project updates

It's been a while since I've posted.  Rest assured, I've been sewing and cutting, but either my projects have been a secret or I'm not far along enough to share anything more than a giant pile of scraps.  I also started a new job at the end of October so I am still trying to balance work-time with commute-time with sewing-time.

The one project I have finished is (yet another?) Colette Ginger skirt.  Now that I've made three of these skirts, I'm really into the pattern.  It's a great cut for my body and I've adjusted the pattern enough so I just have to cut out the fabric and sew it together without a lot of brain power.  This one is in corduroy, my first non-boring-cotton clothing project. 

Pardon the lousy shot - I took this in the mirror at work. 

I didn't try to match up the seams. The print is busy enough that there's a bit of trompe l'oeil to make you think that I was clever enough to have planned any matching that may have occurred.

At this point I definitely feel like a whiz at inserting an invisible zipper.  Since this skirt is so fitted around the waist I'm sewing the zipper in far further than the pattern suggests (10").  Any less and it's a struggle to get the skirt over my hips.  

I've also been on a bag tear.  I found a great pattern online for a wide mouth pouch and earlier this month I used some scraps to play with the sizes.  I now have bags to match Amy Butler's Weekender bag, a pair of pajamas and the back of a quilt I made earlier this year.  One must always accessorize!  

You may be wondering why I left such a long piece of the zipper hanging off the end of the left side of these bags?  It's an open mouth bag so the extra zipper allows you to open the bag to a full circle, rather than keeping it tightly closed at each end.  I really love the practicality of this design!

Lastly, there's a project that I've only started preparing for.  I've always wanted to make a postage stamp quilt (also known as a "vomit quilt").  This quilt is great for using up scraps as it calls for an unlimited amount of 2.5" squares.  Over the past few weeks I've been slowly going through my scarps and cutting squares.  I don't have nearly enough but it's nice to have something in the works that I can plod away at over time.  

It's been fun traveling down the memory lane of my previous projects.  And I love that I can still use tiny pieces of fabric that I love but don't have enough to use on something larger.  I probably should figure out how big I want this quilt to be and do some quilting math to get a sense of the project's timeline but I kind of like not knowing the end result (this is crazy for me - I generally hate surprises!).  

Next up on my sewing agenda:  I just cut out the fabric for a Colette Peony dress and yesterday I snagged some fabric and the patterns for two other dresses.  I may never shop again! :-)

a handmade holiday

I thought I would be all clever and crafty this year and make the majority of my holiday gifts. I don't know what I was thinking - I juggled four classes and three classes throughout November and December so my time for crafts and creativity was pretty minimal. A couple of weeks ago my mom and I hit a number of local craft shows. After a day of inspiration, my motivation went into overdrive and voila! I managed to get a few projects done.

One of the projects I am most proud of is this toiletries bag.
I learned how to make this zipper bag over the summer. I accidentally double interfaced the lining but I kind of like how it gives the bag so much more structure.
The fabric is a robot fabric I found at my local fabric store.
Happy Holidays!

zipper bag

I took another class at Gather Here last night. This time I returned to my sewing roots and made a zipper bag. (I also ran into my knitting instructor from last week and we had the most hilarious conversation about stitching and how to recognize a knit from a purl. At the end we both agreed that I should just make a scarf and not get too fancy yet. Seriously, I love this store and the instructors!)

I've never inserted a zipper before and I was surprised to see how easy it was to do. The bag has both interfacing and a lining so keeping all of the pieces straight took a little concentration and some careful reading of the instructions. As soon as I finished the bag I realized that picked an odd outer fabric as the two sides don't match up completely. And the inside lining is a hot mess in the corners. For a first bag, though, I'm really pleased with it and once I finish quilting my Bars of Gold quilt I'm going to try to make a couple more zipper bags on my own. Perhaps I've found the perfect go-to handcrafted gift? :-)