Dressed Up

After a year of looking at this uber 70's dresser, and prompted by a visit from friends from Chicago, I decided to paint it.

After several craft IT calls to friends, here's the result:



Lessons learned:

• Semi-gloss paint only needs 2-4 hours in between coats, not over night. Too much time in between coats prevents the paint from curing as a single layer rendering a sticky dresser. Remedy? I bought a role of cork and made coasters for all the items on the dresser.

• Drawer pulls are really expensive hence the re-use of the original hardware.

• When applying wood putty do it first and not after the entire is painted.
  

• The Ace Hardware in Hillcrest has the friendliest and knowledgeable staff. It is absolutely worth it to pay more there than suffer through the vastness of Home Depot.

Have bag, will shop (hopefully)

This bag is a gift for a friend who lives in a major city and who does not own a car and I hope she has use for a shopping bag with a stuff sack (bravo to her for existing without one for nearly a year after her Honda with totaled by a drunk driver).

I used the shopping bag pattern (tutorial) from Lisa Lam's U-handbag. Since she’s a UK girl I had to call a friend of mine and ask for help with some of the metric to Imperial conversation. Yes, yes, I know, it’s so stupid that the US is not on metric.

It was surprisingly difficult to find fabric to match the ladies. I shelved the fabric I initially bought and while I do think the handles and bottom are a bit overbearing (like the maker), red is always fun. Using fusible fleece for the handles is a great idea, soft and cozy--good thinking Lisa Lam!

This was my first go-around with a one-way directional print which means I had to think really hard about how to cut the fabric because twice I ended up with upside down kabuki ladies. I'm also a lazy sewer and didn't mark the fabric correctly so it's actually not a gusset but a curved bottom.

When will I stop giving prototypes as presents?

Fabric:

Sisters of the Golem Temple by Alexander Henry from JoAnn Fabrics

Daisy by Kaffe Fassett for Westminster Fabrics purchased from Sowing Sisters

The Eyes Have It

I am such an Amy Butler groupie. I used the free Lavender Eye Pillow pattern to create this birthday gift for my sister. Actually, it was supposed to be a Christmas present for her but the cleaning for her arrival took precedence over handmade gifts. And perhaps more importantly, I didn’t like the first set of material that I purchased and I didn’t want to work with it—amazing how fabric really does matter.

I found fun fabric at Jo-Ann Fabrics and about eight hours later, voila, an eye pillow was born. I struggle with matching fabrics (I don’t think I’ll ever learn to quilt for that reason) but think I did ok with this project.

While making the carrying case I ran into some trouble a few times where I had to rip out the same set of stitches twice but then I remembered the advice my older sewing sister gave me when I first bought my machine: “Follow the pattern. It may not make sense but it will all come together in the end.”

This is my first project in a long time and when I added the pin to the carrying case, I actually giggled with excitement. I think I’ve been reluctant to send it off (her birthday was the 23^rd) because I wanted to look at it some more.

materials:

pattern: www.amybutlerdesign.com > free patterns
eye pillow and carrying case: 100% light-weight cotton with a heavy sew-in interfacing
slip cover: washable satin
eye pillow stuffing: dried lentils, brown rice, and dried lavender
pin: $ .75 at a thrift store
total project time: 8 hours

Scarf

The scarf started is well, full of character. Which is fitting since it’s maker is a character.

I suspect that I pulled the yarn too tight and that’s why it looks like a partially nibbled ear of corn.

I’m feeling ambitious and would like to take the beanie hat class on the 29^th that will feature how to purl. If I do finish my scarf in time I wonder if I shouldn’t complete a scarf with less mistakes before I take on another project and learning a new stitch.

Male Knits

They boy is learning to knit. He’s way more patient and laid back than I am so he’s content with having his neighbor teach him. I on the other hand, prefer to pay for lessons. That way, I’m not inconveniencing anyone and they have to be nice to me, all while supporting local business. And I also plan to take the lesson with two friends and that’s fun.

I love the yarn he chose. Probably because I picked it out.

Kate Spade Ain't Got Nothing on Me

After the defeat of the nightgown I thought I’d post a project that I successfully completed in September, the Velma purse, again using an Amy Butler pattern and her fabric too. I used the Covington fabric which is no longer displayed on her site. I don’t have pictures of the inside, which is nearly corresponding stripes.

In retrospect I think the pattern is a little too busy to do an entire purse although within forty-eight hours after finishing it a woman in the grocery did compliment me, unsolicited, unlike my friends who had to deal with me parading my purse around listening to me scream, “I made this!” Although after the anonymous complimenter gave said compliment she saw the look of pride and self-promotion on my face and continued, “You made that, didn’t you?”

I have lots of fabric left over and I’m wondering if it might look cute on as a toddler dress.

Notes about Construction:

Instead of using Velcro, as recommended, as a fastener I splurged and bought a magnetic clasp. It was incredibly easy to put in and well worth the $4. I had a fairly thick leather wallet at the time and didn’t have any credit cards erased.

Even though the pattern calls to use canvas which is then covered by the show fabric and lining it didn't seem that strong. That combined with its thin, rectangular shape proved challenging when I loaded it up with a wallet, address book, calendar, small notebook and travel-sized toiletries. When the flap was clasped, it stretched across all the items in the purse, exposing the contents at each end. It looked horrible. Maybe I should just carry less stuff.

Cutting

I’m a sloppy sewer. Actually, I’m a sloppy everything.I started this nightgown with fabric a friend bought me and the first road block I hit was a puckering dart.

Once that was fixed, thanks to help from my sewing teacher, I moved on to sewing the front of the nightgown to the back. That’s when I realized that I am a worse cutter than I am a sewer. The edges weren’t matching and rather than fixing it I kept on sewing, thinking, “It’s just for me, it’s fine.” It’s not fine because I was equally as lackadaisical when I cut and pieced together the front and back facings (fabric sewn on the raw edge of a garment piece that is turned under and serves as a finish for the edge as well) so the nightgown would not lay right.

I crumbled up the nightgown and throw it into my bag grumbling to myself, swearing I’ll be a better cutter on my next project.