I found this at Salvation Army the day that

all clothes were

a dollar!

It used to be a dress.

I got it for my oldest daughter.  It looked amazing on her.

Course, she's like a life-sized Barbie.

She didn't like it as a dress, so I cut the bottom part off and hemmed it.

It. Looks. Even. More. Amazing. As. A. Tunic.

Very renaissance fairy.

I love that!

And guess what else?

With the part that was cut off, I am making my youngest child a fun & funky top by mixing other fabrics with it.

(hope to post pic soon)

This kind of math blows my mind:  1 dress + 1 dollar = 2 outfits.

Winning!

the evolution of a sewing studio

Nothing like a little organization to start off the new year!

Last weekend King helped me rearrange my sewing room,

which I think I shall forevermore refer to as

"sewing studio,"

because that sounds so much more lofty and revenue-generating, don'tcha think?

If only.

Anyhoo, I am in total love with the new use I found for the shelves that I placed atop the antique cabinet.  They came from my oldest daughter's dance studio, which changed owners and moved to another location.  The new instructor was not interested in them, so I gave them a home in this same room when it was my youngest daughter's bedroom. 
The cabinet was flipped another way and I had teeny tiny clothes hanging up on teeny tiny tension rods.  Her shoes went in the bottom cubby holes.  Everything fit perfectly.

And then she grew.

And then I moved all three girls into one room.

But I digress.  In this newly organized room, I shall attempt to tackle one of my New Year's resolutions: finish quilts I've started.

Since the rearranging and organizing the roo... er... I mean studio I have already finished a bunch of smaller projects that I've been meaning to do.  Yay!

bye baby bunting

This is a doorway or mantel Christmas bunting I made for a friend.

It's message:

Peace

Next up:

Love

swoon

I so enjoyed reading this interview with fabric designer Joel Dewberry.  As far as I am concerned, he is a design genius.  And now I find out that he and his wife are expecting their fifth child.... beautiful! 

Laminate fabric!  Hello adorable aprons, bibs, lunchboxes, and raincoats!

have you cleaned your machine lately?

Labor Day 2011

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Spent a lot of time in the sewing room this weekend as the rest of the family was out of town in various places.  Made pillows for the home of a soon-to-be-newlywed couple.  They get married in a month and are feathering their soon-to-be nest.  First time I had dealt with this type of trim.  It was thick and didn't really want to be co-operative.

But I won.

The pillows with brown and lime green pom pom ball fringe turned out to be my very favorites!

Y'know, I could do this for a living... 

if only more people needed decorative pillows and knew that I rock at making them.

***************************

After that project was complete, I made a table runner for a friend whose family has just moved to a new neighborhood.  I recovered their dining room chairs in the same fabric.

I'd never made a table runner before.

Y'know, I could sew those for a living...

but then I might put the poor children in China's sweatshops out of business.

And I'd hate to do that.

***************************

At the end of the weekend, I cleaned and oiled my faithful sewing machine.

It was well-deserved and much needed.  She made a lot less noise afterward.  But I am pretty sure I heard a small, sweet voice say 'thank you' when I walked out of the room.

help a fellow seamstress

Christine Haynes, is a genius.  I can highly recommend her book, and have.  She is now attempting to start her own pattern line.  Check out the link below and learn all about it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/christinehaynes/christine-haynes-launches-sewing-patterns

I'll be honest, after I watched her video, I wished she was my neighbor.... what a sweetie!

beautiful spools