Could I Please Have Another Day to Sew?

This is what I ask myself almost every Sunday, as Monday morning looms and I gear up for a busy work week. Ah, if there was only more time to sew! The good news is that I went to Joann Fabrics on Saturday, and left with 2 great lengths of fabric. Floral print on dotted swiss. Be still my heart! I already have plans for the small floral print.

I hope to use this Simplicity pattern for the small floral; the view in the upper right.

Last week this charming pattern I ordered from Colette Patterns came in the mail. I spent a couple hours this afternoon cutting out the pieces. I am using a turquoise rayon/linen blend to make it up for summer. I have read reviews of this pattern on other blogs, and I only hope mine turns out as cute as the examples I have seen!

I had had an idea for making a scrappy banner floating around in my head for a while, and last weekend I sewed some up. This is what I came up with:

I used a bunch of leftover triangles I got from squaring up my 12 inch strip pieced quilt blocks. Using selvages I sewed the scraps to them and then accented with some vintage buttons and fabric bows. I am really happy with how they turned out, and have plans to do more. In a short while, the 2 I have made I plan to list in the shop.

Please excuse the randomness of this post! Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Fabric Booty

Hey peeps! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was swell but, as always, never long
enough! On Saturday I visited our local quilt shop and picked up some fabulous additions

to the stash. I am excited to start sewing with it!

I was interested in checking out the new 3 Sisters line "Martinique" and I liked it so much that a yard of it came home with me. As did a charm pack but who's counting?! ;-) Hopefully this addition to the stash will help me turn my Monday into a Funday!

Yeterday I sewed a bit and put together this soon-to-be-table-runner top. I used stuff I had in the stash which always makes me feel good. And justifies new purchases to replenish!

I like the way it is turning out so far. I didn't use any real pattern but used some 5 1/2 " squares that I had leftover from a quilt project. More to come on this soon!

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Is it Saturday Yet?

I find myself hoping for Saturday to come earlier every week. Work has been busy and my days lately have been somewhat crazy. I long for Saturdays when I have time to slow down and create. I have been neglecting the old blog because of time constraints but vowed to myself to come home and post tonight. Here I am!

I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend. We sure did here in Florida. I spent Saturday at an Easter picnic with family and Saturday evening when we came home we decided to order take out. Much to my surprise, this piece of chicken had an uncanny resemblence to the big, white, fluffy guy who visited our place on Sunday!

Coincidence, no? Much chocolate eating ensued on

Sunday. Overall, a lovely weekend.

I was feeling the need to create some this week so Monday evening I finished making some quilted pot

holders. The idea had been floating around in my head for a while. I am happy with how they turned out1 I think I'll be listing them in my Etsy

store soon...though I am tempted to keep 1

for me!

Hope everyone is having a good week! I am already planning my creative time on Saturday:
start a smallish quilt using some pre-cut squares I have at home, start quilting my full size
quilt, and perhaps even sew up a summer sun dress. If I've got a spare couple hours, maybe even squeeze in some crochet time. Over ambitious? This is how we do it at Chez Swing Kitten!

Rainy Sunday

Some wonderful storms have been passing through our part of Florida today making for some fantastic nap time on the couch this afternoon. Both of my cats decided it was also time to curl up for a nap, so they joined me on the couch. I love moments like these. Makes the weekend all the more sweeter.

I took off Thursday and Friday last week from work and it was nice to have an extra long weekend. I made good use of the little bit of extra time and finished the remainder of the quilt blocks I need for my quilt top. On Saturday I sewed all 24 blocks together and got this:

I did not use any particular pattern, or plan. I simply strip pieced 12 inch squares and then chose them at random to sew together. I plan on adding a yellow border to it but for now I am beyond happy with how it turned out! For the photo I turned the top horizontally as to better clip it to the clothelines. I know, we are a no frills photo studio here at Chez Swing Kitten! Hopefully this week one day after work I will have time to put on the border.

Saturday I was pleased as punch to receive 2 vintage purchases in the mail. The first is this oh-so-charming vintage pattern. Just in time for some spring/summer sewing! I plan to sew up the short sleeved version. I purchased this pattern from a great Etsy seller estateofmind.

Great shop and sweet shop owner!

The other fantastic find was a piece of vintage feedsack. It's about 1 1/4 yards in length. Just enough for a sweet summer blouse. I think I have the perfect pattern in mind!

As if the weekend wasn't swell enough, I went to the Sabres vs. Panthers game last night in Sunrise. A great time was had by all and Buffalo took the game. Let's Go Buffalo!

Confessions

Hi peeps! Happy Monday is the new Funday, right?? Right?? Well maybe I'm the only one on board with that concept. I have to admit that getting up today was a *tad* bit tougher then usual. Something about the darkness at 6: 00 am makes me want to snooze.....But I digress.
On this Monday Funday I have a couple confessions to make.

Confession #1 is that I am a *tiny* bit obsessed with those chocolate lave cakes I made last week. I made them again on Saturday night and promptly ate one. Then on Sunday I ate 2. Yum.

Confession #2 is that I secretly, or not so secretly, want to be British. I dream of my own Mr. Darcy emerging from a lake, preferably shirtless, and he says "I like you just as you are". Oh wait, I think that's a different movie, same Mr. Firth. Anywho, I share a love of scones and tea with the British, as well as, lush English countrysides and English manor houses, and Liberty fabric. Do I really have to lead my relatively boring little life here in the U.S.??

Okay, enough of the confessions. For today anyway. I was busy sewing over the weekend and finished my 1972 wrap skirt using my lovely Amy Butler Love fabric. I really like the way it turned out. I used this pattern: ___________________________>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I don't recall where I bought this pattern but it was years ago. I made view 1, without the pockets. I think the skirt has enough going on with
just the wrap and the tie. Sometime soon I'll take a photo of me actually wearing it. Still waiting for the weather to warm up!

I also worked some on my strip pieced quilt. I am slowly plugging along on it. I am hoping to make it full size for my bed. I made blocks 17, 18 and 19 this weekend. I am aiming for 24, twelve inch blocks with a sizeable border.

Hopefully one day inthe not so distant future I will have enough blocks finished to start piecing the front!


Well peeps, I am tired on this Monday Funday night and it's almost time for bed already! I will leave you with my ode to the British.....scones! Hot from the oven. Will make getting out of bed on Tuesday a great time!

Spring Wardrobe Preview

Perhaps it's the cooler then normal winter in Florida but lately I have been itching to make some new spring/summer tops. As usual, my project list is a mile long but over the past 2 weeks I made a concerted effort to sew up a couple tops. The first is a top I made using the Spring Top tutorial at the Sew Mama Sew blog. I whipped it up using a Heather Bailey floral print from the Nicey Jane collection. Now I am just waiting for some hot summer temps to give this top a go!

The second top I made using Simplicity 2599. I had seen this top made in a couple different versions over at Angry Chickens blog and finally broke down and bought the pattern. The bonus is that the fabric cost me less then the pattern; $3.00 a yard on sale at the local fabric shop. Score! I like the way it turned out, and the ruffles weren't as difficult as I had imagined.

Next on my list of projects is to sew up a wrap skirt using a 1972 Simplicity skirt pattern, and some fabric from Amy Butler's Love collection. I have used this pattern once before and liked the results so a second wrap skirt is in order! While I'm at work I tend to daydream about all the things I want to sew, and look forward to the sewing time that the weekend will bring. What are you dreaming of sewing lately?

Chocolate Lava Goodness

Welcome to my small corner of the internets! *Rolls out welcome mat*. I have been wanting to start a blog for, I don't know, 2 years maybe. I figured today was as good a day as any and here I am! I was wishing today, like most Mondays, that the weekend was longer. After work, I needed a pick me up. I started reading Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard last week and I am already feeling inspired; the chocolate lava cake recipe has been calling my name! Tonight was the night and I must say, I am mighty happy with the results. Delish!

Another thing making me happy this Monday is my toy poodle Lola. She never ceases to put a smile on my face! Happy puppy = Happy Mama. Monday can be the new fun day, right??