quick baby gift.

This morning I completely forgot my cousin's baby shower (later today!) and I had to come up with something cute and baby-friendly in a jiffy.

I keep a bag of cloth diapers on hand for just this type of project. For this gift, I used 3 diapers and created a cute package of coordinated boutique burp cloths. Each is decorated with a strip of fun cotton print. I had some Jennifer Paganelli and Amy Butler in my scrap bin! Yum! I tear my strips of fabric 6" wide, and use the length of the diaper to cut the length (add 1" to turn under ends).

First, turn under the sides 1/4" and press well. Next turn under the ends so the strip matches the length of your diaper exactly. Pin in place! (I use alot of pins because the birdseye weave of the diaper tends to shift around when you stitch).


Straight stitch all around. I usually start in the MIDDLE of one end (not on a corner) or on a side near the end. That leaves you a bit of wiggle room when you sew all around the fabric strip and find the diaper has shifted and your end is now too long/too short.

A cute variation I've also done is to add a strip of contrasting rickrack down the sides. SO sweet. Sadly, I was out of rickrack today.

To package your finished burp cloths, fold each neatly (I pressed again first) and tie your bundle with a coordinating fabric strip. I tear my strips because I like the raggy edges!


Now wrap it up! I love a clear cellophane baggie for these gifts. Sure the surprise factor is gone, but everyone loves the packaging anyway. I tied the cello bag with matching blue seam binding and made a green ribbon loopy bow.



Then I scallop punched a matching cardstock circle for a hand-written hangtag and pinned it to the ribbon with a silver charm.


From start to finish the entire process took an hour, and I have a sweet, handmade baby gift that I love more than anything I would have found in a local store!

anthro shirt: still in progress

I had to set this one aside for a few days in order to preserve my sanity. The collar band/front placket/ruffle treatment I envisioned was giving me FITS on finishing. I almost ruined it at least 4 times.

So of course the prudent thing was to step away until I could see clearly again. Here's where we are now:
We have ruffles! And a collar band attached, albeit a little worn and ragged around the edges (but really, who's going to be that close to my neck?)

Here's a picture showing just how "off" the front neckband is going to be. See that weird dip? Yeah, I'm past the point of caring now! :)


I decided on double ruffles and I folded the placket to the outside (the reverse of what you would normally do). I'll topstitch it into place, hopefully later today. Then I have sleeves and handstitching on the collar, hemming, and I'll be done. Still sounds like a lot so no promises it will be this weekend. Just picking this unfinished thing up each day and looking at it wears me out!

Honestly the only thing spurring me to finish it at all (by now I would have tossed it normally!) is that the fabric is gorgeous AND vintage, and darn it, the ruffles are looking super cute.

I did cut out that Vogue skirt I mentioned, and altered the tissue. It will need a muslin before I can cut into the blue linen though. I had to grade up and there are several pieces that need checked. Maybe I can find the energy to do that too.

Meanwhile, I've filled those empty (avoidance) stitching hours with some machine embroidery! I haven't done much of that since getting the Mac about 15 months ago. I have been having a ball planning some holiday decorating & gift projects. Here's one stitching up right now:



The design is so cute, a primitive snowman hat embroidery design from Heartstrings Embroidery. It's called "All Flakes Welcome". I think it will become a pillow for my couch, but I also need a mantel scarf, a door hanger, and some new kitchen table accessories would be nice too! I'll be sure to keep you updated on this project too.

Have a great weekend!

saturday agenda:

Here's the agenda for today, class:

1. Post on the Literary Girls.
   
2. Finish anthro top.
   
3. Alter this pattern and *CROSSES FINGERS* cut out (Vogue 8701):

I'll be making the pretending-to-be-a-vintage-pattern-dress:


using this amazing fall plaid:


Note the tiny bit of green in the plaid in this close up...


Ok, so I did say a "tiny" bit of green.

Gotta finish that anthro top first. And somewhere I need to squeeze in time to cut out that blue skirt to match! Yikes. I need a vacation so I can work on all these projects!

FO's tomorrow! (still CROSSING FINGERS)

anthro shirt: in progress

Ok, so just an itty bit of progress, but we'll take what we can get, right??

So far I've adjusted the pattern (it's a crazy frankenpattern now! I'll take a picture in the daylight tomorrow if I remember to upload next post). I've also cut it out, and sewn a few seams!

The darts are sewn on the front bodice, shoulder & side seams sewn, and the neck stay-stitched:


I also added a bit of topstitching to the seams:



This beautiful red/royal/navy fabric is a linen and cotton blend from the 1940s. It's only 36 inches wide, so some creative layout was necessary. I bought 3 pieces from the same ebay seller, and man, I could have cleaned her out... if only I had unlimited funds! Her shop is empty of this type of goodness right now, but if she restocks I'll let you know!

After I buy what I want first, of course. ;)

I think the most exciting part (next to the part where I'm actually sewing) is that I have the perfect royal blue linen to make a skirt to match! I have no idea what pattern I'll use, but probably something simple like a pencil skirt. Actually this "Emma Pillsbury" skirt from J. Crew has long been a fave, so maybe TWO knockoffs are in the works.


Right now, I'm sleepy. Night!

the anthropologie shirt.

I've been lusting after many a variation of this anthroplogie shirt for a couple of years now.


They keep reusing this same, basic pattern.


Tweaking it season after season.


Anthropologie is just using what sewists have been doing for ages...pulling out the "TNT".


Yes, Anthro...the gig is up.


Add darts, take away darts. Swap out sleeves. One ruffle, two ruffle, three. Add skirt.


You can't fool me. It's still the same TNT. Which means...it's ripe for the pickin's. And guess which New Look pattern is a "dead ringer"?


Time for a knockoff! And I have just the quiet Saturday to do it. Stay tuned!

Future Anthro knockoff candidates (otherwise known as the pictorial that proves it's a good thing I sew):






And this one. O.M.G. Not Anthro, it's Kate Spade, but totally in love with it.


Repeat after me: Think tweed. Fall & Winter are coming. You do NOT need a sunshiney yellow stripey twirly skirt of LOVE. Even if it has a bow.

Whew. That was close.