Closet Flashbacks: Mosaic Stepping Stone

Today I am resurrecting the neglected Closet Flashback feature, which really should have a different name since half the stuff isn't from our closets. Perhaps "handmade: in the wild!" or "Yes I actually use the stuff I make" or....must revisit when brain cells are snapping. This week's flashback was made about two years ago with a mosaic kit I got at the thrift store. It has been rotated through plenty of locations, but I think it has finally found its home at the gate of my garden. It is bright, colorful and fun, cute 6 year old toes not included.

Closet Flashback: Playing With Clay

I've been in a serious creative funk. It's the kind that comes from having a string of botched projects like when you put the finishing touches on a new dress and then the zipper breaks before you can even wear it. Then the seam ripper makes a big hole while trying to take it out to put in a new one...then the needle snaps....then the thread gets snarled and breaks.... 

But I digress.

To reboot my brain I decided to look around my house for inspiration in successful projects that I've made over the years and loved working on. That's when I found this little vase that I made back in high school (no...I'm not doing the math on when that was). Pottery was my favorite class and I REALLY enjoyed working on this project. It's a little lopsided but I loved (and still do!) the drippy glaze and how the colors all came together. 

At it's widest part it's probably only about 4" in diameter.

Much like a dress, I like to put effort into the inside and OUT

I used a light application of white glaze for the base then thickly applied streaks of alternating color that faded into blue. 

After staring at the vase for quite a while I decided that I had enough creative energy to attack the broken zipper again. Hopefully, by the end of the day I'll have a mended dress and the willpower to actually start a new project!  

Closet Flashback: An 11 Year Old's Artwork

Yesterday my son had to spend an extended time out in my room, and he spent his excessive 8-year-old-energy in diving under my bed looking for lost socks and toys he hadn't seen in months. A side affect of this exploration was that he found my childhood art portfolio and my college portfolio. Sheesh! It was quite a trip back and my inner artist cringed at some of my 'best pieces' from back in the day. This one made me laugh, because oh, did I think it was the bomb! And it won a blue ribbon! Never mind the stripe of whiteout where I had to make a wayward arm disappear. I shaded every single grape in the bunch. I have no explanation for why I spent an entire year drawing anthropomorphized fruit.

Closet Flashback: Simplicity 2587 Upcycled Version

I made this dress about 2 1/2 years ago to wear to the pool in the muggy heat in Virginia. It's made out of an old tablecloth and is fully lined with a sheet. It was kind of an experiment dress so the fabric wasn't my primary focus. The dress has (of course) an invisible zipper and hidden side pockets. You can see the original post here which has additional pictures of the back and inside of the dress. I decided go a different route today and instead of posting a picture of my silly mug, I shot the dress with what I'd actually wear it with. Some funky jewelry from Etsy and my fav cardi and wedges!

Closet Flashback: The Cosmo Bag

Yikes….I already made this bag 3 years ago (original post here). This is yet another pattern that I sewed up while on a serious Amy Butler bender a few years back. It's interfaced with fusible fleece because i wanted a soft, squishy bag that I could throw in the back of my closet and not worry about getting permanent interfacing creases.

It's held up well and has been used a lot. It serves as a nice overnight bag or farmers market type bag.

It has pockets on both sides that are the perfect size for a bottle of water.

There are several pleat details that help shape the top.

I added a few little pockets on the inside. It's actually pretty cavernous so having a cell phone pocket was necessary. Please pardon the fuzzies at the bottom of the bag. I clearly need to spend some time with a lint roller.

This is one of those projects that while I really like the fabric and button combinations, I can't help but stare at my lines of stitching. I must've been in a frenzy because they lack let's say, my usual attention to detail. Oh well…just don't look too close ;)

I would definitely make this bag again IF I needed another huge bag. I've mentioned this before but my bag collection has turned into a Russian nesting doll situation. I kid you not…when I found this in my closet and dumped out the contents there were literally 15 OTHER bags of varying size inside. 

Closet Flashback: Ikea Pillow Covers

I made these pillow covers for my couch a few apartments ago out of a panel of home dec fabric from Ikea. I love them so, so much and they make me smile every time I see them. I realize they're a little bright and funky but they work for me! 

Of course they have vintage piping.

The couch on it's own is pretty boring which is great because it makes for a nice blank canvas for the pillows to reside on.

What does the fox say? I honestly don't know…that video scares me.

The squirrel pillow is actually my favorite of the two. It reminds me of the squirrel we helped domesticate named Cletus when we lived in NJ. 

Closet Flashback: The Muse Dress

I made this dress over two years ago (original post here) and it would seem that I can't get a decent picture of it no matter what I try. It's a very classic style with princess seams, fitted waist and little pleat details on the skirt. It's fully lined with an invisible zip (my favorite!) and it's made out of some sort of rich chocolate colored, cotton blend with a little stretch. There are some tweaks that I'd like to revisit to clean a few quirks up but overall I'm still happy with the end result. 

The skirt is about knee length.

Stitched details are on the waistband and neckband.

I learned a lot about garment construction while making this dress. It's how I learned to install an invisible zipper AND fully line with hand stitching for a more polished look.

Closet Flashback: Another Cabo Halter

Here's another rendition of the Cabo Halter by Amy Butler (see a different one here) that I made a few years ago. It's a chocolate brown Michael Miller print and is a really nice quality cotton. 

Here's the top in action while I hung out with my perro. Side note: he was recently nicknamed gordo oso and I think it fits.

This particular pattern is great for ladies like myself that have freakishly long torsos. When I raise my arms you don't see my belly button. I consider that a victory! 

It's a delicate pattern without being too dainty if that makes sense.

I used all princess seams again and an invisible zipper. Since I made this originally I've gotten a serger and an invisible zipper foot. I bet I could crank one of these out in an hour or less now!

Closet Flashback: International Carpet Bag

I love this bag and always travel with it. It's the perfect size to carry on a plane and it sits nicely under the seat without having to vigorously kick or smash it to get it to fit. My mom made it for me a year or two ago so it's an extra special edition to my handmade wardrobe. She makes magic with her sewing machine so needless to say this bag is made to last! 

It's definitely a larger sized piece so I generally don't carry it for day to day activities. It's great as a weekender though!

This print always makes me want to travel even more.

If I remember correctly, I think my dad picked out these buttons. They are perfect!

The zipper tab is one of my favorite parts because it has my initial :)

Nice and roomy on the inside with a few little pockets to keep things tidy.

Closet Flashback: Easy Vogue 8469 - Version 3

This is by far my favorite version of this dress (you can see the pink one here and the black polka dot one here). It's actually made out of a curtain panel that I got from Target on a crazy discount. It's a lightweight cotton and is fully lined. 

I redrafted the back of the dress to make a deep V and I love how that detail worked out.

I also lowered the neckline a little.

I like that this dress has a fitted, high waist.

Cowboy boots go with everything.

The fabric was very, very thin. It's lined with a lightweight muslin.

My obsession with the invisible zipper can be seen here! 

I had forgotten that I had done all princess seams for this dress. It made me very thankful for my serger.

Closet Flashback: Pink Easy Vogue 8469

If I remember correctly, this was the second dress I ever made. It's made out of a cotton shirting fabric with pink, purple and white stripes. I've worn it a lot over the last few years and it fits me perfectly. There are simple gathered details along the waist and bust line which give it shape. 

 The shoes are a light pink pump from Aldo and go perfectly with the dress.

Check out the side lapped zipper. That was probably one of the last ones I ever installed before becoming an invisible zipper convert.

I like looking inside old garments that I've made to see how far my skills have come as a seamstress. This one has some unfinished seams and some that are finished with a zigzag. 

 I've made this dress 3 times because it fits me so perfectly straight off the pattern.  I posted about a different version here and you'll be seeing my favorite version in a few weeks!   

Closet Flashback: A Melange of Houndstooth

A few years ago I bought several yards of this vintage houndstooth fabric that I found stashed in the back of a retro furniture store in Austin on S. Congress. I didn't have the guts to cut big pieces out of it at first so I went on a tiny bag rampage and made this matching set. I realize now that when you start to look at all that houndstooth print together it begins to feel a lot like an optical illusion. If necessary, look away and blink a few times in between pictures! 

Anyway, these are all easy, quick projects that require very little time or materials.

   

This is the gathered clutch by Noodlehead and you can get the tutorial for free HERE.

This is the lil cutie pouch by Noodlehead which you can get the tutorial for HERE. 

Last but not least, is this Buttercup bag that I made using the Made by Rae pattern HERE.

This is just a close up of the cool vintage-looking button that I found and the little pleat details that give this bag it's shape.

This may have been the first button I ever covered. I was so proud of myself!

I used different colored zippers just for fun.  If you fear the zip, these projects are a great, low pressure, way to familiarize yourself with installing them.

I probably made these 2 or more years ago and just recently unearthed them at the bottom of another bag. I find that extra pouches/purses/bags become like nesting dolls and never seem to end when you start digging!  

Closet Flashback: My Childhood Apron

This week's flashback is another blast from the past. Back when we were wee little things (I think even before Rachel was born) Mom made my brother and I matching denim aprons. Each pocket has a red and white polkadot applique on it. Isn't it cute? Flash forward 30 years or so and I would say that Mom's handiwork has stood the test of time. Now my youngest wears my apron when he helps me cook. I have no explanation for this kid, except he's a little crazy. Whenever my kids give me a look like this, I can't help but remember the line from Shrek when they were trying to sell Pinocchio: "Five shillings for the possessed toy!"  :)

P.S. Belinda, this may explain our obsession with aprons?! We started early!

Closet Flashback: Loomed Bracelet

 I was very into beading when I was in junior high. I took some classes and bought all of the supplies and really went crazy with this particular hobby. I made this bracelet during that phase and I just recently found it again. I used a simple loom to quickly weave the beads together and finished it off with a very basic lobster clasp. Green is still one of my favorite colors so I was happy to find another piece that will match almost everything in my wardrobe! I also like that the beads are slightly uneven because it makes it look more unique.