Great Expectations, Part Deux

Way back in this post I mentioned that I would be making some softy trees. Well, I did make them and they adorned our mantle over the holiday. I thought I'd finally post a picture of them...very cute and quick to make.

The design is by Little Birds Handmade and you can get the pattern and tutorial here.

Bad blogger!

I have been a very bad blogger. Can I even call myself that any longer?

Well, I will be posting some of the projects I have been working on over the last few months. Hopefully this evening and/or tomorrow. Some are holiday decorations and others were for holiday gifts...all inspired by the many, many, many craft/sewing/quilting blogs I have been reading.

I received two wonderful new sewing books for Christmas:

Denyse Schmidt Quilts (have the fabric all picked out for the pot holders)

Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts (so many items I want to make but I really adore the baby elephant)

Still on my wish list:
Simple Sewing with a French Twist by Celine Dupuy
Make Your Own Contemporary Quilts by Paola Pieroni

Any one have an opinion on these? I've seen mixed reviews.

Today I purchased lots of fabric to make my husband a quilt. I made two quilts for Christmas gifts and he wondered allowed when I might make him something. I honestly didn't think he would be interested! Nice surprise. So I'll also be posting about the design and progress on this new project.

Great, exhausting weekend

We had a very successful open house this weekend. No offer yet but a couple of prospects. Cross your fingers. It was too stressful though...not just cleaning the house and fixing things but getting THREE cats out of the house was just nuts! Good news though is the house is clean for the week!

I did manage to squeeze in some sewing time. I worked on gifts though so I won't post them here yet. I have a feeling Dec. 26th is going to be a big picture posting day.

And the second best news? (Successful open house is first, sewing is third) Red Sox are #1 in the AL East and will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Yay! No baseball again until Wednesday though.

Great Expectations

Been a few days since my last post. Both my husband and I were really sick with this vicious cold that has been going around. And we are trying to sell our house and buy a new one. So stuff's been going on.

I did get the chance to make a few of some cute softy Christmas trees. The intention was to make them for a gift but I like the first set so much that I'm going to keep those for myself. I'll post pictures once I can take some in daylight.

You can see pictures and get the tutorial here.

Lately every day I think I'm going to come home and start a new project. Then after getting dinner ready and any other random thing that MUST be done today I end up too beat to pick up something new. So I end up watching a Sox game and calling it a night. This is one reason I am so happy we are looking for a new house. The town we're looking in is halfway between here and work. My commute will be 20 minutes or so rather than 50ish. I am really looking forward to that.

Go Sox!

As yet I have not posted a single blog entry about my beloved Red Sox. Ironic since I'm way more obsessed with the Red Sox than with sewing. Unfortunately they have been a little, tiny bit of a disappointment this week...swept by the Blue Jays...come on! And are now only 1.5 games ahead of the evil Y**kees.

Well, I am still trying to be hopeful and since trusty Becket -- 19 wins and counting -- we may have a chance.

Go Sox!

Bags, Bags, Bags

I’m looking for some things to make for holiday gifts. So here's a compilation of bag ideas and tutorials:

Martha Stewart Bias Tape Bag (pic at right)

Beach Tote from BeSewStylish.com
I've already made three of these bags...they really do only take 2 hours. Less if you do more than one at a time. I'd like to try these with a lining as well.

Roomy Shoulder Bag

Jaipur Tote Bag
(Started this one today already...about half way completed)

Cute little zippered pouch
(Plan on making a ton of these to coordinate with the other bags)

Another little zippered pouch - with zipper at front

Little girl purse

Another Bias Tape Tote

It's amazing to me how many people post tutorials for projects. Such a great sharing community. Maybe someday I'll have ideas and tutorials to share!

Inspiring jealousy

I have a terrible cold and have been home from work yesterday and today. So I have no energy to work or sew but lots of time to surf the web. I never realized how many blogs there were out there about sewing and crafts. And Oh My God, these women are amazing. And so inspiring. I have gotten so many ideas for projects including holiday gifts I don’t know where to start.

Here are a few I found that I know I’ll be reading regularly:

Angry Chicken
Shim + Sons
Molly Chicken
Soule Mama
Wee Wonderfuls

Thank you all!

And why is it that so many craft bloggers live in either Portland, OR or Portland, ME?

My second blog post – a bit of inspiration or just a big “duh?”

Flipped through the not-so-new book Sew Subversive the other day. The styles are a bit too funky for me but it did inspire me to take a look through my wardrobe for things I don’t wear anymore but just can’t get rid of. I have a few very-long skirts that were “in” a few years ago but now they just hang in the back of the closet. So yesterday I hemmed up one of them and … viola! … I have a new knee-length skirt to wear with my tall brown boots this fall. Should have taken a before pic but here is the result:



[hemmed skirt and collection of stuff to alter]

I also pulled out a blouse that is too full in the middle that I’ll either add darts or pin tucks to fit it better. And a simple t-shirt that I haven’t worn because I ordered it online and didn’t realize it was so long.

It’s just about time to swap my wardrobe around so I’ll be looking for more items to alter. I may end up with a new fall wardrobe for the cost of thread!

You can buy Sew Subversive here or at Amazon here.

My first blog post

Quite a few months ago I discovered a fantastic magazine: Sew Stylish from the editors/publishers of Threads. And as soon as I discovered this inspiration jackpot I also found out it was defunct. Only 3 or 4 issues made it out of the factory before they pulled the plug! I was so disappointed but still totally reinvigorated to begin sewing again…and not just crafty stuff but real clothes, made just for me, in my style.



My mom taught me to sew when I was young (I’m now 35) and it is one of the things (besides all that terrific parenting) that I’m so grateful to her for as an adult. I haven’t been a regular sewer. I mostly concentrated on curtains and this one quilt I’ve been working on for exactly 4.5 years (it isn’t even completely pieced together yet!) But I always appreciated that I COULD make my own curtains…I like simple stuff and for some reason that is the hardest thing to find in stores. Everything has ruffles. And curtains are so expensive! Also the trancelike state you find yourself in while sewing…concentrating on your stitches or pinning up a hem…it’s just so relaxing yet there’s the satisfaction of completing a task. How often do you get both in one?

So that’s my introduction to my blog. I hope to post regularly about my projects, great info I find online, and things that inspire me.

(Sew Stylish is still publishing a blog that has lots of nifty tricks and quick projects: BeSewStylish. And Threads has a web site along with their printed magazine so check them out at ThreadsMagazine.com.)

Red Sox note: Yes! They beat the Yankees this afternoon, 10-1.