Quilt for Liesel

Youngest daughter made this quilt for the same baby shower. She's excited to be an aunt again too!!!

Liesel Sleep Bags

I sewed these up for a shower gift for my new grandbaby on the way. Can you guess it's gender? Due December 4!! Can't wait to meet you Liesel Mae!!!!!

The top part is from Ottobre and then I just self drafted the bag bottom.

Pink Polka Dot Tank

I think I have the binder attachment pretty much figured out. Now I need to learn how to tweak it for each individual fabric so that it lays flat and doesn't try to gather it at all.

This tank is for Little Miss from Ottobre 3/2013 #34 Tank with rouching on the sides with clear elastic. It's very subtle and not real noticeable at all. Size 156 with no alterations.

Copied Pink Floral Tank

This wasn't my first choice in fabric but after my ribbing for binding experiment I was a bit gun shy. I had this in the stash and it was a sturdy interlock so I thought I'd see how that turned out. I actually forgot that I had traced off facings for this tank and I began binding the neckline too. So this one has the neck bound rather than faced. That's ok.

I used the self interlock fabric for binding and it worked way better. The olive green in the leaves actually matches a tiered skirt perfectly that a friend gifted me with that is very light for summer. I think it'll make a cool outfit for the hottest of days.

Each top brings me closer and closer to understanding and knowing what my binder machine will do with different fabrics. It's been a fun trial period here to see the different results and what works for me.

Binding Experiment

This was me playing again with the Weekender tank that I traced/copied from the original garment. I used ribbing in my binder attachment for the first time. It made the armholes WAY too small. They fit but this is definitely a farm shirt. It looks goofy and pulls up in the pits above the bust. I will remember that ribbing in the binder WILL gather what you're binding too. I just like the look of binding in the interlock or jersey that the shirt is made from. Live and learn..... at least it's not a total wadder.....

Gray Plantain

Another Deer and Doe Plantain with a FBA. The picture makes it look like it's low in the neckline. It isn't as low on my body as on the dress form. I actually like this one better than the green one. It isn't as low in the front, the fabric is more to my liking with cotton content, and the fabric isn't so stretchy so it doesn't seem to cling as much either.

I forgot to mention that in both the green and this gray I lengthened the sleeves and I like it MUCH better! When you get old and fat like me the cap sleeves leave one feeling fat and exposed! I like this length a lot better.

Olive Green Deer and Doe Plantain

This was my first attempt at a full bust adjustment. I'm trying hard to follow a more modest path and it's hard when all the patterns are designed with negative ease and designed to hug the body.

This is the Deer and Doe Plantain in the biggest size with a full bust adjustment.

It kind of worked. This fabric is a a VERY stretchy jersey knit. I got it at a fabric warehouse nearby. I'm thinking there is quite a bit of lycra in it. I think it's more rayon than cotton too. Because it's so stretchy the neckline ended up a bit lower than I had originally planned.

From this garment I learned that sewing can be exciting because you just really never know how things are going to turn out. You can sew a pattern 50 times and each time get a different result because fabrics are just like people - different personalities!!

If anyone knows of a nice modest scoop neck non-hugging t-shirt pattern let me know!!!

Olive Green side slouch T

I've made this before in a navy blue. Made it today in an olive green using my cover stitch machine for the binding and hems!!! It's from Ottobre 2/2013 #13 The Lemon Juice top in size 46/48

I am beyond ecstatic!! I am so glad my hubby loves me this much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lime Modest Swimsuit

 The pattern is Modest Swimwear that I made a while back for her older sister. It's a size 6 that I graded down, mostly by sewing deep seams. The fabric is from JoAnn's. It turned out okay and usable but next time I'm going to make the skirt a titch longer and do something different for a shelf bra. I made my own bra cups and they work okay but next time I'll make a full shelf across.

Shavuot Skirt

Oh my! I am so behind blogging. I've been sewing but nothing has made it on the blog lately. So here I am playing catch up. I don't even have pictures of everything I've made lately. *sigh*

Today we (youngest daughter and I together) sewed a tiered skirt for her. She loves it!! She did about 1/3 of the sewing, including much of the gathering stitches! She absolutely loves to sew!

It's from an Instructables page that is located here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tiered-Spinny-Skirt-for-folks-of-All-Ages/

Fabric was all from the stash. The 2nd panel looks gray in the picture but it's actually a fun crinkle chambray that is light blue.

Sewing/Craft Room Reveal

I've been waiting a few months to make this post. I am so excited to share with you my brand new sewing and crafting studio!

The floors turned out fabulous as I can dust or wet mop them with my Norwex mop!!! We have woodstove heat so being able to clean it easily was my biggest concern!! The only thing we have left to do is some individual task lighting that he has ideas for.

Here goes.....

Fabric wall

Pattern cabinets from when I worked at a fabric store many moons ago with a "my favorite things" grouping on the wall to cheer me and inspire me!

Daughter's sewing desk

Small loom Hubby built me this winter - first rug almost finished.....

Big loom actually belongs to oldest daughter and if/when it goes to her home and if I've gotten it figured out.... I'll buy my own to replace it!

Craft table for card making that I've been waiting for my children to be old enough that I can do all these thing!

My 3 babies - Viking Designer II, Elna Pro 4DE, Babylock Coverstitch - LOVE them all!!

Fabric wall from other direction

Yarn department Ha! Skirting table hubby built me this winter. Spinning wheel is youngest daughter but if I learn to and enjoy it maybe I'll buy my own even before hers goes to her home some day hopefully long in the future! I am excited too because I bought a carding machine with my oldest daughter and I'm excited to get going on that too!!

Full room view

Full room view from other side

Yarn Tote Bag

This was a promised birthday gift for Little Miss. She got to pick out the fabric and Mama promised to sew it for her. Her birthday was last month but a few other projects got in the way....

The pattern is "The Perfect Knitting or Quilting Tote" from Tree Top Threads. Very simple, very fun to sew!

Her biggest request was lots/tons of pockets. This has that for sure!!!

2 Onsies

Here are those other 2 onsies for new moms at my church....... same pattern...

Ottobre 3/2013 #3 "Baby Whale" raglan-sleeve bodysuit, size 56

Onsie Gift

A very simple one this time. A simple onsie for a mom who has nothing. A friend of mine has a friend that is pregnant and recently gotten married. She has nothing so my friend threw her an impromptu shower and invited a bunch of us from church. So Friday afternoon I threw together a onsie, pulled a blanket off the shelf that I had "just in case" for a gift and wrapped them up.

The onsie only took me 3 hours from start of cutting to finishing of snaps (which I did backwards because I was talking while I did it LOL) It shouldn't have taken me that long but of course I got the chance to play with my new toy again so I had a leisurely afternoon of play. It was really just for practice on my coverstitch and I decided if it turned out alright, I'd gift it along with the blanket. Other than the snaps snapping front over back instead of back over front it was gift quality. The fabric was  a bit thin too but it'll be fine for the 3 weeks that the baby fits into it Ha!

Sad part is..... 3 hours straight in the sewing room = 3 days of back pain. I have GOT to learn to spread it out in smaller increments!!! *sigh* I have two more gifts to make this week for new mama's at church. I plan to do 20 minutes here and 20 minutes there....

It is Ottobre 3/2013 #3 "Baby Whale" raglan-sleeve bodysuit, size 56

Mario Vest

It turned out quite a bit better using sweatshirt fleece vs. the last one out of polar fleece. I made the same size - 146 and once again it's a #34 Donald our of 6/2010.

He loves it - that's all that matter.....

Funny how once you know how something goes together it tends to go better. Ha!

Polar Fleece Vest

 I'm not real overly proud of this make but I have to blog it so I remember what it is and what I did. I also don't mind showing a bit of what the new Coverstitch machine is capable of.

This is Ottobre 6/2010's Donald #34 hooded sweater-knit vest in size 146. The reason I am not overly proud of it is because it was designed for sweater knit so when I tried to do it out of thick polar fleece there was a lot of thickness to get through often times.

Also it is fully lined so you virtually sew the silly thing inside out. You go into an opening like the armhole and sew other parts and then the armhole gets sewn up in two separate steps. This is quite interesting! I was quite befuddled at first but finally figured it out - quite by accident but you didn't hear that from me.

The little guy loves it, as does his younger brother who begged and begged for me to make him one!! I told him I would but not of polar fleece. I happened to have a piece of regular sweatshirt fleece in my stash that was almost enough. I could not fit the sleeve bands so they will be contrasting. I hope it works. That's in the sewing room now.......

It wasn't a hit with me but it was certainly a hit with him!! He wore it none stop for almost two weeks before he finally admitted that maybe it needed to be washed. It was originally planned to be an extra layer under his winter coat that seems rather thin this year. But it's become more personal than that, to him.

Birthday Cape

I had to wait until M received her birthday gift in the mail from me before I could blog about this. Hope you had a wonderful birthday M and that you will think of me each time you wear your cape! I love you!!

This is the Go To Pattern Cape for Women in size XL in the regular length but with petite sizing for where the arm holes are placed. My friend wanted it longer but she's vertically challenged so I needed to adjust it to a petite for the armholes.

I wish that M lived closer and I'd have her model it for some pictures! Maybe I can get her to send me some pictures of her in it to add to the blog :-)

Go To has the same cape in girls sizes. My Little Miss claims she wants one too!! We shall see... so many projects.... so little time. Really it's only so little time because my back still won't let me sew too long each day :-( Hoping to get the cutting table raised a bit soon too which will be wonderful. I SO need to learn not to hunch when I'm sewing  LOL