Bowl-O-Rama

I'm happy to say that my new eBook is listed on YCMT, and I'm back in the swing of making gifts! I used my Bowling Shirt Pattern to make these presents for some of my rowdy girlfriends. Actually, the shirts are for their kids, but hopefully they will bring back memories of all the crazy things we did back in the day. Things like...


...going out for sushi. We girls could put some hurt on a "boat!"



...gossiping around the chimnea on warm summer nights.


...planting flats and flats of peas so that we could isolate the chloroplasts from the seedlings. There is no better bonding experience than cleaning up the gooey green aftermath of that procedure!


This last one is for my Louie. One our former neighbors used to say he was a "card," so this fabric always makes me think of him.

There only FOUR days left of the "Thrifty Under Fifty" challenge, and I still have lots to do. I still need to make pajamas for Louie, pants/shirts for Louie, finish three dollies, two name pillows, a quilted runner, and some handbags. I'd better get to work!!!

In that mode...

I've been hyperfocused on my latest eBook for the last few days. I get into kind of a weird trance when I am at this phase in the process. All I can think about is finishing the eBook. Laundry is piling up, my hair is getting greasy, and Louie is disassembling things right and left. Thankfully, I have an understanding husband who is keeping us fed and withholding comment about my hair.

This "mode" is nothing new. I used to get myself in the same state back in my science days. It was especially bad when I would write grant proposals. I'd usually put off the boring paperwork until the dead last minute, and would end up in fighting with the departmental secratary's typewriter in the middle of the night. The lack of sleep would make me terribly emotional and completely antisocial. It was always such a good feeling to get the fat envelope sent off and grab a shower and a long nap.

My eBook writing zone is a much more blissful state. It is really a joy to write about sewing and crafting. Bodices and bows are so much more fun to draw than enzymatic pathways. Any deadlines are self-imposed, and it isn't the end of the world if I go ahead and go to bed when my eyes start to ache. In this case, I'm really pushing to get this eBook finished in time for holiday sewing projects.

Since I am sooooooo close to finished, I'll go ahead and disclose what I've been working on...


I've been wanting to make a vest pattern for the longest time. Louie wore a prototype to my brother's wedding last April (poor kid always cries at weddings).

I'm very excited about this eBook! Vests are hot right now! And they aren't just for dress-up, either! I love the look of an oversized vest over a big T-shirt - very retro 80's! I'm including options for collars, mock pockets, and ties/belts in the back.

These vests super-duper easy to make, too. They are definitely good for instant gratification! Speaking of which, the ties are made from this eBook by my friend Sherrie, aka PatchworKids. Talk about an easy, adorable project!

OK, back to putting the finishing touches on my eBook. I'm really looking forward to washing my hair tonight!

Treeful of Gifts

My mom has the nicest group of friends. They take such good care of each other, and are always going out to do fun things like lunch and shopping. When we visit, they go out of their way to drop by and see us, and bring little gifts and treats for Louie. I'm always wishing I had something special to give in return. I'm happy to say that this holiday season, I'll be able to show my appreciation for these great ladies with some handmade door-hangers.

This was such a fun, easy project!!! I downloaded the FREE instructions from YouCanMakeThis.com. It comes with a pattern and very detailed instructions for hand-stitching "Home for the Holidays" surrounded by dainty snowflakes. The design was created by my friend and favorite stitchery artist, Shelli. Also known as "Needle in a Haystack," she creates the most beautiful, whimsical, and meaningful samplers and motifs. For the longest time, I've wanted to sit in front of the fireplace and carefully stitch out one of her lovely designs. Alas, between child and work, I just don't seem to get that kind of quiet time. That is why I was beyond THRILLED when I found out Shelli was going to offer machine embroidery designs. It is the next best thing to having her stitch it out for me!

The "Home for the Holidays" machine embroidery design is actually available for FREE on YCMT's sister site, SWAKembroidery.com . Shelli has so many other charming designs at SWAK, I just had to try out a few more for this project.


This is the Joyeux Noel design. I adore the topiary and the holly leaves. I really want to make myself a decadent throw pillow using this design (someday...sigh).


This is my all-time favorite! I made two of these - one for my mom (because I wouldn't dare make these for her pals and not reserve one for her) and one for her Red Hatter partner-in-crime Selma.

The door hanger instructions suggested adding batting behind the stitching. I'm the worst hooper in the world, so I just hooped the stabilizer, and pinned the batting and the fabric on top of that. It worked beautifully! The light, airy, "prim" designs are really perfect for giving a quilted homespun look.

Not only did the design stitch out in a jiff, but the hangers went together very quickly too. I sewed them up "assembly line" style, and I used my 1/4" piecing foot. It is amazing how the guide on the side of the foot makes stitching so much more accurate (you'd think a 1/4" seam allowance would be easy for me by now, but I tend to daydream and wander all over the place).


My parents were actually here for the last 3 days, so my mom got to see these babies go together. She is thrilled with the results, and can't wait to give them to her friends.

Since my favorite babysitters were here, I was able to get a lot of work done. I actually started on a new pattern - YAY! I'm not quite ready to reveal what I'm working on, but I'll give a few hints...

1) It is for girls and boys
2) It is super easy to make
3) It is FESTIVE!!!

This particular garment is perfect for the holidays, so I am going to work my hardest to get it out before the middle of the month. I still have lots of gifts to make, too, so I'll be spending lots of time "at the bench," so to speak :) .

And the winner is...

Teresa!!!

Thanks so much to all who entered. Definitely stay tuned for more giveaways!

A funky duet

My next set of gifts is made from the Duet Pattern from YouCanMakeThis.com . The design and instructions are by my girl Kimberbell. I drew the patterns and the graphics for this one, but this was my first time to actually try it out. I am THRILLED with the results!!!

These duets are for Martha and Rachel, a mother-daughter pair I have been friends with since my postdoc days. I always think of Rachel as a rosy cheeked, fluffy headed toddler, but she is almost as tall as her mom now (waahhh)! So instead of making the adult/child combo, I made two mirror-image adult-sized aprons. Martha and Rachel are always great about sending us meaningful gifts well in advance of Christmas. I usually manage to reciprocate around oh...July or so. This year I am going to shock them by gifting on time!!!


The fabrics and trim are 100% stash. The funky striped floral fabric was another $1.99/yard score from Affordable Fabrics last year. Every time I looked at it, I would think of Martha and Rachel. I mixed it with a pretty tonal aqua and some black and white checks. The center seam is trimmed with sunny yellow rick-rack. I'm really happy with the retro-funky way the fabrics came together.

There is still time to post and win three of my eBooks! I'll do the drawing tonight (12/2)!

Anyone...Bueller? Bueller? (CONTEST)

HELLLOOOO....is anyone out there, or am I just talking to myself? Ok, I talk to myself (and my dolls, and my plants, and my fish) all the time, but blogging to myself puts me that much closer to wacko-dom. So if you are out there, and are actually reading my attempt at a blog - please leave a lil' comment (any comment will do, just so long as it isn't obscenity or spam). You will be entered in a drawing that could win you THREE CarlaC patterns of your choice (see the e-patterns in my sidebar for options). That is a $29.85 value - Wowza! I'll do the drawing on Tuesday, 12/2/08.

Come on (tapping on the mike really hard) - do I have an audience, or should I slink back into weirdo lurkdom right now (after one hard week of blogging)???

Some nifty thrifty stuff to share!

The YouCanMakeThis.com "Thrifty Under Fifty Challenge" is in full swing, and my team is off to a great start!!! We are organized, motivated, and ready to sew - WOO-HOO! Two of my team-mates have already made significant progress towards their goals. I'm very pleased to introduce you to them and show off their fantastic creations!

First off, meet Wondermommy, a mama of two and bona fide supercrafter. This gal does it all - crochet, sewing, painting, baking...you name it! She doesn't just stand around and show off her crafting muscles, either. She shares her patterns, tutorials, sew-alongs, and links to other amazing resources. She made her first half-dozen gifts from a free pattern by Wee Wonderfuls.

These sweet little "Wees" remind me so much of Russian matryoskha dolls. I love the use of fabric in these babies! What a feast of colors and designs! And guess what??? She didn't spend a single dime on this project! In fact, she has joined forces with a few other team-mates (myself included - eeeek) in the superhuman challenge of making ALL of her gifts from existing stash! These babies are proof positive that Wondermommy has the power to minimize consumption and maximize creativity. To see additional pictures and learn more about her projects, tune into The Adventures of Wondermommy.

Next, meet another superhuman seamstress over at Dragonfly Flittings. Talk about energetic! She has FOUR little ones, and has already made great progress towards her holiday gift-making goals. She is another jack-of-all trades, is wise beyond her 26 years in the craft category. She knocked out 10 of these soothing presents in no time flat!

Vist her blog to learn more about these great hot-packs, cold-packs, and eye pillows. She gives a detailed breakdown of supplies and price. The ingredients are natural and yummy, making this the perfect gift for the granolas (like moi) on your list! And can you believe she is making 16 presents for under $2??? AMAZING!

And I squealed out loud when I saw this creation on her blog:

She made this awesome hoodie for her son Cameron. You aren't going to believe where the materials came from, either. The solid fabrics are cut from T-shirts (two were outgrown, one was free). How is that for repurposing? The adorable dinosaur fabric (which looks an uber-expensive import) was a deep-discount score from a local fabric shop. So for just a few bucks, she made her son an amazing one-of-a-kind garment that is going to be so special to him. Are you wondering what pattern she used? Come on, you must be :) ! I am beyond proud to tell you that she used MY pattern "All the Rage Raglans" - YAY! This eBook contains patterns and instructions for making raglans in sizes 6m-10/12 years. It includes info on working with knits, reconstructing old T's, and adding hoods. I am so thrilled to see what this talented little bug made from those instructions (though the pocket and sleeve stripes are totally her own creativity at work)!!!

So what did I accomplish this week? Err...Not much. I've been in serious cleaning mode, but I did get some things cut out and embroidered. These ladies and the rest of my team have me so inspired - I can't to get back into the sewing groove!