Cupcake Bag Done!

I don't even know when I bought this pattern, http://www.auntiestwo.com/pattern.html .  But it is cuter than cute.  My daughter's unbirthday is today, and she is bringing in mini-shortbread cookies to school to celebrate tomorrow.  So although I know cupcakes are more traditional...neither my daughter nor I are.  So the cupcake bag will bring the cookies.  It makes perfect sense to me.

Batik fabric was chosen by dear daughter, new - not from my stash.  I couldn't help it.  The duofuse was not too hard to cut.  I used my new rotary cutter, the TrueCut.  It runs on a track on the edge of a ruler.  Only bummer is that I have only one ruler with the track/rail. 

My projects are getting done, little by little.  Tomorrow, sea turtles for a school play.  

Kelly O'

gathered bag for ID's and things

One gift in a few hours - done. My love of free patterns online found this tutorial:   http://www.noodle-head.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html .  It is cute.  Too bad I'm giving it to a friend.

It definitely feels more substantial than it looks.  I would make the zipper tabs longer so that only fabric catches in the top corner seams.  I added a little tab pull on the side.  Then I serged the inside.  So I made only a few changes.  It is on rare occasion I do anything exactly as written.

reusable snack bags and beyond

I am thoroughly in love with my reusable snack bags.  They make excellent gifts to say a small thanks.  I make them in 2 basic sizes and now a new smaller size to fit the gummy vitamins my kids never have time to eat in the morning.  Plus, it minimizes my scrap waste.  Bonus.

I use cotton or linen...I know linen sounds so rich - but sometimes I get it very inexpensive.  So why not?  I've also used some organic cottons with Dr. Seuss' Lorax design from http://www.fabric.com/ .  It is my favorite go to online store for awesome pricing.

Mardi Gras recently passed, and of course the school celebrated with donuts.  So I baked some "donuts" for my kids and figured the teachers needed a baked donut too.  My children tell me their teachers do use their bags.  A sweet girl in my son's class also has some - her mom was kind enough to pass down some uniform sweaters to us when the store was out of them, so of course she got some from us!  She uses them too.  It makes me happy to know they are being used.

I think it is the best compliment to a sewer to use or wear whatever is sewn and given to them. 

Baby Boy Bibs & Buying More Fabric

Yes, I know I said I wouldn't buy more fabric, but 2 weeks ago there was a $1/yard sale at a local quilt store.  Of course, I went to the wrong store, and bought a quilt kit for a large chunk of change.  Then, as if in a sugar coma, I went to the correct store, and bought only from the $1/yard bin.  I bought mostly quilting cottons.  But one piece was a gorgeous ultra-suede in a rich cherry.  I walked out with a heavy bag of fabric for $20.  Fortunately, my daughter brought a big book.

I have been using a lot of my existing though, so I feel justified.  I have made a bunch of boy bibs - I can't recommend the pattern enough for sewing for a baby boy.  Dude Babies by Vanilla House Designs  http://www.vanillahousedesigns.com/p189-dude-babies/  is an awesome pattern.  There's been a bunch of baby boys being born lately and this fits the cute factor times 100!  Everyone who has received one loves them.  I've been using my current stash for them too.  Bonus.  I modified the pattern though, to make it easier.  I traced the cowboy and mr. formal piece and attached it to the pattern piece to make one panel, not 2. Then I cut multiple layers so I can make 3 at a time.  Fruity fabric makes for a cute tie too.  Maybe I'll grab some fabric with lemons on it for the sheriff badge - when I'm off my self imposed fabric diet.

Kelly O'

Recycled Suede Pouch

I read Handmade Chic: Fashionable Projects That Look High-End, Not Homespun by Laura Bennett, and was driven to make something with recycled leather or suede.  I was inspired by a dear sewing friend who showed up to a dinner party wearing a scumptious leather coat, from a thrift store.  As in her book, Laura suggests reusing a leather coat.  So I hit one of my favorite cheapy thrift stores, and bagged 2 suede jackets, a mint one for $4, and a cherry suede coat for $8.  For the past 2 ballet classes, I have been ripping seams on the mint one.  People were asking what for.  I had no idea.  But yesterday after cleaning my sewing cave, I was inspired to make something quick.  So I grabbed her book, and made a suede pouch.  I modified the zipper.   It is my new thing to do.  I put fabric tab attachments to extend the zipper.  This way, there is no possibility of sewing over the zipper or the zipper tape in the corner seam.  Although the book has you tuck the zipper tape under, and have a tiny gap at each corner.  Granted I should have used a bigger zipper, but in 30 minutes, this is not bad for a make up bag.  BTW, I do recommend the 3 M tape she suggests.  I didn't use it, and my leather moved while sewing (you cant really use pins, and my clothes pins didn't cut it either.)

Reusable Snack Bags

I had to throw in some reusable organic fabric snack bags for the brothers to the new sister.  I know the mom is into organic, and the boys are are good age for Lorax stuff by Seuss.  So I'm throwing 4 into the care package (leopard newborn dress).

My 2 lovely children were previously cyberschooled at home, and we used them occasionally.  They're in a private school now and use 3 per day - each of them!  That would be 15 plastic bags each week.  That would be over 1000 plastic bags each school year - not including camp.  Crazy.  So I started making them, for us, for gifts, and sometimes for makeup.  I do not use hook and look tape (velcro) because 1) I hate sewing the hook part, 2) it snags everything in the washer, 3) over time the plastic degrades around the stitching, 4) it is plastic.  Why use plastic velcro to save some bags?  Granted you do resuse these, and it is unsanitary to reuse plastic bags.

I usually use thicker cotton muslin (unbleached) for my bags.  But this pairing is so fun.

I use a generous 2 inch eyeballed foldover flap.  The kids haven't told me of any problems, nor have I had problems either.  Yes, I use them too.

Baby Day Gown and Diaper Cover

Well, I love e-patterns, and I love free patterns; therefore, I love free-e patterns!

A big thank you to the following for providing me with a nice easy quick project for a new baby girl born this week to friends:  Sew-Much-Ado.com and DanaMadeIt.com.  links:  infant peasant dress free pattern  and diaper cover tutorial and free pattern

Copper Dupioni Dress done!

Well, I got it done.  In time too.  The buttons were a hassle to find.  I asked a real person at Michael's.  They told me they don't have them.  But I've bought them before there.  So I found them in the sewing section.  I don't know why I bother asking anymore.  I made a new petticoat to poof out the dress too.  Not the greatest I've ever done, but it did the job it was intended, and no raw edges!  The dress does not photograph nearly as well as in person.  But I think that happens with dupioni sometimes.  I used every Crystal AB hot fix stone (glass) I own.  Must buy more.  I buy off of ebay, from Taiwan.  It takes 3 weeks to arrive, but very sparkly.  ONE project done...so many more to do. 

Finishing Sewing Projects One at a Time

Yes on this dreary Monday I am finally starting my blog.  Topic of conversation: Finishing Sewing Projects.

I have been slowly cleaning and reorganizing my sewing area in the bat cave of my basement.  I am surprised to find that I have many unfinished objects.  Yes UFOs.  My dear hubby (DH) thinks I made this acronym up.  OH NO, there are many of us with the greatest of aspirations when we enter the fabric store.  I have silk, cashmere, cotton batiste, and linen that is just sitting in my dungeon.  Well, some is there, some is in my bedroom tall-boy, and some is in my buffet server in the dining room.  It likes to travel.

I must inventory everything I want to finish/start and then finish.  Currently I'm working on a beautiful OLD Butterick pattern for my daughter's Father-Daughter Dance this upcoming weekend.  It is so cute with a batteau neck, and a center panel.  I am using dupioni silk cream with a sheer netting with cream floating flowers for the center panel.  The rest is in dupioni bronze.  Yes I know not a color you immediately think about for an 8 year old.  But I had it, almost 1.5 yards and 54 inches wide.   So not enough for any dress patterns I had or could find, without going skimpy on the width of the skirt or the length.  The pattern is only a size 6, my dear daughter (DD) is slight of frame and measures for a size 5, but longer.  So I have adjusted the pattern as best as I could.  I would like to finish most of it today...but I don't have enough buttons in the right size...and we all know what that means...a trip to the fabric store...I shall not buy what I do not need.

Kelly O'