Seams to Me

Wiley.com describing Seams to Me:
"Admired fabric designer Anna Maria Horner draws on her passion for art, sewing, and textiles to inspire one-of-a-kind projects

Anna Maria Horner's signature style combines the techniques of a seasoned sewer with the vision of an artist. In Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing, she walks you through the fundamentals, offering practical advice on everything from fabric selection to color choices to choosing and buying a sewing machine. Simple step-by-step instructions show you how to turn her designs into fanciful creations:

* Sideways Squares Skirt
* Prairie Blouse
* Full Contact Cooking Apron
* PlayingAlong Quilt
* Doggie Dreams Bed
* And so much more!

Vivid full-color photographs and designs will invite you into the creative process. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, the twenty-four projects in this beautiful book will transform your home and wardrobe into a collection of unique treasures."

Click here to buy the book!

Check out her blog here. It sucks you in, in a good way! I can't stop reading... Her fabric designs are modern and whimsical. I want to buy it all!

Come on tax return...

Happy spending,
Kelli

From Neck to Toe

Just a little note about kerchiefs.
They're easy to sew, easy to wear, and easy on the eyes.
I made this one out of a vintage dress.
Pair with a tee, vest, or minidress.
They go with just about everything!



Happy sewing,
Kelli

Sew it like you mean it!

I finally finished my dress last night! I started it last Saturday, staying up until 5am because I just couldn't stop sewing. The past few days I've been kind of lazy and have only sewed for a few minutes at a time. Last night I finally sewed the hem to make the dress complete! It's really comfy, too! I wore it today with a red, vintage elastic belt, my crochet neckwarmer, and my grandmother's leather riding boots. I still plan on making my own patterns again, but following commercial patterns is the best way for me to get a cheap refresher course!



I used McCall's pattern #M5703:



I'm noticing now, looking at this photo of myself, that it really would have helped for me to match the plaids but I just was too excited and rushed it... It also cracked me to up seeing the image of me above the model on the pattern. Geez, I'm short! :) She's probably at least a foot taller than me! Anyway, I need to get back to crocheting now that the dress is finished, time is running out to finish Christmas gifts.

I hope everyone else's handmade Christmas gifts are coming along, too!

Wishing everyone luck with their Christmas shopping and crafting,
Kelli

Built by Me

I'd been planning to buy the Built by You collection of Simplicity patterns [by Wendy Mullin of Built by Wendy], for awhile now, but the last time I checked, they weren't in this season's Simplicity catalog. I got worried that maybe I missed out, but saw that Joann's was having a sale on sewing patterns this past weekend. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see if they were still available.

I wanted to make sure that I knew exactly what patterns I needed to get, so I visited BuiltbyWendy.com and wrote down all of the pattern numbers. Since they were priced around $15.95 each, I knew I couldn't afford to buy all of them on her site, so it reassured me that Joann's was my best bet. Sorry for not supporting your online sales, Wendy! :( My next virtual stop was Simplicity.com to see if there were any other patterns I should check out while out shopping, but no luck. Nothing could compare to the collection I already had my heart set on. I checked Joann.com to make sure they carried each style. Yes, I realize that my online 'window shopping' is excessive... but the drive down Northwest Expressway in holiday traffic is just annoying, well worth the research before making the trip! As I searched each style number, I found that several were out of print! I hopped in my car right away and drove straight there. To my surprise, they had yet to pull many of the out of print styles I was searching for! I grabbed all nine of the available Built by You patterns and raced to the cashier. I felt like there would be some sort of catch or that they had been incorrectly priced, but the checkout went smoothly.

I left there with nine patterns at $1.99 each! I saved almost $130!!! With around 2 variations of each style in each envelope, I'll have a new wardrobe in no time! I'm so excited. Just a lengthy reminder that doing your online research really does save you money! :)

Here's a look at what I scored!
[images borrowed from BuiltbyWendy.com]



Style #2863


Style #2865


Style #3692


Style #3694


Style #3835


Style #3850


Style #3964


Style #4111


Style #4112


I missed out on these:


Style #3966 - OUT OF PRINT


Style #4109 - OUT OF PRINT


Style #4110 - OUT OF PRINT (but no worries! 4111 and 4112 included these styles!)

An Extra Tip! If you missed the holiday sales at your local fabric stores and still want to grab these at a discounted price, Simplicity.com is offering most of them at half off!

I'll post pictures of the pieces I make from these patterns. Please let me know if you've ever tried them out!

Love always,
Kelli

Home Remodel: Shower Curtain

This is the first thing I've sewed since we began our duplex remodeling extravaganza. I'm slowly but surely, uploading pictures from my camera and this is the only picture that's made it tonight. A friend of mine gave me some fabric so I made this shower curtain using my 1960's Singer sewing machine. I have a feeling that this was its final project! It loves to change the tension mid-sewing and the knobs like to pop off. Anyway! Here it is! Feel free to ignore our walls. We removed most of the wallpaper but have yet to repaint.
Let me know what you think :).



Love always,
Kelli