Small Things

I made a couple of little things this weekend that I wanted to show. The first is a checkbook cover for a friend of a friend. I made it using this tutorial, although I didn't follow it exactly.

The next item is a make-up bag made using Simplicity 2617. I've made the make-up bag before (although I guess I didn't photograph it or blog about it) and I didn't follow the directions exactly here either. I have made enough zippered bags to just go off on my own :) This one is being sent to my friend as a belated birthday gift, hope she likes it!

I did get to cut out Simplicity 2934 and hopefully I will get some work done on it this week. It seems pretty simple so I'm hoping to be able to wear it this weekend :) Then it's time to think about fall sewing, including a bag and a present for my friends daughter. Happy Sewing!

I won!

I was so excited to open my email this morning and see that I won this fabulous vintage pattern!!! I love vintage patterns, I can't wait to put this one in my collection :)

(Photo is from Katikando)

Please check out this blog, Katherine posts often and she makes great stuff!!! Thank you Katherine!!!

Sewing Space

I love seeing pictures of sewing spaces. This one, by Alicia of Posie Gets Cosy, may be my favorite one ever! I love my little sewing area, but having a space like this would be heaven!!! I especially love the color of the walls and how it goes with the flooring and the curtains she picked out. I just love everything about it! This is definitely going in the inspiration file :)

Here are some pictures of my space....the only thing missing is a spot for my serger. I do need to find a little table for it because it drives me crazy to leave it set up on the dining room table!

Stash...
I love to sit at my machine and look out the window. I live on a busy street so you can see lots of activity going on...

Pretty little collectibles on top of my bookcase, along with a basket full of fabric...

Shelves in my closet hold fabric and notions...

My bookcase holds a bunch of notions along with all of my sewing/craft books...

The Knit Dress

Yay! I made a dress! Out of knit fabric! And I love it!

Pattern: McCall's 6074-- 99 cents

Fabric: Cotton Jersey from fabric.com -- $3.90 for 2 yards

Notions: Thread, elastic -- both from stash

Total Cost: $4.89

I love my new dress! It fits perfectly and it's so comfortable. I have been wanting to work with knits and my serger more, so I thought this would be a good project. This is a 1 hour pattern, and it could probably be made up in an hour by a more experienced seamstress, but I worked on this in bits and pieces and that's just fine with me :) I stitched all the seams on my sewing machine and then serged them. I just turned and stitched the armholes and neckline and I haven't hemmed the dress, and I probably won't (best part of sewing with knits!!!). I read a bunch of reviews on this pattern that said they left out the elastic or didn't like it, but I'm really happy with the shaping it gives the dress. Since I'm so happy with knits, my next project will be Simplicity 2934 with some polka dot jersey knit I got at fabric.com (I can't find it on the site anymore, so you'll just have to be patient til it's made up!). Happy Sewing!

Patchwork, Pyrex and My Next Project

Lately I have been loving all of the patchwork projects you can find in the online sewing world. My flickr favorites is filled with new images of quilts and smaller projects. I especially love the pouches that Ayumills of the Pink Penguin makes, so I decided to try my hand at one. I loooove my little pouch, especially since I used fabrics that I love, including some which I have been hoarding forever! I'm pretty sure after I made my first quilt that I said I would never make another, but I'm starting to think I could....or maybe I'll just keep making some small patchwork projects!

I had to show off the Pyrex that I scored last week. At some point I will photograph all of my pieces, but check out what I found at the thrift store....

I'll be using this pattern for my next project, it's McCalls 6074. I'm making the shorter version in a storm-blue jersey knit. It's all cut out and my serger is threaded and ready to go, hopefully I'll find some time this week to work on it, this seems like a super-quick and easy pattern, I'm praying it comes out good so I can make up a few of them! Have a great week and happy sewing :)

Sewing as Work

I've been spending a little time making some card cases to sell in a local shop that is owned by my friend's mother. I was going to make some key fobs as well, but those just aren't as enjoyable to make. I'd like to make a couple of pouch/key fob sets like this one here, but that will have to wait a while. Sewing as work just isn't as much fun as selfish sewing is! :) I'm going to add snaps to the rest of the cases you see here and then get back to sewing for ME!

Yummy!

On Friday I drove down to Falmouth, MA for a conference and while I was down on Cape Cod, I decided to try and find a shop I have read about online (Thank God for GPS!). Yummy Goods is a gift shop run by Melissa Averinos, who writes on the blog of the same name. I have been following her blog for a few months now and was happy to take the opportunity to check out her shop. I have never been to the Cape before and so being there for this conference was the perfect chance to search the shop out. I'm so glad I did! Yummy Goods is an adorable little shop with lots of cute items. I told myself I could get one treat, so I got the t-shirt that you can see below and also here on Melissa's site. Melissa was behind the counter and she was just as warm and friendly in person as she comes across in her writing.

I wanted to buy some of Melissa's fabric, so she directed me to Tumbleweed Quilt Shop, which was just down the road. What a fantastic find! Not only was Melissa's fabric available, but I found Amy Butler, Denyse Schmidt, Heather Bailey and Anna Maria Horner fabrics among many more. I couldn't resist, so I bought 2 pieces of Sugar Snap as well as 2 pieces from Amy Butler's Love line and 2 fat quarters of 30's reproduction fabrics (they had a whole wall of 30's fabrics, I couldn't decide!!)

If you are ever in the Cape Cod area, you must stop by Yummy Good's and Tumbleweed. I can't wait to make a return trip! And if you aren't from the area, check out her online shop and blog, you will love it, I promise!!