My Sewing Showcase Part 1

Maternity Peasant Blouse (front)

Sewing has become something I love to do. I find it quite relaxing and exciting as I watch my finished product unfold. I am thankful for my Mother's influence in my love for sewing. I remember watching her sewing away on various projects. From fixing our clothes to making new outfits. I definitely get my craftiness from her! Thanks Mom! What's funny is that I thread my needle the same way my Mom does, wet the thread with my mouth and then slide it through the eye of the needle. I also stop and trim the threads after sewing the same way she does too. I remember when the thought came to me. I was starting this peasant blouse and did a sample stitch on some scrap fabric just to get into the groove of sewing again. (The last time I had sewn I'm pretty sure was 6 grade Home EC.) As I stopped the machine, pulled the needle up and down while at the same time slightly pulling the threads until they pulled smoothly, then trimmed the threads, it dawned on me that I had just repeated what I had watched my Mother do so many times. I had to smile.  It's like I did it without even thinking! 

Maternity Peasant Blouse (back)

I made the maternity peasant blouse when I was pregnant with my son. It turned out ok but I don't think I will be making shirts for a while. :o) It was hard to find my size in the pattern and my friend and I had to make adjustments. Nothing too big, just time consuming.  

Skirts seem to be easier for me as they are more forgiving when it comes to finding the right size. I prefer an elastic waist so that makes it even easier. I have turned jeans into skirts a few times now. I will say that the photos don't do them justice. They look much better on. :o) I have some maternity jeans and pants that I plan on making into skirts as well. I recently made a skirt from some knit gauchos that I had.The gauchos make great skirts! And you don't need extra fabric. Just cut along the seem of the crotch and then sew together in the front and back. The result is a very comfy skirt in an A-line style. Some gauchos are made of a very thin knit, but mine was a thicker knit fabric which I like better.

Knit Gauchos skirt

Long Jeans skirt

I found a diaper bag pattern that I just fell in love with. It is very easy to make and customize to fit your needs. I made this one out of some extra baby sheets I had. I was so anxious to make one that I didn't wait to go fabric shopping. The only thing is, I didn't have any firm fabric like canvas to give the bag better shape. So mine is a little flimsy and won't hold all that I put in my diaper bag. ;o] I had recently washed it when I took these photos, so that is why its so wrinkly. You can find the pattern at  Make Baby Stuff . The fabric used on the website for this bag is so cool! Make Baby Stuff has a lot of fun and easy ideas for making things yourself. I am planning on making (sometime very soon), the maternity wrap skirt, as seen here.



Sewing now days isn't always the cheapest route for clothes. Fabric and thread are quite expensive. If you look around at thrift stores, garage sales and consignment shops you can find fabric at a much affordable cost. Even things like window curtains, table cloths, and sheets can be transformed into cute skirts and other accessories. So just whip out your creative side and see what you can come up with!

Happy Sewing!