Sewing — Jenny Garland

Sassy Spring Outfits for the Girls … Pink Fig Mia Top

I loooove this pattern, the Pink Fig Mia Top. I made a 5T for Kate (she’s super tall) and a 12mo for Sara Paige. You can’t help but feel cheery looking at this fabric!

Quilted Wall Hanging

Thank you guys for voting me on So You Think You’re Crafty! My project was the Quilted Wall Hanging:

I started with two strips of silk and two strips of toile fabric.

I sewed the strips together and then layered the top, batting, and muslin.

I found a motif I loved and used freezer paper stenciling to adhere the design to fabric.

Then I appliqued a fabric “S” inside the motif.

I free motion quilted the whole thing and added a ruffle jersey border and loop to hang it from.

Finally, I hot glued glass beads to the border.

This is Olga, my spiffy dress form. A dress form is wonderful because you can see how clothes fit and make alterations on your body double. This is much easier than trying to alter the clothes on your real body, by yourself.

If you’re wondering why Olga has big gaps in her core, it’s because I had to plump her up to match my measurements

I’m going to play around with a Wardrobe Refashion idea on good ‘ol Olges tonight. It could be successful or horrendous. Never know till ya try, right?

Unrelated, my sweet, sweet friend Heather had her third baby today, Nora Jane (how cute!). I cannot wait to see them both. Heather was the very first “mom friend” I made after Kate was born and was on the receiving end (still is) of many “What in the WORLD am I doing with my child? I have no idea how to parent. Am I screwing her up?” phone calls. I thank my lucky stars I found her!

These burp clothes for Nora are so easy to make. Iron fusible web to the wrong side of a square of fabric. Trace the reversed initial on the wrong side of the fabric. Cut the letter out. Peel off paper from fusible web. Iron to burp cloth and blanket stitch.

Talk to you all soon. Anyone else ready for WARM weather?!

A Christmas Stocking Tutorial Just for YOU!

If you would like to make your own Ballard-esque Christmas stocking, here’s how to do it:

Materials:

5/8 yd ivory duck cloth
24″ x 7″ rectangle of leopard print cotton for ruffle
12″ x 2″ rectangle of leopard print for loop
12″ x 2″ rectangle of interfacing for loop
8.5″ x 4.5″ scrap of cotton fabric for embroidered name (optional)
8″ ball trim
red and green scraps of felt/cotton/flannel/etc for accents (circles, bones for dogs, or fish for cats)

Directions:

Download pattern PDF and tape pieces together.
Cut out (2) stocking pieces (front and back) from duck cloth.
Cut out desired number of accents from red/green fabric and pin to front and back pattern pieces. Be sure to leave space on the front piece for the 8.5″ x 4.5″ rectangle if you are adding a name.
Use a zigzag or decorative stitch to attach accents to stocking. Trim any part that hangs over.
If adding a name, take your embroidered 8.5″ x 4.5″ rectangle. Press under 0.5″ on both the top and bottom. Pin to front of stocking and edge stitch top and bottom. Trim sides to match edges.

Serge or zigzag the top of the stocking (both front and back pattern pieces).
Sew trim to the top of the FRONT stocking piece with a 1/4″ seam.
Place the front and back pattern pieces right sides together. Serge or sew around all sides, leaving the top open. Finish edges with a zigzag if you didn’t serge.
Turn stocking right side out and press well.
Take your 24″ x 7″ leopard fabric and sew short ends right sides together to create a tube.
Press tube in half, wrong sides together. Edge stitch fold. Finish raw edge.
Baste the bottom of the tube twice. Pull bobbin threads to create a ruffle the same perimeter as your stocking opening.
Slide the ruffle over the stocking opening, aligning raw edges.
Sew ruffle to stocking with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Press ruffle up. Edge stitch in place.
Now for the loop. Iron the 12″x2″ interfacing to the wrong side of the 12″x2″ leopard print fabric.
Sew long sides, right side together. Turn tube right side out. Press. Edge stitch sides.
Fold in half to make a loop and zigzag raw edges together.
Pin loop to the inside of the ruffle. Box stitch.
That’s it! (I just added this step because 20 steps sounds better than 19).