Los Lefebre

"Los (The) Lefebre"  is what the sign has read for thirty years on the front door of my mother's house. The error has always haunted us trying to understand who chose this title. Why "the" why not plural? why not family instead, but the sign is glued in and not moving so we have learn to love it, and own it much like "the Hulk". Even now as my name has changed with marriage I am still at heart and from birth a Lefebre from "Los Lefebre".

I am thankful for the few years I had the pleasure to have lived with my father before he surrender to an ugly cancer. He came from a post great depression upbringing, making him very skilled in saving money, efficiency and DIY. He was a great business man, and a wood worker. He built the house I grew up in, and I am still impressed by it!

Even though we only were lucky to have known him a handful of years, my brothers and I carry his teachings and his passions. I am very involved in sewing and my brothers each has had their own phase of exploring DIY's. We have a great interest and commitment to do things for ourselves, to explore, to make from scratch, to take apart and re build. My mom is often surprised at the amount of patience we display when creating, and not in any other areas of our lives. She often reminds us on how we've become like him in that things are not finished until they are perfect.

I love to sew and quilt and my brother crafts beer. I had been brainstorming on how to merge these two into one awesome Lefebre collaboration. Finally I came up with a couple ideas and here they are.

1. Beer coasters

Personalized beer coasters

This is my brother, the guy behind the hand crafted beer "Encino". 

These were the first two prototype beer coasters.

Playing around with colors

2. Growler cozy 

The most handsome growler cozy model in town!

The Process

Custom made fabric

Sew,

cut,

and press.

Pink Quilt

 I fell in love with this pattern, you can read about it here. I decided to blow it up 100% and this is how the court house step quilt pattern looks like on a larger scale. Nice, huh?

I bought a kona cotton jelly roll, and used 4 of their pinks, I was looking for an ombré look. I think I did achieve it. For the backing I used a beautiful multicolor print from Timless treasures fabrics.

I am also very excited to share that I am getting so much better at this free motion quilting stuff! I had a lot of fun quilting it with minimal frustration, and an acceptable outcome.

I have been holding back on posting it because I was waiting to get good pictures. I just like it so much. It will be hard to see it go. I know some cute little girl will be loving this pretty soon! and that helps. 

Photos by: Lady Di (Diana Curiel)

Yoga mat bag

It has been a little over two years since the day Shannon and I hopped on a treadmill to test our ability to run a mile under 14 minutes, two weeks later we signed up and ran our first 5K, and so the journey into running began. I have since run three half marathons and am loving this new habit of mine.

Running then took me to yoga. I had tried yoga a few years ago and found it to be too challenging, I now think I went to a really advanced class back then, this time I fell in love with it. With everything I was learning at work and as a new runner I became conscious of the importance of stretching and breathing and yoga fulfilled that.

We recently moved to a new area and a yoga studio is just down the street. I decided to make a yoga mat sling, all I need is my mat, I am one block away. The problem is that yoga studio is not as affordable as my old gym, so I cannot go as often. I might have to travel farther and a bag would be more appropriate. I was so pleased with the way my sling turned out, I decided to finally make the yoga mat bag I had been planning for months.

I followed a free pattern from Amy Butler, you can find it here. I also followed Jane's Girl Designs tutorial and made a few little changes along the way. I used a stiffer interfacing on the exterior fabric, I do not like the look of flimsy bags. I also do not like slip pockets, so I made an elastic pleated one instead.

Fabrics: 

• Namaste Yoga Poses Oatmeal 1/2 yrd
• Namaste Geo Light 1/2 yrd
• Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Linen Blend Black 1 yrd

A HUGE thank you to my good friend Diana, aka LadyDi, for taking these awesome pictures, and for her patience and her time.

Rag doll

This is Vania and her mom, just a few days before her first birthday. I made her a doll that looks like her. Her mom had put Vania's hair up on a bunt once and I thought it was the most adorable fashionista baby girl on the block. So, for her doll I wanted to show that beautiful hair. Also, I bought her a pretty dress and took it from their to match the doll. 

Spoonflower is the website in which I was able to print this doll. They had a tutorial and some sample dolls you can tweak around or change completely with my basic photoshop knowledge.

Cut it up and sew it together.

I added a skirt.

I am in love with this project! Are you?

Yoga Mat Sling

We recently moved to a new area and a yoga studio is just down the street within walking distance. I decided to make a yoga mat sling, all I need is a simple way to carry my mat.

I made it using my big pile of scrap and Kaufman's Essex Yarn Dyed Linen Blend Black.

I made an extremely long strip, 77" long

Leaving a 2" hole.

Pass one end through the other.

pull all the way through.

Pass that previous loop through the other end.

Pull all the way through.

Finished!

Ready for use! 

A bag for Kristal

I was looking to make the BEST bag for when I start my college program next month! I really love the Pritemps fabric collection from 3 sisters, and after falling in love with the fabric combination of my yoga mat sling I went ahead and used the left over scraps. Oops spoiler alert, I haven't made that post yet...coming soon.

 A few months ago I bought Sara Lawson's book, " Big City Bags". I have made a total of three bags from that book. 1. Lucky Denver Mint Bag owner can't be revealed yet , 2.Fireside Bowl Bag ,  for my mom's good friend., and 3. Piccadilly Circus Handbag for my good friend Marcia, a lover of handmade and handbags.

This is bag is the fourth one I've made from this book...and every single one I make I love even more!

Organized!

I made the side panels using "the crazy 9 patch squares", a pattern given to me at the San Diego quilt run, you can read all about it here.

This is my back to school bag, but I finished it the night before a trip, I was so excited about how beautiful it turned out I just had to bring it with me. Also, it was a great opportunity to take some great pictures of it in beautiful locations.

Fine! I've been sold. The beach is AWESOME.