Deco Classic Tote Bag

I haven’t written a whole lot lately only because I’ve been an embroidering fool! It’s been so much fun, but had to stop myself this afternoon so I could get some items completed. Tomorrow is an alteration day, and those always scare me just a little.

Remember that classy 20′s lady that got embroidered last week? The black work on cream? Well, she’s all done up into a big tote bag for a special lady in our lives. We will hopefully get to see her next week, so we really needed to get this project done and off the machine.

Black Tote Bag with Black Work Embroidered 20′s Classy Lady on front.

Just another shot – we both love this bag….

Inside of bag with lots of pockets and deco type swirl Alexander Henry fabric. Kinda wild, huh?

Hoping I did the handles up strong enough, but then again she probably won’t be carrying anything too heavy. Or at least she shouldn’t be!

Here’s some of the fun I had before I put the embroidery part of the machine away…

“Drink Up My Pretty” bar rag

“Mommy’s Sippy Cup” bar rag

“Wine” bar rag

Tiger Cub placed in corner of some fleece – needs crocheted edging to complete the baby blanket.

Sleepy giraffe on a star worked up on a corner of some yellow fleece. Just add crochet edging and you get a completed baby blanket!

Now you all know what I’ve been up to. With four projects done, and two baby blankets to crochet around, it was a pretty good couple of days around here.

Hopefully you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend and getting a little crafty yourselves! ENJOY!

May 19 2012

Celtic Cross Embroidery

Last weekend, while my sis and I were trying out some embroidery designs, my sewing machine decided to lock up. Projects had to stop which was a bummer, and that also meant a repair job on this new machine! *sigh* But it all worked out well and had the machine back at home within a matter of hours. Pretty cool!

So this is the celtic cross she picked out over on a website we browsed. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? The first photo is the first of three we were planning on doing. I am still learning the embroidery side of this baby, and picked a file that probably wasn’t the most appropriate to use with my Singer. But here it is……

Celtic Cross #1 (not using .xxx or .pes formats)

It’s okay, but the two I did today using a better format (.xxx) look a lot better!

Two Celtic Crosses (in .xxx format)

Same thread, same design download, just a different format. Aren’t they spectacular though? These will get shipped out to her this week so she can finish her trio of book covers she has planned.

I have downloaded my three free designs already this weekend, and one of them is a beautiful lady from the 1920′s in black work. I have the perfect idea for that one for someone’s birthday coming up.

Thanks for checking in and now YOU go get creative yourself and have some fun!

May 6 2012

Cornhusker Crazy and Jeans RePurposing!!!

I was so excited to have three out of the five things I wanted to accomplish DONE already this weekend…. I just had to show you what has been going on.

Last weekend, there was a random question from a friend about a bachelorette party ‘bride’ sash. She was going to make it herself, but someone around here has a problem and said, “Why don’t you let me do it for you?” She gave me the theme and instantly I had the idea in my head for this unique Nebraska Cornhusker bridal sash…

Completed Bridal Sash – I don’t think anyone will miss this special lady!

Close shot of the ‘emblem’ that holds the ties together. Came out pretty close to what my mind was seeing! Kind of ‘pageant-ee’, don’t ya think?

So that was one Husker project, and I had one more I’d wanted to do, so I got-r-done.

Toddler Size Cornhusker Packpack – Personalized

Not real happy with the total LACK of room inside this one, but it will hold books or an iPad without them getting beat up. If I ever do another one, I will not follow the pattern and used and make it deeper. How’s this kid going to fit his trucks in it? *sigh* Oh, well. One lives and learns, right?

So the third project was just something I needed to prove to myself that I could do, and do it right….. Re-purposing little girl jeans into a cute little handbag. Just big enough for their lip gloss and comb. This project started with a pair of jeans size 12M. I pulled the elastic out of the waistband and cut the inside buttons off. Then I carefully cut the legs off (yeah, sounds painful, doesn’t it) and cut all the thick seams off those leg scraps. Turned the top part of the jeans inside out and sewed along the bottom. This took about 4 shots to do because the butt part of jeans just has different cut to it. But after playing around with it a little, and boxing off the bottom corners… this is what we had…

Base purse and scraps to make lining and a belt.

The handle was made by taking the jean legs and cutting 4 equal pieces and sewing them together. The wider handle should make it easier for a 3 year old to grab, plus it’s not floppy – I liked how that came out. Then sewed the ends of the handle to each side, matching them up with the side seams already in the jeans. The two fun fabrics I found were leftovers from a commissioned job last year. You got it! I don’t throw ANYTHING away! And I’m so glad because there was JUST enough of the paisley to make a belt. Here is the rest of the process….

Lining sewed up, just like the outside (with boxed bottom corners), and stitched around the top of the waistband. That way the lining hides any wear and tear on that inside belt line.

Belt sewn up and tied through belt loops, just like a real sash style belt.

Just another view……..

Complete! Velcro closure on front and back of inside for easy kiddo maneuvering.

And the back shot….. Pretty cute if I say so myself.

This will make a great little gift!! And as my super German glue is setting those velcro tabs on….. I will say adieu for now.

What are you up to this weekend? Recycle something – have a little fun.

Apr 22 2012

Joann’s Sewing 102 – Sign UP in Lincoln, NE!

Here’s the project for Joann Fabric & Crafts class “Sewing 102″ that I’ll be teaching next Sunday afternoon. We’ll learn how to use a pattern, pin and cut fabric, and get a little more familiar with our sewing machines. And we know that Mother’s Day is coming, and this would make a wonderful heartfelt gift for her – made with your own hands.

Joann Fabrics & Crafts
Sewing 102 Class
April 29, 2012 in Lincoln, NE

I would adore to see you in class! Look at the pillow and think of your own fabric combos and fun colors you could use to construct your own project. Sign up! Class is next Sunday at 2:30 at Joann’s right here in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 64th & Q Streets. You will have this project completed by the time you leave class. YEAH!! Pretty rewarding stuff. So call 402/467-3500.

I’ll be waiting for you!

Have a blessed week, everyone.

Apr 15 2012

A Handmade Purse for Myself

After complaining just LONG enough about the purse I was carrying and how much I truly hated it (yeah, I made that one, too) I decided that there were a few hours today that could be filled making something for……ME! Yes, a new purse was way overdue. So I dug in my stash, found some decorator fabric that had not been designated for any one thing, and picked an old pattern. Didn’t have the exact handles this pattern asked for, but I had some that were 1/2″ larger than specified. This is just for me to tote around, so I didn’t care and dug right in. This is also a STASH BUSTER PROJECT! Use it up and use it good.

Pretty in Pink - of which I own nothing else in pink - AT ALL.

Went through about three different fabrics for linings until this popped up at the bottom of a pile in my stash closet. The green was perfect and not overpowering.

Muted green lining.

I had lime picked, and then a beige, but this just made more sense. Even stuck a magnet in there so all my wads of cash won’t fall out! LOL It’s the perfect size, and I adore the colors – so HAPPY SUNDAY to ME! HA

What did you make today? Tell me about it – I would LOVE to hear.

Thanks for checking in and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Apr 14 2012

How to Make A Notebook Cover – FREE Tutorial by ME!

As I couldn’t teach tomorrow at Joann‘s, due to lack of students, I decided that there was still a need for me to share something. So today is my contribution for a simple way to cover notebooks, journals or binders. So bear with me, this is my first try at writing sewing instructions.

This is what I will be teaching you how to complete. We’ll go from beginning to end for the entire project.

Finished 3-Ring Binder Cover

To complete this particular project, these are the materials that were needed:

1/2 yard cotton fabric of your choice (do NOT iron before starting project)

1/3 yard iron-on fleece or batting

1/3 yard (or even scraps) of lightweight iron-on interfacing.

thread to match fabrics

Embelishments of your choice

Purchased 3-ring 1" spine binder, cotton fabrics, thread, pins, scissors, rotary cutter and ruler

Binder opened flat on fabric

Don’t bother ironing the fabric as the fold line is the best and easiest way to find the center. Open fabric out flat with right side facing down. Place open binder flat centering the rings with the fold in the fabric (center). Hold the binder down as steady as possible and with a pen draw the binder’s outline directly on to the wrong side of your fabric. Don’t worry, no one is every going to see this but you! IMPORTANT!!!!!! At each end (not bottom or top) ADD 1/4″ to your drawn line. You now have 2 lines at each end and you now must IGNORE the inner line. Scribble it out if you need to, just to remind yourself it’s not needed any more. The reason for the extra 1/4″ is so that when the binder is closed, there is enough room for the cotton sleeve to have a relaxed hug to the binder. If this step is forgotten, the binder may not close correctly, or your fabric will stretch in funny ways we don’t even want to talk about.

Cut excess fabric off away from drawn line – leaving yourself about 1″ from the line for you to work with. DO NOT throw the extra fabric away – we’re going to put that to good use.

Important! Look at diagram in detail please.

See the three arrows in the photo? The pen line that you just made might be fairly faint, but you can always go over it again with pen. These lines were very faint on this photo, but I wanted you to see the pen marks and how even the corner was traced onto the fabric. These lines are important in the following steps, so please make sure if this is your first try, make those lines as dark as you’d like. I would highly suggest NOT using a Sharpy Pen as they may bleed into the fabric.

How to cut the iron-on fleece so it fits!

Take you pen-marked cotton fabric and fold it in half, right sides together, making sure the center fold already on fabric is still your center! Notch both ends on the fold so when you iron your piece, you will have your center markings VERY obvious. Take your iron-on fleece and fold it in half also – remember to be frugal with this stuff as it is a little pricy. Line up your folded cotton, where you have your pen markings, along with the edge of the folded fleece. With a ruler, either mark with pen or pins where you will need to cut the OTHER side of the fleece. The piece you are going to cut is going to fit directly INSIDE the boarder lines you drew in step one.

Flat right side down

Do you see where the corners were rounded with the iron-on fleece? Keep working at getting the fleece to fit within the boarder you drew – and then IRON IT ON! The cotton I had obviously wasn’t cut very well at some point, but we’ll fix that later.

Initial HUG

After ironing your cotton and getting the fleece to hold on tight, bring it back up to a surface you can see how things are fitting. NOW is the time for adjustments to be made if needed. This photo just shows that things are on the right track.

Folder out - time to construct.

This photo shows the two sides folded in and the spine area is showing the iron-on fleece. That’s okay! Don’t worry as that’s going to get covered up here in a little while. But look at that raggedly bottom edge! Let’s cut that down straight and workable.

Evening out.

Fold it all up, like it’s actually already on your notebook. Get that top edge all even (the one you cut and left about 1″ for working area in an earlier step) and line up the folded spine edge to you cutting board. Make one fell swoop with your rotary cutter for the entire bottom edge to be straight.

Hemming

The two raw edges, or what may still be your selvage edges of fabric, need to be turned under and stitched down. Get creative! Here’s a good chance for you to try out some stitches on your sewing machine you’ve never had a chance to try. You are really the only one who will see this part of your project – so have some fun! Yeah, I know. I just made two straight lines on each edge. Boring.

IMPORTANT!!! STOP HERE!!!

Before you go even ONE more step, now is the time to embellish to your heart’s content. Open your piece out flat, and if you need to mark which is front cover/back cover/front inner/back inner – DO IT! You won’t regret it.

Here is what I did to decorate my own notebook to use for teaching.

Getting set up for my TygerLIly embroidery.

Of course, I wanted to put my TygerLily logo on the front of the cover. So I started out with 4 layers: cotton fabric, iron on interfacing, batting, and scraps from another project. Yeah, I don’t ever throw anything away. That polka dot won’t be seen anyway.

Layers basted together ready to machine embroider.

I couldn’t believe the beige leaves cotton print I found lurking in one of my drawers – it had to be used. So this is all 4 layers basted together and ready to have my logo embroidered on. Just watch…

Embroidering our team name for the front of the notebook cover.

While that was sewing on it’s own, a few more things needed to be prepared…

Fabric cut for logo embellishment

I cut a 2″ strip of black fabric that I was planning on folding in half and making into a make-shift ruffle. Yeah, I’m not really a ruffle girl, but I couldn’t find any piping or cord on hand that would work. So we’re trying a different look. I took this 2″ strip, folded it in half and sewed a basting stitch (long stitch) down the whole long side of it….

Thread color didn’t matter as it would all be hidden anyway in the finished design.

Prepping an oval cut-out...

After embroidering my name, I looked around for a good shape. Trimmed the excess off the edges and drew an oval design on tear-away paper (sold in fabric stores). Pinned the tear-away onto my logo, centering as good as I could.

I used a scrapbooking template I hadn’t gotten rid of yet to draw my oval. Once drawn, I sewed along that line through all layers of the padded logo and tore the paper off.

Black strip, drawn up and ruffled. Sewn around perimeter of oval.

So now I had a base shape drawn, and next was attaching a little lightly ruffled black piece all around the edge. I trimmed all the excess fabric all the way around so when I tuck it all underneath, there won’t be a lot of bulk. I hate bulk.

Centering Front Cover Embellishment

To get that oval placed in the best spot, I measured the REAL notebook to see exactly how wide the front was: 10-1/4″. So I folded everything up like it was already a ‘notebook’ and measured in 10-1/4″ from the right front side. Tried to center the logo at 5-1/8″, but really, that’s splitting hairs. So I proceeded to pin the embellishment to the front and got ready to attach it.

Attached!

As I sewed around the oval, I tucked all that excess bulk (ick) underneath towards the center of the oval. I then put black upper thread in and did the old “stitch in the ditch” method of sewing: sewing as close to the edge as possible. You can’t even see where it was sewed on and the ruffle poofs out just enough.

HOLD ON! I’m not done embellishing yet!

Gotta have special places for special things.

I cut a piece of vinyl 4″ X 2-1/8″ and zig-zagged it on three sides to the inner front cover. Best place to show off a business card and have easy access to hand out!

Tagging

Now is the time to put a tag on the back inside flap if you want. Gifting the item? Throw your tag, label, whatever back there so they know who made it for them.

SCRAPS and PENS!

Who doesn’t need a place for pens!?!? Measured a piece that was cut off about an hour ago to fit the pen. I cut the fabric right where the wrong side starts showing. I sewed three sides, turned it inside out, ironed it, and sewed it on right above the vinyl business card holder.

What the heck is this?

OK, now that all the embellishments you want to add are completed, this is what your piece should look like all sprawed out with the right side facing down. See the oval shape? That’s where the TygerLily embroidered piece went.

Don't throw anything away!

Remember the piece that was cut off after you drew those lines? After we used some of it for the pen pocket, we have a great strip of it left. The cover itself is laying there, each side folded inward towards the center, right side together. The best thing I’ve learned is to use LONG pins. That way their little heads stick out WAY beyond the fabric so whichever way you decide to sew your seam, those pin heads will always show and warn you. Now go iron that scrap and on each long side, iron about 1/4″ in for a hem to be stitched.

Placement

Now that you’ve ironed that long piece, stitched a little 1/4″ hem on each long side, place it along the center spine area (see the notch at the bottom there) and pin pin pin everything down.

Fleece side showing.

Now that everything has been pinned, flip it over so the fleece side is facing up. See the pin heads sticking out so you can see them? Uh-huh. I knew you did. Now get ready to SEW the final seams that will make this into something very YOU and very UNIQUE!

HUGELY IMPORTANT!

Not a great photo, but listen to the instructions here. When you sew this seam, remember the pen marks you made way at the beginning showing the outline of your binder? Those marks should also be the ENDING point of your iron-on fleece. DO NOT SEW ON THE PEN LINES!!! Set up your seam to be about 1/8″ BEYOND the fleece and pen marks. This is so hugely important if you want your creation to turn and stay flat. Remember how I don’t like bulk? If you don’t do this, you will not only have bulk, but you may have a binder cover that won’t easily slip on or off the binder for easy cleaning. So please heed the warning. After sewing the top and bottom seam, trim these seams down to 1/4″ to 1/2″, whatever you are comfortable with. Just get rid of the extra BULK!

To every thing, turn, turn, turn....

Once you have done all your seams (and yes, there are only two seams to be sewn in the last step: the top and the bottom of the binder cover) it’s the time for the REVEAL! Take you hand and get underneath that middle section you did in the last step, and grab either front or back fabrics and pull it through. Do the same for the other side. Take a chop stick, YES, a chop stick and get the corners turned the best way possible (this one shows rounded corners, but they don’t have to be if you’re a beginner – make STRAIGHT lines if it’s easier).

Once it has been turned right side out, get your steam iron in gear and press along all edges.

Complete and ironed.

See what can happen if you are not afraid of your iron? Steam your cover into place – make it crisp and sharp. I know you can do it. This just shows the inside front and back of the embellishments I decided to include.

Now get your binder – fold front and back backwards on itself and slip the ‘sleeves’ of your cover right into place. Work with it a little and hopefully it will be JUST enough of a loose fit that there are NO struggles getting it placed onto the binder.

Before it gets slipped on the binder.........

After it gets slipped on to the binder.

Now it's just showing off.

Front and Center

Bottom to top view.

Thank you for coming along this ride with me! I’m now all ready for class, and if this has inspired you to do something creative for yourself, or someone you love, I would love to see what you’ve created!

Please leave questions, ideas or comments – I would love to hear them all!

Happy creating to all my blog-land friends.

Apr 11 2012

Special Thanks to My Mother

It occurs to me often to always remember my roots, and where the gift God gave me was encouraged and directed: MY MOM! If it were not for her teaching and guiding me through my younger years, I would not have been offered an instructor position at Joann’s. I am SO incredibly grateful and with I could tell her how much I appreciated her pushing me. Today I just wanted to celebrate her life of creativity by sharing some things from her quilting scrapbook, which I was so blessed to have copied and passed along to her granddaughter (my daughter). She was an amazingly talented woman who gave her all until she just couldn’t any more. Take a look!

Just one page of SO many showing her color schemes for quilts, the cost of fabric and who they went to.

Local newspaper article about the quilting group she was in, and all the hard work they did to raise funds for the nursing home she and my dad were a big part of. That's my mom in the back to the far left.

Another page showing her quilting group, along with an article from the Omaha World Herald about their fund raising. She was SO frugal, that this sheet of paper probably was a left over from my dad's business back in the 70's.

Mom lived a long life and did much for many people. I could not be a prouder daughter.

My Family in the 1960's.

THANK YOU!

Apr 8 2012

Easter Sunday Using The Gift God Gave Me

What a better way to spend an Easter Sunday (when there were no family plans) than using the gift God gave me. So I sewed, and sewed. I completed a special order for two portfolios this afternoon, which could lead to another order of three from this one client. How blessed could anyone be!?! So here is what she picked for her own two professional ‘padfolio’ fabrics – and they really are pretty classy.

Brown/Black Lace Look and Red/Black Lace Look Padfolios

Brown/Black Lace - opened. Hard to see all the pockets on the left hand side, but they are there.

Red/Black lace look padfolio opened out flat.

After those were complete, it was time to list the items that had already been completed. It’s one of my least favorite jobs because I am NO photographer of ‘stuff’. Give me a person or some nature and I can possibly pull it off. But this ‘object’ stuff is rough rough rough for me. But here are the listings for the iPad Clutches on Etsy! Give ‘em a look.

Butterfly Floral iPad Clutch

Olive and Aqua Designer Floral iPad Clutch

Purple and Green with BLING iPad Clutch

Thought I'd throw one in there with it opened and the iPad silicone skin taken off the magnets. These fold up SO nice into a clutch and have a lot more in line to make. (Yep, just got more magnets in so I can continue on)

I think it’s time to maybe cut out another knitting or craft tote. Everything takes time and there’s a little of that left until “The Ten Commandments” is on TV. It’s a must see for us.

Of course, I’ll be working on another special order while watching – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crocheted hats. Yep, two of them. They MUST be completed tonight before the buyer gives up on my creative ability.

Happy Easter to you all – and hope it was a blessed day for each one of you.

Apr 1 2012

Olives, Purples, and Aqua, OH MY!

It’s been a great Sunday! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus for lunch and sewing all afternoon. Does it really get any better? All the laundry even got completed – THAT’s a miracle!

Just wanted to share two things that were whipped up this afternoon from that marvelous fabric I found yesterday at the Cosmic Cow. True to form, I cut two out and sewed them in Henry Ford fashion. At least that’s what Bill calls it when two or more like items are getting done at one time. LOVE love LOVE the colors of these two iPad clutches…. Take a look!

Purple and Green fabrics with a little jewelry bling secured to the flap.

Had to throw in one more shot of it with Leslie Nielson in the background. Pretty handsome guy, wasn't he!

Clutch opened out showing the silicone skin that uses magnets to stay put. Pretty ingenious if I say so myself.

A little olive with splashes of aqua on this iPad clutch. This is a Michael Miller cotton, and his stuff is FANTASTIC!

And a shot of this one opened up, just like the last one.

Can you tell I love Netflix? And Murder She Wrote? Had to watch an episode of ‘Bones‘ first, but decided Sunday needed to be a little more simple. Yes, when it all comes right down to it, I’m pretty spoiled when I sew.

Who knows when I’ll get these listed on Etsy, so if anyone of you reading this would like one, drop me a line or a comment.

Apr 1 2012

DIY Fabric Kindle Fire Case – Free Tutorial

Came across this when I was waiting for the timer on my hair to go off ( ha ) and thought I’d share the tutorial over here, too. I love coming across things like this where people see a need and get creative. Nice she shared her how-to on the web.