That's a Wrap (Skirt)

I finally completed the wrap skirt a couple of days ago.  It's amazing how life gets in the way of updating this blog :( 

Here's a picture of the completed product. 

Not the best picture, but not bad for taking it myself on a rainy afternoon.

I've also been working on some birthday presents for some of Lillian's friends (can't believe they're all turning one!).  I won't post that project here since both of my loyal followers will probably receive this project in the coming months, but know that I am still perfecting my sewing skills.

One final note...I bought my first sewing pattern envelope the other day.  More skirts (different style)...I really don't have many nice things to wear post-baby, so why not make a new wardrobe? 

Knot a Problem

Finished the beautiful - yet small - handbag last week.  I was so anxious to post the completed picture, but our computer has been on the fritz and we finally got it fixed yesterday. 

Here's a shot of it hanging with stuff inside...



I love the corduroy that I found for the inside and I think that the material I chose for the outside will be wonderful with most of my clothes. 

The final problem that I had in making this bag was with the snap that keeps the purse closed.  It is so strong that when I try to open the snap, the thread I used to tie it on is being pulled out.  Not sure how I will fix this yet, but I'm sure I will come up with a solution :)

Orange Thread Project

In response to my previous inquiry about the orange thread...I made a ski flag for my husband (and our friends with a ski boat).  I thought it would be really easy to make, but Brent wanted to make it a little more complicated so that the flag would be bigger.

Plus side:  I feel like I'm "becoming one" with my sewing machine. 

Down side:  I'm also "becoming one" with my seam rippers ;) 

I think I'm ready to take on the skirt...but I may work on a couple of crochet items for the church first. 

Almost There But Not Quite...

I was hoping to have the skirt ready for our trip to Arizona last weekend, but as the time grew short, I realized that was not going to happen. 

Instead, I decided to take my wonderful sewing book with me on the road trip to read through.  Along the way I thought "I want to actually wear that skirt...maybe I should practice on some scraps first."  That's what I did when we got home.

Practice
I cut a couple of squares from my extra fabric, chose a color that I never thought I'd use (found a use for it...check back later to see what I've done), and turned on the machine to make my first seams.


The Neon Orange Thread

The square turned out better than I was expecting.  The most important thing to remember is to put the presser foot down before stitching...apparently that's easy to forget.

Pin Cushion

Then it was on to the first project...a pin cushion!  I found that this was pretty essential to the process and would need one sooner rather than later...so why not get more practice in while making one.  I definitely need to work on managing my seam allowances since it turned out smaller than it was supposed to, but that's why they call this practice, right?

Tokyo Tie Bag

I'm currently working on a handbag that I plan to finish today, before I start the neon orange thread project (any guesses what that might be?).  This is where I had my "Oh crap" moment yesterday. 

• Get Materials (fun cotton fabric for outside, lightweight corduroy for inside, pattern paper, thread, and a sew-on snap), check
• Instruction book, check
• Create pattern for bag, check
• Cut out pieces, check
• Sew sides, check
• Sew top and handles, check
• Sew bottom, check
• Tie knot for handles, not working...where did I go wrong

Oh crap!  I re-read the directions and realize the bottom was supposed to be sewn with the side seams in the center rather than on the sides of the bag!  What I love about sewing is that it's fairly easy to fix mistakes (as long as the fabric holds up).  Last night I was able to use my seam ripper for the first time to remove the bottom seam, and will hopefully redo it (correctly) today. 

Is there a sewing gene?

"I have officially started teaching myself to sew." 

This is what I told my mom yesterday on the phone.  She proceeded to be VERY excited about my endeavor and told me that it should come naturally since I have a lot of family history with sewing.  Apparently Lillian's namesake (my great-grandmother) was a talented seamstress and a great-aunt was an excellent sewer as well.  My mom has also spent plenty of time rifling through pattern books and fabric
aisles.  I'm hoping I got the all powerful sewing gene!

So far I have read "most" of the general information in my SEW Everything Book, picked out a pattern (Easy Breezy Wrap Skirt) - check out another sewer's completed project here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppitygirl/2643788812/, bought my fabric, and last night I was able to cut out all but one piece.  I was too tired to finish the last piece so it will wait until we return from Phoenix.

A swatch of my fabric...isn't it pretty :)

Things that I have learned already:

- Our sewing kit came with very random thread colors including puke and neon green, but not a classic brown? 

- Sewing seems to involve a good amount of math which is just up my alley being a mathematician and all. 

- Ironing can be quite soothing if you envision it that way.

- And of course I've learned tons about fabrics, weaves, ribbons, buttons, and sewing supplies :)

Diaper Mania

I've love the look of diaper cakes and what better way to shower new parents than with a useful cake!  With the baby shower coming up this weekend, I thought it would be FUN to make my first diaper cake for the family.

Well, it's much harder than it looks (or it was for me).  I wasn't sure how many diapers to get, so we got ~170 and I used all but 3 on the cake.  I also used bottles for the center of the cake, receiving blankets, a bath toy on top, baby spoons, socks, onesies, sleepers, butt cream, travel size soap and hand sanitizer, and pacifiers. 

The diapers were not too difficult to roll up, but they took a while and the rubber bands cut into my fingers :(  Then it was on to the assembly which was fun to experiment with.  In the end I decided I needed a base for this four layer cake which my dear husband cut out for me.  I covered the base with the blankets, added some pretty ribbon to hide the rubber bands, and decorated the cake with all of the other baby items.

Now I just have to hope that it doesn't all fall apart on the way to Phoenix!

   

Loop Toy for Baby Neb

My inspiration for my current projects is the baby niece we're expecting on Oct 2nd. 

The baby shower is this weekend, so I'm rushing to pull some fun things together! 

I stumbled upon this "Loop Toy" a while back and thought it would be a great homemade gift for the little one...

http://herbsthandmade.blogspot.com/2009/01/crochet-tutorial-loop.html

I was able to create this toy today, although I probably spent way more time on it than I should have :)

I chose the colors since they are bright and contrasting...perfect for a newborn!

Thank you to blogger Amy for an amazing pattern...if only I had some jingle bells to include in the tubing. 

More of my baby shower crafting gifts to come...

All Together...For Now

The Grab Ball finally came together this morning!

Lillian had her hands (and mouth) on it as soon as she awoke from her "nap". 

I have a feeling that some of my construction could have been better, being that it was my first time with this pattern and I was learning how to sew crochet pieces together.  I'm not sure how long it will stay together, or how many times I will need to repair it, but I'm very happy with this accomplishment!

Coming up:

I'm reading through my two new crafting books along with my "fun" reading material. I have something up my sleeve for my next craft project which I'm hoping to start work tonight and will share what I come up with tomorrow :)

The Other White Meat

I taught myself to cook over the past five years.  I certainly had help from my wonderful husband, but generally, I need to do it on my own to get the hang of it. 

*Side Note: The grab ball is just about done!

Pork chops have never been one of my favorite foods, but sometimes they wind up in our grocery cart since Brent enjoys them.  Usually Brent would grill them and I would end up enjoying them, but tonight I wanted to try something new. 

*Side Note: My Crafty Mama book arrived yesterday!

I chose a stuffed pork chop recipe from my Good Housekeeping Cookbook that included herb coated apples and diced bread.  I braised and baked the chops after stuffing them with a yummy smelling mixture.  It turned out alright, but I think it could have used more flavor...maybe I'll try something else next time. 

*Side Note: My Sew Everything book arrived today!

Here's a picture of my dinner plate before it was devoured.

 Anyone have a good pork chop recipe they'd like to share?