Holiday gifting

I hope you have been having a happy holiday season! It has been a crazy couple of weeks here. How do the holidays manage to slip by so quickly??? I haven't done a lot of crafting lately, but I did manage a couple of things.

Noodlehead Gathered Clutch teacher gift:

Love this pattern!

And another:

I can't seem to stop making them.

Emmeline Apron hostess gift:

Having recently made one of these, this one went together very quickly (even the hand-stitching part!). My only complaint this time around has to do with the fabrics. I initially bought some American Made Brand solid in brick for the accent (straps, ties, etc.). But when I went to prewash it, there was bleeding. So I washed again. And again. After the fifth time (and it was still bleeding), I decided to go get some Kona. I've never had a problem with Kona solids bleeding, but sure enough-- when I went to prewash the Kona burgundy, it bled. And bled. And so on. Gah!

Finally, I took the time to do a little research and learned about Retayne. It is a wash additive that works to set colors and prevent bleeding. I ran to my LQS and picked up a small bottle. I used a couple of teaspoons in a load with both fabrics. After a dry cycle, I washed them both again with just a little detergent. The color catcher came out white. It worked!!!! This stuff is chemical magic! Suffice to say-- after the bleeding stopped, the project went very smoothly. And my friend loved it!

Iron-on transfer sweatshirt:

Big Bear's favorite video game of late is Rogue Legacy. It is an indie game made by a small company. Unfortunately, because they are so small, they don't sell any cool game-related swag. So I created my own and gave it to my son for Christmas. I purchased a plain navy sweatshirt (it was a 50/50 poly/cotton blend), and then used Avery Dark Fabric Iron-On Transfer Sheets to print out the game title logo. I just followed the instructions with the sheets, and it worked great! My only complaint is that the colors in the transfer definitely dimmed and yellowed a bit in the ironing process. But it still looks okay. And he LOVES it. He has been wearing his new sweatshirt every day. Yay!!!

In addition to the above, I also gave my boys new pillowcases and gifted the "Serenitea Quilt" to my mother-in-law.

The projects were all pretty low-stress (excepting the apron... bleeding fabric stresses me out) and I gave myself plenty of time to get them finished (excepting the apron... finished a couple of hours before the event). (Of course, what kind of holiday would it be if there was no stressed-out crafting going on???) Overall, it was a good season for crafty gift giving!

A hostess gift

This year we will be spending Thanksgiving with friends at their home. I recently went shopping with the lady of the house and she casually mentioned that she didn't have an apron, but could totally use one. Thus, a hostess gift was born:

This is the fabulous Emmeline Apron from Sew Liberated. I made one up a few years ago for myself and still use and love it. It is feminine without being frilly, practical, and super cute.

I also love that it is reversible! The floral fabric is a lovely William Morris print from my stash (I think I bought it in 1998... so it's been in there awhile!) and the geometric print is from a recent Moda release, the "Simply Style" collection from V. and Co. The accent is Kona Navy. I think they all work really well together!

The instructions were great. I even did the suggested ladder-stitch this time around (last time, I just whip-stitched it closed) for a super-clean finish along the bodice inside edges. I then went a step further and machine top-stitched around the strap and down along the outside edge of the bodice (pictured above). I just like the finish that gives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Emmeline Apron

The Emmeline Apron pattern from Sew Liberated (formerly Montessori by Hand) was one I had been admiring for months. Then I saw that Stacy Sews and Monkey Foot Designs were having a sew along contest featuring that pattern. It was just the impetus I needed to get me sewing! Fortunately for me, they extended the deadline to June 15-- so I can still enter my version into the pool (so many gorgeous entries!).

Though I do love Empire waistlines, they sometimes don't work so well on my rather buxom figure. But making an adjustment to account for that ended up being really simple. I measured from my high bust, down and over and under the fullest part of my bust to about where my bra band sits. I took that measurement and then just lengthened the pattern piece to match (I ended up adding about 4"). I didn't mess with the width or the top or bottom accent bands at all because I felt they would provide plenty of coverage across my front as is.

I'm really happy with the finished apron—it's really pretty flattering, I think. And I love that it is reversible!

Front:


Reverse:


I used a home dec weight cotton for the front and a regular quilting cotton for the reverse, both from Hancock Fabrics.