Sew & Tell - Mariko's Book Covers

So I've noticed many of you started sewing for holiday gifts. It's good to start early. Here is something to give you some ideas if you are not sure what to make for your bookworm friend. It seems that Mariko reads a lot, and these paperback covers are great for her to protect her books. In Japan, when you buy a paperback, they will put a cover which is made of craft paper with the bookstore's name on it instead of putting it in a merchandise bag. So, many paperback readers who are crafty usually make a fabric paperback cover to replace the one which came with the book. Make sense? Their paperbacks are all universal in size, and this is why paperback covers are common things to sew (you might have seen a book cover as a project in many Japanese craft books). The cover also provides privacy. Sometimes you don't want other people to know what you are reading in public, right? Mariko's book covers are adjustable to the volume of the books and have built in bookmarks. Isn't it clever? Thank you, Mariko!

Sew & Tell - Eva's Cupcake Duo

So it wasn't just Francine's family who was moving out of the city. Soon Peapod will loose another loyal customer :-( Well, luckily she will be an hour and half away. Eva took a little break from sewing as her sewing machine was still packed in the box from her previous move. She didn't want to unpack things because she found out that her family will be moving again soon. But, she couldn't go on with her life without her lovely sewing machine any longer. So she took it out of the box, then boom, the sewing bug took over. The first thing she made after a reunion with her machine was a cupcake dress for her little girl. Then she had a little left over. Not big enough to make anything, you think? No, it was plenty to make a patchwork skirt for the wise mom. This one is for her second little girl. They are as sweet as cupcakes! Thank you, Eva and remember it's just an hour and half :-)

Sew & Tell - Francine's Kimono Top

One of the fun things about seeing people's projects is to see their little ones grow when they come to show me what they made for them. Many times the little ones were still in their mom's womb kicking their arms and legs. Elia is one of the little ones whom I've seen grow since she was still in her stroller. Her mom, Francine loved making this kimono style top for her and her little sister, and they are famous for being purple lovers :-) Here she is again Elia is in her purple kimono top looking very pretty. It's just so amazing to see how the girl has "matured." I remember her as a shy little girl speaking all in French back then, but now she is a bright girl speaking very articulate English. I am just so sad that I won't see her family again. The day after this photo was taken they moved to the East Coast. Girls, thank you again for all these years and best of luck to you and your family. And thank you for the daisies too. Love them!

Sew & Tell - Heather's Play Suit

I hear that it is not exciting to sew for boys all the time. There is not much to sew for them because all they need are t-shirts and pants. Also, there are not many sewing patterns available for boys either...good ones at least. But, wait. Do not forget Oliver + S. Their designs are classic with a bit of a twist to make them cuter, like this Play Suit. With her excellent choice of fabric combination, Heather did such a wonderful job here. I love her choice of royal blue piping. It makes a huge difference! I remember that Heather and I talked about skipping this detail when she wasn't sure what to choose for piping, but she made the right decision. Yes, it seems like a tiny detail, but it is up to you to make the outcome more advanced looking if you take the time and love like Heather did. Thank you, Heather! It is beautiful!

Cabinet Makeover

So I found this cabinet on Craigs List during the summer for my entryway to hide the "stuff." It's perfect to hold the dog walking stuff like plastic bags and gloves, and small stuff like extra keys. And also it's perfect to put those shoes away. I went to pick it up down the Peninsula, and it had been sitting in the front porch ever since. The makeover progress was very slow as I was manually sanding it on my day offs for the past few months. But, one warm Monday in early fall I finally finished it. I had a few different shades of black paint left over and I planned to paint it in classic black that I chose for my night stand a while back, but I realized it was the wrong color after a couple of drawers were painted. I kept painting the pieces knowing it wasn't the color I wanted for this cabinet. But, in the end I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.

the yellow fabric in the frame is just temporary and i am currenly working on something for the wall...

before...

i was originally going to replace the hardware too, but i like the way this antique brass looks against this black...

Sew & Tell - Harryette's Blouse

This post has been so overdue, but Harryette's beautiful blouse is the perfect opening for the November sewing and crafty month (I heard that September was the sewing month, but I think November should really be the one...or any month :-) Too bad that she wasn't wearing this when she came to the shop the other day. Can you tell the sleeves are a little different? It's not the regular puffed sleeves with an elastic through casing. They are balloon sleeves. I really wished that she was wearing it so I could see how the sleeves would look like on her arms. I don't know where she got this pattern, but it is an interesting one for sure. And don't you love this print? So pretty! Thank you, Harryette!