesting) here and there, but nothing that jumped at me. However, if you need some notions, you might be in luck:

There seems to be lots of elastics (most are 1″ or larger) in bulk: this 10 yard 1″ black and white bundle for $6.30, 10 yards of black and white buttonhole elastic (great for kids pants) for $6.79, and 100 yards (yes 100) of fold over elastic in 20 different colors for $21.59.

There also seemed to be a lot of zippers (beware not all sizes and styles are included in the sales) like this 40 piece, 22″ zipper set for $12.79. There’s no comment about what brand and you’ll probably get an assortment of colors, but if you’re willing to gamble, it’s a great deal!

WonderClips are also on sale (I love these for bag making, bulky fabrics, or with items that can’t be pinned). If you don’t already own some, I highly recommend this set of 150 for $11.99.

There were also several ruler sets listed (they were probably all the same retailer, though). This one had a variety of shapes (although I’m not sure this is from a sewing company because the names of some of the rulers don’t seem “standard”) for $13.43, but beware, from what I’ve read, they’re almost all metric.

Need buttons? I found this set of 100, 1″ wood buttons for $6.92. I’m not sure how I would use the, but they look pretty.

I think wrap tops are one of the most flattering looks on all body types. Now you can transform that look into a pretty maxi dress.

Not sure what to do with those fun panels you see in stores. Learn how to transform them into a quilt.

Keep your little girl cool this summer and make her some adorable tanks! This pattern has a huge range of sizes, too (3-16)! Pair it up with a no-math circle skirt (sizes 2-12) and you’ve got a great summer wardrobe!

Have a Cricut maker? Learn how to cut felt like a pro.

Encourage them to read more this summer by making your little one a personalized pocket pillow – great for stashing books when they’re not using them. (video tutorial)

It’s been so busy around here that I forgot it was July… until I started seeing a bunch of Christmas projects popping. If you’re started your Christmas in July sewing, you’ll definitely want to check out these cute stockings and gift bag tutorials.

Enter to win this gorgeous Angela Damman bag.

Head to your next farmer’s market with this fun patchwork tote (link to pattern in tutorial, only available for 3 more days).

This Arial Tote looks easy to sew and has a fun braided handle. While you’re visiting the site, don’t forget to enter to win a huge bundle of 1/2 yard cuts of Michael Miller’s Fairy Frost.

You know those cool makeup pouches that have floating glitter on the outside? Now you can make them yourself. This same process would work great for back to school pencil pouches too!

Last week I made a flutter sleeve top, but you can add that design element to your favorite tee with this tutorial.

Our oldest daughter, Taylor has been visiting us for the past week, so I haven’t done any actual sewing. We did take in a lot of sights around the city, including a great Jim Henson exhibit at COSI science center…. where I got to see one of David Bowie’s most famous roles, Jareth the Goblin King.

Even if you’re not a fan of the movie Labyrinth, chances are you’ll recognize the costume anyway (and not just because of the crotch bulge). I stared at it for quite some time (and not just because it was worn by David Bowie) because the jacket is so ornate and the ascot is perfectly fluffy and frilly. PLUS, Sara’s ballgown was there as well! Overall, what amazing costuming!

We have a “nook” by the front door that looked pretty naked. It’s not very deep, nor is it that long, so we decided to put a bench there – something that would allow us to stash shoes, hats, the dog leash, etc. as we walk out the door. This bench not only fits the space perfectly, but it had great baskets that allows you to store items without them being seen. The only thing it lacked was a cushion…. until now.

Taking a (good) photo of this was more difficult that I anticipated, but you can get the general idea of what it looks like. I went with a 2″ foam, a home decor print from Joann’s (bonus it was 60% off, and a solid that goes around the edge to break up the print. I secured this one with Velcro so it was easy\easier to remove if I ever hand to launder it. Overall, I’m fairly pleased with the way it turned out, but I still don’t care for home decor sewing.

I’ve been putting off making the Sporty Piko because I really wanted to recreate this version (and if you know me, it’s hard for me to make solid color tops so you know I have to want to make this badly). I have been looking all over for this color combination and I finally found it (well, close to it) at Girl Charlee. Of course, I couldn’t just order what I needed, so I picked up two fun extras too:

They had several prints that are used by the Blue Platypus clothing company and I couldn’t resist them because they were so fun. First off the Cat Phone – it was so quirky I couldn’t resist, plus it looks like it would make a fun tunic. I also snagged the Teal Peony print as well – largely because this dress is so pretty.

Now to wash these beauties up and get to work!

FINALLY, after what seems like an eternity, I have a selfish sew! I decided that I needed to put the cute little bird print to good use so I opted to make a new top with it. I looked for my trusty Jalie Tee pattern, but couldn’t find it (alright, so maybe my sewing room isn’t as organized as I thought) so I decided to do something completely different instead…. make a scoopneck top.

I always liked this Jalie pattern because of the tulip sleeves – it’s such a pretty way to change up shirt. Plus, it’s a fairly quick sew, which is perfect when you’re needing a new top. This top went together beautifully, but the fabric was a bit temperamental (in hindsight, I wished I had used a different needle and lengthened my stitches just a bit more).

I have just a smidge more of this material left and I’m debating on if it’s enough to actually do anything else with…. I just love the little birds, but don’t want my stash to be overrun with remnants that I never do anything with (again). I may try to see if I can’t squeeze a tank out of this today.

The past few days I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a fun little project that I can only show a sneak peek of… for now. While I can’t say exactly what it its, I can say that is that this pattern has lots of opportunities for embellishment and the more fun the fabric, the more fabulous it becomes!

I will also say, I am very thankful that I had the time to start this project right before we moved because I am sure that I would have not made the deadline otherwise – moving it hard ya’ll. But, with this one completed, I’m ready to start some selfish sewing… in between trying to get settled!