Couch Recovered

This couch is sooooo old, handed down from my mom with cat scratches from her cat on the upholstery. This is its 3rd time being recovered. It just really serves a purpose in our bedroom, so we keep it. My MIL had a bolt of this mustard courderoy so I used that for the base and then used Loopy Vintage floral from Jennifer Paganelli for accents on the couch and piping on the pillows. The bird print is from French General's Pom Pom de Paris and is called Le France. We'll see how long this recover lasts!

Cake Pop Kids

Something fun to do for the long summer days just starting. My kids and their friends made cake pops from the Bakerella book. They decided not to decorate with candy, just dip them. I felt kinda sad that I just got one cake pop, but they are super rich and sweet & so one was plenty!! The kids ate lots, so it wasn't too much for them! :) Hope you are doing fun things this summer!!

Rosetta Ruffle Bag

I have been wanting to make a Rosetta Ruffle Bag from Sis Boom for a long time, and finally got the push to do it my customer/friend, Mary wanted a purse, so I suggested this pattern. She picked out Wallpaper from Josephine Kimberling's Glam Garden line and Oliver+S Park Ramble and I used the dot from the same Oliver+S City Weekends line for the inside. I did one side with pockets that are triple divided and were shown in the pattern and the other is a 5X8 single pocket for the other side. As usual, the Carla Crim/Jennifer Paganelli pattern is perfect! I enjoy sewing and seeing a photo of every step. The results are always so finished and professional looking. I'm working on one for me in turquoise and red. Hope to finish it before my vacation!

Patchwork Diaper Bag

I had the pleasure of sewing a patchwork diaper bag for Nakia recently. Its one of my favorite things to sew~ well anything patchwork is! :) I used 5" squares and just trimmed down as necessary to create this aqua, lime and teal bag from fabrics by Amy Butler, Jennifer Paganelli, Patty Young & Michael Miller. She ordered a changing pad in Patty Young's Hummingbird and wanted an aqua/green bag so I added that print to the mix and any others that coordinated. Jennifer's Ann Flower Mural was added towards the end because as I walked by my fabric wall I noticed it would be gorgeous in the mix. I enjoy impromptu fabric mixes. You never know what coordinates sometimes until you are sewing along and you see one more who wants in on the fun! Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids, so I've got lots to do today. Hope you are enjoying your day!

Dresden Plate Clock

I finished the block for my sewing room clock a while back but had to wait for my husband to put the clock mechanics in because I didn't think about a particular issue. Sometimes my creative mind doesn't think about the logistics. I bought a 24" artist canvas to stretch out this block and didn't notice that a piece of wood runs across the back in the middle making it difficult to put the clock mechanics in the back. Duh! Luckily it fit between the canvas & wood. It bulges a tiny bit, but I don't care. :) I used the dresden plate block from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book and then stitched it to Kona white and quilted it. Then I stretched it across the canvas and stapled in the back. I used various fabrics from Jennifer Paganelli including her newest Honey Child. Loooove it!!! Still working on getting more together in my sewing room, so more to post coming up. For now, I can now see its almost 11:30 and I'm still in my pajamas, so I'd better go! Have a great day!

Loulouthi

Super excited to get in Anna Maria's newest line, Loulouthi. I saw an interview with her on DIY Dish and so now I know how to pronounce this collection. The 'thi' is pronounced 'ti'. Ha! I think I'll just name it Loulou. :) As usual, her new fabric line doesn't disappoint~ full of color and pattern and delicious colors. I had fun creating coordinates for them~ many match with her other lines, Innocent Crush, Garden Party and Drawing Room. Love that! The 'fun blue' is really a different blue, but Amy Butlers Temple Doors in deep water and Laurel Dots in periwinkle are a great match. The Summer Totem and Clippings are really large prints with lots of color. I'm not sure if my first instinct is to cut them up to show off the different motifs or just frame a large portion. I love that the fabric designs are works of art themselves. I have the best job!! For more fabric combos using Loulou, see my flickr page.

Practical Bag

I made the Practical Bag by Tanya Whelan last week for Holly. She needed a beach bag to match her bathing suit for beach day at school. She chose Jennifer Paganelli's Queen Street fabrics & this pattern was so easy to sew together! This would be a great summer project to teach your kids to sew. There is no interfacing, buttons, or zippers. I would have liked a pocket, but you can definately add that easily. It takes a yard for the outside and a little less than a yard for the inside, so if you have a fabric stash you can easily make this on a whim. This may be the pattern for teacher gifts this year.