Crafty things I'm loving this week:

Charming felt flower sachets from Purl Bee - Who doesn't want to whip up some cute little gift for friends or simply to have on hand

Pink Grapefruit Mitts by knittedblissJC - Just the name alone makes me love them & the luscious color doesn't help either. Plus in Seattle you can pretty much wears these types of gloves year round. Win-win.

Felted Knitted Basket from Martha Stewart - Another way to reuse older knitted goods. Always good to give beloved knits a second life!

Mr. & Mrs. Gnome from Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang - I love the book Wee Wonderfuls, full of such sweet charming dolls. This happy couple isn't in the book but part of the website. I must get these soon. Very soon.

So much wonderful craftiness out there... not enough time.

What are you crafting these days?

Rainy weekend sewing

Project: Newborn Baby Flyaway Jacket

Book: One Yard Wonders

On a recent rainy weekend - one that I had planned I finally getting the garden in, Mother Nature had other plans. Resigned to some indoor fun, I found myself in the sewing room with a little pent up creativity. These little jackets were super simple to whip up. Thanks the easy use of double wide bias tape and the simple pattern, they came together rather quickly.

 While the pattern called for sewing a snap at the top - which I did with the first jacket - I thought I'd extend the bias tape, sew it together, to create a little tie.

It was my first sewing project in a while, and my first baby sewing project for myself.            It won't be the last!

West Seattle Fabric Company: A midweek treat

The other day I had a slightly (OK very) painful PT session. The hubby and I decided drinks & hamburgers were needed to recover. So he drove us to a place he likes to go for a good burger and great fries. It happens to be located just down the block from the new West Seattle Fabric Company. I jumped out of the car and squealed with delight (well, it was some sort of noise of joy) at the chance to finally check this place out. It opened in December while I was recovering from wrist surgery so I missed visiting it earlier.

 I met Monica, the owner and fabric enthusiast. She's a delight and super friendly and helpful. She didn't mind my mindless wandering. While we both admitted to not being the best seamstresses out there (smart money says she's waaaay better than me) we do share a love of all things fabric. Especially the pretty ones! And as you can see, she's got quite the selection!

Feeling I needed a little pick me up after PT, I decided on a book since I'm not sewing these days. She recommended One Yard Wonders and while I've only flipped through it (several times), I can tell this is going to be really great to use. And this adorable little shop is going to be just the place to pick up my supplies and take some classes. And it's in my hood. I can walk to this place. Yeah, I'm kinda screwed but in a good, crafty kind of way.

Oh, and the burgers, in case you're looking for a place with fabulous burgers and fries that are too die for, check out the Admiral Pub. I mean you'll be in the hood and hungry after all that fabric shopping at the West Seattle Fabric Company.

West Seattle Fabric Company

2210 California Ave SW

Seattle, WA 98116

(Sorry for the not so great pics. They really don't do the store justice. With the broken wrist I can't hold my nice fancy camera that I bought myself for my birthday in July.)

Yeah! And oh boy....I could be in trouble....

I'm a mixed bag of emotions over here. On one hand I'm doing little happy dance over this news, but I'm also a little concerned for how close this is going to be to me: West Seattle is getting a fabric store. And not just any giant chain fabric store, this is going to be a little cute, locally owned one with the promise of great quality and unique fabric and sewing supplies.

Between this, the two knitting stores in my hood and the fact that we're getting a Trader Joe's soon, I may never leave West Seattle. Except to go to work which is pretty much funding my craft addiction. Oh, that and to go to my knitting group.

Sigh....how I love my 'hood!

A trip to Fabric Crush

I've been wanting to get back into the sewing mode and just as luck would have it, I stumbled across a lovely new quilting blog Tallgrass Prairie Studio. Well, it's not new, but new to me. And the luck continued because as it turned out Jacquie was in town to visit a friend and do a little talk at Fabric Crush. The store had recently moved from Magnolia to the Wallingford Center and I had been wanting to check it out. It was as if the Sewing Gods were putting this out there in the universe for me. 

So of course, I had to appease them. And I went. And I loved it. Both the store and Jacquie and her fabulously beautiful, yet simple modern style quilts. Take a look.

Jacquie and her quilts. If I was a better blogger, I'd have the names of these patterns she designed, but alas, I am not. They sure are pretty though!

I especially loved this salavage quilt. These are the salvage edges of fabrics she's used over the years. Isn't this a great creative way to use all of the fabric?

Ohhh...ahh...it was like a fireworks show for the quilting fans in the room as we got to look up close and touch all the pretty fabrics. So fun and inspirational!

A take on the Market Tote

I found some time in the sewing room today and after sifting through patterns and fabric I finally found a project that I could whip up in the afternoon. Sort of.

I made a modified version of Amy Butler's Market Tote*. I didn't have any home decorator fabric, but I had plenty of lovely cotton fabric so I pulled out some for the exterior and the lining. I also added a pocket with a little trim just because. I also didn't have enough fabric for the really long handles to run the length of the bag so I modified those as well. In my book, as long as handles can swing over your shoulder without cutting into your armpit, they'll work.

I think I'll make this pattern again and try the home decorator fabric to see what it's like. It's a good sized bag and I do love the shaping at the bottom of the bag which makes it deep and wide. I think this will be my new knitting bag for a while!

*I find it slightly ironic and funny that I've declared 2010 the year of clearing the clutter - especially my bag obsession. And what do I go and make for my first sewing project of the year? Yeah, a bag. Guess I need to take another bag to Goodwill or consignment!

2009: Projects in Pictures

Here's a few of the projects I worked on in 2009. From baby hats to jam to baby dresses, quilts, sweaters and a few little projects for me (hat, started a sweater and made myself socks). Oh, and I learned how to make creme brule. A pretty productive year if I do say so!

Sew Cute

I decided I needed to know how to sew in a zipper so I found this cute little zip pouch purse in Bend the Rules Sewing.

It was pretty quick to whip up, although my hand stitching of the lining needs a little work.

I see more of these fun, pretty bags in my future!

Secret to a straight line?

Is there one? Because I've tried a few things and they don't seem to working out so well.

- Walking foot - done

- Marked out the line - done

- Sewn slower - done

These things all helped a bit but my lines, shall we say, wandered a bit. Still, I know the mama-to-be will love this quilt. She possesses the same kind of attitude I do about crafting: Life isn't perfect, we're not perfect, so why stress out when our crafting isn't perfect.

Besides, the Baby Boy who will get this quilt will love it so much he'll enevitably throw up on it. And I'm just fine with that.

Adventures in Lace Knitting: Part Three - The Distractions

While the STB shawl project is still in time out, I've found a few nicer things to occupy my time this spring weekend.

First, I started knitting the Amelie Dress from Natural Knits for Moms and Babies. I've been eyeing this pattern for a while now. And the perfect opportunity came up when my dear friend announced her new baby is a girl. Act surprised when you get this Jen!

My other distraction is this baby quilt for another friend (seriously...I think there's something in the water...). I'm especially excited about this quilt, because I designed it. I have to say, the thing I'm loving most about sewing is the designing process. It's no secret that following directions isn't my best feature, but I do love getting an idea, sketching it out in my book, then getting to work.

"Pieced" Dreams

I've been kicking around this idea for a simple sewing project. One that would let me do one of my favorite thing about sewing: mix and match all the pretty fabric! Last weekend, I threw caution to the wind and jumped head first into the fabric creativity! Here's what my idea ended up looking like:


I'm calling it "Pieced" Dreams. I'm sure there are other patterns out there similar to this, but this is my own design. I really enjoyed the creative process of putting my own design together. I love the mix/match of the fabric. And I love the freedom of not following a pattern but gleaming ideas off of other projects that have inspired me along the way.

To me, that is so important in the creative process.

This project (and it's matching mate because you do need two matching pillowcases) went to a friend who is a very creative fabric force.

I can't wait to get back to the sewing machine and see what happens next!

I HEART the Fabric Depot

The next time you are in the Portland area (and you are a crafter), you must check out the Fabric Depot. It's 1 1/2 acres of fabric, sewing supplies, all kinds of notions and crafting supplies. It's huge. It's overwhelming. It's fabulous. While the place itself isn't that impressive (it's in an old Fred Meyer store or something like that and has terrible signage), the fabric collection is very impressive. Oh, and did I mention that everything is basically 30% off? And that it's in Portland, Oregon - no sales tax! And when you're coming from a state like Washington with high sales tax, it's essentially like another 10% off!

Here what pretty things that made it home with me:

Some pretty fabric for a variety of projects.

This soft and cuddly flannel for a baby that will grace us with his/her presence later this year.

And these Moda fabric squares. I'll admit, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these, but I'm very into the retro fabrics as they remind me of my Grandma Doris - the original crafter/artist in my life. I feel like collecting the fabrics that remind of me of her will somehow bring her closer to me even though she's no longer here. I'm thinking these may end up in a lap quilt. I'm also thinking if that's the case, I'll need another pack or two of them.

So, when you go to the Fabric Depot - be prepared. Go with a list. Go with a plan. Do spend time wandering the fabrics and feeling the pretty softness of it all, but don't let it overtake you. Thanks to Jessica for this tip and the idea of checking it out in the first place! This will be a permanent stop on all my trips down south! Maybe I'll see you all there sometime!

*Editor's note: I'd like to apologize to my dad for this post. He did ask me not to mention this place to my mom, as her fabric collection spans two rooms in their house (including what was formerly known as Meg's Room, now the Fabric Room Annex). But, dad, we crafters must stick together. And come on, how many sporting good/hardware stores have we girls wandered through as you checked out all the gadgets and gizmos? Yeah, thought so.

DVR Alert! Olivia is coming to a small screen near you!

Just as we're thinking of canceling our cable, I read this: Olivia is getting her own T.V. show!

Who is Olivia you ask? Let me educate you. Olivia is a fabulous, spunky 6 and 3/4-year-old pig who has the most creative imagination! While I don't have any kids myself, it doesn't stop me from picking up all sorts of Olivia stuff! Ian Falconer's books are the best! I own several of them. Last Christmas, my mom gave my sister and I "Olivia Helps With Christmas" which I promptly read aloud to my entire family. It's now a staple in our holiday celebrations (I'm lucky to have a hubby who humors me. A lot.)

Regardless of how old your kids are, or even if you don't have any, rush out and pick up an Olivia adventure today!

This makes me want to pull out yet another unfinished project - the p.j. pants for me and my sister out of - you guessed it - Olivia fabric!

A Crafty Weekend

I was lucky enough to have a three day weekend, which meant plenty of time for some good ol'craftiness!Saturday's afternoon plans were unexpectedly cancelled, which meant some good sewing time for me since the hubby was out snowboarding. I whipped up another Simple Tote for a sweet little girl who recently turned two! I'm just extending her birthday joy. It's best she learn early that Auntie Meggie can be a bit slow. Then I was able to start (and finish on Sunday) a baby hat for a coworkers first baby.

Hat: Children's Cotton Hat from Last Minute Knitted Gifts

Yarn: Mission Fall Cotton

(I added a stripe instead of the bow since it's for a baby boy).

Sunday was full of organizing, rearranging and clearing up lots of space for new craftiness!

And Monday, was meeting the girls at Nana's for soup and knitting. However, while the food and conversation were fabulous the knitting, was not. I had casted on for a new hat for myself, but the yarn I picked wasn't ideal. So I opted for project two. Only the pattern was back home. But thankfully, I had the day off so I simply ran over to my LYS and bought better yarn. Now the project is back on track and ready to be tackled this week. Picture to come soon.

Oh yeah, the details...

I was so busy woo-hooing over my adorable bags that I forgot to share the details of the project. So here you go:

Simple Tote

Bend The Rules Sewing by Amy Karol

This project is super quick and easy. Once I had everything cut out, it took less than and hour to whip it up. Plus, it really doesn't require a lot of fabric. I used fabric from my scraps and remnants.

What can I say, I'm a Woo-Hoo girl for cute crafts

What is a Woo-Hoo girl? I'm sure you remember them. You know, when you were out at the bar (before our crafty days really kicked in), they were the girls who were all hanging out together drinking, dancing, laughing and woo-hooing. Why do they woo-hoo? Who knows. Anything can set them off. A great dance song comes on, happy hour, a cute guy asking for one of their phone numbers (they woo-hoo after said cute guys is out of earshot - or at least they think he is.)

A perfect example of woo-hoo girls in action can be seen here on this promo of "How I Met Your Mother," a show that if you're not watching - start right now. You can thank me later.

OK, so I was at a sewing bee at a friends house this past weekend. I know, a sewing bee isn't exactly the place that I thought my inner woo-hoo girl would come out. But as I was sewing this super cute bag for my niece, the woo-girl made an appearance. I was turning the bag getting the lining all set to sew the top stitch when it happened. I was just so tickled at my adorable little bag, with the lining, inner pocket and handles, I woo-hooed over it.

(I just love this vinatage style Alice In Wonderland fabric!)

Admit it. You've woo-hooed over crafts too.

Look, I did a lining with an inner pocket!

Birthday Month

It's birthday month around here and I'm a big fan of it, I must say. I treated myself to a little crafting pre-birthday gift.It's the Bend the Rules Sewing book from Amy Karol. I've been eyeing this little gem for a while now. Now I own it and I'm still eyeing the pretty pictures. I'm hoping they will provide a little sewing inspiration as I dig around in my fabric stash and try to get creative.

Sewing Bee

The other day I met up with a few other Purly Girls who also dabble in the fabric arts. They were all making these beautiful quilt blocks while I struggled with pajama pants. Following patterns (rules, instructions, etc.) has never been my strong suit. But after a while I just went with the flow. I have to say, these Olivia PJ pants are super cute! I bought three different types of Olvia fabric online and am totally loving them!

Some of Jessica's Harry Potter quilt blocks (below) and some of Amanda's quilt blocks & more of Jessica's quilt blocks (above).

My new obsession

While I played with my sewing machine, my friend June played with my new camera.

My mother gave me her old sewing machine and I'm so excited to have it! I pulled out my pajama pants that I started at a class this past fall. I finished them and tried them on. They are a bit big, but it was a learning project (and they are pj pants) so I can live with them. Plus, each time I look at the fabric I chuckle. Fish, with cute names!!?? Seriously, how can that not make you giggle?

In case you can't read the fine print, their names are Goldie, Swimmy, Spooky, Helen and Bjorn.

But I am excited to enter into this new phase of my crafting/creative obsession. Although, in all honestly, I did enjoy sewing as a kid. I used to make Barbie and Cabbage Patch clothes for my sister and I on this very same sewing machine. But then I hit my teens and I guess that just wasn't cool anymore. Or something. I'm not really sure why I stopped sewing, but I'm excited to get back into it!