To the left, to the left,
To the right, to the right,
Let me see that JELLY ROLL!
My friend Miyako, who I see as a quilting expert, asked me to join her and a few people to make jelly roll race quilts. Me!? Sure, why not? I’m no pro at sewing, but I definitely prefer quilts over making clothes. And with her being extremely talented in the art of quilt making it would be a great opportunity for me to learn something new.
Continue reading “HOW-TO: JELLY ROLL RACE QUILT TOP”
Ellie was very eager to do her own sewing project. I’m a pretty beginner sewer myself, so I wanted to pick a first project that was really easy, but something she’d be excited about. The pillowcase ended up being the perfect project! It’s something she can use every night.
Continue reading “HOW-TO: HOMEMADE PILLOWCASE”
I hate throwing fabric away. It seems like such a waste. But sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to use random scraps for anything worthwhile. That’s why I have two quilt projects started that are completely from fabric scraps. I just haven’t found the motivation to complete them yet. Recently I made my daughter a skirt for her hula dance class. With the leftover fabric she requested I make her bag. “Can you make me a bag for my hula stuff?” It was the best idea and I had the perfect amount of fabric left. For the lining of the bag I was able to use leftover fabric from the yukata project I did for the kids, too. I already had interfacing, so the only thing I needed was belting material for the handles. Yes! I was so excited to use up scrap material.
Continue reading “HOW-TO: FABRIC TOTE BAG”
Chloe started taking a hula class after school this year. Having a skirt is not a requirement, but most of the kids want one. I could just buy one, but a bunch of other parents made one and it seemed like it would be very easy. She’s already in her third session of the class, and after patiently waiting, I finally was able to make Chloe her pa’u skirt!
Continue reading “HOW-TO: PA’U HULA SKIRT”
The kids go to a Japanese immersion school as their primary school. In addition to learning the Japanese language, they also get to participate in cultural events. One of those events is called, “aki matsuri,”or Fall Festival. For half the day, we convert the school into different games popular in Japan during these festivals. At the end of the games, the kids parade around the school with decorative floats, chanting, and dancing. One thing that is very common for people to wear at the fall festival is a yukata. I’ve been told it’s like a casual kimono. The girls really wanted to wear one, but even after all of our trips to Japan, we had never bought them one. The basic garment is constructed similarly to a bathrobe. It looked simple enough, so I decided to make them one. I mean, I made an Elsa dress for Halloween before, I could handle this, right? In the end, I was right. But getting there, that was the tricky part.
