Where I get my groove back---sewing groove that is.

Okay, so this isn't one of the skirts I said I would make the other day---but c'mon.  I actually made something using fabric and my sewing machine. 

The tutorial came from here and is originally a skirt for a little girl, but I made a few adjustments and-----tadah!  Skirt for big girls!
To be honest, I'm not crazy about it. 

I don't know if it is the fabric.  Which is lovely with the adorable little dutch children--- still sort of makes me feel like a kid when I wear it.  And not in the "look at me, I'm over 25 but I can still rock it" way, but rather in the "creepy old lady who still takes pictures of herself wearing fairy wings and wears sweatshirts with bedazzled kittens" kind of way.

No one wants that.

Maybe it is the way it falls.  It doesn't gather the way I'd like it to---maybe I should have used 1.5 yards instead of 1.  I'm going to think on it and maybe add a waistband like I did in this tutorial from Sew, Mama Sew!

Maybe it is just I haven't found the right shirt to wear with it.

Maybe I should add some pockets?

Maybe I'm just having one of those days.

Oh well, if all else fails I'll make it a bit shorter and let A. James wear it or I'll just wear it short with some big boots.

Where I wake up with the sun and make a skirt

So, I am fairly proud of myself this morning.  A. James decided to wake up super early.  She crawled into bed with us, but she didn't sleep.  Instead she just squirmed around for about an hour until N. James' alarm went off and she proudly proclaimed "It is morning!  Time to get out of here!"

Nice.

Where is my sleeping beauty from yesterday who slept in until almost 10?

I'm getting a little tired of the schizophrenic sleeping schedules.

On the bright (and early) side.  I was able to finish a sewing project.  I have been in love with this skirt since I first saw it on SewMamaSew.  I attempted it a few months ago and failed miserably.  The skirt is complete and together-ish, but it looks horrible and isn't flattering in the least.

So I tried again.  I decided to make some changes.  The waistband calls for shirring and I tried again.  I am terrible at it.  So I just fed a few tiny slips of elastic through the "shirred" holes.  I didn't add a liner because I like "light" clothing and my fabric was pretty dark.  Also, I left out the pockets because I really didn't feel like crying this morning or setting fabric on fire in my front yard. 

However, I did add a few things.  First I made it tie in the back.  I just cut two extra lengths of fabric and sandwiched them between the front and back waistbands in this part of the instructions.  Now I can make the skirt fit tighter if I want.  Also, the bow in the back is adorable.  Also, completely by accident---It now has panels.  I didn't have enough fabric so I had to improvise.  I added a couple of 6 inch strips of muslin between my fabric to give myself more room to gather the skirt.  I'm glad I ran out of fabric.  I really like the way it looks.

I'm so excited now.  Think about the possibilities?

Wool---Corduroy--- for this winter?
Patchwork, linen, eyelet fabric?
Embroidered? 

Any suggestions?

What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate.”

Guys, this was a tough choice. There were so many good ideas. Pillows, aprons, skirts, quilts, purses, curtains, napkin sets, coasters, framed art---you all were so creative. It made me want to go out and buy more fabric so I could try all of the projects! Ha-ha.

However, my favorite idea was using it for my kitchen. Napkin sets place mats and kitchen towels. If you know me, you know how much I love projects that cut back on waste and I've been meaning to make a napkin set. I just hadn't even thought of using these fabrics for it! Plus, I am sure my husband will be just as happy using them as this guy over here. Who wouldn't be that excited to use kitchen towels with those glorious prints?!

There were quite a few of you that made that suggestion. So I put all of your names on a list, jumbled up the order and went to a random number generator and let it do its magic. It gave me number "6" which ended up being Kellie! Congrats, girl! Good thing you didn't say "aprons" huh? I hope you enjoy the purse!

This was so exciting. It was amazing how many people came to visit my little blog---and how many of you became followers even though you didn't have to! How sweet. Thanks to everyone who participated, and special thanks to SewMamaSew for hosting the giveaway. You guys probably already know this, but you are the greatest.

Decisions, decisions!

So many fantastic suggestions! I'll sort through them tonight and by tomorrow morning I'll pick a winner. Thank you everyone for stopping by, visiting the blog, and throwing in your two cents worth. When I finally make something out of this fabric I'll post pictures!

You all have been so much help, it will be tough to make a decision.

Giveaway Day!

Hurray! The time of the year we all have been waiting for!

No, not the Christmas Holidays. No, not Spring Break.

SewMamaSew's Giveaway Day!

I am excited to be a part of all of the fun this year! If you are a first time visitor, thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you come again! If you come here pretty often, thanks for putting up with me! Make sure you visit other blogs as well! There are so many great blogs also offering giveaways!

Okay, on with the show. Here is what you can win. Ooooh la-la. A half-yard bag made from Molly Chicken's pattern. I created this using an old vintage pillow case from the Salvation Army as well as a few scraps I had laying around of linen. It has a pocket and some flowers on the outside and three pockets on the inside.

Want to win?

First off, I'd appreciate you following my blog! It isn't necessary, but it would sure make my day. Plus, if this goes well I will probably be doing more giveaways in the future!

What you must do is help me solve a problem. I have fabric my mother bought me on her last trip to Hancock's of Paducah. Beautiful, beautiful fabric that needs the perfect project. I have about a yard of each and I can't decide what to do with it! I love it, I'd like for it to be in the open where I can see it and use it often. To win the bag, I'd like for you to make some suggestions. What would you do with the fabric? You can pick a project for each fabric or just one for the one you like best. So suggest away! I'll be grading you on creativity! Links, tutorials are a plus!

Beautifully confusing fabric!

Good Luck!
P.S Make sure you leave your email or blog link in your comment section like this:
myname (at) gmail (dot) com to keep your inbox free from spam!

May Giveaway Day!

Okay. Okay. SewMamaSew, I can't say no to you.

I'm going to participate in SewMamaSew's May Giveaway Day. Pretty excited about it. This will be my first time participating in anything like this since I did the swap a month ago.

Please check it out. Lots of inspirational blogs will be participating and there will be so many great prizes handed out---this is going to be a blast.

I am trying to decide what to giveaway. Probably some fabric (because I am trying to dwindle down my stash) or maybe a handmade bag or softie. Also, I am trying to decide how you'll win. I am thinking I am going to make you work for it :) Perhaps you'll have to help me out deciding what to do with the curtains in A. James' room. Or maybe I'll just be lazy and do a random number generator.

Ha-ha. The possibilities are endless.

If you are interested in hosting your own giveaway, check out their link. You have until May 17th, early morning to decide. Do it! If this isn't you thing, you are crazy not to atleast enter to win some of these great prizes.