Home Sewn

 I made a dress! I've made a few skirts and smaller items, but this is the most ambitious thing so far. There are a few things I'd do differently, like measure instead of guessing size. Initially it was a bit big, and altering the sides may have changed the shape some. Overall though, I'm happy and excited!

The fabric came from a rummage sale, in a huge box with other vintage fabrics for $3! Up close it has a lovely sheen and texture, and is the perfect old fashioned shade of warm pink.

I think that next time I will combine the skirt portion with the bodice from another pattern. Any advice for an amateur seamstress?

My boots are JCPenny! They are also on sale at the moment...

Patched Knees

I am really, really hard on my knees. I enjoy longboarding, and am spectacularly klutzy even without wheels. Every picture of me as a kid (and okay not as a kid) includes skinned knees. And paint I missed somewhere, but that is another story.

So it is a very good thing I enjoy sewing, because patching things creatively can be even more fun than getting them in the first place! This doily has been floating around waiting for the perfect project for years, and finally I failed to notice a curb at Safeway. That sentence may not occur very often...

The doily was just stitched around the outside on my machine, though the inner parts could be stitched down in pretty thread for a cool design element. 

With a few thrifted items added I had a good outfit for a lazy Sunday in the sun. Oddly I think that pants with a giant doily on the front will probably match my entire wardrobe.

Its fun to imagine where this necklace came from originally. Maybe from a bustling, spice scented bazaar somewhere...

I hope you have a wonderful day, and retain all the skin on your knees! 

DIY fabric Yo Yo's!

Yo yos are sweet little pinwheels of fabric, wonderful for decorating all kinds of things! Its a great way to use up scrap fabric, and to spruce up clothes in need of an update. People even make quilts from them!

The instructions are very simple. First use a glass, bowl or other round object to make circles on your fabric. Small patterns, stripes or polka dots show up well when finished. Then cut out your circles, making sure to remove all markings, unless you are using a washable fabric pen.

Next thread a needle with three strands of a hank of embroidery floss, and leave the end unknotted. Tuck about an eighth of an inch of fabric in around the outside of the circle and make small stitches as you go. When you reach your starting point, draw the circle together using the strings. It will look like a tiny pouch. Tie the strings together tightly, cut off and tuck excess inside the pouch. Flatten from the top, and you have a yo yo! They can then be sewn unto your skirt or other item of your choice. When applying them I recommend stitching up through the bottom and catching some of the drawn in portion so the yo yo remains flat.

Hope you enjoy this project! Tomorrow I with show an outfit featuring my yo yo-ed dress.