I Ain't Afraid of No Silk

I hold myself back a lot when sewing. Buttonholes, zippers, bias tape -- at some point I have run from them and later been forced to conquer them. This was the case when my friend Liz asked me to alter some sleeves on a dress she was wearing to a wedding.

Alter some sleeves? No problem! But when I found out the dress was silk, I got a little worried. I had never worked with silk before and if I messed this up, Liz was going to look like a bag lady at the wedding. I bravely changed my machine needle, did some test stitches on a scrap of the silk, and whatdya know? It turned out pretty well.

In honor of my bravery, some of my favorite silk fabric picks.

Clockwise from top left:

Aqua/Gray Misc Jersey Prints from Mood Fabrics

Teal Green Dot Silk Jaquard from Denver Fabrics

Bone Floral Voile from Mood Fabrics

Champagne/Rose Floral Jersey Prints from Mood Fabrics

Viburnum Fleurs from Vogue Fabrics

What are you scared of when you're sewing? Maybe I can persuade you to try it!

A Flowery Folky Peony Dress

I can't gush enough about Colette Patterns, and here's proof: I've made yet another Peony dress. You can see all the details -- including where I bought this amazing fabric -- in my post on Sew Weekly.

Sew Weekly is becoming a really great motivator for me and my sewing. I love seeing so many variations on one pattern.

Are you a Sew Weekly member? Let me know and I'll add you as a friend!

Craft Supplies for Grandparents

My parents are two of the coolest grandparents in the world. So when Grandparents.com asked me to recommend some craft supplies that all grandmothers should have, I had a hard time narrowing down some of my niece and nephew's favorite stuff.

For you seasoned crafters, none of the supplies will come as a surprise. But they're perfect for grandparents who want to bond with their grandkids through crafting -- something we all support!

Let me know if you have any recomendations of your own. My niece and nephew would love to try them!