A New Skill and New Pattern

 I bought this book last year, after reading this post over at MADE.  All the sewing patterns I've made up to now, I've done in Powerpoint.  It works well for straight lines and some curves, but it's not ideal.  So, I've been meaning to sit down and learn Illustrator....for almost a year now!  Guess what, I finally did!  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and having this book on hand is really helpful.

 This book is really great.  It's small (7x7, 154 pages) so it's not overwhelming in size or information, but it's just enough.  It definitely takes practice, and I'm by no means a pro.  But, I was able to figure out how to make my very first, multi-page pattern.  This feels like a HUGE accomplishment for me.

 I've purchased quite a few PDF patterns that require assembly.  Some come together better than others, and now I understand why.  It's a little hard to get all those pages to line up perfectly.  I think my first one came together pretty well.

 It's not perfect, but it works.  And, since it's my first and I'd love to get some feedback, I'm going to post this with instructions for free!!  Coming soon....

PS - I couldn't find the book listed on the Nicole's Classes website, so  I sent a message to see if it's still available.  I'll post more info when I find out.

A New Skirt and My Favorite Spring Colors

  Over Mother's Day weekend, I got my nails done, started a new skirt, and bought some fun new fabric.  As I snapped this photo of my skirt in progress, I realized I have a color palette on the brain.  Emerald, black and coral seem to be my go to colors right now.

I'm so happy with now this skirt came out and really proud to say that it is for the most part, self-drafted.

 I started with Simplicity 2226 which I've made twice before.  This one, where I sort of followed the pattern, and here again where I describe the changes I made.

 I used the pattern to draft the pockets and the yoke with belt loops and a skirt from my closet to draft the basic shape.  The invisible zipper gave me trouble on both my previous skirts, so it was nice to not have to worry about a zipper on this one.

 I really like the look of the front buttons, and believe it or not, used the sewing instructions from my Lisette Traveler's Dress to draft the button placket.

There are so many things I love about this skirt.  The fabric is a stretch poplin, so it's really comfortable to wear.  I love the color and the pockets and the fun flower print facing.  I added seam down the back which I think adds a nice simple detail.  I did have to add a little hook between the first 2 top buttons to keep it a little flatter there. I love being able to customize my clothing and not always having to rely on the sizing and fit of store-bought clothes. 

Next on the sewing agenda is a cute matching top with my new fabric find.

Finishing up Projects - Girls Tunic Dress Updated

 

 I don't know if it's because of the Spring weather, but I recently had the urge to clean up my sewing space and finish a whole ton of projects I started and never finished.  Most of those projects can be found in my etsy shop.  The last one was this cute version of my Girls Tunic Dress.

 I used the same pattern that I showed in my tutorial, only made it longer, added a ruffle to the bottom, and didn't add elastic around the middle.

 Now I'm going to make a few more just like this. It's a great dress to transition from winter to spring to summer.

 Paired with boots and leggings now, on it's own later.

Fabric:  Girl Charlee, no longer available, similar HERE.

DIY Earring Frame

 Mother's Day is right around the corner.  Here's a really easy and useful gift that you can whip up in a hurry.  Anybody who loves earring as much as I do, will be very happy to receive this, especially if it comes with a cute new pair of earrings....hint, hint...

Here's what you'll need:

• A frame - any size, big or small works.  I found mine in the back of my junk closest
• a piece of foam board or cardboard.  Thin, but sturdy is the goal.  If it's too thick, you won't be able to get the back of frame secured
• burlap
• glue gun

 Take the frame apart and use the glass to trace and cut your cardboard.

 Cut your burlap to be a few inches larger than the cardboard.

Fold over the edges and glue in place.  Trim any excess.  put the burlap covered cardboard back into the frame and start hanging your earrings.

 If you follow me on Facebook then you saw the earring frame I made for myself back in January.  Now you can make one for yourself, your mom, your sister....all the earring lovers in your life!

Minoru Spring Jacket

I've been looking for a new Spring jacket for a while now, and haven't been able to find something that has all the features I really want; zipper front, hood, and pockets.  I've seen so many Minoru jackets and thought maybe this pattern might fit the bill.

I will say, it was a bit of an investment.  The pattern with shipping was $23.  Add in fabric and notions and the total cost was probably $50 or more. 

Though I'm not sure this finished jacket is worth the cost to me, I do like, will probably wear it, will probably make another, and it was really, really fun to sew.

 If you are considering this pattern, be advised, the pattern comes with fairly minimal instructions.  I was a little nervous when I first opened it up.  But, Tasia has a separate  post for each step on her blog, Sewaholic.  There is also a ton of info on other blogs.  This is a really popular pattern and there is a lot of advice.  The pattern doesn't have outer pockets so I used this tutorial and pattern to add in-seam pockets.

 Even though there is a ton of info about this pattern already out there, I'll throw my 2 cents in. 

• I cut a size 2 with no changes
• main fabric is a mid-weight cotton/poly blend
• everything but the pockets and arms are lined with a quilting weight cotton
• slippery, lining fabric for the pockets and arms is a must
• I LOVE the lining, the hood, and the general fit
• the construction is fairly easy and the end result feels really high quality.  It feels like a jacket I could have bought at a store

 Though I do really like this jacket, I have a list of dislikes as well.

• The hood pocket seems totally unnecessary, especially since when I tucked my hood inside, it was really bulky and looked silly.  I'll always have my hood out and will eliminate the zipper next time.

• I don't care for the in-seam pockets and will do welt pockets next time.

• I also don't care for the elastic cuffs.  I ended up having to shorten my sleeves and next time could just hem them and eliminate the cuff altogether.

•   Though I like the fit and look, I think I would use a narrower elastic to gather the waist. 

I think I would also make the collar a little smaller.  Here is the jacket all zipped up with the hood up.  It would make a good spy jacket.

 

Despite all my dislikes, I will definitely be making another.  I'm really excited to see how my next version comes out.

How many Minorus is too many? 

Felt Easter Bucket-TUTORIAL

 Easter is right around the corner.  Here's any easy way to add something handmade to your Easter tradition.

Download Pattern for the bottom HERE

(or you can draw a circle with a diameter of 9 inches)

Here's what you'll need:

1 piece of felt for exterior - 8  x 28 inches

1 piece of medium weight fabric for interior - 8 x 28 inches 

2 circles - one from felt, one from interior fabric

about 1 yard of double fold bias tape 

By the way, this is a great project to try out making your own bias tape.  You don't need much, so you can grab any fun fabric off your shelf and give it a try.   

 I added a cute bunny applique. If you are going to add your own, be sure to do it now.  The side with your applique will be the right side of your felt.  If you don't add applique, there is not right side.

Okay, so match up the shorter sides of your felt rectangle, right sides together, and sew with a 1/2 inch seam.

Pin the felt circle to the felt rectangle, with right sides together.

TIP: if you mark the quarter points on the circle and quarter points on the felt tube and match them up, it is much easier to make it fit together nicely. 

 Clip the seam allowance to help it sit flat.

 Do the same for the interior fabric.

Then place the interior inside the felt bucket.  Trim the interior so it matches nicely to the felt exterior.

Pin the bias tape all around the raw edge at the top of the basket.  Overlap the ends and fold one raw edge over.

 Sew around with a wide zigzag stitch.

 I was ready to stop here with this bucket, but then my son saw it and wanted a handle.  The handle is definitely nice for egg collecting.  But, I think I'll probably take them off later so the kids can use them as storage buckets.  Anyway, here's what I did for a handle.

 Cut 2 handle pieces, one from felt and one from your interior fabric, 2.5 x 20 inches

With right sides together sew around the exterior with a 1/4 inch seam, leaving a few inches open along a side.

Turn right side out.  Pin the opening closed and top-stitch.

 Pin the handle to the sides of the bucket and sew in place.

 Too cute!

 What will you fill your Easter buckets with?

Stripey Plantain

 

I've had the Deer and Doe Plantain pattern cut out and sitting on my table for quite some time now.  I'm so glad I finally took the time to make it. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a free pattern and it's really great!

 I couldn't decide what fabric to use and finally settled on this blue and white striped knit from Girl Charlee.  I bought the fabric this summer intending to use it for a jersey  summer dress (tutorial HERE).  But it ended up being a bit too slinky and so on the shelf it sat. 

 I'm not sure how I feel about the elbow patches.  Maybe I should have done them in something more subdued. 

Overall, I love this pattern and will definitely make it again.  The fabric ended up having a really nice drape and is very comfortable.  I even got a compliment in the hall at work.  Check out the Deer and Doe Pinterest page for more inspiration.

Forget the Brown Bag, Lunch in Style

 One of the things I enjoy about blogging is that my blog serves as a personal journal of my creations.  I recently decided it's time for a new lunch tote and was kind of shocked to look back and see that the one I'm using is almost 3 years old!  Back then, I was asked to do a guest post and wanted to make something really functional.  An insulated, zippered, washable, lunch tote fit the bill.

 It was really fun to follow my own tutorial.  Since I have this problem of never wanting to do the same thing twice, I of course changed things up.  I used nylon on the inside instead of PUL and added interfacing to the exterior fabric.

The size is perfect and it stands up nicely.

I'd also been getting quite a few comments on the original post asking for dimensions of the finished bag.  I finally updated the tutorial page and added the dimensions as well as a few clarifications.  If there are any readers out there that have been waiting for that, sorry it took so long!  But if you head over to the original tutorial HERE, you'll find all the updated info.

 I'm really excited to head off to work tomorrow with my new lunch sack.  And, I'm working on a slightly smaller version to send to school with my kids.  Their current lunch bags get so stinky and I'm tired of not being able to throw them in the wash.  

Check back soon!