The Shy Gardener

Felted Wool Blanket

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Blossom Handbag

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Tablet Sleeve

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Lap Top Bag and Matching Pouch

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Basic Tote

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Wrap Skirt

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Convertible Purse

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Embroidered Applique Purse

with a floral folk design

Messenger Bag

with an undersea theme

Backpack

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Sling Sack

with a drawsting top and outer front pockets

Crabby Beach totes

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Ottoman and Pillow Covers

I sewed an ottoman cover and 3 pillow covers to match my sister's new sofa.

Purple tote, version 2

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Gardener's tote

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Purple Tote

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The Temptation of Totes

I love bags and was really drawn to this one. Often sewn with bright, fun fabrics, but with the option to tailor them to any mood or personality, I was totally tempted by the Bucket Basket Tote. 

Poppy Pattern Purse

I found a pattern for a Sweet Seasons purse in Simply Stitched with Applique by Yumiko Higuchi and a Poppy Garden Embroidery pattern at Purl Soho. Inspiration struck when I realized I could combine the two and make a poppy pattern purse.

That's a Wrap Skirt

Making my first wrap skirt was exciting experience. I learned to make binding, machine sewed my first button hole, customized the pattern and practiced hemming.

Pair of Skirts

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That's a Wrap

Using the unique Watercolor Linen from Purl Soho and their pattern for the Watercolor Linen Wrap, I completed this simple sewing project that produced an elegant result. 

Sewing in Reverse

I have been wanting to try reverse-applique for awhile. My inspiration comes from a great book, Improv Sewing, that helped me overcome my fear of making clothing. I picked the reverse-applique skirt from their projects but created my own floral design.

Stacked Dot Scarf

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Pillows, too!

Re-covering my ottoman was my snow day fun but I completed a bonus project this week. I made matching pillow covers.

Re-Cover Up

I love my new couch but next to it the ottoman looked tired. I made the ottoman cover three years ago, see Cover Up, and it had sustained heavy use. It was time to re-cover the ottoman with a fresh look to compliment the new couch.

Merry Market Bags

It is quick and easy to make re-usable produce bags for the farmer's market or grocery store. Making the bags out of merry fabric will brighten your day the next time you go shopping.

Dress of Dreams

I made a doll dress for a special birthday that is coming up. I embellished the dress with felt, ribbon and hand stitching to make it a dress of dreams, one particular girl's dreams anyway.

I Lost My Bounce

I used my felted wool bag for a bit and realized that it needed some upgrades. Nothing fancy but changes that would make it even nicer to use. Felted wool has some stretch to it and I began to feel that my bag was on the end of a spring. 

Bagged It

For this project I wanted to make a bag to use as a purse. I selected felted-wool from a batch of purple and pink sweaters .

Sheer is the New Black

I found a great fabric, a black jersey sheer with a raised wavy pattern. I wanted to make a skirt out of it but didn't want it to be too revealing. I bought some plain black jersey to layer underneath and made a double layer skirt with texture and flair.

New Pattern for Purple

I am cranking up my sewing machine now that it is winter.  After making the Sweet Spots Skirt, I am now going to sew some tops.  I decided to make a new shirt pattern since I wasn't satisfied with last years'.  I took all new measurements and cut up two shirts to trace.  I want to make a shirt that is flattering and fits well.

Sweet Spots

I finished the sweetest skirt but it had me seeing spots.  I chose a fun, cheerful jersey fabric with some of my favorite colors in it.  I followed the easy instructions in the book, Improv Sewing, to make a pattern and sew this two panel skirt.

Work Friendly Tunic

I wanted something special to wear on my first day of work.  I found a dress I liked at Marshall's but it was too short for the office.  It struck me that it would make a nice tunic.  I decided to convert the dress into an work friendly tunic.

Felted Wool Blanket

After felting the sweaters, I was ready to turn them into a cozy throw blanket. It had been an extremely cold winter and a blanket sounded just right.

First Sew Day

We had the first snow day of the season this week.  In a quest for a creative project Ella and I decided to sew clothes for her American Girl doll.  We found a basic pattern online knowing that we wanted to keep the sewing simple and quick. 

Handmade Doll Clothes

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Floral Skirt

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Shirt

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Cover Up

Now that the garden is put to bed and the ice rink is close to being finished, I am moving on to other projects.  I am making a new cover for my ottoman.  The current cover is stained and the color doesn't match any of my furniture (it's light pink).  I have fabric that I bought months ago and am determined to use it.

Shirt and Skirt

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Shirts

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Blue Skirt

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