More Baby Gifts!

September 7, 2012 home decor
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I am back from the dead (or rather, out of wedding-planning mode and caught back up with real world stuff). I’ve been working on some sewing projects, but none are finished yet… so in the meantime, here’s a shot of a friend’s new nursery! She had some old white curtains that needed sprucing up, so I added some pretty little panels of color out of a fabric that she picked out. I only have a cell phone photo, but I think it’s cute none the less :)

I will be back soon with some real projects. I promise!

Baby Blues

March 14, 2012 stuffed animals
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Okay. I may as well put this blog on hold until after my wedding. I don’t know how I thought I could hold down a full time job, never ending freelance work, plan/craft a wedding, and still manage to sew all at once.

Fortunately I did have one excuse (and a deadline) to crank something out! My friend/future cousin-in-law’s baby shower! Of course I could have gone the simpler, perhaps more sane and useful route and picked up a gift on the registry… but being me, I really wanted to make something handmade. The baby, Lawson, has such an uncommon name that I thought it would be fun to give them something personalized. I found out from the mom that the nursery is going to be blue and brown and elephant themed, so I whipped up a little cordoroy stuffie from Diana Rupp’s Sew Everything Workshop. This is the second elephant I have made (the first was for my nephew), and it was a fun and easy little project :) It was also my first time doing hand-embroidery! I am pretty happy with how it turned out, and Lawson’s mom seemed to like it… so mission accomplished!

The Derby Dress

February 19, 2012 dresses / sketches
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I live in Louisville, Kentucky. The first weekend of May in this town is a party weekend, thanks to the yearly running of the Kentucky Derby at the beautiful Churchill Downs. Every hotel is booked, the roads are full, and if you’re not attending the race itself, then you must be attending a Derby party! I have only lived in Louisville for a couple years, and have not yet attended the actual event, but I know I will end up at some sort of celebration this year. One of the things that makes Derby weekend so fun is that it’s an excuse to dress up in pretty dresses and wear BIG HATS! While I haven’t gotten the hat picked out yet, I DID decide to show a little Louisville pride by making a dress for this year’s Derby.

I was inspired by a dress I found online, both in color and content. I plan on using the New Look 6699 pattern, and I’m going to use this as an opportunity to use my amateur screenprinting skills. Here are a couple designs I’ve sketch out so far (using my new croquis!)… I think I am fond of the version with the bow, but I’ll have some time to think about it while the fabric is on it’s way.

Already behind.

January 19, 2012 Uncategorized
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I’ve already borked my resolution to post once a week… unfortunately (and fortunately) I’ve been hit with a surge of freelance jobs, leaving me very little down time after getting home from my full-time job. That, on top of planning a wedding, means minimal sewing this month.

Instead, I continue to plan! I took advantage of sewingpatterns.com’s 99 cent simplicity sale a couple weeks ago and now find myself with ten brand new patterns. I have been looking for a simple top to make, and Simplicity 2594 seems perfect. I think I may get to this before the previously posted Vogue dress, simply because this will be a very quick project… and quick is what I need right now! I’ve even already got the fabric and buttons just waiting to be washed and cut. I’m hoping to crank it out this weekend!

Dreaming of the New Year.

January 6, 2012 Uncategorized
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Plans for Vogue 1102

Plans for Vogue 1102!

Have you ever had a picture in your head of the exact dress you want to make… and are then unable to find a fabric that lives up to the dream? I spent over an hour digging through my favorite online fabric shops and came up empty… so I guess I’m settling. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with a solid teal dress… and it’s not that I can’t make this dress again when I DO find that illusive dark brown material with a petite flower print… and it’s not like I’ll even be able to WEAR this dress until it’s warm outside again… I just want it all now!

January is proving to be a very, very busy month… at my day job, my freelance job, and in my personal life (wedding planning is consuming, especially when you’re a DIY type). I may not have much time for actual sewing until mid-February, so I figured this might be a good time to list out some goals I have for the coming year!

As far as this blog goes, here are some of my plans:

  • Design a logo.
  • Create an awesome custom theme for WordPress. I’ve started it, but I’m my worst design critic.
  • Update at least once a week… but really, as many times as possible.
For sewing this year, I’ve got a few goals as well.
  • Sew at least 12 garments. That’s one a month. No problem.
  • Get/Make custom “Steffie Stitched” tags to sew into clothes.
  • Create a custom croqui. I love the look of Mikhaela’s and plan on making something similar for me and the Mister! Speaking of the Mister….
  • Make a shirt for my fiance. I’ve got the pattern, I made the promise, now I need to follow through!
  • Make a horse-themed dress (and fascinator) to wear to Derby parties in the spring. This is Louisville, Kentucky after all!
  • Incorporate screenprinting into a garment! I have a feeling it might be the Derby dress, but we’ll see.
  • Make a dress to wear to my rehearsal dinner.
  • Make some lingerie. I’m thinking maybe the Ruby Slip?
  • Try to make a pair of (non-pajama) pants. I got Pants for Real People for Christmas this year (the non-sewing gift giver thought it was the funniest title ever… which it is) so no more excuses.
  • Try to make a coat! I also got Built by Wendy Coats & Jackets for Christmas and there are a few projects in there that I already have my eye on.
  • Attempt to sew a Halloween costume this year. I made a pumpkin dress last year but I waited until the last minute, rushed through it, and it ended up comically small :(
  • Make at least one stuffed animal. Just because I love to :)
  • Make some baby clothes. Not for me! We have some baby showers coming up soon and I would love to give hand-made clothes.
  • Finish Gertie’s Bombshell Dress course. I bought the course, bought all the supplies, and promptly lost steam. I’m looking forward to learning more about boning.
I think that’s about it! I plan on using this blog mostly for myself as a way to keep track of project plans, progress, etc… but I hope to make a few bloggy friends in the process. If you happen to stumble upon steffiestitches.com, say hi! :)

 

Steffie Stiches begins!

January 4, 2012 Uncategorized
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I’m a web designer by profession, so it’s almost painful for me to launch this site in such an un-finished way… but I don’t want my lack of a custom designed wordpress theme to be another excuse for not getting a sewing blog started! I think the online sewing community is so inspiring and welcoming, and I am more than ready to join in. SO. Hello world, I’m Steffie! Time to get sewing. :)