From my studio last week: April 25, 2011

Last week I showed you a slouchy knit shirt that I made myself, and promised photos of two more.

Here’s the first, in a black and white and teal stripe:

And (my favorite) an orange and white. The white stripes have silver threads stitched through it so it shines all pretty and summery. I finished the edges with a pale robin egg blue foldover elastic.

But those were both made in the previous week. Really, the only things that were actually made in my studio this past week were the rhinestone t-shirts I made for the Silhouette Rhinestone Starter Kit review. (Read my review & enter the giveaway.) I’ve already posted them with the review, but I’m going to repeat them here anyway.

Peace sign t-shirt. This was my test run with the rhinestones. It turned out that my first attempt worked perfectly so I used it as a patch on a tank top. I got the knit from an adult-sized t-shirt, rescued from the donate pile. I added the ruffles at the shoulders to give it more interest, and then finished off the edges with a pale yellow foldover elastic.

Pink kitty shirt. The little girl loves kitties. I mean she loves, loves, LOVES kitties! When I saw the kitty rhinestone design in the Silhouette online store, there was no question that it would be put on to a shirt for her. Simple. Easy. Sparkly.

Silver Lining shirt. This is my favorite of the three shirts. I like it so much I gave it a name. It was one of those projects that come together so00 easily, with all of the exact right fabrics bubbling to the top of the scrap bin. The cloud is made from old denim, with rhinestone creating a sparkling outline. I had some fabric in my stash printed with blue glittery raindrops. I cut a patch of it to become the rain. And then hot pink hearts just to make it all cute.

So that’s what I made in my studio last week. My plans for the coming week involve creating a tutorial for the slouchy shirt. I’ve also gotten some requests for the pattern for the American Girl panties. I’d love to oblige, but I don’t have a scanner. I’ll have to sweet-talk someone into turning my hand-drawn pattern into an electronic file.

Next Pattern:

Christmas is one of those holidays that you just can decorate too much for. There’s no limit to the amount of holiday cheer you can bring into you home! There’s no such thing as too many Christmas decorations. You can bring Christmas décor into any room of the house – including the kitchen! Which is kind of fitting given how many Christmas activities and gifts are made in the kitchen. We’ve rounded up 13 Christmas kitchen accessories you can sew for your home or to give as gifts.

The list includes holiday themed hot pads, potholders ,aprons, and more that you can sew and decorate your kitchen all season long. Most are things you can make in an evening or less. These would also make wonderful hostess gifts for any holiday parties or gatherings you’re attending. Read on for the kitchen sewing ideas!