Julie has been a very busy bee! After she recovered her kitchen chairs, she was back for more home improvement. She took, as she calls it, her sad blue chair, 5 yards of Drawing Room home dec fabric, and a staple gun and got crafty! Julie says that this is a huge improvement from the blue, and that she is very happy with the much needed update. She did a lovely job! The fabric choice is stunning, and the upholstery job neat and professional. Kudos, Julie!

Heather Ross’ new Mendocino line just arrived! I am really a little too excited about this fabric. I had a fascination with mermaids as a girl that started when I saw the movie Splash. My favorite Barbie was named Madison ( Daryl Hannah’s character), and I drew mermaids constantly. If I had a dress or quilt with these wonderful sea scenes back then, I would have been in heaven. Fortunately, my friend has a baby girl that I can sew for and hopefully inspire a love of all the things mermaid!

I was curious how Amy Butler’s Frenchy Bags made up, and the arrival of August Fields provided the perfect opportunity to find out! Michael made these up and did a lovely job. He arranged the pattern on the fabric beautifully- so professional! The elegant design of the fabric is a fitting complement to the vintage feel and pretty silhouette. Once these were cut out, they went together quickly and easily. One of the advantages to working with home dec weight fabric is that no interfacing is required, simplifying the sewing process quite a bit!

While I am the type to carry around enough stuff to warrant the gorgeous shoulder bag, I am totally in love with the cute little handbag. I like the idea of slipping my wallet and keys into this adorable purse and being ready to go. I’m not sure if I can pare it down enough, but carrying this sweet bag is certainly a good motivator!

Amy Butler’s new collection, August Fields has arrived! We chose our favorites in the orange and aqua colorways and couldn’t be happier. This is Amy’s latest Home Dec collection and let me tell you, this fabric is gorgeous. It has a wonderful, drapey hand and soft, smooth finish. The heavier cotton sateen is perfect for curtains and tablecloths, and soft enough for quilt backings. We’ve got corded pillows on the brain, and two beautiful handbags in the works that I’ll show you in my next post. Personally, I want to make EVERYTHING in that large scale flower print at the very bottom of the orange stack. First up, I think, will be an apron. What would you make?

This is our third ( but I’m sure not final!) project using Modern Flora fabrics. Michael was especially taken with this graphic blue fabric, so he made up an extra sturdy version of his Grocery Tote. He adapted this pattern from a vintage one, and it is has become one of our favorites. You only need 2 half-yard pieces of fabric; one for the outside and one for the inside. It’s a great size for fitting in all your snacks, and has a nice wide strap for a comfortable walk home. Perfect!

This is the same tote we make in our Learn to Sew Class. If you’ve been thinking of starting to sew, you can get a little inspiration from the fun fabric combinations our students have put together here. If you already sew, you can download the free pattern pdf from our left sidebar. Enjoy!

I made a new skirt! I knew I wanted to use the tiny leaf print for a skirt as soon as I saw it. I grabbed the Barcelona Skirt pattern and got to work on my second Modern Flora project. The simple A-line version of this skirt comes together so quickly; I was done in a flash. But it needed something a little extra - applique, of course! Using the leftover fabric from my tote bag, I cut out a nice big leafy green for embellishment! Michael is amazing at machine applique, and he patiently instructed me in this endeavor. It was a bit trickier than I thought, but I LOVE the end result. It gives the skirt something special, and I learned something new in the process.

Since I was so jazzed about machine applique, I thought it would be fun to have a class. Michael will be helping you make this cute drawstring bag, with the initial of your choice appliqued on the front. Class will be held Thursdays, August 21 & 28 from 6-8 PM, and the cost is $32 plus materials. This is an introductory class, but you should be familiar with sewing basics to participate. Please call the shop to reserve your space. I hope to see you there!

Our first step into the world of Home Decorator weight fabric arrived last week in the form of Modern Flora by Jessica Jones. This fabric is a 54″cotton canvas that is perfect for curtains, pillows, and tablecloths as well as bags and skirts. I love her modern, graphic take on nature; especially her tip of the hat to us crafters with the the little lines of stitching on the leaves! We got busy sewing up samples in this fun fabric, and I’ll be sharing them with you over the next few posts.

First up is the tote bag from the cover of the latest Sew Simple magazine. This issue is full of great ideas, but the cover project was made up in cotton canvas, so it was a no-brainer which one to choose! The instructions were clear, although I did leave out the zipper portion of the pattern. I used a half yard of Modern Flora fabric for the outside, and a half yard of Kona cotton for the inside. I made up my own simple handles by sewing a tube right sides together, turning it inside out, pressing, and folding it in half and stitching it down. Then, I followed the pattern for attaching the handles. This was a great, quick project to satisfy the need to make something with my pretty, new fabric RIGHT NOW!! I know you know that feeling!

I have been thinking about making Amy Butler’s Lotus Dress for awhile, but I couldn’t settle on the perfect fabrics. When the Park Slope line arrived a few weeks ago, I knew it was meant to be! I chose the turquoise birdie fabric for the bodice insets (my favorite part!) thinking it would be nice to have a bright color near my face, drawing the eye upwards. The dark teal print I used for the dress looks like a line drawing done by hand. I love that!

The Lotus Dress instructions were clear and easy to follow. Amy Butler’s patterns are multi-sized, so you can pick the bust, waist, and hip meaurements that are closest to your own. That said, most people will still have a little adjusting to do! It’s always best to choose the closest bust size as that is the hardest part to alter. After I put the dress together, I was happy to see that it fit well through the bust, but that I had to take it in at the waist and hips. I turned it inside out, put it on, and pinned the excess fabric along the front and side seams to get the fit I wanted, and then sewed new seams. It was a little extra work, but I am so pleased with the result!

I can definitely see myself making this again for a wedding I am attending in the Fall. I also think the shorter cami version would be great with jeans for work. Do you think I could get away with with having cute birdie fabric insets for each one? I hope so!!

This fun carry-all is one of Amy Butler’s brand new patterns, the Birdie Sling. Since the new Park Slope line just arrived with it’s very cute birdie fabric, I thought they would make the perfect pair. Michael did a great job stitching up this pretty purse. The shape of this bag is stylish and it gives you plenty of room for your totables. There’s good sized pockets and a nice strudy construction. My favorite details are the wide shoulder strap and the sweet pleats. This is a great all around bag that you will use everday. Just think of all fabrics you could combine to make it your own!

Amy Butler’s directions are clear and specific, which helps make for a more professional finish. Amy likes to use the right tools and interfacing to give your project polish. Since there are a few pieces to cut out and interface, I would recommend cutting and preparing the fabric on one afternoon and sewing it on another. This will allow you to come at the project fresh and ready to sew. You will be happier while sewing and your Birdie Sling will turn out beautifully. Have fun!

I am pleased to introduce you to Park Slope by FreeSpirit designer Erin McMorris. I remember being excited about these when we ordered them, and I fell in love all over again when they arrived. The cheerful colors and playful, retro designs make me want to sew immediately!

I like the fact that these could be used for a child’s dress or a pretty handbag. A quilt made in these fabrics would be amazing too. You would smile every time you made the bed! Personally, I have to put the bird fabric to good use. Now, I just have to decide on a project!