Gifts in the Mail

From Me to Me. :)

So, I had to take a sewing hiatus, and I had been feeling a tad bit glum about it.
However, the mailman delivered a couple of packages just in time to cheer me up.



To the right, is my very own stamp. I bought it custom made, off an eBay seller for about US$8.50. It took a little longer to arrive since it was delivered from Malaysia (shout out to my native country!), but I'm very pleased with it. It's sturdy and well-made, just as I imagined it would be.

My sewing buddy, Claudia gave me the idea to use a stamp and fabric ink to label clothing instead of tags. What a fabulous idea! Sometimes, it is hard for my kids to tell which side is the front with handmade clothing. Also, I have a daughter who hates tags, and I always end up cutting the labels off store-bought clothing, anyway. (See here for proof).
I can't wait to get my hands on some fabric stamp ink!

On the left of that picture is my brand new free motion sewing foot.
After seeing the amazing stuff that Care (Obsessively Stitching) churns out with this foot (see here and here.), and my bloggy buddy Aunt LoLo's (LoLo Craft) free-motion sewing (see here), I decided to "splurge" on my own. Considering that my 12-year-old sewing machine cost me $100, a $15 sewing foot is splurging!
(Well, OK, about a month ago, I also bought a $30 walking foot off Claudia - which reminds me, I should pay her the next time we meet)

I cannot wait to try out this new sewing foot. I will probably not be making quilts, but I will use it for sewing on knit embellishments, similar to the stuff I did with my chakra pants and the twist cardigan.

The Decluttering Monster's been through!

My dear friends,

There are some work being done to the house right now, and *gasp*, I had to pack away the things in my beloved sewing area so that the handyman can fix up the walls. This meant that I had to put away the sewing machine, the serger, and most of my fabric. How am I supposed to keep sane?

Well, if you are strange like me, you would go through a de-cluttering rampage. In the past week, I have stopped by my local salvation army four times to unload bags of items. I have sent baby items into consignments stores, freecycled many, many items, and threw out accumulated junk. And I ask myself, how does one end up with so many things?
I mean, if I haven't used something for over a year, chances are, that I don't really need said item. Someone else could probably benefit from it, right?
Well, here are a few reasons I find myself keeping things that I don't really use:

• The item was expensive, and I feel bad letting it go, even though I don't use it. "But this totally-not-my-style tealight holder cost me $45! I must have been hallucinating when I bought it". Freecycle!

• I get emotionally attached to an item, even though I don't use it. This is a tough one..."Oh, it's the hand-squeezy-thingamajic from the Blues Festival that I had so much fun at. Awww.... Lauryn Hill was performing....". Out!

• I keep stuff that people give me, because I don't want to offend them. "I better hang on to this framed cross-stitch work, in case she visits". Honestly, I kept it.

• I keep things 'just in case'. "But, what if I suddenly feel like putting up Winnie the Pooh decals all over the girls' bedroom?". Salvation Army!

Well, I did succumb into keeping a few items, but for the most part, I've been ruthless with my purging. Let us just say, it feels good! It feels really, really good! It is a positive thing, a lifting of the spirit... AND it is zen!

Circles on Water by baroda003

So, I am on a sewing hiatus (sob sob), and crafting is pretty much out of the question because I can't get a hold of my things. That leaves me with very little to blog about, seeing as this is mostly a sewing/crafty blog :) So, if I stop blogging for a week or two, you know why!

Hugs,
Su

Curtains, Take Two

Almost two months ago, I made some curtains for the guest bedrooms (blogged here). My husband assured me that they looked good. Some of you told me that you liked it. I had my doubts. However, I left them up there, just to give them a chance. However, every time I walked into that room, I got a jolt of uncertainty.
It's not bad, but I was so uncomfortable with it....

I have a good friend who reads home decorating and architectural magazines. She is a whiz at interior decorating. Me? I am quite clueless. I know what I don't like when I see it. I guess, I finally figured out that I don't like those curtains. Strange, I really like the fabric. Why do they not work as curtains.

Anyway, $10 on fabric and 45 minutes of work yielded this:
It's very plain, but I like it so much better, because it is so light. Did you notice that I reused the fabric from the curtains?
Well, I did Love the fabric, especially the green sparkly one!
Here's a better picture of the room:
So, I do feel much better about the room.
Here's what I plan to do next.

I'm going to redo those side tables. I'm thinking an off-white, and changing those drawer handles. (Um... ignore the toys. My daughter uses that side table as a house for her baby.)
What do you think? Do you think a lighter color will be better?

I may also dye the duvet color. The white seems so stark. I'm thinking a more pale beige.
Yeah, I'm so unsure about the whole thing. Should I bother to dye it? Or just leave it as is?

And finally, I really like the decal, but now, I'm not so sure. Here's a better picture:
Should those decals just be scrapped?

Anyway, I would really appreciated some input, because I am so clueless!

Thanks,
Su

Ruffle My Dress

Me: Quick, take a photo of me before I change my mind.

Husband: What...?

Me: Take it, it's my "Before Photo". I should be frowning and looking sad. Here, let me try it. Oh, it's so not working. Cheese, take the photo! Take it! Cheese...

Husband: As you wish...


Height of fashion, baby! Pale face, check! Frumpy dress, check! Sexy socks, check!
I'm a total fashion plate :D

Anyway, I hardly ever wore this dress (except when I was really pregnant) because it was ill-fitting around the waist and bust. It was also too long for me, cutting me off at the most awkward length.

After bringing in the sides, it is a little more flattering. The hemline is also brought up, and... I added Ruffles with the extra fabric I had cut off!
It's hard to photograph a black dress, so I to overexpose this photo to show you the ruffle details:

Cute, eh? It looks a little bit like a butterfly.

I may enter this dress into the Ruffle Your Stuff contest:




I've seen some of those contest entries, and they are fabulous. I pretty much don't stand a chance, but I will enter, just to say that I took part in the contest:)

Cardigan! From Top.

This top had an ugly collar that won't quit curling. It also had a stain on the front that I wanted to cover up.

Cutting up the center, removing the collar, and adding a band around the front, very similar to how Jessica from Happy Together made hers, I got this:


Initially, this was how I had covered the stain down the front.

Tip: I shirred strips of remnants to make the rosettes - what a great shortcut. I think I first learnt of this method from Barbara's (Flowery Skirt) post. I love reading other people's blogs for all these tips and tricks!

Unfortunately, in the initial configuration, it looked as though I had a growth coming out my underarm and crawling up towards the shoulder. Seriously!! Hahahaha....
Out came the seam ripper, and I had to do some rearranging. I wish I did not have to have any embellishments at all. However, this cardigan is not bad, since it is from a shirt I no longer wore.

With my hair like that (I just got home from work), wearing those tight pants and tight cardigan, I felt a little but like Sporty Spice:


Everything was too tight, so I changed into a looser pair of flared jeans:
The top was better with the jeans....

Pillowcases + Shirring = Pretty Awesome Girls' Dresses

Last time I posted about thrifting (where I scored those awesome red flats), I was asked about thrifted fabrics. At the store I go to, people actually let go of some fabulous fabric. However, sometimes, I do have to get a little bit more creative when looking for fabric sources. The linen section is a great place to pick out bedsheets, curtain and pillowcases with fabulous prints.

I was cleaning out my sewing area, when I rediscovered two beautiful pillowcases that would make lovely and unusual sundresses.

I had done a linky post on shirring before, but Disney of ~Ruffles and Stuff~ just recently did a really good basic tutorial on shirring. It reminded me why I enjoy shirring.

So, instead of cutting up those pillowcases for other projects, I made them into some lovely girly-girl dresses.

edit: You know, I may have made this for the girls. However, the spaghetti straps are adjustable, and I think I can actually wear the dresses as tops. Should I? My poor daughters. I may have just stolen from their wardrobe. We'll "share", as long as there are no tomato sauce stains down the front.

Tutorial: Scarf to Top

As I mentioned in my previous post, these are the directions to transform a scarf into the top.



I had took pictures of the construction, but the shiny sheen of the scarf made it very hard to photograph. So, I decided to draw out the instructions. I tried to make the directions as concise as possible. I hope it is not too concise!


Click for larger image:

Please be sure to check the length of 'A'. You want it to be longer than 1/2 of your bust measurement, at the very least. On my scarf (44"x44" scarf), I got quite a bit of ease.
Also, I did not really measure my elastic. I just fit the elastic to the right tightness above my bust line.

You can contact me by leaving a comment, or through email.

Scarf to Top

Last week, we had spring-like temperatures. Although Canadians are smart enough to know that spring is not really here yet, it was fun to pretend. We biked, played in puddles and did a lot of chalk drawing on the driveway. I also did some spring cleaning, and found this scarf:


I never used it much, but I really liked the fabric. So, I made a top out of it. A really simple 15 minutes top.
It's kind of cute....

Hmmm.... I know, I know. Summer's not here yet....
OK, I can still wear it....


I bet you want to know how to make it, right?

OK, I'm working on the tutorial. You would think a 15 minute top would be easy to explain, eh?
I hope to post it soon!

edit: The tutorial is up!

When Things don't go your way, Trudge on anyway!

or else you'll end up with UFOs (Unfinished Objects)

Well, that's what I'm telling myself, anyway.

Lately, I've been doing a lot more work at my kids' schools, and also working a lot more hours at the yoga studio. So, whenever I have a chance to play, it is to craft with my kids.
I love sewing, though, so I still find myself at the machine from time to time. I've managed to sew a few more jumble dresses.
However, in my naive way, I decided that I needed to make a slipcover for this beast in my bedroom. Well, it's perfectly sized, but pretty ghastly otherwise.

See what I mean? Really yuck. It's mostly covered by a nice throw, but I still know what is underneath that throw.

Well, how hard can making a slipcover be? Apparently, it's not that easy to get it to fit properly. Of course I did not make a muslin. I wanted it to be a quick project. Quick... hah! It certainly has ate into my "fun sewing" time!

Anyway, I've spent quite a bit of time of getting the fit right, but it's so fiddly. Arrghh.... I want to throw the thing out, but I won't. I will finish what I started...... grrrrrr.
So here is the unfinished slipcover. I may adjust it a little bit more, but I'm running out of steam. And I still have to add a skirt:
Most of the big imperfections will be covered up by that cushion seat. Hopefully, I can actually make a Nice cover for that cushion.
Wish me luck with the rest of the project. I will post pictures when done.
Oh yeah, and remind me to stick to making clothes for people next time. :)

That Giddy Feeling I get from Thrifting

I primarily thrift for fabrics. I'm always surprised that people donate fabric to thrift stores, but that is what keeps me coming back for more.

Sometimes, I also find myself looking for good pieces of furniture to restore. Lately, I've been looking for a small cabinet to store my kid's arts and craft supplies. I'm dreaming of perfectly ordered stashes of paper, glue, pom-pom balls, popsicle sticks, googly eyes and stickers. Hey, a girl can dream!

So there I was, disappointed that the only furniture at the store was of the cheap particle board variety. So, to cheer myself up, I walked over to the auction area. Painted wooden loons, anyone? How about an antique mandolin? So cool. Oooh, look, old style telephone? I wonder if that will work with our digital system? Abraham Lincoln bust? Wha...? That section always cheers me up, and it certainly did it's job that morning.

Just as I was walking out the door, my eyes flickered over the shoes section. Now, I never buy shoes from the thrift store, so it never occurred to me to look. Something red on the shelf called to me. Closer, it said. I stepped a little closer. Oh, this pair of red shoes is just gorgeous. It's perfect for spring. Not a scratch on the top. My heart started beating faster. Hmm, it is my size. My belly did a flutter. I turned it over. Wow, the soles are not scratch, I think it is brand new! $3.50?!? SOLD!


Yes, I'm still high over the purchase. Yes, I'm shallow to be so happy over shoes. And yes, I am shameless and should get a life :)