Summer Sewing

I am a lucky girl to have a mom that had the patience to teach my siblings and I how to sew. And yes, all of us even the boys learned how to sew. I am so grateful. I think I may be the only one still sewing, but it has come in handy. But it's one of those skills you look back and wish you had cared more or practiced more. Sewing and piano are two things I continue to kick myself for being a kid about it. Darn you David Rasbach, and all your scales and arpeggios!

This last week I have been dumping change and coupon-ing it up at Joanns and sewing something fierce. I went with my mom while she was here and picked out a bunch of fabric for Gwen's new room. Fabric for a duvet cover and some "to-die-for" accent fabrics. I tell you what though, fabric has gotten expensive. I remember hitting up the dollar fabric rack at Walmart. Yes, I said Walmart back when they used to carry fabric. Now their upwards of $12.99. I'm a cheapo, I admit. But seriously? I told the lady cutting that the prices are getting crazy and it's almost not worth it to make it yourself, accept I have a hard time finding cute enough stuff for what I'm looking for. :)

So here is all my before fabrics. Is the pom pom pillowcase not ah-freakin-dorable? Totally found it at the antique store for $5 along with a 50% off pillow and my mom sewing it for me...triple score.

Then this was my splurge. I fell in love with this fabric earlier in the week but at $12.99 a yd. it was going to have to stay. So that weekend was the 4th of July sale. 30 percent of fabric plus a 10 percent off total purchase coupon. Then as I was waiting to get it cut I thought pom pom ball trim would look crazy cute. Found the gorgeous teal and it had to be mine :) So the trim of course wasn't on sale but on my nifty thrifty iphone I can download the Joanns app and there are lots of coupons on there. 50 percent off craft item- score! Get them on separate tickets...yes, I'm that lady!

Then I got to sewing up a storm. On the bottom we have Gwen's new reversible duvet cover that I am still in need of a toddler size comforter to put in it. Been scouring cl and will be checking goodwill and such. Then we have the pillows I made. I made them as shams so I can just pull them off and wash them no problem. (Really I did it because shams are easier to sew;) I love how the euro sham turned out with the trim! My first time ever sewing trim, not too bad. My back was killing me afterwards from being bent over the ironing board pinning for forever! Regardless, I am loving it.

When I showed my dad all the fabrics he said "you're going to put all those fabrics together in the same room?" Why yes, yes I am.
For those of you interested here is the link for the duvet cover instructions. Super easy. Plus it will work for any size for king, queen whatever. I had to come up with my own dimensions because the one she has listed for a toddler size is for like a baby quilt and not something that would cover an entire toddler bed.
http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/05/diy-duvet-cover-tutorial.html