get your craft on

After two years of debating about whether or not I should buy a sewing machine I have finally taken the plunge. I ended up buying a used beginner machine that was less than year old for about $80. I wasn't ready to splurge and purchase a solid machine for $200+. So far I am happy with the Singer 4205 as it is simple and basic and I didn't pay full price! I am still searching for good basic sewing books but I did find one that I love by Lotta Jansdotter. Her patterns in Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-to for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects are lovely. The instructions are simple and the patterns are clean, basic, and modern. My only complaint is that some of the patterns do not include finishing techniques. My first project from her book was four cotton napkins using her pattern. I used a mitered corner technique as I think it looks more polished.

quick dish towels

With the spring weather arriving in Chicago I wanted to add some color to our kitchen. These tea towels are simple and inexpensive to make. Thank you Lotta Kansdotter for yet another great pattern for beginners. I am still a beginner at sewing so I decided not to show a close up of the towels as some of the stitching is not pretty!

simple sewing machine cover

In many of the sewing books and blogs that I have skimmed authors point out that keeping your machine covered when it is not in use will help the machine stay clean and free of dust. I saw a very simple picture and instructions for a sewing machine cover on Martha's Stewart's website and decided to make my own. I used medium weight cotton fabric and cotton twill as the ties. I do love the fabric I used but I need to practice getting my edges straighter and sewing in a straight line. I intend to make some dish towels next as I think that will be good practice.http://www.marthastewart.com/article/sewing-machine-cover

big bad baby blanket

I just finished making the "big bad baby blanket" from Debbie Stoller's Stitch n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. This pattern is a must for any knitter as it is simple yet looks amazing when it is complete. I made this blanket for my college roommate who is having her first baby in May! The best part was being able to give this to her in person when we met up in NYC.

Instead of using two strands together as the pattern suggests I chose to knit with Dream in Color Classy's worsted weight yarn. This yarn is amazing! It is so soft and I still can't believe that is a machine washable hand dyed yarn. I love the deep green color in "Happy Forest".