Happy Birthday Marine Corps!

I could not be more thankful for the men and women who serve our country. I was very lucky to be raised by a 12-yr Marine Corps Captain. You better believe I know the Marine Corps Hymn, that "once a Marine, always a Marine", and that dress blues give you goosebumps. Pain is just in your head, "can't is not in your vocabulary" and America always prevails. I love my Marine. Thanks Dad for your service and unconditional love. Happy Marine Corps Birthday!

Anne Marie Horner- Queen's of Hearts

Anne Marine Horner has my favorite classic red, white and blue fabric. The illusion of dynasty theme, made with hearts and flowers is stunning. Beautiful Americana design.

Thanks to all that serve!

Happy Creating,
Jen

Amy Butler Voile Sun Glow Pillow

Hi Friends!

It's been a long busy week for me. It's so nice to have a free Friday night to catch up.

Two years ago I made pillowcases and a bed skirt for my master bedroom. It was a fun project using Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane collection. With that project, I had a lot of scraps left over. They've been lonely in my fabric stash... so I made it a mission to find a project for them. 

I've been so interested in quilting lately, but it intimidates the heck out of me. The perfection of seams is just not my strong suit yet. BUT I love the idea of having all my favorite fabrics on one beautiful piece. Lucky for me, I found this great free tutorial from Amy Butler. It's the perfect entry level quilting project. 

Masterpiece Complete

My favorite detail of this pillow is the alternating pom-poms.

The making of the fabric square is pretty forgiving. You will need 6 different fabric patterns of a half yard each. Another cool detail of the pattern is the triangle shapes of the quilting. When I orignally printed the pattern, I thought it was a simple retangle pattern, however, I love the interesting lines the triangles makes. Great detail that brings more interest to the pillow.

Here is the quilted template; you will then cut out your 24.5 x 24.5 pattern.

 

Pin your pom-pom string on and sew. Cut the same size backing, pin and sew to create pillowcase with 18" opening on one side. Slip stitch closed.

Stuffing the pillow into this pillowcase reminded me of trying to get into skinny jeans. Except for my skinny jeans always win. I won the pillowcase war. Score!

Breaker wanted in on the action! Breaker says "Hi Y'ALL!"

I highly suggest this pattern! I am very happy with my new pillow. What do y'all think?

Happy Creating,
Jen

Amy Butler's Alchemy Organic

Amy Butler just released her latest fabric collection titled "Alchemy Organics". It's is a beautiful collection of organic fabric featuring beautiful whimsical prints. I saw this release and immediately became obsessed. Lucky for me, the fabric store in town had the full collection and I was able to snag a  yard of each.

Now here comes the tough part... what to make? I honestly, don't want to cut into them for fear of making a mistake on this beautiful fabric. Well, that and the fact that they are more expensive than typical designer fabric for their organic quality. Here are my two favorites!

This is my all time fav!

 Amy Butler's Alchemy Organic Collection

They are just gorgeous, right?! I just want to LIVE in these fabrics. The fact that its 30 degrees outside and these are clearly spring has not stopped me from wanting to sport these underneath my winter coat. I'll will bring spring beauty to this cold Minneapolis winter. Sounds like a good plan in theory. ;) Winter can exist outside and spring can exist inside. Yes.

What would you create? Would love to hear your ideas!

Happy creating,
Jen

Game Day Skirt for a Game Day WIN!

I am so excited for the LSU Alabama game today! So excited. This always becomes the biggest game of the season and I love it. Saturday night in Death Valley...Love.

I wanted to make something for the game. One MUST look cute for the big game. Its a must. ;)

I have been in love with this yellow chevron fabric for quite some time, but have never gotten the chance to use it. Here's my chance.

I used this pattern that I found at the fabric store, Audrey Wrap Skirt. It was very easy to read and follow. I have 2 'call-outs' for the pattern.

1. Read before you cut. I didn't read that you need to add your seam allowance to the pattern. I just cut the pattern and then read that they wanted you to add a half inch to the patter to allow for seam allowances. I don't like that at all. I feel like your seam allowances should be built into the patter. So be careful and read before you cut.

2. Don't make the ribbon as instructed. The pattern has you sewing the fabric ribbon in half, sewing and then turning. This takes far too long, 45 mins, and makes your hands cramp. Next time I will be making the ribbon just like I made the fabric ribbon in my pendant banner tutorial. Cutting my strips 4 inches wide so that your ribbon is a solid inch.

I added interfacing to the chevron side as you could see through the white. I'm not sure I would do that again. It is stiffer than I would like. I'm hoping that after the first wash it will flow/move better. Other that that, I'm in love. It was a 3 hour project for me, but I wasn't sewing the whole time and the fabric ribbon took much longer than it should have.

Game Day outfit complete! What do you think? I can't decide which side to wear... maybe I'll switch it around at half-time. Which side is your favorite?

Reversible wrap skirt!

Wrap skirt side "FUN"!

Wrap skirt side "Pretty"

Tiger Stadium, where opponents dreams come to die.

My new outfit and I are ready for a win!  GEAUX TIGERS!

Breaker's ready for the game too!!

I think he knows he is a stud muffin.

Happy Halloween Banners

Happy Halloween Everyone! I hope everyone is having a fantastically spooky Halloween day. I am loving watching all the costumes on facebook stroll in. What fun! I’m in Arkansas for a meeting today so, I’ll be sitting this Halloween day on the sidelines. Don’t worry, though, my Halloween fun was had this weekend, I’ll post about that later. Today though, I wanted to share my Halloween decorating adventures.

Fall this morning... its coming to an end soon! Now THAT is scary. WARNING: Minnesota winter ahead!

I wanted to decorate my door this Halloween as I have this great porch on the first floor of my apartment complex. I was inspired by the fabric pendant banners that I have been seeing, so, I thought… that’s it. Off to Joann’s and Voila… Halloween excitement!

Below I have a guide as to how I made the banner. It’s such a fun quick project with big impact. I have already made an LSU banner and hope to make one for Christmas. I think they bring ‘celebration’ to a room. What do you think?

Final touches for the ‘door scape’ kindly came from my bestie, Jen. For the extra pieces, I have a caldron with black netting creating a smoke affect, broom for a witchy escape, pumpkin baskets, and wreath. I ran into a slight problem as my wreath hanger is nicely in storage in New Orleans. I didn’t want to go to the store again, so I decided to try something new. Eight inches of black polka dot fabric created such a cute hanger! I like so much better than a boring metal one.

Come on in, deary.

Beware upon entering! Creative souls are inside.

Enjoy the tutorial! I would love to see what y’all create!

Happy Creating!

Materials to make 4 banners:

-          30 inches for the fabric ribbon using 45” fabric

-          ½ yd of each fabric for you triangles; 5 different fabrics

First step, let’s make the fabric ribbon. Your fabric will be 45 inches long. On the fold, cut 12 strips of 2.5 inches. You will then sew the three strips to create one long strip. We will create the ribbon by ironing the long piece 4 times. This part is actually pretty relaxing. I can’t believe I’m saying that about ironing! Yikes. First, fold it in half to create a crease in the middle. Then you will fold the bottom half to the center crease. Now do the same to the top, ironing the top piece to the center crease. Fold together and iron to create the fabric ribbon for your banner! Easy peasy, just a little time consuming.

Fold in half, Iron.

Open, fold bottom to center crease.

Fold top to center crease.

Fold to in half and iron. You now have fabric ribbon.

So, now for our banners. I found 5 cute Halloween fabrics from Joann’s; a half yard each. The top of the banner triangle is 7 inches long. Each triangle is 9 inches tall. On the folded side, draw a line at 9 inches and 18 inches. Along the side, measure 7 inches. You will have 5 triangles for each row, or 10 triangles per 18 inches. 5 fabrics times 10= 50 triangles. 12 triangles per banner makes you 4 banners, even.

Fun Halloween fabrics! Half a yard each.



Now cut your triangles. You can do this one of two ways. I use a rotary blade and ruler which is accurate and fast. OR, you can use scissors if you don’t have a rotary blade.



Cut lines added.



After all your triangles are cut, we will sew them all together. I like to use a zig-zag stitch. I think it adds an extra element. Your two sides will already be together because when you cut the triangles it was on the fold. I don’t like to use pins for this project, I just hold them together with my fingers and sew. You have 50 triangles to sew, so this just speeds things along.





YAY! You now have 50 triangles sewn. We will place the triangles in the fabric ribbon interior. Find the middle of the ribbon and put a triangle on either side. You will have 6 to the left of the center and 6 to the right of the center to create an even banner. Pin each triangle in the center of the ribbon fold and sew the fabric ribbon closed from end to end. This will create the banner and is your official last step!





Pin then sew!



Sew triangles inside of your fabric ribbon



Step back and enjoy your creation! I’m sure you’ll be hanging it up immediately! J







Geaux Tigers!



Back to Basics

Hello family and friends! 

Welcome to the start of my next adventure in life, "Sew Lovely". Sew Lovely blog is the very humble start to what I plan to build into a fabric store and sewing studio. I want to bring my love for fabric and creating to you so that you too, can create.

I hope you enjoy reading about the new projects I have set aside for the past few years and have been building in my creative pool. Really it’s an extension or continuation of a previous adventure my sister and I started 5 years ago, called “Goosey Bear”. 

Kaya and Lucia in an Aunt Jenny creation, designed by their creative mom, Kate

Goosey Bear was affectionately named after my two youngest nieces, Kaya ‘Bear’ and Lucia Carmen who we called Goose. Our store could not have been more appropriately named as this was the driving force of inspiration behind our designs. Our days and nights revolved around making the idea of Goosey Bear get off the ground and that is just what we did. Our last show was a huge success at the Baton Rouge Junior League’s Holly Days. However, the biggest success of GB was the opportunity for my sister and I to build and grow a lifelong bond. 

Aunt Jenny and Lucy making some burp cloths!! Lucy is the best helper!

Little did Kate and I know at the time, but shortly after our successful show, both her and I would start a new journey through our ‘day time jobs’ that would take Kate and her family to Grand Caymen for four years and myself to Memphis and then Minneapolis. Our optimistic plans of continuing GB as we moved to different cities was put to the side as our careers and families began to flourish. Its hard to believe that we have totes and totes of beautiful, soft burps, bibs, blankets and more, sitting in tubs in our dad’s office. We like to affectionately go up to the storage room (when back home in N.O) just to look and feel our product. It pains both of us to just have it sitting there. 

Hopefully, as we begin to move back home, we will be able to pick where we left off. It’s fun to still, 5 years later, see our customers get excited about our products. 

With this blog, I am hoping to journal my entrance back into the sewing world. It’s been several years since I’ve let my creative side unleashed. I miss her. It’s hard to believe that my sewing machine has been in my closet for 6 months now. How does that happen?!!  It’s time to regroup and get back to it. I hope that you enjoy reading and I even more so hope that I inspire you to try some of these projects on your own.

Happy creating!