Sew,
What’s your Fancy?
June
18, 2012
I
fondly recall the days I spent helping (and learning) my Momee, Ethel
Landreneau, sew for us. She made
dresses, bubble rompers, Halloween costumes – you name it, she could do
it! I distinctly remember taking on a
sewing lesson during one year of 4H and decided to make an apron. Momee helped me every step of the way. I can’t remember if my project won anything
but I remember the time spent with my grandmother. Thank you 4H for a great memory.
Since
having Graham, I’ve often thought – I can do that, and so much cheaper! – when
looking at various items of clothing for him.
Then, last summer during Graham’s swimming lessons, I complimented
another mom on her daughter’s dress. Turns
out she MADE the dress for Catherine (and happened to be a high school
classmate of Ben’s – Who says Baton Rouge is a big town?). I was intrigued and excited – someone my age
sews too! Jenny is not only a great
seamstress; she’s a pattern maker too.
Check out her great patterns here or her awesome blog here!
I’ve
learned in the last year or so that lots of people are sewing! I saved my pennies and bought a sewing
machine in February. (This is the one
I got!)
That same weekend I sewed Graham some shorts.
Then I sewed another pair of shorts for a friend’s son’s 2nd
birthday. (Where did those pictures
go!!?)
Lately,
I’ve been trying to learn. I took a
sewing class at The Crafty Shack
of Louisiana a
couple weeks ago and was introduced to laminated cotton and created this little
beauty in no time at all!
(I
actually made two that day and then two more for my coworkers!)
Fabric
& Ribbon: The Crafty Shack of LA
Then,
on pinterest or somewhere online, I found this nifty pattern to make a baby
changing clutch and remembered this awesome madras plaid laminated fabric I’d
seen earlier…and one Saturday afternoon, I made this!
 |
| before |
 |
| a clutch diaper changing pad! |
Fabric
& Bias Tape: The Crafty Shack of LA
Accessories:
Found in my house
Following
those small projects, came a challenge!
Jenny needed a pattern tester for her newest Boy’s Classic
Fit Pants so I volunteered. Doesn’t
Graham look cute in his blue seer sucker with crawfish?
Fabric:
The Crafty Shack of LA
After
a conversation with Jenny, she inspired me to try something for ME. I was determined to make a dress based on a
post she had on her blog…My
Date Night Dress…and gave it a try! I found a great rayon print and tried to mimic
her dress. (Imitation is the greatest
form of flattery, right?) I asked her a
couple questions and did a little internet research and here’s the final
result. My only disappointment is that I
forgot to add pockets! Oh well, next
time, right?
Fabric: Hancock Fabrics (Sherwood & Florida Blvd)
Pattern: a pillowcase dress for an adult with an elastic waist ...
I even whipped up these clown pants for Graham (late) last night for his Circus Character day! I had a button hole boo boo and had to use the bias tape to fix it! Thankfully, he comes by a "clown wig" naturally, so with a bit of colored hair spray we were able to be a clown with almost no effort!
Pattern: a pillowcase dress for an adult with an elastic waist ...
I even whipped up these clown pants for Graham (late) last night for his Circus Character day! I had a button hole boo boo and had to use the bias tape to fix it! Thankfully, he comes by a "clown wig" naturally, so with a bit of colored hair spray we were able to be a clown with almost no effort!
 |
| Graham the Clown! |
Next step, ZIPPERS. They scare me, but I need to tackle that task because I found a great skirt pattern that calls for a zipper!
Thank you Momee for the foundation and inspiration and thanks to Jenny for the encouragement!
What do you think I should make next?
Until
next time…
