Dance to Create

Yoga Mat Bags

2012-02-10T05:36:00.000-08:00

Are you getting ready for spring? Ready to feel some warm sunshine? I've added a few more yoga mat bags to Etsy Shop . The colors are bright and have me thinking of spring and summer. I love doing yoga in a warm studio or the sunlight coming in my living room window.

Round bottom for a great fit to the mat.

Two straps that tighten the bag when pulled.

Fireplace makeover

2012-02-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little crazy on this side of things for the past 6 months! We moved across the country just over 7 months ago and we're still trying to get settled. Life just doesn't slow down. I thought I'd share what we've been up to. Last week we did some updating to our living room.

Fireplace before: Old painted white brick with old wood mantle. There was a large mirror attached to the wall screaming 80's!

Fireplace After: We painted our whole room green with satin white trim/molding throughout. The fireplace is also brand new, thanks to my husband. We painted the little bit of brick still showing black to help it blend into the fireplace cover. I absolutely love it! It looks completely new and changes the feel of the room drastically - at least to me.

Etsy Shop Update

2011-11-16T05:04:00.000-08:00

Despite my crazy Fall this year, I've still been trying to keep up with my Etsy Shop . Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then Christmas!! Since holiday shopping is the busiest time of year, I'm trying to get the shop stocked.

The bags are the same great design with more fabric choices.

I've also been adding more snack bags to match the lunch bags. More of these are to come.

Happy Fall and Thanksgiving next week! Where has the year gone?

Curtains - room #1

2011-09-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

It has been somewhat of a whirlwind, these past 2 months, after moving into our new place. The first thing I wanted to take care of (Ha! I say that often, "the first thing") was the curtains. We have many outdated curtains.

In my oldest son's room the curtains weren't even dark enough for him to sleep - or block out the hot sun. This is a before shot. (If I were to have taken a picture of the whole room, you would see our tub, vanity and toilet that went into our "new" bathroom.)
The curtain rod really was fine to keep. The curtains needed to go. This window faces east and the first half of the day the sun cooks this room.
After:
I used a sheet! Honestly. It was cheaper to buy a set of twin sheets from Target and use for fabric than buy the yardage of fabric I needed for three windows in this room. I sewed blackout fabric behind the sheet. It's amazing what blackout fabric does. It really does live up to its name.

(This picture shows a little too much of the messy room)

A close up of the blackout fabric sewn into the curtain.

I used simple drapery hooks to attach to the wooden rings. this tutorial showed me exactly what I wanted to do.

A closer view of the fabric (i.e sheet ;)

These curtains cover 2 of the three windows in the room. I finished the third window's curtains last night, but need to buy a new matching curtain rod. They are hung on the old rod now, but can't open and close yet. The old rod is a pull cord and one panel can't exactly split in half to open.

I am also planning on making some pillows for my son's bed using some of the extra curtain fabric and a navy blue fabric to match his new bed spread and sheets. That will probably take me another 2 months the rate things are going over here. . .

Side Door Curtians

2011-08-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Our new house has SO many windows. It really has been a big - expensive - project to cover them or recover them. The curtains when we moved here were a bit outdated (i.e. lace gathering or screaming orange plaid). I described them to my sister as "church" curtains. They really are nice curtains quality wise, but they aren't modern or attractive.

We don't have air conditioning in our house and so at the end of the day when the sun comes in the west side of our house, things start to heat up. I purchased some blackout curtain fabric from Jo Ann Fabric. I started with the side door (below).

Before - Bad lighting, but this is our side door before I switched out the curtains. The heat at the end of the day would pass right through the glass. Also our neighbors could see right in at night if the light was on. Privacy and light coverage is what we have now!

After - Much better! That blackout fabric really does what it says it will. I was impressed. I have 11.5 more yards to help some other windows with heat and privacy. I'm planning on adding two strings/ties in from each end to tie the curtain up and make it more attractive in the winter months when the heat will be wanted. For now I just needed the window to be covered.

Wet Bags

2011-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Before I moved across the country, I had made a few wet bags to add to my Etsy Shop . I haven't had time to list them until now. My friend also asked me if I would make some for her and her new baby. It was a perfect reason to get my sewing room up and running sooner than later. I always love a reason to sew!

I have never been one to use cloth diapers for my boys, but I know many people do. These cute little bags provide a place to put the dirty diapers until they can be washed. Diaper bag or nursery, they fit right in.

I use these bags for swimming! I've been a swimmer all my life and transporting a wet suit home isn't always convenient. I've used many plastic bags and got many car seats wet. These bags have saved other things from getting wet and are a lot cuter than a plastic bag.

This is a smaller wet bag I made for my friend's diaper bag. I used Amy Butler Midwest Modern II collection - Garden Maze Sky fabric.

Below are images of the larger wet bag I made for my friends babies room. This bag will hold the bulk of the diapers. I wanted to make sure she could hang it where she wanted to I sewed in two snap closure handles on the top. I also added an invisible zipper for a nice finish.

Two snap handles

I'll be adding more bags to my Etsy Shop this week.

Finally arrived!!

2011-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

We have been in our new place a week and a half now. Time flies!

We're getting unpacked and settled in nicely. Not to mention our only full bathroom has been ripped apart to be remodeled (by my wonderful husband). Because of redoing our bathroom, life has been a little more complicated. I have to keep our two little boys busy while my husband works.

My husband had a week and a half before he really started work, so we figured this was the best time to get it done. I'm excited and ready for it to be finished.

On a happier note my sewing room (yes!! I have my own sewing room now) is in the process of being unpacked and I'll be up and sewing in no time. I have a few projects that need to be done in a few weeks and so I'm going to be jumping right back into things.

My sewing room is our fully finished sun room. There are windows encircling the room. I need to get some drapes going pronto! I would love to sew them, but I might just buy some to get them in sooner (and honestly sometimes buying fabric and sewing costs more than finding a good sale somewhere).

Moving

2011-06-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

It's finally here - the week to pack up and say goodbye to Washington state. My husband, two boys and I are moving to upstate New York this week! Crazy, talk about literally across the country. That is the reason things have been kind of slow on this end (um, no posts).

I'm saying goodbye for now because we need to pack up our iMac and get it ready for the move. Goodbye, see you on the other side of the country in a few weeks (lets be honest I'll need to unpack before I post again).

Skirt giveaway!

2011-06-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

I would love to win this skirt.

I've been looking for cute summer skirts recently and this one caught my eye. I thought I'd pass it on to everyone out there.

I really enjoy Elle's blog. She's so creative when it comes to sewing clothes - dresses and skirts.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

I used Random.org to generate a winner. It was #26 - Hippie Housewife!

"What a cute snack bag! My favorite food to take for lunch is pitas with a container of hummus. Bonus if I remember to bring some cheese too!"

Thanks to all those who commented. I have a lot of great ideas for lunch now. Humus is quite popular. I love humus wraps for lunch AND dinner in the summer.

Snack Bag Giveaway!

2011-05-19T20:39:00.001-07:00

Snack Bag GIVEAWAY!!
After making insulated lunch bags and snack bags for a while now, I've decided to give one away!

I'm giving this away because of Sew, Mama Sew's Blog. I didn't post this until after 9am and so I didn't make their list :( I'm vacationing and didn't get around to posting (I have trouble setting blog posts to be posted on a certain date)

I started making these bags after requests to match my reusable lunch bags. I've also found they are great for hiding "candy" treats from my son (he doesn't know what the contents of the bag are!). With small children and lunches/snacks on the run, these bags are a great way to save plastic bag waste. This Snack/Sandwich bag is 7" x 6.5"

This bag can be shook out, wiped down, or thrown in the washing machine for cleaning. To dry just lay flat or hang.

Here are more listed in my ETSY shop.
TO ENTER: Leave a comment with you name and e-mail so I can contact the winner. That's it! If you have time, tell me your favorite food to take for lunch.

Giveaway ends May 25th at midnight. I will contact the winner on May 26th.

Reusable snack bags can hold a variety of snacks: crackers, pretzels, carrots, sliced apples, cookies, dried fruit, candy - whatever you're in the mood for!

Zippered Boy Pouch

2011-05-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

While I was on my pouch kick I thought I'd make one for my son. He loves to put his toys and anything else he can find into containers. I figured he would love this little treasure holder.

I used an old zipper I took off of something else - so there are little loose threads sticking out here and there. I tried to get as many as I could off. Back and front look the same. No variation here.

Yes, indeed he does put things inside.
I started taking out some receipts and papers that were on my desk and though I spotted something at the bottom of the bag. . .

Indeed I did. $30! I guess it's a good idea to check what he's putting into his containers every now and then AND to make sure what I leave laying around.
With even further examination I spotted $.26 Not quite as much but I just have to laugh at what this kid finds.

Spring Top Contest 2011

2011-05-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

I finished my Spring Top For the Made By Rae spring contest! Yeah! I've been thinking about what I would make for the past month and finally got a around to finishing it this week.

I started out with this top from Nordstroms for my inspiration. However, after drafting a pattern on my own I wasn't a huge fan of the scoopy neck line.

I bought THIS Simplicity pattern (2418) because it was similar to the shirt I wanted and tweaked it a bit. Because I didn't like the neck line, I made it higher and added lining inside. The original pattern was just hemmed at the top. I didn't like the idea of a straight hem that could be flipped over at anytime to see the inside of the fabric. I realize that my shirt isn't much like my inspiration shirt, but that's okay. I'm happy with what came out of the process.

I bought the fabric last fall at JoAnn fabric right after I found out I was pregnant. Instead of making something then, I figured I'd wait until after the baby was born.

Here's the shirt:

I'm not quite ready to be wear fitted tops yet after just having a baby. Thus the choice for a looser front.

SLEEVES:

The sleeves are capped sleeves with a lined panel over the shoulders dipping down in the front and back.

BACK:

My favorite part of the shirt is the gathered back. It just adds a bit of character to an otherwise plain back.

NECK:

As I said above, I wasn't a fan of the scoop neck. I actually raised the neck line up a bit.

There are 3 gathers on each side of the neck line. These are from the original pattern.

FRONT:

One last look at the final project.

Head on over to the Made By Rae blog to see how you can view the others in the Flickr pool.

Headphone Helper

2011-05-10T13:24:00.001-07:00

Recently we purchased some DVD players for our car. We bought a set of headphones for my son so he could listen to the movies (and we didn't have to). The headphones were too larger for my son even at their smallest setting. My husband asked if I could sew something that could go around them to keep them up on his ears - rather than sliding down below his ears. Sure! I said and quickly made what you see below.

The fabric choice wasn't my husbands favorite. I literally used the first piece of fabric I found since it wasn't going to be an attractive pad anyway. He thought I should have used black, which I guess is probably true.

I made a padded rectangle with velcro on both ends for fastening around the top of the head phones.

They work wonderfully in the car and at home. My son likes to use my husbands iPod for playing games and listening to music. He likes the novelty of headphones. Now they fit perfectly!

(I know this isn't "clothes" but it's still something for my son that I wiped up really fast. He's "wearing" it so I feel like it counts. )

Ready, Set. . . Go!

2011-05-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

I'm off to a good start with the kids sewing week.

I have 4 things cut out here!! Pajamas for my nephew (top and bottom) and a onesie and pants for my newest baby! These shouldn't take me too long since I'll just quickly sew them with my serger. I think it took me longer to cut them out and create a pattern from already made clothes.

Pictures of the finished projects to come.

Pouch Received!

2011-05-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

I got my pouch in the mail from my partner!! (really it was a few days ago but I'm just now getting to post about it) Isn't it beautiful? I love the colors and the shape/size.

I opened it and was pleasantly surprised to see ANOTHER pouch inside! (below)

Isn't it beautiful, too? I LOVE the natural colors and the smaller size. Here's some pictures to show the inside fabric. Blue in the larger one and a nice tropical floral print in the smaller polka dot pouch.

The zippers have ribbon tied to the ends. What a useful embellishment, don't you think?

I have so many ideas for how to use these pouches. My first idea is for a travel toiletry bag. I'm always looking for something just the right size to put everything in for trips.

Giveaway - May 23rd!

2011-05-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

Sew Mama Sew is doing another giveaway week. I think I'm going to participate this time.

It was about a year ago when they did this before. My life was much to crazy at the time and so I didn't host a giveaway on this blog. I did however stop by many blogs to see what they were all about. I added many of them to my google reader! It's always fun to see what people are making.

SO. . . if you are interested in anything I've made here on my blog, you should head back this way on May 23rd (well anytime that week really). I haven't quite decided what to giveaway yet but I'll take suggestions. Otherwise I'll be thinking. . . perhaps I'll have to make something entirely new - something I haven't made before?

What I'm working on . . .

2011-05-02T20:32:00.001-07:00

This shirt has really caught my eye in the last few weeks. I've been trying to recreate parts of it for Made By Rae's Spring Top Sew Along.

Last year I made this shirt. I really love it and the fabric I choose. I hope this year my top turns out well and it's something I really would wear and be excited about . . . we'll see how my night of sewing goes. I'll be creating a pattern and rough draft with scrap fabric. I have one week to finish and post. It's over on the 9th. Of course here I am posting about it rather than actually sewing.

Gotta run. :)

Diaper Pouch

2011-05-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

Yet another pouch - Look familiar? :) After making one of these I decided to go ahead and make many more. Here's some more Amy Butler fabric I had in my closet awaiting a project.

A nice front and back look at the diaper pouch.

My friend/neighbor from WI is having a baby in June. Yes, it's a girl. I wanted to send her a useful baby gift. I have a small diaper pouch for my son (given to me by my sister) and use it all the time! I love having diapers, wipes, and pad all in one spot. It's so much easier to grab this small bag to head to the bathroom than a large diaper bag. I've found it very useful! I now have size 4 diapers and size 1 diapers in my bag (2 little boys now in diapers).

I added boxed corners to this pouch so it could stand on end and it could fit more things inside comfortably.

Partner's Pouch Finished!

2011-04-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

You may remember my Post about a pouch swap. I've finally finished! Here's the link to the blog hosting the swap. You can also view the flickr account here with lots of fun pouches!

This is the BLOG where I found the tutorial for this pouch. Super easy and super cute.

There are some handy pockets inside for credit cards and cash. You can put other items inside if it's not used for a wallet.

I loved Amy Butler fabric and has this in my closet waiting to be made into something. I paired it with some khaki colored fabric.

I was really happy how the zipper turned out. All I had on hand were invisible zippers so I decided to use them. I think they worked out okay.

Back and front of pouch. Simple rectangular shape.

Black and White Damask Bag

2011-04-28T22:11:00.001-07:00

Recently I flew to upstate NY to look for a house to buy. My husband and I are moving from Washington state to New York this June. Kind of crazy to be moving across the country - literally. While home searching we stopped by my sisters house. It just happened to be my nieces birthday the day we were there.

I made her this bag as a gift. She's a small petite 10 year old and I wanted something small for her to carry, yet large enough to put some books and things in. I looked at a few different bags I liked online and then created my own pattern.
It's made with home decorator fabric and duck cloth for lining (that's what I had that was white in my fabric closet).

I also made a cute little pouch to go inside. I figured she could put loose things inside and then put it in her bag - or really whatever she wanted to do with it.
Every since the pouch swap, I've been on a pouch making kick. Trust me you'll see in future posts.

The cute set together. I was happy with how they turned out.

Pouches. . .

2011-04-26T22:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know it's been a while since I've posted. I need to upload pictures from my camera.

My pouch is done for the pouch exchange I participated in! Yeah! It's even in the mail on the way to my partner as I type. I was pretty excited about creating it and have since sewn 4 more. Pictures are on the way.

Kids Clothes Week. . .

2011-04-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm joining in Elise Marley's challenge to sew for kids May 9-15. I have been sewing a lot recently (you wouldn't know from my lack of posts) and would love a reason to sew for my two boys!

Pj's, shorts, t-shorts. . . lots of things come to mind.

You can see the button over on my side bar to find out more details and join too. There's plenty of time to find fabric, patterns, and ideas.

Pouch exchange

2011-04-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've joined a Flickr Group for a pouch challenge. I'm pretty excited.

I love pouches and the many uses that can become of them! We are paired with a partner to make a pouch in the style/colors our partner likes. I'm excited to get my partner and go to work on this fun pouch. I'll post more when my pouch is in the makings. . .

Lickety Split Bag

2011-03-31T09:30:00.001-07:00

Here's another project that's been in the works for a while. I used Made By Rae's Lickety Split Pattern. Instead of tying the handles together at the top, I decided to sew the handles together. It makes the bag a little longer and allows me to cross it over my body comfortably.

I really love the orange/yellow/brown fabric. My sister was the one who spotted it at Hobby Lobby. We had a hard time trying to find fabric to go with it. I also like the blue and figured they matched well enough to put them on the same bag.
I put one larger pocket on the outside of the bag and two smaller pockets inside. Granted it is a reversible bag, so there really isn't an inside and outside right? I figure I will use the orange fabric for the outside most of the time though.
It was a very simple pattern to follow and I like the bag. I would however like if the fabric were thicker (home decorator fabric) and perhaps include some interfacing to help give the bag more of a shape and support. Other than those two things I love the bag!

Birdie Sling Bag - Amy Butler

2011-03-29T09:35:00.001-07:00

Remember THIS post? I finally got around to taking some pictures of the finished project.

You can slightly see the inside fabric. It's the same as the outer fabric of the bag I made for myself.I decided to make two bags since I had extra fabric. (You can only order fabric in increments of half a yard on Fabric.com.) One for me and one for my sister who is having a baby in another 2 weeks!! The top bag is for my sister and the lower bag is for myself.

I used the outer fabric of my sisters bag for the handles on mine. The inside is the same as the handles. I decided not to use the zig-zag stripes on my bag.

It was fun to make two different versions of this bag with putting different fabric in both places. I'm happy with how they both turned out.

Snack Bags

2011-03-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

I've added another batch of snack bags to my Etsy Shop . I think my favorite fabric is the blue and white fabric (pictures directly below). Many of these bags match my reusable lunch bags, also in my shop.

These little bags can be used for more than just "snacks". You can throw your personal things inside one of these bags and toss inside your purse or hand bag.

They can keep your keys and phone together so they don't get lost in the bottom of your bag.
Here are the new additions! Find them HERE .

More fabric!

2011-03-28T11:55:00.001-07:00

I used my 25% off (total purchase) coupon at Jo Anns this weekend. This home dec fabric was already 30% off - so it was a good deal!!

I'm excited for spring and summer colors :)

Give away!

2011-03-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have a few projects I need to take some pictures of before I post. But until then. . . . here's a great link to a giveaway!

I love reading Edeenut's Blog and seeing the fun projects she puts together. I love that she has a 2011 to do list! I want one of those! I have so many things I want to make but I need to sit down and write them out so I have something to be accountable for. 2011 to do list

Check out her blog and enter to win!! Give Away Link

Arrival!

2011-03-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

My baby was born March 9th! 20 in", 7 lbs!! We are so happy and relieved to have him here.

I have been a little preoccupied if you wondered were I have been. I guess it's time I start some projects for him now right???

I'll be back in a bit, don't worry. :)

Why I love Fabric.com - New fabric post. . .

2011-03-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Finally! My fabric.com order has arrived!! I was so happy when the UPS guy knocked on my door yesterday and delivered 5 cuts of fabric.
The top 2 cuts are fun Amy Butler cotton print. I have yet to determin what they will be used for.

The other cuts of fabric I'm planning on making Amy Butlers, Birdie Sling Bag . You may remember this post from ages ago. I still use the bag I made every week. However, I am ready for new fabric and second bag. I figured I'd try the original pattern since my friend let me borrow hers.
The second and third from the bottom are what I'm going to make the bag with. "What's the bottom black fabric," you might ask. Well I'll tell you.

I originally ordered this fabric to be the straps and top border. What I got in the mail was the black and white damask type fabric. Nope, it doesn't really match or go with the other two choices I picked.

I called Fabric.com's customer service and told them what I ordered (after going online to check that I did indeed order the correct fabric) and what I received in the mail. She looked up my order and saw that indeed they shipped me the wrong fabric. She said they would send my fabric the next day with no shipping cost to me AND she said to keep the 1.5 yards of black and white fabric for a future project or I could donate it to someone if I didn't want it.

Free Fabric! I can't argue with that. I really do love the black and white they sent, it just didn't go with my original fabric choices. Now I'm going to look for another fun bag pattern (or better yet make one of my own) to use the fabric. It totally made my day. What a great company that has great customer service!!

Bias Tape

2011-02-28T09:13:00.001-08:00

Bias tap is sometimes a headache for me to think about making. Why does it have to take so long to iron?? Especially when I have multiple yards of the same color/print?

I finally hunkered down this week and finished some little flower bias tape I cut out this summer. Wow, that's a long time ago. As you can see I haven't ironed it yet. Sewing the strips together was a huge feat though. I plan to iron it this evening as I watch HGTV (my new favorite channel).

I did however, finish a roll (one yard pre-made) of white and natural bias tape :) I did it yesterday!

My Bias Tape Tutorial .

More Lunch Bags!

2011-02-25T08:13:00.001-08:00

Five new patterns for My Shop this week. I figure this baby hasn't shown up yet, so I need a project to get my mind off of "everything baby". I really enjoyed sewing again instead of reading about pregnancy (just finished "What to Expect When You're Expecting" for the 2nd time - The first time was with my first child. Not two times this pregnancy :) ).

I really like small geometrical patterns (stripes, repeating patterns, etc). I'm really trying to get away from that and find some new fun prints.

I really loved this floral print. It reminds me of spring. . . the snow this week did NOT remind me of spring.

I also thought I'd try some bags with "white" bias taped edges instead of the natural color I've been using. At first I wanted to stay away from white because it gets dirty quicker, but I figured it would be fun to try it out and really see how the color can hold up.

My Etsy Shop.

Dress giveaway

2011-02-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you've ever heard of Shabby Apple, but they have amazing dresses. So many to choose from!!

There's a giveaway right now over at The Train To Crazy ! Go check it out and enter to win HERE .

Perhaps I shouldn't share this . . . that way I have a better chance of winning ;)

Good luck! Let me know if you win.

Happy Valentines Day.

2011-02-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

photo credit

I hope you all have a Happy Valentines Day. It's kind of a funny holiday. I don't mind the chocolate though ;) I think Valentines Day would be more fun if I had school aged children to make valentines for. Oh well, that day will come soon enough.

I realize I haven't started any new projects lately. I've been busy getting things out for my baby that's due in a few weeks (clothes, blankets, bedding, etc). I've been washing a lot of laundry in preparation and cleaning things up around the house to make some space for new baby things. It's been keeping my mind a little to preoccupied. I sure hope this baby comes soon so I can start thinking about other things.

Quilting

2011-02-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

I've never really been a quilter. I've pieced two quilts together in my life and quilted them both. That's it. No more no less.

THIS BLOG is having a quilting contest for the next few days. I may or may not be partial to #14 - and no, it's not mine. :)

If you have a second head on over and vote!

New Blog Banner

2011-02-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last night my husband designed me a new blog banner (a much needed change to this blog). It was fun to sit and watch him in Adobe Illustrator putting it all together. He makes using that program look so easy. It would have taken me all night . . . and then some.

He has done some freelance logo design for different companies in the past. For my banner, however, he took some elements he's already made and put them together.

You can check out his portfolio on istock HERE . He takes photos and makes illustrations/vectors. He's been adding to his portfolio off and on while he's been in school and working. It's been a fun side hobby for him. Stop by and check out some of his work!

Facebook

2011-02-03T08:27:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure how to share this (I don't know if this specific link will work), but I just opened a FACEBOOK Page !

I would love for anyone out there to "like" my page. It's a new experience to have a page in the social network world. I would love to knwo of others out there who also have an Etsy/craft store facebook page.

10 Crayon Rolls

2011-02-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

My recently completed (I say completed because I have MANY started) project was 10 crayon rolls for a customer on ETSY .

I believe they are for a 4-H fundraiser of sorts. To make money for their group.

They each hold 16 crayons and have a tie for closure.

I'm still temped to try velcro closures, because how many young kids know how to tie a bow? I guess it depends on the ages of the children though.

Here's my first crayon roll post .

Linking Party Here

Yoga Mat Bag - Take 2

2011-01-21T08:24:00.001-08:00

You may remember this orange yoga mat bag from a post I made a month ago. I just made another bag today with different fabric.

I've always been a fan of stripes and geometric shapes. No mater what I do, I can't turn away from them at the fabric store (I've tried!). I love the natural colors of this bag. Earth tones - perfect for yoga.

The pattern is the same as the orange bag I made before. I just decided to play with my fabric choice. It still has the same draw string closure with the straps (pull on the straps and the bag tightens).

You can see the two straps a little better and how they are attached.

This bag is now in my ETSY Shop by the way.

Half Aprons - Child and Adult

2011-01-20T13:56:00.001-08:00

I filled an order on ETSY this week for 14 girls half aprons and 1 adult apron. They are for an American Girl Birthday Party. It sounds really fun and I hope the girls are excited!!

Here is a quick look at the half white aprons I made for the girls.

The mom also wanted one but thought it would be more fun to have a different pattern. I love the fabric she choose! One of my favorite colors.

I added two pockets to the front of the mom's - who doesn't need a pocket? Especially when running a birthday party.

Since I was home alone today I couldn't try the apron on for a picture (and my pregnant belly might not flatter the apron). Here's a view of the whole thing.

These aprons are ironed and ready to be folded up and shipped.

Reusable Snack Sacks

2011-01-14T08:08:00.001-08:00

I've been making these reusable lunch bags for a little over a year now. I've had lots of people comment how they wished I would make reusable snack bags to match the lunch bags. I finally got around to putting something together. I think they're pretty cute!

Here's a blue lunch bag with matching sandwich bag. The sandwich bags are 7" x 6.5" The snack bags are 6" x 5"
Here are a few other patterns that I've done (they also match lunch bags in my ETSY shop).

My favorite thing about these bags is they are NOT clear. I can put treats in them for my son and he doesn't know what they are (and want them right then!) They're a great little bag for many purposes.

You could even pack make-up or toiletries inside for a trip!

Maternity Pants - Do it yourself!

2011-01-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am expecting my second child in 7 weeks!! When I was pregnant with my first baby it was the summer. I wore mostly skirts to work and capri's when off work. This time around it's winter! I can't get by with only skirts and capri's. I figured I would make my own maternity pants out of jeans that I loved and knew fit well.

I gathered my supplies: Thick elastic and some blue knit.
I started by unpicking the top waist band of the jeans I was going to use. I only had to do the belt loops and bottom seam of the waist band.

It wasn't hard to unstitch.

Not Pictured: - I then measured my elastic to the size I would need. I also measured the knit fabric to cover the elastic.

- I started out by sewing the knit fabric (right sides together) to the top of the jeans - all the way around. I then measured how much space I would need to insert the elastic and stitched a tube. I inserted the elastic and top stitched at the top and bottom of the elastic to prevent the elastic from rolling.

Finished product. These jeans are my favorite maternity jeans! It was a simple easy project I would do again if needed. It saved money because I already had the extra pair of jeans!!

Toddler Flannel Pajamas

2011-01-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

I recently made two pairs of flannel pajamas. I used THIS pattern. Because it was made for stretch knits, I had to change the top a bit. I thought about just making the head opening larger, but then I realized a toddlers head is much larger than their shoulders - proportionally. The opening would have had to be too large. I decided to line the neck and front opening (I added) and make buttons in the front. It was pretty easy and I think they look great!
The bottoms are simple pajama pants - just like adults! So easy and so comfy to wear.

My son trying them on. He loved the "birds" on the fabric.

A second pair.

My son called these the "music" ones. I guess he knows what a music note is. It's funny the things kids catch on to and remember.

New Fabric

2011-01-09T20:21:00.001-08:00

I've pulled out some of my fabric stash to help me get going on some upcoming projects! I'm really excited to finally use the fabric I bought over a month ago - life gets busy with the holidays, right?

Some of the fabric will go to create new bags for my ETSY shop and some will be NEW items added to my ETSY shop. After having many, many e-mails and convo's on Etsy, I decided to add an item very needed to go with my lunch bags. Stay tuned!! I hope to have them posted by the end of the week! Any guesses??

This fabric I bought at a yard sale this summer. It's heavy decorator weight. I've always loved stripes and couldn't help myself for $.25!! It's going to go be a project for myself AND serve as a help for a NEW pattern in my ETSY shop as well.

What can I say, Etsy has been on my mind a lot lately and it's one my New Years Resolutions (I didn't post about it though. . .).

Off to sew!

Finished Table and Chairs!!

2011-01-07T08:21:00.001-08:00

Remember THIS post?? Yes, it was a long time ago. I finally finished these chairs and table yesterday!! Yeah!!
They were sitting in my sons room, in the corner, unfinished all Fall. I finally decided it was time to put the cushions back on and let him use them! I painted them long ago - this summer a few weeks after I bought them to be exact.

I was waiting on buying a staple gun to put the fabric over the new cushions. Once I bought the staple gun the chairs were already out of my mind. My husband has been asking me about these chairs and table for a while, so I decided it was time!
My son enjoyed helping me since he's been helping his Dad with "tools" lately. He quite enjoyed using the screw driver to poke in the holes and over screws. It was actually a pretty fun activity for the both of us.

He's been coloring on the table all day today and saying, "food?" when he sits down. Cleaver kid!

Crayon Roll

2011-01-06T13:13:00.001-08:00

For Christmas I put a crayon roll in my 2 year old sons stocking. He loves to put things in small spaces and take things out. I figured this would be perfect for keeping him busy. I was right! He LOVES it.
My husband wasn't a huge fan of the colors. He thought it was more for a girl. I didn't really mind because it was scrap fabric in my stash :) Yellow and black are boy colors right? My husband also thought a velcro closure could have been better because what 2 year old can tie a bow? I had to give him that one. Next time. . .
I also found that regular crayons are a bit too short for the length of my pockets. The crayons tend to get stuck at the bottom. I used larger/thicker crayons for measuring this. I can always stitch a .5-1" seam along the bottom to lift the crayons up a bit.

Hours of fun. I think my son enjoys putting the crayons away and getting them out more than actually using them for coloring.

New Years Sewing Resolutions

2011-01-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

I constantly feel like I have a list of 10 or more things I want to sew or create. Sometimes it's exhausting just thinking about everything I would like to sew.

I was reading a blog this morning about sewing resolutions. What a great idea! I have 4 major goals.

#1 - I decided to organize the projects in my head by priority and in order of when to tackling each one. I wrote them each down so I have them on a hard copy and something to keep me going.

#2 - I want to use more of my stash of fabric before buying new. Sometimes, I realize, a project requires new or different fabric than I have. I would really like to look through my stash and find projects that could go with the fabric I already have.

#3 - Blog more often!! Yes, I know I'm not too regular. But if I could stay on top of my sewing projects I could at least blog once a week. That's a realistic goal. Then it will keep me sewing too :)

#4 - Last but certainly not least, I would love to Sew to Serve . I found THIS link of many different opportunities to sew for good. What a great reason to sew! We all have down time in between large projects, this would be a good thing to fill that void of time.

Happy New Years to you all!

Fabric Yo-Yo's

2010-12-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

With the above 6 colors of fabric I've been making fabric yo-yo's! 200 of them. No, I'm not making a quilt. They are going to be used at a wedding for guests to wear as lapels. The brides colors are tangerine, aqua, and cream (the colors above are a bit off on white balance).

I was really excited to be able to pick out the fabric! She just wanted the main color scheme to be there.
Before I started this project I bought an OLFA circle cutter Circle cutter . I couldn't even imagine cutting out 200 circles without one! I love it. After getting my OLFA mat a few months ago I will never go back to mass cutting by scissors.

A few close ups of the yo-yo's.

Yoga Mat Bag

2010-12-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

I recently created this Yoga Mat Bag for someone on Etsy. It turned out great! I need to replace the one I have :) I enjoyed making it so much that I went ahead and listed one on my ETSY shop!

I made the straps into a draw string for the top closure.

It can be worn as a back pack with the two straps, over one arm, or across the body.

Does anyone recognize the fabric??? ;)

Little Boys Tie

2010-12-13T08:32:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I made this tie for my son using THIS pattern from The Pearl Bee's blog. It was amazingly simple and looks just like a "Daddy" tie.

There are simple directions about each step on her tutorial. All of it is done by hand (so for those of you without a sewing machine yeah!!!). I found it took me a lot longer to hand sew it than I had planned on. Oh well, that's what a good movie is for right?

Etsy Shop Re-loaded!

2010-12-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Re-Stocked again!! I love creating new bags with different fabric choices. I just listed a bunch of new bags this morning. Above are just a few of my favorites.

The Christmas season has kept me very busy sewing. I've been sewing some special order for people, family presents, personal things, and trying to fill my shop again. I love sewing and there's nothing like finishing a project :)

Check it out MY SHOP!

Toddler Long Sleeve Shirts

2010-12-09T11:36:00.001-08:00

I love to sew and love having any kind of project to be working on. Since it's winter and cold outside I decided I would go through my fabric stash and make my 2 year old some long sleeve t-shirts.

I took a shirt from his drawer that fits him well. I used that as my pattern. Kids shirts are pretty basic and simple. The sleeves are pretty much the same front and back.

Crazy Monkey fabric!

Waffle knit with brown ribbing

Thin black and white knit with white ribbing

He love to pick this shirt up from over his belly and cover his face. I think because the fabric is pretty thin he can see through it - pretty silly.

ABC book for children

2010-12-07T11:29:00.001-08:00

I made an ABC book for my 2 year old son to keep him occupied in church. I went through each letter and found pictures to depict something starting with that specific letter. Here are a few pages I made:

I cut out 5x7 card stock pieces of paper, printed out the words and letters and glued them together. Then I found pictures to go with each letter. I went to FedEx to have the pages laminated and bound together. I'm quite pleased with the book. My son loves seeing pictures of family and different objects.

Family Christmas Stockings

2010-12-06T13:21:00.001-08:00

Growing up my family all had specialized Christmas stockings. They were little felt people to look like each of us. Mine had long yellow yarn hair in two pigtails. "I" was holding a candy cane and wearing a beautiful Christmas dress. I was heart broken to learn mine was thrown away along with 2 other siblings after a few large moves (house to house). I'm sad to know my original childhood stocking is gone.

I wanted to make some stockings for my own small family to have over the years. I made 2 of the stockings above for my husband and I (Daddy and Mommy).

Then I made 3 stockings (below) for my 2 year old son, baby due in March, and an extra (ya never know. . .) since I was making so many.
I chose to back the stockings for the parents and children in different fabric. I used warm and natural batting between muslin and the outside Christmas cotton print. My husband was with me at the store and he chose the soft white fabric for the tops.

December Advent Calendar

2010-12-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

I have been reading homemade by jill and following along with the advent sew along. My ornaments are all cut out, just need some stitching (yes, I know it's December 4th today).

It was super easy and didn't take much time at all. I know this calendar will get much use over the years.

Custom Fabric Labels

2010-11-10T13:44:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I looked and looked online for places to buy custom-made labels for my lunch bags. I received many quotes and was tired by the end of my search. Too many companies with such different prices!

The company who I went with and LOVE how my labels turned out was: Custom Couture Label Company. I was so impressed with the communication I received! Dianna worked with me step by step until my design was perfect and I had no questions.

I would totally recommend checking out their Website AND Etsy Site. I was very pleased and just want to pass this info on to the next label searcher . . .

(Sorry, I didn't really do a close up photo of the labels.)

Maternity Skirt - under the belly.

2010-11-08T14:03:00.001-08:00

Why are cute maternity clothes so hard to find? At a reasonable price that is. I'm only going to wear them for "maybe" 5-6 months so paying an arm and a leg is out of the question.

I decided to make a short black maternity skirt that could be very versatile. It can be dressed up or down depending on the need and occasion.

Instead of sewing a panel to go over my belly I decided to make the elastic go UNDER my belly. It is much more comfortable!

I finished the bottom with a simple double needle hem. Simple, Easy, Cheap! This skirt cost me just under $5 with $9.99 Matte Jersey from Jo Ann Fabric. I had a 50% off coupon and used about 3/4 yard. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Toddler Pajamas

2010-11-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Winter is upon us and my son is growing out of all his pajamas. He's at a funny size right now. He's 2 years old but still wearing some 12 month and 18 month Carter's pajamas. 24 month is TOO large for him. He does have a favorite pair of pajamas (when we let him open the drawer and choose) from Costco with a top and bottom like these. I used them as a pattern and make him these! He now loves these just as much as the Costco pair :)
Simple knit. Blue with firetrucks and hydrants printed on. I used red ribbing for the legs, arms, and neck.
These were super easy. I used my serger for most of the sewing. My sewing machine was used for top stitching around the elastic and the shirts hem.
I debated about wrapping these up for Christmas or letting him wear them now. He needed them now and what little boy gets excited about clothes like women do? He wrote them last night :)

Little Boy Apron

2010-11-05T08:52:00.001-07:00

My son loves to help me cook AND he loves to play in the water. I've been putting large towel bibs on him to help keep his clothes clean.

I had a thought the other day to make him an apron like mine. Why not? Boys wear aprons when they cook in the kitchen, why not my son? I wanted to add a towel front to help with absorbency just like his bub. No Problem!

Once the apron was made I added a towel panel on the front where most of the mess ends up. I also added another piece of towel on one of the pockets. There are three pockets along his waist for putting spoons and utensils in.

The back simply ties closed.

I used two D rings to make an adjustable neck strap. I should have made the strap a bit longer so it doesn't take me as long to put it on and take it off. It's not a problem now because usually my son is pretty patient. We'll see how it holds up over the next few weeks/months.

This boy is a great little helper!!! Now he has an apron to make him look more official :)

Where's Waldo Costume

2010-11-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

My husband and I were "Where's Waldo and Wenda" for Halloween a few years ago. This year we recycled his costume and used it again!! My pregnant belly couldn't fit into mine.

How I made Waldo:

Shirt: I looked everywhere to find a red and white striped long sleeve shirt with one inch stripes. No luck. I finally decided to make my own. I bought two red long sleeve shirts at Goodwill. I then bought some knit white fabric and sewed my own stripes on the (inside out to hide the writing) red shirts. Make sure to use a small zig-zag stitch to allow your fabric to stretch when putting it on. Otherwise it will be a tight fit!

Glasses: Dollar store. I took out the glass that came with a pair of cheap reading glasses.

Pants: Nice Goodwill find if I don't say so myself.

Hat: Not the best hat in the world, but it did the job. White knit fabric with a red stripe sewn on the edge. There is also a red pom-pom on the top (can't tell in picture). I spent so much time on the shirt I didn't have much gusto left for the hat.

Cane: Not pictured and none was used. Thrift store or PVC pipe??

Shoes: Waldo's shoes are really brown, but my husband wore black.

Toddler Dog Costume

2010-11-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Little Puppy Dog.

A few years ago my sister made this costume for her son. She use the Butterick 6695 pattern. It's been a hit in our family! A total of 3 nephews and my son have worn this costume over the years! My sister did an excellent job of sewing it together.

Here's a "quick" view of the tail from the back.

I sure love his puppy dog face paint to complete the costume!

Yes, you've found Waldo (puppy's dad)! More on that later. . .

Full Shop

2010-10-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

I've filled my Etsy shop again! It feels so good to have a large project done. Now I'm able to work on other fun projects.

I have many things planned for the holidays and some are underway!

Check out all the new fabric of my Reusable Insulated Lunch Bags HERE

Why I've been missing in action. . . large Etsy order!

2010-10-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

I have been busy lately. I've been doing a lot of sewing actually - A LOT!

I was contacted by a customer on ETSY a few months ago asking if I could fill a special order for the company she works for. When she said 210 of the reusable insulated lunch bags I make, I had to step back and calculate if I would even have enough hours in my day to get the project done.

With an amazing husband who helped watch our 2 year old while I sewed, I was able to finish the project with time to spare!

Here's just a few of the pictures we took along the way. (You can see my pregnant belly in the picture directly below).
Lots of cutting, lots of stacking, and lots of counting. My husbands desk was mostly out of commission during this time.

This is only half!

Yeah! The project is done and my life can get back to normal.

Would I do it again if asked? Of course! It was fun and it turned into a whole family affair.

Here's the link to my ETSY shop if you didn't catch the link above! I'll be working on restocking it next. :)

Another Toddler Towel

2010-10-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

(someone wasn't cooperating so I could get a decent picture)

My best friend growing up recently had her first baby. Because toddler towels are such a hit at our house, I decided I would make one for her new little girl. My son has two of them and could use a few more. These towels are my favorite for baths and swimming. The "towel hat" is the best part for keeping their wet heads warm. You may remember the towels from THIS Post .

Here's a few shots of the new towel:

Sewing Machine Tip

2010-09-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

(An online picture of my exact machine)

Clean and Oil your machine often.

Today I heard a little squeak in my sewing machine. I knew it needed to be oiled and cleaned out so, instead of sewing much further, I stopped and cleaned/oiled my machine.

This was not as easy as my above comment sounded. I have NEVER cleaned or oiled my machine. I've opened the bobbin space and dusted it out before, and even cleaned lint from area's that I could see, but I had never actually used a screw driver to take apart my machine for intense cleaning.

I found my manual and followed the instructions on how to open the machine. There were only directions for the oiling the bobbin and not the main compartment of the machine. Luckily there were some obvious holes for oil on the top half. The other places I made an educated guess. I oiled parts that moved connecting to other parts.

There was also a lot of packed lint under the feed dog. Wow. I thought my earlier cleanings did something - I guess not. After oiling and cleaning I closed up the machine.

Now my machine has been though a lot. By a lot I mean it started out as my Mom's machine and each of my 7 sisters and I sewed and learned to sew on this machine. It's had many miles of thread put through it. It's old and been around for decades! I have a Bernina 802. I love it! I don't know how often my Mom oiled and cleaned it, but I know I have never done it since I've owned it - and that's been close to 9 or 10 years.

Already I can tell a diference. The small squeak is gone and I can tell my machine glides much smoother.

Pillow cases

2010-09-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

I was reading THIS Etsy Page today and thought this would be fun to be a part of. So easy and what an awesome service project. What do you do say? Can you help out as well? I'm sure we all have some fabric in our closets just dieing to be sewn on.

Here's another LINK talked about in the Etsy page for more information. Let's get sewing!! (Image taken from link above).

Will Summer ever end?

2010-08-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

My sister just left this morning after visiting for a week with her son. We loved having her here! I'm going to miss her.

I keep telling myself when summer ends I'll get to work and start these many projects I have sitting in my sewing closet. Summer seems to not want to leave. I've really enjoyed all our vacations, visitors, and activities, but there doesn't seem to be an end in the near future. I have a few weeks before anything else major is going on, so I'm getting to work. I'm headed to Jo-Ann Fabric right now to pick up some piping for my newest project :) Hopefully I'll be posting about it in a day or two.

One Year

2010-07-31T06:53:00.001-07:00

I was noticing yesterday I've had my blog for one year. There are exactly the same amount of post in 2009 and there are in 2010 (well, until this one). 46 posts each in 6 month chunks of time. Nice! Obviously I didn't even plan that. I wanted to do something fun when I reached a year but I missed that July 17th date a few weeks back. Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait another year? Or perhaps a year and a half? We'll see. Anyway, here's to sewing and blogging!

Happy Saturday!

I may hit up some yard sales later? I'm still in search of a nice brown chest for our front room for my son to call his "toy box". Until then. . .

Taking in Wide Legged Pants - Gaucho's

2010-07-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

I have a pair of gaucho's that I used to dance in during my undergrad. I love the cotton fabric and cute waist at the top - but I don't love the huge legs that look like a skirt!
I decided that if I'm going to enjoy wearing them again I need to do something about the extra wide leg!

(Sorry this picture is VERY yellow)

I turned my pants inside out and pinned a new seam line. After I pinned them, I tried them on for fit - checking to see if I would actually accomplish my goal of taking the leg in enough.
Once the pins were in the perfect spot, I did a basting zig-zag stitch (because it is knit fabric I wanted the stitch to give a bit. A straight stitch doesn't allow for give).

Once the basting was done and I knew the pants were how I wanted them, I surged over the zig-zag stitch. Perfect!

Tutu - One year old Birthday

2010-07-23T07:52:00.001-07:00

I had the privileged of making a magenta tutu for a little girls first birthday via an Etsy order. This tutu was a sewn, gathered tutu - not a "tie-on" tutu like many you see around. Because I grew up dancing I love the real thing - a tutu that stands straight out and puffs out :)

I used magenta and light pink tulle intermixed (the main color being magenta). It was finished with a satin magenta waist band.

I sent it off in the mail yesterday with a tulle bow (I was so sad I forget to take a picture of it). Her birthday is in a week or so. Happy Birthday!

Etsy Shop Additions

2010-07-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

I finally had some time to add a few bags to my Etsy Shop . If you have time stop by and take a look.

I'm off to see sisters tomorrow :) Yeah!!! I'll be back in a week.

Sewing + Summer Fun/Vacation

2010-07-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

This summer has been a whirlwind! We moved across the country, left for a 2 week Europe trip one week later, back home to unpack and get settled for 2 weeks and then a coast backpacking trip for one week, home for one week and then I'm off on Monday for a trip to see my sisters!! WOW! Just saying it all again makes me feel worn out. I feel like lots of things have been neglected and I haven't had time for many of my sewing "wants".

Today I'm working on getting some lunch bags back in my Etsy Shop . It has nearly sold out! Perhaps late tonight or tomorrow morning I'll finally have a full shop again.

Hopefully after I get back next week I'll start to find some balance to life in my new place :) Until then . . .

Summer Linen Skirt

2010-07-08T14:04:00.001-07:00

Skirts are a must in the summer! I love that they are so comfortable and can be dressed up or down. I love linen and wanted to make a cute summer skirt.

This skirt has a simple waist band with 3 panels on the front and 3 panels on the back. The aren't cut on the bias which I was a little sad about once I read the pattern at home (after already buying it), but it turned out great and it doesn't bother me that it's on the grain and not a bias cut. A simple hidden zipper closes the skirt in the back.

It was a New Look pattern at Jo Anns. So simple!!! I was looking for the style I wanted rather than sewing skills. I whipped it up in little over an hour start to finish (cutting out to hem).

I just washed this and hung it to take a picture. I'm sorry I didn't iron it first :(

Long work out pants into Capri's

2010-07-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

I grew up dancing and continue dancing to this day. Over the years I have accumulated a lot of dance clothes. Some of which are still in style, some of them are not. There were 2 years in high school we got the same long black stretchy boot-cut/flare "jazz" pants to dance and perform in. I have 3 pairs! I decided to change them a bit since I'm not a huge fan of the flare "jazz" pant anymore.
I serged the bottom off about a foot to make them capri's! I also had to adjust the inside seam of the legs - they were a bit wider than I wanted with a weird flare starting past the knee.
I love my new pair of work out capri's. They've already been on some good morning runs outside and will be great for aerobics as well.

Now I just need to decide what to do with the other 2 pairs. I think I'll take the flare off one pair - leaving them as long pants for cold weather. The 3rd pair just might have to be another pair of carpri's :)

Curtians

2010-07-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

The blinds in my sons room do not keep out the light at all! The first week in our apartment he was waking up when the sun rose! Much too early for my liking. I decided to make or buy some curtains that were thick enough to keep the light out.

I found a great deal at Ross (Dress for Less) for some brown full length window curtains. They were $8 for 2 panels. I don't think I could have purchased fabric for that price.

I cut the curtains the length I needed and hemmed the bottom. I then used the extra fabric for a second layer to really block the light (since only one layer wasn't enough to block out enough light).

The trick was this: I turned the extra fabric on the side (i.e. the new top and bottom to the liner curtain used to be the side hem before the curtain was chopped off) and threaded string through. The curtain rod I had didn't leave space for another curtain rod behind it so I rigged up a string system - fancy I know. I attached the string to each end of the curtain rods and then loped it around a nail hammered in the middle of the window.

I realize this isn't the most beautiful system, but it works great. We'll be moving in a year and I don't know what our new windows will look like. Until then, I have a beautifully finished curtain and a great liner for blocking out more light!!

p.s. I left a little bit of light peak out of the bottom so my son wasn't in total darkness :) His curtains are now done and he's sleeping in until 7:30-8am! Perfect!

Featured!

2010-07-04T14:21:00.001-07:00

My spring shirt was featured on The Train To Crazy ! What a surprise. The Train To Crazy is a fun blog that features items people make to wear - clothing and such.

I've love this shirt and have received many comments on it (thanks everyone). It's even made the trek to Europe with me :) - pictured above.

Yard Sales

2010-06-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

Since being married and having kids (well A child), I have found how much I love yard sales. "One man's junk is another man's treasure", has shown it's truth in my eyes. When my husband and I moved to WI for school we got a lot of our furniture off craigslist and yard sales. We must moved to WA and once again that has become our trend.

Some of my favorite finds are things needing a little extra attention. Perhaps reasons why people get rid of things is because they don't want to take the time to fix something up (paint, replace parts etc) or don't know how. I love a good project and saving $$ while I'm at it.

Recently I found a small table and chairs for my son. Yes, my son. The pink with floral will most definitely be changed out.

I already have the fabric cut out and ready to go! Tonight I will paint!

Fabric Shopping

2010-06-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

I went shopping the other day and found some of this:
and a little of this. . .
Oh man, I can't wait to get some pins and scissors into this stuff. It's knit btw ;)

Matching Summer Salad Bowls

2010-06-21T21:29:00.001-07:00

My husband and I eat salads multiple times a week for dinner in the summer. Spinach, chipotle chicken, Caesar, pasta and taco to name a few. Plates are great but don't always cut it when it comes to salad.

At the university they have an open ceramics night. So for date night my husband and I made some salad bowls! His is larger than mine. First off it's easier to throw a smaller bowl and second I enjoy a smaller portion of food than he does. So the size difference works perfectly for us.

I have forgotten what the glaze was but it turned out great on both bowls. They definitely look like they came in pairs.

Pears . . . hum, and idea for a new salad?

I'm linking up to these two blogs who do Thursday make-it share posts. Be sure to check out their blogs:

Circus Birthday Party

2010-06-21T20:28:00.001-07:00

My nephew turned 2 last month. My sister put on an awesome circus birthday party for him. She spent a lot of time organizing and planning. Her time was well spent. The kids loved it. I was able to capture a few candid shots of his party.

Photo Booth: Each person/family stood below the circus sign for a picture. This is a great way to remember who attended the party.

Birthday Cake: Of course every birthday comes with one (unless you're a pie type of person). A circus elephant with circus peanuts was a hit!

Clown face and balloon topped cupcakes were perfect for kids.

Party Favors: Animal crackers, bubbles, kazoos, bouncy balls, cotton candy, and circus peanuts fit the atmosphere perfectly! A ticket was sent out with each party invitation letting them know they could bring it to "redeem" a prize. Great idea!

Bean Bag Toss: (not pictured) a lion face with the mouth cut out provided an open hole for kids to toss bean bags inside. The kids loved it almost as much as the adults.

Across the Country in 8 Days

2010-05-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm finally here! Washington state that is. My husband and I packed up our stuff over a week ago to move across country. We arrived 2 days ago and our place is still a disaster - boxes and stuff everywhere. We're really happy with our new place and the area.

I was given a closet specifically for my sewing stuff!! Yeah. Easy access all the time.

Spring Top Contest Take 2

2010-04-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another shirt for the Spring Top Contest on the Made By Rae blog.

The last time I was down to the wire for something was in collage. Man! It was fun to have a goal and a time I needed to be done (8pm est). Most of my projects are stretched out over days, weeks, or months.

Simple Pin Tucks on the front. Darts on the front and back to fit. Cuff on sleeves and simple 1" hem. I designed the pattern with the help of some news paper and practice fabric. I purchased the fabric at Jo Anns this weekend.

Spring Shirt Contest

2010-04-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

I finally got my act together and sewed a shirt for the Made by Rae Spring Shirt contest. I've wanted to sew a shirt or two for this since the first time I saw her post. I didn't however jump on it, like she advised. So here I am, the last day of the contest, finally with a finished shirt. I literally just finished it. Ha! and I have one more that I'm working on . . . we'll see if it gets done by 8pm tonight.

I made the pattern for this shirt with inspiration from a shirt I already have (pictured below) and THIS shirt from Anthropology . I got the fabric from Jo Ann Fabric.

It was really exciting for me to make this shirt from scratch because I've NEVER made a shirt before. I love t-shirts! and wanted to make something with knit that I would wear often. I'm pretty sure this one's a keeper!

The sleeves are double layer. I did the hem on the inside to hide the stitching line. Below is what you see from the outside.

Simple binding around the neck and a small placket of fabric on the back to add a little extra embellishment.

I'm linking this post to a blog all about things people wear! Great idea.

Busy, Busy

2010-04-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been MIA for the last week or so. Life is a little crazy right now . . . but, there is a reason for my absence. We are moving across the country in two and a half weeks and planning a trip to Europe the week after we move. It's been keeping me a bit occupied these days.

It is ALSO so beautiful outside! I've been using my camera a lot lately, taking pictures of people and nature, when I'm not inside planning.

The good news is, I just listed 2 more bags in my ETSY shop . Okay, so maybe I have been sewing :) Go check them out!

Plastic Bag Holder

2010-04-07T07:27:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to making a plastic bag holder today. We've had a large pile of plasitc bags - growing and taking up space - in our closet for too long. After coming across this blog I was reminded it was time to finally make one of my own! I would have loved to use different designed fabric like she did, but I didn't have enough "cute" fabric to go together.

Elastic on the top and bottom makes it easy to put bags in and take bags out.

Baby and Toddler Towel

2010-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

When my son was born my sister made him a towel. I love her towels! A hood for the child's head and enough towel to wrap around them is perfect. Here are some pictures of the towel she made (green).

You can get a better look at the seams used for the fitted hood.

I found a large bath towel at Target for $2.75! The hand towel to match (for the hood) was only $.75. Seriously a great deal. I decided to made another hooded towel for my son since we bathe him about every night and like the hooded towels best. I'm not a huge fan of the black color, but it gets him dry.

Car Pouch

2010-04-05T08:03:00.001-07:00

Here's a car pouch I've had in my sewing projects for a while (um, December) needing to be finished. The great idea was to give it to little B for Christmas. Well, that didn't happen. I had my sewing machine out last night and decided it was time to finally finish it!

I found the tutorial HERE . I helped my sister make one for her son and our nephew for Christmas. Theirs looked more like the one on the tutorial. I decided I would use some bias tape to finish off the edges. I had yellow left over from THIS project. I like how it brightens it up. What a perfect use for leftovers!

Right now it's lacking a way to secure the pouch closed. I'm going to sew on some ties. Velcro would be a good idea too, but I don't like how the rough end snags things.

New Listings

2010-04-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

I received my cotton webbing in the mail Friday! My bags were almost finished, besides the strap, so I was able to sew on the handle and complete them 100%. I listed 2 more lunch bags in my Esty Shop .

Waiting . . .

2010-04-02T09:34:00.001-07:00

I've been waiting for my cotton webbing to come in the mail. Our local Jo Ann's was all out so I ordered it online. While I've been waiting, I've been doing a lot of hand sewing. With Velcro.

Something Fun and Random

2010-04-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I do random posts that aren't necessarily sewing/craft related. Today is one of them.

My brother had an Aerobie when we were kids (pictured below). It was so much fun to play out in our large yard throwing it around. Accidentally, someone threw it into the river (right behind our yard) and it was gone :( It was a pretty sad day.

I saw THIS give away today and enjoyed reminiscing old times. I would love to have my son grow up throwing one of these around in our yard. I just wanted to pass this link along and let you know they are awesome! I hope I win.

Check this out.

2010-03-29T10:08:00.001-07:00

Once again, I love notebooks! THIS one caught my eye.

What a fun idea for scrap fabric. I like the patchwork one of the left. I save scraps of fabric for projects like this.

Serger Basic Tips - Starting and Ending a seam

2010-03-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Starting a seam hiding the loose serger thread:

Start your seam holding the loose thread out to the side.

Take the thread and bring it forward.

Cross it over the new seam and serge over it.

Your finished seam should look something like the above picture. A nice finished edge.

Ending a seam and the loose serger thread:

Serge to the end of your stitching line.

Give your thread a little slack by pushing your finger against the two needle threads. You will need this slack for flipping your fabric over. Turn your fabric over (keeping the end as close to the needles as possible) and 180 degrees. You will make your finishing stitches over what you've just stitched. Stitch down a few inches and cut off extra (I still like to tie my extra in a knot).

Oh the Frustration!

2010-03-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

I've been working on more lunch bags to put in my Etsy shop. Isn't this one cute? It's my favorite fabric of the ones I've made so far. I was really excited to work on and finish this one.

As I was looking over the whole bag to make sure everything was perfect, I noticed "it". It being a small slit/hole in the waterproof lining! AHH! All that time and precision for nothing. There was nothing I would have done to create that hole in the process of sewing and then I remembered back to when I purchased the fabric . . . (story below the pictures).
I looked and saw something. Looking a little closer there's no way I would miss it.

A small whole that might as well have been a GIANT hole.

I purchased just under a yard of my waterproof nylon lining at Jo Ann fabric. When I got home I put it on my counter top to cut the pattern out. I noticed small little cuts/slits throughout the fabric. I was very un-pleased and decided to take the fabric back the next day (since it was too late that night - Sad, what a wasted project night). I didn't want to pay for a big chunk of fabric when I had to cut around holes and not get my money's worth.

I took the fabric back and re-bought it as a remnant. Everything under 1 yard at Jo Ann's is made into a remnant and sold at 50% off the original price. I knew this because I used to work there years ago! After the return, I told them I would buy the piece as a remnant and explained I didn't want to pay full price for a piece of fabric that would be wasted in most spots. They helped me re-purchase the fabric (that's was another huge fiasco I won't get into here).

With my newly purchased remnant, I took the fabric home and began to salvage what I could out of the fabric. Apparently, I didn't look close enough when I cut out the pieces for my adorable orange bag :( I overlooked one small slit and now my bag won't be listed on Etsy.

My husband has some silicone waterproofing glue he uses to fix tears or rips in his backpacking tents. He says it dried clear and I can close off the hole in my bag. I believe I will seal it off this evening when he gets home :)

Egg Face Book

2010-03-21T11:11:00.001-07:00

I have had a quiet book started for little B for close to 9 months now. Wow! Did I just admit to having an unfinished project? I sure did. I've been overloaded with projects I've wanted to make and this book project has been pushed aside. I knew from the get-go that quiet books take time to finish, but I feel like I'm the reason it takes so long.

So, while I'm waiting around to find the best time to continue working on it, I've been keeping my eyes open for "more" (ha ha more isn't what I need right now) page ideas. I came across THIS site today. I love the Easter-ish theme and the fun different faces.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Did someone pinch you today? Well, did you wear green?

Little B was decked out in a green onesie and green flannel jacket (although seriously who needed one today with 60 degree weather! Whoot!). I wore green and so did my husband (after being told he needed to). I wanted to do something special like make sugar cookies or a fun green St Patrick's Day craft, but found myself too busy and got carried away enjoying the nice weather outside. Who can blame me right?

Photo Credit

Pack n' Play sheet

2010-03-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

The plastic mattress pad in a pack n' play shouldn't be slept on - at least in my opinion. I usually bring along a twin sheet or a large baby blanket to put over the mattress. I won't lie, it's a pain and with a child who doesn't stay put in the night it usually comes up. I finally decided to simply make a pack n' play sheet! That way my son would have a sheets the whole night with out getting tangled in them.

I simply measured both sides of the pad.

I used an old twin sheet and used those same measurements. It was 23 by 35. I made sure to use the finished end of the sheet for the top (see below). That way I would already have a finished edge to sew the snaps on.

I simply sewed up the three sides - leaving the already finished end at the top. Serging makes the ends much more finished.

Simply slide the sheet onto the mattress to make sure it fits. If it's a little too loose somewhere just take in that side to make it fit nice and snug.
The opened end needs to have snaps sewn onto it. I haven't quite gotten around to this yet. . . It's my project while watching "my show" tonight.

Doesn't it look so much more comfy?

Duvet Cover - do it yourself!

2010-03-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

A white comforter is a problem! White always gets dirty. At least in my house. I made my own duvet cover to 1 - save money and 2 - protect my Hungarian goose down comforter.

I measured the length of the comforter - roughly 2 1/4 yards. I then purchased about 4 1/2 yards of two different fabrics (front and back). I cut the fabric in half and created a seam on the front and back of my duvet.

I left a bit extra from the front to sew over to the back side. I also top stitched the front and back around the seams for a finished edge.

I hemmed the open ends at the bottom (allowing an opening for putting in and taking out the duvet). I sewed 8-9 snaps along the bottom to close the opening.

How to Make Bias Tape

2010-03-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've been making bias tape at home for a long time. You can get the perfect color you need and it's a lot cheaper than buying the little packets at the store (limited color/no design choice).

This tutorial will be using a half yard of fabric to create 1/2 inch bias tape.

Here we go:
1 - I started with a half yard this time. If you need more (or want an extra abundance of one color/design) you can use a yard. However, this tutorial will not show you how to cut and add the back the extra fabric.

2 - Fold over the ends to make a 45 degree angle. This angle is the "bias". Notice how I folded both sides of the fabric. You should have something that looks like a parallelogram when both sides are folded.

3 - Cut on the fold (pictured below). This will take the folded-in flaps off the parallelogram.

4 - Draw lines 2 inches apart. If you have a rotary cutter clear ruler, use it! I do not and so I cut out a 2" poster board ruler guide for myself. Start measuring from the diagonal line you just cut/created.
Cut off any extra fabric that is not 2" at the end. This strip was just under 2".

5 - Next label each section with numbers. Start on one end of the fabric and number the sections 1, 2, 3, etc. On the other end of the fabric start 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.

*So the far left of the top of your fabric will start with 0, 1, 2, 3, etc. The bottom far left will start 1, 2, 3, etc. The section at the top left starting with 0, will have a 1 at the bottom of that same section. I hope I didn't lose anyone.

6- Bring your fabric around to create a "crooked tube" - if you will. Match the numbers up with their correct number. The section with zero will not match up to another number.
7 - *Pin the lines together. Make sure lines match up exactly!! This is very important to ensure correct width of bias tape for the whole length.

*I've found matching lines up about a quarter inch (my seam allowance) below the raw edge of the fabric helps keep lines in a straight line. Once you pin the fabric together 1/4" from raw edge, fold the seam allowance open to make sure lines still match up.

8 - Sew tube closed. You should have one unmatched section at the one end of the finished seam/tube, and another unmatched section at the other end of the seam. (unmatched section pictured below on the far left)
9 - Cut along the lines. If done correctly, you should have one continuous strip of bias tape. Check before cutting!!! If your sections dead end, check steps 6 and 7 again.

10 - Iron bias tape. Fold tape in half and iron. Bring in each raw end to center fold. Iron again. (pictured below).

11- Roll up.

I hope this tutorial helped. Please let me know if you get stumped or confused at any step!

Small Travel Baby Blanket

2010-03-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

My mother in-law made Little B a baby blanket when he was born. I love the fabric choice and the soft minkee on the back. Because there were left over scraps, she left them with me. I decided to make him a smaller blanket for travel and easy carrying. I realize some kids are tied to their blankets and the full blanket can be a big load to take for running errands.

I used the same fabric for the front and then backed it with the minkee - even used the same bias tape. This blanket size is perfect for little B to hold and walk around with.

Here's the original quilt.
Kaleidoscope pattern with bears.

Even though we would snuggle with the big blanket, B liked to hold the smaller one while we read stories. He's now at the age where he's not as interested. I think kids either get attached to a toy or a blanket or they don't. B was one who really didn't. I just had the little one ready in case he did.