Jammies From Vintage Sheets

These jammies make me so happy. I'm calling them my "Mod Earth-Muffin Jammies". I made them from some sheets I got at an estate sale a few weeks ago. The cotton is smooth and cool, and they're big enough to handle the schlep-iest of Saturdays. They came together without a hitch, even though I had to make two button holes. Button holes always make me clench my teeth and sweat.

I used this book, which I highly recommend. This is the second project I've made out of this book, and the directions are great. There are a wide variety of projects in here too.

I'm working up my nerve to sew the party dress in this book (out of black cotton satin) for an upcoming wedding. I'm pretty sure that the pattern and directions will be clear, judging by the other projects I've made. I've never made a "nice" dress, so I'm just going to have to get my scissors out and go for it.

Psst...

To celebrate their grand opening, there's a neat give-away at the Dizzy Daisy Quilt Shoppe. Her sister has also opened an online store and has her own give-away at My Fabric Obsession.

Little Granny Squares

I've been out of commission for a while due to a bad experience with a root canal. But the granny squares are helping my recovery. The two inner rows are circles, not squares, and the outside row is crocheted into a square. I got the pattern here, this lovely crochet blog by Lucy is well worth checking out.

The yarn is this lovely Italian wool blend that I got on sale at Joannes for $1.00 / skein.

Since I didn't have a specific project in mind, I decided to make as many granny squares as I can and then stitch them together into a project. At least I should be able to make a big scarf out of what I have, but really I have no idea what these will be.

Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it all comes together.

Organized Scraps

No sewing this weekend. I just didn't have the energy. I organized all of my scraps instead. The small scraps were cut into 5" by 7" and 6" by 9" for making little zippered bags. The big scraps were folded around my quilting ruler so that they were all the same size. I love the way they're sitting so prettily in my old bathroom cabinet.

I bagged up the pieces that were too small to cut a 5" by 7" square out of. Has anyone ever used these for pillow stuffing? I hate to throw it all away.

I think I could make an entire wardrobe out of just scraps!

Sunrise Colors and a Disdain for Matchy Match

Have you ever gone to an estate sale and felt, well, like it was just wrong to riffle through someone's stuff after they've passed away? It seems like one's earthly possessions should have some dignity when they go to someone else for a quarter or so. My neighbor, who I've never met, had an estate sale at their house this weekend. Our only clue that something was amiss was when my husband noticed a lot of cars at the house in the recent past.

I'd like to think that I had something in common with the owner of the sheets, which I acquired for 50 cents each. For sure we both liked the colors of the sunrise - all or her sheets were oranges, yellows and pinks. Also, there wasn't a matched set in the pile, leading me to believe that she was a mix-and-matcher. Anyway, I hope that she had a good life and a peaceful passing. She should know that her mismatched sunrise sheets fell into good hands. I'm planning on sewing some nightgowns, pajama pants and a little quilt out of them.

Market Skirt from Scraps

Another learning experience, but I like how it turned out. This design is Dana's Market Skirt. I made it out of a white sheet and a scrap of Pop Garden fabric. The tutorial is excellent, but I had to transpose the measurements to fit my daughter. It was guess and try, but I took notes so that the next one would be perfect. I am eternally grateful to Dana, for teaching us that you can cheat when gathering by adjusting your machine's tension and stitch length. Who knew?!!

File this under "I Tried"

If I were twelve I might be able to carry this off. I should have known because it was all too easy! I took an old tee shirt, cut up the front and cut off the neckband; created a casing by folding over the cut part; then threaded a ribbon through it. It's sloppily done, and so I'm throwing it back in the "To be re-fashioned" pile. I really need to learn a little about sewing knits. Does anyone have a book or website suggestion?

Stash Bustin'

I'm really, really committed to a) Giving homemade when possible and b) Using up my stash fabric before buying anymore. I have to admit that I could NOT pass the Farmer's Market prints that I found for $5.00 a yard here, but I digress!

I made three bags this week from the Charlie Pattern over at Burda. Burda has relaunched their site, and it looks like this pattern may no longer be available, but they do have lots of great free patterns still. These are made from heavy cotton Duck and have pockets in the lining. The lining fabric's on the two outside bags are coordinating prints from the Dick and Jane line. Good teacher gifts, I think.

Vintage Linen Refashion

I made my dear girl a skirt earlier this summer from a vintage tablecloth. Her legs have grown so long that already I had to add another tier. The piece I used was thrashed, but so lovely. I had to cut out the middle section, and divide that into two pieces to make a tube.

I cut the fold over elastic waist off the old skirt, then stitched it to the new piece. I think it's really cute, but she can't wear it to school. The linen is so worn in spots that you see through it. I will not have any kindergarten boys shouting, "I see London I see France...." at MY girl.