More bins!

I think I like this pattern.  They would be cute in some kind of holiday-themed fabric, wouldn't they?

Fabric bin

And again, I have been checking out new patterns that I found online. 
http://birchfabrics.blogspot.com/2013/08/tutorial-fabric-bins-featuring-fort.html
Here's my first attempt.  I like the concept, but I want to get a better fleece next time.

The (in)famous Bacon Shirt

I kept promising that I'd make this shirt someday, and finally I did!  Bacon Shirt is in da house!!

More tiny purses

Shh!  I think they're conspiring...

Teeny Tiny Zipper Purses

I found these on Facebook. The pattern can be found here:
http://so-sew-easy.com/teeny-tiny-mini-zipper-pouch/

And here are my attempts:

I found a great deal on zippers, so I see a lot of teeny tiny presents in my future!

My biggest project yet!

This is another entry in the 'I can't resist a challenge' test.   And it was nearly my undoing.   A very nice gentleman asked me to make him a kilt.  A real kilt out of a plaid wool that he and his wife bought in Paris.   It was a beautiful plaid wool.  This is the original plaid.

Then I pleated it.

Then it sat for months while I agonized over the rest of the construction.  This was terrifying work! (In case you haven't noticed by now, I'm plagued by massive self-doubt)
But, I had to get it out of my sewing room and back to the original owner.
Continuing, the front edge had to be fringed.  

The inside edge was just finished.

Then I had to sew on straps and buckles (by hand!) and make a buttonhole on the other side for the inside strap to come through(not shown).  Here's the buckles.

And finally, the kilt was finished!  The blue kilt behind it is the one that I used for a sort of pattern.

At long last, the client himself came and tried it on, and allowed me to take pictures.  Brian's a handsome devil, isn't he?   He and his wife were very pleased with the kilt, and it fit perfectly.  I was so thrilled.

 

He even gave me a twirl so we could see the kilt in action!   Just fantastic.

 Another accomplishment to add to my collection!  I'm very pleased with how this came out.

Update:  Here are the matching garters.

A few little projects

There was a dinner at my church, and I realized that while I had made casserole carriers for other people, I didn't have one of my own!  So I had to make one.  I like this pattern because it is custom-fit to my exact casserole.  I found the pattern online somewhere, a long time ago.

I have a really nice blue leather purse that I picked up from a DC street vendor, but it's basically a giant bag.  Nothing really useful in the way of pockets inside, so I bought a purse insert.  Yeah, it was cheap and lasted about a month, so I found a pattern and made one.  This is a Portapockets pattern, and I really like it.  I made the large-sized insert, and it took me the better part of 2 days to figure it out!  But the end result is well worth it.  Now I can actually find stuff in my purse!

Hats and other warm stuff

My mother was an excellent knitter, and we always had hats, mittens, scarves, and the whole shebang when growing up.  My father used to say, 'Need mittens?  Wait an hour; your mother will knit you a pair'.   She was That Good.

Well, I don't knit. (sorry mom).  I do sew, however, and I like to sew polar fleece, so I make hats.  The problem is, I keep losing my hats!  I just had to make another one today.
Somewhere out there, there are a lot of people wearing the hats that I've dropped or left behind.  I hope their heads are warm.  I'll just make another one.
Here's the latest.

So I made a couple of them this time.  All of these hats come from the first two Polarfleece Pizzaz! books.  They have wonderful patterns for all sorts of fantastic polar fleece items.

Happy New Year 2014!

I started out my new year by sewing again for the shelter animals.
http://www.connieandteri4animals.org/

Here is another picture: