November...

November was supposed to be a better month for blogging, wasn't it? That's what I remember thinking at the beginning of November.

Then a series of THINGS happened. First, I got a promotion at work (YAY!). This, of course, is wonderful news that means a modest pay bump and an end to working Saturdays (OMG SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT). But it also meant the first two weeks or so in November were full of a mad scramble to get everything in order for my old position- training my back-up to do the work full time, making sure I wasn't leaving her with a huge mess, etc. Those were looooong days, after which I didn't want to do anything but watch Gilmore Girls and cuddle with my dogs.

Which leads me to the next THING. My silly white husky, Charles, AKA Charlie, AKA that white fuzzball who is forever photo bombing pictures for this blog, had a lump on his chest sort of near his armpit. Or legpit? I don't know what to call it on dogs since you know... they don't have arms. So that required vet trips, biopsies, lab analyses, you know. And come to find out it's a mast cell tumor and needs to be removed. So he is scheduled for surgery after the holiday. The vet is very confident that we will remove all the cancerous cells on the first run-through so I'm trying really hard not to worry. And being grateful that I have to check my dogs so regularly for tics (I swear we have super tics here that just don't care about drops or collars or any other preventive measure) because otherwise it may have gone unnoticed

THEN. This past weekend I had a family member in the hospital! Everyone is now okay, but my goodness. November has thrown me for a loop and ruined all my plans...

But you deserve something. So here is all I have managed this month.

Two cute little coin purses. Already listed on Etsy. It's not much to show for a month, is it? UGH.

But at least they're cute...

December has to be better than November, right? I have stacks of fabrics just staring me in the face every time I go into my sewing room. It's getting ridiculous. But tonight is the beginning of a looooong weekend and I intend to get a lot done. THERE WILL BE UPDATES.

How has November been for you? Ready to scarf down some turkey tomorrow? BECAUSE OH GAWD I SO AM. That is all.

More Yarny Things

On my hiatus from sewing, I found myself spending a lot more time with my yarn stash. I'm trying to get a jump on some Christmas presents, so you'll excuse me if I don't say who these items will be for ;)

First up, some nice, simple pot holders. In my kitchen, these ones are my favorite. My quilted ones just don't insulate as well as the two layers of cotton yarn, even though I added both cotton batting and Insulbrite to the middle. Ah well. At least those ones are still pretty, right? These will be a Christmas gift. I might make a couple more sets as well. I think they'll make good little add-ons and they're quick to make! Pattern here.

Next up. Some fingerless mitts. For these I used the Firecracker Gloves pattern.

I love the herringbone HDC stitch used for these, but they are a bit on the snug side. The pattern says they are for 3" to 4" wide hands. Mine fall into that range (albeit on the high end) and I checked my gauge, but they're still a bit of a struggle to get on. I was making these as a gift, but I don't want to give ones that may be too small. I think I will make them up again a little larger instead.

I also experimented with these on different starting methods. The glove on the bottom uses a regular chain to start and then a row of SC into it as the foundation. It's kind of ugly and wavy, probably partially because I'm not used to crocheting with fingering weight yarn. But the one on top uses a row of foundation single crochet. Look how nice and neat! It was really quick, too. I will definitely be using this method in the future.

And last but not least, sock progress! I have been working on these way too long. I gave up because I just didn't like doing 2 at once. Too much fiddling with each strand of yarn and turning and making sure your yarn doesn't get tangled.. Plus I just felt like I was treading water all the time. So! I took one toe off the needles and will finish them one at a time. I don't think these will be a Christmas present, though, as I started them in my own size ;)

It was nice to revisit my yarny projects! I will definitely be making more time for yarn in the winter months. There is just something so appealing about drinking a hot cup of tea while knitting in the dead of winter, you know? Not that Arizona gets much winter, but still. I can pretend!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Yes, it is that time of year again. I have made appallingly few quilts this year. 3 to be exact, and one was less than 2' x 2'! I really must finish more quilts. But that's the problem with having so many hobbies, isn't it? There's never enough time for all of them!

Anyway, this time around I'm entering the Wedding Quilt.

This is a quilt I made for my very good friend AND future sister in law's wedding. She's a very special lady, so needed a very special quilt!

This pattern was self-drafted. I specifically made it so that the largest points of the stars could be cut from fat quarters. Of course, only the dotty fabric in the outer points was actually a fat quarter, but I had originally planned on using more, promise!

I know, the pictures aren't fabulous. These were taken the morning of the wedding. I was scrambling, okay?

It measures at about 85"x 85". I used various scraps for the most part and the background is Kona Sky. I quilted it on my home machine in an all over stipple pattern. Mostly because I was pressed for time. I really wanted to try something fun and different in the quilting for this, but such is life.

This quilt could fit into a few categories... it's big enough to be considered a "large" quilt, it's made of scraps other than the background, and it's a self-drafted pattern (though I am wary of calling it "original"!). But Scrappy is where I'm happiest, so that is the category it will be entered in :)

If you'd like to read a little more about this quilt and see some progress shots, see here. If you'd like to see the awesome bridesmaid dresses I made for the same wedding and hear more about the event, see here.

Thanks for taking a look! Blogger's Quilt Festival is always so much fun! I hope you'll take a look at all the other beautiful entries!

Burn Out

Yes, again, it has been two weeks. And you know what? I haven't sewed a stitch. I have been feeling completely burnt out these last couple of weeks and in my spare time I have been binge watching Gilmore Girls, crocheting, and playing Wind Waker. Even the thought of stepping into my sewing room was enough to induce a small panic attack. I know I have a lot of stuff I need to do, need to work on. And that's exactly why I have been avoiding it. It's just too much!

So I took a couple of weeks away from sewing. It has been kind of fun, really. Rediscovering how much I love knitting and crochet, for example. Allowing myself to *just* watch TV. That's right, not TV while I sew or TV while I knit. Just TV for the sake of itself. I don't remember the last time I did that. And that seems kind of insane, doesn't it?

Here is the last thing I sewed. Isn't it cute?

I think part of it is that I have just reached the end of my rope with this nonsense schedule Mario and I are one. We only really see each other 1 day a week and I can't stand it. Not only do I just miss him all the time, but that means we never get anything done on the weekends because we don't want to waste our precious time together doing something lame like pulling weeds or repainting the pergola.

It even has a zippy pocket! This was such a fun little bag :) 

I need to find a better balance. I have developed a habit of having to be constantly productive. I always have to be making something, reading something, doing something. I haven't been giving myself any time to just sit back, relax, and do what I actually want to do instead of what I feel like I have to do.

So in case you've been wondering, that's where I have been these past couple of weeks. Reassessing my priorities and trying to teach myself how to relax again. I'll keep you posted with how that goes. And maybe show you some of the non-sewing things I've been working on in my time away :)

A Chiffon Staple Dress

For my next adventure in clothes making I give you a chiffon Staple Dress!

Yes, my head is cut off. Yes, this is the same photo shoot as the last one. My camera is a little too heavy for the little tripod I have and it was getting tired...

There we go. I made this out of a polyester chiffon I got at a local discount fabric store. It went surprisingly well for my first experience with chiffon! I did a straight size small and opted for the drop hem version. I had a little bit of trouble on the sleeves... my machine decided to try to eat one of them while I was hemming :( So I rolled them again and added extra stitching over the slightly mangled area. Then I added a line of shirring to hide the mangled-ness. Because of course that couldn't happen down near the armpit. Had to be where everyone would seeee. But I kind of like how they look all scrunched up! I might do this again in the future. In case you haven't heard, this was a lovely, easy pattern to follow. I made it up in an afternoon, mangled sleeve rescue and all. Definitely recommend for beginners!

I wasn't sure I would like this pattern on me, but I was pleasantly surprised! It's comfy and flattering and light, which is wonderful. I wish it wasn't almost winter so I could make all the summer dresses... Although, I could just wear leggings under EVERYTHING. Hmmm.

Yes, this part of the shoot is lacking in photos. Because the dogs were getting sick of me and doing this:

I know you can't see my face, but trust me. It was not amused. 

OH. One last thing. In case you don't follow me on Instagram, I kinda got engaged this weekend! Well, officially engaged. Mario and I have really been planning our wedding for quite a long time but we wanted to do things like finish school and buy a house before bothering with a wedding. But we've done that and now we're bothering! Look how sparkly! 

Mario does have the best taste :) 

More clothes! Sorbetto and Sew Simple Leggings

I know, I expected this post to come sooner, too. My only excuse is that I ran out of time to have a photo shoot over the weekend! And by ran out of time... I mean totally forgot I needed to do that until the sun was gone. Inside pictures at night don't look good. Trust me.

But anyway... Lately I have decided I want to make more clothes for myself. It's fun and challenging and results in some awesome stuff for me to wear. But where to begin? I have sewn a few clothing items in the past, but I am definitely still a beginner. So I started with some beginner things: Leggings and the Sorbetto top.

Now, I don't wear these together out in the world. I prefer to wear leggings with long tunics or dresses in the winter. But for the sake of ease in my photo shoot, I am wearing them together!

Okay. You see how my dog is smelling me? Yeah, that was going on pretty much the entire time. But I couldn't lock them inside because they'd whine and wake up my boyfriend, who works nights so he sleeps really late. Dilemma! SO I guess you guys get some ridiculous pictures of me modeling with my dogs being like "Mom! What are you doing? What's on your legs? What making that beeping sound (the camera)?" WEEE!

Charlie found the leggings fascinating. I found them to be incredibly easy to sew. The ones I'm wearing here were my first pair. I read somewhere that lowering the rise would probably be a good idea if I don't like leggings to go all the way up to my natural waist (which I don't) so I took off 3 inches right from the start. That's the only alteration I made to this pair and they fit great! They ended up just slightly long (because I'm short) so in the next 2 pairs I made (yes, I made 3), I took out an inch from the bottom. I don't have any pictures of those because they're in the dirty laundry basket ;)

This is my "Resigned to my Fate" face

The top is the second Sorbetto I've made. The first one I found to be a little too short, so I added an inch in length. I also decided not to do the pleat all the way down the front. I saw a few like this around the internet and really liked it, so I decided to copy the inverted pleat look. I think this would be great lengthened into a dress with a belt around the waist! Maybe someday I'll do that.

Look! It's my butt! And you can see Charlie's pretty eyes. Aren't they pretty? Ahem. Right. I really like this version of the Sobetto and am planning on making another when I find some suitable fabric. This floral fabric is rayon and it's super soft and light and wonderful while still being opaque enough that I don't have to wear an undershirt. A really good summer shirt! I know it's October now... But it's still getting up to the 90s here. So I will still get some wear out of it.

Me having a very stern talk with Charlie while scratching his head. I don't think he got it...

As I said, I made 3 pairs of these leggings! I definitely recommend the pattern. I know there are awesome tutorials online on how to measure yourself and make a custom leggings pattern... but I'm lazy. And this was $3. So worth it. And they're so quick to make! These take less than 2 hours a piece from start to finish. Awesome! I want to make like 5 more!

What have you been working on? I will have more clothes to share next week! Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

ALSO! Just a note- I have had a couple of requests for a tutorial or at least cutting directions for my Wedding/Star in star quilt. I am at least going to get the cutting directions written up for you guys and posted next week :)

The Bridesmaid Dresses

At long last! Pictures!

So I made some bridesmaid dresses for my best friend's wedding. They were super simple infinity dresses. Took about 2 hours each to make. But I love how they turned out! We all got so many compliments. If you would like to make one of your own, I used this tutorial.

Here we are with the lovely bride. This was a very handmade wedding. Bride's dress? Handmade by the bride. Her beautiful crown of flowers? Handmade by her sister (standing to the Bride's right if you couldn't tell from their amazing resemblance!). There were handmade decorations, our bouquets were also put together by her sister. It was pretty damn fantastic.

We all styled our dresses differently, which was really fun. They were light and comfy, too. The fabric I used was a rayon/lycra blend I bought at fabric.com. Perfect for an outdoor, late summer wedding. I think my favorite compliment of the day was from someone who didn't know all our dresses were handmade who said how amazing it was to have dresses that looked awesome that we will actually wear again. So true! These can be dressed up or dressed down pretty easily- I hope the other bridesmaids wear theirs again!

Here's the whole bridal party. Aren't we cute?? It was a very special wedding. I've known the bride and groom separately for years and it was me who introduced them! Isn't that awesome? Plus, Sofia (the bride) is also my future sister in law! I know, my life is like an awesome fairytale. I am going to have a best friend/sister in law. And I'm super excited about it!

Next week I'll have more clothes to share, so stay tuned! I wanted to share more this week, but it was cloudy every single day, so no good pictures were taken. Next week I am counting on the desert to produce some sunshine!

What have you all been working in?

Around the World Blog Hop

So. The lovely and talented Audrey of Hot Pink Quilts tagged me to join this crazy chain of bloggers answering questions about themselves. I'm really not sure where this started, but it's so fun to see how many people are participating! Seriously, just google Around the World Blog Hop and maybe add quilting and tons of results will pop up! Isn't it amazing just how many of us are tied together in this online quilting and sewing community? I think so! So without further ado...

1.      What am I working on?

The Catvent Quilt Along top from last Christmas... Yeah. It's still just a top.

Mario's quilt also really needs quilting. I still don't even have a backing for it. Definitely need to finish this by Christmas.

Nothing major right now. I have 2 quilt tops I need to finish and turn into quilts. Aiming for the end of the year on those. I've also been working on making more clothes for myself, so expect to see more posts about that in the future. Really, right now I'm coming down from a month of intense, deadline-driven sewing, so I'm taking it a little easy. Just sewing what I want to sew, catching up on bee blocks, and planning for the future. So far, I am enjoying September very much!

Some leggings I finished this week.

2.      How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Hmmm. That's a tough one. I have a tendency to do what I want and not care about things like what the pattern tells me to do or worrying about trendy color combos. I try to just make what makes me happy (or what will make the intended recipient happy!) and not worry about anything else. I don't know if that really makes what I do different, but it definitely makes me happy!

Swoon blocks... still waiting to be sewn together...

Mother Day Dumpling bags

3.      Why do I write/create what I do?

I create to fill a need. I don't do well with idleness and I find I am the calmest and most satisfied with my life when I am actively working on creating something. What I create can vary widely- I love crafts of all kinds, but I also love writing. Little known fact about me- I studied English and Creative Writing in my undergrad career with an emphasis in poetry. And those poetry workshops were the best classes I took in college. I've loved writing since I was really young. I still have the first book I ever wrote, laminated and spiral bound for the Young Authors program in Washington. Lately my writing hasn't been so regular, but I'm working on that!

So I guess long story short, I create because I love it, because I need to, because it's fun and fulfilling in a way that nothing else is. 

A wonky wedding quilt I made for a friend

 4.      How does my writing/creating process work?

I think this one is even harder because it really isn't a standard thing. Sometimes I have an idea that I need to make or write RIGHT NOW or the WORLD WILL END. And I get started as soon as I possibly can, taking breaks only for my day job and sleep. But sometimes I have no idea what I want to do, so I just wander around my sewing room or doodle in my journal until I figure something out. Sometimes I work on something a little at a time, sometimes I focus on one thing to completion, sometimes I jump around from project to project. I guess my creative process is just really flexible and sometimes unpredictable. Which suits me just fine.

So now it's my turn. I suppose I will get the other ladies of the Fierce Quilters Bee in on this action- Kitty, Allison, and Sarah. TELL ME STUFF, GUYS. :D

The Wedding Quilt

Okay, guys, I finally have something awesome to show you. Are you ready? Let's pretend I took really awesome pictures and wasn't totally rushing 10 minutes before I had to get ready to leave, okay??

BAM. Star in a star in a star, self-drafted pattern. Then I added the fun border to make it a little bigger. It finished at about 85x85.

Look, a slightly different angle! I couldn't stand back far enough to get a straight on shot of the whole thing without the sun glaring off the camera lens... *sigh*

See the glare?? And I was standing pretty close! I don't know if you can see it, but I quilted it with an all-over FMQ stipple. I need to start getting braver with my FMQ, man. I'm getting a little tired of the stipple!

This quilt was for my future sister-in-law's wedding, so it was very special! She also happens to be one of my best friends who I have know almost 10 years. I introduced her to her now husband, who I had known for several years, just about two and a half years ago. They're such a great couple! Their wedding was lovely and fun and everything a wedding is supposed to be :) And the quilt was well received!

Here are some progress shots of the quilt, just for funsies:

I also made the bridesmaid dresses- I will post pictures of those AND the awesome bathing suit I made for our little vacation following the wedding next week! August was a super busy sewing month, even though I didn't blog almost at all. But now I have plenty of fodder to keep this space busy for a couple of weeks! Stay tuned!

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

Busy, busy, busy!

Just wanted to drop in and say hi!

I've been spending most of my free time frantically sewing things for the upcoming wedding. I haven't had much time to think about other fun things like blogging or my Etsy store or, you know, anything! I promise a full reveal post for the wedding quilt and the bridesmaid dresses, but here are some previews from Instagram:

Please excuse the messy surroundings. We have not yet decided on a home for our records... Also, this one is a little big on top because it is for one of the *ahem* bustier bridesmaids. But I was so excited to finish it that I had to get a picture!

Infinity dresses are the best! We're going to look so fierce! (And don't worry, I won't be wearing a bra that shows to the actual event!)

Here is the center of the quilt. It is actually almost done now! I finished the top last weekend and started quilting this week. I'm hoping to finish it up this weekend and then figure out something awesome for a label :D

How has August been for the rest of you? My energy is flagging for sure. Looking forward to September!

At long last... A Clutch Tutorial!

OKAY! Guys. I did it. And I have new found respect for everyone who has every written a pattern or tutorial. It's a lot of work.

So without further ado... The Just the Essentials Clutch Tutorial!

Supplies:
A fat quarter or regular quarter yard of main (really you need a rectangle about 13x10.5 or two rectangles 6.5x10.5)
At least a fat quarter of lining fabric
Interfacing (I use Pellon SF101 for the inside and Pellon TP971F for the outside)
Narrow contrast strip for the wrist strap
Zipper at least 11" in length

Optional: D-ring and lobster clasp if you want the strap to be removable

FIRST. Cut your stuff!

2- 6.5" x 10.5" rectangles for the outside. These can be plain, patchwork, quilt as you go, appliqued, whatever you want! Get creative with it!
1- 6.25" x 10.25" piece for one lining wall
1- 8.5" x 10.25" piece for divider pocket
1- 13" x 10.25" piece for card slots
1- 2" x 14" piece for wrist strap OR TEST WRIST STRAP REMOVABLENESS

Interfacing:
TP971F (Thicker stuff):
2- 6.25 x 10.25 pieces for outside (I cut mine a little smaller than the outside to reduce a little bulk in the seams)
SF101 (Thinner stuff):
1- 6.25" x 10.25" piece for one lining wall
1- 8.5" x 10.25" piece for divider pocket
1- 13" x 10.25" piece for card slots
1- 2" x 14" piece for wrist strap

OKAY. Is everything cut out now? Good! Let's move on.

SECOND. Fuse your interfacing to your fabric pieces according to manufacturer's directions.

THIRD. Make your card slots.

1. Lay your 13 x 10.25 piece on your table and get out a ruler that is close in size to your piece. I like to use my 9.5" square.

2. Line the ruler up at 3" from the bottom on the wrong side.

3. Fold the fabric over the ruler, making sure it's straight.

4. Slide the ruler out and finger press the fold. You can use clips or pins to old the fold if you like.

5.  Lay the ruler on top of the piece again, this time lining it up at 1.5" from the top of the fold.

6. Fold the fabric up over the ruler, making sure it's straight before sliding it out. Finger press the crease and pin/clip in place if you like.

7. Line up the ruler again (here is where having a slightly smaller ruler comes in handy, especially if you're using wonder clips!) at 2.5" from the fold. Make sure you're lining it up at the fold and not at the bottom!!

8. Fold the fabric down over the ruler and make sure it's straight before sliding it out and finger pressing the crease.

9. Are you ready! Last fold! Line up your ruler at 1.5" from the fold and fold the fabric up over the ruler. Finger press your crease and clip in place. After turning the piece over, it should look like this:

10. At this point you'll want to measure your piece and make sure it's 6.25" tall. Sometimes mine are spot on and sometimes they end up a little big. If it's a little big, you can trim off a little bit from the top or bottom to make it the right size.

11. Now you want to iron those folds so they're nice and crisp. Then top stitch them in place. Make sure you fold back the pockets so you're only sewing through each fold and not through all the layers! Otherwise you'll just sew your pockets shut and that's no fun! After top stitching, it looks like this (I know this picture is terrible. I'm not sure what happened! Please forgive me):

12. Now you can sew the lines to make the actual slots! YAY! First, mark the center line (should be 5 1/8" from the side). Then make 3.5" on either side of the center line. Make sure you are only marking the actual pockets because that's where you will sew. You don't need to sew all the way up (though I suppose you could if you wanted to). They are very faint in my picture... My pen was dying.

13. Now top stitch on those lines, being sure to reinforce the top of the pocket by backstitching. I usually leave my tails long on this side so I can pull them through to the back and knot them for extra security. When you're done it should look like this but less blurry (seriously, guys, I might get my fake photography license revoked for this):

YAY! Card slots are done!!

FOURTH. Make your divider pocket.

14. Fold your 8.5x10.25 piece in half and iron that crease. Then topstitch! That's it! Easy peasy.

See how nice the topstitching looks? :)

FIFTH. Make your strap.

15. Fold your strap piece in half and iron it. Like you're making a quilt binding! I know my ironing board isn't much to look at...

16. Open it up and fold the two side in to meet at the center. Iron these, too.

17. Fold your creased strap piece in half so the raw edges are inside the fold. Then stitch the two folded edges together. I also like to add a line of stitching to the other side so it matches. It should look like this when you're finished:

YAY! All your pieces are ready to go! Now we can get to the really fun part!

SIXTH. Assemble your bag.

18. We're going to make a little sandwich. First, lay down your outside piece face up. Then lay the zipper on top of it face down. Line up those top edges!

19. Lay your lining piece down on top of the zipper, face down, lining up the top edges and centering the lining over the outside piece. Pin or clip in place!

20. Sew the layers together with about a 1/4" seam allowance. I like to use my walking foot for this. When you're done you'll have a nice little sandwich.

21. Fold the pieces back and press with your iron. Be careful not to melt your zipper!! Then you'll topstitch next to the zipper. Remember this picture? YAY TOPSTITCHING!

22. Okay, now we're going to do the same thing on the other side. BUT FIRST. Baste your divider pocket to your remaining lining piece along the bottom so you don't forget to add it in the final phase. Not that I have ever done that... ahem...

Yay! Almost there!

23. Now we are going to sew it all together! First, pin or clip your strap in place. I like to put mine a couple of inches down from the zipper. I don't usually measure. But I like it above the middle for sure. I also leave a little sticking out so that I can easily see where it is while I'm sewing so I'm not surprised by the bulk!

24. Now fold your outer pieces together and line them up so they are right sides together. Do the same with your lining pieces. It should look like this:

25. At this point, you will want to make sure you unzip your zipper about 3/4 of the way. Add a copious amount of clips or pins. Make sure your zipper is folded with the teeth facing the lining. This will make sure your corners are neat and tidy.

26. I'm sorry. I failed to get a picture of this step because I was so excited about getting it done! But now you will sew all around the outside of your bag, leaving a few inches in the bottom of the lining for turning. I like to go over the strap at least twice for security.

27. Seriously failing at pictures. Now you can clip off the extra bits of zipper ends and strap ends, clip your corners a little to reduce bulk, and turn your bag right side out! It's basically done! All you have to do now is sew the hole in the lining closed (I do it by hand with a ladder stitch).

WOW. Done! Aren't you proud?? You should be! HIGH FIVE!

If you make a bag, I'd love to see pictures! Just shoot me an email or tag me on Instagram (@crookedbanana). Let me know if you have any trouble with the tutorial or if you see any mistakes! My eyes are going all funny and crossed from staring at it so much.