Birthday Bags

My daughter turned 8 a couple of weeks ago. My how time flies. She was so excited about her party and knew just the people she wanted to invite. Unfortunately that just didn't work out. We invited 6 little girls and by the day of her birthday only 2 were able to come. As the numbers kept getting smaller I knew I needed to have a special project for them to do to keep it exciting. So I made up these little bags that each girl could decorate when they first got here and then I filled with the rest of the goodies.

Luckily I had plenty of felt for the outside and fun sparkly fabric for the lining. Daphne wanted blue felt for hers and I made the rest out of white. I also added a different type of ribbon to the handles of each bag, for stability and fun. Of course I forgot to take pictures of all of them so you just get to see Daphne's.

Here's what the inside looks like. I boxed the corners and as I was sewing in the lining I tucked the handles and ribbon ties in to secure them. They were really easy to make and the girls had a ball decorating them.

Here's what Daph's looked like before it was decorated.

Here's what her bag looks like now.

Here's a little of what I've been working on...

I've been working on a few projects trying to get them done so that my parents could take them back to Idaho when they came for Thanksgiving.

I didn't get both of the quilts done but I did get this one done, and I love how it turned out. The piecing I kept really simple, and to go with the Knight fabric I appliqued this amazing dragon onto the quilt. I even used minkee for the belly, ears and tail. The applique pattern is from this wonderful website full of free patterns. Hopefully my nephew likes it as much as I do.

I'm almost done with a quillow for my niece, but I promised my husband that I would finish quilting a Christmas wall hanging for us this year before I get back to making presents. So I better go and quilt.

Purse #3

Here's my 3rd purse for my cousins. This one is for my 13 year old cousin who LOVES pink and kind of flashy things. With this one done, I've finished the purses for the cousins that are going to be with us for Christmas. Yeah! Now I just have a couple more to make that will get mailed.

This purse was made using the Buttercup bag pattern from Made by Rae. I love this pattern!

So 3 down and 2 more to go!

Two Down, several more to go!

Here's the second purse for my cousins. This one is for the 12 year old. It's not the fabric I would have picked for a 12 year old but she loves browns and blacks so it just seemed right. I based the purse on this pattern, but of course I can't make much exactly by the pattern.

At least I'm sewing!

For some reason I'm still having trouble getting motivated to sew all the things I want to sew before Christmas, but I have gotten a few simple projects done.

I made my daughter her cowgirl skirt for Halloween!

And I just finished this simple baby blanket for a soon to be here new nephew.

I even have my next project planned out!!
For some reason I'm still having trouble getting motivated to sew all the things I want to sew before Christmas, but I have gotten a few simple projects done.

Where's my groove?

I thought that as soon as Daph started school again I'd be able to get back in the groove again and get back to sewing, but that just hasn't happened.

I have so many projects too. And Christmas isn't very far away in crafting time.

Ahhhh, what am I going to do.

I may have to resort to desperate measures, and "horror" schedule!

But on the bright side I got an early Birthday gift, a new camera. It will be really nice not to have to turn it on 3 times to get it to really work. Hopefully I like this one as much as I liked my old one!

A little reorganization.....finally!

This was my sewing space a couple weeks ago. I know it's terrible, especially when you realize that the table edge you see on the left is our dining table. Yeah, it's bad. I keep meaning to get it cleaned up and organized but somehow it never happens. It gets cleaned up, but without the organization that doesn't last long.

But once I got my new serger I had to make room for it, so I used this as an excuse to FINALLY reorganize. Ta Dah!

Even I'm impressed! (as long as I don't look in our guest room) I have this milk crate cover tutorial and some great fabric that I was thinking of using to hide the clutter a little more. We'll see when that gets done, lol.

I also HAD to change the strap on my latest buttercup bag. I loved the look of the faux leather strap, it was just too long. Not for a normal person, but when you never made 5' without heels a couple inches makes a big difference. I still love the hardware on it and the new strap is perfect.

It could be love!

I finally got out my new serger and it could be love! How did I sew for this long without it? Well back to my sewing!

I'm back!

We're back from our family visit, and I'm hoping that I'll be back mentally as well as physically. I just haven't been very productive this summer. I haven't been able to settle down and write, sew, create, even read. Hopefully that's over and I can get things done.

While I was on vacation I did get a couple projects done. After all I HAD to try out my Moms fancy new sewing machine. Here they are.

The first is a large summer tote that I used my great Fruit Ladies print on. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The other is a purse based on the free Buttercup pattern. I enlarged it 15% (the original pattern wasn't big enough for me to carry a book), used a thin fusible fleece on the lining and added a leather look strap instead of a fabric one. It's actually bigger than I was expecting ( but I like it)and I'm trying to decide if the strap is too long for me, but that's an easy fix since I have more of the green fabric.

I also have a new toy to play with. My Mom got this with her sewing machine, but since she won't use it she gave it to me YEAH! Now I just have to figure out how it works since I've never used a serger before. So if anyone has any tips or suggestions I'm listening!

I got them done!

I finished the stockings and just in the nick of time. I think they'll like them. The only problem is that I accidentally made the cuffs on these a little bigger than the others.

This stocking is an extra because they are planning on having another child down the road so this way they will still have a matching stocking. I gave them a little kit to add the name to it when the child is born.

And look what was delivered yesterday, I sort of felt like my reward for getting the stockings done. I found this fabric in the sales area at Hancocks of Paducah and I just had to order it.

I have been sewing!

Look I have been sewing! The Christmas stockings are almost done and I finished the purse to give my Daughter's teacher as a gift tomorrow. I used this tutorial from Lola Again and I love how it turned out.

The Art of Procrastination

Normally I would never say I'm perfect at something, but I really do think I have perfected the art of procrastination. I have 3 more Christmas stockings that I NEED to make for Daph's teacher before the school year is over (in other words 6 more days to sew) and I WANT to make her a purse for an end of the year gift because she keeps making comments on how much she likes the one I made for myself. However instead of being at the sewing machine right now I'm updating my blog. See! Oh and just in case your procrastinating too, and need something else to do you can look at the other stockings I made for her in my slide show (right column), hers are the stockings with the names on them.

Actually I think I should wait till tomorrow to start the stockings because I was thinking about making a tutorial on how I make my Christmas stockings and for that I really need the good day light for the best pictures. Yeah that sound good, it makes perfect sense.

See I told you I think I have this down perfect.

My little project for the day, and a quick brag!

My daughter had today off (again, this is the 2nd of 3 this month), so I didn't get much sewing done, but I needed to get this little pillow done for our next Girl Scout meeting.  It's for one of the girls in our troop who is moving this summer.  I have fabric markers for the rest of the girls to sign on the plain purple fabric so she can take a little bit of them with her.

I just had to brag for a moment and say look at all the incentives our Girl Scout troop earned, our average was over 200 boxes per girl.  We had several at 300+, and even 2 at who reached 400.  The girls will be so excited when they get handed out at our meeting.

I finished the bag!

When I added the picture to the last I thought that it would work to just show the almost finished bag, but I find I just couldn't stop with that.   I just had to show you how the finished bag turned out.  I especially like how the flower pin turned out.  I followed this tutorial.

However my SIL won't be getting the bag to use as a diaper bag before the baby arrives, because I got it in the mail today, and then my brother called to tell me that my new nephew had arrived about 9 o'clock this morning. 

Mom and baby are doing well, but on Monday my brother was told his contract wouldn't be extended like they had told him last week, in fact he was let go that day.  So if you can keep them in your thoughts and prayers it would be appreciated.

Here's what I've been doing lately!

I've been working on a couple things for my sister-in law's baby shower.  I still need to attach the handles to the main bag, but I'm almost done.  I made up the diaper and wipes bag based on the size of the wipes container, I used this pattern for the pouch for my SIL's things, and this pattern for the reversible baby booties.  The baby booties were really easy and turned out super cute and the pouch was pretty easy as well, and I was happy with how it turned out, especially since it had a zipper.  The final things I made were store bought cloth diapers that I decorated with a strip of flannel down the middle.  I love how they turned out and I got lucky when I found those fun colored cloth diapers on clearance!

I didn't take a picture or it but I also made a very simple blanket for my SIL's sister since it's a double baby shower.

Now I just need to make 3 more Christmas Stockings for my daughter's teacher before school ends (June 4th) and I want to make her a purse as an end of the year gift.  I better get back to sewing soon.

Janet do you recognize the flannel?

This is the reverse side of the booties

My new fabric came today!!!

When I found this fabric I just HAD to buy it.  This fabric is called Fruit Ladies by Elizabeth Studios.  I'm so excited that is came this fast.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, maybe a summer bag, but I have it!!!

Show and Tell - recent sewing projects

I'm pretty happy with how these bags turned out, and I just had to share!

This bag I made for my cousin Katie, who is coming to visit us with her Mom during spring break.  I used this pattern, but I adjusted it a little.  Katie is 13 and wanted a new bag to use for this trip and at school.  The original pattern had the top band piece being cut 13 inches wide, but I was afraid that was to narrow for school books and folders so I cut my pieces 14 inches wide.

This is the yoga mat bag that I was commissioned to make.  I really hope she likes it, she picked out the main fabric and then I added the two others.  This is also the first bag I've made using fusible fleece, I think I like this much better than interfacing, for most large bags.  I even used it for the strap, which makes it a little padded. 

I finally made myself a new purse

I loved this pattern when I first found it and knew I'd have to make it.  I was so excited with how this purse turned out, and better yet it was easy.  I already have a couple other fabrics set aside to make more.

My new yoga mat bag (or I've finally been sewing again!)

I bought my own yoga mat finally for the yoga class I've been going to.  I decided that this was a great reason to use the fabric I've been hoarding for myself.  I even have enough left over to make myself a matching tote bag.  I based my bag on Amy Butlers free pattern, but I thinned the handle, put drawstring  on the top and put it together completely different.  The only thing I wish I had done differently was to make it a little smaller around.

I've even gotten the bag I made for the One Heart One World giveaway in the mail.  I was really happy with how it turned out and I'll post a picture once the winner gets it. 

We made it!!!

I was so relieved, the girls and I finished the nightgowns yesterday.   Just in time too, they leave for their trip next Wednesday.  The nightgowns turned out really cute.  The girls even got to add some decorative buttons and ribbon flowers.  The only thing I did different than the tutorial was that I tapered the sides instead of leaving them straight.