Birdcage Veil

As part of my Vegas vow renewal ensemble, I decided that I want to wear a birdcage veil. When I started looking around I found that these veils can be crazy expensive. I've seen them range from $30 to $500 but were all pretty basic...flowers, jewels, etc. So, I took it upon myself to research how to make one on my own and settled on the bandeau style. This is just a practice one and I will actually wear a veil in ivory possibly with bright flowers or black flowers (time will tell :) It was really easy to make and I used Russian veiling, some shimmery green/black/gold feathers and some deep purple flowers. It's a rudimentary attempt but I am happy with the results. My version cost about $5 and I had a lot of materials left over to keep experimenting with.

One Yard Wonder Skirt, Take Two

Here is another skirt I made from the One Yard Wonders book. This time I used black jumbo rick-rack as trim between the two tiers of the skirt. I am really happy with how it turned out and she is too.

Reunited and it feels so good

I was reunited with my sewing machine this week. Hallelujah! We've been working on the house and I had to put my sewing machine in a safe spot for a while. I was having withdrawals and needed something I could finish in one sitting. I used this tutorial to make a little diaper bag for church. The pattern is actually for a lunch bag, but the size is perfect. It will hold a full size package of wipes, a few diapers, a sippy cup and extras if needed. In keeping with my usual M.O., I used unconventional materials to complete it. The exterior of the bag is made from some spare quilt squares I had made several years ago. The pieces I had ended up being the perfect size and I hardly had to cut any off. The handles are made from some woven webbing (??) that came as part of the packaging on a gift. See, there are supplies wherever you look! :) And the best part? The secret to getting the bag is not some fancy-schmancy interfacing, but the foam cushioning used underneath laminate flooring. I can't take the credit for the idea; Rachel thought of it and I figured I might as well try it out too.

Feather Your Nest

Each month we have a new challenge so for August we decided that it should be "Feather Your Nest" month. I realize that it's already halfway through but, better late than never right? Anyway, this challenge is dedicated to the little household things that surround us everyday like pillows, pictures, blankets, etc.

To kick things off, I chose to cover some ugly floor pillows that my husband is not ready to relinquish. I once again dipped into my stash of scraps and muslin and plunged for the first time into the applique arena. I love birds and have a minor obsession with monograms and the bird pillow below is the result. While the hubs really likes the pillow, he thought it was slightly, uhh, girlie so I had to change direction and make a Texas man themed pillow (go Longhorns!).

For pillows that you sit on, I like how the covers turned out. They are bright, used up pesky scraps and I was able to practice appliqueing. All in all, a very fun project!

Another Gathered Clutch and Cutie Pouch

These bags are just fun to make!

The Gathered Clutch Tutorial

This is another awesome tutorial and can be found here. I don't like carrying a big purse when I go out on the town so this pattern is perfect for a phone, a few credit cards, chapstick and your keys. I made a basic bag this time but would add the card slots and divider next time. This was also my first venture into covering buttons and I really like how it turned out on the wristband. I realize that the inside fabric doesn't match exactly but it worked with the zipper so I figured why not? It also doesn't take much fabric so it's another great way to use up some scraps and odd zippers that you may have lying around.

Lil Cutie Pouch Tutorial

I am excited about this project and I have some squirrel fabric that will soon become this pouch! It's called the "Lil Cutie Pouch" and the free and awesome tutorial can be found here. This little thing sews up so quick and has infinite possibilities. This one is made from some vintage houndstooth fabric that I found at a funky furniture store in Austin. I always hesitate to use this material because it's vintage but, I thought that it would work well for this project. It has a key ring added so it's super convenient to carry around. This is also a perfect way to use up some miscellaneous scraps cluttering up the sewing room :)

Its About Time

This dress has been finished for a while. See, I have this dilemma: let my crazy husband take pictures of me with his propensity for making me look like a 7 foot tall amazon woman, or setting my camera up on the tripod and using the self timer. Neither option is great, but this time you are getting the crazy husband option. :) This dress is made from fabric I bought in Florida. It was labeled 'sari' fabric, and it has a seashell border on the edge. While it wasn't something I would ordinarily choose, I really liked it and wanted to try out using a decorative border. The pattern is a Project Runway/McCalls number, so you have a lot of different options when making the dress. I kept this pretty simple due to the richness of the fabric. I am on the fence about the sash. I like the idea of it, but it is so slippery that it doesn't really stay in place. I am pretty pleased with myself that the placket in front lays down nice and flat, and the mandarin collar stands up like it should! (Those things are a pain in the neck) And confession: Mom installed the zipper. I know, I should be a big girl and do it myself, but this fabric was tricky to work with.

The Devil is This Red Dress

This dress was supposed to be finished in time for the July Dress challenge. I used the Danielle pattern for this catastrophy (see here for a successful rendition) and I chose to use crepe de chine which is a HUGE nightmare. The fabric scorches easily so the facings can'tbe ironed to my liking and the fusing of interfacing on the waistband left permanent marks. AHHHHHHHHHH.... I've decided that I will not be finishing this dress. The one positive thing that came out of it though is that the invisible zipper went in wonderfully :) I always enjoy winning that battle especially when the rest of the project turns out all wrong!

It's Easy Being Green

This is an easy purse pattern that I redrafted from an Amy Butler clutch from the book, "In Stitches." It has a magnetic snap and the outside, strap and flap are made from random Marimekko scraps in my collection (the purse matches the passport sleeve that I made a couple of months ago). I enjoyed making this purse because it doesn't require any interfacing. The entire project is stabilized with Warm and Natural batting which is fantastic to work with. Also, as a side bonus, the whole thing cost me about $3!