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Are you ready to hit the beach? Maybe the swimming pool? Make your trip easier with this beach bag.
Oh wait, that’s not all… it folds out into a full-sized towel!
Now your kids can carry their own stuff to the beach – or just down the street to the neighbor’s backyard pool.
Available now in my shop, or stay tuned for a tutorial tomorrow to make your own!
(Tutorial is posted here)
Tags: beach towel, sewing, shop
I am lucky enough to have an entire day for sewing. Mondays are my day. My mom takes my daughters and I get to work work work. Most days I get a lot done. Some days I don’t. Today seems to be one of those “don’t” days.
Here’s what I’m working on:
a diaper bag for a good friend. A “must-do-today” kind of thing, considering the fact that her water broke this morning. Do you see the problem here though? Let me help you out with the dimensions.
That’s right. I turned all of the pieces sideways when sewing the inside, so it’s 2″ smaller than the outside. You’ve heard the saying “snug as a bug in a rug?” Well, that saying did not apply here.
Not great. So, I started unpicking the side, cut it off, and sewed it back up. I wasn’t having the best day. Until the mail came. And look what arrived for me today!
New labels.
Lots of woven labels.
Of course, they came in a little cardboard box. I can’t leave them in there… not pretty enough for the labels, you know? Good thing I’ve got an infant in the house.
An infant who is eating semi-solid foods right now. Thank you Gerber for your awesome plastic (not glass) stackable containers! Instead of ending up in a landfill, these will be on my shelf showcasing my pretty little woven labels.
And they look great on my products! So excited to get them on some little clothing items…
Tags: diaper bag, labels, sewing
Since Lottie got a new quilt, Kels had to have something, right? So I made her a cute Spring coat.
Sure, I made one for Lottie quite a while ago, but I think Kelsey’s is cuter. I used a little Marabella fabric by Amy Hamberlin. (Who, coincidentally, I just finished testing a pattern for – super cute dress, and I’ll post a pattern review after they are released. She has quite a few new patterns coming out soon.)
With a little Art Gallery Girly Girl for the lining.
I am in love with Art Gallery’s new soft cottons. They feel a little silky almost. I used their Sugar line for the dress I made Kels. I will post how cute that turned out soon… just need to get some pictures.
I’m also {slightly} obsessed with cover buttons. I am using them on everything! Good thing I’ve got me a supplier to buy them on the cheap. Is it abnormal to have a gross of them on my shelf?
Purple is a great color on my little Bug. She’s getting so big now. Sitting up on her own and everything. Of course, this was a revelation to me this week when I finally saw her do it. I got all excited and shouted for everyone in my family to see. It was not really a big deal to them. I brought her home and told her to show daddy what she could do. He looked at me like I was crazy. Turns out, she’s been doing it for a while – just not in front of me!
Tags: sewing
Here is another project I have been working on for quite a while now. I bought the fabric about a year ago to make a quilt for my little Lottie. I was planning her new bedroom for when we move her out of the nursery. We’re still planning that – just working on finishing the basement so we can move my sewing studio/office downstairs and put her in this bedroom.
The lady at the fabric store thought I was a little crazy. I was looking for the perfect shades of blue, pink, green and orange. I think it’s the orange that threw her. She kept trying to talk me out of it; kept telling me that orange would just ruin the finished product. Well, I’m pretty sure I proved her wrong with this:
Okay, some people might not like the orange – but trust me! With the room all decorated it will look awesome.
This was the first {real} quilt I have ever made from start to finish. After I pieced it together, I machine quilted it using the directions here. It really wasn’t that bad. Although, I tried out using the contrasting brown thread on swatches of all of the fabrics, and I loved it. I’m not so in love with it when it’s all over the quilt. I think it’s a little too busy (and also easier to see my mistakes). But, I did have fun adding little personalized touches like her name,
the word love, a flower, some hearts and
If you know me, you know how I love giraffes. Of course, I had to put that touch in there for her too.
I took it outside to take some pictures. After I started snapping away, I looked at what I had just taken and found this one:
I guess she didn’t want to let it out of her sight… after all, it is hers! She loved climbing up on my lap while I was binding it. Or sitting on my feet and wrapping it around her.
I have discovered that quilting is addicting. I already have a top put together for Kelsey’s quilt and I want to get it done right away so I can start one for my bedroom. I’ve already got an idea of what I want for when we redecorate. And by redecorate I mean actually decorate. We haven’t done anything in that room since we moved in 3 1/2 years ago. I’ve got an inspiration picture and a gallon of paint just waiting. Now if I could only find the time.
I tried my hand at making camera strap covers a few weeks ago. After all, who wants a plain old black strap with the manufacturer’s name in big bold letters? I love the way they turned out! they slide over your camera strap to not only make it look better, but cushion your neck as well. I’ll be listing these in my etsy shop. I’m also thinking of some business card holders to match…
To celebrate this new item, I’m joining in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!
I will choose two winners to each receive a camera strap cover in their choice of fabric. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and I will pick two random winners on Thursday, May 20th! If you win, you can choose any of the straps pictured above.
Edited: This giveaway is now closed. Click here for the winners.
No? Is that because you have better things to do than ponder new bags I have been working on since January? That’s right, way back on January 9th I said I’d introduce you to Penny “sometime next week.”
Well, I didn’t forget Penny. She just needed a little refinement before being brought out into society. But she’s ready now.
May I present:
Penny
She’s a cross-shoulder “mail bag.” Which is why I could only think of the name Newman way back when I was picturing her in my head. {You know, Newman from Seinfeld?} Yeah, this bag is way too classy for that. She can be worn across the shoulder, but she’s not too tall to drape on one:
She’s casual enough to go everywhere with you… from the laundromat to the movies… and classy enough to go out at night. A button closure keeps all your belongings secure in style.
With an extra wide strap, she’ll be comfortable even when you fill her up! And she’s got plenty of room inside to pack her full of stuff.
Big enough you can even carry several books… with pockets to keep your cell phone, keys and a pen handy at all times. And of course, a zippered pocket to contain anything you may want to keep secret!
This particular version, in black and white with a touch of pink, was created especially for Kate, who named Penny. She may be the only one who jumped up and yelled “YES” when I asked if anyone remembered Penny. She picked the fabrics about two months ago, and has been so patient while Penny was perfected. I can’t wait to get this bag to her and see what she thinks!
Penny will be listed for sale soon in my shop, along with a few other goodies I’ve been working on today. More on those soon.
P.S. – I hope you can appreciate the crispness of the seams on Penny. I learned that everything looks better when you press the seams. Although my foot does not thank me for learning that lesson. Today my foot learned the lesson that hot irons leave a mark…
Yesterday as I sewed, I was using a new (to me) material.
I was at the fabric store with my mom on Saturday, and I was picking up some buckram to stabilize my new wallet design. I’ve used buckram before, and it’s pretty sturdy. Gives you just a little bend, but still helps hold a shape. I thought I would try it out in this wallet (which I will show off soon). The amazing woman cutting for us suggested I try something else.
Peltex.
If you’ve never sewed with this before, you have no idea why it’s so scary. If you have – you might have an idea of my woes.
*Side note: I was shopping at JoAnn Fabric. Some of you might be amazed that the woman behind the counter did anything but cut my fabric. But she did. She spent time helping my mom figure out cushion covering issues, then complimented mom’s purse and started talking to me about the purses I was making when she found out I had made it. She talked to me for quite a while and suggested a few things. Great customer service!
Anyway – this woman told me it was kind of tough to sew Peltex, and she gave me some pointers. I used big stitches first, then went back and used my regular stitch. It worked really well. Luckily I was only sewing straight lines on this one.
While I didn’t have any troubles sewing it – forget about pinning it! This stuff is so thick that even if I got a pin through it, it would be so puckered I wouldn’t be able to sew a straight line. So, I had to think creatively. Maybe I’m not the first one to figure this out, but I thought I’d share with those who may not have thought of it.
Bobby Pins!
They held the thick layers of fabric together better than they ever held my hair where I wanted it.
And see how straight that fabric is before going under the presser foot? No more little wiggly lines where I didn’t quite get the pin out soon enough to press it flat again before going under the needle.
Now, instead of the bathroom cupboard, my little box of bobby pins resides next to my box of straight pins in the sewing room.
Give it a try, I think you’ll like it!
Tags: sewing, Tips & Tricks
If there’s anything a good crafty blog has, it’s some tutorials. This is new to me. I’m not new to blogging – I’ve been keeping my family blog for quite a while now. But crafty blogs are new to me. I discovered them just last October (I know… I must have been living in a cave before then). See, I had my second daughter in September. And the day before I had her, my husband gave me an iPhone. Hours a day cuddling and nursing a newborn + an extra hand with an iPhone in it = bloggy goodness.
I discovered the world of craft blog tutorials. I was in heaven! Who knew that there could be such a wealth of information out there, just waiting to be explored? Obviously everyone else in the world knew this and I am just a little late to the party. Well, here’s to being fashionably late, but still bringing a treat for everyone to munch on…
On to the tutorial.
A few weeks ago I made a car seat tent for my little Bug’s car seat. I saw one covering a car seat one day at church, and I thought it was wonderful. So I went to JoAnn and picked up some flannel while it was on sale. 1 1/2 yards of two matching prints. At $2 a yard, the whole thing ended up costing me just $6!
Step 1: Square up your fabric. Or rather, rectangle up. Just even out those cut edges and cut off the selvage. I used my pinking rotary cutter. I use that to cut just about everything. LOVE IT! Then, sew the two pieces together, right sides out.
Step 1
You could also do this by sewing the right sides together, leaving a 4″ opening to turn, turning it right side out, and then topstitching around the edge, closing the opening as you go. But then you’d have to sew all the way around it twice – and I was just plain lazy that night.
Do a random stitch (I did an X from corner to corner, but you could do a heart, a circle, or random squiggles) in the middle of your big rectangle. This will keep it from shrinking up funny when you wash and dry it. Then you can snip around the edges of the rectangle, being careful not to cut the seam. This will let it fray and look really cool, as opposed to fraying and coming apart at the seam.
Step 2: Cut out two strips from each fabric, 2 1/2″ by 6″. These will end up being the handles to attach the big rectangle to your car seat.
Step 2a
Then sew these together, right sides in. Why the difference? Because the outside edges of the main rectangle are going to fray, and I thought it would be more difficult to attach it to the car seat handle if it was all frayed. Plus, these are a lot smaller, so I didn’t mind sewing around them twice. ; )
Step 2b
Step 3: Attach the buttonhole foot to your sewing machine.
Step 3
If I just lost you there, don’t worry – I have an alternative to share. But really, don’t be afraid of the buttonhole! (Most) machines these days do all of the work for you. You just stick the button to the attachment and hold your fabric so it goes in a straight line. Easy-peasy. If you’re still afraid, here’s your alternative:
Velcro
Either way, attach a button to each strip – either to go through the buttonhole, or opposite the side you used Velcro on to make it look like it attaches with a button.
Step 4: Measure where your handles should attach to the cover. I did this by draping it over the top and marking where it hit with a pin.
Step 4
Then I wanted to make sure they were even and straight, so I laid the rectangle out, grabbed my ruler, lined it up on the top edge and measured down. I ended up sewing mine on at about 21″ from the top to fit nicely over my car seat. Pin the handles down in a straight line along the edge of your ruler. (6″ apart worked just perfectly.)
Step 4b
Step 5: Sew handles to cover. I didn’t get a picture of this step, but if you’ve made it this far with me, sewing a two inch straight(ish) line shouldn’t be that bad. I just hit reverse on my machine twice and sewed across each one four times to make sure it was on strong.
Car Seat Tent
Then all that’s left is to button it to the handle of your car seat! My Bug loves it because it doesn’t cover her face. I love it because it keeps the cold breeze off her face. And we get plenty of cold breeze in our Utah winters. It’s also great because I don’t have to carry an extra blanket that she would just end up kicking off the car seat. When I need to feed her, I just un-button the cover and use it to cover us.
Like I said, mine is simple because I’m not a frilly kind of girl – although I do become more frilly each day as I raise two little girls. But you could kick this basic tent up a notch by using a few different fabrics on top and sewing ric-rac over the border, sewing a patchwork top and quilting the whole thing, or by making a rag quilt and attaching the handles where two of your rows meet up. Or just keep it simple like mine so you can finish in under 30 minutes.
Penny and I are in a fight. Remember that from when you were kids? How you and your best friend would be “in a fight” so you’d go find a new “best friend” until you suddenly were bff’s with your old best friend again? Well, that’s what it’s like for Penny and me right now. We’re in a fight – but don’t worry, I have a feeling that we’ll make up pretty soon. (And by that, I mean I figured out how to fix her so she’s exactly what I want her to be – which is what being a bff is all about when you’re 5. So, obviously I’m a five-year-old this week.)
Anyway, while I was fighting with Penny, I saw this post about a cute toddler skirt. I loved the fabrics, so while I was at my local quilt shop I picked up a charm pack of L’Amour by Moda and made a skirt for my Bear. (She’s not quite two, so she hasn’t quite learned yet that she needs to strike a pose that accentuates the skirt when mama’s using her as a model!)
So cute, and perfect for Valentine’s Day. I have plenty of fabric left to make one for her little sister, so I think I’ll take some pictures along the way with that one and post a tutorial!
