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.

A handmade Christmas

I am done!!!! I am sooo happy! I have been busy busy trying to get them all done before my friend Agnes, one of the recipient, arrived from out of town. I used Lizzy House's Castle Peeps, which I have been saving for the perfect project. I love the way they turned out!

This is my first attempt in free motion quilting. After quilting 5 cushion tops, I think I am finally getting the hang of it. Although it is still far from perfect!

And here's one just for Sarah:

We are less than 2 weeks away from moving to Vancouver. It's time to pack up my sewing machine! It will be hard. Who knows how long it will take us to find a house and be able to take our stuff out from storage. One thing for sure - I am going to whip up a few of these cushion covers for myself.

A real treat

No cooking today.
Shopping, without kids...

Made big plan of sewing goodies for friends and family before packing my sewing machine for the big move in December.

Nice dinner with hubby tonight, no kids again. Life is good.

A needle book

I have been wanting to make one, but it was postponed so I can work on Escher's quilt. Now that it's done, I get to this little project for myself pronto.  I love the bright colors of the front...

There's a little pouch on the left for my thread clipper, and the right side is a flap for the needles...

It is so handy, especially now I am getting my hands on paper piecing. The best thing is it's made entirely of scraps!