Jasmine in bloom

These balmy 80-degree sunny days have me in summer mode... even though we all know in the heart of Texas summers are over 100 degrees. Days like today take me straight back to the Iowa summers of my childhood.

When I stepped outside to get the mail after I got home from work today I noticed the jasmine. It's loaded down, every tendril weighed with massive amounts of buds. Just a couple of them are open so far.

See how it's grown since I planted it last year?

This summer is going to smell great!

Functional business cards - keepers

(Click on photos up to two times to enlarge.)

When I say these are "keepers" I mean someone might actually keep this in a purse or pocket and use it for a while.

I'd seen these little handmade matchbook-style notepads on Etsy.com and they're adorable. All of the ones I've seen, though, are stapled at the bottom. Me, I have to sew. So I sewed along the bottom, rather than using staples. The stitching makes it an even more appropriate item for a handmade sewing business.

I will be stamping the inside cover with my company name (xbohica), my etsy shop address (xbohica.etsy.com) and email address (xbohica at gmail dot com).

The outside cover is made from a card stock. The inside pages are made from regular-weight scrapbooking papers as well as plain white printer paper (every other sheet).

What about your business card? How "keepable" is it? How does it highlight what you do? I'd love to see some examples in the comments.

The finished size is about 3"x2.25".

I admit

I admit that I still haven't done those bound buttonholes.

I've put that down and am working on something with a deadline of Feb. 20. There is an awards banquet that night. It's a black tie optional affair.

So I'm going to make a formal gown out of Vogue 2607. I cut out and made the jacket out of muslin today. Evenings this week I'll need to get to work making that out of the real (sparkly-ish brocade). Then I'll work on the skirt.

After I finish that, I'll get back to those bound buttonholes. I promise.

Fear of...

...bound buttonholes.

My sewing machine makes beautiful, consistent, finished buttonholes. But only up to 1 inch in size.

The jacket I just finished needs BIG buttons. Bigger than 1 inch. The only kind of buttonhole to do is a bound buttonhole. I am scared to death to try it!

I googled until I found a few different techniques and tried all three on practice materials late this afternoon.

But I'm still not feeling comfortable with this! I brought the fabric for this jacket back from Hilo, Hawaii. I do not want to mess this up!

I need a pep talk.

Here were a couple of the best tutorials I found showing how to make bound buttonholes:

http://www.simplicitysewing.com/help/FAQ/making-a-bound-buttonhole.asp

http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/FACTSHTS/CT-MMB-175.pdf

I like it so much...

... that I made it again, but with a little different look.

Skulls and roses

Devon bought this fabric about a month ago and I told her I'd make her a smock apron after Christmas. Done!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Finally! I made Mike's shirt from some of the fabric I brought back from Hilo a year and a half ago! I love the bold pattern and put the biggest motifs down the center of the back and collar. Of course, I used the authentic coconut buttons we got there, too.

Merry Christmas, xbohica grandkids

All sporting their new xbohica creations (left to right): Caille, Connor, Cameron, Christopher.

Petroglyphic terrific

My handsome grandsons, (left to right) Connor, Cameron, Christopher, wearing the shirts I made from fabric I brought back from Hawaii.

(Dad's got a matching one, too.)

Concentration

Caille, my 9-year old granddaughter, helped me lay out her dad's Hawaiian shirt. She's concentrating very hard on pinning right now.

Big brother, little brother, baby brother

You had your doubts, didn't you?

I know you did.

When I blogged about this heavenly fabric warehouse in Hilo, Hawaii that I went to **way** back in April of 2008, I even took a picture of this fabric.

Mom and I worked together all weekend to get these done.

They'll be under the tree for my three grandsons: Chris, Connor and Cameron. Daddy Steve's matching shirt will have to get made over the next day or two.

But for now, it's nice to take a break for a few minutes and admire our handiwork.

I'll post a photo of the men wearing them.

Because there is nothing more appropriate for a man to wear on Christmas day than a Hawaiian shirt.

(By the way, the pattern on the fabric is petroglyphs -- like the ancient etchings on the lava rocks in Hawaii. The buttons are made from coconut shells.)

Just for @zoocat

My friend, Brad (who I met as zoocat on Twitter), asked me to make an apron in a smaller size. Tiny and cute!