Bamboo/Cotton Dress

This is a dress I made using 40% bamboo and 60% cotton poplin fabric. This fabric is so light and soft, perfect for a summer dress. I also love the design of the print, a simple leaf pattern in bright orange and white. I lined the top with a white cotton voile and embroidered my name on the inside.

Inspiration: Fleetwood Mac, I saw them in concert last night and it was awesome! It's hard to believe they're still performing and so good at it.

Recycled Fabric for Curtains

Here's a project I made from recycled fabric. I often shop at thrift stores in search of fabric. Not necessarily fabric by the yard, but clothing items that I can see making something else out of. My mother thinks this is gross and I need to be careful of the energy I take in from others peoples stuff but I don't feel the same way. It's rewarding to transform something that's been discarded into something useful. Not to mention I save money and make a small contribution to saving the environment.
Months ago I found this hideous dress at the salvation army. At the time I was thinking about making a purse or appliquéing the flowers onto something but I wasn't sure. The bright colors in the pattern caught my eye, I liked that it was retro and the dress was huge so it would supply me with a substantial amount of fabric.
Then I moved into my new apartment and saw I needed kitchen windows I pulled this out of my collection. It was a really simple project. The bottom hem of the curtains is the original hem from the dress. I just finished the sides and made the loop at the top. I love my curtains and they go perfect with the funky 70's linoleum on the kitchen floor!

Japanese Fabric Wallet :)

I finished a wallet I sewed, using the Imported Japanese fabric from Designer Etsuko Furuya. I'm very pleased with the way it came out. I created the pattern as I went along. I plan on making this wallet a first of many and possibly printing a pattern for a make-it-yourself kit. This could be difficult for me since making the same thing over and over again eventually starts to feel like daunting work rather than a creative challenge.

Overall, this is a hearty wallet. I seriously doubt that it will ever fall apart. I used a heavy fusible interfacing for the back piece. The interior contains layers of hidden fabric, fused with stitch witchery. The majority of the seams are stitched twice. I have a change purse with a zipper on the outside. There are several card slots on the inside, including a clear plastic one for displaying an ID and two pouches for bills or checks. The owl on the front is an applique that I attached with stitch witchery and free motion sewing.

Heather Ross Duvet Cover

Today, I want to share a project I completed months ago after Designer Heather Ross released her Mendocino collection. I absolutely love this collection for many reasons. The main reason I love it is the ocean theme, with mermaids and sea creatures. I've lived my entire life by the ocean, so I have a soft spot for ocean fabric. Unfortunately, most of the prints I see coming through the fabric shop give me the feeling of a tacky tourist shop. Her collection has a more modern feel. I love the colors she chose and the soft fine touch of the material. With that said it comes as no surprise that I chose to make a duvet cover for myself. I thought this project would be easier than it turned out to be. I didn't realize until I started making it that I would need to match up the tiny pattern and that the top would consist of three pieces instead of just two. I also was not aware of the space I would need to lay it out. My tiny bedroom at the time was not set up for that, but it all worked out and I love it. I used a solid kona cotton for the bottom piece and a zipper for entry at the bottom. To make it even more grand, I added tie downs in each corner of the interior so my comforter wouldn't shift or bunch up.

Forties Pinup Resin Buttons!

I set a new project into motion. Since I work at a fabric store, I'm constantly getting inspired by new items we receive. For example, these adorable resin buttons arrived today. They're a set of 7 Forties Pinup Buttons - each button is a different image. I'm using these buttons as an opportunity I to make a cute little midnight blue knit sweater. The fabric I picked for the sweater is shown in the picture, under the buttons. I can't wait! Lots of work to do :)