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 sketchbook... triangle petal flowers

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!

Off the needles: sweater for AJ

I finally knit my first sweater for AJ!

I know that a lot of knitters make things for their children from before they are even born, but I just didn't have the heart to knit her something that could only be work for a very short time.

Using some recycled Cascade Eco-Wool and Veera Valimaki's Fisherman's Pullover pattern, I was able to whip this up in less than a week.

The pattern is easy to modify and for this version I choose to shorten the sleeves.

If you are interested in making a similar modification all you have to do is knit one row, knit two rows of a 2x2 rib and then cast of. Easy peasy!

In my sketchbook...the last page

Finally hit the last page in this sketchbook! Thankfully, I found a few new ones on clearance at Hobby Lobby this week. :-)