Lovely Little Things (and by things i mean fat quarters!)

Guess what arrived in the mail today from PatternCrush? Beautiful fabrics designed by Sarah Fielke (produced by Windham), and Emily Isabella (produced by Birch)!

I first heard about Enchanted through the Windham blog, and I want to say there was a fat bundle give away put together by Pink Castle Fabrics, but I’m not 100% sure that was the case. Maybe Windham orchestrated the giveaway? Regardless, I saw the amazing fabric through the blogoinstasphere. I also started following Sarah Fielke on Instagram, and that’s how I discovered that PatternCrush was selling Enchanted bundles! As it goes for most who shop for fabric, one bundle of fat quarters turned into two bundles, and a couple additional Japanese fat quarters.

As I alluded to, the second bundle of fabrics is comprised of the Everyday Party collection by Emily Isabella! To be completely honest, I *just* started looking at Emily’s work this evening as I typed this post. She is more than talented in many disciplines–take a look! I’ve posted pictures of my fabric too in case you don’t feel like clicking all over the Interwebz.

 

A Budding Romance

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am sewing new things! Non-germent things like wallets made from hexagon paper pieces, hexies for short! I’m using Pretty By Hand‘s pattern, but you could use any pattern with your hexies so long as you cut the mini quilt to size as if it were on piece of fabric. I must have been feeling a touch patriotic, (I love the prints either way!), and so I selected fabric from Fabric Traditions, a line created to honor American employees, vendors, customers and our military. 

The first image is of the front and back my mini quilt (also posted in my Instagram, snap_stitch). If you look closely, you can see the tiny paper hexagons! If they weren’t, you would see the underside of the fabric. The second picture is of my cat Luke (we call him Little even though he is most certainly not little) helping me with hexies.

Rough Patch

My relationship with sewing indie patterns has hit a rough patch! I have tried three new patterns from two different companies and both have fit poorly. I’m sure it’s not due to the patterns, but rather the holiday weight from crazy East Coast winters past that I’ve packed on over the years. After talking through my frustrations with my fiance, I’ve decided to try sewing fun mini projects to regain confidence by finishing projects I don’t have to try on. Also, we started eating better and exercising, so I should be back to sewing all my favorites (Grainline, Closet Case Files, Deer and Doe, By Hand London, Sewaholic, and Colette to name a few!) soon. I should mention that I usually Instagram my finished (or near finished) garments, but I am *trying* to get this blog up and running to connect with other “sewing crafting making-things people” before a possible move to England!

Speaking of England, it’s the inspiration behind my first non-garment pattern,  the Flower Garden Wallet from Pretty By Hand. The pattern includes front and back panels that are made entirely from English Paper Pieces, 1/2 inch hexagons!

Hello world!

the Butterick model is smokin’!

I am rejoining the blogosphere to share my sewscapades and to connect with other seamstresses. I started sewing less than a year ago when my friend Mary helped me make my first dress, the Butterick 6582. I fell in love with the retro pattern and how sexy the model looked on the envelope, which is probably why I chose that pattern over any other. (You will start to notice a theme in my style, shorter and tighter is (almost) always better!) After completing the Butterick, I was smitten with sewing. I had visions of pencil skirts and vintage tops dancing in my head, and I purchased a Brother 420 almost immediately. I also wore my sexy retro dress to work the Monday after Mary and I finished the dress and, interestingly enough, the project inspired some of my friends to get sewing! We quickly formed a sewing club and meet monthly to crank out projects. And this little blog is the perfect place to document all of my sewscapades!