McCall's M8204 Romper View A

Hey everyone! I am excited to share with you all this McCall’s M8204 Romper that I sewed! I snagged this pattern for $1.99 at JoAnn Fabrics during one of their sales. I love sewing rompers and jumpsuits because they are easy to wear and it’s a one piece outfit!

The pattern was simple and straight forward. What I found most challenging about this project was applying the grommets. This was my second time using grommets in a sewing project and finding a sturdy surface for hammering can get frustrating. I found that a concrete surface like a sidewalk works best for hammering.

I purchased this fabric from a shop on Etsy. I had just enough for the pattern.

One of my favorite features of this romper is the large front and side pockets. Every outfit is better with pockets!

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I made with this project! My plan is to sew View C of this pattern for cooler months.

Summer Collection and What I've Been Up To Since My Last Blog Post

Happy July! You are probably wondering where I have been. I am now a full-time elementary art teacher and I just completed my first full-year of teaching. Most of my time has been spent learning how to manage work and my personal life and I haven’t had much time to sew, paint or create in general. My creative energy has been put into lesson planning and creating engaging, student-centered art projects.

Holding space for the creative release of so many children has been rewarding. I also realize that my experiences teaching summer art camps has prepared me for teaching full-time.

Hands of my students after gelli plate printmaking

A memory story quilt created by one of my students that was inspired by artist Faith Ringgold.

Getting Into a Rhythm With My Personal Art

Now that I have grasped a rhythm with my teaching career, I am beginning to find windows of time to create my personal artwork. This summer break, I decided to focus on creating more of my jewelry and art. A week after the last day of school, I hit the pavement running preparing to be a vendor at a Juneteenth celebration. It had been about 3 years since the last time I was a vendor at an event and I had about a two weeks notice to build my inventory.

It was a stretch for me to get so much done in short window of time, but by God’s grace and with the help of my tribe, I got it done. The event was a success and I almost sold out of all of my jewelry.

My vendor table at Juneteenth event (before)

After event. Almost sold out!

Summer Collection

My shop here on my website will be restocked for my summer collection of jewelry and art this Thursday, July 6th at 8AM (EST). Based on my schedule as a full-time art teacher, I decided that seasonal drops work best for me. Having seasonal collections will also allow me to stay consistent in a way that works for me. Once the items sell, that is it until the next drop in October.

Thank you all for reading and I hope that you will be able to purchase my handmade jewelry and/or art prints.

Butterick Coat B6394 View D

Merry Christmas! It has been almost two years since I have blogged. I have been away, but for great reasons! One being that I graduated from grad school December of 2021 and was blessed to land a full-time job as an art teacher. I have been creating, but through different avenues, mainly teaching.

As I am getting settled into my career, I am now finding ways to create for myself. This Butterick B6394 coat is one of the projects that have completed this month.

I absolutely loved this sewing project. It was simple and the pattern directions were easy to follow. I purchased my material from JoAnn Fabrics.

I modified the pattern by adding front pockets and a button. This was my first time sewing a buttonhole!

I definitely will be using this pattern again!

Mood Fabrics Boxwood Hoodie - Nothing is Wasted

Happy Sunday! It has been a few months since I have shared with you all the sewing projects that I am working on. I believe that we can all agree that 2020 was an eventful year! I spent countless hours sewing hundreds of masks for people all while embarking on various new life journeys. For the most part I used my creativity for relaxation.

One thing that 2020 highlighted to me was that I am a resourceful person. I will make something from nothing. I sewed this Mood Fabrics Boxwood Hoodie by using a pile of scrap denim that I had stored in a craft drawer. Piecing the various fabrics together, I wanted to see what I could make with what I had.

Art is a form of inspiration to me. As I was piecing the fabrics together, memories would come to mind about the times when I wore some of the jeans, when I bought them, funny stories of how I attempted to sew something with the fabric but it didn’t turn out right. I thought of the success of some of the projects that I made from the fabric. These were scraps that reminded me of snippets of my life journey and here I was making something new from various seasons of my life. In that moment God was reminding me that nothing is wasted. He truly uses the high, low, and in-between moments to grow us and shape us into who we are today. He takes the skills gained at a job, the relationships, and experiences and makes something beautiful. Nothing is wasted!

In spite of everything that is going on in the world, or what you may be going through right now, know that God can use seasons such as these to create something beautiful in the future.

Happy New Year!

Face Masks

Hey everyone! It has been a while since I have posted. I think that we can all agree that 2020 has thrown us some curveballs that we did not expect. Who would have thought that we would be experiencing a global pandemic? I never would have imagined that teaching myself how to sew back in 2017 would be a vital skill to have in 2020. Even though I have not shared any new sewing projects lately, I have been busy sewing hundreds of masks for people. I think that I have done a years worth of sewing within three months.

Learning how to sew masks for many of us was an impromptu project that we took on. Seeing that health care providers were low on personal protective equipment and high risk populations needed to be protected, much of the sewing community banded together to create masks. This has definitely been a testament to the power of community!

Hearing the needs of healthcare professionals, I knew that I wanted to include reusable filters with my masks. With a little ingenuity, I use pleated non-fiberglass allergen, bacteria, and virus filter sheets and cut and sew filters to go inside each mask that I make.

I sew openings in each mask where the filter can be inserted and removed before and after washing. The filters are good for up to 90 days.

While there was a shortage in elastic, I cut, ironed, and sewed hundreds of straps.

I was FINALLY able to get my hands on some elastic this week. I know that people talk about the discomfort of elastic on the ears, but the elastic that I use is extremely comfortable and light around the ears.

My masks are now available for purchase in my shop section. Masks come in men, women/teen, and children sizes and include nose bridge wire. Check them out! :)

McCall's M8028 Jumpsuit

Happy New Year! Can you believe that it is the beginning of a new decade?! I am beyond excited for what is to come this year and I pray that many good things will come your way this year as well. This year my goal is to continue sewing at least one item a month. Sewing is teaching me the power of consistency and the neccesity for patience through process. For the new year, I am challenging myself to sew pants! I will still sew dresses and tops, but I am going to push myself to sew pants as well.

My first project of the year is McCall’s M8082 Jumpsuit sewing pattern. It was an easy make and it is amazingly comfortable! This may be my favorite sewing project so far!

Process. I found this beautiful jersey knit pin striped fabric at JoAnn Fabric.

What I also love about this jumpsuit is that it can be paired with both flats and heels.

Behind the Seams: Simplicity 8735 Wrap Dress

Happy November! I have busy over the last two months and have had little time to create for myself, but I am back! I am aiming at showing more of my creative process. Sewing is a time of relaxation for me, but I figured why not show a bit of the process instead of photos? This is not a how to video, but a quick video of the process in making this dress. The weather is getting cooler, so I opted to pair my dress with black leggings. I added black side panels on the bodice to break up the color a bit. This beautiful striped fabric was purchased at JoAnn Fabrics.

Music: “The Dynamic Duel” (Instrumental) x Stephen the Levite

New Look 6378 Sleeveless Duster View A

Happy August! I could not end this month without posting my sewing project for August! This New Look 6378 sleeveless duster was an easy make. I found this gorgeous bold floral fabric at JoAnn Fabrics. The fabric print was only on one side, so I added a lining to polish my duster.

I love the versatility of this duster. You can easily dress it down with sneakers or dress it up with heels.

DIY Halter Tank Top

Happy Friday! I hope that everyone is enjoying their 4th of July holiday weekend! Lately I have been focusing on finishing up sewing projects. One project was a yellow-striped dress, I did not like the result, but since I loved the fabric so much, I salvaged the project and transformed it into this beautiful halter top tank!

Pictured below is the dress that I was working on. I cut the fabric into a halter shape and sewed both sides. The rest of the process went undocumented because I wasn’t sure if the project would turnout the way I wanted (Haha). I went onto make and sew a collar and sewed it to the halter top.

I am glad that this project turned out much better than I expected! I love this halter top.

Now that I know how to sew a halter tank top, would you all want me to make a DIY how to video?

DIY Upcycled African Print Sandals

I did a little late night DIY! This idea all stemmed from seeing a woman with cool shoes today (haha). Inspiration is everywhere! Music: “Doin’ It” x @ozay_moore

Butterick B6453 Princess Seam Dress

Happy June! I am thrilled to share with you all one of my June sewing projects. This Butterick Princess Seam Dress was a fun and semi challenging sewing project!

This was my first time sewing spaghetti straps and installing rings and sliders. It wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be.

Process: Completion of the bodice portion of my dress and spaghetti straps. I was proud of myself. :)

My fabric was purchased from Joann Fabrics. This fabric feels like a mix of denim and linen. It wrinkled easily which I did not like. The next time I use this pattern I will choose a sturdier fabric. :)

Overall, I thoroghly enjoyed sewing this project. Cheers to learning new sewing techniques and fabrics!

Burda Zip Up Vest...Sewing By Faith

Happy Spring! I am excited to share with you all my newest sewing project. This project was full of firsts. For the first time I ordered a Burda pattern online, but here comes the plot twist, the pattern didn’t come with step-by-step picture directions. The only photo reference that I had was what the final garment should look like. This is why I also titled this post sewing by faith (haha).

Below are the instructions that I followed during the creation of my zip up vest. For seasoned sewers reading and following these instructions would most likely be a breeze, but as someone fairly new to sewing, this was a challenge. I had to rely on what I learned from my past sewing projects to complete each step. For any steps that confused me, I searched on Google.

Pattern instructions. No step-by-step pictures.

This challenge motivated me. I wanted to see if I could complete the vest without pictures and I did!

This project showed me what I am capable of doing and it reminded me of the importance of walking by faith. When we are walking in our God-given purpose, sometimes all we have as a reference is God’s word, the Word that He spoke to us, His instruction. When God shows us what He has in store for us, to get there we have to follow His instructions. While in the process of following His instructions it can be difficult to see why we have to go through certain processes. It can be hard to see what we are becoming, what God is making of us. In those moments, we cannot give up. We must remember that God is making something beautiful in us and through us.

DIY Scuba Knit Floral Shirt

Being new to sewing (two years), I am always seeking to learn from seasoned seamstresses. A sewing expert that I love to follow is Mimi G. I came across her DIY Copy Your T-Shirt Tutorial and gave it a try!

I picked up this beautiful double-knit floral fabric from Joann’s Fabric store and copied the pattern of my cotton t-shirt (pictured below).

The t-shirt that I copied has a loose fit, but I love the cut of the shirt. I followed the tutorial and created my pattern based on my t-shirt.

This was a super simple DIY and I love how my double knit shirt turned out. It has a comfortable fit and is perfect for both dressing up and casual wear.

DIY Rose Sleeved Shirt

Not all failed sewing projects are a complete waste. We learn new techniques, work with different types of fabric, learn how to sew in zippers, buttons and so much more. Failed projects are not a waste. They actually make us better. Last year I worked on a rose printed dress (2nd picture below ). I did not particularly care for the final product, but I loved the fabric. I used leftover scraps of the rose print fabric and created this DIY shirt!

Before

This was more of a freestyle project. I used pattern pieces from a basic turtle neck pattern to trace and cut my shirt and sleeves.

This was a simple and fun sewing project. I love the shirt and get compliments whenever I wear it!

DIY Little Black Dress Using Butterick #5850 View B

Have you ever looked at a DIY project and assume that it will be simple and easy to complete? At first glance, this DIY Butterick #5850 dress seemed fairly easy to sew, however as I started this project I discovered that it would be more challenging than I expected. But as I mentioned in Many Pieces, I am committing to the process and taking my time. So with a lot of patience and perseverance, I successfully sewed this little black dress!

This was my first time using crepe silk fabric as well as sewing a lining in a dress. Every dart and stitch that I added to my lining had to be completed exactly the same for the dress fabric. Also, this dress required me to insert a side zipper. I messed up a few times, but I kept going until I got it right.

View B of this Butterick sewing project called for a large bow in the front. I originally tied the bow according to the instructions, but didn’t like it, so I wraped it around my waist and tied the bow in the back. That is the beauty of making your own clothes! If you don’t like something, you can alter your garment.

Overall, I enjoyed this project. Completing this dress taught me the importance of slowing down and not stopping until you get it right. In whatever season of life you are in, don’t be afraid to slow down, take a breath, evaluate, correct and keep it moving.

DIY Sweater Dress Using Burda #6476 View B

Happy Tuesday! I am excited to share with you all one of my new sewing projects for 2019! This DIY Burda #6476 collared pullover top was a super easy and fun sewing project. The beauty of making your own clothes is that you can customize your garment how ever you would like. I have plenty of turtlenecks so I opted not to sew on the turtleneck collar. Instead I used bias tape to create a seamless neckline.

I found this beautiful sweater knit fabric at Joann fabric store and I used fabric from an old dress to create ribbing for my sleeves and the bottom of my dress.

What I also love about this pullover is its versatility! It can be both a dress and sweater top.

Many Pieces

In sewing, a pattern is the template from which parts of a garment are traced onto fabric before being cut out and sewn. For anyone new to sewing, opening a new pattern pack can be daunting. Inside the small paper package is a huge sheet of paper with a set of instructions that directs you to cut out pattern pieces according to your body size measurements. Simple patterns require you to cut out few pieces, while the more challenging patterns leave you cutting out various pieces of different sizes. Each piece has a specific purpose in the making of your garment. 

Just imagine, you see this bangin’ outfit on the cover of this pattern pack and you are excited to begin sewing, but once you open the package and see all the work it will take to finish your garment, you realize that the process will take longer than you expected. It will require some time, learning, trying of new techniques and mistakes along the way. 

Through sewing God is teaching me a lot about the processes of life. I am guilty of coming up with cool ideas and jumping the gun. Sometimes I don’t think through the process of what it will take to reach my end goal.  At times I see what it takes to carry out a goal and become overwhelmed, but I know that the process is necessary. 

This year I am committing to the process in both life and creativity. It is okay to take your time to make sure that the end result is your best. The process is essential for growing and stretching. Our lives are like pattern pieces, containing many parts. Like the instructions, some steps that God nudges us to take don’t always make sense in the moment. But as we keep at it and commit to the process, we better understand and see why we had to endure. 

I encourage you today not to give up on your process. You never know the beauty that will come out of your life by your obedience.