More Multi-tasker Totes

I can finally show you pictures of something!



It's taken a while, but I finally finished another Multi-tasker Tote by Anna Maria Horner.

I cut out the first pieces I think a month ago, but I didn't start actually sewing until last week.



I had it almost all finished yesterday. I just needed to stitch up the opening in the lining.
I was gonna do that last night, but Rickard insisted on watching a movie (Star Trek - oh woe be me ;-) ) and it was too dark, plus I couldn't concentrate on the awesome of the movie.

Once the movie was finished I stitched the seam up and it was ready for a test drive today.



In hindsight I should have interfaced the pocket pieces too. The fabric I used is a bit too thin for this bag. But it will make a great knitting bag this fall.

It goes really well with my new purse. I bought that from Marieliz on Etsy. Amazingly talanted woman (runs in the family).




I'm debating ripping out the straps on the tote and replace it with something brown like in the purse.
What do you think?

Making dresses ...

Last year when I started stashing fabric (to my husband's gentle frustration) I found a lovely fabric from Alexander Henry called Baby Berry.

I ordered a yard (along with a bunch of other yard cuts) with the intention to make something for our kitchen from it. Like a table runner or a tea cosy or something like that.
The fabric was way too thin for that though and at the time I was more into collecting fabric than actually making something from it.

But a year later my fabric stash is growing at an alarming rate and I really need to get started on using it.
Don't get me wrong I love fabric fondling and I could content myself on doing that, but I fear my husband will stop feeling gentle frustration and move onto something else if I don't start using it.

So lately I've been on a sewing binge. I bought a bunch of patterns from different designers' and I've been keeping busy.

I've been off work for a week starting last Monday and I definitely caught the sewing bug.
I traced the pattern for Patty Young's Frida one evening and picked out the Baby Berry and a green/white seersucker fabric I've had lying around (they were gonna be curtains) for a few months.
I took time out during the day to sew up the bodice for the Frida but had to put it aside since we were going to dinner at a friend's house.

We came home again late last night and I was fondling the fabrics and looking at the pattern pieces I had cut out. And then I thought - I can sew the pocket on. So I did. Then I thought sewing the ruffle strip together wouldn't take that long or serging the edges.
Then I might as well sew the gathering seams too.

And before I knew it the dress was done and the time was ... way past my bed time. At least the birds hadn't started singing again ...



I made the dress for Sofia who turned two last month. But since I have a taller-than-average-husband she needed the 4T/5T size ... no point in making a dress for her if she's not gonna be able to use it for at least a few months (which is the reason I prefer to put my time and effort into making dresses for Isabel - then Sofia will be able to inherit them and I'll get more mileage out of them)



I thought the dress would be too long and that I would have to make some pleats in the skirt ... after trying it on her I don't think so anymore.

Now - I have already picked out a fabric combo for a Frida for Isabel. But the pattern doesn't come in a big enough size for her so I will have to grade it myself.
I'm still working on that.

Kyoko for Isabel

Late last night I finished the Kyoko for Isabel.

I have agonized over this dress for over a week, ever since the pattern dropped into my mail box.
I had a fabric combo set up that I was gonna use but I wasn't 100 % convinced it would be perfect.



I had intended to use the green Kokeshi-fabric and the pink dotted fabric for the skirt and the darker green for bias trim, but then I had second thoughts.
The darker green would look nice in a Kyoko for Sofia and I have more than 1 yard of it so it would be a shame to cut it up and make trim of it.
Then I feared I didn't have enough of the green Kokeshi anyway to use for the skirt pieces.

The pattern doesn't say how much fabric the skirt requires - probably because you can configure the skirt as you like. But it threw me for a loop for a bit. I found an orange fabric that I liked with the dolls but I didn't have enough unless I turned the pattern pieces 90 degrees and I didn't like how the fabric stretched on the cross grain.
Then I recalled I had the black Kokeshi fabric and that it would look quite cool to use them together.



So I measured and puzzled the pattern pieces on the green fabric I had and made it all fit. Now all I needed was trim.



I bought a package of three coordinating fabrics at a crafts fair in April and I had intended to make YoYos of it. The orange fabric I had considered for the skirt came in that pack.
It also had a dotted fabric that I liked and when I put it next to the Kokeshi-dolls it just matched. There was a green dot in the fabric that was the *exact green of the background for the dolls. And almost all the other colours in the dotted fabric was repeated somewhere in the dolls' outfits.
Perfect.

Now Patty had said you needed 1 yard of it to make trim for the dress. And I had 30 cm (12 inches). But I figured I could at least use it for trim of the sleeves and the bodice. So I cut it all up and made bias binding of it.
I didn't realise I like to make biniding. It's sort of relaxing. Strange.

The dress came together beautifully even though I had a brain fart and forgot to finish the seam in the sleeves. I may have to amend that.
Last night I gathered the skirt and attached it to the bodice. Perfect timing for today's birthday party.

But I still needed fabric for the obi-sash. I had intended to use a piece of stretchy thin denim I had at home but when I took it out I realized I had used it for a dress for Sofia and I couldn't find a large enough continuous piece to make the obi.

But I had the orange fabric.



So instead of going to bed like I intended I cut out the pieces for the obi and finished it too.

I love how this dress turned out. The pattern was well written and all the pictures made it easy to follow. It was a fun project to make.

I will need to lengthen the obi for Isabel if I make another one. I also need to make the bodice a little longer. She's normally a size 134 for length but she's rather slim so the 122 is ok for girth. Although the obi was on the short side.

I'm making one for Sofia next. As soon as my order from Heather Bailey arrives.

I think I'll measure her before I cut the obi for her. Maybe I need to lengthen it too.

More creativity

Now Isabel's got a birthday dress too ... This one took a little longer but I like it so much!

On second thought I think Sofia's dress became too big so I may have to draft a smaller size and make another for her ... maybe this weekend.

I also whipped up something I've been thinking about for a while.



I took some scraps, cut them randomly with my pinking shears then sewed them to a Moleskine with a wide zigzag.



To protect the stitching on the inside I glued on some pretty paper.

Christmas tree mat

Back at work after a gloriously long holiday vacation. It feels really weird.

I went to my local quilt shop on Monday with a frined who is starting her first quilt. I was surprised to see the winter sale there. I don't know why, I just never gave it much thought.
There were a few FQs there that caught my eye. Especially one of a Toy shop that you're supposed to turn into an Advent Calendar.
I was very good on Monday though and didn't buy a thing.

But then I saw this tree skirt on my Google REader-list and thought I should get around to make that tree mat I've been wanting to make for a while.

I figured if I start in January I'll have no excuse not to finish it before next Christmas.

So today at lunch I drove across town to get some fabric for the mat.

I ended up getting a book as well on basic patchwork techniques. It's by a Swedish author so I can't really link it.

There was a really nifty tip on how to easily make continuous bindingstrips that I'm eager to try out.

I think I'll give myself some time to get over being fed up with Christmas before I start it. I have to draft a pattern anyway so I think there'll be time.

Damask skirt

I found this fabric at the fabric store a few weeks ago and just had to buy it. I saw the skirt in my head immediately.

I measured the length against another skirt Isabel has that's long enough, then adjusted so I didn't have to cut in the embroidery.

I serged it together then made a fold to hold a buttonhole elastic. I attached the elastic to one end and sewed on a button and buttoned the elastic.

Easy peasy.

Rainbow pencil roll

Ever since I first saw one like this (here) I've been wanting to make one.

Then a few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I could make a pencil roll for her girl for Christmas. She asked me to get the pencils/crayons and make something with this fabric on the outside.
Other than that she gave me free range of the design.



A week or two after that my father gave me a box of pencils that he had gotten for some kind of promotion.
There were 15 sets of pencils (!) with 15 colours in each. It fit perfectly for this idea.

I made 2 rainbow insides at once and I plan on making one for Isabel as well. It will probably turn out differently though.

Isabel's Birth Quilt

This is a quilt I made for my oldest girl in 2004 just before she was born.

It's not so much a quilt as it is a patchwork, in that the blanket is not actually quilted. I also finished it using the birthing method instead of putting on binding.

She's used it at preschool for naptime but since she's a big girl now and don't join in on naptime it's now come back home again.


It's made in a windmill design that in retrospect was quite elaborate for a beginner, but I weathered it. I broke two sewing machines and almost my back before I got it made.
In the end I sat for almost a whole day at my grandmother's house and sewed while she ironed. Teamwork.

Blessings Quilt

Our new cousin is due to arrive today, but so far we've heard nothing. BigBrotherCousin was 10 days late so it may be that it will be a while.

In the meantime I've started on a quilt for BabyCousin. It's made from Little Blessings by Nancy Davis-Murty in green, yellow and purple.
I love the little blessings on the green and purple fabrics... "May you grow up to enjoy the little things"

Initially I had intended to make a burpcloth as well, but I'm not sure I'll have enough fabric once the scrappy binding is done.
Maybe there is enough to make accents and I'll fill it up with other fabric scraps. I'm sure I have others that will match in colour tone.

The quilt is basted and I have the thread picked out. Now I just have to decide on how to quilt it.

Quilt top done?

Isabel's quilt top is finished. Or is it? I'm thinking I need to put some of the white sashing as borders around it to make the binding really pop?

The blocks were so much fun to make and when I looked at some other projects with the Disappearing 9-patch pattern I discovered lots of other ways to cut and re-sew the blocks.

I bought backing and binding and I had to get two packets of batting to make it fit the width and length of the top.
I will also have to cut and add a length of patches to the backing since it will be too narrow if I add the white sashing around the outer edges of the top.

When I cut the 5" squares for the top I accidentally cut too much a few time and had to make a pile of 4" and 4.5" squares. I'll sew these into a long line and add them to the backing.

I'm not sure on how to quilt it though. I love the meandering style, but I dont' ahve the right sewing machine for that. There is no darning foot to attach to my machine. So I'll have to make straight lines or the occasional wavy line might work.

I have a prior engagement for tonight so I can't get started on it today, it's knit night and the second to last episode of "The State Within" that I have been following.

[FO] Needle roll for me

I've been needing a needle roll for my straight needles for a while now. I've planned on making one but other things always got in the way.

I had decided on the outer fabric but the inner fabric was still missing and I wasn't sure how to divide it.

Then at last, last week I managed to get my butt into gear and actually do it. I found a pretty, pink fabric in my stash with white dots on it, that I was probably planning on using for a dress or something for one of the girls but it matched the outer fabric so well I had to use it.



The outer fabric is a fat quarter of an Alexander Henry print I bought from a friend in the UK.
I only had to trim the edges, otherwise it fit perfectly for this project.

I added some padding to the outer fabric and quilted around some of the larger features in the print.
Then I just started to make dividing seams for the needles.

I have a quilter's ruler for my machine that attaches behind the presser foot and it made the whole process a lot easier.

I made a few 1,5 inch slots, some more 1 inch slots and finally some half inch slots. Then I grew bored and decided I didn't need any more slots for needles.
So I fashioned some pockets for stitch markers and other notions before I sewed the inside to the outside using the birthing method.
It's my prefered method because it doesn't involve binding.

I'm getting better at binding though so maybe I'll try that next time.



It looks quite neat all rolled up!

Candy sweater for Isabel

I finished a sweater for Isabel yesterday. It had one million ends to weave in. At least it felt that way.

She got to try it on immediately and she gave it her seal of approval. She refused to take it off so I could photograf it.
It wasn't until she got ready for bed that I managed to peel it off her.

Picnic bag

One evening last week I went to the Quilt-store across from my office for a sewing class.
We were gonna make a garden tool bag or a picnic drink bag.

Initially I was gonna chose a fabric with winebottles and wine corks to keep with the theme, but in the end I opted out on that and decided to use fabric from Sandy Gervais' latest collection Freshly Squeezed.

It made for a very summery bag I think.

The pattern was fairly simple but it had a lot of steps so I don't think I'll be making it again.
If I do there are a few things I would change about it so maybe I'll give it a go during my upcoming 5 week vacation.

Another view of the inside

Apples and Strawberries

I made another sewing bag to match the Apple bag I made a few weeks ago.
It came out a lot better than the Apple bag so I decided to take off the binding on that one and remake it right.

A Bushel of Apples

Last night I started a sewing bag that I had been keeping an eye on for a while. I think I sewed, ripped and re-sewed portions of every single seam on that bag, but now it's done.
It's not done right or perfect (I misread part of the pattern) but it holds together and serves its purpose.

Here are some more pictures
The basket patterned fabric makes up 4 pockets on the outside.


Another outside view


The Lining


And then I had coffee and a sandwich or two ...

[FO] Crayon roll with space for drawing pad

Inside view - room for 8 wax crayons and 1 small pack of writing paper


Back view


I bought the fabric on Etsy last fall and never got around to using it. Then I bought the crayons and the pad and realised it would be a perfect match.

I didn't get around to actually make the roll until last night when I was inspired by this picture.

The girls loved it when they got it this morning. I think I'll have to make another so they have one each.

[FO] Dresses for Isabel and Sofia

Dresses for Isabel and Sofia
Originally uploaded by IsabelDecibel

Dresses for Isabel

Dresses for Isabel
Originally uploaded by IsabelDecibel

[FO] Petal Cupcake Pin cushion

I used this tutorial to make it and Michael Miller's cupcakes fabric that I bought from Bellepepper on Etsy.

I used lilac felt for the back and a blueish button I had in my button collection.

I kind of like how it turned out but if I make another I'll stuff it a lot more.

[wip] Dress for BabySister

Pattern from "Allt Om Handarbete" and the fabric is bought on Etsy. It's Chocolate Lollipop by Anna Maria Horner in a green colourway.
I bought a yard of it in pink as well and I cut out a dress for BigSister too. That's another wip though.

This one is finished almost. It needs heming and a button in the neck. The button I have and I'll serge the edge of the dress at my aunt's on Saturday and then hem it at home on Sunday.
Maybe BigSister's dress can be serged as well on Saturday - we'll see. Not counting on it though.