Experiment

I know, a month almost, without posting here, and then two in a row. I think that shows (maybe) that it hasn't been a creatively dry summer for me. I've just had trouble sharing. Or something. (maybe a couple of weeks of vacation in there helps explain SOME of the dry spell.

Well, I know my obsession to make this summer has been tote bags. There are just so many posts I can write on them, though. Right? Well, maybe.

Earlier this summer I entered a give-away on one of the blogs I follow, and I won! Woot! I got a nice set of plastic triangular rulers to use as patterns when cutting fabric for quilts, etc.

Awesome prize!

I've been feeling like I should make a quilt and then donate it, and these would be perfect to make strips of triangles. I could alternate pieced and unpieced strips to make a quilt pretty quickly, and donate to the local Child Crisis Center. Summer is quickly drawing to a close, however, and this is a project I haven't started yet, however.

I got a brain storm yesterday, though. I wondered if the triangles would match up and "circle" up. I waded into my stash and came up with this.

Septagon!

If you look closely, you will notice that the blue piece is two half triangle pieces... so how cool is that? OK, so my points aren't perfectly matched. This is my first effort with these rulers, and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I am thinking that maybe four solid and three print pieces might balance better... but then maybe not.

Now the question is, what to do with this? My inspiration told me to off center the point and cut a square, then put a border around that. I could picture a small quilt with those type of blocks being kind of cool. Or maybe altogether too fussy. Not sure which. Going to look at the square idea this week and decide whether to try it or just applique this onto the side of a tote bag.

School Clothes

For me. I felt like a new start at a new school deserved some new clothes. So I've weeded my closet, and now I'm adding a few things in.

I've been wanting to make a denim skirt for myself for a long while. I think I got the fabric for it some time last year. The year before? It is a lovely, soft, light blue colored denim and I wanted it fairly fitted at the top, and fairly flowy at the bottom. And fairly long, almost ankle length.

When I looked through my fabric for the denim, I also found this piece of leafy cotton, in several shades of denim blues. I thought Woot! A top for my new skirt (you know, because nothing goes with denim...). I decided something tunic-y, and thought of a top I've made a couple of times now that has a dart coming from the sleeve seam, and a round neckline. I have added sleeves to it, and made a keyhole detail in the back.

Here's a terrible picture of the result.

very blurry

The picture doesn't do the outfit justice, but I really wanted to post.

Happy Top

This top makes me happy!

Late last year, I cut out two tops from this pattern. The circled view reminds me of some tops I had once-upon-a-time that I remember fondly. I like the collar, and the no-button front, and that you can tie the v-neck closed somewhat. I'm not much of a cleavage person. AND I like that it is a longer top, covering the hips.

The fabrics I chose were also happy fabrics. Flowery, fun and cheerful. When I finished the first of the two tops, and got a photo taken, I was less than happy with the result. Sigh.

Less than flattering.

I did some asking of people who's taste I trust - sometimes more than my own, which can sadly be iffy at times- and did some thinking. The photo isn't flattering because of the angle. But that isn't the only problem. Ron suggested there was too much collar for my short neck. Hmmmm. I think he's on to something there. The collar has bugged me when I've worn the shirt. (of COURSE I've worn it!)

The other top languished in the sewing room for a while, but I pulled it out and looked at the collar, constructed in two pieces to be more than I really need. I tweeked it. I'm not afraid to do that, you know. I cut off that bottom layer and just attached the top layer to the shirt. I had a facing for the front, and in the back, I used bias tape to finish and cover the seam. I put in the sleeves, and the hem, and tacked down the facing, and tried that puppy on.  Since there was no one around to snap a picture, you have the joys of the ubiquitous bathroom mirror shot. Even so, I think it turned out better.

Now, this top makes me happy!

Just in time to take it on my summer vacation travels. Pay no attention to the goofy, I'm looking at myself in the camera screen and the bathroom mirror at the same time, yeah, I think its enough light, look on my face...

Totes & Baskets

Two posts in one week? Wow, must be summer. Yay!

First, I finished my first tote bag. I have been wanting to make one for a while now, and then I saw this fabric bundle, and it really spoke to me. Even so, the pieces sat around for a bit, waiting for their turn in the project line. I am very pleased with how it came out, and I've already got plans for others in the works. I think being able to do variations on embellishment and features (like pockets) is going to help spark creativity.

happy to finish my tote bag!

Even though it is finished, I will probably go back and add another line of stitching around the top. I find with the baskets that it helps with structural integrity. It also helps hold all the layers in place.

Speaking of baskets, Those were on the agenda yesterday and today. There weren't many scraps from the fat quarters I used to make my tote. Here's what happened to them...

baskets for guys

I was really pleased with how the one on the right came out with the fold-over of the lining fabric. I also added a couple extra lines of stitching around the basket, as it finally occurs to me that what it needs is basically quilting to hold the layers together somewhat. That is the last basket I made, of course. I hope the taller basket is useful. Again, it was an experiment in using the pieces I had left.

When my niece was here last week, I did some sewing for her, and she got to pick out a fat quarter when we went shopping. I put this basket together for her, with the leftovers from the top I made her as the lining.

butterflies and dragonflies!

The handles turned out to be a little long, I think (I actually trimmed several inches off - they WERE even longer!). They remind me a little of rabbit ears... but in a cute way. I hope she will like her basket.

So, between baskets and tote bags, I think I can get Christmas pretty well sewn up... (see what I did there?)

For the Kids!

I've sewn up the batch of clothes that I cut out, and I'm ready to cut out a few more garments. I have to say that I am happy with how they are turning out. For instance, here is Raine's animal print outfit:

RAWR!

I know that the print I used for her shorts is more traditionally used in quilting or home dec, but she picked it out, and it is a nice weight for shorts, and the more I see it the more I like it.

Shelbi picked out some dragonfly fabric to make a top from.

View B on the right

cute dragonflies!

A cute swingy top to wear with leggings (we actually found a pair of turquoise leggings at Kohl's), and enough sleeve to be able to wear to school, as well. The top came out so very cute! I really wish I could see her in it, but don't know if that will happen, since we don't get to see her all that often.

I just love how this turned out!

I have another pattern with a similar top, but a collared neckline that I'm going to try out in a purple solid and print. I hope it comes out as cute as this one! I must demand pictures from my brother!

Raine Style Pajamas

I am the lucky mom of a great kid. My daughter is my pride and joy, of course, and I will brag on her without warning, ad nauseum. Just so you know.

When she was born, I thought about all the cute girly things that I would get to make for her... but, no. Ever since she was three, girly have been O.U.T!!! I've experimented with this or that garment, with mixed success. She definitely has a sense of style that is playful, tom-boyish, quirky, and totally her.

When we strolled through Jo-ann's one day, she browsed through the silkies, and pulled out a jungle print fabric with jaguars on it. Beautiful, but what would she wear made out of that? I talked her in to looking at the cottons, and we picked out some different animal prints for an outfit (posted about soon). I hoped that would be it. But, no. The next time we were in Jo-ann's she headed right for that same fabric. She REALLY loved it. Really. Hmmm I thought. OK, it's on sale. One yard. I'll figure out something.

Well, I figured out pajamas. Shorts and a tank top. (had to go back for about 2/3 of a yard to make the top) I found some hem tape and some bias tape as well, since I knew those edges would ravel. The week before school was out, I cut them out - along with 2 pairs of shorts and a sleeveless top (hope she's going to like that one).

Yesterday, I fiddled with the serger (looked in the instruction manual, too) so that it would sew that lightweight, slippery fabric properly, and got the pieces put together. The hem tape around the arm and neck openings didn't work out, so I pulled out the bias tape, to discover I had gotten the extra wide. I made do.

I think the bias tape edging worked out all right.

Then, when she tried on the top, the neck opening was too big. That always seems to be the case with a tank top pattern. I took a cue from last summer, and threaded elastic through the bias tape at the neckline. I was happy to have the wider bias tape at that point. Then, what made me even happier was being able to open it up and use it to make the casing for the waist band of the shorts. I ended up using the hem tape to help finish the hems of both the top and the shorts. There should be NO RAVELING!

Awesome waistband!

Once she tried them on, she did not want to take them off, so I count a success in finding Raine style!

She had to change so we could go to White Sands, though.

T-shirt Dresses

Yes, it HAS been a while since I've posted here. I've been rather on a life-overload lately. I've done some sewing, but due to circumstances beyond our control, there were several weeks where Roxanne and I didn't get to sew together. The last time we did, I cut out the skirts for the t-shirt dresses we were wanting for our summer wardrobe. I put Roxanne's together first, and I think it turned out pretty nice.

There's a purple stripe in the skirt. No, really.

Roxanne added a little white lace around the neck and sleeves and at the bottom of the skirt, to help dress it up a little and add interest.

Then, I worked on mine. I wanted pockets, so I added them in the side seams. I'm more of a leave it plain girl, but then, my skirt fabric was lots of tiny little flowers, so no lace for me. I wore mine over the weekend, to see how well I would like it, and I thought it quite comfy and cool. That would be in the temperature sense, not in the chic sense... just saying. Here's how mine turned out.

comfy!

So, not the height of fashion, I admit. Still, with a pair of shorts underneath, this is going to fit the bill for those warm - no, lets face it HOT! - summer days. I think we each want at least one more.