At some point in my sewing-blog adventures, I came across the ZipIt Etsy shop and had two realizations:
Multi-colored zippers are really, really appealing when arranged in beautiful rainbow-like formations.
This ZipIt Etsy shop has some magical zipper prices.
After my jewelry roll success, I decided it was time to splurge and purchase an array of zippers to keep at my fingertips. That way I won’t have to run to the store every single time I need a zipper, which will likely save me money in the long run. This is a familiar scenario: I need one zipper. I come home hours later with about three hundred unnecessary sewing accessories… and one zipper.
I normally pay around $1.99/zipper at the fabric store. But for $31.00 total, which included shipping costs, I ordered 100 zippers in a variety of colors and sizes, which made each zipper only 31 cents each. AND… I ordered these beauties on May 9 and received them on May 11. Wow. WOW!
First project on the list? A zipper pouch to hold all of these zippers!
I’ve been excited about it for a few weeks, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to brag until Mother’s Day or I’d ruin the surprise. Like a crayon roll for grown-ups, the jewelry roll has zippered pockets for various jewelry pieces and trinkets, a ribbon tie for rings and the whole contraption rolls up and ties closed for safe travels.
It was the first project attempt from my One Yard Wonders book. I have nothing but glowing reviews for both the book and this project. The pattern was included with the book. I’m still a little new to zippers, so I moved slowly and followed the directions to a tee. The biggest challenge was evenly sewing the half circle curve along the top.
My mom lives across the country, so we Skyped this morning while she opened her jewelry roll and she loved it! I told her I almost didn’t include the ribbon for rings since she doesn’t wear a lot of rings, but she pointed out that she can use it for her Troll beads. Duh – I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. She loves her Troll beads!
Like mother, like daughter - I used my own jewelry for this photo, but the only ring I own is my high school ring!
Now I’m faced with this challenge: stick in this comfort zone and make some more jewelry rolls, or continue experimenting with projects from One Yard Wonders? Hmmm. Decisions, decisions!
I finally completed a project from the One-Yard Wonders book I bought a few weeks ago, and I’m excited to brag about the finished product!
Only, I can’t brag about it just yet because it’s a gift for someone special… shhh. I don’t want to give away the surprise! Check back soon – I’ll be sure to share the details in just a few days. I can’t wait!
Pillowcase dresses for little girls are all the rage in the sewing world:
Simplicity 2391
Now, there’s no denying that the child in the photo is adorable. There’s no denying that the fabric is darling. But… there’s also no denying that this little girl is wearing a pillowcase.
I’m completely on the fence about pillowcase dresses. I love the idea of taking one thing and turning it into something completely unexpected. I also love the idea of a sewing trend that is simple enough for a beginner. These dresses have such a loyal following in the sewing world that I have to wonder if there’s something wrong with me.
Would I feel differently if I saw one of these in person? Or if I actually tried to make one myself? I want to love these dresses, but there’s a huge barrier in my brain that can’t get past the fact that these children look like they are wearing bed linens. Sure, the Von Trapp children were wearing curtains, but it certainly didn’t LOOK like they wear wearing curtains.
I know they weren't REALLY wearing curtains, but still.
Here’s another pattern included in “Pillowcase Fashions” – a little pants and tank top combo. I think I’d be much more likely to go this route if I ever decided to whip up pillowcase apparel.
A little less pillowcase-ish
Has anybody out there ever made a pillowcase dress? Is there something that I need to know that will sway me to the pro-pillowcase-dress side of the fence? Please share!
Funny story! After giving myself that elaborate “keep moving forward” pep talk, I closed my laptop, started working on a project and promptly broke the sewing machine needle for the very first time! It was a stupid mistake that I’d read about thousands of times in the manual, yet it still happened. I’ll never forget to remove the zipper foot again!
So… now what?
1) Watch that “Keep Moving Forward” clip for the zillionth time.
2) Pull out the manual and learn how to change the needle.
3) Keep. Moving. Forward. 🙂
It’s been more than a month since my last blog post. In general, the longer I wait to write, the more and more pressure there is to write something astounding, similar to when an antsy crowd is waiting for a speech and goes silent as the speaker steps up to the podium. That pressure just makes me procrastinate more as I prepare my next what’s supposed to be my next earth-shattering move.
But truthfully, a lot has happened in the past month, and I’ve been wondering how to address it. When I started this blog, I wanted the focus to be on sewing, not my personal life. But obviously, my sewing is intertwined with my personal life, and the things I experience day-to-day will affect how, when and why I sew.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the major themes woven in and out of my personal life lately, whether it be my empty blog, exciting changes at work or horrifying letdowns in my personal life. And I realized that lately, my mantra for all of the above has been the following: KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
One of my favorite Disney movies of all time is Meet the Robinsons. If you’ve never seen it, PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch it immediately! The screenshot above showcases a phrase that is used over and over throughout the movie: KEEP MOVING FORWARD! Here’s an inspiring (non-spoiler) clip from the movie to wet your appetite and show you the emphasis of the phrase throughout the movie.
So, what does “KEEP MOVING FORWARD” mean to me?
It means that no matter how wide my blogging gap, my goal should be to simply pick up where I left off without feeling pressure. Each day deserves equal opportunity for a blog post, regardless of what happened yesterday or the day before. Keep moving forward!
It means that when exciting changes at work come with a bigger margin for error as I try to learn the ropes, I shouldn’t live in fear or making decisions, meeting new people or trying new things. Keep moving forward!
And when I experience the ultimate betrayal in my personal life , all I can do is continue to put one foot forward at a time… hoping, trusting and having faith that happiness is just around the corner. Slowly, slowly, slowly, but surely… keep. moving. forward.
Getting me through it all have been a variety of creative endeavors, whether it be sewing or making silly videos with friends. But more importantly, I’ve taken on a handful of new sewing projects throughout the past month which I anticipate that you’ll be hearing about very, very soon!
I initially didn’t find the experience to be blog-worthy, but I think it’s only fair to document downfalls in addition to the victories. I was really hoping to cross “make something wearable” off my list of goals, but it doesn’t look like that is going to be happening tonight!
Because I consider admitting defeat an accomplishment in itself, I do not plan on sharing any photos of this hideous project. 😉
The world of sewing is not always a magical one, but I will continue to chug along anyway!
I’ve lived with roommates my entire adult life, so I’m a long way from my dream home. What’s my dream home? Who knows. I couldn’t tell you a thing about it, other than this: It will have a generous space devoted to crafting.
I can’t even fathom a timeline when said room might actually take shape, but I dream about it anyway. Out of curiosity, I started browsing the internet to see what other people’s craft spaces looked like. I was blown away by the creativity that went into these spectacular sanctuaries. But really, I shouldn’t have been surprised that innovative people create innovative workspaces!
When the time comes, I want to whip out my craft room blueprints and make my dreams a reality. I need to be ready! So I created an inspiration board to show how I imagine my craft space.
(Source: I Google-imaged all of these and lost track of where they came from, so leave a comment and I will give you credit if your photo is in the mix!)
I want shelves upon shelves of see-through storage with colorful containers and tidy labels. I want countertops that stretch on for miles. I want racks hung up in rows with rainbows of ribbons and threads spilling down the wall. I want a sunshiney space where time stands still and seam rippers are never touched. I would appreciate enough floorspace for victory cartwheels and craft parties with friends. And in a dream world, I would top it off with one of those ridiculously priced but RIDICULOUSLY PERFECT pink or green desk chairs from Pottery Barn.
But at the center of it all will be sewing, crafting, creating… because that’s what it’s all about!
Really excited about this book I picked up at a Borders going-out-of-business sale this weekend…
One Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects; Look how much you can make with just one yard of fabric! by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins, complete with a packet of patterns inside!
Now, I don’t think I can adequately review this book until I actually try some of the projects, but I am already excited about a whole bunch of them! I’ll be sure to note which future projects are “One-Yard Wonders” so y’all can follow along as I attempt to make every single thing in the book. Okay, maybe not every single project, but the thought sure is tempting…
The more my fabric collection grows, the more I’m convinced that collecting fabric scraps is equivalent to collecting memories.
Tonight I was digging around looking for scraps for the first draft of a new project (yes, a new project is in the works, woo!) and found this memorable scrap. My college roommate and I used it to cover an armchair in our dorm room sophomore year. We decided to call it “The Hot Seat” and added the iron-on letters and everything. I honestly don’t know what we were thinking.
I’m embarrassed to admit that it may have even been my idea. Hey, our college town was in the middle of a cornfield and we didn’t like parties. This (and studying) was how we chose to fill our time, which I think our parents really appreciated. Anyway. Stand by while this scrap gets turned into something new and exciting -because that, my friends, is the beauty of recycling fabric. 🙂
Sew Lindsay, Sew! 