inspired mama miscellany*

He found this guitar in the closet in my studio and serenaded us all weekend.

Our real foodie group had it's second food swap today. I took oregano plants that I thinned from my herb garden, kombucha SCOBYs, and sets of cotton "unpaper" towels. I brought home freshly baked ciabatta and rye bread, plum butter, strawberries, cherries, plum seeds and recipe cards with cute little bicycles on them. 

Oh, and I made another embellished tank! Hoorah!



i made a dress*

 

 

 

In my last post I shared my desire to make stuff for myself and my family now that I am no longer sewing for my handmade business. Making good on that declaration here is my first completed project of the season - a new dress for ME! I am so excited!

 

The Pattern is The Ashland Dress from Sew Liberated. I used designer quilter's cotton from JoAnns. I installed the prettiest invisible zipper. And this thing fits like, well, like it was made for me!

 

Next up in my queue are darling vintage inspired shorts. I have dreamy visions of creating an entire handmade summer wardrobe. And this evening I dyed enough wool yarn to knit my self a cozy winter sweater.

 

Stay tuned for more selfish crafting posts, friends! 

xx 

ruffled tie tees * another re-fashion

 

I stitched these up for a friend last week.

thrifted tops + men's ties (also thrifted) + vintage buttons = adorable tees! 

 

The tutorial can be found here. Super cute and endless possibilities! So there you go friends, go re-fashion something!



lace appliqued tanks * re-fashion

I picked up several of these lace appliques at a craft market last year. Then last month I found plain tanks on sale at jc penney for $5 each and decided embellishing them would be a quick, easy and super cute project. I searched "lace applique" and "vintage applique" on etsy and found lots of shops selling them for just a couple dollars each - I actually have two more on the way to me. I have decided I need a fancied up tank for every day of the week.

 

 

The first thing  you will want to do is wash and dry your tank top and iron your applique to make sure it is nice and flat. Ironing is not my favorite thing to do but trust me, it will make things so much easier!





 

 

Then place the applique exactly where you want it and pin, pin, pin! Again, pinning is not fun but you don't want anything shifting while you sew, so just do it!



 

Then stitch all around the applique. You can use a ball point needle which is generally recommended when sewing with knits but I just used a regular needle and did not have any issues. I removed my extension table to make it easier to work around the arm holes and neck.

 

 

Once you sew all around clip your thread tails and that's it! Time to wear your adorable new creation! Or you can add buttons like I did to my navy  top in the pics.

 

 



Here are the tanks I have made so far. Eek, aren't they pretty?

 

I have been wearing them with cardigans during the chilly Spring. They are darling with jeans and skirts.

 

I also have these little crocheted flowers and fabric yoyos that I used to embellish a tank last Summer. I don't love the fit of that top so I think I will take them off and sew them to something else. This is another instant gratification project that you can whip up in an afternoon or while watching a movie with your hubby (ask me how I know).

 

 

So there you go, a custom Summer wardrobe in just a few hours! If you make your own tanks be sure to message me so I can see!

 

Happy sewing, friends!

this week*

 on monday while luca napped i cut harper's hair shorter than he has ever wore it. he is, of course, absolutely adorable and it seems to survive the day a little better than his shoulder length golden locks, especially when tucked into a bicycle helmet for an entire afternoon.

 these photos were taken immediately after the cut and i have since fixed it up a bit. like that longish chunk right the behind his ear has been trimmed shorter, for example...

 on tuesday while luca napped i sewed this reversible dress up cape for a little friend's 4th birthday (which is today! YaY!) 

and yesterday we discovered this set of vintage chairs while out thrifting and happily paid $15 (!!) for the two and brought them home. the bottom cushions were dirty but easily cleaned right up. they are perfect for my space and i have been looking for so long for something just like them. but then today i stopped into another favorite thrift store looking for a side table and ottoman and i found an amazing rocking chair. comfy, pretty, and in fantastic shape. gah, i must have it, but where am i going to put it? i am considering putting one of the new green chairs in storage so i can bring the amazing rocker home. that seems reasonable, yes? i think i will sleep on it and decide in the morning. 

happy friday, friends! i hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start! xo

my*january

i decided that i was completely serious when i said i was going to devote the entire month of january to selfish projects, just for me. i am going to knit and sew myself some lovely items and not feel one bit guilty.

i have a couple knit skirts all lined up and we are going to head out to the fabric store in a bit for thread. 

i also have that lisette pattern that i bought so many weeks ago on my mind. 

i am currently knitting a brea bag for myself in green - amazing green.

i might stitch up some pretty patchwork potholders for my kitchen and toss all of the old, charred and ugly potholders.

and i need a duvet cover for the down comforter we received as a christmas gift from my mama.

i likely will not get even half of this list completed this month, or this year. but all of these ideas started swimming around my head the second i allowed myself to think only about {me}.

so, how about it, friends... does anyone want to join me in a month of selfish crafting? be sure to let me know so i can come visit and see your wonderful projects! looking forward!

disclaimer :: i started knitting my sweet husband a pair of charcoal gray knucks early last year and still have not completed them. one is finished and the other only needs the cuff. i might take them to our mom's night out this friday and get.them.done!! just to completely clear my conscience, of course. he really does deserve those hand knit knucks!!

giveaway day :: charming mr. fox

meet mr. fox. he is pretty sweet little fellow, yes? he has been hanging out with my in the studio for a few days. he is great company, i mean really, who could be grumpy in the presence of such a cheerful face?

i sewed him using this pattern. i am making christmas foxes for my little ones too. one for esmé, one for harper, and one for luca. they are all cut out and being worked on a bit each night after the kids are tucked into bed.

now onto the giveaway - i would like to offer this charming mr. fox to one of you! he is approximately 19 inches tall, firmly stuffed so he can be hugged and played with for years to come and is lovingly stitched out of woven cotton, soft cotton flannel and wool felt.

and just look at his darling fluffy tail!

*****

if you would like to give mr. fox a home please leave me a comment telling me so. i would love to hear all about who would be caring for him.

anyone is welcome to enter, i am happy to ship internationally.

comments will be open until december 16th. 

if you feel inclined to follow my little blog and come back again for another visit i would be thrilled, though it is not required to enter this giveaway.

thanks a bunch for stopping by! i hope you win!

xo

visit sew, mama, sew for more amazing giveaways!

comments are closed - i will announce a lucky winner this weekend!

charming mr. fox is currently on his way to meet kate who left the 11th comment ::
I have three daughters, the older two would LOVE Mr. Fox! The little one will too someday - now she's only 2.5 weeks old!
Hope your kids love their foxes too!
Thanks for the chance to win!

handmade workshop :: in progress

just a sneaky peek of the super cute project i am hard at work on {there are four of them, actually!}

i can't wait to come back and share with you!

happy friday, friends!

october!

october feels a little more like autumn, even though it has been 80+ degrees here in boise. it looks like it is going to get cold later in this week (in the 50s!) and i think i am ready. hand knit sweater washed and blocked, recycled wool mitts properly embellished, hoodies for the littles folded neatly next to the front door...

how is the weather in your neck of the woods?

today i am planning a trip to the fabric store to buy this pattern for myself and this one for esme. that's right, i am going to purchase a pattern and fabric then sew her a coat and hope like heck that she loves it. she already looked over the photos and approved this project so maybe it will all be gravy. 

wish me luck, friends.

while you are here be sure check out my wonderful sponsors over there in the side bar! ---->

they each have some amazing offerings! their fun feature posts and super awesome giveaways will start tomorrow! trust me, you will want to come back and check it out.

autumn blessings!

erika

handmade collective

handmade digs, head to toe.

cozy sweater vest with cabled owls (ah, those owls. a favorite of mine!) hand knit by my friend jaime.
reversible pants with mushrooms on the bum made by mama.
sweet soft soled shoes sewn by jamie of brown birdy design, also a local friend.
and under his little trousers is the cutest {not.even.kidding.} cloth diaper ever, stitched up by my crazy-talented girlfriend jess.

and his new hat. goodness how i love his hat. all snuggled up close in the baby carrier i sewed right before he was born.

i also knit that skully hat that my handsome hubby is wearing way back in march of 2008. and i am pretty sure i have not knit him a single thing since. it is his turn, me thinks. so, friends, what should i knit for my boy? a pair of knucks perhaps? or a beer bottle cozy?
if you would be so kind please link up your favorite knitting-for-your-guy pattern(s)!
many thanks! oh, and did you hear... spring is here! ♥

handmade workshop :: market eve

inspired mama MAKES! will be making an appearance at the hip holiday craft market tomorrow. local friends, please do stop by and say hello! here are some of the sweet little goodies i have loving hand crafted just for this event ::

whimsical coloring wallets

learn to knit kits that include a handy little tote, a mini skein of hand painted wool yarn and a set of handmade knitting needles with fabric button caps to match the totes *swoon*.

so many adorable prints to choose from.

i have lots of super fun stocking stuffers too - book marks, rings, hair ties and wool felt flower headbands...

and how fun are these eye spy bags?! everyone in my house has enjoyed playing with them including my husband and my 20 year old brother.

i can't wait to send all of this handmade goodness off to loving homes.
handmade workshop ::2010 has begun!
happy weekend, friends.

new

new {to him} toys.
we joke that this is his command center. he is already pretty handy with all the little controls and knobs and levers like he knows just what they are for. now, to take over the world...

new {to me} studio.
i recently took possession of this spare bedroom in our home and we are in the process of transforming it into a sweet little sewing-crafting-creative-happy-mama space. the walls are no longer pale green. you will have to wait for my next batch of photos to see what color i chose. this project is far from over but already the change is quite amazing and it is feeling like mine. paint is magic.

happy weekending, friends!

now, if it would just get cold...

i {fi-nal-ly!} finished my shalom cardigan. i mean like, totally, ready to wear, finished. washed, blocked, buttons attached, bring on the cold weather. it is warm. and i really like the color. i think it will definitely get some love this winter!


i modified it quite a bit. i used wool from peace fleece in the lena's meadow colorway. rather than binding off after the triple yoke i left the sleeve stitches on some scrap yarn and came back to them later and knit full length sleeves. this would be super cute with 3/4 length sleeves too! the cuffs are knit in the same twisted rib as the yoke.

i also added three button holes-one for each tier of the yoke. the buttons are also from peace fleece. i found them in the bottom of my notion bag and coincidentally there were exactly three of them left. it was meant to be.

hey, summer, you are officially dismissed.

oh hey, a new season is approaching....

...affectionately referred to as BACK TO SCHOOL!

which means i have a new back-to-school project queue keeping me plenty busy. let me share.

i plan to sew this lunch bag for esme ::


i have become obsessed with bento boxes.


i want to sew some little snack bags like these, but i still need to find a food safe liner that i feel comfortable using. any ideas?


this dress is super cute and will be a fabulous project for the yards and yards of michael miller knits that i acquired this summer.

i found this adorable mushroom lunch bag tutorial this morning and when riley saw it he said "i want one!'


why, you ask, would a sixteen year old boy want a mushroom shaped lunch bag? his answer- simple. i'm a fun guy. enough said.