Fabric Rosette Wreath: for a good cause!

I am on the Board of A Room to Heal, we're a Binghamton area organization that creates healing environments in the rooms of children with severe medical issues.  It's an amazing organization and we recently had our Holiday Luncheon.  An added fundraiser at the luncheon is a silent auction.  Area artists (including myself) created "Wreaths of Art" to be used as centerpieces and to be auctioned off.  My wreath was titled "Fabric Garden" and consisted of over 100 handmade fabric rosettes.  Now, if you've even created a flower rosette, you know it's not something that only takes a minute or two.  From start to finish (cutting fabric, making bias tape, forming the flowers, etc) it takes a good 10 minutes PER flower.  It took me about 16 HOURS!!  to make this wreath.  But it was worth it because it turned out amazing and it raised $70 for the organization.  The woman who purchased it came up to me at one point and told me how much she loved my wreath, she said she was willing to pay whatever she had to in order to win it!  It's nice knowing that something I put so much time and work into now has a loving home.

Simplicity 2320-cap sleeve tunic

I just finished up a version of this Project Runway pattern for my daughter.  I shortened it to a tunic length because I didn't have enough fabric for a whole dress!  The fabric is a cotton flannel I purchased a while back and only bought a yard of.  I tend to buy fabric I like when I see it, and used to only buy a yard or so, more recently I've gotten into the habit of buying 2 yards at the minimum, usually 3 to make sure I'll have enough when I figure out what I want to use it for.  90% of the time I find the fabric before the pattern.

 

I added a single bow to the front, they include a pattern for it, but I ended up making it about 2 inches longer because I wanted to reach a touch past the edges of the front bodice piece.  I love that Project Runway patterns give you a variety of options to embellish your garment.  I'll definitely make more dresses with this pattern and with the variety of sleeve and detail options, they'll all look different. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had some vintage seam binding that I used as a hem tape.  I love how hem tape finishes off a garment in a really clean and professional way.  It's a little touch that can make a garment that much more special :)

Andrea modeling her Fire Star costume

I was going to post this tomorrow, but I couldn't wait...it turned out amazing!  Once she had the wig and mask on, I knew I nailed this costume.  LOVE it!!!

The Fire Star Costume is FINISHED!

This project turned out perfect!  I still have to get a good picture of my daughter in it, but here are a few the completed costume:

For the costume, I used a polyester jersey lined with a swimsuit lining.  I cut out the flames and stitched them to the main parttern pieces before I sewed anything together.  You can see by the detail piece that I just used a straight stitch about an 1/8" away from the edge.  To make the mask, I used 2 layers of felt (red for the front and orange on the inside.  I created a pattern, cut out the red side and stiched on the elastic band.  Next, I layered it on the orange and sewed 1/4" all the way around BEFORE I cut it out.  The elastic is sandwiched between the layers and not only looks nicer, but it won't rub on my daughter's face. I LOVE how it turned out, and so does Andrea...she slept in it the night it was finished!  We'll be going to Boo at the Zoo today, so I'll make sure to get a good picture of her in it to post tomorrow.

Simplicity 1787

I just finished up a new dress for my daughter, using Simplicity 1787, a Project Runway pattern. 

 

The fabric is Michael Miller Playdate Party Time and Playdate Pixie Sticks.  I love Michael Miller fabric, it's a really nice thick cotton and comes in such cute designs!

 

The dress has pockets on the front that are concealed with the piping.  I didn't put the zipper in like the pattern suggests.  Instead I added bias tape to finish off the edges of the back seam, stitched it closed, leaving about 7 inches open at the top and added snaps.  It was a challenge getting the fabric pattern to line up, there are 3 pieces used for the front of the dress.  I knew I wanted the blond haired blue eyed girl in the center (she looks like my daughter), so I cut the center portion out first.  I layed the pattern for the side piece over the center that I cut out and traced the girl (the one to the side of the blonde girl) right onto the pattern.  Then I layed the pattern over the fabric lining my tracing up with the print on the fabric. 

 

I think it turned out super cute, my daughter is going to be excited when she gets home from school and her new dress is done! 

Patterns, patterns, and more patterns....

Yay!  Look what came in the mail today...

 

 

Kwik Sew 3104...for my daughter's Halloween costume

 

Butterick 5545...so I can make my daughter some leotards for dance class

 

And for me...B5640, M6559, V8380, V1250, V1228

Fire Star costume, Kwik Sew 3104

I just ordered a pattern to use to create my daughter's Fire Star halloween costume.  Kwik Sew patterns are on sale right now, so I was looking for a good leotard pattern (my daughter takes dance and I wanted to make her a few new leotards).  I came across this pattern and was so excited!  View A will be perfect for her costume!!  There is a front zipper, so she can just unzip it a bit to get an open-high-collar look.  For under $5, it's a lot easier than drafting it myself!!



Homemade Halloween costumes

I love Halloween, the #1 reason being that I get to make my kids their costumes!  I don't ALWAYS make them, but I have made the majority of them.  We are starting to think about costumes for this year, my son (10) wants to be Nathan Drake from Uncharted (a video game series).  My daughter (5) wants to be this:

Her name is Fire Star, she is one of Spiderman's friends.  It should make a really cool costume, especially with the flame details on the arms and legs.


Here are some other costumes I've made over the years:

Both kids wore this tiger costume, I believe it was a Simplicity pattern.

 

One year my son decided to be a crow...this was a challenge.  I ended up cutting hundreds of black felt feathers and attatching them to a store-bought black hoodie.  I made crow feet and a paper mache beak.  I would have to advise against using paper mache to make something your child's steamy breath will be blowing on...at the end of the day it was falling apart!

 

 

 

Last year Andrea wanted to be Ariel, it's difficult creating a mermaid costume that you can walk in and that will keep you warm in October in NY.  I decided to make pants with a flared hem that gives the illusion of a tail when you stand with your feet together, I think I was very successful!  My daughter was happy and that's all that really matters :)

 

 

This was Michael's costume last year.  He created a character that he has used in a number of short stories he has written, Mr. Mustachio.  It is a stick figure with a large mustache.  This was also a challenge!  I decided to cut strips of black fabric and sew them onto a light grey sweatsuit to look like a stick figure...it turned out great!  I sewed up a black felt mustache to complete the look.



Apple Dress

September is synonymous with apple season.  The perfect time for an apple-themed dress!!  I drafted this pattern myself.  The bodice features pintuck pleats with 2 vintage apple buttons.  The apple buttons are from my Mom's stash that I "borrowed" a few years ago, so is the fabric actually!  The cute model is my daughter, Andrea. 

 

 

Putnam Feline fundraiser...cat skirts!

A friend is coordinating a fundraiser for Putnam Felines, a rescue organization in New York.  Last year I sewed up some winter "cat" hats and painted a piece for them to auction off.  Apparently people loved what I donated, so I was asked to donate again.  This year I decided to sew up some skirts.  I came up with the idea of creating a skirt with a cat face as a pocket and to do another skirt that features a black cat for Halloween. 

 

 

They both turned out really cute and I'm sure 2 little girls will love them.  I'm sure the cats who will benefit from their sale will love them too :)

Welcome!!

Welcome to my blog.  Today, I have decided to join the sewing blogosphere!  I am a stay at home mom who is also a freelance graphic designer/illustrator/artist.  Both kids are in school now, one in Kindergarten and one in 6th grade, so I have more time to do the things I enjoy, like sewing!!  You can check out my other blog which features my design work, illustrations and fine art at www.laurasehn.blogspot.com or my website at www.sehnsationaldesigns.com.  Enjoy!