New Stuff

in the shop!!!

Progress of the Dress

This dress, life and memories

made during it's making,
is almost completed.
The miles of hem will be done by this weekend,
I hope.

The Muslin

This is THE DRESS.....

take #2.

Minor adjustments on the bodice and neckline,

as well as the decision to place the skirt right at the waist,

instead of a drop waist.

Do you think we are brave enough to continue?

Challenge

Remember this craziness?It gets worse.......

I'm attempting to do the impossible.....

without a pattern!

(p.s. the yellow plaid is my "muslin"

before the muslin.

Next try is with plain linen......

if we get that far......

I will slice into the exquiste blue floral linen!)

Retro

As I am busy crafting aprons for resale at Mom's shop,

I am finding it hard to take any good pictures of my results---

mostly because my waistline has long since vanished.

So here's a high-waisted version with a pleated bodice,

I'm keeping it for myself!

(I'm 6 months along already---it's going by so fast---

next week we are going in for the ultrasound!

Something Done!

It seems as though all I have been doing is starting things.

Today I finished this little something----

a diaper bag for a sweet little gal

(whom I'm hoping doesn't read my blog!!)
These pictures don't really show all the details that I am very happy with:
the pleated front pocket, the 4 interior pockets
and the oh-so-even topstitching,
thanks to my new toy, Bernina.



In other news, it has been a very long week. In fact, the last few have been difficult. Mr. Wonderful has been out of town overnight quite a bit, which always throws me and the kids for a proverbial loop. But just the other day I received news that has made my week----
dear friends are moving back HOME!!

Dress Dreams

It's not my fault, really,

that every time I was awakened by sweet darling baby child,

my thoughts were filled with this aqua blue linen rose fabric Just begging to be made into a hundred different things!

Alas, I have only 5 yards-----

In a perfect world, I could make this
(the blue version with a lace sash)
for my sister to wear
to her upcoming Highschool Graduation!

Seeing Pink

These adorable baby slippers---

from this pattern are for the littlest J.M.
She's a sweetie!

Faith

For Joy

My First Attempt

Here's Faith, my first attempt at dolllmaking.

So far she's plump and huggable,

but really lacking in hair.

~A gift for a special girly I love. ~

My Tye (my new Mai-Tei)

My latest project---a test run of sewing a Mai-Tei.

We love it.

Shower Gift

This is for a cousin who is getting married in a few weeks. Black and White Kitchen decor---loves polka dots. Simple and fun!!
I just had to add some color---
a splash of red ric-rac holding the D-rings.

Baking supplies, fun B&W bowls,

and ribbon trimmed polka-dot towels.

Quilting Details

This is my first hand-quilted quilt. I really enjoyed the process, even though I was in a hurry to finish it---so my stitches aren't as small and even as I would like. I do so love the soft texture that hand quilting gives---as opposed to hard lines and ridges of machine quilting.

This is a nine patch quilt, simply easy to do---but alternating "Darks" for the prominent "5" or the receding "4". Does that make any sense??

Then the layout: the block on diagonal, with unpieced blocks (a large botanical/avairy print) and then the same fabric for the small border. It's very busy---but I like it. The binding is a wonderful stripe----I love it! It functions as binding and an additional border!

For the backing I really didn't want to go buy more fabric, so I used up what I had left, bits and pieces. It's feels homey to me.

HouseWarming Gift

A small quilt, the perfect size

for cuddling on the couch

for picnics on the grass

for nursing baby

For your new {old}home.

We miss you.

Frugal? Fancy? Fun? Friday!!!!!

Today I have so many ideas!!!

My brain is all in a clutter

(as is my sewing table!!)

and I can't seem to focus,

or make the simple decision on

what to blog about today!

I am going through a phase, (I'm afraid of phases---

they are such fun when you're in the thick of them,

but decidedly embrassing once you're out of them!!)

I am trying to simplify (yet fancy-fy at the same time!!)

my life and home.

Starting off with my spending, I have just joined ReFashion

and I am also resolving to "Use what I Have" in the sewing room.

For the next 4 months, I am going to challenge myself,

to be more creative by not always running out to buy some

new fabric when I want to make something.

Ok, I guess that ended up being Frugal so next week it's have to

be either Fancy or Fun !!!

Sewing Project #1---Needlecase

These most adorable wool Needlecases have been appearing everywhere. So hand-in-hand with my resolve to be more frugal and to use of my scrap stash, while having fun making things, I decided to do a picture tutorial as I crafted away while the boys napped.

Here's what I started out with: 1 small rectangle piece of wool, in a light, soft robin's egg blue
3 various scraps of cotton fabric---having fun with combinations
1 small button---mine was a cute two-tone pink (recycled)
3 inches or less of ribbon---a brown grosgrain
4 inches of white medium ric-rack


Ok, let's get started!

Layer your pieces of fabric, trimming them to the size that appeals to you. (My base wool is about 3 inches x 9 inches.)

Taking the cottons, sew around the edges, straight or zig-zag (or both!!)

Think things through a bit, admiring the color combinations that just flew together here!

Sew the cotton fabric to the wool, with a zig-zag. Then, tucking the ends under the wool, fold the wool over about a 1/2 inch, then stitch down, making a finished front edge.

This is the underside of what we have done so far.

On the other side, take your ribbon (or any other narrow notion to fasten the needlecase) loop it around, stitch on the center edged of the wool that is also folded over about a 1/2 inch.

Not pictured---hand sew the button on the front, in the center of the white ric-rack.

Stick some needles into the lovely soft wool, ooohhhh and aaahhh over the way they just slide in, and the way the silver needles and blue wool set each other off!!!

Fold in half, slip the ribbon over the button, and voila!!!

Finished needlecase, in the nick of time as Ian wakes up for a snack!!

Crafty Fun to come!

I have several " works in progress"

that I can't wait to show you!
More details later today!

Today I had fun making a full length apron

from a thrifted vintage strawberry tablecloth.

It's a gift for a special friend. Her kitchen is aqua and red,

and she also collects strawberry vintage.

Perfect.

My Custom Order Completed!!

A great gal who is opening a shabby chic store on July 20th in Colorado

ordered 5 of these sassy aprons. They are in the "Tiddley Winks" line from Moda.

The Ruffle Pocket is a coordinating paisley.

While the main fabric is the same, every one has a different

combination of ties, ruffle and ric-rac.

It was very different making something custom---

here are some things I've learned:

• Make the client choose the fabric---this saved me lots of worries.
• Always use matching threads.
• Make up one first, so that if anything needs changing, it's only on that one

I sent her a free bib---hoping maybe she'll be interested in more

for her store.

Weeds

The weed war has begun.

These nasty things always find a way into your socks. Yuck.

We are off for another weekend of camping.

I have a thing about wanting a hand project for going camping. For all those spare, leisurely moments I imagine happening while Ian is alseep and theboys are off doing boy things with Daddy and Grandpa C. and Grandpa D. and Uncle J. and Uncle B. and Uncle M. (well, the last one really isn't an uncle, but we pretend!!) Oh, yes, did I forget to mention that this is like a family reunion-type camp trip, exept for the reunion part, seeing how we all live within 20 miles of each other? It's going to be great fun!

Where was I? Oh, yes, a PROJECT!! So I came up with something pretty to work on, so stay tuned for Monday's post to see if I completed it!!