A new top

Wow I have been completely absent from blogland. Well, I am back and here's a top ready for spring! This is a Simplicity 2593 made with voile by Anna Maria Horner. It's very light weight and silky smooth. The garment is finished with french seams, which I am very happy with.

I made version A of the pattern with the rolled neckband. I took Jona's advice and folded under 1" on the back fold line at the top to get rid of the droopiness in the back. I also raised the neckline in the front by 1" simply because I want to be able to bent down to tent to my preschooler without worry about showing too much flesh. Overall I am very pleased with the changes.

Unfortunately I don't have a better  picture of the top. Note the neckband.

When I wear it for the first time while on vacation in San Francisco. I just couldn't seem to get the neckband to sit nicely. And since I was wearing a cardigan, which I usually do, the bump in the back from the neckband was more than a bit annoying.When we got home, my first project was to take out the neckband. Since I didn't use a matching bias tape to bind the neckline, simply leaving out the neckband was not an option.

Here's what I came up with...

I am hoping the pleated raw edges will fray a bit after washing, giving it a softer look.

New hobby

I haven't touch my sewing machine for  months! Between setting up our new nest and doing things with the kids, there's just no time to sit down in front of the sewing machine. So, I decided to pickup something that's more portable, something that I can do 5 minutes at a time, and knitting is just the thing.

I was able to finish my very first project in less than a week, most of it done while the kids are playing in the playground. I am very proud of myself, considering I haven't knitted since junior high, and the only projects I had done before were chunky scarfs. The Swirl Hat from Sheepy Time Knits is a great pattern for beginner, and it's simple, almost self-correcting, and so much fun!

I will still sew, and I have high hope for September when Sarah will be in school full-time and Ben will be in preschool 2 mornings each week. In the meantime, I will be knitting throughout the summer!

Lost package

Two months ago I went on an online shopping spree for fabric. In two nights I ordered from three different online stores for fabric - Nani Iro from Mountain of the Dragon, Anna Maria Horner's Little Folks from CityCraft, and a mix of quilting fabrics from Fabricworm.

The Nani Iro arrived in 2 weeks (I finally got to see and feel the famous double gauze!). I waited for another two weeks, at which point I emailed CityCraft and Fabricworm. CityCraft was really nice and offered to issue a USPS claim and refund or re-ship if the package doesn't arrive in a week. Luckily the package arrived the day after I sent the email.

Fabricworm responded to my first email, which basically said it may be held up in custom. I waited for another two weeks and still no package. I contacted fabricworm again and they said basically the same thing. My subsequent emails were not answered. At this point I am passed the 45-day deadline for filing a dispute with PayPal.

It's disappointing because I have ordered from fabricworm before and was quite happy with them. And the irony is, out of the 3 orders, the one from fabricworm is the most urgent - the order is for 2 baby quilts - and I really do hope to finish the quilts before the two babies turn one!

I think I will make the quilts from my stash.

A new dress for me

I am so inspired by this red dress on harmony and rose that I made one for myself, before I make anything else. And trust me, I have a long list of projects waiting to be started.

It's a Built by Wendy pattern Simplicity 3835. It comes together very quickly and is fairly forgiving. Mine is made with a cream baby cord that I have in my stash. I put my own spin on it with pleated pockets, trimmed with bias tape that I have kicking around. I may shorten the sleeves a bit but overall I am quite happy with the way it turned out.

A bean bag for Ben

I can't believe the 2-week spring break is over!! Anyway, we had been extremely busy during the break. Fortunately, I got this bean bag chair done BEFORE the spring break. It feels good to sew again! (BTW, notice the brand new hardwood floor? It's pretty isn't it)

The bean bag chair is based on this tutorial from Stardust Shoes. It's great to be able to find great patterns on the net, and it's free too, no less.

The applique is upcycled from some of Ben's old bibs...

It has been so long!!

Wow! It has been more than two months since I last posted on this blog! I have been busy. Our family moved from Calgary to B.C. We drove out west on Dec 19 and made an offer on a house on Jan 16, with possession date 10 days away and we moved in on Feb 6. It was super speed house hunting in action! We ended up in Port Moody, a little suburban commuter city between Burnaby and Coquitlam. It has been 2 weeks since we moved in and we love it here. It has trees and mountains and creeks, it's quiet, and people are friend. I am so glad to finally have a permanent address again.

Obviously I haven't done much sewing the last two months. In fact, I still haven't put together my sewing table and my craft area. But that will come soon. I have a few projects lined up - a baby quilt for baby Nathan born in January, another quilt for Erick and Elise's for April. BUT, I have decided to be selfish and make something for our new house before anything else. First projects: cushions and curtains for this space:

I picked out these fabrics for cushions:

Looking at the pictures I realize I need another bright color choice, but these will do for now. As for drapery, I am hoping to find a big print cream + gray geometric print. Curtain is a much bigger commitment than cushions, so it will probably take me a while before I find something that I like and can afford!

My new toy and a stroller blanket

I know I know I should be packing, but then I got my new toy - an iPhone 4. And you know what, I can't find a case that I like. They all make the phone too bulky. Plus when I throw my phone into the backpack I don't want my key to scratch the screen. That will be bad. So, I spent the precious 2 hours, when Sarah was in school and Ben was napping, plus a late night, to make this.

It's snug, I have to squeeze the bottom to get the phone out. But I am still happy with it. And I got it out of my system - otherwise I will be thinking about it the whole time I am away from my sewing machine.

And we went to baby Elijah's three-month birthday dinner tonight. Wow what a cute and big boy! Here's what I made for him.