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wardrobe refashion: green cardigan

green cardigan refashion

These flowers and buttons make me so happy! I am just in love with this cardigan refashion.

I found this Talbot’s sweater at a church garage sale. It was in really nice condition. The button bands were even backed with grosgrain ribbon! I knew right away this would be be a summer cardigan and I had everything I needed in my stash.

green cardigan refashion

The original sweater looked kind of sad. The buttons were nice, just too heavy for the knit fabric. (I’ve saved them for another project.)

green cardigan refashion

The tabbed sleeves were a bit much. They needed some brightening and lightening up. This is definitely a case of less is more. Here’s what I did:

  1. Removed all of the buttons and threw it in the wash. Let it dry flat.
  2. Cut off the tabbed cuffs and made 3/4 length sleeves. (Note: I sewed two zigzag seams above and below my cut to keep the pieces from unraveling.)
  3. Made some trim with my bias tape maker and stitched it over the raw sleeve edges.
  4. Sewed on new buttons.

green cardigan refashion

This is a fast and easy way to update outdated sweaters. I may even take a look at the sweaters in my closet and see what I can do to brighten them up, too!

refashion: Sweater came from church garage sale. Floral fabric was from my “free” stash. Buttons from a thrift store score.

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that’s how i roll

Another little Mother’s Day gift for me: a rolled hem foot. The other night I sat down to make some tea towels and expected to have a whole stack to show you. I didn’t realize there would be such a learning curve! It was like learning to use my machine all over again. I think I’ve got the sides down, but the corners are still giving me a little bit of trouble. So, here’s my one tea towel.

tea towel

I found this fabric in my stash while I was hunting for something else. It was originally for a sewing machine cover, but when I washed it, it got super soft. It feels like a linen/cotton blend, but I’m pretty sure it’s just cotton. The colors match my kitchen perfectly. Check out those beautiful hems!

tea towel

I couldn’t have gotten this far without this awesome tutorial from the Sewing Divas. I think once I get the hang of it, this little foot is going to be a big time saver for me!

stash: Having the right tool for the job can make life so much easier. It will pay for itself in productivity.

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last minute fun

I don’t know how moms handle serious kid schedules. We hardly ever have anything on our calendar and always seem busy. Maybe it’s because we do a lot of things spur of the moment. I’ll be at knitting group and Lisa will say, “Let’s go to the zoo tomorrow!” I’ll realize we’re almost out of Chloe’s medicine and within an hour we’re on an “animal adventure” at the vet.

bella chloe vet

Today, I was reading my very long to-do list and checking email when I got a message from Lauren. “Want to walk to the park with us this morning?” To-do list? Park? Of course, we went to the park. Afterward, Bella and I went out to lunch. She loves eating at the Super Target coffee shop.

super target lunch

Life is busy and we always seem like we’re on the go. I couldn’t imagine actually having scheduled plans, too. Hmmm… maybe we’d just be less spur of the moment-y. I kind of like it this way, though. I never know what each day is going to bring.

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new inspiration

Patchwork Style and Linen, Cotton, Wool

I bought these books for myself for Mother’s Day. I had flipped through the pages of Patchwork Style at knitting group enough times that I felt I should just buy it already. They didn’t have a copy of Linen, Wool, Cotton at the bookstore, so I ordered it sight unseen. Well, I had seen a few pics of some of the pages around blogland.

I was really drawn to the organic feel of Patchwork Style. It reminded me of how I felt when I discovered David Carson. Bend the rules of grid and symmetry. Expose your raw edges. Cut things up and paste them back in a different order. Designers either loved him or hated him. I was inspired by him to think in new ways. That’s how this book makes me feel about sewing.

Contrast that with Linen, Wool, Cotton. The beauty here is in its simplicity. Focus on that one, special, important detail. A lot of European graphic design is like that. Embrace your grid. Use your white space. Order and simplicity lead to elegance.

Both of these books have turned my thoughts about sewing upside down. Previously I’d been focused on learning and constructing. Now my head is full of fresh ideas. It’s overwhelming. I don’t know where to begin. I figured the best place to start would be writing it all down. Next step: getting out the sketch pad.

stash: Some books you just can’t check out of the library. They inspire you so much that you have to own them. There are free patterns from both over at MakeGoodBooks. I can’t wait to see Carefree Clothes for Girls!

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giveaway winner!

First off, I am overwhelmed by all of your sweet comments on my tote bag. It makes me happy to see everyone getting inspired to reuse, recycle and repurpose! I’m slowly working my way through all the comments and visiting all of your websites. Y’all are so crafty!

So, on to the winner: Karen Squared! Congrats, Karen!

tablecloth tote bag

I finished up the other tote bags in this series and they are listed in my etsy shop. I love them so much! I keep thinking I should save one for myself. If you want one, better buy it soon before I change my mind!

I’m thinking that the coffee sleeve of the month giveaway might become a tote bag of the month giveaway. How does everyone feel about that?

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first pony ride

bella and pony

This week Bella went on her first pony ride at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. I was bummed that I forgot my camera. Cell phone to the rescue! I was worried that she’d be nervous or scared, but she had fun. I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time at the zoo this summer. We’re just loving our museum/zoo pass.

. . . . .

new on julie-k: wardrobe refashion: comfy shorts

Don’t forget to enter my Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway!

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wardrobe refashion: comfy shorts

Looking for the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway? Click here!

comfy shorts refashion

Does every guy have a pair of these? These are T’s comfy shorts. He has literally worn them threadbare. My attempts to replace them didn’t really work. They either didn’t fit right or didn’t have pockets. I think he bought these when we were dating. It is past time for letting them go.

comfy shorts refashion

I found this pair of really big sweatpants at a local church sale, and now that I’m refashioning, I figured I can make new comfy shorts! I tried to just trace around them, but the front and back panels were two very different sizes, so I had to deconstruct them. It was a very delicate operation.

comfy shorts refashion

I am really impressed with the results, if I do say so myself. They turned out much more professional looking that I would have thought. (Pat myself on the back!) They also fit well and T approves!

Sewing knits has always frustrated me, so to prepare for this project, I got Wendy Mullin’s Sew U Home Stretch from the library. I used an overlock foot for the inside seams and a walking foot for the hem. Both worked really well.

I think with the small amount of sewing with knits that I do, I really don’t need a serger. It’s not like I’m going to be making t-shirts and comfy shorts for the whole family. I am planning to make some sweats for Bella with the leftover pants legs, but will wait until closer to Fall to measure her.

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craft challenge creativity tote

Looking for the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway? Click here!

Remember when I won second place in Crafty Nation’s contest for Christina’s denim messenger bag? One of the prizes was a free month to Christy’s Craft Challenge. Our local Lincoln Handmade Team is sponsoring the prize and I’m donating my challenge entry to the gift package!

creativity tote

I made a tote bag, because that’s what I do best. There’s plenty of room to carry a crafty project, plus two small notebooks and a pen for recording creative inspirations. Here’s how I used the challenge items:

  • blue fabric and cute buttons used for the pockets (there’s a matching pocket on the other side)
  • flower paper used for the notebook covers
  • flower, leaf and wire used for the pen

creativity tote

I was excited to find the blue floral fabric in my stash. It matched the challenge fabric perfectly. The rest of the tote is made out of cotton I got at a garage sale, of course.

I’m excited to see what everyone else puts together with the same “ingredients.” Go check them out and vote for your favorite at ChristyNelson.net!