I mustache you a question

 Same clutch pattern as my last post, but made with linen and a really pretty print from JoAnns (picked up this Spring.)  I think it is called "winter berries."  I wish it came in other color ways besides mustard.  A pretty robin blue and grass green would be nice. 

You can see in this photo that I started to add labels to my things.  About time, huh?  I purchased the custom stamp through the etsy seller: modernartstamps.  I found permanent fabric ink pads and have been practicing stamping different ribbons/fabric to get the look I want.  It's not perfect (yet), but with the right base and more practice on my part I should be able to get a clean look.

I donated this clutch to a silent auction that benefited the organization Young Life. When I was making this clutch I was trying to appeal to the young adult crowd.  Something trendy but slightly grown up.  It was popular.  It wasn't until after I made it did I discover the local t-shirt for the kids has this saying on the front:  I mustache you a question...   Kind of perfect. :)

When the first draft is the final draft!

{front}

 While I am working (my real job) and have some mental downtime, I sometimes work through how to create a pattern in my head. One of the reasons I like sewing, is that it is mentally stimulating for me and allows me to creatively problem solve.  Being a visual thinker, I can sometimes mentally take apart something I want to make and work through the whole pattern making/sewing process before I cut into fabric. 

I have seen plenty of these cute round bottom clutches with flaps around the internet and thought they were adorable.  Most of what I have seen, only had a magnetic or button closure at the flap.  That didn't seem practical for me.  One toss into the back seat of my car would result in lost lip gloss and phone.

{flap completely covers the zipper and is secured with a hidden magnetic clasp}

 I wanted to add a zipper, but still have it follow a slight curve at the top of the bag.  So after a week of thinking through this process, I sat down over lunch on a Friday and wrote out everything that was floating around in my head.  That night I decided to use a vintage calender towel to make a first draft.  I first drew out my pattern on paper, trued up all my drafting, and cut into the fabric.  One towel and fat quarter of cotton was more than enough to make this sweet clutch/wristlet.

{back}

 I have been successful at finding some great thrift store purses (half off Wednesdays!!) to reuse for their leather, handles, zippers, and hardware. I reused the small D-ring and clasp from a $.50 purse to quickly turn this clutch into a wristlet.

{interfaced black and white printed gingham for the interior.  and a slightly crooked magnet sewn in.}

It is a simple little design, but I was smitten with myself when the first draft was exactly what I imagined in my head.  I by no means designed a completely original purse (these little round bottom purses seem to be a dime and dozen now) but this purse was a great exercise for my mind.  Continually building a foundation of knowledge that leads to me to be more creative and flexible in other areas of my life. What a great hobby!

Scrappy Goodness

 This ol' blog might not show it, but I have been keeping myself busy with some sewing projects lately.  Less than a month ago I hosted a baby shower for my SIL who is expecting a little girl this May.  Is there anything better than sewing for little girls?!  ***As a side note- I picked up several yards of clearance Lisette cotton lawn (Spring 2011 collection) from JoAnn's earlier this spring.  I have three little nieces to sew {matching}summer dresses for!***

Ok, back on topic.... sewing for the baby shower.  Waaaaay back in Sept 2008, I participated in a vintage fabric swap.  I think the premise of the swap was to cut through our stash of vintage bed linens and make 6xx6 inch squares, bundle them together and mail them out.  I wish I would have noted more detail about the swap in my post, because I know some amazing woman collected, sorted, and remailed everyones loot. But, hey, that was like FOUR YEARS AGO!  Where did that time go? Seriously.  Anyways, some of the blocks were passed along, others I kept and when it came to making a baby blanket I immediately remembers this great stack of blocks!  I rummaged through my own vintage scrap pile to cut a dozen more blocks and sewed this together in an evening.

 I was so smitten with myself when I finished piecing the top!  So girl-y and spring-y! And I had the perfect backing thanks to a wonderfully sweet and generous blog reader/customer of mine.  She was cleaning out her closets and found these older sheets and sent me a box to see if I could use them instead of throwing them away (If you are reading this now, THANK YOU AGAIN!).  A green and white gingham was the perfect piece to pair with the front.    To finish the quilt I sewed right sides together and turned it.  I top stitched the outside edge.  Instead of tying the quilt with yarn, I found a neat little stitch on my Pfaff 2038 that bound the quilt together.  I stitched a little pink diamond in the middle of each 6x6 square. 

And after I had finished the entire quilt, I had this nagging thought that someone might be grossed out that I cut up old bed sheets and made a blanket out of them.  I mean, not everyone is cool like my readers or fellow seamstresses.  The blanket was well received and I know it will get plenty of play time when the baby is born, but what are your thoughts on reusing certain vintage fabrics for new-er sleeping items? 

WIP- Vintage Feedsack Cross Quilt

Sewing has been sporadic as best lately. And now that the weather is definitely heading in the direction of spring, my sewing days are even more numbered!  But I wanted to document the start of this quilt so in like 5 years when I am finishing it up, I have a date to refer back to. That is what a blog is for right?  To show how slow I am in completing things? :)  Two years ago I was given a bag of feed sack scraps.  I knew then I wanted to turn them into a beautiful scrappy quilt.  But what do I pair this vintage fabric with? Any modern fabric didn't match the weave of the older scraps.  I thought I would find some old white feed sacks and use the two together.  I did find and collect those feed sacks but I love the prints on them so much I want to feature them in their own project.
 

 Then early this winter I was "cleaning" my sewing room (basically re-stacking fabric from one spot to another) and I found a stash of linen garments I picked up at the thrift store.  Well worn, well washed.  The texture of the fabric was a perfect pairing to the pretty vintage prints.  This was the solid I was looking for!

I've had my eye on making a "cross" quilt for a long time.  Most of my feed sack scraps are the negative cuts from someone making clothes and crafts, so this block allows me to use every scrap I can cut a 2''x2'' square from.  The best part about this project, beyond the visual prettiness, is that I finally purchased my first rotery cutter and mat.  Love, love, love. Such a nice tool for making quilts. I am hoping this quilt fits a queen bed. Right now, I am not thinking about how many 6.5'' blocks I need to make to get that done.  Just one block at a time.

Before and After- Corner Cabinet

This project was a long time coming.  I purchased this cherry cabinet at an auction two years ago with the best of intentions.   I had been looking for a corner cabinet since we moved into our house, but I couldn't find one I liked for less than $200.  I paid $70 for this one, but it had one huge strike against it.  It came from a smoking home.  I thought with scrubbing, sunshine, and time I could get it cleaned up.  No dice.  Then I decided paint would cover it up. All last year I had been reading about Annie Sloans Chalk Paint.  I was even able to buy it locally at a store in MD called Repurposed and Refined to save on shipping!   This paint is expensive. But with all the claims of no sanding, no priming and one coat coverage I thought why not!  I could get this project done in a weekend!

 Let me also make the disclaimer that I have only painted a handful of furniture and I am not claiming that I am any good at it.  Also, I searched around on the internet for some quick how-tos, read through the product website, and got some pointers from the vendor of the paint.  I fell in love with the idea of painting the inside a fun bright color.  I have seen a few vintage cupboards/cabinets painted on the inside and felt like it would work for this project.  I was immediately smitten with Antibes Green for the inside.  In my opinion, this is the perfect spring green color.  For the exterior I choose Old White and used a clear wax to finish it. 

 I used my 2'' Purdy brush to paint the entire piece.  Because of the smoke issue I knew I needed to cover every square inch with paint to seal it up.  I used an entire quart of green to paint the inside.  It took two coats to get it looking even.  In the photo above, you'll see what one coat will look like covering a cherry finish.  Very streaky.  The exterior also has one coat.  The white had much better coverage, but if you look closely I got an unexpected crackle finish.  I was a bit upset at first.  It wasn't the look I was going for.  The crackle appeared almost immediately.  My best guess is the paint interacted with the nicotine.  There is no cracking on the inside or where the doors had been closed.  By the time I had finished painting the exterior my first brush strokes were dry.  So I got out some fine grit sandpaper and sanded a portion to see if a second coat would cover the crackle. I packed up for the night and the next day everything got a second coat.  The crackling was still there but not as apparent.  I applied two coats of wax and put the whole thing together. 

 Once in the house, I loved how the cabinet filled the room!  I love how my white and silver dishes pop with the green.  The hand blown glass on the top shelf doesn't stand out as much as I'd like, but I'll have to come up with a different display for them.  The freshness of the green makes me very happy! 

I did a very light distressing with a sanding block and came to terms with the crackle finish.  Overall, I do love the results.  I didn't expect to use the amount of paint I did, but the results are great.  The green is vibrant.  The Old White is a soft white with no yellow. It distressed beautifully and the wax was easy to apply (I used a lint free rag.)  What I wasn't expecting is that the cabinet still has a faint smoke smell.  Total disappointment. My husband has a more sensitive sniffer than I do, but there is no mistaking it when you open the doors.  And after sitting in the house for 4 months I decided it can't stay. :(  I'm really bummed.  There is the whole financial loss of the project and then having the whole experience not meet my expectations.  I'll list it on craigslist.  Maybe I can get some money back on it and start the search for something else.  You only need one buyer right?!

Surprise Baby Shower

Color inspiration!

 

 

 

 In the middle of November I hosted a surprise baby shower for my friend and neighbor.  It was disguised as a brunch amongst friends, so I was able to have everyone bring something to share for the meal.  That allowed me to sneak in a tiny bit of sewing/decorating for the party.  The week previous to the shower we hosted our annual Harvest Party where 40 of our friends come over for a home cooked fall themed meal.  The fall decorations were still out so I decided to use the centerpieces of winter kale and pumpkins as the color inspiration.  The day before the shower I stopped in at my local quilt shop and was elated to see Kate Spain's new fabric line Terrain on the shelves*! Right then and there I knew I NEEDED to make a fabric banner to make my dining room more festive. 

 The gender of the baby is a surprise even though the decorations are insinuating girl. Just a half a yard of three prints, two packages of thrifted bias tape, and 80 minutes later the banner was cut, sewn and hung.( I love pinking shears!)

 A friend came over the night before to help me make the tissue paper "chandelier ".  I was totally trying to channel Dale Chihuly when I was brainstorming this feature. (Side note: have you seen the PBS special about him?!)  I ended up with a nebulous jelly fish looking sculpture, which honestly, is better than I anticipated. I have it hanging in my sewing room because I like it so much.

 It was such a simple way to dress up the room and it added so much ambiance.  It has me thinking of making banners for every special occasion to hang in this room!

* I am beyond excited that my LQS is stocking more "modern" prints.  I'd like to think that it has something to do with every trip I am there I asked if they are getting any ____ designer fabric from their new collection.  I always get a puzzled look and I can't help but wonder if a fabric store owner doesn't read blogs?

My most favorite sewing project this summer

 I made two dolls this summer.  Both were meant to be gifts, but little Ginger stayed with me.  She was my first.  And because of this her little arms aren't as securely attached as they should be and I learned that I needed to trim the tails on my embroidery floss shorter because you will see the excess strands through the fabric on her face.  But she makes me so happy. 

Stop right now and go make one for yourself or that little girl in your life. The pattern is free!