Last Few

It’s getting late in the year.  If you haven’t noticed there are only 5 weeks until Christmas!  I don't know about you but I've got some serious shopping to do!

Do you know what this means?  Any projects I’m planning to finish in 2012 need to be worked on and finished soon.

So when I realized this, I tried to decide what I want to finish this year...

Our bed quilt is something I really want to get done as soon as possible so I can redecorate my room.  However, I have a feeling it won't be done until 2013...  but I'm pretty satisfied with what we've accomplished on it this year and think we'll get a fair amount of quilting done in the next month.  :)

But I’m thinking more in terms of machine sewing projects...

I have to finish my Eowyn vest before The Hobbit: AnUnexpected Journey comes out on December 14^th.  I'd like to have it completely finished before December even starts, but as that is quickly approaching and I haven't started yet I'm not sure that will happen.  I did get all the supplies I need a few days ago, so I should be able to start any day now.  And even if I lose a lot of sleep working on it, I'm definitely planning to have it completely done for the movie!

I would also like to make my Sailboat purse soon.  I've always loved messenger bags and I found this free tute that I think will be perfect!

Including these 2, I'd like to finish at least 3 more machine projects in 2012, but I'm not setting my goal that high because I know myself.  I'm a procrastinator and only confident that I will actually complete those 2...  So why would I set a goal I may not be able to achieve?

I've also got a couple Christmas projects going that I can't post about...  So those will also have to be done before the end of the year.  :)

Any big projects you are hoping to finish this year?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hoping all my lovely readers are having a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!  Eat well, give thanks, and enjoy good fellowship with family and friends!

image from pinterest.com

Grey Pleats

For about two years now I've had this image in my mind of a skirt...  a grey pleated skirt.  Oh, how cute it would look with colored tights!  Or that new sweater I just bought.  Or those boots...

Then someone gave a us a huge amount of grey...  I don't know what kind of fabric.  But now my skirt would be practically free!

So when I needed some cute skirt outfits to wear to a conference last month it was time to actually make the skirt!  My sister had used New Look 6566 (I can't find it on Simplicity's website...  sorry!) to make a couple of pleated skirts that turned out really nicely, so that was the pattern I used.

Making the pleats was a little time consuming, but not difficult.  The only thing that has caused me trouble at all is getting the pleats to stay ironed in...  But I think I'm starting to figure it out.  Just use lots of heat.  :)

I love this skirt!  It's such a perfect neutral color that goes with so many things!

(Oh, and we had a lot of fun with this book photo shoot!  Though getting our cat Schubert to stay on the book pile was quite a chore...  haha)

Quilt Sandwiched

Around a month ago Keely and I finished the quilt top we've been working on, but we didn't get a chance to sandwich it until last Saturday.  Here's the story - this quilt is huge.  And unless we took all the furniture out of our living room there wasn't a room in our entire house that had enough space to lay the thing out.  Thankfully we have a dear friend who quilts all the time and has a large basement floor that is perfect for sandwiching quilts!

"Many hands make light work" is so true!  This is the first quilt I've ever made, but I'm told it can take several hours or even days to do all the basting by yourself.  With 6-7 of us working it took only 2 1/2 hours!

I know it's taken us a while to get it to this point (My excuse: we haven't been working on it consistently and lots of other projects have been made during this time), but there is not a machine stitch in the entire thing.  And after two years of work, I must confess I'm rather proud of it!  :)

Now I'm looking forward to beginning the actual quilting!

Meet Vera

You know how you put in an old 50s movie and fall in love with the glamorous actresses of the past?  Well, after my sister Keely made an Audrey [Hepburn] and my friend Laura had a Doris [Day], I decided it was time for a Vera [Ellen] to look and cute and vintage-y on my bookshelf.

That is, a felted wool Vera worm.  :)

So I've had this image of Vera for a while now.  Pink body, white sunglasses...  She was all planned, and just needed to be made.  And when I got stuck on a sewing project because I couldn't find my zipper, making my felted wool worm was just the thing to do!

She really didn't take me very long at all to make, and I love the finished product!  The pattern is from Wee Wonderfuls.  It has some really cute projects in it, but I think this worm has to be the cutest.

So if you get stuck in a project and need a quick project with vintage flair, I would heartily recommend a felted wool worm.  Don't forget to name her after your favorite vintage actress!  :)

Orange Tights

Found this picture which I believe is a JCrew model and was feeling so inspired by it!  I'm a lover of tights, especially colored tights.  I think it's great how they took a neutral, preppy outfit and added splashes of color with the bright pink belt and burnt orange tights.  It looks really cute and really nice!

This served as the inspiration I needed to go ahead and buy some tights from Target (their $5 tights are the best price I've found, and they come in a variety of colors) and I'm so glad that I got them!  :)

Bright Apron

Note to self - if I want to get something done for a certain event and the project involves something I don't enjoy (such as bias tape, tucks, etc), I need to start at least 6 months in advance.  :P

That said, I made this apron for a friend's birthday.  You may remember I was having difficulties with the bias tape...  Well, it was shamefully late, but I finally got it finished, and Emily looks really nice in it!

I used the vintage reprint Simplicity 4282 pattern.  Everything went smoothly except the bias tape, and my sister showed me a new method that is so much easier!  I'm thinking I might post a tutorial, because it will just make your sewing life so much better!

I love the way it crosses in the back.  It's the little things that make aprons so pretty!

Well, it's so good to be back, dear readers!  I've started a plan for a posting schedule, so you'll be getting updates much more frequently now.  :)  Have a great day!