WIP Wednesday {6.26.13}

I knew it was too good to last. At some point I lost my sewing mojo....which I think is directly related to the amount of sleep I get. So it's been a tired week, but not an incredibly crafty one. Still, I am slowly trying to make my way through everything. I did end up adjusting the birthday dress but she hasn't gotten to wear it yet since pictures were postponed due to rain. But she'll be wearing it to celebrate her birthday for sure and hopefully for family pictures not long after.

burp cloths
      v1- these are finished. thin but {hopefully} absorbent. We'll see how they work in another month or so.

      v2- these are just one layer of cloth diaper with thin binding and I only finished 1 of the 4 I am making. I am trying to decide whether they need another layer of something or not.

baby tees - the pattern is traced and the fabrics selected. I am pretty excited about these.

baby stuff - hooded towels, washcloths, wipes, security blankets, burp cloths, voile/flannel blanket, t-shirts, decorated onesies, bibs, booties
bed quilt for neighbor - I finally decided on measurements so when I don't feel like doing anything else I can sketch it out
pony club quilt - I would love to make some blocks at some point...
hexies - maybe these will get done when I get too big/uncomfortable to sit at my machine
wedding quilt - good thing the wedding isn't until october!

So yeah, nothing actually all the way off the list. I am close on those burp cloths though and the tees shouldn't take long. I need to order some fabric for security blankets...probably double gauze like I used for the first set which are still being used, both for sleeping with and for playing. After that I think I'll just see what I am in the mood to make I think. Low pressure sewing, that is what I am going for over the next month, low pressure sewing :)

super tote!

You may or may not have noticed that I have been totally into the noodlehead patterns recently. First the divided basket and now this awesome super tote. I knew from the first pattern glimpse that I would be buying this pattern. I just love me a good tote and the little pleat that the top, perfection.

I had a really hard time with fabric selection. The main part is a birch organic cotton canvas from fabricworm which I like, but it is definitely not as saturated as I thought the color would be, so I was a little bummed about that. I would have used the essex yarn dyed linen in black for the rest of the exterior peces if I'd had enough, but I didn't and was not in the mood to order it and wait for more fabric, so I used that for the sides/top and added in some sketch. I did a pocket on either side since, ya know, I like pockets and it is a diaper bag and I did put a snap on each and didn't use piping. I do wish I had used more interafacing. I used the optional extra on the main panels since they were just quilting cotton but didn't on the linen or the canvas and I kind of wish I had, just so it had a bit more body. Lesson learned.

The interior was a mish mash of what I had on hand. I was just trying to make it work and used some echo and more sketch. We'll see how much use those interior pockets actually get since I tend to like to just stack everything in there, but it is a nice option to have. I do love the gray/navy/mustard color combo though, that makes me totally happy.

Overall, I love it. I think it will be a fantastic size (I just hope it will actually zip once I pack it up for real) and it is pretty stylish for a diaper bag. It's always good to have a bag I won't mind continuing to use later, and this is perfect since I would have made one for me anyway. I think that about covers it. Hope you all have a nice relaxing weekend. Oh, and happy Summer!!

WIP Wednesday {6.19.13}

I am happy to report that in an unlikely turn of events, I am actually still getting things accomplished at a fairly steady rate (yep, I probably just jinxed myself...). I am almost done all that I had laid out and am just about ready to get out a new pile of things to work on, so I'm pretty excited about that.


twinkle - I finally finished this and I love it so much!

super tote - the new diaper bag is finished! I love this tote and will write more about it later this week

birthday dress - I am still trying to make it fit right, but it is done for now and it's wearable. It is cute, the sides are just too big, so I'm working on that....

voile/flannel blanket - I love this thing and wish it was twice as big so I could snuggle myself up in it.

baby stuff - hooded towels, washcloths, wipes, security blankets, burp cloths, voile/flannel blanket, t-shirts, decorated onesies, bibs, booties
bed quilt for neighbor - I finally decided on measurements so when I don't feel like doing anything else I can sketch it out
pony club quilt - I would love to make some blocks at some point...
hexies - maybe these will get done when I get too big/uncomfortable to sit at my machine
wedding quilt - good thing the wedding isn't until october!


Burp cloths are up next, and then maybe some t-shirts/bibs/booties. Small and satisfying; I love making baby stuff. And maybe I'll get all this stuff done and I can make more pony club blocks one of these days! I guess one thing at a time though. Hope everyone is having a lovely week!

twinkle: a {finally} finished quilt!

It is finally finished!! A month and a half after pulling fabrics and piecing a quilt top, I finally finished this sweet little quilt for my coming little one. Honestly, I don't know why it took me so stinking long. I mean, most of it was just avoiding hand sewing down the binding for no particular reason.

This came from a stack of fabric I got out with an entirely different quilt in mind. I just couldn't see that one coming together though, so I decided I would make this sparkle punch pattern instead and I am so, so happy with the finally result. I struggled with a background since I really didn't want to use white and really wanted to use something in my stash. I opted for this nicey jane fabric that I am in love with. I questioned myself on and off for this decision, but in the end I love it. The patterned background gives it such a different look! I used 5" squares so it ended up being about 40.5" x 45" before I washed it. It should be quite a good baby size.

I also struggled with how to quilt it. In the end I went with some loopy quilting which looks pretty good. I really wanted to try something new, I just was in no mood to actually do it. This looks good though and it isn't too dense so it's still a pretty soft quilt. The binding was another issue for me and it sat for many days while I decided what to use. My inital plan of using a darker teal just wasn't making me happy when it was all together so I settled on this lizzy house fabric which is hard to see but is the light pink jewel print. The back is the remainder of the sheet that I had used for both my little ones curtains and another quilt back.

Now all it needs is a sweet little baby on top of it :) Not too many more weeks now! I am trying not to wish away my summer, but I am just about ready to meet this little one. In the meantime, I have a certain little girls 3rd (!!!) birthday to get ready for so that should keep me busy. I am hard at work on her birthday dress right now....if only simplicity patterns were written in simple english! Hopefully it comes out alright, but I do admit I have no idea how to finish it. Also, I did finish my super tote and I just need to go get some pictures of it, so that will be coming soon. Here's to a good week!

WIP Wednesday {6.12.13}

Hard to believe another week has gone by! We are having a rough one around here, but I *think* things are looking up. I have been going through the things I need/want to make at a surprising rate and I don't know how long it will last, but I am enjoying it for the time being. I have a bunch of things done and even more things that are finally ready to go!

divided basket - love this thing! I am debating another one, but until I can figure out what will go in it, I am not going to bother.

hooded towels - so simple and way cuter than the ones at the store, plus softer and more absorbent. A total win!

wipes - I made a stack of cloth wipes to round out our collection after we weeded out the ones that were falling apart. These are hands down the best wipes we have used. Creepy monster flannel seemed appropriate :)

decorated washcloths - I made this bunch so we can test them out and see how they wash and wear, so I may or may not end up decorating the rest of the pack.

twinkle - I wanted to prove that I did at least start sewing down the binding....and maybe at some point I will finish it.

super tote - pieces cut and ready. This is the project for today.

birthday dress - I bought a pattern and fabric and am ready to go.

voile/flannel blanket - this is going to be the softest blanket in the history of ever....I wish it was for me!

burp cloths - I am still figuring out exactly what shape to make them, but fabric is ready!

baby stuff - hooded towels, washcloths, wipes, security blankets, burp cloths, voile/flannel blanket, t-shirts, decorated onesies, bibs, booties
bed quilt for neighbor - I finally decided on measurements so when I don't feel like doing anything else I can sketch it out
pony club quilt - I would love to make some blocks at some point...
hexies - maybe these will get done when I get too big/uncomfortable to sit at my machine
wedding quilt - good thing the wedding isn't until october!


Getting there. I have to finish the birthday dress by next weekend so she can wear it for our family pictures, so I have a deadline for that one. Hopefully the pattern isn't too bad. And I guess we'll see what else gets finished. I am pretty excited about my super tote, less excited about interfacing all the pieces. I am also trying to muster up the determination to get that stinking twinkle quilt finished by Sunday so I can wash it when I do laundry; maybe an arbitrary deadline will help.  Hope everyone is having a good week!

a divided basket

Good morning! Thanks to an uneventful weekend, I got quite a bit of sewing done! I guess really I just made a lot of small things, but that's alright, whatever feels productive! I am moving right along and finally decided that I am not going to be able to make everything on my list without stressing myself out, so I've figured out what the most important/simple/enjoyable things are and will probably go buy some of the rest. Which I always feel a little bad about if I know I could make it, but I know that it doesn't always cost less to make it and I need to keep what little sanity I have left, so there you go.

The biggest thing I worked on was this divided basket. I had been eying the pattern by Anna of noodlehead and finally decided it would be perfect to go inside the ikea cart we are using for baby storage. It turned out that if I had made it full size it would have been too long go fit the direction I wanted it to go, so I just went ahead and made it shorter. I took about 1.75 off of each pattern piece and left everything else the same. While it definitely changed the proportions a bit, it worked out really well and I am super happy with it. Plus, it fits in the cart!

I used a dumb dot print for the pocket and the handles, the blue is from peacock lane I think and some yellow pearl bracelets for the lining. It makes me so happy and I can't wait to take over it for myself when baby is done with it ;) I have no idea what exactly I am going to put in it, but clearly that is beside the point. I did use fusible fleece for the exterior pieces, along with some decor bond because that's what I had. The decor bond was a bit much for the handles, but they are certainly sturdy and I love how nice it made the divider.

Another thing off the list! I am actually done the hooded towels, as many wash cloths as I am going to do right now and the wipes, and I have a couple of other things ready to go. I am still waiting on some fabric too so once I get that I will really be in business! There is hope that all this stuff will get finished!!

roller skate dress

I finally broke down last week and bought my first Oliver + S pattern for my little lady; the roller skate dress. I debated for a long time because, let's be honest, those patterns are expensive. But, it was exactly the style I was looking for and has both a dress and a tunic option, so I thought I'd give it a go. I ordered the digital version for some instant gratification which was nice.

This dress is undeniably cute and has a very professional finished look thanks to the full lining. It is a pretty simple style and the instructions were really easy to follow. I chose option A since even though I had been planning a tunic, a dress was requested. I used a lovely Amy Butler fabric I picked up and I am hoping I have enough to make an itty baby skirt too :) The lining is a red gingham I've had laying around for ages and I love them together. I went with a 3T which she needs in length but is really too skinny for, but it seems to fit fine.

Hopefully she'll wear it a lot and she has already requested a tunic. I am feeling pretty good about it since she wore it for the rest of the day after I showed it to her. I had to steal it from the laundry to get a shot of the lining ;)  All in all, I'm not sure I will be paying for many more of these patterns. They are certainly cute, easy to follow and come out well, but I also think that paying around $15 for a pattern is a bit much.

So that's one thing off my exceptionally long list. I am working through some of the other things while I wait for some fabric to arrive. Hopefully this weekend will be pretty productive which would be helpful. I am just so stinking slow these days! Anyway, have a great weekend!

WIP Wednesday {6.5.13}

Happy Wednesday! I am moving right along over here, trying not to get too overwhelmed {trying being the key word}. As I mentioned the other day, I started pulling out baby stuff to figure out what I have to make in the next couple of months so my list has kind of exploded. I don't quite know how it will all get done, but I am trying to just pick things and do them and see how far I get. I am waiting for some fabric to arrive before I can do some of it. Anyway, I did actually finish a couple of things this week too!

beach robe

roller skate dress - my first oliver + s pattern and it came out really cute!

twinkle - I need to hand stitch down the binding....I don't quite know why I have been avoiding it but hopefully the mood strikes soon so I can get this done.

birthday dress for the little- I keep going back and forth on a pattern....I need to find a good twirly dress tutorial I think...any thoughts?
doll carrier - a birthday gift for the little
super tote - to be the new diaper bag
divided baskets - to organize baby stuff
baby stuff - hooded towels, washcloths, wipes, security blankets, burp cloths, voile/flannel blanket, t-shirts, decorated onesies, bibs....yeah, did I mention this list is a little out of control? At least they are all small and uncomplicated things :)
bed quilt for neighbor - one of these days...
pony club quilt - I would love to make some blocks at some point...
hexies - maybe these will get done when I get too big/uncomfortable to sit at my machine
wedding quilt - good thing the wedding isn't until october!

Writing all that down, made me realize that I am nuts. I am pretty sure that is not even everything on my list, but for now, that is plenty. I am hoping I can get the bulk of it done in June so that July can be a bit more relaxed, but we'll see how that works out. And if I don't start getting things made, I am going to have to quit reporting my wips because I won't be able to stand to look at the list ;) Anyway, hope you are having a good week and that your list is shorter than mine!

ready for the beach

Well here we are, the beginning of another week. After a nice relaxing weekend, I feel ready to tackle it, and I am pretty excited because I am going to start pulling out old baby stuff and figure out what I actually need for this one. It has come to my attention that in one month my little love bug will have a birthday and a month after that, a new baby will be here. It's mind blowing really.  I seriously can not believe it is June!

Anyway, I finished up the beach robe the other day so naturally we had to take a little trip to the beach to test it out :) I do wish I had better pictures, but I can try again another day. I love the way this robe came out! It is the pattern by Dana of MADE again. I went up to the largest size (3T-4T) and it is definitely a little big on my skinny mini, but it works and she'll grow. The length is pretty good but the ties need to be wrapped around the back and tied or else they just drag through the sand and it does fall off the shoulders a bit. She really likes it though and it helps dry her off and block some sun, so I call it a win.

I admit that white may not have been the wisest choice, but it is so stinking cute and with the awesome green polka dot that she picked out it is just perfect. Thankfully it is quite washable and seems to come out a little softer each time. The white towel is from ikea and the green polka dot is something that was in my huge pile of old lady fabric someone was getting rid of, so I was really happy to find a use for it. I am not even convinced it is all cotton, but it worked perfectly for this and I had just enough for both the binding and the hood lining. Here she is all cozied up on the beach

I do still have a ton of clothes I made for her to post more about, but I was trying to wait until I was finished everything. At this rate she'll need the next size by the time I am done. I am hoping to finish up a dress today and I need to hand sew down my twinkle binding. So much to do, so little time! Everyone else have a good weekend?