I started this quilt before WAY before the holidays and finally decided it was time to get it off my to-do table…
I used my favorite, go-to fat quarter pattern from Two Little Banshees. I love this pattern! Quick, easy and so fun to make it unique!
I decided to appliqué this brightly colored quilt with some woodsy little cut outs. I also love the way the yellow gingham binding looks on it!
I think I want to try a boy version of this quilt someday…
I made a trip to the Goodwill Outlet (aka – The Bins) with some friends last Saturday. Sara and I filled up a cart with all kinds of cool treasures! I figured (from the Goodwill tags still on the items) I got about $350 for $30.80!
I picked up these three sweaters while I was there to make the sleeves into leg warmers.
I followed the directions on this blog but already knew what I was going to do and turns out I was right!
But I hated to let all the rest of the sweater go to waste. So I cut off the collar and shoulders, finished off the cut edge and made two infinity scarves. Then I cut the striped one into pieces, sewed them back together and made a traditional scarf, too.
Here’s how they turned out…
And here’s what they look like on…
Now I just need some winter weather…
I loved this plaid as soon as I saw it! Green, yellow and chocolate brown… all my favs! I didn’t really consider the fact that I was buying PLAID to make a skirt until it was cut and in my hands. What was I thinking??? I can hardly make a skirt, much less make a skirt and try to match plaids!!!
I felt defeated before I even got the fabric home… Thankfully, I have very encouraging sisters who reminded me that even skirts you buy in the store don’t always match plaids. So I resolved to not worry about matching plaids and just concentrate on making a skirt for the first time with NO help!
I laid everything out, cut out my pieces and began to sew them together, absolutely ignoring the plaids or any matching thereof.
Imagine my surprise when I turned up my waistband only to see that I had matched the plaids on the front panel of the skirt and the front of the waistband almost perfectly! I was so pleased that I actually laughed out loud (for real, not just LOL here on my blog)!
The zipper isn’t perfect and it ended up in the back when I expected it to be on the side, but I am pretty darn proud of the way it turned out and can’t wait to wear it in honor of St. Patrick’s Day!
I am a sucker for most of Moda’s prints! When I found the Strawberry Fields charm pack at a quilt store in Stanwood, I had to have it. I didn’t know what I would do with it, but when has that ever stopped a quilter before??? ;o)
Then Pinterest came to the rescue and I found a pattern for a fun patchwork skirt at Create Kids couture. If you haven’t sewn before, the tutorial does leave a bit for you to just figure out on your own. But, with a little common sense you’ll have a fun twirly skirt for your favorite little girl to spin in until she gets dizzy and falls in no time at all!
I also added some fun vintage rick rack for the hem
Here’s how mine turned out…
I already bought another charm pack for another one. :o)
I actually planned to make this skirt way back in August. Plenty of time to have it ready for our big Christmas Kick-Off open house! In reality I got it done at 11:25pm the night before the shindig…
But I got it done all by myself, thanks to some great FB chat instructions from my sister, and it looks great as long as you don’t look too closely! ;o)
Don’t look too close, remember? LOL
Luckily the print is just so darn cute that no one would notice all the flaws anyhow…
Aren’t those Santa’s adorable???
Although the skirt was done, there was still one hitch. Nothing to wear with it! I had searched all summer and fall for the perfect red sweater to no avail. I had become so desperate I had even decided I would settle on a red turtleneck if it was the right shade of red… Nothing! In a last ditch attempt, I made a stop at the Goodwill the day before the party. They there were, TWO sweaters in just the right shade of red and in my size! And all for under $10!!!
I already have my Santa skirt schedule all figured out: next appearance, Family Christmas on Saturday!
In the meantime, maybe I should just leave it hanging by the wet bar in the family room??? It matches the rest of the décor perfectly! ;o)
I spent Friday night at my parents’ house and at the breakfast table in the morning I noticed my mom had out the penny rug I made her a few years ago. I love the simple look of the black felt and blanket stitch! I may just have to make these again someday…
All the handwork makes it the perfect project to take with you or work on while watching a movie with the fam!
Now I wish I had made myself one, too… ;o)
I can’t believe how long it took me to finally make this skirt! I bought the materials clear back in the spring when I made my first skirt… My sister helped me while we were vacationing at the beach in September but we didn’t have time to do the hem. Then it took nearly 6 weeks to find the time between harvesting, schooling, cooking, cleaning, laundering, canning, baking and all that other stuff to find the 37 minutes it took me to put in the hem. When I look at that list it’s a wonder I ever found time but on the other hand it was only 37 minutes…
But, it’s done now and I can’t wait to wear it!
Next up is my Christmas skirt! I have to keep in mind that there are only about 6 weeks until December… AHHHH!!!!!
I probably never would have thought of this on my own… While we were camping at my parents’ creek property, my sister’s and I had a sewing day at my aunt and uncle’s house right next door. Since she was watching the grandkids, she put us out on a big table on the deck. It was so peaceful and inspiring to sew while watching the river flow by and hear the wind in the trees!
Then I thought, “I have a deck. Why don’t I ever sew out on my deck?”
Saturday was one of the few hot sunny days we’ve had all summer but I really wanted and needed to do a bit of sewing. So I drug all my sewing stuff up to the deck and set myself up on the patio table. It was lovely, and much cooler than in the house! The breeze was lightly blew, the birds were singing in the trees… I should always sew outside in the summer!
My outdoor sewing set-up
The view from my Elna
The daunting pile of already-cut-out cozies to be sewn
The first of three cozies I finished!
I’m so looking forward to my next free sunny day to do some more sewing on the deck! Having all those pins and needles out of doors must have attracted this big guy to our yard, because he showed up later that evening… ;o)
Our first porcupine!
I salvaged this adorable print from an unfinished skirt and just had to find something to do with it! But what? Those sweet little cowboy crooners and bronco riders just screamed for denim and bandana print, and I had both in my stash! With a few cuts I pieced together a quick little quilt and used one of the legs from a pair of old jeans to make a bag to carry it in.
This month we decided to sew for Sister Day. All of my sisters sew their own clothes and I was beginning to feel a little lame… Although my one and only attempt at sewing something to wear (an apron does NOT count) ended with tears and strips of a would-be dress in the trash can, I still decided to take the challenge and make a skirt. Besides, they all assured me that it was easy.
I packed up my Pfaff, some thread, pins, scissors, a seam ripper (was pretty sure I’d need it), and my fabric and headed to my mom’s for a new sewing adventure!
Actually it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I almost quit as soon as I heard the words “it has a zipper”, but I persevered! It helped to have such a sweet sewing helper though!
I almost finished the whole thing before leaving but I had to do the hem at home…
I fell in love with this fabric the minute I saw it at Cool Cottons! So I bought it and made a quilt for my new little niece Elsie. I picked an simple pattern, tweaked it a little and am pretty pleased with the results… Not bad for a day’s work! :o)
Laying it all out
All pieced together!
After the shower I commandeered it in order to sew on the binding and finish the quilt.
She looks pretty cute on her new quilt!
