If you'd ever told me that a performance fabric could look this chic, I would have thought, "Yeah. Okay. Not on me..."

But then I met supplex...

If we're connected on Instagram, then you know 2018 has been a year of firsts for me. And many of those firsts have been sewing-related. I made a bikini... I made activewear... I made underwear... I made outerwear! So many garments that I never even thought about making before. All inspired by the fabrics that I've found at Phee and the drive to stretch my self-imposed boundaries.

So, when I saw this peacock supplex, I knew I had to cut into it! So often, when you work with knits, you wrestle with the texture of the fabric fighting against you. It can be too stretchy. It can be slippery. It can be too thin. It can have poor recovery.

Not supplex.

This dreamy fabric is heavy enough to make any garment - pants, dresses, jackets... even sports bras! I went for a pattern that has been in my collection for some time, the Wiggle Dress by Patterns for Pirates.

All-in-all, this dress came together beautifully. The supplex was a dream to cut and sew. I struggled a bit with the zipper and ultimately wound up hand-sewing it in. That additional effort took this very form-fitting dress from looking cheap to chic.

I tend to be very self-conscious and I was very worried about showing off the ten pounds that I've gained this year! But, I have to say that I feel pretty sexy in this dress!

The supplex has a great compression factor and helps to smooth out some of the areas that I was most concerned about. Whether or not I actually find the confidence to make it out of the house is another matter.

But should the occasion arise this holiday season, I am party ready!

Everyone loves to maximize the impact of a single yard of fabric... amiright??!!!

Fall sewing is in full swing and I started dreaming about ponchos at the first sign of falling leaves. I pinned this beauty for inspiration and started planning my next make.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on some of the new Polartec Wool from Phee Fabrics. I've never sewn with any Polartec fabric so I was excited to try something different.

The design that I worked up for this poncho is something that anyone can make. It could not be simpler!

The first step is to square up the yard of fabric. The polarwool is ribbed on the wrong side so it was very easy to square up the edges.

Next, I created a 1" decorative top edge and added hem tape to better reinforce the edge and prepare it for snap closures.

I knew that I wanted my poncho to hit just below my hips so I measured from shoulder to hip and decided on a length of 26". I created a lower cuff detail by turning up the difference in length to achieve the desired length.

After securing with a twin needle finish, I hemmed the short ends of my yardage.

I then added snaps, starting 15" from the edge of the poncho.

Here's a video tutorial for how I added the snaps:

And here's the finished result!

The Phee polarwool is so soft and warm... absolutely perfect for a poncho. What makes this garment even more fun was taking a performance fabric and turning it into something so chic! And it came together so quickly.

This would be a perfect make for Christmas gifts. One yard of fabric... one size fits most... classy and functional... perfection!!

In my year of healthy changes, I've become very interested in the healing properties of essential oils. I've read and researched and interviewed and experimented... it's all just very, very fascinating to me! While my collection of oils is small, I've picked up several to help with my family's sinus and skin issues, muscle aches, sleeplessness, and just overall wellbeing.

You may be thinking... the placebo effect is strong with this one...

And maybe it is, but I've been pleased with the impact they have had on our household.

So, for my handmade Christmas efforts this year, I thought it would be nice to share a gift of health with my kids' teachers and a few friends. Not to one to knock a great drinking vessel, but do they really need another mug?

My other idea was a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts. Mmmm... doughnuts are my kryptonite. They may really wish I'd given them a gift card!!

I made blends that I thought would be universally appealing - for sleep, alertness, and sinus relief. I used some recipes that I found on Hello Glow as my base and customized from there.

Good Night, Sleep Tight :: roman chamomile + lavender

WAKE UP! :: frankincense + peppermint + orange

Breathe :: eucalyptus + peppermint

I then knit up these adorable little bags to carry them. For the knitters among us, this is the first pattern that worked up on my own! I shouldn't be this proud because it's so simple, but I am.

I added a Christmas ribbon and a menu card... Voila! A simple, yet very personal little gift.

If you think this is an idea for you, you are completely welcome to my files, recipes, knitting pattern, etc. Just let me know what you'd like.

I am curious - if you are a teacher, would you use a gift like this or would it be regifted? I would love to know if I'm just thinking inside of my own bubble.

What are you crafting for Christmas this year? I'd love to hear all about it!

I don't think I will ever understand the game of football. Other than the really important plays, like running the field, kicking a goal, or scoring a touchdown, the rest is just confusing noise. My apathy for the game has always bothered my husband (as someone who takes every-single-play very personally). Imagine his delight when I began my most recent major knitting project - Michelle Hunter's Scoreboard Scarf.

Participating in this nationwide "knit along" meant that I had to stay on top of the weekly scores for my team, which also meant multiple conversations about football - or "teaching" moments - with my husband. Seriously. He was giddy.

The idea behind this scarf was just plain fun - for every point that your team scored, you knit a row in one spirit color. For every point the opposing team scored, you knit a row in a contrasting spirit color. For example:

1 touchdown + good kick = 7 rows
1 field goal  = 3 rows
1 kick-their-butts-no-one-else-even-came-close-to-scoring game = 52 rows

I divided each game with a row of purling and alternated between black and gray for the opposing teams to break up the Halloween vibe.

By the end of the season, you have a wearable document of the scoring plays.

I knew I had to make this for my best friend, Kellie, for Christmas. We both bleed orange and black for our Mercer Bears, but she's the one dedicated to sitting through cruddy weather to cheer them on. Not me. I've had my lifetime's share of bad weather in the past 3 years. Reserve for me a permanent seat in a warm, dry environment.

So, I started this scarf at the beginning of football season and wrapped it up at the 11th hour, just before Christmas. There was A LOT of knitting, knitting, knitting... and with game scores of 52-0, there was a lot of monotonous knitting.

Look at all of that orange! Go Bears!!

I'm so pleased with the outcome (not so much with these pictures), but I'm not anxious to do this again for a long time. In the words of Squints from "The Sandlot," this project took...

via GIPHY

It's not too late to knit your own scoreboard scarf! Just head over to the Scoreboard Knit Along site for the pattern and your team's website for the season's scores and knit away! If you need help deciphering those box score summaries, just give me a holler. I'm an expert now.

**wink-wink**

I did not enjoy Christmas "marketing" this year. I grew sick of the cries of "more, more, MORE!!!" coming from my television/radio/internet very early on. It was all just too much.

Bleh.

I have always tried to give handmade to close friends and family. My crazy schedule did not permit me to spend much time in my studio, but I was able to make a few things.

If you're looking for a few last-minute ideas, these might be just what you need!

Felted Mum + Scarf

A few months ago, I fell in love with this felted flower brooch, made and shared by Megan Reardon:

Until now, I haven't had the time (or motivation) to sit down and make one. I thought it would be perfect for my dear friend, Elly, who has stepped into the role of mother, comforter, and confidant for me since moving to Pennsylvania.

She has her own style and a flair for the unexpected accessory. I thought this brooch would look great on her.

I followed Megan's tutorial step-by-step. Materials required were:

• high-quality felt
• fabric glue
• chipboard or cardboard
• embroidery thread

And, lots of time. This is not a quick project!

I did omit the envelope on the back that Megan included on hers. Adorable, but not right for this gift. Instead, I did some simple embroidery on the back to further personalize the flower.

I actually wound up making two of these - one for Elly and one for my sweet neighbor. I paired Elly's with a black and white chevron infinity scarf and my neighbor's with a turquoise and white scarf.

The two items work together perfectly and make beautiful presentation. Great girlie gifts!

 

Handmade Labels

Another dear friend that I've made since arriving in Pennsylvania is Cristy. Pretty much my entire social calendar revolves around this girl. And... our hubbies really hit it off so that's an added bonus.

Talk about handmade Christmas... Cristy's fingers have been hard at work for months as she's knitted scarves and hats and dishcloths and more for all those she loves. I'm astounded at all she's accomplished!

It only seemed fitting to give her custom labels for her handmade wares.

For this project I used:

• 100% linen fabric
• Pellon paper-backed Wonder-Under
• Inkjet printer

I love the natural, almost burlap, look of this linen.

I designed my art in Photoshop. The font is "Snow," available through CreativeMarket.com.

I cut a piece of Wonder Under to 8.5" x 11" and ironed it on to the back of my fabric on the bias. You can see in the photo that the fabric grain is on the diagonal. This prevents excessive fraying.

I then trimmed my fabric to the size of the Wonder Under and ran the sheet through my inkjet printer. Tip: if you're printing line art, change your printer settings to print 600 DPI or greater.

The results were exactly what I had hoped for.

I used a ruler to guide my rotary cutter as I cut out the individual labels (50 of them!). It was no quick task, but well worth the results.

When she is ready to use one, all she has to do it peel off the paper backing and iron on to her handmade item. She can finish off with an embroidered border, but it's not necessary. The bond is permanent.

I was so excited to give these small gifts because these are women who appreciate the art and personal meaning behind something handmade. It takes more thought and more care to create something from the heart.

This season is not about giving "more, more, MORE!"

Yet, in a way... it is.

Merry Christmas!

Sound check... testing... 3, 2, 1...

Is anyone still listening?

Whew! What a time I've had!

Allow me to briefly fill you in on the last several weeks.

I... accepted job in Pennsylvania... gave two months notice at work... put house on the market... sold house in THREE weeks... took a quick vacation to Disney World...

...hopped a plane to PA... negotiated contract on purchase of house (more on that in another post!)... finished graduate school... spent every possible moment finishing work projects in hopes to leave everything in great shape for my replacement (who happens to be one of my BEST friends!)... packing... packing... packing...

And somehow fitting in Christmas shopping and wrapping in between all of that.

I wish that I could say this was a handmade Christmas, but it's not. You know how I love a handmade gift!

However... my friend, Kellie, and I collaborated to make something special for a mutual friend... who happens to be a hero to both of us.

Chris exudes light and positive energy. He's quick witted, hilarious, and insanely intelligent. He knows more about pop culture than anyone I know.

He's an amazing baker and always makes it a point to whip up something special for his friends to celebrate their special occasions.

So, we wanted to honor him this Christmas with something from our hearts - a superhero apron!

We teased him with Facebook & Instagram photos for several days while, but I'm pretty sure he had no idea what we were doing.

I couldn't find a man's apron pattern so we altered a simple pattern from Simplicity.

At Kellie's brilliant suggestion, I used mixing bowls as a template for the rings of the shield.

Genius!

We were so proud to give it to Chris!

And, he seems like the kind of guy who appreciates something handmade from the heart.

I know that I say it often, but I praise God every day for the special heroes he has blessed me with in life.

Hope you are all doing great! I have truly missed you so much!

Today was such a productive day!

If you've been following my Facebook feed, you may remember that I posted this brilliant, inspirational project a couple of weeks ago.

I am so grateful to Sew4Home.com for posting this tutorial for a microwavable neck/muscle warmer. Filled with rice, these warmers stay hot for an hour after only 2 minutes in the microwave!!

This is one of those handmade gifts that everyone can use. So... I made them for everyone in my immediate family - husband, mother, father, and both brothers.

I used pre-washed flannel for the front and super soft minky for the back. I opted to omit the rick-rack that you see in the Sew4Home examples.

My brothers are adults, but kids at heart, thus the fun monkey and monster flannel prints. Totally perfect for their personalities.

Because I was unable to finish them in time for Christmas, I completed and delivered them today. Yay!

{My husband claims it is his favorite Christmas gift. He may have learned a thing or two in 10 years of marriage.}

And, speaking of the husband, he was busy, stretching his creative muscles today, too... mending fences.

Well, just one fence. Ours.

I couldn't handle country livin' without him!