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Handmade Gifts

     I've been busy making gifts for my co-workers at school.  I made button snowman pins and fabric heart ornaments.  I tend to be a hoarder when it comes to ribbon, flowers, buttons, paper...(ok, a hoarder of lots of craft items!)...and when I came across these cute little snowman pins online, I knew I had enough buttons to make several snowmen.  They were super easy to make and I can't wait to give them away. 

     I made these heart ornaments a few years back and thought I'd make some for this year.  They come together really quick.  I saw the idea in a magazine, but can't remember which one exactly.  I chose four different fabrics and cut a 3-1/2 inch square from each one and then sewed them into a four patch.  I cut a  piece of fabric about the size of my four patch and placed it right sides together with the four patch.  Next, I traced a heart onto the wrong side of the four patch and then sewed a quarter inch around the heart, making sure to leave an opening for turning and stuffing.  I stuffed it, sewed it closed, added a button to the front and a piece of wire to the top for hanging.  Quick and easy!  Thanks for stopping by!!

Table Runner

     My quilt guild is having a craft sale this Saturday and I decided to make a table runner to sell.  This runner is fairly small.  It is about 25 inches long and 9 inches wide.  I'm all about straight lines and symmetry when I'm making cards and that tends to mess me up a bit when I'm working on a quilt project.  For this runner I sewed 5 different strips of fabric together, cut it into a 9 inch block and then cut the block into four triangles.  I made four, 9 inch blocks and then cut them to get 16 triangles.  Then the fun begins - you get to mix and move them around until you get the design you like.  I thought my design was going to 'line' up pretty nice and then remembered I had to figure in the 1/4" seam allowance...so that is why some of the fabrics are not lined up exactly in the design.  I plan to make another runner with these same fabrics and I hope to be more random with the design.    :) 

More City Totes

     I'm preparing to sell some of my paper crafts at Altamont Flag Day this Saturday and thought I'd try selling a couple of purses, too.  My favorite is the blue one with the matching checkbook cover.  The second purse has really been giving me fits.  The tan fabric has little plastic dots on it and it ruined my iron.  It's still looking pretty wrinkly...so I'll have to see what I can do with it.  You can buy the pattern for these projects at Keyka Lou's Etsy shop!

 

City Tote

I just had to share one of the purses I recently made with one of Keyka Lou's fabulous patterns.  This is the City Tote and it was a lot of fun to make.  I had enough fabric leftover to make a coordinating checkbook cover.  So fun!  I'm finishing up another purse this evening that uses a different pattern and I hope to share photos in a couple of days.  Can you tell I'm already in summer mode?  I have tons of craft projects just lined up and waiting.  Thanks for reading!

  

 

Wallets and a Dream Machine

     I bought another pdf sewing pattern from Keyka Lou and I've had so much fun with it!  The pattern is for a box wallet and a pyramid pouch.  I used the box wallet pattern and made four wallets using some of Heather Bailey's fabric. 

   

 

     This was my first time to use these magnetic snaps.  The pattern suggested to use an invisible lining on top of the lining that was already being used.  I found that this is a MUST because you want several layers of fabric so that your snaps don't start to rip out.  They are strong little things!  

     As I was finishing my fourth wallet, I was thinking that there had to be a sewing machine out there that would allow me to sew this project more easily.  It was hard to sew along the inside because the wallet is so small.  A sewing machine that had a smaller platform or even no platform would be ideal.  I watch 'How it's Made' and I'd seen industrial sewing machines that are used to sew shoes, bags, etc.  So I did some research and found my dream machine...this machine is manufactured by a foreign company.  Prices aren't listed, so that's a sign that it's very expensive.  I realize that it's produced in mind for businesses...but this machine would make is so easy to stitch up a little wallet!  :)  Maybe there is a company in the U.S. that makes these.  I better start saving my pennies...and nickels and dimes...  :)

     Here's a picture of a regular sewing machine. 

     I don't know the proper terms, but do you see what I'm refering to as the 'platform'?  (The area that you lay your material on as you sew)  The first machine would makes things a lot more easy.  

     Before I go, I'll leave you with two more patterns that I might be trying soon from Keyka Lou's:

Curvy Clutch

Japanese Room Shoes

Heather Bailey's Square Deal Pincushion

                            

      One of my favoite blogs to read is Hello My Name is Heather by Heather Bailey. Heather is the desinger of fabric, sewing patterns, paper craft supplies and even has her own hair accesory line called Trash Ties.  Heather offers a few free patterns on her blog and I decided to try out her Square Deal Pincushion.  I had trouble with my first one, but my second one came out much better.  It's a little tricky to get the corners just right, but just stay at it and you'll get it.  I think these would make fun gifts for my sewing friends.