Confessions of a Craft Addict

I’m slowly but surely working my way through my stash of Farbenmix patterns. The Sasha is my latest accomplishment.

At first glance, it’s just a basic tiered twirly dress. But on closer inspection, you’ll notice the wavy tier and hem. Not so cut and dried anymore.

I had two yards of fabric on hand, two colorways of the same pattern. In my head, I could see how they would work with this pattern, and I’m delighted with the results.

It was a little bit of a challenge to sew. Those curves get me every time. I’m not the most patient of sew-ers. I am, however, quite handy with the seam ripper as a result of that impatience. Fortunately I didn’t have to do too much of that on this dress.

I think the results are worth it: a cute summery dress that makes my daughter smile.

I realized yesterday that it’s been about a week since I updated ye olde blog. Yikes! Time gets away from me at the end of the school year, and this year has been no exception.

Yes, we are out of school already. Miss L finished up May 16. The boys were out last Wednesday and Friday (they attended two different high schools this year). Lots of activities as the year came to a close, both school and social (with some family obligations thrown in for good measure). I spent about seven hours in the car on Thursday and Friday.

Whenever I could get the chance, though, I sewed. Earlier this month, I realized that the temperature had changed but the bunny’s wardrobe had not. A quick closet check revealed what I already know: my daughter had few seasonally appropriate clothes. I wrapped up a couple of things and took two weeks to sew for my girl (with a couple of things for me thrown in for good measure). I’ve still got quite a few things I’d like to do but I’ve made a lot of progress.

The mosaic shows a bit of what I’ve been up to. Plenty of things have not been photographed. Some are in the laundry (the madras Bermudas I made come to mind), while others are awaiting coordinates (a pair of Oliver+S linen shorts). I also made a few alterations to existing clothes. Take this Tinkerbell dress. There’s plenty of life left in it now that I’ve given it short sleeves. I also made a pair of yellow bike shorts to wear under it. A Tinkerbell iron-on applique I picked up at Joann’s was the perfect touch for the shorts.

OK, so back to the mosaic. (You can see the full pics at my Flickr.) Here’s the run down of those projects, from left to right:

1. The coordinating set I made to match one sewn for L’s friend as a birthday gift. This one has a skirt instead of cropped pants. Again, I used a Snow White & Rose Red imported fabric.

2. A detail shot of the pocket on the skirt. (Pocketed lifted from an Oliver + S pattern.) Skirt is self drafted and so cute that I’m going to have to make more.

3. My favorite Butterick curved bodice dress with a modified pair of Ottobre leggings (shortened). I used some cute jersey knits that I think I bought at Sewzanne’s. I don’t like sewing with jersey any more than I did before, but I still think it turned out quite cute. Especially considering the fact that I ripped out and re-did the neckline at least four times.

4. Abracadbra wrap dress made using a Baby Nay knit that I picked up from Some Art Fabric at the sewing expo in March. Seriously cute dress but I think I need to size up. It’s also in need of some leggings or knit shorts underneath, as it’s a little on the short side.

5. My friend Samantha let me be a pattern tester for her new Miss Molly dress. Love! I sort of combined views A and B, making the skirt a bit of an A-line and also using the ruffle. Super, super cute. I think it definitely will be a wardrobe staple this summer. I bought the strawberry fabric last year; it’s a German import and previously was used to make an Anna wrap dress. I’m so glad to get another outfit from it.

6. One of the three Bermuda shorts I’ve made for L with the Little Smarty Pants pattern. I have one more pair ready to cut out and sew. I think I actually managed to get two pair done in about 90 minutes, the ones in the picture plus a pink madras plaid pair. (It helps to not have to change thread.) I made the first pair a size 2 and have since sized up to the 3. I suspect the pattern may run a little small although there’s always the chance my child has actually grown.

7. Last but not least, a new purse for me! This is not the only thing I’ve sewn for me but, really, how many skirts do you want to see? The pattern, Run Mama Run, is by Rose Baby Designs. I used some of my favorite imported Japanese fabric, Little Red Riding Hood. It’s a heavier cotton fabric, more home dec than apparel. I think it lends itself well to this pattern. I used canvas as interfacing on the bottom/side panel, and added fusible fleece to the straps (don’t look too closely at the straps; they are all kinds of messed up with the topstitching). When I bought the pattern, the designer had a buy one/gift one special so I had it sent to an unsuspecting friend. Hee! The purse is nice and roomy, bigger than my usual bags. I wish I had used some flannel to interface the lining; I think it would have given it the hand I like. You may notice the little embellishments I added. I couldn’t help myself! (BTW, The Creative Needle has a nice article with yo-yo ideas in the latest issue.)

I’m also working on some ideas for another tutorial, probably a video (but shorter than the last one, I promise). I also just picked up a few more really cute embroidery patterns that I can’t wait to stitch up. And I’m eager to start playing around with some of the ideas I have for my oldest son’s senior portraits. Yep, lots of things on my plate. Crossing my fingers that I get at least a few of them done!

Last night I finally broke out the Clover yo-yo maker I’ve had for the better part of a year. (Yes, I tend to buy things and not get around to using them. It’s a bad habit and I need to break it.)

Anyway, I have an enormous bag of scraps and decided to play around with the yo-yo maker to see if I liked the results. LOVE! I think I could spend hours stitching up these little cuties. Aren’t they adorable?

Of course, I have no idea what I’m going to do with them. Right now I’m just sticking them in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag until I get a few more, since there aren’t enough to really think about using. Well, except maybe as embellishments on purses or clothes. (Which gives me an idea for a half-finished outfit for Miss L. But I digress.)

I’ve been cruising Flickr for some inspiration and haven’t been disappointed. I love how these are displayed. This is gorgeous, but I don’t know if I have the patience for it (much less a bigger one). I’m totally going to use these as inspiration. I think the yo-yos on this purse are a nice touch. I’ve seen garlands, too, but I think I’d rather do something bigger with them. What have you sen done with yo-yos that’s cool or different?

I made this paper flower bouquet for Miss L’s teacher, as an end-of-the-year “thank you” gift. I had so much fun with it — and it was so well received by her teachers and the other parents at school — that I knew it deserved a tutorial. This one features fabric from Sandi Henderson’s Ginger Blossom line for Michael Miller. I decoupaged the fabric on the pot using Mod Podge. The rim of the pot was painted with a dark brown paint, which I sponged off a bit to give it a distressed leather look.

To make your own pretty flower pot bouquet, you will need:

• Flower template
• Construction paper or cardstock
• Scrapbook paper (optional)
• Pen
• Scissors
• Thin wooden dowels
• Papier mache flower pot
• Green paint and brush or sponge brush
• Pot-decorating items (paint, fabric, paper, etc.)
• Tissue paper or paper grass
• Tulle or ribbon
• Circle cutting tool or punch, or a circular object you can trace
• Picture of each child, cropped to approximate circle size (2 inches is recommended)
• Adhesive (glue dots, Xyron, glue stick, etc.)
• 5×5-inch cube of dry floral foam
• Paper shredder

And here’s my first video tutorial (please be kind!):

My daughter is full of surprises.

That sweet little Miss L has a touch of the shy. It takes her a while to warm up to people, and she usually reacts with unhappy sounds and a buried head in my shoulder or leg when someone new talks to her. With that head full of blond curls, those big blue eyes and the face of an angel, she tends to attract attention — much to her chagrin.

So it was with a bit of trepidation that I approached today and her first ballet recital. Would she cry? Would she run off the stage? Would she even dance?

My tiny ballerina — the youngest and smallest in her class — pranced out on stage with her five friends and proceeded to charm the audience with her antics. That little stinker danced, although not the same steps as the rest of her class. No, she spun and twirled and posed and occasionally tried to convince one of her buddies that she was on the wrong spot.

Y’all, I was laughing so hard, tears were running down my cheeks. Thank goodness Honey had a hanky!

At the end, Miss L was the last to remain on stage, her moment in the spotlight yielding a round of applause just for her. My shy little bunny loved every minute of it.

Popping on to share a couple of pics I took today. Honey’s brother and his family are visiting this weekend from NY. The little cousins bookend Miss L, and she’s having tons of fun playing with people her size. Lots of dress up with her younger, female cousin. Lots of trains and cars with her older, male cousin. It’s definitely a treat to hear so many little feet running around the house, as well as those little voices engaged in conversation. I’ve taken quite a few pics but am only sharing the ones without my niece and nephew’s faces since I don’t have permission from their folks.

I have taken a little break from sewing for others to knock out a few outfits for Miss L. Our weather rather abruptly changed from winter (fall) to spring-verging-on-summer and I had an epiphany:

The dressmaker’s daughter had no clothes.

Maybe it’s a slight exaggeration, but not far off from the truth. And so I’ve been toiling away, making sure my poor daughter did not have to venture out of the house in long sleeves and too-short jeans as the temperatures climbed closer to 80 degrees.

This darling little outfit was pulled together while L was at school on Tuesday. Yep, that fast. It helped that I used white thread on both pieces.

The bottoms are Bermuda shorts from the new Favorite Little Things pattern, Little Smarty Pants. You may have seen the all-growed-up version on me. Bloomers & Britches still has a place in my heart but I’ve now made her three pairs of these shorts and have another ready to cut and sew. Super cute, super fast to sew and really easy for her to pull on and off (Miss Independent likes to “do it myself”). Definitely see these being a wardrobe staple this summer.

I want the top in my size. Seriously. It’s Katie’s newest pattern and I am in looooooove. Such a cute style and, of course, Katie’s easy-to-follow/understand directions make it an absolute delight to sew. I’m trying to figure out how many is too many of these tops to own. This one is made with Jennifer Paganelli’s Sis Boom fabrics, the Casey Scroll and one of her new Bell Bottoms fabrics. (For the record, this top also counts against my Try It! challenge for this year, since I have a skirt made with the same Casey Scroll fabric (matching outfits item). Woohoooo!) You can also make a dress from the pattern; it probably goes without saying that I’ll be making one of those, too.

I did deviate from the pattern just a wee bit. On the armholes, instead of doing a narrow rolled hem (I’m really bad at them), I serged the armholes, then folded over once and topstitched. Luckily, the hem stayed nice and flat, like it’s supposed to. I think the next one I make, I’ll follow Katie’s directions for using binding on the armholes. (BTW, you can pick up your own copy of this pattern — you won’t be disappointed!)

On a side note … I just want to give a huge “THANK YOU!” to Beth and Kristin and the rest of the folks at Sew, Mama, Sew for letting me be a part of Women’s Clothing Month. They are so incredibly sweet and kind, and it’s really such a wonderful experience to take part in their themes and pattern reviews. And thank you to all the folks who’ve come over to visit my blog thanks to SMS.

I haven’t done much scrapping the past couple of years but I couldn’t help myself with these pictures of my sister-in-law.

The cluny lace is from my sewing stash; the papers and elements are the 29th Street Market line by Jen Wilson for My Mind’s Eye. I like the kind of vintage-y feel to them and I think they work well with the desaturated photos, which have a bit of a sepia look to them.

Blair did this and I liked it, so I’m swiping it.

Accent: Not really. I think it tends to surprise people who know I’m from Alabama and have lived nearly my entire life in the South.

Book that I like: I read all the time and it’s tough to name just one. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is just phenomenal. And Anne Rice’s The Mummy remains one of my faves. That said, I’ve read Memoirs of a Geisha over and over again, loving it every time.

Chore I don’t care for: Cleaning the bathroom. Ugh.

Dog or Cat: Both. I’m trying to convince Honey we need a second dog. It’s not working.

Essential Electronics: MacBook, cellphone, iPod Touch and my 30D. I :heart: my camera!

Favorite Cologne: La Vanille, because Honey likes it. If I had my druthers, I’d go back to wearing Chanel No. 5.

Gold or Silver: Between the two, silver. My preference is platinum (my wedding set is platinum).

Handbag I carry most often: Changes frequently. Right now, I’m carrying a wristlet made by my buddy Lisa.

Insomnia: Nope.

Job Title: Girl Friday.

Kids: Three: J, 17; G, 15 (both boys); and Miss L, 3.5

Living Arrangements: Honey, the kids, the menagerie and I all share an abode in the ‘burbs.

Most Admirable Trait: Honey says it’s that I’m kindhearted and generous. I think I’ll stick with that.

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Convincing another person to whom I may or may not be related to climb into our dryer. And then slamming the door and turning it on.

Overnight hospital stays: Three related to delivering babies. One at age seven for a broken arm (surgery was planned but then canceled).

Phobias: Oh yeah. The biggies are claustrophobia and acrophobia.

Quote: “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ” – Helen Keller

Religion: In my teens, I attended a number of churches including Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Catholic.

Siblings: I am the oldest.

Time I wake up: Somewhere between 6 and 7 most days.

Unusual Talent or Skill: I have a pretty good memory, although I worry that it’s turning a bit mushy since Miss L came along.

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: Brussels sprouts. And I’m not a big fan of those salads that look like they’re made with lawn clippings.

Worst Habit: TV. It’s become my mindless entertainment again.

X-rays: I have the film from my broken arm in my kitchen. Can’t really tell you why; I just couldn’t see a reason to throw them out.

Yummy Stuff: I love seafood, especially shrimp and scallops.

Zoo Animal I Like Most: We have a pretty cute baby panda at our zoo. I watched her eating and playing about a week ago, and that was pretty cool. But I’m not really into zoos, in general. Just not my thing.

Anyone else want to play along?

Another one checked off my Try It! list! Can a get a wooohooo?

I spent Mothers Day parked in front of my sewing machine (more or less) and this is one of the projects I cranked out. It looks a little sloppy because I need to mount it on the canvas (it’s just taped down right now), so please excuse the not-quite-straight lines and floppy corners.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about venturing into the world of quilting. I have trouble following directions and the one thing I’m getting about quilting is that it’s vital to be precise. But I thought it out and worked at a reasonable pace, and this is what I created.

No pattern, no directions, just some fabric, trims, photo paper and cotton batting. I used the blank stitch on my sewing machine to sew down the pink panel; I think it’s pretty cool. The photo I tacked down with a straight stitch before adding the trim around the edges. In retrospect, I wish I had used a fusible adhesive first so it would stay nice and flat.

I was a little nervous about the corners, since each of the border pieces overlap. I spent a while trying to figure out that one and ended up leaving a bit of seam allowance open on the first one so I could get the last edge lined up there and that did the trick. (The crochet lace at the top and bottom are sewn in between the pieces.

Really happy with the results and I’m probably even more excited about taking it into the quilt shop this week to show it off.