to-do's

My To-Do list is getting longer by the minute!! How's yours?? I haven't had a spare second to work on my Threads top OR my BWOF sewalong, and Friday found me down with an ear infection again. (That's my 2nd this fall and my 3rd in my LIFE. Isn't that weird?)

Anywho...I did stitch out this cute Urban Threads bad bunny tee for Lu:


Isn't he a cutie?? Of course as the nature of my life goes (I never win Karma's toss, no matter what you've heard elsewhere) while trimming the stabilizer from behind the design, I cut a teeny hole in the tee. This was more than a little frustrating since it was washaway stabilizer to begin with, I was just trying to save the scraps. Argh.

Here's the whole tee, a $3 clearance short sleeve from WallyWorld! I darned the tiny hole & added some festive little bows to hide it.


Back to the list...I have this cute book from Tone Finnanger:


And it has the CUTEST little boots and ice skate ornaments in it. It has several cute projects, but the boots & skates are on my list for today.

I also want to try this little pattern from All People Quilt. They have a quarterly challenge, and this was the 3rd quarter challenge. Go HERE for the pattern (scroll down a bit.)


I love this bag pattern from the Oh Frannson! blog. It's called the Margaret Sling Bag. It's a free download HERE.


I don't have a recipient in mind for the Margaret sling but I thought I'd share it in case one of you need a quick, snappy project for someone on your list! I'll definitely be trying it out after Christmas though.

I also want to make some little travel tissue covers. Something along the lines of this from mixitgoods.com (I have this fabric! My stash is bottomless. LOL!) but more patchwork-y.


I'm sure there are a dozen and one tutes on this out there, but I'll probably be winging it, so I'll be sure & share the pattern I come up with!

I'd like to try my hand at scrappy patchwork belts too...Lord knows I have plenty of scraps and I'm pretty sure I've got a ultra cool belt buckle or two lying around. I'll photog the process if I get to those this week.

More to-do's...An art portfolio from the current issue of Quilting Arts Gifts (GREAT special magazine!!) & a Jonas Bros. themed messenger bag for Lu (Meg of Boutique Nutmeg totally gets credit for the idea, she has a spectactular one in her Flickr stream), personalized pillowcases for both kiddo's, finish my mom's table runner...whew. I'll never get through all that today! But isn't trying half the fun??

Listening to THIS.

muslin

Well...we're definitely still at the muslin stage with Simplicity 3684.

I always naively start a project thinking "this is the one that will fit me --mostly-- out of the envelope! the holy grail!" It almost never happens. Didn't happen this time either! But, it has promise. Here are some pics on Edith. (It's not even a wearable muslin for her, poor old busty girl.)

I only put one sleeve in. When I got to that point in construction, I had already tried it on and realized the CF at bust level was never going to button. Phooey. But I put the sleeve in so I could see how other fit issues were affected. Here's a front view (ignore that weird fold. Didn't smooth it out before photoging)


Looks cute, right? Except on closer inspection you notice that we definitely need more width in the CF! Just at bust level and a little below though, the hem meets fine. Mind you Edith is about 1" smaller than me in the bust too! I added color to outline the plackets since they are impossible to see in this busy fabric:


More wonkiness...odd "extra" bit of fabric around the armscye (even a bit when the sleeve is inset, although that helps). There seems to be a bit under the arm too. That's the least of my worries though! The darts are way high. Edith is quite perky and the dart needs to be lowered at least 1" for her (and a bit more for moi. Ahem.)


The good...Super cute sleeve. The notches didn't match though. Weird. I'm hoping it was a cutting or marking error, although I don't really think it was. I think they just don't match up very well. The sleeve still eased into place very easily. In fact, all the pieces went together precision perfect. That's another plus!


Edith & I both need a bit of swayback adjustment. Which I don't normally make (I've never done that one in fact & will have to look it up!) Mine is worse than hers, but you can even see the beginnings of an issue below on the dressform. Weird.

So, we're still at the working out the kinks stage. I'm in no hurry. I don't think there are major tweaks to be done. I will probably start by looking up the swayback thing. Then I'm going to add at the side seams. I'll start with width issues and then see where we're at.

Shannon & I are having a bit of a sewalong...except she's already done a muslin and is cutting into the real stuff and I'm still tracing. I think that might make it more of a sewbehind?

We're making this dress #120 from the October '08 BWOF:

Ya, we know that line drawing really sucks toads. So here's a better picture, a fashion photo:


Pretty cute, no? Shannon's got a whoa-mamma leopard red swirly print rayon poly thingie. I'm still stash diving.

Song for tracing (in the tree lights)

the list

I haven't made a Christmas List in a hundred years. Ok, maybe 20, but still. It's been a while. On the drive home today, to amuse myself, I started composing. It was kinda tough. Not that I want so much...it was more of letting go of the "you don't need that" or "that's impossible" and embracing the "I would really love..."

Simple or complex, luxurious or inexpensive, improbable or full of possibilities...here's my List.

A new windshield. Darn chicken trucks.


A coverstitch machine. Le sigh.
Viking Designer SE. I covet.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer complete boxed set. LOVE!


I-pod touch (because I'm obviously not spacey and lost in my own world enough already)


Five nights in Bermuda.


Smoking hot brown leather boots.


Nikon D60. Please, Santa, Please!!

Pink roses for no reason at all.
One more hour with an old friend.


One more day when they were small...

What are your fondest desires & secret Christmas wishes? Come on, spill. I won't tell anyone but Santa.

snow

Just lookie at what was falling from the sky most of today...


Nothing accumulating, just pretty flakes. Snow makes me happy! Must be the native St. Louis-ian in me. ;)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Lots of turkey & other yummies. AND we put up our tree, a Thanksgiving tradition at our house. The kids & I have always put the tree up Thanksgiving night, while watching Home Alone. We absolutely love that movie! It never gets old!

A couple of my favorite spots on the tree...

blown glass Santas & clothespin skater

tiny needlepoint stocking

I started a new project too. Taking a tiny break from Christmas gifts to clear my mind & renew the creative juices! Sometimes I get "stale" if I do one project or focus for several days. I know, I'm a weirdo. Sue me! :P

What I really need in my closet are some basic, woven shirts. Perfect under jackets or on their own, with skirts or trousers or jeans...You can't go wrong with a white shirt. Or a white shirt that's not white but a fun cotton print. (And we all know I have a ton of those!)

I've been steering clear of wovens lately for myself because I'm lazy. There. I admitted it. I don't want to fool with fitting. Then while I was clearing off the sewing table & putting patterns in order yesterday I ran across this Threads Simplicity shirt:

This baby has built in B-C-D cups, 2 collar & hem variations and 3 sleeve variations. Plus 2 different fronts...a contrast bib and a plain. AND there are darts in the back, which add another fitting dimension to play with. So no more excuses!

My pattern is cut out (yes, StickGirl, that does count as working on it. :P) and I've got (hopefully) wearable muslin fabric ready to pin. My muslin fabric is a really pretty teal green/blue paisley print that I've had since Lu was 2 or 3. It was supposed to be a smocked dress. Whoops.

Anywho, if I have success with the muslin, I envision lots of adaptations in my future. Like this ruffly striped version from J.Crew:


How incredible is the cuff on this shirt?!

And I even have that perfect dark red/navy striped shirting from a recent fabric buying trip:


And of course I need to make use of those pretty woven cottons I've got stashed everywhere. I can see a mandarin collar, short puff sleeve version in this:


And maybe a polka dot version...yellow & white? Or green & white? Or black & cream? You know, really once you do the legwork on a pattern like this, its worth all the hassle & tears and wasted muslins. Sometimes I forget that & go straight for the BWOF knit tops.

So, first muslin. Next, more little gifts. I've got another little tute/freebie I hope to get worked up for you in the next few days so stay tuned! This one's for the geek in your life.

Parting snow shot...

DUST OF SNOW

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued
--Robert Frost

song for the day

dresden petal handbag - a tutorial

Have a lot of really sweet scraps lying around? I do!! I could barely sleep last night because this little bag design was in my head. Isn't it fabulous?


For you, my sewing buddies, I decided to give you an early Christmas gift & make the pattern & tutorial available here! This one's picture heavy, but I promise, it's worth it!

Here's the only pattern piece, a modified Dresden petal. Click the image below for a full-size template (but you can resize as you like!)
I used 7 different fat quarter scraps, (cut 2 of each) but you could certainly use fewer. There's lots of room for individuality with this one! Seam each one with 1/4" seams, 7 for the front & 7 for the back (s/a is included on the template.)

Press seams open!


Use a large plate or other round edge to draw the curved edge of the top of the bag.


Trim on your traced line!


Lay the newly trimmed purse body onto the untrimmed body & trace your curve so that it matches. Trim away!


Don't throw those pieces away! They'll come in handy a little later.


Press fusible fleece onto both body pieces. Cut the fleece a little bit smaller than the purse body to help with bulky seams (Again, I made use of the washaway marker rather than trace a pattern piece for this. That ensured a perfect fit!)


Now the fun part! I channel stitched the entire purse front & back, effectively"quilting" it. Looks very cool. You could skip this part, or free motion quilt, or stitch in the ditch, etc.


My curved edge was a little TOO curved, and elf-ear pointy at the edges. So I trimmed a bit away like so:


Next, use your quilted body piece to trace 2 lining pieces. Wait until you finish quilting (if you do so) because your body piece will shrink just a bit in the process. You don't want your lining to be too big!


If you like, add fusible interfacing to the lining piece as I did for more body. (Again, I trimmed away a bit all around before fusing to decrease bulky seams.


Now, remember those circular edge pieces we saved? Get them out. We're making pockets! I trimmed them to the size I wanted (a small pocket for a cell phone and a larger pocket for lip gloss or keys, etc.)


Cut linings to size!


Sew right sides together, leaving a little opening on the side to turn right sides out. Press well & pin in place on your lining. Stitch in place close to the edge around sides & bottom. Note that I also added a magnetic clasp at this stage.


Any other scraps you have lying around (I never throw any bits & pieces away until I'm completely finished with a project!) are perfect to make 4 little tabs for the purse handles. I just pressed edges in and topstitched. These are also interfaced.


I had to measure carefully so my tab would fit in the handle opening! I also tried them out before stitching in place to make sure they were long enough (but not TOO long.) You'll actually match the raw edges to stitch in place (handles & tabs hanging down).

Stitch tabs & handles in place, lining front & back up carefully so they match. The next part I didn't photograph (because I forgot! HA!) But I sewed the purse body (RST) starting at one side, around bottom, and up the next side (keep the handles out of the way! They're permanently attached now.)

Do the same for the linings, except leave a nice size opening in the bottom. You have to be able to fit the handles through the opening, so it will be larger than what you're used to in this situation! My opening is about the same width as the handle.


I also did some diagonal stitching to box the corners of the bag & lining, but I forgot to photo that too. I sorta suck. Sorry!

Now with your purse right side out and your lining wrong side out, slide the purse into the lining (they will end up right sides together.) See below for a visual. Stitch carefully around the entire top of the bag. Trim seam allowance!



Reach through the opening & turn your bag right sides out. We're almost done! You can hand slipstitch the opening in the lining, OR if you're like me, just machine stitch it. It's hardly noticable. Press the top edges REALLY well. It's a bit bulky at this stage, but we'll fix that with topstitching.

I added a fairly narrow topstitch around the entire top edge. It was tricky keeping the handles out of the way, but I managed!

And that's it! You're finished! Here's a peek at one of the cute little pockets:


And one more shot of the finished product!


Now go! Sew some bags & make me proud! :)

ps...I can't say who this is for since you never know who might be reading!! That's going to be a recurring theme in the next few weeks!

pps...To all my American friends & readers: