Dear fellow crafters, am I the only one who has way to many printed fabrics but not really a lot of solids? Going through my stash I have a bunch of awesome prints and a few solids, but most of the solids are quite boring. A couple of weeks ago I ran across these shot cotton and they were exactly what I was looking for: solids, but not boring because they have a great kind of “texture” and very vivid colors. Unfortunately the picture doesn’t do them justice at all, because you can’t see the different colored threads.  So I guess you just have to take my word for it when I say: they’re absolutely yummy! I think they would be perfect for the sashing of a quilt. But since I didn’t order enough yardage these pieces will probably end up as a part of some bags.

(Click on the picture for a better version)

Carolina Chambray Shot Cottons in Gold, Magenta, Fiesta, Chocolate, Spice and Red

Want to show off your Stash? Join the Sunday Stash at 1/4 of an inch.

Wanna see more stash? Check out the Sunday Stash flickr group.

First of all, I’m sorry for disappearing the last couple of weeks, there was just too much stuff going on and still is, so I probably won’t be posting a lot in the next couple of weeks either. I even haven’t gotten around reading all of your blogs lately and haven’t checked my Bloglines in ages but I promise I will! 

So I guess this is just a quick post to let you all know that I’m still around and sewing, even though not as much as I would like to :( 

As I mentioned in my last post, I made bag for my friend Ela and I used the awesome owl fat quarter I got from Staci. It was the perfect match, because Ela just loves everything baby blue and cute. I’m still in love with the Lots of Pockets Tote pattern and eventually I just have to make one for myself.

Now let me introduce you to Luan, he’s the cutest little guy ever and I just had to make some pants to fit his cuteness. Luan is the son of my friend Claudine, you isn’t only probably the most funniest, loving, big hearted but also the most stressed resistant person I know. If you scroll down you’ll know why. 

I used the Huck Finn pattern from Weekend Sewing and they’re really easy to whip up. I think the sizing is kind of off because I used the size for a 12 month old and Luan is 7 month and the pants fit perfectly. I still have some awesome Alexander Henry print laying around that I’m planing to use on another pair but next time I’ll definitely make them in a larger size.

Luan, who is also called Mausen, not only got some new pants but 10 new little friends to play with, because Uma gave birth to her 10 puppies on the weekend. So in addition to Luan, Uma and the two cats, Claudine now has to handle ten, soon very active, puppies. But aren’t they cute?! 

Ok, that was my little update and I really hope I’ll get around posting some Sunday Stash this weekend too. But even if I don’t, I got my Saturday morning blocked for catching up with all of your posts!

Last Saturday I made another shirt using my first commercial pattern. It’s Simplicity 7018 and even though the shirt is easy to sew, I had such a hard time understanding the instructions. Why? Because the instructions are in German. I know this is weird because I am German, but when I started sewing last year in September, all I did was reading blogs in English and buying English patterns, so I never made anything that was written in German. And let me tell you this: German sewing terms make no sense at all!! I had such a hard time understanding what I should do that I translated the German terms back to English. Weird. For the German readers: why is “gather” called “einreihen” and not “raffen”?! 

Enough of the rambling and on to the shirt. You might remember the fabric from this bag, this pouch or this pincushion. It’s amazing how many projects you can get out of a duvet cover, and I still have enough left to try out a skirt and at least one other blouse.

You can’t really see the details in the picture, but I promise to take a better one of the new shirt I’m planing to make with the fabric I bought at the dutch fabric market. I’ll also add some elastic to the hem and the sleeves so it it will look like a mixture of version 3 and 6.

But for now, I’m off to my sewing machine to finish the bag for a friend I’m going to visit over the weekend. I really hope it will be sunny in Cologne, I’m so spoiled here in the south with good weather that I just don’t want to wear socks ever again :)

A quick Sunday Stash on a Monday. This is one of the prints I bought at the Dutch fabric market and ss soon as I saw the redhead on the print I had to buy it, I sooo miss my red hair :( First I thought I’d make a bag out of it but on second thought it might become my first skirt. 

Texco - Story

Want to show off your Stash? Join the Sunday Stash at 1/4 of an inch.

Wanna see more stash? Check out the Sunday Stash flickr group.

Oh boy I haven’t posted “Make Something” in awhile so I think it’s time for some quilts don’t you think? We all know that there are fantastic quilt patterns over at Amy Butler and all the other designers, but how about these quilts and block techniques?

Disappearing 9 Patch - a classic, but I still have to make one.

Olive Rose Quilt - really bold and beautiful design.

Tea Pot Block - don’t quilt? I’m sure you’ll still find a use for this.

Honeycomb Smocking  - one word: AMAZING.

Mod Quilt - in case you lived under a rock: Oh Fransson awesome quilt along.

String Block - go, use your scraps!

Circle Blocks - fancy some circles in your quilt? Here you go.

Circle Blocks II - and another technique in case you didn’t like the first one,

And in case you forgot: some tutorials I posted a while ago 

Miter Quilt Corner - you can also miter your quilt not only your binding.

Wonky Log Cabin - Log Cabin + Wonky = a lot of fun!

Basting a quilt - interesting version for basting a quilt (video).

Ty & Hide the knot - what to do when the bobbin runs out (video).

Still not inspired? Check out these fabulous quilts on flickr:

1. pineapple in green, 2. the back!, 3. Drawing Room Quilt, 4. DollQuiltFront, 5. crazy log cain, 6. jay’s quilt, 7. Orange 4, 8. finally finished!, 9. Green Quilt

Can’t. Stop. Sewing. Shirts. Help!! I made this little beauty on Sunday and I’m sure I’ll be wearing this a lot if the weather stops being so un-springish. I guess making shirts is my new addiction, because I already have three new ones in the making. Okay, not in real life, but in my head I’m already sewing :)

Note to self: smile more

This is another version of the Trapeze Sundress from Weekend Sewing. I cut off 23 cm (9 inch) and made the straps a tad wider. On Heathers blog, she suggests making one big box pleat instead of two smaller ones in the front if you are busty. Baaad idea. It looked totally puckery and not really flattering, so out came the seam ripper and back to two small ones. The great thing about this shirt is that it uses exactly 1 yard of focus fabric and a fat quarter for the bodice. If you make the small version, and not the large as I did, you may get away with a yard for the whole thing. 

As much as I want to sew some more I’m not sure if I’ll find the time this week, so why don’t you check out the great submissions to the Spring Top Week and get some inspiration - maybe it’ll be your new addiction too!