Some new tops and these damn jeans

I have been absent from this space for quite some time. Let's catch up. I spent September on a sewing rampage. I was participating in SewPhotoHop over on Instagram. I had a solid sewing plan and really stayed on track that month. If you are interested you can see my plan here. I even impressed myself as I was able to complete 6 out of the nine projects and am currently working on the seventh, my Kalle cropped top. Three of the tops I made are pictured here. First up is the In The Folds Peplum Tank, which is a free pattern available from Peppermint Magazine.



I had seen this top around the blogoshpere and thought it was adorable. My first (unblogged) version was a nightmare to me. The armholes were way too low, the peplum hit at the wrong spot on my torso and was way to peplum-y if you get my drift. I had an idea that I could make adjustments and make it work. While this top still has some issues, I think it works pretty well. Weather it does or not, it holds a cherished place in my wardrobe because I am absolutely smitten with this fabric! It is a rayon crepe that I purchased from LAFinch fabrics. I had never used Rayon crepe but it is delightfully squishy and soft. Between the soft hand, the colors (the colors!) and the pattern of this fabric, I am simply in love.

As you can see I lengthened this top, lowered the peplum placement and made the front an a-line, sans peplum. I also shortened the shoulder pieces in order to raise the armholes, which helped a lot.





Overall I am very happy with this top. I love the v detail in the back and will get a lot of wear out of this piece. The peplum in the back makes it a tad hard to layer, so this is mostly a warmer weather piece.



I also whipped up a few knit tops, which were much needed in my wardrobe. I had scored some rayon adobe colored knits, also from LA Finch fabrics and made these two tops with them. I never though I was a pink person, but apparently now I am. Do your favorite colors change throughout the years like mine do?

This first top is made from Simplicity 1366, a Cynthia Rowley pattern, which is actually designed for woven fabrics. This is somewhat of a revelation for me as it definitely expands my options for sewing with knits. I cut it in a size 12 and left off the sleeves. I made sleeve bands and a neckband. You can see another view of this top here, but I wanted to show it untucked as well. I straightened out the side seams and shortened the front of the top by 3". After sewing one of the armbands on the wrong way I had to take the sides in even more, tapering out to the original hemline. I love this top and plan to use the pattern again and again both for knits and woven.



This top is a copy of a kimono sleeve ready to wear knit top that I wore to death a few years ago. I did not destroy it to make the pattern but simply traced it off. I am also happy with the fit on this one. I accidentally got some ink from a pen on it the other day. Any tips on how to get that out? Also, check out my cochineal dyed yarn! My mom and I collected the cochineal from her cactus plants in September. I did not dry them properly but simply boiled them to make a dye bath. I couldn't believe how well it worked.



And finally, these damn jeans. I am embarrassed that I wear them so often, as proven here. And this just goes to show how badly I need to make everyday jeans and pants for myself. Next up is the Lander Pants Pattern from True Bias. I am a bit nervous but I see great versions all over the place so it seems to be a really well drafted pants pattern. Wish me luck!

I almost forgot to mention that I spent most of October working on our yard and painting our living room. I should say we worked on it, as it was a joint effort between Frank and myself. I took vacation for my birthday in early November and spent half the week at my parents working on our little camper renovation and the other half at home celebrating my birthday. The highlight of the vacation for me was the last day when the weather was perfect and we took Pearl on a hike at Mineral Wells State park. We explored Penitentiary Hollow, a ravine that is popular with rock climbers. We had it to ourselves that day and it was magical!

Belated Vacation Pictures

I went on vacation in mid July but haven hesitated posting anything because all I have to show for it are these Instagram pictures. Oh well, it was so relaxing AND productive that I have to share! We went to visit my family in the Texas Hill Country. Frank stayed for the weekend and then I stayed a few more days. Mom and I dyed a ton of fabric, which was one of my main goals. She taught me Ice dyeing, Indigo and I played around with painting with dyes a la Sallie Oh, with mixed results. I now have supplies to do this stuff at home, though I also have such a huge stash of fabric to sew through that I might not dye anything for a while.

The Ice Dyeing was my favorite. I love the unpredictability and the striking results!


Some of my newly dyed fabric stash, Solids, Indigo Shibori and Linen with dye sprinkled randomly.


The painted silks were fun to do, though my first attempt came out hideous! I didn't go in with a plan and just made a mess of it. I will overdye and rescue that ugly piece. These I love, but the bigger one faded a lot after they dried. I had watered down the dye and that was a bad idea. I will go back and add more color to make it more intense.

We swam several days in a row, and I even got a tan! This is Blue Hole in Wimberely and it was COLD. I also went to Barton Springs and swam in the San Marcos River. I don't get to swim often at home, and the swimming holes in the Hill Country are one of the main reasons that I want to move there. It is simply the only thing that makes sense when Texas heats up.

We went to Fredricksburg for the flea Market and ice cream, then swung by Luckenbach for a beer on the way home. It was such a wonderful vacation and I'm ready to go back. Work has been exhausting and though I had been sewing and working out and eating well, the last week of work threw a wrench in my plans and I have just fallen behind on everything. I'm off work today and am working on last minute birthday presents for Karlie, who turns five one week from today. She wanted a Hawk Girl Costume this year. I didn't think I would get it done but I'm having fun with it and it is coming together well. I have many unblogged sewing projects but do post frequently on Instagram these days.  Check me out if you want to see what I'm making.

Karlie's baby doll blanket

I shared a little bit of this project but I don't think it got it's due here. My niece Karlie told me that she wanted me to make a blanket for her baby dolls for Christmas. I shared a little of my progress during the ice storm in December. It came together just in time for Christmas, and besides the skirt I made her, was my only truly handmade Christmas gift last year. I hand dyed tiny bits of yarn and it worked out just right. This whole blanket only took two balls of sock yarn and lots of patience.
The pattern is free and the link is on my Ravelry project page.




 I just had to get her a new doll to go with the blanket. I got her the Alejandra doll from the My Generation Doll collection at Target. They are like a budget friendly American Girl Doll and are all really cute. I love that they come in different ethnicity's and there are tons of cute accessories and clothes that I can give her for future gifts.  I also made the little pillow from scraps of fabric that I have used for her in the past. 

2013 A Year in Review

I love looking back on what I have made and accomplished in a year. The process gives me a sense of fulfillment. Even if I haven't stuck to my plan or accomplished all of my goals I can see all the wonderful things that have happened. I did quite a bit of sewing in 2013. It was definitely my crafting focus. I mostly sewed for myself and Karlie, with a home decor project and one knit and one crochet completed. I would always like to make more, but here is what I completed and photographed last year.


I still have a couple of un-photographed pieces that I completed for myself.  I tend to go on sewing binges and make a few things.  I don't have a sewing room, so my machine and everything else get spread out on the dining room table.  Eventually I get tired of looking at it or we are having company so they get put away for a while.  I have so many more sewing projects cut and ready to go, so I have high hopes for this year.  I love sewing for Karlie as the projects are always high on cute factor, and easy with no fitting woes.  I do want to knit more this year.  I have conquered knitting to the extent that I can read patterns and it isn't totally alien to me know.  However I am the slowest knitter ever and can't imagine making a sweater, though I really want to!

You may be wondering why I never share jewelry anymore. That is because I rarely make new designs these days. With working full time my jewelry making is mostly limited to items that sell on Etsy. The rest of my time is devoted to selfish sewing and crafting. I did finish two new pieces just in the nick of time for Christmas, and both of which I am very proud of! The first is a Mother's pendant which was commissioned by a friend.

 The second is a Pendant for my mom that I started a Year and a Half ago! It went smoothly at first and then just came to a point where no matter what I did I couldn't solder on the prongs that I had planned. Finally it dawned on my to just change my plan and make it work. It isn't the best crafstmanship I've ever done, but considering my stale skills and the fact that it was a new design for me I am pleased. I love the little flower with the Peridot center. Karlie's birthstone is a Peridot and her middle name is Rose, so this is sort of a Grandmother's pendant for mom.

This time last year I had declared 2013 The Year of The Home. I made one pillow. I did do better with houseplants and with arranging some of my collections better. I do still want to give our home more love. With a big roof replacement pending and possibly more long overdue renovations, perhaps this year that wish will come true. In 2013 I ran a 10K and kept on running throughout the year, when the weather cooperated. We joined a gym but didn't stick with it, but hope to get back soon. Frank actually liked working out for the first time ever, which was a big change! We took a real vacation and I hope it's not another nine years before the next one. One of my biggest joys in life is traveling and going on adventures with Frank, so I hope that we can enjoy more of that together. We do as many small adventures together as we can, going on local trails and wandering through the woods. I had the best birthday yet last year! It included friends, family and a picnic in the woods with Frank.

For 2014 I plan to continue my selfish crafting. I want to get back in the gym and continue running outside as much as possible. We are going to attempt the Whole30 challenge, cutting out alcohol, sugar, dairy and grains for a month. I am also focusing on being more grateful. Life is never perfect, but I have a lot to be thankful for! Happy New Year Friends! xoxo Ashley

Hand Dyed Silk Top

I made this top last year and it is one of my favorite handmade items. My mom and I had an impromptu Indigo dyeing session before they moved away and I used the silk that she gave me for this project.


 

Here is a close up of the fabric.
 

The pattern is McCalls 6205, which was actually intended for knits. I knew there would be a lot of ease in this pattern so I cut an XS, but then ended up adding about 1/2" back in on the side seam right under the arm holes. I also shortened the pattern quite a bit, almost too much in the front though I still love this top.

I'm about to cut this pattern out in a knit, with a neckline variation.  It is definitely a fav now.

I have been toying with the idea lately of dyeing my own fabrics and investing in dyes.  I always relied on my mom for those sorts of projects but she is too far away now.  I have lots of ideas stored away.  Sallie Oh just posted a great tutorial on the basics of dyeing and painting fabrics.  It just may give me the push I need to get started.

Flowers For Karlie

My (almost 4 year old) niece Karlie is a total girlie girl. She loves headbands, having her hair braided and fixed and only wants to wear dresses to school. The funny thing is she is also a little dare devil. I finally got around to making her some headbands and I have more planned. I think these are so freaking adorable!

The top one is made with wool felt and this tutorial.  The bottom one is linen and this tutorial.


It took some practice to get the felt flowers right. I may make clips with these little ones.

Perfect evidence of Karlie's girliness. She had her hair braided in a heart at the salon.

Belated Belated

This is a super belated sharing of Gretchen's super belated Birthday gift. I started this project after her birthday, which is six days after mine in November. I don't think I got it in the mail to her until early February. I hand dyed some ombre yarn, which was a cool technique to learn. I knit it in endless stockinette and I'm a slow knitter anyways. It is just a big triangular scarf. I like the way it turned out.

I love the stippling effect that the dye created.

I intended this doo-dad to be a brooch but I thought it came out too big, so it is just a thing-a-ma-bob to look at. I embroidered on felt and stuffed it with polyfil.

I always enjoy making things for friends, sometimes I'm just a little late doing so.

R for Robin

Goodness, going through my photos and organizing them makes me realize I haven't been a very good or consistent blogger lately. I have so much to share, but work and everything else tend to get in the way. I'll start with the most recent thing that I want to share with you.

Our good friend Robin had a birthday last week and we came up with such a personal and lovely gift. We know her pretty well and knew she would love this, and she does. I saw this idea on Pinterest, so I can't take full credit. Robin told me that she wanted a cool succulent planter like we gave her last year. When we got to Lowes they had a ton of varieties of succulents and I was literally jumping up and down with excitement!
 

We found the perfect hollow metal R at Hobby Lobby.
 

See, I still do metal work. We had to get the top off so that we could plant the succulents in the R.

It took a little while but we got it done and spray painted the R orange.

Here it is all planted up with the succulents. Isn't that clever?! I want an A for my backyard.

We had so much fun with this project, Frank and I really enjoyed the process and it came out great. I love it when things work out.

A Scarf for me

My lovely friend Robin gave me a gift certificate to Madtosh Crafts for my birthday. I used it for this gorgeous Tosh Vintage yarn. I think this is the nicest yarn I have ever worked with. I picked the yarn first and then had to find an appropriate pattern. That was hard! I spent weeks obsessing and having such a hard time choosing but finally went with the Saroyan scarf. It really isn't hard at all and is a perfect intro to lace knitting. It is going faster than expected too. I can't wait to wear it with my gray jacket, I picked the color just for that.

Unrelated to knitting, but exciting none the less, my husband Frank and his friend John have just launched a Band Camp page for their new musical venture, Wire Nest.  Check it out, you just might dig it.

I Turn to Baking and Crafting

I saw the horrible news from Connecticut on my lunch break at work last week. My heart goes out to all of the families that were affected by such a senseless act of terror and to the whole community of Newtown. It was a gray day here, which felt appropriate. I went home from work and turned to my Christmas baking and crafting for comfort.

Baking and crafting are my small way of sharing love with my family and friends, and this year my coworkers. I love to bake and make things for people and I love that these small things can bring joy to others. We are having a much smaller Christmas this year because of Frank being sick and off work. At first that made me sad, but now that I'm not running around, stressed out and tired, I'm enjoying the season. We will buy a few gifts, but I'm making more and that is really what I enjoy about the season. Baking, crafting, eating great food and being with family and friends. That is what it should be about.

Love to you and yours this in this stressful holiday season.
xoxo
Ashley

On The Table

I had two days off in a row this week, which is a nice treat. I feel like I accomplished a lot yesterday, but still have so much to do.

I have quite a few projects going on at once. I'm still knitting the triangle scarf, and I'm working on a felt garland, which I have been wanting to make for several years. I'm also working on a shopping list for Christmas baking.  Between Pinterest, blogs, magazines and our traditional recipes I'm overwhelmed with options.
 

I made Karlie this Christmas dress with kint fabric from Girl Charlee. I'm putting a little early Christmas package in the mail to her today with some ornaments for her tree and this outfit.

I do plan on doing a little bit of decorating, but it will be last minute like usual. I got an amaryllis bulb and some paper whites at work that I need to plant up. I don't know if they will bloom in time for Christmas but I'm okay with that.

We had a cold fromnt come through on Sunday and it hasn't quite warmed up yet. Between a pain in my hip and the cold I haven't been for a jog since Friday. I'm afraid the cold will drive me inside for the next few months, which I hate. I'm a Texan and a wimp apparently!

Frank put Lucy in her sweater yesterday morning and she got really excited about it. She is always cold in the winter and it is the only time of year that she cuddles willingly.
 

I have been shopping for craft supplies for Christmas gifts and I have so many ideas for things to make for our house. I am so indecisive though and never know where to start. I think I need to start collecting small pieces of quilters cotton that I love for pillows and such. I'm not sure how that works when you don't have a pattern or plan in place. I have always shopped for fabric with a pattern in mind. I suppose I should just get a quarter yard of each to start a quilting stash?

I hope your Holiday planning and shopping is not too stressful and that you enjoy the season.

Karlie's Guitar

I have to share Karlie's other birthday present.

I found a little child sized guitar at my favorite thrift shop earlier this year. We sanded and spray painted the top with pink glitter paint. Frank had the genius idea to give her stickers to put on the back and sides of the guitar.

She was a little shy with it at first but seemed to like it. I hope it gives her a little spark of creativity and that she continues to love to sing.