Easy peezy leopard scarf...

The best part of sewing is how instant the gratification can be. This is not always the case in larger projects, but you would be surprised how quickly you can make things, especially if they are for yourself and do not have to be ultra perfect. 

I was at Joann Fabrics a couple of weeks ago, and came across this medium weight polyester leopard print. I have leopard problems, so I knew I needed to make something out of it. Then THIS pin popped into my head, and it was a done deal...

via pinterest

So I bought half a yard of the fabric and made an infinity scarf. Basically, I just trimmed up the edges then sewed down each long side using my rolled hem foot. It was my first time to use it, and it was a little wonky in some spots. But because this was for me, no big deal because literally no one would be able to notice. After rolling the two long sides, I roll hemmed the short sides, and then just seamed them together with a straight stitch. So easy! If you don't have a rolled hem foot or are too scared to use it, you can just do a 1/4 fold and another 1/4 fold and straight stitch to hold it in place. 

Leopard on leopard...

Here's a closeup of the rolled hem...

You can see on the left side of the hem, that it didn't "roll" all the way. Seriously, you can't tell at all when you're wearing it, so don't stress out if it's not perfect :). 

Love,

Lauren

My first quilt...

I started sewing in June, so making my first quilt by January feels like a pretty solid accomplishment. This is not a tutorial, but I just wanted to share, because this quilt is special to me for more than one reason.

My best friend since first grade is having a baby boy any day now, and there was no more compelling reason to make a quilt than for her baby boy. I actually didn't know at the time that the nursery was a nautical theme, I was just going off a hunch that she and her husband would enjoy the overall theme of the fabrics I put together.

My first born quilt...

To get an idea of the scale...

The back shows the actual quilting I did which was just a 3/8 stitch away from either side of the chevron seams. 

Like I said, at the moment, this is not a tutorial, but if you have any questions about my process, I would be more than happy to answer them! I will go ahead and say that all of the fabrics are Michael Miller, and most of them are Sarah Jane Studios for Michael Miller. I love Sarah Jane fabrics SO much! Her tagline is "illustrating childhood" and each of her prints is delicate, slightly vintage, but totally interesting in the most subtle way possible. I also bound the quilt in a thin stripe fabric, and I love how it turned out looking almost like a blanket stitch. Thanks for taking a peek!

Love,

Lauren