In my studio: Serious stash-busting Owls (just in time for Christmas!)

With the holidays quickly approaching, I've been trying to think of ways to use my stash of fabric and fabric scraps to make presents. My daughter just loves to have a doll or stuffed animal to hold and squeeze so I drew up two basic owl shapes to use as a pattern for making toys.

If you would like to make some of your own, here is what you need:

Pattern (owl 1 and owl 2), fabric, poly-fill stuffing and basic sewing supplies

Step 1: Trace pattern on fabric scraps and cut out. (I wanted to make quite of few of these so I made my pattern using manila folders.)

Step 2: Pin facial features to fabric.

Step 3: Set zig-zag length to 3 and stitch length to 1 1/2

Step 4: Sew nose, inside eye shape then outside eye shape. For the outside eye (the whites), I put blue thread in the bobbin so just specks of blue would show through.

Step 5: Place front and back pieces right sides together and sew using a 1/4" seam allowance (leave a wide enough hole to allow for piece to be turned right-side out).

Step 6: Press seams and make little clips around the curved seams.

Step 7: Turn right-side out and use a pointy object to push out the corners. 

Step 8: Press seams again.

 Step 9: Top-stitch around upper portion of owl.

Step 10: Stuff animal with poly-fill making sure to fill corner spots.
Step 11: Stitch opening closed. (here is a great video tutorial)

And you're done!! Since I am making more than I am planning on giving away for Christmas, I am not stuffing the extras to save much needed studio storage space!

I hope this helps all of you get rid of some of your scrap collection and get ready for Christmas!!

In my studio... upping my skills!

So now that I am kinda-sorta getting an idea of how basic (no zippers or buttons) tops are constructed, my thrift store shopping trips have completely changed. Instead of seeing clothes just as they are, I see fabric that can be turned into something else.

Case in point, this top was originally a yoga-style skirt for a pre-teen girl. Now it is a cute top/dress for my 15m daughter.

 I didn't even have to look up at any of the tutorials saved on my Pinterest boards to know how to modify it! 

About halfway through this project, I started to wonder if I should go back and "fix" some of my previous sewing blunders. It isn't that those clothes are falling of my daughter or anything, it is just that they are quite as neat as I would like them to be.

I decided against doing this because otherwise I will end up spending all of my time "upgrading" things I've already made instead of trying to make more complicated garments. Also, I like having a history of my sewing progress recorded in the garments themselves.

Until next time!

In my studio... baby sling for JD

The nesting hormones have really taken over my life lately, and this time they "forced" me to make a baby sling for JD. :-)

I found this super easy-to-follow tutorial online (LOVE the fact that it helps you calculate what size to make based off of multiple measurements) and then some really pretty teal sheets from Goodwill for $1.

Since I want to be carry JD to and from the car during winter time in this sling, I decided to double layer it for warmth and thought that it would be fun to print the inside layer with my foam stick stamp. 

        

After printing the fabric and sewing it up, I realized that I made a fatal calculation in my pattern making. It was only half as wide as it was supposed to be. I drafted a new one and begun the process a second time. 

Thankfully, the second one went off without a hitch and is now waiting to be used once my little guy arrives!

In my studio... chevron dress for AJ

I'm finally starting to notice an improvement in my sewing skills. Using a great pattern and fabric helps, too!

Of course, I can't ever make something without making my own modification and here's what I did this time around.

    

* shortened the length of the pattern

* french seams on sides (did not adjust the pattern since my daughter is only 14 months old and there was already plenty of room)

* folded over the underarm seams instead of using bias tape

* ran a ribbon through the casing for the ties

* used a double needle for the hem

Yay for small successes!

Hello sketchbook.... it has been awhile

After two weeks of not sketching, I thought that it was time to pull out my marker and watercolors.

The reason that I haven't been sketching so much lately is because I'm trying to work on my sewing skills before baby #2 makes his appearance. Here is a pic of my first ever double-needle hem (I'm sure that is not the right term for it, but you get the gist).