Category: Sewing

Trashing the Old Curtains

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Goodbye formal pinch pleated curtains in a much too dark and too floral fabric.

Though the rods were trashed quite quickly because they were falling apart, the frugal side of me couldn’t bear to part with the Waverly fabric. It has been washed and added to my fabric stash.

Hello sheer curtains.

They are simple rod pocket curtains with a 1 inch header. This style can be purchased from Target for a few bucks. So, why did I purchase 15 yards of organza from Fabric.com? It wasn’t to save money. The price of my fabric was comparable to the ready-made drapes. No, I opted to sew curtains so I could get exactly what I wanted.

Case in point, I didn’t want curtains to open in the middle of these windows. Rather, I wanted the curtains to be one continuous panel that could easily be pulled to one side and out of the way of the AC or the incoming breeze.

It does feel a bit formal which concerns me because Dan and I are so not formal people. It takes a momentous effort every Sunday to get us out of our pajamas. You do that too, right?

The fact that I love everything else about the curtains keeps me from getting the feeling that I am living in a stuffy magazine. The shine of the fabric, the ability to see right through the fabric and the oodles of sunshine pouring through the fabric makes me smile and twirl in delight!

This isn’t the complete window treatment for the living room. Come winter we will need another layer of heavy home decorator fabric to block out the cold, but I have yet to fall in love with a fabric. I was trying out the square of yellow fabric that you can see taped to the mantle, but I don’t think it’s quite right.

Of course, I still have the large picture window in the living room to make sheer curtains for, but I couldn’t resist showing off what I’ve already accomplished. Plus, I have to boast that I hung the hardware for the curtains to the right of the mantle. It’s the first time I have done so. Dan has always done it. But after waiting 2 evenings for Dan to hang the hardware for the right curtain, I just couldn’t wait any longer. I wanted it up now. Tell me, my side looks better, right? grin.

Too Many Projects

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When I told Dan about my desire to paint the kitchen walls orange, he laughed at me and told me I had too many projects. Maybe he is right. Here is my current to-do list.

1. Sew a party dress for Elly and me – deadline Sept 22nd

2. Plant tomatoes, zucchini and more carrots in my vegetable garden – deadline Mother’s Day

3. Paint stripes in the dining room – deadline asap because the carpet is falling apart which is no surprise since it is probably 50 years old

4. Paint the door white in the dining room – asap – see above

5. Paint the rad cover white in the dining room – not essential as the radiator can just sit bare

6. Finish knitting the hexagon blanket before the weather gets warm – approx May 15th deadline

7. Sew sheer curtains for the dining room and living room – deadline Thanksgiving Day

8. Sew slip covers for the wing back chairs – deadline Thanksgiving Day

What’s on your to-do list?

Fabric for our Party Dresses

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Isn’t it beautiful?

I just love it.

The main fabric is an iridescent purple taffeta purchased from Fabric.com.

The lace fabric was brought back from our trip to Mexico last year.

Both dresses will be lined with white lining fabric.

Though I had purchased lilac tulle for the underskirt, I am having buyer’s remorse. It might be too much purple. Gold or white tulle might be better. Maybe I should match the tulle to the trim I plan to add to the dresses. Of course, I need to decide on what color trim to add. A trip to my local sewing store is in order. Oh, joy!

Elly Models My First Muslin

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Of all the dresses I’ve sewn, I’ve never made a muslin first. I would just cut out the pattern size closest to my bust, waist and hip measurements. Then, I sewed the dress in its entirety and hoped for the best. Sometimes it worked great. Sometimes it didn’t.

Lately, I started reading some really great sewing blogs. Which reminds me, I need to update my blog roll. Time and again the authors of these sewing blogs would mention that they sewed a muslin first before cutting out the expensive fabric they purchased. Though the fabric I purchased for our dresses isn’t terribly expensive, it’s not cheap and I would prefer to not have to buy more.

Based on Elly’s chest measurement, I traced out a size 5T/6. It’s true Elly is tall for her age, but she is not the height of a 5 year old. Assuming the bodice would need shortening and not wanting to make such adjustments on the fancy fabric, I made a muslin of it. The skirt I was unconcerned about. I can always make the hem deeper. Plus, the width of the skirt doesn’t really matter since it is gathered.

I was right. The straps needed to be 1 inch shorter. What I didn’t anticipate was how tight the bodice was in the waist. I had forgotten about Elly’s big belly.

It took slashing the front bodice piece and adding 2.5 inches to keep the bodice from being skin-tight over her belly.

It’s a good thing Elly is only 2 years old. I don’t think she will appreciate me divulging such personal information when she is 13. Ha!

The other thing I learned from the muslin was how to put the pattern pieces together. I mucked it up in the first picture. I attached the shoulder straps next to the side seams when they are supposed to be shifted over a few inches. Nice to figure that out on cheap muslin.

So, I’m a convert. I’ll be making a muslin of my bodice as well.

Next, I have to wash the gorgeous fabric (pictures coming soon), take a very deep breath and cut out all the pattern pieces for Elly’s dress.

Updating Elly’s Toy Chest

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I bought this toy chest last year at Memories ‘n More, a local consignment store.

It was my hope that all her toys would fit in it. Ha! Oh the silly dreams we first-time-mothers have.

While searching for curtain fabric, I ran across some red elephant fabric and couldn’t resist buying a yard for Elly’s room. After a brief lesson from Dan on how to use the staple gun, I was off.

Now not only does the toy chest match her red-themed room, but it also matches her nickname (Elly, short for Elizabeth and elephants).

Thanks to Elly’s help yesterday, I have to fit all the toys back into the toy chest. Maybe I’ll take the opportunity to rotate her toys.

Scored 2 Chairs

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On my way back from taking Jake for a walk and letting Elly play at the local school playground, I saw these chairs sitting in front of my neighbor’s house.

I loved them immediately.

The big, dark wood goes with all the rest of the old, inherited furniture we own. Though the cushions need to be replaced, I still have half a roll of cushion foam leftover from my ongoing wing back chair project.

Do you remember my crazy musical chair plan for the wood stove? Well, we won’t be getting the wood stove because it wouldn’t easily connect to our fireplace. However, my plan involved having 2 chairs flanking the fireplace. I even wished for another wing back chair to slip cover.

I got pretty close to having my wish granted. Neither are wing back chairs, but they are comfy sitting chairs. Not being wing backs will allow me to sew slip covers in a weekend or two rather than months.

This chair is actually a rocker.

I love rocking chairs. I haven’t a clue where I will put it. There really isn’t room for it, but that didn’t stop me from dragging it home. Literally. Dan was off watching a movie with a friend. Not willing to leave it on the curb lest someone else snatch it and not able to lift it, I drug it across my neighbor’s yard and into my yard. Sheer determination got it onto our front porch.

Excited and Nervous

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My sister-in-law just announced that she is getting married in September. Her fiance is a good man. I’m so happy for her.

I’m giddy for me!

Within minutes of Dan relaying the news to me, I had dress ideas spinning in my head. Two days later, the ideas have been cemented, patterns decided upon, stash rooted through and missing fabric and notions purchased. Would you like to see?

I’m so excited!

Elly’s dress pattern was taken from Sewing Clothes Kids Love.

It’s the Manhattan Special Occasion Dress.

I just love the twirly skirt, ribbon lacing and sweet collar.

My dress pattern is Simplicity 1910.

You’ll notice that it has some of the same elements, like the ribbon lacing and the full skirt.

Here’s where the nervousness comes in. The fanciest dress I ever sewn was made a few years ago. I wore it recently on our Disney cruise.

Here is a better picture of the dress.

It’s fully lined, but other than that it’s a very simple design.

The dress patterns I have chosen have 4 skirts. 4! They have an overskirt (lace), the main skirt, an underskirt (tulle) and a lining. OK. So the patterns don’t call for all those skirts, but I think they’re essential in creating a fun party dress. The bodice of Simplicity 1910 uses boning. I’ve never used boning. The Manhattan dress has enough pieces to make your head spin. Ack!

But, I think I’m more excited than nervous. I would love any advice you have on dressmaking. I already picked up Couture Sewing from Amazon to guide me through all the rough patches because I know there are going to be several.

A New Chair Cushion

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In addition to repainting all the kitchen cabinets a lovely shade of turquoie, I have started to sew a slip cover for this chair.

It came with the house. I didn’t pick that fabric out.

When removing the current cover on the seat cushion, I noticed the horrible yellow staining and massive deterioration. Thus, the first step was to make a new seat cushion.

Of course, Elly helped.

First, I cut out a new cushion from the giant roll of foam I ordered from Joann. (I used a coupon to cut the price way down). Next, we decorated the foam with markers.

Afterwards, I wrapped the foam in two layers of low loft batting and then whip stitched it closed.

The difference is amazing. This might be the most comfortable chair in our house now.

Missing Santa

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Elly still talks about Santa and presents.

She was upset that we put away the Christmas decorations yesterday. She’s not the only one missing Santa.

I have an assembly line of stockings being made in my sewing room.
I found this fabric in my stash and it told me that it wanted to be a stocking.

When fabric talks, I try to listen.
Once I started cutting out the fabric for one stocking, I found more fabric that would look perfect hanging on a mantle.

Dan was surprised to learn that I was making stockings. We each have one. Elly has 2 stockings. My neighbor gave me 3 handknit stockings this year. What will I do with these stockings once they are complete? I don’t know. I refuse to worry about such trivial details.