I know that I haven't posted in a long while, but lots is currently happening. I'm stockpiling my work right now, and will do a big reveal in a month or so (I hope). In the meantime, I am still working on some smaller projects and will hopefully post some of those here and there until I am ready to make an announcement.
Don't worry! I'm still busy, creating lots of new things.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Two Shirts
Here are two of the shirts I completed yesterday as part of my day long, uninterrupted sewing day (which will be a once a month occurrence).
First, is a cute kissing goldfish top that I made to match a pair of pants Dorothy has in her closet. These pants were featured with a pumpkin top I made for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Those holidays have come and gone, but the pants still fit and I hate seeing them sitting here, not being worn. This wasn't quite the style of top I had in mind, but every store has their long sleeve tops on clearance and it was all I could find in her size that would work.
I also made another Kermit shirt for a friend. I signed up to send a hand made item to the first five people who responded on facebook. This is the first completed item, but I won't say who it is for. I only had four folks sign up, so I'll do something for the first person who comments here that they are interested. I have the second project almost complete, and I think I know what I'm going to make for the other two. I also kept with my own idea to try to make things out of what I already have. I did have to purchase the shirt, but I had all the components to make Kermit. I think the only thing I am missing for my other projects is some elastic. Yay, for de-stashing a bit.
I was planning on doing this on a white short sleeved shirt, but there weren't any that would work when I went shopping. This grey shirt was all I could find, and while I was a little unsure at first, I love the final product.
First, is a cute kissing goldfish top that I made to match a pair of pants Dorothy has in her closet. These pants were featured with a pumpkin top I made for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Those holidays have come and gone, but the pants still fit and I hate seeing them sitting here, not being worn. This wasn't quite the style of top I had in mind, but every store has their long sleeve tops on clearance and it was all I could find in her size that would work.
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| Close up of the cute fish. |
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| How it looks all together. I think I'll have her wear this to gymnastics this week. |
I also made another Kermit shirt for a friend. I signed up to send a hand made item to the first five people who responded on facebook. This is the first completed item, but I won't say who it is for. I only had four folks sign up, so I'll do something for the first person who comments here that they are interested. I have the second project almost complete, and I think I know what I'm going to make for the other two. I also kept with my own idea to try to make things out of what I already have. I did have to purchase the shirt, but I had all the components to make Kermit. I think the only thing I am missing for my other projects is some elastic. Yay, for de-stashing a bit.
I was planning on doing this on a white short sleeved shirt, but there weren't any that would work when I went shopping. This grey shirt was all I could find, and while I was a little unsure at first, I love the final product.
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| This has become one of my favorite designs. |
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sewing Day
My husband and I agreed that one day a month, I will have a sewing day where I work an 8 hour day in my sewing room and am not to be disturbed. Today was the first one and I got so much done. My list is still a mile long, but here is what I accomplished in just one day:
embroidered 2 shirts
appliqued 1 shirt
made a snowflake ornament
transformed a gift sack from Amazon into a reusable shopping bag
recovered a lamp shade
cleaned up everything but one (giant) pile of fabric
rearranged the furniture (and love the new layout)
dry mopped the floor
rearranged the books so that I can get to the ones I need
dusted the book shelves, small lamps, and some of the baseboards
started piecing together some strips for a project that will use up some of my scraps
I think that is all. No wonder I'm a bit tired. I'll post photos of the finished projects during the coming week. I just wanted to say how well my sewing day went while it is still fresh. I have a million more things I want to make and I hope with the room better organized, it will be easier to get some of them done.
embroidered 2 shirts
appliqued 1 shirt
made a snowflake ornament
transformed a gift sack from Amazon into a reusable shopping bag
recovered a lamp shade
cleaned up everything but one (giant) pile of fabric
rearranged the furniture (and love the new layout)
dry mopped the floor
rearranged the books so that I can get to the ones I need
dusted the book shelves, small lamps, and some of the baseboards
started piecing together some strips for a project that will use up some of my scraps
I think that is all. No wonder I'm a bit tired. I'll post photos of the finished projects during the coming week. I just wanted to say how well my sewing day went while it is still fresh. I have a million more things I want to make and I hope with the room better organized, it will be easier to get some of them done.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Stuff for Dorothy
Aside from the diaper I made at my sewing class, I haven't posted much about things I have made for Dorothy lately. Her hair is finally long enough to be pulled back with a little clip. She prefers the two pigtails that look like antennae look, but sometimes I can talk her into a barrette to keep her hair out of her eyes.
I covered an alligator clip with velvet ribbon because the velvet seems to grip her fine hair better, so they stay in a little longer. Then I glued on some pre-made flowers I bought to match the ribbon. If she starts wearing these more, I might look in to making some bows and such myself, but for this first try I wanted it to be quick and easy.
She has outgrown her Purdue shirt and I had to pull it from her closet because it wasn't covering her tummy any longer. The pants still fit great and are perfect for her gymnastics class, so I wanted a new shirt to go with her plain black pants. I bought a plain shirt on clearance at Target and decided to add this shifty-eyed panda that I have used before. I thought it was a little boring in just black and white, so I experimented with adding a ribbon bow. I liked the bow, but wanted it to tie in a little better, so I also added bows near the cuffs. I'm interested to see how they wash and hold up. If they do well, I might use this more often. I like how it adds a little color and a little texture to the shirt. I might even try coordinating the ribbon on her clothes to some bows for her hair. We'll have to see how ambitious I'm feeling.
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| Brown and white/off-white barrettes. |
I covered an alligator clip with velvet ribbon because the velvet seems to grip her fine hair better, so they stay in a little longer. Then I glued on some pre-made flowers I bought to match the ribbon. If she starts wearing these more, I might look in to making some bows and such myself, but for this first try I wanted it to be quick and easy.
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| Close-up of the brown ones. They have little pearls in the center. |
She has outgrown her Purdue shirt and I had to pull it from her closet because it wasn't covering her tummy any longer. The pants still fit great and are perfect for her gymnastics class, so I wanted a new shirt to go with her plain black pants. I bought a plain shirt on clearance at Target and decided to add this shifty-eyed panda that I have used before. I thought it was a little boring in just black and white, so I experimented with adding a ribbon bow. I liked the bow, but wanted it to tie in a little better, so I also added bows near the cuffs. I'm interested to see how they wash and hold up. If they do well, I might use this more often. I like how it adds a little color and a little texture to the shirt. I might even try coordinating the ribbon on her clothes to some bows for her hair. We'll have to see how ambitious I'm feeling.
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| Panda shirt with added bows. I'll have her wear it to gymnastics this week, then see how it washes. |
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| Better view of the bows on the sleeves. |
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| Close-up of the panda with the bow. |
My First Sewing Class
It took me a year to finally get to it, but I completed my first sewing class yesterday! This one was for making a diaper cover with PUL. I have worked with PUL before, and it is a little tricky. I was also very interested in learning how to use fold over elastic. I have tried various types of elastic where I have to stretch it as I sew it, and it rarely works how I expect it too. There were only two people signed up for the class and the other person never showed, so I had a private lesson. The class was scheduled to be 3 hours long, but even at the snail's pace I was going, I was done in an hour.
What I learned during my class:
1. I have been doing just fine reading directions and following along as best I can. I'm doing better than I thought
2. My "failures" with stretching and sewing elastic were not really failures at all. It just doesn't gather as much as I expect it to. If I want something pulled very tight, I'm better off doing a casing and cutting the elastic to the desired finished length.
I'm glad I took the class, and it was refreshing to get out of the house so that I could concentrate without listening to the sounds of the house and wondering if I should stop and help out. I had extra fabric and stuff and I wish I had asked if I could stay and do another couple just to enjoy the quiet.
Here is my finished product. It isn't perfect, but it was super easy and now that I have done it once, I'm pretty sure I could do it much cleaner and faster the next time.
What I learned during my class:
1. I have been doing just fine reading directions and following along as best I can. I'm doing better than I thought
2. My "failures" with stretching and sewing elastic were not really failures at all. It just doesn't gather as much as I expect it to. If I want something pulled very tight, I'm better off doing a casing and cutting the elastic to the desired finished length.
I'm glad I took the class, and it was refreshing to get out of the house so that I could concentrate without listening to the sounds of the house and wondering if I should stop and help out. I had extra fabric and stuff and I wish I had asked if I could stay and do another couple just to enjoy the quiet.
Here is my finished product. It isn't perfect, but it was super easy and now that I have done it once, I'm pretty sure I could do it much cleaner and faster the next time.
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| Closed. |
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| Open |
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Goals for 2011
So, I had a list of goals for last year and I only marginally managed to complete some of them. Let's recap a bit, shall we?
Goals for 2011
1. Spend two nights a week in my sewing room, or anywhere else working on a project, for at least one hour.
I would do well for a while, then would fall off of the wagon for a while. When I was doing well, I got a lot done.
2. Put away all the odds and ends of fabric that are still out in the open in the sewing room.
Ha! Ha! Ha! I did a little here and there, but it is still 100% a disaster in the sewing room. I really do need to do this. It would be so nice to work in a beautiful room.
3. Hang the thread organizers.
Kevin did it for me, but at least it got done. Check!
4. Set up my snap press in a permanent way.
Done! Check! Whew. Finally one where I can claim success.
5. Make the curtains for my sewing room with the fabric that I bought a year ago.
The fabric is still sitting there, mocking me.
6. Recover my chair and lamp shade now that the colors in my room have changed.
The chair I had been using has been replaced...by two chairs that need to be recovered. I have doubled my work and my lamp has not changed.
7. Make a dent in the giant pile of scrap fabric.
Well, I did a little of this, but I need to do some bigger projects involving my scrap piles. I have a couple of ideas, but I need to actually do them.
8. Hang up the pictures I have framed.
Done! Check!
9. Finish at least one project that is partially done.
It was small, but I did it. Check!
10. Take a sewing class.
I am signed up for one tomorrow. I didn't make it in 2011, but I am finally going to do it. Yay, me! Hopefully, I will learn something.
After my class tomorrow, I'm going to spend a little time reflecting on what I want to do this year. I might not make a ten point list. I have some things that I would like to get done, but I also have some things that I really need to get done.
Goals for 2011
1. Spend two nights a week in my sewing room, or anywhere else working on a project, for at least one hour.
I would do well for a while, then would fall off of the wagon for a while. When I was doing well, I got a lot done.
2. Put away all the odds and ends of fabric that are still out in the open in the sewing room.
Ha! Ha! Ha! I did a little here and there, but it is still 100% a disaster in the sewing room. I really do need to do this. It would be so nice to work in a beautiful room.
3. Hang the thread organizers.
Kevin did it for me, but at least it got done. Check!
4. Set up my snap press in a permanent way.
Done! Check! Whew. Finally one where I can claim success.
5. Make the curtains for my sewing room with the fabric that I bought a year ago.
The fabric is still sitting there, mocking me.
6. Recover my chair and lamp shade now that the colors in my room have changed.
The chair I had been using has been replaced...by two chairs that need to be recovered. I have doubled my work and my lamp has not changed.
7. Make a dent in the giant pile of scrap fabric.
Well, I did a little of this, but I need to do some bigger projects involving my scrap piles. I have a couple of ideas, but I need to actually do them.
8. Hang up the pictures I have framed.
Done! Check!
9. Finish at least one project that is partially done.
It was small, but I did it. Check!
10. Take a sewing class.
I am signed up for one tomorrow. I didn't make it in 2011, but I am finally going to do it. Yay, me! Hopefully, I will learn something.
After my class tomorrow, I'm going to spend a little time reflecting on what I want to do this year. I might not make a ten point list. I have some things that I would like to get done, but I also have some things that I really need to get done.
Korean Dragon
I have had a shirt sitting in my sewing room, ready to be embroidered for a couple of months. Malcolm had a pair of pants and a fleece sweatshirt that were both solid colors and needed a little something to tie them together. I used the pants color (grey) and the sweatshirt color (periwinkle) in the design to make it a complete outfit. I love how this dragon turned out and he might make some appearances on some other clothes. Malcolm is getting to that age where some things are a little too young looking, while others are too mature. I think this design is grown up enough for him to wear for a long time, but not so mature that it looks out of place on a 4.5 year old.
After it was done, I wished that I had used a peach-y apricot color thread instead of the yellow, but the yellow looks good too. The shirt is a very deep, bright green that is more vibrant than in the photo. I can't wait for nice weather so I can take pictures outside again.
After I started making the dragon, I took a break and told Malcolm about it. It had been a while since I had talked with him about my plans for this shirt, and I think he forgot about our talk. I asked him, "You like dragons, right?" and he answered me, "No," in a tone that indicated that I clearly didn't know him at all. However, when he wore it to school a day or two later, he very proudly showed it off to everyone. I had told him that it was a Korean Dragon, but he had a really hard time pronouncing "Korean" and they thought he said "Norwegian." I was momentarily confused when his teachers said they liked his Norwegian dragon. I thought maybe he had made a dragon at school until I remembered what he was wearing.
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After it was done, I wished that I had used a peach-y apricot color thread instead of the yellow, but the yellow looks good too. The shirt is a very deep, bright green that is more vibrant than in the photo. I can't wait for nice weather so I can take pictures outside again.
After I started making the dragon, I took a break and told Malcolm about it. It had been a while since I had talked with him about my plans for this shirt, and I think he forgot about our talk. I asked him, "You like dragons, right?" and he answered me, "No," in a tone that indicated that I clearly didn't know him at all. However, when he wore it to school a day or two later, he very proudly showed it off to everyone. I had told him that it was a Korean Dragon, but he had a really hard time pronouncing "Korean" and they thought he said "Norwegian." I was momentarily confused when his teachers said they liked his Norwegian dragon. I thought maybe he had made a dragon at school until I remembered what he was wearing.
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