402 Center Street Designs

Winner Winner!

2012-02-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

First, apologies for the extended absence from blogging. It was unintentional but it seems a sewing slump collided with a period of extreme busyness and lack of creative inspiration ensued.

I blame post-Christmas shock.

At any rate, a few weeks ago I was having kind of a rotten day. I don't even remember what exactly had gotten me down I just remember that I was feeling blah. I checked my e-mail on my phone before heading in to work for the day and low and behold the subject line "You are a winner!".

I thought at first it might be fishy but my e-mail is pretty well locked down and I don't typically get spam in my inbox. Then again, I don't typically WIN anything.

But, after a quick look at the sender's e-mail address I saw it was the author of a blog I follow and I decided I could trust it.

I opened the e-mail and sure enough it was Heidi from Honey Bear Lane informing me that I'd won a giveaway, sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop, on her blog.

My day suddenly looked up.

Funny how free fabric can do that.

Better yet, the jelly roll was actually a line of fabrics that I really, really like! It's called Urban Cowgirl and is designed by the Urban Chiks for Moda. The Urban Chiks are responsible for some of my favorite fabric collections of all time, including the fabric on the patchwork pillow pictured up there, Swell (Currently Out of Print, sigh. . .). I used one jelly roll of Swell to make one of my favorite projects EVER, the Blue Bird Quilt and I have two more rolls and some yardage stashed for a quilt for the Bug's bed, "someday".

If you've been following for any length of time you've seen me sew with the fabric lines 1974 and Happy Daisy too.

Here and here and here and here

Geesh, yeah I think I like those Chiks.

I'd love to get my hands on some of the vintagey goodness of Sweet and Dream On and how adorable would Hullabaloo be for a nursery? But really, a girl has to draw the line somewhere and I'm trying not to spend money on fabric this year. That's why this win was so much fun! I got my new fabric "fix" without spending a dime!

Thank you Fat Quarter Shop and thank you Honey Bear Lane for absolutely making my day!

Now. . . what to do with this lovely stuff? Thoughts?

~Lindsay

Simple, Handmade Gifts for Boys

2012-01-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

You won't find a lot of sewing for boys ideas on this blog.

It's not that I don't love boys. I just don't have one of my own.

But I do have nephews. Seven year old twins with a baby brother on the way.

And a Momma who appreciates hand-made.

As such, I was so inclined as to make a few of their Christmas gifts this year.

For baby boy, I made this sweet little vest and tie onesie.
I first spotted this idea on Pinterest, but I've seen it all over the web since.
I can't wait to see the little man in it! Mostly, I just can't wait to meet the little man.

I tried a new technique for printing these shirts for the soon to be big brothers.

It involved Mod Podge and embroidery hoops and screen printing ink (which is ridiculously difficult to find in my neck of the woods).

You can find the tutorial I used here.

You can see it's a little bit rough, so this method is probably not best to use if you are going for something really clean or intricate. But for these shirts I kind of like that look.

I didn't sew a single thing for this gift but I think it's one of the favorite gifts we gave this year.

I found the idea (again) on Pinterest.

It's a big 5 gallon bucket from Lowes with a "bucket buddy" to hold art and craft supplies.

We hit up the dollar store and Target and Wal Mart and decked this puppy out.

I love that there are lots of pockets on the outside for the little things, glue sticks, tape, paint brushes, scissors, glitter glue. . . and then big things like coloring books, construction paper, and pipe cleaners can go inside the bucket.

Now the boys have everything they need for getting creative here in one spot. And they aren't limited on where they have to be creative, they can tote this bucket around with them anywhere.

Love it.

It was a lot of fun to challenge myself this year and try to come up with some handmade gifts for these special little guys. And it was fun to see their faces when they opened everything up.

Thank you Pinterest and all you crafty people who pin these awesome things! That inspiration folder in my head was getting a bit unreliable.

~Lindsay

Lunch Bag revisited

2012-01-18T05:28:00.000-08:00

I tried my hand at the Executive Insulated Lunch Purse from the book, "Lunch Bags!" again.

My mom packs her lunch every single day so a lunch bag is always a great idea for a gift.

I've made her two others. One was when I was in college years before I had even HEARD the word "blog" much less wrote one. It was pretty cool though, pieced and appliquéd with hand dyed fabric. One of these days, I'd like to get back into dying my own fabric.

The other was one of my favorite projects a couple of years ago. . . (here)

Since that time, I have discovered thermal fleece interfacing--which is perfect for using in lunch bags to keep everything cool.

I used the same exterior fabric as the last time I made this particular bag because I love it. But I attempted to change the zipper. The pattern in the book called for an extra long zipper that kind of hung off the sides of the bag and I didn't love the look of that. It was o.k., I just didn't love it.

So this time I tried a shorter zipper. I think it's almost right. Zippers and I, we are learning to get along, but we still have a ways to go.

You'll note, I also added a 402 tag.

This was a last minute Christmas gift and I totally forgot to tag it. Of course, my proud momma ask if I could add one. You know, in case those other teachers in the lounge ask.

This bag is a bit bigger than the last one I made for my Mom so I think it will function a little better for her.

Since the sewing of this gift was so last minute, I had to ask my Mom to bring it with her for an after Christmas photo shoot. Yes, we still had green grass after Christmas. This has been one weird winter.

Believe it or not, this is not the end of my posts about Christmas presents. There are a few more yet to come. . .

Which is good because I've sort of hit a sewing lull for the time being and don't have much to show for the last few weeks.

~Lindsay

Muslin Hanger Cover tutorial

2012-01-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

These hanger covers are a nice way to dress up an ugly plastic or wire hanger. They also would help hold those slinky fabric tops on the hanger as well.

The sky is the limit fabric wise. You could make it as simple or as funky as your heart desires.

So let's begin with the supplies:

Your sewing machine, needles and coordinating thread.

Pattern

Scissors

Pins (if you're into that sort of thing)

an iron and ironing board

fabric--(6 yards of 45" wide fabric should make 25 covers)

For the Lily's Closet Project we have been asked to use unbleached muslin. Just in case you were curious, on the left is unbleached (and un-ironed, ha!) muslin, on the right is bleached muslin. See the difference?

The lovely folks at Lily's closet will take these simple blank slates and stamp them each with their logo for a consistent, sophisticated look through the whole store.

Your fabric for these does not need to be pre-washed. Since I don't imagine these will be washed frequently you don't need to worry about them shrinking. Also, if you don't pre-wash, you won't have to do as much ironing to get the fabric crisp enough for folding and cutting. I am a big fan of ironing when it is necessary, but when it is not, I am not.

Print out your paper pattern.

You can find the PDF here . . .(edit: It seems the PDF is printing out small, if you go this route, add about 1/4" all around when you are cutting) or, e-mail me and I'll be happy to e-mail the PDF, or even snail mail a copy.

It will print on two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Make sure the box in the corner prints to the right scale and then cut out your pattern. You will have to piece the pattern together and tape it. It will need to overlap a bit. It should be easy enough if you match up the lines and the letters.

After you assembled the pattern, place it on your fabric. I like to fold my fabric selvedge to selvedge in half and then in half once again. This gives you four layers of fabric to cut through and will be about 11" wide if you are using 45" wide fabric. Place the long straight side of the pattern on the side of the fabric that has both folds.

I like to trace out lots of hanger covers on my muslin and cut them all at the same time. I use my disappearing ink marker, but you could use a pencil or even a sharpie. These lines will be inside and won't be seen.

Cut around the pattern or on the lines you traced. If you folded your fabric in quarters like I did, you will have two shapes like this one above once you open things up.

On the bottom of the hanger cover, turn under about 1/4 of an inch and press. If you iron well, you won't need to pin this and that saves a ton of time.

Turn another 1/4" up to encase that raw fabric edge. Press that well and your bottom hem is ready to sew!

But wait!! Don't sew yet!

While your iron is hot and you are standing at the ironing board go ahead and iron down 1/4" on the top of the hanger cover.

. . . and another 1/4" to encase that raw edge.

Repeat the ironing of the bottom and top hems for the second piece of fabric. If I am making a lot of these, I like to put one on top of another and iron two of them at once. The folds aren't quite as crisp that way, but they are sufficient.

Now, you are ready to sew.

Start with your bottom hem. Take a straight stitch along the top part of the hem. This should be around 1/4" from the very bottom of your hem.

Once you've gotten to the end of the first one, grab the second.

I don't even waste time cutting my thread. I just keep my machine a humming and continue sewing the second hem. It's a little trick I've learned from quilters who are sewing lots and lots of little pieces together at a time. They call it chain piecing.

It may not seem like much, but if you are making, say one thousand hanger covers, these little time savers add up.

When you get to the end of that second hem you can clip your threads, including the line of thread in between them if you used my little time saving method above.

And move on to that top hem. You can chain piece here too. Sew 'em both up.

You should now have two hanger cover halves that are nicely hemmed on top and bottom. If your hems need it, you can iron them now, it's up to you.

Lay out your two pieces, right sides together. You are getting ready to sew around the curved portion, so if it helps you, you might want to pin these now. I don't pin. I just live on the edge like that.

You want to sew around the edges of the hanger cover now, leaving the hemmed top and bottom edges open. I use about a 1/4" seam allowance here. That means your stitches should be about 1/4" from the edge of your fabric. Don't stress this, just find a line on your sewing machine to line the fabric up with and go for it.

This is what your seam should look like. One on the right from top to bottom and one on the left from top to bottom.

You can see my stitching isn't perfectly 1/4" from the edge all around. No biggie. Just so you are close.

Again, the areas you hemmed (top and bottom) should not be sewn together. They are the opening to put the hanger in to.

With your hanger cover still inside out, take your scissors and clip your curves. Be careful not to cut through your stitches here!

Clipping the extra fabric around the curves like this helps the finished product to lie flat and not wrinkle or bunch up.

There are four curves to be clipped, two at the "neck" and two at the "shoulder".

Once the curves are clipped, turn your cover right side out and press.

You're finished!

Only 999 more to go!

Again, if you are willing and able to help with the Lily's Closet hanger cover project, please e-mail me ASAP and let me know how many of these you think you can make and mail by the end of the month!

402CenterStreet at gmail dot com

Thanks!

~Lindsay

Can you help? Will you help?

2012-01-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I saw a logo for a place called "Lily's Closet" on a friend's face book page.

I clicked on it. I don't really know why, other than the name caught my attention.

As I read through their "info" section I knew this was a ministry I wanted to support.


About	Our purpose is to reach out to broken, hurting girls with God's amazing, healing love, and to give them eternal hope.
Company Overview	Who we are: Lily's Closet is a ministry designed to reach out to middle and high school girls from Goshen living in difficult life circumstances. It is a store where these girls will be able to come and shop for clothes- for free! Each girl is paired with a staff member who serves as a "shopping buddy" for the day. When the girls finish shopping, the staff will have the opportunity to pray with each girl and talk with her about how much God loves her. We believe that in meeting a physical need of clothes that these girls have, we are able to meet the much greater spiritual need these girls may have. God has a huge heart for these girls and absolutely moves mountains for them! This is a huge opportunity we have to reach out to broken, hurting girls in our very own community! Follow us on Twitter :) Lilys_Closet
Mission	Our mission is to tear down walls of pain and hopeless with God's love by building relationships and providing clothes for girls in need. (via Lily's Closet facebook)

I e-mailed Madison, the contact person listed there, and offered the services of our Crafting Hope group. I thought maybe we could sew some cute spring scarves or simple skirts for them.

She e-mailed me back with a different request. . . hanger covers.

Hanger covers???

A quick internet search turned up a few things better suited to Grandma's Closet than anything else so I asked what exactly she had in mind.

(photo via: Taylors Closet)

She sent me a few photos and I set to work thinking through some very simple pattern making.

Once I had a pattern, I made a special request of our sewing group.

Lily's closet needed 250 of these simple little things by the first of November!

Seemed manageable to me at the time. . . that's 10 people making 25 covers, right?

Well, obviously I wasn't thinking.

People were sewing Christmas gifts in October. (I wasn't thinking Christmas until late November. . . ahem)

By November 1st we had about 65 of them.

I put out my plea again. . . extended my deadline to the end of November. . . but still, with the holidays it was just too much.

So I told Madison I would revisit the project after the first of the year.

And here we are. . . after the first of the year.

And this little Lily's Closet vision has grown a bit I think.

The request has changed.

250 hanger covers would be great, but they could really use 1,000.

And this is why I need your help.

On Thursday, January 26th at 6:30 pm the Crafting Hope group will be meeting at the Nappanee Public Library. We are inviting out anyone who can iron, cut or sew to help us make as many of these in a two hour time period as we possibly can.

We will form an assembly line, so if you can't sew, don't worry! We'll let the non-sewers iron or cut fabric. Working together we can do exceedingly more than we could on our own.

For more information, including a supply list, please go to the Nappanee Public Library website (or e-mail me, 402CenterStreet at gmail dot com).

If you can't make it that night or you just simply live too far away, would you please consider making a few of these for us on your own?

You don't need to be local. I'd love nothing more than to see this project become bigger than our little corner of Indiana. I'd love to see God's grace and love for these girls grow all over the country (perhaps, dare I say, the world?).

I will be posting a tutorial soon. They truly are a simple and inexpensive little project. Very little sewing skill is required. I promise.

I am looking for 40 people who will commit to make 25 hanger covers.

I am praying specifically for this and I am believing that the God who multiplied the loaves and fish will multiply our faithfulness. This job is too big for me. It is too big for the small group of seamstresses I know. But it isn't too big for the God we serve.

If you need further convincing, please take a minute and watch this local news channels coverage of what Madison is doing with Lily's Closet.

That's right folks, she is 17 years old. She had the first inklings of this idea "a few years ago" at a youth conference. That would make her, what, 15 when she had this vision?

So what say you? Will you help us?

E-mail me if you will commit to making 25 (or more!) of these hanger covers.

402CenterStreet at gmail dot com

I will send you an address to mail the completed covers to as well as be available for any help you might need along the way.

And please friends, PRAY.

Lily's Closet opens on February 2nd.

I'd love nothing more than for every hanger in that building to be covered in unbleached muslin and the prayers of the saints who sewed a bit of hope into the lives of the hopeless.

Thank you Friends.

Stay tuned for the tutorial.

~Lindsay

Minky & Me

2012-01-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Has anyone out there worked with minky before? I hadn’t until 4 months ago…so why am I just getting around to posting about it? Because I JUST finished the project. I wish at this point I could at least say that it was a complex pattern I was making, but the truth is it was just a simple old baby blanket. Four straight seams and your done!

So the tale begins 4 months ago on Labor Day weekend, I was with my sister and mother fabric shopping. We happened upon a fabric store devoted entirely to minky.

I saw this brown minky with paisley cut into it and could NOT leave the store without it, and a red with white dot print was its perfect compliment. I had a friend that was due the following weekend and I knew these were the nursery colors she had picked out.

When I got home my sights were set high for this blanket. I didn't want to make it too easy on myself, I wanted to jazz it up by embroidering Little Misses Name on it – I took a lot of pictures during this process…with the idea that I would blog a how to…

After several failed attempts on my own with both machine (with my normal sewing machine) and by hand I decided to seek help from the online sewing community. What I found were several warnings to not even attempt embroidering on minky…and after several frustrating days, I would advise the same thing.

Even after all the issues I had, I still attempted the embroidery a couple more times unwilling to let the idea go. After several more failed attempts I finally gave up and took some weeks away from the frustrating project. When I came back to it I moved on to sewing the blanket itself.

I found the material impossible to sew to itself. The stretch and the ply of the minky made it difficult at best to sew together without puckering and pulling. Again I went online to look for answers. I couldn’t find any tips for sewing minky to minky – it seemed that everyone was sewing minky to cotton. And after my attempts to sew the minky to itself I can understand why there weren’t more people doing it. So I was left to forge the path.

The best solution I came up with at that time, was to place heavy books (yes that is Taxation in Colonial America) on the material and run it down to smooth out the fabric along the way. It worked better, but it still wasn’t good enough, there was still some sticking, stretching, and misalignment. Additionally, the fabric wasn't cut precisely, so the pieces didn't line up perfectly. I decided to us the white dots as my line and I cut all sides to straight lines. Warning cutting minky will leave a mess at your work station. Fabric.com's blog accurately refers to it as a "cloud of fuzz." After I got the pieces to the same size, lining up was much easier, but I was still having puckering and pulling issues. I was ready to give up FOREVER – my sister convinced me to just step away from it for a while. So I took a few more weeks away from the project.

The next time I came back to it, was after a consultation with my sister (and brother-in-law) and we (he) came up with a possible solution. To sew them wrong sides together. It would leave the seams unfinished and in need of a finishing, but with the smooth sides together the friction that had been causing the sticking and pulling would be eliminated.

I laid the first piece completely out on my dinning room floor (hard wood – smooth surface.) Then place the second piece directly on top of that one. I was now in a large enough room and space that I could move around the compete piece of fabric and pin it without moving the material around. That ability and the fact that the wrong sides together were smooth and not “sticky” like the right sides, allowed me to get the whole thing pinned and ready to sew. And boy did I pin. I pinned around the whole thing, to make sure there was NO shifting this time. Doing it that way, required every single pin that I own.

I also decided to use a zigzag stich, because of the stretch of the material. And it WORKED! Finally things were looking up. I had a baby blanket albeit with unfinished edges, but the two pieces of minky were together - and straight and not puckering or pulling!

I decided to finish the blanket with blanket binding and located and pinned a tutorial on blanket binding. I have never worked with binding before, and even though I would highly recommend the above tutorial I had my own issues with tension, stitch length, and even pinning the satin binding. I had to rip out my stiches more than I would like to admitt. So (you guessed it) I walked away from the project for a few more weeks.

Then came the holidays…I got some quilting pins – much better leverage for the satin binding pinning process.

As you can see I went a little pin crazy at this step too…I didn’t want to mess things up again.

I was enjoying the binding process, the tutorial really is a good one. Cornering was fun, the straightaways we going quickly. Everything was going smoothly...as my husband would say - almost TOO smoothly! (he is a realist)

In the last 12 inches I had to sew on to complete the blanket - I ran out of thread…broke a needle…and some how pinned it so poorly that I didn't catch the back side of the binding with the stiches. I had to step away from the project for an hour. But the closeness of the completion of this looming project (and the fact that baby girl is now 4 months old) gave me a new motivation to get the blanket done. So I found some close to the same color thread, switched in my last spare needle and got back to work.

And then I finish it!

Ding dong the blanket’s done! And I couldn't be more releaved.

The moral of this story – stay away from minky!

~Michelle

Dish Cloths for Mom

2012-01-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

I had this post pinned on my "gift" board for a while. I thought daily dishcloths were such a great idea.

I decided to make them to put in my mom's stocking this Christmas.

Actually, I was going to make them for a lot of people. My mom is the only one who actually got a set. . . this year anyway.

My letters are a bit bigger than the originals because I cheated and used the die cut machine we have at work for cutting out the letters. Hooray for short cuts!
Get it. . . short CUTS???

I took these with me and worked on the hand stitching around the edges of the appliqué while the Bug was in dance. It made for a good little waiting room project although I think if I make them again I would just use the sewing machine for time sake.

This is a nice little scrap buster project. . . although I'd have to start mass producing them if I wanted to bust all of my scraps. Seriously, the scrap bin is out of control. I have this inability to throw fabric away and lack of time to make that glorious scrappy quilt in my head.

I am not sure, personally, that I'd be disciplined enough to use the "m" dishcloth only on Monday and then wash it, ditto for each day of the week. Nor do I ever do dishes daily. More like once a week when they get piled up and I'm all out of bowls for my cereal.

But they are cute, right?

Perhaps a monogram or something would have been better?

At any rate, it was a fun little project and a nice way to dress up a rather mundane object that represents to me the most dastardly and dreaded of all household chores.

You think I exaggerative? You try living your entire adult life without a dishwasher and then see how you feel. (Grumble, grumble)

Hopefully these bring a bit of cheer to my mom's day. . . whatever day she opts to use them!

~Lindsay

Teacher gifts

2012-01-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

I always struggle with what to do for the Bug's teachers to say thanks.
Food? A gift card? It all seems a bit impersonal.

So this year for Christmas, I made her two preschool teachers these little zipper clutches.

I figure, who CAN'T use a zippy little bag, right?

I used the gathered clutch tutorial on Noodlehead. I've made these before and they really come together nicely. I still have room to improve in the zipper insertion department but I'm getting better.

And, you know, a gift card and some chocolate can't hurt, right?

(Candy bar wrap free printable found here)

~Lindsay

The Christmas Day Dress

2011-12-29T06:03:00.000-08:00

This girl of mine, she is my muse. . .

I could not stop sewing for her if I tried.

Therefore, she has more Christmas dresses this year than any little girl needs.

You may remember the apron dress? Technically, that was last year but I made it big enough that she could wear it again this year and she did.

Then there would be the silver "test" model dress. You know, the one with the too small neck? Yeah, I fixed it.

Then there is the nightgown turned Christmas Eve dress.

But all along this little purple number was the one I intended.

This time the neck fits. Thankful I made a muslin.

The pattern is the Sara dress by littledresspattern on Etsy. The fabric is a beautiful satin that I found at JoAnn's.

My cell phone photo doesn't do it justice but I don't carry my big camera to church--even on Christmas day.

I used the wrong side of the satin for the bow around the neck and for a band around the bottom. I think it's just the right amount of sophisticated detail.

She has lovely purple shoes that are just perfect for this dress.

However, when you are four there is no pair of shoes more perfect than the one that glitters.

My beautiful girl was thrilled.

She said, "Mommy, everything I am wearing today sparkles! It's like I'm going to a wedding. I look like a princess!"

Yes dear girl, you are my little princess.

~Lindsay

Sewing Gifts for Me!

2011-12-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

I got a BUNCH of sewing related gifts this Christmas.

It's so exciting.

You know I MUST be thrilled if I am posting a photo of myself. I never do that.

The quilting book and Gingher pinking shears are just two of the things. I got a new 1/4" foot for my machine that I can't wait to test out and a new (larger) thread rack, a point turner, some marking pencils, some quilt basting pins and some binding clips.

All things that will make sewing. . . and quilting in particular. . . more efficient.

The most exciting thing for me was this quilt frame. I love to hand quilt but I have been using a large embroidery hoop to hold the quilt as I work and it's just not the easiest method.

This frame is light weight. It sets up and tears down easily and it isn't so huge that I need to devote a whole room to my current project.

Now that I can stretch my quilt all out and work on larger sections at once I feel like I'm getting so much more done! It's really exciting. I have been working on this quilt forever and I'm just dying to see it finished!

More than anything, I'm excited to give it to it's owner!

I also got a tripod for our camera so I am hopeful that my photography will improve a bit. I'm thinking about building a light box for photographing smaller projects, but at the very least, it will help avoid the inevitable wiggle of my hand when trying to take project shots.

It was a good Christmas for sewing.

Did you get anything exciting and crafty? Does your family support and encourage your habit like mine does? I am blessed, for sure. So very thankful.

~Lindsay

Christmas nightgown. . . err. . . dress. . .

2011-12-27T06:53:00.000-08:00

I am hopeless.

Really. . . how many Christmas dresses does one girl need?

In my defense, however, this one started out with the intention of being a Christmas nightgown made of the scraps of Christmas fabric I had laying around.

As I worked on it, it became clear to me that this was way too cute to be slept in.

Plus, the quilters cotton is just too stiff to be comfortable for snoozing.

Or so I thought.

It didn't stop the Bug from falling asleep halfway through Christmas Eve service.

The pattern is the Little Lizard King's Elizabeth Claire dress with the long sleeve option.

I love the bell effect created with the elastic halfway down the sleeve.

The skirt is less full because I was working with small amounts of fabric. I should have pieced more in because it did not meet the Bug's twirl requirement.

In my defense, I thought I was sewing a nightgown and it just morphed into a dress. Twirling is less important in a nightgown.

I hope you all had a very blessed Christmas.

I'll be playing catch up here this week, posting gifts that were made and couldn't be shared, plus the real Christmas Day dress. . . yes there is another one. . .

~Lindsay

AMH Artist Tote

2011-12-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

I suppose you are wondering where we've been?

Making Christmas gifts, of course!

It's ironic, isn't it, that the two most productive sewing weeks of the year are the least productive blogging weeks? But secrets must be kept.

Thank goodness for family Christmas gatherings the week before Christmas! I can spill the beans on this gift now and not have to worry about spoiling the surprise!

This ah-mazing bag was my gift to my sister. The pattern is the Art Student Tote from Anna Maria Horner.

When I pinned it on my "Project Inspiration" board she commented that she loved it and I knew this is what I wanted to make for her. She and her husband travel a fair amount and I thought it might make a nice, roomy carry on bag.

The fabric is from the Modern Meadow collection from Joel Dewberry. I knew the color combination was perfect for Michelle. And how gorgeous is that Dogwood print? I just love it.

While the front of the bag has two zippered pockets, the back is fairly simple and shows off the fabric quite nicely I think.

It was also a great spot for one of our 402 tags. Man I love those.

I need to get in the habit of using them. . . most of the time I forget. But it adds such a nice touch I think.

It was hard to get a picture, but this beast of a ginormous bag has an extension panel inside that can be pulled out in case you need to carry more "stuff". It is amazingly roomy. Almost over the top roomy.

I am so happy with the finished result.

The process? Well, that was a little rough. I found the pattern slightly difficult to follow. It was more like a traditional paper pattern than the very detailed, photo heavy PDF patterns that are so prevalent and I have been accustomed to.

And for some reason, I just had a lot of construction "issues". I realized late in the game that I had two different colors of D-rings. I decided to just go with it, not knowing when I'd get up to JoAnn's to get more but then I hated it. So I made a special trip up to JoAnn's. As I was replacing the mismatched rings I stuck myself HARD with a straight pin that I had some how sewn in between the outside fabric and the lining. Ugh. So I opened up the lining seam and fished around until I found it and could pull it out.

Geesh!

But it was worth the drama to see the end result and the look on my sister's face when she opened it.

~Lindsay

Thanksgiving dress

2011-11-30T06:20:00.001-08:00

I may have been on the ball with the Christmas dress, but the Thanksgiving outfit was an 11th hour decision.

I wasn't going to make anything, but then I saw this orange and brown floral knit in my stash and it just seemed so darn Thanksgiving-y

. . . and then I tore a hole in one of my favorite orange striped shirts (it was an accident, I promise!)

. . . and then I spotted another orange stripey knit in my upcycle pile that just went well enough to be funky.

You see how it all snowballed, ultimately leaving me with no choice, right?

I used a shirt pattern from my favorite kids clothing book and made some pretty significant alterations to make this little dress. The leggings were made by tracing an existing pair of her leggings onto my fabric. It came together pretty quickly and easily even with the pattern adjustments.

Unfortunately, photographing the Bug in it was no where near as easy.

She was in a goofy mood.

What is this? The monkey pose?? Who knows.

When I asked her to act normal she got all offended.

So I let her wander and took pictures of her from behind, when she wasn't looking and I cut her pouty little head off. That'll teach ya!

You can see I took some details from the two original shirts I was upcycling and re-used them on the dress.

First, the button placket from the polo. . . I just cut it off of the polo and sewed it right onto the neckline of the dress. It's just decorative, not functional. But it doesn't need to be functional since the neckline is nice and stretchy.

I also took a small pocket off of my favorite shirt and sewed it onto the short sleeve of her dress.

The long sleeves were cut from the original shirt sleeves so I just used the existing hem. Hooray for short cuts!

The cute yellow rick rack was a super lucky find at my favorite thrift store.

It is straight out of the 70's I think. It's a real nice stretchy double knit sort of thing. I've never seen anything quite like it.

I didn't have much so I conserved by adding it only to the front panel of the skirt.

And then just to be fun and funky and unexpected, I added it around the hem of just one leg of her leggings.

Can we talk about the leggings for a minute?

They fit perfectly.

I have never made a pair of leggings that fit her the way I like them to.

And I didn't make a paper pattern, so I probably never will again.

Dumb.

This is the lone "good" photo I got that shows the entire ensemble.

And I only got this because I informed her her posing was not up to par for receiving the promised candy reward.

Hey, I do what I can and I take what I can get.

Ultimately, it's a cute and comfy little outfit that the Bug loves which is a huge accomplishment considering there isn't a lick of pink or purple or sparkle.

I think she will actually wear it again!

Hooray!

~Lindsay

Christmas Stockings Updated

2011-11-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

Last year Michelle made these awesome stockings for our family out of Grandpa's old over-alls.

They are such a treasure. Really, I think they may be my favorite new family Christmas tradition.

We ran out of time last Christmas season, but we always had intended to embroider names on the wool cuff.

So a few weeks ago, realizing the Christmas was sneaking up on me, and that my Mom would need these to begin filling them soon, I dug into this little project. . . . the whole time thanking God for our small family! ha! I only had seven names.

I love the stockings at the Purl Bee. That font rocks. Slick and modern.

But in the end, I decided to just use my own handwriting as our "font".

That and a simple split back stich just felt down right homey to me and I think ultimately, that fits us well.

We are not so much a "slick and modern" group of folk.

This was a quick, fun little project. Just the right size to take along to work on in the waiting room while those little Princess Ballerina's do their thing.

I super duper love these all together like this and I am so excited for the holidays!

~Lindsay

Christmas Dress

2011-11-21T11:20:00.001-08:00

I finished the Bug's Christmas dress.

Oh yes I did.

One and a half months early. Not that I'm counting. Or bragging.

But, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. . . (patting self on back)

O.k.. . . well. . . truth: I sort of finished the Bug's Christmas dress. This wasn't technically even supposed to work out to be something wearable. I had this free fabric that was mis-sent by fabric.com a while back and I thought, what the heck, I'm going to test this new pattern I bought.

My "muslin" so to speak.

So I did.

And I'm kind of smitten with it.

I didn't love the fabric when it came. I kind of thought it was horrible. Stiff and gaudy and just pure yuckiness.

But in a shiny, sparkley holiday dress I think it's sort of perfect.

What ISN'T perfect is the neck.

Even when the bow is untied it does not fit over the Bugs head.

I'm pretty sure this is my fault and not the fault of the pattern. And it's an easy enough fix, pick off the bow and let out some neck gathers, I just haven't done it yet.

I lined the whole deal with this crazy red polyester old lady fabric (grandma's fabric, the gift that keeps on giving) and I think that pop of Christmas red in there is my very favorite part. The pattern didn't call for any lining but this silver fabric was so stiff and uncomfortable I knew the Bug wouldn't ever wear it without a soft lining added.

This is such a sweet pattern and a quick sew that I'm going to give it another go in some fabric that's a bit nicer and in a color (purple) that I'm pretty much garunteed the Bug will wear. Stay tuned!

~Lindsay

Thank you!!

2011-11-21T10:30:00.001-08:00

Chalk this post up as Looong over due!

Blame it on me being sick to varying degrees for the majority of the first half of this month.

But. . .

We WON the label contest!

I know, it was ages ago and it's a bit anti climatic at this point, eh?

Do you even remember?

My high hopes were to have finished something and sewn one of these lovelies into it to show you.

But my sinuses had other plans.

So here you are, a picture of these lovely labels.

It's true, I want to hold them and pet them and make them my best friend.

I might be exhibiting a bit of hoarding behavior.

I'm finding it hard to find a garment worthy of sewing one into.

I did send a yard of them to my sister.

That was nice, right???

See, I'm not a hoarder.

Really though, I am so thankful to all who voted.

And very, very thankful to Crafterhours for hosting the competition and to the Twill Tape Guy for putting out such an awesome product.

I have to say, I was impressed with how easy he was to work with AND how speedy!!

Seriously, I have patience issues when it comes to this sort of thing and I didn't even get a chance to get antsy about them before they showed up.

So thanks again to everyone!

You ROCK

And sorry for the extended blogging absence. I have a few small projects to show you when I get a chance and I know Michelle has some things in the works too!

~Lindsay

Fall Bag

2011-11-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

I've had this fabric sitting on my sewing room floor with the intent to make a new purse for over a month.

It finally happened last night.

I pinned the inspiration bag 8 weeks ago. . . so maybe the fabric has been on my floor for (gasp!) two months.

The lovely mustard colored wool is from my Grandma. This photo doesn't do the depth of the color justice. It really is so pretty.

I was just telling some friends how I am trying to be more intentional about taking quality pictures and now today I give you this. . . cell phone pictures taken from at my desk at work.

The green carpet and grey file cabinet really sets it off, right? Right??

O.k., no, I know. . . but I was excited to show you.

The lace is lovely. From a bunch I bought while thrifting. I adore it. I am so NOT a lace girl but for some reason I am drawn to this. And I think the wide brown stripe down the front breaks up the "frill" a bit and brings a little modern to a whole lot of vintage.

I kind of like the new shape of this bag. It's a bit taller than it is wide. A new design for me. . . I sort of just cut it out and let it happen with no real plan.

It's how I roll. . . at least in the sewing room.

I'm still debating if I would have liked it better with one more pleat at the top. I don't know, I'm kind of a "do things in odd numbers" kind of a girl.

What do you think? Is the negative space above the pleats interesting or awkward?

And I love, love, love the lining fabric. Alexander Henry Dagmar Plaid, scored for $5 a yard at Lolly's in Shipshewana. The pockets are a coordinating print I bought at the same time but the name escapes me.

You'll notice I still need to press and top stitch around the top of the purse. I had to watch Survivor last night (priorities, right?? How about that Cochran folks?? Wow.) and just ran out of time. But I'll get to it eventually.

And yes, I am giving you a glimpse into my messy purse. Keeping it real folks.

You know I love my pens. And my Tide pen. And I've got to have my phone charger. And yes, there's fruit snacks and a Tootsie Roll in there, I am such a mom.

And of course, there is a small zipper pocket in turquoise. . . love that unexpected pop of color. No one else may ever see it but it makes me smile.

Can you believe how disorganized my new purse already is? I know, it's terrible. The papers there are things I need to keep tabs on though. . . the most recent JoAnn's flier, which I've yet to clip the coupons from, and my jury summons. . . yeah, you know you're jealous.

So there you have it. . .

My Pinterest inspired Fall purse and a quick glimpse into the mess that resides therein.

~Lindsay

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Literally not more than 24 hrs after posting about Dorothy I had two wonderfully artsy friends e-mail me edited yellow brick road photos!

So cool.

The Bug's eyes got so wide when she saw these.

She is fully convinced that she is Dorothy when she wears that dress, and no wonder.

I am always so amazed at my talented friends!

Speaking of which. . . Little Red Riding Hood's momma, a photographer, took some photos in the woods and they are amazing. Just like a vintage storybook.

Prepare for photo overload.

Aren't they just the cutest, sweetest things?

I hope these two get to trick or treat a bit tonight. They live out East and are currently without power.

I think Little Red and her sweet wolf of a big brother would still be cute in snow boots!

Thanks to Catherine, Ally and Staci for your awesomeness in sharing your amazing talent with me!

~Lindsay

Our little princess. . . well, maybe not this year

2011-10-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

For MONTHS the Bug has been telling me she wanted to be Princess Ariel for Trick or Treat.

Which is great because she already has a Princess Ariel dress. . . no last minute costume making stress this year!! Woo hoo!!

Until last weekend, when she informed me she was going to be Dorothy.

Sigh. . .

And she knows me so well that she knows I will almost never turn down a sewing challenge.

Had I a clue about PhotoShop I would have made that road yellow.

You'll just have to use your imagination.

Perhaps a yellow brick wall will do??

I'm not sure what's up with the pose. I think maybe she's calling Glenda or something.

I used the Elizabeth Claire pattern from Little Lizard King as my starting point for the dress since it's a quick, easy sew.

I added the rectangular apron top and straps on my own. I also added the bias cut band around the waist as a cute little accent. Just 'cause I was getting cocky with my pattern ad libbing self.

This dress is super roomy and should be a good addition to the dress up bin for years to come.

It's nice, too, because we can add a long sleeved shirt underneath for warmth.

And please note the bias cut band around the hem. It's all in the little details.

I think she likes it.

Hopefully, she likes it enough to actually go door to door this year.

Time will tell if we get the shy Bug or the outgoing Bug Monday night.

And if you've been around a while, you might notice. . . Dorothy is actually a repeat costume for the Bug.

Aunt Michelle made her this supremely adorable dress when she was two.

Hello squishy baby cheeks!! I love you!

That year, she followed the yellow leaf road.

Too cute for words really.

I love it. And I"m a tiny bit glad our little princess opted out of a princess dress this year because their was no way I was going to top Cinderella.

~Lindsay

Chair upgrade

2011-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Fabric is not the only thing I inherited from my grandma.

Grandma and Grandpa were collectors of "stuff". This kitchen stool is one such item.

I have memories of my little sister sitting on this for Sunday lunch when she was yet to small for a regular chair.

Such fond memories. . .

She's a bit worse for the wear, yes?

Years on a farm will do that.

But I loved her enough to save her.

I didn't love her grimy upholstery or chipped paint. It wasn't the good sort of chippy, you know?

So I grabbed a couple cans of chrome spray paint and went at it.

I am too impatient to dig out a tarp.

Our grass will probably be silver there until next spring. I don't imagine there is much growing and mowing left for this season.

Before spraying, I removed the upholstered seat and seat back and the rubber pads from the steps.

I also rubbed the whole thing down with steel wool to take care of as much of the rust as I could.

I pulled the nasty plastic fabric and rotting foam off of the base of the seat and back and cut quilt batting and this cute laminated cotton to size.

Hello Lindsay's foot!

You cannot deny my photography skills are impeccable.

Or not.

The fabric is Amy Butler, purchased at fabric.com when they were having one of their super daily sales.

I wrapped it tightly and used my glue gun to secure it to the metal seat base. Both the seat and back fasten onto the chair pretty securely so the glue was really only needed to hold things temporarily until I could screw it all back together.

And here she is finished!

I bought a foot of rubber matting from the hardware store and cut new skids for the steps. Who knew they sold that kind of stuff? It was a very precise measurement too. The kid had my husband hold his shoe up to the roll in order to measure off a foot.

I wish I was kidding.

But it worked well enough and I have more mat should I ever need it for anything.

I absolutely love this chair now. It is the bright spot in my very bland (for now) kitchen. And I love that it has a history and such wonderful memories along with it.

I don't tackle non-sewing projects very often but this one was fun and I can already feel myself developing a spray paint addiction.

Good thing I don't have more free time to go thrifting, I'd have to invest in cases of spray paint. . . although a rainbow colored lawn could be pretty come the first snow melt, right?

Right??

O.k., o.k.. . I'll dig out the tarp.

~Lindsay

If you could. . .

2011-10-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Follow this link and "like" either or both of the 402 logos to help us win a contest for custom printed sewing labels! The competition is really close and we'd be thankful for your help! Voting wraps up this Friday.

For those who don't know our story, 402 Center Street is the address of our childhood home and is were Michelle and I learned to sew. The branch in the logo is a magnolia branch because there is a beautiful magnolia tree in the front yard. The logo was designed by my wonderful husband who dropped everything to help me out! Isn't he amazing?

Thanks so much for your vote!

~Lindsay

Executive Insulated Lunch Purse--say that 10x fast

2011-10-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Remember the little Fabric.com fabric mix up (blogged here)?

Well, I finally got the correct fabric and found the time to whip up this cute little lunch bag.

The pattern is from the book, "Lunch Bags!", that I checked out at our library.

The book is full of a variety of really neat lunch bag patterns (as the title would suggest, right?). This particular one is called the Executive Insulated Lunch Purse.

Slightly wordy title but I guess in a book full of lunch bags you have to get extra descriptive.

The bag itself is extra roomy, which I really like. You could definitely fit your container of last night's leftovers in here with a bit of room to spare.

And it's insulated with a thermal interfacing. Bonus!

On the inside I used a super colorful Amy Butler print that I purchased 3 yards of thinking I would make a dress for The Bug. Being a glutton for punishment, I of course assumed she would like it and didn't check with her first. She doesn't like it. Go figure.

But I still LOVE it and I was thrilled that it complimented this lime green home decor weight dandelion print I used on the outside. I think that bright splash of color is going to contribute to making even the most blah of leftover lunches a bit fun and exciting!

A new to me sewing detail was this zipper that hangs off both sides of the bag. It it an interesting look. I'm not sure it's personally my style. I might opt for a more traditional completely inset zipper when I make this pattern again. But, I do like how there is that little square of stripes about halfway down each side.

Cute, just not highly functional.

Over all, I was very pleased with the way this turned out and it was so hard to part with!

But I ordered plenty of this fabric so I think another of these bags might be in my future. . . or yours. . . Christmas is coming you know!

~Lindsay

A Dress and Cape for Little Red

2011-10-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

This pretty little thing needed a Red Riding Hood cape for Halloween.

I told her momma I'd be happy to make her one, figuring I could just wing it, right?

But then I saw on facebook that Little Lizard King was working on a cape pattern.

And she asked me to test the pattern. Perfect!

Is it not perfectly adorable? I love how it just about touches the floor and the way the hood poufs out just a bit down around her neck.

She is just lovely.

And like every single LLK pdf pattern I've used (and I've used quite a few) the directions are clear and easy to follow. This cape is a quick sew and it would make a great project for a beginning seamstress. Just imagine the possibilities for Halloween costumes and dress up bins! A simple change of the fabric and this could be a princess cape. . . leave off the hood and it could work for your little super hero. . . Dracula? . . . piece of cake! You've got Trick or Treat in the bag this year!

Never one to leave well enough alone, I also made Little Red a dress. This is another LLK pattern, the Elizabeth Claire dress this time.

I think it is so cute and fun the way you can combine so many different fabrics. And this dress kind of has a little bit of a vintage vibe while still remaining modern.

Just a quick picture of the dress inside out. . . In kids apparel I like to use French seams like this where ever possible. I just think it looks so much cleaner and it's got to feel better up against their skin.

I can't wait to see her in it.

I think these two are going to bring home big candy trick or treat night.

~Lindsay

A fancy pillowcase dress

2011-09-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

A chance meeting in the waiting room at the Bug's ballet studio. . .

A self-proclaimed "blog stalker". . . (that cracked.me.up. Janelle)

Resulted in this sweet little pillowcase dress.

(forgive the crooked picture, it was a windy day and I was trying to snap these before it rained)

This is a Michael Miller damask. Do you know how hard it is to find nice cotton damask at JoAnns? I think I'm too picky. But once I saw this one on fabric.com those cheaper ones just wouldn't do. The pale pink polka dot I did find at JoAnns. I think it's a lovely compliment to the damask and the pink softens it up nicely.

I absolutely love how over the top girly this big pink shoulder bow is.

The Bug would never go for such things. . . but this dress isn't for her so I did what I liked.

I added a sweet little pink ruffle just above the border, you know, in case the big bow wasn't quite girly enough. I love ruffles.

The things you can't see. . . all interior seams are either French seams or bound seams so that there are no raw edges to fray or get itchy. I take a lot of pride in those little details. It makes things just a little more polished.

I also made a cute flower head band to top off the outfit. . . and yes, I cleaned up that glue on the top of the button before it left my house. It's funny the things you don't even see until you get something out in the light.

And do you like how our grass is actually 50% clover? No wonder we have a rabbit problem.

Anyway. . . I've caught wind that this dress has inspired a family photo shoot so I'm off to make coordinating items for the older siblings! How exciting! And how rewarding to know something you've made is so well loved!

~Lindsay

Why I love fabric.com

2011-09-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have not been reimbursed in any way to provide this opinion. It is solely mine.

Though in the spirit of full disclosure, I am weak and if fabric.com decided to send me some fabric to say "thanks" I can't say I'd turn it away.

I have a lot of fabric.

Even so, sometimes I don't have "the right" fabric for a project.

I do not live close to a single "cool" fabric store.

Like not even remotely close. (shed a few tears for me, I know, it's terrible)

There is a JoAnn's and a Hobby Lobby and a Super Wal-Mart around 20 miles away so I am not wholly deprived of places to run my hands down the aisles of bolts, but I have a weakness for the the nice stuff those places just don't carry.

And this is where on-line shopping has revolutionized my life.

I have several stores I've used in the past.

Hawthorne Threads is right up there. . . but my number one go to place to shop for fabric on-line is fabric.com.

And here's why. . .

1. Free shipping on orders of $35 or more. And rare is the time I am buying less than $35 worth.

2. The prices rock! For the most part all the designer lines are comparable or cheaper than other retailers in my experience. Pair that with free shipping and they have a definite advantage.

3. Daily deals, lots of clearance and super cheap yardage! If you can't tell from the previous two reasons, I am a thrifty girl. I enjoy a sale and seriously, fabric under $2 a yard?? Heaven help us, I might need to buy a bigger house.

4. Great Customer Service and Return Policy. . . until recently, I've not had a chance to experience this first hand but had heard great things. Seriously though, a "no questions asked" return policy that pays return shipping? I love that because buying fabric on-line is harder than in a store where you can touch and see everything right there. You are never quite sure the color, the weight or the texture will be just right. It's good to know that if it isn't right, you aren't stuck.

So this week I received a big stack of fabric for three special orders I'm working on.

When I saw this silvery synthetic weirdness I knew it was a mix up. That is not Chartreuse and White small dandelion print home decor weight cotton by any stretch of the imagination.

My heart sunk a little. I despise confrontation and didn't want to have to call the company and deal with an exchange, etc. But I'd heard good things about fabric.com customer service. . . and, BONUS they had an e-mail address. Hooray for enabling my non-confrontational-ism fabric.com! I should add that to the list. I quickly checked out the return policy on-line and then e-mailed customer service with my dilemma.

In about a day and a half someone got back with me. They apologized for the mix up, arranged for the right yardage to be sent and told me to keep this silver stuff for my troubles.

Rock on fabric.com!

I don't even have to go to the Post Office.

In well over a year of ordering I've never had a problem with the wrong fabric being sent until now. And I'm sure it happens occasionally but it's not a frequent occurrence. Hopefully this bolt isn't mis-labeled in the warehouse or something because I think if I get another yard of this silver stuff I think I might cry. Still, at least I know they will do what they can to make it right.

And that means even more to me than all of that savings.

Cross your fingers with me that the next yard of fabric delivered to my doorstep looks like this, would you please?

I'll keep you posted.

~Lindsay

Fall Dress. . . and, can I get a new model?

2011-09-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

I love my child.

I love sewing for my child.

I hate taking photos of my child wearing the things I sew.

And she hates the photo sessions too.

No amount of bribery helps.

I am going to start sewing for the neighbors.

It's gone from Hot as Hades to chilly fall weather overnight around here and the Bug's dress wardrobe for Fall is woefully lacking. I have a hard time buying dresses because I always think "I can make that cuter and cheaper" and then I never find the time. But she only wants to wear dresses, which leaves us in pickle.

Last weekend found me in between projects, waiting on an on-line fabric order to ship, so I picked up this purple and brown striped knit remnant (from my recent Vogue shopping trip!) and channeled some Pinterest inspiration (here and here) to come up with this cute, sassy little dress.

Perfect for my cute, sassy little model who marched up and down this patio area declaring "Boring, boring, boring. . . this is boring" and avoiding my camera with incredible skill.

This is my computer desktop right now because when I see it, I can't help but laugh.

You aren't fooling anyone little Bug a boo. . . you love the dress and you know it.

~Lindsay

One–yard part two

2011-09-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to making another project out of the One-Yard Wonder book.

(see first project here)

The project I chose was the cat bed. Yes as my bio on the side claims I am in fact a cat momma (married into it.)

When looking through the book I knew this was a project I wanted to do. Our cat (Fran) has long hair and is constantly shedding. Her old bed was in terrible shape, so when we moved I just got rid of it, with the intention of replacing it – over a year later I finally got around to it!

So as I mentioned Franny has long (shedding) hair – so I thought it would be most practical to make the bed itself out of muslin (shown above.)

Then I made a second bed, but didn’t stuff it, so it could be used as a slip cover.

The thing I really like about this cat bed pattern is that it is not just a round or square thing, like you normally see, it is actually a small trapezoid inside a larger trapezoid.

All in all it went together pretty easily. I was able to get it done in a couple nights after work.

I am a bit impatient when I cut things out (I think cutting pieces out is my least favorite part of the sewing process), so my pieces didn’t always perfectly line up (you can see some puckering in the above picture.)

But I am REALLY pleased with how if came together!

Doesn’t it look great! (If I do say so myself.)

After completing both the inside bed and the outside cover, my next dilemma was to determine how to close the slip cover so it could be easily removed and washed.

I had left one side of the trapezoid unsewn – I tucked in the seam allowance to make it look more finished, but still needed a way to close the opening.

My first thought was buttons – I have a LOT of buttons, thanks to inheriting half of my grandma’s stash. After sorting through one of the bags, I found these fun leather buttons that I thought would look nice with the fabric.

But after considering how the finished product would look and hold up against my cat, I decided maybe a zipper would be a better bet.

A long time ago I bought a zipper grab bag for like 2 dollars – there are a lot of random colors, lengths and materials in the bag, and I was able to find a nice long zipper in that. Also the pull is a little ball, which I thought Fran might have fun batting around. Win/Win.

I am TERRIBLE at sewing in zippers, so I just did my best and reassured myself that there wouldn’t be a 4H judge looking at it when all was said and done.

Though I hadn’t considered I had a judge more harsh than the 4H ones to present it to – Fran herself…

As is the case with most cats (I presume) – she acted aloof for the first few weeks. Despite me constantly encouraging her to give it a try, she remained uninterested (at best.)

I had given up trying – I knew that if Fran was going to use it at all, it was going to be on her own terms. So I just set it on top of one of her favorite lounging areas.

Now most days when I get home from work and head upstairs I am greeted by this:

How cute is that? I think the fabric goes nicely with her fur don’t you? Can you tell she loves having her picture taken?

Any other cat momma’s out there (by marriage or otherwise)? Have you ever made anything for your cat? I’d love to hear about it!

~Michelle

The Lauren Wallet revisited

2011-09-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Any little sisters in the house?
Yeah?
I thought so. (Hi Michelle! Love you!)

Then you know how it goes, right?
Big sister gets something cool and you want it too. . .?

So last night I whipped up a Christmas gift for Lauren's little sister.

Similar to big sister's wallet in several ways.

But definitely unique and special just like little sister.
I can't believe I have to wait until Christmas to see if she likes it!
I can't believe I'm making Christmas gifts already!

On a side note, my own little sister and I started this blog a while back as a way to keep track of our projects and to share our love of sewing despite the distance between us. I think I speak for both of us when I say, we are tickled and a little surprised that people we don't know and may never meet follow this blog. It's always fun to know other people appreciate your work even if that's not the reason you do what you do. So thank you.

Typically, I reserve personal sharing for our family blog but since this applies, I decided to share here. I have always been compelled to create. It's taken different forms over the years, this "creating", but I need that outlet and when it's not there, I'm not myself. There is a Reason I am compelled to create.

It's because I am a reflection of my Creator God, made in His image to serve His Kingdom purpose.

If you want to hear more (from my very own wobbly, nervous voice), please go HERE and click on my name. The video was used as part of the Storyline message series at our church. While you are there, click around. Each video contains the story of an individual whose life has been changed because of their place in God's story. If I could recommend a few. . . please listen to my friends Brian & Kim Bell and Cory & Shannan Martin. I promise it's well worth your time.

And if you have a story, I'd love to hear it here. Thank you friends, and God bless you.
~Lindsay

BFF Back Pack

2011-08-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

The Bug's BFF turns 4 this week so over the weekend there was a very exciting bouncy house party.

It was THE talk all.week.long.

Since the Birthday Girl is headed off to preschool after Labor Day we decided that a new back pack was in order.

I've gotten to the point where I can whip one of these up pretty quickly, which is good, since inspiration struck only a week before the party. I used the Let's Go Back Pack tutorial on Sew Mamma Sew. (tutorial created by Rachel at Four Wise Monkeys)

The fabric on the bottom is a really soft corduroy that's been in my stash for a while. I think this used up about the last of it. Nothing but itty bitty scraps left now. The other two exterior fabrics are some that my sister gifted me at Christmas a year or two ago. They are so perfect for so many little girly things.

The inside is vintage gingham from grandma. I love that big check pattern.

And since the birthday girl mentioned to her Momma that what she REALLY wanted was a pink princess backpack I scrambled and found a bit of princess blanket binding that the Bug found on clearance and asked me to buy. It was a quarter so I said, yes. And boy am I glad I did! How else could I have added princesses? I have no idea.

(photo courtesy of Kim Bell)

The birthday girl seems pretty pleased with her spoils!

I hope the backpack serves her well. Can't wait to see those first day photos!

We love you sweet girl!

Have a happy, happy Birthday!

~Lindsay

The Weekend Traveler Dress

2011-08-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Bug and I hopped on a train and rode up to visit Aunt Michelle.

I thought. . . big city, new surroundings. . . I'll get some great photos of this new dress for the blog!

But instead, we got wrapped up in this. . .

Playing, playing and more playing.

So forgive me, these photos aren't perfect and staged but I think what they are is a great testimony to the comfort and wearability of this little dress.

The fabric is a cute little coral colored stripe knit that I found on clearance at JoAnn's. It's so soft and light weight!

My new favorite thing to do at fabric stores is to search the clearance bolts for cheap knits. For all the fabric I have inherited and picked up over the years, my stash of knit is woefully slim!

The accent fabric is a dark charcoal skinny stripe knit also picked up somewhere on clearance. Hooray for not paying more than you have to!

The dress pattern is mostly my own. I started by lengthening the tank top pattern from this book (love that book!) but I made so many changes along the way it's hardly the same beast.

The heart is simply appliquéd on the front. It's my favorite little detail.

This photo just makes me laugh. . . but it does give a nice view of the leggings. I was hoping for more of a biker short length but the Bug was in bed and I couldn't measure. I added some elastic ruffle trim at the bottom in lieu of hemming them. Oh how I love the non-fraying properties of knit! Ultimately, I don't love the ruffle with this so I think I'll cut that off and hem the leggings to a shorter length.

While it's not perfect, I'm pretty pleased with how this little dress turned out. I don't have a serger so the whole thing was done on my cheap little sewing machine.

One last little summer dress for the final dog days of summer.

Perfect for our little weekend traveler.

~Lindsay

Ruffles, Ruffles everywhere!

2011-08-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

This ruffle dress pattern and I have a love hate relationship.

I hate sewing on all those ruffles but I love the way it all comes together in the end.

Ultimately the time measuring and pinning is worth it.

Especially when your model is this cute.

This is the first time I've sewn up this dress in a print and I've got to say, I think I like it even better.

I found this linen blend sketchy floral at JoAnn's and I want to go back for more. It's so pretty and modern looking.

I had to make some 11th hour changes to suit the petite little Miss. When her Momma tried it on her the straps were too far apart for her narrow frame. Since I didn't have time to completely redo the bodice, I snipped off the straps and added a band of white bias tape all around the top of the dress. I moved the ties in about an inch and a half total. I think I like that pop of white even better than the original version.

They don't come any cuter than sweet little H.

I'm guessing she was the star of the dance floor at this wedding reception.

I love you sweet girl! I hope you get lots of wear out of this little dress because you are to die for cute in it!

~Lindsay

How I am spending my week...

2011-08-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Have any off you heard of the legendary Route 127 yard sale? I hadn't until last year. Turns out my sister and my hometown is along the route. And as it turns out - my mom has come into some stuff to get rid of - more stuff than she could deal with on her own - so I have taken time off to help set up for the sale.

Last year was our first year participating - and this year we are back for more! In preparation, I spent most of my day yesterday at one of my favorite places on earth - my Grandparents farm. Of course it is different now, without them there, but the memories are thick in the air (or was that the humidity?)
Anyway, being out there reminded me, I promised my sister back when she posted this - that I would do a similar post showing the fabric loot I took from my Grandma's stash. So finally here it is! Mind you this is maybe a quarter to one third of the fabric I ended up with, an exhaustive look at what I got would be, well, exhausting!

So here we go, I was able to also get some nice wool (you might recognize the blue/grey wool in front for the baby shoes),

some upholstery, ticking and canvas,

some old scarves,

some interesting corduroy,

some colorful floral patterns,

some tiny floral patterns,

some dated floral prints (yes the one front and center is vinyl),

and just dated ...

(The story behind this print is that my mom made my dad a shirt out of this back in the day. Though somewhere along the line someone also made a shirt for a Ken doll out of it, so that is how I know the print best. )

And last buy certainly not least - okay maybe least, these shorts:

All they need is a bit of elastic and they are ready to go. Maybe that should be my next project?

Any other fun fabric finds out there, inherited or otherwise? Any other fabric hoarders out there, or are my sister and I the only ones that can't stand to see a good piece of fabric go - even if it is sewed into yellow terry clothe hot shorts?

~Michelle

The Runway. . .

2011-07-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know Project Runway started last night?

I may have a slightly unhealthy obsession with this show, but do you blame me?? Really. . . combine sewing, fashion and reality tv. . . who could ask for more?

Did you miss it? Well, you are in luck!

The premiere episode is on-line now! Hooray for Lifetime getting it posted so quickly!

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/video

Since my dear sister does not have cable and hasn't had a chance to watch yet, here is my brief overview of who I like and who I don't without any spoilers.

Got some real strong personalities again this season!

My favorite designers (in no particular order):

· Becky Ross—Something about that army green stuff with the colorful linings and then her photo styling I just really, really like. And she is fun and seems really down to earth. I hope she is around for a while because I want to see more from her.
· Bert Keeter—He seems really sweet, sincere and HUMBLE which is certainly a lesson he could teach the younger designers. I really like him and think he's really a solid designer with lots of potential. I love that he said he's doing the show to challenge himself to think outside of the box. I think that's some really great perspective and no matter what happens he's going to be a winner because of it.
· Danielle Everdeen—I really loved her line from the moment I saw it. She may be channeling Gretchen with a bit of vintage thrown in but I like it. (I liked Gretchen too so don't be a hater) Her personality may wind up irritating me. Time will tell.
· Fallene Wells—Love her sense of humor in her work (although it was a bit over the top on the first challenge, right?). I think she’s unique in a good way. Like her a lot. And I want her hair. How cute is she?

Yep those are probably my favorites—mostly based on the stuff they brought to auditions and their personalities and not so much based on what they made for the first challenge (Which was WILD--but since I don't want to spoil it for anyone, my lips are sealed).

Other designer commentary. . .

· Anya Chee—She has got to be a liar. There is no way she has only been sewing 4 months and made a pair of pants that fit that well. I'm sorry but no. I don’t like her at all. Which is unfortunate because I do like her clothes. I just can't buy her story.
· Anthony Auld—Really like his story (beating testicular cancer) but hope it doesn't become a distraction. I guess that whole "Rockin' one" thing just got annoying for me. I like his personality but he hasn't made or shown anything that wowed me yet--although I think the potential is there.
· Joshua Christensen—So the “token Evangelical Christian” on reality tv has become the “token Mormon”--is this a new trend? Dude, I hope you do better than your reality tv predecessors at living your faith and being real. I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting ride for him.
· Joshua McKinley—He is nicer & friendlier than I expected from first impressions. I just don’t like his design aesthetic at all.
· Julie Tierney—I really like her personality. I hope she steps it up though. I didn’t like her challenge look at all. But I guess that will teach you to sleep in juvenile print pj pants, right?
· Kimberly Goldson—She HAS to go home soon, right? I can’t believe she made it in to begin with.
· Olivier Green—He is fascinating. I really like his work and he almost made it to my favorites list. I still might need to amend. I'm on the fence.

So there you have it folks. . . my thoughts after last night's episode minus my feelings on the challenge garments (for the most part).

Anyone else obsessed with this show too? I'd love to hear your thoughts and your favorites. Let's dish!

~Lindsay

Baby shoes

2011-07-25T20:59:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the uncreative blog title, but I made some baby shoes.

A little while back my sister blogged about some shoes she made to go with a onesie. At the time she made those I was working on these – and directed her to Homespun Threads.

And if you want to make baby shoes I would direct you there too, seriously there are some great patterns…but I would advise you – tiny shoes are not for the faint of heart.

I have been working on these for a while – and they have been done for a while. I am starting to get on better terms with them, but I am still not sure that I like them – or that I will give them to the intended momma-to-be.

I used some old wool that was in my grandma’s stash – and paired it with Alexander Henry - Lorenza collection in peach/guava, that I had left over from this project. I should have taken more care at making sure the wool was caught in the seam and would not unravel itself out of the seam.

But I didn’t – and that is exactly what happened at every seam – I covered the problem in the back by adding some twill tape then I added topstitching around most other seams.

Even still I was on speaking terms with the shoes – but then it came time to put the bottom in the shoes.

I thought I could use my new found ladder stich to give the inside a nice clean look – but I am not that patient.

It is probably good that the end result is something I am not overly happy with – because in the beginning stages the baby shoes were so incredibly cute – I think I convinced everyone that I showed, and I showed anyone that would look, that they needed a baby to put the tiny shoes on.

So in the end – you can see the rough edges on the inside, and there is not means of keeping them on the little ones foot.

And the mom recently mentioned that she is sick of getting things that are pink.

~Michelle

MADE Bathrobe

2011-07-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make the Bug a bathrobe for ages.

I tried the hooded towel thing a while back but it just didn't work well. Probably because the towels I chose to make ours with were too thick. Live and learn.

At any rate, I decided a robe would be better post-bath anyway because it would stay on and would keep her warm (darn that chill inducing AC vent smack dab in the middle of the bathroom floor!).

About the same time I was processing all of this and trying to decide if I should wing it and make my own pattern or buy a commercial pattern, Dana released her Beach Robe Pattern.

Hooray for PDF patterns!!

I bought it right away. I love Dana's patterns. Always so clear, great photos, lots of options.

I was a tad bit concerned because the largest size of the pattern was 4T and we are pretty close to the time where all things 4T will be put in bins in the basement. . . so I cut out my pattern pieces a bit larger than the large. I guess I DIYed an XL. In hindsight, the large probably would have worked out fine but this one gives her room to grow (which she insists on continuing to do).

The towel she chose is a lovely raspberry color, not quite as purple as it appears here.

I was pleasantly surprised with her choice. I fully expected her to pick hot pink or something equally glaring.

When we got it home, the terry cloth went so well with the Kaffe Fassat print that I used to line the hood that I about squealed with delight. I made my own bias tape from some Urban Chicks that's been in my stash for a good long time now. I just love all of these colors together.

As you can see from her expression the Bug is super thrilled with her new robe. . .

Or not. . .

I'm not sure what happened between the towel aisle excitement and the actual finished product but not even the promised gummy bear bribe could coax out a smile.

She is currently referring to this as her beach robe and is refusing to wear it anywhere but the beach.

If you are familiar with the area we live, you know "the beach" is not really a part of our daily (or weekly, or monthly) reality. We are somewhat landlocked. Too many corn fields, not enough water.

So despite the downright awesomeness of the finished product this may be another "fail" simply because of the fickle mind of a four year old.

You win some, you lose some.

And who knows. . . perhaps next month she will love it.

I won't hold my breath, but I will hope. . .

~Lindsay

UTH bag

2011-07-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Next week is our church's National Youth Convention.

Super excited about that.

Months ago, a friend and fellow youth staff member, commissioned a messenger bag for this occasion. She wanted something big enough for her Bible and extra "stuff"--including but not limited too her bunch of Mini Sharpie markers.

UTH is text speak for Youth, in case you were wondering.

The letters were freezer paper stenciled on to the flap before I sewed the bag together.

One of the coolest parts of the whole thing in my opinion is that she had these old coast guard patches of her husband's. I just love how personalized they make this with out being over the top and loud.

Because anyone who knows this friend of mine knows she is anything BUT over the top and loud. . .

(said with a wink and my best sarcastic voice)

The zipper pocket instead of the traditional open pocket on the back was a special request.

She and I, well, we share this "thing" for pockets and organization.

It might be a little OCD. Maybe. Just a little.

We might have gotten a bit carried away with the organization thing. Maybe.

You be the judge.

Flaps on the front of the bag open up to reveal more pockets and a few clips.

The main body of the bag is a light blue chambray which gives the bag great body and structure. (although I still used a layer of fleece interfacing)

The lining fabric is the viewfinder reals from Ruby Star Rising and was the inspiration for this whole thing.

I used an Ikea stripe for the zipper pocket linings and an Amy Butler sun spot dot for some accent pockets.

The ruffle trim is elasticized and I love it. I found it at Hobby Lobby. I like that it makes this bag just the slightest bit girly. I'm all about subtle details.

The strap sports a patch pocket and. . .

Just a little bit of appliqué on the other side.

And yes, because I despise turning long tubes of fabric I opted to finish the strap edges in navy blue bias tape. I really like the end look of it.

Inside, more pockets of course.

You can never have too many. Especially when they zip.

There is a key fob and an elastic top pocket on each interior side panel. I'm thinking one of these might hold the infamous Sharpie collection and perhaps keys and a phone in the other.

I am pretty sure my sewing machine may never forgive me for this project. We exchanged words, my Brother and I, on a few occasions and I had to coax him through the thick spots. But we made it and I think we are still friends.

I had no idea when I started this project how time consuming it would be but I think the end product was worth it. I made her promise to bequeath it to me in her will. It was that hard to part with.

Even better than the finished product though was the sheer joy on my friend's face when she finally held the bag in her hands. We two creative types have been discussing this bag and the possibilities since spring (you think I am joking, I'll send you the e-mail chain) and it's sort of been much anticipated. I hope it works well for you Staci and I'm so honored to give back just a little for all of the joy and laughs and stretching you've brought me. It seems a small thing to give when you consider, I am a better person because of our friendship.

Your love of "our kids" and your desire for personal Spiritual growth are inspiring to me and despite the fact that our two personalities couldn't be more different, I am so glad we are friends. Because really, we are more alike than we ever would have guessed. Love you girl!

~Lindsay

The Lauren Wallet

2011-06-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

My dear friend has a daughter who needed a wallet to keep track of her very important things.

You know, that first library card, a house key and money for the pool snack bar.

And I needed a quick, fun project to help aid in the process of pushing me out of my creative funk.

So. . . tada! The Lauren wallet.

Made from a conglomeration of tutorials across the world wide web and a whole lotta "just wing it".

I suppose that's appropriate considering the butterfly and bird theme of the fabrics.

Ha!

I crack myself up.

Totally just thought of that. . . right off the cuff. . .

And you are getting this for FREE folks!

Learning to make zipper pockets has rocked my sewing world.

You think I am exaggerating?

Well if that zipper isn't cool enough for you, check out the amazing pink ruffle trim I scored on sale at Hobby Lobby.

A little inside and a little outside.

I think it totally makes the wallet over the top awesome.

You know, if you are six.

And a girl.

I think I'm well on my way to being de-funked.

(and if you think that sentence doesn't make me laugh out loud to the point of snorting and nearly falling off of my chair. . . well then, you probably don't know me very well)

~Lindsay

Sewers Block. . .

2011-06-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing? If there is, I have it.

Bad.

I just can't seem to motivate myself. Yeah, I've been sewing but I'm not excited about anything right now. It's not that my list of projects is any shorter or less interesting.

I'm just in a funk.

In an effort to yank myself up by the boot straps, I made myself a skirt.

I NEVER sew for myself.

Not clothing anyway. Purses and bags, yes.

Things that require measuring and fit? No.

But I had a glimmer of project excitement when I saw the bias skirt tutorial by Corinnea on Crafterhours and I thought I'd better take advantage of it.

Not one to "waste" good fabric on myself (self esteem issues? who me?), I opted to use a vintage sheet. I love the sheet and it was cheap so if I screwed up I knew I wouldn't be out much. Add to that an up-cycled tee shirt waistband and unbleached muslin lining and my thrifty excuses were out the window.

In addition to my sewing funk I am also in a "I hate every pair of work pants I own" funk. And since a skirt is way easier to sew than pants well, this fit the bill for potentially catapulting me out of not just one but two major funks.

I'm not sure I succeeded at either.

I like the skirt o.k. but I kind of feel like I'm wearing a bed sheet.

I braved wearing it to church Sunday and no one laughed in my face so maybe it doesn't scream "bed sheet" to others? Or maybe they were just talking behind my back?

I am open to thoughts on the matter because as you can see, I'm in a funk and I'm not seeing things clearly.

And please forgive my photos. I had a very irritable 3.5 ft. photographer who could only be bothered to take two photos. You see her second shot here. Prop styling was all her as well. The lamb really sets it off though, right? Yeah well, you take what you can get around here.

~Lindsay

May 1st Showers bring September 1st Babies?

2011-06-10T20:42:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine is expecting – in September – so we threw her a shower in May! Yeah it was a little early, but there were a number of people that wouldn’t be around for the summer (college students & missionaries) so to accommodate everyone being able to come that wanted to celebrate this little life – we threw and early shower.

The new mom is in the doctoral program for linguistics at U of C – can we say smarty pants! And in general we had multiple conversations about classic children’s books – so it seemed like a good theme idea.

I had seen a number of similar “book” themed showers ideas (like here and here.)

Now I can’t take all the credit for this party, I had two co-“hosters”. We divided up the work load; one in charge of invites and general organization, one in charge of food, and ME in charge of games.

Decorations were simple, we just had classic children’s books around – the best part for the first time mom – all the books went home with her! It felt good to help her start her stash – and I had fun classic book shopping with my mom (educated in such matters.)

The basic idea with the food was to get food that worked with a book title. The above was a bit of a stretch in the classic book department (The Littlest Angel – angel food cake.) But we had talked about having angel food cake – and I had just inherited my grandma’s angel food cake pan, so we just looked for a book about angels.

One of my co-host decorated the cake with berries in honor of the baby – whom the expectant parents refer to as “Berry” or “Baby Berry.” It was a nice personal add.

Peter Rabbit – Veggies & Dip (just to prove not all the book-food ties were a stretch.)

But back to my contribution to the shower.

You may not know this about me – I LOVE GAMES. I used to literally FORCE my sister to Family Game Night – I think she tried every excuse in the book to get out of those nights. However, I have one exception to that rule – I dislike (most) shower games. You know melt the chocolate in the diaper – take a close pin if you say the “B” word (baby), gift BINGO – okay that one can sometimes be fun.

I had been wanting to try freezer stenciling for a while – and using pre-cut stencils of classic children’s book characters we were able to tie the craft right into the shower theme. There is a great tutorial here – if you are interested in the “how to.”

It was a little involved for a shower game/activity, but the party was small and we had a couple people come late, so we had plenty of time for the craft. And it was a pretty easy thing for people to get started on as they arrived.

I got a lot of compliments from the party guest on the “great idea.”

What I really love about this was it required as much or as little artistic talent as you had. We had multiple pre-cut freezer paper stencils ready for those not handy with design or an Exacto knife. But we also had a station set up for those that wanted to make their own stencils.

Only the guest of honor ended up making her own stencil, but it was a great opportunity for her to personalize a little onsie with a fun graphic beach design (the parents to be are from California originally.) I am sad that I didn’t get a picture of that one – you will have to take my word for it.

Though some people feeling a little more artistic went off reservation completely – skipping the freezer paper all together. Did you catch the “Baby Berry” reference?

I was expecting it to be fun and for her to come away with some cute onsies – but I honestly didn’t know HOW great the stencils were going to turn out!

This one is my personal favorite – I love the color scheme! (note “Berry” is expected to be a girl – though you may have picked that up by the pink plates and flatware.)

And if you are interested in seeing the other creations, here is a little montage of all the “one”derful onsies (wah wah – sorry for the pun.)

This post is getting really long – I apologize!

But one last shower game idea (not really related to the theme – but I couldn’t resist)

“Baby Face”

Each guest got a template baby face (an oval with ears and a little curl) and then I had printed out a lot of different pictures of mom and dad. Guests were then instructed to cut out features from mom and dad and create a picture of what Baby Berry may come out looking like.

I highly recommend this game if you enjoy ruckus laughter…

Or if you want to scare the mother to near death!

None of the creations pictured above are mine – so feel free to comment freely – especially on the make-up wearing baby on the left!

~Michelle

Crafting Hope

2011-06-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

Our sewing group met again last week.

This month we sewed little dresses and bandanna shorts for Haiti.

Since last time I posted that super cute photo of Jessica (to her chagrin) this month I give you a photo of myself.

I gave my camera to the grand-daughter of one of our sewers to help keep her occupied and boy was it fun to see what she deemed photo worthy!

Liz from Little Lizard King patterns was sweet enough to give us a pattern to work with!

I love that spirit of generosity! Thanks so much Liz!

Please go check out her shop. Her patterns are super cute and there are several that are perfect for beginners.

We chose the Catie dress because of it's simplicity. Cute, quick and easy! I can't recommend it enough!

We didn't want to neglect the sweet little Haitian boys though, so we also made bandanna pants/shorts. The pattern we used was straight out of the Craft Hope book.

And we decided that there needs to be a little more quality control in bandanna making factories! Who knew, but no two bandannas are the same size? In fact, they are quite irregular. It made things an itty bit more difficult, not gonna lie.

This is one of the coolest things, in my opinion, about these sewing nights. We have three generations participating. Granddaughter is learning from mom (not pictured) and grandma. I have such a soft spot for this handing down of the sewing bug since it was my own grandmother and mother who taught me to sew. Makes me tear up a little when I think about it.

I tried to get Jessica to model this little dress like she did the bib but she's onto me.

How cute is it that dress? She came with that striped fabric that she has had a hard time matching and I came with the green that I've had a hard time matching to anything and shazaam! They were perfect for each other!

And here is a pair of finished shorts!

The super cool thing is that this is the first item of clothing she has ever made!

I do love the "giving" aspect of gathering together and making items to donate. I think that's a really neat thing.

But even more than that, I love that several of the participants are new sewers. It's such a joy to share something I love so much with friends and then to see that moment when they see what they've made and are so proud. That's what it's about for me.

The real joy is in the sharing.

Thanks ladies for coming back each month and for all the work you are putting into this. You girls rock!

~Lindsay

The Sophie Dress

2011-05-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

So named in honor of the Bug's friend whose favorite color is yellow.

Without whose influence I am certain the Bug would not have worn a dress void of pink or purple.

Thank you Sophie. From the bottom of my heart.

The dress was inspired by the Daisy Maisy dress from Sewing In No Man's Land (which was inspired by a dress at Shabby Apple, so I guess that makes this a knock off of a knock off). I wasn't able to use her pattern because the sizing was too small so I used a bodice pattern I already had and just "winged it" for the rest.

The day Kelly posted the dress I had just received this nice chambray in the mail from Fabric.com and I knew this dress had to be made. When I paired it with this Heather Bailey Pop Garden Paisley from my stash it was love. I have been hoarding this fabric for just the right thing. I think I found it.

I fastened things up in back with a few mismatched buttons. That yellow scroll-y number is the last of my all time favorite buttons from grandma's button jar.

Just perfect for a day of family photos, wading and playing around with cousins.

~Lindsay

Ruffled Streamers

2011-05-28T12:30:00.001-07:00

I don’t know how many of you subscribe to a lot of crafting/sewing blogs, but my sister and I are a little blog-obsessed. My sister and I follow a lot of the same blogs, so when I saw two rolls of streamers sitting on her countertop – I said “Are you going to RUFFLE them?” (If you don’t pick up my reference check out the recent tutorial on Dana Made It for Ruffle Streamers – to kick off the Color My Summer series by Delia Creates and KoJo Designs.) Mind you this is the MORNING of the party that I am asking her – and my sister was working on the Mermaid Cake. So needless to say her hands were full – she looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and said “I wanted to” but with an undertone of - but there won’t be time.

I took the hint – and the streamers – and headed up the stairs to my sisters sewing room – taking a brief detour to re-read the tutorial.

The project couldn’t have been easier. Though I did have to refill the bobbin three times to get through one roll of streamers, so be aware you might as well fill the bobbin as full as you can.

I am glad I re-read the tutorial, because Dana did a great job of giving tips to make the process smoother, especially the tip about pulling them off straight instead of pulling them up in a spiral. Putting the streamer roll on the ground to pull them straight worked just fine for the blue roll, but the pink roll was a bit more stubborn. It wasn’t a perfect circle, and I was working on carpet, so every time I would pull at the pink roll, it would flop onto its side and start pulling off in a spiral. So I came up with this solution:

I put a skewer in the center of both rolls and then propped them up on some bins my sister had in her sewing room that were high enough for the streamers to spin off the roll freely.

After that minor adjustment – it was SMOOTH sailing. I got them done in plenty of time. And the two streamers sewn together were enough to put up by the food table:

I like this shot because looking through them to my grandpa, makes them feel like sea weed to me.

And we hung some above the present area:

I love this picture because the Bug is dancing there on the side.

And there was still more, so we decided to hang some in the door way:

How adorable is it that the Bug ran out to greet every friend that stopped by!

Can you believe some thought we went over the top? One parent was overheard telling her daughter not to expect something like this for her birthday. :)

When I compare it to the parties I see on all the blogs out there – it seems normal, perhaps even tame compared to some, but perhaps to those less blog-obsessed than my sister and I, it may be a little over the top to take time to sew streamers together.

But then again you only turn 4 once!

~Michelle

The (7) Little Mermaid(s)

2011-05-26T19:10:00.001-07:00

The last time I blogged I was up to my elbows in ladder stitching. To be honest I wasn’t sure the dolls were all going to get done in time – but after a couple late nights, a couple skipped evening events and a two hour car ride to my sister’s house – I was able to put the finishing stitches in these 7 little mermaids the night before the party.

the mermaid collection

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Did you guys guess that the dolls I was working on were going to be mermaids? Did you know the party theme would be Ariel?

The Bug is a girl after my own heart. My sister can attest The Little Mermaid was by FAR my favorite princess growing up. I was two years older than the Bug is now – my sister 6 years older than that – when the movie came out (that is a round about way of not reveling my age – hopefully you aren’t good at math or don’t know when the movie came out.) I never watched the movie silently – I would sing along with every song – always wondering why Disney hadn’t asked me to voice Ariel! Again I am sure my sister will affirm that my singing was every bit as good as that of Jodi Benson's. Right Lindsay??? RIGHT???

But presumably you aren’t checking our blog to hear about the cruelty the world dealt me at such a young age.

Suffice it to say when I learned the theme I was on board (did you catch the pun? – it is a bit of a stretch.)

My sister had come across the mermaid doll in Hillary Lang’s Wee Wonderfuls. I thought I might try winging it – but lets be honest – my sister is the free styling sister – I am the one that needs a pattern to follow! So I took a tour of the Barnes and Nobles in my area – luckily there are three within 15 minutes of where I live because it wasn’t until the third store that I found the book.

I am so glad I got the book – at $30 I thought it was a bit pricey – but I am SO very glad to have had it to follow. It was so much more than just the pattern and instructions – there was a great glossary/sewing technique section in the back. You already know that I am indebted to the book for the re-introduction to the ladder stitch, but more than that, there are some useful instructions specific to doll making and to embroidering stitches. Plus have you seen the pattern for the inch worm in this book? SO CUTE!

That being said, the project wasn’t all rainbow fish and seashells. Not going to lie a couple nights I had to just walk away from the project out of pure frustration. Probably the most frustrating part was the hair piece. The pattern calls for corduroy or velvet for the hair – I used wool felt. I think the difference in thickness caused a little more issues when trying to reverse the pieces – specifically the bang piece. Then once the hair got attached it felt more like a toupee to me. But then I added the ric-rac flower piece in her hair – and the whole thing came together.

So when I finally finished the first mermaid I was so happy/relieved that even though it was late I wanted to send a picture to my sister. I was a little delirious maybe – but I saw some blue fabric and before I knew it the stage was set.

This is the pic text I sent my sister. I won’t mention the eye roll my husband gave me when he saw this – he had no idea how creative I could be, clearly.

Even given the frustrations - I really do like how the mermaid turned out. The body is stuffed tightly the fin stuffed loosely, allowing the fin to bend and move giving the illusion that the mermaid is swimming.

And then when I overheard the Bug tell her friends – with the pride overflowing – that her Aunt Shell made the mermaids – all the frustrations were washed far away! I am SO happy to have contributed a piece of the day that made one not so little four year old SO happy – especially after all the joy she brings me.

Project mermaid – S*U*C*C*E*S*S!

~Michelle

The Mermaid Party

2011-05-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

The big party has come and gone. The dust has settled. The decorations have come down. And I'm beginning to recover.

It all began with this sweet invitation, designed by my friend Ally.

It looks wonky because I used my mad (non-existent) Photoshop skills to "erase" the pertinent personal info. Not that I don't want y'all calling or visiting. . . but . . .

The Bug wanted to be The Mermaid for a day.

I searched and searched for mermaid tail making ideas online and finally came across this one from Heather Bailey which was my inspiration.

I found both of the main fabrics on clearance at JoAnn's. Major score! The skirt is a slightly fuzzy knit with sequins sewn throughout. It shines and glitters just like water as she moves.

The tail is a sparkly satin. I put a layer of batting in between to give it some dimension.

It's a simple gathered skirt with a yoga style fold over waist band so it should fit for a long time.

I used green rick rack to hang little satin fish all the way around. You know, to make it feel more like water.

The favor bags included a few sea shells, some bubbles, a wand, a few snacks and this super adorable mermaid doll.

My sister is my hero.

I really wanted to make a doll for each girl but I knew I wasn't going to have time. She came though and made seven of the cutest little mermaids you ever did see. Each one with hair and eye color to match the girl it was going home with.

I don't need to tell you these little dolls were the hit of the party do I?

Decorations were also assigned to Aunt Michelle.

She ruffled the streamers.

Yes.She.Did.

She's a sucker for an over the top party too, don't let her fool you.

And she has promised to blog about the process for both the mermaids and the streamers, so you have that to look forward to.

And here is the spread of food.

No, I did not invite an army. I just planned for one.

The table cloth is one I've been eyeing for a long time and finally bit the bullet. I love it. And I love that it's a special little thing we can pull out every year as we celebrate.

We had blue Jello in cups with little Swedish fish and this blue punch.

One little girl thought the bubbles were soap. That made me laugh.

Just sherbet Sweetie! I promise no soap.

I found some great ideas on-line at Family Fun. This little banana octopus was one of them. And the fruit in waffle cones was a Pinterest find. I thought the cones looked like shells. Is that a stretch?

I also made a whole lot of fruity candy popcorn in pink and blue. And I do mean a whole lot.

There were shells and water drops (glass beads) scattered all over the table.

The fish dish was on Clearance at Hobby Lobby. I almost bought them all but then reason won out. This one little guy was great for holding some Swedish fish.

In the background there are goldfish crackers with a blue dip that I made up on the fly so, no you can't have the recipe because I don't know the recipe. But it was gone by the end of the night so it must have been good!

And another octopus.

I tried to pick foods that the Bug likes, especially on the veggie tray.

Yes, my four year old likes radishes. At least in theory. These were a bit too peppery for her.

And finally, the Pièce de résistance!

The Hubs put on every last one of those mermaid scales (M & M's). You rock Babe!

I am not a cake decorator but I was pretty pleased with the results of this. And the Bug was giddy excited when she saw it. Though I did catch some flack that the hair was blonde and not red. She did request an ARIEL cake after all.

After we all ate, it was present time.

We bought the Bug a bike about a month ago and that was supposed to be her early Birthday gift.

But I couldn't resist attempting to make her an Ariel princess dress.

She's been asking for one for ages.

It's a little big and a little "off". I debated even sharing it here because I don't love it. As you can see, I don't even have any good pictures of it. But, the Bug was absolutely tickled to finally have her Ariel dress. And now we have two possible Halloween options, right?

Except that she announced prior to her party that Jasmine is now her favorite princess.

I see Harem pants in my future.

~Lindsay

A Diversion

2011-05-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Michelle mentioned my over the top party planning, yes?

I'm never sure how I suck myself in to so many little projects for something like this. It nearly drives me insane but I am all about the details.

And so, what do I do when I'm stressing the little things?

I avoid the issue at hand and I sew something totally random.

It helps if it's an itty bitty baby thing.

Because then I can ooh and ahh and dream about snuggly baby cuddles. And what is more stress relieving than that?

First, the bow tie onesie which is so cute on it's own really it would have been enough.

But when have you ever known me to leave well enough alone?

Really? Like never, right?

See, last time Michelle was visiting she was in the middle of making some of these adorable baby booties and I was smitten.

The pattern was from free baby shoe pattern mecca, Homespun Threads. I downloaded every single pattern, but landed on these little slip ons.

And wow! Working with something so small was a challenge! I ended up doing that zig zag stitch around the top just to make sure everything caught. I don't love it but it's growing on me. I'm telling myself that it's that "deconstructed" look that's so popular. (Is that still a trend? Please don't tell me if it isn't)

The outside is a vintage piece I had in my stash (stolen from my mom's stash years ago--Thanks Mom!) and the inside is the softest red fuzzy knit. I have no idea where it came from but it called out to me for this project.

I used the illustrious ladder stitch to finish these off. Just thought I'd give a little shout out to my sis for bringing it to my attention. It's funny the simple things you forget after years and years.

So here is the finished gift, for the mom of a preemie boy.

In my mind, I think I should make a little pair of shorts or something, right?

But I have to be done.

I have a big party to get ready for. And a certain princess' dress need some significant alteration.

~Lindsay

Of Birthday Parties and Ladder Stitching

2011-05-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

The prodigal blogging sister has returned from her time away. Can you believe it? My 7th tax season is over - I hope I don't always count my life in tax seasons - and I am slowly coming back to the land of the sewing. I have been working on a few things here and there - and I hope to finish something soon, ha!

Those of you who have been following our blog for over a year or who know one of us personally, know that a week ago the most precious little (not so little) girl in our lives turned 4! Of course this calls for a PARTY - a party which had to be postponed a whole week because of a silly aunt's scheduling conflicts! Can you believe the nerve? But I am oh so glad I don't have to miss the big day!

The party is set for this Saturday - it will be the Bug's first official birthday with just her friends. This is causing my sister some panic - I wouldn't want to have to entertain and coral seven 4ish year olds, would you?

Anyway - I don't want to give anything away before the big day - but the Bug picked a theme and my sister in her true fun mom style is going crazy (in a good way) with that theme. She bit off a lot with this one - and I am sure she will have some great "after" blogs about the Bug's big day outfits (yes plural.) Anyway - I volunteered my services for the cause and was assigned to the take home favors for the event. Before you start thinking I got off easy with candy, goldfish, a punching balloon and some bubbles - please note that these favors are a bit more than your normal favors (or at least more than I ever got in a favor bag.) Did I mention the theme is exploding on this one - my sister had a pattern in mind for a theme appropriate doll for each little friend plus the Bug of course.

Which brings me to the subject of this post - this pattern introduced me (or re-introduced me, I very well may have learned this over 10 years a go in 4-H) to the ladder stitch - and at the risk of sounding over dramatic - I will never be the same!

Are you familiar with this little hole closing genius of a stitch? More than likely you are, but if you are like me and you are not, let me explain...you know when you are sewing two pieces together wrong sides facing, and then you leave a little hole to turn the thing right side out - then your left with a little hole to close - like when you are making a pillow? Over the last couple of years when I have had to closed a seam, and couldn't get away with edge stitching the project, I have used something more akin to the whip stitch.

Please forgive me this my biggest sewing sin! The whip stitch is NOT an attractive way to close a seam - let me tell you - especially when you have little patience for hand sewing. I was never happy with the way it looked - and how unfinished the whole project became because of this one little stitch. Enter Ladder Stitch!

See that closed hole? You don't? That's the point! Isn't she lovely?!? Now even though this seam is eventually going to be covered - the ladder stitch adds a nice clean finished look to the base of the doll.

And that makes this doll happy! (Actually the fact that I embroidered a smile on her face makes her happy, hehehe, sorry I couldn't help myself!)

The ladder stitch is all over this pattern - not just in closing the body of the doll - and I'd like to think I am slowly mastering it. If nothing else it is a good stitch to add to my arsenal (that sentence amuses me.) Anyway - I completed the first doll last night - only 6 more to go by Saturday - Wish me luck!

~Michelle

Hawaiian Dress

2011-05-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

A Hawaiian dress?

Yep, that was the request. It was needed for a Hawaiian themed preschool graduation.

Themed requests can be so difficult. I've spent enough time watching Project Runway that I know not to be too "literal" in conveying the theme. And I want this to be a dress she can wear again and again, not just to graduation.

We found this floral fabric that was just perfect. It says "Hawaii" and "Aloha" in a nice script around the flowers but it doesn't scream at you like a Hawaiian shirt. It's the prettiest shade of purpley-pink too. So I ordered a yard.

And nearly cried when it came.

It was heavier than I expected. Not canvas weight, but definitely heavier than a normal quilting cotton. I obviously did not read the listing closely enough.

Inspired once again by PR, I had a "make it work" moment.

And make it work, I did.

This Oliver & S Popover Sundress pattern works well with the more structured fabric because of the simple lines. There aren't many seams so there isn't a lot of bulk or extra weight.

I added the embroidered eyelet to make it a bit more girly and soft. And it reminded me of those embroidered Hawaiian shirts.

My favorite part is this little bodice strip. I love the embroidery. I love the mini pom pom trim. I love the crisp white. The white fabric was very light and airy in comparison to the floral so I added a bit of interfacing to the bodice so it was more crisp.

I really, really like the finished project and can't wait to see this sweet, big girl in it!

~Lindsay

Happy Birthday Firecracker!

2011-05-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Don't tell, but this sweet thing is one of my favorite models.

And she's turning TWO this week!

Say it ain't so! I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.

This momentous occasion required commemorating with a very special birthday dress.

I think she likes it, what do you think?

The specs? Well, it's the apron knot dress pattern from LLK.

I love this one and can whip it up quick which allows me the freedom to spend a little extra time adding details like this waistband, the hem ruffle and

POM POM FRINGE!!

Love.It.

And so does Firecracker.

Most of the fabric was found at JoAnn's. The apron and apron border were from my stash and the pom pom trim was a vintage find at my favorite thrift store ever. Ever. Ever.

Happy Birthday precious girl.

May you continue to grow in beauty and in spunk.

I love you!

~"Auntie" Lindsay

Crafting Hope

2011-05-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Our little sewing group met again last week.

We had a different crowd this time, which was exciting! Word is getting out!

I love how perfect the library meeting room is for this. We have room for several more sewing machines so if you are local and have interest let me know and I'll see that you get a June invite.

As my lovely friend Jessica is showing us, this time we made bibs and burp cloths (not pictured here) for young moms.

And yes, I know I am probably asking for trouble by posting this photo on the world wide web.

But how cute is she? How cute is that bib? How could I not?

You see my dilemma?

We used the library's portable die cut machine to cut out our appliqué pieces. This was a huge time saver. I am a big fan of the die cut machine.

And here are a few of the finished burp cloths.

And the bibs.

Somehow I managed to not get a single picture of the beautiful machine embroidered bibs and burp cloths one very generous over-achiever brought already made that night. What a sweet heart.

I just know some young mommas are going to feel very blessed.

The patterns we used were from the book "Craft Hope".

The next time we meet, I think we will be making clothes for friends to take with them to Haiti. Perhaps some shorts for the boys and maybe more pillowcase dresses for the girls? We shall see!

~Lindsay

Ruffle Dress for Easter

2011-04-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Bug and I collaborated on this dress.

And by "collaborated" I mean, she made the design decisions and I provided the labor.

At almost four she sure does have a lot of opinions.

What is more girly than layer after layer of ruffles?

Layers of ruffles in purple and pink that's what.

She chose the lavender fabric.

She chose the bright pink thread.

I struggled to work within her vision.

She chose the pattern.

Little Lizard King's Little Princess Ruffle Dress of course.

I made a 5T. I think it will fit next Easter too.

Oops!

Oh well. I suppose after all of that work attaching those ruffles I want this dress to last as long as possible, right?

I also adapted the bodice so I could use some bunny buttons from my grandma's button jar.

Light up Princess sandals completed the ensemble.

Also her choice.

She said she felt like a dancing princess.

And despite the wet weather she proceeded to dance her way to the ball (aka, church).

I suppose that makes giving up my creative control all worth it, right?

~Lindsay

A New Bag. . . So soon?

2011-04-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have a little weekend trip coming up.

It may or may not involve flying.

(o.k. it does)

Flying necessitates a variety of things these days. Itty bitty toiletries bottles and an appropriately sized carry on to name a few. I am way to cheap to pay to check a bag.

Enter this pretty little number. (pattern by ithinksew.com)

I thought making it might be the death of me and my passion for sewing.

Dramatic?

Perhaps.

But I did have a few moments where I just had to WALK AWAY.

I've never met a pattern that gave me so much trouble (not even a commercial pattern--and that's saying something).

I picked it because I saw this clutch my friend Jessica made. When I went to look at the clutch pattern, I saw that there was a "big" version. Like carry on bag measurements to a "t". And it was pretty cheap, why not give it a try?

Jessica tried to warn me. But I'd already committed. Pattern and fabric bought, heart set. There was no going back.

The first problem? This is what they call a "sewer friendly pattern". (oh the irony!) Which means the directions are very limited--meant for experienced sewers who don't need all the "fluff". It's basically a series of photos with short captions. Not a huge deal since I've made so many bags and most are constructed similarly. So I figured I'd be fine.

And for the most part, I was. I honestly found myself putting this together on my own and not really referring to the pattern instructions at all. Which was good because what instructions were there weren't really complete or accurate.

The second problem was with the pattern itself. It didn't automatically print to scale. Nor was there a way to measure the scale. So I did my best to enlarge and assemble the pattern so I got something at least close to what the final measurements were supposed to be. Even so, I ended up having to cut down some pieces that were too large when I went to piece the actual thing together. And looking at my bag compared to theirs? I feel like mine is still smaller. I haven't had the heart to measure it.

It does leave me wondering why in the world I paid good money for this and I didn't just attempt to make my own knock-off pattern. Lesson learned.

On this pattern somewhere I swear they called it the 22 Pleat bag. I counted 20 pleats on the pattern pieces. Maybe I missed something? Mine is a 24 Pleat bag though because I ended up having to add four additional pleats on the side panels just to make things fit.

I added two interior pockets with zippers. I figure one can never have too many zipper pockets in a bag like this. And since for some reason the pattern made the lining considerably smaller than the outside of the bag these pockets make good use of all that extra "between" space.

Because of the lining issue, I had to rip out the bottom seam and sew in a panel of extra fabric. That gave me a bit more room to pack in, thank goodness (curlygirl, you're a life saver, thanks for the tip!). But there is still a lot of wasted space. If I ever make this bag again, I'll make my own lining pattern.

thankyouverymuch

I do love that big button though.

That was the selling point for me on this bag, silly as it seems.

I refuse to tell you how much that button cost. I had a bit of sticker shock. But it was the only 2 1/2" button they had at JoAnn's AND it was cheaper than the 2" button I was considering so at least there is that.

The Amy Butler fabric combination is another love.

Bought at fabric.com, on sale, with a coupon code, free shipping and Ebates cash back.

So that makes up for the pricey button, right?

This is the part of the bag I am most proud of.

Since it is functioning for me as a travel bag I knew it needed more than just a magnetic snap closure.

So I set my mind to it and figured out how to add a zipper panel.

It's not perfect. I learned a lot in the process and would do several things differently next time.

But it works. And it will keep my things from escaping and rolling all over that overhead bin.

Now the test will be, how light can I pack?

I'm not known for packing the bare minimum. How can I possibly commit to only one pair of shoes for three days? Can I get away with wearing one pair of jeans? Only time will tell.

~Lindsay

Proof That I am Insane and Have Been for a long time. . .

2011-04-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

This here is the first real quilt I ever made.

I hand dyed the fabric for every last square.

Someday I would love to have a workshop/sewing room where I could dye again.

Look at how gorgeous those colors are.

I really had no idea how to make a quilt.

But my sister was graduating from high school and I thought she should have a really cool and unique quilt for her bed when she left for college.

And how hard can it be? It's just cutting up fabric and sewing it back together, right?

I had visions of her wrapping up in it when she was away and feeling warm and loved and not so far away from us.

Which is really a beautiful sentiment.

Had she gotten the quilt before she left for college.

You see, this was my first quilt. And aside from hand dying the fabric, I hand quilted the entire thing.

It's not just a throw, it's twin sized.

Can you see the detail there?

It's really insane.

I can't even begin to imagine the amount of time it must have taken me.

Obviously this was done in the days pre-Bug.

Michelle received this a year or so after she graduated. It's how I operate when I quilt. I bite off more than I can chew and then I can't deliver by the promised date. It's me. But I hope the end product is worth the wait.

I made this quilt ten years ago.

Ten years.

I just came across these photos tonight and had some good time reminiscing. I haven't seen this quilt in a while. It was fun to remember those days. And I thought you might like to see too.

I've been nuts for a long, long time. . .

~Lindsay

Corset Pattern Test

2011-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

I recently finished up another pattern test for Little Lizard King. This little corset backed shirt is so cute for summer.

And it's reversible. I love that versatility.

Unfortunately, as you can see, it is also too small.

I love baby bellies.

Don't you just want to blow raspberries all over that cute tummy?

She wears it with confidence though doesn't she??

She could use a few inches of additional length on the front there, but Baby J doesn't care! She's too busy working the camera. Gotta love that.

Pretty little Peek-a-Boo Skirt made by her amazing Momma! What a lucky little girl!

~Lindsay

Spring Purse

2011-03-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

And here she is, my new Spring purse.

I completed her on Wednesday night and woke up to snow on the ground Thursday.

I carried this springy purse all day anyway just to spite Mother Nature.

This purse design is a little more boxy than the one I've been using. I printed the tutorial for this purse out ages ago and it doesn't have the source printed on it anywhere so I'm not sure how to give credit where it's due this time.

Forgive the low quality cell phone photo, but you can see the boxy bottom better here than in any of my "good" photos.

And how cute is this fabric? It's a Jennifer Paganelli print that I've been hoarding for the Bug's Easter dress. But the Bug had different ideas. Pink and purple ideas. So, this pretty little number is mine!

I did a little bit larger slit pocket on the front of this purse. It gapped open a bit more than I liked (don't want to lose my sunglasses!) so I added a last minute button. I kind of like how it "hides" in that pleat.

The inside is lined with a vintage sheet you might remember from my President's Day thrifting.

It's so soft and silky. I don't know how the light color will hold up, but we'll give it a go since it was such a perfect companion for the bold green exterior.

I tried another zipper pocket. This one went a bit more smoothly. I just may get it yet. I feel like I'm getting closer, though you'll see my stitching is a bit crooked.

And the green strip on the left is my key fob. Gotta have it or I lose my keys in the shadowy depths.

And here, just keeping it real.

This is why I need pockets. Lots of pockets.

Imagine all that stuff just floating around in the bottom of my bag.

That would not be pretty.

So there you have it. I think I'm done making purses for myself for a while. Next on to a custom pocket-filled messenger bag deluxe for a friend and an Easter "ruffle dress" for the Bug!

~Lindsay

Custom Purse

2011-03-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

I recently finished up an order for a custom made purse for a friend.

It's made from my favorite purse tutorial with a few adaptations.

My first adaptation was a slit pocket on the front.

(Like that piping? I made it myself!)

Next, a zipper pocket and key fob inside.

Then the standard wall o'pockets that I do on most of my bags.

I am such a fan of pockets. It was fun to get some practice creating some new ones. Especially the zipper pocket. I will definitely be doing more of those.

And in the process I decided I need a new spring purse too. I feel like I just finished my winter one but like everyone, this year I am more than ready for Spring to come and to stay! So stay tuned! I'm actually going to be trying a slightly different tutorial but hopefully applying some of the things I've learned with this bag.

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

2011-03-17T04:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all!

The Bug painted this shirt last weekend.

She has been so patient to wait until today to wear it.

We used a freezer paper stencil to make the clovers.

She did a really good job with the project.

I think she's channeling her inner Irishman in this one.

I found that funky zig zag print knit at JoAnns on clearance. Isn't it fun?

The skirt has a pair of shorts underneath which should make it perfect for playing outside this summer.

I used the tutorial at The Long Thread and just scaled it down to a 4T/5T size.

Considering I did it while the Bug was asleep and couldn't actually try it on her I think the fit is just about perfect.

Whew!

It's such a comfy skirt I know she's going to want to wear it again and again.

And, I know one little girl who won't be getting pinched today. . .

~Lindsay

Princess Classics

2011-03-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had opportunity to attend Disney on Ice Princess Classics.

We broke out the Cinderella dress for the occasion.

I'm pretty sure she was the most beautiful princess there.

Seeing her face light up when she puts this dress on makes the hours fighting that slippery satin so worth it.

~Lindsay

For the Birthday Girl

2011-03-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

This dress was a custom order for a very discerning patron.

You see, it's for her fourth birthday and it must be just so.

A pink dress that twirls was what she ordered.

And while I should know better than to push it with a fashion forward almost four year old, I opted to throw in a little turquoise.

She acquiesced under the condition that it not be "too much".

Fearing that she might consider the hem band "too much" turquoise, I broke up the blue with these ribbons around the hem.

It will be in the mail soon. Fingers crossed that it will prove acceptable.

If my own three, almost four, year old is any gauge, I wager the twirl-factor will decide it.

And this full skirt?

Well, it can twirl!

Happy early birthday sweet girl! I hope it's every bit as lovely as you are.

~Lindsay

Ruffle Sun Suit Models

2011-03-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Favorite pattern ever?

Maybe so. If my urge to sew up fifty more in a multitude of colors is any indication.

I think I might just let the photos of my gorgeous models speak for themselves.

Size 9 months.

Is it weird if I say I just want to kiss those little baby toes? My goodness, heaven help us.

Size 18 to 24 months.

Those curls! Those leg dimples!

Why is it leg dimples are not so adorable on adults? It seems unfair.

And size 2T.

She's dancing to Lady Gaga. I love her.

Is it any wonder I referred to her as a firecracker?

Could these girls get any cuter?

Seriously.

I'm blessed with some awesome Mommy friends. Thanks ladies for letting me "borrow" your girls!

And now, please excuse me, I have the uncontrollable urge to sew a dozen of these for every baby I know.

~Lindsay