Film in the Fridge » Other Sewing – clothing, bags, napkins, pillows

part 2 of a summer wardrobe

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:32:31 +0000

Thanks for all the great comments on my new summer clothes! I’ve been getting quite a lot of use out of them recently – though each time I wear a new piece to the beach, someone asks if it’s something I’ve made. I suppose that means it looks homemade… though I think I’ll pretend that it must just mean that they saw it here on the blog!

So while I had the Socialite pattern out, I also made a second out of one of my favorite prints from Heather Ross’s new line -

I love those roses on the gray background! And I love making this dress because it fits perfectly, each and every time!

Something that doesn’t fit quite as nicely is this new shirt made out of gorgeous Little Folks voile -

This is based off of Simplicity 2593. I kind of guessed at the size, and then ignored most of the directions, so I’m fairly certain that it’s not put together correctly. I added to the length and added a casing for some 3/8″ elastic at the bottom hem. I like that part a lot, so I might have to make some modifications and try something similar again.

Next up was another Anna Maria Horner pattern… the Evening Empire Dress. I kept it simple and just used the solid voile in river rock and followed the pattern for Option A. I loved making this dress because I followed all the steps (though I made thinner straps) and ended up making something that looks pretty professional. I feel like I also learned some new dressmaking skills in the process.

I forgot that I needed extra fabric for the lining though, so I ended up having to buy another piece so I could finish it up. The solid brown voile wasn’t available, so I went with a patterned voile instead, and I actually think it’s kind of a fun surprise.

If I made it again, I’d need to modify the top portion a bit. It doesn’t fit as closely as I’d like under the arms, and now that it’s all complete, I’m not sure how I can fix it. I guess I’ll just have to keep my arms by my sides so no one can take a peek down my dress!

And lastly, another dress…

I probably shouldn’t be counting this as ‘new’ summer clothes, since this is one I made last summer. I finally finished it this summer though, so now I can actually wear it!

No pattern on this one – I made it up as I went along, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. So happy that I’m thinking about trying to make another… (if only I could remember exactly how I made it!)

Thanks for taking a look at my new summer wardrobe!

(and thanks again to my sister for being the perfect model!)

a summer wardrobe, part I

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:20:12 +0000

What a great long weekend! It’s been super hot here, so having three days to spend by the lake was just perfect. In between the swimming and relaxing, I attempted a little more sewing on the boat. My brother tells me that all quilting all the time makes me boring, so I put it down for a minute to go waterskiing (typically just once a summer, so I guess I’m done for the year?)

And in between all of that, we had a little photoshoot at the beach. My sister was the willing (though pantless!) model – thanks Whit!

Typically once a year I get inspired to make myself new summer clothes. This year it all started with the Anna Maria Horner Socialite dress and kind of snowballed from there. Now I’m just trying to resist the urge to turn all the fabric I own into summer clothes!

I actually made the Socialite dress last year, though I used a solid just so I could test the fit. I never got around to making another in a fun fabric. Then I happened to see one on Flickr made out of Anna Maria Horner’s Volumes fabric and I absolutely had to make the same thing. (I typically don’t like to make something exactly the same as someone else, but this time I just couldn’t resist.)

My favorite part might be the tiny part of the pattern that you can see on either side of the dress. I spent a little longer than necessary making sure they all lined up exactly (and probably no one will notice except me!)

I’ve mentioned my favorite local fabric shop, right? Well, the trouble is I go there and I end up powerless to resist the new fabrics, specifically the new Nani Iro double gauze. Especially when the shop owner is in there wearing a shirt made out of said fabric. Before I knew it, I had a couple yards in my bag and the name of the pattern so I could make one too!

I’m in love with this fabric, and the shirt pattern as well. So easy and quick! The pattern is Simplicity 3835.

And since that one was so easy, I decided to try another version using a men’s button down shirt. (Turquoise gingham might not have been my first choice, but that’s what was available!)

This one was pretty quick too since I left the button placket intact and used the existing hemmed edge.

And the last shirt for the day… this quick little tank top in voile. It was completely inspired by this one I saw over on Craft jr., though I added to the length and added straps.

And there you have it – a few summer pieces, just in time for 90 degree temperatures!

tufted tweets in the kitchen!

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:26:23 +0000

Our kitchen is pretty neutral, so I try to add color with kitchen towels. And what’s brighter or more fun than Laurie’s new Tufted Tweets fabrics?!

I used two of the prints to make a couple new sets. Each is backed with flour sack towels, and paired with a little vintage cotton rick rack around the edges.

In our kitchen these towels do a double duty. Sometimes they act as hand towels, hanging on the over door (and adding a little color!)-

and sometimes they end up over here in this spot next to the sink where we pile the just-washed dishes. This size fits there pretty perfectly, and I like seeing something pretty while doing a chore I dislike!

And then, since I had already been working on some Tufted Tweets hexagons, I kept on with the kitchen theme and turned them into a couple cute potholders.

I hope Laurie likes Tufted Tweets in her kitchen too, because these potholders will soon be headed her way. It seems only appropriate, since they have her name on them!

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Notes:

You can find a tutorial for rick rack napkins here. The dishtowels are made exactly the same – just larger! Mine measure about 20″ x 24″, but you could make them whatever size works best for you!

For the potholders, I used 1 layer of Insul-brite and 1 layer of cotton batting

birthday pillows

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:55:47 +0000

If you’ve been reading for a while, you might remember that my sister, Whitney, has a huge love for Anna Maria Horner, especially her Good Folks line. For Christmas I made her a quilt out of all the prints, and based on her reaction, I think she loved it. So it was only natural that when her birthday came around we’d go for a little something else Anna Maria…

coordinating quilted pillows!

My mom came over for a little ‘craft day’ — she’s certainly not new to sewing, but hasn’t done any quilting, though you wouldn’t know it from her pillow! And even though she claims the quilting was giving her an ulcer, hopefully she’ll come over again for another craft day.

Mom picked a patchwork square design, which I always love, and I went with stripes — a mini version of the picnic stripes quilt, which is Whitney’s 2nd (3rd?) favorite quilt…

And most importantly, Whit seemed to love them too!

In this photo, I think she was either talking directly to the new pillow, saying “oh Anna Maria!”, or she was trying to figure out if mom had actually made the pillow herself, or if she had just talked me into making it for her.

Anyway, hope you love them Whit!

Happy, happy birthday!

two new shirts, take 2

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:14:38 +0000

This is definitely my new favorite pattern! I tested it out and made two shirts last week and really loved it. So much so that I had to make another couple shirts at the end of last week. I knew I wanted to make the tunic using some Little Folks voile fabric so I picked up a couple extra yards of two of my favorite prints. I used the Little Folks Baby Bouquet in Meadow and followed the pattern for this great spring tunic.

Look at me blending right in with that grass! Last time I posted a shirt, a couple people asked for a photo of it on, and so during a brief break from the rain this weekend, I convinced Morgan to take a few for you. Please ignore my strange poses. I’ve never been good about just standing still in front of the camera – I end up making really strange faces and posing in some strange way (you didn’t see the ones that didn’t make it on the blog!). It must be why I’m typically the one behind the camera…

Anyway, it’s comfy and I’m happy to finally have a shirt made out of Little Folks voile (now I don’t have to walk around wearing my voile quilt! Though what if I wore this shirt and then curled up under the quilt… now that would be something!)

After having good luck with this top, I decided to make a few modifications to the pattern to create a different look using the Little Folks baby bouquet in berry -

On this one I used the pattern for the body but shortened it by about 3 inches. I also altered the neckline, giving it a lower scooped neck. I’m glad ruffles seem to be so prevalent these days, because I do love me a ruffle. I added one along the neckline for some extra interest. I also shortened the sleeves and used a little elastic thread along the sleeve edge.

I was a little concerned about this looking like clown clothes, what with that ruffle up by the neck, but my sister assured me that it would be ok if it was low enough. Although I saw my mom this weekend and apparently it immediately made her remember a costume she made for my brother when he was little… (and yes, he went as a clown).

I still love it though. Clown-like or not!

two new shirts!

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:12:54 +0000

I’ve been talking about wanting to make a few spring clothing items, and finally got my chance this weekend.

This pattern is the Shearwater Kaftan by Toni Coward, which I purchased from Randi at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics. I’m always hesitant to purchase patterns, because I don’t think I’ve ever really managed to follow one all the way through. Not the case here — I think this pattern is great! It’s well written, and the shirt comes together pretty quickly and easily.

In my attempt to really do it right this time, I first made one using some bleached muslin I had on hand to check the sizing. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t have to change a thing, and I ended up liking it in the white so I finished it with a little bias binding in Anna Maria Horner’s voile around the neck and along the bottom hem.

I liked it enough that I even wore it to a family gathering this weekend. My uncle said it had a ‘south of the border’ look, which I’m thinking may not have been a compliment. But no matter, I quite like it and I think it will get a lot of use this summer!

I made up the ‘real’ version in this lovely Nani Iro double gauze which I’ve been saving for something special. It also happens to be the same fabric used in the pattern photo. It’s lightweight and airy and I can’t wait to head to the beach wearing it! (and of course I’m planning a third out of some Little Folks fabric!)

Unfortunately I didn’t finish them in time to enter them in Rae‘s Spring Top week, but that’s probably good. Have you seen the entries in the Flickr pool? Amazing! As a judge I got a chance to score a bunch of them, and wow, it was hard! So many fabulous tops! Voting starts today, so head over there each day this week to vote for your favorite!

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Also…

If you haven’t already heard, Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics is celebrating 2 years and has a lot of great fabrics on sale for great prices!

Check back tomorrow for the start of a giveaway for some of Laurie Wisbrun’s new Tufted Tweets!

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morgan’s manly(ish) market bag

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:05:15 +0000

I really dislike grocery stores. Luckily Morgan doesn’t mind them, and he’s sweet enough to do most of the grocery shopping. Each time he goes, we have pretty much the same conversation. It goes a little something like this…

(me) “do you want to take the market bag?”

(morgan) “um…”

Standing in the hallway, he looks at me and then over at the market bag hanging by the door. (At this point, I should remind you that our market bag has pink butterflies on it). There’s a long pause, where I’m guessing he’s trying to come up with some reason why he shouldn’t bring it. He’s got a plethora of excuses… either he’s not getting a lot of stuff and plans on just carrying it, or he thinks we need another paper bag for recycling, or sometimes he just hesitates long enough that I forget and he can slip out without it.

It all boils down to this though… “it’s too pink. And it has butterflies”.

So…problem solved. Not a bit of pink. And no butterflies.

I’m pleased to say he used it, though somewhat begrudgingly. (apparently those stripes aren’t very manly either…)

poppy pillowcases

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:30:54 +0000

So here’s what I decided to do with my lovely stack of Poppy fabrics (designed by Laura Gunn). I bought the prints with the large poppies, and after looking at them for a while, I just couldn’t see cutting them up. Since it’s about time to put away the flannel pillowcases, I decided to use these beautiful prints for new spring pillowcases…

Of course, then I couldn’t decide which print I wanted to use, so I decided to use them all. At the time it seemed like a good idea, though now that I have 4 sets of pillowcases, I’m wondering if perhaps that was overkill. Variety is nice, right?

I used my pillowcase tutorial, and was amazed once again how quickly they come together! I’d say I see more of them in my future, but seeing as how I now have 8 new ones, I guess we’re good for a while… now I may have to be on the hunt for some new sheets to match.

I made pillows…

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:14:00 +0000

…with hexagons!!

(I know, I almost can’t believe it myself.)

So you might remember my recent adventures with hexagons. I loved making the individual hexagons, but after making a bunch of them, I realized that I really disliked sewing them together by hand. I ended up giving most of them away, though I held on to this bunch, since they’re a match to a quilt I’m working on.

Spending last weekend sick on the couch must have helped, because I got four rows of hexagons sewn together (and no, I still don’t enjoy the process!). I pieced that hexagon strip in with some Kona Snow and came up with this pillow.

I quilted it with just a few simple lines running horizontally across the pillow and finished it with a little striped binding.

I wanted a second coordinating pillow, but knew that I couldn’t tolerate any more handsewing, so instead I went with something else I never do… applique. This one is inspired by a comment someone left during my hexagon giveaway, suggesting that it would be easier if I just appliqued the hexagons on individually – no handsewing required!

I scattered the hexagons across the Kona Snow somewhat haphazardly and then stitched them to the base fabric. I used similar simple quilting lines on this one, but did these on a slight diagonal.

I don’t think I’ll be making any more, but I really, really love these!

And now I better get working on that matching quilt!

spring top week!

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:53:24 +0000

I know I’ve told you this before (recently, I think! And maybe even multiple times!) but ’tis the season for me to want to drop everything and start dreaming about new spring tops, dresses and skirts. And hey, look at this… I’m not the only one!

Last year, the lovely and talented Rae, of Made by Rae, started Spring Top Week to showcase handmade spring tops – those she made (and she made quite a number of fabulous tops!) and also those made by others. It seemed to be the push we all needed, because there were a ton of great entries last year! This photo shows the finalists from last year –

I’m happy to tell you that Rae’s doing it again, and it’s even bigger this year! There’s a Flickr pool set up so you can show off your spring tops and Rae will be featuring many of them on her blog during Spring Top Week. There will also be judging and prizes for the winners!

I’m super excited this year to have been asked to participate as one of the judges, so as soon as you start submitting your tops, we’ll get to start scoring them!

You can read all about the 2010 Spring Top Week here, including the submission rules/guidelines. Spring Top Week is May 1-7, but you can start submitting your spring tops today. Entries will be accepted through April 30th.

I’m hoping this will give me the added push I need to actually start sewing a new top for myself! I keep coming back to this one -

– a cute little wrap top from my new Stylish Dress Book v.3 (ISBN 9784579112852). (Of course, I’m still a tad bit worried about those Japanese directions!)

So how about it? Do you have a pattern you’ve been waiting to try?