"Nerdy Stag HoodieVest": a See Kate Sew pattern

I had the honor of testing  for the first time for Kate of See Kate Sew. She just released an adorable hoodie vest pattern called the Aztec Hooded Vest!

I had quite a lot of fun with the welt pockets on my vest for Cai. I guess this is starting to become a signature move for me, to have playful pockets in my children's wear. First example of playful pockets here.

 I ended up using a really lightweight chambray fabric on the exterior and I regretted it. While I love the color and slight texture, I felt like it needed a sturdier fabric on the outside (like she suggests - might I add). I'm not a fan of my topstitching, but probably the worst critic here! I do however, love the diagonal design in the pattern FOR topstitching.

And shall we talk about this jumbo hood?

I love hoods! The bigger the better!

My one huge error was that I bought a SPORTS zipper. Well, after deciding that I could pull it apart and still make it work... it did not work. This means that my vest is unzip-able. That was frustrating, because when I make hand-made clothes, of course I want them to function well! At some point I will rip it out and maybe do buttons down the front or something!

The hood and pocket fabric is echino that I got from a friend that lives in Japan! It's the same fabric I used for this sweater.

Okay, enough about what I did... I need to talk about this cute pattern! And it really IS cute! The instructions have Kate's complete flair! I actually had to write her right back and tell how how excited I got just to sew, because of how darling her instructions were to read! That's how it should be! If I am ever a pattern designer, I must make cute instructions like Kate! I think if you want a fun vest for a boy OR girl, then this is a really awesome pattern to choose! The directions are clear and you have step by step photos to help you out! I loved making it and isn't Cai such a cutie in it!?

I started this during KCWC... since I didn't really participate in that challenge, can we just say this counts?
Ok, good. 

Find the Aztec Hooded Vest Pattern at See Kate Sew!

HGTV Home Dec Fabrics

Have y'all heard that Jo-ann Fabrics is now carrying HGTV HOME decor fabrics?

I think it's pretty exciting considering I love watching HGTV to get inspired for some DIY!

I had the opportunity to make something from 2 different cute fabrics in the new line! It was in our swag bags from Girls Night Out Charlotte!

At first I had no idea what I was going to do with it! I LOVED the bright colors of pinks and greens, and the fun floral and houndstooth patterns, but my outdoor spaces are more blue and teal than pinks.

Then, I realized I had been asked to make something to give away at our women's retreat for our church! Since this fabric was given to me, I thought how fun to turn it into something to bless someone else with!

I created a simple lined tote bag with the supplies. I find home dec weight fabrics are great for purses, since they are heavier and more sturdy! I don't have a pattern for this bag since I created it on the fly, but it's pretty standard, with a boxed bottom. The handles are from an old belt found at a thrift store that I stole the hardware from for Cai's belt. I used the purple HGTV trim at the top of the inside pocket to carry a cell phone or keys!

I also used these fabrics to help some friends learn how to make zippered pouches to send to the She's Worth It Campaign!

I embroidered LOVED on one of them, because more than anything that is the message I pray those victims hear! They turned out super cute and I loved watching my friends see how empowering making zippered pouches is! I pray they encouraged someone around the world!

I personally am really drawn towards this fun print and of course all the chevrons in the line!

Ring Around Peacock

Circling Pewter

Boxed In Peacock

 Chevron Chic Quartz

Okay, enough drooling over fun home dec prints from Jo-Ann's! I hope you have fun checking them out! And thanks Jo-Ann's for supplying them in our Swag Bags!

Seafarer Top & Guesting at Make for Mom

First off today... I'm over at Shaffer Sisters for their Make For Mom Series! I made some cute Mommy/Daughter matching pjs for my SIL and my sweet niece! Check them out! :)

I love the heart behind the Make for Mom series! The Shaffer Sisters are challenging all of us moms to sew more for ourselves, to get out of the habit of "frumpy mom".

Let's be honest... I don't quite have problems with this! LOL!

I've already sewn plenty of items (12 -but who's counting) for myself this year, and today, I have an awesome pattern now available for you by Abby from Sew Much Ado! I loved pattern testing for her! What a sweet gal! We decided we would be instant friends! This was my first time testing/sewing up one of her patterns and it was great! I have no negative things to say! She is very thorough and develops wonderful patterns and I felt like this pattern was so easy that any beginner could attempt sewing with knit!

This pattern is only $9 and has lots of options to adjust it! The testers were divided into groups that would do the banded sleeves and hem and then those that would do a simple hem option. That was me, but I'm itching to sew a banded version! I think it's so cute! See Abby's product photo below...

You can head over to Sew Much Ado for a full description of the Seafarer Top pattern!

With my version, I went a little less nautical and a little more southern, monogrammed preppy! I can't help myself! Sorry, I'm not very "fancy" looking... I probably shouldn't take photos after working for 9 hrs!

It's been a go-to-closet shirt ever since it's been made and I really love the comfort of it!

The teal is a knit from Jo-anns and the pocket fabric is from Creative Sewing, where I work. I believe it is a Free Spirit fabric. I will check and let you know, but it was cute and lattice-like and I loved all the bright colors. 

Of course, you got a little preview with the Easy Summer Infinity Scarf tutorial! Be sure to check out the Seafarer Top at Sew Much Ado! It's the perfect women's t-shirt pattern! I really love it, so expect to see another version soon! :)

"The Porch" - Caila Made

I feel SO blessed to have my sweet blog friend, Caila on my virtual "Porch" today! She is one of a few of my amazing girlfriend bloggers that I turn to, can be honest with about all details of life, and someone I know that when I meet them in real life I won't be able to stop hugging them!!!! I hope you all had an AMAZING Mother's Day and I'm so thankful that this post is coming at this perfect time, because it is truly appropriate! As Caila shares from her heart on my "Porch", I hope that you will be blessed! 

Welcome Caila of CailaMade!!!! 

Hello everyone! I'm honored to be here today as part of Vanessa's series. Truly, I wish I was actually on her porch, sipping some tea and talking to this wonderful friend about life, sewing, fabric, children, and goodness knows probably everything else.

I found Vanessa through shorts, oddly enough. Last summer, while she was co-hosting the popular series Shorts On The Line, we struck up an email conversation and ended up fast friends over internet lines. I love this internet world and the friendships I've formed, but often I wish we were all a little bit closer to each other!

Since we at least have a virtual porch, and I'm sitting on it here with you, I'd like to give you a little behind-the-scene look at what my creative life is like.  I'm not going to tell you what my favorite fabrics are, or what patterns I've been sewing lately, because you can look at my blog for that stuff. What I haven't shared with my readers before, and am feeling brave enough to share today, is why I started sewing in the first place and how it changed my life.

I grew up creative: reading, writing, singing, playing music, but I was never "crafty." That world was foreign to me. I watched in awe as my friends turned colorful paper into origami photo albums, knitted scarves out of yarn, decorated for parties, and sewed aprons. None of that came easily to me. I was far too busy most of the time, or too involved in a book, to sit down and apply myself to a craft. When my friends hosted scrapbooking parties I was generally invited as the token "talker" of the group. Everyone knew I wouldn't do a single scrapbook page, wouldn't even look at the supplies, but I could be counted on to keep the conversation flowing. That was my place in the crafty world.

That is, until I was pregnant with my daughter and there was a problem.

Six months pregnant on January 12, 2010

I'm sure every person reading this has faced at least one terrible fear in their lifetimes. My fear almost four years ago was that I would lose my daughter. There was no concrete reason for this fear, other than one ultrasound that revealed her low heart rhythm and our subsequent referral to a fetal cardiac specialist. At the time I couldn't even speak of my fear, how it weighed on my heart like a cold, dead weight and choked me. I carried it silently, a woman who had already lost one pregnancy and was terrified of losing another. I was carrying the girl we had tried so hard for, the girl we already loved so much.

Fear has a dampening effect, and in the first week of waiting for our appointment with the cardiac specialist I couldn't do much other than sit and think, trying not to be afraid. I talked and prayed with friends, and was reminded of a verse from the passage in 1 Corinthians 13, the famous passage on LOVE. Verse seven explains that love "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Well, I couldn't protect my daughter on my own, but I could certainly learn to trust. I prayed to learn how to hope and persevere, as well.

I began to believe that hoping for the best was the most strategic weapon against fear. Instead of sitting around trying not to be afraid, I imagined a future with my daughter in which she was healthy, beautiful, and full of life. I looked at paint swatches for her room, registered for baby gear at Toys R Us, and browsed for baby bedding.

I couldn't find any bedding I liked, and that's when my mother-in-law (bless her!) suggested that I make my own. I'm sure I laughed and said, "Make it? I can't sew anything. I'm not crafty like that!" Yet, she had intrigued me and I summoned the courage to enter our local Joanne's Fabric and Crafts store.

I'm not going to lie, I almost cried when I first walked through the fabric section because I was so overwhelmed! I looked through baby quilt books, chose a design and picked out fabrics. I knew nothing of Joann's coupons so I spent a fortune, but my husband looked the other way because, for the first time in weeks, my eyes were alive.

Setting up to sew my first quilt! Notice the computer was already an integral part of my sewing education. 

I first began sewing on the Singer my mom used when I was a young child. 

My first quilt! This bad boy took me countless hours to complete, and I still haven't added the binding. Oops!

I made that first quilt for my daughter with a passion. It was constructed from dozens of tiny squares and rectangles and looking back on it now, I can't believe I had the patience to push through! I was a woman enthralled, clinging to a life raft made from fabric and sewing supplies. I had come to equate "hoping for the best" with "sewing for my daughter." I made all of her bedding: crib sheets, blankets, burp cloths, the quilt. Then came more quilts and finally some little dresses.

I felt like a new woman. I know it sounds overly dramatic, but sewing rescued me from a very dark place. It carried me through months of waiting to see the cardiac specialist. Then, when his exam revealed my daughter's perfectly healthy heart, sewing gave me a way to share my joy.

My first Itty Bitty Baby Dress, pattern by Made by Rae

My second quilt and my beautiful Janome sewing machine.

This is me working on my third quilt for Abby, when I was about 7 or 8  months pregnant.

I used to love sewing with minky. Not anymore!

So, now you know why I started sewing and what a special place it holds in my life! I'd love to hear about you. How long have you been sewing, and how did you get started? Has it ever helped you through a difficult time? I believe there is something powerful about creating with your own two hands, and passing on those well-loved hand-made creations to others.

During my sewing renaissance, I fell in love with fabric of course, and that love has never died. Our lives have changed a lot since those days. We have three children now (a little boy came along after my daughter) and I spend all my free time sewing and blogging at CailaMade. Sewing has brought so much joy to my life, so much beauty and confidence, that I can't imagine living without it.

If any of you are struggling with fear, I encourage you to get busy doing something you love. Sometimes, staying busy is the best way to cope. Find a friend to talk to, find a project, and work for the future. Don't let all "maybes" and "what ifs" weigh you down. If you need prayer, or simply a friend to talk with, please feel free to shoot me an email. I know how it feels, sister!

Thank you so much for having me over, Vanessa! I enjoyed this chat and hope we will someday sit on a porch together and have tea. Love you all!


OH MY GOSH! Just look at that beautiful blessing child... Little Miss Abby!!! She is so cute! I've face timed her and she is quite awesome in real life! I truly believe children are exactly what God says, "Blessings from Him!" This real life story is no exception and a reminder everywhere at God's goodness and grace! Caila, thank you for sharing all of this! And funny enough, I too, started sewing while I was pregnant with Cai! And boy do I know about fears! I am constantly struggling with them and having to turn to God to cope! Sewing has been a blessing in my life and I pray that it is for all who do it that it will bring joy to you and your family! Love you, Caila! 

And of course, if you have never seen Caila's blog, you are missing OUT!!! Go there to see more wonderful-ness and be inspired!

 

The Mama That God is Making Me Into

I had the most amazing, most relaxing Mother's Day I have ever had since being a mama, and the funny thing was that my child was no where in sight!
That is pretty hilarious, but it makes quite a lot of sense, too. Of course, it goes without saying that I missed him incredibly!

Being a mom is just plain tiring. My husband swept me off to Hilton Head Island for 2 days and I felt the tension of life and motherhood just float away as the ocean ebbed on.

I'm learning to take breaks in this mommy-job. I'm learning to be a better mama and time away from loving on my sweet boy is exactly what I need sometimes.

I hope mamas everywhere can get a moment to get away with their husbands. I learned so much from just 2 days away and I am hoping to share it over time with you. God is stirring up good things in my life, but I need time to process all he is doing.
Life moves so fast and little breaks are good for the soul.  So is this book. RUN out the door to get it or buy it for the young mom in your life! I had to wait like 2.5 months to get it from the Library and it is truly so. so. so. good! I've flown through it and I cannot even say how much I've enjoyed the truth from these two wise mamas. It will be a refreshment for your soul and wisdom to your tired mind!

God is shaping me, pulling at my heart and moving me into new territory with him. I can see it happening and I'm understanding more of His will for my life every day. 

I've been learning that I must go to God first in all things.

I've known this for a long time now. I've loved Jesus since I was 16, but I always try to go it on my own first and I'm sloooowly learning that this always fails.

I've been getting on my knees more to pray. I'm learning I have to be here. On my knees praying, even if I only have 2 short minutes to tell God what is on my mind, before I hear little feet pitter pattering down the hall to find me.

I have to be with Jesus. I'm learning that I can't be without him. It's darkness without him and following Him is all that matters.

I'm learning that I have to lay down my life for my husband and for my child. To serve them in love and kindness. NOBODY likes a groggy, mean-spirited, complaining mommy.

 I'm praying the joy from within me will come out more and more here on this blog. Not just hand-made clothes and fashion, but depth from the heart encouraging you in your life walk.

I am praying about attending this conference. Please pray that God will provide $269 so that I can go learn from some amazing speakers and learn more about how to build this blog for His Kingdom. I will go against the current grain of blogging trends and be different, because it's what I've been called to do.