The thing about craft books

The thing about craft books is that you can never have too many. Am I right? I picked up these two recently on a whim and have been enjoying thumbing through both. I find craft books so inspiring. The projects are always stunning and seam so...attainable in all their glossy glory. I mean come on, they make it look so easy, all perfectly lit, beautifully styled, professionally photographed and, well, complete.

In the Liberty book, I'm particularly liking this Mad Plaid Quilt. I've been struggling with quilt designs lately, and I find the simplicity of this one very appealing.

Ditto for this Seashore Baby Quilt. It reminds me of one of Denyse Schmidt's designs from a few years ago. Sigh. Everything looks so pretty done with Liberty fabrics, doesn't it.

I pretty much bought the Makery book based on this Cuckoo Clock project. A fabric clock? Yes, please!

I've also had my eye on the Hand-carved Rubber Stamps. I'm pretty sure I could figure out how to make these myself, but it's always good to learn from those with more experience. Crafty authors are so good about including helpful tips alongside the basic instructions.

On a somewhat related note, I've made up a few fabric bookmarks which will be on sale at the Northern Artery Christmas Market on November 30. Have you seen these before? They just slip over the corner of your page(s) to mark your spot in a book. Yet another great scrap-busting project.

A little quick change action

Friends of ours recently welcomed a new addition to their family [on Friday the 13th of all days!] Such a lovely event deserves a little something handmade, don't you think?

Once again, I turned to one of my favourite sewing books for a little inspiration: Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings. Of all the projects in that book, the Quick Change Trouser pattern is the one you're likely to see most often on the sewing blogs of the world. Surprisingly, I hadn't tackled it myself  - until now.

It's a pretty easy pattern to whip up. So, I made TWO pairs of pants for the little guy.

Side #1

Actually, since these are reversible, it's almost like I made him FOUR pairs of pants! I took pictures of the back to show off the contrasting fabric I used on the back yoke of each. The double layers should keep the babe nice and warm and the roomy seat should be big enough to handle his cloth diapers with ease [I hope!]

Side #2...Used different fabrics on the reverse side of one pair to change things up a bit.

The next challenge will be getting out to see the new baby before he gets to big for these pants!

Little purple riding hood

After watching a video much like this one a few years ago, we stopped putting Abner into her car seat with her coat on. I figured she was better off a little chilly than being strapped so loosely into her seat. It wasn't such a big deal when we were living on the West Coast. But now that we're here on the prairies, there's no way she can go without something on in the car.

For the first few weeks of winter we've been shuttling her out to the car in her coat, quickly taking it off to strap her in and then covering her up with her coat draped across her lap. Not surprisingly, she's not thrilled with having to take her coat off in the freezing cold. What's a crafty mom to do?

Enter the car cape.

It's actually the Little Red Riding Hood pattern from Oliver + S: Little Things to Sew. Can you tell how much I'm enjoying that book? I think I've sewn more patterns from it than any other book on my shelf. It's a brilliant pattern for our purposes. Abner can use the side slits to get her hands out while still keeping herself mostly covered and warm.

Snug as a bug tucked into her car seat.

I went way off pattern and used a fluffy purple fleece for the main fabric. It was a pain to sew and holy moly there was a tonne of purple fluff floating around the house afterward. But, it is definitely cozy. I lined it with a basic polka dot flannel to keep it nice and soft.

Look - the straps are done up and everything!

It was a chilly day when we took these photos and Abner got quite warm in the short time we were outside. I think that bodes well for her staying warm in this thing even on the coldest of days. It also looks pretty cute, don't you think?

Pretty in pink: oliver + s messenger bag

One of the best sewing books I've purchased in recent memory has got to be oliver + s: little things to sew. I drooled over it in the bookstore and was so excited when the first project I completed (the reversible bucket hat) turned out beautifully. My second project turned out equally well, don't you think?

This is the kids' version of the messenger bag pattern. I used an Old Navy twill backed with light-weight interfacing for the outside and lined it in a super cute Michael Miller for Vera Bradley fabric called Tea Garden (which I can't find online anywhere to link to!).

The pattern was super easy to follow but I did have to improvise when it came to the adjustable strap. Apparently you just can't buy 1.5 inch strap adjusters in this town. A buckle did the trick, though it is a wee bit bulkier than the strap adjuster would have been. Ah well - it works, and that's what matters.

I was also too lazy to manually make bias tape in the width suggested so I used my bias tape maker to quickly prepare some slightly narrower binding. It made things a little trickier to be sure, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Plus, it saved me about a half hour at the ironing board! Perhaps Santa will bring me another bias tape maker...hint, hint.

This little bag is off to a new home for Christmas, but I think I just may have to whip one up for Abner in the new year.

Un lapin pour l'école

Today was Abner's first day of French immersion preschool (hence the French title of this post). I thought it would be nice to surprise her with a little gift this morning, so last night I whipped up this bunny from 1-2-3 Sew. The fabric is Wee Play by American Jane Patterns and the face was hand stitched on cream flannel.

It was so sweet to see Abner tucked into the bike trailer this morning on our way to school clutching her new bunny. She was adamant that her new friend be strapped in just like she was...next she'll want me to make her a bunny bike helmet!

For those who are curious, the first school drop off went well...no tears for either of us. When I left, she was sitting at a table reading some books by herself. I can't wait to pick her up and hear about her first day of school!

Books are good for you!

My sewing machine has been in the shop all week. It seems like cruel torture to send it off having only just been reunited with it after the big move. I remind myself that it's all worthwhile since it will be in tip top shape once I get it back on Monday. To bide my time until then, I've been pouring over some of my sewing books looking for inspiration.

Susan Beal's Modern Log Cabin Quilting book is proving a handy guide to a quilting technique I've wanted to learn for a while. I was drawn to this book because of the stunning quilt on the cover (which reminds me a lot of the pink cross quilt I started a few months ago). I haven't actually attempted my own log cabin blocks just yet, but it's on my list (somewhere between making curtains for the new house and designing a new tree skirt for our Christmas tree).

Susan's t-shirt memory quilt has also caught my eye since I've been commissioned to make yet another t-shirt quilt for a friend. I'm not sure it would work for this particular project, but it might be worth a try on the next one.

1, 2, 3 Sew by Ellen Juckett Baker is another book that I've taken off the shelf lately. The simplicity of her projects is very appealing. I love the idea of sitting down to start a project and being able to finish in just a couple of hours rather than days (or, ya know, years).

Aren't these little blockhead animals cute?!?!? I can't wait to make one of those little bunnies!

This circle floor pillow has actually inspired me to create a new custom quilt project...more to come on that later.

I'm not gonna lie, that tee pee on the cover is the main reason I bought Med McElwee's new book, Growing Up Sew Liberated. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want one of those tee pees to play in?!

In truth, I will probably skip the tee pee pattern and attempt some of these fabulous knit projects instead. Now that Abner is a bit older, I definitely find it a bit harder to find books with patterns in her size. I appreciate that Meg has included designs for babies and little kids alike.

What sewing books are you reading these days?

Borrowing leads to buying

Last year I borrowed this book from Miranda and loved it! I'm a sucker for a good quilting book so I picked up my own copy recently on a trip to Fabricana. [I love that they've started carrying books now even if I am reasonably sure I'm the only customer buying them.]

I've got my eye on a few quilts already including Ice Pops which appeals to my neat and orderly nature.

I'm totally looking forward to trying the Flock of Triangles pattern after reading this half-square triangles tutorial on Oh, Fransson. So easy and so classic, though...do people really need to follow a pattern to make this quilt? Seriously?

And the Hop, Skip & A Jump pattern may look a little familiar to regular Milkybeer readers since it was the inspiration for the anniversary quilt I made my parents last year. So easy to do and such a nice look.

So many quilts...so little time.

Reversible bucket hat cuteness

It doesn't happen often, but last week, I actually sat down to sew up one of the patterns from my expanding selection of crafty books. The pattern? The Reversible Bucket Hat from Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson. The result? This adorable little hat which sits so sweetly atop my adorable little girl's curls. It will be so perfect for summer...bring on the sun!

Sewing book shopping...again

Dear Readers, please let me introduce you to my newest sewing book purchase: Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S fame. It just hit bookstores earlier this month and I'm already in love. Read more about it after the jump!

Sewing 101: Patterns

A friend of mine recently decided to get back in front of her sewing machine after a long hiatus and came to me with questions about where to buy patterns these days. I remember when I first started sewing - must be over 20 years ago now (and, yes, I did start sewing when I was five, thankyouverymuch) - you had to venture out to the fabric store, sit down at those banks of pattern books and dig through massive filing cabinets filled with patterns. My how times have changed.

For those of you just getting back into sewing, and those that are just starting out, here are a few of my favourite pattern resources to get you started.

Anyone read Japanese?

Let me introduce you to my latest obsession: Japanese sewing books. And, yes, they really are written almost entirely in Japanese...no handy dandy English translations to help you out...only illustrations to help guide you along.

I first stumbled across this one, Stylish Girl's Clothes, on Make Something. If I could, I would only dress Abner in clothes just like these. Aren't they adorable? I love the simple lines and non-kiddish colours and fabrics.

Isn't the styling of this book just incredible? Seriously, could I have those floors please?

One thing I really like about this book is the coordinating pages for spring/summer and fall/winter. I don't think assembling complete outfits is my forte so these pages are super helpful for folks like me.

Aren't these little hooded capes cute? And that drop-waist skirt on the facing page, is just so sweet. I picked up some remnant fabric at a friend's place yesterday and already have plans to use it on this skirt.

Here is another new addition to my growing collection. It's called Heart Warming Life Series: Little Girls' Outfits. My brother picked it up for me for Christmas and I absolutely love it! This one has much more detailed pictures with the instructions, so I imagine it's going to be easier to work from. Why there is a picture of a little girl eating a giant cracker on the front, I don't know, but it's still cute.

This vintage-y shirt reminds me of some of the pieces I might have worn when I was little (hello '80s!).

Given our rainy West Coast weather, this sweet little rain coat will be a must-make this spring. Can't you just picture Abner's curls spilling out beneath that sun hat? Seriously...so much cuteness, I just might explode.

OK...I love these shorts. It's actually the detail on the bum of them that I love the most, but it just didn't seem quite right to post a picture specifically of that little girl's back side. Trust me - it's a cute detail and I will definitely attempt to make a pair of these for Abner.

If you would like to pick up your own copies of either book, both were purchased from The Workroom in Toronto. Would love to know if anyone has seen them in the Vancouver area.

A patchwork must-have

On a recent trip to the fabric store, they got me with an unplanned purchase right at the till.* There, on the shelf, sitting next to the hideous batik charm packs (it's a fabric term...look it up) was Elizabeth Hartman's new book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork. I've been following Elizabeth's blog for months now and always drool over her projects online, and now I can do it in print too!

As much as I love quilting, I still have so much to learn. This book is fantastic no matter what your skill level. The projects are categorized based on level of difficulty, but the instructions are so straightforward, I think I could even manage the most difficult ones right off the bat. Here are a few of the quilts I'm going to take a stab at...as soon as Christmas is over. Good grief, I have a lot of sewing to get done before the holiday officially kicks off!

*Actually, I make unplanned purchases at the fabric store quite often. When I went to pick up tea towel fabric for the advent bags, I walked out with 12 m of quilting cotton. 12 m people! I am weak. But behold the additions to my stash!

See Abner. See Abner in her new housecoat.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, Abner has discovered Dick and Jane. We borrowed one of their books a few weeks back and at times, it's been tough to wrestle it out of her hands. So, when I set out to make a little housecoat for Abner a couple of weeks ago, picking the Dick and Jane flannel was a no brainer!

The pattern is from Making Children's Clothes: 25 stylish step-by-step sewing projects for 0-5 years (which I borrowed from Miranda). She whipped up one for her little guy a couple of months ago, so I knew the pattern was a cute one. I did make one modification though; I added a patch pocket to the front. You can kind of see it in the image below. I cut out a piece of the fabric to include the names and pictures of both Dick and Jane and sewed it on in line with the overall pattern so that it kind of blends in.

I also wisely used a seam foot for the first time to do the top stitching. Why have I never used one of these before?!?!?! Perfect 1/4 inch seams!

I was originally planning to use a light weight terry for the lining, but opted instead to go with this candy striper flannel instead. Such a smart move since it's plenty thick and warm as it is!

Abner's certainly been enjoying it so far!

On our last visit chez Hudsonny, we couldn't resist dressing both kids up in their little housecoats...how cute are they!?!?! Thank God Miranda was able to capture the cuteness for me! If I'd posted my own pictures, all you'd be looking at is a blur of colour on a pretty white bed. Thanks Miranda...it pays to have friends with better photography skills than one's self.

Perhaps we're just a little bit crazy making our kids put on flannel robes on one of the hottest days of the year, but when the result is this adorable, who could resist?