baby changing pad

One of my son's preschool teachers just had a baby and this is the gift we made for her.  You can never have too many changing pads and this was a perfect gift to utilize the quilt-as-you-go method.  I took the idea from table runner tutorials like the one I found here at Diary of a Quilter.

I covered this changing pad in vinyl to be sure it would easily wipe clean.  I picked up a good chunk of it as a remnant a couple of years ago and have been slowly using up my stash.  This is a little thicker than I would have liked it to be, but I have spent zero time researching vinyl choices.  I simply cut a piece of vinyl the same size as the pad and sewed the vinyl to the changing pad around the edges to hold the vinyl in place.  I'm not sure if this is necessary, but I was really concerned about the vinyl slipping around.

I also added this nice pocket for holding a couple of diapers and a small pack of wipes.  I sewed elastic at the top of the pocket to hold everything inside.

Then I used binding to hold all the layers together and conceal the edges.

This changing pad measures 12.5 inches wide by 28 inches long with about 22 inches in length of useable pad (the rest is the pocket).

I did not make a closure of this changing pad.  It holds together surprisingly well, so I didn't think it was necessary.  But I will probably try a closure on my next one just to change it up a bit.

Cute, cute!  And hopefully very handy.

a new messenger bag {yep, for me!}

I cut out the fabric for this bag at least a month ago.  But you know how it goes; you get busy with other things.  There hasn't been a lack of sewing around here.  Just a lack of sewing for myself.

I picked up this linen as a remnant and originally had plans to make a pair of pants for one of the boys.  But I've had it in my stash for a while, so I decided to make a new bag for myself instead, you know with spring coming at all.  I added some decoration to the front flap for a little interest to a neutral fabric: a few lines of blue straight stitching.

Look at this great print I used for the inside lining.  I have no idea what it's called.  I bought it at a quilt shop near my in-laws two Christmases ago.  It makes me giddy everytime I open the bag!

Not much thrills me more than a bag with lots of pockets.  So I added this green one on the back.  I also added some light green lines of stitching to the back in the bottom right corner, but you can't really see them.  In this photo, they look more like wrinkles.

I also added one of these small orange pockets on each side of the inside to hold keys at such.  These help with organization while accessibility.

And here is a green zipper pocket for hidden treasures . . .

I think my favorite part of this bag, though, is the strap.  That doesn't happen often, but I really, really like this print.  And because I couldn't get enough of it on the back of the strap, I had to add a few pieces to the front, too.

I tried to think a little differently for the strap attachment here.  I added buttonholes to the strap so I could attach it with buttons.  I also layered two buttons and placed a green bead in the center.  I thought this display might be a little more interesting that just a plain button.

Just lovely.  I can't wait to show it off.



And if you would like to see a kid's version, take a look at the messenger bag I made for Logan for his fourth birthday almost a year ago.

blossom handbag for my sister

This is my Christmas gift to my sister. We love ourselves some bags! And now she has a new one to sport.

I used Amy Butler's free pattern from her new Style Stiches book which I downloaded from SewMamaSew a few months ago. Man, real bags have a ton more steps than when I just make things up in my head. This bag took me 3 nights! But when you do it properly--line with interfacing, add heavy duty Peltex, and include all the details that make this bag stand out--the time really adds up. But it's worth it.

This was my first venture with magnetic clasps. I had no idea that they were so easy to install. The one I bought for this bag was on clearance and it came with no instructions, but I thought I would need a special tool or hammer or something. But I didn't need anything but muscles to close the prongs.

And I still did it wrong. I didn't realize until the bag was completely assembled and waiting to be wrapped that the little discs that, I thought, had unattached themselves from the back of the clasps because they were cheap and therefore cheaply made were actually planned to unattach so they could fit over the prongs on the other side of the fabric. So the prongs wouldn't tear through the fabric when opening the bag flap over and over. I was really mad about that. No one will notice . . . maybe not even my sister, but it, of course, still bothers me.

Regardless of this mistake, the bag is still really pretty. I like these large prints. To save time (and because I ran out of fabric) I decided not to include the dividers. I think the dividers would help the bag keep its shape better, not to mention add more organization, but it looks good without them, too.

Merry Christmas, Laura!
 
 
 
Helping with the photo shoot . . .
 

 
 
Tired of helping with the photo shoot . . .
 

rooster fabric basket

I loved these baskets so much that I decided to make one for my mother-in-law. But wanted to make it bigger. I also changed the look in a few different ways.

Notice the tab-type handles that I secured with a button instead of the loop-type handles in the other baskets.

I also decided not to roll the lining over the front edge of the baskets this time. I went with the more conventional hole-in-the-lining method so the front and lining fabrics matched up at the top. The only downside to this method, in my opinion, is sewing the lining closed. I prefer to handstitch the lining closed for a much cleaner look, and it's not hard . . . it just takes more time.

This basket measures 12 inches long by 6 inches wide and 8 inches tall. The perfect size to fit another gift: handspun merino wool from Debbie B that I purchased from her Etsy shop. This earth tone is fantastically beautiful! I can't wait to see what it turns into.

I really, really like this rooster print. A little modern country, I think. As usual, I have extra to make myself a little something.

fabric baskets for teachers

I wanted to make Logan's preschool teachers a gift for Christmas. Do non-family members appreciate handmade items? I should probably research that before I continue to make personalized items for people who are not required to like what I make.

Anyway, I decided to make them baskets. I just love baskets! They are versitile and beautiful and they can be carried (note the handles) and placed anywhere. And I think these are just the right size. They came out around 8 inches long by 4 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall.

The best part about the construction of these baskets is that the lining is pulled over the outside of the basket to create the top trim. This means that I don't have to leave a hole in the lining and then handstitch the hole closed later. This pleases me. I just think my way is less complicated and involves fewer steps.

I made 3 bags. Logan, apparently, has only 2 teachers. He insisted he had 3. But of course it all works out because now I have an excuse to keep one!

fabric basket. or bag.

In my first attempt to make some fabric baskets for the preschool teachers, I came up with this.

Not what I had in mind.  Not bad, just not what I envisioned.

I wanted more of a looks-like-it-needs-to-be-carried-with-two-hands kind of basket . . . long and low.  I haven't made too many bags, so I'm still getting the hang of adding dimensions for boxed corners.  I didn't make the bag width wide enough so I ended up with a small basket-sort-of-bag.

The dimensions for this bag are 7 inches long by 3 inches wide by 7 inches tall.  I was going for something longer and not as tall.

Because this bag is lined with thick polyester batting, it stands by itself.  So it will make a nice little basket bag for some lightweight items.  This would also be really great with a magnetic clasp for a cute makeup bag.

crayon & pad folder

Last weekend, Logan said to me those words I have been longing to hear for 4.6 years:

"Mom, I wanna make something."

This is the time when you realize that your passions have made an impression on your little ones. 
He is actually interested in the things that interest you.
He wants to be part of that part of your life.
He has the urge to create!  What a wonderful thing to pass along to a child.

Anyway, when I questioned what he wanted to make, he replied that he didn't know but that he wanted to make it with fabric (to be specific, he said he wanted to make something with "fagric" but I got the point).  So the wheels started turning and we came up with a crayon and paper pad folder.

Last Christmas, my mom let me go through her fabric stash and take whatever I wanted.  She had this Crayola crayon fabric for probably 10 years and she used it once with plenty left over.  So I took it figuring I would find some use for it.

I have always wanted to make a crayon roll-up for the kids, but I never found the time.  I like the idea of all-in-ones, so I chose to make it a folder condusive to storing a pad of paper, too.  I was too lazy to go to the store and get a real pad of paper, so I trimmed up some paper from my ridiculously huge paper stash and stapled a stack to a piece of cardstock for stability.

I gave the folder more substance with a piece of quilt batting.  I might also stablize the main pieces with interfacing next time to make the folder even more substansial.  I topped off the folder with a strap and snap, but I forgot how little hands can't handle snaps very well.  Velcro would have been a better choice.

This little project got rave reviews from the recipients.  We even made a second one for the little brother.  Logan is so proud!  He asked if he could bring his to preschool to show all his teachers.

quick zipper pouches

After my last few projects (that I absolutely loved making but required a major time investment), I wanted to make something quick.  I have plenty of scraps and remnants laying around (as I'm sure we all do) and they work perfectly for small projects like this.  I only had 6 inch zippers on hand so these pouches measure about 4 inches x 6 inches.

I used my invisible zipper foot for the first pouch (the greyish one).  I guess I've gotten a little too good with that foot because I sewed just a little too close to the teeth.  I didn't sew over the teeth, but the zipper is a little hard to open because it runs over the fabric just a wee bit.  Not too big of a deal, but I decided to use a regular zipper foot for the next pouch (I forgot I had a regular zipper foot).

I don't know what I will use these for, but I know that over the last several months I have thought to myself many, many times "I should make a pouch to carry those."  If that thought crossed my mind that often, I'm sure these will be put to good use.  And if not, I have a jump start on Christmas presents.

my new green wallet

After finishing my Charlie Bag earlier this week, I just had to make a wallet to go inside.  I used some leftover fabric from this messenger bag.  It was simple to put together really.  It just stole some extra brain cells.  I may have thought more on this little project than on anything else I've made.  But I often have a pattern or visual inspiration, but this one came totally from my head.

I included plenty of slots to hold my cards, but I do wish I had a few more.  I just have so many cards to carry these days and my insurance cards are hiding behind the top slots where I really want my receipts to go.  But I'll figure it out . . . probably by adding a small pouch that attaches to the wallet (notice that I planned ahead by attaching a D-ring to the side).

But my biggest success with this project was the pocket zipper where I keep my coins.  I've never sewn a zipper quite like this before.  Well, I did give it a go with a gym bag that I made for my sister last Christmas but I didn't know what I was doing then.  I think this one looks pretty sharp and I'm really proud of myself.  I even put lining on the inside of this zippered pocket so the zipper seams wouldn't show.  Pretty fancy if you ask me.

The only thing that I would have done differently with this wallet is to add more interfacing.  I put one lightweight layer in the middle because I knew I would add extra bulk and stability with the pockets.  Those parts of the wallet are very stable, but the top flap is super flimsy and it takes me a few extra seconds to unvelcro the opening.  This small issue is not a deal-breaker.  I still really like the wallet, but I know myself well enough to forsee slight annoyance in the future (like when I drag two active little kids to the store with me, stay too long browsing for nothing, and then have to try and quickly pay before one wonders off and the other yells at me for taking too long standing in one place).

So this project definitely goes on my wall of successes.  And I do think it goes well with my new Charlie Bag.

donation project idea

I am always looking for different ways to volunteer.  In my experience, volunteering is always rewarding but even more so when you are doing something you love.

So when I received a flyer in the mail from my church asking for donations of stuffed animals, books, and blankets (they can be handmade!), I was totally in.  I have been looking for a way to make volunteer work a regular part of our lives, something more than just the occasional bake sale or random monetary donation. 

I participate in two walks for different causes each year, but other than those we really don't have a cause that speaks to us more than any other.  So in order to explore different causes that can use the kind of help that we can offer, we are implementing a

"Donation Project of the Quarter."

Choosing a cause each quarter will ensure that we keep others' needs in mind throughout the year.
In order to make this idea official, I created this board to display our chosen donation project and hung it in my craft area.

This quarter's project is Project Night Night.  I will pick up two bags from my church and fill each with a stuffed animal, a book, and a (handmade) blanket.  The bags will be donated to children at a local homeless shelter to offer comfort during their difficult time.  For this project I recruited my sister, Laura, to help fill the bags.  While I'm busy constructing the blankets, she will choose the books (one of her favorite pastimes) and the stuffed animals.

We have until the end of March to hand over our donations so please stay tuned for the results.  I am very excited about this donation project because I get to do something I truely enjoy that will help comfort two small children.

sewing kit

This sewing kit was another one of my projects from the One Yard Wonders book. I had kept all of my sewing stuff in one box, but it was getting rather full since I started my sewing binge. So I needed somewhere to organize the things I use the most and a large organizer isn't in the budget right now. Besides, I wouldn't consider myself a sewing junkie (yet), so I really don't have that much stuff. Just the basics and a few notions that I picked up recently that will be used within the week.

So this design works fine for my needs right now, and, bonus!, it also works as travel kit in case I ever decide to bring my hobby with me.



I modified the design from the book a little bit to better fit my needs. I added pockets--including a double pocket (that's what I'm calling it) where there is an additional shorter sleeve on the outside of a pocket (see the snaps and buttons if you can)--and attempted an elastic band to hold a few other things. But I guess I probably should have known at the time what I wanted the elastic to hold because I couldn't really find much that was short enough to fit the trifold design. I decided to put the extra elastic there as well as my measuring tape but I have yet to find anything to fit the third space.

Oh well...I think it turned out great and it really does help keep me organized. And this was my first project to include bias tape on the edges of the pockets which I think give the pockets a more professional look (telling yourself this doesn't really hurt anyone).