Present Perfect: Cargo Tablet Sleeve

I catch a lot of flak from my dear husband, Danny. It turns out that despite my lack of affinity for ruffles and lace, my fabric collection is well, quite girlie. I do my fair share of sewing for our home and family, but since no men go fabric shopping with me, most everything handmade in our home has a feminine touch. I'd been mulling over a more manly handmade aesthetic when I was asked to make a little something from Present Perfect: 25 Gifts to Sew and Bestow, the newest book by Betz White.

As a very techie family we have a variety of devices in our home. Some have proper homes (aka, my tablet), others not so much. For instance, my husband's Kindle goes on business trips within the not exactly protective confines of the wool hat I crocheted him last winter. Hey, I give him points for the attempt. It seemed pretty obvious after flipping through Betz's new book that I should be making Danny some proper device sleeves (and practice using some manly fabrics, too.)


I'm not usually a big craft book fan. Most times there is one pretty great project and eight other meh ones that both you and I wouldn't exactly need a book for. But after flipping through the copy of Present Perfect that the publishers sent me, I've got to tell you, that this is not the case. I had a hard time deciding which 'man' project to pick. The Cargo Tablet Sleeve was the ultimate winner, but the Gentleman's Travel Case is still calling my name. Plus, I've been having this love affair with bees all this year and bam, there's that Sweet Life Pillow just begging me to make one. And then I saw the hot pink version Melissa made and it's a must.

Present Perfect has great handmade gift ideas for everyone, really. Babies, men, your girl friends, housewarming... you name it, Betz has a great idea for you. Oh, and did I mention that the book comes with pattern pieces? Yes! Even the rectangular ones that most books just tell you what size to cut out. I don't know about you, but I usually screw those up. But not with these patterns, friends. (You can tell, I was perhaps quite excited by this.) If you know someone who has just gotten into sewing and crafting, this book would make a fabulous gift for them. The instructions and drawings are clear and easy to follow, and the photographs just make you want to keep sewing up project after project.


I used a pirate print for the lining and a milk chocolate brown cotton twill for the outside of the Cargo Tablet Sleeve. I was going to wax the twill with some beeswax I recently got a honeybee festival, but it was too soft to alter it. The flap and base of the Cargo Tablet Sleeve are cut from a chocolate brown suede jacket my sister in law gifted me for upcycling purposes. It's the first time I've ever sewn with salvaged animal hide and I was pretty pleased with the result.



The clasp is a vintage Euro swivel clip and key ring I picked up from an Army/Navy store in Provencetown, MA this summer while we were on vacation. I don't even want to tell you how inexpensive this hardware was. I'm embarrassed to say that I did not buy them all, because I so should have.

The result is a pretty sweet, man friendly, tablet bag. It's not the first fabric choices I would have chosen, but Danny approves of it's manliness and I can breath a bit easier knowing his tablet is traveling protected (and in style!) I think I'll have to make myself one with a bright vintage floral canvas...

Until then, check out Present Perfect by Betz White. She's made a short video to flip through some of the projects in this book. I can honestly say this book is worth getting, or giving. Also, you can pop into the blogs below on their tour dates to see what other makers have sewn from the book.


Happy Home:
October 6 - Sew Mama Sew – Make & Bake Apron
October 7 - Stacy Sews – Falling Leaves Appliquéd Placemats
October 8 - House on Hill Road – Hot Mitt House & Tea Towel Set
October 9 - A Happy Stitch – Sweet Life Pillow

Memorable Moments:
October 10 - Sew Sweetness – Wool Courier Bag
October 13 - Raspberry Sunshine – Gentlemen’s Travel Case
October 14 - Pink Chalk Fabrics – Pasha Pleated Clutch
October 15 - The Long Thread – Eye Candy Glasses Case
October 16 - Made with Moxie – Cargo Tablet Sleeve
October 17 - Bijou Lovely – Coffee Cash Coin Pouch

New and Little
October 20 - Flax and Twine – Forest Friends Finger Puppets
October 21 - Imagine Gnats – Bib, Rattle & Burp Baby Set

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget tomorrow is the launch of Perfect Pattern Parcel #6! You're going to love it.

Bombshell Swimsuit by Closet Case Files

I distinctly recall the conversation I had with my mother when I realized the awesomeness of sewing. It was after finally finishing my first handmade garment from a pattern; a black knit elastic waistband skirt. I was excited at the seemingly limitless possibilities of sewing your own clothes.

"You can sew whatever you want?!?" I asked my mother with anticipation.

"You can! Clothes, curtains, quilts. Everything except bathing suits." she tells me. She went on to elaborate that she'd tried to sew herself a bathing suit once and it just came out, well, wrong.

I carried on merrily for twenty plus years of sewing, happy with this limitation. That is, until last month, when the Pattern Parcel #3 Inspiration Tour started. I'll be honest. I was surprised at the number of bloggers who stitched up the Bombshell Swimsuit pattern. I mean, you can't sew bathing suits on a home sewing machine and have them come out right....or can you?

Poppy Tunic

I've been told I was born in the wrong decade. I absolutely adore vintage clothing and household items. When my Nana Jane passed away and all the objects of value had been taken or auctioned my siblings and I were allowed to go into her home and take what we'd like as a momento. As I wandered her bedroom I encountered drawers of dress scarves with bold patterns. Jewelry boxes filled with bakelite bangles in every color imaginable. Perfectly stacked boxes of beaded evening handbags.

"I'm going to need some trash bags" I told my father.


This is one of the magazines I found in her house that day, along with many others including Esquire's Party Book and a first edition Betty Crocker Cookbook which is my most treasured vintage cookbook (and I use it all the time). I love early American sports wear. I love that there was no fear of wearing bright colors and huge bold patterns. It makes my heart sing.


Naturally, when I saw this fabric at Joanns it had to come home with me. My Nana had a set of dishes with poppies on them in these very colors that I was very fond of as a child and it turns out had an even better story to go with them. Sadly, I neglected to take them after she passed. Never the less, this Alexander Henry Keely fabric was not neglected.


Seemed like an appropriate fabric for my Poppy Tunic. Despite most everyone else making their Poppy Tunics in a solid with a patterned panel, I went big. Pattern on pattern on pattern. The panel is (I believe) a Denise Schmidt piece I had and the striped bias tape a gift as part of a trade I did with Ms. Cassie. (I forget what I swapped you for, Cass. Do I owe you something? heh, heh...) As you can see, I'm quite in love with my Poppy Tunic. Dress, beach cover up, house dress, jeans tunic. This one will be worn to shreads for certain.

I decided to add an elastic gather under the bust to accentuate my hourglass shape. Also of note, I measured a size XL in this pattern, but cut out the XXL. I made the Waterfall Blouse pattern by Make It Perfect last week and used the XL but it turned out too snug in my upperbust/underarm. No worries. My mother has a fabulous Waterfall Blouse now in block printed Indian fabric. Luckily I had enough to make a second in an XXL for myself. Fast forward to my cutting out the Poppy Tunic and I went XXL again and I think next time I will make the XL. Long story short: the Poppy is roomier than the Waterfall. However, I do love the pattern. Both of them, really.


My ever faithful assistant begged me to take her picture too. It delights her to make faces and tell me when she's ready for me to take her picture. Which is what she thinks I'm doing when she takes my pictures. Okay, that does pretty much sum it up.


The Poppy Tunic is part of Parcel #3 and while you can always buy it through Make It Perfect, buying the Parcel gets you four, if not five more patterns and lets you support children's education too. It's feel good pattern buying and I'm your enabler. Treat yo'self!

Jorna Tank

I've only got four more weeks of my summer left. I start school up again July 8. Only this is the real deal. Fulltime. Yikes! There goes my daylight sewing hours. Needless to say, I've been trying to take as much advantage of what I have left. Imagine my surprise when I found that despite running the Pattern Parcel #3 sale mostly myself (Danny does all the IT work) I have had time to sew not one, but two of the patterns in the Parcel! This is a first, folks. Not only have I finished and photographed two of them, but I've got a Bombshell on my cutting table. Wait, no! I've sewn three. I totally forgot my own pattern. D'oh.
This is the Jorna Tank Dress. Pretty short dress, huh? The pattern comes with a tank option with a flared, almost peplum hem option. I honestly would have made the dress, but I did not have enough fabric. So I modified the pattern to be a hip length straight tank to use as fabric possible. Elastic cord stitched into a six inch casing I made by stitching down the seam allowances added a little ruching detail.

I'm in love with how my Jorna Tank feels on. And I normally and not very happy with knit garments I sew, so this is a major win. The facings in this pattern add great stability. This pattern goes together quickly and easily. Don't you just love patterns that go together without a struggle or cursing AND fit so well? Thank you, Jenna Brand!


I'm super excited about wearing my Jorna Tank too because I get to show off my gun show! Danny and I are in a little family competition to see who can lose 15% of their weight first. While I'm not out to change who I am, we can all stand to be more healthy. We've been working out every day. Yes. Every. Single. Day. We bike and elliptical and I've been lifting and rowing on the BowFlex. Hence, my new biceps and triceps. I'm already down nine pounds!

At this rate, I'm going to need more Jorna Tanks!

Too Perfect For This World

Ethereal ( adj.): Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.


This is the first time I've ever sewn a Figgy's pattern. It feels sacrilegious to say so. I was flattered when Shelly asked asked me to be part of her Heavenly Collection Winter Tour. This collection of children's sewing patterns is just lovely. The designs are unique, but so wearable. I really hate patterns that just look like everyone else's. I mean, why bother, right?


I can't wait to show you the Ethereal Dress & Blouse pattern that I sewed up for my daughter, Jane. The pattern has a multitude of options; sleeves or sleeveless, blouse, tunic, or dress lengths, and a darling frill.


The fabric I chose is a Yuwa cotton lawn from the imagine gnats shop. It also feels wrong to admit that this is the first time I've ever sewn with cotton lawn. Holy moly, it is just so so lovely. It's just the finest, smoothest, softest cotton I've ever felt. It's the cotton you want to be wearing on murderously hot days, and on warm spring afternoons when the sun is setting on your shoulders. I could wax poetic about it for days.


The Ethereal Dress & Blouse pattern is generously sized and a quick sew. I cut a 4/5 for Jane intentionally slightly larger than she measured to ensure she would be able to still be wearing it at the end of this summer. That girlie grows like a weed. Right now she'll wear it with a tee and leggings until the weather warms. Really Jane refused to take her dress off following the photo shoot.


I'm jealous I don't have a cotton lawn Ethereal Dress in my size. Also, this girl is just slaying me. I love her character.



Don't forget to enter the giveaway below and you can also grab a copy of the complete Heavenly Collection for over 30% off the full retail cost.

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My Meridian Cardi Hoodie

Every once in a while the stars align and magic happens.


A few days after Christmas we went to the Natural History Smithsonian with my brother and his family. While wondering about the dinosaurs my eye was drawn to a woman wearing a brightly colored Southwestern pattern cardigan. I probably stared at her a bit too long like a nutter, but I really liked the look of her sweater and found it especially odd because I normally dislike Southwestern patterns. In any case, she was lost into the crowds within a few seconds and my attention turned else where.

I was perusing my Instagram feed later that week when I wasn't sleeping well and lo, and behold, there was that sweater again! Thanks to the commenters I found it online at LuLus.com. When I showed it to my husband he thought I had lost my mind. A) He thought it was ugly, and B) he was surprised I was in love with it. To be honest, I was still surprised I was in love with it, but who am I to argue with love at first sight?

I continued contemplating dropping fifty dollars on the "ugly" sweater until the fateful day arrived. I had spent the afternoon taping together my copy of the Meridian {for women} cardi pattern. As I was browsing through my knit fabrics for inspiration, lightening struck! There, on buried under newer fabrics, was the most fabulous Southwestern patterned fabric that I had bought as part of a Girl Charlee Bargain Lot. Not only was it the same bright rusts and teals, but the most perfect aqua thermal knit was stacked right with it.

Fast forward a few hours of sewing (with kids) and I present to you my Meridian:


I made some very slight edits to the pattern for style sake only. I squared out the top corners of the Meridian to mimic the original cardi that I loved. I cut my thermal sleeve lining a few inches longer so I could roll them up for contrast. I drafted a quick hood because I love hoodies. To add a hood, assemble the hood and lining, sew them together along the font face seam, turn them right sides facing and pin it in place before you do the final sewing around the outside edge of your Meridian.


The Meridian cardi for women is a great pattern to use if you are new to knits, or a pro. While it does require a good amount of fabric yardage, it is yardage well used. Who doesn't like to be swaddled in soft and lovely knits? The pattern fits well and make a garment that is quite versatile. Throw it on over jeans and a tshirt. Wear it to dress up a basic shift dress for work. You could shorten it up to just under the bust for an adorable shrug, too. Make a basic black one and wear it with just about everything. I'm thinking my next Meridian will be unlined with sweatshirt knit.



I am completely in love with my Meridian. I may wear it often, and by often I mean almost every day. I really need to get going on a second one so I can wash this one. Ha!

How would you make your Meridian?

Now through the end of the month, you can get 20% off all imagine gnats patterns using the code "januarytour". Rachael has also graciously offered to giveaway one imagine gnats PDF pattern of the winner's choice. Make sure you enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. And, as always, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.


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Winter Wonderland Collection

If you have little ones to sew for this holiday season then you should consider getting yourself a copy of the Winter Wonderland Collection of sewing patterns by the ladies at Pattern Anthology.


The collection is everything from hats and capes to a blazer and party dress and all sorts of garments in between. It's everything you need for your little ones to take you through the holiday seasons. The pattern collection will have you dreaming of crisp cool air, warm holiday baking, sparkling lights, and cozy evenings with family.



For Jimmy, I sewed him up a Johnny B. Good Hoodie (it also comes with a hood collar option) and a Trapper Hat (which also has a pilot style hat option too.) The Trapper hat sews together so quickly and easily. I'm in love. I would recommend sizing it up if you are going to use a fluffy lining fabric, like minkie, fleece or fake fur. Jimmy loves his Trapper hat. I see many versions of these to come.

The Johnny B. Good hoodie shirt is an adorable retro style shirt. I just love my little man in a collared shirt. This pattern makes it super easy to make too, with less pattern pieces than a normal collared shirt pattern. But I've got to tell you my favorite part about this pattern is that it includes instructions on how to upcycle a men's dress shirt into one for your little dude! I used one of my husband's old shirts that he had gotten a stain on, then added the contrasting front and back yokes. The pattern has pieces to make your own cuff plackets, but I just used the ones on my husband's shirt sleeves. So much easier than sewing a dress shirt from scrap, and you get to have nice shirting fabric for your boys without paying an arm and a leg.



Jane looked through the Winter Wonderland Collection and chose the Juliet Capelet. All of a sudden she has decide she is big enough to be deciding what I will make for her. I sense trouble. We decided on the rounded hood option with no ruffle. I lined the hood and capelet with creme minkie for extra warmth. To make this piece more cape than capelet, I cut the neck of the pattern at her true size, but cut the bottom hem at a size larger. The toggle closures are from Joann's. I think they finish the look off nicely and bonus points that they are kid "I can do it myself" friendly.



The Winter Wonderland Collection is a good deal because you're getting a bundle of patterns that you can use for years. The sizes span from 18 months on up to 8 years. The patterns are great styles than can be easily remixed to reflect whatever look you (or your opinionated kids) are going for. Plus, you're getting the patterns for 25% thank retail once they have been bundled. You can even snatch up a Mini Bundle of just the girls or boys patterns.

The Winter Wonderland Collection is only available for a limited time and you only have two days left! Do not delay. You can have adorable outfits for your kiddos for each holiday through the cold weather season. And that means no ugly polar bear dork sweaters have to be worn.

Click the image below to be taken to be taken to the Winter Wonderland Collection site.


Disclosure: I received a copy of the Winter Wonderland Collection in exchange for my making something to share with you all. All opinions and ideas my own. End of story.

Big City Bags & a Giveaway!

If you know Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness, then you know that Sara knows handbags. She has made so many gorgeous patterns and tutorials for handbags. Sara's a handmade fashionista's best friend. Plus, she looks so stinking cute in the dresses she makes!) Well, hold on to your hats and glasses folks, because I've got big news!


Sara has made a book!

Big-City Bags: Sew Handbags with Style, Sass, and Sophistication is set to be released next week and you get a sneak peak today! I was lucky enough to be one of Sara's bag testers as she was writing her book.

Take a look at one of the fabulous patterns in Big City Bags: the Wonderland Bag:


I've had to keep this baby a secret for so long! Just look at this fabulous bag. Everyone who sees it loves it, and very few ever even think it is handmade. I just love Sara's bag designs. They have beautiful structure and are laid out with nice pockets for easy convenience.


Big City Bags is chock full of gorgeous handbag patterns and included great tips to assembling them, like zippers, pockets, hardware and handles. From date night clutches to diaper bags and suitcases (yes! A suitcase) Sara's Big City Bags has a bag for every occasion.Sara has also included a great interfacing guide along with a conversion chart so you can know which types of interfacing are comparable between brands.


I can't wait to get my copy of Big City Bags and make another one. Sara and Martingale Press have been awesome enough to allow me to give away a digital copy of Big City Bags to one of my readers! Isn't that exciting!

Can't wait to get your hands on a physical copy of Big City Bags? Order a copy signed by Sara right here!


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