I can’t believe this is a quilt.

I certainly wouldn’t put this on a bed–it’d go right on a wall.  Next to my antler lamp.

Detail shots here.

It’s been a while since the last shop update!  I don’t know how the month of February got away from me…

First up, a new scarf in linen, satin and cotton.  Most of these are remnants from other projects and might be familiar…

And a new necklace using the vintage lace I got from my coworker–the first one sold so quickly!

The earrings feature some of the beads I acquired recently–I usually try to mix new with old but couldn’t resist this combination.

All in the shop!

One more belated Christmas-ish post before I move on to other things.  I just wanted to share the wee stockings I made, mostly for coworkers but also for friends.

From felted sweater remnants, embellished with vintage lace or rick rack.

Then Dawn surprised me with this awesome bird that will definitely be hanging from my door year round.  Love!

Now, with 2010 here, that should be it for the Christmas-ish posts!

Because I seem to have some weird impulse to sew up patterns in ways they were never intended, the Very Easy Vogue 8534 took most of the week to finish.

I bought this stretch wool in a gray pinstripe nearly a year ago, an impulse buy from the clearance table at Pacific Fabrics.  I’d settled on half a dozen ideas, including several jackets, that I thought might be suitable before plowing into this Vogue pattern a few weeks back.  Of course I completely disregarded that the pattern is meant for drapey knits.

I’m as surprised as you that it still turned out.  And I’m thrilled to be able to use the labels I ordered from Name Maker a few months back.

Stanley snuck into this detail shot and I didn’t have the heart to crop him out.  As much as I usually avoid pleats anywhere near my bust, the placement of these doesn’t add the bulk I usually fear.

And one last shot playing Wii golf on Christmas day.  The wine is necessary as a counterbalance.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

I’m very excited for a vintage pattern I recently discovered and should be receiving any day now.  I’ve been on the hunt for a dress/top with some kind of detail at the shoulders or neckline that would allow me to play around with different fabrics.

Versions A & B of McCall’s 9320 are deceptive but the middle version shows the possibilities for adding interest.  I’ve never been a fan of crewnecks, though and don’t know how difficult it would be to widen the neckline.  I have the same issue with 9225–the options are endless for mixing in different prints and patterns but the crew neck makes me stop short.

The yokes of these two tops offer the opportunity to mix fabrics and provide some contrast.  I hesitate with the first  because I hate to have pleating over my bust.  And the second…well, it’s so similar to a pattern I already have and made–as tempting as it is, my internal to-do list for sewing is so long I don’t want to add anything to it that even vaguely resembles things I’ve already done.

When the pattern that did tempt me finally arrives, I’ll share it and the fabric I’m going to use.

No, not Between Laundry Days.

These bags are really too lovely to hold dirty clothes, but that’s what they’re for.  I’ve never liked or owned the plastic laundry baskets that are the usual means of carrying the stuff around.  Being back in an apartment has meant I needed something to convey the laundry up and down the stairs and my friend Sarah was kind enough to give these to me.  Lucky her, she’s got a laundry chute and doesn’t need them anymore!

Flouncy, feminine detail seems to be the order of the day.

I honestly think I just got tired of seeing this gray tank in my to-do pile and finally attacked it with flouncy eyelet trim and vintage buttons in blue.

These tiny amazonite beads were re-purposed from another project.  With filigree caps, they remind me of some vintage jewelry you might find at an estate sale.

Both are in the shop.

The last of the lapis.

Isis Oro, in the shop.

And the first of the Christmas gift craftiness–I’ve got lots in mind for the holiday season and am hoping I’ll have the time and motivation to get everything done before the date is actually here.

I adore this top so much that I’ve been meaning to make a similar version of it using Simplicity 4589.  After all, it’s from Forever 21 and can’t last forever.

I was on the phone with the madre while taking these photos–multi tasking at it’s finest.

I had two vodka tonics in me when I cut out the fabric so that speaks volumes about the impossibility of messing up this pattern.  I could have added a little flare for my hips but I wore it comfortable all last Sunday.

The fabric is eyelet so I will always have to wear a tank or something under it to keep from being shocking.  I don’t mind though, given how often I layer things.

I’ve also sewn a top for Stella but failed to get pics.  I’ll have to ask her to model it the next time I see her.

I mentioned that a coworker brought back a ton of lace from her vacation–all belonging to her 80 year old mother who was moving into a smaller place.  Spotting a bunch of plain tanks at Nordstrom gave me the motivation to use some of it on something other than a brooch or a bag.

The first is for me, in a bluish purple color with a golden brown lace that I hand stitched in ruffles partly down the neckline, then machine stitched asymmetrically to the body.

White on white, the second has a tuxedo style front, all ruffled and feminine, and is in the shop.

I lost steam with the last tank and couldn’t quite figure out which lace I wanted to use on it.

This heavy hank of cream lace might be my favorite but I’m not sure if I want to use it in this particular way.  We shall see.

Related reading:

Vintage Lace DIY

Threadless Altered

Bits and pieces of hand sewing has dominated my week.

A paper pieced star for a custom order–almost exactly the same as one of the hoodies in the shop.

A few little quilt blocks using the cathedral window pattern tutorial at Hyena in Petticoats.  My squares were an inch smaller than what she posted–I think, were I to start over, I’d begin with much bigger pieces.  Not quite sure what I’ll end up doing with this little sample piece.

While this little case wasn’t hand sewn, I thought I’d throw it in with these other projects.  Almost identical to quilted cases in the shop, I made this for the boyfriend.  He backs up my data, fixes my wireless when it goes out, and does any number of technical things I don’t even think about, & I sew cases for his hard drives.  I think it’s a decent trade.

Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend.

The Talia purse has made it’s way into the shop.

It may look similar to one I was making for myself mid-summer–I couldn’t bring myself to deal with the bamboo handles–but a seersucker one isn’t a half-bad replacement.

And a similar flare of yo yos in seersucker and toile.

We’re off to a birthday barbecue–yes, even in the rain.  Enjoy your weekend.

Simply adoring the sweet dresses at Very Purple Person.

Her choice of fabric, the ruffled sleeves and little pleats are all too darling.

While in my heart I know I couldn’t pull off a drop crotch romper, her pictures make me feel like in an alternate universe, I might look as cute.

Oh, to live in Tokyo with access to such amazing fabric. & of course she has an Etsy shop featuring her wonderful things.

Using the Superbuzzy fabric, I finally finished a second version (given the disaster of the first) of McCalls 5532.  I only realized after looking at the pattern envelope for the 27th time, that it’s a celebrity pattern with Marlo Thomas in the picture.

At craft night earlier this week, my friends and I talked about patterns not having the best instructions, and how sometimes it really does make sense to do it in a way that produces the result that makes you happy.  Doing this dress the first time, I realized not only did I hate the front seam it called for, but the welt pockets were left with a raw edge–not visible to anyone not wearing the dress but totally unacceptable to me.

So I cut the front piece on the fold and, for this particularly version, made in-seam pockets instead.  I decided I didn’t like the look of the pattern being broken up with welt pockets but if I make it again, I won’t be following the pattern’s instructions.

I used a button from my ridiculous stash for the cute closure and also abandoned the collar the pattern called for–I’m not much collars if they’re not Peter Pan.  I was intimidated by sleeves but doing the cap version was pretty painless and only took one attempt to get right.

An obligatory shot for Caitlin’s gorgeous flickr group.

I’ve also done some hand sewing lately, including this necklace very similar to others that sold from the shop a long time ago.

And this brooch from the lace I was given just last week–I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and will hopefully have more time this weekend to make use of the rest of it.

After all, this is my first weekend home in a while!

Now, I know faux bois has kind of outlasted its stay but the boyfriend picked out this print the last time we were at the fabric store.

I’ve yet to provide any updates about the downstairs living area.  Unlike the upstairs, this space needed furniture and is still really only half full.  I think, like the bed, we must have looked at a million sofas–if only because we couldn’t commit to the price of the few we liked.  After dismissing the options at Ikea, we finally caved after the millionth sofa and got this one.

And coasters to match the pillows.

I got started on the McCalls vintage pattern I mentioned when I intially bought all of this fabric.  While I love the front yoke and am feeling accomplished for creating a chevron with the stripes, I hate with the fire of 1000 suns the seam down the front…and I’m starting to think this fabric makes the whole thing look a bit nightgownish.  So I’m pretty sure this will end up the muslin and I’ve already ordered a different fabric with no nightgown overtones.  And next time, no front seam.

Though it’s been quite a few projects since I had a total disappointment, I knew my lucky streak couldn’t last forever.I shared the Butterick 4274 pattern some time ago but, as is usually the case, it took me a while to settle on a fabric.  I was thinking of a patchwork madras not too dissimilar from the envelope design but finally just used a mens’ XL shirt from the thrift store to give it a go.

Unfortunately, the limitations of using a mens’ shirt meant I couldn’t cut the fabric on the bias as the pattern calls for.  I could tell as the main body came together that it was going to be a bit shapeless so I cut my losses by binding the edges in the same floral cotton I used for my pajama bottoms.

But my gosh, I was still surprised by how shapeless and scrub top this ended up looking.  Total yuck.  I’ll try it one more time with fabric cut on the bias and cross my fingers that it gains some cling and shape.

I’ve needed a needle book practically since I started sewing and have had it on my to-do list for an embarrassing amount of time.  I finally went through my scrap bag (bursting at the seams itself) and selected some pieces for a cover and the pages.

This is what happens when you cut and iron fabric quickly without paying close attention to exact measurements.  It’s just wonky–it still does the job but isn’t quite how I imagined it.  Ah well.

Sewing successes hopefully soon to follow…

A recent wedding provided the motivation to go downtown and browse the shops.  As my sewing gets better, however, it gets harder to justify some purchases.  For instance, at Banana Republic there were a number of dresses that caught my eye.

However, Diana’s treasure trove of patterns made me realize, despite being vintage, that I had the means to make at least 2 of the dresses I saw there.

The first is very much in line with my style.  I preferred it in white but given that I was shopping for a  wedding, I knew I couldn’t get it in that color.

Pros: pockets!  Cons: too baggy and the detail on the front placket is a little too boho and 3-D for me.

Even better, this awesome pattern is very much the same style–if in shirt/tunic form.

In the Italian linen I shared a few weeks back, it’s quickly becoming my favorite summer top.  I added a few vintage buttons (courtesy of Walla Walla’s antique malls), took it in at the sides and made it a bit long.   I’ll definitely be making it again, but maybe in a less wrinkle-prone fabric.

This ruffled dress has such a 1970s feel that I knew one of the patterns I’d gotten had to match the style.

In fact there are two.

This one will probably have to wait for a few other projects to get finished–some of which I should be able to share this weekend.

In the wake of the most recent BurdaStyle Sewing Club meet up, my craft room looks like a tornado touched down leaving a spray of tissue paper, thread, bits of fabric, and a lazy tuxedo cat.  The reason for this?  Diana.

I met Diana at the first meet up and later learned she had a trove of vintage patterns she couldn’t use (much too big.)  Given they’re only a size or two off what I usually buy, I was thrilled to get the lot of them for an incredibly reasonable price at the most recent meet up on Saturday.

I first divided these up based on what I knew I wanted to make (someday) and what will simply never be my style.  Given the sheer number of what landed in my to-do pile, I have no idea when I’ll actually get around to making something from a Burda pattern & having anything valuable to contribute to the meetings.

In fact, I was so inspired by this trove of patterns that I allowed myself a trip to the fabric store for the first time in ages and picked out 5 yards for 2 patterns right off the bat.  The first is a striped cotton that I think will give this dress a nice menswear feel.

The peach fabric in the top picture is an Italian linen that feels incredible–you’ll have to wait to see which pattern I used.  I’m hoping to have it done by this Sunday for a wedding–I got the muslin out of the way yesterday and should be able to alter the pattern tonight.

By the way, if you meet me in real life and I look mildly brain damaged when you tell me you read my blog, it’s only because I assume the majority of the people who land here are mistakenly trying to find big breasts or a Spanish rear ends (here’s a hint: turn off the safe search and you might end up somewhere more appropriate to your interests.)  While I know the 80/20 rule dictates that there must be more people reading than commenting, I still don’t quite believe it.  So apologies to Shelley for the dumbfounded response –I should have just said ‘thank you,’ which I will try to remember to do if this happens in the future.

A vintage brooch as a pendant.

With rhodonite stones and freshwater pearls.  In the shop.

And a star from a vintage table cloth, in the paper pieced style I love so much.  Covering an ink stain, this is the first example in my own wardrobe.

Hope you’re having a lovely weekend.

I can’t even remember now how long ago I read about various crafters making Amy Butler’s pattern for lounge pants out of bed sheets.  I think it was my lack of success with it more than a year ago that had me browsing to see if anyone had altered the pattern.

Given how much I love revamping things, I’m not sure why it took me so long to browse the racks of sheets at the thrift store.  This brushed cotton covered in roses caught my hand more than it caught my eye–so soft!  My first choice for a pattern would probably have been in a stripe but I can live with a floral–especially one with such a Victorian, vintage feel.

Hemmed in eyelet with a ribbon drawstring and ready to wear tonight after UFC.