Pickle Apron!

First of all, I must apologize for the disgraceful picture! You'd think I would iron that bad boy first, right? Oh, well. A friend of mine makes the best pickles ever, and she has decided to go into business selling them. I made this apron for her because I thought it might come in handy when she is at a farmer's market selling her wares. The embroidery design was taken from her logo. To transfer it to the dark fabric, I used dressmakers transfer paper. I put it face down on the fabric, put my printed logo over it, and traced with a pencil. (You have to press firmly so it transfers nicely) It rubs off fast, so I ended up tracing over those lines with colored pencil. The pattern is the Granny's Clothespin Apron from One Yard Wonders.

Birthday Gift #1

I love Marimekko fabric. It's funky, bright and a nice weight so I decided to make a reusable grocery bag for my sister. Really, the intent is actually for it to be a farm share bag because it's easy to wash! The bag has french seams, folds up small and is bound with homemade bias tape.

Runs In The Family

Our Mom also shares our slight obsession with aprons. She made this apron for her friend. The fabric is from a store called Obie's in Lancaster. I hear this place is crammed with fabric, and I can't wait to check it out. Mom sewed the lamb buttons to represent her friendship with the recipient. The pattern is from One Yard Wonders.

Round Two

Here is my second version of the One Yard Wonders house. This one went a little more smoothly than the first, and of course now I have even more ideas of how I would improve it. I used velcro closures for this one as I think it will be a lot easier for little hands to navigate. The rug is embroidered with my daughter's initial. The flower garden is made of vintage buttons from my stash. I kind of want to play with this myself! I am debating whether I will make some sort of little furniture for it. Hmm....

Shhh...Christmas Present Posting!

Here is a play barn I made for my son for Christmas. You'll never guess where I found the pattern...One Yard Wonders. Shocking, I know! I have to say that this is by far the most tedious of all the projects I've made from the book, although now that I am working on the second one I feel that I am getting some of the kinks worked out. The instructions in the book are not the clearest, and I have made a few modifications in the construction of it. The front panel attaches with some vintage buttons from Grandma and Aunt Phylis. Yay for old buttons!! There are handles at the roof line for carrying. I used the blanket stitch to connect all the pieces. Bonus points for working rick rack into yet another project!! :)

One Yard Wonder Skirt, Take Two

Here is another skirt I made from the One Yard Wonders book. This time I used black jumbo rick-rack as trim between the two tiers of the skirt. I am really happy with how it turned out and she is too.

Very Simple

I made a bulletin board this morning. So easy I feel like it was cheating, but hey, sometimes I need a project that can be finished quick. I very loosely followed directions from One Yard Wonders for this one. Basically, you can take apart a frame. I found a roll of cork on clearance at Lowes for $3. The frame was from a fill-a-bag-for-a-dollar yard sale. I cut the cork the same size as the frame back, using spray glue to adhere it to the back. I added a second layer to make sure the cork was thick enough. Cover with fabric, put back in the frame and voila! Instant bulletin board! I am planning on making push pins with some of my vintage buttons. If I do I'll post pictures.

Easter Finery

For Easter I made my daughter a simple skirt and matching headband. The skirt is from...you guessed it...the One Yard Wonders book. Instead of using bias tape to finish the hem, I used rick rack. The piping was made from a linen shirt that was passed on to me, and some cording I inherited from a friend's grandma. The cording was not made for this use but it worked out just fine. The headband was made using this tutorial. I modified it by covering the elastic for a more finished look. I also added some rick rack to the edges. The headband manages to stay on pretty well, much to my surprise! And as you can see, I got to wear the dress I made for myself for the first time! Yay! And yes, I am in desperate need of a little tan.

The Mail is Here!

Who doesn't love to get mail? We do! Lately my kids have been making 'mail' out of all sorts of bits of paper, and they love to get letters. For Valentine's Day, I decided to make them their own mailbags. The pattern for the messenger bag is from the One Yard Wonders book, and I added the appliques. The 'mail' is made from felt, very simple. Of course, now that I made the mailbags they seem to have lost interest in playing with mail!

The Folklore Bag - One Yard Wonders

The One Yard Wonders book has been so much fun to sew through. As a beginner, being able to actually understand and finish projects on my own has been encouraging and has only fanned the flame of my love to sew. With that said, this is the Folklore Bag from the book and I have been thinking about making it for months. The bag is mostly constructed from an Asian print pillowcase that was found at Salvation Army for .67 cents which not only is a deal but makes this bag that much more gratifying!