Many Hands Make Light Work

Alterations, Clothing, Sewing

This fall, the director of  the children’s Christmas program at church approached me about helping to sew some costumes for the Christmas program this year.  I was certainly willing to help, but after a bit of brainstorming, we decided that it just might be more productive and more fun to enlist the help of volunteers and hold an old-fashioned sewing bee.

When we made the announcement and hung up our sign-up sheet, we were pleased to discover that a fair number of women were willing to come to our aid and lend a hand with this project.  We set the date for November 19th and hoped that we would be able to make seven or eight new costumes and refurbish a few of the old ones.

The day began with stacks of fabric and patterns in the middle the room.

piles of fabric

As our volunteers arrived with sewing machines, scissors, notions, irons, and ironing boards, our work began.

the cutting table

Three of our volunteers did most of the cutting, while our seamstresses got busy hemming shepherd’s head covers that had been cut to size last year.  In addition to cutting and sewing, there was plenty of talking and laughing going on, too!  We even had two home school student among us who served as models for fittings.

Sewing Bee

Sewing teamwork

It was amazing to see each lady using her talents and creativity to help us reach and surpass our goal.

Sewing bee

Our group of busy sewing bees constructed fourteen costumes for shepherds, townspeople, and kings and refurbished eight or nine angel costumes that were too large for recent years’ angels.  We also finished ten or more shepherd’s head coverings, two crowns, and swaddling clothes for Baby Jesus.

I’ve always been very thankful for my church family.  But days like this one make me feel blessed beyond measure to be a part of a group of people who are willing to give of themselves and their time and talent for the good of the church and the glory of God.

Many hands certainly do make light work.  Many hands make work fun, too!  

 

 

 

 

A Stacked Pocket Wristlet

Pattern, Purses, Sewing, Wallets, ,

One of the most popular items that I sell is the Essential Wristlet.  This wristlet pattern is my personal favorite, too, and it was designed by Erin Erickson from Dog Under My Desk.  Erin’s patterns are the best pdf patterns available, in my opinion.

I’ve made dozens of these wristlets all with an interior pocket.  Recently I’ve made several wristlets with two interior pockets, one smaller pocket stacked on another larger one.  stacked pockets in a wristlet
Personally, I LOVE having this extra pocket!  It seems like such a small thing, but it makes a difference in the functionality of the wristlet for me.

I like to keep my debit or credit card in that small pocket and my cell phone in the larger pocket.  That leaves the main part of the wristlet for the other small items that I carry.  stacked pocket wristlet
While we’re looking at this wristlet, let me just say that the zipper application on this wristlet is amazing!  Because of the way the zipper is sewn into the end seam on the left, the wristlet opens wider than most.  So even though the wristlet is fairly small, the stuff inside is easily accessible.

exterior zipper pocket
This zippered pocket on the front of the wristlet works great as a wallet.  I keep my money safely zipped inside this pocket.

Two zip wristlet
I can’t say enough about this two zip essential wristlet.  It’s certainly an essential in my accessory collection.

Wristlet prices are as follows:
One zip essential wristlet       $17
Two zip essential wristlet       $20
Stacked pockets                add $4

(This wristlet measures 7.75″ wide X 5″ high.)

You can see my available wristlet fabrics here and here.

 

 

 

A Walker Caddy

Organization, Totes

walker caddy

If you’ve ever used a walker, you know how convenient it is to have a walker caddy attached to your walker.  After having foot surgery several years ago, I was required to use a walker for several weeks to avoid putting any weight on my foot.  At that time, I’d never even heard of a walker caddy, so I struggled though that time by tying a basket to my walker.

Two ladies at my church are now sporting walker caddies that I made using another lady’s walker caddy as a pattern.  This walker caddy pictured here is my most recent attempt to provide a caddy that is convenient and pretty.

For this project, I chose an off-white canvas for the base fabric.  I think it is important to use a sturdy fabric for the body of the caddy.  For the pockets, I chose coordinating 100% cotton quilting prints.

walker caddy, back

On the back of the caddy, I made one large pocket that is big enough to hold a magazine or newspaper or even a small purse or book.

walker caddy, front

The front of the caddy has four stacked pockets offering plenty of space for papers, cards, pens, glasses, remotes, cell phones, and the like.  This allows the user to keep all of those necessary items within reach without depending on someone else to fetch and carry.

After securing this caddy to the walker with the attached ties, the owner is ready to roll!

 

Chevron Peasant Dress with Pumpkin Applique

Sewing, , ,

I wanted to make a fall themed dress this year for a special little lady who turned two yesterday.  I wasn’t sure just what I wanted to make, so I turned to Pinterest and did a search for “toddler fall dresses”.  Let me just say that a lot of people have some amazing ideas for toddler dresses.

I settled on a little peasant style dress in black and white chevron with a pumpkin applique at the hem.  My first step was to choose my fabrics for the dress and the applique.
Fabric for a fall dress
One really neat thing happened the week I was working on this dress.  Just when I thought I would have to try to design my own pattern or print a free one that was available online, I found a vintage Simplicity peasant dress pattern at a local thrift store.  I paid $.25 for the pattern that just happened to be the size that I needed.  I love it when that happens!

Here’s my finished project:
Chevron dress with pumpkin applique
I am pleased with the end result, though I do think that the applique is a little too large for a size one dress.  It worked for us, but next time I will pay closer attention to the applique size before I sew it on the dress.

To adhere the applique to the dress, I used Wonder Under, and sewed it to the dress using a blanket stitch.  I should have taken a close up photo of the applique.

This dress was a dream to put together.  It was a quick and easy pattern that I will probably use again.  In fact, I’m thinking of making one in a Christmas print with a large offset bow at the neck.  Yeah, I was searching Pinterest again.

I was happy that Justine chose to wear this dress on Aaliyah for some of her two year portraits.  It fit her perfectly, and next year, she may be able to wear it as a tunic with some black leggings.

Here she is:
Aaliyah's portrait

Need a Doggy Bag?

Pet Projects, Sewing, Totes

Doggy Bag

This is our dog, Mocha.  Mocha loves to go with us in the car.  Now that Mocha is an only dog, we like to take her with us whenever we can.  For the past few months, every time Mocha went in the car with us, I would grab a plastic grocery bag and throw in her harness, leash, water container, and all the other things that she might need while we were out. 

Because I have a business making custom designed bags, those plastic Walmart bags were just not working for me.  That’s why, on a Friday afternoon, when we had plans to take Mocha along to a birthday party at my sister’s camp that evening, I just had to make a doggy bag.

doggy bag
I had this novelty print dog fabric  in my stash, so I paired it up with a beautiful shade of mocha brown fabric for the base.  I happened to have brown webbing to use for the handles, too.
Webbing handles on tote bag
I was in a bit of hurry the day I was making this bag, but I did take time to add some interior pockets to hold Mocha’s allergy pills, tags, and treats.  I even added a water bottle holder.
interior pockets and water bottle holder
I’m pleased with the way it turned out, and I think Mocha likes it, too.  Mocha and her doggy bag
You can see that she can barely contain her excitement.  I think she likes the matching fleece doggy blanket that I quickly cut better than she likes the bag.  The important thing is that Mocha is now ready to travel in style!  

Does your dog need a doggy bag?  

Ten Minute Table Runner

Beginner Projects, Sewing, Sewing for the Home

Ten minute table runner

 

I’ve seen this pattern for a Ten Minute Table Runner several times online, and yesterday I saw kits for this project at a local quilting shop.  I didn’t buy a kit while I was there, but I did buy a piece of fall fabric to combine with some that I had on hand to make myself a Ten Minute Table Runner.

I have to admit that this table runner took me longer than ten minutes to complete, and I’m pretty speedy at the sewing machine.  If you’re going to make one of these, I’d recommend allowing at least thirty minutes.  It took me seventeen minutes to do the sewing.  Perhaps I could make a second one in ten minutes.  Maybe.

Fall prints for Ten Minute Table Runner

The quilt block print on the left is the one that I bought yesterday.  I had the one on the right in my stash having purchased it for $2 a yard at a going-out-of-business sale.  I thought the two would work well together, and they do.

I used these pdf instructions for making my table runner, and I found them to be adequate.  If you like more detail, you can do a search for “Ten Minute Table Runner” and find other patterns, instructions, and videos online.

My table runner looks great on the small table in my first photo.  I was making it to use on top of my TV cabinet, but it doesn’t fit as well.  I should have measured first, but that’s just not my style.  And I admit that it bothers me a little that the quilt blocks are not perfectly centered on the table runner.  Next time, I will choose a print without squares or blocks because the idea of figuring out how to center them makes my head hurt.

Ten Minute Table Runner

This is a great project and one that I will make again.  To make this project you need just 1/3 yard of the main fabric, and 1/2 yard of the coordinating fabric.  That makes this a fast, frugal project that can be completed by almost anyone who owns a sewing machine.

What kind of fabrics would you choose to make a Ten Minute Table Runner? 

 

 

Two Zip Hipster Cross Body Bag

Pattern, Purses, Sewing, Zippers

Two Zip Hipster Cross Body Bag

 

Do you need a cross body purse for a shopping trip on a vacation?  This Two Zip Hipster could be just what you need!

I purchased this Two Zip Hipster PDF pattern a few months ago from Erin Erickson of Dog Under My Desk.  I now have three of Erin’s patterns, and I’d highly recommend them.  Her instructions are very clear and easy to follow, and I love learning new sewing techniques from her.

When a friend was looking for the perfect bag to use on a Disney vacation, I knew it was time to give this one a try.  My friend chose two coordinating fabrics, and I got to work.

Front Zippered pocket

 

The front of this purse actually has two pockets–one zippered pocket and one open pocket behind the zippered pocket.  Another great feature of this bag is the adjustable strap.

Interior pockets

 

The purse has a divided pocket inside and is large enough to hold the necessities without being too big or too heavy.  The zipper closure keeps all of your belonging secure but opens wide enough to allow you easy access.

The finished bag measures : 11” tall, 9” wide, 1.5” deep with a 30”- 56” adjustable strap.

Top Zipper

 

This is a pattern that I will be using over and over again!

 

September is National Sewing Month

Sewing

ID-100145906

I love sewing, so a whole month dedicated to my favorite hobby is just what I need to get me blogging again about my sewing projects.

This summer, I haven’t posted much here, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been sewing.

One of the highlights of my summer was teaching a four week series of Beginner Sewing Lessons to an eleven year old who was eager to learn to sew.

With fall coming more quickly than it seems possible, I’ve got lots of ideas for fall and winter projects floating around in my head and on my Pinterest boards!  It’s going to be a busy month in the sewing room here at Grandma’s house!

 

 Free image source:  Sicha Pongjivanich at www.freedigitalphotos.net

A Remake of the Cross Body Shoulder Purse

Pattern, Purses, Sewing, ,

 

After I completed my first bag using the Madison Wallet Purse pattern, I loaded the card slots in that bag with my debit card and other important cards.  When I saw how close the magnetic snaps were to my credit and debit cards, I began to feel concerned that perhaps the snaps would demagnetize my cards.

You can see in the picture below that the snaps that hold the card slot to the purse do not touch the credit cards, but the magnetic snap that holds the purse flap closed would be directly behind the cards.

card slots on wallet purse

I did a bit of online research and got differing reports (not a big surprise!) on the dangers of carrying credit cards close to magnetic snaps.  Then I decided to ask my Facebook friends if anyone had any experience with this, and two people responded that their cards had been ruined by magnetic snaps.  That was proof enough for me!

This was disappointing for me because I really liked this little shoulder bag.  In fact, I had a customer who was already interested in purchasing one.  When I told her that I was not comfortable selling a bag with magnetic snaps close to the card slots, she came up with an alternative that would work for her.

Here’s my adaptation of the Madison Wallet Purse pattern with no card slots.

small cross body shoulder purse

 

This is the finished bag, and I love it!  The customer chose this beautiful black paisley print from Henry Glass Fabrics.  I made this bag with the adjustable shoulder strap and the back zippered pocket as the pattern suggested.

zippered pocket

The changes that I made are under the front flap and on the inside of the bag.  Under that front flap, I added a concealed zipper pocket.

zippered pocket under the flap

 

Inside the bag, at my customer’s request, I added a pocket that is the perfect size for dollar bills.  I stacked a smaller pocket on that one and divided it with a center seam making it the perfect spot for two cards.   This was a great idea from this customer, and it works quite well!

interior pockets for money and cards

 

I attached these pockets to the lining on the back of the bag so that any cards stored in the pockets are far enough away from the magnetic snaps on the front of the purse to avoid any demagnetization.

I’ll admit that normally, I would have just set this pattern aside and not used it again.  Thanks to this special customer and her great ideas, I was able to re-use this cute pattern to make a bag that is pretty and functional.

What do you like best about this bag? 

 

 

A Small Purse with Big Potential

Pattern, Purses, Sewing, Zippers, ,

Madison Wallet Bag (pattern from Serendipity Studio)

If you’ve been looking for a small purse that would allow you to comfortably carry the essentials with a little room left over, this small purse with big potential may be just what you need.

For this bag, I used a new pattern, Madison Wallet Bag, from Serendipity Studio.   As I always do when trying a new pattern for the first time, I chose a fabric that was languishing on my shelf.  I like this Moda print, but it’s not one of my all time favorites. I used the main print for the bag and a coordinate for the long, cross-body strap.

Here’s what I love about this bag:

1.  Zippered pocket on the back to keep important items secure.

Zippered pocket

 

 

2.  Secure flap for credit cards.

credit card slots

 

Close up of credit card slots

 

3.  Interior pockets

Interior pockets

 

The pattern includes instructions for an adjustable strap, and I will definitely add that to the next one that I made now that I have the necessary hardware.  I was able to make this strap the perfect length for me without making it adjustable.

This is a cute little bag that would be perfect for shopping trips or travel.  The overall measurements of the bag are 8″x 6″x 2″.

Card flap closed

 

Madison Wallet Bag

 

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