Easter dress, Burda 6796

What a nice warm, busy weekend.
I got really distracted last week while cutting lining for sun hats by  a raspberry red linen!

So started a unplanned easter dress.
I have been thinking of making her a dress after seeing this dress.
As it was last minute I did not have time to look for a new pattern or go and buy fabric. So if you look closely one side of the dress is grey linen and the other has a mix of beige linen.
 The pattern is Burda 6796. In stead of a contrasting color band at the bottom, I did the triangles.
I measured , traced and cut the triangles, the sewing was challenging , but I got better towards the end.

The best part was that she loved it!

New spring line available at Turtle

Hi Everyone,

We have made it through broken arms, blue eyes, floods and stiff necks but now it is back to the sewing machine for a while.

I am showing you a sneak peak of the products now available at Turtle in the South End.

Great hats, and really fun , soft, colourful scarfs. 

I just love these giant polka dots!

This hat is light and dark linen and the small turquoise and yellow rose hat has a small black and white polka dot print as contrast. The fabric is Anna Maria Horner Garden Party

I used Anna Maria Horner's new Voile line. This fabric makes you dream and dream!

These are silk chiffon scarfs with vintage plastic rings for wait and accent.

What we have been doing...

Yes it has been a while. I have been quite busy keeping my little girl busy.
She broke her arm and had to undergo surgery so she has been needing more than a lot of help and attention.
When I picked her up after the accident she was wrapped in the little blanket I made for her for school. This became OUR security blanket for the next 24 hours. She came out of the operating room with the blanket neatly placed over her. It really confirmed my love and need for fabric and was reminded how little things like that can make us calm and can make us feel at home even if we are not.

I ran to Savers to buy any long sleeve t-shirt that would fit her and cut off the right arm. This worked very well, except for bed time when she got very upset that she could not wear the right pants with the right top!
To keep her very comfy and me busy creating, I made 2 pairs of comfy, flannel pants. I love these so much and keep wondering why I don't sew for myself. She loved pinning the pattern with her "good' hand and she really loved putting these on.

Her recovery is going really well and we are all looking forward to getting the cast of and getting on with life.

The fabric is from Jo-Anne and the pants pattern is just a "copy" of pants we have. I gave the pants a extra wide , double cuff, I think it makes them look all grown up.

Uniform project

How fabulous! I am so excited !

Look, Pink Sequin made it on to the uniform project! She looks so great it this colorful beret!

Thanks to Jeanne that mentioned this great site and to Teresa for telling me I am on today!

www.theuniformproject.com

Boston Handmade

I recently joined a wonderful group of crafters called Boston Handmade.

This group consists of a group of very talented crafters that do almost everything. The great thing for me is that I now have a resorse for crafting. Where questions can be asked and answered by a group.
The other really great thing is that there are crafters that just started, people in the middle and people that are really successful at what they do and have been doing it for years.

If you have never been to the site see the Boston handmade blog here to look at all the great work and here to read my newcomer interview!

Designer fabric hats

Today I am sharing with you some new spring / summer hats I have been making. I love the new Anna Maria Horner fabrics I bought earlier in the year. Her colour combinations are just fantastic! These roses are lovely and stand out even more with the black and white fine polka dot. The fabric is from her Garden party line.

This has got to be one of my favorite colour combinations. Pink and yellow. I think lining the brim with the yellow fabric works very well. This way you can flip the brim up and have a different look.
These fabrics are from her  Good Folks line.

The next fabric is from Patty Young's flora and fauna, Hummingbirds.
I made a wide brim hat out of this fabric this way you see even more of the little birds.

Happy sunny monday!

Much needed doorstop

Last night I made a much needed doorstop for the kids room.

The door tends to close by itself and I got real tired of dragging the laundry basket to keep the door open.We also open their door when we go to bed just so that we can hear the stirring (and couching at the moment)

I used linen and cotton fabric.  A while ago when I made the Nap time quilt, I bought a three pieces from Kokka Japan. I did not use the owls but so love them . So here they are keeping the door open for me so the light can come into the passage and I love seeing them.

I sort of made the pattern as I went along. I did make the bottom of a really nice linen and added rick rack. In retrospect that is not worth doing. It is best to cut a long strip for the sides and bottom. The rick rack would have been nicer along the sides.

I will next time make it smaller as I used 3 bags of beans and then some stuffing to keep the shape. I did use a bag inside just in case something happens to the beans. You can also use rice.

I love the handle most of all.

Can you tell that I have been reading Zakka Sewing?

Valentines day cards

This was really the first year that we made Valentine's card for school friends.

Valentines day is just not so big where we are from. So this was one more exercise  in adapting to American culture, (we have been here for ten years so I guess it is about time!)

We opted for fabric hearts that can be used as decoration around the house. Mr A really got into sewing on my lap and found the way the machine hooks the thread just "awsom"! He sewed (with my help) at least 10 of the 22 hearts.  He then had to write his name and all 22 names of his class mates. It took us 2 days to complete. He did great!

Ms A did some of hers but got distracted by playing office.

Happy Valentines day!

Fabric snack bag

Finally!
I have been looking at this project since Dec 2009. It was going to be part of the pile of Christmas presents for Mr A but just never got done.

I have been trying to wash and reuse plastic bags for a while but cant really get into it. Maybe just lazy, so I hope that using this fabric bag will help the environment and this way I can do my small part.

I bought a kit from Spool Sewing . It comes with interfacing, fabric and velcro and the very important instructions . I have to admit to making a few mistakes....but was able to correct all of them. The one change I did make was to sew on a long strip of Velcro in stead of just two tabs. I think it will be easier to close.

Now I would love to make more. I think I will need at least 2 more in case of some very bad spills and maybe a fun oilcloth one if the fabric gets too dirty. I wonder how this will hold up in the wash?

 I might also experiment with attaching a handle just so the five year old hands can pick it up easier and faster.

I feel like making fabric baskets for the entire house, soooooo many possibilities!

Berets to weather the storm

Today I listed a few more berets on etsy. I really like these. They are so easy to wear and a lot of fun to make. 

They are all unique in that I use vintage buttons for the inside of the "flower". I am so happy to have so many buttons , but find myself longing for Brimfield so I can buy some more really big ones! If you live in the area and have not been to this great event it is really great and worth going. 

The flowers or petals were all cut from recycled sweaters and this had been great at keeping cost low and colours fun.

Pink and black and just a little BLUE!

Valentines day is in the air....

I think this is just an excuse to get through this month of February. Oh boy, now this winter is starting to feel long. I find myself longing for the heat my family is speaking of in South Africa. Maybe they keep saying that to make me feel better. ....it is not working!

If you like valentines day and firmly believe in it look at this sweet fabric hat on Etsy and dream that one day you too will complain that it is too hot!

Scarf for him

Once a year I shift my mind to think of not so much pink and frills and flower but a more streamlined, manly scarf and hat set.

Luckily I always find a way to make one he likes. This year I used a warm fleece and herringbone combo. I really like how it came out and he seems to love wearing it.

Happy Birthday Mike!

ps. no I did not make the hat in the picture!

Craft hope for Haiti

This beret is now available in the Craft Hope Etsy shop.

They have a lot of great items, and if you liked this beret or know someone that will please consider buying it from the shop. ALL proceeds go to Doctors without borders.

Also consider posting the craft hope button on your blog.

Crista

FREE SHIPPING ON ESTY FOR JANUARY!

Yes it is true. I am offering free shipping for January worldwide on Etsy.

Visit my shop for some much needed cold weather shopping!

Also all the pins are on sale, just go to the sale section in the shop.

Nap time quilt

Happy new year everyone!

Over the holiday season I did not sew a lot. Part was taking time and just eating a lot and playing with the kids and visiting with friends and part is that my studio floor is in the middle of being replaced after the flood we had in the basement.

So I found myself Sat night dragging my sewing machine and iron upstairs to start a nap blanket for the little one.

She is starting preschool today and I wanted to make her something cozy and special to have.

I got great new fabric from Fabricworm . How could I resist these dots? I also fell in love with the retro / folksy Japanese fabric.

The sad part was I could not use all of the colours and designs and had to choose my favorites.

It ended up crazy and lovely and happy and dotty. Just like I planned.....

I loosely based the quilt on the pillow on the front cover of the Spring 2009 Stitch magazine. It is very easy and fast . I can see myself using this way of quilting again. Not too much measuring and the potential to use a lot of scraps and a nice end result.