Transitioning Summer Clothing to Fall and Winter Wearing

 Remember this skirt that I made and paired with a simple light gray t-shirt?

It was a nice cool summer outfit, but now we've transitioned into fall and this outfit won't work for cooler temperatures ...

but, this one will ...

... same skirt, but I switched out the t-shirt for an over-sized sweater and then added leggings underneath the skirt.

The skirt length hits me just above the ankles and all you see of the leggings is a brief glimpse just below the hem of the skirt when I'm wearing the outfit.

It's warm and oh so comfortable!

The sweater is a new purchase ($20) but the skirt and leggings are from my closet.  We can have a pretty and stylish wardrobe without destroying the budget if we try.

I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse of how I manage my wardrobe while keeping the cost of doing so as low as possible.

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means.

Working on Draw String Bags

I finally got back around to doing some sewing and went straight back to sewing the draw string bags I mentioned in this post.

I have several at different stages of completion and finally finished these two today ...

These are so cute; I wish I had more of this fabric!

It's such a soft pink and white rustic gingham ... hmmm, I may keep one of these for myself!

Two down and many more to go!

What about you, what are you sewing ... more specifically what are you sewing for Christmas?

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Putting Together a little Something for the Grands!

We are long-distance grandparents and try hard to use everything at our disposal to stay in touch and foster a relationship with our grands.

One of the things we do is send them things through the mail ... they love getting G & G (grandma and grandpa) mail.

While we don't go in for the scary aspect of Halloween, we do put together a little something for them and send it on their ways this time of the year ...

These little baggies of goodies will surely bring a smile to their precious faces and let them know that grandma and grandpa are wishing them a happy Halloween.  We also included a little mad money with instructions to their parents to take them to their favorite 'happy meal' place on Halloween!

Contents of the bags ...

a few pieces of candy

pumpkin stickers and

small glow sticks

That's it!  It didn't cost a lot of money, and it sure was fun planning and putting together!

The bags I buy in bulk about every other year at a non-electric Mennonite store and the ribbon was purchased after Halloween a couple or more years ago on a clearance sale.  I likely paid $.10 to a quarter for each roll, and it didn't take a whole roll of any of the colors used.

Last year I made them BOO bags that looked like this ...

I hope this has inspired you!

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

What I've Been Making This Week: 9/22/24

 A friend and I were chatting across the email fence this week and she was sharing some things she was working on for Christmas gift giving.

I was so inspired by what she was sharing that I immediately started formulating plans to work on some gifts of my own.  (Normally, I have a good stash of gifts ready for gift giving, but this year has brought challenges that distracted me from keeping my gifts pantry well-stocked.)   

The first thing I need and want to do is restock my gift pantry with these cute project bags.  I put in use and or gifted the last one I had so it's time to stitch up some more.  The sky is the limit with what you can put in them.

In this picture are supplies to make 8 bags.  The fabric pieces are all cut and everything I need to make them is on hand and ready.  I'm going to 'batch' sew them.  Not pictured are fabric pieces for my grands but I like to keep all my 'grand' gifts a secret until they are received ... just in case.  I like for their parents to be as surprised as the grands when the packages from grandma and grandpa are opened!

The completed bag in the picture houses my current cross stitch project.  The handle on the bag makes it easy to grab and go.

The tutorial for the project can be found HERE.  Be warned, you really, really need to watch the whole tutorial before making the first stitch.  You'll thank me for the 'heads up' when you don't have to rip out a seam!

I would love as in I might just be begging ... please, please, please share what you're making for Christmas gifts this year.  Let's inspire each other!

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

What I Made This Week: 9/14/24

 This week I've been playing catch-up from being out of town, so I don't really have any thing I've completed, but I do have a finish to share.  

Remember this project, from this post?  I was going to make a summer dress out of seersucker, but the more I thought about it the more I decided that a cool summer blouse out of seersucker would better suit me, so I changed my mind and did just that.

Here's what the finished product looks like ...

I paired it with jeans for a casual outfit.  I also have a denim skirt that can be substituted for the pants for when the occasion calls for it.

My next project will be creating something with a fall theme to send through the mail to my grands.  I'm gathering ideas right now.

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

A Quilt Shop Outing!

When my sister-in-law invited me to go to a new to me quilt shop near her home, I said 'yes!'  In fact, we went to two quilt shops, one of which was having a 'going out of business' sale!!!

I could have spent a fortune, but I had a budget and was determined to stick to it ... in fact, I came in under my allotted spending!

At the first quilt shop, the owner asked me what I planned to make with the pieces she was cutting for me.  I confessed that I was purchasing it to go in my stash and that I didn't really have a project in mind at the moment.  She laughed and said she understood and proceeded to tell me about her personal fabric stash apart from the fabric store.  From the sound of what she was describing, her stash beats my stash hands down!!!  It was fun to swap 'sewing' stories and I left the shop feeling like we were kindred sewing spirits!  The next time we're in the area, I definitely plan to go back and visit her shop again ... and maybe swap a few more 'sewing' tales!

The second quilt shop was having a going out of business sale which made me very sad.  I had visited this shop several times before when in the area, but this was to be the last.  I did, however, enjoy shopping good quality fabric for 33% off!

So, now I have new fabric and an eagerness to get back to my sewing!  

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

What I Made this Week: 7/13/24

I started a new project this week ... a summer dress for myself!

The weather has been so hot that I decided I needed cooler clothes, as in dresses!

Modest clothing is a priority so I took a look through some of my dress patterns and found one that I thought could be made modest and help keep me cool.

I've made this pattern before, only I made the blouse.  This time I'm making view C, which is the third one down on the right.

I wanted the dress to be oversized, so I made adjustments and cut it out using the largest size in the size range as a baseline.  I also deepened the neckline a bit as it has a high neckline and to help with the overall oversize look I was going for.

Because I made several adjustments, I made a new pattern using Pellon 830, Easy Pattern Non-Woven Tracing Fabric.  Several years ago, I purchased a whole bolt at half price.  It works really great for things such as this and can be folded when finished and stored with original pattern pieces in the pattern envelope.

I used seersucker for the fabric as you can see in the photo.

I stitched in the bust darts and did the stay stitching around the neckline.  (I pinned the front on Issabelle, my dress form, to get a feel of how 'oversized' it was going to be.) I have the back pieces stay stitched around the neckline and the pieces pinned together ready to be stitched. There's no zipper in this pattern ... Yeah!  There is instead a seamline opening in the center with a closing at the neckline.

My plan is to make the dress knee-length.  

I'm pleased with the way it's coming together and hope to get it finished next week!

That's it for this week.  

Please share what you stitched up or created this week, I would love to hear about what you're working on!    

Until next time ...

patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps keep in sewing supplies.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means.