Snowflakes & Lace Series Day 1 - Sew Like My Mom

To kick off the Snowflakes & Lace Series co-hosted by Sewing Mama RaeAnna and sewVery, I'd like to introduce you to Melissa from Sew Like My Mom. 

Melissa's a good ol' Southern girl like myself.  She has four children, which you might think would keep her too busy to do much sewing or blogging, but not Melissa!  She's been blogging since 2010 and has created an amazing collection of free tutorials for all sorts of children's and women's clothing, recipes, sewing techniques, and even a category of "fun stuff" projects!

Plus, she has ventured into pattern designing and recently released three children's clothing pdf patterns for sale in her Etsy shop:  the Darling Daisy Dress, the Busy Lizzy Dress & Shirt, and the Kudzu Coverall & Dress patterns.  I've tried out the first two patterns and can honestly say they are outstanding!  I just finished the Busy Lizzy dress for Ella--you may have seen a sneak peek of it on my Facebook page.  I love, love, love it!  Keep your eye out for it on the blog later this month.  

Melissa has put together a terrific project for our Snowflakes & Lace Series--a unique, crochet-racer back dress!  I've never seen anything quite like it.  To read her entire post on what inspired her to make this and how she did it, head over to her blog, Sew Like My Mom.

Be sure to link up your projects in our link party and enter our giveaway below to win one of three prize packs HERE!

Oh, and don't forget to visit Sewing Mama RaeAnna, too, for her introduction of another series' contributor.

I'll see you back here tomorrow morning for Day 2 of the Snowflakes & Lace Series.

Have fun sewing!

Snowflakes & Lace Series

Tomorrow is the big day!  The start of the Snowflakes & Lace series that I am co-hosting with my good friend, RaeAnna, of Sewing Mama RaeAnna!  This is going to be so much fun!

Adding just a little lace to a project--whether it be a piece of clothing, home decor, or even a craft--can take it from good to great with minimal effort.  Plus, I love the feminine, delicate touch lace gives an item.

Each day this week, RaeAnna and I will be introducing you to the fabulous bloggers listed above as well as linking you to their projects using lace.  We have some super serious talent here, so expect total awesomeness!  RaeAnna and I will finish up the series on Saturday when we post our own lace inspired creations.

We also want to see what you can do with lace!  RaeAnna has set up a linky party for you to share your blog post link and picture.

We also have a Pinterest Board called Snowflakes & Lace where we are repinning projects you find and tag with #SnowLaceSew.

 

I've already seen a lot of projects with lace on the Pinterest board that I now want to try.

Want even more fun?!  We've also put together a giveaway for the series that includes 3 prize packs!

Prize pack 1 (US Residents Only)- Lindsay Conner of Lindsay Sews and Craft Buds recently published a quilt book, Modern Bee.  She will send the winner a sewing kit that includes fabric, thread, and notions!

Michelle of Handmade Martini will be sending 2.5 yards of vintage lace trim!  And Heidi of Elegance & Elephants will send the winner one pdf pattern of their choice from her shop.

Prize pack 2 (US Residents Only)- Brianne of Ali Cat & Co. has a license to sell the Buttercup bags and has an adorable finished bag to send to the winner!

Chelsea of Get Your Crap Together has a great bundle of organization patterns for school!  And RaeAnna from Sewing Mama RaeAnna will send 1 yard of vintage lace trim and the winner's choice of either the Bumblebee Dress pdf pattern or the Cupcake Top pdf pattern!

Prize pack 3 - Karly of Paisley Roots will send the Saffron Twirl Dress Pattern!  And Hayley of Mouse House Creations will send a pattern of choice to the winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
So please be sure to come back tomorrow to meet our first guest bloggers and check out how they have incorporated lace into their sewing or craft project.  Sewing Mama RaeAnna will also be introducing a guest blogger on her blog, so be sure to visit her as well.

Until tomorrow...have fun sewing!

Happy 2014, Updates, and a Project That Will Keep You Warm

Happy New Year, everyone!  Yes, I'm still here.  It's just been rough around my house the last three weeks.  My kids and I all had the flu which started for my son the day before school break. I caught it two days later, and Ella got it a week after me (two days after Christmas while we were out of town visiting family).  My son recovered the quickest (like in 4 days) while Ella and I are still dealing with chest congestion, coughing, and fatigue.

Oh, and did I mention we adopted a second cat during all this?  Well, it's more like he adopted us! He showed up at our back door two weeks before Christmas, and after chasing down a lead on a missing kitty we thought was him but wasn't, we resolved to keep him.  He's named Aubie (surprisingly, my Alabama fan husband came up with it) and sometimes called Pumpkin, and we all love him dearly.  As my son says, "He's the cutest kitty in the world!"  I must agree, Aubie is pretty cute and one of the sweetest cats I've ever owned.  Our 15 year old female cat is not as pleased about this family addition as we are, and we are hopeful that she will finally come to accept him and share her space with him.

The past couple of days, I've finally had the energy to get back into a routine of sorts.  I've managed to sew up two or three things for Ella for some upcoming posts later this month.  Please be sure to check back here often or sign up to follow sewVery through the Bloglovin' button in the sidebar to your right.

One project I'm very excited about is the Snowflakes & Lace series that I will be co-hosting with my friend, RaeAnna, from Sewing Mama RaeAnna.

Starting on January 13th, RaeAnna and I will be introducing at least two bloggers each day with links to their amazing projects that involve lace! RaeAnna and I will share our own creations at the end of the series on January 18th.  The series will include a link-up party so you, too, can share your lace creations, and we'll even have a giveaway for patterns and a little sewing kit!

We'd love for you to help us all find lace inspiration by pinning projects you've made with lace or pictures you've found of clothing, accessories, or home decor that is adorned with lace.  Just be sure to include the hashtag #SnowLaceSew when you pin the item so we can find it and add it to our Pinterest board.  It should be a lot of fun!

 

And speaking of Snowflakes, there are still a few on the ground here and the temperatures have plummeted to the single digits for the high.  Definitely not what we are used to here in the South. Our heat pump is just not designed to heat extremely well in temperatures this low.  As a result, it's running constantly to try and keep the house just barely warm, and my feet are freezing still!

If you are experiencing the same sort of weather right now or even colder temps, then I highly recommend you make up a few of these--my sewVery Simple Hot Pads!

My sewVery Simple Hot Pad Tutorial is my No. 5 most viewed post, and I thought it was definitely worth sharing again today.  It's a really quick project that you can use with rice or dried corn.  I use them to warm up our beds at night or to warm our feet while watching tv or while sitting at the computer to blog. Our new cat is even enjoying the warmth they provide!

There you have it.  An update of sorts.  Sorry for the long absence, but I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas with many wonderful blessings.  I wish you all the best 2014 possible, and I thank you for following my blog and leaving me comments every now and then.  I love hearing from those of you who have used a tutorial of mine!

See you soon, and have fun sewing!

The Necessary Clutch Wallet x 2

If you read my post yesterday, you know I participated in a Secret Santa gift swap this year.  I promised to share with you today the item I made to exchange, and I chose to make her The Necessary Clutch Wallet!

I was feeling rather inspired when I found these two fabrics at the local fabric store.  The floral is Social Climber in Gold from Anna Maria Horner's Hand Drawn Garden Collection and the border fabric is Hive in Maize from Joel Dewberry's Bungalow Collection.

You see, my gift recipient is Stef from the blog girl.Inspired!  Stef is so talented and creative that I was feeling a little intimidated. I wasn't sure that anything I could make would be up to the standard of quality that she is accustom to.  I had a hint or two that she liked this shade of yellow, and I know she likes things with a definite feminine touch.  Put this fabric together with the amazing Necessary Clutch Wallet pattern, and I think this gift is a winner!

Stef received her gift earlier in the week and sent me a message saying she thought it was "amazing" and that her husband is even in "awe" of the clutch!  Whew!  What a relief!  I really put a lot of work into making this wallet and an identical one for me to use, so I was overjoyed that she liked it as much as I do!

Secret Santa gift swaps really are fun (and maybe a little bit stressful, too)!

Ok, now more about these wallets!  I purchased the pattern from my friend, Janelle at Emmaline Bags and Patterns, the day she released it for sale, and since it took me six months or so to finally make it, I decided to make two at the same time.

Before now, I had never made a wallet with dividers or zippers in it, and I had definitely never made anything using a twist lock!  By the way, Janelle sells the twist locks along with lots of other bag hardware in her shop.

I wasn't worried a bit because Janelle has the most amazing bag patterns--EVER!  I own every one she has made, and I've made all but one so far.  To see all my other Emmaline Bags, click these links: Emmaline, Teardrop, Steph in the City, and Boyd St. Bowling.  The first two I mentioned are my favorites, and I'm currently using my Teardrop bag.

Although The Necessary Clutch Wallet is small, a lot of preparation and materials go into making it. To make these two wallets, I think I used an entire yard of the floral fabric and roughly a half yard of the hive fabric, plus about a yard and a half each of Pellon Shape Flex (SF101) and Pellon Fusible Featherweight Interfacing (911FF), and a quarter yard of Pellon Peltex 71F.

There were lots of pieces to cut out and then a lot of interfacing to fuse before I even started sewing!  But this was a project I was really excited to finally make, so the entire process was fun. Making this wallet is actually pretty easy, but to sew through some of the thicker sections, you do have to have a decent sewing machine and a lot of patience!  Some of my stitches aren't too pretty where the zippered pocket is sewn to the side (the most difficult part to sew in my opinion), but I can live with it just fine!  Hopefully Stef won't inspect hers too closely!  Ha!

As usual, with Janelle's bag patterns, I always learn a new trick or tip, and this pattern was no exception. Like I said earlier, until now, I'd never installed a twist lock, and part way through installing the first one, I thought I never would!  I followed Janelle's tutorial, but I was afraid to cut the hole as big as she suggested!  I kept having to trim away more fabric until I finally realized she was right, and I needed to cut the hole bigger for the lock to fit!

This pattern provides 12 credit card slots, two pockets for dollar bills or receipts, a zipper pocket for change or a lipstick, plus a pocket in the middle large enough to hold a phone and a compact!

I considered using Janelle's tutorial on adding a thin strap to carry it like a purse, but for now, I think I'll just use it as a wallet or a clutch.  I think I could add the strap later without any trouble.

In the end, I couldn't be happier with the results of both wallets!  I love them!

Thanks for stopping by today, and have fun sewing!

Secret Santa Gift Swap

I got together with a few friends for a Secret Santa Gift Swap recently, and this is what arrived in the mail for me!

Stacey from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! sent me this amazing gift filled with all the things I like!  She sent pretty fabric by Anna Maria Horner with a matching purple zipper...

and this fabulous leather--yes, I said leather--clutch that she made using See Kate Sew's Tutorial.

She even threw a little treat inside the bag for my children--lots of lollipops!  I would have shared a picture of those, but the kids quickly confiscated them!

Thank you so much, Stacey!  I look forward to using the clutch and to making something wonderful with the beautiful fabrics and zipper.

Oh, and just a little side note.  Stacey just released her first ever pdf pattern for sale TODAY--the Bond Top Pattern! Congratulations!  Be sure to show her some support and check it out!

Check back tomorrow to see what I sent my Secret Santa recipient.  I liked it so much that I made one for myself, too!

Are you participating in any fun holiday gift swaps?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!  Happy holidays!

War Eagle Norah Dress!

Some of you may already know this about me, but I am an Auburn fan.  For others, you may have no idea what that means.  I'll try to explain it briefly.

You see, I grew up in Alabama where there is a huge football rivalry between the two major universities in the state:  Auburn University and the other school, the University of Alabama.  When I was a little girl, it was a family tradition for my family to go to the home football games in Auburn and tailgate before the game.  We would picnic, walk up to the bookstore to buy a game t-shirt or some other item emblazoned with the AU symbol, toss around a nerf football for a while, and then walk on over to the game.  At the time, I cared little for the game itself and mainly wanted to see and hear the band at halftime.  This is where I first dreamed of becoming a majorette and twirling a baton while wearing a sparkly, sequined uniform.  But I digress.

Auburn is where I (as well as my mother, father, brother, and sister-in-law) attended college and where my brother and his family now live.  It's more than just a town or a university to me.   It's a place where I first lived on my own, dated my husband, and made friends I'll have for the rest of my life. It's a place where a lifetime of good memories for me were formed.  And while I may not always know the name of every football player on the team or even who they are playing next week, I am as much a fan as ever and always will be.

So come January 6th, 2014, I'll be watching the BCS National Championship game rooting yet again for my Auburn Tigers to win!  I wish my mom and dad (but especially my dad because he was a HUGE Auburn football fan) were still alive to see it, too.

Now, you might ask what all this Auburn football talk has to do with another Norah Dress.  Well, I have a friend who asked me recently to make an Auburn dress for her niece.  I've been hoarding this adorable orange and blue tiger head and polka dot fabric from Fabric Finders forever!  Since we don't live near Auburn or ever get to go to the games, I hadn't used it to make Ella a dress.  I was super excited to finally sew with it and make it into this adorable reversible War Eagle Norah Dress version for that special little girl!

As you may have seen yesterday, I made Ella a Christmas dress using the Norah Dress pattern from Welcome to the Mouse House.  While the pattern provides you with instructions on how to make a partial lining for the dress, I chose to fully line (or make reversible) this sleeveless version in the Auburn fabric and a navy/white flower print on the reverse.

This pattern is a joy to sew with and super simple.  No zippers or buttonholes to make.

I'm even considering making a reversible version with a collar that could flip to either side.  Again, I'm impressed with everything about the Norah Dress pattern from the pattern pieces and instructions themselves, to the styling options, to the fit.  It's a pattern that should be in every seamstresses' collection.

I think this 2T version may be a slightly big on the little girl for the upcoming game, but I hope it fits her perfectly for the Auburn football season all next year.

War Eagle! Hey!

A Christmas Norah Dress

I absolutely love the Norah Dress I made for Ella to wear this Christmas season!  It turned out exactly as I envisioned and has become one of my favorite pieces for her to wear! 

In case you've been living in a hole for the last couple of months, then you've seen the Norah Dress pattern from Welcome to the Mouse House all over the pdf pattern world.  

The talented and funny Hayley designed this adorable dress/tunic pattern with a vintage flare that I simply adore!  I was super excited that she invited me to join in on the pattern tour.

For my Christmas Norah Dress version, I used tango red ponte roma fabric for the dress and sleeves, a white ponte roma fabric for the collar and sleeve cuffs, and white muslin for the lining--all purchased at Joann's.  

The ponte roma knit has such a beautiful drape and feel to it, and it was pretty easy to sew since this type of knit is a little thicker and doesn't curl on the cut edges.  I just used a slightly longer stitch length when I used my regular machine for topstitching or hemming, but I mainly used the serger with both needles in to sew the interior seams together.  Just be sure to use a scrap of fabric to test the differential setting and tensions to get them just right for your fabric before you attempt to sew the dress!

I made Ella the size 6 dress and used a size 3 (I think) sleeve length but then added the 2 1/2" white cuffs to the end (my own addition and not included in the pattern).  I compared these measurements to a t-shirt that fits her well before I cut out my fabrics.

The back has a slit at the top with a button loop closure that is hidden under the collar.  

Ella loved wearing this dress literally all day long.  She had so much fun walking around and looking at Christmas decorations and meeting Santa with her good friends Christian and Eva Mae, Sewing Mama RaeAnna's children.  I had a blast watching them hold hands and posing in strange positions (not sure why Ella keeps holding her leg up and why Christian is poking out his lips) while RaeAnna and I tried to snap pictures and our friend, Lindsay of Lindsay Sews and Craft Buds, kept chasing after Eva Mae!

So, in case you haven't purchased the Norah Dress pattern from Welcome to the Mouse House,  I strongly suggest you do!  It has several sleeve options, length options, and collar options.  The fit is spot on and the pattern is suitable for wovens or knits!  The only thing I may do differently next time is make the facing a full length lining.  You can't go wrong with this classic design, and I promise you will use this pattern over and over again.  I know I will!

Merry Christmas, and have fun sewing!