Sewing Clothing: a Summer Top

I follow some sewing blogs like Sew Anemone and these ladies have inspired me to dig out and dust off my own clothing sewing skills.

As a result I bought the Burda 6632 top pattern and cut it out on a size 12. (even though my measurements suggested a size or two bigger....

After a bit of modification ( I used the front band as a facing instead to shrink it a couple more inches) I am really happy with it.

Sewing away from home

When we are away I still love to sew especially if there is a day with out company.  It keeps me busy and productive after the cookies and pies are done.

In steps this old Singer.  I had it serviced and the staff expressed their surprise that I would or maybe could use such a thing when it neither reverse stitches of zigzags.  Horrors!  It is wonderful thing and makes beautiful neat little stitches.  It also has the cleverest bobbin winder ever.  It doesn't like the giant spools of thread though so I put the spool in a jar behind and thread it through a big hole in a spare bobbin.  All good.

From curtains to...grocery bag

My dear friend Marilyn gifted me her dining room curtains when it was time to redo the room.  Wow, they were 100% linen in a lovely light carmel colour.



I confess I have a thing about mismatched fabric grocery bags and so I cut apart our local Co-op's plastic bag and used it for the pattern.



I was pretty pleased with the result.  How about you...

Wheelchair Bag

This was a secret project so I didn't post about it sooner.  But the recipient is now in possession so here goes.

 First I chose some rainbow coloured fabric.  She loves rainbows...

Then I stitched up the bag in a simple messenger style.

As you can see the straps are loops only.  They fit over the chair pushers and keep her stuff handy.  Oh, yes and a small peek inside...

Oops apparently I made the straps a bit short.  Hopefully we will be in the same city soon and I can fix the issure...

Pink Shoe Bag

We have been travelling, and my favourite slipper to take along is actually a bit between a slipper and a slipon shoe.  They are getting a bit old and sometimes pick up some dirt while traveling as I wear them outside if my feet are tired of my runners.  So I made this little fold over bag.  I just cut a strip of fabric about 7 inches wide. Finished the short ends.

Then it was turned inside out for the two side seams... I found it to be the trickiest part but you just need to think it through...

Now I am set for the next trip.

More Plate Pockets

Carrying on, I made some more plate pockets, well actually some are for bowls but plate pockets sounds cuter...

And I tried them out with the dishes.  They worked great.  No more dusty dishes coming out of the shelves in the basement...  Yeah!

iPad cover for my neighbour

My neighbour gets the dark navy one.  The fabric is wonderful swirly and subtle.  Not too clear here.  The pink one was for my daughter's ipad and became the pattern for this simple case.

Bear Head Hat

Pretty cute.  I used a Simplicity pattern I got on sale at Fabricland on the weekend.  It is supposed to be fully lined but the polar fleece I bought is reversible.  So I did it in a single layer so as not to be so hot.  It's orange on the inside.  T and I thought the fabric looked like a red panda.  Maybe we weren't so successful but I think he's over the top cute.

My Grandsons not so new shirt

This is a shirt I made for my grandson who doesn't like buttons.  It has snaps instead. He still doesn't like it much but....

My Granddaughter's next pink dress

First the cutting

The neckline was a bit tricky.  I turned the facing to the outside and used rickrack to define and finish the turn-under.  A little stitch in the ditch and ...

Pincushion Crazy 3

After two BIG pincushion trials - I think I went too small.  But cute.

I remembered some bean bags that I had made for the children years ago and I thought I needed four finished rectangles in a 2/4 ratio.  So I thought I would like the finished size to be 1 1/2 in by 3 in so I cut out a total of four rectangles (two of each colour)that were 2in x 3 1/2 inches

Laying the four rectangles our alternating colours in a cross, begin sewing turning corners as you go.  I found it was easiest to sew on the side with the 90 degree corner on top so I did quite a bit of backstitching on the other side and then flipping it over.  It got a bit tricky but in the end just keep trying to close it all in like a quasi box (but not).

I put in a bit of brown rice for weight and then polyester stuffing to plump it up.  It ended up really small...Maybe I should have cut the rectangles 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches.  Maybe next time.

Now I have lots of pincushions.  I am really pleased they look great.  Maybe I will just display them in a group...

Pincushion Crazy 2

Undaunted I tried again.  This time I thought I would go with something I know.  I went to bhg.com to find the pattern for Anna Maria Horner's Flower Pincushion.  I made three of these a few years ago and ended up giving them all away.  I thought they would be smaller and perhaps a better size.  Remembering how they flew out of my sewing room with their admirers I thought a multiple would be a good idea.

OKay five might be more than I need but they are all sooo cute... and easy to make.  But sadly still a bit big...

Pincushion Crazy

I decided I needed a pincushion to sit beside my sewing machine to hold the extraneous pins as they come out my carefully pinned corner matches.  After cruising the blogs I follow I found a tutorial on Penny's Hands and made her Hexie Caddy.  That was easy.

Mine turned out like this...

I was trying to go for the fish bowl look.  Well, it's nearly as big as a fishbowl.  I like it.  But there is not really room on my sewing machine table for it...

Mr.'s new shirt

This week I was inspired to take this old truck fabric I bought at Fabricland and generate a new shirt for my Mr.  He would really like to own an old truck

but I think an old truck shirt would be better especially given the storage and maintenance schedule of the shirt as opposed to the actual truck.

Cute little shopping bag

Guess what this is...haha, a new smallish shopping bag to carry in my purse so I will always have a bag for my personal stuff at Shoppers, and I won't have to pay their stupid $.03 any more.  Yeah, me.  Want to see what it looks like unzipped ?

I love it!  It came from Sew Mama Sew It is their featured tutorial.  Very clever.

Sewing a shell for me.

While perusing a rabbit trail on the internet, I saw this shell top.  It showed up as a freebie on Collette Patterns I liked it a lot and I was just lamenting that I had no summer things that were new.  Well I downloaded the pattern that afternoon and did the sewing yesterday although my son called me a troll for staying in my basement studio all morning.  It was worth it.  I am very pleased with the result.

This fabric is 100% cotton and I used the scraps to make the bias binding.   Mr had brought it back from Ankora, Turkey and it just hadn't fit in yet to a quilt...

Now as for the troll thing - aren't they about bridges....

Book Covers

Soooo, I have been busy, my son asked for a book cover for his girlfriend who likes to read her book on transit but hates having people ask her about it...So that means I need to make more of them.  They are so easy and quick.

But take a look at this SNOW.  Yes it is April...