Simplicity Skirt 2226

I never sew clothes for myself!  One of the blogs I follow, Noodlehead, had a sew along last week.  While I don't have time to do this during the week due to my hectic life, I decided to try it out this weekend.  The whole time that I was sewing, I fretted about my fabric choice.  The fabric was a little more busy than I would normally chose for clothing.

As suggested, I made a sample waistband from muslin.  This told me that I needed to make a size 14.  Even though I was a little upset by the number, it was important that the skirt fit, so a 14 it was.  This tutorial was great!!  The steps were super easy to follow and the illustrations were incredibly helpful.

When the skirt was together and I put it on, I discovered that it was WAY too big.  Urgh...now it was time to employ my newly acquired alterations skills.  It was necessary to trim 1 1/2" from each side to make it fit properly. 

After much fretting and a little frustration about sizing, I love the skirt.  So does my 17 year old daughter.  That could be because I borrowed her shirt and sweater to wear with it, but she wants me to make her one (success)!

It's a Wrap Fabric Bowl

After yesterday's fabric hot plate, I just knew I had to make a bowl.  So as soon as one project was finished I was in the laundry room digging through my scraps.  I found a promising looking wad of fabric left over from a scarf I made a few years ago.  The fabric matches my bedroom, how convenient!

Voila!  Finished bowl, perfect for putting my cell phone charger, Kindle charger and cell phone in at night. 

I put my keys inside the bowl to show the size of the bowl.

Now, I just have to clean off my dresser so there will be a place to put this fabulous bowl.  This is a small round bowl from the book It's a Wrap!  Off to start my next project!

Heather

It's a Wrap! Hot Plate

Lately I have been wanting to make fabric wrapped bowl.  Well, I wasn't quite feeling the bowl yesterday, so I decided to make a hot plate instead.  I had all of the supplies necessary for completion.  That was nice for a change. 

A few years ago, I took a class at my local quilt store and learned how to make a wrapped fabric bowl.  It was a great day spent with my sister-in-law.  We both came home with a fabric bowl. 

I used the leftover clothes line from the class and some fabric left over from another project. 

One of the really nice things about this project is that the strips don't have to be cut exactly.  Just cut somewhere between 1/2" and 3/4". 

Then wrap, wrap, wrap and pin as you go.  Another thing to love about this fabric, is that you can use up some of the small scraps that are left over at the finish of a project.

Presto!  One nifty place to put a hot pot to keep the counters and table safe from the heat!

I had so much fun making this one, I do believe that I can feel a bowl coming soon.  This project came out of the book It's A Wrap by Susan Breier.

Heather

Yo-yo Hair Bows

I spent an afternoon, not to long ago, making yo-yos.  The intention was to make them into hair bows.  Well, with my crazy life, it has taken me awhile to finish the project off.  After many cross country meets, work days and a little procrastination, here they are!

Finished clips.  There are two of each.



The backside.



The clips easily attach to a headband.

One little piece of advice:  If your buttons have a top and bottom, make sure to test out the placement with the clips facing opposite directions, like they will be in the hair.  This will help to make sure the buttons are facing the right direction when they are in the hair.

I found the tutorial to put these together at Craftiness Is Not Optional, found here.  While perusing the blogs that I follow, these hair bows caught my attention.  In a house with 4 daughters, hair needs to be accessorized.  I used a Clover yo-yo maker to whip these up.  It looked like I was having so much fun that my 8 year old, Francis, decided to play along.  She was easily able to put together a set of these and had a lot of fun doing it!

Heather

Finished Dress!

The dress is finished!  I think this must be the quickest finish on a piece of clothing for me.  Despite my busy evening, I was able to finish the arm hole, hem the dress and attach the hook and eye.

When I got home from work, I finished the arm hole and retaught myself how to blind hem.  Luckily I save everything, including the tutorial packet from when I purchased my first sewing machine.  That was the last time that I used the blind hem stitch on my sewing machine.  Wow, was that a fast hem.  Why do I dread them so much, not anymore. 

Finished arm holes and neckline.  I used single fold bias tape, super easy!

After returning home for the evening, I attached the hook and eye to the top of the neckline, so the top will stay closed throughout any play session.

Finished front.



Finished back.

All that is left now is to wash the markings out!

This dress helped me to conquer two of my biggest fears:  zippers (in clothing) and hemming.  I will no longer allow zippers to send me running from a pattern that I love.

Heather

Little Pink Dress - Simplicity 2483

I began working on a little pink corduroy dress for Genavieve this Monday (Simplicity 2483).  On day one I cut out the fabric, sewed the front pin tucks and pockets on.  This is the point where I ran out of thread.  URGH! 

Day two started with an emergency stop for thread at my local quilt store on my way home from work.  After all of the normal evening duties, I was able to put in the zipper, finish the seams and complete the collar. 

All that I have to do tomorrow is get the 2nd armhole finished and the hem. 

The zipper was really exciting for me, yes you read this right.  I said exciting!  Last month I took a Prom Dress Techniques class at a 4H workshop.  During this class, I learned how to put in a hidden zipper.  The opportunity to practice on a simpler fabric was wonderful!  Successful installation of a hidden zipper.

Can you see it?



There it is!

The dress had tucks at the top, along the collar.  Tucks are not something that I had tried before.  They were really simple to sew, adding some interest to the collar.



These will be super cute once I wash out the marker.

I am learning new things about sewing, whether for quilts or clothing.  Quilting is my favorite thing to do, but most of the quilting going on here at the moment is for Christmas presents.  Those projects will be posted later, so the recipients are surprised! 

Hope to have the dress finished tomorrow, but we will see what my busy life has in store for me.

Happy Sewing!
Heather

Kindle Cover Tutorial

Materials
One old binder
batting
main fabric
binding/closure fabric
1 large button
1/4" wide elastic
thread to match

Step 1:

Dissect the old binder.  Cut it open and remove the cardboard from inside.  Cut these pieces into 2 pieces at 8 1/8" by 5 1/4".  (I traced my kindle and cut the cardboard about 1/4" bigger around.)

Step 2:

Cut the main fabric into 2 pieces at 8 3/4" by 11 3/4".
Cut the batting into 1 piece at 8 5/8" by 23"

Step 3:

Layer the batting and cardboard, keeping the cardboard 1/4" from the edges.  The batting will wrap around both sides of the cardboard.  Sew down the batting keeping the stitching up against the cardboard (but not through it).  Do this next to both pieces of cardboard.  Then stitch all the way around the outside with 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 4:

Layer the fabric on both sides of the batting with right sides out.  Be careful if your fabric is directional.  Make sure they are both facing the same way.  Sew down the center of the 2 pieces of cardboard then next to each piece of cardboard in between them.  This makes 3 lines of stitching in the center, allowing the cover to easily fold to the back while reading.  Stitch around the outsides with 1/4" seam allowance again.

Step 5:

Create a loop closure with a piece of the accent fabric cut at 1" by 7".  Fold this in half with right sides out.  Then open and bring the edges into the fold line on both sides.  Refold in the middle with right sides facing out.  Stitch near edge.

Step 6:

Cut 2 strips of accent fabric at 2 1/2" wide.  Connect the strips into one long strip using a diagonal seam.  Fold this long strip in half with right sides out.   Open and fold 1/4" under on the short side, this becomes your beginning.  Attach the closure to one of the short sides of the cover on the opposite side that the binding is being sewn on.  Center the closure placing the unfinished ends of the closure on the unfinished edge of the cover.  Sew on the binding with a 1/4" seam allowance.  At the corners fold the fabric at a 90 degree angle to the seam you have just sewn.  Then fold into the opposite direction and begin sewing the next side.  Repeat for all four corners.  Then attach to the outside of the cover using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Tuck the end into the beginning to hide unfinished end.

Fold the binding over to the opposite side.  Pin and sew along the edge of the binding.  I do this from the same side I attach the binding to, so that it is a straight line.

Step 7:

Time to put the elastic on.  I positioned the elastic so that it would cover the corners without interfering with the buttons or screen.  I then sewed across it 3 times on each side in a seam that was already sewn, to hide the stitching on the outside.  Trim near the seam.  I used a lighter briefly on the edges to prevent fraying. 

Step 8:

Attach the button using the loop to determine the placement.  Hand sew the button to the front, trying to only attach it to the top layer of fabric and batting.

Voila!  Safe keeping for a very loved Kindle.

Heather