A Real Live Project!!!!

My son started Kindergarten yesterday. A month or so ago, he informed me that he wanted me to make him a backpack. Now I think by now you have figured out that I love to sew, but there are certain things that I don't bother with, because they are cheaper/easier to just buy it. A backpack is a good example. This little beauty cost me as much as a new Lands End backpack, and my sewing machine decided to give up and die mid-project. However, when my son who I love asks me to make him not just any backpack, but a horse backpack, I said fine. The green fabric is an outdoor canvas from JoAnn's and the lining is a farm print that I picked up in Lancaster. I wanted the backpack to look as 'normal' as possible, as in something that didn't scream 'Hey, look, my mom got a sewing machine for Christmas and she just taught herself how to sew on my backpack!!!!' Since there is a lack of decent backpack patterns on the market (at least in my opinion) I drafted my own. I think this project would have been really enjoyable if my sewing machine hadn't been gasping for its dying breath, but I ended up finishing it off on Mom's machine. (thanks!!) I think if I made it again it would go a lot quicker.

Cool Website

I wish I had some fantastic reason why we haven't been posting any sewing awesomeness lately, but I don't. My sewing machine has been on the fritz, summer has been busy and my baby is starting Kindergarten tomorrow! I did make a backpack for him and it needs some finishing touches tonight before its debut. I'll post pictures soon. Until then, here is a really cool website I ran into today that has FREE printable art! Feed Your Soul Free Art Project

Beach Dress

I wasn't going to post this on vacation but...I had a few spare minutes between napping and body surfing! This is another modified Simplicity pattern 2587 (made previously here) with a redrafted back bodice. I didn't like how the skirt was so full with the last one I made so I merged the bodice with the Coffee Date Dress A-line skirt (free pattern here). I LOVE how it turned out and it fits perfectly. It's double lined with an invisible zipper and I used this awesome nautical themed fabric from Fabric.com which I was a little nervous about but it worked better than I was hoping! It's an excellent beach dress :)

Buttercup Bag: Chicken Edition

This bag was made from the Made By Rae Buttercup Bag pattern (which is free!). A few weeks ago, Mom and I went to an AWESOME fabric store in Lancaster County. It is called Obi's General Store, and the place is stacked to the ceiling (literally) with fabric. It is really quite overwhelming, and I know that despite our time spent there, I probably only saw a fraction of the fabric they had. While there, I bought several pieces of fabric, including this chicken print. Now that I have chickens (!!), I should have something with chicken fabric, right?! I figured I would make myself a cute apron, but plans changed and I made a purse instead. This purse is super-easy to sew up. I added rick-rack for a little punch, and also because I can't find my red piping. No doubt it is off somewhere being used by my children to rig up a squirrel trap or something. I left out the small interior pocket, and added a divider instead. The buttons are from my Grandma Heppner's stash.

Quilt Top

Here is the project that has sucked up the majority of my sewing time lately. This quilt is for my oldest son. He is into everything farms, horses, and cowboys. The majority of the fabric is horses, but there is also a frame of blocks made of a scenic farm print (covered bridges, Amish horse and plow, barns, etc.) Now on to the sashing, borders and quilting!

Summer Dress - Modified Simplicity 2587

I made this dress last year (click here) but it was a size too big. I liked the style though so I decided to make it again except this time I redrafted the back to a low V, used an invisible zip instead of a side-lapped zip and added hidden pockets. I also fully lined it which I do for every dress because I like the weight better that way. Anyway, it's a simple, slightly poofy summer dress that's perfect for the pool. The added bonus is that I used a tablecloth from my childhood for the outside and an old sheet for the lining. I figured why not upcycle some old stuff sitting in my stash?

Summer PJ Shorts - Modified Simplicity 2821

I don't know about where you all are but where I am it's HOT! I guess it's not even so much the heat in the 90s as it is the humidity. Even with the AC set low the house still feels like a wet towel...yuck! I keep seeing cute PJ shorts around town at Target and Espirit and Anthropologie but for $15+ a pair I'm just too cheap to buy any especially when the quality is so poor. So with that in mind, I dug out a simple PJ pattern, totally redrafted it to fit me perfectly and went crazy. I used Marimekko fabric for the red and flower pairs and a regular quilting cotton for the brown pair. I also used vintage buttons and trims to finish them off. They are fast and easy to make and use very little fabric so all in all, I paid less than $5 for all three pairs. The added bonus of this project was that I discovered the overlock stitch on my sewing machine. Why and how I missed that sweet feature before I do not know. Now if I'm feeling too lazy to do french seams I can quickly finish them with stitch 06 and foot G!