Craft Hope quilt . . .

After the earthquake in Haiti a few weeks ago, an organization called Craft Hope opened an etsy shop and started accepting donations from crafters around the world. All proceeds from the sales are going to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. Their initial goal of raising $5000 has been smashed and they have raised in excess of $27,000!

So on to my contribution . . . this is a quilt top that I had pieced some time ago but never finished off. The fabric line is Heather Ross’s West Hill collection (Matryoska Dolls and Floral Stripe). I had actually won this fabric off someone's blog, and the fabric that I used for the backing and binding was bought with a gift certificate that I had also won from an online sewing contest. I had forgotten how soft this fabric is and really enjoyed playing with it again as I quilted it and added the binding. The quilt got listed last night on the Craft Hope etsy shop and was purchased this morning.I'm linking this to Sew and Tell Friday. Go there to find some sewing inspiration!

stacking coins . . .

So I had a bunch of scraps left over from Alyssa's quilt, scraps from clothes I've made for the girls, and a stack of charms that I had won online. So what better way to show them all than in a rug and curtains for Alyssa's room? Here's two variations of a stacked coin design.For the rug, some woven material on sale at our local fabric store was pieced with the cottons for the top, the woven material was used again for the backing, and a rubber material stitched to the back so it wouldn't slide around.For the curtains, a solid white cotton was used with the charms, and a blackout material for the backing.And voila! A fun coordinating room that she won't outgrow too soon (aside from the toddler bed). Now to work on those bare walls . . .

some sewing . . .

A little while ago I had the priviledge of being a pattern tester for The Handmade Dress. The pattern is called Miss Alice and is now available for sale. I made a size 5 with the intention of giving it to Chantel. It was a very quick and easy pattern. I really love the style of the yoke and think it's just a great touch. The dress is quite long with the intention of being modest and after I completed it - I thought that it better suited Elayna. But my girls are more of skirt and pants kinda girls and their Sunday dresses are often more dressy than this. So after I had taken some pics of it on Elayna, I shortened the length, removed the belt, and made a pair of matching narrow pants; and now we have another school outfit for Chantel. I added the rutching to the side of the pants and a raw applique as an after-thought (had I thought it out before-hand, I would've done the applique first and added more of the flowers and a butterfly from the fabric). I will definitely make this pattern again, I think it would look sweet in a cotton or knit for more of a spring/summer style (I'm already picturing it with some capri leggings). I've also seen it completed in baby-sizes and they look especially sweet.

Another project I've completed won't be seen too much, but will be worn lots. A pair of pull-on training panties for Alyssa, complete with pocket opening to put an insert in if needed. It was my second attempt as the first pair wasn't a good fit. She seems to love them and I'm hoping to whip up a bunch more pairs since they only took about 10 minutes to complete.