Easy Breezy Blouse

{2011 Craft Books}

:: Sewing in a Straight Line by Brett Bara
:: 26 projects all made by sewing straight lines ~ isn't that a great concept for a book !?!
:: hey, this is a surprise ~ some sewing for moi !   I fell in love with this fabric at the store & just had to buy some expecially because it was on clearance, then the challenge was to find the perfect project for it, which was accomplished once I came across the easy breezy blouse (it only cost just a little over $3 to make this blouse!)
:: this was my first time working with chiffon (that's an example of one of the reasons why I do a craft book month because I enjoy new challenges, trying new techniques, etc.)
:: as you may have guessed the blouse has lots of French seams & time consuming hems
:: many thanks to my 4 year old daughter who took the photos (using a tripod) of me modeling the blouse :)

Thanks for checking in and have a lovely day !

Felt Adventure Mat

{2011 Craft Books}

:: Weekend Handmade: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Crafting by Kelly Wilkinson
:: The felt adventure mat was just too cute of a project, I just had to sew one... one side is green with grass/stems & the other side is sky blue with tree branches
:: my daughter plays with it in my studio while I'm busy... she loves adding flowers (can you tell??)... there's no such thing as too many flowers, right !?!

Hoping you have a crafty Wednesday !

Change Your Mind Skirt

{2011 Craft Books}

:: 1, 2, 3 Sew: Build Your Skills with 33 Simple Sewing Projects by Ellen Luckett Baker
:: Free patterns from the book: Insulated Lunch Sack, Eyelet Headband
:: I sewed the Change Your Mind Skirt... my daughter averages about 3 outfits per day, so I love the fact that this skirt is reversible !!!
:: Fabrics used:
red & pink apples: Farmer's Market "Summer" color palette by Sandi Henderson
pink & green flowers: Nearby Floral in Candy by Michael Miller
:: Total cost to make it: $6.81
:: Any projects you sew from this book, be sure to add them to the 123 Sew flickr group

Happy Tuesday blogging friends, see you tomorrow !

Tallulah Halter Dress

{2011 Craft Books}

:: Girl's World: 21 Sewing Projects to Make for Little Girls By Jennifer Paganelli
:: There are frilly dresses, ruffled pillows, bed canopies, stuffed animals... for girls toddlers to tweens
:: I sewed the Tallulah Halter Dress ~ the first time I made a halter dress & also my fist time making side vents
:: Fabric is Children at play by sarahjane for michael miller (1 1/8 yards was used which only cost $6.75)
:: She wants to wear it to the beach... only 4 months to go :o)


Happy Monday !  See you tomorrow :)

Bunting

{2011 Craft Books}

Add this super sweet bunting to any cake & it'll make it so much more festive !   It just takes a very small amount of card stock, some scissors, thread & a sewing machine. The how-to can be found in Microcrafts by Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz, and Friends.

By the way, the recipe for this cake is from The Cake Mix Dr Bakes Gluten-Free.

Larissa @ mmmcrafts had a little write up about her 2 contributions (flower pocket pendants and greeting cards) in this book, check out her post.

Have a good weekend, see you on Monday !

Rolled Wintery Weather Cowl

{2011 Craft Books}

Here's a quick & easy cowl to knit up for a child, it's the rolled wintery weather cowl, the knitting pattern can be found in The Rhythm of Family by Amanda Blake Soule.

Cowl is the new scarf, it serves the same purpose as a scarf, but it's easier to wear & it's best feature?  It stays on !  Since it doesn't fall off it's a lot less likely to get lost !

And how about us moms? Looking to knit yourself a cowl in the future?  Check out this cowl inspiration.

A few of my favorite cowl knitting patterns are:
:: Big Herringbone Cowl
:: Col GC
:: Looped Loop

Happy Thursday, see you tomorrow !

2011 Craft Book Month

 Hi there !

It's February again & I'm back for another craft book month where I'll be blogging about my favorite 2011 craft books & what projects I created from them... feel free to check out the previous years: 2010 craft books & 2009 craft books. So I hope to to have about 15-20 posts coming this month to share with you starting tomorrow...

I must share that one of my absolute favorite crafty type books from 2011 was Oliver+S little things to sew by Liesl Gibson. Yes, I know, I'm a broken record about this book (where I made the tutu, 2 art smocks, & the mittens), but it's really that good !  If you sew for children (up to size 10) you must get your hands on this one !  I sure hope she writes another book !   If you make anything from this book, be sure to share photos in the Oliver + S Patterns flickr group.
Also did you know there is a little things to sew-along? Check it out ! 

Happy Wednesday blogging friends, see you tomorrow.