Oliver & S Popover Sundress

I was recently asked by a lady from church "So, do you sew clothing very often for your girls?"

In an ideal world, my answer would be: "Yes, everything they wear is handmade with love".

The real answer is something like this: "No way José."

How's that for honesty?  I'll go even further and explain why in unnecessary details, because what is a blog without unnecessary detail?

1. Elliott initially hates anything I make for her.  No joke.  (Proof: see here and here.  Just because she's aged doesn't mean she's any better.)

2. We're given SO much clothing by family and friends.  It's kind of a waste to have more.

3. I'll flip if it gets ruined.  And you probably wouldn't want to witness that.

4. Typically costs WAY more that buying off the rack. (Anyone love the Gap Kids clearance racks like I do?  Holla!)

5. No guarantee of quality or cuteness.  (That's a lot of pressure!)

6. Whenever I sew, my world crashes down around me.  I forget to feed my family, I don't do dishes or keep up with housework, and then...after all the trouble... see #1.   

Last year though, I made the Oliver and S Popover Sundress  for Elliott.  The pattern is free (yay!) and it is quick and simple to sew.  She wore it once (begrudgingly) and apparently it has been shoved into the back of a drawer ever since, wadded up and forgotten.  

When I was picking through her clothing this morning, I stumbled across a hint of familiar green seersucker and decided that this dress would be worn a second time. I prepared myself mentally for a massive throwdown, and I kid you not, I walked into the living room and handed Elliott her clothing and she replied "Oh, I looooooove this dress!".

Well.

So, here, after months have gone by, someone appreciates my hard work.  Naturally, this had to be documented.

Little sister is modeling her big sister's hand-me-down Target mix-n-matches, which, despite their cheapness are virtually indestructible, and again this is very demoralizing in the sewing arena.  The bunny that Bennett has shoved in her mouth is affectionately (and truthfully) called "stinky bunny".  It's rarely very far from her grasp, which is unfortunate, because it sure could stand to be washed daily based on the amount of love it receives.

You know, the human spirit never fails to amaze me.  After just one little glimmer of Elliott's appreciation, all I can think about is sewing.

(For the sake of details--I purchased the seersucker at Joann a few years ago and used scraps of navy blue cotton for the yoke.  I had a small scrap of white piping and added it under the yoke for detail.  I used the 3T size with a 4T length, as the dress is very easy to customize.)

Lessons learned by a first-time quilter.

A million years ago, when I shared my first quilt I promised a "lessons learned" post. Well, here it is. Let's jump in...

Lessons Learned:

Quilts can be expensive. Maybe the quilts of the pioneer days made use of fabric from old clothing and such, but the typical modern quilt is expensive.  It's been a while since I did the math, but my first quilt cost somewhere between $150 and $200 (but a fraction of the supplies, like bent safety pins and extra bobbins can be reused).  It's funny because I was planning on getting Elliott a duvet from Pottery Barn for her bed, but I thought it would be too expensive by the time I purchased the duvet cover and a reasonably priced duvet (from Ikea).  I'd have been better off with that purchase, especially when you consider the unknowns of making your first quilt (i.e. Will it even be usable?).  However, no mass produced duvet cover, no matter how classy it may be, can compare to even the most humble of homemade quilts. That's a fact, Jack.

Move fearlessly forward.  Go ahead, bite off more than you can chew--you are smarter than fabric, after all. Go big or go home, y'all.  And get acquainted with your seam ripper, if need be.  No biggie.

You don't need a whole lot of special supplies. You may want to make sure that your sewing machine is serviced and in great working order and that you have the necessary feet to make quilting easier, but other than that, I'd try to make the best of what you have.  I am still feeling silly for buying a million bent safety pins when oddly enough the large-sized plain ones I already had were actually easier to use and yielded great results. (One reader has said that this safety pin thing was not true in her case and that the bent ones were worth using.  So, take my thoughts with a grain of salt!  I am a total noon after all, sharing only lessons from my first quilts.)

Learn the capabilities of your machine and be prepared to buy a new foot or two. If you plan to free-motion quilt, you'll need to make sure your machine is capable of it and that you have a proper foot.  For my vintage machine (Singer 401A) I had to buy the darning/embroidery foot which, including shipping, was under $3. Straight line quilting would also be awesome for a first-timer (in fact, that's probably a better route to take) and a walking foot makes it a cinch.  But fancy quilting gloves, specialized cutting rulers, etc. can hold off be purchased if your passion grows (and don't be surprised if it does).

Take time to think about what {you} value in a quilt.  I wish I'd know that patchwork is more my style, not so much the route that I took with my first quilt.  In fact, I'm currently saving all of my girls' cotton clothing (not knit cotton, more like the stiff quilting-type fabrics) to make a quilt with once girl #2 has grown out of the clothing.  Laura Ingalls Wilder-style.  I think it'll be super-cool to make a quilt from clothing that both of my girls have spent their first few years wearing. Live and learn, right?

Read about Leah Day and be confident.  In a few short years, this young woman has revolutionized free motion quilting.  Certainly us newbies can figure this out too, at least to a small degree.  She's amazing, and I'll bet she doesn't even have a gray hair yet.  Lucky.

{Wavy Line Whole Cloth Quilt}

Consider whole-cloth if you want some fun practice but you're not ready to tackle something massive. Whole cloth quilting is basically sandwiching two pieces of uncut, un-pieced, unharmed fabric and quilting away.  I found it to be good practice for the actual quilting process, as well as binding practice. Goodness knows I need more binding practice before I tackle another massive quilt.  I've now made two whole cloth quilts as baby gifts, and I'll definitely make more in the future. Whole cloth quilting is significantly less expensive than traditional quilting because there's no waste--so it's a smart choice if you're on a budget and don't have access to scraps.

{Intersecting Lines Whole Cloth Quilt}

So, those are my thoughts. Hopefully it's been helpful if you're considering starting a quilt.  If you're an old pro, maybe you disagree.  Feel free to lovingly share in the comments!  Gone are the days of the quilting bees where us can learn under the wing of the pros, so the Internet proves useful in connecting novices and seasoned professionals.

Go forth and quilt!

Tristin

Intersecting Lines Quilt

Like many days, today is a busy day, and though I have 3.5 million things on my to-do list, I'm using some coveted naptime--a.k.a. my 'freetime' unwisely to share a quilt.  I just feel like it and I don't want to let the feeling get away, you know?  I'm sure you do.

I made this quilt for a friend who recently welcomed her third son to her beautiful family.  Being the third boy, I know there's plenty of hand-me-downs to share, but certainly little baby Ridge (cool name, right?) could use a quilt that belongs only to him.

I wish I could say that this is an original idea--it's not.  I found this quilt on katie did and just knew I had to make one.  I love the idea of whole cloth quilts.  It's economical, fun to customize, time-friendly for moms of babies, and great practice for new quilters like me.  If you're new to quilting (like me) this is an excellent place to start.

The colors of nature provided the perfect palate for this cozy blanket.  Robin's egg blue, leafy green, and tree-bark brown worked together well for a masculine yet still baby-ish quilt.

The front of the quilt has a small square of Joel Dewberry faux bois fabric with the new baby's name embroidered into it.  The quilt was begging for just a bit of personalization; after all, it is rather plain otherwise.

The intersecting and imperfect lines of this quilt proved to be a great way to practice my quilting skills and a super-fun way to get aquainted with my new walking foot.  In case you were wondering, I fell head-over-heels-in-love with my walking foot.  It makes this teeny tiny clicking sound that's just so comforting as it marches along the fabric with ease and confidence.  Didn't know a sewing machine foot could have so much character, did you?

I haven't shared it yet, but this baby quilt is actually my second quilt.  Earlier this year, I completed a MASSIVE undertaking by making  a queen-sized quilt for Elliott's bedroom as my first.ever.quilt.  It's a chevron design made of half square triangles and I even learned the sacred art of free-motion-quilting (and consequently fell in love).  If you're thinking "boy, she's crazy for making a queen-sized quilt as her first", I wholeheartedly agree with you.  It was crazy, but sometimes diving in head-first is the way to go.  Maybe soon I'll share that finished quilt that has become so near and dear to my heart.

Much love,

Tristin

Quilts for Bennett

Still no baby.  But while I know some of you are looking forward to baby pics, the only thing that could possibly come in as a close second is pictures of beautiful handmade quilts.  Lucky you, I have three to share!

We are blessed to have many people who love us and are excited to welcome little miss Bennett.  People share their excitement in many ways--and personally, I love that some people share their excitement in the form of handmade gifts.  Especially quilts.

My gal pal Laura (who you may remember from several guest posts) made this awesome simple and humorous quilt.  It's modern and clean, and she hand stitched whimsical swirls and flowers (which is not shown in my pic, unfortunately) all over the light green fabric.  Laura chose to leave the batting out of the quilt, as Bennett is being born in FLORIDA in JULY.  Does it get much hotter than that?  I'm a seriously sweaty pregnant woman.  I digress.  But seriously, don't you love the calm colors and the message?

This lovely quilt was made with love by a wonderful woman named Evelyn.  She used an awesome color combination that is so fun and feminine without being "pink".  I love the embroidered little girls on the light blocks.  They're very vintage looking and being stitched in bold red, they really "pop"!  It's seriously adorable.

Quilt number three is a double pinwheel pattern masterfully crafted by an avid quilter named Marsha that James works with.  I love the bright oranges and corals and eclectic fabrics all worked into a classic design.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.  When James brought it home, I laid it on the floor to take in its awesomeness and charm and immediately Elliott and our westie Brian started playing tug-of-war with a dog toy on top of it.  Marsha said that a requirement of receiving one of her quilts is that it must actually be used--not just looked at.  I agree, and I am glad to share that it was given a proper welcome into our home.  ; )

It amazes me how different each of these quilts is, but how much I love each one.  I like them all for different reasons and I treasure each of them and the women who created them.  I love the modern-feel, humor and calm colors of Laura's quilt, the girly vintage charm of Evelyn's, and the nod to classic quilts with the emphasis of a fun color scheme of Marsha's.

Isn't Bennett already a lucky gal?

Fabric Dollhouse

Hey crafty pals!  I wanted to pop in to share my latest sewing project--a fabric dollhouse for my little gal!  What fun it was to create, too.  I don't sew as much as I'd like to (primarily because it's SO much easier to just grab a ball of yarn and a crochet hook and watch Downton Abbey mindlessly) but I enjoy it every time I pop up the ol' Singer.

This is a project from UK Lass in the US, and what a fun one it is.  UK Lass even has a fun flickr group to check out for fabric dollhouse inspiration.  You have the ability to make it super simple or get super-fancy--whatever you have the time/skill/energy/supplies for.  What fun!  (Warning, once you look at the Flickr group you WILL want to make one!)

I used stiff felt from my stash for all of the windows.  The little framed decorations you see on the inner walls are paper scrapbooking embellishments that I used a heavy duty no-sew iron-on adhesive to attach.  It worked like a charm--this little house is over a month old and has been played with a lot and they're still just as strong as the first day I attached them.

The outer woodgrain fabric was the only fabric I purchased specifically for this project.  Really, I could have just used scraps that I had on hand, but I wanted a certain "look" so I bought a small remnant of this fabric on Etsy. The fabric is a Joel Dewberry design called Aviary 2 Woodgrain in Bark and was purchased from Etsy seller HB Fabrics (I highly recommend the seller).

The rest of the fabric used was scraps leftover from other various projects.  I know I have already said it, but I had so much fun designing this little house.  It kind of made me feel like a kid again.

Remember how I said that it's easier to grab a ball of yarn and a crochet hook than it is to pull out all the sewing stuff?  It's partly my own fault because I'm so very messy.  I just can't be a neat and organized crafter, no matter what I do.

I made some small errors (some fixable, some not) but overall, I'm not complaining because this project ended with a HAPPY child.  Seriously happy.

I'd estimate that this project took about 6 hours to complete (mistakes included).  So yeah, no plans for making another any time soon.   You've probably noticed that I'm way more into the hour-or-less category of projects.  A girl's gotta sleep sometime, you know?  

So, are you putting this project on your "to-make" list?

P.S. 9 weeks or so until baby Bennett is expected to arrive... The countdown begins!

Day 5: Merry Christmahanakwanza cards with Sunni!

Happy Black Friday to you all!  I hope that if you are one of those crazies who goes shopping that you stay safe--or better yet, that you WIN the fist fight, should you find yourself having to throw down.  Yeah, I love to keep things gangsta.  Today, I'm happy to have Sunni from Love Affair with my Brother visiting with a fun holiday card.  You're sure to like this one! -Tristin

Merry Christmahanakwanza to you!

I'm Sunni from Love Affair with my Brother. Yes! You read that right. I love my Brother sewing machine, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! (Let's just pretend that's what you thought when you read the title!)

I love to blog about quilting, sewing clothes for my daughters and quick and easy crafts. I'm hosting a giveaway of some beautiful Free Spirit solids from The Intrepid Thread and I'd love it if you came by and entered!

I started with a completely different idea, but ended up with these sewn cards!

Have you ever pitched an idea for a guest post or sponsor that put you in over your head? I found this to be that pitch!

I had visions of free pdf printables. A friend said "Oh, you know how to do those?" Ummm... no.

Then I wanted to do a carved stamp. Show you how to make your own custom name stamp or phrase stamp ("Merry Christmahanakwanza" for me). "Do you know how to do that?" Ummm..... no again.

These are my solution to my too lofty ideas. Sewn Christmas cards.

And even if you don't have a lot of time, I promise these are fast. I made all 4 of these in the span of about 15 minutes. If I stuck to one design, it would be even quicker!

You will need:

blank cards and envelopes

Sew line glue pen

Christmas fabric scraps

buttons

markers

fabric glue (optional and not pictured)

Use a Sew Line pen to tack down your fabric shapes before you sew.

Did you know you can sew through paper? I have a special needle, marked with a piece of tape, that I use for paper projects. The paper dulls your needle. You can use a standard foot like I did or a darning foot and free motion quilt to attach it.

When you are finished, you can tie the threads in the back, affix them with a little dab of fabric glue or just cut them. It's just a card and not likely to get the stitches pulled out!

Here's my little Christmas tree. I love the simplicity and folksy nature of these cards.

For this one I used my Sizzix Big Shot and iron on fusible. Just turn your iron down a bit from cotton setting and you are good!

This was the fastest one! Die cut, peel and iron. DONE!

A few years ago, when I lived in downtown Chicago, I had an incredible array of friends from all over the world. I have never believed that "Merry Christmas" is offensive or that we should only wish people a "Happy Holidays" to stay politically correct. But, I mashed all my friends holidays into one phrase and came up with "Merry Christmahanakwanza"! It was silly and good hearted and now I do it every year!

This one is my favorite! I used a Sharpie pen to add the details.

So take some time out from making gifts for friends and family, and creatively play. These cards are fast and simple and afford you ample opportunity to put your own inventive spin on it!

What would you do?

So, I may be slightly obsessed with sewing at the moment.  I've been working on some things and today I'm seeking your advice with a fabric choice.

I found this precious coat pattern on Etsy and I'm making it for Junebug.  I've chosen the main fabric--a gorgeous green corduroy.  Green is Junebug's color.  It has always looked good on her so that was a simple choice.  But the lining fabric is another story.

Which do you prefer?

Choice 1 - Mustard yellow with cotton blooms

 Choice 2 - Multi-colored fabric in a fun pattern:

 

If it helps at all in making a decision, Junebug picked out some buttons for the jacket.  They're orange and I thought they'd look great with the green.  (She already has great taste!)  The jacket is supposed to have a big bow on the front for closing, but if I know Junebug, she'll fight that tooth and nail (possibly literally) so we're opting for a button front (more like a pea coat).

 

Here's another view of the coat:

 

So, which lining fabric would you choose? Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Simple Sewing

As promised, I'm sharing what I've made with my new sewing machine thus far.  I look forward to many years of fun projects, and if you want to see some of my future projects, check out my DIY Stuff to Wear board on Pinterest along with my Sew What category.  Who knows when I'll get to all those fab projects, but inspiration is the first step, right?

Sew far (please forgive the sewing pun, I couldn't resist!) I've made some long overdue pillows and a cafe curtain.

When we bought our couch a few years ago, I had the idea to recover the existing pillows that came with the couch.  The pillows were very bland; in fact, they were the same exact fabric as the couch.  I say when life hands you plain pillows, make awesome pillows--or lemonade or something like that.

Here's the couch, being graced by the presence of awesome new pillows:

 

Now, let's talk fabric.

The pillow in the background is made with Waverly's Groovy Grille in Harvest.  It's available at JoAnn fabric and lemme tell ya, no less than 4 perfect strangers complimented this fabric before I even left the store.  I was feeling pretty confident in my choice after that.

The pillow in the foreground is made with Arcadia by Sanae for Moda.  While one of the local shops here in Melbourne is still carrying this line, I have had trouble finding it online.  Isn't it awesome fabric???  Sharon and I both bought some of this fabric because we love it so.  Because it's quilting cotton, I added piping around the pillow to give better structure and a more polished appearance.  I'm glad I did--it was worth the little bit of extra effort.  Fo' sho.

 

So, I know you're tired of seeing this flower embellished pillow and my crocheted rose pillow, but you'll notice a new guy in the back.  The fabric is from the Outside Oslo line from Jessica Jones.  Specifically it's the Tulip print in Dawn.  LOVE!  You can purchase this fabric and all of Jessica's amazing fabrics through the Needle Shop on Etsy.  (They're a great seller--quick service and good prices!)  I love how well the fabric complements my curtains.  Ahh, bliss.

 

Last but not least, I made a cafe curtain for my kitchen.  A few years ago, James made me a shelf on which I store my Kitchen Aid mixer, food processor, blender, etc. because I'm morally opposed to keeping them on my counter.   (Clutter attracts clutter, folks, especially in my case.)  I made a cute little curtain to hide away all of those appliances.  The fabric is Richloom Cornwall Garden.  I found it as a remnant at Old Time Pottery for $5/yard, which is a steal! Fabric.com sells it for just under $20/yard, which is still reasonable when you consider the quality.  Pier 1 has a lot of outdoor furniture featuring this fabric right now.

After nearly 5 years of living in our home, I'm just now getting to where I really know my style.  It took years to develop it--and I have to get over my fear of color.  Once I got brave and secure in my love of funky stuff and bright colors, my house started to take shape.  It's a work in progress for sure, but I'm sure my new machine will be very helpful along the way.  It already has been.

2 Dollars + 2 Minutes = 2 Scarves

I can't remember the last time Sharon or I posted a full-on tutorial for a craft.  Have you been missing them, too? 

Today at Hobby Lobby, inspiration struck me when I found a 3/4 yard remnant of grey jersey fabric for $2.69.  Immediately, I thought "scarves!" because I have admittedly been a bit scarf-obsessed lately which is crazy considering it's still very much summer here in Florida. 

3/4 of a yard of jersey knit turned out to be the perfect amount of fabric for two scarves.  The supply list for this project is ridiculously short--jersey knit and scissors.  You can handle that, right?

Just lay your fabric out and cut it in half lengthwise. (I realize my fabric is folded incorrectly for this statement, but I folded it and then cut up the middle so I had less to cut.  Yes, I'm that lazy!)

Stretch your fabric pieces lengthwise and voila, you have scarves!  Knit fabrics are awesome because you can leave raw edges and they don't fray--tugging lengthwise on the fabric creates a nice "finished" look on your unfinished knit.

And because I like to explain things to death:

The fabric on the left is the cut but not-yet-stretched jersey.  The scarf in the center is complete--just the cut piece of jersey knit all stretched lengthwise.  The scarf on the right was just for a point of reference.

Don't forget to take an unflattering picture of your neck.  Then you're officially done.

I have seen SO many jersey scarves out and about lately and I've been tempted to buy them, but I can never bring myself to spend $10-$15 on a piece of long, skinny fabric. Sometimes it pays to be cheap. And as a bonus, when people compliment your scarf you can proudly say "I made it". Throw in a "boo-yah" if you feel like it. I definitely would.

P.S.  I completed this craft while my toddler was awake.  So, yeah, it's really that easy.