Spring Top Sewalong 2011 Entry #2: Floating Flowers Top

Introducing my second top to enter into the Spring Top Sewalong.  It’s fun to have a contest to enter, just so it motivates me to finish projects.  Once I sat down and got started, this shirt only took me a few hours (including the time it took to figure out to embellish this one…that’s ALWAYS the hardest/longest part for me!)

The way the flowers are positioned, they appear to be floating upon the shirt.  It reminds me of lily pads on a pond for some reason.  I like the comfort of the t-shirt, but love the embellishment.  It makes me feel kinda fancy.

I made the pattern based off one of my favorite shirts.  I got the knit from Joann's (It's a thicker knit, and not my favorite, but it worked for this project).

~Lynette~

Spring Top Sewalong 2011 Entry #1: Cloudy Wisps Top

After Christmas I bought two yards of fabric in different colors so I could make some cute shirts for myself.  It’s now the beginning of May and I’ve finally got them both finished.  That’s what student teaching will do to you. Trust me.

I finished the gray one in March sometime, and absolutely love it!  I patterned the shirt after one of my favorites, whose company went of out business and then was re-bought by another company, but their clothes just aren’t the same.  Thankfully, I could recreate the pattern using my shirt, and added some ruffle detail.  I’m entering this shirt in the Spring Top Sewalong held by Made By Rae.  You should check it out, it’s a lot of fun!

(A close up of the ruffle and raw looking neckline)

The shirt is modeled by my cute sister.  (After reading the contest rules, I snapped a quick picture of myself wearing the shirt –it fits me a bit better anyways!  It will be below this paragraph!) The sleeves are half sleeve/three fourths length, for some extra coverage and warmth when I need it.  The neckline is finished by folding a strip of fabric over the ruffles and sewing them so the edges of the strip will be exposed.  The shirt reminds me of wisps of cloud in the spring skies, so that’s it’s name!

Thanks for visiting!

~Lynette~

Tutorial: Making Ruffles the Easy Way!

Today I’m going to show you the way I make ruffles…the easy way.  I learned this from my mother-in-law who has several sewing tricks up her sleeve.  She learned them from working in a sewing factory when she was in her teens.

You’ll need:  Fabric you want gathered, coordinating thread and bobbin
(I used black thread on yellow so you can see what I’m doing!)

Set your machine stitch width to a zigzag.  I like it to be a big one, but just make it a good size.  I do a regular stitch length, about a 3 on my machine.

Before you start sewing, go ahead and pull both the bobbin and the top thread out until it’s a little longer than the length of the material you are going to gather.  Then put the material under the presser foot and lay the thread you pulled out on top of the material as shown above.
We’ll sew a zigzag stitch on top of the thread you pulled out.

When you’re done, it should look like this! 

ONLY trim the threads that just sewed the zigzag.  Keep the threads that you pulled out of the machine before sewing long.  I’ve cut all the threads several times and had to start over!  bummer, so be careful when cutting threads!

Now take those tails and pull to gather, just like you do when you gather with the bobbin thread.  This way is easier, faster, and it gets a more uniform ruffle.  I’ve used this for LONG pieces of fabric, and short ones.  It works the same.

Now you’ve got a gathered piece for your project.  This works great on knits for t-shirt refashions, or cottons for gathers in bags or other projects!  Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday: Thankful for Protection from Snakes!

I have decided to start blogging weekly about something I am currently thankful for.  I may have a story to share of a blessing that has touched my family, or I may have something small that I have been thankful for throughout the week.  I will also challenge you in the comments to share something you’re thankful for!  I will call this, “Thankful Thursday.”

On Saturday last weekend, my husband and I traveled to his family’s ranch to have a barbeque/picnic.  It was just the two of us, and it was a lot of fun.  I rode the four-wheeler around while my husband watched the fire, and then we decided to walk around and look around a bit.  There are a few sheds and different structures around the ranch, and my husband was showing me some of them.  He showed me inside one of the sheds, and then we were going to walk around the other side of the building to see another thing.  As we were walking, he said, “You wanna keep exploring?  It kinda makes you nervous doesn’t it?”  I said, “Ya, but it’s okay.”

About 10 seconds later, we hear a rattle snake’s rattle.  I look down, and my husband is about an inch (or less—it happened too fast to tell) away from the snake.  The snake was coiled, and the rattle was shaking and loud.  The snake was right next to my husband (to the right of him), and sitting right at his feet.  Afterwards, my husband said he didn’t know if he stepped on it, or was just very close.

I turned and ran, and so did my husband.  My husband said he didn’t have to ask me to move out of his way!  We were both safe, and okay, but I was super traumatized.  We were about an hour’s drive away from hospital, so getting there fast would have been hard had something bad happened.

About 20 minutes later, we said a blessing on the food.  I prayed that we’d be able to calm down from seeing the snake and be able to enjoy our meal together.  I walked around a rock/cement island meant to prepare food on, and almost stepped on a small garden snake that was moving quickly across the rocks.  I was doubly traumatized by then (I still see that rattle snake when I close my eyes!).  I knew that this snake could not hurt us, but it told me we needed to get out of there quickly if we’d already ran into two snakes in less than an hour.  We ate quickly and left, and got home safely.

After this experience, I have been more aware of the the times that I have been protected from harm by my Heavenly Father.  My husband and I have both had several scares with semi-trucks during the last few months while we’ve been commuting to and from work/school.  We have been very blessed to be protected, and this experience has brought an awareness in me that I can’t fully express in words.

Thanks for reading!  I challenge you to write a comment sharing something you are thankful for this week!

P.S. Tomorrow’s my last day of Student Teaching and I’ll definitely be back and blogging next week! :)

13.5 weeks down...2.5 to go!

Hi friends!  I'm getting closer to having a real life again!  I'm more than halfway done with my second placement, and have only one more assignment to finish for my portfolio!  Then I'll just correct typos and turn everything in again for my final grade.  I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Who knew that it would take me six years to get a bachelor's degree, but considering that I took a year off to get married and move several times, I'm doing well.  My program is a five year degree anyways!  I'm just glad I'm really close!  Can't wait to blog more frequently!
Thanks for your support!
Lynette

A Quick Hello

Hi all!  I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive and well.  I’m insanely busy with student teaching currently, but also loving it!  I have a little less than 3 weeks left of my first placement, and then I have 8 weeks with preschoolers with disabilities.  I am getting closer to graduating from college and doing other things on my priority list…like blogging, cooking dinner for my husband more regularly, and keeping laundry done! :)

I’ll be back, but it may not be before the end of April!  I’ve done a few little sewing projects lately (like hemming pants and putting adjustable waistbands in dress pants), but haven’t taken time to take pictures.  Maybe I’ll just do a quick round-up post after I graduate, because lesson plans are simply more pressing!

Hope you all are doing well!  Thanks for reading, even though I’ve been quite absent lately!

Lynette

It’s a New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  I’ve been seeing several bloggers talk about their new year’s resolutions, and decided that it would be a good idea if I had some too.  But FIRST….let’s roll back a year and see how I did on last year’s resolutions!

Last year, I wanted to:

1. Keep my (clothes) closet clean and organized.

The problem was my undershirts.  They were always stuffed somewhere because I couldn’t ever find the color I was looking for!  I purchased one of these over the door organizers for like $8 to put my undershirts in.  I folded the undershirts in half and rolled them up and kept them color coordinated.  (I also stuffed swimming suits, belts, and headbands in extra pockets.)  I hung this on our bedroom door until we moved a few weeks ago (the hanging things would ruin our doors in the new apartment).  I now have the undershirts rolled up in dollar store baskets on a shelf.  Works fabulously!

2.  Craft at least a couple hours a week to stay sane.

As I was evaluating, I wondered if I had really done this.  I’m sure I missed a week or two due to moves, big papers, or lack of inspiration, but I sure did pretty well.  Some of my favorite projects from this year include:

Apple Green Ruffle T

First Quilt Ever

Purse/Makeup Organizers

I look forward to another year of crafting (but we all know by now it will mostly be of sewing!)

3.  Say, “No,” more often to things that aren’t important.

I am doing lots better!  A few years ago, I said yes to everything asked of me even if it wasn’t important!  This year, I said no to orchestra performances, church meetings, a few job offers, and pampered chef or card-making parties, just to name a few.  Every time I was asked to do something that wasn’t top priority and said “No,” it got easier to say “No,” the next time. 

And now, we have a brand new year to make NEW resolutions.  Hooray for more changes!  Here’s 2011’s three resolutions for me:

1.  Continue FLYING and refuse to let my perfectionism stop me from trying something new or start a task.

2.  Read the Ensign magazine for 7 minutes each week.

3.  Do my best in student teaching this semester and GRADUATE from college in May!

What are you working on this year?

~Lynette~