Off to Meet Clay

I'm off for another week in Idaho with family.  On the way, I get to meet my long-time favorite country singer, Clay Walker!  As a member of his fan club, I applied for a Meet & Greet pass for the Caldwell, ID concert and was chosen.  I'll be swooning this evening then enjoying a week of working on MIL's home addition and then some camping & fishing.  Have fun...I know I will!  Isn't he beautiful? :)

Summer Sewing

I've been enjoying summer vacation with my kids & husband and visiting nieces & nephews.  Our niece, Becca, asked me to sew a baby gift for her friend.  We decided to make a little Sienna dress from Lil Blue Boo patterns and thrifted knits.  It turned out so sweet!

I have sewed 6 monsters using this tutorial from RevoluzZza blog and let the little girls choose their own fabrics.  I didn't take a picture of them, but used yo-yos with a button center for the monster eyes.  They are a fun, quick project you can do with kids.  Becca (13) hand-sewed her eyes, mouth, and patches on.

Photo from RevoluzZza

My current project is a jacket for my youngest girl.  She is growing so fast and needs a new one so I purchased the Stylish Kids Coat and Unisex Pea Coat by DMK patterns.  I am impressed with the patterns and excited to share the finished project with you soon.  I'm working on the Stylish Kids Coat using thrifted baby cord and cotton lining.  DMK is having a 2 for $10 sale, so check them out for stylish, simple kids clothing patterns.  She is also hosting a Best Pattern Makers Contest on her blog through August 21st, so send in pictures of your creations using DMK patterns to win free patterns. 14 winners!

 

Huge Summer Sale!

I had to unsubscribe from the Fabric.com newsletter because I was buying too much fabric. This sale makes me want to stock up again!   Check out this huge sale on Westminster fabrics at Fabric.com.  Find some extra coupon codes here if you don't get the newsletter.

Summer Vacation

I haven't been crafting lately. I miss it a little, but am really enjoying our summer vacation. Here is a sneak peek of the fun things I've been doing and seeing!

Halter Sets

I'm back from a week in beautiful Moscow, ID.  No sewing since before our mini-vacation, but here's a little review of two halter sets that I made my girls before we left. 

The pattern is Simplicity 5531, purchased during a JoAnn $.99 sale a few months ago.  Instead of woven fabric I used some wonderful stretch knit from my stash that was purchased from a Fabric.com clearance sale last fall.  I wish I knew the manufacturer because this stuff is great!  Instead of hemming, I simply serged a rolled hem on the bottom of the top and shorts.  Both sets were finished in 1 1/2 hours and the girls have declared them a new favorite!

Mama's Modest Yoga Skirt

Have you been reading Sew, Mama, Sew!'s monthly theme, Make It, Wear It?  All through the month of June they have featured apparel-making tutorials, tips and inspiration.  I have tried 2 of the skirt tutes with differing success.

Today I tried the Modkid Yoga Skirt Tutorial by Patty Young.  Loved it!  I've been saving this heavy stretch knit I had bought on clearance last fall from Fabric.com and decided it was time to use it.  I had only a yard left so my waist band was only 8" high instead of the recommended 15".  It's still really comfortable and I can fold it over.  I think the ideal height for the waist panel would be 10"....next time!  This one cut and sewed in about 30 minutes and is so comfy.  This will become a part of my regular summer wardrobe and I highly recommend it.

Earlier in the month I tried sewing the Poufy Skirt Sew-Along.    This is really not a complicated skirt but I struggled for some reason.  First, I sewed the pockets shut so I ended up cutting them out rather than tear out my seams and resew.  After sewing I anticipated trying on this little skirt but found it would not fit up over my hips.  I then tried putting it on over my head but it only fit at my high waist, making my short skirt too mini for this mama.  With my big waist/hip difference I would need to add several inches to my back panel next time or make it using my hip measurement instead of waist measurement.  All was not lost, as I was able to pass it on to a skinny friend of mine whose hubby loves it as a mini :)

I'm Domesticated

I finally made time to sew a Domesticated Skirt using Sew A Straight Line's great tutorial.  This little wrap skirt is reversible!  I didn't have enough of two coordinating fabrics so I added a band to the bottom of one panel to make two equal sizes.  The bias tape is also from the checked fabric.  To help keep the sides tucked back against my hips, I sewed down about 8" from the top about 2" out from each hip.  Love this comfy, cute skirt!

If you haven't read the tutorial yet, you step inside the two panels and wrap the remaining fabric forward.  A fun twist on the traditional wrap skirt!
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Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday

Beautiful Blogger Award!

I was pleasantly surprised this afternoon to receive my first Blogger award...

 

...from Baby.Got.Craft.

Thank you!  You made my day :)

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

 

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 10 things about yourself.

1.  I live 3 hours from the nearest city with a fabric store or department store.  No JoAnn's, Walmart or Target!  We need to travel to Bend, OR or Nampa/Boise, ID for major shopping.  It's been an adjustment since moving to remote Eastern Oregon last summer, but a good change for our family.

2.  I try to buy handmade or make the gifts our family gives.

3.  I  am a former track star - 2 time NAIA Indoor Track All- American.  Use it or lose it & it's lost!

4.  My real name is Angela Rae, but friends call me Angie or online you see me as Mama Lusco.

5.  I'd choose shopping at a thrift shop or yard sale over shopping at the mall...any day.

6.  I'm a Foodie - I want to eat real foods without preservatives, hormones or chemicals in them.

7.  I'm a country-girl at heart.  I like to raise chickens for fresh eggs and grow our own beef.  In the summer you'll find me tending my large garden and canning foods for winter.  I like living in the middle of nowhere and knowing where my food comes from.

8.  My favorite smell is baking bread.

9.  If I had to choose one food to survive on, it would be dark chocolate truffles :)

10. I'm a registered nurse and have worked most recently (for 7 years) as an OB/Gyn advice nurse.  I could tell you more than you'd ever want to know about pregnancy, hormones, hysterectomies & pap smears!

 

3. Pass the award along to bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!

This was REALLY tough - there are so many creative blogs that I enjoy reading...

I am passing this Beautiful Blog Award to the blogs below.  I invite you to check them out!  

Melissa @ Lilac Lane

Sabra @ Sew a Straight Line 

Christine @ From An Igloo

 

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

 

Thanks for reading more than you ever wanted to know about me! Anything else you want to know, just ask :)  I hope you will visit these great blogs and find some sewing inspiration!

Fun Bedroom Clothing

June 13th was my 11th wedding anniversary - and Andy was out of town at football camp.  I wanted to surprise him when he got back by making a cute nightie for me and boxers for him.  Mission accomplished!

Fall 1998 - Engagement

I've had Colette Pattern's Mini-Bloomers tutorial on my 'Projects To Try' list for a few months and this was the perfect time to try them.  Her instructions were very good and the sizing was perfect.  These little bloomers do sit very low in the front so next time I'll rise the front about 2 inches. 

Part 2 of my little number was the Summer Nightie from One Yard Wonders by Rae of Made by Rae blog.  I was trying to make this one on day 4 of being a single mom and my attention span was very short.  I mistakenly sewed the bodice pieces on sideways which left a big gap between the breasts.  To fix this, I added bust darts and sewed the bottom 2 inches of the bodice pieces together.  It's not pretty sewing, but it fixed the problem.  I tried to camoflage the stitching with some buttons and it turned out as a great nightie. Next time, this top will sew together in about an hour - I'll be making more!

For Andy, I wanted to try making a pair of boxer briefs out of his old t-shirts.  I outlined pattern pieces from a pair of his shorts, added a scant seam allowance and sewed them up.  They turned out a little small in the backside, so I'll add some length to the back piece next time and add bigger seam allowances.  For fun, I added some monkey appliques to the front.  

Note:  We are not racist!  Andy's school mascot was the Rebels and Rebel Pride was their school spirit campaign.  Don't want to offend anyone :)

Does anyone know how to rotate photos in Blogger?  I have them rotated before uploading, but sometimes they rotate back.  Any insight is appreciated!

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Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday

Jewelry Clearance Sale

One of my favorite Etsy shops, Joy Made Jewelry is having a huge 1/2 off sale in her shop.  Nissa has opened a new shop and is closing out her old inventory.  She will refund 50% off of the listed price after your purchase.  I bought a few gifts and a Mother's Nest necklace for me - only $2.99!!!  Check out the great sale and get them before they're gone!