rough draft

6.17.2013


I've been playing around with fabric, sketches, and embroidery floss while continuing to spiff up my sewing room. Although, when I go into experimental mode my room tends to get a wee bit (i.e. extremely) messy. Alas.

  Retro Mama: dolly embroidery hoop

I tried ironing a laser printout onto the fabric and only about half of the design transferred onto the linen, so she's a bit wobbly in the lower part where I had to wing it. I may have to keep experimenting with it, though--this hand embroidery stuff is pretty fun!

And a little something else I've been toying with, so to speak. I debated whether to show the doll at this stage as the pattern still has a couple of kinks to work out (and obviously I haven't even closed up her stuffing holes yet!), but perhaps my sewing/crafty friends can tell me if I'm on the right track.

 Retro Mama: strawberry felt applique

Happy Stitching!

my muses

6.10.2013

Just pondering and daydreaming about fabric and sewing and sunny summer days....

 vintage sheets

 teacup with vintage style straight pins

What will your next sewing project be?

Mini sewing room project #1: the skirtain

6.07.2013

Earlier this year, I finally got myself a tall work table. It's a lovely, big table with a great space underneath, perfect for storing my huge bins of fabric and felt scraps. However, I don't like looking at the bins of felt and fabric from the other side, so I decided to spruce it up a bit by giving her a skirt. (The table now wears a "skirt," so table = she)

 photo tn_RetroMamaTableSkirt1_zps4066e0d4.jpg

I hemmed and hawed about what fabric to use (quilting cotton? vintage?) and finally settled on cutting into one of my prized vintage bedsheets, which turned out to be a good choice in more ways than one.


 photo tn_RetroMamaTableSkirt2_zps6703737c.jpg

First, there was already a pocket at the top of the sheet, just right for putting in a curtain rod. And as luck would have it, it wasn't hemmed on the sides, so the pocket was already open (this is not true of all sheets, I know this because upon that discovery I immediately ran to check all my other bed linens). Second, the twin-sized sheet was the right width for the table, I didn't need to alter it at all. And third, the pink floral goes beautifully with a favorite yellow Denyse Schmidt geometric print, which I used to bind the bottom of the skirt (curtain? skirtain?). I did add an additional 5/8" seam along the pocket so there would be a little ruffle along the top, and then the 3/4" binding at the bottom. Put in the tension rod, and voila!

 handmade vintage table skirt

Ahhh...much more homey and cozy now. You can just see a glimpse of one of the bins behind the skirt. I did make it a tad on the long side because it's my dream/plan to get rid of the carpet at some point and I know it will seem like too much work to lengthen the skirt when the table sits a little higher off the floor.

Have you stitched up any little projects lately to brighten up your sewing space?

Happy Stitching,