The Mint Needle

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving spending it with their loves. I lucked out this year and got to enjoy some delicious food, none of which I slaved over;) At home, we've been enjoying sleeping in & lounging around since the girls are on a mini holiday break ~ hot peppermint cocoa, fireside family time, & fuzzy blankets. The weather here is cold, cold, cold and there's enough snow for two more states! But I gotta admit, it's beautiful & peaceful. We've been spending time cuddling up with books, making craft projects, and of course stitching. Here's a little look! ~Words to live by~ Here's to welcoming December!

I recently saw a great quote on Pinterest: If you want it, but it doesn't exist. Create it. That pretty much sums up the idea between putting these patterns together. A two-tone dress, clean lines, retro shape, and knit fabric for comfort.   This dress falls at perfect mid calf length & was pieced together rather easily considering I didn't pay attention to measurements as tediously as I should've. I only ended up re-doing the waist once for a better fit. In my world, this means success. So are there any ideas I shall note, if ever attempted again? Well of course there are! 1. Pay attention to the main lines of the dress. Don't pick tops that can't be easily attached to the bottoms. The narrow waist in the top is what made this do-able with the bottom. 2. Make sure your 2 patterns have the same fabric choice recommendations. This will help overall in the flow of your garment. 3. Note measurements before anything! (This should have been ...

I've had Amy Butler's  book, Style Stitches, sitting on my shelf for quite some time. (Yeah.... the copyright date will tell you I'm long overdue.)  I've been wanting to make Amy's bags for sooooo long but it seems I've always had too many other projects going on until now . From the go...let me say Amy Butler's patterns get a typical review of 5 stars and I can totally see why! These directions were simple to follow and in the end... an adorable wristlet. Of course, I'm already debating on how to manipulate the pattern for a different look. (Gotta love my mom for some good tips.) I only did pleats on one side. The reason... I wasn't sure about how they'd look. Needless to say, the next bags will be pleated on both sides! The interior is finished completely showing no open seams. I love it! What have I turned my attention to now you ask? Well, has anybody tried combining two different patterns for a tota...

Here's a little number with the cutest bias tape:) McCall's M6354 was fun to assemble! Sporting french seams throughout, I had my moments of thinking jersey knit was not a great choice. But overall, I am utterly satisfied with the outcome. I chose a floral pattern for the bias tape because it had the perfect tones of peach as well. Bias tape is super easy to to make and can become addictive if you have the speedy tools to help. ~Remember to offset your bias tape to create one long strip~   I love to wrap homemade bias tape around my daughters old flashcards. They're the perfect size to keep them organized! The dress before adding the waist band. It easily could have been left as so. The completed piece ~ This is the moment I realized I want 3 more all in different colors! Rayon challis bottoms with knit tops?  And of course, I'm already onto other things.  How about an Amy Butler handbag with pleats?  Here'...

Hey readers! Today's post is about another wonderful sewing excursion I've embarked upon. Helping make these beautiful aprons for my daughters and nieces. Nope, these aren't the baking, gardening, or party aprons like you see in the etsy shop.    Instead, they are handmade with needlework, velvet, lace, & fringe. The girls, along with my two nephews have the wonderful experience of participating in Serbian folklore dancing at our church. The costumes as a whole are just gorgeous, but the aprons are my favorite;) My mother did the needlework using a wide cross stitch grid and placing it onto the velvet. The wider the grid, the easier it is to pull the fibers out, leaving only the floral design. I completed them by piecing together the different layers: the lining, trim, face, & waistband. The end result was beautiful and just makes me want  to do a little of my own cross stitching as well.  Moms ~ How they do inspire:) And below... This lo...