Eleni

Weekend sewing in a crafternoon

I love a good craft book, and I have to admit that I've come across quite a few lately, which makes my heart beat faster and these long days of rain go by a bit quicker.  I think I mentioned that I picked up this book recently and quite honestly I can. not. put. it. down. Mostly every page is dog eared and marked with a "to do," I've made shopping lists and am really excited about most every project that I have picked out. 

A few minutes spent digging around Michael's drawers for some summer-like pants led me to start on the first project from her book, the huck finn pants.

 

 

The beige pants in the first two pics are made out of fabric that I got here. And the second pair I made is this fabric, but like an idiot I bleached mine when I washed it before sewing them up.  Doofus.  So the blue is kind of non-existent.  I made a third pair out of this funky terrycloth that definitely was on sale when I bought it!.  I just have to finish the waistband and I'll be done.  Just so you know, I did not follow the pattern properly on either I do not want to have an adjustable waistband and buttons and all that, it's too much for me right now, the kid just needed some funky pants, and funky pants he received. 

oh and here's a pic of what really goes on, so that  you don't get the impression that any of this - sewing, photos, and posting is easy.

The big brown blur at the bottom of the photo, yeah, that's the older one hurling himself off of the ottoman in the room, "look mama a big "mang" (bang for those of you who don't speak two-year-old). 

Busting the burnout

Mommy sewing burnout that is.  I guess it comes with the territory when you decide that your "hobby" will become your "job."  So during a rather rare event of two little boys sleeping in the afternoon at exactly the same time, I took advantage and cut some fabric - FOR MYSELF!  Just typing "for myself"  makes me smile.  So far, here's what I've got

  

It's a little Anna meets Amy bag in the works for one bag- making mama who has been using the similac bag from the hospital, and as if that is not ironic enough, I am a strictly nursing mama! 

Anyway, I also treated myself to some eye candy in the form of a sewing bookweekend sewing by heather ross, sweet mother of sewing, I am IN LOVE with this book, IN LOVE, first it's a sewing book, then it's got recipes and music reccomedations as well, whew  I can't wait to sew up a few of the flea market skirts for the summer,  simple, easly wrap around skirt with a tank, and wrap arounds are so great because they disguise all the extra mommy love!  Ah summer, looking forward to it big time. 

One down

Here is Kara's bag, just a few more to go and I am finally caught up! 

A little pressing, wrapping and sending and this baby is out the door.  This is the first time I've used this fabric, usually this rather subdued piece gets lost in the heaps of this, this, and this.  I'm glad though that someone saw it in the piles and picked out the underdog!  I hope you enjoy your bag Kara.

Bright and Cheery

One of the things I love about doing parties is seeing what people come up with.  I have had this bolt  Michael Miller fabric sitting in my fabric closet for quite some time now, in fact I've sold off some of it on ebay.  I bring a sample with me to each party, and no one has quite the "you know whats" to pick it.  That is until my friend Gina came to the last party.  If a bag and it's owner ever had matching personalities, well this is that time.  Gina and I have been friends now for over 10 years, and like this bag, she's not afraid to let you know she's in the room. 

In terms of my organizing stint and being positive, I'm trying, really I am.  However, I am being much more successful at being positive than organizing (if you look at the background in that picture up there, you know I am not lying).  I did however, get myself organized enough to bake some delicious cupcakes for my honey.  They are from Ina Garten and they are damn good.

I give you permission to lick the screen, it's calorie free!  Have a great day!

Oh the glamorous life...

One of my lovely neighbors hosted a purse party last week - it was a success, hence the lack of posts, this girl has been busy, busy.  Which is a good thing, but with limited time on my hands, sometimes I feel like maybe I don't want to spend all of my evenings sewing, and so my procrastination routine begins.  Little bits o'progress amongst a myriad of other things:

a few bags, a glass of wine, a catalog from Rosie Hippo, and that red and white book back there is book by Mr. Rogers, whom I absolutely adore and have such fond memories of watching as a child.  Coincidentally, we share the same birthday!  When I get bored sitting at my sewing table I take a jaunt over to my cutting table:

where there is yet another bag in progress, sigh....Totally unrelated, but our girl Reece, is A-OK!  15% chance that the tumor wasn't cancerous and it wasn't.  She dodged a major bullet and now we are feeding her doggie doughnuts. 

now back to work...isn't the world series on or something?

A cute dress for the cutest little girl!

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding Reece, she's looking better and starting to act more like herself, hopefully those results come back as negative for a tumor, but we will see.

Anyway, my cute little niece Ellie turned two and what better way to celebrate than with Chocolate Lollipops!

I used a pattern that my mom had actually used to make me a dress when I was a young gal myself!!  It's a McCall's quick and easy, from 1977!  The pattern consists of a pair of bloomers, a dress, and a smock. It was so much fun to make, as well as being pretty easy (except the sleeves, I thought it was going to end up being a Gordan Gartrell), but with my seam ripper handy, I managed to muddle through while keeping the adult language to a minimum.  Here's a pic of the finished product:

The dress is made out of a burgundy corduroy and the smock is removable so she could wear it with a pair of jeans and a turtleneck to change it up a bit.  The coolest thing is that it actually fit despite the fact that I had measurements from the summer.  Of course, I forgot my camera when gave it to her but I have a feeling now that I've made one thing for her, the sky's the limit now baby! 

And they're off...

A bunch of funky black and white bags for a bride to be in Canada.  These guys kept me pretty busy all week, and it was a lot of fun to make them, but now they are going to their new home, into the hands of some very lucky girls (if I do say so myself!)  The one at the tippity top, for the bride...perhaps her "something blue"?  She promised pics of the gals and their bags and I can't wait, but for now they are wrapped up tight and ready to cross borders.  Have a great weekend everybody, stay safe! xoxoxo

Yay I got some press!

Hiya!

Click on this link and you will see that I got to be the "Indie Spotlight" on Fashion Ceo.  If you are a designer looking for some cool resources, articles, etc.  check out this site, there's a ton of info.  See, I do actually try to do some worth in the midst of my child rearing escapades!  Hope everyone has a great day, I have to get back to sewing for a cool bride to be, so no pics today.

Treats from Brimfield....

So my friend Lis and I went to the Brimfield Antique Show a few weeks back.  It was literally the second day that I've had all to myself since Chris has been born, so I was like a caged animal.  I was looking forward to this thing as if it were the night before Christmas and I was eight years old again.  So, when the weather turned out to be phenomenal despite crappy forecasts and the crowd wasn't overwhelming and I had no cell service, I was about as close to heaven as I think I am ever gonna get.  Don't get me wrong I love being home with him but y'know once in awhile I like to spread my wings, act like a crazy woman and look at old stuff!

And I went nuts I tell ya, look at what I bought:

I know, I know I'm living right there on the edge man, who knows what I am liable to do next! Quilt squares, feedsack fabric and a piece of fabric with strawberries and a big old hole in it!  The orange and black squares in that top square is from the 1800's (at least that's what she told me), the feedsack fabric in the top right corner was from the 1930's and that strawberry fabric, I have no idea but I loved it so much that she charged me $2, (I think she felt bad for me...she was probably thinking, "oh poor girl loves the crappiest piece of fabric in this whole place, here have it for 1/2 off...")  Here's a close-up of the strawberry fabric that I am obsessed with:

It just makes me think of summer.  Too bad it's not big enough to make into a tablecloth and I don't know what to do with it.  Unless I get some aqua fabric and turn it into a patchwork tablecloth?  But I really don't want to cut this piece, what the hell is wrong with me?! I can't believe how long I've sat here talking about this dumb piece of fabric. Anyhoo.... you get the picture about this fabric.

I looked for vintage sewing patterns, because I just don't have enough, but no luck.  I bought my husband a vintage cocktail shaker but am saving the pics of that for when he's shaking :)  Funny thing, the guy who sold it to me had definitely shaken up a few for himself that am, and that's not just an assumption, he TOLD me! and he reeked

While we were there we came across a booth for Claudia Glassman.  Check out the link, this woman was so helpful and nice AND has been on MARTHA STEWART's TV show TWICE, in addition to being in a bunch of mags.  She's cool and I seriously could have hung with her all day, but she probably would have kicked me out after about 30 minutes. 

I left her booth and all of a sudden could clear-as-crystal picture myself collecting all sorts of vintage fabrics, washing and ironing each with care, researching their significance and becoming a textile historian of some sort.  Selling my finds at antique shows and lovingly providing all my customers with interesting and relevant facts about the fabrics they were holding.  I left her booth not having a care in the world, feeling light and free and discovered... that I actually had cell service...

bye bye

Pants...meet your owner

They fit!  I'd say it's a success!

we are off to our first birthday party today, it's a "princess party" do you think that they will mind this cowboy in the group? 

Happy Friday peeps!  Stay safe this weekend.