Santa Hat

The person who this is meant for doesn't read this blog (I don't think). But, just to be safe, I waited to share it until after I gave it to her. 

It's from Kwik Sew 3743, which might be out of print, but you can still get it. I saw the zebra-print fleece on sale and I couldn't resist - my mom LOVES animal prints of all kinds. 

Everything went together quickly. I used the serger for everything except the pompom. 

Pins and Needles

Are you looking for a last-minute gift for the sewist in your life? May I humbly suggest a wrist pincushion? 

For real, putting pins and needles in your mouth is dangerous. Don't. Just don't. I'm even a little leery of holding stitch markers in my mouth, since I read the above story.

I don't have a pattern for these. The round one was a little hard to make. The rectangle was easier. I used scrap fabric, scrap elastic and cut-up cardstock. The cardstock is to put on the bottom of the cushion, so you can't accidentally stick yourself in the arm with a pin. Very heavy felt might also work, too, but I didn't have any of that. 

For the elastic, make a casing about an inch longer than the elastic by sewing a tube, then turning it inside out. The elastic will gather it a little bit, but it will still be able to stretch and fit over your hand when you pull it on. 

If you're weird like me, you might want at least two of these suckers. One is for "regular" pins. The other, in knit fabric, is for ballpoint-head (knit fabric only) pins. I hate trying to guess which is which!

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Purple Peasant Top

I picked up some purple jersey at Jo-Anns and knew that I wanted to make a peasant-style top out of it. Paired with Stretch & Sew 1582 - perfection! I love these patterns not just because they are fun, but for the attention to detail. The sleeve isn't just a straight hem gathered into elastic. It's curved, so that it really fits the curve of your arm. I'm not saying that modern sewing patterns don't have this feature, but I really appreciate it, when I see it.

The neckline is kind of cool, too. The little self-fabric ties are there, but they're assisted by wider elastic. So, you get the look of little fabric ties with the gathering capability of a nice, wide elastic. Lovely. 

I like the length and the hem, but if I make it again, I might change it to a shirt-hem style.

Poppy Panel Skirt

Yes, this selfie is at the gym because I don't have a full-length mirror with good light at home. I should probably change that, at some point.

I saw this panel print poplin on Marcy Tilton's website and I knew I just had. to. have. it.

I had Butterick's 5466 skirt pattern, so I decided to try view B with this fantastic print. 

LOVE IT!

I'm now tempted to try to find some fabric the same color as the hot pink in the poppies to make a top. It would have to be a perfect match to work, so we'll see if I ever manage it. I think white would also look good.