My Sewing Space

Last year, I took on a big coordinate-the-family-for-Christmas project . Nothing at all like that happened this year. We were well into December before it even occurred to me that I'm often sewing new Christmas clothes. After a quick closet assessment, I decided that my older daughter was really the only one who needed anything new right now. And what she needed was more of just a winter dress rather than a holiday dress. I did a bit of thinking and came up with a plan before going to Fabricland. The "let's just see what we find" sort of trips always leave me overwhelmed and disappointed. Also, I had a limited amount of time and had to be quick and focused with a list. Thankfully, they had what we needed and my plan worked! The fabric is a teal ponte knit so it is both comfortable and washable. The pattern is a heavily modified Ottobre T-shirt pattern and a 3/4 circle skirt. I used Kadiddlehopper's tutorial for drafting the skirt part. I put a zipper...

A couple of years ago someone gave me a box of quilting scraps. Her style is similar to mine and I have used many of the scraps in various projects. One of the real gems in the box was a partial charm pack of Authentic by Sweetwater for Moda . There were also some fat quarters and other larger random pieces from the line. I loved this fabric when I saw it and knew that I wanted to do something just for me with it. After pondering it, I thought it should be some sort of tote bag, but I still wasn't sure exactly what it should look like. There are a lot of patchwork tote bag patterns out there, but not a lot of them that get me excited. When I saw the Perfect Quilted Tote pattern from Oh, Fransson! I knew it was the one. It was still quilted  patchwork and also modern and unique. Generally, I followed the pattern, but I wanted a larger bag so I altered the dimensions. The pattern is good - clear instructions, helpful photos, and useful tips. Her instructions for making the l...

Generally, I don't do UFO's (unfinished objects) when it comes to sewing projects. I either finish it before starting something else or toss it at the point I decide it isn't going to work. However, this skirt was a UFO for about two months earlier this fall. I was hoping it could be an entry in the fair in September and made the mistake of rushing through it in an attempt to meet that self-imposed deadline. In my haste, I made a significant mistake while cutting out the skirt. I didn't pay enough attention to matching the plaid. I thought it was matched, but I was only looking at the heavy black lines going in one direction. This pattern is a fabric hog, so after making that mistake my options were really limited. I was able to match the front well, but that's it. The back is somewhat matched with the heavy black lines, but not exactly and that's the only part of the plaid that does match. You can't actually see most of the seam in the picture, s...

I didn't have a single blog post in December for three reasons: some of my sewing was for gifts, the rest of the sewing was not terribly interesting, and even if I could have made it interesting there wasn't time for blogging. Yet, I did do some sewing and wanted to record it here so I can remember later on. Sadly, there aren't really any pictures (I guess this post is more for me than you). Gifts: linen "picture" napkins for my mom (kids colored on them with fabric markers and I hemmed the edges) a pillow for a friend felt owl ornaments for teachers using this tutorial Other sewing in December was determined by the needs of my family: two tops for one daughter and one for the other - all very basic companion pieces for orphan hand-me-downs fleece pajamas for my son - reducing bulk in the stash four undershirts for The Preacher - he only needed a couple, but I did as many as I had fabric for and constructed them assembly-line style one dress for ...

When I think about what 2013 might involve as it relates to my sewing room, I'm trying to think in terms of dreams or hopes rather than goals. What I'd like to be sewing is jackets. For me! BurdaStyle Larissa Moto Jacket I would like to have more jackets in my wardrobe. I have a number of cardigans, but I'm finding that I prefer the structured look of jackets more. The traditional suit jacket doesn't appeal to me, but I'd love to make each and every one pictured here (plus some others!). Sewaholic Patterns Cordova Jacket The problem is that jackets tend to be substantial projects and I suspect 2013 is going to be a busy year (if it continues on as 2012 has ended). Part of me rails against setting unrealistic goals and I really hate setting a goal and not accomplishing it. Also, I have a hard time maintaining motivation when a project drags on and I want to enjoy my sewing time, not feel burdened by it. BurdaStyle Cropped Denim Jacket Also, ...

I wasn't going to do one of these wrap-up posts this year, but I really enjoy reading ones from others. I just scrolled through the last year of my own posts and felt pretty satisfied with what I have produced. Overall, it feels like I haven't been able to find as much sewing time in the last year, but actually the blogging has taken more of a hit than the sewing. When looking back at my posts, I found I was happy with different projects for different reasons and it seemed like some yearbook-style "awards" were in order... Best Wardrobe Addition Goes to my orange coat . I have really liked having an additional outerwear option and every time I wear it I get comments and compliments on it. Most Successful Vision Turned Reality Goes to my white denim trousers . I love these pants and they turned out exactly as I had envisioned. They also were the inaugural pair of a TNT (Tried-and-true) pants pattern for me and marked the learning of a new pattern creating p...