Project: Polka dots and ruffles

I bought the pattern to make this super cute ruffly dress from Etsy during the great series of blizzards earlier this year. The directions were super easy to follow and this was quick to put together. If my sewing machine had a longer stitch length, it would have been even easier (add that to the list of requirements for my future upgrade). Instead, it takes me years to make a ruffle perfectly ruffly.

I used fabrics from the Nicey Jane line by Heather Bailey. I think the polka dots are just perfect for a little girl.

The pattern called for an extra row of ruffles on the bottom but I think I had enough going on that one more would have been one too many. I still have the ruffle and I'm thinking about turning it into a flower or something.

As you can see, the dress is hanging off of Zadie but it was also really hard to get on (and off). There's definitely something wrong with the fit. The pattern didn't call for a closure but I'm going to have to cut it open in the back and add a button and elastic so this will be easier to manage during toddler-wrangling-getting-dressed time. I'll probably just tack up the straps with a longer stitch so that it will fit better but allow for some growth.

Does anyone have any suggestions for alterations that might be better than these?

Project: Spring Top Week

I decided to give myself another challenge (like I need any more on my plate right now). I'm signing up for Spring Top Week over on the Made by Rae blog. I'm going to design and sew a top all by myself all for me.

Project: No project weekend

It was one of those weekends where I got nothing done and just ended up making a big mess out of my studio space.

Friday after work, I finished up a project for my mom. It's been hanging over my head and over the arm of the office couch for weeks now. I had the supplies to finish it, I had the time to finish it, but I did not need to finish it because it is a Christmas tree skirt. I really enjoyed making it and I love doing nice things for my mom but who needs a Christmas tree skirt in January or February or March, even? Christmas in July, sure... But now it is finished and it looks gorgeous and she loves it and will probably use it for the next 20 years (or else).

I was excited to have that finished up so that I could start on something new (Plan B). I bought a pattern to make some cute sailor pants for Zadie a while back and thought I would get to work on those. Unfortunately, I was not able to find buttonhole elastic on my last trip to the fabric store and I don't need 5 yards of it so I need to wait until the next trip to a different fabric store before we'll have yellow elephant pants in our lives. I had forgotten about the stupid elastic so I feel like I wasted time getting everything set up and cut out only to have it sit there.

Plan C was to actually make something for myself and follow through on that pattern challenge I signed up for last month. I got out my teal silky fabric and cut out all the pieces (a huge pain as I did not have enough fabric to do it easily; I really had to make it work and had about 2" left in a weird shape -- it was like Tetris or something. From now on I'm buying more than the pattern envelope says). Then I had a lot of problems getting my brand new chalk marking pencil to actually make my dart lines and once I finally got to sewing, everything started bunching up because I probably need to use a thinner needle and I don't have any and there are no fabric stores open on Sundays within a reasonable distance. I was able to sew the front facing in because the sewing machine seemed to be okay with attaching the cotton to the silky stuff without bunching up. But anyway I can't get started on the rest until I get some smaller needles.

Plan D was to get started on that Burda dress. I got all the pieces put together and easily made the adjustments from the Danielle to the Maya shape. After I put Zadie to bed I was going to sew a "muslin" of the bodice out of some ugly blue flannel so that I'll be able to make adjustments to the pattern before cutting into my good stuff. I feel like the neckline might be a little low for me and I have no idea how European cuts are going to work on my body. I was too tired to do this so I watched Ruby and went to bed but couldn't fall asleep.

Fabulous. I feel like I got nothing accomplished and am still tired. The week ahead is a busy one at work so there's no way I'll be able to squeeze much into my evenings. Does this ever happen to you?

See flickr for notes on the photo if you want the mess explained.

Project: Etched mirror silhouette tutorial

I wrote up a tutorial to make these gorgeous etched mirror silhouettes for the Mother's Day issue of Modern Handmade Child. It's a simple project once you get the supplies together. It took me longer to get a good profile shot of Zadie than it did to make this project!

Follow this link and click on the special Mother's Day Issue to the right. Page 26 - 28. Sorry Mimi and Grandma Char for the spoiled surprise on your Mother's Day gifts.

And I will be posting a longer tutorial on the non-toxic version using flocking powder sometime soon.

Project: Interview with Kim of True Up

Kim took this photo while buying fabric at the Fall Quilt Market

I'm so excited to have fellow writer Kim of the amazing True Up blog here for the Project: Project interview series, "Not the Same Five Questions." Kim is a fine enabler, crafter, and mom with a fabric stash to envy.

doesn't this look delicious?

You know a lot about fabrics and design. What is your background?

Thanks! I am self-taught in all the fabric stuff. My background is in linguistics and publishing -- right now I'm a contract speech pathologist. But I have always had something creative going on -- it was photography and then web design for a long time. I got into sewing about 10 years ago.

quilt project

You manage to strike a good balance between enabling and educating fabric addicts readers. Is that one of the goals of the blog?

Definitely! I'm glad you noticed. When I started out I not only wanted to spread the word about great new fabrics I came across, I also wanted to educate myself about the design process and about different types of fabrics.

great ebay fabric haul

One of my favorite posts was “The Great eBay Fabric Haul.” I even read all the comments. What projects came out of that stash?

Ahhh ... that was a great eBay win! That doesn't happen much any more -- too many collectors are clued in now. It was mostly scraps -- some of them found a way in to quilts, some I traded in swaps, but most of them are still hanging out in the stash!

vintage button find

Like many of your readers, you’re a mom. Does the blog allow you to work at home or do you have a day job?

It does allow me to stay home part-time. As I mentioned above I'm also a speech-language pathologist. I do that a few days a week while my mom and husband take turns caring for my 2 1/2 year old son.

beautiful decluttered stash

You mentioned something about surface design on your blog. Any secrets you care to spill?

I have secrets, but none I can spill! I have found that one of the biggest hurdles in creative life is option paralysis -- but I am thankful I have those options. I'll let you know when I figure it all out!

Thanks again to Kim for the honest and interesting answers. True Up is really important. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look especially at her Digital Fabric Printing Experiment. It's incredibly helpful. And I think I need a storage system like that for my fabric. It's so much better than my ugly plastic 3-drawer system.

Project: Trades are awesome.

The best part about Etsy, for me, is the community. I like that when I have a question about something, the person who actually made that thing with their own two hands is going to answer me back.

Since I've been in this pattern/sewing kick, I've been looking really closely at some of the toddler dresses. I emailed the owner of DevonRose demanding that she make patterns of her designs because they are awesome. She wrote me back saying that she doesn't use patterns -- she just cuts straight from the fabric. What?!? Is that possible? Not for me. There's no way I could do something like that. She is like a magician.

Anyway, she had bought one of my yetis a while back so we got to "chatting" and she suggested we trade. Awesome. This green dress is amazing. The craftsmanship is really impeccable. That's something that's really important to me. I couldn't find a stitch out of place (and you won't in my stuff either). These little fabric covered buttons just rock (I'm so going to buy one of those fabric covered button maker thingys next time I leave the house). Check out how the underskirt just perfectly accents the hem. I love it. I also love her blog. Good stuff.

Project: Thrifting

I rarely get the time to go to thrift stores anymore plus I just really don't like the stores we have here. The ones back home where I grew up are way better.

Anyway, check out these awesome shirts I got to turn into dresses for Zadie. That patterned one is so funky. I actually might make a skirt for myself! I just love old man prints.