Project Bag

Okay - for the cruise, I decided to make a project bag. I've seen this cute little grab bag all over blogland. It was quick and fairly easy. Of course, I made it out of a dog print fabric. But this will just look like I'm carrying a little handbag around with me. It will hold a couple of pairs of socks (inside their zipper bags of course) as well as my wallet.

Techno Travel Rolls

So the last thing that I made for The Three Amigas was a techno travel roll. I saw this in one of the magazines I had - but really, I don't remember which one and I'm too lazy to walk downstairs and see. When The Princess came home for Thanksgiving - she forgot her cell phone charger. She also travels with a computer, camera, and Nintendo DS. I had recently picked up the premier issue of stitch and it had the idea for this travel roll in it. I'm all little concerned because it's flat. If I hadn't been following the directions - I think I would have added a pleat or something to the edges you fold over to give depth to the pockets. It's also very stiff so hopefully this will work and actually hold all the cords and cables the girls travel with. Of course - getting ready to embark on my own trip - did I make one for myself to try out? Nope! I did add two little pieces of ribbon in the center to trying cables and other small connector cords too. I really hope it works and holds everything in it's place.

Thanks Angie

Sunday, I spent the day down in the studio. I had decided to make embroidered bone stockings for the vet and his team. So, while the embroidery machine was running, I cut strips of the print fabric and serged them together following Angie's tutorial for patchwork tissue covers. Mine aren't nearly as cute as hers, but they will do in a pinch and they kept me occupied. Again - thanks for the idea Angie.

This Weekend I Embroidered

Saturday, I finally got around to playing with my embroidery software to make some gifts for friends. No, I did not design these - they came from Moose B Stitchin and can be found here. What I did was resize them, because I wanted bigger stockings.

Here's a close up of the stitching, these are really very cute and I have been giving them as gifts for years.

Small Sewing

Thanksgiving Weekend I managed to get a few minutes down in the studio that weren't spent making quilt blocks. I have seen several people make new straps for their cameras. I knew that JB would love to have an Eagles strap for his camera. So, armed with the current strap made of webbing I headed down. I took a clear ruler and fussy cut the fabric. Realizing that it was directional and putting a seam in the center so the words were right way up around his neck. The problem here is that the words are wider than the original strap. So, I tapered it down to fit into the leather pieces that came with the original. I was also able to really pad this out to help take some of the strain off his neck when he's carrying his camera. I added 2 layers of batting the length of the fabric piece and 2 more layers just at the back. Since he has a 35mm film camera as well as his digital, I may try making another but this time centering the Eagle rather than the word.

Sunday Sewing

Puppy Love Plus some other cute fleece prints and a little bit of batting and a few hours of time. Several cute doggy pads in various sizes. To be donated to Old Dog Haven.

Beau - making sure they will work.

Charity Knitting

So, after hearing the siren's call of the new yarn, I turned my back on it and finished my second charity bear. These bears are donated through Great Yarns! to Camp Erin. This is the third year that I have helped dress bears. This little girl was dressed in a summer dress made from Tahki Wool Tweed in lavender and a coordinating creamy Borocco yarn. I ran out of the lavender just after I made all the pleats in the skirt. I made the bodice out of the cream and then added a little 'underskirt' in the cream so it looked deliberate. Her little headband is 5 stitches, worked in seed stitch until it was long enough and then sewn to create a bow. We are asked to make a shirt and a hat for each bear that we create. I have 2 more bears and 3 weeks left to get them done. So - no new socks just yet - more bear clothing. This last photo is for Marji. She is the queen of all things baked. The only difference is she bakes from scratch. She also makes dessert for her family most nights of the week. I try to make dessert on Sundays. Because there are only two of us, this little loaf will last JB the rest of the week. So, I bought a box mix for lemon poppy seed muffins. I wanted some sort of lemon cake because I had just purchased a flat of blueberries. After baking the muffins in a loaf pan, I poured a lemon glaze over the top (lemon juice with powdered sugar dissolved in it), then sliced it and served it with fresh blueberries and dollop of whipped cream. You think this might have anything to do with why after a week of working out I'm up 4#??

Crafting Again

This little bag has now been received by my friend Chan. I had started out to make her the 'perfect' bag. The first bag I made wouldn't be it. It might work for a day or two, but it wasn't going to fill all the dreams she has about a bag. So one day when posting about a top I had finished, I noticed that the pattern had a little handbag included. Hey - I said to myself - that might work. I looked at the pattern and thought it might be a little big. See Chan doesn't want a huge bag, she'll put too much in it and hurt herself. So, I cut some width off the pattern and a bit of the length too. I added a piece for the bottom, so it had some contrast on the outside. I think it's fun. I used some bead pins and attached beads to the bottom as 'feet.' (Chan, those can easily be removed by taking the bottom stabilizer piece out.) I also put a pocket on the inside for a phone and added a little loop for attaching keys. Unfortunately, once it was finished I think I trimmed too much off the pattern, it's not large enough to hold a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of patter - which was important. So, the making with continue - but not until after I made the revised version of the sundress :)

Crafty

I don't know what my problem is lately - but I am completely unable to get motivated to do anything on my first day off every weekend. That means that yesterday (because I worked this Friday) I sat on the couch in my PJ's until almost 2, then I ran errands, etc.

Today, I slept late and it was lovely. JB and I took the dogs for coffee (we get coffee they get a nice walk and a couple of cookies). When we got home I fixed brunch. JB then went shopping for dirt and more food to add to the yard.

I knit and talked to The Princess. Once I got off the phone I worked on some dog themed coasters. I have a couple of birthday packages to put together. One I am already behind on and the other I'm sure will be late too by the time I get my act together.

Each of these coasters is made from 6 different fabrics. They are all 5" squares, plus a square of batting. Then you fold 4 of the squares in half, weave them together, layer, sew and turn. They turn out pretty cute. The first picture shows some of the backs, the next shows the front and the last is of the stacks - one is done done. Tied and ready to be packaged. One is just done and still needs a tie and the last stack still needs to be sewn, but I ran out of time.

Gunna Get My Sweat Shop On

While browsing Tearsa's blog That's Sew Live! I read where she said "I am going to take my time on this one.. I won't rush it like I normally do.. I like to get my sweat shop (minus the children laborers) on and churn out the pieces!" as part of this post.

Since I listen to country music, ever since I read that I have been hearing Toby Keith's song - Get My Drink On.

Anyway - today started out like most weekends - lazy! I finally made it down to the studio and got all four of the Amy Butler Swing Bags finished. Tomorrow - three of them are headed out in the mail - along with the first one I ever made. Unlike Carolyn, I generally only use a pattern once, so I definitely got my money's worth out of this one. From the top - left over AB fabric from the Stunt Stitcher Gig. It's going to Miss C. for more shop samples. The bag was lined with a heavy twill fabric. Other changes, handles were cut longer than the pattern called for and the bag was cut about 1" shorter because I didn't have enough fabric.

The blue bag is scraps from a skirt that I'm in the process of finishing up for myself. You all know - there's not much I like better than a fun cotton print skirt. It's being sent as a little surprise.

Next up are the two bags I was able to cut from the Tina Givens fabric that I bought for this bag. The first one is lined with batting and I like the cushy feel that it has. The straps are again longer (the blue bag has straps the length the pattern calls for - I think they are short, short, short!) and this time cut from a beige corduroy. The final bag is for me. It's lined with batting and I like it :)

I Ain't Got Much

But this little fake fur bear to show for my efforts today. This is bearrit from Carol's Zoo. I started making this bears as dog toys several years ago. When I realized I could purchase replacement squeakers and fake fur for much less than I could buy a soft toy at the pet store.

Because it takes me about 45 minutes to make one, and it only take Beau 5 minutes to kill one, I don't make bears for my guys too often any more, but when I make them as gifts for other - Lucy just sits and drools, waiting to get her chops on it.

I also managed to walk the dogs, vacuum the floors, work 6 rounds on my baby pinwheel blanket, make another dog toy and cut out 4 swing bags. Tomorrow plans to be much of the same - dog walking and sewing :) Good times!

Swing Bag

One of the last remaining projects from my weekend of sitting, eating, laughing and sewing - was the the SWING BAG from amy butler. This is a very cute bag with minimal pattern pieces - 2 to be exact. The purse body and the straps.

I have been using this bag for 2 days now and while I really like it - I made a couple of mistakes. You see - I thought I knew what I was doing when I added pockets. Unfortunately, Miss Butler knew what she was doing when she designed this bag - without pockets! See pockets just get in the way - they are always flopping open and some of the smaller pockets are too close to the bottom of the bag to be easily accessible. So - I plan on making another version of this bag - exactly according to the pattern instructions - which I must say made me laugh out loud. Don't believe me - well try this out - #1 cut out all pattern pieces. She's not talking about out of fabric which was what I thought until I read #2 - cut all pattern pieces from fabric! DOH.

DishTowels

So, Sunday night I finally hung the last curtain panel. That's when I turned my attention to finishing my swap package and getting it out the door. Several years ago, when I worked for a local Viking dealer, I made some really cute dishtowels for The Musical One. So, after cleaning up the curtain mess & putting away the back-up machine (I started the curtains with it, I needed to finish them with it). I then started tearing my sewing room apart again. You see, those previously made dishtowels were so cute and I knew I had put everything together and set it aside to make a set for The Princess. I looked everywhere and I couldn't find them. But I did find 2 packages of purchased dishtowels to start with. Why do they package them in fours? So, I went upstairs, sat with JB and knit! Pouting. Fast forward to Monday morning. I had to get this package out in the mail. I was running out of time to do embroidery. So I went searching online. I found the French Chef's and ordered the COMBO Pack. But I

didn't see the place where you select your design format. They were sent to me in a format for a Bernina. UGH! It's the only format that my Viking software won't open and convert. I also ordered a set of Victorian Girls and Teri's service was exceptional as well. I then gathered opinions from

The Princess and Bonnie and it was decided that we all loved the chefs. So chefs it was. Monday I downloaded the designs and tried opening the chefs. (see above) I emailed the company, told her about my mistake and first thing Tuesday morning I had the designs in the format I needed. Great customer service. Tuesday Morning, I chose thread colors, wound matching bobbins - these are dishtowels and the back will show so I took the extra step of changing the bobbin with each needle thread change. Since there are only three colors per design - no biggie. I also starched the towels to death and used water soluble stabilizer on the back. It took between 30-45 minutes for each design to stitch out. I'm pretty happy with these - I want them! Of course, I don't know about you - but I will never get around to making a set of these for myself. The Princess will get some and I'll make more as other gifts, but I'll always just look longingly at them as I package them mail to someone else.

Is It Too Much?

I do too much well. At least in my opinion. What do you think? I'm getting my Sassy Apron Swap package together. As I was looking at it, I decided to include embroidered dish towels with the apron. I'll do a separate post for the dishtowels - the are cute! Anyway, I changed the recommended colors to pink for the pants and bow tie, grey for the outlines, and green for the words - to match the apron colors. I can tell you that the Saturday towel won't be perfect, because the bobbin ran out and made a little mess, but I don't have time to do a new one, so it will just have to work.

Also included in the package:

Recipe box with 4 handwritten soup recipes;

a new set of measuring cups;

a new set of measuring spoons;

3 new wisks (for cream soups);

a recipe book which is only soups; and

a note pad.

I really wish that my SAS partner had a blog because I have no idea if she will like this or not. Anyway - it's going out in the mail tomorrow. Just a few days before the deadline! WHEW.

Finally Finished!

Because the curtains all look the same, I'm not going to show you yet another picture of them. But trust me when I say they are all hung and I'm doing a happy dance. Now I'm looking for a certain set of embroidery designs, which I'm not finding easily. I would like to embroider a dish towel or two tonight to get a head start on getting my package out in the mail. How was everyone else's weekend?

Apron Done