Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Remember a few months ago when I posted that I was feeling a renewed urge to get back to my sewing machine? Well, finally, here is some of the fruit of that labour.

I was first inspired to make this after seeing this: (and yes, this basically proves that I am a big copycat):

For my version, I used a mash-up of Simplicity 2599 and Colette patterns Macaron. I basically followed the instructions for the Simplicity top, but used the sweetheart neckline from Macaron. It was a pretty easy process that resulted in a very one-of-a-kind shirt. (You know, except for the one I copied. Ahem). 

It's everything you could want in a casual spring top - comfortable, stylish, and easy. I foresee many Saturday afternoons and summer weeknights being spent in this shirt!

PS - Here's a little sneak peak of what I'm working on now...the Collette Patterns' Ginger skirt. Look at those matching stripes! Eh? Eh?

Bunting for baby

You know when you meet someone for the first time and you can just tell you're going to become good friends? That's how I felt when I met Kirk and Sara. My husband and I were only introduced to this lovely couple about 9 months ago,  but we've already become kindred spirits. Kirk and my husband are big music nerds who can geek out for hours over recording equipment, while Sara and I share a love of good food and crafting (we have actually just started a knitting circle, which I will get around to blogging about someday).

Shortly after we met them, Kirk and Sara told us they were expecting their first baby. It's been fun and exciting to watch Sara's belly grow and tag along with the whirlwind experience of cooking up a little person.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Sara's baby shower. It was a special gathering of close friends and family only, so I was so thrilled to be invited. I wanted to give her something practical that could be used everyday, but I also wanted to give something special and homemade. I settled on cloth diapers from Sara's registry and a sweet little bunting flag for the nursery.

I knew Sara had chosen to paint her nursery orange -- they don't know the sex of the baby -- so I went to the fabric store with that in mind. I settled on an admittedly girly palette of greens, pinks and oranges. (I was trying to make it gender neutral, but I was surprised at how few fabrics didn't scream GIRL! or BOY!. Plus, what can I say. I gravitate to the girly stuff).

Making a bunting flag is a very simple and satisfying project. All I did was make a triangle template out of cardboard -- I think mine was five inches across and seven inches long. I used the template to trace the flags onto my fabric, then cut them out with pinking shears. I pinned the flags inside some premade bias tape, then used a zigzag stitch to sew it all together.

Sara and Kirk both really loved their present and were so sweet and gracious when I told them I had made it myself. I hope their little baby likes it too.

Summer sewing: The 2011 edition

My sewing machine and I  have been busy lately expanding my summer wardrobe. Care to take a look at what I've been up to, dear readers?

First up: the Pendrell blouse from Sewaholic, an independent, Canadian pattern company out of Vancouver. I have to say, I really love this top. It dresses up and down so easily -- I'm equally comfortable wearing it with jeans and sandals as I am wearing it to work with with dress pants and heels. I also get a lot of compliments when I wear it, which is always a plus!

The fabric is a brushed cotton with a little bit of sheen and a little bit of stretch. I made a size 12, but ended up taking it in a few inches at the sides for a more form-fitting silhouette. The nice thing about this pattern is that it just pulls on over your head -- no pesky buttons or zippers to deal with.

I've also made a couple easy elastic-waist skirts that have become wardrobe staples this summer. The pattern is a free download from fabric designer Anna Maria Horner -- the Flirting the Issue skirt.

The purple one on the left is made out of a nice border print I saw at Fabricland that screamed to be made into a summer skirt. I've worn it to work and to a wedding shower -- it's not too dressy but still looks put together. The one on the right is made out of a cotton voile designed by Anna Maria Horner. It's a little shorter and a little funkier (yes, I said funkier). It's perfect for a night at the pub or a barbecue.

These skirts are basically two lined rectangles shaped by four narrow bands of elastic at the waist (which almost look like smocking). It's very quick and easy and I banged both of these skirts out in a few hours each. The only tricky part is feeding the elastic through the narrow channels -- it gets a bit finicky, but the end result is worth it. 

Finally, I'm working on a Peter Pan-collared blouse -- Violet from Colette patterns. This is coming together well -- I'm making it in a satiny pink with a black collar and buttons. I'll be sure to update you when I've finished the final product!

Vogue 8511

 

I really, really love this dress. It's got a certain something, you know? It's comfortable, chic (if I do say so myself) and it's suitable for everything from a night out on the town to church.

I made this dress for my birthday party in late February and have worn it several times since. It's Vogue 8511 -- a simple, straightforward pattern that came together really easily. I was inspired by a couple versions I saw around the internet, especially here and here. (I also wrote about my plan to make it way back in (October).

                                     

The only modification I made was to underline the skirt and sleeves (the pattern only called for the bodice to be lined). I also graded up to a larger size in the hips to accommodate my lady curves. However, this proved to be a bit unnecessary as the whole thing it just a smidge too loose. I plan to make another, more springy version and cut a size smaller. To give it a bit more shape, I've been wearing it with a belt, which has the added benefit of looking very cute.

 

The pattern has really nice details, like princess seams in the bodice and some interesting pleats in the skirt. My only complaint about this floral fabric (which is a random poly blend that drapes really really nicely) is that it drowns out some of those elements. I plan to make it again with solid yellow fabric for the bodice and a solid grey skirt, which will make those details more noticeable.

 I'm especially happy with this dress, because it's been awhile since I've had a real sewing victory. I spent several weeks in late December/early January on New Look 6968 only to find it was a bit of a disaster.  (I mentioned in the same October post as this Vogue pattern). The fabric and the fit were so horrible that I didn't even try to salvage it. It was so depressing -- I consider myself a decent seamstress, so it's frustrating when a project goes totally awry.

My experience with making this dress was the total opposite of the New Look 6968 disaster -- everything came together super smoothly and I absolutely love the final product. Add this one to the 'win' column!

Quick lamp makeover

I love spray paint. Seriously. There's no better way to change something so inexpensively and so quickly. Case in point: my lamps.

These lamps, purchased from Ikea a couple years ago, were starting to look a little blah. After a few coats of spray paint, they look totally fresh and new. I also picked up a couple of new shades, just for fun.

And, if I ever get bored with the turquoise (which I inevitably will) I can change the colour again. That is the glory of the spray paint!

In other crafting news, I have been busy recovering a few chairs for the living room (including the orange chair I wrote about in a previous post) which I'll share as soon as they're finished. I've learned that upholstering chairs is harder than it looks. It's kinda hard to make it look professional and neat rather than an amateur Trading Spaces project or something. (Not that I didn't love Trading Spaces. It feels a little blasphemous to take a shot at my beloved TS!)

It's interesting to note that a lot of my creative energy is being taken up by taking a picture every day for my Project 365. I have really been enjoying sinking my teeth into photography and challenging myself to find a new shot each day. However, it has meant that I haven't been sewing/knitting/etc. much lately -- not only because I'm devoting a lot of my attention to pictures, but also because it's a bit of a time commitment to take, upload, and edit a photo each day. I have a long sewing to-do list and I'm hoping to be able to commit some serious time tackling those projects in the next few weeks.

Since I have no new sewing projects to show you I'll leave you with my 365 shot from yesterday: some pretty pink Gerbera daisies (which happen to be one of my favourite flowers).

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

The $117 couch

This is a story about how this...

...turned into this...

...and the whole thing (couch included) only cost $117.

Several weeks ago, I bought a new couch on Craigslist. There was nothing really wrong with our old couch, but my cats had developed a deep love for scratching it and the upholstery was starting to look a little battered. Plus, it was chocolate brown, which showed every single strand of fur that migrated off of our fluffy kitties.

So, with the help of my strong-armed husband, I gave away our old couch and picked up this one. It was listed for $80, but because of some wear and tear on the wooden bits, I bargained the seller down to $60 ($60!!). I rented a steam-cleaner for $50 and spent an afternoon making sure it was squeaky clean.  (That brings the grand total up to $110, for anyone who's keeping track).

For several weeks, I hemmed and hawed about what to do with the wooden part of the couch. It was chipped and worn and definitely needed to be dealt with in some way, but I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg to have it refinished. Finally, during a free afternoon this week, I decided to seize the day.

I carefully taped off all the edges, then sanded, primed, and painted the wood using some white paint I already had on hand. I used that ridiculously tiny brush to do the whole thing, just so I could be as precise as possible. I had no idea if it would turn out or not, but in the end, I was pleasantly surprised.

I honestly can't believe how well it turned out. I knew I was playing with fire (white paint + beige upholstery = lots of potential for disaster) but I made sure to be very careful with the paint and had some spot cleaner on hand in case I dripped. (Which, of course, I did, but I was able to remove it right away so it didn't leave any permanent spots).

Though most of it turned out really well, there were a couple of places where it looked pretty messy. So, I went out and bought $7 worth of beige cording from Fabricland. I ran a bead of hot glue between the upholstery and the wood, then pressed the cord into the glue to hide all of the not-so-perfect spots.

So, there you have it: a new couch for $117 and a couple hours' worth of elbow grease. I think the white paint makes this couch look so much more modern. I love this style, but it felt a little too grandma-y before the makeover.

Oh, and I also made some new pillows using some Amy Butler and Heather Bailey fabric (some of which I had on hand from other projects, and some of which I bought online). So, I guess this project technically cost me more than $117.

 But having a one-of-a-kind, modern grandma-style couch with fabulous colourful pillows? That's priceless.

Wreath-tastic!

I have seen so many cute yarn wreaths popping up all over the interweb lately. Like these ones:

From Take Heart

And this one:

From my internet friend and fellow crafter Creative Kat

So I decided to make my own.

I followed this tutorial to the letter, including the idea to add the little felt flowers. I had the yarn in my stash already and the felt cost about $3 total, so all in all, it was very easy on my wallet. The most expensive thing was the $15 styrofoam wreath form (damn you and your exorbitant styrofoam prices, Michaels!)

This was honestly one of the easiest and most satisfying projects that I've done in a long time. It's basically impossible to screw up. Even the felt flowers, which are the "hardest" part of this project, are very simple and satisfying to make. Plus, the colour possibilities are endless. I made this one to match the red and aqua in my kitchen.

Simple, cute, easy, and inexpensive. What could be better?

Decking the halls

I've got big crafting plans for Christmas this year. I have this insane idea about hand-making as much as I can, from presents to decorations to edible goodies. That may be about as realistic as those commercials featuring impeccably dressed, well-behaved families sitting beside a perfectly decorated 35-foot high Christmas tree while starting lovingly at each other. But I figure if I get a running start, I may be able to pull some of it off.

First up in Christmas Craftfest 2010: a wreath for the front door. I gathered a whole bunch of red stuff from Ikea, the Dollar Store, and Michaels -- Christmas ornaments, silk flowers, feathers, cool berry-looking things, and a faux-winterized branch. I also made some pom-poms from my own yarn stash (which you can find out how to do here).

A little tip: if you're planning on making a wreath like this, buy waaaay more supplies than you think you'll need. And preferably, stock up at the cheaper stores like Ikea and Dollarama. Michaels can be shockingly pricey (case in point: I bought a solid circle of styrofoam and cut a hole in the centre because all the styrofoam wreath forms were, like, $15. Seriously Michaels? $15 for a hunk of styrofoam?) Oh, and  try to find non-breakable Christmas balls. It would be very sad to spend lots of time and money on a beautiful wreath only to find your hopes dashed by fragile balls. Ahem.

For my wreath, I started with the Christmas balls, 'cause they were the biggest and least flexible. I took off the little silver caps, put some hot glue onto the base, burned my fingers, cursed, then affixed them nose-down to the wreath.

I continued this pattern of gluing, finger-burning, and cursing until it started to look like this:

Then this:

                         

Then this:

Then finally, when I had barely any fingertips left, it was done!

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I don't necessarily think Christmas decorations should be trendy -- I prefer to go the classic route so I can use them for years and years. My favourite parts of this wreath are the pom poms and the little birdie sitting at the base:

Though I won't officially start decorating for Christmas until December, I think this is going to look very nice on our front door. Even my poor glue-gunned fingers agree.

My first crochet project

May I present my very first crocheted project: a snazzy electric blue scarf (modeled here with my new zebra-print shoes!)

I mentioned a few posts back that I took a learn to crochet class at Lettuce Knit here in Toronto over the summer. This soft, sqishy scarf is the first fruit of that labour. I used the Funky Chunky Scarf pattern from Crochet Today, which was a great introduction to the craft.

I'm very glad I learned to crochet. I was able to pick it up fairly easily thanks to all of my knitting experience, and it's good to know that I'll be able to tackle a crochet project if anything tickles my fancy in the future. Still, I have to say that knitting is still my first love. Crochet, I think, will probably play second fiddle when it comes to fibre projects.

That being said, I really, really, like this scarf. Even though it's acrylic (which is basically a swear word in fibre-land) it's soft and drapes very nicely. Plus, I can throw it in the wash if I accidentally spill coffee on myself (which happens more than I would care to admit).

I'll leave you with a shot of me lovingly stroking my handiwork. 

 Hellloooo, lovely.