More Christmas Presents!

I made a few more handmade items for Christmas this year.  Nothing too crazy, though, and I actually forgot to take pictures of a few things, which really sucks!

Elizabeth and I swapped mini quilts and sewing machine covers for Christmas.  I've only made a couple mini quilts ever, and they've always been for me, but I love the idea of them because sometimes the thought of making a huge quilt is just exhausting.

I broke into my stash of Mendocino to make this Round n Round mini.  I've been hoarding this fabric for years and it's been passed back and forth between me and my mom.  Currently, it's in my possession, and my mom and I decided if I ever have a kid the baby room should be Mendocino-themed.  I love that idea, especially now that I have Heather Ross Prints and can order the Swimming Sisters print off of Spoonflower.

I quilted this mini with light blue Aurifil in perpendicular straight lines.  I was unsure about this at first but I really like the subtle movement and I love the little boxes it creates--some mermaids and fish are framed!

I backed the mini in Art Gallery Oval Elements and made little hangers so Elizabeth can put it on her wall!  I used a coordinate from Bonnie and Camille's Happy-Go-Lucky for the binding, which was perfect.

I had never made a sewing machine cover before, so this was a first and was a little scary.  I decided to go with the "quilt" version, which isn't as structured as other sewing machine covers.

I had an idea in my head about how I wanted to make this: I originally wanted to use the Thimble Blossoms Mini Spools pattern to make five spools across the front and a rainbow dresden on the back.  But I did the math wrong (unsurprisingly) and ended up with three spools on the front and two on the back.  Oh well.

I used some fun fabrics from my stash for the spools.  I thought I had gray faux-bois fabric in there somewhere, but I couldn't find it for the life of me!  So white faux-bois it was.

I quilted it with white Aurifil in straight lines, which is functional and doesn't take a lot away from it.  I didn't want it to be overwhelming--this is something that needs to fit into Elizabeth's sewing room fairly easily!  It's definitely not a statement piece.

Sigh--the backing.  I agonized over this for hours--what to use?!  I've had this Melody Miller Viewmasters print in my stash for well over a year, after spending too much on it on Etsy.  The colors went with the spools pretty well and the linen substrate will hold up pretty well, too.

I used the Motif Madness print from Rashida Coleman-Hale's Tsuru line as the binding, which I made extra wide just for fun, and I threw in some aqua and red from Oliver + S's City Weekend line for the ties.  That's it on my machine above.  Hmm, maybe it looks too good and I should've kept it...

I also made Kelby a Gather cowl (pattern by Tin Can Knits; Ravelry notes here), a mini iPad case and a box bag, but I completely spaced on taking pictures of those.  That's what happens when you procrastinate and rush through!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Halloween Sampler Week Two

Yay, I finished week two last night!  I really loved the little owls in this week's patterns.  They've been my favorite block so far.

Miscounted the blocks for the little sparkly white designs...whoops.

The last week of the sampler starts tomorrow, and I think I'll be sad to see it go!  It's so fun getting these each week! 

This morning I also finished up a couple drawstring bags.  I used Jeni B.'s tutorial to make a couple bags for me and my mom.  I was going to buy the pattern for the "project" bag size, but I think these will work for now!  I started knitting again after a two year break, and found that I had nowhere to stash my yarn and needles in between projects.  Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but with two cats and a Schnoz, you have to avoid leaving such temptations laying about.  Currently, my in-progress cowl and needles are hidden in a small Priority Mail box that some yarn was delivered in!  No longer will that have to suffice, though!

I ordered Far Far Away III when it was first released over two years ago, and these two prints have been stashed ever since!  Finally, I decided I'd had enough and cut into it for a project bag.  It'll be so fun to see this waiting for me after work or on the weekends!

I lined it with Kona Yarrow and used Zen Chic Comma for the drawstrings.

It's super roomy--this shot shows my 32" circulars, three rows of ribbing, and the ball of yarn, with space to spare.  (Well, this shot sorta shows that.  You get it.)  (Also, the yarn is Lark in Cypress from Quince and Co.  Amazing!)

For my mom, I used three Briar Rose prints and Moda Bella in Daffodil for the ties.  I thought about using Lush Uptown for hers, but this little gal changed my mind:

Love a knitting bee!

I followed the directions but the lining still ended up upside-down?  I don't know.  There always has to be a mistake somewhere.

Yay bags! 

Hope you're having a great weekend!  What are you stitching?

Project 3: Simplicity 2215, View D, and Cake!

There's so much on my mind right now, both good and bad, and I want to turn a lot of it into blog posts but then I think, who would read that?  I sometimes wonder if I wouldn't benefit from a few girlfriends to just bounce ideas off of.  Nick doesn't care about pattern sizing or blogs; he doesn't notice if I paint my nails or if my hair dries weird.  I know one person shouldn't be everything to another, but that's where we are right now, and the boundaries are slowly disappearing.  (You don't even want to know what we talk about after work.)

So anyway, it was a long weekend, and I gotta say, not a terribly exciting one.  It was cold this weekend, so our hibernation plans were mostly achieved.  However, Saturday proved productive, once we actually got out of bed and out of the apartment: we managed to buy $130 worth of groceries (good lord) as well as some slightly-needed kitchen items.  When we got home and unpacked our food and fun things, I immediately thought of how nice it will be to someday have room for casserole dishes and espresso makers, for loaf pans and pitchers, and how we won't have to have these things spill over into the living room and onto the stove because there simply isn't space.  I hope that by this time next year I can stand next to Nick in our kitchen and not have to contort myself around him to get to the fridge or close a cabinet before I can open the oven.

Some Fabric Notes

Ugh, let's not even get started on how I feel, okay?  I have a zulu of a cold (see: 12 Angry Men) and I currently can't taste anything but I'm so hungry.  Why would my body do this to me?  Because it's mean, that's why.  I still can't trust it.

Anyway, just a few things.

Yay!  Heather Ross Far Far Away III!  I could only afford 1/2-yard of each of the fabrics shown because the prices are insane, but worth it.  What should I make?  I'm still on the fence about having kids, and I'm convinced I'll only get boys (curses!), so I'm hesitant to make something and put it away.  Any ideas?  Truth be told, I'll probably just make Ice Cream tops out of them and call it a day.  

Shameless, free promotion: I bought the Girls with Horses print at Pink Chalk Fabrics, and the other three are from Alewives Fabrics.  I love Alewives because Rhea, the owner, is pretty much living out my dream, owning a fabric store with her mom and being awesome.  Sigh.  One day.

Also, in an effort to make myself feel better, I took advantage of the Ann Taylor Loft sale online last week.  Did you know that I have, like, five different sizes from that dumb store in my closet right now, and they all fit?  Tell me, how does that make sense?

That's me at the office today in my new embellished linen shift.  I love linen but it'd be so much better if it wasn't a mess as soon as I sat down.  I don't know where that pimple came from, because it wasn't there when I was doing my make up this morning.  Anyway, I just wanted to show off the beading.  Full disclosure: I was totally wearing Spanx under that (I said it fits, not that it fits well!  Or maybe it fits a little too well...)

Anyway, I've gotta figure out what to eat that won't make me feel bad for missing out on the taste.  Oatmeal?  Lame.

Memorial Day Weekend

Really?  It's over already?  I remember talking to Elizabeth back in February about how we wouldn't have a day off until Memorial Day - weeks, months, practically years away!  And now it's over and tomorrow is June and ohmygod it'll be Christmas before we know it.  I'm not ready, I can tell you that much.

It was a fantastic weekend, though.  I worked from home half of the day Friday, after having meetings and meetings and meetings all week, which was a nice way to end it all.  I also decided while working from home that I wouldn't focus on cleaning - Nick will be home this weekend and can do it then.  Instead, 16 and Pregnant was my background music and I spent hours building spreadsheets and merging cells.  Sounds boring, but I kind of like that tedious stuff to clear my head.

Anyway, let's get cracking on what I did over the weekend:

Friday night after dinner (black bean tortilla pie), I set to work on an Oliver + S Ice Cream top for Miss Grace, using Heather Ross Far Far Away II.  Have I already posted about this?  I don't think I have.  Sorry for the poor quality; apparently my flash wasn't a fan.  Anyway, it's Sleeping Beauty themed, and the yoke is roses.  The back button is from a pair of Gap jeans I haven't worn in years.  I finished it in only a few hours, which was refreshing.

Saturday was a big day.  Here's a little back story: Montgomery County, Maryland, has ridiculous alcohol taxes.  You will easily pay $16 for a six-pack of beer.  Nick and I drink craft beers, so we're used to paying more, but it's completely ridiculous.  They're also upping the tax come January.  Ugh.

So we went to Total Wine in Alexandria.  We loved Total Wine in Jacksonville but haven't been since we moved.  The GPS must have known it was a beautiful day, because instead of taking us along 495, it took us on Clara Barton Parkway, along the C&O Canal, through Georgetown and Rosslyn and past Arlington Cemetery.  It was quite a sight, considering Rolling Thunder was in town.  Anyway, that second picture is of all our beer and cider from Total Wine--and it cost us about a third of what it would have been here in MoCo.  Sorry to bootleg, but we're on a budget.

After Total Wine, we went to District Taco in Arlington.  I frequent the DT Food Truck when it's here in Rosslyn.  They have awesome burritos.  This time I got a bowl and chips and a Boylan soda.  They don't have any Coke or Pepsi products, just Boylan!  Everything is also fresh and made right there, including the chips.  I can't wait to go back.

That last picture is of the Oliver + S Family Reunion dress for Grace, made with Anna Maria Horner.  I'm very happy with how this dress ended up, though I did have an issue with the hem facing.  The directions say to "cut 2 on fold," but there's so much extra fabric, I think that's a misprint.  I made it work--lots of easing and what essentially looks like an inside ruffle--so hopefully Grace won't think it's the most terrible thing she's ever seen!

Sunday...Sunday...what'd we do Sunday?  Oh, we went grocery shopping, which is always an adventure.  I also cut out the Colette Patterns Sorbetto top, which is free through that link.  We had decided to finally go see a movie together--the first in ten months of dating--so we went to Five Guys for dinner and saw Bridesmaids.  People, this movie is amazing.  If you haven't seen it yet, you must, as soon as possible.  I'm not normally a Kristen Wiig fan (based solely on her SNL characters), but this movie made me love her, Maya Rudolph, everyone.  Go see it!

Also, I asked Nick for that hot pink KitchenAid mixer seen above, but so far, it hasn't arrived.  It would look fantastic next to my blue mixer.

Yesterday, Memorial Day, we went to National Harbor.  It was a hell of an adventure getting there though.  I had to go to the Harley-Davidson store to pick up some presents for Aidan, Savannah's brother.  There was no way I was only showing up with gifts for her, and if I'd have made him clothes, he probably would have slapped me.  So I decided to get him a Harley shirt and a toy because he's obsessed with my dad's and his dad's bikes. 

We set out to go to Old Glory HD in Laurel, about 11 miles away.  On the way there, my hubcap came off on the Beltway.  Thankfully it didn't kill anyone, but still--and now my car is pretty ghetto.  Anyway, so we get there, and it's closed for Memorial Day.  Oh, okay.  Considering, again, that Rolling Thunder is in town, we're pretty surprised.  So I call Annapolis HD--it's closed too.  I finally call the National Harbor HD, and thankfully they're open, but my GPS doesn't recognize the address.  We got lost no fewer than five times in NE Washington, D.C.  Interesting, let me tell you.

Anyway, so we went there, I picked up a few things, we ate lunch.  The above pictures are from National Harbor; the first is "The Awakening," a huge statue that used to be at Hain's Point in DC, where I had seen it ten years ago when we first moved here.  The second is the Peeps store.  Yep, Peeps, those little marshmallow dudes my mom loves so much.  I'm not into them, but the next time my mom's up, we may need to go there.

I also sewed together the Sorbetto top, which I'm less than thrilled with.  It's a free pattern, so I'll go with it, but it's very short.  I have the shortest waist known to man--how does this look on normal people?  I made it with some cheap gingham I bought at JoAnn's Saturday.  Nick likes it, I'm more "meh."

I also cut out another Ice Cream dress from Sherbet Pips for Grace.  I'd like to get that done tonight and tomorrow so I can pack it up with her other outfits.

So it was a busy weekend!  Sorry to bore you--hopefully I didn't.  This week is busy, and the next few weeks are full with family and friends.  And before I know it, it will be July.  Oh my god...

My First Taste of Heather Ross

That title sounds wrong, but it isn't.  Sorry to get your hopes up.

It's been an insane week.  Long days at the office, running running running everywhere, still making dinner and taking care of the apartment, and falling asleep on the couch.  Not necessarily in that order.  Now I'm exhausted and my belly hurts, most likely because of my week.

Monday evening I cut out an Ice Cream top and a Family Reunion dress for Grace.  This afternoon, once my internet cut out, I finally was able to start working on them.

That's the kind of week it's been.

This is the Ice Cream top, made with Heather Ross's Far Far Away II, featuring Sleeping Beauty and roses.  I bought it on sale last week at Pink Chalk and decided, while it's hell trying to get gathers to take (I broke each and every one of the tails), I love the artistry enough to keep using her fabrics.  I'd actually like more to make other things for Grace, and not just the upcoming Far Far Away III (with Snow White) but also the VW vans, the grasshoppers and the mermaids.

In summer 2009 when I lived in Savannah, my mom visited me and we went to Fabrika, an indie fabric store a few blocks from my apartment.  She bought some Mendocino prints and I don't believe either of us knew just what it was, but we knew we loved it.  She eventually made a Serendipity Studio dress out of them.  Now?  They're $40 a yard, or something equally as ridiculous.  I should've invested.

Anyway, back to the top.  So the gathering was less than fun.  Because it's a heavier, linen/canvas-type weight instead of quilting cotton, the gathering stitches just ripped right now.  But I tried to do what I could and then ease in the rest, and hopefully no one thinks it's too godawful. 

The button on the back is from a pair of Gap jeans I don't even have anymore, but I found the extra buttons a couple weeks ago.  I thought it went well without being too cute or taking away from the HR design.

Also, it only took me like two hours to make this.  Usually it takes longer than that to gather everything up, but I guess because I cut everything out, it gave me a headstart.

On another note--it's Memorial Day weekend!  I plan on buying and drinking beer, seeing Bridesmaids, eating Five Guys, getting ready for Florida and sewing.  I have the Family Reunion dress, plus the free Colette tank pattern for myself, as well as anything else for Grace I can fit in--maybe her Sherbet Pips Ice Cream dress?

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!  See you next week!

Fabric Friday

I just wanted to share a picture real quick of the fabric I received today.  All fabrics were bought on sale at Pink Chalk Fabric earlier this week.  The Ice Cream Dress pattern was bought directly from Oliver + S on sale (it's the smaller size range), and the Puppet Show pattern was bought over the phone from Pieces and Patches in Lexington, SC, because I'm a freak and decided I needed it so badly.  So.  Badly.

I'm still waiting on some Sherbet Pips yardage from Sew Mama Sew, but maybe that will come this weekend.

God, I love shopping.  And sales.  Retail therapy at its finest.

Lotus Pond dress

I finished my first summer dress last night, Simplicity 2584.  I modified it a bit, but all in all, I'm pretty happy.

The fabric is Kona Solids and Amy Butler's Lotus collection, which I've had in my stash for roughly four years and bought before I could even sew, holding onto the hopes that my mom would make me something (Ha!).  I never knew what to do with it--purse?  skirt?  shirt?--but finally it came to me after buying this pattern in February.  I think it's a light, fun print without being childish.

I made view B but modified it to be more like view D.  First, I omitted the sleeves.  Summer is hot, and if I want sleeves, I'll grab a cardigan.  I also omitted the tuck at the bottom.  I started folding to see what it would look like, but, with the patter, it would have messed up the flow. 

It's the length of view B, but I snatched D's armhole binding to finish the arms.  I also ended up taking it in even more.  Boxy isn't a good look for me.

Finally, I decided it didn't need a back zipper, once I read reviews that so many others were doing this.  After a quick Googling (just cut on the fold), I was done.

It took me about two days to sew, but that's because I was sewing between work and dinner, and still working on dinner in the mean time.  I'm a crazy multi-tasker, so I'd sew and press, turn on the oven to preheat, sew a little more, get the water boiling, sew some more, etc.  What do people do with only one project?

I have a ton of both materials left over, so it may become an Ice Cream Dress for Grace.  I have been all about the stash-bustin' lately, mostly to make room for all the Aneela Hooey, Anna Maria Horner and Heather Ross I just bought.  (On sale, don't freak.)  (Though I can't imagine why you'd freak unless you were Nick, and he's already heard about my process and still doesn't care.)

What's next?  I don't know.  I have a hard time making things for myself because, well, do I really want to face my measurements?  No.  No I do not.  Also it's hard for me to choose just one project.  So I have a pile of fabric for me and a pile of fabric for Grace and I'll go from there.  I have some new patterns coming in this week, so maybe that will jumpstart things.  Also, did you not see how much fabric I just bought?  Good god!