Shop Loves: Goodies for Christmas

I am such a fan of House 8810!  Have you been to their website?

Would you just look at this cuuuttte set of kitchen towels:

(psss...I almost hate to say this, but those towels are by Moda, and Moda also sells many of their cute vintage toweling BY THE YARD!  Ebay, my friend.)

And how about these crochet potholders:

 

So cute!  Although I really prefer vintage finds...  These say "Imported" and I'm a bit leery of what that might mean as far as fair labor practices go.  Besides, there really are PLENTY of cute crochet potholders at the flea market stalls!

House 8810 has lots of other cute, unique household goods too though. Definitely worth a perusal if you're shopping for that hard-to-please vintage enthusiast!  (Not affiliated in the least, I just like their stuff.)

I also really love the Bear and the Honeybee on Etsy.  Would you just look at this beauty?  That green is PERFECT.

And this red is yummy too:

Do these help your shopping burden/wish list at all? 

Speaking of crafty gifts...

Kudos to Pinterest for inspiring my creative side when all I want to do is nap.

 

apron in a jar.

 

spray paint thrifted frames, add corkboard.

 

Scrap paper + thrifted frame.  Add dry erase marker.

 

white tiles + scrap paper + mod podge = coasters! 

 (add felt to bottom)

 

my fave...a perpetual calendar.  brilliant.

could use...covered buttons glued to flat-top tacks?

Now accepting...crafty gift idea goodness.  Inspire me not to nap.  Please.

countdown...

 

Can you believe it??  

We should have a handcrafted gift sewalong.  Any takers??

if you've the notion to create...

'specially with the Big One only 92 days away, I think these are the CUTEST.

Source: Elizabeth's Embellishments

Obviously, you could just buy them too.  Er, no.  Really.  You could.

new things.

Well. You are all such amazing well-wishers that this sweet little thing came home with me today:


And at a fantastic price. I was sort of incredulous the entire time I was signing the papers. It's so much fun to drive too! Almost makes up for the fact that I'll be making a car payment for a while (but not as long as I feared!) I seriously love it. It's such a "me" vehicle.

Another really fun new thing is this adorable bag my sister made me for Christmas:


Such cute colors and mixy prints! You know how I love red and turquoise.

Yesterday I really wanted to sew, but didn't have alot of energy. I decided to work (a bit early) on a New Year's resolution...bust the stash! I used up two pieces of matching cotton print that I have had for...well, let's just say a long time. I decided they would make adorable pillowcases:


Really easy to make pillowcases. Tear two rectangles (I used a ready-made pillowcase for the length and used the entire width of fabric). Next, tear 4 full-width strips for ruffles (3" wide). I seamed and then roll-hemmed the ruffle strips, gathered up by hand, and attached to the cases.

I forgot to do french seams, which is how I normally do a pillowcase, so the insides of these are stitched and serged. That's ok though, my pillows won't mind! I love the faux-patchwork fabric. I have about a bajillion other pieces suitable for pillowcases left.

Next up is the rest of my New Year's resolutions. Mostly sewing related, of course!

Happy New Year!!!

musings...mechanical vs. computerized

So, do you buy your own birthday gifts? It's sort of my favorite part of the year, buying my own birthday and Christmas gifts. I plot and plan and shop all year long. Today the mailman (woman, thankfully) honked as I was getting out of the shower, so I could run out in my bathrobe (and wet hair) and sign for this beautiful, SPECTACULAR birthday gift (from me, to me):



Yellow rose-cut diamond in sterling silver and gold:


The ring was handcrafted by 2TrickPony on Etsy, and Rachel was FABULOUS to deal with. Love her shop mucho!

Mailwoman might have also dropped off these, but that would make my birthday gift slightly over budget. (Who am I gonna tell though? Me? Shhh. I'm not paying attention.)



Then there's the issue of Christmas gift, which hasn't arrived but WAS paid for with birthday money from my parents (and a bit thrown in from me. Again.) It's this beauty:


Yes, a mechanical 1978 Bernina 830. Be still my heart.

I seem to be on a mechanical sewing machine kick, since earlier this year I bought a Singer 221 Featherweight. I find I'm craving more simplicity and am moving toward a "back to basics" mindset.

Is that old age? ;) Maybe it's wisdom. In any case, I don't find computerized everything is really doing it for me, and I fear the throwaway mentality that is taking over our universe (sewing universe included). Good grief, I've had to have a new iron every year or two it seems! Ditto toasters, computers, phones (land line and cell), printer, etc etc etc. What happened to craftsmanship that lasts and lasts?

Do you know I have a late 1950s hand mixer (turquoise, love!) that is still going strong? I love that thing and I search to this day for a replacement/backup in case she ever does die on me. My car is almost 6 years old and I just paid it off about a year ago, yet...its clanking and clinking and making an awful noise right now. Do I really want to fork over money on a new one that will likely need replacing in 5 years? Uh, no.

I am curious...how many of you currently sew on a mechanical sewing machine versus a computerized one? Or maybe you have both, but prefer/love your mechanical (or computerized) for ______ reason(s)?

I have been saving into my penny fund for this Bernina 830 and watching ebay and Craigslist for a gem, knowing my parents would give me moolah for my birthday this year to make up the difference. I'm pretty darn excited for it to get here so I can start playing!

I'll have to compile our mechanical versus computerized responses/thoughts and do another post later, when she gets here and I have more photos!

Off to work on my HP skirt! (Yes, I've decided to perservere. Especially since I now have new Colette patterns to ogle too.)

tweenish

I love my children. Really. Especially when one comes home on Friday afternoon, after I've been slaving away educating the masses, to tell me that they have a birthday party to attend.

On Saturday morning.

Good thing mama sews, that's all I gotta say. (and a big fabric stash!)

Thirty minutes of quality time with my sewing machine & gathering foot later, and you have an 12 year old girl friendly pillowcase. In hot orange & pink girly print with aqua ruffle...


Oh, and a bit of zebra fluff too.


I let it blow around on the line for a bit, for that just hung on the line, yummy smell.


Then tied in ribbon & encased in cellophane, all ready to gift.


Whew.

BWOF 10-2008-114

Ok before you get all impressed that I made 2 garments in 2 days...remember that I started this top a couple of weeks ago. I have just really procrastinated the finish line on this one!

Before I bitch & moan about the trials I suffered while making this top, why don't I just show you a pretty picture of the finished product:


Actually, on viewing the finished product I have a lot less to B&M about. Still, since I love you so much and want to be entirely truthful, I'll come clean. Firstly you might have noted the DEEEEP V. I don't remember seeing this on other reviewers or bloggers' tops. This is most definitely a size or so too big. Or I made a massive tracing error somewhere along the way. I fixed most of the bad, and so now it's very wearable.

My fabric was only 48" wide, which wasn't wide enough to cut the back on the fold, or the fronts for that matter. I had to finagle the fabric to fit all the pieces, and ended up making a seam in the CF & CB lower bodices. You can't even tell, so it turned out fine. I also skipped the darts in back (not on purpose. I just forgot!)

I didn't bind the neckline, but rather turned under & topstitched with my twin needle. My twin needle hemmed everything in fact!

I started out not loving this top, because I wanted a closer fit in the top bodice, but ended up really appreciating it for what it is. And I've already removed the little tab in front. I machine stitched it and it just looks sloppy (and crooked in this pic, although it wasn't that crooked.) I'm going to hand stitch it and see if I get better results.

No more pics of the top (it's COLD and RAINY here!) but I do have pics of another gift! It's my sister's birthday this weekend, so I used the Criss Cross Coasters pattern from JennyB at Allsorts for some crafty goodness:


They were a fast & easy gift, especially considering I used Charm Packs rather than cutting my own fabrics for the squares! This Charm Pack is "Pampered Pooch" and I want to say it's by Moda, but I've already tossed the label. More pics below!

Coasters tied up with a pretty bow:


The coaster backs:


Close up of the fronts:


And that's it for me today! I had a "Me" day today, but it's back to school tomorrow. Big sigh.

Song for a Rainy Day

Little Gifts Pt 2

I just finished this darling purse for my soon to be sister-in-law...


The pattern is from a picture tutorial HERE on SewForum. Thanks to the very generous smoon for instructions!

The monogram stitches out perfectly. I've used a ton of the letters, and they're ALL perfect! It's a freebie from Judie on her yahoo group.


The handles are medium longish. Long enough to go over your shoulder, but not so long you look like you're going to sack groceries in it.


and the closure features a buttonhole & vintage button from my button box.


I'm a bad Santa. I really want to keep this one. You know, if I could think of an "S" word to describe myself. ;)

Little Gifts

Freestanding Lace bookmark from Stitch Delight for Laney's Sunday School teacher (she will also get one of the monogrammed cups.) I don't see this set on SecretsOf, which is probably where I purchased it from. But it is still available on the StitchDelight site.


I also made this gorgeous FSL ice skate ornament this week, for a SWAP I'm participating in over at NanaPennyPockets...


The skate is part of Anita Goodesign's Holiday Lace collection. It is beautiful when finished but it took 90 MINUTES to stitch out on my Bernina 170E!!! Yowza. That's when a second machine would come in handy, huh? (If you remember, my 2nd machine...a Babylock Ellure...is still under house arrest with my sister. Blast her.) I used a silk ribbon to make the hang tie, and I'm thinking about adding some crystals with my hotwand to bling up the swirlies just a bit.

My SWAP partner is also receiving this cute little wristlet...


It's constructed from a placemat from Garden Ridge! The adorable snowman was a freebie from Charming Station Embroidery last month. I believe it's still on her yahoo group though, in the freebies. There was a whole set of redwork snowmen! I can't take credit for the placemat wristlet idea, I was inspired by an adorable one over at SewForum.

And Lu had a ball yesterday decororating this plain jane purple frame with odds & ends from my stash. I photoshopped the picture of she & her friend Karen, so that they're fairies in a fantasy land.



I have a ton of things to finish for Lu...but she won't leave my side. Nosy little thing. Oh, and we got this at Wally World yesterday (don't laugh at my complete laziness in the baking area. I'll bake cookies & pumpkin loafs and gingerbread men next weekend...but it will have to wait til semester tests are graded!!)


Gotta go & get crackin now! Toodles!