Sewing with Scarves

 Day 3 :: Scarves Week

today i bring you some information (some books & links) on where to find ideas for sewing with scarves...

first of all, you've already been introduced to this book: 30 projects for repurposing scarves in Craft Challenge Dozens of Ways to Repurpose Scarves

now be sure to check out: 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf which has a babydoll top, lantern cover, tank dress, replace t-shirt sleeves with poof scarf sleeves, use scarves to add ruffle cuffs to a sweater, use scarves to make covered buttons, plus so many more ideas...

 The Perfect Handmade Bag: Recycle and Reuse to Make 35 Beautiful Totes, Purses, and More has a vintage silk scarf bag

more project ideas:
:: a couple of home decoration projects (such as curtains & pillows) in Fabric Remix
:: pillow
:: small silk neck scarf to little girl t-shirt tunic

 these diy projects didn't call for scarves, but i think they would be perfect projects to make out of silk scarves:
:: eye mask
:: braided headband
:: jewelry pouches

see you tomorrow for day 4 !

Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway

 Day 2 :: Scarves Week

it's May Giveaway Day !  a big thank you to Sew, Mama, Sew! for hosting such a fabulous giveaway event !

the prize:
one copy of the "Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose Scarves" book (my project page signed by moi) & 4 vintage Vera scarves (use the 4 scarves to create one or more of the 30 sewing projects from the book)

enter to win:
:: please leave an answer to the following question: what is your favorite repurposed project? it doesn't have to be sewing... a repurposed project you've made or one you've seen elsewhere ~ leaving a link to the project would be a bonus, thanks !
:: one entry per person
:: i will choose a winner by picking my favorite repurposed project from all those that are shared
:: open until 11:59 PM Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
:: i will announce the winner once the winner has replied to my email
:: i will ship internationally
:: book & scarves will be shipped by Monday, May 30th, 2011

see you soon for Day 3 of Scarves Week !

Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon

 Day 1 :: Scarves Week

all this week i'll be blogging about scarves & today i'm kicking off scarves week with a quick peek inside the "Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon" book by Susan Seid, it's all about Vera Neumann and her art on scarves...

 :: this is such a colorful coffee table book, a great book to give as a gift, also a quick interesting read

:: get to know the lady behind the ladybug

 :: Vera Neumann believed that fine art should be accessible to everyone, not just to walls of museums & private homes

:: she put her paintings on scarves from botanicals to bold geometric patterns & signed the scarves (like a painting) with a cursive "Vera"

:: later she added the ladybug to her signature ~ a symbol of long life, good luck, & good health

 :: she was the country's top scarf designer

:: the most popular were the 36 or 44 inch square scarves

:: her company produced 500 Vera designs per year

:: Vera chose few colors for her scarves, limiting them to 2-4, making them more fashion-friendly

 :: the Vera company now sells apparel & kitchen linens, but it all started with a silk scarf

:: get this book & get bitten by the ladybug

see you tomorrow for a Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway

PS share photos of your Vera scarves with the Vera Neumann flickr group

Eyelet Ruffled Halter

 Day 7 :: Spring Kids Clothes Week

you've probably seen this ruffled halter around, i sewed a pink one with white polka dots last year, it's by Oliver+S & the pattern is found in Stitch magazine Spring 2010

each ruffle is different as i was using only the eyelet in my stash, you know, "make it work" (what Tim Gunn says on Project Runway)

that ends Spring Kids Clothes Week for me, i look forward to the one in the Fall

see you Monday May 23rd for a Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway ~ that will also be the start of Scarves Week here (as you guessed, it's a whole week blogging about scarves)

New Cuffs

 Day 6 :: Spring Kids Clothes Week

this was a super simple & practical project ~ an easy way to get more wear out of some old clothing...

 this pair of blue jeans started to get a hole in the knee... so they were cut, made into shorts & hemmed with vintage ribbon/trim (idea come from here)

 a while ago i bought my daughter a long-sleeved white shirt at a garage sale, only to find out when i got home there were stains on the cuffs. my daughter also had a couple of long-sleeved white shirts where she got paint on the sleeves. so i cut them off where the stains started & sewed on bias tape to make new cuffs. i made the bias tape out of the Liberty of London scarf that was leftover from the Suzanne dress i sewed.

see you tomorrow for day 7 !

Tutu

 Day 5 :: Spring Kids Clothes Week

i guess this can't officially be called clothing, what do you call a tutu ?  an accessory ?  a dress-up item ?

 anyway, this tutu is fun, elegant & lovely... directions came from little things to sew by Liesl Gibson

 it didn't turn out as full as the ones in the book because i bought shiny tulle that was only 54" where the ones in the book were made out of tulle that was 108"... one thing that i did different is that for the gathering i zigzagged over cording which is my preferred gathering method. all in all this was rather a quick & easy project & i would for sure sew more.

see you tomorrow for day 6 !

Girl's Floral Party Dress

 Day 4 :: Spring Kids Clothes Week

i hope all you mom's had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday ~ one of the things i was treated to was a sewing afternoon which allowed me to make this dress... let me introduce you to the girl's floral party dress...

 the robin's egg blue sash ties in the back (unfortunately no photos of the back)

 i snapped this shot while i was waiting for iron to warm up, it's the floral print from Fabric Traditions that i purchased at JoAnn's (i think it was called Garden Party?)

the sash was made out of Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Robin Egg

& for the bodice white linen from my stash (3 pink buttons from my stash, too)

where do you find the pattern for the girl's floral party dress, you ask ?  you'll find it in Stitch magazine's Summer 2011 issue

if i get something sewn today, then i'll see you tomorrow....