Spring Top Week entry #2

This one was fun. I took two double-layer shirts from Target (my newest mom staple) and cut one to bits to make a new shirt that was much more fun. I wanted something ruffly and asymmetrical, but didn't have a specific idea in mind. I did like the shape of this shirt from Anthropologie (along with about 100 others).

I cut one shirt into squares, folded the squares into quarters, cut the quarters into heart shapes, and unfolded and layered the pieces. Then I sewed four layers together to look like a flower. Repeat X 30.....When I had a bunch, I pinned them on the other shirt, tried it on and made adjustments, and then hand-sewed everything on.

Spring Top Week entry #1

Rae at made-by-rae.com/ is hosting a Spring Top contest, and I thought, "Why not enter?" I haven't made something for myself to wear since I was in 4-H in ninth grade. The deadline was yesterday, and I had to leave my house at 3:30 to chaperon a middle school overnighter (first night away from Caleb, BTW... The boys did great. Caleb even slept through the night, which he hasn't done for me in a week.), and I started this shirt at about 9:30 pm on Wednesday. I pulled through, though, and it worked!

I started by using this shirt as a pattern-it's super easy to wear and pretty flattering.

I finally found a decent fabric at JoAnn in the clearance dept....part of the reason I started so late was a lack of good fabric options! I really wanted something with a large yellow and white floral print. I searched for weeks, and even bought a fabric that I ultimately decided I didn't like enough to wear, but found this on Wed. And, while I don't LOVE it, I'll wear it. I'm happy it is sorta summery.

So, after making my own pattern (WAY harder than I thought!), cutting, sewing, fitting, cutting, and resewing, here is the finished product:

The ties can tie in the front, but I made them longer than the original so they would also tie in the back.

The Coast!

We got to go to the coast this weekend with our friends Kris and Tara recently, and they took some great pictures of Caleb. It was such a relaxing weekend, and the weather was perfect.

 

Caleb found a friend in the mirror.

Hello, blog. It's been a while.

I gave up blogging for lent....not writing blogs, but reading them. It seems the two go hand in hand. :)

I've been on a table runner spree lately. Here they are, in order of creation:

This one was for my friend Emily's 30th Birthday ( I love this one...I have enough fabric to make another one for me-yay!)

This one is my Valentine's Table runner. I asked Jared if he wanted a quilt for Valentine's Day, and he wouldn't respond with more than a look. So, a table runner for me it is! I did make him a stuffed elephant with the scraps. It had a pocket with a Best Buy gift card in it.  I followed this tutorial, but quilted it by sewing straight lines on each side of each seam.

This final one I made for the Mexico Auction Dinner at church. My mom helped me a lot, and we made the entire front from fabric I already had! 

About the only other things I've sewed in the last few months are cowboy things for baby William Wilde:

On the Left: Burp cloth, Bib, Onsie
Below: Banner and Blanket (on the table)

On deck:

A camera case for the camera I got for Christmas
Two(!) shirts for the contest at MadeByRae's blog
New curtains for the office (mom, you might be able to sleep in next time you are here)
Cart cover for Caleb

Today. At my house.

Here are a few snapshots from today:

Miracle Lettuce from my back yard (I was going to call it my garden, but then I decided to be realistic). It's a miracle because there was one lettuce plant planted in my garden in JUNE, but it immediately went to seed. Miraculously, SIX heads of lettuce are now growing about ten feet from where that plant was growing!

Garlic soup from this recipe.

My Valentine's Day table runner, with the quilting finished! It needs to be trimmed and bound now.

Files for 2009 and 2010. I spent more than an hour yesterday filing a huge pile of mail into these files. It feel so good not to have to look at the pile anymore.

Caleb's setup. It gets wider and wider all the time :)