PinkPetunias

Fabric coasters

The other day I made some fabric napkins for a housewarming gift and then the next day I decided to make some coordinating coasters to go with them. I made them the same way as the napkins except I cut the fabric into 4 1/2 inch squares and I added a layer of low loft cotton batting in between the fabric layers. They were just as easy as the napkins. 

Fabric Napkins

Carrie had a great tutorial on making 'green' fabric napkins and I just happen to need a little housewarming gift for some friends. Here is what I whipped up today using some fabric I had just laying around. I think they turned out great. Thanks for the tute, Carrie. 

 

New sewing machine

Look what my honey bought me!

 
Viking Platinum 730 sewing machine (viking photo)

A co-worker was selling his wife's machine that she used only a few times and I jokingly (maybe not so jokingly) asked if Rob wanted to buy me a treat. He said yes! How sweet is he?

I have not used the machine yet. It is still in it's original box in the back of my car. I need to find her a name. Now that I have 2 sewing machines and a serger, I need to personalize them. I will work on that.  

Moda Arcadia fabric

Does anyone love the Arcadia fabric line as much as I do? As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted some. It turns out the hubby likes it too. I am going to make a quilt or duvet cover out of it. Any suggestions? My initial thought was to get a layer cake of ten inch squares and do a simplified version of this. It could be done as a quilt or as the top of the duvet cover. Do you think that would work or should I do something a little more complicated...like piecing the ten inch squares?

  

Little Pillow and Doll Quilt

Sorry for the delay in posting but this past weekend I was in St. Louis visiting family. I will post a few pictures on that later. Anyhow, with all the planning and packing last week and travel this weekend, it was a little too hectic for me to try and post anything.

Now I am finally starting to catch up with things.

Here is the little pillow and pillow case I made for Ellie about 2 weeks ago. I used some scrap flannel and scrap stuffing to make the pillow and took a fat quarter to make the pillow case. 

I also made a little doll quilt for her baby. I followed the same instructions that I used to make her super simple quilt with two changes. One, I used two fat quarters instead of two yards and two, I quilted with a few horizontal lines instead of sewing around random things in the print. It turned out really cute and she just loves it.

 

These took no time at all. Both of these were made when Ellie and I stayed home because she was sick. I was able to make both within an hour with her sitting on my lap. She was so happy sitting there and watching me make things for her. I wish someone could have been there to snap a photo. It was a fun day.

New Fabric?

"Dear New Fabric,

When will you come? I have been patiently waiting for your arrival but my patience is running thin.

Please let me know when I can expect your visit.

Sincerely,
PinkPetunias"

I want to take this:

 

and make this:

It has been a while since I ordered the Heather Ross Far Far Away Frog Prince fabric, well a pre-order, and I have not gotten any updates on where my fabric stands. I really want this fabric so I can make the Amy Butler Barcelona skirt. With the high temps here this weekend (in the 90s), I really think this fabric is ideal for it. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! I want my fabric! NOW!

Binky-free, Day 5

It was a great binky-free day until Ellie was running down the sidewalk as we were leaving daycare. She now has scuffed up knees. No bleeding but my little one was upset and cried for her binky for a minute or two. After she got boo-boo kisses, wiped up and the promise of yogurt, she was all better. We went straight to the store for some yogurt and then went out to dinner together. It was such a nice time to just sit and watch her. I think it was the first time just the two of us went out to dinner. I think we might have to make it a regular outing.

I am starting to think the blog is becoming all about Ellie. Well, it is "a little place in the world where everything is all about me" and she is the biggest part of my life so I think I can say when I talk about her, I am talking about me. Right?

Off to cut out some cherry printed fabric for another reversible dress. I think this next one will use ribbon at the shoulder in place of the buttons I used in the last one. Keep you posted on my progress.

A Little Reversible Dress for Ellie

Here is a quick phone pic of a dress I made Ellie Friday night. It only took me an hour and half to make. I have a couple of patterns for a similar dress but was not sure on the sizes so I ended up tracing a Carter's dress that fits her perfectly onto wax paper. I added half an inch for seam allowance when I cut it out. I followed these two tutorials on how to make a dress reversible. For the most part, I followed the first one but I like that the second one did the bottom hem last. Trust me, you will spend less time seam ripping if you do it that way. I am going to make this dress again. I am going to do at least two more but I want to follow each tutorial from beginning to end to see which is easier. 

Ignore the shadows in the picture. I wanted to snap a quick pic to send a Cutie Alert (CA) to her daddy since he was off golfing this past weekend. The other side is the same patterned fabric but the color is an aqua. I will include more pics later. 

Everything went wrong

Did you ever have one of those days? Sunday was one of those days where everything went wrong. I tried making a dress for Ellie, notice I said tried. The dress should have been a one afternoon project. That would be the case if my head was in the right place. First, I sewed the 3 yoke pieces together with the wrong sides together...that means the seams were on the OUTSIDE. Rip! Then when I attached the assembled yoke pieces to the skirt, I did it again. The seams were on the outside. Rip! Then after I fixed that, I turned the dress right-side out to see my progress. OMG, when I reassembled the yoke pieces, I did not pay attention to right and left. The dress arm holes on the back were all out of wack and if I even attempted to put a zipper in, there would not have been enough room for her neck! RIP!!!! So I sat on the sofa and ripped again and pinned it all back together. Tonight I will look to make sure I pinned it correctly and reattach everything. Hopefully, I will be in a better frame of mind and not make any mistakes tonight. I will post some pictures when I have it completed.

A tutorial first

Oh I just knew I felt a tutorial coming on. Here is a sneak peak. I will post pictures as soon as I do the last finishing stitches and add the big red button. With any luck I can type up the tutorial later this weekend.