Christmas 2009!

Finally, I can display the GREAT fun I've had over the last month or so, cranking out Christmas presents.

The first four I completed were the ones I needed to ship out my to sister Andrea and her family in Tacoma. Here are the beauties, tagged and ready to box. From the left: a zip-front vest for Doug, bamboo knit lounge pants (delicious!) for Andrea, a corduroy backpack for Avery, and a hat and mittens set for Kellen.

And here are the boys, modeling their new couture on Christmas day.

I also made a vest for my dad, out of wind resistant fleece with a water resistant overlay, for motorcycle rides. I was pretty happy with the zippered pockets.

Check the sweet brocade shirt I made for my sister Kelly. Gladys didn't want to take it off, so I let her keep it on until the last possible minute.

And I took a break from the sewing to crochet my mom a rug...out of old t-shirts. It was a ton of fun, even if I'm not the most perfect crochet-er ever. That's thirteen 100% cotton large adult Ts. Yeah.

Merry Christmas!

repurposed haberdashery

My friend Lizzie appears with a box of neckties. I smell some mischief! What to do with all these neckties? Hmm. First, we'll choose our victims. Then we'll get our ties laid out in a pleasing palette. I chose (big surprise) brown/blue coordinates. Note the SWEET paisley tie fourth from the right.
Lizzie chose oh-so-stunning black and red.

Next, we'll get them washed, rip open the back seam, and cut off the skinny, useless part.

Then, we'll hijack one of my favorite skirt patterns. The result? Fabulousness!

patterns galore

You know what I really need? I really need a better way to store my patterns.

I have a lot. A lot, a lot.

Ok, maybe I'm a pattern junkie.

But I paid full price for NONE of them. I swear. I probably paid ten cents or a quarter for about half of them. Thift stores! There's not much better than vintage patterns. And  I got quite a few for free. If I do succumb in the store, I only buy when they're less than two dollars.

Because who knows when I'll need a pattern for a halter dress from 1947?! Maybe tomorrow! Remember the red print dress I just made this fall? Rummage sale pattern! Ten cents. Booyah. And the pattern on the left--yep. Made that one too. It swings like a mad cat.

Still, I've got two desk drawers full of patterns, and they're hard to keep organized. Of course, I like looking through them so it's no hardship, but there must be a better way. Some sort of binder system? Patterns can be kind of thick, though, and it would be best if I could easily see the front and back of each envelope.

All six dozen of them. No--maybe it's more like fifty. Well...ok, I'm not sure. Less than a hundred.

I need help. Does anyone have any ideas? (Help with organizing patterns. Geez, you guys!)

into the realm of reupholstery

Well, we were going to use this fabric to slipcover this chair, but decided playing with a staple gun sounded much more fun. Look how awesome this turned out!

Action footage!

more dots!

We interrupt this sewing blog to bring you a tad bit of reupholstering mayhem.

start to finish

 One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Happiness!

impulse coat

So...I bought the fabric on Friday afternoon, had it washed, cut, and started Friday night...pretty much completed it on Saturday night...wore it to church on Sunday, then came home and added buttons. Whew!

Yes, there are buttons on the front. Can't see them, ey? They are secret buttons. Ooh-ooh. Of course, that makes them a pain to fasten, but I'll get the trick of it I'm sure.

Oh, and then I decided to add these goofy buttons to the back. They keep the tie from wandering overmuch.

I'm thinking about changing the front tie to a buckle, but am afraid that will look dorky. And it already takes me long enough to do up the inverse buttons. Any thoughts?

red dress glory

I'm so glad that my sewing room is back up and running again.

Check this vintage square-necked sheath, modelled so wonderfully by its happy new owner. So cute! With the awesome print, it's hard to tell--but check out the flap pocket on the right side. And stretch cotton--definitely my favorite fabric to work with at the moment.

In fact, it was so fun and cute, Gladys didn't want to take it off. We had quite the little photo shoot. Work it, Gladys, work it!

possibilities

Well, Juliet's in the shop getting a tune-up, since I figured as I was moving, I wouldn't be sewing for a little while.
Of course, now I really really want to. But I don't have much longer to wait. She should be done by next week--and by then I should have my new sewing room in tolerable order.

And when I do...



Let's just say that this is a distinct possibility. Not for myself, but for another tallish gal at work who is just as fed up with how store-bought dresses fit as I am.
Oh, this will be fun! I want to fabric-shop for it right now!
Insert massive gleeful chuckle here.

wedding dress curtains

So...last Thursday I became the proud owner of my first house! Life is somewhat crazy and the sewing adventures will have to take the backseat for a little while...at least until I've unpacked in my new sewing room. (Which might become orange, if all goes well!)

However, my new house did sport these absolutely lovely layers of lacy curtains, circa 1968, and they just beg to be turned into something with high levels of awesomeness. I was wracking my creative brain, and then it hit me--there's enough curtain in the living room alone to make a wedding dress! A lovely, lacy, and slightly polyester gown of elegance and high style.


Or at least it would be lacy and polyester. Should I go for it? I have always enjoyed The Sound of Music. Here's my chance to give Maria a shout-out.

the apron parade, part 3

Kristin's not quite sure about that spoon, but her apron sure looks fabulous!
Let's put that spoon in a safer place...

Kristin is one of the lucky few who has received not one but TWO aprons. I recommend wearing both at once for a hard-core fashion statement.

the apron parade, part 2

Lizzie posing so wonderfully in her half-apron (ask her about the other half sometime) with Gladys, who is wearing the apron soon to be given to...another Liz!

And here's the other side of it. I'm getting addicted to reversibles. Though my favorite part is definitely the yellow ruffle.

the apron parade, part 1

A few years ago, I began making aprons as wedding gifts for most of my friends. A few gals married before I began, and I've given a few aprons for other reasons, but they are mostly wedding aprons. I started counting how many I have given away--and quickly came up with over a dozen names! I quite quickly decided that I needed a picture of each apron in action, and have sent out an all-call to everyone in possession of a Spools Custom apron. Here are the first three:

No one pulls off a ruffle like Lins.


Carol shows her apron in some serious kitchen action. Slice, girl, slice!


Kelly proudly displays one side of her reversible apron.

the mommy dress

I generally love my projects--hence that fact that sewing is one of my best hobbies. But every once in a while I get to do something that's extra-special awesome. And this is one of them. I think every new mommy needs one of these. Note the nursing-friendly buttons, the high waist, the tie-belt that can be tightened or loosened depending on the day, and especially the way the inverted box-pleats help the A-line skirt just fall away from the body in a very cute shape. It doesn't matter if you haven't quite lost the baby weight, ladies--in this dress, no one can tell. And it will still fit as you shrink your way back towards your pre-baby weight.

Happy mommy. Oh, yes, happy mommy indeed.

the anatomy of a dress...umm...tunic

I must say, I was quite proud of this project. Note the neatness of the neckline and bust gathers. Gladys was great in helping me tighten the back before placing the zipper.
However, when I finally tried it on myself, I was chagrined to discover that the inherently static-loving fabric and the narrow cut of the skirt meant that it pretty much looked like death from the hips on down. Solution? Ditch the skirt. And voila! A tunic was born.