It’s been a while..... a LONG while!

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Wow - it has been a LONG time!

I promise they're ALL excited about their sister's arrival! :)

Since I last blogged, our family has grown - twice. We have moved - twice.  We have done big ol’ home remodel projects. Life has gotten more hectic but also awesome. I have gone through waves of creativity followed by severe creative droughts. At this point I’m pretty sure “balance” is a make-believe word..... but I do strive to include all areas of my life - creative, Mom, wife, friend, fitness enthusiast, ice cream lover - daily.

Our little Adalynn wearing a dress named after her - The Adalynn from Mamma Can Do It Patterns

I have missed blogging, and have been doing lots more sewing recently, so I’m going to try to get back to sharing about life / my creative endeavors as much as is possible with 4 kids ages 4mos - 7 years!

I hope you are doing well, too!

Fast Pants! {some stitch swap fun}

Hello again!  I know it's been practically forever since I've written here.  I made the tough, but necessary, decision to close my custom sewing business for the summer after I realized the time was flying by and we had it packed full of family fun and other commitments.

Needless to say... with the sun shining (a somewhat rare occurrence in the Pacific NW), kiddos growing, family vacations, and a BIG focus on health & fitness around our house - I haven't done very much sewing the past month, almost two!

BUT - before I made the decision to take a "breather" - I signed up for a fun "Stitch Swap" with a great group of bloggers.  We got paired up and sent our partner a random / surprise yard of fabric for them to work with!  Some partners asked questions so that they could decide what to send - Danica from The Sewing Sparrow totally got her pick for me SPOT ON!  (Thanks so much Danica!)

She sent me this awesome fabric - so perfect as a mama to two boys who LOVE all vehicles!

Our boys LOVE wearing elastic-waist pants (can you blame them?!) - and it warms my heart that their FAVES are ones I've made!  So I knew I wanted to make some shorts or pants for one or both of the boys.  I was leaning toward shorts, but the hubby reminded me that the sunny days will be gone again soon (and even the sunny days are often followed by cooler nights) - so I went with some pants!

 

Time was definitely NOT on my side with this project.  Thank goodness I had the super-quick, simple-to-follow Taylor's Pajama Pants pattern from Create Kids Couture (available on fabric.com)

I'm not kidding when I say that I got them done in 25 minutes.  And that included printing, assembling, and cutting the pattern piece!

Sure enough he LOVES them!  He was so excited when I held them up - "Mommy are those for MEEEEE?!  Did you MAKE them?  Thank you mommy!"  Melt.my.heart.

So a BIG thank you to Danica for picking out and sending the PERFECT fabric - and a thank-you to Stephanie from Swoodson Says for hosting this fun little swap!  It was the perfect "excuse" I needed to get a little bit of sewing done!

Want to see more swap posts?  Check out the schedule below!


Monday July 21st
Stephanie -- Swoodson Says
Jamie -- Salutations Louisville
Ashley -- Sewing Sober
Kathy -- Handmade Dress Haven

Tuesday July 22nd
Tasha -- Friends Stitched Together
Janelle -- Emmaline Bags
Kim -- Sew & Tell with Mama Eggo
April-- Open Sky Creations

Wednesday July 23rd
Amy-- Friends Stitched Together
Danica -- The Sewing Sparrow
Bethany -- Two Novembers
Jessica -- The Berry Bunch

Thursday July 24th
Chrissy -- Muse of the Morning
Fenna -- Fabulous Home Sewn
Melissa -- Rebel and Malice
Irene -- Sugaridoo

Friday July 25th
Jess -- Gracious Threads
Emily -- Tangible Pursuits
Roxanne -- Pensebrox
Megan -- Upcycling? Refashion That Idea.

Quilt top in progress

This weekend I got the "bug" to do a little bit of fun sewing - I had worked on a few items for a birthday party and had a bit of a lull in custom orders (none paid, all in the "design" phase right now).

I probably *should* have worked on getting caught up on some BOMs / sewalongs - or started my Avatrix Medallion quilt..... but I had seen the SewCanShe Classic Blocks: Fresh Fabrics post for this month (check it out HERE) and remembered really wanting to sew some up.  I loved how the two blocks came together to make something totally different than what they look like apart.

Saturday I was able to sew up a bunch of 9" 9-patch blocks (excuse the cell phone pics.... my camera battery ran out and I can't figure out where the charger is!)

Fabrics are from my stash - pulled to go with that pretty aqua paisley fabric!

Then I was able to squeeze a little bit more time in Monday morning before the boys woke up (yeah for alarm clocks that go off at 4:30am and lots of coffee!) - to get the snowballs sewn up.

  

 Thinking I'll have to sew up those little triangles and maybe piece them into the back - or a border?!

 

 Pressed and stacked!  Next up: figuring out the layout and sewing them all together!

Want to see more sneak peeks - my sewing process, family, fitness goals - - - I share them all over on Instagram!  @MamaEggo is me!

Birthday sewing!

Since the very beginning of my sewing business I have had the fun of making some pretty special birthday shirts / onesies / outfits.  Over the last 3+ years I've made hundreds of them - and it's always a really cool thing to know that someone trusts me to make such a special, important item for their kiddo(s).

Last week, I had fun sewing up a birthday dress for our friends' daughter who turns two today!!!

Then because I knew she was pretty obsessed with Thomas - and figured it was probably pretty tough to find girly Thomas stuff - I sewed up another dress and a tunic for her birthday gift.

She was SO cute as she tore through all the gifts - doing a GREAT job of picking up each item and showing it to everyone - quickly - then moving on to the next gift!

One of the things that is the biggest bummer about custom sewing is that it is pretty rare that I get to see the items I make ON the kiddos I make them for.  They go in the mail and are (hopefully) loved when they arrive at their new home.....

But things look SO much cuter on kiddos than hangars!

So you can imagine how FUN it was for me to see that two kiddos (birthday girl and another friend) were wearing items I made at the party!

Crummy cell phone pic.... sorry! :)

Sew-a-Bration of Womanhood - a top (and scarf) for ME!

It was with excitement (and a little bit of trepidation) that I recently responded to a call for bloggers to participate in the Sew-A-Bration of Womanhood hosted by two fabulous blogs: the Shaffer Sisters and Call Ajare.  

My body has changed a BUNCH over the years - getting married, having two kiddos, moving our family a few times.... I am no longer the woman I was in college or high school - and my body is no longer the same.  But that is NOT a bad thing - I have to remind myself of this on a regular basis.

Truly embracing our imperfections - in our work, our life, ourselves - is something that I think most women find to be challenging.  But when we do?  The power of that acceptance and the confidence it brings can and will create change!

Recently I challenged myself to make some changes - changes I'm very proud of that are helping to make my outward image reflect what's inside.

So this blog series - centered around celebrating womanhood and bodies of all shapes and sizes - could not have come at a better time.

Inspired by a few friends who do a GREAT job sewing clothes for themselves I decided this was the perfect opportunity to give it a go!

I picked out the Greenstyle Lacy Slope Tank because I loved the versions I saw during their recent blog hop and thought it looked like something that was a) simple enough for me to wear everyday b) simple enough for me to attempt as my first adult clothing item c) had enough style and shape that it would look professional

Here's a bit of honesty:  My body shape..... I'd say it's a "round hourglass" (is that even a shape?  did I just make that up?) - My "girls".... they're big.  Two pregnancies have created some nice curvy hips..... and my belly is my "problem" area - always fluffier than I'd like.

So when I picked my size, I followed the largest measurement - my chest.  After three different shirts... and many photos.... I realized this created a top that was far too big for me.  I ended up taking at least 1" off of each side seam - probably more.  I just kept checking fit and adjusting!  I also decided I wasn't loving the hi-lo look for me (love it on others, though!) - so I got creative and added an accent band to the base of the shirt after cutting it at the highest point (in the front).

The coordinating infinity scarf was a must because I love them and because we live in Washington and still only see the sun every once in a while!  {these photos were snapped quickly between a few BIG rain storms!}

I made it by cutting a piece of knit 8" x WOF.  Then I just used a french seam for the short ends - and wa-lah - cute, lightweight infinity scarf!

All in all - I'm excited to have sewn something for ME - and really do see myself wearing this top on a regular basis.  It's comfy, it's cute, and it IS pretty cool to know that I made it.  BUT..... I have a feeling it will be a while until I attempt more adult clothes sewing!  I'll stick to fun bags / kitchen towels / aprons / quilts for me!

Fabric info: All fabrics purchased at Joann Fabrics - pinky red stripe is from their Doodles line - the other two were from the knit basics / red tag clearance section.

Here's a peek at the "real" me - or the me who is so DONE taking pictures and appreciative of a hilarious husband who is telling me to "work it!"

A big thank you to Shaffer Sisters and Call Ajare for getting me to step outside my comfort zone - and in front of the camera - for this empowering blog series!

Want to see more?  Here are the blogs that will be participating in this sew-a-bration!

The Life Of A Compulsive Crafter | Serger Pepper | House of Estrela | sewVery | Our Busy Little Bunch

Modern Handmade | Golden Rippy | Sew & Tell with Mama Eggo | Shawnta Sews | Fishsticks Designs 
Ali Cat & Co | Paisley Roots | Like a mother | Giggles & Beans | Call Ajaire
Shaffer Sisters | I Married Superman | A Jennuine Life | If Only They Would Nap | Once Upon a Sewing Machine

Naptime Creations | Pattern Revolution | Two Many | Rebel & Malice | Simple Simon and Company

SewingSober | Handmade Dress Haven | Daisy Chain Creations | Swoodson Says | I'm Feelin' Crafty So Cal Sewing Mom | Keep Calm and Carrion | DandelionDrift | The Crazy Tailor | Max California 

Falafel and the Bee | Lexi Made | Winter Wonderings | Kid Approved | Scientific Seamstress
Becca DuVal | Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop | The Berry Bunch | Little Kids Grow | leighlee
Feathers Flights | That's-Sew-Kari

Project Quilting off season challenge 1 & ALYOF April

Pheeeeewey!  Nothing like realizing - while still out of town visiting family - "the Project Quilting challenge ends in 15 hours"..... when for whatever reason I had it in my mind we had until the end of the month.  Whoopsie!

Based on my birthday, June 8th (6/8), I was to use a deep purple and gray for this challenge.  So..... we got home, got laundry started - and I quickly pulled out my purple and gray scraps to get to work!

See more about the challenge by clicking HERE.

April has been a super busy month - my blog has been quieter for sure - and I really have no idea where the month went???

I knew when I originally saw the challenge I wanted to make something for me - because it was based on MY birth date.

So.... today I decided I'd whip up a coffee sleeve!

I get up at 4:30am with my hubby most weekdays to get some work in before my kiddos wake up - so coffee is a MUST around here.  I have a few reusable cups that don't have built in insulation - so they definitely need a sleeve!

Purple + gray + coffee sleeve + ONLY using scraps = this!

I did a little bit of straight line quilting through all three layers (cotton / fusible fleece / cotton) along the seams.  

Decaf?!  Yah, right!

Perfect - ready to protect my hand from that delicious, hot, oh-so-necessary java tomorrow morning! 

I love making coffee sleeves - and sell them in my Etsy shop - I'm always willing to cut into any in-stock fabric to make one!

In true Project Quilting fashion here are the details:

This coffee sleeve was (quickly) created in my home sewing studio in Montesano, WA.  It measures approximately 9.5" x 2.5" and is three layers - cotton / fusible fleece / cotton with bits of straight line quilting in a light gray.  Oh... and I'll call it "quick and scrappy"! :)

Linking up with Persimon Dreams - Project Quilting Off-Season Challenge 1

&

A Lovely Year of Finishes - April

WIP Wednesday - Avatrix Medallion fabrics

Phew - Wednesday again?!

It's been a LONG week and a half around here - with my main sewing machine needing an unscheduled trip to the repair shop (boo!) and long days / nights of working for the hubby (double boo!).... it's been crazy!  Add to that a to-do list with lots of firm deadlines.... and well, it's been quiet on the blog!

But..... The beginning of this week has brought progress! {thanks to 4:30am starts to my days and sneaking in exercise that helps re-energize me!}

I am feeling a *bit* out of my comfort zone and will definitely be pushing my limits by attempting the Avatrix Medallion Quilt - but I'm excited for the tips & tricks shared by Oh Fransson! during the upcoming quilt-a-long.

I have been wresting with the color scheme / fabric choices.  As in spending HOURS upon hours on a bazillion {yep, that many!} fabric shop websites / blogs / pinterest.  Yikes.

I never work with solids.  Like never ever.  But I'm here to challenge myself.

So my fabric choices are {mainly} solids.  I just *had* to throw a few prints in there (one per color group).

I will be using the white-based "Confetti" in turquoise (part of the Minimalista line for AGF) for my white (because solid white still gives me the heebie jeebies!)

Then I have 5 fabrics in each color group: gray (the one in the middle will also be used for borders), turquoise, green, yellow / light orange, and dark orange / red.  The majority of the solids are Michael Miller Cotton Couture.  There are also a few Pure Elements solids - as well as Laura Gunn's Painter's Canvas (gray textured fabric), Violet Craft's Domino Dots (turquoise), Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet (lime), AGF Chromatics - Pointelle (yellow), and Denyse Schmidt's Dotted Leaf (red).

Want every.last.detail. about each of these fabrics?  Check out my Pinterest Board for this project HERE!

It took me FOREVER to make this decision.  A huge thanks to the friends & family that helped put up with my constant "this turquoise or THIS turquoise?!" questions!

I'm excited that one of my friends is going to split the fabric with me and we will be making matching quilts!  Yippee!  We. Can. Do. This.

My fabric should be here later this week thanks to the super fast shipping over at Hawthorne Threads.  I plan on giving them a look-over once they get here because it's SO tough to gauge colors online - and editing if needed at that point.

If I thought this step was hard I'm REALLY in for it when we actually start MAKING this quilt, huh?!

Care to join in?  You can read more about the sew-a-long HERE.

I am linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.  Can't wait to see what everyone else is working on!

Baseball Shirts!

I am *trying* to do more sewing for my kiddos - it's one of my recurring goals each month.  They are amazingly appreciative EVERY time I do.... and I always love seeing things I make actually being used (but don't get to see this often because most of what I sew is sold and ships to my customer and I might get a picture back - which always makes my day - but I don't get to REALLY see it being used).  Making things for my kiddos allows me to see the item in action - being played in / on, snuggled with, thrown through the wash who-knows-how-many-times.  Love it!

When I saw Alyssa's pattern review for the Old Tyme Baseball Shirts I knew it was going on my "someday" list.  You know the list..... "Someday I'll sew that.  I might even buy the pattern today.... but someday I'll actually get around to sewing it."

Well.... then my friend Eileen contacted me about being a guest boutique for a themed auction group - and guess what one of the themes was?!  Yup - "Take me out to the Ballgame" - perfect!

We are coming up on recreational softball league season around here - and our boys LOVE cheering on Daddy's team, the Yard Dogs - so I thought I'd make them shirts in his company colors - black & yellow (yes, like the song).  If you want a giggle.... check out this remix done by someone from my hubby's company (it's clean... and makes me laugh because he definitely drives a "bumblebee" - yellow truck, black hood)

To say they love them would be an understatement, for sure....

I may have had to bribe them with the new super-duper-massive-sized bubble container to get them to take the shirts off....

I loved sewing these up - and this was my first attempt at piping (it went well.... I learned a ton.... and the second shirt went even better)

We have one left-handed lil' guy.  We started noticing this around 7 or 8 months old - as he was starting to feed himself little snacks.  Sure enough.... he's a leftie!  Partway through last softball season we got him his own glove.  I ordered it on Amazon because I wasn't finding anything small enough for him locally.  I wasn't about to pay twice as much for colors that were more traditionally "boy" - so he has a black and pink glove.  And he loves it.  Then again, we have lots of pink around our house! :)

We are pretty sure B-man is right handed..... check out his form!

This picture cracks me up.  They were both being a bit.... uncooperative.... with the photo taking (can you blame them?  The sun was shining so they wanted to be PLAYING!) - so I told them there was a monkey inside my camera.  He's looking for the monkey in the lens!  Tehehehehehe

A few detail shots - love the curves at the front - and the piping!

The hem is also curved - longer in the front and back, shorter on the sides - just like a traditional jersey - so cool!

This design will be one available for custom order - - - or you can bid on your own custom shirt(s) at the When You Wish Designs Auction (it's a group on Facebook.... they just recently started using the group in an attempt to increase visibility and communication) - their Facebook page is also used for previews / advertisement. 

The auction runs Tonight through Thursday! :)