FINALLY

Okay, so I have not been slacking...I have been making a pillow for my friend Shawna. It was her 30th birthday and I wanted to make her something. But since I am new at the sewing thing...my options were limited. I saw this pillow online and thought it was very cute. Now, I definitely changed it up and it did not look exactly like this but I think that is the fun part about creating something original. Jake did bring it to my attention that a pillow is a random present and it will probably get little use...yes but oh well.

(I apologize for the photos...they were taken on my phone because I was so into the project I must have forgotten to get the actual camera out...so sorry)

Another things...I should start by saying that I got the information from Elizabeth Hartman with Sew, Mama Sew!

Here is what I did:

First I created these little flowers which apparently are called YoYo's...If you can learn to create these, you can use them for a lot of things.



I created 25 of these YoYos in 2 different fabrics. The dark fabric was thinker and harder to pull the thread through making the centers not as tight as the light colored Yoyo. So 25 I did...and then I hand sewed all of them together... (they are sitting on another pillow, the polka dots is not the background of the completed pillow)



After I completed this, my mom suggested adding buttons. I have a lot so I went through and found some cute buttons that would jazz up the YoYos. This my friends, was not an easy task. All buttons are not created equal and some are on there very tight and some are not. Adding the buttons definitely made this a non-functional pillow and now can sit on a chair in the back of the room. But it definitely gave it more depth and added interest to the pillow.



Next it was time to sew it all together. I knew that with the buttons and the backing fabric we were going to have to change the shape a little bit to make it a stronger pillow. I went to my sewing guru Anne and she hooked me up! Not only did I learn to do an envelope backing with a tie but I also learned to do ties and piping (a little). After a long night of sewing we completed the project and it turned out very cute. (again, sorry for the poor photos)



So, once completed, I sent off to the birthday girl. Yea!!

Stay tuned...today I am sewing a couple more presents for people so I will update you on Monday. Have a great weekend!

YEA!!!

I am celebrating two things in this post. First, that my lovely mother came over and fixed my sewing machine. It was pretty bad...but she came through and fixed it! She rocks!

Next, I completed my first stuffed animal. While he looks okay from afar he has a few issues that I learned from for the next one. First, I think he would be cute if I hand sew the whole thing but that would defeat my purpose of learning with the sewing machine. I will definitely be trying this again but with some modifications. I also learned that it is definitely helpful to sew all outside pieces first and then sew his body together. For some reason I sewed the eyes on but not the nose before sewing him all together. Who knows...probably my impatient nature getting the best of me.

When my mom can over she suggested doing more square items to practice and to start with as the circular bottom is harder to sew. Her suggestion was to change the owl into SpongeBob...no thanks. Anyway, I have been practicing my straight lines as well and hope to have a lot more projects with better seems in the near future.

Last night I was making the cutest (hopefully) owl and my sewing machine got a little sick. It is currently not working and I have called in back up for help. My mom is coming over tomorrow to hopefully fix whatever is wrong with it. Knowing me, it is probably something I did and is an easy fix. Cross your fingers!

Hopefully the next post will be a cute stuffed owl! :)

Hello....

So, I had a very busy week since my last post. I had to go to Austin for work for a few days and then to my bride-to-be best friend for her last hooray as a single lady. Well, needless to say that I have been having a lot of fun! I am so excited for Lindsay and know that she will make a great wife and a beautiful bride.

This weekend we are going back to Austin for Labor Day to float the river. I am sure this will be a fantastic time! It is a work reunion of a few co-workers that were all stuck together by a crazy boss and a pretty crazy company. Anyway, it will be great to see them and get a little R& R for the last long weekend of summer. I do live Texas though so I have at least 6 more weeks of heat ahead...ugg!!

Anyway, I am doing a little practicing tonight and hope to have something to post...better then my first...one can only hope. Anyway, stay tuned...

First attempt...I mean practice

It pains me to even post this picture. It is pretty awful but it is my first time and I would never show anyone this if I had not committed myself to showing all of my progression in this crazy sewing land I have gotten myself into. So, this is an eye glass case or is an attempt to be. The fabric is really cute but did not photo very well. It is cherry blossoms on read fabric. Anyway, so again I am going to try to make the eye glass case a little better this time. Definitely with even lines and stitching all the way around the top. Yes, it is sad this poor eye glass case but hopefully try #2 will turn out with much more success!!

Ahhh...It's Anne

This is my friend Anne. She is super talented and probably the most creative person I know when it comes to everything crafty. So, when I wanted to learn to sew I immediately asked her. She has 3 kids so I knew that her patience would be very high when dealing with my lack of knowledge about the sewing machine. Numerous times in the past I have attempted to learn with my mother but no success...well I take that back, she taught me to thread and set up everything which I know is half the battle.

Anyway, last week I went to Anne's for sewing 101....which is exactly what it said on her chalkboard door in her kitchen. Along with my welcome, I was greeted with a list of the basic supplies that I need to start my sewing endeavor. How does she manage all of this? Seriously, she is super mom and sewing lady. Anyway, after following her direction and the steps in my book...we were able to bust out a Tiny Tote. Literally, the tiniest thing you have ever seen. A bag for a 2 year old if you will. So cute and not too terrible but I definitely need some practice. Here is a picture of my first creation...stay tuned for more...

Sew what?

Well...again, it has been forever. A few other blogs have inspired me and my new found hobby of sewing. So I figured for the next few, well...how ever long it takes me..I will take you through my journey of learning to sewing. From beginner to hopefully a professional...I will take you through what I hope has a happy ending with curtains and gifts galore. I will also try to keep up with my favorite things and let you know what I find out there on the internet that I love or want really badly.

For now, I say happy sewing and good luck to me!!