Ruby Star Shining Skirt

I stumbled across this darling skirt on the Lucky Lucille blog a little over a year ago and I fell in love with it. The fabric is so charming and Rochelle did such a good job with creating a skirt that showed off the fabric just right- she definitely has an eye for vintage-y fabrics and clothing! Her style is so fun and fits her so well! 

I immediately started looking for some fabric just like it...  I did a little research and found a couple yards (it's called Ruby Star Rising Starlet in Aspic by Melody Miller) and put it away in my stash for about a year. I was kinda nervous to make a skirt for myself since all I had been making lately were quilts, bags, and whatnot... A skirt seemed tricky! Plus, I am always nervous to cut into a piece of fabric that I really love!

After looking at the fabric sit on my shelf for about a year, I took it down determined to make a skirt. I considered drafting my own pattern but decided to go with a store bought pattern... less headache! I used the New Look 6872 pattern and overall I feel like it turned out pretty good. It's similar to Rochelle's skirt (although, I definitely don't pull off the vintage look as well as she does!) but I really like the sash/belt option of the pattern I followed.  

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer! I've been all over the place since we left Ohio... Kansas to Utah and out to California back to Utah then to Texas and finally back to Utah for a few more weeks until we trek across the US again to the East coast and settle into our home there. It's been a fun, busy summer so far... but I'm looking forward to unpacking our things and start sewing again! I've been working on my hexie quilt all summer, since it's an easy take along project for road trips and is all hand pieced- but I am getting the itch to put the pedal to the metal on my sewing machine again!

xoxo, Ashley

Anchor Chardon Skirt

I have been on the hunt for the perfect pleated skirt for about 2 years now.  I came across this fabulous pattern by a darling French pattern designer named Eleonore. She runs a shop called Deer and Doe and I love her designs. This skirt is called the Chardon Skirt and it is such a great pattern! I ordered it straight from France and the pattern arrived in less than a week... I was so impressed with the turn around! 

I picked out some fabric and got to cutting out my pattern. (I used Anchor Chambray for the main part of the skirt, Clown Stripe in Limeade for the accent. I am not certain the info on the bias tape, but I picked it up from Sew to Speak and it matched perfectly with the stripe.)

*Side note: Have you ever measured yourself for a pattern and thought "I'm gonna go with the smaller size because I know I am going to drop some of the extra pounds I put on over the winter."

- Me too! I'm so glad I am not the only one! ;)

 So I went for the smaller size and got to sewing. The pattern was so easy to follow and very straight forward (it came with instructions in English and French- in case you were wondering).

Well as I was sewing, I was thinking to myself... "Oh man...Not sure if this is gonna fit!" 

Sure enough- when I finished, I tried the skirt and I could zip it up but it definitely looked like it was a size too small. Bummer! I knew that with a summer of being active outside it would probably fit perfect in a month or two, but I had another idea....

My younger sister Heidi is the "pre- having two kids" version of me. I knew the skirt would fit her great. So I packed up this happy little skirt and shipped it to her! 

Doesn't it she look darling?

She is a missionary for our Church, serving in Tampa, Florida so she wears skirts everyday and was so happy to have a fun new skirt to wear! I just love her and am so proud of all of the good she is doing in Tampa. And I am so excited because she will be returning home in July and I will get to see her again! (Girl missionaries serve for 18 months away from family and loved ones. They get to call home on Christmas and Mother's Day and email once a week- but she is one of my very best friends so I feel like I haven't seen her in FOR-EVER!)

Ok... back to the skirt... a couple of my favorite things about the pattern is that there are pockets in the skirt (something I had never done before, but  was surprisingly easy), the pleats, the ties on the back of the skirt (optional), and the bottom of the skirt is hemmed with bias tape for a nice clean finish. I was very happy with the way it turned out!

I definitely recommend this pattern to anyone! Beginner or experienced seamstress! 

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Ashley

The Perfect Summer Bag

I really love a good, big bag for summer time. I have been on the look out for one that was just right, so when I made the Field Study Reversible Sunday Sling for my sister, I knew that with a couple changes it would be just perfect for my needs! 

I need a summer bag that has a wide opening without a closure so I can fill it to the brim with beach towels, sun screen, snacks, etc when we are headed to the pool, park, or wherever- which is why I loved this bag pattern so much. It is so easy to throw stuff in and go.

I think it is pretty safe to say I have a mild obsession with anchors and all things nautical. When I saw this anchor fabric by Premier Prints, my heart skipped a beat. I ordered 2 yards of it before you could say "Ahoy Matey" and waited with baited breath for it to arrive on my doorstep!

It did not disappoint! I LOVE it!

(I got my anchor fabric from fabric.com and with a coupon code I got it for just under $8 per yard but when they get a shipment you have to jump on it because it sells out so fast!)

I paired it with the Premier Prints Stripe in Salmon and I absolutely love it.   

I made my bag without the pockets inside the bag that it calls for and it really feels big and roomy- which is what I was hoping for. 

I absolutely love it!! It's totally the perfect summer bag!

Camera Cozy Tutorial

I originally shared this tutorial over at U Create.

I love my DSLR camera, but sometimes it's nice to  carry something smaller when I am out and about and don't want to add too much weight to my purse or worry about my gear getting snatched if I set it down at a park. So I decided to invest in an inexpensive point and shoot camera that I can throw into a bag when I am running out the door. 

Instead of buying a case for my camera, I decided to make one.

This project is really simple- I made mine in about an hour (but I made my own bias tape so that took up a bit of the time).

What you will need is:

1-2 fat quarters (depending on if you want your interior fabric to be different that your exterior fabric)

1 yard of 1/2 wide double fold bias tape (store bought or homemade)

fusible fleece

1 large snap (velcro could be used as well)

*Optional: 1 button (I used a 1/2 fabric covered button)

Ok... to start you will need to measure your camera. For the purpose of keeping things clear and understandable- here is a picture of how I got the measurements of my camera and calculated for my pattern.

The width of my camera is 3 3/4 inches.

The height of my camera is 2 1/4 inches.

The depth of my camera is 3/4 inch.

To create my pattern, for the front panel, I made mine 4 1/2 inches by 3 1/4 inches. So to calculate yours, you will take your width measurement and add 3/4 inch and then take your height measurement and add 1 inch.

For the back panel, I made mine 8 inches by 3 1/4 inches. This accounts for the back and also the flap that wraps over to the front and snaps. So to calculate yours, you will take the width measurement and add 4 1/4 inch to it and then take your height measurement and add 1 inch to it. (it will be the same measurement as the height in your front panel.)

For the side panel, I made mine 1 1/2 inches by 12 inches. So to calculate yours, you will will take your depth measurement and add 3/4 inch to it and then you will take the measurements you used in your front panel and add them together and then subtract 1/2 inch. (ex: width+width+height-1/2 inch).

I hope that makes sense! It kind of helps to draw a picture to keep it straight! :)

If your camera is pretty close to the size of mine you may not need to change any measurements for your camera cozy. My cozy doesn't fit like a glove- there is a bit of extra room- so if you want yours smaller or bigger for your camera, just make the necessary adjustments in your measurements.

Step 1: Once you have your measurements, you will need to cut 2 front panels, 2 side panels, and then 2 back panels. In my case I cut one of each in the blue floral fabric and then one of each in the red polka dot for contrast, but like I said, this project can totally be done with one fat quarter.

When you have your panels cut out, you will need to apply fusible fleece to each panel you have cut (you should have 6 panels total).

I opted for a rounded flap but you could totally keep it square if you would like. If you want it rounded, use a bowl as a guide and cut the top on both back panels so that they are uniformly round.

Step 2: Take your two back panels and put them wrong side together and baste them together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and your machines longest stitch length. Set aside.

Step 3: Take the interior side panel and front panel and pin them together starting at the top and working the fabric down and around the two bottom corners. Repeat with the exterior side panel and front panel.

When you are finished they should look like this. Sew along the pins on each panel with a generous 1/4 seam allowance.

Step 4: Take your inside panel and put it into your outside panel and line up the raw edges and pin in place. I didn't choose to trim the seam allowances after sewing in step 3- just to give it that extra padding, but I did have to kinda cram the lining in to get them to match up, so do whatever works best for your needs.

Step 5: Set your stitch length to the longest your machine has and baste along the top, sides, and bottom of the case with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Step 6: Apply bias tape to the top of the case by pinning it to the interior and sewing and then folding it over to the exterior and sewing in place. If you need a good tutorial on how to apply bias tape- here is a fabulous one! 

Step 7: Pin the front of the case onto the back panel. Baste with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Step 8: Apply bias tape to the front of the case, joining your ends of tape at the base of the case.

Step 9: Fold bias tape over to the back and stitch. Be sure to be extra tidy when stitching because your stitches will be visible on the front of the case.

Step 10: Sew on your large snap for the closure.

Step 11: Sew your button to the front of the flap.

That's it! Easy peasy right?!?

iPad Mini Cargo Case + Tutorial

I think my iPad mini has to be one of my favorite possessions. I love it... like a lot. 

Since I got it for Christmas, I have just had a clear hard case on the back of it. The case doesn't do much to protect it except for scratches on the back, but I kinda like that it keeps it small and un-bulky (is that even a word?!). The only problem is- I like to take my ipad places and I have been cringing every time I have tossed it into a bag full of things that could scratch or damage it- so it was high time I did something about it. 

Let me introduce you to the little home I made for my mini... I think it's kinda cute, but still very functional: win-win.

When I was designing the pattern for the case, I knew that I wanted to have a simple sleeve that my mini would slide into quickly but I also wanted to have a place to store the charging cord while traveling so I decided on a little cargo pocket on the front. It turned out pretty nifty! ;)

It's padded with a layer of duck cloth and quilt batting in between the outside and inside panels of the case so it is nice and safe while stored within.

I made mine for my iPad mini, but it would be super easy to change the measurements and make it for  a regular sized iPad, kindle, tablet, etc.

Here is what you will need to make it:

-2 fat quarters

-1 package of 1/2 double fold bias tape (unless you want to make your own like I did)

-a bit of leftover quilt batting or fusible fleece

-duck cloth

-one large snap, magnetic clasp, or velcro for closure of flap

- 7.5 inches of 1/2 elastic (you could use 1/4 inch if desired as well)

-1 inch button (optional)

-light interfacing (optional: depending on weight of fabric- I used quilting cotton so I used light interfacing on the cargo pocket)

Measurements for cutting fabric:

Fabric A & B: cut one of each size per fabric-

-9 x 7.5 inch (front of case)

-12 x 7.5 inch (back of case/ top flap)

(optional: I used a bowl as a guide to slightly curve the top edge for the flap on the 12 x 7.5 panel on both fabric A & B- there is about a 2 inch overhang of the flap when closed so be sure to not round your edge further than around the 10 inch mark on your panel if that makes sense)

 - 4 x 9.5 inch

- 2 x 6.75 inch (this will be your flap for the cargo pocket- I used a bowl to slightly curve the bottom edge of these as well)

Next you will want to cut your quilt batting/fusible fleece and duck cloth panels. You will use one of the largest rounded panels and one of the 9 x 7.5 inch panel and use them as a guide to cut one panel of duck cloth exactly the same size of each. Next you will cut your batting/fusible fleece- you will want to cut your batting slightly smaller than the panel so you reduce bulk while sewing. 

When you are done you should have 2 duck cloth panels and 2 batting panels total.

Step 1: Quilt your main panels. I did a very basic quilting on my 2 main panels- just a couple straight lines of stitches to hold the layers together, but you can go as crazy or conservative as you would like on this step. To start take your large curved panel pieces and create your "quilt sandwich"- you will start by putting the interior fabric wrong side up, followed by the duck cloth, followed by the batting, and ending with the exterior fabric right side up and use pins to hold the 4 layers together while quilting. You will layer the smaller 9 x 7.5 inch panel the same way and quilt both as desired. Set your two main panels aside.

Step 2: Create your cargo pocket. Take your two 4 x 9.5 inch panels and apply interfacing if desired. Then put them right sides together and sew along one of the long edges using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Press the seams open and then fold in half with right sides facing out and press top edge again.

Step 3: Create a casing for your elastic. I used 1/2 so I created a casing that was slightly larger than 1/2 so that the elastic fit very snug.

After your casing is sewn, set your stitch length to the longest your machine allows and sew a basting stitch along the raw edge of the panel you have created. This will be for gathering the bottom of the cargo pocket. Take your 9 x 7.5 inch quilted panel and gather the bottom of your cargo pocket so that it is 7.5 inches wide and pin and baste it to the bottom of your quilt panel.

Step 4: Feed your elastic into the casing by using a small safety pin to guide it through. 

 Once you have it evenly fed through pin the side edged of the cargo pocket to the side of the main quilted panel and baste them together. Be sure when basting that you catch the elastic good and back stitch over it well to secure it so it doesn't come loose while completing the next steps.

Step 5: Take your two curved panels for the cargo pocket flap and apply interfacing if desired. Place them wrong side together and pin the bias tape along the curved edge of the interior side or "wrong side" of the flap and sew. Then fold your bias tap over to the right side and pin in place and stitch to the front side of the flap. You may need to press well afterwards to help the panel lie completely flat. 

Step 6: Apply bias tape to the top edge of the flap. Pin your bias binding to the "wrong side" of the flap but leave an inch overhang of binding on each side and sew. Next instead of folding the bias tape over to the "right side" of the flap and stitching in place, fold it over to the "right side" of the flap and then pin the flap with the overhanging edges of bias tape to the main panel just above the gathered pocket. Once you have it pinned evenly, you will stitch along the bottom edge of the bias binding to secure to the flap and main panel of the case and then you will also stitch along the top edge of the binding to secure the binding to the main panel even more. 

 Step 7:Apply bias tape to the top edge of the main panel.

*If you are using velcro or anything other than a snap as your closure, you may want to apply it to the pocketed panel you have just created so that you don't have to wrangle it once the case is all put together.*

Step 8: ( not pictured) Place the main pocket panel  on top of the quilted large panel with the curved edge on top so the the interior fabrics are facing right side together and the exterior of the case if facing out. Line up the squared edges at the base of each panel and pin along the side and bottom of the panels to hold them together. Baste along the pinned edges to secure both panels.

Step 9: Apply bias tape to the case. I pinned the bias tape to the back of the case and had the edges of my bias tape connect at the bottom of the case so that the seam wasn't as noticeable. Then fold the edges of the binding over to the front of the case and pin in place and sew. 

Step 10: Sew your closure. I chose to use a large snap, and then I added a fabric covered button on the flap just for kicks. Remove any visible basting stitches if necessary.

That's it! Pretty slick huh? 

Fabric that I used in this project: navy two inch stripe by Riley Blake, Anchors Away in navy by Sarah Jane, and Taza Stripe in Yellow by Free Spirit.

Field Study Reversible Sunday Sling

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Anna Maria Horner fabric and Amy Butler patterns!

AMH's Field Study line has been one of my favorites this year... I used almost the entire line in my Scrappy Trip Along quilt and used up some of my leftover scraps to make a makeup bag...

Last year I made Amy Butler's infamous Weekender Bag. So I thought I would try another Amy Butler pattern... I went for the Reversible Sunday Sling. 

I love love love this bag! I made this one for my little sis and have plans to make one for myself and possibly another for a gift.

For the Exterior of the bag, I used Field Study Parenthetical in Potpourri . It is a linen/cotton blend. I love working with it. It is a gorgeous fabric! Those feathers.... ahh....swoon!

One of the things that drew me to this pattern was the cute handles. I love how they are just tied in a knot. It totally makes the bag different than any other I have seen or made.

Did I mention that it is reversible?!? Umm... Can it get any better?

For the interior of the bag I used AMH LouLouThi Clippings in Passion. I love this fabric so much! I have quite a bit of yardage in this print and am thinking it would be perfect for a summer skirt.

I wish I would have placed my pattern pieces a little different so that the huge roses weren't lined up awkwardly... Oh well- you live and you learn- right?

I am loving these big pockets! They are on both side of the bag. Lots of places to store things!

I made the small version of the bag... Which is still quite large-  It measures 18" wide x 14" tall (28" tall with handles) x 3 deep.

I pretty much stuck to the pattern when making this bag but I did make one little change- I left off the cell phone pocket. I figured with all of the pockets on it already I didn't need to make a separate one for a phone. 

My only tip when making this bag is to make sure you use a brand new heavy duty needle when putting together the bag!

This pattern was super easy to follow and very clear. I definitely recommend it! :)

(I bought my pattern here.)