Mad Plaid Newsboy

This is my first attempt at making a newsboy styled cap. I decided to use a men's shirt (they're made from the most interesting plaid fabrics) paired with a medium weight denim for the band.





Do you remember the fusible interfacing that was too stiff for the bag I wanted to make? Turns out it is the perfect interfacing to use for cap brims!

I sew a lining into each of my hats to give them a nice finish and for a bit of interest I usually use a print fabric. This hat has a tiny floral print for its lining - so this is a definitely a girl's newsboy cap. :o)

What happened?

I ended up with an unplanned for blog break thanks to the crashing of our computer. I lost all my lovely links to many blogs and sadly, all my email addresses. Wah.... Not happy news. Please bear with me as I try to catch up and reconnect with you all.

The good news is that I am now on a up to date system. Wahoo! Also, I have a bit of sewing to share. Here's proof that when I finally cut into my extra special hoarded fabrics I will make something that I truly love. Have I mentioned how much I love wristlets? I find them so handy and a fun project for combining fabrics. I used mostly Amy Butler fabrics in the latest one - with a bit of freehand machine applique on the front.

A layer of quilt batting makes the appliqued leaf shape look puffy. On the flip side, I added a piece of vintage ric rac to tie those stripes and paisleys together.

A close up of my machine applique. I really wanted to let go of my usual style of applique and make this one more organic looking. I can say my "neat freak" tendencies almost made me reach for the seam ripper to redo this. I mean, look at the wobbly looking stitch lines and fraying raw edges. LOL It was fun!

It is so good to be back in blogland. I'd love to hear from you ( my email box is empty and sad without you...;o)

2010

Happy 2010!

Sounds so space age and futuristic, doesn't it? I can hardly believe that is the year we're now in. Wow.
How has your new year started off? Big plans for the upcoming months? Did you make resolutions at the year's start? I don't exactly, but I do like to take the time to map out some goals and think about what I want the year to include. Right now, all that stuff is still floating about in my head. I must get it down on paper - especially all my quilt ideas for the upcoming months. ;o)

The holidays zipped by so quickly, but they were oh-s0-wonderful. I spent lots of time with my family, just being. We keep things pretty low-keyed, which means I feel rested and relaxed. It will be strange heading back to work after having a couple of weeks off, because I've enjoyed the slower pace. Although, I will admit that I'm just like a kid heading back to school after a break, it's all about seeing my friends again. During my time off, I was able to make it to my local fabric store and these lovelies made their way home with me....

I was so excited to find these Joel Dewberry prints and then discover they were 50% off. What a treat!The last time I posted here, I mentioned that I had another hat on the go. Here is the latest new hat I wore to work in 2009. Same pattern as the brown one and the red wool one. I used a drapery weight cotton blend to make this one. I reversed the fabric for the crown of the cap and for the upper band. I like this bit of contrast. I do think I should have interfaced this fabric because it's quite a bit softer in structure compared to my previous attempts.

I hope you're not getting sick of seeing hats... that's right, you guessed it, I'm working on one right now and have plans for some more. I think part of the appeal of hat making is the short turn around time. A few hours in the evening and the next day I'm wearing it!

Hope your 2010 is off to a great start!