Category Archives: sewing

Another tote complete . . . many months later.

So I finally managed to finish my tote I’d been working on for ages. Now that I’ve been sewing more and more things I got some ideas on how to finish it well. I was going to do things a certain way but now I’ve discovered much better ways to go about it. It’s actually a squarish bag but I didn’t use interfacing (in hindsight I should have) so it’s a tad floppier than it should be. It was a great use of some fun scraps and I love the vintage doily touch.

There’s a pocket inside with 3 compartments and then there’s one big one on the back. I’m sure it will be super useful! Now I just have to find time to use it with my growing collection of totes and bags.

Friday Find – Dress a day with the wonderful Marisa

So a fan/friend Heather gave me a bag of fabric the other day, people are starting to do that, it’s great!  So she dropped it off and I started to sort through the pile.

There were some fun finds inside, including this fabric that made me and my bff had a big chuckle over this funky striped one.  Until Heather informed us she made shorts out of it back in the day!

So we kept sifting through the pieces of fabric and I was sorting into ‘keep’ and ‘donate’ piles, and then I reached in and pulled this little beauty out!  It’s so horrible!  It’s a silky shimmery thing and it was pretty hideous.  We couldn’t really figured out how the front would hang, I’m not sure it’s 100% complete, there seem to be some unfinished edges.

After getting over the initial shock of how remarkably icky it was I thought of New Dress a Day, which I’ve recently subscribed to.  Marissa has decided for 365 days she will create a new item of clothing from a thrifted item, all for the grand price tag of $365.   She does some really amazing things.  Some of her ‘finds’ I would just walk by as fast as possible.  Here’s one of her recent creations.

Starting with that she creates these 2 awesome pieces!

So I sent her an email and offered her the challenge of modifying the hideous dress I found in a gift bag of fabric.  She accepted and yesterday I was off to the post office and mailed her a big envelope full of ugly dressness!  Have fun Marissa.

The fun of last weekend.

Well now that I’ve been back into my jobs as Mommy and teacher I have time to write about my weekend away from all that!  We drove down south of the border to spend a fun filled day at Darien Lake, eat at Olive Garden and shop before driving back home.  I was a bit surprised at Darien Lake, I thought it’d be bigger.  The only amusement park I’ve ever been to is Canada’s Wonderland and I guess because I’ve been going since I was about 7 it seems old to me.  But now I think it’s pretty darn awesome and those of us lucky enough to live near it shouldn’t complain!

I absolutely love rides and before I carry on about my weekend I have to blab about the Behemoth at Wonderland.  Go here, check out the size of it, click the video part and ride the one as if you’re on the coaster.  The first drop is a 75 degree drop, we were in the front car, as you go over the top you can’t see the track below it’s that steep, it’s crazy!

Anyhow back to the weekend. So we rode most of the rides at Darien lake, some were closed. The Twister was crazy fun!It doesn’t look like much but it spins like crazy and all random,  you don’t know what’s coming at all, it’s great.  I didn’t have reception on my iphone once we crossed the border so I left it in the hotel room not thinking we might have wanted the camera and video taking abilities.  A video of us on this would have been great.

The Motorcoaster was also a blast! Again, it looks tiny and innocent compared to sprawling coasters but it was great.  You also get to sit on little motorcycle thinigies and after you get on it pulls around the corner to sit at a red light and wait for the green go and then it shoots you flying around the ride, it’s amazing!

Ok so onto my shopping!  Of course I hit Jo-Ann’s and grabbed some fun fabric.

Got more of this zoo print because I love it.  I bought 3 yards with no real plan in mind.  I’ll use it to revamp Nate’s room once we move the toddler bed in and ditch the crib.  The flannel on the right is for a rag quilt for his bed.

Every time I make a rag quilt Wesley asks where his is so I got some Cars flannel to start making him his own rag quilt.

Found this nice corduroy print, it’s a nice rich chocolate brown colour.  There was only a bit left on the bolt so I grabbed it all, just under 2 yards.  I’m sure a bag of some sort will come of it.

Ok now that it’s getting late I shall wander down to my machine and get to work until I’m too sleepy.

Sew spoiled all done!

Finished this earlier in the week after staying up waaaay to late.  I only had to sew the lining to the outer shell and thought, ‘oh just this one more thing’  but then I entered the fuzzy area of sleepy sewing mistakes and was slowed down.  What would have taken about 15 minutes in the morning when I was well rested too about an hour.   BUT I do love it and the end result is super cool.  I’m so proud to wander around with a bag I hand made with fabrics I chose.  Now finally when people ask, ‘oh did you make that?’ I can say ‘yep!’

The rocking factor of my bff.

Oh it’s high let me tell you! She ordered some fabric from poppyseed fabrics on etsy and said a surprise was coming for me too. It finally arrived and today for our Tuesday night together she brought it out. It’s some beautiful Michael Miller prints. She ordered enough to make the Keyka Lou bag and some fat quarters.

These ones are for me *little happy dance*  Trees AND giraffes, I love it.

Now to find something I can make with them.

Thanks Lindsey!

A little while ago I entered The Great Fabric Stash Giveaway over at Living with Lindsey. She was cleaning up and ever so generously offered to GIVE SOME AWAY! for free!! It was an amazing offer. So I set my iphone to remind me of her post and while my 3 year old was getting his hair cut I was sitting and listing my choices and trying to scroll on a teeny tiny screen. Here’s a few of her offerings.

Amy Butler and Michael Miller no less!! Once I got home to my big screen I checked the comments before mine and it seemed all my choices had been spoken for. I was sad. But luck was on my side because I got an email and was offered one of the scraps. Lindsey was such a troopper packaging and shipping all those goodies to give away. Here’s a peek at all the work she had to do.

So sometime last week my fun little fabric arrived in the mail! I would have been happy with anything, but this colourful letterful print is super fitting for this crafty little teacher.

Sew Spoiled sew along update.

Here’s my bag as of the other day, I was so excited to get this far and wanted to keep going but I realized I needed 1 more piece of interfacing.  A piece that happened to be something huge like 15×35, soooo it hasn’t gotten any closer to done.  Then my hubby went away for the weekend and took the camera.  Then I was just plain lazy this week apparently and haven’t gotten to posting until now :)

I love the 80’s feel of it with the little coloured hearts and fun apple print, can’t wait to finish.

Another feature! Another giveaway!

Wheeee!  My first feature, check it out over here at One Artsy Mama.   There’s also a giveaway, go enter!  You could win one of my lovely baby taggie blankies!

Happy May 24 to all my fellow Canadians!!!  Enjoy your extra day off.

Michael Miller in my mailbox!!

Well not really, I’m sure he wouldn’t fit, but his adorable new fabrics do!!

I couldn’t decide which ones I wanted so I just ended up ordering all 4 of the ones I really loved.  Fabric names are Gold Lovebird, Black Mini Mushrooms, Aqua Hedgehog Heaven and Amber Ellie.  Ordered from The Dizzy Daisy on Etsy. It was a pleasure to convo and shop with her.

Sew spoiled tote cut out (finally).

Still lagging behind the group’s schedule on this one BUT I did manage to get all my pieces cut out. I’ve got 2 bags on the go right now, both of which I’m supposed to be sewing with a someone else but I keep thinking, ‘oh I’ll just do one more step’. I’m just too itchy to do a new to me project right now. So here’s what I’ve got so far.

And a closer view of my prints.

I’m going to go sew the pleats, just the pleats.