Birthday Gift #2

Birthday Gift #1

I love Marimekko fabric. It's funky, bright and a nice weight so I decided to make a reusable grocery bag for my sister. Really, the intent is actually for it to be a farm share bag because it's easy to wash! The bag has french seams, folds up small and is bound with homemade bias tape.

Strawberries!

We are members of a CSA and this year the strawberries have done very well! While it is oh, so tempting to eat them all in one sitting, I remind myself that winter comes every year, and it is really nice to break out a jar of strawberry-something in those cold days. We have been getting several quarts each week, so we have been able to eat them, and can them. I now have Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam, Strawberry Vanilla Bean Syrup, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and Strawberry Maple Syrup sitting in my pantry. Shhhh! Don't tell my brother-in-law. I don't want him to come and raid my stash. At least I know what to get him from now until eternity: JAM!

Strawberry Maple Smootch, Mango Vanilla Bean Jam, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Quick Travel Bags

I had some leftover home dec fabric from Ikea so I made some quick and easy bags just for fun. The nerd in me likes to travel organized!

Vogue 8469 - Redrafted

I really love this easy Vogue pattern and have made it a couple of other times because it fits me perfectly without any major modifications. This time though, I decided to take a crack at redrafting the bodice to give it a little more interest. I lowered the neckline and made the back into a low V. The dress is fully lined with an invisible zipper and most of the dress has princess seams. I had originally started this project with the intent that it would be a prototype but I ended up LOVING it. The fabric is actually part of a huge curtain panel that I picked up from Target for $5. I originally thought it was a little too funky but as the dress progressed, I started to really like how the print looked. It reminds me a little bit of something you'd see at Anthropologie. Anyway, I am so happy about how it turned out especially because I was not expecting to like it so much. It's even my husbands favorite dress so far too! The only thing I would do to change the pattern next time is to add hidden side pockets. I am thinking about making this dress again with a blue seersucker fabric and some vintage, brass Naval buttons that are in my stash. Projects like this make me really glad I learned how to sew!

Does This Even Count?!

My husband called me with a special request: make a librarian/Mr. Rodgers sweater for a Smeagol bobble head doll. Seriously?! The idea is a joke amongst his coworkers and I got volunteered for the job. I had some gray wool felted wool scraps that I used. The seam allowances had to be tiny (1/8") and due to the large hands, I couldn't sew the sleeves until the sweater was on. That was a bit tedious, but turned out way neater that I thought they would. I used small beads for the buttons. This definitely turned out to be the most bizarre sewing project ever.

Modified Cabo Halter

I got some ultra soft jersey fabric recently and wanted to make something easy for summer. I ended up modifying the Amy Butler Cabo Halter pattern. What I did was gather the bust instead of using darts and I sewed down the ties to make straps. I also skipped the zipper because the fabric had enough stretch to not need one. The final product is light and really comfortable and with a few more tweaks, it could become a warm weather staple.