Fall Corduroy Skirt and Blouse

Back of the blouse. I used an older pattern about 2 years old. McCalls 5693.

Front of blouse. The fabric is a good quality batiste. Elastic gathers in the front and back.

Welted button holes. I made purple piping out of some scrap corduroy, so I decided welted button holes would be a good fit.


Back of the skirt. An Amy Liz original design. gathered with elastic in the back.

The front kind of has a German feel to it. The plaid reminds me of Celtic dress. The buttons are celtic knots. It was time consuming making the piping and button holes. She wears white tights with orange pumpkins on them. I have scraps of corduroy leftover from other projects I have made in the past. I am debating making something with them. Not sure what I would make.

I really do like the look of welted buttonholes. They add a quality to the garment that looks well made.

When I was a child, my mother used to say, "I am not buying that, I could make it, quickly". She never did make the item I was looking at but I get that she was noticing the quality and the price didn't match in her opinion.

On the other hand, I have seen garments priced so cheap sometimes that I purchase them because I know I could not make it for that low price.

Ignorance really is bliss. It makes shopping a little more challenging in some ways. Except the fabric store. It is a destination that I could stay in for hours on end. I mean, I could hire a babysitter just for the express purpose of hanging out in the fabric store. Meandering through the decorator fabrics, imagining curtains, upholstery, etc... Then, onto the pattern books and every kind of sewing, crochet, craft book on the shelves. Seriously, I have been so much that the staff knows my kid. They comment on how much she has grown. We have holiday greetings and smiles when I walk through the door.

The button wall holds me mesmorized. Tiny little plastic replicas of toys, flowers, trucks, fruit, and beautiful vintage reproductions...I just have to stand there and stare. The notion section, well, I adore anything that makes producing a project easier.

I am not a prolific quilter. I have made 2 quilts. They were crib quilts. Maybe I should post those if anyone is interested. Quilting is not an activity that holds my undivided attention. I sure admire anyone who has the dedication to create such a time consuming project.

Tulle and a Rose Girls Tunic

We love the Fancy Nancy books. She has a fantastic vocabulary already for 4, but reading really has added to it. Pretty much if it doesn't have sparkles or some show stopping appeal to it, my daughter won't wear it. She changes shoes several times a day. Sneakers have to have sparkle also.

In my adventures with knit fabric I am discovering its limits. After construction and washing, I look to see how well it holds up. She loves the tutu aspect of the skirt. The rick rack at the top I had leftover from a vacation bible school project years ago. I save lots of scraps like that. I experimented with the "lettuce leaf" edging with varigated serger thread, which I love. This was an original design, also. The knitwear rose was pretty easy, but sewn by hand. Sparkly seed beads added the final touch. It has held up to washing pretty well and is roomier than the tea time dress I featured yesterday.

There are some things I would like to change on the design if I make it again. I have been skimming over Don McCunn's book, " How to make sewing patterns". It is a great resource. Also, "Sewing with knits" by Connie Long. That book is fantastic. Great pictures, graphic illustrations of techniques, and a great source of tips and ideas. The beginning explains the different types of knits. Some of the knits fearured on ballerinas are so beautiful. It's a Taunton Press book and I love their sewing books. I will be doing a give away soon.... some books, I think.

Knitwear Tea Party Outfit

Knit is a wonderful, soft, easy care fabric. You don't need a serger to sew with knit. Although, I did use mine. I grabbed a small amount of a couple of cotton prints and designed an outfit without a commercial pattern. The knit I purchased was $12.99 a yard at Hancocks and I was informed it rarely ever goes on sale. There is a small percentage of spandex in this knit. I have skimmed over several pattern making books recently. I took measurements and set about coming up with a unique design. I am not thrilled with the leggings. they were too tight and I had to add extra fabric on the sides. Freezer paper appliques, glitter fabric paint, and hot fix crystals added some glitz to this girly outfit. Hot fix crystals are super easy but a little pricey in my opinion.

Lately I have been reading on serging techniques. I purchased a pile of books from a woman emptying her mother's sewing room. What a treasury of knowledge I bought for $50! She was really happy to see her mother's books in the hands of another sewing enthusiast.

Gingham Flower

I am completely shocked at the number of people who view my blog. Heartbroken and devastated, I have been through a personal hell that left me unable to comment or create. My friends and family all encouraged me to blog again. I just couldn't do it. Every so often I would check my blog to find I had so many visitors. So, just in case you are reading this because you like my blog, I will try to post again.

Feeling the creative itch, I rambled through scraps and decided to create a floral peice from scratch. Starting with the leaves, I made them from scrap decorator fabric, glued them to floral wire, and wrapped the 3 leaves together. Adding beads to floral wire, I put them in the center of the flower I hand sewed after serging the edges. The lace peices I glued to wire and glued tiny seed beads on top. What am I going to do with this? Not sure. A head band? Attach to a hair comb? or just pin to a top? Hmmmm....

Unusual Valance

I made a valance for my dining room, I ended up switching the curtain to the front "parlor" which meant I had to cut it in half and add 5" to each side. The fabrics were remnants on the decorator fabric table at Hancock's. The print was Asian, so I decide to create a shape that matched the print. I put a penny in the corners for a weight to hold the curtains shape better. I put tassels on fabric covered buttons for a little added decoration. I hand sewed the lining to the curtain, (not fun).
It was a fairly cheap project and sure beats the department store price. For the most part I'd say that it is more economical to sew decorative items. Not always, though. My best friend is a fan of hot glue. That girl can take rubber bands and fabrics and make a terrific valance. Thank God for creativity, you need some when you don't have an abundance of money.

Pillow case dress

A pillow case dress of course is nothing new. Folded, unused sat two antique pillow cases that I made into dresses. I encased the front and back in elastic. I made bias tape with the pieces cut off of one end of the pillow case. It was very easy. Since I had two, I also made one for my niece, Leia.

By the way, there are some really beautiful antique pillow cases on ebay. I love that they were trimmed in crochet and hand embroidered. What a lovely way to recycle someone else's hard work. I wonder who the person was who made these pillow cases and what she would think of this dress.

I have always loved wandering through antique shops and thinking about who owned a certain item and what their life was like. Some beds so grand with gorgeous linen bedding, I wonder what the estates were like. Beautiful handkerchiefs in the hands of young or old and did they cry into them or were they used as a southern lady's statement of class. Golden perfume bottles etched with flowers sitting upon a mirrored dresser, on whose neck did the traces of scent fall? Was their no family who desired the possessions or was it too "old-fashioned" for their taste? Funny how the eye of one person catches an item that becomes an object of desire and anothers eye passes quickly by noticing nothing.

Wall Mural

I have been super busy. I haven't had time to sew the past few weeks. So I thought I'd post a picture of a mural I painted at my house in Suffolk, Virginia. I fell in love with the wisteria that laid so beautifully on the trees in Spring. Their smell can be overwhelming, but the colors are absolutely stunning. I love lavender anyway.

I had been dreaming of some beautiful southern estate on the water where two people share a magnificent view of the sun sparkling across the water. Two lovers share a warm evening together. Pushing her in the swing that is under the willow, she bites her bottom lip. He slides his hands around her waist and kisses her on the cheek. The ducks and ducklings waddling around the lake edge, draw the eye to the blooming daffodils. Warm light, and music calls from the inside the home. Food, laughter, and dancing creates an atmosphere of familiarity. Crickets are busy sending their evening message. Two girls are running across the bridge chasing the neighbors dog. AHHHH, the imagination is a spectacular place to live.