Girls Weekend Sewing Project

I am going to a girls weekend this weekend and we have decided to do a sewing project while we're at it. This is my friend Shelley's idea, as she remembers having a book when she was younger with snaps, buttons, ties etc. in it for her to practice with but has never seen one since...so we are going to attempt to make them. This is the prototype of the book that I made, since I will be the lady behind the sewing machine for the weekend. It is for my Miss Miss :-)

The Cover, with an elastic/button closure

Next page - snapping plums on a tree

Bowties and buttons

Play with velcro and story telling

Zippers and shapes, with a little pocket to hold the puzzle pieces

Last page - different colors, shapes and textures, plus mama's handprint

The Miss Miss Crib Set

Just finished up the crib set for my Miss Miss. My favorite part of this pattern (found in Amy Butler's Little Stitches) is that the crib bumper has pockets so that your little one can put books and such in them. I used a few Amy Butler fabrics, but most of these are from Valori Wells Free Spirit Del Hi line. I am still working on the quilt, but I think that I am going to make it a twin size, so that she can use it when she graduates to a big girl bed :)

Custom for bookclub and a little (or big rather) something for me

Finished up another custom purse for a gal in my bookclub. She requested Amy Butler's Daisy Chain line of fabric, which I had never worked with before. I think it came out great! Also, as I have a couple of plane trips planned with my Miss Miss to go visit friends and family, I wanted a bag that could double as a purse and diaper bag. Miss Miss is no longer tolerating going to the airport in a stroller (dang! Where will I store my stuff?) as she wants to walk. So, I am hoping that this bag is my solution!

Isn't the fabric lovely - by Laura Gunn found at Buttercuppity Fabric.

Upcoming Offerings on Avant-Garde

Just a sneak peek at a couple of items I will be offering in my hyena cart store, Avant-Garde, next Monday. Enjoy!

And a little something for me!

And I loved Shauna's fabric so much, I put a swatch on the back of a hoodie for myself :)

Custom for Shauna!

Shauna gave me the creative liberty to choose the fabrics for her purse and I went ahead and took the liberty to design a whole new pattern as well :) Enjoy!

New Patterns and Offerings

I have experimented with a couple of new patterns and what I ended up with is what you see below...an apron, a purse and a personalized blanket. Both the purse and the blanket are quick sews, about an hour each. The apron...I don't even want to talk about it - why do aprons take me forever?

Custom for Becky!

A carry-all purse/diaper bag/tote for a gal I know who does it all - so needs to be able to carry it all! Here's to hoping! - Made with a combo of Amy Butler and Anna Maria Horner fabrics, plus some tweed home dec fabric for the pockets just for fun!

Another Domestic Goddess Apron

Just finished up another Domestic Goddess Apron by Amy Butler with fabric by Anna Maria Horner. This one is the half apron and is for my mother-in-law who may be the world's best domestic goddess. Anytime I talk to her she is whipping up some fancy dish in the blink of an eye while at the same time mowing the lawn, growing huge summer squash and putting in another perennial flower bed for herself, her neighbor, her neighbor's friend or her mom. I don't think that she sleeps. At least this will keep her clean in the kitchen! Also, I got to use my new serger for the first time on this project - it is awesome!

The One and Only Domestic Goddess Apron

Well, I finished an Amy Butler Domestic Goddess Apron for a friend of mine who is a domestic goddess herself :) An array of Anna Maria Horner fabrics were used. Why will this be the one and only? It took me way too long to make this apron - very detailed, finishes up beautifully though! Enjoy~

Customs for my bookclub gals!

Finally finished up some purses! Sewing is not only a creative outlet for me, but also a lesson in patience. Case in point...I was trying to finish up the second purse while Miss Miss was down for a nap. In doing so, I put the zipper in wrong and had to tear it out...twice, broke three needles, had a bobbin that would just not cooperate and sewed the bottom of the bag closed before I had turned it right side out! Had I slowed down at the very beginning, I am sure I would have finished in half of the time :)

All the fabrics are by Anna Maria Horner. The pink hued bag is for Julie - I selected those fabrics as I found the pink one rather romantic (and Julie is an English Literature major) and the coordinating fabric was just fun (which Julie is also). The orange/blue bag is for Holland - I selected the main fabric because it feels vintage Western to me and Holland is originally from Texas, the brown dots also have a Western feel and the orange is just a splash of fun. I would love to keep these bags for myself, but I have too many bags already and they were sewn with the soon to be new owners in mind.

Henry the Elephant

I just found the cutest pattern at The Top Stitch by Valori Wells called "Prudence and Henry." Henry is an elephant, obviously and Prudence is an owl - both large enough to be used as a pillow. The pattern also calls for a blanket that can be strapped onto Prudence or Henry. Isn't he cute?

Also, a few pictures of the patchwork quilt that I made that was just quilted at Log Cabin Dry Goods here in Spokane. Do you see that quilting? She did it free hand! Isn't that amazing?

A Sundress for my Miss Miss

This is another great pattern from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross with some very cute fabric I picked up at Log Cabin Dry Goods here is Spokane. It would have been great for this scorching 4th of July weekend, but as luck would have it, I sewed it last night and now it is raining today :( Oh well, it's a very quick sew, only took about an hour.

And a dress for me!

Picked up a great sewing book at The Topstitch by Heather Ross, called Weekend Sewing and decided to make myself the trapeze dress. I used fabric by Anna Maria Horner. I think it will be perfect to throw over my swimsuit for a day on the boat!

Purses Galore~!

Made myself a smaller, modified version of Amy Butler's birdie sling. Went to The Topstitch yesterday and picked out some awesome fabrics for some custom purses! Don't you love them? Have my eye on a serger there - maybe after the holiday, I will get it :)