a preview of shop scarves!

Chris and I attempted a scarf photo shoot today. To be honest, I'm an extremely awkward model. I can be quite photogenic (sometimes), if I don't think about having my picture taken. However, if I concentrate too much on looking normal, I end up squinting too much and smiling too little - kind of like a smirking Mr. Magoo. Needless to say, for the shop I will be enlisting the modeling help of a very beautiful friend of mine who has a gorgeous, long neck. But, I wanted to give you a preview of a few of my favorite scarves I've made for the shop so far, so here I am in all my awkward glory.

This one is super, super soft and very lightweight. The color is lovely, and the print puts a modern spin on spring flowers. (How am I doing on my product descriptions? I wrote that without even having a glass of wine yet!).

It takes every bit of my self control not to hang this one in my closet. This is a fuller scarf, made with 2/3 yard of jersey (rather than 1/2 yard as the previous one was made from). I like the whole neon trend that is going on, but let's be honest - full-on neon yellow/green does not flatter the complexion of most women. Unless the woman is super tan, that is... and good luck finding a super tan woman in the Pacific Northwest in April. However, this scarf has little bits of neon in it, and when paired the muted colors, it gives a neon pop that flatters and allows the pale lady to participate in this trend. Win-win!

I made one of these scarves for myself. I was totally coveting this print, but I actually did not intentionally make one for myself. What ended up happening is that my quick scissors accidentally clipped the fabric when I was clipping the threads. Quality control required me to keep this one. But, I made two.. so if someone wants to be my twin, this one will be for sale in the shop. Only the top products from starbelly handmade!

My new website should be popping up sometime next week. Hooray!

:) Shelly

just call me scarf elf

Yep, I'm still moving forward with starbelly handmade. I've been working into the wee hours in my self-imposed sweat shop in an effort to amass some inventory for my future shop. And, I've been doing some planning for my big website migration. Last weekend I took a little break to pop over to Chicago to surprise my parents on their 40th wedding anniversary. It was a lovely (but too short) trip, and I'm happy to report that I survived the airplane adventure with wiggly little one year-old Morgan. My brother and I even played a little trick on my parents - we put Morgan on their doorstep, rang the bell, then hid. They had no idea I was coming into town, so they didn't immediately recognize their bundled-up granddaughter and thought someone had abandoned a baby on their doorstep. After the initial shock, it was pretty hilarious. 

But now I'm back in Seattle, and back to being hunched over my sewing machine in the evenings like a little elf. I've been experimenting a bit with different fabrics for infinity scarves. I made a linen one, which is light and airy - perfect for spring/summer. I also used some men's shirting to make this one. Jury's still out on whether this works or not. I am actually kind of scared to hear what Tim Gunn would say. I kind of like it, though. I've worn it several times, but I have yet to hear a compliment on it... which makes me wonder. Maybe it is a little too stiff? Should I try seersucker for the same pattern but a more billowy look/feel? What do you think?

Don't worry. My shop will be full of jersey knit scarves. I just made a bunch with some of these fabrics. I also have a couple of bags in the works, too.

More to come soon! And, once I get my new site up and running, I'll launch an FB page and host a giveaway. Exciting times!

:) Shelly

easy spring cowl

A sweet friend of mine requested a tutorial on infinity scarves. There are a few different ways to make them, but I find this way the easiest. And this one I'm calling a cowl - because it doesn't loop twice. Looping twice makes it an infinity scarf to me. I don't know my definitions are accurate, but those are the facts over here on my blog, folks!

My goal was to make a lightweight cowl to add some interest to my extensive array of solid color tees (this is what I call my spring wardrobe).  The fabric is Robert Kaufman London Calling 3: Celebration. It has an amazingly breezy feel, and the print is just adorable. I bought it at Pacific Fabrics, and all of the lovely women there were doting over it. Anyways, here's the tutorial...

 1. Take your 1/3 yard of fabric, fold right sides together with selvages on ends. Measure out 25" and cut. This is perfect to fit over my 22" head (now you know where my children get their big heads from). You can shorten or lengthen as desired.

2. Pin the long side of the fabric together. 

3. Sew the long edge with 1/2" seam allowance.

4. Press seam flat.

5. Turn cowl right side out. Then line up short ends, right sides together (my photo shows this step in process - does that make sense?)

6. Pin ends together, leaving a 2" or so gap for turning.

7. Sew all the way around using a 1/2" seam allowance, and minding the gap!

8. Turn cowl right side out. Press gap closed and pin.

9. Top stitch gap closed about 1/8" from the edge.

You could also blind stitch the gap closed, but that takes a really long time and you can't really see the topstitches when the cowl is worn, anyways. Sometimes laziness pays off.

Ridiculous picture of me wearing cute cowl. I need some *serious* help with self-photography if I'm going to keep making scarves. I took this one in the mirror with the camera on top of my head. Or I need a model. Any volunteers?

So, this tutorial also works if you want to make a Survivor buff knockoff. Because that is basically what it is. I can't rock the buff any other way than around my neck, but I bet some of you could. Just think of the possibilities if you were to use jersey!

Still working on the site and the shop. I will probably be moving to wordpress.org soon. Thanks for you patience with me!

:) Shelly

patricia infinity cowl

 Last week I found a new infinity scarf pattern from luvinthemommyhood. I was looking for a scarf that would transition well into spring - something light around the neck. I found the patricia infinity cowl which uses six fat quarters of cotton fabric (I'm calling this a scarf. I don't really know the difference between a scarf and a cowl, but since I wear this one looped twice (like an infinity scarf), that's how I'll refer to it!). This is a terrific pattern from a fantastic blog!

I typically don't try something totally new when making a gift, but I decided to make my first one for Sam, who watches Morgan while I'm at co-op preschool with Marcus. Happy Birthday, Sam! Morgan was with me when I went to JoAnn's to select some choice fat quarters. The cool thing about this scarf is that it looks different every time you put it on, depending on which side you feature in which spot.

See what I mean? Hard to believe this is the same scarf! I fell in love with the color scheme for this scarf, and the fabrics were okay. I wish I had used some better fabrics for Sam, softer ones especially. But, after a few washes, I bet this scarf will cozy up quite well. Apologies for the nighttime photos (in my bathroom, no less!). Of course, I finished this scarf up the night before I was to gift it.

I made a second scarf at Thursday Night Sewing Club with Anna. Now, I have to admit to you - the color scheme is not really what I was going for. You know how when you're in the fabric store with your toddler (eeek - she's a toddler now!) and it is going great, then she starts to fuss, then cry, then scream? And you are then getting the evil eye from other patrons? Well, that's how I ended up grabbing a handful of purple fat quarters.

It actually turned out okay. I made this one as a donation for the Bo M. Karlsson Foundation auction. I have a couple of bags to make for that auction, too... but those will come later.

I made this last scarf last night. I only used three fat quarters for this one, then I folded the scarf in half lengthwise and sewed it up. For spring, I like that this scarf is less bulky than the others. I also LOVE the fabric - Dearstella Piper Floral, Zig Zag (Punch), and Scallop (Orange). Next time I would probably shorten it a bit - I like my scarves a little closer to the neck. I tried wrapping this one around three times, but I nearly strangled myself!

Marcus also demonstrates how this scarf can be worn as a hood (the original six fat quarter scarf). It looks ridiculous on me, but on Marcus it kind of works, right? Seriously, I think this kid has a future in homemade fashion modeling. I don't even need to get a display dress form (yes I do!).

:) Shelly

infinity scarf madness!

I've been doing a little experimenting with knits this past week. It went... okay. Let's just say I've done a lot of learning.

This scarf is made from a thicker cotton jersey knit I found at JoAnn's. It is pretty easy to sew - I just used a straight stitch and a very slight tug. I like how it makes a fuller, almost ruffly effect when wrapped twice around.

I found this knit at JoAnn's, as well. It is almost like a lightweight sweater material, slightly ribbed and a little bit fuzzy. It is amazingly light on the neck, and I love the pops of color.

This is also a cotton jersey, lighter than the first scarf but heavier/thicker than the typical cotton jersey. It is hard to see in this photo, but there are small lines of silver between the stripes.

This scarf was made from a rayon jersey knit. It was insanely difficult to work with - probably because it was such cheap fabric. I had to cut it apart after attempt #1, which is why it is a little bit skinnier and shorter than the previous three scarves. I kind of like the turtleneck look, though. It feels very flashback.

The first three scarves are being packaged up and sent to my son's elementary school auction. The last one has too many mistakes to sell, auction, or gift... so I'll probably wear it until it falls apart on me.

I have three other projects in the hopper right now - a cape, two baby gifts, and a bag. All are in various states of completion. I have to buckle down and focus on one at a time! So, I'll be taking a break from knits for now.

:) Shelly

infinity scarf

Last night, while Marcus and Morgan were falling asleep and Charles was building a LEGO castle with Chris, I stole some time in front of my sewing machine to whip up this infinity scarf. It seriously took me about 20 minutes total. I think this may be my new favorite project.

I was too lazy to get the camera tripod out this morning (and also too lazy to put makeup on for the photo shoot), so I just gave Charles a short tutorial on how to use my camera and he produced this photo. Not bad, huh? I am shameful to admit this, but I think he takes better pictures than I do.

Anyways, I love how this scarf drapes. I used about 1/2 yard of the green jersey and a remnant* of the patterned jersey that was a little less than 1/4 yard. I took a peak at this tutorial from Sewn Studio before I started. My scarf is probably about 3-4 inches shorter than this one. Again, I am too lazy to measure.

Given that I just got reprimanded for the recent spending I've done to fuel my new scarf obsession, I think I will start making them myself from now on. This one came together for under $4! How can Chris complain about that?

:) Shelly

*I will not link the original scarf that was made out of this jersey print. It was super ugly, so I ripped it apart shortly after finishing it. I'm much happier with this one! 

ric-rac jersey scarf

Ugh. I've been having a tough time with my sewing projects this week. First of all, I have yet to sew even one pillow sham for pillow week. Instead I have tackled two other seemingly easy projects, only to find myself obsessing over the imperfections.

Exhibit A: Jersey Ric-Rac Scarf.

I so want to love jersey, but I've found that my sewing machine and jersey just don't get along. What am I doing wrong?!

I had this lovely jersey fabric that I found last summer at JoAnn Fabrics in Chicagoland - on the clearance shelf, no less! Why I did not think to buy more at that time is beyond me. I only bought 1/2 yard to make another one of these ruffle scarves from MADE. But, the other day I found this fabric in my stash and decided to try something new. Yikes. This ruffle at the bottom looks even more sad than my face did when I turned my sewing out to view it.

So I ripped out the ruffle and replaced it with ric-rac. It's okay. I actually like the red, but the ric-rac is a bit too rigid for the jersey. And, I had to fix my ric-rac installation twice, so I have a couple of small post-operative seams to show for that.

At least it is snuggly around my neck. And, I can't get enough of the colors and fabric pattern.

Where's Exhibit B, you wonder? Hmmm. I think I'll save that for another day... maybe after I sew something with more wowsers and less yowsers.

:) Shelly

Someone Won!

I know you are all waiting with bated breath. So, without further ado, the winner of the ruffle scarf giveaway is...

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:

10Lucky commenter #10, also known as Maya who said ~

How can you part with this? It is so darn cute. Could go from day to evening if you ask me. Nice work.

Congratulations, Maya! And I'll get your new summer scarf to you ASAP! Thanks for the sweet comment, too.

Thanks also to everyone who participated in my first giveaway! I enjoyed all of your comments, and I took your advice, Livia Leigh, and made a button! I also spent an obscene amount of time ignoring my chores and instead messing around with Picnik (so much fun!) to make a new header and freshen up the look of my blog. There's even a contact me button now! Oh the excitement of it all!

I'll have a new project to post soon, but right now it is time to clean up after the two little tornados that hit my kitchen earlier this morning.

Sorry the formatting on this post is so goofy - I used random.org to generate the number (range of 1-13), but it didn't copy and paste correctly. So, I guess I'm not as tech-savvy as I thought I was after creating the blogger button and contact me button. Yep, technology will always provide me a swift kick in the rear and keep me modest.

My First Giveaway!

Maybe it was all the time I recently spent with my new darling niece, Maddie, that made me want to make something with ruffles for myself. I was totally salivating when Maddie's mom (my SIL), Kim, showed me all of the sweet little things she's made for her daughter. My favorite item Kim sewed up for Baby Maddie is a little navy ruffled hoodie. So cute! Anyways, I had been wanting to make this scarf from MADE, and I figured I could do it with jersey - I even found this beautiful jersey print on the clearance rack at JoAnn's (Please pardon the freakish modeling of the scarf - I think I need a dress form!).

ruffle scarf #2

Let me tell you, it is so comfy. I love it. And, I better love it because it was an arduous task to make this little sucker. I can't pinpoint the exact cause of my battle with this project, but I suspect one (or all) of three things: 1) jersey is kind of hard to work with - at least for me, 2) haste - I need to slow down, but sometimes I get too excited when a project nears completion 3) fatigue - this is actually a certainty, not a possibility.

So here is where I admit that this scarf pictured above is actually a redo. I made the first one on Mother's Day. It got stuck in my machine about three times and the scarf is stained with my tears of frustration as a result (not really - it is totally free of stains). I was very pleased with how the second one came out (above), even though I caught the ruffles in my stitching not once, not twice... but FIVE TIMES! See, I totally need to slow down.

ruffle scarf #1

Pictured here is the original. THIS IS THE GIVEAWAY SCARF! The reason I chose to redo the scarf is because I opted to use a white ribbon to secure all of the gathers. I thought I would like the ribbon look, but I not too crazy about it. Check it out...

But as you can see from my lovely sunshine-y modeling job of scarf #1 above, the ribbon hardly shows when you are wearing it. Plus, it is more ruffley than than the redo scarf. When I went for scarf trial #2, I attempted again (with no success) to use the elastic thread in my machine. When I gave up on that, I decided just to use a strip of the jersey to secure the gathers, and I liked that look better, even though the ruffle volume wasn't the same. But, I'm happy with my redo, anyways.

After all that blah, blah, blah about this project, would you still like to warm you neck with my reject scarf? Because, it is still pretty cute! I would actually totally keep it if it wasn't made with the exact same material as my redo scarf. Yep, scarf #1 would look good on you... you should totally enter the giveaway. Here's how:

1. Become a Follower for this site, if you are already a Follower (you rock), you can skip this step and proceed to the next one!

2. Leave me a comment to this post.

3. Check back on Friday afternoon - that's when I'll use a random number generator and select the winner!

If you win, I'll contact you for your mailing info and send you your new scarf!

Good Luck!