For Poppytalk’s Spring Colours Week. (Do you notice a common theme throughout these posts so far, regarding one photo from each?)

Oh, Monday! We had very heavy rain ALL day Sunday and it’s quite the relief to see the sun shine today.  I like the rain but when it’s constant (and cold) it tends to get me down. (Proof: I ate about a dozen chocolate chip cookies before I realized what I had done.  Whoops!)  But this new week brings pleasant things like the arrival of Spring in the northern hemisphere (YIPPIE!)  and some goodies around these parts.

The first being my bakery download in issue #2 of Toffee magazine!  Toffee is this new and neatorific downloadable magazine filled all sorts of printable goodies, tutorials and articles about extraordinary craftsters and illustrators.  I’m still perusing my copy–it’s that huge!  Tons of good stuff made by many talented peeps.

Issue #2′s theme is “Forest Friends” so I whipped up a recipe card along with matching bakery cards and a tag:

I can totally see myself living in a cute little pink cottage like this.  (Please note: this image is merely a low-res preview.)    So take a peek at Toffee when you can!

Also this week, I hope to share with you some drawings I’ve been working on for my class.  (Drawings I’m not embarrassed to show you, thankfully.)

New prints in le shop.

A lady and her gentleman caller, decorated with scattered flowers inspired by one of my favorite things: 1930s feedsack prints.  Pretty rose-mauve color with cream flowers.  Available in 8″x10″ and 5″x7″.

This one keeps me company and reminds me of the spring to come!

No, I did not plan to sew up 2 pairs of leggings this weekend.   But I did and I’m wishing I had bought more knit fabric because this is my new addiction!

On Friday I got this bee in my bonnet that I needed to make striped leggings.  I’ve been on the hunt for these for a while, but have only been able to find cute ones for little girls or sheer ones (more like footless tights) for grown-ups.  Not sure why it hadn’t occurred to me until now that I could make them.  I guess I find sewing knit fabric very sketchy and I pretty much avoid it (even with a copy of Built by Wendy Sew U Home Stretch sitting on my bookshelf for a year or so).  But I remembered seeing that Angry Chicken posted a tutorial on her blog so I figured I’d give it a shot.   Plus my newish serger has been neglected. (Out of sheer laziness I don’t even bring it out to finish seams though that’s why I bought it in the first place.)

I bought not 1 but 2 stripey knits; I can’t help myself when it comes to fabric (you know that).  Luckily I had some “pajama” elastic and kraft paper (for the pattern) in my stash because I didn’t think about checking if I had these things before I drove off to the fabric store like a addict desperate for her next fix.

I probably followed Amy’s tutorial about 90% (or more, I kind of got started before I finished watching the video).  These were crazy easy to make.  In fact, after I finished my first pair (the red ones), I put them on and was wearing them while I made the second!

Here’s a detail picture of the red fabric in case the first one “strobes” a bit (an optical illusion where a pattern may look animated and wiggly).  I like to scrunch up my leggings just below my knees.  Here you can see even the leg openings are serged.  Easy peasy (once you get the tension right, that is).    For the pink pair I added some narrow stretch lace to girl-ify it up a bit (because pink is not girlie enough).  I’m debating whether or not I should trim the ties though – maybe they’re too much?  Maybe they’d look better shorter and tied simply in a square knot?

I wouldn’t say I was anxious for spring (especially since it has been in the 80s this weekend) but I’m ready.  I’ll just pair these with short, simple frocks and I’m good to go.

Have any of you started on any spring projects yet?  (Or if you are looking towards fall, what about you?  Stripey leggings are good for any time of year.  Just saying.)