Singlet Shopping Bag

 

Made using this pattern and tutorial. Super easy, and can’t wait to make more! I’ll do a few man-friendly patterns for hubby, too.

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In Stitches Apron

My first apron, made from the Amy Butler pattern in In Stitches.

Criss Cross Coaster

The only one in my first batch that turned out half-way decently. I made it from the pattern here:

Next time, I’m going to use bigger seems so I can catch all the edges of all the layers.

Black and White Tote with Ric-Rac

I really like how this purse turned out, especially the ric-rac. This was the first tote I made with an interior pocket.

Gold and Black Flowered Tote

I sewed this tote last weekend, and am quite pleased with how it turned out, aside from the ugly zigzag stitching. The zippered pouch below it was my first attempt ever at sewing a zipper. Notice I’m not showing that part close up.

WIP batik tote

T-Shirt Mod

My second attempt at modding a t-shirt, and it’s a very bad photo!

I took a too-large t-shirt and cut off the hems at neck, arms, and waist, and then sewed the edges with a zigzag stitch to make the lettuce edging. Next time, I’ll round the edges a bit (at neck and bottom corners)

My First Quilt Ever!

This is my first quilt ever, based on a pattern by Jan Mullen. My mom taught me some of the basics of quilting in the two weeks I spent with her after my grandmother’s death. It was very healing for both of us. I was able to finish this and give it to mom before I went home.

The backing fabric is my favorite fabric ever, and sadly, long out of print.

I made Amy Butler Wide Leg Lounge Pants!!!

So yesterday morning I bought In Stitches, because I couldn’t spend another second without Amy Butler’s Wide Leg Lounge Pants. And yesterday afternoon I had two new pairs of pants!!! Made by me! Can you tell I’m excited? I’ve never sewn clothing before, and I did it! I made buttonholes! I made drawstrings! I sewed the right pattern pieces together! They fit!

This pattern was super-easy for a newbie to follow. I’m 5’4″ and one hundred seventy five pounds 😐 and I used the large size, and when I put them on they were a nearly perfect fit. I added one half inch to the side of each leg for the second pair, for just a bit more room. The pattern has very long legs, so I took a bit of length off, and then sewed a wide hem (I figure I can let them out if I get taller–heh).

Here is my first pair, made with a cornflower blue and cream cotton print. You may or may not be able to tell that they fit snugly across the hips:

Here is my second pair, made with a funky cowboy cotton print, and with just a bit of looseness in the hips:

And here are my next four pair, fresh from the fabric store!

I love these pants! Maybe I am a little short and squat, but I feel like a movie star from the forties in them.

look at me! i made these!

A lined purse with a squared bottom, and craft-weight interfacing. I think next time, I’d face the lining too, or use a heavier interfacing. This is my favorite fabric ever, which I bought at Joann’s on clearance 4 years ago, immediately wanted more of, and have never found since.

I made this craft apron to wear around the house or at girl’s night out for keeping all my stuff at hand. I used heavy brown canvas on one side and this great cowboy fabric on the other.

I made this bunny for mom for easter, from a pattern here. Things I learned:

• little ‘x’s for eyes aren’t nearly as nice looking as french knots would have been, but I don’t know how to make them yet
• when stuffing a toy with lots of long narrow bits, start somewhere in the middle instead of at the end of one of the long narrow bits
• if you get to the end of a strand of floss, and think your bunny will look OK with only two whiskers on one side of his face, you are wrong

My 1st Purse Ever!

Thanks to these super-easy-to-follow instructions by Mariko at supereggplant, I am now a maker-of-totes! Here is my very first, using an old floral from my stash. Yay me! After this one, I made a purse with Marimekko fabric for my mom (no pic) and then a third, which I have just posted

Totally my colors

As I said in the last post, I was really drawn to the colors used for the yoyos. Here is a small hawaiian wall hanging I made several years ago as proof:

A close look will reveal I never finished the breadfruit leaves, but I bound it anyway. Maybe one day I’ll finish it.

A more recent quilt

This was a kit we got from Quilter’s Market–our favorite local quilt store –at their monthly ‘strippers club’. It’s called Gypsy Rose. (The kit is for sale here.)

3rd quilt

This quilt and the one before it (and my very first quilt, picture to come) are all loosely based on a pattern from Cut Loose Quilts by Jan Mullens of Stargazey Quilts. Jan has some wonderful free patterns here, and is well known for her wacky, wonky style, and forgiving piecing methods.

my 2nd quilt

My second quilt ever:

A quilt of my own

I’ve taken some bad pictures of a few of my quilts, thinking that at this point bad pictures are better than no pictures. This is one of my early quilts, and is called: “Am I Blue?” This was my first attempt at hand quilting–before this I had only tied quilts.