Spinalcat's Crafty Adventures

Snow globe card from Artsy Fartsy Mama. So fun! Boxes from Design Space Holiday knitwear cookies Drawstring pouches, one of the 2018 Made for Mermaids holiday freebie patterns. They are the kind that are a flat circle when you open them up. The small ones are popular for makeup/travel and the big ones would be great for small toys. Zipper pocket infinity scarves, one of the Patterns for Pirates 2018 holiday freebies. Cute felt ornaments from Design Space Pajamas

Baby Bear Joggers in JoAnn Doodles, decorated onesie and bib, and decorated ornment. Glitter ornaments are made by swirling Polycrylic inside ornament, waiting a few minutes, then shaking glitter around the inside. Stitch Upon a Time Muse Playsuit. I was one of the winners in the SUAT undies sew-along, and I chose this pattern as my free prize. JoAnn Doodles, CL bands, and a thick felt as "interfacing" for the snaps. Paper stars from Design Space Happy Pawlidays card from Design Space Warm wishes card from Design Space Fabric-covered ornaments and another glitter-filled one with adhesive vinyl on the outside. I'm getting much better at the fabric ones. My first one looked awful. Photo ornament. This is a "photo ball" that hinges open and you just pop a photo inside. Cheaper than buying a pack of inkjet transparencies to try the "floating image" trend. Photo card from Design Space ...

The kid noticed this snuggle mat kit at JoAnn. It was pretty fun, except working with the minky and thick batting was kind of annoying. The instructions didn't have anything about finishing the edges of the blanket overlay, so I used fold over elastic instead of trying to hem minky. He loves this and wants to take it to parents night out for when they watch a movie. Super cute window cling set from Cricut Design Space. Advent calendar tree, design download from Jennifer Maker. Holiday themed paper pad from Michael's. Glitter tree pillow. There's a similar project in Design Space, but it's an exclusive I don't have access to, so I hacked another tree image up.

M4M Bridgette bralette and Victoria cheekies in double galoon stretch lace from Surge fabrics online. M4M off shoulder Stella in baby French Terry from Sly Fox. Stitch Upon a Time Calista curvy bra and Scrundies in cotton Lycra from JoAnn.

Finally bought some RockerBye cotton/Lycra after admiring it for a while. Most of the prints they run have a very distinctive style...black and white cartoony creatures on vibrant backgrounds.  I got a panty panel set that was a fat third of each of 2 panels and one coordinate (in this case the coordinate repeated 3 times). I made 3 panties and had enough for a pair of kid boxers with the scraps.  The 2 panels from the set are on the backs and not pictured here as they are naughty, lol. I got another set with kid panels and coordinate to make the "Boo" shirt. I also purchased a kid bat panel and yard of coordinate separately and I made a hoodie. I saw a lot of Max & Meena Mega Max raglans with ears and wings in the RockerBye group, but I didn't feel like buying a new pattern just for that, so these wings are self-drafted. I have a yard of zombies and a yard of brains I haven't cut into yet. But those are for me, and I'm willing to wear them year round,...

Liguria...finally my first brioche project! I did a cowl version first but had enough yarn left over to do a hat. Yarn Love DK weight No-pattern socks in Western Sky Knits MCN Dahlia Cardigan in Silky Wool Solstice Hoodie in Sweet Georgia DK and Neighborhood Fiber Studio DK

Cookies using the Lila Loa recipe, cookie boxes sized up from the treat boxes in Design Space, cards all modified from Design Space. Window clings, fall paper flowers, Victorian hearse and coffin from Design Space, Haunted House from Happy Hauntings cartridge (not a "project" in Design Space, but the image is in there. I used Distress Ink on the brick and wood papers for the haunted house, and silver Gelato crayon on the black paper of the hearse. I love how they turned out! 

Lots of paper crafts lately! 5 out of 7 or 8 birthday cards I've made recently and some Halloween window clings. The unicorn, crab, and R2D2 were pieced together from elements in Design Space. The Boo and Groot cards were pre-designed in Design Space. The window clings were interesting... I ordered a multi color pack of a different brand and they were very different thicknesses. The orange and black needed to be cut on a setting for thicker materials like glitter HTV. The white was much thinner. I don't know if the official Cricut brand is more consistent.

I made the Halla Stardust tunic length color blocked top first, as a possibility for using with the more expensive/limited stormtrooper fabric. First I made the size 22, but I took it all apart and recut as a 20. It's pretty good now, but 18 with a FBA and grading out at waist would probably be better. I'm lazy though. I found out that Halla uses a 2" difference between upper bust and full bust for all sizes (like traditional paper patterns). I love that P4P and M4M draft for a bigger difference in the larger sizes. It seems like that would work for much more people. (But if you are plus size with a smaller bust, Halla might be perfect for you!) I am curious about trying more options in the Stardust, but will try it in cheap fabric first. I may also go back and take in the hips to get more of an hourglass shape in the center panel. The color blocking lines are straight, but it's designed to have negative ease in the bust and hips to make the lines curve on the body...

Finally cut into the Leia CL from JoAnn that I bought 4 yards of months ago. Pattern for Pirates Slim Fit Raglan tunic length with funnel crossover hood and thumbhole cuffs from add on pack. Sleeve accent hack from a tutorial found in the So Sew English group. Basically you trace a set in sleeve cap onto the raglan pattern piece and cut it. I used the Sweetheart sleeve. 3T Jolly Roger Raglan with funnel hood and 18M with regular hood and ruffle for gifts. Made for Mermaids Cassie short sleeve cold shoulder dress with pockets. Stripes and lemons both single brushed poly from So Sew English. I already made a Sweet Tee and some undies with the leftover stripes.

This is the Greenstyle Endurance Bra. I'm pleased that I didn't have any problems with the construction and the finishing looks nice, but it doesn't fit. There was an error in the sizing chart that led me to size up. I'm still wobbling on what cup size to make for my 2nd pair, but it should go a lot faster now that I know what I'm doing. This was my first time working with cut & sew bra foam and fold-over elastic. I was also holding my breath over getting the zipper installed through all those layers, but I had no problems. This project and my recent swimsuit project inspired me to add a new sewing machine to my flock, the EverSewn Sparrow 30! I'm so pleased with it so far. My old Janome couldn't adjust stitch length or width. The Sparrow has lots of stretch stitches for construction and topstitching. I've used the automatic buttonholes several times already, and used the darning function to fix holes in Sean's blankies. It also has...

I've had my serger for just over a year and here's a new version of the first thing I made ..the Pirate Pencil Skirt in Scuba from JoAnn. The top is the Boho Babydoll (also from P4P) in rayon/spandex from JoAnn. It's a little wrinkled from traveling, but I love it. Tie Back Tank from Greenstyle Creations in some thin athletic knit from JoAnn. I skipped hemming the bottom and opening edges and just did the bands. I had some issues with this fabric when I hemmed it for my Moxi shorts.

I ordered a 58" Pulpo round and a 36" Pulpo round about a year ago from Rikipedia custom fabrics. The "fun rounds" are circular or square panels with a border print all around. My original plan was the Sweetheart dress from Patterns for Pirates, which is a circle skirt with a fitred bodice. Then I realized the 36" round wasn't big enough for both front and back bodice (or sleeves) and I didn't know what solid to use. I was also worried about making the bodice too small. The printed cotton/lycra is thick with strong recovery. I needed to go up a size in the Sweet Tee, but a lot of people told me they didn't need to size up in the Sweetheart. I sized up for a Sweetheart in ponte (an even thicker fabric) and it was a little big. I also didn't love the neckline, even after lowering it. I decided to order a yard of "mini linear" Pulpo so I'd have enough fabric for whatever I decided on. It has small tentacles pointing in from each...

Swimsuit patterns from Patterns for Pirates...Siren Swim Top and Hello Sailor bottoms. Both using blue solid swim knit and lining from JoAnn, and inner lining of power net from Phee Fabrics in the fronts only. Flounce on top is a leotard-type knit from JoAnn. I'll update when I know how it holds up in the pool. I chose the drawstring-sided skirt option for the bottoms and the front (pointed) and back flounce option for the top (with straight straps). I didn't use boning or cups in the top. It is very supportive with the power net and custom length straps. (Not enough for running/jumping, but plenty for the pool.) I want to make some no-flounce tops for sleep bras. This is one of the 2 or 3 more advanced projects I've done lately. There is lots of basting of layers and inner elastic before it comes together. I wasn't sure how my sewing machine was going to handle the slippery fabric. I don't have a walking foot and I can't adjust the presser foot tension. I...

I've had my eye on the Greenstyle Moxi Shorts for a long time. There was a sew along in the Fabric Fairy group a couple of weeks ago, so I went for it! I used Fabric Fairy stretch woven for the shorts and bias binding, a thin athletic knit from JoAnn for the compression shorts, and the thick Superflex knit from JoAnn for the waistband. The only modification I made was to make the waistband pieces 1" taller to make them more like the Super G waistband. This is the size 14 with a size 16 waistband. I need to take them apart and make the waistband a little smaller. The SAL videos are at https://www.sewingwithsarah.com They were incredibly helpful! I'm always nervous about any kind of binding attachment/topstitching/anything that can't be done on a serger. I did have a bit of a hard time hemming the compression shorts. The fabric is a less stable knit than what I usually use.