Lovely Onesies

I just love little applique onesies, but I don't have an embroidery machine.  Or a baby.  But I do have a friend with one, so I always use her to try out my baby projects.  Following Ellison Lane Quilt's applique tutorial and Daffodil Disign's template (who also has an adorable giraffe!), I made these two darling onesies.  The onesies were $5 each from Old Navy, but I saw the cute ones with puff sleeves at Wal-Mart for $3.  The fabric used is leftover from other baby projects.  No embroidery machine necessary--the tutorial calls for a zigzag stitch around the designs, but my friend really wanted a straight stitch.  It was SO easy to trace the pattern, iron the Heat-n-Bond for two seconds, cut the pieces, iron them on, and stitch.  And, they're SO cute! I can't wait to see how they look on the baby!

Lululemon Look Alike Top

Yesterday I posted about this Lululemon top being easy to recreate, and it was!!!  I started with leftover jersey and a basic workout top with a crew neck.

First I flipped my shirt over and decided where to put the keyhole.  I placed a mixing bowl 1" below the top of the shirt and traced the top half.  Moving it down a few inches, I trace the bottom half of the bowl.  I drew dashed lines to connect the halves, making an oval keyhole.  After cutting the keyhole, I cut the 1" strip right in the middle so my shirt was now open at the neck.

Using leftover jersey scraps, I sewed 1 1/2" strips together on the short sides to make about 4' of bias tape (light pink trim).  Mine varies from the original in that I used the bias to go all the way around the keyhole since I had raw edges.  I folded the tape in half and pressed it to clearly show the halfway line.  Pinning the right side of the jersey to the wrong side of the tee gave the bias tape something to hold onto.  I sewed the neck and finished the trim before beginning the keyhole, and I left the last 1" on both strips unsewn so I could finish it later.

This picture jumps ahead since I completed the neck trim first, but it shows the bias tape pinned around the keyhole. I sewed the first line of stitches with the fabric on the edge of the presser foot, but I would guess it was between 1/4" and 3/8". 

 Once the jersey was attached to the back, I turned the shirt right side out and folded the tape onto the front of the tee.  I tucked the edge under and pinned it in place, as well as pressed it so I could see if the amount of light pink showing was even all the way around.  Sewing on the front of the tee, I tried my hardest to sew almost to the bottom edge of the trim.  This was the trickiest for me because I can sometimes get wayward with my stitches.

Here is the neck complete.  Next, I pinned, stitched, flipped, and sewed the keyhole following the same steps above.  I also used two 3" strips of jersey to make the ties.  Folding the right sides together, I stitched one short side and one long side together and turned them right side out.

By leaving 1" unsewn on both the neck and the keyhole, I could fold the keyhole trim under the neck trim and slide the tie in place before stitching.

And voila!  The finished product.  For $9, it comes super close to the Lululemon version.  I even wore it last night to go walking!!

Sewing Inspiration

I'm getting excited for fall since it's pushing 100 degrees and 99% humidity daily.  AND it's the tenth season of Project Runway!  Sewing clothes is much, much more difficult than pillows, quilts, or curtains, but these do not look too tough.

This is just a circle skirt-type pattern with a collar and slit pockets.

I love the wide pleats and waistband here.

I have seen this ruffle halter paired with a yellow cardigan, and it was darling!

I will not pay $100 for a Lululemon t-shirt, but a gray cap sleeve workout shirt from Target and some dark jersey could make this an easy redo.

 
I'm not completely over buying navy stripes, but I am seeing them everywhere.  What I really like is how this skirt is pleated and sewn with a simple tank tucked in.

  I already have a top very similar to this, so I think a basic pencil skirt pattern and yellow ribbon is a possible project.

Hoppity Hooray!

I have been waiting for my sewing fatigue to fade so I could make this sweet softie bunny from Sew4Home, so I finally bought the chenille dot that I didn't have.  That was all the inspiration I needed!  By the way, Chenille Magic has the best clearance section, AND they let your order just a quarter yard.  That is nearly impossible to find!  I got the cotton yellow dot to go with the Amy Butler leftovers from Selah's quilt and a mint dot on clearance to go with my baby bedding for my future children (that's another story).

This was a perfect Saturday morning project because I could catch up on all the Olympics news and cut the pattern pieces.  It took me about 3 hours--4 if you consider the fact that I am terrible at slip stitching and had to watch like 15 YouTube videos and start over twice before kind of figuring it out.  This is a wonderful, simple pattern that is perfect for gifting.  It's just too cute!

DIY Bina Wrap Cardigan

Every time I scroll through my craft/DIY pins, I can't find any spur-of-the-moment projects where I have all the necessary materials and hours on end. Ok, it's summer, so I technically do have hours on end, but when I'm feeling crafty, I really like to see the light at the end of the tunnel by the two hour mark.  Not many projects can be researched, completed, and cleaned up in one morning.  But the Bina wrap immediately caught my eye.  Of course, it was a Tumblr link, meaning I had to search and search to get the actual links, so here are the three I used: the Wardrobe Must-Have article (best visuals), the One Cloth Five Ways post, and The Bina How-To.  Using my scrap peachy-pink jersey knit I though I was going to use for this top, I laid it out and started piecing my "pattern."

This pattern shows a "no sew" approach (hindsight!).

I disagree with the above tutorials about using three times the width of your hips.  I originally went with these measurements, and I could not do any of the Bina styles because the back had entirely too much fabric.  Instead, I did what all seamstresses loathe--I took out my stitches, re-cut my pattern, and sewed it again.  Double work is not my forte.  My motto is do it right the first time.  

 

I used my 18" ruler to round up my measurements and make this project a little quicker.  The pieces I ended up with were 18" side panels and a 36" center panel.  Top to bottom, the wrap measures 30".  Each slit was 10" long, leaving 8" of fabric on either side of the slits.  I didn't bother hemming the edges because jersey does not fray. Next time, I will make the slits 9" and the length 36".  The snaps are sewn on opposite corners.  I had to guess at this part, but after trying the shrug and the blouse styles, the snaps worked perfectly. 

All in all, I spent 15 minutes laying out my fabric, measuring, and cutting, 15 minutes sewing, 15 minutes hand stitching the snaps, and at least 30 minutes playing with all the different styles in front of the mirror.  I'm definitely going to need more practice.  The versatility of this wrap is perfect for lounge wear or put-together-enough-to-go-to-the-store-in-yoga-pants.  Now really want to go to the fabric store and get more jersey!  I'm thinking gray would be perfect.

Hop to It

I am the queen of cheesy titles.  Anyway, being the saver that I will one day be (really!), I refuse to pay $30 for burlap.  Even if it's painted, polka dotted, and shaped like a bunny.  Pinterest, oh how I love thee and loathe thee at the same time.

The OTMJ got re-purposed as a pattern template.  It's roughly 18"x24".

Even more green: a re-purposed dry cleaning pants hanger turned door hanger hanger. (That sounds super weird to read!)


A very rough sketch, plus cuteness polka dots.

Getting closer...

At least it mostly resembles a bunny.

Staples and plastic baggy "stuffing" complete the form.  Sewing would likely be the best, but then I wouldn't get to use my one-touch stapler and I would have to vacuum up the mess.

One inch yard sale dot stickers plus...

white spray paint makes him springy!
*White paint would work, too.  I'm just not that patient.


Floral wire and leftover scraps make the tail.

And the burlap bow makes this one door hanging that may never leave my door!

(I am also envisioning a cute Easter egg, American flag, football, and acorn...)

Spring Things

Spring is quite possibly my favorite time of year.  Specifically, I love when all of the cherry trees blossom and their tiny petals float in the breeze like snow--but it's 80 degrees instead of 20, and I get to wear coral shorts.  Here are some happenings that keep me smiling this month.

{1: : Patterned Drapes}

This is Covington Katana in Travertine Taupe.  It was $20/yard, minus my 20% off coupon (annv1).

Four hours of crawling on the floor, smoothing out the fabric, pinning, sewing, and two very sore legs after, voila!  I am SO pleased to have window coverings that will block my neighbors' unsightly selves and dining room.  Hooray!

I was surprised how many options Lowe's had for drapery poles.  In the end, we went with a pick-each-part-separately approach and ended up with an 8' walnut fluted pole, round end caps, and large rings with clips.

I added seven 4-inch pleats to help give the drapes a little more pleating when they are pushed to the side.

All of my seams and print repeats match up perfectly!  THAT is what took so very long.

{2: : Windmill Quilt}

This pattern is much larger than it's pinwheel sister, but I can't wait to see it on MCH's twin bed!

{3: : Mercury Glass Tumblers}

Where are these hiding?

{4: : A Golden Birthday}

Massey turned 7 on the 7th!!

{5: : New Blooms}

Eleven (yes, eleven!!!) stargazer lily blooms from 3 stems--$10 at Publix!

{6: : Aroma Therapy}

It's like having the real thing all year long.  This super fragrant candle hasn't even been lit.

{7: : Bradford Pear Trees}

Is it even possible for these to be any more symmetrical and gorgeous next to a swirly cloud background? 

Where to Find the Perfect Gift

When buying gifts, I've always gone with the mindset that if I like it, the recipient will too. This typically has served me well, but thanks to Pinterest, I can use my supersonic power of deduction to figure out what other people like and, therefore, would like to receive! My friend is having a birthday in about a month, and I have been brainstorming some ideas. Last year, my initial heart necklace was just perfect. Earrings? A bracelet? More jewelry??? Well, that's a tough call because I don't want to give the same thing each year! Lucky me, I found a pin of hers that looked simple[ish] and unique. Enter the hanging dishtowel. Thanks to all the quilts I have made, I have about 30 different coordinating scraps in brights and pastels and plenty of quilt batting (I used this instead of the recommended felt piece). I have no idea what my friends kitchen color palette is, but I figure that I would use any of these in my kitchen even though none of them "match". 

I found the suggested pattern, printed it, and got to work. The author describes this as a "quick, 1-hour project" but if you are anything like me, you will spend 30 minutes deciding on towels and coordinating fabric, 10 minutes choosing the perfect button, 5 minutes cutting your dishtowels perfectly in half, and at least 10 minutes arranging the pattern so that you can make as many of these as possible. That was how I spent my first hour of this project. In real-time, I think this is more like a Saturday afternoon project instead of a quick let's-make-a-cute-present project. And, of course, I had to make two "practice" towels for myself. Anyway, here is how it went down.

1. Lay out the pattern and trace onto your fabric.

2. Cut two top pieces and a piece of batting to match.
3. Face the two good sides together, and lay the batting on top.
4. (Not shown) Cut the tab pieces and stick on all sides except bottom. Turn right side out and add between the two facing pieces, above. This will save you a step later.



5. Pin in place and stitch on all sides except the bottom. Turn right side out.

6. Gather the towel, or pleat, and pin in place.

7. Turn the ends of the top piece under about a 1/2" all around. Sandwich the towel in between the top and bottom of the upper piece. Stitch in place.

8. Stitch a button hole on the top tab and a button on the upper piece. Sadly, I chose to order cut, matching buttons, and they still have not arrived!!

Voila!! The perfect birthday gift, plus two new-to-me yellow towels!

*Side note: I prewashed my fabrics and towels first, but I think the presentation of the gift would be much more crisp and "new" if I had not!

Perfect Pinwheels

Well, almost perfect! This is my first attempt at a real quilt (sorry, Margaret, I had no idea what I was doing with Selah's!). I would rate this design a 4 out of 5 stars on the difficulty. I probably should have started out with something much simpler, but I am so proud that I made it work! (Typing that makes me remember all of the times my machine came to a screeching halt, and I would look up at Philip with my most pitiful WHY-does-this-only-happen-to-me-when-I-want-to-sew face, and Philip would do his best Tim Gunn impression and say, "Make it work.") By the way, in the last post on this quilt, I was getting wildly irritated by my machine not wanting to sew through four thin layers of fabric. Thanks to my dear friend who happens to be a sewing genius, Mrs. Rush, I realize I had the needle in backwards--so yes, it does matter which way the flat side is facing. This quilt is made of four main pinwheels each with two coordinating fabrics, plus the white cotton. Fabric.com has a Design Board that makes it easy to pick fabrics you like, narrow it down to what goes together, and easily order.  Plus, they always have online coupon codes for free shipping and 10-15% off.

 

The back is a floral pattern of green roses.

This is my favorite quilt square, which happened by mistake! I originally had a white fabric with tall pink flowers called Dandelion. It's hard to tell online that it is giant, making my 2 1/2" triangles pretty much just white with a random pink line somewhere. I had another "make it work" moment and used the back side of the stripe fabric from Margaret's quilt.  Her quilt was much brighter, so the "inside out" side worked just fine.

The actual "quilting" part of the quilt was the hardest for me since I hand quilted the last one.  I used a cardboard template to cut four stripes and a pattern marker to make tiny little scores in the fabric as my guide.  I quilted every other square in a left to right, top to bottom pattern because it would have been madness to do every square.  I pretty much would have died without the Diary of a Quilter's Beginner Quilting Series.  This girl is brilliant, and so very patient to explain so much confusion!