Sunday

:Enjoying morning tea with my new mug (hand-painted by me):


:Going swimming: Lunchtime coffee with a friend: Finishing up a WIP:


I hope you have a great day!

The First of Many

Lately I have been obsessed with sewing clothes. I don't know what exactly started it, (Could it be Erica's inspirational blog? Or maybe Marirob's?...) but instead of spending my money shopping for clothes, I've been spending it on fabric and patterns. Here is the first shirt I've ever made:


The pattern I used is Simplicity 3927. It was surprisingly easy to make. My friend Cori gave me this knit fabric over two years ago. The hardest part about sewing this shirt was cutting out the fabric to make sure I had a good, symmetrical pattern layout (I didn't want a flower to be right in the center of the bust). Because it is a knit fabric, I omitted the zipper called for by the pattern. I am still getting used to pattern sizes (they are not the same sizes as pre-made clothes!). I had to take in the sides and it is still a little too big in the bust area. However, it's not so big that I can't wear it. I think next time I will use a smaller size.

There is a lot more sewing going on behind the scenes over here. I'm also working on putting together a mini-tutorial for the crochet bag which I hope to post soon.

*I just found out this pattern is out of print so it might be hard to find in stores. However, you can still buy it on the Simplicity website.

Sadness

My thoughts are with Virginia Tech today. Yesterday's news shocked, disturbed, enraged, scared, and deeply saddened me. I'm from Virginia, had friends and family that went to Tech, have a friend who's sister is going there now. She slept in yesterday and we are all thankful for that.

Yeterday's events affected everyone. I hope for peace and healing for the victims, families, and students both at Tech and across the country.

Book Review: Dive from Clausen's Pier

Like Jenny, I too can't sleep until I read for a little each night. I go through a few books a month and for the past year I've gotten into the (bad?) habit of not finishing every book I start. I just feel like there is so much out there to read and life is too short that I don't want to waste my time reading something that I'm not enjoying. Also, I've found that I enjoy books depending on my mood. A book that I couldn't quite get into a few months ago sometimes turns out to be a great book when I pick it up again.

Right now, because I can't spend as much time sewing as I wish I could, I find myself dreaming about fabric and sewing. So when my Mom told me about this book I started reading it right away. The main character is a twenty-something Midwesterner going through a quarter-life crisis. The plot is ok...kind of a beach read if that makes sense. The thing that I love about this book is that the main character is a sewer! She describes the pleasure of walking into a fabric store, of the patterns and fabrics strewn across her apartment, and how she's always wishing she could be sewing. The author must be a sewer to be able to describe the craft so well. I would recommend the book to anyone looking for an enjoyable quick read and I definitely recommend the book to anyone who loves to sew.

Granny Bag

Ta-da! It's finished - finito - complete - you get the idea. I lined it with brown cotton fabric (recycled from Ikea curtains) and added brown and white polka dotted pockets and a magnetic snap. I love this bag so much just for the outside layer but that polka dot does add an extra cute punch. I wanted to show you the inside, but I forgot to take pictures during this shoot and I'm afraid if I wait for another good opportunity to take a picture then you would be waiting a while for this post.


The bag is inspired by this bag from Anthropologie. I brought the bag with me to Easter brunch where I could show it off to my Mom and thank her again for teaching me how to crochet a granny square. She was really impressed with it. My middle sister, not so much. I like to think that this is because we have different tastes and that is ok by me. To each her own.

For more granny square inspiration, check out all the great projects over at the granny along.

Odds and Ends

Whew! It's been a busy couple of weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the worst is over. In the few free moments I've had lately, I somehow managed to finish all the squares for my granny bag. I'm planning on whipping up the lining and handles today and so I'll show pictures early this week. Stay tuned!