Today’s post is an accumulation of thoughts (and updates) that I have running through my head this morning. First off, thank you all so much for your suggestions on the stripe raglan top. I decided to soak the area in hot water, gently wring it out, and dried it flat – it did work a little bit, but the larger holes are still there (you might be able to see it a little bit in the photo). So, I think I’m going to go ahead and finish it, see how I like the fit (to possibly make another one), then wear it until the holes look terrible. While I was waiting for the shirt to dry, I decided to work on another baby shower present. I used the last of my birdscloth diapers to make a few more burp cloths and have decided to give the Slobber Monkey bib a go (with a few modifications). I was thinking that I would use an iron-on vinyl so that the fabric would match the burp cloths, but then wondered if that product would be safe to use with a baby? I know it’s not necessarily food safe like most laminated cottons, but is it ok for a bib? Thoughts?
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Shorten Your Own Zippers My Marie Jacket hit a bit of a snag, when I realized that I needed a 17″ zipper and that I couldn’t easily shorten it. I had purchased a long 22″ zip and didn’t care to wait for a customized size to arrive in the mail (nor pay the almost $15 price tag for it) [...]
Win A Singer Sewing Machine! What’s the one thing you’ve been wanting for the New Year? How about a NEW SINGER ONE™ Sewing Machine? You don’t have to want any longer because here’s you chance to win one! As you may have noticed by my recent swap(s), some of my favorite clothes and accessories are made in the winter months [...]
Coastal Cuiser With the decorations down, house cleaned, and laundry washed & folded, I was finally able to sit down in the sewing room and work on my first project of 2013: the Coastal Cruiser. This project took a bit more time that what I anticipated – I didn’t account for all the cutting and ‘quilting’ of [...]
Pizza Roll Pillow What’s the best part about sewing? Being able to make just about anything you can dream up! My daughter had an idea for a Christmas gift for her boyfriend, a pizza roll pillow (apparently, he eats a lot of pizza rolls), but never found anything remotely similar to what she was looking for…. so she [...]
Wild Woman Just in time for the weekend, my ‘wildwoman’ tunic is finished! I was a bit concerned how wide the neckline would turn out, but went ahead and sewed it ‘as is’ and was presently surprised that it didn’t slide off my shoulders as many people had stated on Pattern Review (I may have had a [...]
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Yep, I’m making one of these Friendly Tote\Backpacks… for myself – they are too cute (especially that mustache).
If this week’s Earth Day events got you rethinking your impact on the environment, why not stitch up a few reuseable grocery bags to get started.
This pouch doesn’t just protect your scissors, but it’s a great project to use up your scraps.
Love working with leather, but hate to sew it? These business card holders are a great way to use leather tools and don’t require a sewing machine.
I’m pretty sure every week I come up with a new pillow I like. This week? A pleated pintuck version.
I love that infinity dresses are still popular, even in formal wear. Learn how to make a floor length version that’s perfect for night time!
These fat quarter bags are so easy to make, you’ll want to stitch up a whole slew of them!
Need an excuse to try out some free motion embroidery? The Artsy Bag is the perfect reason to test out this technique.
Make a fun, sleeveless A-line dress that’s perfect for your 3 year old girl.
A diaper stacker is a perfect way to keep your nappies organized, but out of sight.
You know what I find irresistible? Drop bottom pjs (well, in kids at least). Learn how to make your own version here.
Bring a little interest to an ordinary stool with a ruffled slipcover.
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Even though it snowed again yesterday (yikes!), I am banking on summer eventually hitting us hard. So yesterday, with a bit of time to work on some projects, I started sewing the striped raglan project. I thought I was being so careful sewing in the sleeve, but after I was finished, I noticed a ‘puckered’ portion of the top – I gently removed the stitches and the photo on the right is what I got – tracks! It’s very noticeable, I’m afraid will get worse over time and I’m not really sure what I should do to ‘fix’ it. The fabric is thin so I’m afraid fiddling with it too much will just make this a wadder – any suggestions?
As I lay in bed last night I came up with a few possible solutions:
1. Tuck it back in. I think this looks messy, but it’s better that a bunch of holes.
2. Embroider a design over it. It may cover the area up some and make it less noticeable. I’m concerned that the fabric is so thin that it will only make matters worse, though. If I had to select a design, I might go with Urban Thread’s Blackthorn Spray.
3. Don’t do anything. Continue sewing, wear it anyway and if it makes holes, make a new one!
4. Chuck it and start over… this time in a ‘sturdier’ fabric.
5. ???????
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I finally made my way into the sewing room and finished my Dolce & Gabbana shirt panel! I have to admit, I love the material – it’s super soft and stretchy and will be very comfortable to wear. My only disappointment – the sleeves. Since this is a burnout type of fabric, some of the material was much darker than others…. unfortunately all I really had left to work with that would produce two sleeves was on the darker side so they are more maroon than the upper portion of my tee. I wish I would have manipulated the material (especially on the backside) a bit more so that the sleeves would be closer to the same shade as the body of the shirt. Drat. I’ll have to remember this for the second panel (which is much wider so I may get to use the raglan pattern after all).
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Whew, what a weekend! I will start off by saying I finally have my t-shirt panel cut and supplies purchased to get started (because wouldn’t you know out of all the red thread I have in my stash, I don’t have a maroon that matched), but that is about the extent of my sewing. You see, this weekend was huge for the kids:
Taylor made her Confirmation on Friday evening – she spent the year participating in additional church groups, volunteering, etc. leading up to this day. You can tell from the huge smile on her face she’s glad it’s over (LOL)! The next day, Easton celebrated his 5th birthday with his friends (his actual birthday is Tuesday) – it was 2 hours of bouncing on inflatables, eating crazy donuts, and opening presents! This weekend was also filled with lots of fun family time, an exploding hot water heater, and very good food – it was a great time, but I’m looking forward to a slightly calmer week and some much needed therapy in the sewing room.
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As much as I wanted to sew last night, my body didn’t have the energy after cleaning the house and shopping for a weekend full of family activities… so I knitted. I knitted enough that I managed to finish my first dish cloth. Not bad, although, I believe it would look better in a solid color – I think that the variegated yarn is distracting (I’ll try the seed stitch version next time I try it). Today I’ll attempt to sneak into the sewing room, but much of my day will be spent cooking, etc. – on the menu? This fabulous potato salad from a local eatery.
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Get ready for this summer’s vacation. You can start by making this makeup brush roll (It would also make a great Mother’s Day gift).
This J. Crew knock-off is labeled as a beach cover up, but it’s definitely pretty enough out!
Looking for a novel pillow to spruce up a room? This adorable Little Red Riding Hood House pillow will do the trick – I just love those shutters!
Don’t toss those old jeans! Transform them into an apron – this may be the cutest one I’ve seen.
Rhonda’s dress is so pretty, no one will believe that it’s made from 2 rectangles. Get the tutorial here to make your own!
If you have a dinosaur lover in your house, you can’t pass up making one of these fun Stegosaurus Hooded Towels.
If you’re like me, it seems like I’m always going to a baby shower lately. Be the hit of the party when you show up with this diaper bag or even this travel bag with changing pad.
Keeping the dust off your sewing machine never looked prettier.
Not only is this bib adorable, it’s name is to: Slobber Monkey.
Show the world how crafty your are, just by looking into your eyes… well, sunglasses.
There’s no sewing involved, but I still really like these mini top hats. Now where could I wear one of these?
High-Low dresses are very trendy. Learn how to make your own just by using your favorite t-shirt as a pattern.
I never thought how handy a car organizer would be until my daughter started driving one of our cars and piling everything into it. I may be making one of these.
A new way to use up fabric scraps… Bracelets!
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Last night was my last beginning knitting class. I have learned all the basics and am ready to move onto my first project…. the $56 dish rag (this includes the price of the class\materials and yarn for the project). While I tease about the cost, I really am excited to whip up a small project – I think knitting will be a good activity for when I’m looking to do something crafty when traveling or when we catch up with some of our shows in the evening. Plus (eventually) joining Ravelry is a huge draw – I’ve seen some amazing designs come from there!
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This weekend, in addition to my lacy wrap, I had planned on making a pair of wide legged, knit pants. I started with McCall 6571 and decided midway during fitting, that I wasn’t enjoying the pattern. So, I switched to something ‘quick and easy’ (McCall 6748) only to realize after prepping the pattern that I didn’t have nearly enough fabric. So, I stopped for the day.
Yesterday, my Elliott Berman order arrived with two D&G shirt panels…. I decided that the one on the left would make a great raglan shirt for the weekend. After tracing off the pattern, I discovered, once again, I don’t have enough fabric (at least for sleeves)! My next option was to do a ‘standard’ t- shirt, but when I retrieved my pattern, I discovered that my traced size was gone.
So, now it’s back to the drawing board. I can’t decide if I should move on to another project, search for\trace another t-shirt pattern, or go back to the Palmer\Pletsch pants. They’re all causing me a bit of grief at the moment so maybe I’ll just avoid the sewing room until I have it sorted out.
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As much as I want to sew up some of my new patterns (and new BurdaStyle magazine that’s calling my name), sometimes necessity takes over. On Friday evening, Taylor will be confirmed. I had planned on wearing something ‘springy’. However, the weather isn’t going to cooperate (once again), so I’m re-thinking my wardrobe. Instead of heading to the store, I ‘shopped my stash’ and came up with with a new top – Jalie 2910 (Faux-wrap) and a beautiful lace motif ITY jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics. Once again, this pattern sewed up easily and the fit is great. Best of all, it’ll be warm and comfortable for the chilly evening air!
Project Details:
Pattern: Jalie 2910
Fabric:
Lace Motif Jersey (purple\black) from Gorgeous Fabrics
Materials & Cost:
Pattern……..stash
Fabric………$18.00
Notions……..stash
Total……….$18.00
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