Mom's day gift

I had to quickly whip up something for my mom for mothers day tonight. We are having an early get together tomorrow. My mom is a sewer herself so making something for her is extra special in some ways because she feels like I'm taking on her legacy. But at the same time I know she could just do it herself and probably even better.

My mom is not a big into purses and likes to just have a little zipper wallet she can put in her back pocket. So that is what I made her. I traced my husbands wallet to get the right size and then away I went. I was very quick and I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Although I do have one wonky seam at the edge of the zipper where it was extra thick from the front pockets I added.

I recently got a serger on Craigs list. I didn't want to spend a lot on a new one since I am such a beginner. It is nearly as old as I am. And figuring out how to thread it almost caused me to repost it in hopes of getting my money back. But persistence paid off and it works great!!! So I decided not to line the inside and just serged the edges.

101 One-Yard Wonders

When I first started sewing all of a few months ago, my husband got me this book for Valentines day. I just love it. I've made a least a half dozen of the projects already. Most recently I have made this rocket ship pillow. I decided to make it out of Flannel to make it extra soft. Its going to be a big brother present for soon to be 2 year old son of a friend of ours. I hope he will like it! I might decided to make an astronaut to go with it. I recently found a pattern for sale on another site.

I've also made the Pleated Girly Skirt and Patches the Turtle for my 3 year old, the quilted lunch bag for myself, and the kite is a work in progress. I hope to get it finished soon so we can use it one of these weekends. Next projects I will do from this book are the "Good Hat day" Hat and the Flouncy bag.

This is a good book for beginner sewers, I have learned a lot of techniques doing these different projects. But they are still simple and fun. It has also opened up my creative mind. A lot of these projects are just no pattern-measure and cut concept projects. For example I made the Latte Changing Pad for my cousins new baby. Since then I have made a half dozen more, changing each one so now it is so different from the original idea, I consider it my own. Its not like I needed a pattern to make a rectangle shaped pad, I just would never had thought about it until I saw it in the book.

In short...this book makes-me-sew-happy.

Spring Top Challenge

Here is a top I made myself for a Spring Top contest over at www.made-by-rae.com.

I almost didn't enter since it is a pretty plain nothing special top. I decided that since I made it, I would enter and see. You never know, maybe I will win. Ha ha.

It's the first top I've ever made. And hey I think I WILL wear it!

I used Simplicity 5502 pattern in option C. I had to enlarge the pattern quite a bit to make it my size. Even though, it was supposedly in my size. Way to make a girl feel even larger than she already knows she is!!!!

I got the pattern at the thrift store for 39 cents! It was never cut, so brand new basically.

I got the fabric at Mill End Textiles. Wow that place is overwhelming. I have just been shopping at Joann's Fabric which is nothing like this warehouse style shopping. But still no SA Harris. Now that place you could really get lost in.

My First entry!

I recently started sewing. I've been feeling so busy with work and house chores and finding time to be a good mom and wife. I needed something to do at the end of the day to feel creative and excited about. So in January decided to buy a beginners sewing machine. I have sewed before in my life, but never finished a project. My mom is a super sewer. She has made many a cute outfit for my niece and nephews and my own daughters. The kids' favorite are the Christmas pajamas they get each year. As I get older, I find myself picking up more of my mothers traits and hobbies. Last summer I started canning like her also.

The machine arrived a few days later and I have been sewing something nearly every single night since. Some things turn out better than others, but I learning something new from every single thing I flop.

I've been secretly watching and reading a few sewing blogs over the months and wanted to make my own blog. Not that I am half as creative as these other women.

So welcome to my space to display the things I've made along the way as I learn to sew and make fun things for the people I love.

Jessica