It's a New Year!

The year of 2015 was good for us. I married the man I fell in love with back in high school. We moved into a little apartment together and got a proper couch (after 4 months). I started this blog (which I intended to update a lot more than I've been able to). I got a full-time job again. We spent a wonderful vacation in California with our family. It's been a good year!

Organizer for Chopsticks, Crochet Hooks, or Knitting Needles

Hello, and welcome to another tutorial on Straight Eight!

Today I will be showing you how to make a neat little roll-up organizer for your long pointy objects that need a home other than loose in the bottom of a drawer. In my case, it just happens to be chopsticks. One of our friends recently went on a trip to Asia, and came back with beautiful chopstick sets for DH and I. Add that to a few that we've had lying in the silverware drawer because we didn't want to keep buying the throw-away take-out kind, and we are now swimming in chopsticks that don't have a proper place in our kitchen! So, what to do other than at least make an organizer for them all?

Cute holder for all our chopsticks... or half.

The nice thing is that by tweaking a few of the measurements, you could just as easily make a case for crochet hooks or knitting needles, which I know from experience can get lost under several balls of yarn in a craft drawer, as well. And you can choose whatever fabrics you like for this project to make it as simple or fancy as you like!

Simplicity 4192 Pants Sew-Along

Welcome to the first in a series of sew-alongs I will be posting as a result of my busier-than-ever schedule! Today's sew-along will the the View D pants of Simplicity 4192. With summer winding down I wanted to make these as a final send-off of sorts. Plus, who doesn't want wrap pants to wear to the beach or pool (or lake, if one of those is available) instead of skirts like everyone else has. Ha!

We're doing the pants in view D

The whole idea of having no outside side seams had me very curious, but now that I've made these, I think they're ingenious. A little awkward looking to put on if you don't have 4 pairs of hands, but super simple and great-looking once they're tied.

Let's get started!

New Patterns and Sew-Alongs?

If you are still somewhat new to sewing, or even if you're an old pro, you might have looked through the pattern bins at your local craft/fabric store a time or two. Or forty. Just saying, there's some cute patterns I've been having my eye on. In any case, I've decided that since I don't have a ton of time to make my own patterns anymore (and there may or may not be a 99 cent sale on Simplicity patterns this week at my local fabric store), I'm going to get a few patterns together and do some sew-alongs.

Just a few of the ones I picked up this week!

I can still give good tips on construction and techniques this way, and you might even find a pattern you like and can see how it really turns out. I'll be upfront about any tweaks I make to the patterns, as well, since it wouldn't be a fair representation of the final product otherwise. Also, as far as sizing goes, I've realized that it ranges from company to company. One size in Simplicity patterns may not be the same as your size in Vogue. So there goes my blog name...

So, what patterns might be showing up on the blog soon as sew-alongs? Follow along...

Sewing a Simple Pair of Pants

And the pants are finally complete! 

Finished pants

A quick word about the fabric that I used for this project, and a confession: these pajama pants are not for me. They're actually for a friend of mine who is turning 25 this week and has been complaining about "getting old". I know, the nerve. His girlfriend (my best friend) and I are going to have a good laugh when he opens these. After all, how many old men still have Star Wars jammies? As a result though, I used his measurements for the pattern, not mine, so they were a bit big for me. But I still wanted you all to be able to see what they looked like on a person, so there.

So, how did I sew these bad boys up? Well, grab your pants pattern (either self-drafted from the last post, or copied from an existing pair), and we'll be on our way. First though, let's get the rest of the supplies together...

The Long-Awaited Pants Pattern!

Well, that was certainly an unexpectedly long hiatus! I thought I'd be gone from this for maybe a week, I didn't realize how much things would pile up once I started working regularly again... even my little patio garden was starting to wilt with neglect! Now that I am back though (and hopefully regularly once a week again), I did promise a pants tutorial in the near future. So, today is the lucky day to begin that tutorial! The chess set will have to wait until temperatures outside drop below 85 degrees again.

Good weather to go to the lake!

These pants will actually be more of lounge or pajama bottoms than true pants (like work trousers or jeans), but they are super simple to make, and really nice for summer if you use a light fabric. Or, if you're lucky and live in a region where the coming September means cooler weather, cozy house pants if you use flannel!

About the Absence

I am terribly sorry I haven't kept up at all with my posts, I know I'm at least a week behind! I promise I will get better about it, but for now I sort of have to focus on my new job so I keep it. As important as my sewing is to me, I also really want to help DH with the bills again, and start saving more for a house (so I can have my own craft room, of course).

This is where I've been spending a lot of time, hanging out with my husband at work

I'm still working on the chess pieces for my chess set, but it's taking forever because we don't have a garage I can work in and I am not going out in 95+ degree heat to cut and sand and work. So I've been limited to a little time in the mornings and a little in the evenings (if the mosquitoes aren't eating me alive). As soon as I finish I will post the rest of that project.

Some of the pieces cut and sanded, preshaping

I'm also planning a pants pattern that I will be sharing with you all once I finish the chess pieces. Although, if the heat doesn't let up, I might just jump into that first. All I can say is that I will probably be splitting that project up in two, as well. One post for making the pattern, the second for sewing it together.

Alright, that's all for the update. I do hope you'll forgive me, and come back to visit when I've got new materials for you to enjoy!


Happy Sewing,
Lea