Placemats for the Furry Monsters

I imagine many new home owners go through this, but I'm a bit concerned about money lately. There's so much new responsibility now, and I'm looking for ways to cut back a bit. Fabric purchases are one place I can scale back (especially if I am going to stick to my stash diet). Paper towels are another.

It's not as random as it sounds.  Every mealtime, I place paper towels down so that my herd of cats don't mess up the floor. That adds up after a while. Instead of doing that, I decided that I should sew placemats for them.  They are reusable, environmentally friendly and much prettier than paper towels!

To make these, I used two layers of fabric from my stash. The back is upholstery fabric and the front is quilting cotton, also stash supplied.  (The blue and cream floral fabric was originally purchased for this project, and the purple was a fat quarter from Joann's that I can't even remember why I purchased.)

I cut 13" x 11" rectangles, a breeze now with my new cutting board! These were sewed right sides together with 0.5" seam allowance, leaving a small opening to turn them right side out. Then, I stitched around the perimeter and quilted the front.

This was the best shot of the backing upholstery fabric and my quilting stitches. This isn't my favorite one, or the best example, but at least it gives you an idea of how these were made. I've never really done this before and it was fun to try out different designs. My only minor regret is that the stitches aren't always that visible. Next batch I'll have to use a contrasting thread.

My final placemats measure 12" x 10" and are perfect for keeping the little monsters' messes under control.

Placemat in action, graciously modeled by Kiko.

I ended up with six for now, but plan to make a lot more. I'd like to have a large supply and be able to swap them out easily whenever they get dirty, but not have to rush to clean them before the next meal. I'd even like to sew some larger, fancier ones for the house's human inhabitants.

Unexpected Sewing Interruption

Life has a habit of throwing a curve ball into the best laid plans.

I had an upcoming work trip and wanted to make a pencil skirt and a pair of pants before leaving so that I would have something to wear. I also wanted to finish my eyelet Cambie.  Oh, and all of this would be magically accomplished within a week and a half.

I'm rolling my eyes at myself now for even thinking that this was possible, even in ideal conditions.

Unfortunately due to a death in the family, plus planning for my business trip and extra end of quarter wrap up activities at work, sewing and blogging have taken a back seat.

How about a picture of Kiko to make up for the lack of sewing pictures these past weeks?

We'll return to our regularly scheduled eyelet Cambie progress later this week. For now, I want to concentrate on a few simple projects where I can have a sense of accomplishment with minimal effort. I've tried to squeeze in sewing time wherever I could because it really does help keep my mind off of things and relax.  Surprisingly, I've completed a lot and hope to have a chance to catch up with blogging about it in the next few days.  Let's start with this:

This was from a recent Fabric.com purchase. Beautiful, isn't it.  I was seriously tempted to steal this for myself. I'm certain this is quilting cotton, but has a great texture and drape and think would work well in a garment.

But I behaved and used the fabric for what it was actually destined for, Butterick B5125.  This is the retro apron from "The List" that I wanted to make for my mom.  Her birthday is coming up next weekend and my plan was to sew this apron for her and also have my old sewing machine fixed up for her to use.  With everything going on, I haven't had the chance to bring the machine to the shop, but I was able to complete the apron:

I modified the pattern by adding a second ruffle to the bottom, shortening the top layer by an inch. My mom has been admiring some retro aprons with multiple layers of ruffles, so I wanted to replicate that for her.

What I love about project like this is that it's quick, satisfying, and I can experiment with fabric that I normally wouldn't purchase. I can't wait to give it to her!

"The List"

I'm sure most sewers have a list of projects they want to make.  I have not just a list but "The List".  I sometimes call it my bucket list, but then I think referring to these as the projects I want to do before I die sounds way too dramatic for a list of a few dresses. But then, there's nothing wrong with a bit of drama from time to time.

A small part of "The List" was based on patterns I wanted to sew. Most of the entries started with the fabric - I've just purchased this fabric that I had to have or I would die (there's that drama again)! So now what should I do with it? The latter reason is why I'm going to show you fabric pictures instead of patterns.

So, without further adieu, I give you "The List".

1. Lady Grey Coat:

I have wanted to sew the Lady Grey Coat from Colette Patterns ever since I saw some of the wonderful versions by other bloggers.  It took me a while to find the perfect fabric, but I finally purchased some absolutely beautiful wool last year from Britex in San Francisco.  Pictures do not do this justice! I can't remember if it was called Norwegian or Icelandic Wool, but it has the most fantastic texture.  I'm almost afraid to cut into it.  When the time comes, I'm going all out on this and incorporate every couture tailoring technique I can find.


2. White Floral Cambie:

It took a while for the Cambie pattern from Sewaholic to grow on me. Now, it's grown on me so much that I'm planing to sew two of them.  This one will be the "less sweet" or straight neckline version of this dress. This fabric is from Gorgeous Fabrics.


3. Navy Eyelet Dress:

Back in September, I made it my mission to find some dark blue eyelet for a dress.  Once again, Britex to the rescue!  I've been debating on the perfect pattern for this and right now, Collette's Chantilly is the leading contender.


4. Watermelon Stretch Cotton Cambie Dress:

This is the second Cambie on my list and yes, the fabric was Britex once again. This time it was an online purchase. (See the Britex bag hanging on the wall in the background? That's right, I'm that hardcore about this store.)  I became fixated with this fabric after reading this blog post. I'm happy to say that this project is almost finished! The sweetheart neckline that I thought I could never wear looks really cute in person and I think it actually looks good on me.


5. Blue Wool Skirt:

I picked this wool up during an excursion to one of the few remaining Hancock Fabrics in the Chicago area.  (I really miss having more of these around.) I originally intended to replicate a skirt I saw on the Anthropologie website, but now am not sure.  Do I go A-line? Pencil skirt? So many decisions in life!


6. Brown, Cream and Navy Striped Thurlow Pants:

Let me tell you a story - the year was 2011 and I had just purchased one of my very first Groupons.  It was to Mood and I was so excited to be purchasing fabric from the same place that the Project Runway designers shop!  After debating for days, I decided on this striped wool for a pair of trousers. They even sent me a Mood bag! I was in heaven.  It took me until Sewaholic's Thurlow pattern came out to decide exactly what pattern to use. I'm holding off a bit on this project because I'm trying to lose a few pounds and want to make sure that I fit into whatever size I decide to sew up :)


7. Black Evening Dress:

No photograph can do this fabric justice.  It's from Gorgeous Fabrics, and like the name says,  it is gorgeous!  Ever see a fabric and not know what you want to sew with it but just know that you have to have it no matter what?  That was this fabric.  Since the purchase, I've been doing some research and have really been drawn to some 1950s vintage dress styles.  I'd like to capture that feeling with this dress.  The leading pattern contender is "The Sultry Sheath" from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing.


8. Kitty Bed:

I never promised that everything on "The List" would be clothes or would be fancy. I previously blogged about this kitty bed. It was really nice to be able to cross one item off of my list!


9. Hanging Towel Bag:

Again, definitely not in the fancy category, but something I could really use.  I don't have a picture of this handy, but this pattern and the kitty bed above are from the book One Yard Wonders.


10. Sequin Dress:

I have no pattern, no fabric and no occasion to wear this. I just know I WANT ONE!


11. Brown Lace Dress:

This brown lace purchased from Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL.  The original intent was a lace shirt, but then saw a brown lace dress in a store with an exposed metal zipper. And,just like that, plans changed. No pattern yet, but this I'd say some of the more exciting projects are higher on the list so I have time to find something.


12. Dress with my own custom printed fabric:

I've been admiring the designs on Spoonflower. I'd love to try my hand at coming up with my own pattern worthy of being made into a garment.  It's not the highest priority since I have a lot of other fabric to get through first.


13. Retro Apron for my Mom:

She wants and apron and I have a great apron pattern, somewhere.  It's a sign, don't you think? Now, I just have to figure out where I put the pattern, and what fabric I should use.


So that is "The List". I'm excited to see how much of it I can get through this year!

Welcome to Makizy Sews

Hello and welcome to Makizy Sews! One of of my resolutions this year is to start blogging about my sewing and other craft-related projects. I enjoy sewing anything from evening wear to simple flannel pants and everything in between.

My goal with this blog is to share the many projects that I have in progress and on my very large to-do list. Hopefully, committing to regular blog posts will also motivate me to finish more projects and clean up the enormous WIP pile!

Last year, I set a goal for myself to try to sew my wardrobe instead of buying new clothes.  I mostly succeeded and can count the number of new garments I purchased on two hands.  This year, I want to take this challenge even further and construct more everyday wear as well as expanding my evening wear options.

Here's an example of last year's sewing - my 2012 Renfrew Collection (using Sewaholic's amazing Renfrew Pattern). Modeling these is the lovely Kiko, also know  "ki" in Makizy

.

I'm sure there will be many format changes and blog iterations while I learn and explore this new online medium, but I'm looking forward to the learning process and hope you'll join me for the journey!