HotPatterns

I noticed the other day on Twitter that there was some breaking news about HotPatterns.  They've apparently gone digital!  Funny thing is, I always thought they were.

I used a few Hot Patterns that I've downloaded and taped together.  For example this purse from waaaay back is a Hot Pattern.

Original post HERE

I love them because they have such fresh and modern styles.  Here are some of their new releases that I really like.

 

I'm such a sucker for cute art work~

LOVE the versatility of the pattern!

Classic but there's something about this
pattern that tells me it's got style~

And right now, if you visit the Hotpatterns website, you can receive a FREE download for a purse organizer!

I'm heading back right now to get my own!

Blah to Tah Dah!

Take a look at the beautiful fabrics I received from Whole Port this month!

It's such a treat to get something that's not from the bargain bin!

And now take a look at my blah boring dining room set.

It doesn't get used all that often.  I thought, maybe if these chairs weren't quite so boring I'd want to invite people over to sit on them more than a couple times a year~

Tah dah!  The new fabric adds just a bit more character without causing a big commotion in the rest of the space.

The dining room is connected to the living room so I wanted to go with something neutral but still eye catching.  

Don't stare too long...it will hypnotize you~

Come back on Wednesday to see what I did with the other floral print fabric from above!

Wholeport has almost any type of fabric you could possibly need.  From cotton to lace to flannel to denim and satin, it's all there!  Check it out.  The prices are great, the quality is fantastic, and it ships really quickly.


* This post is sponsored by Wholeport.com however I did not receive any compensation other than supplies and all opinions are my own.

Designer Ring Knock Off

Isn't it amazing what you find when you actually click through to the original source of something you've pinned on Pinterest?  I'm not being sarcastic.  I really mean it~

For instance, I pinned this great ring, loving it, thinking somehow, someway I would figure out a crafty way to make this interesting piece.

When I clicked through I found out that this is a designer ring from DuePunti.  It's made from silicone with a diamond embedded and runs for around $98 each.

And look at all the pretty colours it comes in!!!!

Source

Mine aren't quite as perfect and there aren't any diamonds involved but here's what I came up with:

 
And here's all you need to make your own!

Materials:
-polymer clay
-rhinestones
-optional: clay knife, ring sizer, something to roll your clay on
-baking tray (not shown)
-access to an oven

Steps:
1) Condition a small amount of clay by rolling it around between your hands to soften it up.  (FYI.. I used the clay I received from Wholeport a couple of months ago because I've got so many fun colours and it's way softer than any other clay I've ever worked with)

2) I like to use a large tile on my work surface.  Red or black clay sometimes has so much pigment it could stain your table.

Roll out your clay into a small roll, trying to create a bit of a bulge in the middle and tapering off the ends.

3) Wrap the roll around your finger or ring sizer, snip off any extra, and gently squeeze the ends together to create a ring.

4) Embed a crystal or rhinestone by gently pressing it right into the clay.

5) Bake as per the manufacturer's instructions.  I often 'double bake' my clay pieces.  That just means I bake it once, remove it from the oven and let everything cool down completely, then bake it again (sometimes the next day).  I'm not sure if this actually makes the clay stronger or not but I like to think so.

And that's pretty much it!  You can make a whole wardrobe of rings to go with any outfit, or wear them all together~

Mine aren't completely uniform but with a bit more practice I  might get there~

This is a great stash buster for all of those little bits of clay you keep, just in case.

Have you heard of DuePunti rings?  Is this a trend I've completely missed or for once in my life am I ahead of the masses?  Leave a comment below~

Summer Pattern Releases

Oh my gosh...we still have mountains of snow here and can you believe it...the summer patterns are already coming out?!?!

Here are a few of my favs.

McCalls 6744

Great for the office or a patio party!

McCalls 6752

 Love that this is TWO pieces~

McCalls 6755

 Doesn't this dress look soooo comfy?

McCalls 6747

These shorts were all the rage when I was in Thailand last year....they've finally made their way to North America.

McCalls 6756

So pretty!

I just love how many options you have with all of these pieces!

I am sooooooooooo looking forward to a day without snow.  Then not only can I make these lovely garments, but I could actually wear them too!

I have to tell you one weird thing about the McCalls patterns.  See the ones where the pic is taken in front of a tropical backdrop?  Well, when you go to the site, you can see the full photos, and it looks like they shot in places like Rome, Paris, and Venice and you can see all of the famous landmarks...behind the backdrop!  Isn't that funny?

What are you making for this summer?  Leave a comment below~

Classic Black Top

Last weekend I found a great way to procrastinate cleaning my basement....I became obsessed with making a black blouse and could not rest until it was done.

I was watching Fashion Star and although I don't really remember any of the designs anyone came up with I just couldn't get the top that Silvia was wearing out of my head.

I see now that it's more of a
jacket and a blouse~

That's not a great photo of her but she still looks totally awesome.  In my head I just remembered that it was very form fitting, verrrrrrrry low cut, and even more sexy.

Silvia is very sophisticated and on the show they always talk about her style as "European".  Who wouldn't want to look like her?!?!?

Mine doesn't really fulfill all of the inspiration points because I wanted to be able to wear it to the office, but it  is definitely form fitting.

I ended up using this pattern from Simplicity:

I just shortened the dress View A.

I was in such a rush that I didn't cut enough pieces for the placket and had absolutely no fabric left over.  So, I ended up making the placket a facing.  Which meant I had to alter the collar because it was too long.  So, it's not perfect, but I like it.

So, lesson(s) of the day:  take your time!  read your pattern and make sure you've cut enough pieces!  And, consult your inspiration before you make your piece...not after, as you're about to blog about it~

Pattern Review

I think I've told you guys about PatternReview.com before.

But I'm not sure I mentioned everything you can do there.  You see, Pattern Review is about more than just reviewing patterns!

You can purchase patterns there, and they have some great online sales.

You can take classes.

You can read interviews with the movers and shakers of the sewing world.

AND....you can enter contests!  I usually manage to catch wind of these contests about a day before they close so have yet to actually enter but I noticed two fun ones running right now, and there's still loads of time to make something.

The Pantone Color Contest-Basically, make something green and share it with the community.

Prize: $50 gift certificate for Patterns from the Past

The Patterns Stash Contest-Make something from an unused pattern in your 'stash' and share it.

$100 gift certificate to Elliott Berman Textiles

Click through to see all the guidelines, but they're pretty flexible and easy.

Good luck to anyone who enters!

I'll be the first to admit that this is not the prettiest of sewing sites, but trust me, if you are a sewer you should be a member (it's free).  There is so much information here it will boggle your brain.  (Plus, I think they're doing an overhaul on their look soon, and maybe it will be pretty!)

Do you do PatternReview??  Leave a comment below~

You can see some of my reviews here.