Beautiful baby hat is finished!!

Hooray! The latest sewing project is finished.  This all started with a trip down to Los Angeles last June, after the school year was over..  

Staying with a fellow sewing partner in crime, we decided to go to Mood Fabrics and The Sewing Store.

When I spied with my little eye, some gorgeous Liberty of London tana lawn tiny remnants.
Little did I know that the one flower print was to become the dominant print for the baby hat.

Fortunately enough, I have an extremely easy baby hat pattern that I had made previously and was able to easily cut all of the pieces from the tiny remnant! (The pattern is McCalls 4478 view A.)

But, I did need a contrasting fabric to go with it. What ever was I going to pair it with? I had nothing that would work that was already in my stash of fabrics, so I ended up going online and found the most glorious fabric at Jones and Vandermere. Based out of NYC. It is a dobby weave tana lawn, which adds a lovely texture to the fabric.

New month, many positive changes!!

 it's getting better all the time..

I am stunned that today is the anniversary of Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

This is such a great photo of the fab four, it's so unbelievable that it was way back when I was a very young child, when all of the Psychedelic Era was a happening thing!

 Paisley fabrics, incredibly bright colors and pungent scents of flowers blooming in the back yard.  Oldest brother was listening to Ravi Shankar on his record player, while making multitudes of sketches..

Such a different life it was.

 Today is  a new world - some of the same problems and yet not.

 Big changes for me this time around and they are all positive!!

 Finally I am choosing to do something that I have always dreamed of doing--- I am going to start working with a personal trainer, so that I can finally get back into a better exercise routine and make some  more needed changes with my health.

I am getting more excited about sewing for this Summer and fun in the sun in Las Vegas, with a great friend who also loves to sew!
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As far as contenders for sewing, I am really excited about making  Vogue 9114 as a skirt, New Look 6748 as a possible sleeveless dress and  finally Vogue 1543 another sleeveless dress!

Ironing can be entertaining!!

I don't know about you, but listening to either a football game or great music on a rainy day  calls out to me as the perfect afternoon to do some preshrinking of fabric and pressing it so that it is ready to sew.


This afternoon after doing a few errands this morning, I decided that it was time to finally iron the piece of muslin that I bought for $5.00 at the local Goodwill.  It turned out to be a major bargain! Over two yards of 47" width cotton muslin.  That is not going to happen at Joann Fabrics, ever.

Still feeling inspired, I ended up taking care of a gifted piece of cotton linen blend. It ironed like a dream!

It is so perfect for a simple little sleeveless or cap sleeved  button down.

Then,  after that, I pulled out this gorgeous and funky Liberty of London cotton lawn that I purchased last year on sale.  The intention was to make a pair of gorgeous pillowcases/pillow slips.

Here is the link that I am going to use, when I finally get around to making the  pillow cases, or dare I make a blouse??

http://thecottagemama.com/2011/12/15-minute-pillowcase-with-french-seams/


The current project that I have been working on is in the final stages- a knit shell, that is part of this Kwik Sew pattern.

Still am debating if I want to do the same old boring basic stitches for the armscye and neckline hem.

So, I started to experiment with some of my machine embroidery stitches.

First I tried some stitches on a muslin scrap.

 This is more true to the real color of the cotton jersey knit. It is not such a bright guava color as it looks in the previous shot.  It is a real blend of guava fruit and an orange rose coral.

      Then here are the samples on the real deal!