readying for spring with Sew Liberated

{Thank you for the sweet words in yesterday's post! You're all so kind. I'm so pleased with that cardigan - how can you go wrong with great yarn and a great design? And I know that was about as wintry as it gets, but today we're moving on to spring. That's what's happening outside my door, anyway, so I'm following...}

I have been so thrilled to see Sew Liberated come to be as a book. From the early days of it's creation, I knew it would be full of family-centered fun, fresh designs, and a clear guide for sewing - the things Meg does so well. And it is. In Sew Liberated, Meg masters the process of applique in a way that's accessible for today's sewists of all levels.

I have grand plans with a few of the projects in the book - a Mama/Daughter spring Blossom Blouse set (bottom photo, above) is definitely in order for spring. Before I did so - stitching onto two shirts of precious linen, I wanted to try out the applique on a quick little project.

{And not to shift the focus to the shoes. Ahem. But I know y'all like to talk about shoes. The're by Miz Mooz. Those pants are hemp vagabonds from Sweetgrass - a new favorite. I think I might just live in them all spring long.}

I used the instructions for the blossom blouses to applique a spring-like handbag (the fabric is Anna Maria's voile).  Meg's instructions for the circles were a totally new technique for me - using heat resistant template plastic. The directions were so clear, and look - the circles ended up ROUND! A miraculous feat, really. With all that hand stitching and embroidery, I love the way they look.

Next Up: Blossom Blouses. And SPRING!