Happy Autumn!

It's my favorite time of year. Getting all cozied up under a pile of blankeys with a warm mug of citrus green tea and my new Fall shows couldn't get any dreamier. Well, except that there is a nagging pile of textbooks waiting for me in my bedroom. But that aside, Fall in Michigan is glorious. I loved UP Fall best of all, but Grand Rapids Fall isn't so bad either. I have already broke out my puffy vest and scarf, and can't wait for it to get chilly enough to wear my sock monkey hat that my parents got me for my birthday!

I have a chili pepper red peacoat with buttons down the back that this will complement nicely :)

Switching gears completely, I have something new and adorable to show you:

I've been meaning to make a purse out of this fabric for months, and bought this pattern, Vogue 7889, with such intention, but never got around to it. This pattern came with instructions for 4 different purses, and I had originally planned on view D, but changed my mind at the very last second and just impulse made view A instead. I love it! The outer shell is a Michael Miller fabric the inside shell is Heather Bailey. Here's what the inside looks like, it could almost be reversible:

It fits all of my things really nicely, with room to spare for when I need to throw in my headphones or a pepsi for the road. My last purse didn't have any pockets and was lined with black cotton, the same color as my phone, so I could never find it. This one little pocket is PERFECT for my phone, and is in a nice struggle free reach zone. The top also opens up nice and wide so I can easily scrounge around for what I need.

I highly recommend this style handbag for the fall. Something easy, quick to sew, and casual with spare room for mittens!

Spring projects

I'm getting antsy and excited to start all sorts of springy things! I just started working on a muslin of a chef coat for my boyfriend. He loves to cook and requested I make him one, but since we live 10 hours away from each other I knew fitting was going to be a challenge, and I really want it to be impeccable, so that's why I'm doing a muslin of this. This project is a pretty different experience than what I've sewn so far. With the dresses and tops I've done most of the construction is at the waist and necklines, all about shaping around a woman's curves. With this coat, there are no darts or zippers or linings! The emphasis is put on the sleeves and the collar. Its almost a breath of fresh air to sew a straight piece and focus on something other than how its going to curve around the bust and waist and bum! The only adjustments I foresee are widening the shoulders and lengthening the sleeves, which will be relatively easy-peasy (am I speaking too soon?!). I got a good start on this chef coat, and will be working on it off and on when I'm in the mood, but for the rest of this weekend sewing, I'm going to work on a spring purse!

The pattern that I'm going to use is Vogue 7889, view D (in the top right corner of this picture). I want something simple. fun, and retro, so here are the materials I've chosen so far:

The vintage trailer Michael Miller fabric will be the outside shell, while the hop dot Heather Bailey fabric will be used for the lining. I really wanted some fun handles, but for the size and shape I needed, Bamboo or plain plastic handles were my only options. However, I think the bamboo kind of goes with the retro feel of the purse, so i'm not that disappointed. I can not wait to get started!

I also have many spring dresses in mind. I have the fabric and patterns all ready to go, I just need the time!!