Here are some things I've made in the past weeks.
There is a limit to how long you can admire your fabrics before having to cut them. In my case, I guess it was a good 3 months or so. I have been intending to start a project using strips but somehow have managed not to do anything for months. This evening was a rare occassion when I was home and free so I thought there is no time like the present to get started. Using my new self-healing mat and rotary cutter, I was able to cut up 2 inch strips of 6 different fabrics, all in different shades of green, quite quickly. (The rotary cutter and the mat really makes the job go very quick compared with using a pair of scissors).
I have had such a hectic weekend; in fact since last wednesday, I feel as though I have not been home much. I have been having such a fantastic time being out doors since we are having such an amazing month (weather-wise). I've been meeting friends for dinner, on Saturday went to a farmers market (which I always get very excited about), went hiking and had the most amazing dinner cooked for me by my v talented friend. Needless to say, I have had no time for crafting (which I have missed despite all the fun). So in a desperate attempt to catch up, I decided to make something very small, simple and quick - fabric flowers. This is such a simple and great project with really pleasing results. The great thing about these flowers is that you need very little fabric (so ideal for all those scraps lying around).
The highlight of last week was receiving some fabrics which I'd ordered on the internet. The collection included some lovely prints from Joel Dewberry, Amy Butler, Tina Givens.
I also ordered two lowly Japanese prints from Fabrictales as well as a pattern; I was amazed by the quick delivery considering they were coming from Japan.
It is of course silly to get excited over silly things like fabrics but I must say having this little stash is for me like having a huge bag of exotic chocolates.
I have had such a great week of vacation. I am a little sad that my time of being a lady of leisure will come to an end tomorrow. It has been a week of getting up, reading, sewing, meeting friends etc. I feel so refreshed; I wonder how long it will last.
Anyway, I have been toying with the idea of making little purses which are inspired by the item on the cover page of Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. Not having the book, I just guessed at the dimensions and decided on curved edges for the bottom as opposed to squared off corners. It was also a good opportunity to play with some of my fabrics which are not big enough to make anything substantial. I am not sure whether to leave them as they are or fold them and sew on a button.
Making the little dress for Sarah really inspired me to start making dresses again for myself. As I began to search the local shops, it appears that they do not stock the full complement of patterns. Most shops here stock Burda patterns which I recall do not include a seam allowance which I think adds another level of complexity. Hence, I began to my search on the internet for nice patterns. I was able to find three dress patterns which looked nice on screen and which I hoped would look equally nice in real-life. These were ordered from Simplicity and they arrived in record time
The pattern I was eager to try out is the 1st one above using the John Caldor retro designed linen fabric which I stumbled across on ebay. Fortunately, I have been on holiday this week so I could spend some time making the dress which is now finished. Below is the final product. Anyway, I can't wait to wear this dress (at some point I hope we will have a real summer warm enough to wear a short-sleeved dress).
I would like to start by thanking everyone who has left comments on my blog; I really appreciate you visiting and taking the time to drop me a few lines. Thank you so much.
Sometimes, it is just fun to make something small and cute. When I saw the cover of Last-Minute-Patchwork by Joelle Hoverson and Anna Williams, I knew immediately that I wanted to make several of those little birds. It was fun selecting the various fabrics from my little collection. Although the instructions in the book are very clear, it would have been great to have more photos just so you know you are on track. Meet the family:
Mat
Fifi
Cara
Lara
There is a 5th bird, Ben, whom I made without the little string so he couldn't be part of the photoshoot. But you can see him below (on the far right).
Its been ages since I made an item of clothing. However, once I saw this fabric, I knew exactly what I wanted to make - a pretty dress for a little girl.
This dress has a new owner. Her name is Sarah and she is nearly 2 years old and she lives all the way in Munich. I hope she likes it.
I made this cushion cover quite some time ago but had to wait ages to get the cushion of the right size. The stripy fabric is in a canvas weight cotton which I picked up in a fabric market in Utrecht. I then appliques two ducks; one in a red floral print and the other in blue gingham.
