Go see this!

Merry day-after Christmas! 


I have a belated Christmas present for you:

Go to this blog and be happy! http://handmaderyangosling.tumblr.com/

I found a link to Handmade Ryan Gosling on a blog called Yellow Bird + Yellow Beard. Check them both out. 

Christmas Gifts, Part One

Warning: This is not a sewing post. I hope you enjoy, anyway. :-)

I like to make baked goods to give to my friends around Christmas. This year, I think I must have had cereal on my mind, because I made Rice Crispy Treats and Puppy Chow.

 

The Puppy Chow recipe came from here. I used 1.5 times the amount of peanut butter, chocolate, and butter listed in the recipe because I did not think that the cereal was coated well enough using the specified amount. The Rice Crispy Treat recipe came from here. I did not do any modifications to this recipe.

I decided to put my treats in mason jars after seeing these super cute jars on You Are My Fave. You Are My Fave is one of my fave new blogs.

I made the tags using the clip art in Microsoft PowerPoint and printed them on 8.5"x11" label paper. I have posted the tags here if you want to use them, too.

What are you making for Christmas?

Coming Soon...

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted. Life is hectic.

I am anticipating more free time as the holidays approach, so I made a couple of Black Friday internet purchases to prepare for a couple of projects that I have planned. I bought:

I splurged and got the regular and invisible zipper feet...

With my new purchases, I am going to try making my very first dress! I bought a pattern several weeks ago and have been itching to get started, but I promised myself that I would not start until I had time to finish... And, I am still a little afraid of zippers. I am going to practice my invisible zipper skills while making covers for the throw pillows on my BF's couch before I tackle the dress.

I am also going to try making a shirt from a jersey knit material. The twin ballpoint needle is for the hems.

Updates soon on these projects and more. What are you working on these days?

Babies

I have reached the point in life where many of my friends are having babies. One friend had a little girl a couple of months ago. It was impossible to resist making something cute for her to wear. I found a pattern for adorable tiny baby booties.  (Why do we use extra adjectives when talking about baby stuff?) Get the pattern here.

I wanted to make sure that the baby had something to wear her shoes with, so I made her an appliqued onesie, as well.

Another friend has a Christmas due date. I made booties and matching onesies for her baby shower that I attended earlier today. I had to make a University of South Florida onesie; both of the parents-to-be are alums. Go Bulls!

The colors look different in the three photos, but it is the same fabrics. Promise. I got the idea for the tie from another blog, Crap I've Made. You can get the tutorial here.

In addition to a baby shower today, I also attended the first birthday party for my best friend's son. Using leftover fabric from the baby stuff, I made the birthday boy a shirt to wear for his party. Which do you think he loves more: the shirt or his cake?

I learned something new while making the birthday shirt. Sewing Tip Learned the Hard Way #3: Fabric stabilizer makes an applique on a knit fabric look so much cleaner and nicer. I used Sulky Totally Stable. (Well, I used it on the second half of the last project...better late than never!)

Fold-Over Clutch

I ordered a pattern for a fold-over clutch that I found on Etsy from a pattern maker named Ali Foster.  You can find her shop here. The pattern is great! The instructions are clear and there are pictures to show each step. I highly recommend Ali Foster’s patterns.

This clutch took me about four hours to make- a perfect Saturday afternoon project for me. The hardest part was the top stitching. Sewing Tip Learned the Hard Way #2: Top stitching turns out much better if you use the straight stitching presser foot.  The straight stitching presser foot looks like this:

Photo from Here...

The button the on the front is just decorative. The clutch has a magnetic closure which was very easy to attach. (I am still a little bit afraid of zippers... More on that later. )

In addition to being super cute, it is the perfect size for the daily essentials.

What sewing tasks you are afraid to tackle?

Welcome!

Life is stressful. I have recently discovered that sewing is a great way to relax. There are many reasons why I love to sew: Sewing requires me to focus on a task so that I cannot worry about everything else. I can sew in the comfort of my home at my own pace. Sewing makes me feel productive and I create beautiful things that I can share with others.

This last point brings to me this blog. I love to show off my creations! I am also really grateful for all of the skills and ideas that I pick up from browsing other crafting/sewing blogs. Hopefully this record of my sewing adventures will be helpful to others as well. 

Allow me to share with you one of my first projects:

This my first sewing creation of which I am proud. I found the pattern on the Chronicle Book Blog. I love free patterns! The featured book, 1,2,3, Sew, by Ellen Luckett Baker has been added to my wish list. 

I made the black and cream version of this reversible tote first. Being my initial attempt, there are many imperfections. The black flowered side (the inside in this photo) turned out a little bit bigger than the houndstooth side. Rather than fixing it, I tried attaching the two sides as is. It caused some bubbles where the sides are sewn together. I also had trouble with the part where the strap meets the bag. I think that both issues were caused by not cutting out the pattern very carefully. Sewing Tip Learned the Hard Way #1: Always take your time and cut your patterns carefully. 

 

The second attempt is much more polished. I am also in love with the flowered fabric. When I saw it, I could not resist even though finding a complimentary fabric for the other side of the bag was quite a chore. I am still not convinced that the stripes are the best choice, but it is too late to change my mind now. 

What was your first sewing project?

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will visit again.