Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Spaceman



My final project before our trip: the Wee Wonderfuls Spaceman. I had so much fun putting him together. Last night, the kids in bed, David at work, I sat down at my machine with my Diet Coke and Ray LaMontagne and went to work on Jack's newest space themed pal. My favorite thing about him is the Richard Simmons-ish spacesuit fabric. This little guy is big on flare! Of course, all the fabrics were carefully chosen by Jackson.



Monday, April 21, 2008

The Chicken Gets Some Love



(Pant, pant) I have been on a marathon sewing binge...but I am really enjoying getting some projects finished that have been sitting in my "to do" basket for way too long. I finally got that little chicken I embroidered a while back on a little dress for Ad. I still have to put together the matching bloomers. This is a really great (& classic) pattern for a summer dress--reversible, no hems, no buttons, zippers, or snaps. NEXT!

Apronista Give-away

There is a giveaway going on over at the Apronista. Go check it out and enter to win a super cute apron from Flirty Aprons. Their aprons make me drool!

Wee Wonderful Bunny





I zipped through this bunny last night while watching Atonement (a good movie, by the way). I finished her dress this morning. The pattern and instructions I got from Wee Wonderfuls were really easy to follow, which made this a nice relaxing follow-up project to Addie's monster Cinderella dress. Addie hasn't seen her yet, but I think she's going to love this sweet little bunny.

Name Contest

My BFF over at Itching 2 B Stitching is having a name that dress form contest. The winner gets a handcrafted craft apron (VERY CUTE!) made just for you!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Coming Right Along

I'm finished with the most intricate & tedious part of Ad's Cinderella dress. I only have one more piece to add with the sequined fabric--which has already broke two machine needles. grrr. Hopefully the skirt will move along smoothly!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

It's In the Bag



I finished my swap bag last night. I am mostly happy with how it turned out. I had wanted to put a button closure on the top, but I forgot to do it. Next time. I added a few heart buttons above the birdies--I kept staring at the embroidery thinking it needed a little something extra, I think the buttons do the trick. I can't wait to send it off to my partner, but have a few more things to put together before I do. Today I'm going to start on Addie's Cinderella dress for Disneyland. How fun will that be? I'll let you know.

Monday, April 14, 2008

My Apron Arrived!


Wow. I really love this apron. My partner from the Flirty Apron Swap really outdid herself. I especially love the way it just happens to match the shirt I was wearing today. This is my I'm tired, but I love my apron, face. LOL.

In the Works: My Partner's Swap Bag

The book


Contrast fabric & birdie sketch

Front bag panel with pleat and embroidery

Inside pocket


Even though my weekend was busy, I did get a start on my Amy Karol swap bag. I sketched out the embroidery pattern last week (inspired by my tennis shoes), measured & cut out pattern pieces, embroidered front panel, and pieced together bag & lining panels. I still have a lot of work to do, but happy to get started!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Wee Wonderful Robot



I picked up this pattern at Wee Wonderfuls awhile back. Jackson was SO excited for me to put his robot together. He drew lots of smiles and giggles from shoppers at JoAnn's while he stood in front of the fat quarters trying to pick out the fabrics (he got a wee bit bossy). The control panel fabric was the first one to catch his eye and he told me, "this looks just like a control panel!" Not only did he pick out the fabrics (and what body part they'd serve) but also all the embellishments. He and I went through my jar of buttons searching for just the right ones. It turned out pretty cute for my first go at it which speaks volumes for the pattern & instructions. As always, there are a few things I'll do differently the next time. When I finished him last night, I called out to Jack: "Jack, your robot is done, come see!" A little face peeked out from around the corner and Jack asked: "Is he good or bad?" After I told him that "robots have to do whatever you tell them" he warmed up to his new friend. This morning I woke up with a Jackson AND a wee wonderful robot in my bed. Must be a hit.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Wonderful Surprise





A wonderful surprise was waiting for me today when I got home from the LWML convention in Claremore. A box--from my Pleated Beauty Bag Swap partner. Wahoo! I opened it to find the most darling bag I have ever seen. I had been secretly hoping to receive my bag before my trip to California--I can't believe how fast she finished this little piece of artwork! One of my favorite details is the embroidered owl on the front of the bag. SO CUTE! Ani also sent along a journal, stuffed owl (my son tried to steal it!), and another wonderful Amy Karol bag that she made. The pictures don't do it justice, but I had to share her work with you. I love, love, love this bag (and the other extras--looking forward to Raspberry Shortcake!) and can't wait to show it off. Thank you Ani.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Project Organization


My craft space is a mess. It is a multi-purpose room that serves as craft, office, and play space. This morning I set out to organize my craft area. I folded & stacked fabric, balled 4 unraveled skeins of yarn, and found projects I didn't even remember beginning. My favorite (and I hope, most helpful) task was bundling project fabrics with the patterns I intend to use with them. I tied them together with yarn/ribbon and but them in my "In-Works" basket. Now I am ready to get to work on the projects...

Thursday, April 3, 2008

BTR Sewing Partner

I received my partner for the Bend the Rules Sewing Swap I joined. I am so excited to start Amy Karol's Pleated Beauty Bag. I can tell from visiting my partner's blog page that we share many things in common--which hopefully will help me create something for her that she will like. I have a month and tons to do (& learn)...I will try to post as I go along.