Tag Archives: Sewing kit

January Recap

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Though I only started sewing for 2013 close to the end of the month of January, I managed to squeeze in seven projects from seven different sewing books that have, until now, laid dormant on my bookshelf, some for a few years already!  By far, my favourite of the bunch is the Red Riding Hood, it’s adorable and I just can’t wait to see it on my five year old niece! The one project that has gotten the most use so far is the Slipcover I made for my sewing stool.

Funnily enough, my husband got all giddy over the Baby Kimono, I think his biological clock might be ticking! However, he does loves his new Necktie, which I made specifically for the night we head out to see the Cirque de Soleil show Love at the MGM Mirage next month in Las Vegas.

Did I mention my plans to make a “micro-quilt” of all the projects I complete this year? I wanted to create one-per-month, but I might just have to focus on sewing what I’ll call a “remind-me-what-I-made” quilt whenever I feel I have enough pieces.

Project #1: All-You-Need Sewing Kit

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The ribbon trimming sweetly accents Amy Butlers fabulous Full Moon Dot

The ribbon trimming sweetly accents Amy Butlers fabulous Full Moon Dot

I have a couple dozen sewing books on my bookshelf, but I find that I don’t use them very often. I gravitate to the same books over and over again, while perfectly enticing projects in other books lay neglected and unused. This year I’ve decided to complete at least one project from each book I own. This will not only allow me to peruse all of my investments, but to really get a sense of what I do, and do not like when it comes to pattern books.

My first project is from the first sewing book ever I purchased, some 2 years ago, heck, 2 sewing machines ago! One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects caught my eye from the day I first thumbed through its pages of fascinating projects. It was perfect for me; a new sewist, struggling to figure out how to wind a bobbin, let alone use one of my precious fabric pieces to make something.

One-Yard Wonders remains one of the books I flip through most, and it seems fitting that it would be the first project I work on this year. I chose the All-You-Need Sewing Kit because it seemed like something that would make a nice gift, or work as a hand-sewing kit to keep by the sofa.

I finally tied a bow I can be proud of!

I finally tied a bow I can be proud of!

The kit comes together fairly quickly once you get past the teenie-tiny double fold hem on each of the three pockets, but I found many of the steps took the “long” way of doing things. For example, the casing with the elastic requires creating the casing, turning it out and then adding in the elastic. I simply sewed the casing with the elastic enclosed. I found the same issue with the ties, instead of creating the ties, turning the out and then adding the trimming as instructed, I simply sewed the ties right side out, then attached the trimming over the seam.

In the end, though I think the sewing kit is cute, I find it too awkward when filled with sewing gear. That said,  I think this kit could be a sweet way to showcase antique sewing notions and maybe some old thread spools.

Book:  One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!

Project: All-You-Need Sewing Kit

Fabric: .5 meters of Amy Butler Full Moon Dot in Slate (Etsy shop Bella Fabrics)
Trimming: 1″ ribbon, source unknown
Thread: Gutermann 100% Polester col: 610
Elastic: 1/2″ wide

Difficulty: Easy
Sew again: Probably Not