Small accomplishments

Finished my little sewing kit today. It was an enjoyable slow stitching project. I think it's good to do small projects that have new to me techniques because then I can see if it is something that I enjoy and even if I don't like it, the project gets finished because it is small. Crazy patch and hand embroidery will be something that I will continue. It was fun and meditative to do.

So what did you play with this week?

Here's a couple more pics of my sewing kit.

Help...I cannot stop making them!

My version of an old, vintage towel

Remember back a few weeks ago when I shared my chicken tea towels? If not, go here and then scroll to the bottom of the page to see and read about them! I made two immediately because they were so fun to do. The pattern and instructions were free from my local Craft Warehouse. I bought the chicken fabric and wide ric rac from them. They have the pattern available for free so you, too, can make one twenty. 😃 Click here for pattern instructions.

Since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking of tea towels and how I can modify it to give an entirely different look and feel. The picture above is my idea of what a vintage handmade towel would look like if I were able to find one in perfect condition in an antique store. The fabric is a linen (60%) / cotton (40%) blend and is wonderful. I prewashed it so I wouldn't have issues later on.

Next, I questioned myself with how I could redo the pattern in order to get the look I wanted. Initially, I was going to do some hand embroidery which would have looked nice but I decided to go a different route and got out my pintucking foot and using a double needle created all of the pintucking you see. Then I looked for a stitch in my Bernina that would exactly fit the void inside the tucks. I also used a very, very narrow ric rac that someone left on the free table of my quilt guild. All of the thread used was to mimic the unusual color of that ric rac.

I even used an old, vintage button from my button jar!

Up close and personal look at the pintucking and machine stitching.

Have I convinced you to make a tea towel yet?

Honey Would You? Why Yes, I would love to!

You may have noticed from my previous post. My husband and I love to cook together. After our bivalve class, he mentioned that he would really like his own apron. Our grandparents were smart and wore an apron anytime during cooking and sometimes cleaning to keep clothes clean and extend the life of garments. I think my generation got away from wearing aprons once clothing became inexpensive; therefore making them easier to replace.

Tracy had specific requirements for the top area and placement of how he would like it to fit. I used some newspaper print and started drafting a pattern based on his requests. I got a little carried away and added some features that I thought he would like and that would make it easy to use. It was a fun project. This would be a great project for anyone because you really can't mess up an apron.

Here are some other pictures of the sides and back.

No ties! This setup keeps the apron just where you want it. For this application, you need to pin fit it to your person or add a button and buttonholes so that it is adjustable if you are making it as a surprise gift.

Side clip with adjustable strap. Although, once you set it, you really never have to adjust it again. To remove, simply unclip and slip off. He can do it in one easy step.

Other side has the strap sewn in. The dark material on the edge you see is a vinyl material I added that looks just like leather. It covers up each side of the strap, gives a nice masculine look, and made the areas sturdy.

Try making yourself a custom apron based on what you like. Wouldn't this be a nice tradition to start up again with family members!

My most challenging project...

Newly finished couch slipcover

 Making a fitted slipcover for my wonderful couch that is still in awesome shape was extremely challenging for me, but as of last night, I am officially finished with everything except the narrow hem for the back which will need to wait until my hands recover. I'm very proud to have it finished. The pillows you see is what the couch looks like underneath her covering. We were sick to death of the pattern and color, but having the pillows as an accent isn't bad. I'll live with it for a bit before deciding whether to recover them as well. If I were to do it again and not to distant in the future, I'm sure it would be much easier having had the first one to get the hiccups ironed out. My Bernina was a trouper and didn't balk at me until the end when the layers of material got very excessive. It was slow going one stitch at a time, but I made it. I understand why upholstery professionals own commercial walking foot machines.

I'm pretty proud of how the sides came out. In order to get the cover to be fitted, I added a length of velcro on the seam line underneath the arm and my sweet husband was kind enough to add the sticky side of the velcro to the couch using a staple gun. It worked perfectly! Prior to doing that, the fabric from the bottom part of the outside arm wanted to hang out from the body of the couch a bit. It wasn't bad looking at all. I just like a more tailored appearance.

My other project was a fun one -- Kitchen Towels! I've made two so far and have plans for several others.

And so you, too, can join in on the fun, I am attaching the link to my local craft store that is giving away the instructions and pattern for free! Click HERE! I'd love to see your versions of the kitchen towel if you make one/many!

Waiting for a customer order to arrive but for now I think I will add a few more rows to my rug in progress.