Spring Front Porch Seat Pad and Pillows

I love to decorate my front porch with 

colorful pillows and seat pads.  

These two variations will go on a black wicker settee.

2:00 a.m. and I was still sewing.....  I just got carried away!!

One seat pad with 2 different looks.

Smiles,

Deborah

 

Embellishing Jeans With Diagonal Stitching

Now that I finished my top, it was time to embellish the coordinating recycled jeans shorts.  I noticed that the flower fabric was printed on the diagonal. That inspired me to sew a line of XXXXXXXXX in a diagonal pattern on the front of the shorts. Then I could here-and- there repeat the flowers inside the diagonal squares.
First, I sewed the diagonals on one side of the shorts front.

Next, I carried that pattern over to the right side, 

so your eye would see a continuing pattern.

Iron on the flower patches...yikes...I love it!!!!!

I would totally buy these shorts if I saw them in a store.

On the back of the shorts, I outlined each of the 2 pockets in the same red XXXXXXX. I so seldom use the fancy stitches that are on my sewing machine. These XXXX were fun to use, and still grown-up enough for a pre-teen girl.  

Smiles,
Deborah

Tye-Dyed Sundress for this Boho Babe

What's more Boho than honest-to-gosh tye-dyed fabric!

I found this fabric at a retro store, and I knew I had to have it.

I loved the soft colors with the radiant white starbursts.

   

 Looking through my box of laces from my great grandmother, I found this starburst lace.  I think this fabric and lace were meant to be together.... thanks, Great-Grandma Kelly.

My granddaughter is so slender that I used a elastic gathered band in the back of the sundress so it would fit her better.  I wish that I could find the type of elastic that you can sew multiple row of stitching through, and it doesn't loose it's ability to retract.

But, I think this is a viable solution to the problem.

 I like to gather fabric like this.

First, using your longest stitch, sew 2 rows of stitching. One at 3/8 inch and one at 6/8 inch.

Pull the ends of the threads that came from the bobbin. With your fingers move the gathers down the fabric.

Pin to your connecting fabric at 5/8 inch. Notice how the gathers are even and straight up.  You don't get gathers that are puckers.   







Smiles,
Deborah

Cricut and the Peace, Love, and Lace Top, Lace Skirt, and Shorts

I just purchased a Circut Cutter and couldn't wait to use it as I created my 2017 Bohemian Collection.

There are two looks, one with a multiple layer lace skirt and the other used recycled jean shorts.

As I learned how to program the Cricut machine to create the peace signs and wordings for this shirt, I was very grateful from help from my friends Joyce and Hilde.

To make the skirt, I harvested/recycled the lace fabric from a size Junior 13 skirt to make this Child's Size 8 skirt. Then I decorated the recycled jean shorts with battenburg lace (heart) and on the rear pocket and added the cut out words from the Cricut to the pants front.