doily clutch winner + super mario skirt

December 8, 2012December 8, 201211 Comments

the winner of the doily clutch is melanie, who said:

My favorite holiday song is o Holy Night … I LOVE the doily clutch!!!

congratulations melanie! i emailed you. 🙂 if you didn’t win, remember there’s a tutorial for you to make your own!

for those who asked, my favorites of the more traditional Christmas songs are O Holy Night and Carol of the Bells (popular picks in the comments!). i’m also a big fan of the sufjan stevens christmas albums. but the Christmas song that makes me laugh in spite of myself is chiron beta prime by jonathan coulton. have you heard it? it’s amazing.

switching gears a bit, i’ve been meaning to blog this for a while and never got around to it! remember back when Kat from Sew Chibi made that awesome twilight sparkle skirt for Em (which she wore today!)? well when someone gives me a gift like that, i must reciprocate. it’s just how i am. if you’ve given me a handmade gift and i haven’t sent something in return, you should know that it’s probably on my to do list!

anyway, i never got finished photos of the skirt i made in return because i finished so close to playdate time. this is the best i got, just snapped with my phone:

luckily Kat got brighter photos for her blog post, which you can read right here! she made an awesome shirt to complement it, so go check it out. two words: CHOMP CHOMP.

my skirt was made using You & Mie’s awesome tutorial for a reversible circle skirt. on one side, i did a super mario bros. scene like I did for O’s shirt a while back. it would’ve been fun to keep appliquéing a huge mario scene all around the skirt, but I ran out of time so I just did the front. It has a few more things than his shirt did, though, like the flagpole at the end of the level!

on the reverse side, cherries! cherries factor in to Super Mario 2 more than the original, but i thought they’d be fun. the fabric is from joann (and you can see a hint of the awesome shirt Kat made)!

the bottom edge is seersucker. it was funny, i was a little nervous to give something I sewed to Kat, who has such a fun, colorful, over-the-top style i thought it might be too “quiet” for her, but she seemed pretty darn excited about it (their family is all a bunch of video game nerds) and i realized there was probably no one better to give a super mario bros. skirt to! haha.

what reminded me to post this is Kat just so happens to be a finalist in the voting to add the final contestant(s) to the next season of Project Run & Play! you can check out her recap of recently sewn items to see what i mean about her creativity, and vote for your favorite at Project Run & Play! voting closes sunday evening. wouldn’t she be fun to watch?!

i can’t believe it’s been almost a year since i competed in PR&P…i was in season 3 and they’re about to start season 6! my how the time flies.

we also celebrated O’s second birthday this morning! can’t believe that either, it feels like i just had him! i must be getting old or something.

have a great weekend!

commuter cowl review and giveaway!

December 4, 2012January 7, 201343 Comments

i’m the next stop in A Very Go To Christmas blog tour! Andrea is building a pretty great shop over there at Go To Patterns, and it keeps getting better the more designers she brings on! you should definitely go check it out, and check back often because i think the first time i ever looked she had, like, 3 patterns in there and she’s now up to nearly 70! lots of basics, lots of fun stuff, lots of options.

the pattern from the shop that i chose to review is the commuter cowl, designed by shannon of luvinthemommyhood! i remember loving this pattern when it first came out but never pulled the trigger and got it. i was excited to sew it now, especially after making her sweetheart dress and having such a good time with it.

every time i saw this cowl pop up, i tried to figure out how it was made. it SEEMED super simple, but i still had no idea what was going on with the split and the twist and for the life of me couldn’t figure out how to make it myself. a pattern was needed.

even with the pattern, for some reason my brain was having trouble grasping a few basic concepts. do you have certain techniques like that, things that just trip you up no matter how well-explained they are? for me it seems to be tubes. i always sew the wrong thing closed, think something will turn right side out that won’t, all sorts of craziness. i kept having to tell myself to just follow what the pattern said and not think i knew better…especially with finishing the scarf off…and it all worked out great! i want to make another now that it finally clicked (which i should because i really love the final product and this one is destined for Christmasgiftland).

the pattern lists instructions for varying sizes of cowl depending on the fullness you want and the type of fabric you’re using. i made the 1/2 yard option with this amazing Nani Iro flannel (WITH SPARKLY POLKA DOTS) that i picked up at bolt during their sale, but it’s gone now. miss matatabi has a nice Nani Iro selection though, including flannel!

here’s the thing, too. shannon is a pacific northwesterner. even though she’s in canada and i’m in the US, we share a climate. a gal from a chilly and rainy place understands that scarves are very important to have in a wardrobe. i live in trench/rain/warm coats all fall/winter/spring, and the only chance i really have to add some personality to my outerwear is through my scarf collection. they’re cozy, too. it’s amazing how much warmer you can be when your neck is covered. frankly, i even wear them all day at the office – i can never have too many!

i think gals in warmer climates could rock a commuter cowl in voile or gauze, though, and it’d have a totally different (but gorgeous) look!

head over to the Go To Patterns shop to pick up your commuter cowl pattern NOW! it’s only $4 and you can definitely get your money’s worth if you give one of these as a gift! then go ahead and make one (or more) for yourself. you know, the old “one for them, two for me” type situaish.

oh, and thanks to my good friend erin for taking these photos! apparently i’m a bit more relaxed with a lady photographer?

AND NOW…another giveaway! two days in a row, that’s right!

Enter to win a shopping spree at GoToPatterns.com and Sew Fine Fabric!

giveaway now closed

Check out the talented blog tour:

Handmade Therapy Nov. 29th

a pretty cool life. Nov. 29th

Sew Much Ado Nov. 30th

Simple Simon and Co Dec. 1st

One Little Minute Dec. 1st

The Cottage Home Dec. 2nd

Sew country chick Dec. 2nd

Nap Time Crafters Dec. 3rd

A Little Gray Dec. 3rd

skirt as top Dec. 4th

you & mie Dec. 5th

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! Dec. 5th

Me Sew crazy Dec. 6th

see kate sew Dec. 6th

Delia Creates Dec. 7th

i was provided with the commuter cowl pattern at no cost for this review, and i am also an affiliate of Go To Patterns. my opinions, as always, are my own.

swoon block mini quilt

November 27, 2012November 27, 201234 Comments

back in August, i asked for your advice on what to do with my “practice” swoon quilt block (pattern here). i got some really great suggestions (thanks guys!) and then….i sat on those suggestions! ha! i kind of liked having the block hanging up in my sewing room as it was, i didn’t have time to work on it, and it kept growing on me the longer it was hanging there. during that time, i decided a mini quilt for our bedroom wall would definitely be the way to go (once i was finally ready to finish it).

then sometime in late September, Robin pulled together a sewing night at Modern Domestic with a still-pregnant Gail, so i quickly added a small border of kona snow around the outside to frame it, then basted it. once at MD, i took full advantage of the fancy pants Bernina machines (and the advice of my friends) to turn my swoon block into a mini quilt! oh man, big mistake sewing on one of those. suddenly my modest Brother machine, which has treated me well since i started sewing 3.5 years ago, felt like a hunk of garbage (what’s the phrase? “new hotness versus old brokeness?”). the Bernina quilted like a hot knife through butter, and i can’t get it out of my mind since.

i have a savings fund going.

anyway, you can see my quilting pattern a bit better on the back – i pretty much just outlined the star and kept the quilting minimal to let the design stand out. the backing is black yarn dyed essex linen. the binding is kona olive, of course, hand-finished. i think if i could make every project with yarn dyed black and kona olive, i would.

swoon mini quilt

it hangs supported by a dowel. i added pockets to the upper corners and sewed a little thread loop in the center (next time i think i’d do a fabric loop instead).

now that the space is complete, i might pull together a little tour. you’ve seen bits and pieces but it might be fun to see the whole room, right? my bud Jessica sent me an awesome birthday surprise, too, which really ties the room together and will make an appearance when i show the rest of it! maybe later this week?

PS – i’m “skirtastop.com” now! kind of exciting. that’s another project that was procrastinated on – my husband bought me the domain name for Mother’s Day and we finally made the switch! i feel so grown up now! no need to update your feeds; the redirect should happen automatically…hopefully. 🙂

little gifts given

November 21, 2012November 21, 201216 Comments

my friend Gail (from the lovely blog probably actually) recently had a baby boy! and man is he cuuuuute! his name is Oscar and the kids and i got to go visit him recently. and what does one do when one is visiting a sewing friend with a new baby? she sews gifts of course!

i first made a big sister gift for Lila, because my mom was great about doing that when anyone we knew had a baby. always a good idea to make the older sibling feel special too.

it’s a flashback skinny tee in a 3T. i used old navy clearance shirts, as usual, and preserved the factory hems. i used purple for the body since i know i’ve seen Lila in purple quite a bit, and a soft floral rib knit for the sleeves and neckline. contrast sleeves seems to be a trend now and i think it’s a fun one. i added a little heart patch to the bottom for an extra special touch.

then i made some pants for baby Oscar:

the pattern is Rae’s free newborn pants pattern. i did contrast bindings on both for kicks. i added 1″ to the pants on the left, because i remember these being pretty roomy when i made them for O and figured they’d last Oscar a couple months if they just had a bit of extra length.

this pair may look familiar! heather ross clothes on the line from far far away II. this time i added aviary woodgrain bindings. i love snuggling with O when he wears his pajamas in this fabric, so i figured Gail and her husband would enjoy it too. and i know she likes woodgrain.

this pair may look familiar too! i figured there couldn’t be anything more fun than to make pants for the little guy to look like his big sis. and when i took these gifts over to them, Lila was wearing this skirt her mom made in the same gray corduroy! fancy that.

i had hoped that Gail would get a kick out of a mini version of her hedgehog pants, and she totally did. it was a fun reaction. 🙂

for mama, i brought a trio of vintage sheet fat quarters from my stash and a spool of metallic gold thread. i love sewing with metallic thread, it adds a special touch to topstitching. figured she could make use of these when she’s back in sewing action.

for dad? well i didn’t sew him anything, but i did make the family some chicken tortilla soup adapted from this recipe (i added cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick). i brought some sour cream so they didn’t necessarily need to go for a grocery run, but apparently Lila ate it all up! good work, Lila.

happy little presents for a happy little family. oh and when Gail said Oscar has “the sweetest newborn smell you could ever imagine,” she wasn’t kidding! he’s really wonderful. i only got one picture during our visit, though! right as i was taking it, O said “he’s soft!” which is absolutely accurate. Lila is a loving big sis, too.

i might check in tomorrow but if i don’t, have a great thanksgiving!

ohio star picnic quilt

November 16, 2012November 16, 201220 Comments

i do believe a homemade quilt is the perfect wedding gift. quilts are so personal, made with love and care, and can last many many years. plus they’re practical – a handmade picnic quilt will be there to help keep a couple warm on camping trips, to be there for them as they have family picnics and create memories. they can even be a reminder of their wedding day!

ohio star picnic quilt

one of my early sewing projects was a blanket for baby Em, and the first time i covered my little daughter in a simple blanket i made, it nearly brought me to tears. it was a turning point for me, where i fully understood the specialness of handmade things and the love that goes into them. my family wasn’t really full of quilters – i have friends that have beautiful ancient handmade quilts made by their great-grandmothers, but my family seems to prefer to sew garments, embroider, knit, and crochet – still wonderful crafts and i know some quilts were likely made along the way, but they just weren’t part of our family culture like others. as i’ve dabbled in quilting, i’ve learned how much time and effort goes into each one and how much they mean to the maker. quilts are super powerful, you guys.

so i made this picnic quilt for my husband’s cousin Amy and her new husband Ben as their wedding gift and I hope they have many happy memories with it. it’s made with a vintage sheet, a sturdy navy cotton i bought during Anna’s Instagram destash (thanks Anna!), DS for Joann gold, and the chambray from Em’s big bow dress. i tried to give a nod to the colors and tone of their wedding in my choices (here are a few shots from the reception…soooooooo Portlandy!).

the back is a huge piece of dark blue (stretch?) corduroy that i thrifted. you can sort of see my quilting pattern here (i tried to make the star pop, so i followed the outer lines of it 1/4″ away from the seam). the corduroy was really heavy, too, which is perfect for a picnic blanket. sorry about the weirdly lit photos, it was starting to rain and O was going to wake up from his nap at any minute.

i appliqued a little linen heart for the couple onto joel dewberry woodgrain, adding their initials and wedding date.

the design is a modified giant ohio star. i love how many different designs you can make with half square triangles! i first had the idea to make a quilt like this when i saw the ohio supernova quilt by Heather Jones floating around pinterest, and i referenced Jeni’s tutorial as i sketched my plan out on graph paper. it’s constructed of HSTs with vintage sheet squares in the corners. the solid blocks i cut at 9.5″ squares, the HST squares i cut at 10″ each. by that math the quilt ended up about 54″ x 54″, plenty big for a few people to sit on for a picnic, though smaller than the picnic blanket i made for us (and we use often).

there’s no batting. to finish the quilt i put the top and the backing right sides together, pinned the heck out of it, and sewed around the outside leaving an opening for turning. i turned, topstitched around the edge, then did my quilting with a walking foot to make sure the layers didn’t shift. it went pretty fast! i actually jumped back and forth between working on this and the flower girl dress. when the organza got annoying, i shifted over to straight lines and cotton for relief.

i got an enthusiastic text from Amy and Ben the day after the wedding thanking me and saying they loved it, which is great – the thing about quilts is they ARE a lot of work so knowing they’re going to an appreciative home is solid gold.