they call me rachel

2012-01-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hello out there! It's been a while since I posted (again). I had a great Christmas, going home to Michigan to see my family. So far the New Year has been very good. I decided not to make any resolutions. I feel like it almost makes things you originally wanted to do into chores, which automatically unmotivates me. However, I've been eating extra veggies and doing my Kundalini Yoga regularly and I feel great! I've even flossed a few times.

I've been getting three days off of work during the week, so I try to make those my days to do creative things that make me happy and maybe eventually turn into portfolio pieces. This week I decided to get to working on a dress that I won the pattern for in the little dress challenge I did a few weeks ago. It's Anna Maria Horner's "Empire Evening Dress". My Grammy bought me the fabric from a great family-owned store in Brighton, MI - Creative Quilt Kits. They started as an online business, but have opened their doors to the public and have a fantastic collection of fabrics. I chose a solid Kona cotton for the top of the skirt, and two different Anna Maria Horner prints for the bodice and stripes at the bottom.

The only thing I have left to do is put the zipper in. I'm waiting on one I ordered, because the original from my Viking 6440 got lost someplace between 1975 and now. At least there is no rush, it won't be warm enough to wear this for a few months!

2011-11-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's been over two months since I posted! Trust me, this little blog has not been the only thing I've neglected. The other day I finally got some free time to start on some throw pillow covers I've been wanting to make for the living room. Here's my first one:

I hunted down some Joel Dewberry fabric at Hawthorne Threads. I have been 'working on' a quilt top with this fabric for a 'while' (haha) and wanted it to eventually match these pillows. I didn't have any of this pink fabric for the quilt, but I have been wanting to make a pillow in this color for my blue chair. I'm working on a few more in different sizes, so I'll post more pictures and info on the pattern when I get them done. Today is my day off, so you never know!

Also, I have a new addition to my sewing room, I'm not sure whether to name her or not. She's my belated birthday present from Andrew. I love the color, and you can adjust her to fit exactly to your size.

In one of my favorite colors too!!

2011-09-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

When I woke up today, I felt like I should make something for my Etsy shop, but was feeling a bit uninspired. That's when I knew it was time to clean up my sewing room! On top of that, my mom is coming to visit soon and she will be sleeping in there. I didn't want her to be covered in fabric and bits of thread.

Sewing machine, pretty chairs, Grandma's Christmas cactus, family photos, highschool photoshop project.

A little bit more to the right.. I've got one of those handy Ikea shelving/cubby type units. It's packed full of fabric, books, etc. It's huge but I still run out of space!

Grandma's blue dresser, full of more fabric and other nonsense. At least you can't see it! The basket next to it is a project I need to get to. It's full of ribbon, trim and some antique linens. Underneath is my very neglected yoga mat. It feels so refreshing to have a clean sewing room again! I've decided to get out a quilt that I have been working on for well over a year. It's my first quilt ever and I bit off way more than I could chew, with 42 12" blocks. My grammy, who is an expert quilter, wants to have it quilted for me, since it's my first one. Now I HAVE to finish it! :)

2011-09-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post, so I figured I better get one in before I left for my drawing class this morning! I haven't felt like I've been doing much that is postworthy sewing-wise. I've been making what feels like lots and lots of bags for my etsy store. I thought maybe instead of sewing, I'd post a little bit about the garden- or even just how pretty it was right before sunset last night!

The picture is pretty, but it really doesn't do justice for how it actually looks. Everything gets sort of hazy and soft. It's so pretty. One of the biggest reasons we liked this house was the view. I don't care what anybody in DC thinks- it is BEAUTIFUL out here and I love it! Totally worth the drive.

I decided to try some 'grow bags' with broccoli. I found these at a local nursery, 3 for 20 dollars or something, and I thought it was a good deal. They are supposed to be for tomatoes, but I don't see why you can't grow other things in them too. So far they seem to work very well! If you aren't using them for planters, you can use them for a basket when you are pulling weeds or moving things around your garden. They have some pretty sturdy strap/handles on the sides.

I wish I had had a blog last year so you could compare these to when I started them from seed. These are hollyhocks. Last July I started them from seed, and they have gotten much bigger since then. Next year they will actually bloom. I can't wait to see those huge spikes of flowers! I can't remember exactly how I planted them, but there are two types in here. Hollyhock "Nigra" which almost look black, and "Happy Lights" which are mostly pink and orange if I remember correctly. I also plan on starting some peas and spinach as soon as I can hunt down some seeds. It seems like the cold-weather veggies have always done well for me. I'll keep you posted :)

Pretty little something...

2011-08-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

wall pocket project from "One Yard Wonders"

I really needed some sewing therapy this morning. I've been doing lots of sewing for my Etsy store, Fawn. I love doing this, and I've been selling a few things lately, but you also have to do things just for fun sometimes. I think a lot of creatives who sell their work probably deal with the same issue- when to take time to do things just because you enjoy them. It's easy to forget why you started doing something in the first place.. because you love it!

Anyway, I sort of splurged a bit a few days ago because Borders' in town in closing (of course, all of them are...) and they had a couple sewing books left that I had been ogling for a while. (I think that's a word...) I really couldn't help myself. They just had so many pretty pictures and things I wanted to make.. sigh. This is my first project from "One Yard Wonders ". I used a yard of 45" wide home decor fabric, which cost about 5 or 6 dollars, and some large grommets that I already had at home. The name of the book is true, because I still had a few scraps of fabric left over for something else after cutting out the pieces. It was very easy, a beginning sewer would be able to do this over a weekend. I finished it in about 2 hours, and it turned out great! It's a great spot to keep some bills and my magazines stored. I have an obsession with magazines, mostly gardening ones, and I've been running out of space on my bookshelves. It's nice to have something pretty on the wall that I made.

Off to finish more homework!

Rachel

ready to go...

2011-08-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

ready to go...
Originally uploaded by espqueen

I'm feeling so accomplished! I got another bag done and am very close to finishing the other two as well. I've been trying some 'assembly line' sewing with these bags and it seems to go well. I cut all the pieces out for these a few days ago when I woke up at 4 am and couldn't go back to sleep. I'm going to try and finish these tomorrow and get them listed in my shop. The red guy is up for sale already :) Hopefully someone will give him a good home soon.

a new bag..

2011-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I woke up at about 4 a.m. today and just could not get back to sleep. Inevitably, I ended up sewing for a while. I started by pre-cutting fabric for more travel bags (see etsy store to right), which will probably wait a bit to be sewn because I am searching for a zipper foot that fits my machine. After I got bored with that I decided to try sewing a new purse, which I have been meaning to do for a while. The pattern comes from a magazine, but I did alter it a bit, making the top part much narrower than the bottom, which I think turned out pretty cute. When/if I make more I may also add a pocket someplace (I have a pocket addiction, mostly to house my massive chapstick addiction). I used some upholstery-weight AMH fabric I have had for awhile, which you may remember from when I re-covered this chair. The inside lining is a bright orange cotton, which I thought may look sort of insanely bright, but it was pretty early and it's not like I could run out and get something different. I think a contrasting color would be pretty for the top part, maybe some kind of tan or a minty blue color would be fun. Overall, I think this little guy came out very well and I'm excited to make some more for the shop.

Finally!

2011-08-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

I made something new for my store. It's been a few months. I'm hoping to get a decent amount of things ready for Christmas. At the pace I work, I should probably get started.

Check out my snazzy labels!

Smashing Smock

2011-08-07T18:07:00.001-07:00

Smashing Smock
Originally uploaded by espqueen

Woo hoo! Here's a quick project I put together over the past couple of days. It's my second attempt at Anna Maria Horner's 'Smashing Smock' pattern. I did a few quick changes to fit the yoke to my body type a little better by lowering the neckline by a few inches and also lengthening the whole yoke by about 2-3 inches. Sorry I can't give you an exact measurement, I usually fly by the seat of my pants and rarely write things down. It fits really well and I love it! The total cost for this top was probably about $7.00. Pretty sweet!

Dress in Progress...

2011-08-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

First things first, Andrew made me a new header for my blog and I think it is fabulous! I helped a little but he ended up finishing it for me. I'm learning! I also reformatted the blog a little. I still may tinker a little bit.

I thought I would post photos of a new dress I'm working on, McCall's pattern no M6331. So far I have gotten through attaching the interfacing and sewing a little bit of the front bodice. Marking all of the details onto each piece was really time consuming. I don't think I've made anything with this many pieces yet. There are probably about 30 pieces in total. I'm using Heather Bailey's "Church Flowers" fabric, which is has a very sweet feeling to it, so I hope I can pull it off in a modern way. I really like this wrap skirt made with this fabric.

That's what my sewing table pretty much looks like right now, hopefully I will get some more sewn together soon!

In a rut.

2011-07-31T04:53:00.000-07:00

Here's an oil painting I've been working on for a while now. I need to add more detail in the flowers and do something with the barn, but I don't know what. I like the clouds. I just wanted to post it to see if anyone had some input, I am feeling a little stumped. Maybe I picked something that is too hard? I just don't know.

Summer Blouse

2011-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yay! I feel so accomplished! I finished another project this morning, a blouse made from Heather Bailey's "Summer Blouse" pattern in her book, Weekend Sewing. I had seen a few different people make them and thought it looked comfy and very summery, so I gave it a shot. I didn't change the pattern at all for this one, and I really like the way it came out. I found some lightweight printed cotton on sale at JoAnn's and thought it would be perfect for a summer top. This one has some very pretty binding added around the sleeves and the bottom, and I also like the way she made a tie at the top instead of a button. Over at Film in the Fridge you can see a couple different lovely variations on this pattern.

this summer dress!

2011-07-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to say I finally decided to enter a dress I made about a month ago in Tina's "This Lovely Summer Dress" challenge. Just click the pretty little dress button over on the right to see her awesome website and get details on the challenge.

I was a little hesitant to enter this in the challenge, because I am currently working on a second dress, and I wasn't sure if I would like that one better or not. I think this dress is definitely cute, but there are some changes I would make in the fit. Here's a photo:

I used McCalls' pattern M6354. I bought this cotton fabric at the Quilt Patch over in Fairfax a couple of months ago, which I believe is made by Anthology Fabrics. I can't find it online, and I bought it on clearance, so I am not quite sure. I like the color and print on the fabric, but it really doesn't have a ton of drape, which is good and bad for this pattern. I should also say that I shortened it by about 4-5 inches. It's a little tight around the booty, and the arm holes feel a bit small. I could change the pattern a bit, but I also think it would be a fun pattern to try in a jersey type of fabric. Here's one more picture, this one's outside with a bit better lighting but I have on my "I hate modeling" face.

The pattern also has variations for a short and long tunic style top, one with guidelines for embroidery, which might be very cute. Overall I think it's not too shabby for my first attempt at dress making! I have lots to learn about clothes and the way that they fit.

2011-07-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Right after we moved in

So I've been promising to keep people posted on what we have been up to with our garden and the house in general, and I finally got around to taking some pictures this morning. The photo above was taken a month or two after we moved in, after I had pulled the massive amount of weeds out from the front flower bed. We've done a lot since then, getting rid of the two evergreens in front (even though they didn't look too bad), new gutters, a new front door and picture window. Our most recent project has been replanting the front bed and adding edging, which you can see fairly well in the next photo.

How it looks today

Andrew built the trellises, which I think look really nice. The one on the right has a jasmine vine growing on it, and the one on the left has cucumbers, which I haven't had much luck with. I tried them in the front last year also and it just got way too hot for them. I'm thinking of planting something flowering on it next year, maybe a clematis. My orange cosmos re-seeded themselves from last year, so they have come back and then some in their spot on the right. From left to right there are lemon balm, lavender, coreopsis, salvia, roma tomatos, jasmine, cosmos, 2 small blueberry bushes under the window, boxwoods and zinnia seedlings. It will be really nice when the boxwoods and everything get a bit larger and fill it out. If you're wondering, that is a lemon tree in the white pot on the porch. It goes in the living room when it's chilly out. Our future project for the area are re-staining the concrete porch, steps and sidewalk.

I'll leave you with a pretty photo of some better boy tomatos I picked out back this morning, the most I've ever gotten. There were about 2 dozen of them, as well as 3 zucchini. Last night we made a yummy pizza with our tomatos, basil and some fresh mozzerella. Yum!

Sun Surf Halter Pattern Review

2011-07-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

This morning I finished my first go at Amy Butler's "Sun Surf Halter" pattern. I'm fairly happy with the end result, but I made some alterations to it, and if I make another I have even more I would want to change. Here's mine:

Sorry it's not the most high-quality photo, it's the best I could manage today. I used some Heather Bailey fabric for the body, and a solid blue cotton for the tie.

GOOD: Not a ton of pattern pieces, fairly simple construction.

NOT SO GOOD: Maybe it was just me, but I had a hard time around step 6 or 7 where she says to lift the front lining and sew the body pieces together, then flip the lining back down. I did this (or I thought I did) and the lining ended up covering the front, like it was all just layered wrong. So I ripped out all of those stitches and re-did it in a way that made sense to me.

Here is an idea of the alterations I did: -Ripped out 7 inches of elastic in the back after I finished it and wore it. The back kept pulling down every time I moved. I've read other reviews of this pattern and many said the back is too low to wear a strapless bra, so that is how I remedied my issue with that.

- Took in the sides an extra inch. I made a size small, because that is what "fit" my bust line. However, everything about this pattern seems huge to me. Less elastic, less width, and it could also be shortened a bit.

Here is a photo of Amy's finished product:

It is very cute, but it seems to me that the cover picture is a lot more fitted and maybe a bit short than what following the pattern will create. However, with some simple alterations, it is very easy to make this fit your body type well.

That first picture has motivated me to go do my hair and put on some make up, yikes!

ramblings...

2011-07-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

Has it seriously been two weeks already? So many things have happened since then, finishing my summer semester then visiting my family in Michigan. While we were there I finally got the chance to take Andrew to Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is part of Henry Ford Museum, and what makes it different from other historical villages is that it is really a collection of buildings that represent important pieces of American history. One of the buildings I appreciate the most in the village is a farmhouse brought up from Georgia. Most of the historic places I have visited only showcase houses of the wealthy, it seems like no one bothered to preserve the lives of working class people. This particular house belonged to family that were former slaves who saved up the money to buy 300 acres of farmland, a feat I deeply admire. This home shows the care, pride, and hard work this family put into their home. They lined the walls with newspaper for insulation in the winter, and the mother picked fresh wild flowers every day to have inside. I really liked the old quilts they had inside. It's humbling to think of how much time and painstaking effort it took to cut, sew, and quilt these blankets by hand. We are so spoiled today with all of our measuring tools, electric irons, steamers and sewing machines.

All of that hard work truly paid off, seeing as how many of these amazing quilts are still around. I think it is a testament to the value of the common sense knowledge people used to live by, without the convenience of things like Google. I sometimes wonder if we do not value this type of wise knowledge enough. What would happen if people had to 'survive' without the easy access of the internet?

That's a post for another day.

2011-06-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Yellow and Blue

I love this arrangement of flowers Andrew gave me. They are mini sunflower, irises and yellows mums. I especially love them in my sewing room where I took this picture. Pretty much everything in there is blue except for my black and white chair. Ever since I saw the movie musical Mamma Mia that came out a couple of years ago, I have been in love with their blue and yellow color scheme. This is one of the best examples I can find:

Picture from thecia.com

It almost looks like one of Anthropologie's catalogues. I love the look of a place that is colorful, yet sort of worn-in looking. It's more inviting than overpowering. They shot parts of the movie in Greece, where I imagine most things are old and slightly worn looking. I need to see for myself someday! Some more yellow and blue inspiration, even some Greek!

Inspiration: Iceland

2011-06-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

It's probably official at this point, I am a terrible Blogger. Can I even be called that? I practically never update this thing. However, in my defense, I have been extremely busy between work and school, and one other particularly time-sucking engagement that is over now. This other time-sucker was working toward a career opportunity that I now know I will never have. An upside of this is that I can at least focus on things that I am passionate about, like my artwork and my sewing, as well as completing my degree. And updating this little blog could turn out to be a good decision if I meet some cool like-minded people through it, right?

Anyhow, I should probably end my rant and get on to something interesting. I have been going through photos on Flickr (so addicting!) and stumbled upon this group of photos taken in Iceland by a user called "BratoDB". I can't feature their pictures on my blog, I wanted to feature pictures from Iceland.
I really loved the soft colors in this photo, as well as the beautiful lighting. Such a beautiful, but harsh environment.

A very different view of Iceland, with bright, green grass, and a cute little house. I think it'd be a great painting.

I need to go to these hot springs, they look absolutely awesome.

This is one of the most unique churches that I have ever seen, I'm not even sure what style it fits into.

And one final one, with blue ice...

Iceland, although a smaller country, looks like it has so many different climates and cultures, I am definitely adding it to my bucket list. I will be trying out some painting inspired by several of these, I think.

Keep you posted. Maybe.

New Labels!

2011-05-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Brush Roll with snazzy label!

I'm so excited to say that I made my first project with my new labels. I ordered them from Remember Wynn on Etsy. I think it looks pretty awesome on this make up brush roll.

2011-04-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am super excited to be posting my first tuitorial today! I customized these towels this afternoon. I want to say that I made them, but what really makes this project so quick and easy is that you can start with store bought towels. It would also be pretty simple to make your own towels with terrycloth or linen as well. Let's get started!

MATERIALS:

Cotton thread

Sewing machine

Scraps of quilting fabric

Cotton or linen towels

Cutting mat

Clear ruler

Hand-cutter

Iron

STEP ONE: Measure your towel

The first step is to open up your towel and measure the bottom edge where you will be adding your fabric. This should be the edge of the towel that will hang down twoard the floor. Mine is 16 inches wide. OPTIONAL: If you want to spend the extra time on it, you could make your own towel out of heavy weight cotton, linen or terrycloth fabric.

STEP TWO: Cut your scraps

This step could vary depending on how wide you want the strip of fabric on your towel. Mine is a smaller towel, so I went with scraps that were about 4 1/2" long. This is totally up to you, but if this is your first time sewing you can use my measurement. They can be any width you like. Both of my towels have varying widths on them, which makes it a lot easier on you because it doesn't have to be exact.

STEP THREE: Sewing your scraps together

Take two scraps and sew them together with a 1/4" seam, right sides together. Continue this until you have a long enough strip to cover your towel. My towel is 16" wide, so I chose to make a strip that is about 17" long. This leaves me enough extra fabric to have 1/2" left to tuck underneath the ends, making a clean edge. I recommend making the strip 1 inch longer than your towel.

STEP FOUR: Press your seams open

This step is pretty simple, just take your hot iron and carefully (don't burn your fingers!) press your seams open. Use lots of steam so they stay put.

STEP FIVE: Trim those edges!

For this step I lined up one edge of my strip with my cutting board, and used a clear ruler and a cutter to make one straight edge. Then you can flip it over and trim the other edge to make sure it is straight. You may also want to do this with the ends.

STEP SIX: Turn the edges under

Again, with lots of steam, turn your edges under and press. I turned my under somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2". Just make it look nice and straight!

STEP SEVEN: Pin on your fabric and sew

Pin on your fabric, lining up the edges with the towel, and making any last adjustments to the ends so they are in line with the towel. Go around all 4 edges of your fabric with a 1/4" seam. After this, it's up to you if you want to quilt it a little. I did free-form lines across mine just to give it a little extra pizazz. Another cool way to go is outlining your seams with lines. Get creative and experiment a little! And if you don't like it, you can pull it out. Don't be afraid, it's just a towel!

VOILA!

Be proud of yourself for making some bad-ass towels for your kitchen or bathroom! You rock!

2011-04-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yellow Tulips and Salvia

It's well into the 70's today, and it really feels like spring is here. As you can see in the pictures, my daffodils are all gone now, just the green leaves left. A bunch of tulips in front of the house bloomed about a week ago and are starting to wilt a little now as well. The tulips were planted years ago by someone who used to own the house and a few of them still show up every spring. Some are so old all they can do is send out one sad little leaf. In the fall I'd really like to hunt down some cool parrot tulips and plant those too. We've done some planting out front, with a new strawberry bed and lots of new flowers and some ground cover. I'm now working in a garden center so I'm sure I will have lots of new plants to share soon.

One of the mystery tulips- I'm not sure exactly what species they are but the petals have a little bit of a different shape than the rest.

Here is a view of the house as you are walking up to it. It's hard to see but we planted some boxwoods along the house, and some lavender, salvia, sedum and creeping thyme in there too. I'm hoping I can go out and plant a bit more today since it's so nice and sunny!

My Favorite Things:

2011-03-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

First of all, my favorite thing about today is that I have it off of work!
I got to start volunteering at the animal shelter today, which was awesome. Everyone there is very nice, and I feel like I make a difference for the animals. I spent a while organizing and cleaning their pet boutique, and thought about making some pet-themed things to donate for sell. Maybe some little pet blankets or something. I noticed that a few of the cats had little crocheted blankets in their cages which they seemed to like. My cats are spoiled and have couches and beds and fluffy carpet to lay on, I feel bad for the little guys at the shelter laying in their cages. My last hour at the shelter this morning was spent taking cats out of their cages and giving them some one-on-one attention, brushing them and petting them. Most of them were too distracted by smelling the room and walking around that they really didn't care about toys very much.
   After I left the shelter I got something to eat (this delicious spinach and feta croissant) and took some pictures of old buildings.
None of them came out particularly well, but I enjoyed it anyway. Creativity and food are two of my other favorite things!
   My last favorite thing of the day is SPRING! It's about 70 degrees out, even though it's not sunny it's beautiful! My spring bulbs are all blooming. There are lots of daffodils and hyacinths. We are starting lots of outdoor projects I will share with you soon1

Long Awaited New Post!

2011-03-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I am such a terrible blogger! I know it's be eons since I updated, I'm sorry! I'm never going to have many readers at this rate, haha. Life has been a bit chaotic lately. This week my classes are starting up again since spring break is over, and it's St. Patty's day! That second bit might not mean much to most of you, but I waitress at an Irish Pub. So, this will mean a couple crazy pills and a five hour energy. After closing this Thursday, Friday and Saturday I will be getting up bright and early to participate in Molly's "Wearin' Of the Green" 5K. All of the proceeds go to Fisher House, a wonderful military charity that provides housing for families of the wounded while they are in the hospital far away from home.

Anyhoo, I have done a couple things with my Etsy shop lately, and sewing in general. My sewing room is in the process of getting a makeover, and I will post pictures of that when I am done with it. Yesterday my ever-so-talented boyfriend, Andrew, helped me take photos of 2 bags for my site. I even got to model! I think the pictures came out nicely and I also got to make a new banner for my store! I will be back later this week with more good things to post!

Yours truly modeling a bag made from that lovely Heather Bailey goodness.

Anticipating spring...

2011-02-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

I can't even tell you how excited I am for spring this year. Before I moved to Virginia from Michigan I never appreciated how nice it is to have long periods of warm weather. I can't wait to get outside again. (This weekend is supposed to be 50 outside!) So, in anticipation of starting my garden again and doing a little landscaping I bought this greenhouse. I got a bunch of gardening catalogues that had this one listed between $50.00-$100.00. Being the bargain shopper that I am, I found it on Amazon for about $35.00. It was really easy to set up and I think will serve it's purpose well inside where there is no wind to knock it over. I started the top tray of seeds about 2 weeks ago and this morning I woke up to find my first little seedlings growing!

In other news, I finally finished a project I started before Christmas for my friend, Hillary. She's knitting me a scarf, and I made her a bag to keep her knitting stuff in. It seemed like every time I got this project out my machine would break, but I finally got it working again. (Or more truthfully, Andrew got it working because I lost my patience with it) I used Heather Bailey's pattern from her book "Weekend Sewing". I would say that mostly it's an easy pattern to use, except for putting the straps on. It seemed like in order to do it her way, you would need to make the straps twice as wide as what the pattern called for. Maybe it was user error, but with some of my sewing books I really wonder if the editors and people who draw up the patterns are really making sure the pattern works.

Saturday Painting

2011-02-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

I like this painting. A few days ago I got the urge to try a mixed media painting using fabric as a background. I love the fabrics I have, all of the different prints and colors are inspiring. Even though they didn't end up being the centerpiece of the finished painting, they were a good jumping off point. I starting by cutting up fabric scraps into strips and adhering them to a canvas with ModPodge (that stuff is awesome!). I coated it with a couple layers of ModPodge, and after that dried I started painting. I used acrylic paints and a gel medium to thicken up some of the paint. I love the thickness of oil but it is very expensive and takes a long time to dry, so this was a good alternative. I thought poppies would be a good choice because they are big and are a complimentary color to the blue and green of the background. I really love how the texture and colors came out. Beautiful flowers make me think of spring and summer, and I wish they would just get here already! I might try a few more of these in different sizes to keep for myself or sell in my shop.

Finally Finished: Thrift Store Make-Over

2011-01-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

Click To Enlarge. Original Condition at the right

I think this is pretty good for my first attempt at a real 'designer'-looking furniture make-over. I love the way that stores like Anthropologie mix older style archetecture with modern style, and this is my attempt. I got the vanity, which I love, at this store while visiting my mom. I found the chair for about $10.00 in a booth at a local antique mall, and the mirror was $4.00 at a thrift store. I sanded down the chair and gave it a fresh coat of paint. The old cushion was in terrible shape, so I used it as a template to make a new one. I used Andrew's Jigsaw to cut a new seat out of plywood, cut a thin layer of foam from Joann's in the same shape, and then used Anna Maria Horner fabric to cover the cushion. Overall, the chair cost me about $25.00. All the mirror needed was a fresh coat of paint. None of the furniture matches but I think painting it all the same color makes it work. I may add some framed pictures or something creative around the mirror. Also, at some point the bedroom will be painted a blue-gray color so the mirror will pop more. Was it a hit or a miss?

New Handbag Design

2011-01-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

Ugh! Sorry about the bad picture. New Spring Handbag?

So here is a new bag design that I came up with last night. I had done a few sketches before, but they didn't really look anything like this bag. I wanted to make something summery and beachy, something you can stuff a towel and some sunblock in, you know? The bottom is awesome Anna Maria Horner fabric, the top is cotton canvas. It's fully lined with the AMH fabric, with two 4x6 inch pockets inside for cell phones or other small stuff. I also used interfacing when making it so it's nice and sturdy, but also soft. Overall, I'm really pleased with the design- the only thing I may change is to angle in the sides slightly so it doesn't gape open so much at the top. Also, to sew the straps down the sides to meet the other fabric in the middle, to make it a bit more sturdy. Andrew and I tested out it's sturdiness and capacity last night. It can fit a laptop, binders, books, and also small cats. I think this would look super cute in those Nicey Jane fabrics I'm waiting to dig into. Would you guys buy this bag?

Fully lined, with pockets!

2011-01-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

I decided I needed to make a quick blog entry before I eat lunch and go to Art History class. I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions, and I'm not sure if this really counts, but I've decided to go a week without watching tv or netflix. Instead, I plan on getting through some sewing projects I've been putting off, reading, doing homework, sketching, etc. We recently bought a new couch to put in front of our tv downstairs, and I find myself vegging out on it way too much. Today is day 2 of my no-tv-watching. Besides writing this entry, I've also made some headway on a thrift-store furniture make over that I've been working on. (Pictures tomorrow when I finish!)

Yesterday I recieved my new Heather Bailey "Nicey Jane" fabric. The first two (L to R) are "Picnic Bouquet" in Gold and Lagoon, the last is "Lindy Leaf" in blue. They are just as beautiful as they look online, and printed on high quality cotton fabric. You will see some new spring bags in my Etsy store with the "Picnic Bouquet" fabrics. We'll see how that goes, and I might be buying some more fabric from this line. All of the prints are beautiful and I love the color palette. I ordered mine from Fabric.com, who I highly recommend. They have great prices and ship very quickly. I'm making myself a really cute halter top from the "Lindy Leaf" fabric for this spring. I've also already purchased a new bathing suit. Wishful thinking, I know.

Stay Warm Everyone!
Rachel

Book and Pattern Review

2011-01-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

"Scandinavian Needlecraft" By Clare Youngs

I recieved the book "Scandinavian Needlecraft" By Clare Youngs from my awesome boyfriend, Andrew. I couldn't find this book in any stores around me, so he hunted it down. (Thanks, Andrew!) The first project that I tried were the adorable little baby booties, because I have a couple friends that are expecting. This project is an A+. First of all, the projects in this book are very affordable to make because they use very little materials, and everything you need is easy to find. Even the tiny little JoAnn's where I live had exactly what I needed. The directions are very clear, and it's so easy to make I think even a 10 or 11 year old learning to sew could probably handle it. I finished my first pair of booties within a couple of hours and I can't wait to mail them off to my friends!

I would say the only downside of this book is that not all of the patterns are to scale, so you have to take it to your local library or Kinko's and use a photocopier to blow them up. However, it does tell you how much to blow it up. There is a pattern for a jumper, girl's size 6, but I wish it would give you more sizes. I'm going to try and figure out how to make it in a size 4 also so I can make one for each of my nieces. Overall, the lack of pattern sizes are the only downside I can find to this book. Each project offers lots of opportunities to make something your own, like using different colors of felt and thread. They are also great projects to do when you don't have a lot of time to sit and sew, and they turn out looking great. I would definitely recommend this book to sewers and embroidery fans of any learning level. It's simple enough for beginners but still has a lot to offer experienced sewers.

My first projects.

I thought I would find some other examples of awesome embroidery, and I found quite a few shops on Etsy offering everything from vintage embroidered hankies and trim, to brand-new handmade clutches and hair accessories. Check them out!

Art of Embroidery

Virgin Blogger

2011-01-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

After a couple months of reading tons of awesome blogs, I've finally gotten around to starting my own. I really can't wait to connect with other people who share my interests. Lately I've been taking pictures of all my projects and experiences so I can share them with people. Hopefully I'll figure out how this website works, and will be able to get my photos, sewing, painting and whatnot all in one place to share!

I can't wait to get started!