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Liberty Projects

I haven’t gotten much sewing done lately, but I did manage to make a few skirts for my older daughter, one with this fantastic Liberty Tana Lawn print that I bought from B & J Fabrics when we were in New York last month. I must admit that I was a little awestruck by their huge Liberty selection.

And I re-covered my worn out mouse pad using this tutorial that I did a couple of years back. Worked perfectly! I ordered that Liberty print last year from Purl Soho.

You can find the pattern for the girls’ reversible Change Your Mind Skirt as shown below in 1, 2, 3 Sew. If you’re using a Tana Lawn print, just be sure to use some thin interfacing to make the fabric opaque.

Photo by Laura Malek.

 

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Liberty of London Top

Less talk, more craft. One of my summer goals is to make more clothing for myself, so I used this Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabric from Purl Soho (Gray Asami Sayo 1175C) and made this simple blouse. I started in linen with this pattern, but the shape of the center insert and the gathers were just not flattering at all, so I simplified it. It’s still a boxy top, but I think it will work well with a pair of slim capri pants.

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May Flower Hair Clips

I know there are lots of flower tutorials out there, but as I was making these for my daughter’s class fundraiser, I felt that I had gotten them down to a science so thought I’d share. This is a great way to use up those precious Liberty scraps. Head over to Alpha Mom for the full tutorial.

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Snow Day Handbag

The kids have been home from school for three days now! This is what happens when we get snow and ice in Atlanta with very little equipment to clear the roads. We’re definitely starting to get cabin fever, but luckily we have power. I even found some time to sew. For this handbag I again used an embroidered cotton, this time with a Tana Lawn Liberty of London print. Both fabrics were picked up during our visit to Purl Soho back in September.

I made a basic bag, actually quite similar to a simple tote bag, but with knotted straps. I used fusible fleece to reinforce the outer portion and a heavy-weight interfacing to bulk up the lining. There is a magnetic snap and simple pocket on the interior.

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Wrapping Up Christmas

Happy Holidays! I meant to get back here sooner, but Christmas came and just took over. Family in town, making gifts, a bit of snow and actually too much sleep. But I thought I’d catch you up on our handmade gifts. While both girls ended up with a doll house made in a faraway land (my younger daughter thinks China is like Santa’s workshop), there were also some handmade gifts.

I made this iPad case for my mother (pictured above), based on this pattern with a few adjustments. It should be noted that this pattern requires making cuts to masonite with a saw, so if you’re not handy with tools, you may want to substitute with another material or enlist someone’s help. I’m lucky that I made it without a trip to the ER after testing out my new hand-held jigsaw tool. I risked life and limb to make this gift for my mother! I used a Liberty of London wool print and Japanese embroidered cotton, both from Purl Soho.

I also made a simple net book sleeve for my husband (and the computer that we share), made of 3mm wool from Felt-o-rama and Filz Felt. And I’ve been re-living my childhood while scanning in photos for a family album to give to my father and brother (still a work in progress).

Then I made this simple dress for an American Girl doll, made from the sweet roses fabric by Heather Ross. There’s clearly no time for an iron around here. And yes, soon I’ll be making Barbie clothes — just trying to please my discerning audience.

I also made a wrap from this peacock Liberty of London fabric for my mother-in-law and I monogrammed some pillowcases and hand towels. And of course there were handmade gifts from our crafty venture in November. I also bought handmade gifts for the kids from Rabbit! Rabbit! Softies, Nest Pretty Things Kids, Bread and Buttons and a beautiful ceramic piece for my mother along with some handmade baby gifts from the beehive right here in Atlanta.

I hope you’re having a relaxing holiday!