wip. market tote

pattern: eco-market tote by favorite things
fabrics - amy butler midwest modern:
bag/small pocket: floating buds. sage.
large pocket/handles: garden maze. olive.
lining: happy dots. pink.
other materials & notions: cotton duck interlining. large button.
a gift for: jill. niece-in-law.

phew! it's back to work & not a moment too soon. tee & me, we enjoyed the thanksgiving week. but i missed sewing. and sadie mae, after two days inside for the rain, it's out with her to enjoy this glorious, if a bit breezy 1st of december. she was getting bored, so little for her to see & do within these four walls. tee is close by, at the office. the downstairs is all tidied up from the week long festivities. and i've the house back to myself to sew, sew, sew!

first order of business...a market tote for my nephew's wife. my oldest sister, her mil, helped me pick out the fabrics when i visited with her back in mid october. we were in agreement...earthy, subtle, but with a splash of color. the amy butler midwest modern collection is perfect! and i think jill will definitely use this bag over any other i could make for her.

and there's at least one more item on my must-do-soon gift list...an apron for andy jane..although i've a few other things in mind. yum-yum!

sew good, sew groovy days! :)

it's here. sugar snap.

sugar snap. melissa averinos for free spirit.

update: and check it out...the free spirit fabric blog. yummy stuff!


left to right: lace plum. wiggle plum. lace cocoa.


wallpaper cocoa. jellyfruit cocoa. kimono cocoa.

i felt like a child on christmas morn, not a woman doing some pre-thanksgiving cooking when my fabric arrived in today's mail. wow! it's prettier, for real, then on the computer screen and came so deliciously wrapped. i absolutely love it! a nice cotton, not too thin, not too heavy, and the colors vibrant but not so bright you're distracted from the wonderful design and pattern. what shall i make from these lovelies? i don't know. i may just have to look at them, feel them for a little while to come.

because it bears repeating...a peaceful and bountiful thanksgiving to all!

sneak peek - new fabric, new designer

tee is off this week on vacation & holiday. little sewing time, but lots of cooking & walking (raking leaves, too!) to our wonderful downtown on these gorgeous, crisp november days for a little nibble & cold beverage.

i'm not sure when i'll be here again with a new project, but was anxious to share this with you.

i was committed to working through my stash before making any new purchases, but when i saw this saturday morning, i had to get some. i received delivery confirmation today that it has been shipped. oh my gosh. the lace plum & lace cocoa totally reminds me of the spirograph designs i loved to do as a kid! this entire collection is so retro. sew groovy! pop over here to check it out and when it comes in the mail, i'll post a picture!

if i don't see you before then, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you, your family & friends! i'm thankful for all who visit and share my small space and grateful that i share yours!

my holiday apron

pattern: hip hugger groovy café wrap by apa
fabrics:
hand-dyed batik. circles. azalea pink
batik. totally tropical. apricot
date completed: 21November2008

edit: oops! it's reversible, too.

with a fabulous thanksgiving menu planned, i had to have an apron for cooking in. and so this festive café wrap. you didn't really think i'd go turkeys & pumpkins, did you? :D you haven't seen the menu!

i avoid hand stitching as much as i can. so to hem this apron, i topstitched & embroidered for embellishment with one of the decorative stitches on my sewing machine.


i love it! and i did the same on the waistband. super cute.


can't wait for next thursday. and to all a good weekend!

p.s., i promise i wiped that mirror down before i took the picture. darn flash!

raqi's bag

a quick post with a photo of the finished flea market bag by grand revival. i'm really pleased with it. it's smaller, dainty, messenger style only from the standpoint it goes over the shoulder, across to the hip. making the strap narrower tailored the bag nicely. and this time i put the magnetic snap lower so i could do a nice topstitch on front & back.

edit: visit grand revival here for more creative & holiday goodness.

wip. another messenger bag

pattern/fabrics: same as this
date completed: hopefully today, 18November2008
a gift for: soon-to-be 13 yr old niece in the 8th grade, raqi

first made this messenger bag with raqi in mind. however, tee & me thought the straps were a little too long. there were a few other quirks to it that i've since corrected, noticeable only to me, but i decided to keep it for myself, have been using it ever since & getting compliments on how "bright" it is? :)

this time around, i added a pocket to the outside & totally think it's cute! there are two for the inside as well. the strap is shorter by 2-1/2 inches and narrower by 3/4 inch. as this is a more lightweight cotton, i decided to baste cotton duck both on the exterior & interior bag & strap. the pockets have fusible interfacing for stability. and i'll probably close it with a magnetic snap.

update: finished it by 2 pm. another one down. yeah!

coasters? check.

pattern: subdued blue squares by apa
fabrics/other materials: see here
date completed: 12November2008

four - five inch squares. that should be big enough & plenty of them for two of us. it's time to take off the walking foot. end of play. back to work on those couple of bags & aprons i need to make for the other groovy gals on my gift list.

a table topper

pattern: subdued blue squares & stripes by apa
fabrics:
quilted top: anna maria horner drawing room. blue sketchbook; batik. brown/purple lg circle; anna maria for free spirit chocolate lollipop. banana icing; anna maria horner drawing room. ivory shadow; kaffe fassett millefiore. brown; kaffe fassett lotus leaf. jade; amy butler floating buds. ivory.
backing: anna maria horner drawing room. blue sketchbook.
other materials: warm & natural cotton batting
date completed: 11November2008

more quilting practice. i'm proud of how well i matched up my corners within a block and cut everything to size correctly, but my thread tension still needs some work to get it right, get it perfect, top & bottom. and binding, i really need to learn how to do a pretty binding. it can't all be an envelope edge!

next up...matching coasters (tee requested BIG) and single blocks for the end tables, unless i get back on the gifts for giving. uhm.

more quick & easy potholders

pattern: i-like-purple striped potholders by apa
fabrics:
front: kaffe fassett millefiore. brown, brown/purple large circle batik, kaffe fassett roman glass. dusty pink, kaffe fassett aboriginal dot. chocolate
back: tina givens butterfly. cabbage rose in lilac.
other materials: two layers of warn & natural cotton batting
date completed: 7November 2008

it can't be helped. these are so quick, so easy & so much fun. and a great way to learn to quilt! seasonal fabrics & what great gifts for the home & for giving you'll have.

quilted potholders - my first!

pattern: tee's tie-dyed potholders by apa
fabrics: batiks. purple stripe & cracked, spray tie dye orange.
other materials: two layers of warm & natural cotton batting
date completed: 7November2008

i know they're simple, but it's my first time using a walking foot. (and we really needed some new potholders. i wouldn't dare show you the skanky christmas moose (BLAH!) ones we've been using, the only ones we had to use.) it's so exciting! i can't believe how well the foot really works for stitching multiple layers. WOW! it's a great friday.

a clutch

pattern: madison bags by amy butler
fabrics:
exterior: amy butler daisy chain. deco rose. navy.
lining: amy butler daisy chain. clematis. green.
other materials & notions: pellon peltex 70 ultra firm stabilizer, pellon shape-flex woven fusible interfacing, heavy duty magnetic snap.
date completed: 5November2008
a gift for: college senior/niece andy jane

definitely needs a dazzling brooch, glamorous button, or fabric flower as embellishment on the front. adding straps may just make me pull my hair out for trying to get that stabilizer on the seams under the presser foot. design isn't easy to attach the lining, in particular, for the turns involved, but doable with a little imagination.

simple apron - a little bit too big for me

pattern: reversible apron - simple sewing by lotta jansdotter
modifications: sectioned full pocket on center panel, front & reverse
fabrics:
front: kaffe fassett millefiore. brown.
pocket: kaffe fassett aboriginal dot. chocolate.
reverse: kaffe fassett aboriginal dot. chocolate.
pocket: kaffe fassett millefiore. brown.
ties: combination of above
fit issues: chest, waist, bodice length.
date completed: 4November2008
a gift for: uhm. i must know someone. m. goretti?

one pattern does NOT fit all, especially someone short, like, this someone 5'1" with a small chest, short torso, but a bit wider hips. adjust accordingly during cutting.

kaffe fassett selections

from top to bottom:

aboriginal dot. chocolate.
millefiore. brown.
aboriginal dot. rose.
lake blossoms. taupe.
stencil carnations. taupe.

yardage available online here and at a slightly lower price here.
as for the designer himself, visit here.