{lbg studio}

crochet - kid's cowl

2012-01-30T14:11:00.000-06:00

I've been doing a little crochet here and there. If I ever upgrade from the plastic Walmart bag I've been using to store my yarn/hooks, I hope to start taking crochet projects on the road with me. I spend a fair amount of time in waiting rooms while my daughter does her speech, OT, and PT sessions and figure that crocheting would be a better use of my "free" time than surfing the web via iPhone. Anywho, I wanted to make a cowl for my for my kiddo after seeing this and this on Pinterest. Unfortunately, as it goes with most things I make for the little stinker, she ran screaming from it when I attempted putting the cowl on her. Sigh. So, it will be passed along to a friend instead. I did manage to get a few photos when I bribed her with an episode of Bubble Guppies. This kid will do anything for a Bubble Guppy fix. The shirt she's wearing is a Figgy's Ayashe blouse I made using a Liberty print. I haven't started the skirt yet so I'll save the scoop on the pattern until that's done!

In case anyone else wants to whip one of these {quick and easy even for someone like me, who only sort of knows how to crochet}, here's what you need:

- The Bella Warmer crochet pattern by The Velvet Acorn - includes 2 sizes and how to add a cute pom pom tie which I skipped because I was lazy :)

-Lion Brand Wool-ease Thick and Quick yarn in Fisherman {got mine at Hobby Lobby}

-Lion Brand Hometown in Monterey Lime and New Orleans French Berry {Walmart}

I'm really loving mixing neutrals with pops of bright colors, hence the stripes. Skip the stripes and you have an even faster project.

One last thing...remember this bag??? Well, I've got a pattern in the works. It will include lots of extras like tips on sewing with leather/suede and working with metal zippers, etc. I'm excited to say the least and can't wait to get it finished.

better late than never. . .

2012-01-18T22:47:00.000-06:00

I'm kinda behind in getting this post up but absolutely had to share this awesome handmade gift I received for Christmas from my cool friend, Amy. See, she knows me quite well. She knows that I really want to be organized and more efficient and being so very thoughtful, made and sent these gorgeous goodies. The pincushion/organizer fits nicely right in front of my sewing machine. Amy also sent along some pattern weights which are new to me but fun to play with. I spared you the chaos of my sewing room and photographed these lovelies in a better place. A clean place....lol.

I'm also sharing a little photo tip today! I was in a hurry to get the photos above taken and couldn't wait for the sun to cooperate with me. I pretty much only have one window that works for me when it comes to taking photos and the sun was glaring through it at the time. So, I used the translucent part of my 5 in 1 reflector to diffuse the harsh direct sunlight/shadows coming through my window. This reflector is just about the handiest thing ever. I usually use the white reflector side to help brighten things up {especially when taking photos of the kiddo} but the diffuser is really useful as well. I've tried taping white tissue paper to this window before, which works; but takes a lot more time and effort. Seriously, if you've got an extra $9 burning a hole in your pocket and need a little help when it comes to your photography, grab one of these! There are several different brands and sizes available but I find the one I have to be a good size...I can hold it with one hand if need be and shoot with the other.

before:

after:

valentine's day freebie

2012-01-11T23:16:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling kind of bleh about sewing at the moment so I've been playing around with Photoshop instead. I'm learning lots through trial and error :) Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I came up with some wallet-sized card templates and digital scrapbook paper for anyone that wants to make their own photo cards or other Valentine's Day themed projects.

These templates/papers were created in Photoshop CS5 and should work with recent versions of PSE as well. They're high res files {300 dpi} for printing but can be easily resized for web use. I tried to design the card templates with die cutting in mind so you should have some wiggle room for that if you go that route. Also, the card templates are fully layered, contain clipping masks, and are easy to customize. . . you can change colors/text/etc.

Download card templates/papers here:

I Heart You Card
Happy Valentine's Day Card
XOXO Card

Red/White Hearts Paper
Pink/White Hearts Paper

Fonts are not included but can be found:
Bebas Neue
Impact Label Reversed

If you're looking for a photo printing company, Mpix offers die cut wallet photos!

Terms of Use:

Please do not sell or claim these files as your own.
Please do not share the actual files-direct people to this post so they can download the files.
Personal use and limited commercial use only. Photographers may use these files to create printed items or flattened files for their clients.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me :)

holiday wishes and other bits of info

2011-12-23T12:09:00.000-06:00

Above is the Christmas card I sent out this year and I wanted to share it with all of you! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that you get to spend some quality time with loved ones. I'm going to take a bit of a break and probably won't post again until after the new year. The last few weeks have been insane {busted water heater, flooded laundry room, car wreck. . . eek!} and I really look forward to some down time. Can't wait to see what the new year brings!

Just for fun - a little behind-the-scenes action. The whole process of getting a decent photo to put on a Christmas card didn't go exactly how I planned. When the leaves first started to change color, I had grand plans of doing a styled photo shoot in a pretty location with lots of trees and piles of leaves. Yeah, that didn't happen. In a moment of desperation, I grabbed the hat and cardigan out of the closet, threw them on the kiddo {she still had her pj pants on}, taped a piece of white foam core board to the fridge as a backdrop, and hoped for the best.

The unedited outtakes. . .

{window light/white reflector / lens sigma 30mm 1.4 / settings: 30mm - iso 400 - 1/80 - f/3.2}

A few announcements:

-The winner of the Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders book giveaway is Anita / Comment #44. Congrats! I'll be contacting you in just a bit :)

-If you're needing some last minute gifts or hope to do some sewing over the weekend, make sure to stop by KeykaLou Patterns. She is retiring 16 of her patterns on 1/1/12 and they are on sale for only $3 til then.

-I'm having a little sale too! My 2 in 1 Bag pattern is only $6 through this weekend only. Merry Christmas!

fabric-by-fabric one yard wonders book: a sneak peak and a giveaway

2011-12-19T09:47:00.001-06:00

I recently received a copy of Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins in the mail from Storey Publishing {more on that later}. This book is huge! It contains 101 sewing projects {106 if you purchase your book at Barnes and Noble} organized by fabric type...everything from cottons to oilcloth and everything in between. You'll also find useful information about the various fabric types available and how best to work with them. The book includes illustrated instructions, cutting layouts, pattern pieces, and all projects use just a single yard of fabric! If you're into sewing at all, you'll definitely want to add this book to your Christmas wish list.

I was contacted by the authors several months ago and asked if I'd like to contribute a project to the book to be included in the Barnes and Noble bonus section. Of course I said yes! I was more than thrilled to be a part of this awesome book. There's my project below...a meal planning organizer with tips to make it using laminated cotton/oil cloth.

How would you like to have your own copy of Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders?? Storey Publishing is generously offering up a copy to one of you!

The fine print. . . Giveaway is now closed!

~~-you will need a US mailing address to be eligible to win~~
~~-please make sure that I have a way to contact you should you be chosen the winner!~~
~~-leave a comment telling me your sewing/crafting goals are for next year!~~
~~-for an optional extra entry, become a follower of this blog and leave me a comment letting me know. If~~
~~already follow along, that's fine too!~~
~~-winner will be chosen via random.org~~
~~-GIVEAWAY ends Thursday, December 22nd at 10pm cst or thereabouts~~

For more book photos/info/author interviews/giveaways, etc check out the Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard

Wonders Blog Tour and Facebook Page:

12/12/2011 Becka's Project Journal
12/13/2011 Craft Buds
12/14/2011 Patch Work Duck Designs
12/15/2011 A Spoonful of Sugar
12/15/2011 Nifty Kidstuff
12/15/2011 Becka's Project Journal
12/16/2011 Nom Nom Nom Nom
12/16/2011 Quaint and Quirky
12/17/2011 ikatbag
12/17/2011 Two Brown Birds
12/18/2011 Sharon Sews
12/19/2011 LBG Studio
12/19/2011 Carolina Fair Designs
12/19/2011 Under Construction
12/20/2011 Little Blue Cottage
12/21/2011 Craftzine
12/21/2011 Neuroses Galore
12/21/2011 Emily Steffen
12/22/2011 Jenna Lou Loves You
12/23/2011 Spincushion
12/27/2011 One Inch World
12/28/2011 Sew Sew Etc.
January ‘12 Lu Lu Carter
January ’12 Fiberosity
January ’12 Zuhause
January ’12 Obsessively Stiching

sms giveaway day winner

2011-12-17T21:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by to enter my SMS Giveaway Day giveaway. And thank you for all the awesome book and movie suggestions! Looks like I definitely need to re-read Pride and Prejudice. Pretty sure that book was mentioned most. Ok, now on to the good stuff. . .

I'll be email you shortly, Kelly. Congrats! Hope you enjoy the cowl and bag. Many of you mentioned interest in a tutorial for the clutch. . . I'll see what I can do about that in the next month or two. Also, just in case anyone was curious and didn't see the link in the giveaway post: I used a pattern by Artsy Crochet called "Leah Infinity Scarf" to crochet the cowl.

sew,mama,sew giveaway day 2011!!!

2011-12-12T10:37:00.002-06:00

Giveaway is now closed! Winner announced here!

It's that time again. . . gotta love Giveaway Day! If this is new to you, make sure to stop by the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog and check out all the other giveaways going on. Some changes have been made to how this all works this year but I think you'll find it will be easier to participate.

I've made two items to giveaway today. . .

-a super cozy, fuzzy, and warm cowl in light grey with a white contrast stripe. The cowl is long enough to be worn several ways and is made from a really soft alpaca/acrylic blend yarn. It's machine washable to boot. Though I would suggest laying flat to dry.

-a pretty fold over zip clutch made using my current favorite fabric and I experimented by adding a metal zip and suede corners. It is full lined with grey duck cloth. I'm seriously in love with it and plan to make another for myself!

{pattern used for cowl: leah infinity scarf by artsy crochet}

Giveaway Details: Giveaway is now closed!

~~one entry per person~~
~~please leave one comment telling me your favorite book {or movie if you don't read}. I'm always on the look out for new stuff to read!~~
~~winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org~~
~~make sure I have a way to contact you in case you are the winner. if you are a 'no-reply comment' blogger, leave your email addy in the comment!~~
~~giveaway ends Friday, Dec 16th at 5 pm pst~~
~~winner will be announced/contacted Saturday, Dec 17th~~
~~due to the weight of the items the giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry :(~~

Thanks and good luck!!

cold hands, warm hearts swap 2011

2011-12-08T09:00:00.002-06:00

I signed up for a fun swap in October and received goodies from my swap partner this week! The theme of the swap was Cold Hands, Warm Hearts and was hosted by much love, illy and sandy a la mode. The participants shared a little about themselves with their partners and then got to work on shopping for some cozy gloves and other fun stuff to send in the mail. Keep an eye out for this swap next year because you should definitely sign up....lots of fun.

I was partnered up with Gina of Acute Designs. Make sure to stop by her blog and check out her latest crafty tutorial! She also has a really cool Etsy shop where you'll find gorgeous jewelry, hair accessories, and pretty things for brides. Gina chose the perfect things to send to me. . . buttons {perfect for a sewing junkie, right?}, pretty earrings from her shop, an amazing coffee mug from Anthropologie along with some of her fav coffee flavors, book plates in a really sweet holder, and the softest convertible mittens in my favorite color. Seriously, how lucky am I?? I'm so glad I signed up for this swap and that I got to make a new blog friend.

handmade holidays giveaway: winner!

2011-11-27T13:37:00.001-06:00

Thank you to everyone for stopping by and entering! Looks like a lot of you have a bunch of sewing to do in the next few weeks. I've got a couple of projects in mind that I'd love to have finished before Christmas. Fingers crossed for all of us :)

Congrats to the winner! I'll be in touch with you shortly. Hope you enjoy the goodies. . .

I really enjoyed reading what all of you were planning on making so I thought I'd share what I have in the works. I finally got the last bit of my fabric in the mail yesterday - I'm ready to get started! I've had some of the stuff below in my stash for a while now and some I recently ordered. The Liberty print {so pretty, right!?} was sent to me by my friend, Lyann; who picked it up in London. The pretty blue cord was a gift from my mum; she brought it from Germany on her last visit. When I spotted the new patterns by Figgy's, I knew I'd found the perfect project for these fabrics. The Liberty print will become the cute top below and the cord will be made into the skirt. And I'm pretty sure I'll have to pick up these boots to complete the look.

The second outfit I'll be making for my kiddo includes an Oliver + S's Ice Cream dress and a coat made using Dear My Kid's Double Breasted Coat pattern. I'm using some really soft Anna Maria Horner voile I received from my sponsor, Modern Fabric Studio for the dress and ordered some straw colored cord from Joann's for the coat. Not sure yet what I'll line the coat with. . .

I'm sure I'll be working on some other stuff as well but I'm really excited about these projects!!

handmade holidays: a giveaway

2011-11-21T09:04:00.002-06:00

Along with two of my fab sponsors, Pinked Fabrics and Gingercake Patterns; I've put together a little giveaway to help out one lucky winner in handmaking some of their gifts this year. Christmas is right around the corner so time is running out. I'm hoping to make a couple of new outfits for my little one. Fingers crossed!

On to the good stuff. . . one winner will receive the following items:

Gingercake Patterns

Your choice of any {3} pdf sewing patterns from Gingercake Patterns.

Seriously cute patterns here, people. I've made several and I've always loved the end result!

Pinked Fabrics

$20 store credit to Pinked Fabrics {store credit does not include international shipping!}

You'll find tons of great fabrics to choose from as well as cool sewing patterns and trims like the chevron twill tape pictured below.

{lbg studio}

A copy of my Convertible Clutch pdf sewing pattern.

{psst. . . a new pattern is in the works. It will be making an appearance early next year!}

Also, my pattern is on sale this week!! Pick it up for $6.50. . . sale ends Saturday, November 26th. The pattern is available via instant download here or in my Etsy shop.

Giveaway details: Closed! I will announce the winner in the morning :)

~~Please leave one comment on this post sharing what you plan on sewing/making to give as gifts this year!~~
~~Make sure to include a way to get in touch with you in case you are the winner. If I can't easily track you down, I'll have to choose another winner.~~
~~Giveaway is open until Saturday, November 26th at 10 pm cst and is open to anyone. *please keep in mind that the $20 store credit to Pinked Fabrics does not cover international shipping~~
~~Winner will be chosen randomly via random.org~~

Also. . .Keyka Lou Patterns, Modern Fabric Studio, and Noodlehead are having great sales this week. Make sure to check those out if you're shopping for fabric/patterns!!!

I wish everyone celebrating this week a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday :)

digital freebie - ps/pse storyboard templates

2011-11-06T01:34:00.001-05:00

I've pretty much been in hibernation since the cold weather hit. Between dealing with a lingering head cold and wanting to burrow under the covers, I haven't sewn a thing in a while. Since I don't have any sewing/crafting type stuff to share, I thought I'd offer up another digital freebie in the form of storyboard templates. I created these to use for my blog posts and for photo sharing on Facebook so I just tweaked them a bit to get them ready to share with you. These *should* work in recent versions of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements - I used Photoshop CS5 to make them and gave them a quick test in PS Elements 9. Hopefully these will come in handy for you. I'm not going to do a full tutorial on how to use these. . . if some of you are interested in that, I'll consider doing another post with a step by step :)

Both templates are fully layered psd files {web resolution / 72 dpi} with built in clipping masks {I really love working with clipping masks!}. . . all you have to do is place your photos where you want them. As you can see in the screenshot below, make sure to click on the layer "place photo # here" that corresponds to the square you want the photo to show up in. Once that layer is highlighted, go to 'file', choose place, and from there open the photo you want to use. It will automatically be placed in the correct spot. Adjust the size and placement of the photo you just placed until you get it just right. Then go to the next photo layer and repeat.

The first storyboard {below} is actually sized for Facebook's new larger photo format: 960px x 630px but can be easily resized to something smaller if you want to use it for blog posts. Click here to download.

The second storyboard is sized 700 px by 700 px. In my example below, I chose to make one of the squares a color block instead of using 4 photos. Just one of many options. Click here to download. Enjoy!

2011-10-31T14:31:00.000-05:00

and we have a winner! {finally. . . }

2011-10-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in getting a winner drawn and announced for the 12 Gifts of Christmas giveaway sponsored by Pink Castle Fabrics. My internet was down this morning. It was pretty much the end of the world for me. . . which is kinda sad, right?? I also realized after the giveaway had already begun that my comments were no longer numbered. Something I overlooked when I re-designed the blog. So, since Mr.Random chose comment #259 as the lucky winner, I had to look up the proper html code to get those comments numbered! Counting all those comments was not in the cards, folks! Although there were 314 total comments, the last two were not counted as they posted after the giveaway closed. Congrats to Mary for leaving the 259th comment {I've sent your info off to passed along to the sponsor}!! Thank you all so, so much for participating in the blog hop and giveaway. I'm beyond excited with the enthusiasm you've all shared with me about the tutorial. You guys rock!

etcetera. . .

2011-10-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for my 12 Gifts of Christmas Blog Hop tutorial/giveaway, click here!

I've got another giveaway going on over at Kelly Moore's new blog. It ends tomorrow {Oct. 27th} so hurry up and head over to enter lots of awesome photography related goodies. Your choice of any camera strap cover from my shop is one of just many seriously amazing prizes up for grabs. For those unfamiliar with Kelly Moore, she's a photographer who also happens to design awesome camera purses. I shared a post about my Kelly Moore bag here if you want to check that out!

I just updated the shop with a new batch of strap covers. I hope to do a weekly or bi-weekly {prob more realistic!} upload of new strap covers for anyone who's thinking of doing some holiday shopping. If you happen to sew, don't forget that I have a free tutorial so that you can make your own!

12 gifts of christmas blog hop: organizer wallet tutorial and a giveaway

2011-10-25T01:07:00.004-05:00

Hello! Welcome to day 12 of the 12 Gifts of Christmas Blog Hop hosted by the awesome Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts. Have you been following along since day 1?? If not, there's a list of links to all the tutorials at the bottom of this post so go check them out! Today, I'll share a quick/easy/scrap busting tutorial with you. I've done a bit of brain storming since Jennifer invited me to participate and I decided on creating a wallet/organizer that can hold stuff like iPhones, jump drives, memory cards, credit cards, business cards, cash, notes, memo pads, etc. . . . great for the person who needs a little organization. You won't need a lot of fabric for these and they sew up quickly. . . perfect for whipping up last minute Christmas gifts!

Supplies:

fabric (I used 3 different prints but that's optional)
fusible interfacing (I used Pellon 911FF-Featherweight and Pellon Craft Fuse)
cotton batting
thread
5/8" braided or knit elastic
usual sewing supplies: rotary cutter/mat/ruler, scissors, hand sewing needle, soluble fabric pen, pins or binder clips, a walking foot is helpful if you have one
3" x 5" memo pad (I bought mine at Target - Mead brand)
printable pattern piece - download here

A few notes of interfacing:

I used two different fusible interfacings for this project but you can easily substitute what you have on hand. I chose a featherweight interfacing for the pocket pieces to allow a bit of flexibility/ease in the pockets and chose Craft Fuse for the wallet outer/lining pieces to give the wallet more stability.

**Tutorial is for personal use/gifts only! Thanks!**

*sorry for the tutorial photos in advance. I got so caught up in the "process" that I didn't put a lot of thought into my photos. I think there are enough to get the point across though, so not all is lost! Oh and please disregard my nasty ironing board. It's well loved. . .

1/4" seam allowance used throughout the project.

*forgot to include the interfacing piece for the curved pocket in the photo above

Step 1: Cut the following from your fabric/interfacing/etc:

Wallet:

(1) outer wallet fabric: 8.75" wide x 6.25" tall

(1) lining fabric: 8.75" wide x 6.25" tall

(1) batting: 8.75" wide x 6.25" tall

(2) Craft Fuse: 8" wide x 5.75" tall

Card Pocket:

(1) fabric of your choice: 7" wide x 6.25" tall

(1) fusible interfacing: 5.75" wide x 3.25 tall

Memo Pad Pocket:

(1) fabric of your choice: 5.25" wide x 7.5" tall

(1) fusible interfacing: 3.5" wide x 4.5" tall

Curved Pocket

(2) fabric of your choice: use printable pattern piece*

(1) fusible interfacing: cut .25" smaller than pattern piece

*print pattern piece with no scaling at 100%

Elastic:

(1) 6.5" long

*I dyed my elastic yellow using this tutorial here! I used Dylon in Sunflower Yellow and Sew-ology Braided Elastic (purchased at Hobby Lobby).

Step 2: Fusing interfacing/preparing pockets

Now that you've got all your pieces cut, you'll want to fuse interfacing to the corresponding pieces according to the manufacturer's directions.

Main/Lining:

-center the interfacing in the middle of each fabric piece so that you have an even 1/4" border of fabric around the edge. This will help reduce bulk in the seam allowance.

Curved Pocket:

-center interfacing on the fabric piece that will face out once placed onto wallet lining and fuse. Place both curved pocket pieces together (right sides touching) and sew along the curve. Clip curve and flip fabric over so that wrong sides touch. Press. Topstitch along the curve.

Card Pocket:

-fold the fabric piece in half width wise and press to create a crease. Unfold pocket and place interfacing on one side of the pocket-line up edge with the crease. Fuse. Fold pocket piece again (wrong sides touching) and topstitch along the folded edge. Find the center of the pocket and draw a line down the middle.

Memo Pad Pocket:

-fold down the top long edge of the pocket 1/4". Press. Fold pocket piece in half width wise and press. (the 1/4" folded edge will be the top of the pocket). Unfold the pocket piece and place interfacing on the wrong side of fabric. Place the interfacing so that the top edge slides underneath the folded edge of the pocket and so that it lines up with the crease of the pocket. Fuse. Fold pocket in half again and stitch as close to the top edge as possible. See photos below for clarification.

Step 3: Attaching pockets

Place your lining piece right side up. Using the photo above as a guide, place your memo pad pocket on the lining in the bottom right hand corner. The raw edges of the pocket will line up with the right and bottom raw edges of the lining. Pin or clip in place. Sew along the left side of the pocket to the lining, as close to the edge as possible. Make sure to reinforce your stitches at the top of the pocket. Baste around the bottom and right edges of the pocket.

Next, place your card pocket on the left hand side of the lining. Pin or clip in place. Stitch along the line you drew earlier to attach the pocket to the lining and divide it. Baste along the other 3 edges.

Finally, you'll take your curved pocket and place it on top of the card pocket. Pin or clip in place and baste along the sides and bottom of the pocket.

You may find that the pockets stretch a little when being sewn on. If so, flip your lining piece over so that the wrong side is facing up. Using your rotary cutter/ruler, trim off excess pocket using the lining piece as your guide.

Step 4: Attaching elastic

Take your outer wallet piece and place it right side up. If you're using a directional print, make sure it's not upside down. Measure in 1" from the left and make a mark at the top and bottom of the fabric. Place your elastic to the right of the marks. Sew elastic in place making sure to sew within the 1/4" seam allowance. Your elastic is slightly longer than the fabric piece so you'll need to line up the bottom edges of the elastic with the top and bottom edges of your fabric.

Step 5: Putting it all together

Stack your pieces together in this order:

-cotton batting (bottom layer)

-lining piece with basted pockets right side up (middle layer)

-outer wallet piece with elastic attached right side down (top layer)

Clip or pin layers together. If at this point you notice things don't line up perfectly, unpin the pieces and trim any excess using your lining piece as a guide. You don't want to cut anything smaller than your lining. Put your pin/clips back in place and continue below.

If you have a walking foot, I highly recommend using it here to keep your layers from shifting. Sew around the wallet. You'll be leaving a 3.5" wide opening to turn the wallet right side out on the side with the memo pad wallet/elastic.

Before turning your wallet right side out, clip the 4 corners carefully and trim back the batting to the seam line on all sides except the side with the opening. You may also want to trim the seam allowance down to 1/8" on the edge with the curved pocket/card pocket. Turn right side out and press well. Slip stitch the turning hole and then topstitch close to the edge along all 4 sides of the wallet. You'll need to move the elastic out of your way while topstitching. . . a little tricky but it can be done. That's it! You're finished.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you've enjoyed the tutorial and don't forget to enter the giveaways below.
Also, if you make some of these wallets, feel free to share photos in both my Flickr group and the official blog hop group pool here!

The giveaway Now closed. . . will be back in the morning with the winner. Thanks so much to everyone for entering and leaving all these awesome comments :)

~~Enter to win a $50 gift certificate to Pink Castle Fabrics by leaving one comment on this post. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced here on Oct. 27th.~~

Also, please visit Ellison Lane Quilts and leave one comment on her tutorial to be entered to win the GRAND PRIZE of a $250 gift certificate to Fabricworm!

And just for stopping by, you can take advantage of a generous 15% off discount at Fabricworm with the coupon code fw12days through the end of the blog hop.

Friday, October 14- Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts
Saturday, October 15- Ayumi/Pink Penguin
Sunday, October 16- Amy/ Lots of Pink Here
Monday, October 17- Faith/Fresh Lemons Quilts
Tuesday, October 18- Penny/Sew Take a Hike
Wednesday, October 19- Kati/From the Blue Chair
Thursday, October 20- Lee/Freshly Pieced
Friday, October 21- Elizabeth/Don't Call Me Betsy
Saturday, October 22- Melanie/Texas Freckles
Sunday, October 23- Lindsay/Craft Buds
Monday, October 24- Amanda/A Crafty Fox
Tuesday, October 25-Vanessa/Little Big Girl Studio

12 gifts of Christmas Blog Hop

2011-10-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

Somehow, time has managed to fly by yet again. . . it's almost time for Christmas! In order to help you get a jump start on a handmade Christmas, Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts has organized this awesome blog hop to get you inspired and motived. The list below is a schedule of all the awesome bloggers that will be participating and sharing gift tutorials. Also, each blog will be hosting an awesome fabric giveaway! Wait. . . it get's even better! Ellison Lane Quilts will be hosting a huge giveaway with a chance to win a $250 gift certificate to Fabricworm. Seriously.

Fabricworm is also offering up a generous 15% off discount during the 12 days of the blog hop with the coupon code fw12days.

There's a Flickr group set up so you can join and share what you make. The more the merrier ;) Make sure to stop back by here on Tuesday, October 25th for my tutorial and giveaway! Also, feel free to grab the button at the top of this post or under the 'events' tab on my blog* and help spread the word.

*I finally got my blog redesign finished! Well, almost. . . there are a few more things to do but hope you like it! Let me know what you think.

modern fabric studio winner!

2011-10-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

Without further ado, the winner of the Modern Fabric Studio is Heather! Now you can grab up some of that Wren in Gypsy! Send me an email at sevan76dress {at} gmail {dot} com so I can get your gift certificate sent over. Thanks everyone for entering.

p.s.

I'm in the process of overhauling/redecorating the blog so things may get a little crazy in the process. Please excuse the progress, ha!

Modern Fabric Studio - sponsor welcome and a giveaway!

2011-10-03T12:09:00.001-05:00

There's a new fabric shop in "town" and I'd love to introduce you to it! Amanda of Modern Fabric Studio is my newest blog sponsor and is giving one lucky winner a $25 gift certificate to her shop. Head over to her shop and you'll find lots of yummy modern fabric, including voiles, organics, and Japanese imports. She's also got fun sewing patterns (currently on sale) and some sewing tools. In other words, everything you need to get started on a new project!

Some of my favorite things. . .

Ok, so I couldn't pick just 4 {and it looks like I really like pink!}. . .

shop / blog / facebook

Ok, so the giveaway. . .just head over to Modern Fabric Studio and take a look around. Come back here and leave a comment sharing your favorite fabric find! Super simple, right? If you'd like an extra chance to win, sign up for Modern Fabric Studio's newsletter and post a separate comment here letting me know you did. That's it. Please include your email address in your comments so I can contact you if you win :)

~~one entry - comment sharing your favorite Modern Fabric Studio fabric~~
~~bonus entry - sign up for the Modern Fabric Studio newsletter~~
~~include your email address in your comments~~
~~giveaway open to everyone~~
~~ends Thursday, October 6th, 2011 at 10pm cst~~

Giveaway is now closed! I'll be back tomorrow evening to announce a winner!

Good luck!

go! baby winner

2011-10-02T11:50:00.001-05:00

Random.org has chose lucky number 144 as the winner of the Go! Baby giveaway. Congrats to Lisa! I'll be contacting you soon. Thanks to everyone for playing along. If you didn't win this one, you might want to stop by tomorrow for a new giveaway. . . if you love fabric, that is :)

Purse Week: U Shaped Purse Handle Tutorial

2011-09-29T06:00:00.003-05:00

Today I'm sharing a fun purse tutorial as part of A Lemon Squeezy Home's Purse Week! Hello and welcome to any new readers heading over from Christie's great blog. Some of you might remember the bag I entered into the contest last year. This year, Christie invited me to guest blog and I'm excited to participate and show you guys what I came up with. I'll be showing you how to add u shaped handles to just about any bag you plan on making as well as showing you how to make the bag in the photos above and directly below.

U shaped handles come in all styles, materials, and colors. You can usually find them at places like Hobby Lobby and Joann as well as on Etsy. I happened to have these pretty amber colored plastic handles in my stash just waiting for a project! I really like the simple clean lines of these handles - they seem to have a bit of a retro vibe, don't they?

Here are a few bags I've made in the past where I used u shaped handles instead of the fabric ones the patterns called for:

left: Buttercup Bag Pattern right: Lots of Pockets Tote Patttern

I'll begin by showing you how to sew in u shaped handles in place of fabric handles using a bag pattern of your choice. You'll need your completed outer bag pieces (interfaced, etc) and your u shaped handles.

First, you'll need to create fabric tabs to put through the slots in the bottom of the handles to attach them to your bag. Measure the width of the slots in your handles-sizes will vary. You may not get an exact measurement but you'll just want to make sure it's narrow enough to fit. Multiply the number you got x4 and that will be the width of your fabric tabs. I used a length of 3 inches; you may want yours shorter/longer. I wanted tabs 3" long so I cut one long strip of fabric 12" long by 2.5" wide. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides touching. Press. Unfold and then fold in both sides to meet at the crease and press. Fold the strip in half and press. Finally, stitch along both edges. Cut into 4 equal pieces. {hard to see in the photo below but the 4th step is a topstitched tab}

Next, you're going attach a tab to each side of both handles. Just slide a tab into a slot on the handle and even up the ends. I baste the ends of the tabs together so they'll stay in place.

I like to add the handles to the outer purse pieces before sewing them together. It's easier to find the center of the bag front and back when you can lay the fabric down on a flat surface. Place the ends of the tabs even with the top of your bag piece. Using a ruler, make sure that the inner edges of the tabs are equidistant from the center mark on your fabric. Pin the tabs onto the fabric and sew in place. Repeat with the other handle and outer bag piece. From there you can continue along with the instructions of your bag pattern. You'll sew together your outer bag pieces, sew together your lining pieces, and then sew the two together along the top of the bag. That's it!

Tutorial for the bag shown at the beginning of this post:

***Read through the entire tutorial before beginning. Things will make more sense that way :)

I did a little experimenting and created a bag with the u shaped handles attached to a piped pocket on one side and on the other skipped the pocket part and attached the handle between two pieces of my outer bag fabric. You can make a bag with a pocket on both sides or skip the outer pockets all together. This bag was sort of a "make it work" project where I made adjustments as I went along. Hopefully my steps will make sense!

I used the dimensions below for cutting my fabric, however; you can easily make your bag taller, shorter, wider, narrower by adjusting these dimensions.

Supplies you'll need:

fabric for your outer bag {I used and recommend home dec weight fabric}
interlining fabric {I used white denim but canvas would work as well}
fusible interfacing
lining fabric {I used quilt weight fabric}
magnetic snaps {1 set for the main bag closure, 1 for the outer pocket}
smalls scraps of fusible interfacing and batting, fleece, etc
piping {1 pack is plenty if you're buying, otherwise you'll need about 1 yard}
u shaped handles
thread, scissors, ruler, water soluble fabric pen, etc

Amounts of fabric needed and what you'll cut depends on how you want to configure your bag. . . outer pockets on both sides, pocket on just one side {like my bag}, or no outer pockets.

*1/2 inch seam allowances used unless otherwise specified

Bag Lining:

Cut 2 pieces 11" x 17" from lining fabric

Cut 2 pieces 11" x 17" from fusible interfacing

Fuse the interfacing to the lining pieces according to manufacturer directions

Outer bag piece with pocket {x2 if you want both sides of your bag to have an outer pocket}:

Outer Bag Piece:

Cut 1 from main fabric 11" x 17"

Cut 1 from interlining 11" x 17"

Pocket:

Cut 1 from main fabric 9.5" x 17"

Cut 1 from lining fabric 9.5" x 17"

Piece of piping at least 17" long

Outer Bag Piece - No Pocket:

Cut 1 from main fabric 9.5" x 17"

Cut 1 from main fabric 2.25" x 17

Cut 1 from interlining 11" x 17"

Piece of piping at least 17" long

Layer your one of your outer bag fabric pieces with a corresponding piece of interlining making sure they are even. Fold them in half with short ends touching. Using your ruler and fabric pen, draw a square 2.5" x 2.5" in the bottom corner of the open side. Cut the square out. You will do this for both outer pieces/interlining, both interfaced lining pieces, and all pocket pieces. You'll end up with pieces that look the second photo down.

On your lining pieces, find the center and make a mark about an inch down. This will help you add your magnetic snaps later.

Now, sew your lining pieces together along both sides and the bottom. You'll need to leave a large opening {big enough to get the handles through} along the bottom to turn your bag right side out later on. Don't sew along those square cut outs just yet.

Fold the cut out corners so that they line up as below. Sew across them using a 1/2" seam allowance. Set lining aside.

To make a "non-pocket" outer bag piece, grab your 2 main fabric pieces {9.5" x 17" / 2.25" x 17"}, 1 interlining piece {11" x 17"}, a handle with tabs attached, and your piping. Take your larger fabric piece and baste the piping across the top-raw edge of piping lined up with raw edge of fabric. Find the center of this piece and sew on your handle as instructed at the beginning of this tutorial. Lay the smaller fabric piece on top, right sides touching, and pin in place. Sew all layers together as close to the piping as possible. I use my zipper foot for basting/sewing on piping. Unfold the bag piece and press flat. Topstitch underneath the piping.

Baste the completed bag piece onto the interlining across the top, sides, and bottom.

You'll end up with this:

At this point, you can either create another piece like the one above or you can make a piece with an outer pocket. . .

To create the pocket piece, place the main fabric pocket piece right side up and then baste the piping across the top. Next, as above, center your handle and sew the tabs to the fabric. Then place your pocket lining piece right side down and sew across the top of the pocket as close to the piping as you can. Flip the lining over to the back of the pocket and press. Topstitch under the piping.

Take your outer bag piece and baste the interlining to the back of it. Place it right side up. Lay the pocket piece you just created on top and baste it to the outer bag piece at the sides only. The square cut outs should line up. Since the bottom of the bag will be boxed, you'll want to stitch across the pocket lining/outer bag piece to keep items in the pocket from sliding into the bottom of the bag. Simply lift up the bottom of the outer pocket piece and use your ruler to draw a line across the pocket lining at the level of the top of the square cut outs. Stitch across that line. This will connect the pocket lining with the outer bag/interlining piece. Check out the photo below for clarification.

You can now add a magnetic snap to the pocket. I placed the top of one half of the snap about 1/2" down from the top of the pocket {lining side}. I used the mark I drew earlier to make sure my snap was centered. Since the pocket lining is not interfaced, I suggest fusing a small scrap of interfacing onto the lining where the snap will go. Then insert the snap according to package directions. I then added the other half of the snap to the main bag piece. Now you can baste across the bottom of the entire bag piece.

You should now have 2 outer bag pieces. Sew them together the same way you did the lining. You may need to do a bit of trimming across the top of your bag pieces to get them to match up perfectly. Once you have your outer bag complete, place it {right side out} inside of the inside out lining. Tuck the handles down into the bag and make sure the side seams and top edges of the bag line up. Pin together and sew around the top of the bag. Turn the bag right side out through the hole you left in the lining. Press the top of the bag flat and topstitch close to the top edge of the bag. Using the marks you drew on the lining, insert your magnetic snaps about 1/2" from the top edge of the bag. Use your fingers or a chopstick, etc to push out the boxed corners of the bag. Smooth the lining into place. Sew closed the turning hole.

*Tip: If you're working with lots of thick layers of fabric, when sewing the boxed corners, stitch across the thickest part -where the seams match up- first, and then sew across the rest of the corner. Also, if you have a walking foot, use it! This will help the layers from shifting.

I added one last step to finish up my bag. I pleated the sides of the bag simply by folding the sides inward about 1.5" and pressing them flat. Totally optional but I just liked the way it looked. Also, I haven't tried this but adding a piece of thick cardboard, Timtex, etc onto the inside bottom of the bag would be a great way to add even more structure to this bag.

Ok! That wraps up my Purse Week tutorial! So glad to be a part of it and I hope you enjoyed my crazy long and most likely typo-filled tutorial. I tend to write my tutorials term paper style. . . as in the night before they're due! What can I say, I work best under pressure ;) If you notice something that doesn't quite make sense, let me know and I'll fix it right up. As always, thanks for stopping by and saying hello.

fabrics used:

outer bag: heath in navy blue / alexander henry

lining, piping, handle tabs: fairgrounds modern texture yellow / ds quilts collection - joann

*Please keep in mind that the purse tutorial is for personal/charity/gift use only. Thanks!

Go! Baby Giveaway

2011-09-28T11:21:00.001-05:00

I shared a fun tutorial with you using the Go! Baby and now it's time to give you a chance to win your own! The winner will also get to choose 3 dies to go along with the Go! Baby. This little gadget is full of crafty possibilities and I think it's a great addition to any sewing room.

For a chance to win your own Go! Baby and set of 3 dies of your choice, simply head over to Accuquilt and check out the dies. Come back here and leave a comment telling me which die is your favorite. Simple as that. Make sure to leave your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win!!

To recap:

~~one entry per person, please~~
~~leave a comment naming your favorite Go! Baby die~~
~~make sure I have a way to contact you (email addy in comment, etc)~~
~~entries open until Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 10pm CST~~
~~winner will be announced and contacted Sunday, October 2, 2011~~

Giveaway is now closed! I'll announce a winner tomorrow :)

Also, don't forget to check out Accuquilt's newsletter and receive 22 patterns free! Just click below, enter your email address, and you're set.

convertible clutch / 2 in 1 bag pattern. . . .it's finally here!!

2011-09-20T13:12:00.005-05:00

Instant Download / $8

Buy Now

{Details}: This PDF e-pattern will be available as an instant download at the time of purchase (once payment is processed). An email containing the download link will be emailed to you via the email address you provide to Paypal at the time of purchase. Please make sure the email address you provide is where you want to receive the download link. You do not have to have a Paypal account to purchase. Once you receive the link, download the file, unzip, and save to your computer. A back up file is always a good idea! Due to the digital nature of the item, all sales are final. Thanks!

*if you don't receive your email with the download link, check your spam folder :)

Approximate finished size of bag: 11.75 inches tall x 11.25 inches wide {at widest point}
Pattern consists of 23 pages of step by step instructions, with lots of color photos, full size pattern pieces, and instructions for adding a pocket and magnetic snap closure
Skill Level: Advanced Beginners and Up
Purchasing this pattern gives you, the buyer, license to sell bags on a handmade scale.
Please read through the entire tutorial before beginning.

Fabric/Supplies Needed:

This pattern is fairly quick to put together and doesn't use up a whole lot of fabric! The bag is a great size for bringing along the essentials: phone, wallet, keys, a bit of makeup, etc. You can choose to carry it as a tote for extra space or fold it over and tuck it under your arm as a pretty clutch. Choose to make your bag from one just one print or add a contrasting handle. . . lot's of ways to get creative!

{'modeled' photos provided by: tobit emmens/mary emmens: http://mary.emmens.co.uk/}

I want to say thank you so, so much to all the awesome people who helped me get this pattern up and running: my super supportive blog friends {you guys know who you are!}, my helpful pattern testers, Mary Emmens and her husband, Tobit, for allowing me to use their photos, and of course, all of you wonderful readers. Happy sewing!

rag quilt lovey tutorial

2011-09-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

I'm still alive! Things have a been kinda sorta crazy around here lately but I did manage to write up a fun tutorial to share with you. A few weeks ago I was contacted by Carolyn from Accuquilt. She asked if I'd be interested in trying out a Go! Baby cutting machine. Uhhm, heck yeah. So, she sent one over to me along with 3 dies of my choice. I ended up going the practical route and chose three basic shapes dies. Though after seeing Jess's post, I do wish I'd gone with at least one fun flower die!

Ok, so on to the tutorial! One of the dies I chose was a rag square. I've made rag quilt loveys and a crib sized rag quilt the old school way where I snipped everything by hand. I'm not gonna lie. . . it's not fun. At all. The Go! Baby and this particular die make it sooooooo much easier.

Supplies:

various fabric scraps about 6" x 6" or larger

1/3 yard flannel in your choice of color

1/3 yard flannel in another color

scissors and/or rag quilt snips

fabric marking pen

lovey will measure about 12" x 12" when finished :)

First, cut 2 strips of flannel long enough to cover the die and twice the width so you can fold it over. This will yield 8 squares. Cut another piece of flannel large enough to cover just one square of the die. Since flannel is a bit thick, I stuck with 2 layers at a time. You'll end up with 9 squares each of your flannel colors. I cut my fabric strips on the big side to save time but it's not necessary.

Once you have your die ready, you simply crank it through the Go! Baby cutter and your shapes are cut out. Simple as that!

Next, you'll want to layer your other fabrics onto the die. I layered them all together to see if I could cut them all at once. Yup! Took a tiny bit more elbow grease but definitely saved time.

You should now have 27 squares of fabric to work with!

You'll stack your fabrics according the the photo above and draw an X across each square from corner to corner using a fabric marking pen. Sew across each X you drew. A quilting foot comes in handy for this step if you have one. *RSD - right side down / RSU- right side up.

Once you have all your squares quilted simply decide on a lay out and then sew your squares together wrong sides touching. I used a seam allowance just under an 1" wide. I sewed 3 rows of three and then sewed the rows together. Afterwards, I stitched a zig zag border all the way around the lovey and added a little chevron twill tape loop. There will be just a few spots where you'll need to snip with scissors or rag quilt snips (the die leaves the corners intact to make it easier to sew the squares together). Throw it in the wash to fluff it up and you've got yourself a sweet lovey for any baby or toddler.

Overall, I think the Go! Baby is a really cool gadget to have in your sewing room/nook/closet/etc. It doesn't take up much space at all, is incredibly easy to use, and definitely a time saver. Looking for more sewing ideas? Click below and register your email to receive 22 free patterns!

resources:photo template: pugly pixelchevron twill tape: pinked fabrics

sponsor love, a few announcements, and a call for a few pattern testers!

2011-09-06T23:55:00.003-05:00

I've just recently welcomed a new sponsor to the blog and thought it was a good time to do a little sponsor highlight! They help keep this blog up and running and I appreciate each and every one of them :)

1} Patty at Patty Trends is my newest sponsor. Head over to her blog for craft ideas, free tutorials, recipes and more. She's also currently hosting a giveaway here!

2} I'm sure many of you are familiar with the fun sewing patterns available over at Gingercake. Virginia's been busy all summer re-vamping her patterns so they're even better than before! Make sure to check out the latest tutorial on her blog - Scrap Color Baby Quilts.

3} Looking for bright and colorful designer fabrics? Take a peek at Pinked Fabrics. Amy just ordered some really awesome chevron stripe twill tape in lots of fun colors and will have those available in her shop soon. I can't wait to get my hands on some! Also, she just recently posted a cool tutorial for making your own pretty travel sewing kit.

4} Last but not least, is Keyka Lou Patterns If you haven't sewn something using one of her patterns yet, you're missing out! I've said it before, but I've really learned a lot from her patterns and you just can't go wrong with any of them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

update: Pattern is finished and available here!!!

So, on to the announcements, etc. You guys remember me mentioning that I had a sewing pattern of my own in the works? Well, it's *this* close to being finished and ready to sell! I stayed up crazy late last night to get this thing wrapped up. I'm so ready. I've still got to create a cover page, proofread, and more importantly. . . I need to get this thing tested!!! Who's up for it? I'm marketing this pattern for advanced beginner's and up.

If you fit that description, have some free time next week, and want to give me feedback, contact me at: sevan76dress {at} gmail {dot} com. Please use "pattern testing" as the subject line. I'm looking for about 5-6 testers of various skill levels who can complete the testing by the end of next week! Once I have enough testers, I'll update this post. Thanks.

Ok! I think I've got a large enough group to choose from. Thank you so much everyone who contacted me. Sorry that I can't choose everyone. . . I'll be narrowing it down and contacting those who'll be testing for me this evening :)

I've also got 2 free tutorials coming up this month. I'll be guest blogging as part of Purse Week at A Lemon Squeezy Home! I had a great time entering the contest last year and can't wait to see all the entries this year.

And finally, the lovely folks at Accuquilt sent me a Go! Baby fabric cutter to try out! I'll be sharing a tutorial with you soon using the Go! Baby. Quite the nifty contraption. . .

my cool etsy find and a look behind the scenes. . .

2011-09-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

I discovered this awesome camera stamp by MOXIEpear via a blog giveaway I spotted on Facebook. Assuming that I would most likely not be winning the giveaway, I went ahead and ordered the stamp. A little retail therapy, if you will. I do plan to use it for packaging my camera strap covers and am rather excited about it. Can I just say how much I love the way this stamp was packaged? It came in the cute drawstring bag shown below. Anywho, as cool as I think this stamp is, I didn't think I could write an entire blog post about a stamp. Sooooo....I decided to add in some behind the scenes images of where I take my photos for blog posts and shop updates!

Now, I don't have an actual photo studio or even a permanent set up. I use my daughter's room. I clear a spot in front of the window, kick a couple of toys around, and set up my back drop, aka white poster board and/or white foam core board. I use random toys to help prop stuff up if need be. Hey, you gotta go where the light is!

My "photo studio" has some pro's and con's. What's good? I get great indirect natural light through this particular window for several hours a day. The table comes in handy by allowing me to place my subjects in the light. What's not so good? Those evil lime green walls! One of these days I will paint those walls white and get a proper back drop stand. Until then, this is what I'm working with. . .

If I'm taking photos of something flat, I'll just put my foam core board on the table and shoot down. Below was my set up for the photo I took of my stamp above.

If I'm taking a photo of something that I need to shoot straight on, like a purse, or Ming Ming, my model for today; I put a piece of poster board on the table and then prop the foam core board upright as my back drop. I use whatever is handy as a prop. The board also acts as reflector and helps to bounce light at the subject.

I also process my photos in Adobe Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5. If my poster board wasn't all wrinkled and would lay flat, I would probably not completely remove the seam where the two boards meet. However, since that seam looks kind of rough and isn't straight, I got rid of it.

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse behind the scenes of this blog! If you're a fan of photography "pullbacks", here are few more for you to check out:

Ponder and Stitch - jewelry

Gingercake - staging

LJHolloway Photography - garage studio/child photography

Erin Elizabeth Photography - newborn set up

I'll leave you with a couple of shots of our new puppy, Stella. She's a Boston Terrier and an absolute sweetheart! Another fast moving object to chase with my camera ;)

washi tape gift boxes

2011-08-18T00:04:00.000-05:00

I found these neat "picture frame" boxes at Hobby Lobby for .99 each. You can probably also find them at Michael's and Joann. They were available in a few different shapes but I liked the rectangles the best. I thought these might be a fun way to show off a bit of pretty washi tape and they're perfect for small gifts like jewelry. I used these as gift boxes for the friendship bracelets I mailed out for the swap I participated in. It's pretty self explanatory, but I basically arranged several strips of tape on the flat cardboard piece, flipped it over to trim the excess tape, placed the piece tape side up in the lid, and voila! Fun stuff. Oh, and those awesome mini spools of washi tape came from this shop!

printable freebie: vintage sheet wrap around mailing label

2011-08-16T11:44:00.001-05:00

Here's a little something new to the blog: digital/printable freebies! If this goes over well, I hope to be able to share lots of these with you. So, a few weeks ago I signed up for a swap {friendship bracelets, to be exact} and in trying to come up with some pretty packaging, I ended up scanning in scraps of vintage sheet fabric. From there, I created a pretty mailing label to place on the plain old mailers. Now, the label I'm sharing with you today is not the same one I created previously, because in the process of trying to get it ready to share, I got sidetracked and came up with this one instead :)

Use these labels to spruce up your correspondence! I used a glue stick to attach my labels to a kraft envelope. Email is great, of course, but getting real mail {especially pretty mail} is so much better! Looking at the photo above, I'm thinking a matching notecard would be pretty cool too. . . any thoughts?

To print your own set of labels {4 to a sheet of paper}, click here to download: label set pdf

To open a single label in Photshop/PSE/Gimp and add text, click here to download: single label png

Both high res files are zipped, so you'll need to unzip them before using. The png file will look HUGE but it's sized to print at the correct dimensions.

Terms of use: personal use only. Basically, don't sell the files or sell labels you print. However, if you want to use the labels as part of your packaging for a handmade business, go right ahead :) If you'd like to share these labels on your own blog, feel free to use the photos above, but please make sure to link back to this post and not to the files directly. Thank you!!

Hope you enjoy!

i heart faces: beautiful eyes

2011-08-14T23:26:00.001-05:00

I haven't entered an 'i heart faces' photo challenge in a while and I just so happened to have taken a photo a few days ago perfect for this week's challenge! I was pleasantly surprised with this one because not only is the kiddo actually looking at the camera {never happens} but I managed to get things in focus and all that good stuff. Go me ;)

ISO 400 30mm f/2.5 1/125

lens: sigma 30mm f/1.4

Head over to i heart faces to see more photos!

patterns i love: lil blue boo recycled t-shirt halter dress

2011-08-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

We attended our local United Cerebral Palsy telethon this weekend and my kiddo was given a t-shirt to wear to the event. I tried it on her a few days before the telethon and decided it was a bit too big and boxy for the little squirt. Perfect excuse to buy a new sewing pattern! Not that pattern junkies really need an excuse. . . anyways, I bought the "Recycled T-Shirt Halter Dress" pattern/tutorial by Lil Blue Boo and made this dress the day of the telethon. I didn't have any cool t-shirts to cut up for the extra fabric I needed so I just bought some knit yardage at Joann's. The dress was a hit! Easy to make too. I'd say the hardest part was hemming. If you use t-shirts, you can avoid that craziness.

before. . .

and after. . .

a quick hello

2011-08-04T10:00:00.004-05:00

I feel like I've been neglecting the ol' blog lately, but for good reason! I've made some progress in getting this pattern ready and hope to finish up most of it this weekend. I've also started a part-time job which is taking me some time to get used to. The job totally fell into my lap and since it was unexpected, I went into panic mode after accepting it when I realized I'd be giving up my two main sewing days (child free days) to do the job. I think it will all work out in the end, so bear with me for the next few weeks will I settle into a new routine. I've got some giveaways and tutorials in the works for September and the fall, so I'm excited about that! Honestly, it's also been entirely too hot here to do much of anything the past few weeks. Soooooo miserable. Anyone else in the midst of a heatwave?

The rest of this post is just a bunch of random crafty stuff I've managed to squeeze in lately. . .

Remember friendship bracelets from back in the day? Apparently they've made a comeback in the fashion world. And apparently I really like embroidery floss because I keep buying more every time I go to a craft store! I signed up for a friendship bracelet swap over at Modern Marigold and have been busy making some bracelets to send out to my swap partners. If I can find the supplies, I really, really want to try to make some of these.

I finally broke down and ordered some washi tape! I've been in love with the pretty tape for ages but just could never decide on a color. The stuff's not exactly cheap so I didn't want to commit to a whole roll of just one color. Etsy came to the rescue! I found this shop which sells washi tape by the foot on the cutest wooden spools. This way I could order several colors without breaking the bank. I actually ordered the tape for a packaging project that I'll share with you soon, but couldn't help use a little for the gifts below.

Speaking of gifts, I also made two of these notebook covers to mail out to recipients that shall remain nameless in case they stop by here before getting their packages! I used Keyka Lou's Swatch Book Cover pattern and some pretty scraps sent over by the always awesome Anna. Quick and easy project! There's a coupon code {summersewing} for 20% of any pattern purchase through this Saturday if you're in need of something new to sew.

Let's see, I've also been brushing up on my Photoshop skills by entering Dana's 'Design My Header' contest. There's still time to enter so head over to Made and check out the details. There are some fun prizes up for grabs and lots of really cool headers to peruse in the Flickr group. Here's one of my entries:

Last, but not least, for my fellow Project Runway fans. . .

How awesome is this poster?!?! I found Amy's blog, A is for Ampersand via Pinterest, and came across some fun Tim Gunn printable posters. Click here to get one for yourself :)

credit: amy morby / a is for ampersand

Have a great weekend!

pattern play

2011-07-17T14:24:00.001-05:00

update: the pattern is finished and available here!

I'm finally, finally getting to work on my first official pattern! While I had planned to originally start with a pattern for this bag, that just wasn't in the cards. At least not for now. In the meantime, I've finished two samples for this cute convertible tote bag and will spend the next ~~week~~ several weeks writing up the pattern. Once it's written up and ready to go I'll have it available for sale both in my Etsy shop and here on the blog. Fingers crossed I can get this finished up in a reasonable amount of time. I'm slow, people. Really slow.

Below are some photos of the bags I've made in the process of going from several random sketches to a finished product. It's not a huge bag, though I might include 2 size options in the pattern. It can be carried as a tote/handbag or as a fold over clutch. As a clutch, it's the perfect size to carry tucked under your arm. I've included a pocket inside along with a magnetic snap closure. As you can see, the handles can be made to either match or contrast with the body of the bag - up to you! Let me know what you think!

Oh! I'm thinking it almost time to do some sort of giveaway soon! Looks like I'll be reaching 1000+ followers in the near future and that's cause for celebration :)

pattern review - mini crayon folio/gingercake

2011-07-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite sewing pattern designers, Virginia of Gingercake, is revamping many of her patterns this summer. She's adding more photos, more pattern pieces, and other fun details to make her patterns even better. Virginia recently posted about the updates she made to her Crayon Art Folio pattern and I saw that she included instructions for a mini version! Had to have it. I whipped one up for the kiddo and thought I'd post a few photos for you. Seriously, this is really easy and uses just small bits and pieces of fabric and supplies. What I like about this little crayon folio is the way it folds. . . keeps the crayons from falling out and the velcro tab is just plain cute. Somehow I managed to put my tab on upside down but hey, it works. I'm thinking I need to head to Ikea soon, grab every color of this stripe fabric, and make a stack of these.

For anyone who already has the Crayon Art Folio, you'll still want to check out the new version! There's a coupon code available to those who've purchased this pattern in the past so you can save on the new pattern (details here). The mini folio pattern and the new tips and tricks for the original Crayon Folio are worth it. For those who don't have this pattern, go get it! Both the mini and the original folios make awesome gifts and are great craft show sellers. I sold out of them at the craft show I did a few years back.

yellow stripes / Ikea

hearts o'plenty / pinked fabrics

pink polka dots / Joann's

In semi-related news, I'm getting to meet Virginia and her kids tomorrow! I've always been jealous when I've read about bloggers getting to meet up and now it's my turn ;) I'm sure there will be photos so I'll be back to share those soon.

what's in my bag?

2011-06-21T09:54:00.000-05:00

Looks like all the cool kids have done one of these posts so I thought I'd join in on the fun. Good timing as I just finished up a new wallet and key fob that I wanted to show off. I've also been meaning to do a little review of the Kelly Moore B-Hobo camera bag I splurged on for Christmas for any of you that might be on the fence about getting one. Last but not least, since I'm nosy and would love to know what's in *your* bag, feel free to link to your "what's in my bag?" post in the comments below.

My stuff:

wallet - used this pattern and customized it a bit

iPhone

deep steep stick - this stuff is ah-mazing!

burt's bees lip balm

yes to carrots lip shimmer

alba botanica sunblock - never leave home without it

zip pouch for hand sanitizer, etc {made by nicke}

sunglasses

keys with a wristlet key fob {made by me}

awesome notebook with lots of pockets - found at Borders

coupon file - Target

coin pouch {made by me}

I seriously love my B-Hobo bag! No regrets here. Granted, it's not exactly a frugal find but it is exactly what I wanted and needed so worth the $ in my book. I've had it since December, drag it around with me every single day and it's held up really well. Still looks brand new. For the most part, I use it as a regular purse. The adjustable dividers help keep my stuff organized so I don't have to dig for anything. The bag also has lots of outside pockets that help keep things in order as well. I like to keep my iPhone in one of the front pockets so it's easy to get to. When I do carry my camera and lenses, there is still plenty of room for all my stuff {minus the coupon file}. Even when loaded with my camera gear, the bag is still comfortable enough to carry. I've carried it through many long trips to the zoo, aquarium, etc and survived. I almost always use the shorter strap that is pictured below but the B-Hobo bag also comes with a longer, adjustable cross body strap which is pretty cool.

The photos above show how I "arrange" my stuff on days I don't take my camera gear; the photos below show my bag with my camera and and extra lens. When I bring my camera along, I just remove the coupon file, move my wallet over to one of the side slots, and place my camera in the middle. It's easier to get to there and I have room to wrap my camera strap cover around my lens for extra padding. If I want to bring my extra lens, I put it in the pocket that I use for emergency dipes for the kiddo.

My old film camera is standing in for my Rebel XS / 50mm f1.8 {used them to take the photos!}. The other lens I usually bring along is my 85mm f1.8 with a lens hood attached.

Well, hope you enjoyed snooping though my bag ;) If you've written a "what's in my bag?" post in the past or want to write one up now, post a link in the comments below so we can stop by and visit!

*Just wanted to mention that while I did sign up to be an affiliate for Kelly Moore Bags {because I seriously love them}, I bought and paid for my bag and was not compensated for my opinions, etc. Also, I most certainly did clean out an embarrassing amount of wadded up tissues and receipts out of my purse before snapping photos!! No one wants to see that mess, I promise.

photography stuff

2011-06-15T13:02:00.002-05:00

{Lens: 50mm f/1.8 / ISO 400 / f/2.8 / 1/100}

A few of you asked if I'd share some of the photo blog/forums I've come across so I'll be doing just that in this post! I've been scouring the web for all things photography lately because I'm trying to learn as much as I can. I started out wanting to improve my blog and shop photos but it seems to have grown beyond that. I'm feeling fairly comfortable shooting in manual mode at this point but still have lots and lots to learn. Learning is fun though, right?

Before I get into the links, I'm sharing a photo I took yesterday of my kiddo. What's a post about photography without a photo?! I'm also entering it into a fun competition I found over at The Paper Mama. There's still time to enter if you want and there are some cool prizes so head over!

About the photo. . . I almost gave up on it. I just couldn't get the colors right. Hint: if you think you might get into photography, don't paint any room with good light lime green! While I love black and white photography, it's never seemed my 'style' (not sure if I even have a style) so I rarely, if ever convert my images to b+w. This one, though, was meant to be b+w. I took this in her room while sitting in a corner and just letting her do her thing. This face is usually the face I get when the camera comes out: serious/contemplative/wise beyond her years.

On to the links! I've included sites that I find inspirational and/or provide lots of good tips and tricks. Hope you find something useful!

I Heart Faces / Free Forum : Great site for tips, tutorials, and fun contests. I recently joined the forum and found the members to be really friendly and helpful.

Clickin Moms - {paid membership} Another awesome forum. I joined a week ago and have learned so much already. Tons and tons of tutorials and lots of good advice.

Everyday Elements - Need help with Photoshop Elements? Lots of tutorials and info available here!

Shannon Sewell - Simply stunning photography! Great inspiration for photographing kids.

Pinkle Toes Photography - I linked to a photo I came across a while ago that just really caught my eye. Lots of gorgeous images to check out here.

My Four Hens Photography - Beautiful images and lots of great tips on both shooting and editing photos.

Under the Sycamore - I'm guessing most of you know about this one! I love Ashley's photography style and she usually shares the technical info of the photos she posts, which I find really helpful.

Familiar Light - This site is new to me and was suggested by Virginia! I'm keeping an eye on this blog because Jennifer, the author, plans to start a photography project {along the lines of a 40 in 40} soon and I thought it would be a fun project to participate in.

The Creative Mama - several good tutorials on things like metering, lighting, etc

Ok, so I'm sure there are tons more sites I'm forgetting about but it's time for lunch! Enjoy :)

yours truly. . .

2011-06-10T11:53:00.000-05:00

I remember mentioning a while back that I had grand plans of re-vamping my 'about me' page. Well, I'm finally getting around to it. Though I'm thinking it's going to be a work in progress. I'm posting here and will copy/paste all this fun stuff over to the official 'about me' page. To be honest, I've been putting this off because I never know what to say about myself. Hard to know what's interesting and what's not. Fingers crossed!

For starters, a photo. . .

Yeah, no fancy, high-end photography here! I snapped this gem using the Photobooth app on my computer. That's the kiddo and I hanging out in my sewing room/office/wo-man cave.

Random Facts:

~I didn't learn to speak English til around the age of 5 when I started kindergarten. Before that, I spoke German and Spanish.

~To this day, my mom speaks to me in German and I answer in English. Yeah, we get funny looks sometimes but it works for us.

~Favorite stores: Target, Ikea, and Whole Foods.

~I am not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. I start every day with a big cup of coffee. Instant, in case you're wondering, with lots of milk and sugar.

~I went to 3 different schools in the 3rd grade, 3 different schools in the 8th grade, and 2 different high schools.

~Places I've lived {in order}: Puerto Rico, Texas, Panama, Louisiana, back to Puerto Rico, Germany, and finally Alabama. Yep, Army Brat.

~Places I've visited {in no particular order}: Portland, Oregon / Florida / Myrtle Beach, SC / Georgia / Tennessee / France / Luxemburg / Amsterdam, The Netherlands

~I read. A lot. I get cranky if I go more than a few days without a book to read. I don't have any one favorite genre, but do prefer to read series. Once I come across characters I love, I want to know more about them. Also, the longer the book, the better.

~I spent my first two years of high school in Germany. Loved every minute of it. I moved to Alabama shortly before I turned 16. Talk about culture shock! I always wonder how different my life might be if we hadn't moved.

~I have a long scar that runs across the bottom of neck. Battle wound from having most of my thyroid removed. The part that was left behind is purely decorative so I've since taken a little pill each and every morning.

~I have a younger sister. She lives in Germany with her hubs when they're not busy working on cruise ships.

~A few of my favorite tv shows: Bones, Glee, House, Mythbusters, Project Runway, Friday Night Lights, Veronica Mars, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

~Current favorite movie: Easy A

~I love music. The kiddo loves music as well, as long as its a Glee soundtrack. Can't leave home without them!

~I don't like to cook but I do like cleaning {except for dishes}. Unfortunately, that does not mean I have an always clean house.

~Favorite food: hands down, sushi. It just makes me happy. I have my friend, Jen to thank for taking me to Surin West in Birmingham for my first taste years ago.

~I waited tables, bartended, and worked as restaurant manager throughout my 20's.

~I went to college. More than once. I had several majors over the years. To say that I was indecisive is putting it lightly. I came *this* close to graduating with a BFA in Graphic Design. I got burned out with working and going to school and quit. Years later I graduated with a degree in Radiologic Technology. Turns out that Art degree would have been more "me"!

~I worked 3rd shift as an Xray Technologist for my entire pregnancy. The birth of my little nugget was the end of that career and the start of lots of great things like this blog, my Etsy shop, and all the amazing people I've "met" since.

Sydney Claire 3 lbs 10 oz / 18 1/2" long 2/21/08

~A bit more about having a preemie. . . while Syd was only 6 1/2 weeks early, she was itty bitty even for that gestational age. She stayed in the hospital for about a week and then came home. She's always been a healthy, extremely active, and very bright kid but has had some developmental delay and problems with her right hand. Just recently or finally, I should say, she was diagnosed with mild Cerebral Palsy due to a perinatal stroke. Honestly, it wasn't a big shock as I always felt there was something going on, but am glad to have that official diagnosis so that we can now get her the occupational therapy she needs! Lesson learned. . .don't take no for an answer when it comes to your kids.

Behind the scenes:

I pretty much read two types of blogs: sewing/crafting and photography. I love to read about what sewing machines, cameras, lenses, etc my favorite bloggers use so I thought I'd share my "gear".

Sewing Stuff:

The sewing machine I use most is my Janome DC2010. I seriously love this machine. It's probably one of the best gifts I've ever received. I've had it for about 2 years and it's never let me down. It's a workhorse, it's nice and heavy, and I can pretty much sew with my eyes closed. It runs about $400, so maybe not the cheapest machine out there but definitely not the most expensive. Worth every penny in my book.

I also have:

Brother Innov-is 40 I won this machine through a contest held over at Prudent Baby! To be honest, I haven't had a chance to really put it through its paces. I do think that it's geared more towards garment sewing than more heavy duty sewing. My favorite part of this machine is the dial to select stitches, etc.

Brother 1034D Serger What can I say? I think just about everyone in blog-land that has a serger, has this one! I got one for dirt cheap and it does everything I need it to do. If you're on the wall about this one, just get it! I do have a few tutorials for this serger if you're interested. Just click on the 'tutorials' link at the top.

Rowenta Pro Master Steam Iron Irons aren't usually talked about much from what I can tell. I just wanted to share my experiences because I've gone through a lot of irons since I've started sewing. Until I picked up this Rowenta, I was replacing my irons about every 4-6 months. They'd either quit heating up or they'd leak water everywhere. It drove me nuts. No point in even turning on the sewing machine if you don't have an iron to use. While this one is a bit pricey, it has held up! I picked mine up at Kohls while it was on sale and used a coupon so I got a deal. Now I'm a happy camper. It's pretty heavy though (which I like) but something to consider if you want something more lightweight.

Camera Stuff:

Canon Rebel XS I had an incredibly hard time trying to decide what camera to get. I didn't have a big budget and I knew I wanted to be able to get an extra lens so I went with this camera body. I followed the advice of several knowledgeable people in the Flickr forums and spent my money on lenses vs a bigger, badder body. If you're just starting out with DSLR's, I think this is a great pick. Why did I go Canon over Nikon? Again, lenses. The lens I was interested in buying {50mm f1.8} would not autofocus with the lower end Nikons. Otherwise, I don't think it really matters.

I also use my iPhone a lot for photos. Instagram and Shake It are both fun apps.

I love prime lenses!

50mm f1.8 I seriously love this little lens. It's small, lightweight, and inexpensive. Great for low light photography. This is the lens I pretty much always have on my camera. Most of the photos on the blog and in my shop were taken with this lens {except for tutorial photos-use the kit lens for those}. In fact, I say skip the kit lens and just get this one. You won't be sorry.

85mm f1.8 This is my outdoor lens since it's a little too long for indoor use. This lens will give you gorgeous color/clarity and amazing bokeh.

Post Processing:

I use both Photoshop Elements 9 and Lightroom 3 to edit photos. Both awesome. Lightroom is new to me so I'm still learning. I was able to pick both up on sale with rebates, etc so I spent much, much less than list price.

So, that's me in a nutshell! Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to ask any question in the comments :)

happy mail

2011-06-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

I've had a pretty great week mail-wise so I thought I'd share the spoils of my mailbox. . .

Now, this might make me kind of dorky, but I get really excited about getting fabric in the mail. Even when I'm the one who ordered it and paid for it. I mean, it's not like it's a surprise or anything. And I certainly don't get the same feeling when opening the trunk of my car after a shopping trip and pulling out a pack of paper towels. Nope, it's just fabric and I can't help but do a mini happy dance when I spy a package from any one of my favorite fabric shops in the mail box. Good times.

from the top:

Dot Blooms in Petunia by Josephine Kimberling

Heath in Lavender by Alexander Henry

Floating Buds in Grey by Amy Butler

Dot Blooms in Blue Jay by Josephine Kimberling

Nap Sack in Sunglow by Joel Dewberry

Dandelion in Stone by Patty Young

I also got a lovely package from Nicke of kiss kiss . . . Quilt. I won a giveaway she had on her blog and the prize was a surprise. Turns out it was an awesome surprise because she sent me fabric! She also sent me the sweetest little zipper pouch which will definitely come in handy. Thanks again, Nicke!

Last, but not least, I got a few more arts and crafts bags in the mail!! So, so cute and I can't wait to deliver them soon. I believe there are a few more on the way so I'm going to wait on those. Thanks to Virginia and Maria for your generosity.

Hopefully this ol' heat wave we're having here in the Deep South won't get the best of me and I'll be back later this week with another post. Fingers crossed, people. In the meantime, I've got an episode of Friday Night Lights to watch and some sewing to do!

Winner!!

2011-05-26T15:43:00.000-05:00

Wow! Thank you so, so much to everyone who stopped by to enter and leave such sweet comments. You guys sure do know how to make a girl feel special!! I've had a great time with this giveaway and so without further ado. . . . let me announce the winner!!!

Sarah , I'll be emailing you shortly for your info! Thanks again, everyone for playing along :)

Sew Mama Sew May Giveaway Day!!

2011-05-23T00:02:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to everyone stopping by for Sew Mama Sew's May Giveaway Day! I don't know about you, but I can't wait to go check out all the participants. Hopefully I'll win some loot this time. I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get something made in time but I managed to whip up 2 things to give away to one of you! It took me a while to decide what to make and I finally decided on the wallet and key fob set you'll see below. I used Keyka Lou's Basic Wallet pattern to create a fun patchwork wallet which just so happens to fit iPhones well! I added a bit of padding to the wallet along with a detachable wrist strap. There's an extra pocket for cash/cards/etc. I also made a coordinating wristlet key fob because I think they're just about the most handy things ever.

*Sadly, the iPhone in the photos is NOT part of the giveaway. I also won't mail you the huge stack of business cards unless you just want them!

The fine print. . . Entries are now closed!! I'll announce the winner this afternoon. Thank you!!!

*The giveaway ends Wednesday, May 25th, at midnight-ish CST
*I'll ship this prize wherever it needs to go
*To enter, just leave a comment. Please, please, please leave your email address in your comment!!!!
*For a completely voluntary extra chance to win, leave an additional comment letting me know that you're a follower of the blog. Totally up to you :)
*Winner will be drawn randomly and will be announced sometime Thursday May 26th. Definitely after my morning coffee so I don't make any mistakes counting comments ;)

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!!

catching up. . .

2011-05-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've been away for months but I guess it's just been a couple of weeks. I've been busy spending time with my parents who've been here visiting. Sad to see them go but I guess it's time to get back into the swing of things. I've got a few things to share with you so let me get right to it . . .

If you read my last post, you'll know that I've been working on getting some arts and crafts bags put together to donate to kids in Alabama who lost homes, etc in the recent tornadoes. I'm extremely excited to tell you that the first batch of bags were delivered this weekend to Cullman, AL and I can't wait to get more donated!

{bags created by Amy, Jeannie, and me!}

I also did a little sewing for my mum. She asked for a set of potholders so I made those and also decided to make some mug rugs to go along with them. Definitely a fun little project!

{pattern: Venti Mug Rug by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery}

{scrap buster potholder tutorial by Fresh Lemons Modern Quilts}

Last, but not least, I'm participating in TWO giveaways which both start tomorrow! One is for Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day and you'll just have to come back tomorrow morning for the scoop on that ;) The other is part of I Live 2 Click's $2100 Mega Giveaway!! I Live 2 Click is a new site geared toward photographers and shares inspiration, tips and tricks, freebies, and lots more. This giveaway is part of the site's kick off so make sure to check it out...one winner will take home $2100 worth of prizes, including their choice of any camera strap cover in my shop!

See you tomorrow :)

a favor to ask. . .

2011-05-10T10:03:00.000-05:00

Ideas don't always pop into my head fully formed. It seems they sometimes take the scenic route instead. This particular "idea" is a perfect example. As I've mentioned, I live in Alabama. While my immediate area was not hit by any tornadoes, areas throughout the state were damaged beyond what you might be able to imagine. It wasn't until I had to drive past such an area on my way to an appointment, that it really hit me. What I saw was just a tiny fraction of the destruction but seeing it in person made me realize that I wanted to do more than donate a few items here and there. I thought of this blog and and how maybe I could use it to do a little more. I remembered just how helpful all of you were in getting dresses sent to the Dress A Girl Around the World organization a few months ago. I also know how amazingly generous the handmade community is {yes, this is me buttering you up!}

So, here's what I'm thinking. . . there are a lot of kids that have been affected by the tornadoes on April 27th. Many of them have probably lost everything they own. Let's see if we can bring a little happiness to those kids. I made some simple drawstring bags and plan to fill them up with stuff like crayons, coloring books, mini puzzles, stickers, etc. I plan to make more than the two I pictured but I need help! I'd love to be able to take lots and lots of these arts and crafts bags to a contact I have at my daughter's school who can get these delivered to kids throughout the state. Want to join me? If you'd like to whip up a few bags, fill them up with stuff like I mentioned above, and send them to me, shoot me an email {just click on 'contact' at the top of the this page}. I'll reply with my mailing address since I'd prefer not to post it publicly! The sooner you can get these to me, the better!

I used Dana's Hobo Sack tutorial to make my drawstring bags. I simplified the process a bit by serging all four sides of each fabric square before getting started and leaving the bottom of the bag flat instead of sewing darts. You could also sew up mini tote bags like these or zipper pouches, if you prefer those.

I was able to get lots of stuff to fill my bags at places like Walgreens, Hobby Lobby, and Target's Dollar Spot. I did not have to spend a lot of money either! I found the activity books at Walgreen's for 2/$1. The board books, packs of pencils, packs of stickers, and puzzles were all $1each at Target. I found the paint by numbers kits for $1.27 each at Hobby Lobby. I also picked up a pack of mini sealable plastic bags near the registers at Hobby Lobby-I have a big box of crayons I plan to divide in the plastic bags.

I'll need items for both boys and girls, so please keep that in mind! Here's a list of stuff to look for:

Crayons

Markers

Color Pencils

Mini Coloring Books/Activity Books

Mini Puzzles

Party Size containers of Play Doh

Stickers

Notepads

Mini Flash Lights

Coloring Pages {you can print your own here}

Handmade Softies/Dolls {these would awesome for babies/toddlers}

I also saw stuff like mini Slinkies and Rubik's cubes at Target for a $1 each. Those might be fun for the older kids :)

A few more tutorials for things you can make to include in the bags:

Molded Crayons - great if you have a ton of old crayons laying around

Fabric Gift Pouches - make these to hold crayons, etc

I Spy Bag

Memory Game

Feel free to copy/paste any of the photos in this post if you'd like to help spread the word via your own blog or FB, etc. Just link back to this post. If you have any questions or suggestions, comment below!

Thanks in advance!!

gifts

2011-04-27T23:24:00.000-05:00

I'm in the midst of an anti-sewing, sitting around with my lap top, and watching too much tv funk. It's not that I don't want to sew or that I don't have a pile of half-finished things to work on but rather that I guess it's just time for a little break. Things have been kind of hectic and sometimes I get frustrated that I have to choose between sewing/blogging or sleep. It's a tricky thing to either work all day or chase kid(s) around for hours and still have energy at the end of the day to do things that you want or need to get done. I'm sure many of you can relate. My kiddo is at that age where pretty much everything has to wait til she's asleep at night and there just aren't enough hours to get it all done! Luckily, I'm in good with the boss {me!} and can scale things back for a bit. But just for a bit because I start to miss my sewing machine and get cranky.

I did manage to sew up a few things to send my fab friend Amy for her birthday {she received these today so I'm not spoiling the surprise}. I spotted the pincushion on Flickr here and here and just knew I had to make one. Isn't it cheerful? Obviously, I needed something to hold the goodies I sent so I decided to make another one of Pink Penguin's Drawstring Patchwork Bag. If you haven't made one of these yet, go dig through your scraps and get started! It's a fun, simple project. I'm fairly sure that it's obvious that I love patchwork but when I combine that with my new-ish love of vintage linens, I am in my happy place!

On a side note, I plan to beef up my "about" page soon. I really enjoy reading blogs where I feel like I get to know the person behind the blog and hope to share more about myself with all of you. Soooooo....if you have any burning questions concerning me, sewing, blogging, or just about anything else, ask me in the comments! Seriously, don't be shy!

Yep, totally random photo of the kiddo. Throwing it in for good measure ;) This was taken today while we sat in the kitchen listening to the radio to keep track of the million tornadoes that passed through Alabama today. My little house is still standing and I am thankful for that. Many were not as lucky.

Sincerest Form of Flattery . . or my mini Boden Knock-off!

2011-04-26T11:44:00.001-05:00

Hey! This was originally posted over at Craftiness is not Optional. I'm reposting it here in case anyone missed it and to add the link to my tutorials list. Hoping to have some new posts up soon. Hello and welcome to my new (and old!) readers.

When Jess of Craftiness is not Optional asked if I wanted to join in her Sincerest Form of Flattery series, I knew I had to try my hand at the sweet little miniBoden dress below {left}. It looked simple enough and I loved the details of the dress, particularly the pockets! I was a bit nervous about it since I was doing this all from a small photo but I'm happy with the dress I ended up with {right}. Best part. . .I saved $39 making the dress myself!

miniBoden dress $40 / my knock-off version $1

I dug through my fabric stash and found a set of 2 vintage pillowcases I thrifted a few months ago for 30 cents each. The dress I made is a size 2T and I had a good bit of fabric left over. While I originally planned to use elastic in the neck and waist casings, I decided to use elastic thread instead. I love the way shirring looks and I think it's quicker than trying to pull elastic through a casing. You can use any peasant dress pattern or tutorial to make this dress {you'll find a great tutorial here}. I'll show you below how to create the easy pockets and have also included a link where you can download the pattern pieces and pocket template I created to make my dress.

Here are a few photos of my kiddo in her miniBoden knock off:

Supplies:

fabric

thread

elastic thread or 1/4 inch elastic

fabric marking pen

hem gauge

Pocket Template/Pattern Pieces

Step 1

First you'll need to determine the width/length of your skirt panels and cut them. You'll want your skirt panels {front and back} to be as wide as your dress bodice. Mine measured 16.25" wide and about 13" long. If you're using your own peasant dress pattern/tutorial, decide where you want the waist line of your dress to be and cut your pattern in two, so you have separate pieces for the bodice and skirt. Keep in mind you'll want to add a seam allowance where you cut. I used a 1/4" seam allowance for my dress.

Step 2

Take one of the skirt panels and fold it in half width-wise, with the open edges to the right. You'll want to place the pocket template in the upper right hand corner like the photo below. Trace the curve with your fabric marking pen. Make sure to keep both layers of fabric even and cut along the curve. This will be your front skirt panel. Set aside for now.

Step 3

Cut 4 rectangles of fabric to create your pockets. I cut rectangles sized 5.5" wide by 6.5" tall. Take 2 of the rectangles and place them wrong sides touching. Place the pocket template on top as in photo below, trace the curve with your pen, and cut along the curve.

Step 4

Take your front skirt panel and place right side up. Grab the two curved pocket pieces and place them right side down on your skirt panel. Match the curves of the pocket pieces with the curves of the skirt panel and pin in place. Sew along the curves using a 1/4" seam allowance. Clip the curves, flip them to the wrong side of the skirt, and press in place. Top stitch along the edges of the curves.

Step 5

Place your skirt panel right side down. Take the other two rectangles you cut {without curves} and place them right side down on top of your pockets. You'll want to make sure they line up with the top and sides of your skirt panel and the bottom of your pockets. Pin the rectangles to the pockets along the inner and bottom edges. The pins should not go through the skirt, just the pocket pieces. Next, sew along the edges you pinned and finish those seams with a serger or zig zag stitch. You can also baste the tops and outer edges of the pockets to the skirt to keep them in place.

Step 6

At this point, sew your skirt pieces to your bodice pieces. You can then sew the sleeves onto your bodice pieces and then sew up the sides of your dress. Finish all raw seams as you go along. Hem the sleeves - I folded the fabric 1/4" and then another 1/4". Hem the skirt. As I mentioned, I originally planned to do an elastic casing at the neck so my pattern piece reflects that. I folded the neck casing down 1/4" and then again 3/4". I stitched close to the edge of the casing. If you want to use elastic, sew another line of stitching about 1/2" from the edge of the casing, creating a channel for the elastic. This will give the neckline a bit of a ruffled edge. If you want to use elastic thread like I did, sew 3 evenly spaced lines of shirring along the neck line instead. I also did 3 lines of shirring at the waist, above the seam. I left my threads long and used a hand sewing needle to pull the top threads to the wrong side of the dress. I then tied all the loose threads together in small knots and trimmed them.

Thanks so much for having me and I hope you enjoy making your own dress! I plan to make a few more. . . maybe one using a solid fabric for the bodice and a print for the skirt. Sounds cute, right?!

the sincerest form of flattery. . .

2011-04-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

Hi! Happy Friday! I've been busy working on a guest post/tutorial for Jess of Craftiness is Not Optional this past week and I hope you'll stop by her blog to check it out! My post is part of a series called The Sincerest Form of Flattery and it's all about knock-offs! Lots of great posts are already up and there are many more to come.

Here's a little sneak peak for you. . .

easy wrist strap tutorial

2011-04-04T17:33:00.000-05:00

Honestly, I hesitate to even call this a tutorial but I'm not sure what else to call it. It's more like a "this is how I do it" post. I worked on the cell phone pouch below a few weeks ago and it needed a wrist strap per my customer's request. I thought back to when I first made a detachable wrist strap and remembered I had the hardest time with it. Trying to figure out how to best fold the ends under and getting my sewing machine to sew through the layers was tricky. Somewhere along the way I came across a super quick and easy way to make these and figured I'd share it with you!

details: basic wallet pattern by keyka lou {a fab sponsor of lbgstudio} ~ I added a 1/2" to the width of the pattern

You can make your strap in whatever width/length you might need. Since the swivel clip I used had small opening, I used a strip of fabric 1.5" wide and about 15" long. To determine what width fabric you'll need to cut to make a strap in a specific width, multiply the finished width of the strap by 4. For example, my strap needed to be about .375", so I cut my strip 1.5".

Take your fabric strip, fold it in half, and press. Open the strip back up, fold in both edges to meet in the middle and press. Fold it in half and press again. Just like making bias tape!

Thread your folded fabric strip through the swivel clip.

Now, take the two cut ends of your strap, unfold them, and place them right sides touching. Make sure they are lined up along the top and sides and that your loop is not twisted. Pin in place. Sew them together using a 1/2" seam allowance. Press open the seam and then fold your strap back in place and press again.

Next you'll want to edge stitch along both sides of the strap, starting with the open edge. Just slide the swivel clip out of your way as you sew.

Finally, stitch across both sides of the strap near the swivel clip to keep it from sliding around. That's it!

i heart faces: best face from march

2011-04-04T11:48:00.003-05:00

photo details: 50mm f1.8 lens ~ 1/125 sec ~ f1.8 ~ ISO 400 processed with MCP Mini Fusion Action

I thought I'd join in this week's I Heart Faces photo challenge. I took this photo a few weeks ago and it's quickly become one of my favs. Nothing fancy, no special location...just a shot of the kiddo hanging out in the kitchen which just so happens to be her favorite spot in the house. You know, because that's where the food is! I believe there will be an opportunity for voting, so if you happen to be so inclined, head over to I Heart Faces and cast a vote :) My photo is number #333!

ps. I'll be back later today with a mini-tutorial!

mug rug fun

2011-03-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

I've been following along with the posts over at two more seconds this week. It's all about mug rugs! You know, those cute mini quilted placemats for your coffee/tea cup and a snack. I've been wanting to make one for a while now (prob since seeing Mary's) but just haven't gotten around to it. I had a bit of free time last night and got started. I whipped out some graph paper (just knew that stuff would come in handy!) and started sketching. I'm still in the beginning stage of this project but figured I'd share what I have so far. This is the perfect sewing project in my book: small enough not to require lots of supplies or time really but can still be challenging and make me think outside the box a bit. All this piecing is new to me and I'm sure there's an easier way to do what I want to do. . .

When coming up with a plan for my mug rug, the first thing that came to mind was "chevron". I've been pinning all things chevron onto my Pintrest boards lately and decided to use those photos as inspiration for my mug rug. I also spotted a chevron mug rug on Flickr and knew I had to try something similar. I'm still playing around with fabrics, colors, and placement and have my fingers crossed that I did my math right!

1} chevron patterned pillow/Made

2}"Hare"/Marco Cibola/pinned by Katie Pederson

3}scrappy mug rug / snowonturtles

4}vintage sheet fq / ironsea

What are you working on this week?

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long. . . Winners and a Wrap up!

2011-03-17T12:32:00.000-05:00

This little sew-a-long took on some epic proportions, at least in my book. It far exceeded what I thought was possible and I just want to send out a huge thank you to everyone one who joined in! Whether you made one dress or fifteen, I know each and every one will be greatly appreciated! It just goes to show how generous the crafting community is! Over 200 dresses were submitted to the Flickr photo pool and I know that there are still some people out there finishing up a few more. Simply amazing! We might just have to do this again next year! Remember that in the meantime, you can sew and send dresses to Dress A Girl Around the World whenever you want! Also, there is a photo album on the Dress A Girl site that Mary created where you can share pictures of your dresses.

I also want to thank my co-hosts, guest bloggers, and giveaway sponsors who helped get this up and running. Thanks to those sponsors, I've got lots of goodies for 2 lucky winners! I wrote down a name for each dress that was uploaded to the photo pool and then randomly drew two names (eyes closed, promise!)

Send me an email at sevan76dress {at} gmail {dot} com so I can get your adresses, etc and get those prizes out to you!!! Congratulations :)

ps. Virginia of Gingercake is offering up a special coupon code for everyone who participated in the sew-a-long! Use it to receive 30% off all the patterns in her shop! Head over to her blog for all the details.

dresses, dresses, and more dresses!

2011-03-14T10:32:00.001-05:00

1. dress 2, 2. Pillowcase dress # 2, 3. Dress-a-Girl #3, 4. IMG_4566, 5. Ella pillowcase dress two, 6. PIllowcase Dress 1, 7. Stripey pillowcase dress, 8. IMG_0658, 9. pillow case dress for Dress A Girl, 10. Flower Dress, 11. 6, 12. 004, 13. 5, 14. Reversible Pillowcase Dress, 15. Dress A Girl Around The World, 16. IMG_0646, 17. Untitled, 18. pillowcase dress, 19. Pillowcase dress - charity, 20. Pillowcase dress - yellow daisy fabric, 21. Pillowcase dress Blue & Rust, 22. IMG_1290, 23. Purple and Pink, 24. Dress a Girl Around the World, 25. Picture 060, 26. IMG_3719, 27. Dress, 28. Yellow print Navy

Thought I'd share just a sampling of the tons of amazing dresses that have been added to the Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long Flickr pool! I am really and truly excited about how many people were able to join in and sew some dresses. Some people had sewing parties and others enlisted the help of family! There are still a few days left before the giveaway ends so don't fret if you have yet to start!

Also, there is now an additional prize for the first place winner! Michelle, of Keyka Lou Patterns and one of my awesome sponsors, is giving the winner their choice of one pattern from her shop!

One last thing for today. . . remember Cecilia's (So Tei Tei) offer to donate 50% of the revenue from sales in her patten shop from last week to Dress A Girl Around the World?? As of Friday, she was up to $118!!! That doesn't include whatever might have been raised over the weekend so the final total might be more!

I'll be back Thursday to announce the winners! Til then, happy sewing :)

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long Guest Post: Craftiness is Not Optional

2011-03-12T11:19:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I've got one more guest post for you! Last, but not least, Jess from Craftiness is not Optional is sharing her take on the classic pillowcase. She's added some really pretty details that you don't want to miss! When thinking of whom I might ask to join in on the guest posts, Jess immediately popped into my head, since most of us know, she is THE queen of dresses. Seriously funny, as well!

Hi there! My name is Jess, and I have a blog called Craftiness is not Optional, where I love to sew and craft up a storm! I have two adorable daughters, Sadie and Charlotte-and an awesome hubby who ~~puts up with~~ patiently supports my crafting/sewing impulses. I especially love sewing children's clothing and hoarding fabric. :D

When Vanessa first contacted me about her Dress a Girl Around the World sew along, I was so excited to participate. What a great charity-and browsing through the website made me feel so happy to sew up a dress (or two or three!) to a darling little girl somewhere! So here's my take on a pillowcase dress-with a pleated trim and sash. :D

Head over to Craftiness is Not Optional for the tutorial!

I hope you've all enjoyed the fabulous ideas, tips, and tutorials shared here this week and that you've had a great time sewing up a storm! Remember, you still have a few days left to enter dresses for the giveaway. I'll post the drawing winners on Thursday :)

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long Guest Post: Gingercake

2011-03-11T11:04:00.000-06:00

I'm back to share another fun guest post with you: Virginia of Gingercake! I discovered Virginia's fantastic sewing patterns well over a year ago and have been enjoying using them since. She's got a great eye for creating functional sewing projects, especially for kids. Today, she's whipped up a tutorial for a sweet treasures pocket that you can use for your sew-a-long dresses!

Let's hear from Virginia. . .

Hi Everyone! I have had a great time being part of this sew-a-long. I spend so much time sewing for my shop and working on my patterns that sewing has become more like work and less like play to me. Work that I LOVE, but still a job! This week has been so much fun sewing simple dresses and thinking of the girls who will wear them. What a treat it has been to work with Vanessa and see all the beautiful dresses being made. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you enjoy making these cute pockets.

Such a pretty dress! Stop by Gingercake for the tutorial and say hello to Virginia!

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long Guest Post: Amy from During Quiet Time

2011-03-10T10:00:00.057-06:00

Hello again! I've got another wonderful guest blogger stopping by today: Amy from During Quiet Time. I got to know Amy through another Amy and am so glad I did! She's a very sweet person and an all around crafty lady (just look at those super cute buttons in her blog header!) with many talents. . . quilting, check; silk screening, check; hand-printing, check! She's come up with a really cool way to embellish your pillowcase dresses for the sew-a-long!

And now let's hear from Amy. . .

Thank for inviting me to share this tutorial on freezer paper stencilling. When it comes to charity, I am always finding myself wishing that I could do more. This tutorial will show you how to make super cute pillowcase dresses while keeping your costs low so that you can in fact make more! My dresses were made from solid pillow cases from Target, prepackaged bias tape, and a freezer paper stencil. Come visit my blog to learn how you go about designing and creating your very own freezer paper stencil!

Thanks,
Amy

Head over to During Quiet Time for all the details!

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long Guest Post: Lots of Pink Here!

2011-03-09T07:57:00.000-06:00

Can I say how awesome it was to see dress photos starting to pop up in the Flickr pool last night?! I've been having so much fun this week and hope you are too! I've got another awesome guest blogger for you today: Amy, from Lots of Pink Here!. Amy has become a great friend over the past few months and keeps me motivated. Not only does she have 3 little girls but also runs not one but two Etsy shops! Along with helping out with the sew-a-long, she's created some super cute templates for shaped pockets and will show you how to add them to your pillowcase dresses (or anything that needs a little something special). You can also use the templates as appliques.

Let's welcome Amy. . .

Hi!! I am so excited to have you all visit my little crafty blog today! I am a mom to three girls and am so happy to be involved with this great sew-a-long! What a great thing for all of us to do for some really deserving kids!

I LOVE color, I always have! So no matter what I am sewing, it is usually bright and colorful. For me, one of the really great things about sewing for kids is that they love color too! They aren't afraid to wear bright colored clothing and mix untraditional colors!! Right up my alley!!! I knew I wanted to bring lots of fun to the pillowcase dresses and to send these little girls some dresses that they would be really excited to wear. Like I said, I have 3 girls and the one thing my girls always love on their clothes are pockets!!! So that is what I went for! I hope you love making these as much as I loved creating them for you!!! Enjoy! :)

Head over to Lot's of Pink Here! for the full tutorial :)

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long Guest Post: Noodlehead

2011-03-08T10:00:00.074-06:00

I am so, so excited to share my first guest blogger (ever) today! I 'met' Anna a while back through her blog, Noodlehead, and have been amazed by her creativity since. I'm a huge fan of the clean lines and attention to details in her creations. Her blog is full of gorgeous photos, tutorials, patterns, and more crafty inspiration than you can shake a stick at ;)

Without further ado, here's Anna. . .

I was really excited Vanessa asked me to join in and share a pillowcase dress I made for my daughter. I'll admit, I've never tried to make a pillowcase dress before and the first tutorial I pulled up ended up to be a little vague. So anyway, I needed to make some modifications to the dress I made to make it fit!

Here's a little sneak peak of her dress and stop over and read about some of the other tips and suggestions I have for making a pillowcase dress!

Thanks for having me Vanessa. :)

Thank you, Anna, for whipping up a post for the sew-a-long! Head over to her blog to check out her pillowcase dress tips and tricks.

ps. I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that we'd love if you could add a little note inside your package when mailing your dresses mentioning the Little Big Girl Studio sew-a-long so we might be able to get an idea of just how many dresses are sent in! Thank you!

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-a-Long - Day 1

2011-03-07T13:50:00.000-06:00

Yes!! Finally.

I hope everyone is ready to sew some dresses! I really look forward to seeing tons of creativity being put to good use. My fingers are crossed that we can get lots and lots dresses made and sent in to Dress A Girl Around the World. I've got a bunch of info to share with you in this post, so I'll get straight to it!

As I mentioned, I'll have several fellow bloggers stopping by this week to share tips, tricks, ideas, inspiration, and tutorials with you. Those bloggers include: Amy of Lots of Pink Here! (one of my co-hosts), Virginia of Gingercake (also a co-host), Anna of Noodlehead, Amy of During Quiet Time, and Jess of Craftiness is Not Optional. These ladies are amazingly talented so make sure to stop by here each day to check out their posts!!!

Really there are no hard and fast rules here. If you have a favorite method for making pillowcase style dresses, go for it! If you are a beginner and are using actual pillowcases to make dresses, I suggest using the tutorial on the Dress A Girl website linked below. I've also created a dress tutorial along with a printable pattern with instructions for a few variations. Do what works best for you! When choosing your fabrics, you can used either new or gently used pillowcases or lightweight fabrics. Be as creative as you'd like but just keep in mind the dresses need to be lightweight (they'll be hand carried to their destinations) and comfy for the girls to wear!

Simple Pillowcase Dress Tutorial (for using pillowcases): if you scroll to the bottom of the tutorial, there is a link for a video! I think this would be very helpful for anyone who is just beginning to sew.

Pillowcase Dress Tutorial and Printable Pattern (for anyone using fabric): I created this tutorial based on dresses I've made in the past for my little girl. There are instructions for adding a contrasting fabric band along the bottom of the dress along with two ways to make the shoulder ties. The tutorial is geared for beginners but feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section of the tutorial.

Once you've finished your dresses, take some photos and upload the photos to the Flickr Pool I've created just for the sew-a-long. Post only one photo per dress please. Next, get those dresses in the mail!

Ship your dresses here:

Rachel Eggum Cinader

Hope 4 Women International

P.O Box 74010

Phoenix, AZ 85087

To give you a little motivation to sew up a storm, we're also hosting a giveaway along with the sew-a-long! By posting photos of your dresses to the Flickr Pool, you'll gain one entry per dress (please post only one photo per dress!). I'll leave the pool open to entries til next Wednesday (March 16th) and then I'll randomly draw 2 winners. The first person I draw will be the first place winner and the second person will be the second place winner. I'll post the names of the winners here on the blog. Make sure to come back and check to see if it is you!

The giveaway is open to international entries!

So, what is up for grabs? Check out the awesome sponsors and the prizes they've donated below:

Pinked Fabrics, run by the fabulous Amy, offers fun, modern fabrics. If you like bright and colorful fabrics, pretty packaging, and fast shipping, this is the shop for you! She's generously offered up 2 yards of fabric to the 1st place winner! You'll get to choose not only your fabrics but the cuts as well (fat quarters, half yards, or yards).

Gingercake carries the sweetest sewing patterns created by Virginia. I've used several of her patterns and they are clearly written and include lots of helpful photos. You won't be disappointed with what you are able to whip up using her patterns! Both winners will receive 2 patterns of their choice.

Amy , the creative mind behind the During Quiet Time shop, is offering up one of her adorable goldfish linocuts to the first place winner. Perfect for adding to a quilt, tote, and more! Click here to for more details on the linocut!

I'm sure many of you know Anna, of Noodlehead, by now! Lots and lots of craftiness going on over there. She's graciously offered up her Runaround Bag pattern to the first place winner. This super cute bag is perfect to use as your everyday bag---it's roomy and has pockets on the inside!

Cecilia, of So Tei Tei, designs unique and detailed sewing patterns for children's clothing (girls and boys!). I've already set aside a few of her patterns to make my little girl some cute summer clothes. The 1st place winner can choose 3 patterns from her shop and the second place winner can pick 2.

Not only has Cecilia donated patterns for this giveaway, she is also donating 50% of the revenue from sales made in her shop during this week to the Dress A Girl Around the World organization!!! How awesome is that?? So, if you've got your eye on any patterns in her shop, this is the time to buy them :) It's a win-win situation.

One last thing . . .

I'm giving both winners one of my padded camera strap covers! They fit most standard DSLR camera straps and include a lens cap pocket. I'll let the 1st place winner choose their strap first!

Sorry for the epic length of this post and for the delay in getting it up but there's a lot of info to share! See you tomorrow. Happy sewing :)

ps. you can find blog buttons for the sew-a-long to post on your blog here!

Dress A Girl Around the World Sew-A-Long!

2011-02-28T12:54:00.001-06:00

Hi! I'm really excited to announce my very first sew-a-long on the blog. This isn't the usual sort of sew-a-long where I choose a pattern, break it down step by step, and have you join in with me. We're going to do things just a bit differently but with a great cause in mind! While chatting with some of my bloggy friends {and sponsors} Amy and Virginia, we came up with the idea to host a sew-a-long event that would benefit a charity. We came across the Dress A Girl Around The World campaign and thought it would be a perfect fit for what we had in mind. This organization collects pillowcase dresses made by people like you and me to hand deliver to girls all around the world!

So, during the week of March 7-12th, some of my favorite bloggers will be stopping by to share tutorials and crafty ideas to inspire you to create and embellish your own pillowcase dresses to send in! I'll have a Flickr pool open for you to share your dresses with us, and for every dress you sew and submit a photo for, you'll get an entry to an awesome giveaway.

I'll kick off the sew-a-long on Monday, March 7th with some basic pillowcase dress patterns/tutorials to get you started, introduce you to my guest bloggers, and reveal the giveaway goodies! I'll also give you the scoop on how the giveaway will work and where to mail your dresses when you're ready to send them. Below you'll find some blog buttons so you can help spread the word and let your readers know you're joining in. The buttons will link back to an archived version of this page which I'll update with links often. In the meantime. . . gather up some pillowcases {new or gently used} or lightweight fabrics and get ready to sew for a good cause!

birthday quilt

2011-02-22T21:42:00.000-06:00

My little stinker turned three yesterday! I still can't believe it how quickly she's growing up. Poor kiddo has been sick all weekend so we had to keep the festivities low key - a quick trip to the zoo to see some cute animals and a stop at Whole Foods for a cupcake. As far as gifts go, I finished the quilt I've been working on for ever and made a sweet little owl pillow to match and had them ready to give on her big day. While I think Sydney will enjoy the her quilt and pillow {now known as 'baby owl'}, they were no competition for the drum we gave her. Go figure. . .

I made the owl pillow using the quick and easy Lola the Owl Pillow Pattern by Gingercake. Virginia, one of my awesome sponsors and the designer behind Gingercake, has lots of really fun patterns in her shop and I couldn't resist this one. I used chenille for the body of the owl and some of the vintage sheet fabric I had left over from the quilt for the wings. I'm so pleased with how it turned out!

The back of the owl pillow has a pocket for top secret kid stuff!

While I used vintage sheet fabric for the front of the quilt, I used new fabrics for the binding and backing. I am in love with the teeny pink polka dot print {Cafe Dot in Candy Store Pink by Moda / City Weekend found at Pinked Fabrics}! It is so, so soft and perfect for cuddling.

Happy Birthday to my future rock star!!!

what a day!

2011-02-15T20:48:00.000-06:00

I got quite a surprise this morning! Still groggy from just having woken up, I turned on the ol' laptop while making my bowl of oatmeal. First stop. . . blogger, of course. I spotted this post and went to congratulate Jessica on winning the Prudent Baby Sewing Machine Double Down contest. As I'm reading I see that she mentions the other winner. . . me! Talk about being shocked. Seriously, just from the few potholders I saw posted on Prudent Baby last week, I thought there was no way I would win. There was some major talent going on over there. I'm still kind of shocked but really excited about this new machine. So glad I entered! Thinking maybe I should get a few lottery tickets in case I'm on a roll ;) Many, many thanks to Prudent Baby and Brother for hosting this fun giveaway and to the judges for picking my little potholder :) Congrats to Jessica and the other finalists!!

2011-02-14T20:00:00.000-06:00

happy little potholder

2011-02-09T15:42:00.000-06:00

Wow! I would have never thought a potholder would kick my butt! When I started this thing last night I had no idea that I would still be working on it this afternoon. I thought I'd stroll into my sewing room last night around 9 pm {had to watch Glee! first, of course} and that I'd have a few potholders made in a couple of hours. Ha! Not so much. Now I am finally finished and have learned a thing or two. Like sewing binding on curved corners: never again. Or that I should pencil in at least 2 hours just for picking out fabrics. Anywho, the little potholder down there is my very last minute entry {open til midnight tonight, people. hurry!} to Prudent Baby's Sewing Machine Double Down. Doubt I'll win but I sure would like a sewing machine with a knee lift and built in thread cutter!! Fingers crossed :) If you need a few ideas or tutorials to make your own potholders, make sure to stop by Prudent Baby!

Details:

I used scraps from my stash for the patchwork on the front and pocket lining, used unbleached cotton for the back of the potholder, and made the binding and hanging loop from one of my favorite striped fabrics {thrift store find}. I chose colors based on my current favorites {yellow and grey} and also whatever I thought was fun and bright.The back/pocket of my potholder was inspired by this tutorial by Oh, Fransson!. Design-wise, there wasn't much planning. I kind of just figured things out as I went along and changed a few things here and there. I like my happy little potholder and I'm sure I'll have it broken in and covered in food in no time!

CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

2011-01-31T08:29:00.000-06:00

Congrats, Jacqueline! Thanks everyone for stopping by and entering. Happy Monday :)

sneak peak: quilt

2011-01-29T19:52:00.000-06:00

I finally finished piecing the quilt top that's been in the works for like a year now. I'm really excited to get this thing finished, hopefully in time for the kiddo's birthday next month. I used vintage sheets for the top {found here and here},the green/white plaid will become the binding {cut on the bias}, and I'm using this oh so soft pink polka dot print from City Weekend for the backing {found at my friend Amy's new fabric shop}.

p.s. don't forget to enter my latest giveaway here!

Time for another Giveaway ~ CSN Stores $55 Gift Code

2011-01-26T10:00:00.013-06:00

1. Britax Frontier Combination Seat in Cowmooflage / 2. Rachael Ray "Bubble and Brown" Stoneware Baker Set

3. Vitaclay 2 in1 Rice N' Slow Cooker / 4. Hardwood Kraft Tape Dispenser with 10 Rolls

5.Offi Dog Pet Lamp in Hot Pink / 6. Ferm LIVING Tree Bomb Silk Pillow in Curry

CSN Stores is offering up another gift code to one of you! Up for grabs. . . $55.

A little about CSN Stores. . . they have 200+ online specialty shops that include everything from luggage stores to baby gear shops. CSNStores.com offers a huge selection of products, many of which include free shipping! I'm a huge fan of shopping online {I could browse for hours!} and have ordered through CSNStores.com before {here and here}.I was very pleased with both the products I received to review and the service. So, go take a look around, come back here and leave a comment letting me know what you'd buy with your $55 if you win! Pretty simple, no? I included a few of my picks above :)

Entries are closed!! I'll announce the winner in the morning :)

the fine print:

~~1. Giveaway is open through Sunday, January 30th at 10pm CST.~~

~~2. Open to US and Canada only {CSNStores.com only ships to these countries}~~

~~3. There may be international shipping charges in the case of Canadian addresses~~

~~4. Make sure I have a way to contact you!!! If your email is not linked to your Blogger account, leave your~~

~~email address in your comment.~~

~~5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org~~

~~6. One entry per person~~

just because

2011-01-18T12:42:00.000-06:00

I don't have anything crafty to post since I'm in the middle of what seems like 20 projects. I totally have crafting ADD and sometimes, when it gets to be too much, I end up playing around on the lap top instead. Usually a bit of blog browsing, Etsy shopping, and photo editing in PSE. Case in point: this photo.

if anyone is curious: I used my 85mm f/1.8 lens: shot at 200 ISO / 1/640 sec / f/2.8 / no flash
{this stinker will be 3 next month. where on earth does the time go?}

Yesterday, I realized I hadn't pulled the camera out for anything other than taking photos for the shop lately. Thought it was time to remedy that. There's an old brick building just down the street from my house. I can see the back of it from my kitchen window. I love staring at it in the mornings while making my coffee. Something about the colors, I guess. My neighbor mentioned it used to be a general store which makes sense since it has a faded Coca Cola logo painted along one side. So, finally I took the kiddo over to the brick building and snapped a few photos. Just because. The "photo shoot" lasted about 4 minutes. I got one good photo. I take what I can get!

a little sponsor love ~ keyka lou patterns

2011-01-15T11:00:00.001-06:00

I'm sure most of you don't need an introduction to Keyka Lou sewing patterns but on the off chance you've been missing out, hurry over to Michelle's shop and blog! You'll find patterns for pouches, wallets, laptop sleeves, purses, and more. Sign up for the newsletter while you're there to stay up to date with new pattern releases and discount codes. I pretty much learned to sew using Michelle's patterns and can't say enough good things about them. Her patterns are easy to follow, include tons of photos, and lots of helpful tips; all of which make it easy to end up with an awesome finished project. I'm really excited to have Keyka Lou as a sponsor and hope you'll enjoy her patterns as much as I do.

My current favorite Keyka Lou pattern: the super cute Keychain Clutch! I made these two little clutches a few weeks ago and plan to make lots more.

A few of my older Keyka Lou projects. . .

Clockwise: Pyramid Pouch Pattern / Lots of Pockets Tote Pattern / Pocket Clutch Pattern / Box Wallet Pattern

Want to see more projects made by fellow sewers using these patterns? Head over to the Keyka Lou Patterns Flickr group and plan to be inspired! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend :)