Springtime Tallahassee

I love my home, Texas, but there is nothing like the first of spring in Tallahassee. This afternoon, while showing my devotion to my home state by wearing my Texas hat, I set out to take a few pictures of my current neighborhood. These pics were my favorites. It was overcast which made the greens on the trees kinda glow. I love this part of the country.

My favorite hat. Yes, I realize that it says, "I Texas Tejas", but you get the idea.

The grass is starting to go from brown to green.

Our backyard. Our own personal piece of the forest that surrounds our little town.

I love the new fresh greens on the trees, with hints of pink blooms and white dogwood flowers.
In about a week, this will be a thick green forest, no bare limbs to speak of. Just amazing how this happens each year. I love spring.

Library Totes

I made these two library totes last week...thought I'd let you take a peek before I set out to sewing something else this Sunday:

This was made from an old quilt top that someone had already pieced together and left behind. The fabrics must have been bits and pieces of leftovers from the previous owner. They were all randomly sized and the colors even clashed a bit. That is why I like it.

It carries with it a vintage and bohemian quality.

The other side of the vintage quilt top library tote.


This tote was sewn from this marvelous print from Joel Dewberry.
Love the colors and the little birdies and deeries.
Hopefully it will make someone else so happy...

Hats in Japanese

Oh, how I love hats! I think they can be so fun. Flirty, stylish, and fabulous. I really wanted to try to sew some, so I went searching for a great book with hat patterns. The best book I could find was this one. It has an abundance of hat patterns, wonderful pictures, great diagrams, really the whole shebang, the only problem is...it is in Japanese. I don't know a lick of Japanese. Regardless, I bought the book assuming that I could figure it out enough to produce some cute headgear.

I have been semi-successful. I started with what I thought would be the easiest pattern. It has great diagrams and full pattern pieces, but it was difficult to figure out important details like seam allowances and such. I did it anyway by making a muslin mock-up first to measure it and see if it came together correctly. It worked well enough and now I have a new bucket hat! It is reversible, too! I am proud of my first hat and my ability to sew in Japanese.

This is my bucket hat embellished with vintage fabric, lace, and buttons. Here are some more of the cute hats I can make if I can figure out how:

Love the black check on this puffy guy.

Love the patterned fabric on this one.

So cute with braids.

Does anyone know what the seam allowance should be?

20,561 Words

My husband just announced to me that in his prospectus for his dissertation, which he has been desperately trying to finish by tonight, he has 110,657 letters, 20,561 words, and is 70 pages double spaced. Ick! I would and could never achieve such a feat. He is about to send it off to his committee chair. In honor of this momentous occasion...I have found a few etsy items that he might appreciate.

Think Big Cup by pinkkiss

Paige Turner by NanLawson

Horn Rimed Eyeglasses by BibbysRocket

Professor Tweet by cottonbirddesigns

Fried Brains Bow Tie by toybreaker

PJs and Totes

I tend to wear my PJ's around the house all the time and lately I have noticed that they are getting pretty worn. I really needed to buy some new boxer-type shorts for lounging, but why buy them when you can make them? This is my first of many new shorts. Who knew they were sooo easy to make? I should have a drawer full of them by the end of the month.

My PJ's

Today I got busy making some new totes for Textures. I hope to have several to take to Maggie next weekend. Making big bags is new for me. I usually make little bags because I find big bags should have zippers and pockets and all. I don't really like sewing those little details. I get bored with them. But this tote is fun and not too tedious. And people can always use a good tote bag. I am calling it the "library tote" because it is the perfect size for magazines and books.

Library Tote in Asian Turquoise

Library Tote in Asian Turquoise

Library Tote in Very Mary

Tried a new stitch on my machine for this one.

A Picture Paints a Compound Word

I found this great stack of 44 pictures at my school the other day. They are compound word puzzles from the early 80s. I love them because of the bright colors and retro art. I am thinking that they would be so cute in a child's room or play room. Maybe 9 of them laid out in a grid pattern and framed with simple white frames. Or hung across a wall with string and clothes pins to easily change them out. Perfect. Now the only thing missing is the kid.

See if you can figure these 3 out:

Bold Bags and Bracelets

This weekend I was busy in my sewing room. I finished my 2 amber wristlets, made 3 ruffle cuffs, 12 braided bracelets, and one new tote, for me! (well the tote anyway) It was great and my poor sewing room is in shambles now. Fabric piled up, patterns strewn across the floor, bits of string and scraps caught in the carpet; scissors, tape measures, pin holders...you get the idea. I should get in there and clean it right away, but I feel a bit tired so I am just gonna save that for another day. This is was I made out of that mess:

My new tote. I love this print by Heather Bailey

Amber Wristlet in Olive

Amber Wristlet in Brownie

Reversible Ruffle Cuffs

The Other Side of the Ruffle Cuffs

Set of Braided Bangles in Sunshine

Set of Braided Bangles in Moon

Stack of Multicolored Braided Bangles

Strictly Business Card

Yippee! My new business card stamp arrived today! I decided to go with a simple stamp because I didn't want to rely on (or pay) some other person to create a card for me right now. I could have just printed them out on my computer, but I love the way stamps look. They look a bit worn and smudged, a bit vintage.

The logo from my stamp was sketched up by my creative husband. It is meant to subtly resemble a sun that is embroidered by a single piece of thread. A nod to my shop's name, sewnsunday. The creator of my stamp was Jessica Lynn from JLMould. She did a wonderful job! I would highly recommend you work with her on your next stamp creation.

I decided to put my stamp on some bright textured cardstock. I think it is bold and simple. Hopefully it will grab people's attention and they will stick one in their purse when they are shopping at Textures.

My Happy Places

Textures Handmade Market

Today, I was out and about. Went to a few shops: Goodwill, Textures, Barnes and Noble, and Jo Ann. I was running errands and checking out my happy places. Do you have those stores? The shops that you love to visit because once you walk in the door you breathe deeper, your steps feel lighter, and your mind starts racing, zipping back and forth with colorful ideas? Those shops are the places I feel inspired. Textures, because it is full of crafters' goodies that make me want to run back to my sewing room and get busy. Goodwill, because I can find the perfect pillowcase that no one else would want because they don't realize the value in this vintage fabric. Barnes and Noble, where the sewing and crafting magazines, with their stunning pictures, are just waiting for you to ogle. And then there is Jo Ann. The place were I can actually touch the colors, textures, and patterns I want to line my house with. Needless to say, it was a good Saturday-day.

Then tonight I watched Julie and Julia, which I highly recommend to bloggers and people who would love to make something bigger of that hobby of theirs. Of course I am no cook, but I can appreciate the creativity and satisfaction of creating something, whether it is a custard or a clutch.

So my Saturday evening was also very good. Oh, and I forgot to mention...to top it all off, I had an espresso cupcake from Lucy and Leo's Cupcakery ...just perfect.

Chocolate Espresso Cupcake from Lucy and Leo's

Florals of the 70s

I love the bold florals from the 1970s. It is so funny how about 10 years ago, I would have thought these patterns were so tacky and now I can't get enough of orange, avocado, and brown flowers! I am drawn to them and often wish for a cabinet full of vintage tablecloths to sew into bags and accessories. Do you love them like I do? Here are some inspiring flowers from Etsy:

Grace Handbag by MadebyLoulabelle

Pillow Case by plonkahome


The Pure Clutch by humade

Linen Belt by pouch

Fleur Street Bag by EllaOsix