The Jetsetter Wallet is Here!

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Asher

The Jetsetter is the savvy traveler’s best friend.  With my upcoming trip to Europe in mind, I designed this wallet to be the carry-all for my travel documents, identification and credit cards, change and cash.

This wallet contains: 

  • passport sleeve, snug for security
  • zippered coin pocket
  • long pocket for airplane tickets and travel documents
  • 6 credit cards slots
  • vinyl see-through ID slot
  • pen holder
  • magnetic snap closure
  • ruffle detail on back
  • heavy interfacing for durability

Finished Dimensions: 

  • Closed:  4.5” x 8.75”
  • Open:  9.25” x 8.75”

Available June 2010 from my Etsy shop.  Custom orders welcomed.

Filed under: Creations | 5 Comments »

Spring Ruffle Top

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Asher

I just barely scraped this top out using what little of this fabric I had.  My sister originally bought the fabric for an Anthropologie knock-off top she made (maybe I can get her to send me a photo, it’s adorable!) and she gave me what she had left over.  To make it work, I had to omit the adorable pleats at the top (maybe a good idea considering my…ahem…*larger* bust size).  For the straps and chest yoke, I used a natural colored Essex linen/cotton blend.  One of my favorite fabrics to use, especially in quilting.

The pattern is, of course, Made By Rae’s Ruffle Top Tutorial.  You may remember another version I made awhile back:

Sorry for the crazy amount of clothes-making posts lately.  Am I losing all my dearly loved quilty followers?  I promise I will get back to quilting soon enough!  I’ve got one in progress right now (well, I say that but it’s been almost finished for about 5 months now, just needs binding!). 

Is anyone interested in our Europe itinerary?  I’d be happy to share, if anyone out there is curious.  3 days!!!!!

P.S.  I entered the first top above, along with these two, into Made By Rae’s Spring Top Week.  Don’t forget to Vote for your favorite starting next week!!

Filed under: Creations, Pattern Challenge | 1 Comment »

Gingham Top

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Asher

Here’s a summery new top I made using some gingham I found for $3.99 a yard:

And guess what pattern….you’ve got it!  Simplicity 2599!  Boy do I love that pattern.

This gingham was a bit difficult to work with.  If I wasn’t very careful, it puckered with each seam.  A good amount of pressing seemed to help along the way.  I know I said I was going to skip the button closure next time I made this pattern, but I decided to keep it to add interest.  I suppose that this really is the most interesting part of the shirt.  The one thing you have to be careful of when using stripes or ginghams is matching up the seams.  It can be really noticable if you forget.  Mine turned out OK, but can you see the puckering at the bottom of the seam down the center?  Maybe my tension was off…

We leave for Europe in exactly one week.  I’m so excited!!  During the three weeks I’m gone I’ve got some SUPER awesome guest bloggers lined up to share some tutorials, tips, links and perhaps a recipe or two.  Who knows, this blog may be more happenin’ in my absence than when I’m here!!!  I’ll check in one more time before I go.

Happy Saturday!!

make it wear it

Filed under: Creations, Pattern Challenge | 8 Comments »

Baby Bedding

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Asher

Several months back a friend requested custom bedding for her first daughter.  Penelope is now almost 5 months old, and she is such a doll!  Her mama, Blythe, is incredibly stylish and gorgeous, so it was no surprise that she wanted Penny’s room to be completely custom.  Blythe picked out the fabrics for the bedding (mostly Amy Butler with a lovely polka-dot mixed in) and I put together a custom set of:  crib bumper, crib skirt, minky-backed blanket and pillow for her rocker. 

Don’t you love that mobile?  It was made by another crafty/beautiful/stylish friend, Lauren, who coincidentally is expecting her first child this year! 

Filed under: Creations | 8 Comments »

Mini Gifts

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Asher

Thanks SO much to the 57 of you who have responded to my survey so far!  It has been so fun to read your responses, and I will post the results once I hit my target # of responses (100).  If you haven’t already taken it, please do!  You can find the survey here:

Take my survey

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I think I’m on a “mini” kick lately.  I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that there are no less than 13 women pregnant in my church right now (my church is pretty small, too).  Ok, so I’ve got the baby bug, I’ll get over it!

I made this mini apron and tiny potholders for my niece Maddie’s 2nd birthday:

Here’s a little minky blanket I made for my cousin who is due to have her first child in May.  She and her husband decided to let the gender of the baby be a surprise, so this blanket was as gender neutral as I could get from my fabric stash.  I used this tutorial for a self-bound blanket.  Probably not the best idea to try this out with minky, but I managed to “make it work.”

Filed under: Creations, Survey | 3 Comments »

Mini Quilt

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Asher

 

Here’s a little mini quilt I made for myself.  I needed something pretty to look at while I sew.  The idea for these blocks came from one of my favorite quilters, Red Pepper Quilts.  I love how colorful Rita’s version is, but I wanted a more monotone pallette for my wall.  Blues are calming, and I am in love with the binding fabric (Art Gallery “Wallpaper”), so I chose fabrics around that main print.

Here is an updated picture of one corner of my sewing room (old pics of the room can be seen here):

The hanky hanging above my shelf belonged to my Great Grandma Nonny (Nonny was her nickname).  I shared her first, middle and last name for 21 years of my life, until I took on my husband’s last name.  Nonny always had the best jewelry and loved to spoil her great-grankids with lots of candy.  My aunt still swears that up until the day she passed away she never once dyed her hair, and it was pretty well jet black until that day!  Here’s my Nonny holding me as a baby, man I was a chunker: 

Hope that you had a lovely Easter, He is Risen! 

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
  – John 10:10 

Filed under: Creations, My Sewing Space, Quilts | 6 Comments »

J.Crew Inspired Dress

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Asher

Here is the J.Crew inspired dress that I made using Simplicity 2599.  I lengthened the shirt by about 10″ (and then shortened the hem later when it was still way too long), added the sleeve option and made the same adjustments to the pattern that I made last time. 

Wow, next time I should really iron it first, huh?  Well, here’s the dress after sitting through church on Sunday.  Imagine it with the darts and creases nicely ironed.

To make the braided neckline and belt, I just took 3 pieces of my fabric and sewed them together at one end.  Then I just braided them tightly and tacked it down every 1/2″ or so onto the neckline.  The belt is not attached so I can switch it up whenever I like. 

(My tights are from Anthro, by the way)

Filed under: Creations, Pattern Challenge | 7 Comments »

Pattern Challenge: Simplicity 2599

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Asher

Simplicity 2599 is a near perfect pattern.  I just love the way this shirt turned out, it fits and looks almost exactly how I hoped it would.

Pattern Description:
Misses Tops with 6 different variations. I made view E, but skipped the bow.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it?
Yes, it does.  The only difference I can notice is that the top fits me a bit looser than the photo on the pattern shows.  But, I am fine with this since I can just wear a belt to cinch it in.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, they were.  The most confusing part was figuring out how to cut out the pattern pieces since this is a multi-size pattern with multiple front pieces for different bust sizes.  I ended up making a muslin of the front and back pieces so I could get the fit right before cutting into my fabric.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved that it came with different front pieces to account for bust size.  I love that there are so many variations available to the top.  It seems like the perfect basic top pattern, which can be infinitely adapted.  I can’t really think of anything at all I didn’t like!

Fabric Used:
White eyelet (very lightweight) purchased at the LA Fashion District.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I added about 2 inches of length along the hem, skipped the bow detail, lowered the neckline by about an inch and cut the ruffle detail thinner than the pattern suggested.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes!  I am definitely going to use this pattern again.  I’m already planning on making this into a shift dress, inspired by this J Crew dress (thanks to my Aunt Carol for point it out to me!).


Next time I make it I will probably skip the button closure on the back.  I think it looks adorable, but I can get the top over my head without unbuttoning it, so it’s just not necessary (this is only because I made the neckline lower).

Conclusion:
I highly recommend this pattern as a great wardrobe builder and an all around fun pattern to sew.

_________

For those of you wondering about my great turquoise necklace, it came from Designs By Tahra.  Check out this beauty:

And isn’t this lovely?

Lucky me, I won these in a giveaway sponsored by Gussy, but go check out Designs By Tahra, she is wonderful!!

Filed under: Creations, Pattern Challenge | 16 Comments »

Sewin’ My Knickers

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Asher

Underwear have got to be the easiest, most fun things to sew ever!  I’m not sure I’ll ever need to buy another pair! 

I bought several yards of stretch lace trim from Lace Heaven.  Here is a link to the exact item I ordered:  Stretch Lace.  They have 43 fun colors to choose from, and you get some pretty amazing pricing discounts when you order multiple yards.  I ordered 6 yards each of 5 different colors (Nude, Pale Lime, Soft Peach, Brown and White) and got each yard for $0.50!  Totally worth it, if you ask me.  I’d say it takes about 2 yards to make each undergarment, so I should have enough to make 15 knickers.  The fabric is a good quality jersey and it doesn’t take much fabric at all to make them. 

Would anyone be interested in a tutorial?  I made the pattern from a pair of my very favorite undies that finally bit the dust.

Filed under: Creations | 9 Comments »

Guest Blogger Post and a Giveaway: A Very Sweet Party!

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Asher

Over the weekend, my sister (who lives 2 states away from me in California) threw the cutest party for my niece and I asked her to share about it with all of you!  My sister and I have such similar taste when it comes to all things crafty, and I hope that someday we can live close to each other and start a sewing business together!

Read on to hear from my sister, Kate, about Maddie’s party and be sure to check out the bottom of this post for a little giveaway!

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When I was thinking about what theme I wanted for my daughter Maddie’s 2nd birthday, I immediately thought of all the things she loves such as Dora, Mickey Mouse, and Winnie the Pooh.  Call me selfish, but I just couldn’t stomach another character themed birthday-filled day… So what else could I think of that would not only please Maddie but would meet the approval of her mother who loves all things pink, girly, and sweet? How about candy? Lots and lots: m&m’s and reese’s, gummy bears and lollipops, cookies with pink frosting and mini cupcakes.  Let’s call it Madelyn’s Sweet Shoppe, and embrace the little kid in all of us.  Forget our New Year’s Resolution diets; let’s utterly and completely indulge all day!

I found these amazing labels from eatdrinkchic, and fell in love with the pink and white stripes and pretty much everything else for the ice cream party.  I thought this would make a perfect sweet shoppe color pallet too.

I made all the girls little mini purses and the boys draw-string pouches with left-over fabric I had.  They were super easy and quick to make, and so adorable on them!

Sammy was the life of the party as usual!

Maddie (right) with her best friend Addie, drinking margaritas, engaging in deep and meaningful conversation.  To make the margaritas, just mix 1 bottle of Jose Cuervo (non-alcoholic) margarita mix with ice and lime juice.  Blend with fresh strawberries for a fun pink twist.

Here are the girls in front of a fun background I made for taking pictures. I used a tri-fold cardboard display, and painted on the pink and white stripes.  The flags were cut out with felt and I glued on flowers in the window box.

We played “Pin the Cherry on the Ice Cream Cone,” which the kids loved!  You can see the board I made in the background of the picture above.

 

I cut out letters for the Happy Birthday banner using adorable Amy Butler paper.

All the kids had a blast, and loved picking out their candy at the end and putting it in their candy purses and bags (with their mother’s hovering over them trying to limit the amount their kid grabs, all the while shooting me evil looks!).

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Thanks, Kate!  I so wish I could have been there!  That’s Kate, on the right, right holding my adorable nephew, Sammy.  Natalie, on the left, was the extraordinary baker behind the gorgeous mini cupcakes.  I heard they were delicious!

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Kate is giving away two of these mini-purses to two lucky readers!  

Just leave a comment on this post letting me know what your favorite kind of candy is!  I’ll choose the winners next Monday, March 1st.

Filed under: Creations, Giveaway, Guest Blogger | 25 Comments »

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