A sew along announcement and fabric binge confessions

I have exciting news! I am a new contributor to the Humble Sewing Center Blog and will be hosting a sew along using Butterick 4461, my favorite A-Line skirt with zipper. Check it out!

Now, the confessions begin.

I couldn't walk. Mr. Thinks He Can lost my debit card. Life was really hard. Warning: The following may be hard for people with will power to see. The following is based on a true story and is what happens when I am left alone with the internet and nothing else for days on end.

One of my fabrics for the skirt sew along.

A chiffon for another go at Taffy.

A cheetah print rayon. I know. What the heck? I actually really dig it. It is such a small print. I may make a simple tank dress out of it. That's my good foot to help you get an idea of scale. LOL, still can't walk.

This is one yard of a weird knit that is kind of thick. It is kind of fuzzy on one side and kind of slick on the other side. I'm sure it is for something beside a skirt, but too bad.

This is another knit that will be a wrap dress. I love it!

This is a navy charmeuse I am thinking of making a Ruby slip with. I have never worked with charmeuse, but it is really lovely.

Tangerine Tango polka dot rayon! That's my assistant's foot up there for scale. I see a nice button down out of this.

This is a navy linen blend I am hoping to make the new Cynthia Rowley shirt I am drooling over out of.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and to everyone that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving...Happy Thursday!

I got to thinking last week. I have made everyone I know an apron, and I need one with Thanksgiving looming and Christmas right around the corner. I went to High Fashion Fabrics with my awesome teacher and friend Jenny this week and we got to talking about colors. I have been sitting on this fabric out of the Inncoent Crush collection from Anna Maria Horner for a long time, just waiting to use it on something. I, being of fair to borderline translucent skin cannot wear yellow. While shopping Jenny shared I can wear whatever color I like, I just needed to get the right shade. I had one yard of the mustard color with flowers and one yard of the coordinating purple. What to do? Of course I pulled out my One Yard Wonders book for an apron pattern.
I stumbled upon this book when admiring the sew along Pink Chalk Studio is doing. People are making amazing projects.

<-------- Their final version of the apron.

--------->

The fantastic layout and easy to read directions.

I made the cottage apron and made a few modifications. I used self made bias tape and instead of ribbon I made ties from my contrasting fabric to match the bias tape. Because I did not have a whole lot of fabric left after cutting bias tape I changed the back of the apron to just have a halter style neck.

See, no crossover straps back there.

You can see here I fussy cut my pockets so they would match the pattern on my fabric, and so the whole apron would be centered with the flowers in the middle. You can see the bias tape along the tops of the pockets and finishing the raw edges around the apron.

Also, the original pattern used an eyelet finish to edge the top and stick up above the neck line.  Being difficult like I am, I wanted to participate in Debi's So Grateful challenge. This called on all her readers to use something, fabric, pattern notion, etc. in a project that had been given to you by someone else.

I chose this pretty lace trim that I got from Project Angel Kisses. My sewing machine did not like it. It is pretty thick. I basted it along the neckline before I added the bias tape around the top. I managed to catch all of it! I think this is my favorite detail on the apron.

Now, being an American here is my tribute to some of the things I am grateful for:

• Mr. Thinks He Can and his unending patience and support
• My beautiful four-legged assistant for all the kisses, tail wagging and cuddles. 
• My family near and far. We have had a rough patch lately and I am amazed at how we all pulled together and supported each other.
• My blog and readers, I love that people are interested in this hobby I am learning.
• My friends and colleagues that make all my days better... I can't call everyone out by name because it would just get too long!
• My job and education.
• Every day.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Tree Pants update

OK, I am declaring an October redo. I blew October for various reasons, mostly beyond my control. At the beginning of October I cut out a billion little pieces for the Christmas Tree sew-along on Sew, Mama, Sew.

Check me out I finally made some progress!

The sew along really lays things out for anyone making tree pants. I did not know it, but I have stumbled along my most intensive quilting project on this one. As you can see it is not perfect, but I'm pretty darn proud of the results.

This tree skirt is make of more Moda Countdown to Christmas fabric, so it matches my Christmas Crazy quilt. I don't have enough of this fabric to bind the tree pants with the same, so I may use plain black. If you have a brilliant idea for a binding please let me know. I am game on this one.

For more fun news, I got my Colette Book last week and have been reading through it all. It is very well written and beautiful. I have a trip to High Fashion Fabrics with my awesome friend and sewing teacher Jenny this afternoon, so I will be on the hunt for some fabrics to try a few of the projects with.

I am off all this week, and am hoping to be able to get several projects done. That will help make up for all my slow times lately. Thanks for hanging in there as a reader and for all your support in the last month. Even though most of us have never met, your kind words really mean a lot to me. Stay tuned!

Holiday Sew Along alert!

Sew, Mama, Sew is hosting a No Excuses Holiday Sew along!



With the insane class I have this semester, I need some easy wins. I need quick projects that make me feel proud. I need someone to take me through it step by step. Thank you Sew, Mama, Sew!

There are three major projects in October. There is a totally cute scrappy place mat and napkin set that would be adorable all year. There is a cute advent calendar. Finally there are tree pants (because not all trees wear skirts).

I hope to do at least the place mat and napkin set as well as the tree pants.

Besides the class ends in December, so this way I can pretend I'm almost there with all my Christmas spirit!

Oh yeah, and the jacket is coming, I had to go out and buy more corduroy after all.