Sewers block?

For awhile, I just couldn't sew. Maybe my head is too full of ideas and desired projects or maybe I am discouraged by some of the machine issues I have encountered....not sure. Or maybe the sunny warm weather is calling me outside rather than into my sewing room.

Nevertheless, I have a few things in the works. First, I am almost finished on a summer dress for myself....made without a pattern! I just used a shirt that I like and drafted a pattern for the bodice. I am happy how it is coming together. The bodice is complete and I just need to add the skirt. The fabric is lightweight so I am adding a muslin lining to the skirt. I was ready to complete the skirt, but realized I had not washed/dried the muslin. I would be so sad if I completed the dress only to have the lining shrink up and ruin the look and fit.

I am also ready to make some new pillow covers for our family room sofa and our sewing/creative room loveseat with the fabrics above. Both rooms need a little summer update. Maybe I'll make some coordinating coasters, too. *Surprisingly* I had fabric onhand for both sets and did not have to make a purchase.

Baby has a new pair of shoes...and bibs

Until recently in my family, all of the babies born to my generation had been girls. Fortunately, a little boy is on his way to my sister and her husband in a couple of months. And my cousin just had a sweet little boy. ...so I made some fun gifts and broke away from all the girly prints.

How cute is the little tie bib? I saw the tutorial on blueprints (formerly known as Just Tutes) and had to try! This was my first applique and it was a breeze! I used Wonder Under to apply the applique and finished with a zig-zag stitch. The soft baby shoes are from the Stardust Shoes pattern. I highly recommend both sites which are full of great tutorials and ideas in addition to the projects I show. For both tutorials I followed the directions without any adjustments, maybe a first for me!

I'm still fighting with sewing machines. Mom's Singer and I were getting along great until the very end of the second bib. I was topstitching and the bobbin thread got all crazy on me. Is this user error or just a Singer quirk?? Hopefully my sister won't mind a little wonky stitching ;)

Technical difficulties...and a thank you!

I have lots of works in progress and many ideas in my head.....and a sewing machine that no longer functions! Last week, I was on a roll, nearly finished with a top and the bobbin jammed. This happens often on my machine, usually at the worst times. I cleared the jam as usual, but something else is wrong. Something is wrong with the bobbin shuttle...

Fortunately, after hearing my tale, my mom saved the day and brought me her sewing machine to borrow....without me even asking. How awesome is that? Thanks, Mom.

Off to finish some projects.....

Round Yoke Top from that*darn*kat

 If you read my previous post, you know that I started a top for my daughter months ago and hadn't finished it for fear of buttonholes. Well, last night, I decided it was time to buckle-down and figure them out. I did it! They really weren't that hard...I just didn't feel like it at the time months ago, I guess. I will need some more practice to get the density of stitches just right.

The pattern from that*darn*kat is easy to follow and can be made into a top or dress. The dot fabric is one of the first fabrics I purchased when I started sewing and is super lightweight for summer. I like it paired with the gingham. I will make more from this pattern. Her summer wardrobe is overflowing already, so I may try one in a heavier weight to layer with a t-shirt and leggings for fall. I found a cute plum corduroy that will make a cute jumper.

Dabbling

See all of those pretties above? I ordered a scrap pack from Fabric Supplies on etsy. The pack contains about two yards total fabric, all full-width cuts. The ones I received are mostly 12-16 inch cuts. The shop offers a choice of three color palettes - fresh, cool, warm. Mine is warm. Shipping was super fast. The best part was opening the package to find a surprise mix of pretty prints.

I view these beautiful fabrics online but find it hard to commit to just one or two and in a larger quantity. The choices are overwhelming, because I want them all! A scrap pack is a nice way to dabble and see how the weight and finish of different fabric lines compare. Although I haven't cut into these yet, I imagine they will be great for making smaller projects such as zip pouches, clutches, patchwork projects, garment trims, etc.

I thought I'd share this for other new sewers who want to add some fun to their stashes.

Crayon Roll

Crayon rolls are a nice instant gratification project to finish in one relatively short sitting. It is also a great project to use scraps from your fabric stash. I made a few for birthday party gifts recently using this tutorial from Chocolate on my Cranium (great blog name, huh?). I had not made one for my daughter who asked me last week for her very own "crayon box", so I sewed one last night. This one I managed to turn into a not-so-short project by accidentally cutting through a piece of the fabric. After that I had to regroup a bit and the end product turned a little weird and wavy because the interfacing ended up on the wrong panel and another piece was thick with too many layers. That's okay...my daughter doesn't seem to mind. I chose these fabrics to coordinate with the Simple Tote I made her for Christmas.

Dressed-up Buttercup

My latest project is a Buttercup Bag from made by rae's free pattern. (how awesome of rae to provide such a great pattern??) I decided to dress-up the handbag by using a piece of dupioni silk I had on-hand. I initially bought the silk to make a clutch to carry to a wedding. (I didn't get around to making a clutch, and instead finished the edges of the piece with a narrow rolled-hem to make a scarf to cover my shoulders during the chilly outdoor wedding.) The lining is a mustard, gray and white paisley quilting cotton found at the local Hancock. I saw the fabric, loved it and bought 3 yards (at $1.99 per yard, why not?) not knowing what I would make with it. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it coordinated with the gold silk. The silk made for nice sharp pleats and was not too difficult to work with, although it frays quickly.

The handbag was a gift for my mother-in-law who generally carries much larger bags. I hope that the small size and silk fabric will make it a nice option as a special occasion bag for a dinner or church outing. Since I wanted it to be almost clutch-like, I kept the handle very short, so it can be held daintily (not sure that's a word, but you get my vision, right?) during a night out!