So I signed up and said I’d do this.
So here I am getting my first bit of homework in with less than an hour left in August 1st. Self portrait, complete with messy hair, jammies, sunburnt face, sewing and Netflix in the background.
I sense things will go well.
Boy have I had a busy last few days! I worked all weekend to get my giant order for 50 cozies ready by Monday.
I missed it by a day thanks to a broken sewing machine late, late Saturday night. The bobbin casing lifted up and I ended up pulling it out with the bobbin. I’ve *never* taken it out and had no idea how it went back in. I did some Googling and finally thought I had it right and started to sew again. Everything was fine going straight but once I switched to zig zag I bent a needle. Totally bent, it was a little U. I really should have taken a picture. So I tried again, took it all apart and started over. Yeah, then I broke a needle. I tried to use my old-reserved-for-juice-pouch-sewing machine but it felt all wrong. So I packed my broken favourite up and had to wait until Monday morning to take it in for some love.
Monday the kids were going to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa so I had a chance to get it fixed and rush home to finish the sewing. I still had the buttons to sew on when the children were returned. I went out to the driveway to greet my lovely children only to discover Nate was sick in the car, his clothes and seat were a mess. I thought he was just car sick but he was burning up. So I spent the entire evening on the couch ‘guggling’ a sick 2 year old and holding a bowl.
Luckily he went to bed early because I realized I was 2 cozies short on one of the designs so I had to do some late night creating. Tuesday morning Nate was pretty listless so I had time to sew the buttons on in the backyard while trying to keep Wesley active and quiet. The package went out Tuesday afternoon, not too bad considering everything.
I crashed Tuesday night, I think the adrenaline of the cozy fest left and I went to bed early, didn’t create a thing that evening! Wednesday it was onto my contribution for Make Art a Part (of your life), which was due Wednesday. So away I worked as much as possible during the day and into the night, sewing and photographing.
Sadly Thursday morning I awoke to a crying 4 year old saying his tummy hurt. Now I would have thought a day with my 4 year old on the couch would be easy. Oh it was exhausting! “Mommy, Nate’s being loud! He’s in my way! I can’t see the show!” repeat. Poor Nate was going stir crazy, like me, and it was bliss when I got Nate off for his nap and Wesley was still sleeping on the couch. There was a wonderful 30 minute overlap where they were both sleeping . . . ahhhh.
So it was slow going but I managed to get my part of the e-course done . . . again a day late. It’s a really fun little sewing project that I show you how to hand sew or take it up a notch and machine stitch. It’s really open-ended leaving loads of ways to personalize it and make it your own. Go check out the info here, registration opens August 4th.
Posted in online class stuff, sewing
Tagged e-course, juice pouch, make art a part, sewing
First off hello to all the new people from Wild Olive! Take a look around. I felt the need to post my last post, not remembering it was giveaway day, usually I’m much more bright and cheery. So pardon the inspiring deep thoughts. On to some fun?
Note: These aren’t terrible pictures, honest, keep reading.
I love Spoonflower, the idea is so great and all the lovely creations are even greater. While clicking around the last time I was there I got to thinking, ‘hey I can probably do this!’. So I uploaded a square of my blog background design, the pink honeycombs. I thought it would be really neat to make something using that. See the lovely pink honeycomb print on the fabric? . . . . Yeah, me either.
Guess there’s still some things I have to learn about graphics. I did go back and played around with some of the settings and I think I’ve successfully darkened it. The test swatch will tell me. Hurry up snail mail!
I was driving alone in the car the other day, a rarity, and I realized maybe I’ve been to hard on myself. I’ve felt pretty unproductive since school let out. I had high expectations that I would be able to catch up on things, and get the To Dos to done and set some things into motion that are still only just ideas. July is almost over and I don’t feel that I’ve caught up, or gotten ahead.
Then driving I started to think how it was a year ago, almost exactly, when my shop went viral for a pillow I made mostly as a joke. I spent August recovering from that.
Then on labour day weekend things got insane again for my Caffienating cup cozy. I spent the fall and winter recovering from that.
And I realized all the things I’ve accomplished in the past year.
– I balanced being a mom, teacher and crafty blogger/shop owner
– I survived hundreds of sales in my shop & been on the front page of Etsy
– I’ve learned how to screen print (from building a screen to washing out ink with my self made ‘pressure washer’)
– my mad self taught sewing skills have grown a bunch
– I’ve started taking much better photos, thank you natural light
– I edit photos in the blink of an eye, thank you Picnik (take that winter in Canada with few hours a day of sunlight!)
– I’ve introduced myself to Photoshop and we’re getting to know each other
– I own a 1″ button machine and know how to use it
– I’ve made new friends at my local postal office, fabric stores, online and in person
So I think really, I’m not doing too bad after all.
I meant to have these done months ago, but turns out juggling motherhood, a job and a crafty business is a bit tricky! But better late than never. After getting the hang of sewing coin pouches with a pattern I purchased and ironing out the details on a pattern I tweaked to fit a larger frame I’m ready with some coin pouches made with vintage linens.
They’re relatively easy to sew. Attaching the frame is the tricky part. I did 2 and a half the other night while watching a movie and then had to stop because of sore fingers and a few broken needles. I think I’m super picky about the stitching being hidden on the inside so I’m taking my time and working really hard to keep it tidy looking on the inside.
I have a table at a craft show this Friday and Saturday and I’ll see how they do there. Hopefully I can get some more frames finished while I sit there and then they’ll be ready to star in my shop.
I guest posted over the weekend at amy is the party where she featured a bunch of fun summery projects, like cupcake fondue!! Plus other post by some superfunawesomecool people including Thursday and Crafty Minx. So head over there and have a peek!
Ok I’m going to show you how to turn a hanky into a fun hair accessory for the summer. It’s a super quick project that you can make with thrifted materials and probably things you have on hand, scraps material and a bit of elastic. I’ve burned my scalp already this summer and I’m hoping this is a cuter alternative to hats.
You will need
– a hanky you like
– a piece of elastic (mine was 7″)
– a strip of fabric (3″ x 15″)
Other handy items – safety pin, turning tool,
I picked this one because it has a great pattern on one corner which is perfect because you’re going to fold the hanky diagonally.
First fold the strip of fabric in half and sew down one side with a 1/4 inch seam.
Turn it right side out. This part was a bit tricky, I used my handy little turning tool, this long metal stick thing with a hook on it. Once you have it turned right side out take the elastic piece and feed it through the casing. Sew it in place at one end. Then pull the elastic through so it’s sticking out the other side. It’s easy to guide through if you put a safety pin on the end first.
The casing fabric should be all gathered up like a hair scrunchie.
Fold the hanky in half diagonally and sew the stitched up end of the elastic to one corner of the hanky.
Chceck to see how it fits on your head. I had to trim about an inch from the scrunchie piece. Once it’s a comfortable tightness at the back of your head stitch the other end of the scrunchie piece to the other hanky corner.
And voila, a great cool summer alternative to hat head!
Here’s my ‘I’m not ready for a photo’ frontal shot. Sorry for the sunny bit.
Posted in DIY, repurposing, scraps, sewing
Well I did it again, stayed up way to late but, also again, it was for a good reason!
I made myself this sewing machine cover. I got on a roll and was inspired. I’m in some craft swaps so I was being a bit of an assembly line into the wee hours and working on a few different takes on this general idea.
I took inspiration from I Love Patchwork by Rasida Coleman Hale and Fresh Quilting by Malka Dubrawsky.
I didn’t add any straps or grommets or anything like that to mine, so it just drapes over the machine. I figured that way it’s reusable as a table runner or something else if I ever change my mind. At least it keeps dust off the top.
I love how it turned out! Pardon the poor pictures but it’s hard to take shots in a windowless basement corner. It’s my cozy little nook.
Posted in crafty books, scraps, sewing, vintage
Tagged feedsack, scraps, sewing machine cover
So Monday night I wandered around Toronto as part of enjoying my first night ever in the history of Mommyhood that the boys were out of the house with daddy for just over 24 hours! Strangely I choose to head into the city for the evening instead of enjoying an empty house. I wandered around and took street cars and subways, had a burrito and walked and walked and walked. But it was all worth it because eventually I arrived at The Workroom.
If you live in/near Toronto The Workroom is a craft and sew place that lets you make use of the studio by the hour. They’ve got sewing machines, sergers, cutting tables and other crafty people hanging around. The exciting part for me was all the pretty fabric they have for sale. Oh and sewing books, and Japanese craft books. They also have Amy Butler patterns, Colette patterns and some other goodies I can’t remember now.
They sell some lovely fabrics and have a whole pile of shelves full of fun fat quarters. Of course I left with some goodies.
There’s also a blog if you want to check out some of the things they’re up to.
Images stolen from here, here and here. I felt silly asking to take pics with my iphone.
Posted in crafty books, fun finds, neat spaces, sewing
Tagged fabric, japanese craft books, patterns, sewing, workroom
Oh I joined the group . . . a while ago. You have to commit to making a quilt at some point. So I’m committed to someday. This weekend, in slow, slow preparation for making the quilt some day, I made myself some templates to work with.
I used some overhead transparencies, Sharpies and some left over peel and stick window frosting stuff I had lying around.
This isn’t the best picture but I peeled off the window frosting and stuck it to the overheads. It give it a look like vellum but it’s way sturdier I think. I could have traced the pattern twice and maybe saved some of the frosted stuff in the process but I was being too lazy to cut things out twice. There are a lot of bits and pieces to this thing!
Then I just took my Sharpie and traced around the pieces making all the important markings. Skipped the ruler bit, again, lazy.
I even got fancy and used a different colour for each of the 4 sections of the circle. With the seam marked on the pieces and being able to see through the pieces it will be really easy to make sure I catch the part of the print I want to highlight.
Just call me Little Miss Fancy Pants why dontcha?
I make up words. Have you noticed?
On Friday I was super lucky to have 2 fun packages in my mailbox. I had a busy morning so I tossed them in my bag on the way out and ended up opening them at work at the very end of the day. I was dying to open them while on lunch time yard duty but I figured I should watch the kids instead.
First my scraps from my scrap swap. They came all the way from the Netherlands, and thanks to Wendy for playing twice. I didn’t realize until I got her address that she was so far away but then I was really excited to see what sort of different stuff I might get.
The other package was one of my prizes from the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day. I didn’t enter all of the giveaways, there were sooooo many. I did click on fellow Canadians to see who’s in my neighbourhood being crafty and bloggy. I also clicked on anyone international because if I was going to win something I wanted it to be all exotic and cool. Even just clicking on a slimmed down list I was still bogging down my browser with tabs and spent the whole holiday Monday clicking around the internet. It was crazy.
Ok back to my story. I won these 2 charm packs, some more fabric scraps and there was some lovely tea in the package as well. Canadian Ice Wine tea, the entire box smelled so lovely. Thanks Steph for all the goodies.
AND I forgot to share this one before I tore it all apart and spread the pieces here and there in my workspace but these are some of my favourite scraps from the pile I got from Janee over at Yellow Bird, Yellow beard.
