Liana's Christmas Gifts

Liana has been quite busy the past couple of months.  She made a bag for her Aunt Evelyn and she also made little purses for her nieces.  She filled these with gifts that delighted the little girls in our family.  Her aunt's bag was sewn from a pattern purchased in Amish country.  It was a kit with fabric included.  Liana did a great job sewing it.  For the others, Liana created her own pattern and used scrap fabric we had at home.  She is only 12 years old.  I think her talent is quite remarkable.

Back to Sewing

Christmas is over and we are getting back into our routine.  I cleaned the sewing room and put away all the scraps from our latest projects.  I'm anxious to start something new!  The Joann's flyers keep coming in the mail and I can't wait to choose some new fabric. But what shall we make next?  Soon 4-H will be starting and I won't have much time for personal sewing--just helping out with the girls.

The last month I was busy making a Christmas stocking for my newest granddaughter and gifts for my mother and my sister.  I recently bought a new tote bag pattern that I love.  It is easy to make and the results are impressive.  The bag is sturdy and will hold a lot and the combinations of colors are endless.  I'd like one for myself.  It would be very useful, especially for carrying school books and supplies on the days I teach.  Right now I'm using a tote bag I made awhile back when I was testing out a pattern.  I hated the pattern and I don't like the old fabric I used either. It is quite ugly.  I'd rather have one like these below!   

 

 



New Name

The girls and I have been trying for months to come up with a good name for our shop, if we ever have enough stock to open one.  To our great surprise, my husband is the one who suggested a name.  Here it is:  Dearli Designs.  Can anyone guess the significance of that name?  Here it is:

DEborah ARielle LIana.  So we are now Dearli Designs.  We even ordered business cards.

 

My student Lynn finished another bag.  She is very motivated to sew!  She has even cut out the pieces for three more bags.  As you can see, she knows how to combine fabrics to make a unique creation.  Saturday she asked if I wanted to go with her to a local quilt store.  That's where you head for inspiration, but I try to limit my visits to real quilt stores (as opposed to the retail chain where we usually shop).  I am just too tempted by the beautiful (and expensive) fabrics.  I couldn't resist these two from the Grand Finale Collection from Moda.  They are called Leaves on Goldenrod and Leaves on Walnut.  I'm not sure what I will make, but I love the colors! 

Project Complete!

I have a new sewing student who wanted to learn to make bags.  She is not a beginner but someone my age who learned to sew as a young woman and now has a renewed interest in developing her skills.  

She has an eye for color and chose a beautiful combination of fabrics--black, gray, and white.  I wish I had made a bag like this!  It goes with everything.  She did a great job putting it together and I have enjoyed getting to know her.  I know the joy that comes from finishing a creative project and congratulations were in order here when the last stitch was made on this bag.  --Deb

New Purse Pattern: Atkinson Designs

When I was in Lancaster, I found this really cute purse pattern in one of the fabric shops.  I am So excited and can't wait to start sewing, and it doesn't look too hard to make.  Wish me luck!  :)

Arielle

What I have been sewing

I really haven't sewn too much over the summer.  I finished 1 skirt and started another. The pattern is in another post I wrote back in July.  Then I made a school bag.  There is a picture of it in the post below. Mine is brown one with owls on it with blue as the contrasting color. 
Below are pictures of the skirts I have been working on.  The purple skirt is not yet hemmed.  Hemming is not my favorite part of sewing!

For my next project, I think I am going to make a pillow case.  I have this pretty zebra flannel fabric that would be perfect for winter.  Pictures to follow.

Arielle

   

View A

 


Bow on the bottom



View B



A pocket





Zebra print fabric for my next project

School bags

 My mom had just bought a new tote bag pattern. I wanted to make one too so I picked out some fabric at the 4-H fabric sale for the main body of the purse. I got the additional fabric from the fabric store. The directions were very good and clear. The hardest part for us was making the pocket. Arielle and I both broke a needle. Though in the end, the pockets ended up looking very professional. We will use our bags for the upcoming co-op that we will be attending soon. We hope to make lots of these tote bags as well as others and sell them.
Liana

My bag

My mom's bag

Arielle's bag

Regional Fashion Revue

Last week, Liana and I had our Regional Fashion Revue.  It lasted all day.  During the day, we rotated among different craft workshops, practiced modeling, and were judged.  At the end of the night, after all the girls modeled in the show for the parents, they announced the winners.  The next level is the State Fashion Revue.  Ten seniors (girls 13 and older) are chosen to move on to the State competition to represent our region.  Also there were 8 junior winners (girls younger than 13).  Juniors are not elegible to go to States though.  It was very exciting to hear Liana's name called up on stage as one of the eight winners.  After the junior winners were called, they announced the seniors.  I was also excited when I heard my name called! Three girls (including me), out of the top ten girls chosen for States, were from my county.  I am very excited to be going to States and I am happy that two of my other friends will be going with me.

Arielle

A new skirt!

This past week, I have been working on this Simplicity 2286 Learn to Sew skirt.  I found some old fabric in the closet and started sewing.  I haven't finished it yet, but it is almost done!  I made view A.  All that is left to do on my skirt is the hem, the ribbon, and the bow.  I plan to make the other views too.  The instructions were easy to follow and View A had only 3 pattern piece to cut out!  I like patterns like that.  Plus, because it has an elastic waist, there were no fitting problems.  I'm very excited and can't wait to finish the project.

Also, after that jacket, I wanted to make something easy and fun!  :)

Arielle

More Pictures

 Here are more pictures of the things Liana and I made this year in 4-H

McCalls 6511 top.   

All the different cottons used for the patchwork

The lining of my jacket.  The fabric had different shades of purple  going from dark to light

McCalls 5838
Liana's dress

Liana added black stone
beads and embroidered a leafy design on the sleeves of her shrug

Liana custom designed this purse and also added the leafy design to match her shrug

The inside

Matching hair accessory to complete the look

♥ Arielle ♥

2012 4-H Fashion Revue

Well, I finally finished my outfit! ☺  I just finished the jacket I was making since January...... last night, and I finished my shirt just in time for the Fashion Revue this afternoon.  It has been a crazy week with getting school done and finishing my sewing projects.  Anyway, our county was able to send 6 junior club members (under the age of 13) to the next level, the Regional Fashion Revue.  Our leader was also able to send all of our senior club members (13 and older), which were 12 girls.  Liana being in the group of 6, and myself in the group of the 12.  It was a very exciting night, but I'm glad that it is over.  Here are some pictures.  I'll post more later.  I have many more pictures, but are not downloaded on the computer yet.  Plus, I will take better pictures in brighter lights of our outfits in better detail.  The camera wasn't working at the fashion revue.  Bad lighting, I think

 My outfit..... a jacket and shirt

Liana and I after the show

 Modeling

♥ Arielle ♥

New 4-H Project

I haven't finished my jacket yet, but I'm going to start on a shirt to go with it.  Here is  the pattern....

 

 

The pattern is McCalls 6511, and I'm making the one in the bottom right corner.  I am also going to alter it so that the neckline is higher.  I really like the patch-work on it, but so far I only have one piece of fabric though.  It is hard to match up the patterns and colors of fabric to my jacket color. 

 

 

I'll post more on my jacket and shirt later. 

 

Arielle

New 4-H Project

This year for my 4-H project I'm going to make Vogue 8346  View A.  I can never find a coat in stores that I really like.  This year, I'm going to make one.  Right now though, I think I am going to go CRAZY!  OK, so this is why -

I cut out a size 10 because that is what my measurements matched up to.  I probably spent about 16 hours on my coat, and it turned out to be WAY too big (it fits my mom).  I was told to take out all of my seams and cut it down a size.  Well, because it fit my mom, I let her have it and just cut out a size 8 out of scrap fabric we had around the house and sewed main body of the coat together.  When I took my second jacket (now in size 8) into 4-H, the teachers said that it was still too big!  So then I had to rip out my seams and cut out another jacket for a size 6 and then sew it back together. Blah!  If you looked on the back of the pattern for size 6, the measurements seemed like there was NO way that I would fit.  I was about to give up on 4-H all together, but I couldn't because I already bought my "real" fabric I want to use.  By the way, its purple :)   I'll post pictures of it later. 

So far, this project hasn't had a good start, but the end result is so cute that I really want to finish it.  I finally figured out what size to cut out, and I have all the alterations figured out thanks to my 4-H teachers.  So, my homework before the next 4-H is to cut the pieces out of my "good" fabric, and also out of the underlining, the lining, and the interfacing.  Lots of cutting! :(  Personally, my least favorite part of sewing.

Wish me luck! :) 


Sorry about the highlights, I can't remove it.
♥ Arielle ♥

 

New Pattern

I would like to find a bag pattern that just works.  One that could be used over and over again to produce quality bags to sell or make as gifts.  Using old fabric from our stash, I created this bag from McCalls 5822.  I had high hopes for it, and it turned out very nice.  But in using it on a day-to-day basis, I really don't like it.  I just can't seem to find anything in it!  It doesn't open wide enough to look inside very well, and I made the mistake of using black fabric for the lining.  So the interior of my bag is dark and unfriendly. 

I do love the pansies though.  They remind me of my grandmother.  In the spring she would pick them from her yard and float them in a blue glass bowl on her dining room table.  Pansies always make me smile.

New sewing project

This year for my 4-H sewing Project I selected  a simple sun dress pattern. I was in Joan's fabric store with my mom when chose I it. I saw an example for the dress on a mannequin in the store. To my surprise it was a pattern I had seen on-line about fifty times and hadn't ever noticed it. I chose a polyester to make the dress out of. The fabric has red and pink flowers on it. It also has earthy green stems coming out from under the flowers. I also plan to make a matching red jacket and make the sash on the dress red also. This year I want to put beading on the sash and hope to design a matching purse.

-Liana

Baby Quilts

A new baby in our family is due to arrive in March!  What better gift than an handmade quilt made with love?  I made a flannel quilt with a jungle print and Arielle made another quilt from a kit with squares pre-cut.  She decided she likes making clothing more than quilts, but she persevered to the end and completed this colorful cotton quilt.  Now the baby will have a warm blankie when he first arrives, and then when summer comes, he will have the lighter weight quilt.

Christmas Gifts

We can now post pictures of all the Christmas surprises we were working on for months.  First of all, here are Liana's seals all finished and two of the little girls who love them.

I was working on a wedding quilt for my son and daughter-in-law.  It was not finished in time for their marriage in July, so it became a Christmas gift instead.  The design is Rail Fence and it is made of high quality quilting fabric.  I tried Warm and Natural cotton batting for the first time and was quite pleased with how easy it was to use.  Arielle and Liana helped choose the colors.