I’m sure everyone who sews does it. They see a particular material and it just calls to them. Alright, I admit, I do that a lot, but over the years I’ve realized that there are a few fabrics that I’m really attracted to: anything with faces, writing, or newsprint…. and this one from TheFabricFariy had all three. How could I resist? (I also got the Tokidoki Stylish Girls print too… again, faces) But this entry really isn’t about my fabric purchase, so much as it is asking for some pattern brainstorming ideas. You see, I’m stuck. This print reminds me so much of the fabric I got a long time ago (2006) and used to make a Jalie Crossover top (which is probably one of my all time favorite shirts, unfortunately it doesn’t fit anymore) that this is the only pattern I can envision using.

So, does anyone have any favorite patterns or seen anything that would work to create a funky, fresh top?

Apparently, working on something less stressful means making my own pattern? Several weeks ago, I stumbled across this Trendy Chalkboard Tote tutorial and have been thinking about it ever since. Instead of using the instructions, I used her finished bag as an inspiration for my own design.

The fabrics for this tote are a heavyweight, home decor fabric (it’s almost canvas-like), chalkboard material, and a cotton print from my stash (it was originally a skirt panel that had a beautiful print, but seeing that it’s been sitting in my stash for years, I decided to sacrifice it for this project)… I skipped the interfacing since the exterior fabric was so heavy and I just didn’t want to wrestle around with something stiff. After deciding on a finished size (14″x20″), I pieced together the front panel (since chalkboard fabric doesn’t fray, you could easily skip this part and just applique it) and added wide, 4″ sides. Before attaching the back of the bag, I added one more ‘fun’ element – a back pocket to hold chalk and a pen.

So, who’s the lucky recipient of this bag? Easton’s pre-school teacher this Valentine’s Day! I am always seeing her carrying several totes into her classroom in the morning and I figure teachers get enough candy\treats around the holidays so why not make her something useful? Hmmm, now what can I stitch up for “Teacher Appreciation Week”?

After a successful Jalie hoodie, I thought that I would do some shopping to (potentially) find fabric to make a solid, short sleeved version. Instead, I came home with 3 prints – none of which are intended to make a hoodie! The first fabric is a fun stripe material (black to white stripe repeat) from Needle Nook Fabrics – I can see making this one into a shirt, but would like to avoid long sleeves so I don’t have to do a lot of matching of stripes. The other two fabrics are from Sew Much. The blue Jennifer Paganelli print will eventually become a pair of Tommy Boxers, while the purple\white\black swirl has a spring dress vibe to it.

I also received (and shopped) my gift certificate that I won to Shabby Fabrics. I used it to buy a gorgeous quilt pattern called Meg’s Garden (from my current favorite designer), but after reading over the directions, I might not be prepared to stitch this one up soon. While the applique is pretty straightforward, the stippling\meandering stitch my be a little more ‘advanced’. I think I’m going to have to spend some time practicing with my BSR stitch regulator before I work on something so large.