Baby Shoes!!!

These are SO fun! I ordered a pattern online for baby shoes I have this pair completed and a couple more in the works. For some reason I am having trouble getting the link to work, but the pattern is from Etsy and it is called Sweet Pea Patterns.



Her instructions are very clear with lots of pictures. I decided to use Peltex for the sole instead of softer interfacing. She suggests adding a sole inside after it is commpleted, which I believe might be to cover up the raw seam inside. Someone suggested I serge the inside seam, which I did, and I think it will be fine.

First 2012 Project

I am resolving to both journal and blog my 2012 projects - I didn't do so good last year at keeping up with everything I sewed. It's nice to look back and see what you've done.

This project I have just finished up. I inherited some dresden plate circles from my mom's sewing room years ago and they have languished in my sewing room closet for years with the hope that I would find a project to preserve them with. I guess she started the quilt and decided not to finish it. Sounds familiar!! Several years ago I had seen something using the dresden plates in a table runner that I really liked.

Anyway, here is one of the circles.



I fussy cut out some of the colors I wanted. My idea was to make a springy looking table runner using light blue and yellow.

A Reupholstered Chair

Here is what I have been busy with lately. I had two chairs purchased from a garage sale several years ago. They were yellow and I liked them well enough, but decided I needed to lighten up my living room. There are no windows on more than half of the room.
Here are the chairs before I tore them apart.

I have done slipcovering a few times in the past, but this was my first attempt at actual reupholstering. I watched a couple of u-tubes and then tore into it.


Alas, I didn't take many pictures of the process. I saved the pieces I tore off and used them as a pattern. I bought foam (this is EXPENSIVE). Something to do with the price of oil. I used the foam instead of the cotton batting. I simply pulled taut and stapled.
My husband provided me with this dangerous-looking, but highly efficient staple gun powered by compressed air. It did the job beautifully.






I'm really pretty pleased with the outcome.

Striped Knit Skirt

This is a knit skirt I made recently from Butterick 641 which was just an old pattern I had in my stash. I don't necessarily recommend it. I only used it because it has the front panel on the skirt. There are many patterns that you could use. I made mine with no side seam, then. That is, I taped the side front and side back pieces together. My daughter bought a skirt from the Nordstrom rack similar to this. I purchased the fabric again from Gala in Victoria. It's a lovely knit with a good recovery in the stretch. It is super comfy to wear, perfect for this time of year!

My Coat!!!

I have been wanting to make a wool coat forever! There have been so many coat sew-alongs that I have looked at the past couple of years. But wool fabric is so expensive and I wasn't sure about the whole thing.

I used Burda 7587. I made a muslin out of some heavier polyester type fabric that I happened to have and never used. The muslin fit well with no adjustments.

From November 7, 2011

I had thought about interlining it with flannel, but instead bought the Joann's lining fabric that is flannel-backed. It is plenty heavy. I have worn it a couple of times - wool is a very warm fabric!

I got the wool fabric up in Victoria while we were vacationing up there recently. I spotted what turned out to be a fantastic fabric store called Gala Fabric

From November 7, 2011

From November 7, 2011

From November 7, 2011

Ottobre Baby Shirt

I wanted to do something different and make a baby shirt for six month old Conrad. I got out my Ottobre 4/2008. This is number 1, the baby t-shirt. It was fun and easy, of course, after you get used to tracing off the complicated array of pattern designs. I did the tab a little bit differently. I didn't add the bit of ribbon on the front of the tab, but was able to make it look nice just by adjusting and sewing.

From November 7, 2011

Catch-up

Here's a little hoodie I made for my little 5 month old grandson. Pretty basic pattern, but I wanted to see if I could do it.

From August 23, 2011

Also, I made myself a new knitting bag using Ghees#781 bag pattern.

From August 23, 2011

From August 23, 2011