Blessing Others with your Sewing Talents

[sew].

I'm at my parents' farm this week with the kids having a wonderful time. My mom's cousin was here last week and they had a huge sewing bee, the two of them, making placemats and knitting dolls and cooking quinoa. I had *hoped* to join them last week but things didn't quite work out. In any event, Mom and I both love to sew and of course within a day of arriving we were both placing fabric orders on fabric.com! I love that we share this obsessive hobby.

My mother is a fabulous seamstress and has blessed others with her talents all her life.  Elizabeth has been making headbands from her scrap-fabric-stash and blesses all little girls who visit her home with them. I thought it was time I did something similar and decided to make something for my mom while I'm here visiting.

Mom has always admired my Amy Butler Barcelona skirt, which I wear all the time and absolutely adore ... and she had some lovely Amy Butler fabric just sittin' around calling our name ... so out came the machine for a couple of hours. 

I asked her to pose but she's laughing her head off! Anyway, this is the simple A-line version of the Barcelona, and not the tiered frayed-edge version though maybe we will try that one next. 

I love how it turned out for her. She says its fit to wear in public. So that was a compliment :).

Speaking of A-line skirts, have any of you been following the Great Online Sewing Match (based on the Great British Sewing Bee - check it out on Youtube) organized by Sewmamasew? The round-one challenge was to draft, design and sew an A-line skirt,  based on a Craftsy class by Deborah Moebes. I took the class and I have to say, it was really excellent and inspiring! Got to give it a go! And not only that, the round two challenge is to sew the Roller Skate Dress by Oliver + S. Check out Sewmamasew for a discount code on the pattern.

So much fun stuff to think about, I can't say I was reading much this week at all. Heading back home tomorrow though, where I'll be greeted by a lonely husband and a box of fabric. Maybe a glass of wine. Can't think of a better combination, can you?

Please stop by Elizabeth's to check out her headbands, and see what the rest of the gang are sewing and reading this week. 

God bless and have a wonderful weekend!
xo

Mug Rug - Amy Butler Style

[sew].

Howdy doody sewing friends. Got a question for you. Have you ever heard of a mug rug? Of course you have. Because you know. Maybe you sew and quilt and keep up with the trends or at least have seen these lovelies around. But ... I didn't know. And if you didn't know either, brace yourself. Life may change.

Gah!

Mug Rug - Amy Butler Style

Mug rug. A mini-quilt you have permission to eat off! Think fudge, cookies, muffins, brownies or other snacky delights served up on a little fabric treasure bright and cheery.

Amy Butler In-Town HandBag Tips - Cute & Simple

[sew].

I hadn't sewn for a couple of weeks and there were signs of withdrawal. A somewhat neater house. An undefined restlessness. Irritability.  

So when Mother's Day was approaching and I texted my husband to ask him where he was taking the kids for the entire Saturday, he put a plan into action. The only dilemma was what to sew ... sometimes you have to be in the mood to sew certain things, you know? Anyone relate? I wasn't in the mood for kids clothes. I didn't really want to start on the skirt and dress patterns set aside for me.  That's when I pulled out my purse patterns, looking for something I could make in a day.

Hello Amy Butler. 
Hello Amy Butler In-Town Handbag.
Hello neglected Amy Butler fabric stash in my mechanical room.
I think I love you.

Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt AGAIN!

Good morning sewing friends and all you needle and thREAD-ers!  Visiting from Elizabeth's?  Welcome!

Have you ever come across a pattern that you absolutely LOVE and just have to make it up again? Most of the time when I sew up a pattern for myself, that's it and I'm onto the next thing. Either it didn't have a great fit, or I was unhappy with the fabric choice or it was a pain to sew.  Not so with Amy Butler's Barcelona Skirt.  Its quite simply amazing. This is my second Barcelona skirt (you can see the first one at the end of this post).

I love love love the frayed edges in this skirt. Panels are basically overlapped and topstitched, leaving an exposed edge. Each washing makes the skirt softer and a little more frayed. This skirt is a generous A-line, my very favorite kind. The pattern also offers a simple A-line (no overlapped frayed-edge panels!), and an apron overlay. But the frayed edge skirt is the one to make. So unique I think.

The skirt is an intermediate sew. Its lined with muslin but don't worry, that actually makes sewing the garment easier. The lining is attached at the waist, right sides together, and then just turned over and topstitched. No actual waistband to attach!

I wear this A LOT. Just so darn comfy. However, with the snow hitting us this week, I'll have to retire it for the winter. It got its last fling of the season in Salt Lake City at Sewing Summit, which I can't wait to tell you about! Such an amazing and inspirational experience.  And by the way, this skirt won me a nice little pack of charm squares on the shop hop bus, for wearing something handmade.  I also won a prize for having the most children, tee hee! Summit post coming soon, promise.

Reading. Does reading a particular blog count? I have fallen in love with Sunni's blog, A Fashionable Stitch. I enjoy sewing blogs, but Sunni's takes things up a notch. She inspires you to slow down and enjoy the sewing process, focuses on beautiful technique (check out her Sewing School), and showcases some very yummy notions (like rayon seam binding and Petersham ribbon).  I met Sunni at Sewing Summit - she taught a class in sewing up a knit T-shirt, and although I didn't get into her class I was very inspired and bought the Renfrew Top pattern she was teaching from. In fact, it just arrived today so can you guess what I'll be doing this weekend? You're right ... AND possibly making another child's maxi-skirt.  We'll see.

Do you have any patterns you've loved enough to make more than once?

Amy Butler Blossom Handbag Tips - needle and thREAD

Good morning! Its Thursday again, and time to join Elizabeth for her weekly Needle and thREAD sew and read-along.  May I introduce to you the Blossom Handbag by Amy Butler?

Careful, put on your shades.  The fabric is pretty funkalicious! I'm still not sure how I feel about it ...

Of course the really exciting part is I'm getting ready for Sewing Summit in just a few short weeks!  Ahhhh! And if you follow the "Travel Handmade" threads on bloggerland, you'll find that most attendees are busy sewing something useful for the journey. I have had some Amy Butler Lark fabric hanging around that I've been dying to use. I was saving it for the Weekender Bag, but won't get around to that in the very near future. So I decided to try out Amy's Blossom Handbag, a free pattern online.

Pretty darn roomy inside! I'm thinking a great little sewing bag for the conference. Can stash my scissors, thread, unstitcher and other unmentionables ... and maybe a little knitting project for the road as well!

The pattern itself is a JOY to construct. Honestly, it was not difficult, just take your time. It does help to have some experience.  I searched online for tips before diving in, and there were only a few.  I'd like to share a few more here, in case you are inspired to whip one up for yourself :).  Can't beat an Amy Butler freebie ...

Here are some things to note:
- you CAN use quilting cotton, as I have, even though the pattern calls for a heavier-weight home-dec fabric. The only thing I would suggest is to ALSO apply fusible interfacing to your lining pieces, not just your exterior pieces as per instructions.

- think hard about fabric placement. My main fabric "motif" runs exactly down the middle of the bag. The yardage requirements are VERY generous, so you should be ok, just plan where you lay your pattern piece

- one of the first things you do is attach a magnetic snap. Use a little piece of Pellon to stabilize it. I also placed my snaps about 1/2" higher than pattern, based on tips online. Glad I did.

- don't bother with Pellon in the side flaps. Use a softer fusible fleece instead. I saw too many complaints online about difficulty sewing bartacks through all the Pellon layers in the side flaps. Substituting fleece makes the sewing easier and the product is still very strong and stable.

- and about those side flaps, that came up as one of the "difficulties" of the bag, because you are sewing curved side flaps to a straight edge.  Here's what I did, in picture form.

This is a side flap (lining piece). Mark the bottom center with a pin.

This is the bottom panel, attached to two exterior main panels (lining). Mark the center of the bottom panel with a pin.

Right sides together, pin side flap to straight edge of bottom panel. Poke!

Now pin the side straight edges, matching raw edges at the top. Leave the curve part unpinned.  Just pin all the straight edges. Then over to the machine.

Begin sewing from the CENTER of the bottom panel and head straight into the curve. Stretch and ease the fabric as you go, gently sewing around the bend. Raise and lower the presser foot every few stitches as you sew the curve, if you have to. Sew right up to the top.  Then, turn the piece over and begin back at the bottom center again, sewing around the other curve and up the side. Voila!

Another great tip - when attaching the lining to the exterior, the pattern would have you put right sides together, leave an opening and turn it all right side out.

I say P-shaw. I read online that this turning process caused a lot of crinkling of the pellon (which is hard to smooth out again once crinkled).  I also saw somewhere (I think Patternreview.com?) a tip to do the following, which I thought was brilliant:  Just fold over your raw edges and set the lining directly INSIDE the bag exterior, pin and edgestitch all the way around.  I edgestitched twice, for added strength. Oh yeah. 

 

Hard Mike (cranberry) bottle in background. Empty. Sometimes it helps ...

The interior divider panels are lined. Which means you have to sew right sides together, but not all the way around. You need to leave room to turn it right side out, about 10" so says the pattern. Anytime you have to leave a space for turning, sew a little notch. It helps hold the fabric folded in place when you go to iron and stitch it down:

Can you see the little blue dot of fabric marker? That's where I start stitching, about a centimeter down to the actual stitching line; pivot and turn and carry on. That's what I mean by a little notch.  

When you attach the interior divider panels to the sides of the bag, there are a LOT of layers going on.  So don't bother with pins.  Use binder clips instead to get you to your machine.

Nice little bartack! Can you see it in white?

And I'm ready for date-night with my husband :)

When I make this bag again, I will opt for the shorter handles (I think it looks nicer) and a softer, more subtle fabric. 

As for reading this week, I've delved into Jane Eyre for a second time.  Its the first book we are discussing over at Classic Moms next week. Gonna be great.

Head over to Elizabeth's to see what everyone else has been up to.  Happy sewing!

On the sanity shelf

A friend asked me what projects I have on the go, so I thought I'd share :)

Mostly I've been swamped with helping sew costumes for the play my kids are in.  And received a new batch of stuff to work on tonight.

All that sewing means my machine is perpetually set up and ready, and this weekend I was puttering with a few projects of my own :)

First, I'm working on a couple of aprons for my little girls, for Valentine's Day.  I'm going to pair them with some felt cookies and a mini-baking pan.  I'm using this McCalls pattern and it promises to be very cute!!

Here is one I made for my neice's daughter for Xmas (my daughter trying it on):

Miss A was sad to have to give it away, but she will be surprised on Valentine's Day!  I'm making the ruffled version for both her and Miss M.

Here's the work in progress: (Sorry, can't get the picture to rotate for some reason tonight! Dana?????)

Second, I've been wanting to sew up this Barcelona Skirt by Amy Butler - my very favorite fabric designer :)

And today I did just that!  It turned out SO. CUTE.  If I do say so myself.  Lovely fit, lovely pattern, and Amy Butler fabric.  Can you tell I've used two different fabrics from the same collection?  The panels are layered over each other, and once you wash it, it will get that frayed-edge look.  Its bright and pretty and will be perfect for the hot place I'm going to in March :).  I made my skirt a bit shorter than the pattern.

I picture this with a cute tank top in the same rust color as I'm wearing.

Equally sweet with a white twin-set or T-shirt.

Maybe some little skirts to match for the girls??

So there.  That's what's on the sanity shelf!  Hope you enjoyed!