Sew Me Some Love

A Giveaway on my NEW and improved Blog!

2011-01-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Come on over to my NEW blog for a giveaway.

I will not be deleting this blog, because it has some cool stuff on it, but I'm going to start posting all my projects and giveaways over here.

A Girl Gift

2010-12-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, you're right, I did drop off the face of the earth, but I'm back, baby! and I have a lot to post. It's been 9 months since my last post, but a lot has happened. My Etsy shop had a very busy spring...an even busier summer, then I gave birth to my 4th child (shortly after my oldest turned 4), and now I'm getting into a groove (at least that's what I'm telling myself).
I've spent a lot of time during the middle of the night nursing sessions browsing really fabulous sewing blogs and I have been inspired. Again. And Again...

I have sewn a lot in the past 7 months and I plan to post all or at least most of it. I'm going to start with a gift that I made for my daughter's Pre-k gift exhange. The requirement was to not spend more than $10 and it had to be for a girl. So of course I had to go really, girly, girly. Do you think I succeeded?

I made a black apple doll. I did enlarge the pattern just a bit. It's not as big as I originally wanted it to be, but I didn't have much time. The pretty little hair bows I made from polyester satiny fabrics and from a pattern at Just Another Hang Up. She is fabulous and only asks that you don't sell anything you make with the pattern. I also made a gorgeous brooch for my new grey (grey is my new favorite colour) jacket. Will post about that later.

And of course I had to wrap the gift up...and send it off to school with my little girl for her Christmas party. Fun.

Stay tuned for more blogging on other projects I've been working on including crib bedding, outfits for the girls, baby boy gifts, and more! I may even have a tutorial somewhere a long the way as well :) and a couple giveaways!

J.

Toss 'n Play Balls

2010-03-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

From Thanksgiving to just before Christmas, these puppies were a big hit in my shop. I could barely keep up to the orders. Everyday during nap-time and as soon as the kids were in bed, it was all industry. I was exhausted by the time Christmas rolled around.

I was also contacted by someone at Chase Designs, who wanted 9 custom balls for a conference room that they were decorating in a baby theme for a client. (I believe they were making a pitch to Pampers). They had large glass jars that they were going to fill with 3 balls a piece. All this in the midst of my Christmas order rush...

They turned out really nicely. I wish I had a picture of the finished conference room with my handy work displayed.

Bridal Shower Gift

2010-03-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

I have had this fabric for almost a year. My mom gave me quite a few half yard cuts for my birthday last year. It's from the Robert Kaufman Metro Market collection. My mother-in-law and I were invited to a bridal shower, so I put together this gift for the bride-to-be.

Included is:
1 hostess apron
2 potholders
2 kitchen towels

Let's begin with the hostess apron. My friend Jodi, has a fabulous blog with a lot of great tutorials. I used her hostess apron tutorial to make this beauty. It's reversible.

Absolutely adorable! I need to make one for myself.

The kitchen towels were inspired by this extremely creative Etsian. I certainly didn't use as much detail as Melissa does, but was inspired by her creativity to make beautiful creations for your kitchen.
Lastly, the potholders. I made up this little pattern last summer. Basically just cutting 9 1/2 inch x 9 1/2 inch squares of fabric. Sandwiching with Insul-Bright and flannel, then sewing together and adding on a handle. Easy.

Dang, I need to make one of these sets for my new house!

Easter Baskets!!

2010-03-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Easter is approaching. Quickly. My 3 year-old loves holidays. She loves the anticipation and she loves the excitement of the day. This year will be an extra fun Easter because we will be in our very own house. After living with my in-laws for 8 months, this is going to be a welcome treat!

I decided since I have such cute pink fabric laying around, to make some cute little Easter baskets for my 3 girls. I used two different fabrics for each basket. Here's a some pictures of how they turned out. It's hard to see the inside fabric, but they do match and make such a cute, cute Easter egg/candy holder :)

First let me talk about the fabrics.
The babushka fabric I had left over from a custom backpack order I did for an Etsy customer in Australia. The fabric is pricey because it comes from Holland. I bought it here. I really want this fabric in pink and blue, but by the time you pay for shipping and the fabric, you are looking at about $20/meter. Although I did get 3 backpacks and one Easter basket out of one meter and still have some useful scraps leftover. I lined that backpack with Michael Miller Disco Dot in pink and green. For the other two I used some "Springy" Heather Bailey fabric that I had on hand.

I followed this tutorial. I did make a few changes which I will note here.

* I didn't have fusible fleece on hand so I just used some scraps of warm and white cotton quilt batting
* I serged all the raw edges. It looks a little neater and will prevent fraying.
* For the handles I used two layers of warm and white cotton quilt batting and I also interfaced the fabric with lightweight interfacing.
* I did use some nice heavy interfacing like she suggests for the baskets. It makes them so sturdy and they do stand up very nicely. In fact I think they are more sturdy than some of those baskets you buy in the store....and these ones were virtually free. I only used what I had on hand.

Happy Sewing and Happy Easter!

Pink Fig Patchwork Skirt

2010-03-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, I bought this pattern.
Adorable right? But does it look like it's gathered between the layers?? I didn't think so, but it is. I hate gathering. It drives me nuts. It slows me down.
But here's a little trick I was taught by an expert seamstress.
Turn your tension up as high as it will go. Stitch length, 4. Then run a stitch through the layer to gather the fabric. (Make sure you use some high quality fabric otherwise your thread could break as you pull to create the gathers. Then match up the layers. Still not my favorite thing to do and I was by no means perfect at it, but it did the trick.

Again, pictures of the finished product. Unedited, from my phone, with two extra little cuties in the pictures and some princess sneakers to add to the awesomeness of the photo quality.

Check out that pose!
I just used fabrics I had on hand. Some michael miller, heather bailey, amy butler...a designer assortment.

My daughter is in desperate need of more skirts. She won't wear anything else. She wears the same shirt and skirt for two days in a row, round the clock before I have to hide them while she's bathing and force her to pick out something else to wear. Another pink shirt and another fabulous skirt.
I should try making the embellished shirt, too.

More Weekend Sewing

2010-03-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, my husband bought me this book.

Also mentioned, was that my super awesome friend, Jodi, had a baby last month. I had to have something to take to her in the hospital.

Here's the finished project (I only made the kimono...not the baby).

This picture was taken on my phone and is unedited...

There are way cuter pictures of baby Tess on Jodi's blog.

I used some super soft flannel. Then made it a little girly by using some Amy Butler Pink Wallflower Fabric to create the trim and ties. It really didn't take that long and the directions were easy to follow.

Weekend Sewing

2010-03-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you knew what has been going on in my life the past 8 months, you would forgive me for the lack of posts. Honestly, you would.

For Christmas my husband bought this book for me.

See that pretty skirt on the front?? I made one. I believe it's called the "yard-sale skirt". I loved it. So I started making one for my fabulous friend, Jodi. It was her birthday. She just had a baby 6 weeks ago and when she sent me this picture she wrote, "pardon the 40 extra pounds in the picture". I'm telling you...not everyone can pull off wearing a wrap skirt 6 weeks postpartum, this girl, can! It looks so good on her.
Let me address sewing this beauty. It wasn't easy. It was frustrating. I had bought this fabric (Lacework in brown) on a great sale several months ago in this etsy shop. I was going to make spring outfits for my girls with it, but I know how much Jodi loves this fabric.

The instructions pretty much stink. Except for the french seams part. I did like learning how to do french seams. I had never done them before. However, I started out making the small size and when it was all done it barely wrapped around my size 6/8 frame so I decided to add two more panels. Which meant I was in a time crunch and did not do french seams for the extra two panels. The waist band and ties were not that easy either. Again, bad instructions. But I will say that if you do make one, make sure you make the waistband longer and the ties longer, too. The errata for the book, says to increase the straps 8 inches for every panel you add. But I would expand the waistband to go around the entire skirt and then measure how long you want the ties.

Don't worry, more posts to come. I have been sewing over the past 8 months. Mostly for my etsy shop, but I do plan to blog the other cool stuff I've made, too. I'm moving 678 miles from Houston in a few days, and I'm soon to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. What do they do anyway?? I'll have plenty of time to blog.

Check this out! My new favorite thing...

2009-10-10T08:22:00.001-07:00

This is an awesome giveaway from a fellow etsian :) I love her stuff. She also made my announcements when my twins were born. Fabulous work!

I've been so busy lately with work and my etsy shop. You should check it out... there's lots of new stuff.

Also, some fabulous tutorials and great posts on modestmaven's blog. And I'm really hoping my friend Melissa will do a tutorial on this!

Stay tuned for a post on what I made for the twins 1st birthday this year. I can't believe they will be one year old in a few short days!!

Back to sewing one of these!
--Janna--

Pink Penguin Patchwork Drawstring Bag

2009-09-19T10:35:00.001-07:00

My mother-in-law's birthday is tomorrow. I wanted to do something nice for her. So I made this adorable patchwork drawstring bag. The tutorial is on this site (along with many other fabulous tutorials). The polkadot fabric on the right (with the pink background) was sent to me by the author of the Pink Penguin blog when I ordered some of these adorable handmade stamps from Japan.

It is reversable. I used the same fabric on the inside that I used on my tabletop ironing board.
I love the Pink Penguin's tutorials so much. So perfect for gift giving.

We filled it with her favorite candy.

I think she'll like it.

Tabletop Ironing Pad

2009-09-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

I made this little beauty about 6 weeks or so ago. When we moved in to my in-laws house....I didn't have room for a traditional ironing board. This one goes nicely on my sewing table (over my green cutting mat). I found the tutorial here. At one of my all time favorite websites. The ribbon is for rolling it up and tieing it.

It has actual ironing board fabric and insul brite inside.
The best thing is that when I iron it on...it smells like my grandma's ironing board when someone would iron on it and I'm instantly wisked away to her laundry room in Cardston, Alberta between 1984ish and 2002. They say smells can jog a memory better than anything else and this certainly does. It moves me through time and space. I miss her.
I can't take credit for the whole thing, however. My lovely friend, Jodi, sewed the binding on for me during one or our craft days ( I think I was sewing a ball for my shop at the time).
My next project...making 30 Key Fob Wristlets. I like making them. I include them in orders over $35 in my shop, well, actually, I include one in almost any order :) I love getting free surprises and I hope my customers do too!

A Purple Double Layer Skirt

2009-09-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

My little girl turned 3 last month. She loves purple and ladybugs. I bought her a purple ladybug cake from target and made her a purple skirt. This skirt was on my list of things to sew over the summer. I finally did and it's pretty darn cute. Sorry for the lack of quality of the pictures...but this girl doesn't stand still very long.

Here is the link to the tutorial if you'd like to make one, too!

More Toddler Backpacks

2009-09-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Remember this post. My first summer project for 2009. Well, I've decided to sell them in my shop. Check out the two that I most recently made.

Look at all those pins! They are not easy to make. Definately not for the beginner sewer.

I will be listing them in my shop shortly. If you can't wait that long, please feel free to email me or contact me via my etsy shop.
You can also purchase the pattern at this site.

If you want to win the pattern...here's the link!

Double Shopping Cart Cover for Twins!

2009-09-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm long overdue for some blogging about my sewing. I don't sew as much since I went back to work teaching, BUT I still manage to sew...some.

Most recently I made a double shopping cart over. The twins are old enough to ride in the double shopping carts that they have at Randalls, Costco and Sam's Club...but they just looked so uncomfortable sitting on those hard, metal seats (my oldest looks equally concerned). Plus, I don't like having to adjust those little seatbelts that are way too high.

So I decided it was necessary to make them one of these...and don't they look so much happier.?!

I got the pattern from an etsy shop. I'm not sure if I would promote the pattern,because I didn't think it was very well done. It was a little confusing and didn't have pictures. Not for the novice seamstress. In fact, I strayed from the pattern because it just didn't have good instructions. It was cheap though, so I won't complain about it too much.

I do like the straps and buckles I put on and the little leg holes. Only thing I might do differently is add an extra layer of batting. It's still soft, but if it were me riding in that, I'd want it extra, extra soft and comfy.

I will not be listing any in my etsy shop, but I could make one for you if you convo me or email me. I think there's a link to my email on the righthand side of the blog.

Thanks for looking and happy sewing!

Toss 'N Play Ball Giveaway!!

2009-09-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

Do you want to win one of these???

Here's the link to enter the giveaway!

I have been sewing. Just not as much. I will get some pictures of the things I've been working on posted soon. My latest project is a double shopping cart cover. It's almost done. I lost my seam ripper and haven't had time to go to the store to get another one. Unfortunately it's my most used sewing tool...well, not really, but I surely should have more than 1 of them. I think I'll buy two when I finally get time to go to a sewing store.

And the winner is....

2009-07-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Pili...of In Love with Handmade
Congratulations!! Just email me and I'll set you up. :)

Thanks to everyone for participating. Stay tuned for another giveaway. I'm moving over the next week....but let's play again once I'm settled in to my new place.

A Birthday Gift for my Mom

2009-07-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

**Don't forget to enter my current giveaway!!**

I revisited the Pink Penguin tutorial for a fabric basket.

This time I enlarged it 150%. Ayumi does have dimensions for enlarging the basket, but one of the measurements was wrong. The large piece of linen needs to be 9 x 15 1/4 not 9 x 14 1/4 as stated here. I think I will email her about that.

A couple things about this...

1. I love the Michael Miller thread fabric.

2. These aren't fabrics I would normally choose...but I had bought the purple one to make a birthday skirt for my daughter (which I still need to do) and the navy polka dot fabric was a remnant at JoAnns as was the linen. I think it came together really well. I wish I was better at co-ordinating fabrics like my friend, Melissa. She makes the cutest kitchen towels and is really creative.

3. I made this for my mother...who is a wonderful seamstress and quilter. It's hard sewing for someone who you know will look at every single stitch to see if it is crooked or not. When I sew items for my shop I am extremely meticulous and take a lot of time to make sure my stitching is just so and everything is done neatly...sewing for my mother almost threw me in the looney bin. But in all reality, I know she'll be thrilled no matter what. :)

Have a great week everyone and happy sewing!

Summer Project #14 Cozy Kitten

2009-07-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

**Don't forget to enter my current giveaway. **

This pattern attracted me because I like the Japanese cartoon character look to it. I think having 5 Japanese students in my class this past year...had an influence on me.

The pattern itself...was strange. Anyway, if you make one you'll see why. I think it's supposed to be beginnerish. But it's cute. I should have used a better flannel than this one. It just isn't very sturdy for this particular project. For the price I thought it would be better quality. It tore in a few places when I was stuffing it, so I had to repair it with a needle and thread. I made one for my daughter for her birthday next month (she's going to be one spoiled princess this year) and one for her little friend who has a birthday around the same time.

Ladybugs, Purple and Worms- Summer Project #13

2009-07-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

** Don't forget to enter my current giveaway!! ** I'm loving all the comments :)

My almost 3 year old's favorite things right now are ladybugs, purple and worms. So I wanted to make her something that incorporated her very favorite things :)

An I Spy Bag! Perfect. This one was my first one, so please don't look at my sloppy stitching. I was in a time crunch. How is it that as the twins get older, I find I have less time... I'm trying to figure that out. Anyway, these I Spy Bags are so easy to put together. There are lots of tutorials on line. I sort of used this one.
These are the things I included in J's.
Angel
Balloon
Baseball
Bell
Bird
Blue button
Canoe
Carrot
Cherries
Clothes pin
Clover
Domino
Dragonfly
Easter egg
Elastic
Eye
Fish
Gecko
Girl
Heart
Orange button
Pacifier
Pink butterfly
Pink flower
Purple flower
Purple ladybug (Can you believe I found one??)
Red ladybug
Safety pin
Snowflake
Snowman
Soccer ball
Stocking
Tractor
Yellow button
Yellow flower
Zipper
I also included the letters of her name.

I mostly used buttons and some things that I already had. It's an investment when you start buying things for the I Spy Bag because you have to buy in bulk. They don't sell just one little baseball at JoAnns. So, I decided to make a few more.

I added most of the things I put in J's to these ones as well. I'll just wait until I have a recipient and then add the letters to his or her name and a few other trinkets, the poly pellets (I love saying that) and then close it up. Make sure you use JoAnns coupons when buying the poly pellets. They cost 6.99 at regular price and you need half the bag for one I Spy Bag. I used those 40% off coupons that you get in the mail.

You also need to include a label of the things inside. You can print it on fabric printer paper and sew it on the back, but I only have a laser printer and all the fabric paper I saw at JoAnns use an inkjet. So what I'm going to do is print out the list of items, laminate it, and then attach to my label that I sewed on the bag with a binder ring.

They really are easy to put together. It may just take awhile to collect some things and the best way to keep costs down is ask your crafty friends for trinkets and trade with them, make a bunch at a time (they make great gifts for 2-5 year olds...and older kids and adults like to play with them to). Use coupons!!

Custom Designs and a Giveaway!

2009-07-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

My sewing came to a screeching halt last week when I got the stomach flu for 4 days, followed by 2 lovely days of mastitis. All while my husband is studying for the bar exam non-stop, and my mother-in-law was out of town. Nuff said.

This week I was lucky enough to work on this custom order for a friend of mine who frequents my etsy shop. Thank-you, thank-you!

I made a large buttercup purse.
Two wristlets (different sizes).
8 Wristlet key fobs.

The apple print by Michael Miller is my FAVORITE right now!!

And since I won 5 giveaways from 3 different sites in the last week, I figured I had better do a giveaway for my 7 faithful readers ;)

Here's what's up for the giveaway:

Isn't she lovely. Made with all designer fabrics. It has a pocket on the inside and even has a zipper to keep all your goodies inside your purse.

Here's what you need to do to enter:

Leave a comment.
You don't have to do anything else. But, it is such a great giveaway I know you'll want to tell all your facebook friends about it :)

I'll use random.org to choose a winner on Thursday, July 30th. Not sure what time...just whenever I feel like it (that's the last day of the bar exam, so I'm going to be one happy lady).

Summer Project #12 Pink Penguin Pen Case

2009-07-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's cute. I know. And I love it.

But don't be decieved by this seemingly easy project. I think I spent more time with my seam ripper than I did actually sewing anything. I do love it. I do. I'm just trying to forget about what it took to get it to this. The tutorial is fine. I just need more practice with zippers and bias tape and I probably should have read through the whole tutorial before I began (big oops). It's not a normal sewing pattern where you just sew it together and turn it inside out. It was truly unlike anything I have ever done. I still love it. I'll probably make another one.

Thanks to Jodi for the wool. It is really cute on this. I love having friends with great fabric stashes. What's next on my summer sewing list?? I think the old list is buried somewhere.

Summer Project #11 Pink Penguin Basket

2009-07-11T17:51:00.001-07:00

Is this not the cutest thing you have EVER seen?!

I was trying to keep it hidden from my almost 3 year old, so I could give it to her for her birthday next month...but she saw it, and wanted it. Well, actually she requested one in purple, but I don't have any purple fabric (I'm serious, I don't) and so she "settled" for the pink one.
I think I need to make one for my mom for her birthday.

I loved making it. I needed something theraputic to do today during naptime. Here's the tutorial for you to make one, too. Ayumi is a very, very talented lady and I'm so glad I found her blog!

Check one off the list!

Thanks Jodi...for giving me some linen :)

Stay tuned for a fab giveaway. I'm moving soon and don't want to pack all the stuff I've sewn, so I'm going to be giving some away! :)

Summer Project #10 Eco-Friendly Wet Bag

2009-07-11T06:52:00.001-07:00

What is this you ask??

It's a wet bag? What's a wet bag? Well, moms that cloth diaper use them. Eco-friendly moms use them. They are a great thing to keep on hand to throw anything wet into. When you are done with them, you just throw them in the wash and you're done. I made this one to keep Jillian's swimming suit in. That way it won't get everything in the diaper bag wet. It's about 11x13 inches.

I made it with a zipper:

The liner is PUL. A waterproof fabric used to make diapers. You don't have to use PUL, you could use an old shower liner. But this is what I have on hand and it's such a pretty color.
Let's look at that zipper one more time:

This project wasn't exactly on my list of things I wanted to make this summer, BUT I have a zillion zippers and using them and being more comfortable with installing zippers on pretty much anything is on my list of things to do. Sew....there you have it.

I found the tutorial here.

This is a fabulous site! One of my favorites. So many great tutorials, ideas and giveaways.

I really need to cracking on my real summer sewing list. So much to sew, so little time.

Summer Project #9 Wristlet Key Fob

2009-07-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

Okay, I admit...this was never on my summer project list until a week or so ago. My friend Jodi (who has a giveaway on her blog right now) made a bunch and I had to make some, too. Cute gifts. Something fun to make that doesn't take much time or investment. I followed this tutorial that Jodi referred me to. I did buy an edge stitch foot AND the bias tape maker. I love sewing gadgets and they really did help. I'm terrible at keeping lines straight. I normally use a 1/4 inch foot (the one quilters use) and LOVE it. The bias tape maker saved a lot of time.
I got my materials from this shop on ebay. Excellent customer service! These are going to be included in orders over $35 in my etsy shop!

Summer Project #8 Happy Birthday Banner

2009-07-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had to take a week off from sewing. I needed to do some parenting professional development. Thanks to the public library and nap-time, that is done. I'm now ready to parent twins during the toddler years (eyeroll) and I'm fully versed on 1-2-3 Magic (it really is magic). Now, if there was a book that I could read that would make the babies sleep longer than 30-45 minutes at a time, that would be great.

Anyway, I did put together this little number.

It didn't take as much time as I thought it would. I cut out 13 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 pieces of muslin and 13 pieces of equal size of my fabulous fabrics (this is a great way to show off your fabric collection). I used heat and bond to secure the letters to the fabrics. I used biased tape that I made with this little number (I have the 1 inch size) to secure the letters together. I've made bias tape before, but this made the whole process so much faster and therefore, worth it to make your own.

I'm hoping it will be something special for the girls to hang when it's their birthday. Something they will remember and look forward to (and a way for me to remember my favorite fabrics ;).

I really want to make name banners for my three girls. What a great, inexpensive way to decorate a child's room.

Let me know if you are interested in one or want more instructions on how I made it. There's a "email me" button on my blog.

P.S. RIP MJ....

Edited to add: When my almost 3 year old came out of her room from her "nap" she saw the banner and said, "That says, 'I love Jill'". Yes, sweetheart, yes, it does :) :) :)

Continuation of the Buttercup Purse (summer project #4)

2009-06-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

I've been playing with the buttercup purse pattern.
Here are the changes I made to it:

-added a zipper (have I blogged about how many zippers I have??)

Here's a close up:

-changed the pleats

-added a fabric button to the front

-sewed the straps on the inside instead of sewing them to the outside

There's still a pocket on the inside to hold a blackberry (or any other hand-held device).

I'm out of distilled water, so the pressing isn't perfect, but I think it turned out really cute. I'm not really a purse carrying gal (I'm more into diaper bags at the moment)...so I'm not sure what to do with the purses. I'll probably sell them at ridiculously reduced prices (since I am extremely particular about what I sell and these are "practice" bags) or give them out in my etsy orders to repeat customers, customers that spend more than a certain amount of money or something like that. What do you think?

Summer Project #7 1st Birthday Bibs for the Twins

2009-06-28T07:41:00.001-07:00

A fast project. Took me less than an hour. My husband took some precious time out of studying for the Texas bar exam to draw the "1" for me. I used heat-and-bond to secure the number to the bib and then used a zigzag stitch to applique the number on the bib (I like the look of it that way). Then I sewed the cotton print fabric to soft, white chenille.
They turned out really cute. My twins are only 8 months old...but you can never be too prepared for birthdays. I love these bibs because they are a really nice size (approximately 10x10 for the actual bib part). Complete coverage for those cute outfits I plan to make for my little bundles of joy. So, do you think these bibs are gender neutral or are they too girly for boys to wear??? Just asking.

Summer Project #6 Itty Bitty Baby Dress

2009-06-24T16:40:00.001-07:00

This itty bitty baby dress was on my list of things I wanted to sew over the summer. It melts my heart.

Here's the pattern. This is a size 1-3 months. The pattern states it will fit 9-11 pounds, but I think it will fit a bit bigger than that.

That almost makes me want another baby...almost!

p.s. This is a quick sew. Doesn't take much time at all...and there's an enlargement for a size 3T.

Summer Project #5 Dabbling in Japanese Fabrics

2009-06-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to buy and use Japanese fabrics for a long time now. I just didn't want to fork out the extra cost to do it when there are so many other cute/trendy/fabulous fabrics by well-known designers that you can get on etsy or at fabric.com for $6-7 per yard (after shipping and coupons). Anyway, long story short, I purchased 2 lovely Japanese fabrics. Here is one of them. I can't exactly call making this little pouch a project since it only took me 20 minutes to complete, but using the fabric is/was on my sewing to-do list.

Aren't the little hedgehogs adorable. My daughter saw this when she got up in the morning and immediately started putting things in it and thanking me for making it for her...uh, you're welcome sweetie.

Sorry about the quality of picture. It is over a 100 blasted degrees in all the gulf coast humidity outside (where I normally take pictures) and I'm not going out there today!

BTW, here's the tutorial for the little boxy pouch. I want to make another one but make it a little more square, put a handle on it, line and interface it, too.

Summer Project #4 Buttercup Purse

2009-06-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is the reason why my house is messy and the dishes from making cookies with my almost 3 year old this morning are not done yet... Why clean during naptime when I can sew :) :)

It's a buttercup purse. You can find the free pattern here. This purse measures 15 x 9 inches and has a strap that is about 20 inches long. It is fully lined and has a pocket on the inside that fits my blackberry. I also interfaced it so it will hold it's shape fairly well. It's big enough to throw a couple diapers and wipes in there as well as a bunch of other stuff. It's adorable, IMHO.

Contact me if you are interested in this or anything else on my blog. I added an email button to my blog or you can contact me through my etsy shop (you will need to sign up for an account).

I guess I better go clean now...oh and then study for that pesky ELA teacher certification test that I have to take on Saturday. Before long I'll be certified to teach anything and everything in Texas.

Summer Project #3 Two Quiet Books

2009-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

There they are. Two stinkin' quiet books. I'm soooooooooo glad they are done, because this was my least favorite sewing project ever. So tedious and so time consuming. They better keep my kids quiet! ;)

I think this is the part where I should explain which each page is...but I'll leave that out. I think it's pretty self explanitory. It is after all...for babies and toddlers.

Some of the pieces are snapped on. Some are attached with velcro. If you would like the pattern and to see another fabulous example, click here. My friend Jodi put together the pattern from a quiet book she had. Cute idea...just make sure you have loads of time and patience before you start. Maybe the fact that I made two at the same time made it seem to go on forever!! :) But I'm glad I made them.

UPDATE:

Okay, so they work. They do keep the girls quiet.....except:

I should have made three!

Custom Order for a Lead-Free Toss'n Play Developmental Ball

2009-06-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

These make the BEST toys. I sell them in my etsy shop. This was a custom order I did for a customer. She picked the fabric...I made the ball. So adorable. I just had to write a post about it. I love how it turned out. My 8 month old twins love playing with these balls....however, my 3 year old still plays with hers, so I think I need to make a couple more.

Summer Project #2 Car Seat Strap Covers

2009-06-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

I say it's summer project #2, but I have some other projects on the go...this is just the 2nd one I've completed.

I made car seat strap covers. I've wanted to make these for awhile now to protect those kissable little necks from those not so soft straps.

If you decide to make some yourself...please watch this tutorial first. Unfortunately for me, I watched the tutorial after I made the seat straps. I guess that explains why I've had a hard time applying bias tape...It really isn't a difficult thing.

Summer Project #1

2009-06-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

School ended last Friday. I have a zillion + 1 sewing projects that I want to work on over the summer. I have 60-90 minutes/day to work on said projects.

Here's #1. Took two days to complete.

I've looked everywhere for a toddler sized backpack for my 2 1/2 year old. Then I found this great blog with a link to this fabulous pattern.

It was rather inexpensive to make.

I needed some fabric $2, interfacing <$1, some twill I had laying around, two strap adjusters $1.20, piping $1.50, zipper $0.15 (I bought a huge lot on ebay), small piece of fleece that I had already. So, for less than $6 I made this fabulous backpack for my sweet little girl. I think it would make a cute gift to give to her little friends for birthdays. They aren't difficult to make. Just follow the pattern. I can always follow a pattern.

The proud backpack wearer. She's checking out my stitching on the straps...I know she is.

My pre-summer sewing activity was to make this skirt. It was a free pattern and I couldn't resist. It is the cutest skirt EVER and so comfortable for summer! I want to buy some more knit in black and make another one. It took me less than an hour to cut it out and sew it together. The next one I do will probably take less than 30 minutes. Super easy. I love my serger. I love summer.

My New Sewing Area

2009-05-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

My family of 5 lives in a two bedroom, one bath, 1150 square foot house. I've never complained about the size. In fact, it only makes me want to always live in a modest sized home because there is so much less to clean which leaves more time for sewing ;). The only "inconvenience", so to speak, has been not having anywhere to put my sewing stuff. In the past, I've taken over the kitchen table and the area surrounding. However, on Saturday, my husband was moving our computer table over so I could have more room to sew around the kitchen table. The computer table broke while he was moving it (it was already kind of broken). My in-laws came to the rescue (as usual) and brought us a huge table to put the computer on (very sturdy) and my husband's old desk from his room. More furniture actually makes for more room in that small space AND I get to always have my sewing machine, serger, and snap press at the ready. Saves me so much time not having to set everything up when I want to sew. Does this mean I have to start cooking and having family meals now that my kitchen table is no longer buried in sewing machines and fabric??

Pure Bliss!

2009-05-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

On my 27th birthday, my mom bought me a sewing machine. She said it was because she felt guilty for never really teaching me how to sew. I think it was because she loves me. The day I brought my sewing machine home and started playing with it, I learned a valuable lesson-- Material possessions can make a girl really, really happy. And not just temporarily either. This baby has been bringing me joy for 7 years now.

On my 34th birthday, I bought this with some money I'd accumulated from selling things in my etsy shop. I don't exactly make money since any revenue immediately gets invested in fun things like this...and of course more fabric.

Again, pure bliss.

This is what I whipped up in just a few minutes with my serger. I needed a new pack 'n play sheet. Our crib was recalled and so my sweet baby Lorelai has been sleeping in the pack 'n play, while Genevieve sleeps in the crib that is on loan from friend's of ours.

Now she can sleep in style. I bet she's as happy as I am that I could serge this up for her. I wonder if she dreamt of apple orchards all night. I think I'll make another one. Something pink.

Something to Wear!!

2009-05-14T10:47:00.001-07:00

You know those people who always say they have nothing to wear to a certain function/event??? Well, I really have nothing to wear to my husband's law school graduation.

Here's the problem...

I still don't quite fit into all my pre-twins clothes (I can get stuff on, it's still just a little snug).

Literally zero $$ (especially since I found out I have to take another certification test this summer...bleh).

I'm nursing so I can't wear a dress (I have one...I just don't think it would be appropriate to lift up the entire dress to feed one of the twins at a graduation ceremony).

So....... my sweet friend Jodell came to the rescue and helped me make this beauty with some fabric from my stash. We didn't even use a pattern!! The skirt is fully lined with some sweet white muslin that I purchased at fabric.com and it also has a side zipper. This is about a size 8.

I think I look terrible in the picture and it looks so much cuter in person...but we were in a hurry to take it the pic. You can buy similar shirts in Jodell's etsy shop.

I love sewing days with my bff :)

Special thanks to my sweet 7 month old Genevieve for taking a 3 hour nap while we worked on my outfit.

My Mother's Day Gift...To Myself

2009-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

My husband had his very last law school exam Saturday. Needless to say we are broke and there's no extra moola for gifts (fabric, yes...gifts, no). So for a mother's day gift to me, he gave me time (precious time) to make this rad apron. With teaching part-time, 6 month old twins, a two-year old, an etsy shop...it is nearly impossible to find time to sew unless I sacrifice my already limited sleep.

My friend Jodi can whip one up in 45 minutes (seriously, she's done it). I used her pattern, but changed it a little. I only had a little bit of fabric to work with since I still had to have enough to finish making this gift set and then have enough to make my apron. I didn't add a ruffle. (I'm not a really ruffly kind of gal anyway) and I closed the bottom with bias tape (that I made myself). The straps are shorter than I would have liked (not enough fabric). I also made it full length. Right now I'm feeding my twins 1 meal a day and it is messy!! I don't have time to be changing my clothes during the day or washing them for that matter, so I'm hoping my apron will cut down on the already abundant amount of laundry. FYI: The Amy Butler Lotus line is out of print. Good thing I recently ordered more. It's my fav.

I also made one for my mother-in-law for mother's day. She loved it.

I swore I'd never use them... until I realized I could sew them.

2009-04-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's right, I started cloth diapering my 6 month old twins after "swearing" I'd never go to cloth. After doing the math over and over again, I felt like it was time to start saving money and the environment. (I admit that saving the environment is just a perk in this new adventure).

Reasons I resisted for so long:

1. Pocket diapers are expensive to buy. Eventhough you can save money in the long run, it's a huge investment up front, especially with twins.

2. I was (past tense) more interested in what would save me money rather than the environment which I thought wasn't reason enough to go through the "inconvenience" of cloth diapering.

3. Time. It does take more time and I probably couldn't have done it in the early months with twins and a 2 year old, but now that the twins are a little older and more independent, the little bit of extra time that it takes is manageable.

4. Gross factor. Cloth diapers...yuck. Don't they stink? That's what I thought. But really, it's not that gross and there is actually less odor with cloth than with disposable. Not a conclusion I would have come to without having tried it.

The big reason for switching to cloth for me, is definitely the moola factor. With a husband just about to graduate from law school and student loans coming due, I had to do something drastic (or what I thought was drastic). After crunching all the numbers, I figured I can save at least $1200 in 18 months. More if the twins wear them longer than that. (I included the costs of hot water, electricity, detergent etc). Not only that, but when the twins are done with them, I can turn around and sell them or pass them along to a friend or family member.

So, not only am I cloth diapering twins, but I also made the pocket diapers myself.

Here's what you need:

PUL (that's the waterproof fabric that comes in a variety of colors)

microfleece

snaps

microfiber terry (the insert to absorb all the wet)

a snap press

a serger (helpful although not necessary)

a sewing machine

3/8 inch elastic (for the back of the diaper)

3/8 inch elastin (for the legs)

I already have a handy, dandy snap press that I've used since last summer to make baby items for my etsy shop, so the investment to make the diapers was minimal compared to what it costs to buy cool pocket diapers.

I bought the supplies at this on-line store. Not the best customer service, but the best stuff for making diapers.

So here's what a cloth diaper looks like. This is 11 of them. I made 25 and sent one to my little brother to try on his 5 1/2 month old.

and the outside finished product:

The inside:

and with two cute babies inside them:

Here's what the insert looks like. It just "inserts" right in the back of the diaper. No folding or fuss. I just cut out three layers and serged around them.

And what do I clean those cute little bums with?? Say good-bye to the baby wipes isle at Target! These are the way to go, baby! Environmentally friendly and friendly on the pocketbook. Sherpa, flannel and a serger make these puppies. Great for cleaning any mess big or small. I also use them on the babies in the bath.What about laundering you ask? How does one clean these things and have them look and smell so good?

1 cold rinse cycle

1 hot wash

a tiny bit of detergent, 1 tablespoon to be exact (I make my own using borax and washing soda).

Sometimes I throw in a downy ball filled with a little vinegar to really rinse out the detergent during the rinse cycle.

Special thanks to my friend, Jodi for her help in showing me how to make the diapers...and for converting me, finally. Also, thanks to my husband for putting all the snaps on and for cleaning the house, so I have more time to sew in the evenings. He's a keeper.

Stay tuned for my next post on sewing for kids with knits. Jodi is showing me how to make baby shirts with knits.

Cupcake Apron

2009-04-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The cupcake apron. This is about a size 6-8. My daughter is modeling it (it was either her or one of my 6 month olds) and she's a size 4t so it is definately big on her. This lil puppy was made with Michael Miller cupcake fabric (remember, I'm a fabric snob and only use the designer stuff). It is fully trimmed with biased tape (which I made myself) and has an adjustable strap (secured with poly-resin snaps), thus allowing for a wider range of sizes. It has a little pocket to put your baking tools or to hide treats from your mom. A child can grow in to this and use it for quite a few years.

I had to bribe my daughter with even more Easter candy to pose for these pictures and then she didn't want to take it off. Looks like I'll be making another one soon.

Feel free to contact me at my etsy shop if you would like one of your own (adult or kid size).

The best thing I ever made for myself!

2009-04-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I have made something that's all for me! A nursing cover. My good friend, Reagan, was pregnant with her 2nd baby at the same time I was pregnant with the twins. She asked me to make her a nursing cover. It was so fun to make, I decided to make one for myself. I figured that nursing twins necessitated a cover a little larger (38x26) than the average smaller cover, in case I needed it while I nursed both babies. Turns out, nursing two at the same time is really not for me, but I have loved having a larger cover while I'm nursing one-on-one. I also made it with adjustable straps secured with poly-resin snaps (have I ever mentioned how much I heart my industrial snap press??). Traditional nursing covers made with the d-ring are just too complicated to adjust and can slip.This one is super easy to adjust, stays in place when the baby or your two-year old tug on it and it looks a lot better, too. I also added in the corset boning, so I can peek at baby easily through the top. A nursing cover is definately one of those "baby must haves". Especially when made with some super cute designer fabric. Gotta run... there's always a baby to feed :)

Wait for it....

2009-04-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

On April 10th, my etsy shop is going to be featured on this blog for moms of multiples.

You'll have a chance to win one of these.

Sew Me Some Love

2009-04-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm new to blogging. Can you tell?

I love to sew. It's hard to find time with three little ones, a part-time teaching job, a husband who studies day and night, night and day, and a household to take care of. But lucky for me, my super fantastic hubby does a lot of the cleaning and folding of laundry when he takes his study breaks, so I can indulge in my hobby for a few mintues or so in the evening while my children slumber. If I'm really lucky the stars will allign and three naps will occur simultaneously. Rare, but not unheard of.

Projects I am currently working on:

My colleague and good friend Cicely, asked me to make her daughter an apron like the one I gave her for Christmas a couple years ago, but kid size (her daughter is seven). I got it cut out yesterday (with the help of my fabulous friend Jodi) and it's waiting patiently to be sewn.

CLOTH DIAPERS: Yes, after much thought and research I've decided to cloth diaper my 5 1/2 month old twins...now to wait for the materials to arrive. I think I'll need at least 24 for my babes.

There are so many other projects dancing around in my head, but will have to wait.

I also have an Etsy shop that keeps me sewing! I love it. I'm flattered that someone would want to buy something I sewed and even more flattered when I get such nice feedback about the things I make for them. I am very meticulous and put a lot of love and TLC into everything I create.