Saturday, March 31, 2007

Scrapbooking is Current

Okay, big day here, my scrapbooking is caught up. Hurray, hurray. I even cleaned up my area, it looks so nice, as does my scrapbook. I have come to a realization, I like scrapbooking but I LOVE to look at the scrapbooks after they are done. The process is okay but the end result is wonderful.


Other happenings today, I picked up my new red chairs for the great room, so exciting for a new look. I am going to pick out some home dec fabric at Joann's for pillows and curtains. The change is wonderful, the red chairs look perfect with the denim couches. Here is a before picture of the room and I will put up an after later. Gotta get it done first!! The red chairs replaced the floral chairs. The bit of red in the picture is a slipcover I tried on the floral chair first, didn't like that at all.


Last thing for today, I have been looking at Anthropologie for ideas for my new fabric purchases, I have some nice ideas. I will share them at a later posts, have to find some patterns to correspond to the look.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Signs of Spring


Since this blog is about gardening, too, a few pictures of the spring blossoms.

Sewing - 50 napkins cut from fabric and serged for a friend. Yuck, to this job, but it is done. I just got a king size quilt to bind (for hire).

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Finally posting my Jacket

I finished this jacket last week but never had time to take pictures during the day. I walked past my dressform and the jacket was still on it. Oh, yea, pictures. It is McCall's 5007 and the fabric is Nanette Lepore from a co-op. The buttons are from Joann's, I wasn't sure about them but really they were my only option. Now that the buttons are sewn on the jacket, I like the look. My serger is back so I am hoping to do some tops for me this week. First, I have to serge some napkins for hire, why, oh, why did I say yes to that?








Monday, March 19, 2007

Beach Bag

My college daughter is heading to Florida for spring break. She really needs a new beach bag, right? I started this last night and woke up 30 minutes early to finish it before work. I wanted to get it into the mail so it would arrive before she headed out. I based it on the Japanese Craft Book titled CHECKER & DOT STRIPE GOODS PATTERN BOOK.



Since this book is in Japanese and all I can make out is the measurements, I used it as a guide. I made the bag bigger than the book and used canvas for the bag and lining to get a very stiff bag. The handles were made stiff with one layer of canvas and two layers of fusible fleece. I fused the fleece to each side of the canvas. The interior has a zipper pocket on one side and a large pocket (divided into 3 sections) on the other side.




It also has an exterior pocket. I purchased the fabric from Sew Mama Sew and wasn't sure what to make, last night it just popped and the fabric wanted to be a beach bag. I really am pleased with the results.


Front with outside pocket:



Back - I love the fabric colors:


The colors are so close to the purse I made her last week, I hope she doesn't mind. I have a feeeling she won't!








Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Serger is in the Shop

No sewing here, darn and double darn. I went to thread my Babylock Imagine serger on Sunday and could not get the lower loop to thread. I took it to my dealer and she said it was plugged. Easy fix but 10 days for it to be ready, would you like it cleaned and serviced while it is here? Yes, please.





So while my Imagine is in the Serger Hospital:


I will be doing this craft:
Yes, scrapbooking, I haven't done this since last August. Many events and many, many pictures have been taken. Back-to-school, softball, Homecoming, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Christmas, basketball, family outings, etc. You get the picture and I am going to get the pictures down in the books!!
My reward after doing several pages, a new purse, sure don't need a serger for that project.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Purse for Birthday Girl

Today is college daughter's birthday, I took the day off and drove 2 hours to take her to lunch and shopping (of course). My husband (her dad) thought this was funny since college daughter is coming home tomorrow for the family birthday bash. I thought is was all very reasonable, I really wanted to see her and spend part of the day with her. I had the bakery make her a small individual cake and I had to bring her a present, right? Since all the presents were wrapped and are for the weekend party, I just had make her a new purse. I love this fabric combination and she did, too.


Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Wrapped and bow attached!

I apologize for the colors in these photos. I snapped pictures, went to download them onto my computer and the battery dies. I decide to wrap my niece's present while the battery charges. Well, the color is cruddy on the pictures but I am not unwrapping a gift to take pictures again, sorry!
Here is the outfit- Ottobre 1/2007 knit top is #35, the skort is #37, size 140 with extra length.
I tried the t-shirt with self-fabric ribbing and it didn't lay right. I had some nice white ribbing and that worked perfectly for the t-shirt but left it lacking. I thought an embroidery would be in order and I had Roses in Bloom by Smith Street Designs, applique embroidery. One of their designs looked quite a bit like the skort fabric. Take a look
fabric:
Embroidery:
Lastly the doll outfit:

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Sping Inside

The skort is complete for my niece's birthday. I love the fabric so spring-like much nicer than our actual weather of blowing snow! The fabric is from Joann's and the trim is elastic from Needle Nook Fabric. I sent Anne a swatch and copy of the Ottobre picture to match a knit for the top and she called me. Conversation went a bit like this:

Anne: Do you have trim for the skort , Lori?
Lori: Are you kidding, I haven't even thought past starting the skirt!!
Anne: Well, I have the perfect elastic that will wonderful.
Lori: Yea, send me 2 yards, please.

Anne was right, as always, it was perfect. Thank you, Anne. The skort is Ottobre 1/2007 #37 with a couple of changes. I used a snap on the back pocket instead of velcro and I used a snap on the skort front instead of a tab and belt hardware. I thought my niece would have much better luck with a snap and weaving a tab through 2 belt hardware pieces. The rectangle in the upper left of the skort front is a matching skirt for her American Girl doll. I used a skirt pattern and added a flap to make a faux skort. The doll skirt looks a bit too rectangle but it fits my doll form okay and the AG dolls are thicker in their waist.

Now onto the t-shirt, I have 8 days until the party. I am in great shape!!