Confessions of a Craft Addict

Twice a year, Miss L’s preschool holds Gallery Day to show off the artwork the kids have been making. I think it’s probably one of her favorite school events because my girl loves to “do art.” School. Home. In the car. Doesn’t matter.

I can’t say that I’m surprised. She’s been watching me make stuff pretty much since the day she was born. Her art supplies outnumber her toys by a healthy margin. Art is just part of life around here.

It’s always fun to see what she’s made at school, since I often see the side effects at carpool. Painty fingers, smears on clothes, animated excitement about that day’s work.

As much as I enjoy seeing footprint penguins and marshmallow sculptures, the thing I love most is seeing her love of creating grow. At 5, she is fearless in her choice of colors and media; there is nothing she won’t try. She’s completely uninhibited, willing to try anything and everything — and delighted with the results.

It’s time again for the annual Greater Atlanta Quilt Shop Hop! The local quilt shops have organized some great events and giveaways for the four-day Shop Hop weekend (it started Thursday) and longer shopping hours for all you fabriholics. (You know, because I’m not one. Ha!)

This year’s theme is As American As … and there are 11 shops taking part in the event. You can see all the details at the official Shop Hop web site. I’ll be helping out over at Intown Quilters on Saturday, so come over and say “hi” if you stop by!

I was tempted to create a new category for this entry: DIY Fail.

But I didn’t. Not because everything worked out but because I tried — really, truly, blood-and-guts tried — and it didn’t work out, so that’s really not a fail.

Right?

My car died the other night. Twice. The first time, we — meaning me, Honey and G — replaced the battery and everything was just peachy. The second time there was no resuscitating the car.

A quick call to my dad followed, who echoed my suspicions: the alternator was kaput. This is where I should have called the towing service and had my minivan taken to a mechanic. Instead, I heard these words from my dad: “You could probably replace the alternator yourself. It would save a ton of money.”

DIY+saving money. This is like the equation to my happy place. (Never mind my ongoing need to seek approval from my dad, which I later realized also factored in.) So, like any 21st century technonut, I promptly went home and settled in for a night of Google research. Replacing the alternator certainly looked easy enough. “I could totally do this!” I told myself and then Honey.

Notice that I have not bounced this idea off any rational human being who is not a man at this point. Instead, I continued to research and bolster my inner can-do spirit.

I spent Tuesday afternoon alternately searching for tools, buying the right tools and reaching my hands into the recesses of my vehicle’s hood in an attempt to extricate the aforementioned alternator. I should point out that one of my first steps was to call my dad and ask where to find the alternator. (Obviously I was continuing to ignore the clues that this might be a Bad Idea.)

After much pushing, pulling, cussing and muttering, G and I finally managed to get the last connection free — approximately five hours after I started — only to discover … we could not get the alternator out. At all. As in, there was no freaking way that big hunk of metal could physically escape the boundaries of its space.

Did I give up? That’d be NO. (Again, ignoring the very obvious that this is a BAD Idea.)

No, I woke up at 5 a.m. today, plotting my trip to buy yet another tool that might let me dismantle the piece o’ carp and get it out. You know how daylight savings time just started? It’s pretty darned dark at 6 a.m., and even 7, since the sun doesn’t rise until about 7:30. Obviously, I’d wait until the sun came up to get started.

Have you not been reading along? Because I appear to have zero common sense during the entire escapade and that’s not going to end now.

The point at which I finally realized “This is a BAD IDEA” was around 7 a.m., when I’ve been standing in the dark, with a flashlight held in my teeth, trying to get the ever-loving, stupid freaking alternator out of my car for AN HOUR. An hour, in the dark, with a flashlight in my mouth and my hands all greasy and cut up from rooting around under the hood of my car for about six hours. This is my breaking point.

I slapped one bolt through the alternator to hold it in place, wrapped up the rest of the hardware in a towel and plopped it in the car. Then I called the mechanic and the towing service. Which is probably what I should have done in the first place.

Oh, but wait. I haven’t gotten to the best part yet! When I told the mechanic what had happened and that I thought it was the alternator he said, “I doubt it’s the alternator. We never have Odysseys come in here with alternator problems.”

The moral of the story: Call a girlfriend the next time I entertain one of these Big, BAD Ideas so she can talk some sense into me, preferably while we get mani-pedis (it’s going to take weeks for my poor hands to heal).

I love my embroidery machine but I have to be honest: It’s a lot like a really expensive paperweight.

I’m sure my husband has noticed (if not, please don’t clue him in) that it largely sits unused, this after about two years of research and shopping. It’s not for a lack of ideas; more of a lack of motivation.

This hasn’t stopped me from buying lots of cool embroidery designs. Probably my favorite place to buy them is Urban Threads. Hip, funky, contemporary. Lots of designs that speak to me.

Like this Sewing Rocks graffiti style design. I just had to have it. Had. To. So I bought it. And struggled to figure out what I’d put it on.

I finally decided to try it out on a tote bag. Surely this would be not only easy but a great way to make quick gifts for teachers, friends and the like. The only problem? I got about halfway through stitching out the design before I realized it was upside down. Ooops!

This ready-made messenger bag was a far more successful take two. I think the design looks great against the black, although it probably would look better on a slightly lighter color, since you really can’t see the black used in the design.

I have a few other embroidery projects in mind and am determined to incorporate more into my sewing projects to really give them a personal touch.

Like it? Want to win it? Leave a comment on this post. I’ll choose a winner on Wednesday, March 17. Good luck!

* * * * *

Now that I’m done dealing with car issues, I can finally sit down and take care of this giveaway!

Come on down, Fiona! Email me with your mailing address and I’ll get your new bag out to you!

I have just gone crazy for the beautiful voile prints by Anna Maria Horner. The hand is just amazing and I’ve loved everything I’ve made with them.

My friends Sarah and Clare came up with the sweetest baby blanket to use as a shop sample and I *had* to copy it. Lucky for me that I have a bunch of preggo friends right now!

The blanket uses such a small amount of fabric and sews together so quickly. It’s backed with flannel, so there’s no quilting or binding involved, which just adds to the ease factor.

I’ve picked up some extra yardage of the block print just so I’ll be sure to have it for future baby gifts. Or maybe just because I like to stroke it against my cheek. (Don’t judge me — try it yourself and see if you don’t do the same.)

I’ve written up the instructions for recreating the blanket. It should be up on the shop blog any minute now but I’m also happy to email you the PDF. Just drop me a line! (flourishes at g mail dot com)

Do not adjust your computer screens. The outfit you see to the left was intentionally sewn big. LOL!

My final sample for the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo and Greater Atlanta Shop Hop is the Flora Tunic & Twirl Skirt by Sew Liberated. I have long admired Meg’s aesthetic and was so excited when Sarah started carrying her patterns. This makes the third one I’ve sewn, I think!

Because this was made as a shop sample, I intentionally made it too big for Miss L to wear right now. She’s a pretty skinny size 5 and I cut out the size 6 for both the top and the skirt, thinking she’d wear them next year. Unless she has a massive growth spurt and goes straight to an 8 in the next year, I suspect she’ll get two years out of this outfit.

The top is made from more of that gorgeous Anna Maria Horner voile. I think I need to make a dozen shirts out of this stuff for me. It’s just so soft and divine to feel. *swoon*

It’s a raglan style top with elbow-length sleeves and a neck facing, which came together pretty quickly. I think I’d like to make another closer to L’s current size so she can wear it this spring and summer. It’s just a nice basic top that would go with pretty much anything.

For the skirt, Sarah and I picked out a pretty Alexander Henry home dec fabric plus some of Patty’s Mezannine line for Michael Miller Fabrics. I think it makes for a sweet, Spring-y outfit that’s a little dressy and a lot comfortable.

I followed the directions for the skirt, more or less. The directions have you cut the skirt pieces perpendicular to the grain, so if you’re going to follow them, I’d steer away from an obviously directional print. The pattern recommends home dec fabric for the main skirt and mid-weight fabric for the hem band and waistband. In the future, I think I’d use all quilting cottons. The home dec fabric just fit when gathered to the waistband but the 1/2″ non-roll elastic wasn’t strong enough to pull in the waistband (that’s why Liesl is holding up the skirt). After I took the picture, I ripped out the elastic and replaced it with 3/4″ non-roll elastic and it made a huge difference (although it was a tight fit to get it through the casing).

I did do all machine sewing on the skirt; the directions call for handstitching in two places but I’m just too lazy to do it. I might be more inclined if I were using fancier fabrics or going for more of an heirloom-sewing look, though.

* * * *

I’ll be a the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo this morning, working the Intown Quilters booth, so come say “hi” if you’re in the area!

Sarah, Taffy, Patty and I had a blast picking out fabric at the Alexander Henry booth when we were at Market last October. When these great bird prints arrived at the shop last week, Sarah called to let me know and I immediately started thinking of something fun to make with them.

I loved the Pink Fig Mish Mash Skirt pattern because it provided the opportunity to use all the fabrics — and more — in one fun and funky piece. While the pattern calls for 10-15 fabrics cut to 5/8 yard, Sarah and I figured out that I could get away with fat quarters instead (although we did opt for a 1/6 yard cut of fabric for the waistband). When the pattern called for a longer cut of fabric, I just divided up the fabric and sewed up the pieces to make the longer strips (this was needed for only two fabrics, BTW and pretty much used up each of those FQs).

In addition to the great AH fabrics, we mixed in some solids, a few Kaffe Fasset prints, a little Henry Glass (Bubblegum Basics), some Robert Kaufman and a touch of Lecien Mini Miu. The underskirt is Erin McMorris’s most recent line with some tulle I had on hand.

I did find the cutting and measuring a little intimidating but I just sketched out the skirt layout and planned each piece before I started cutting. I think that really helped me make sure I didn’t have fabrics of the same color or print next to each other, as well as plan the pieces so I didn’t run out of anything unexpectedly.

I neglected to double check each measurement before I cut so I did end up with some pieces that were shorter than others. After I pieced all the non-gathered strips together, I just evened up the bottom. It really was no more than 1/2″ and obviously is still plenty long.

If I had to do it again, I think I would adjust the gathered strips so they are not gathered within 1/2 inch of the top and bottom. I think this would help the rolled hem look a little neater, as well as help with the sort of balloon-y look of the gathered strips where they meet the waistband.

The instructions called for a lot more embellishing and topstitching than I did, and I think I’ll give those a whirl the next time I make this skirt. I think I’d really love to make it with a less diverse color palette for some variation. And I’m eager to try out the embellished tee the next time, too.

For reference, this skirt is a 5T and plenty long to get worn for a couple or three years. Liesl is a skinny size 5 (and only about 42 1/2 inches tall). I made it as a shop sample and didn’t mind it being a little big, since it may be a while before we get it back.

Tomorrow: The Sew Liberated Flora Tunic & Twirl Skirt!

I have been sewing up a storm the past week — such a change from my recent dry spell — as I whip up a bunch samples for the shop. The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo* is this weekend and the annual Greater Atlanta Quilt Shop Hop** is next weekend, so there’s been a lot on my plate. No complaints, though, since I’m getting the chance to play with some cool patterns and pretty fabrics!

First up for my sew-and-tell is the Little Prairie Girl pattern by Favorite Things. I’ve made one of these before for Sarah’s daughter but still had not managed to get around to sewing one for my own. My pal Melanie mentioned making one out of Anna Maria Horner’s new voile, which got my mental wheels turning.

I took Miss L with me to pick out the fabric and she insisted on this geometric print, in spite of all my urging towards one of the florals. Honestly, the fabric just underwhelmed me and I really couldn’t picture it as anything.

Boy, was I wrong.

Once I finished the dress and hung it on the dress form in my studio, I couldn’t stop oooohing and aaahhing over it. It is so sweet and romantic and pretty, and just the most perfect little dress I could have ever hoped for. Liesl loves it, too, which really makes me happy. (She was not up for the fashion show yesterday, which is why she looks a little less-than-enthused.)

I sewed the 5/6, figuring it would be hanging at the shop for a while and I wanted it to still fit when we get it back. I think she could easily wear this two summers with a cami under it (I opted not to make the dickie that goes into the vee of the top/dress).

The voile is just a dream to sew. Seriously. I need to pick up some of it for me and plan to make one of the Prairie Girl tops with it to wear all summer, maybe even two different prints so I don’t wear out just one of the tops.

I have to say that I’m not super crazy about the ruffled cap sleeves. I struggled to get them in right, mostly because I wasn’t reading the instructions, I’m sure. I think I’ll do the short sleeves when I make her another and definitely short sleeves for me (because these arms need a little more coverage).

Check back tomorrow for pics and a post about the Pink Fig Mish Mash skirt!

* I’m working at the IQ booth Thursday morning and all day Saturday, so come say “hi!”

**I’m working at Shop Hop, too, probably Thursday morning and one of the weekend days, so make sure you say “hi!”

I fell in love with Rosie’s fabrics for Lecien when I saw them in Houston last October. I’ve never made my love for all things Melly & Rosie a secret, so it’s likely not a surprise that I could not wait to get my grubby, needs-a-manicure hands on some of this yummy fabric.

Which is why it’s taken me three months to finally buy some.

OK, not really. The real reason is that 1) I’ve been incredibly wrapped up in The Project to the point that I’ve had no time — or interest — for personal sewing and 2) I try to know what I’m going to make with a fabric before I buy it because my tendency is to collect and I try to keep that from happening.

Whew!

After a nearly three-month break from sewing (with only a couple of exceptions), I finally regained my focus and was ready to dive into Grandmother’s Flower Garden. Luckily for me, Sarah had recently received a shipment of the new ModKid sewing patterns. In no time at all, I’d grabbed the Isabel, a couple of bolts of fabric and was picturing the results in my head.

The two main prints I used are from Rosie’s line (or range, as those Aussies call it) but I pulled a great polka dot from Henry Glass to accent. Polka dots just make me happy and I love using them with anything and everything!

Miss L was a little skeptical about the dress when I showed her the pattern and fabrics but she quickly came around after it was sewn. I did make a couple of goofs while sewing but nothing I can’t live with. When you take a crack at it, make sure you really pay attention to sewing around the straps so they come out nice and even, with pretty points. And look at the stitching diagram of the pocket before you sew it so the little swoop at the bottom retains its shape. Patty does such a great job of making sure the instructions are clear and complete, so I really have no one but myself to blame.

I’m loaning the dress to the shop until the weather warms up, so you can check it out in person if you’re in the Atlanta area. And I’ve got some more Grandmother’s Flower Garden sewing on the agenda next week with a quilt that also is destined for the shop. First, though, I need to finish sketching it out and making sure I have all the measurements right before I cut it.

I managed to just barely squeak out some Valentines for Miss L’s party today. It was actually a 100th day of school party with a Valentine exchange thrown in, which gave me a couple of extra days to pull everything together.

This year was a little more of a struggle, for some reason. I was trying to figure out some cute yet practical way to package individually decorated cookies but kept coming up with expensive, wasteful packaging ideas. When Megan Tweeted about these cute Valentines I had a little spark of inspiration. (Many thanks to Alissa for sharing the original idea!)

We had that little snow thing on Friday, so outdoor pictures weren’t going to happen. Instead, I used my favorite quick-photo spot — my foyer — and went to town with some digiscrapping elements from the Shabby Princess. I thought it would be fun to break out of the circle with her arm and the lollipop, almost like she really was literally reaching out of the card with the treat. An X-acto knife made quick work of cutting the slits for the lollipop stick.

They were lots of fun to make and L proclaimed them “just wonderful” when she saw them this morning. That makes them a total hit in my book.