Wordless Wednesday

Hair WIPs

I have not sewn more since the last batch of pillows. But I have been prepping. And cleaning the house. Lots of that. Don't worry, I won't be showing pics of the messy house :) Instead you get to see the mess of fabric that has been slated to become hair pieces. And yes, they match all the pillows I made earlier.

Wordless Wednesday

Pillow WIPs

I made a couple diamond reverse applique pillows the other week and decided to make some more. The pink, blue, green & orange will be for a 14" square pillow form while the purple is for a smaller rectangle. Remember that oops of a pillow size I made last time? Well, the purple will be using the first mis-sized pillow form :)


I had some strips leftover from the window coverings I made and decided to make a couple pillows with them. The blue pillow base flows better in person than it does in the pic. Crossing my fingers that once the strips are sewn on that it gives the effect I am picturing in my head.


And lastly, I plan to use this red print for a reverse applique on the olive...but in circles. I think have enough to make matching coasters & a table runner too. Those will come later.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Up Next - Clothes...for me!

I need to change things up a bit. This summer is going to be difficult creative-wise. With the little guy home and naps out the window, time to sew went ppfffhhhttt. I still have a long list of what I want to make - pillows, quilts, runners, coasters, backpacks, fancy clutches, fabric baskets...see, just a few - but the list is going to move verryyy ssslllooowwwwwlllyyy.

So what do I do? Throw on something else :P Sounds weird, but they are for me, so no time limits. I was spurred on when I had to go shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding. Nothing fits well. Which also spurred on a better focus on losing weight - but I won't get into that here. That will be for my other blog.

I went shopping last weekend and picked up some apparel fabric. I have tons of fabric, but not for clothes. Some of these prints are rather wild, but fun. Everything was on sale so if I goof up, it's not a big loss. This is the fabric goodness:

I am starting with the purple and mustard silky print on the center bottom of the pic above for the A top below - the sleeveless green in the lower right...

Wordless Wednesday

New Fabric Yumminess

Oh the possibilities.....

Anna Griffin's Darcey collection: Blue squares with circles, blue dots stripe,
printed floral blue/black, red dots stripe from Fabric.com


Michael Miller's Plain Jane and Monaluna's Mingle from Sew Deerly Loved

Studio e's Urban Angel collection from Uberstitch

more from Uberstitch: Essential III Skull Heads Black,Rocket Scientist Words Blue, Deer Valley Meadow Lace, Garden Friends Love Birds, Rocket Scientist Rings Blue, Jason Yenter Floragraphix III 1FGC1

Changes to Come

I missed last week. It totally got hijacked. And it ended with a flop of a craft show. I get positive feedback on the bags themselves. And have had many customers (online and off) come back to me to say how much they like what they made...but I can't make a table display to look pleasing to save my life...or makes sales :P I really need to work on that...and photos. I am this close to throwing in the towel...but I just can't.

So I decided not to make any new bags except backpacks & clutches to replace sold ones. Instead I am going to start making different things. What things? Well, I enjoy making so many different things, but I will still center around fabric. Need to use the fabric for something, LOL! Heck, just look at all this fabricy goodness...

Most likely candidates are quilts, table runners, placemats, coasters, pillows, fabric baskets, fabric gift bags...home stuff. With some felt stuffies & art thrown in when I need to change things up for my own sanity...I mean creativity.
So my shop will become a smorgasbord with the new year...assuming I can get creating enough. Time is still a concern. I would like 4-5 of each "item" before I put them up. *sigh* We'll see. Wish me luck!

The Accessories Version of the 3 Bears

I sold a clutch in this fabric the other week and she requested some accessories to go with it. I posted previously the checkbook cover/wallet thingy, zip pouch and keychain...these are the "credit card holders with a back slot/pocket". Scratch that - I just went back looking for the link & realized I never got to it. So i posted them at the bottom here ☺

This was the first pouch made. And there really was nothing wrong with it...until I put a card in the back pocket.

Too Big

See this snap on the back pocket? I had to put it there because it was not snug enough to hold a card in safely. So what's the problem? When I went to put in the snap...only one side worked. The "inside" snap kept getting flubbed. Eventually, there was a ring of small holes where the snap should be. I am keeping this one for me, because, well, doesn't matter to me...but I'd never try to pass it off to someone else. Besides - I am now out of the fabric...which I love. This way I get to enjoy the fabric a bit myself ☺


This is the back of the 3rd pouch...the one that was so hard to do because of the zipper bulk. Actually, the one before this was too gggrrr - it got scrapped. This one just ended up too small to fit credit cards in once I tried to fix some of the bulk problems. But it made a great coin pouch.

Too Small

This next pouch was my last one. I found that making such a small zip pouch is rather frustrating. I kept having a hard time with the tininess of it...so I rearranged the zipper to go across the front. When it was at the top, the bulk was too much for such a small pouch.

Just Right

And here is the first accessory trio...no problems with any of these guys.

Stuff I Made and More Stuff to Make Stuff

Before I start...I am having a Christmas in July sale in both my ArtFire and Etsy shops until next Friday the 24th...15% off all non-clearance items.
Next weekend I will be at a two day art show in Redford. It will be my first 2 day event - hope I can stay awake. So if you live in Metro Detroit - come on by and say hi :) You can read more about the show here.

Okay, got the promo out of the way :) Secondly - I will be "on blog vacation" after this Saturday (but may not post again before that time)...so I'll see you later this month.

Now for the real start of the post:
I say stuff in the title because one, I don't want to list it and two, I don't always know what I will be making with it until it is done :)
The first is a Pink Floral print handbag (one of my Janet bags). I love the handle on this one - it's real fluffy.





And I made a matching zippered pouch ...none of these are ironed yet, or even have that last opening inside sewn shit yet...but the sun was out so I nabbed some pics while I could.

And a few more zippered pouches. I am trying to make sure to have a matching accessory, whether a keyring, pouch or whatever, for every bag.


I am also making some headbands. My cousin is a runner & has very long hair. She found some headbands that do not slip out, but they were rather pricey. So I offered to make her some. These are the first four. Two of them have a velvet underside, which is the type that is great for no slip. The other two have ultrasuede. I am going to have her try them out to test the slippiness. I know I love using that stuff for the underside of straps on bags for the non-slip quality...but not sure how it'll work with the hair.


And I have some more "test strips" cut for some more headbands. I also have 3 there on the left that are some really cool ribbon...I will make these last, when I have the headband assembly more down pat. I have been having trouble finding the right needle & tension combo...and have lots of scrapped tries in the garbage to prove it.

And lastly - some more fabric. My youngest picked out the Firetruck fabric when we were at the store. I asked him what he wanted me to make with it. He said he didn't know, he just liked it for something. And since it sounded so much like myself - I bought it. I think some of it will become a Lego pouch.
The skull prints, well, I just love skull prints. I am trying to work in more fun and/or kitcshy (how the heck do you spell that anyway?) fabrics and styles into my line. There are lots of embroidery & painting sketches I have done with that in mind...can't wait until I can get going on them.


Oops...I was wrong - I have this fabric too, from a swap on Craftster. If you are a fabriholic too, feel free to come on over & check it out. if you are not a member yet but want to do some swaps, join now & build up the posts so you have enough to play along during the next round.

Things done, Things to-do & Things to do them with...

I realized yesterday when I posted my Wordless Wednesday, that it has been a week since I last posted here. I would like to say that it was because I have been so busy sewing and creating...but it is not. I have done a few things, but most of my time is full of family stuff...mostly 4 year old stuff. At least it's all fun, as it should be in the summertime.

I have edited some pics that I will, hopefully, be listing later today (after the zoo). And I do have 5 bags and 8 headbands cut & ready to be sewn. I think I have hit a point of overload...too many ideas of what I want to do & a sense of "where the heck do I even start" has settled in. So, I will start by showing off some newer (photo 'd) creations, some fabrics I recently received, and some goodies from Rockerchic.




.....And the fabrics.....what am I going to do with them? I am not 100% sure yet. The sushi fabric will be the lining of a Buffy bag (with the "I'm in my sushi pj's" quote somehow). The cupcakes and chickens may become part of a market tote. I do plan on making some quilts soon, which all of my recent fabrics may soon find themselves a part of. The quilting fabric tends to have the most fun designs. It's too bad the same ones aren't used with the sturdier home deco fabrics. Oh well...just gives me more stuff to make :)

...from Fabric Hound...

...from Lucky Kaeru Fabrics on Etsy...

...and last, but certainly not least...Rockerchic's bracelet & surprise necklace...Awesome stuff! Thanks so much....

Lots on the To Do

I'll start with the easiest, well, to show anyway. I have another Whedonverse embroidery project all hooped up & started. Anyone know where this one comes from? I think I may do a contest involving guessing where my stuff originates - could be fun.

Reminds me - I have a question for you. Aside from the bags I am putting the embroidery stuff on - what else do you like? Framed, hanging art like pieces, towels, pillows, your uncle Sal, clothes, journal covers, ...anything? I want to do more than just bags with the embroidery, and custom ones too.



My To-Do just got bigger early this week. My inbox had a request for a batch of clutches for a bridal party. And it is a bit of a rush job...like by next weekend. This should be fun...they have been so far.
The bridesmaids are wearing a deep purple and she is looking for coordinating fabrics - each clutch will be a different print. I looked through my stash and realized I have no purple. Zero. Nada. None. I decided that when I run to the store for her fabrics, I'll pick up some for myself too.
These fabrics are a mix of those she picked & some alternate ideas I gave her. I decided to make pretty much all of them into clutches. I'll show you the bridal party bags once they are complete.

Scrappy Fun

I finally felt the desire to sew and craft again. It feels like it has been forever! I am in a Whedonverse swap over on Craftster. Plus I have that custom order whose fabric is now all here - yippee! That kind of sewing I don't need a "desire" for since they are already designed & I have been looking forward to starting it. Maybe that's why I haven't felt like doing anything else...didn't want anything to interfere once it was time to start. I would love to show & tell the fun goodies I have been making for the swap, but I want to keep it a surprise. But I can share what my new found crafting bug did bring me...

After sorting through my fabric & sending half off to my 2nd Etsy shop for destash & organizing the rest...I was still left with all the bits & pieces. That box above is about 2 feet long & almost 1 foot wide...and filled to the brim with scrap. I have not idea what to do with all of it, but unless is less than a 2 inch square, I can't just throw it away. So I started playing around and made a couple ribbon bookmarks with scrap pieces on either end...and some buttons...love the buttons! I think I may make more of these, hopefully getting them to a point where others may want them. But for now - they are all mine :)

Okay...here's one piece of the swap...since you can't tell what the whole is
...think of it as a teaser...

Custom Bride

I am so excited. I get to make clutches for a bridal party! The bride is a total NON-bridezilla - so very fun. The color theme is primarily chocolate brown, the girl's dresses are hot pink and there are apple green accents. We spent some time looking through fabric. She had some ideas initially that she sent me, more to give me a feel of what she was thinking than the exact fabric. I went out and bought some that I thought fit the idea. I figured it did not matter if she did not choose them because I loved them anyway and would use them later.

These are mock ups of the bags. I simply took a picture of each fabric with the frame holding the fabric. Each girl gets a different fabric. The bride wanted them each to have one that fit their style so it could be used after the wedding too. The wedding itself sounds fun - nice and relaxed...the way a wedding should be.