Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Another Cynthia Rowley Jacket

I liked the first Simplicity 2443 so much, I had to make another one.  I left off the ties and I think I will get buttons.   This jacket also needs the d-rings for the sleeves, I only had gold ones and I want silver ones for this jacket.  The fabric is a  cotton-lycra with some texture from my stash, purchased last year.





I had asked how many pieces in my stash, well this was piece #4.  I am working on #3, it is a new Simplicity blouse pattern.  My goal is to have the remaining pieces sewn up before I meet Gwen in May for fabric shopping.


Late Night



Late night at the track meet last night, home at 10:45 p.m.
It was a beautiful setting for a track meet, we were in a town along the Missouri River and the scenery was incredible.  The football field and track are set in a valley and one side is a hill lined with trees.  Here was my view at 9 p.m., the moon rising above the trees. Spectacular. 



Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Fabric Made Me Do It

Those quilting cottons get me every time and my friend just got in Frolic by Sandy Gervais, it is the perfect spring colors.  Especially after a long winter.  I taught a purse class there last week and one woman made her bag from this fabric line, gorgeous.  Then I was at Moda Bake Shop and saw this this quilt and I was a goner.

I worked like a crazed woman all week and last night I finished it.


I decided to only put "bloom" on the bottom.  That one word reminds me of one of my daughters, she is just blooming this year, coming into her own.


Now it is off to the quilters and I can't wait to see it after that.



On a side note: Anyone want to guess the number of pieces of fashion fabric in my stash?  I have been working my way through it and not buying much the last couple of months.  I am probably going to cut into one of the pieces tonight.






Sunday, April 18, 2010

Another Jalie Tie Top

I made Jalie 2921 in March and wanted to make it again.  This time in a polka dot rayon knit and I shortened the ties by quite a bit.




















I probably will wear it with this cardigan quite a bit.


















Now off to scrapbook, I am up to Christmas 2009 but still have to do all of Paige's wedding and showers.  I did one of all the events one year prior to the wedding and gave it to her as part of her birthday.  Now I need one for me.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Been Busy

Not much sewing this week.
  • Two track meets, Tuesday and Thursday
  • Wednesday night - sewing class (taught a purse class)

















The twins were in the open 800 last night.  Meredith has been running the 800, just like her dad did, I did and her two older sisters.  After Kaitlyn ran it for the first time (and did a great job), she commented I guess it is in my blood, too.  Yes, it is, Kailtyn.  Meredith placed 2nd in that race and Kaitlyn 3rd.

Baking an apple pie right now for dd#2, doing some housework, then sewing!  Yea!!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Another Ruffled T-Shirt

I used this tutorial for my pink t-shirt.  I did only use one 2" width of fabric for each ruffle and each side is approximately 9" long.  Middle one about 12".  I doubled each fabric strip.




















Close-up of ruffles.



















I plan on wearing this one with a cardigan.  Off to enjoy the pretty day and work in my flower beds, then track meet late afternoon.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Simplicity 4076 with Ruffle neck

If you have been reading this blog for now, you know my favorite t-shirt pattern is Simplicity 4076.  This time I was inspired by this tutorial and used the ruffle neckline only.  I measured my neckline mutliplied it by 2 and made the ruffle. 




















close-up of neckline













I liked the idea of a flower but didn't want it on all the time, so I made the flower and hot glued a jewelry pin on the back. 


Close-up of neckline and pin.


















Fabric is an interlock from Joann's.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

New Skirt and Spring Color

I made another Ottobre Skirt for me.  The first one had the pleats, this one I used the front lining pattern piece for the fashion fabric and I have a nice flat-front skirt.  This fabric was leftover from a jacket I made a couple of years ago, it is a bit more of that Nanette Lepore fabric from a coop. I had planned on getting this finished for Easter but that didn't happen.





















Next some pretty spring color from my Bradford Pear tree and magnolia bush, which hasn't grown in 24 years.  That bush is the first thing I planted in our yard and that is about the size it started.


















Close-up



















We are suppose to get frost tonight, so these might not be so pretty tomorrow.  I also went out and cut all the remaining daffodils in my garden and put them in a vase. 

 Jalie Sweetheart top was started tonight, looks pretty good so far.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Burlap Bulletin Board

So you know I have a new desk area and I have been wanting one of those fabulous burlap bulletin boards from Pottery Barn.  I have been looking at their site and their catalog but darn the luck no 80% off sale yet!  I decided to make one from an old frame my daughter used in her college apartment (hope she doesn't want it back for her house) and a bulletin board from Wal-Mart.

So before






I spray painted the frame a dark bronze, matches the handles on my desk area.  Took off the frame from the bulletin board, cut it down to size and then covered it in an off-white burlap.



















I then cut strips of the tan burlap and applied them to the bulletin board with upholstery tacks.  I have extra tacks to use as the pins.
I can slide postcards and pictures into the strips and not tack them down.


















Linking to Transformation Thursday

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Easter Bouquet

Kaitlyn made a cupcake bouquet for Easter.  If you want to make one, check out Sandra Lee's recipe


















We used a half sphere.  Also, trial and error - use a container that as a lip the bottom row of cupcakes can rest upon.  That holds the weight of all the cupcakes and keeps them from falling.


















Putting in the cupcakes.














We did not have dark green cupcake liners, so we used  all green and pink from the assorted pack.  We put the entire bouquet into the freezer after we finished.  It kept the icing in place and kept it looking pretty.














When we were carrying this into my mom's house for dinner today, she thought we were bringing her a bouquet of flowers!

Happy Easter

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Guest Room Redo

Well, as many of you know my oldest got married last summer.  Now I have an official guest room.  It is so nice to have a guest room.

I didn't change the wall color, I like blue and the walls are a pretty shade of blue.  I did buy a cream dust ruffle, two pillow shams and two yards of fabric for the redo.  The rest is things moved from different parts of my house.


so here is the before.  I like this quilt, made it last fall but right now I just feel it is too busy.  Check out the lamp, it changes later too.














Here it is after, the new shams, a white-on-white quilt my mom made years ago and she wasn't using.  Then the quilt on the end of the bed is one I made her for her birthday in 1989 and she wasn't using it right now either.   I made the three decorative pillows, more on those later.













Here is a different view of after, the room is small, so hard to shoot around a queen size bed.















Now to the dresser before, okay but not quite what I wanted.



















After, items from other rooms in my house:


















Here is a close-up of my dad and his siblings (the black and white photo on the dresser).  My dad is on the left, aren't they cute:














Next to the lamp.  The lamp shade had a gold ribbon around the top and bottom.



















I took painted the gold trim to blue and made a burlap flower from this tutorial Used one of the lamps from the dresser.  The frame I had spray painted it heirloom white, hot glued cream burlap to the frame, painted a small wooden piece the same blue from the lampshade.




















The room had a chest of drawers, but now I don't need the storage in the room, so I moved it out.  I had this chair:



















Needed to be recovered, so I took the fabric, taped off a couple of straight lines and used the same blue paint from the lampshade:














Here is the chair after:



















Lastly, the new decorative pillows.  My local quilt shop had the great egg fabric, so Pottery Barn and perfect colors for this room.  The middle pillow, is muslin with ribbon tied around it like a package and another burlap flower.














I am so pleased with the redo of this room.  I didn't spend alot of money and the room just has a more peaceful look.

I am sharing this on
Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap up party!

and


and
Happy Easter all,