5 Sewing Blogs You Need to Know- Summer 2016 Edition

The blogging world is saturated with lots of people blogging about all sorts of things, and it can be easy to just kind of have blinders on and read the same bloggers all the time, but be missing out on some really great ones in the meantime.  So, I am going try to give a little quarterly review of some great bloggers you may be missing.

First up... the sewers/ quilters.  If you sew or quilt, want to learn, or just like a little creative inspiration, you really need to check these ladies out.

1. Sew Mama Sew- If you've been sewing for a while, you've probably checked this one out before, but if not, you really should.  It's the perfect blend of skills and projects.  There's hundreds of tutorials and many are great if you are looking for something quick to whip up.

2. Oonaballoona- Marcy Harriell aka Oonaballoona is a sewing machine.  She alters her patterns and whips up these amazing creations that are beautiful and crazy and wonderful.  I wish I had 10% of her sewing skills.  If you don't sew, you still have to see her awesome fashion sense. 

3. Sew Can She- Another place to find lots of great, quick tutorials- everything from pot holders to bags to dolls.  And she always has the cutest fabric!  I have a ton of her projects pinned to my Pinterest sewing board.

4.  Noodlehead- The online home of  Anna Graham.  She's a fellow Wisconsinite who sews beautiful bags.  I've made her Super Tote several times.  Here's one I made for a friend for Christmas and here's another I made for a different friend.  I also have a 241 bag I made for myself, using her pattern, but I don't think I ever photographed it.  She also has great tutorials and pattern reviews on her blog.

5.  Charm About You- The only non-American on this list, Lucy is from the UK.  She sews the cutest projects and quilted things with the most adorable fabric.  If you're at all interested in English Paper Piecing, you have to check her out.  She also frequently shows of fabric, notion, and stationery hauls that usually make me fall down a rabbit hole, checking out the Etsy shops she purchased from.

So now the next time you need a little sewing inspiration, give one of these a try.  And if you know of a sewing blog you think I should check out, leave me the link below!

Short Attention Span Sewing

Guys, things are still crazy slow at work.  Last week I was on call for twenty five hours and only actually worked for fifteen.  It's enough to make a person go stir crazy.  Because while being on call and not working sounds delightful, the reality is that you have to be ready to respond to work at the drop of a hat, and you're on call pay is only $1.50 an hour (pretty sure they haven't raised on call pay since the opening of the hospital).  So, it's easy to fall into this trap of just watching a lot of Netflix.  (I speak from experience.  I powered through Jessica Jones and have moved on to Stranger Things.)  But, I've been trying to be more productive and read more and I decided to dust off my sewing machine.  I have barely used it since last December when I finished a big project for someone and sewed for a craft fair.

I don't really feel like working on a something big or persnickety, like sewing clothes for myself or trying a new bag pattern, when I'm on call and may have to leave in the middle.  But I realized little projects that can be done in steps are a win.  Things that you can start cutting out, but if you get called away, you can easily shelve until you get back to them have become my jam. 

So, if you're a lover of small but functional projects, or if you're a new sewing looking for some confidence boosting projects, here are my recommendations!

Tea Wallets

I use this tutorial from Cafe Mom but instead of making a loop out of fabric, i use pony tail holders or elastic cording.  These were a great seller at last year's craft fair.  They use up scraps and only take one 5x7 piece of interfacing.  So, they're great for cleaning up smaller pieces.  You can make the cover out of one fabric and then the inside out of something else, make them all the same, whatever you like.  I like to just iron pieces from my stash, cut them, and then sew a bunch of these up at once, assembly line style.  As you can see, I've made one or two of these.

Reusable Grocery Bags

Sitting beneath these tea wallets are one of my most made sewing projects.  These grocery bags from Michelle's Patterns are so versatile.  I use the large size at the grocery store and always receive a lot of compliments on them and the small ones are perfect for toting lunches to work, using as gift bags, or as produce bags at the grocery store.  You can see past ones I made here and here and here.  Like I said, they're a favorite project.

Boxy Bags (a.k.a. Dopp Kits)

These boxy bags from Kelly B Sews are a new favorite pattern.  They take much less fabric than you'd think, they look snazzy, and are highly functional.  All things I love in a pattern.  I've made four of these this month alone, and even finally cut into some of my favorite stash fabrics.  I love the Sweet as Honey line from Art Gallery Fabrics, but only had a yard each of a couple pieces.  But, I think these are totally worth it.  And with I yard, I can make four of these without breaking a sweat.



So there you have it.  If you're new to sewing these are all really easy projects.  And if you want to try the dopp bag but are worried about installing a zipper, never fear!  The directions are VERY clear and she gives some great tips to make it go super smooth.

Long Time, No See!

Hey everyone!  Guess what!

I hadn't originally intended to take nearly a month off, but December was so busy I really didn't have time for much extracurricular fun.  So here's a quick recap of what I did on my time off and what I'm intending to do in the near future.

• Finished my final natural science class to earn my Associates of Arts and Science degree through the University of Wisconsin.  I took a class on natural disasters, and while it was really informative, it was also kind of depressing.  For example, did you know Yellowstone National Park is really just a supervolcano that if it erupted, could wipe out a good sized chunk of North America, not to mention crops would fail and sunlight would be missing due to the ash cloud that would block out the sun for months or even longer?  Depressing.  However, the odds of this happening in our lifetime is pretty much nil.  Anyhow, I got an A in my class, and can now cross that off my life to do list.
• I sewed and sewed and sewed.  I did a craft fair with one of my girl friends in the beginning of December.  My biggest seller where these little tea bag wallets.  Super easy and a good scrap busting project.  After that, I worked on a project that involved turning World War II era navy uniforms into tote bags, dopp kits, cosmetic bags, and purses.  It was the commissioner's grandfather's old uniforms and she had me cut them apart and make them into Christmas gifts for her family.  It was a super fun project because she gave me pretty much carte blanche with it and I loved how it all turned out.
• I barely got any Christmas cards out.  Life just got in the way.  I spent way to much time agonizing over finding the perfect gift for everyone and missed out on sending a lot of my cards.  Ah well, as I always say every year, "Next year I'll get my act together."
• I worked quite a few day shifts.  Everyone knows 7am is not my favorite time to be up, dressed, and at work, especially since I usually work 3pm to 11:30, but with the holidays and such, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.  The first day was hard, but it got easier.  And, by working Christmas Eve day and Christmas day, I got to spend the evenings with family.
• Santa was good to me.  My husband got me new winter tires for my Subaru, and a remote starter, which will come in so handy when I leave work late at night.  My parents got me 50 pounds of sunflower seeds for my bird feeder, a gift certificate for a massage, and some awesome sewing fabric.  My brother got me a gift card to Pier 1, and a new bamboo cutting board.  (He has this weird way of knowing what I've been wanting without me telling him.  One year he bought me colored bamboo bowls that I had actually picked up in the store and contemplated buying- but had put back, and I hadn't mentioned them to anyone, he just thought they looked like me and bought them.)  Plus, loads of other goodies from friends, blogging buddies, work Secret Santa and more.  I am a very spoiled girl.
• I've been busy working on my 2016 goals, and I have a lot of them.  My motto for the year is, "Get Your Act Together."  And I think I'm on the right track.  I'm starting the year with a purification cleanse that involves eating lots of veggies and fruits, drinking water, protein in shakes, and not a whole lot else for 21 days.  It's basically about eating whole foods, cutting out booze (easy), caffeine (not so easy), and most meats, dairy, and grains.  My friend who is a chiropractor will be monitoring me.
• I'm ready to devote more time to reading.  And to blogging.  And to learning new skills
  
  I have big plans for 2016 and look forward to sharing them all with you. What are you planning to do in the new year?

A Few Favorites- September Edition

So, I've been finding all sorts of cool things online lately, and thought I would share a couple with you.  Here's some of my recent finds.

1. I read Kisses From Katie a few years ago, and still check in on Katie Davis' blog every now and then. The Masese women in Uganda make these necklaces and Katie's organization sells them, with the proceeds going to the women so they are able to make money and improve their standard of living.  This one is called The Lucy.
2. I still have yet to make a quilt, but this Framed Quilt tutorial from Silk Road Life looks appealing.  It's made with precut layer cakes and looks pretty simple.  Some day... 
3. The Alice Shopper Tote is a free pattern I found of Craftsy.  I haven't made it yet.   But, I did print the pattern off and intend to make it very soon.
4. I love this quote from Van Gogh!  Loving people is not always easy for me, but I'm trying and it's a good reminder.  This was made by Etsy shop MB Art Studios.  It's no longer available, but they have a ton of other pieces for sale.

So what do you think?  Anything catching your eye this month?

August Goals (and July Recap)

Summer is flying right by.  It seems like it was just a few weeks ago when I was starting seedlings and hauling my cross country skis down to the basement.  July was not a very good month goal wise.  I only managed to complete one out of my four.

• Write every day.  Didn't even start.

• Eat breakfast in the park at least once a week.  Made it there maybe twice, but then there was some rainy days, and then it was super humid, and then there's just the fact that I can be really lazy sometimes.

• Sew three big projects.  I ended up making three Ella shirts from Liola's pattern.  You can see my pattern review here.  I love the tank and think it'll transition into fall with cardigans and button ups just fine.

• Continue to eat less sugar and be more conscientious about what I eat.  Was doing okay until I discovered how much I miss ice cream.  And when it's 90 with crazy humidy, ice cream is really all I want to eat.

So here's what I'm planning for August:

• Sew three large things, or seven smaller.  One of my friends was talking about how she needs to get some jewelry made and we talked about doing craft fairs together next summer.  I have plenty of fabric, I just need to get it sewn.  We could totally do this if we both worked on getting some stock made.

• Write and/or walk for at least an hour a day.  I'm thinking if I give myself an option, it may help.  I'm also planning on devoting 8:30-9:30 to this, not blogging, not playing around online, just writing or walking.  Both are things I want to do and I keep making excuses, so I'm hoping that having a plan will help.

• Get back on track with my eating.  I'm still taking my coffee black, but I need to get back to healthy foods and actually eating meals.  If I'm home alone (which has been the case most of the time lately) I just snack on some chips, or a piece of toast, or something and don't really eat a meal.  But I think I'm eating more and food that isn't as good for me, so I want to get that changed around.

• Focus on being encouraging, not complaining.  I can complain like no ones business.  I think I'm definitely more a glass half empty type of person, even though I try to tell myself I'm just being realistic.  But I don't want to be the downer friend that makes everyone feel depressed.  I want to build people up.  So I'm making a conscious effort to do that this month.

• Do a little soul searching.  I'm excited about finishing my associates this year, but I really have no clue what to do next.  I want to explore my options and come up with at least some goals if not a plan.

What are your goals for August? Share them in the link up below, or leave me a comment.

I'm in Love (With a Tank Top)

I have this dream of having a minimalist closet, with only a few items of clothing, but that I love every item and wear them all regularly. They're all in a similar color palette and all fit perfectly, and most of it is sewn by me. I love tanks, because I can layer them under long sleeve shirts when it's chilly, or wear them alone when it's muggy and hot out. I buy knit tops from Kohls, but I really like woven tops because they look dressier and they can be hard to find in cute patterns and/or at reasonable prices. So, yesterday I was scrolling through Craftsy looking for a tank top pattern that had some fit to it but wasn't too tight or two low.  Enter the Ella Tank from Liola Patterns.

It had only a few pieces, two darts, and a small gather in the back.  It looked promising.  I bought the PDF and got started.  It went together fast and was super easy, but the end results were pretty amazing!  It fits like a dream, flares just right and is gorgeous.

The fabric was this swiss dot, bird and flower print I bought last summer intending to use the pattern I showed in this post but after I finished my wearable muslin, I decided I didn't like the pattern.  It was cut really big and looked like a swimsuit coverup, not a shirt to wear out and about.  So the fabric has just been sitting in my stash waiting to be used.

Liola is an indie pattern company and you can find their patterns all over online.  Craftsy carries six patterns for women's tops and after trying this one, I can't wait to try some others.  This pattern came in four sizes.  I cut the large and sewed it up within a couple hours.  I don't really think there's anything I'd change about it.  In fact, I plan on making more.  The recommendations for for lightweight fabrics, but I have some Anna Maria Horner quilting cotton I want to take a shot at.  I think it would work, just probably lose some of it's nice drape.

If you're looking for a fast project and have at least basic sewing skills, I'd really recommend this pattern.  Do you have any Indie sewing companies you really like?  Leave me their name in the comments.  I'm always looking for new companies.

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Craftsy Summer Closeout Sale!

Guess what!  Craftsy is having a ginormous sale right now, through July 27. There's a ton of great kits and supplies available. Here's just a sampling of some of the sewing kits. You get the fabric and pattern for a price cheaper than you could get the fabric in some cases. 


I ordered a tote bag kit, and dress kit, and two yards of Cotton + Steel fabric, all at steep discounts.  There's lots of options for potential Christmas presents, or for selfish sewing.  For example, the Sewaholic Cambie dress kit is $26.  It comes with the pattern from Sewaholic and three yards of name brand fabric.  If I would have bought the pattern alone, it's $19.98 at Sewaholic's website.  So basically, I'm getting three yards of Dear Stella cotton poplin fabric for $6.  That's quite a deal.

If you're not a sewer, no worries, There are supplies and kits on sale for quilters, crocheters, knitters, painters, paper project workers, and even cake decorators.  You really have to check it out.

 I'm a Craftsy affiliate, but the saving are legit.  If you craft, I really recommend checking them out.  I love them, and I think you will too!

Sewing for March- Part 1

One of my goals this month was to sew 10 things.  Didn't matter what, I just wanted to motivate myself to go in my stash, dig out some stuff and get sewing.  And I made my goal.  Here are the first five things I sewed up in March.

1.  A yarn project bag for a friend's birthday.

 I made it using a tutorial from Very Shannon.  It's reversible.  I didn't snap a picture of the other side, but it's a grey pebble print with a pocket of the same print as the outside (Cloud 9's Backyard garden collection).  I had some trouble finishing the bag, but that's because I didn't follow their directions.  :)  It ended all good in the end though.


2. A large grocery bag.

I love Michelle's grocery bag pattern.  It's easy to make, practical, no interfacing, no zippers and fast.  The plaid fabric has literally been in my stash since I started sewing.  The yellow was leftover from another project.  I love using up old fabric.  I mean, this fabric must be at least ten years old and it's finally lived out it's fabric destiny and was made into something.  :)


3.  A small grocery bag.

This is a the smaller version of Michelle's grocery bag.  The outside fabric is also some that has been in my stash forever.  It's Amy Butler and it was something I had bought on Etsy years and years ago.  It's been long out of print, but I still really like it.  The lining is the same as the lining for the plaid bag.


4. A (2nd) Large Grocery Bag

Hurrah for more old fabric!  I had bought a half yard of this rose print and it just sat there in my stash.  Apparently my stash is lacking in dark read and greens.  I finally stumbled across this red and grey striped fabric I got at the thrift shop last summer and it made a suitable match.


5.  A zipper pouch.

This was more just an excuse for me to try out a different stitch on my machine.  I just used some fabric I pulled out of my stash basket.  But, it's still something finished. :)

Gotta love stash sewing, and crossing things off your goals list.  Don't you agree?

Pattern Review- Travel Craft Bag

One of the things I wanted to do differently this year was to make most of my birthday gifts, especially the ones for female friends.  (Men always seem harder to craft for.)  So, my first challenge happened early in the year.  I have two friends and two coworkers all with birthdays in the first two months.  I've managed to create something crafty for all of them, but since I haven't seen some of them to give them their gifts I'm not going to show them all to you guys yet.  :)  And as a side note, is it just me or is like everyone you know born in February?  Anyhow.... on to craftiness.

So, today I'm going to show you the Travel Craft Bag I made with a PDF from Craftsy.  The pattern is from Stitch by Stitch and free so if you think you want to try it out, go for it!  I think Travel Craft Bag is kind of a misleading description for this little treat.  I'd call it more like a basket with handles.

Crafty Basket filled with Goodies!

 Here's what I liked about the project:

• Minimal amount of fabric needed (like 3 fat quarters and that is all)
• No zippers, snaps, or closures to mess with.
• The whole thing can be cut with a rotary cutter and mat.  No pieces to pin and cut out.
• Small pattern pieces makes it a good chance to use up extra pieces of interfacing.
• Finished project is cute and functional.  It's about six inches deep and can hold a magazine or some hand stitching fabrics or embroidery projects.  The pockets are great for holding your supplies (or chocolate).

Here's what I didn't like:

• The instructions state to cut the interfacing 1/2" smaller than all your pieces, but when using Pellon 808 (my interfacing of choice for baskets and bags) I don't really have problem with seems getting too bulky, and cutting it the same size alows it to be sewn into place giving it some extra sturdiness.  (The exception would be the pockets, which are not lined.  The folding the seam allowance down over the interfacing produced nice clean results.)
• I found the instructions on the pockets confusing and it took me a while to figure out what I was doing, and even so, I managed to goof up the sizes of the pockets.
• The instructions for the straps have you cut two pieces of interfacing for each strap and make it much more complicated than it needs to be.

Overall, I like the boxed effect.  I think the final result turned out well and I wouldn't hesitate to make another one.  I would make the straps the way I'm used to (or maybe even eliminate them all together- they aren't really needed.) And I would cut the interfacing the same size as the fabric (except with the pockets).  But, it's super cute, and goes together relatively fast.  My coworker loved it.  And hey, the pattern is free, so you really can't complain. :)

If you want to find other great indie patterns on Craftsy, just  click the pic below.

There's stuff for sewers, knitters, and crocheters.

(Links to Craftsy in this post are affiliate links to Craftsy, but the review is all mine.)

Friday Finishes- Simple Dish Towel Spruce Up

What do your dish towels look like?  If you're like me, they are stained, dingy, and old.  I was thinking back to when I bought most of them, they're mostly from when I first moved out of my parents house- 10+ years ago!  The majority of the remainder came with my husband when we got married, which was almost 8 years ago.  There's a few here and there that I got as gifts or picked up on clearance at Target or something.  But anyways, the majority are old and dingy.

Why do I keep things that are old and dingy?  Dish towels don't cost that much to replace.  I use them everyday.  Why am I keeping something ratty and discolored when I could have something nice and fresh for minimal investment.

So, I bought some colored tea towels and jazzed them up with some fabric out of my stash.  I just cut a strip about four inches wide and the width of my towel, sewed it down, topstitched all four sides and ta dah!  New dish towels, with a personal touch.

Out with the Old, In with the New

As for the ratty old ones, they're in the rag bin for dusting.

I'm rereading Simple Abundance this year, and one of the things they constantly stress is taking joy in the small things in life.  You need to indulge in simple things: buy yourself fresh flowers, don't save the good china for just when company comes, contemplate life over a cup of tea.  I think making something pretty just for yourself (not for a gift, not because you have to, just for you, just because) is also a way to be joyful in small things.  I know I like looking at my new towels much better than the old ones.

What's something you can do to spread a little joy in your life?

Friday Finishes: Fabric Baskets

So, part of my plan for January was to make at least four things this month.  I've done some tea towel embellishing, a couple zipper pouches, but this is probably my fabric finish this month.  These fabric baskets are great scrap busting projects.  I found the tutorial in an old sewing magazine.  I had left it flipped open on my sewing room floor which is apparently a secret message to cats that you want them to puke on it.  Because that is exactly what Gargoyle did.  Puked on both pages.  It was grand.  Luckily, I found it before it had crusted on forever ruining the pages.  So got rid of the puke and gently scrubbed the pages.  It can still be read and these are actually the fourth and fifth baskets I've made.  I made three of the small size over Christmas and then these two.

Using up some old stuff!

I love them for several reasons.

• It's a good way to use scraps up.
• No zippers, buttonholes, or snaps.
• Only two pieces to cut out.
• Great for storing things: yarn, beauty supplies, mail, cat toys, and yes- even more fabric.

If you want to see how to make them without looking at cat puke, there's a tutorial on Birch Fabrics which uses the same principles but are different sizes than the tutorial I use.


P.S. These are a great project if you're new to sewing too, so beginners, don't be afraid to give it a try.

Friday Finishes- Swoon's Bonnie Bag

A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through my three binders of PDF patterns looking for a new fall bag pattern, but nothing was looking appealing.  Finally, I decided to stroll around on Craftsy's pattern pages.  For those of you unaware, Craftsy has a whole library of patterns that independent pattern makers have uploaded and sell.  Some don't charge, most charge between $3 and $10.  I came across a pattern from Swoon for their Bonnie Bucket bag and thought it would meet my criteria for an ideal bag: large- but not so large that it gets mistaken for a diaper bag, multiple fabrics used, but not an overwhelming amount, and easy on the yardage.

So, I cut out and taped the pieces together.  By the way, nice thing about this pattern is there's only two pattern pieces that need to be taped together, the rest all fit on a page.  Then it took me a few days to decide on fabric, and get it cut out, and then it sat in a stack on my coffee table for about a week.  Finally, on Wednesday I decided to get to work on it.

The patten shows how to make a welt pocket for the exterior, which is something I had never tried before.  Mine did not turn out perfect.  You can see little bits of white interfacing showing through, but it was fun to try something new and outside of my comfort zone.  I think it'll be a great place to stash my cell phone, so I don't have to rummage through my bag to find it every time it rings.

Front of the bag

I was applying the exterior bottom to the exterior sides, and the directions stated to be sure you were sewing it to the right end.  I thought to myself, "duh, how could you mess that up", finished sewing mine together, flipped it inside out, and basted my handle in place only to realize I had done just that.  Luckily, it wasn't too terrible to seam rip apart and start over again the right way.  The rest of the bag went together very smooth.  The zipper installation is a breeze with a zipper foot, and after attaching the lining (which I decided against interfacing and don't regret since I used fusible fleece to interface the exterior) you flip everything right side out, topstitch the top edge, and attach the handle.

View from the top.

There's a couple things I'd change if I make this bag again.  The main thing being not to use broadcloth for the exterior.   love it because it's cheap and comes in a variety of colors, and while it's okay for linings, it just feels kind of chap next to the Anna Maria Horner fabric I used for my focal piece.  I just need to quit being so cheap and invest in some Kona solids or something. I also made a booboo when I was cutting out my bag.  The blue front and back should be kitty corer from each other as are the AMH pieces.  I thought I'd be smart and cut them at the same time by just double layering my fabric.  I don't think it looks bad or anything, but next time I'll cut mirror images.

Plenty of room inside

Do you sew?  Or knit, or crochet, or quilt?  Check out Craftsy for some great patterns.  There's some really amazing free patterns available.  You can download and print to your little hearts content.

Dog Days of Summer Craftsy Sale!

We're officially in the dog day so of summer.  Here in Wisconsin, it hasn't been too bad.  I think we've only had a handful of days where we were above 90.  But that's okay by me, usually there's a stretch of a week or two where we are in the 100s with crazy hot humidity and no relief unless you're indoors in air conditioning.  So, I'm not complaining,

But if you live somewhere hot and humid, never fear!  Craftsy is having a "Dog Days of Summer" sale and all classes are 50% off!  Seriously, if there's any class you've had your eye on, now is the time to sign up!

Last week I found a manual pasta maker, that looked much like this, so now I'm seriously considering signing up for the Homemade Italian Pasta class.  Yum!  Homemade pasta all winter long?  Yes please!

You all know I love Craftsy.  My favorite out of the classes I've taken is  their Artisan Bread Making class and still make homemade bread a couple times a month.  If you're still not convinced an online class is for you, check out my post Craftsy 101.  It explains how you can learn at your own pace, rewatch videos as much as you need to, and the instructors are all great!  And I said it then, but I'll say it again.  If you aren't sure you want to spend the money on a class, there's lot of free ones on a variety of topics that will give you a little taste of what you're in for.

But hurry, because this sale ends on August 11!

On My Cutting Table

Just wanted to show a peek at some of what I'm working on this week.  Saturday I was in the big city so I got to go to Joann's and get a few things.  There was a sale, so I got like six yards of fabric for $27, but I had a gift card so it was only like $2.  I liked the grey fabric with the flowers and tree prints.

Fabric Haul from Joann's

The other two prints are great for lining fabrics.  The purple fabric has little bunnies on it, and the white has birds.  The white one has already been cut into also.

The pattern and melon colored swiss dot fabric has been sitting in my office sense before I went to the U.P.  I was supposed to have it sewn before I left, but instead it got washed and dried and that was about it. 

Shirt in Progress

But today is the day it is going to get cut into.  I have some awesome bird fabric to use too, but I wanted to do a wearable muslin first to be sure I liked the fit and length and all that jazz.  I really want to get them both made before summer is done.  The pattern is Butterick B6024.  I'm thinking of doing View C.  Plus, then I can still wear it with cardigans in the fall.

Anyhow... do any of you have any projects that need to be finished before summer?  Wisconsin summer is done mid September  so I better get on it.

Friday Finishes- Sewing Up My Stash

My sewing has been neglected lately.  My sewing room was a mess, and it was just feeling claustrophobic in there.  I cleaned and took down my sewing table, deciding to make my desk do double duty instead and write and sew at it.  I also rearranged the furniture.  I find a lot of times just rearranging the furniture is enough to get some creativity flowing.

Over the long holiday weekend, I was able to actual get some sewing done, and best of all everything came from my stash.  Granted when you have a large stash to choose from, it's not that hard, but it still feels good to use up what you have.

First, I made a couple lavender sachets.  These are super easy.  You just cut two five inch squares, so all the way up three of the sides, part of the way on fourth, and then flip right side out, stuff, and zip across the top (and bottom for a little symmetry).  I did add a little lavender essential oil to the lavender to freshen it up.  Then I stored the finished projects in a sealed bag to keep them fresh.

L to R- Vintage Sheet, vintage flour sack, and a smidge of fabric
that was left from a fat quarter bundle I had bought at my local quilt shop.

Then I made two reusable grocery bags.  These are one of my go to projects.  I love this pattern from Michelle's Patterns.  They're super easy to make, practical, and fun.

Some Kona Bay fabric with a red polka dot interior.

The exterior of this bag is some of the first fabric I ever bought.  It's a Kona Bay print from my local fabric shop and the inside is from Joann's.

It's not very colorful, but I like the print.

This fabric has been in my stash for a while to.  I bought it on Ebay over a year ago.  It has a kind of art nouveau vibe to it and the lining is blue and white seersucker.  I love using it for a neutral in lots of projects.

A close up of the print.

Finally, I found this great link to 40 Free Bag Tutorials.  There was a link for a sling blade from Crap I've Made.  It take two yards of fabric, involves one pattern piece (which you cut out four times- two from your lining fabric and two from your exterior).  It's reversible, no interfacing, no zippers, no snaps.  Easy peasey.

Here's my first stab at it.

I made one out of some 1930s feedsack reprint fabric and the inside is lined in a light blue chambray looking fabric. I did decide to topstitch the opening and strap just to give it a more finished look.  I liked the proportions of the bag an such, so I decided to cut into some of the fabric I really liked and whip myself up one.

So, I found some tree fabric I've had sense Christmas, that I really liked, but I never really knew what to make out of it.  Then I picked some purple fabric that I originally bought for a dress, but for various reasons it was never cut into for that.  It's a nice quality fabric, with a sheen to it.  Fancy, but not too fancy.  So, I got to work making bag number two.

Tree Bag

 Here's a close up of the fabric.

Love it!  I see more of this pattern in my future!

It's been fun to get back into sewing and fun to use up some of my stash.  How about you?  Have you been doing any sewing?