I began sewing various projects prior to starting the blog.  Partially because I was not sure I would be able to commit to a blog, but also because I did not realize the sheer size of sewing blog community.  It seems that everyone is linked to everyone else’s blog and that is one of the best ways to find inspiration, cool tips, and (my favorite) free tutorials!   I hope to one day be skilled enough to contribute the latter.   Onwards to sharing!

So, the first thing I truly attempted were two bow-ties for Jason.

Jason was a bit less excited for this photo op!

Happier, for sure!

The next practice project was a canvas bag sturdy enough for groceries.  I hate the thin Jewel bags!  My friend in Baltimore/DC area  liked them too, so I made one for her and her son since they are just the cutest mom-son-team I know!  Unfortunately I was suffering from a post office phobia for about two weeks, so when I finally got around to it I totally forgot to take a picture.  They were definitely improved though!

And then I graduated!  On to a series of three pillows.  Work had been extremely stressful between the squirrelly kids and Jason’s union wrangling; we needed a break!  Seeing as that school was in session we were not able to sneak away far or near for an extended period of time.  The best option–a trip into Chicago!  Jason orchestrated a day full of ‘new’.   I had my first ever crepe at Cafe Crepe; it was Mediterranean style and delicious!  After Jason polished off the bottle of wine from Kafkas we slid over to The Needle Shop.  Now this place…seriously.  It is right up our ‘accidental hipster’ alley.  It was quaint, quirky and staffed by the nicest people.  Jason picked out the fabrics and then we headed over to Reckless Records for his portion of the day.   We finally arrived home, well after 6pm and ready for relaxation.

That’s when my creation time began.  I deconstructed the pillows we had bought ages ago at World Market saving the zippers and stuffings.  Then set out to measure, cut, and sew my three pillows.

The sea inspiration was heavy that day.

I ended up taking a sewing class with my friend at the Needle Shop about a week or so later (it was excellent!), and boy howdy did I learn some stuff!  Mainly, that I missed a lot of key steps in pillow making.  We will just say that my first have a lot of ‘character’, haha!

The forth, or rather tenth creation was another reconstruction project.  I put on a favorite sweater of mine one school morning only to realize that it was too short in the arms    It was such a beautiful blue color and had not peeled (is that the word?) ever so I couldn’t bear to lose it.  I decided the best option was to make it into a dress for my friend’s baby girl, Sophie.  She has the most striking blue eyes, so it seemed to make perfect sense.   I took my time cutting and measuring and ended up adding some cute contrasting bubble fabric left over from Jason’s bow-ties, but it was still lacking…I had never used bias tape but I knew it was what I needed to make the edges look more ‘finished’. It was a leap of faith type decision, but I think it worked out really well.  We will meet up for our weekly LOST viewing session and I’ll find out if the sizing works and maybe I’ll get some pictures of Sophie in the aptly named Sophie Dress.

Detail on the top portion The Sophie Dress

Wow, seeing as I started this new blog with a great deal of apprehension this post is proving to show some promise. Crossing my fingers for a snow day tomorrow as the North Chicago area is due for about 6-12 inches.  That would allow me some substantial time to grade papers in between measuring and cutting my first attempt at a dress.  Oh my goodness, I can’t hardly stand it I am so nervous!

Cheers!