A few pictures ... and then ... a few more pictures :D

It's been a productive start to the new year - hopefully that continues as the year progresses - I did a rough calculation last year and estimated that I stitched up approximately 70m more fabric than I bought.  That's not really a lot when I look around at how much fabric I have, LOL.  Oh well - when stacked against a wall, the fabric makes GREAT insulation!  Canada, eh?! :D  I'll try to better that number for 2018 :)

Here are a few finishes from the last part of December and from this month - some were gifts, most are being (or have already been) donated.

Two more Card Kitties for some greats - these were part of a set of 3.  3 fun decks of cards, a book on card games, some artists pads and a box of 60 pencil crayons (family is 3 kids) were added with the 3 card kitties, to complete the gift.  The recipients were away over Christmas so they'll get the gift when I see them next month :)

Two more pirate Tiny Bags - tutorial here :)  I did 3 in this line of fabrics (from Joanns), and with the rest of the fabrics I'll be making boxy bags - all will be donated :)

3 more kids wallets from this tutorial :)

Four use-up-these-fabrics pillowcases - I can't remember if these prints were from Joanns in the States, or from Sew Sisters in Toronto, but I've had them in stash for a very long time (5+ years, I think) - it was time they made their way into the world to make some kids smile :D

A Bella Clutch - this is a free tutorial, and makes a really lovely, feminine bag :)  I made another one today to use up some black and white scraps!

I've been big-time into boxy bags for a while now - they use up a nice amount of stash, are very useful for those who receive them, and are rather quick to whip up.  Win/win/win :D  Here are several that I've whipped up this month - butterflies and mice ...

... and superheroes and cars :)

Library Bag #2 - I originally posted about Library bags here.   This one was made using some FQs I purchased from Joanns ages ago ... and to go with the pupper theme ...

Scamp!  This book reminds me so much of ??? something from childhood - I'm not sure exactly what, but when I see that picture, it takes me back 45 or 50 years.  I can't pin down the memory, but it's certainly a happy one, because I smile when I see that little guy!

In addition to making library bags, I'm going to make some art bags to hold the collection of colouring books and crayons I've collected over the years - more stuff that has been bought for gifting, but which ended up being extra, or which didn't fit with the theme/recipients :D

Colouring book and crayons added to the art bag :)

That's a lot of sewing, and a nice amount of stash busted!  This past weekend I hit the fabric store to buy one X 9" zipper.  *ahem*  I ended up with one X 12" zipper, and 9.9m of fabric.  It was on sale!  I had gift certificates!   It was fun!  That's kind of the reason my output isn't larger - input happens!  :D

Pam - you've inspired me :)

Pam, my Australian bloggy friend, recently posted about making library bags to donate.  I think that's a fine project to take on, and when I read this post, I decided I would make some bags to gift (donate) some books and other items I have hanging around (purchases that were to be gifted, but which ended up as extras).

Last night I cut out my first bag, using shark fabric from stash.  This morning I got sewing - Ta Da!!!  I used Pam's tutorial as a guideline, making a few changes along the way (I added pockets to use up the last bits of the fabrics I was using, and made the straps a bit longer for the same reason).  Here's the bag - it measures 12.5" wide X 15.5" tall (not counting the straps), and has 2 pockets inside, and one on the outside.

Here's the book I'm tucking inside - I've gifted this book before (well, not THIS one, but another copy of it, hehe) - it's a cute, funny book - "Not by the skin of my finny fin fin!" - lol!  I have lots of shark fabric - I think I'll watch for the book to go on sale and buy a few more copies - I think this is a GREAT gift :)

Thanks for the inspiration, Pam!

A somewhat flamingo-y post :)

Merry belated Christmas, Happy belated New Years, and HELLO!   I hope the holidays were good to you, and that you made it through them without going crazy :)  I was rather sickly during the month but managed to get most of my Christmas sewing done ... note to self ... don't leave sewing with December due dates, until December.  **** happens, and it's not fun to be doing Must Do sewing on Christmas Eve, haha.  Maybe I'll be better prepared in '18 - one can always hope!

Here are a few finishes from December that I don't think I've posted. At least - they've been sitting in a draft post for a while, so I assume I haven't posted them!

3 shark kids wallets - tutorial here :)  I love this shark print from Joanns - I like having it in stash all the time because it's suchg a cute design for kids :D  It would be 1000% even more awesome if it came in PINK!

Beanbags for a little girl who will be 2 in a few months - I'm thinking of doing number beanbags for her 2nd birthday, with the same pink cloud fabric so the sets match :)  I hope she liked them - I haven't heard from the parents.

Superhero pillowcase for the brother of the little girl who got the beanbags. I hope he liked it - it would have been nice to hear *sigh*.  (I know I'm not the only one that that happens to!)

I have more things downstairs that haven't been photographed, but I think they're all donation items.  Apparently my goal of being more organized in 2018 hasn't yet taken effect, haha.

My sister gave me the funniest gift for Christmas - a box of 100 flamingo mailer envelopes from Amazon - she absolutely nailed my sense of humour :D    I told her that I was going to use them for anything I would be giving to anyone and that when I use them all up I'll be asking her for another box - HA!  I sent her these pictures earlier this afternoon - the husband of a friend of mine recently had a car accident during an ice storm (he was fine) - I thought that some flamingos and treats might make him smile :D

What have we here?  A mailer, a card and cookies? 

I cut a car sticker in half to decorate the card :)

I think this will fit in the envelope ...

The cookies and card DID fit!  I delivered them to him in person, but left before he could open them - I hope he isn't offended by my weird sense of humour :D  I told my sister that this was my first use of the mailers for Flamingo Hilarity - my oldest son's birthday is coming up and I think he probably needs his card presented to him in a flamingo!  :)

And now I'm off to get supper ready --- I'm doing to do Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot, and hubby is going to bbq some steaks.  I was supposed to do roasted potatoes to go with --- I better get those in the oven pronto, LOL!  

From one pair of kids jeans and some stash fabric ... 1 of 20 :)

A few days ago I hit the thrift store and picked up 20 pairs of kids jeans for a buck a pair.  My intention was to chop and upcycle into zipper bags :D  Chopping and upcycling has now commenced!  I cut up the first pair, saving as much "yardage" as I could.  I don't save seams, I don't save zippers, I don't save snaps - I just save the easy stuff - the fabric sans seams, the pockets (if they're easily removed), the buttons (if they're regular buttons) and the waistband elastic (if it's easily removed).  I know all the parts can be saved and used - I've seen the pins - but I'm not that fond of raw edges and frankly, I think some of the projects made with seams and other bits, are rather ... ummm ... not to my taste *ahem* :D  Here's what I finished up with the denim from one pair of jeans:

Basement photography is awkward!  These are pictures of the same bag, taken within seconds of each other, believe it or not.  On top is the front of the bag, embellished with some of the waistband elastic stitched on :D  In the middle is the back of the bag, with the size tag added :D  The last picture is a close-up of the tag - this zipper bag is now officially a size 16 :)

Here's the next bag - I embellished it with some aliens/spaceship ribbon, and added a zipper pull of the planet Saturn :D

 Here's a bag with one of the jeans pockets attached to the front (it took me quite a while to remove the pockets from the jeans - they're really FIRMLY stitched on!) - the back has another piece of the waistband elastic stitched on :D

 An earbud pouch!  Zipper pull is a scorpion charm from Ebay.  Coincidentally - while I was taking the photo of this bag, I was watching the show Scorpion on TV, haha.  Love that show!

 Here we have a front zip pouch, with the 2nd back pocket stitched on to the front :)

 A two-fer :)  On the left is a Magic Pouch (a tutorial I found recently, and liked so much that this is Magic Pouch #6 to come out of the suddenlysandra Novelty Pouch Factory :D).  On the right - a birdy bag from the book Zakka Handmades by Amy Morinaka :)

Last, but not least, a pirate bag made with a small (about 7" x 7") pirate panel I found in stash - I don't even remember where I got it.  I backed the panel with batting and then quilted it to make the front, then used denim embellished with skull ribbon, for the back.

And there we have it --- 8 little denim bags made from one pair of jeans, some stash supplies and a denim needle :D  I'll be chopping up the next pair of jeans soon, and have picked out a few different projects to work on.   All of these bags, by the way, will be going to Blue Hills - I really wanted to concentrate on bags suitable for boys because I send them a lot of girl stuff - boys definitely need equal representation :D

More pictures :D

Earlier I posted fabric shopping pictures from our recent trip to New York - here are the last few photos that I didn't have time to get uploaded :D  It does take a while to photograph 30 meters of fabric  (she says with an embarrassed self-deprecating grimace!)!

Why yes - I *do* like polka dots!  In lime green, pink, grey, yellow and blue with cherries, thank you very much!  ;)

150cm (60") wide denim, Osnaburg (lovely fabric - great for gift bags - very textural) and polka dots with cherries :)

A buncha buttons for .50c a card - score :)  Most are acrylic/plastic ... the purple ones in the middle row are ceramic, and the bottom item is a package of studs that was .27c @ Hobby Lobby :D

7 different colours of a product called Oly-fun - on clearance for .97c per pack of 3 sheets :)  I'm planning on using these for finger puppets - they''ll fit beautifully into envelopes so I can send these to the kids as a surprise!   

And now - something you were never interested in waiting for .... proof that I am, in fact, a 12 year old boy :)  This is my favourite purchase from the trip, and one that guarantees eye rolls from my children.  I can't wait to wear it in the hot tub after aquafit, LOL!

That concludes the shopping portion of our blog post today - up next will be project finishes from the last little while :D  If only pesky housework and real life stuff wouldn't interfere with internet fun!  ;)

A couple of fun purchases :D

Of course I've been doing lots of Christmas shopping and sewing, but I've also snuck in a bit of shopping for myself - that's fun shopping!  Here are some recent (fun) purchases - NAYY!

Kismet Trinket Box pattern - I saw the announcement that Sara was going to be uploading a new pattern on her birthday, and as soon as I saw it I *had to have it* :D  And I did order it as soon as it went up, lol.  Check out the tester versions - WOW!   Here's a picture shamelessly stolen from her blog - Sara, I hope you don't mind :)  This part of the description (along with the price - $5US!) was what sold me:  "With minimal pieces to cut out and less than 20 sewing steps, these boxes come together quickly" :)

Kismet Trinket Boxes from Sew Sweetness :)

Yesterday I bought something fun - I went out for lunch with our oldest son, and we stopped @ Walmart to pick up a few things.  I bought these for ME :)  I bet you didn't know that Suddenly Sandra is a 12 year old boy, masquerading as a (54 year old) lady or a 54 year (old lady)  :D

Poop slippers :D

Same poop pictures, different angle, LOL!

I've also picked up a couple of craft books and a couple of DVDs ... this book is particularly lovely - I pre-ordered it in July, and it arrived last week :)  I can't resist that wonky kitty cat, and he'll be my first project :D

Cute & Clever Totes, by Mary Hertel

I know I'm not the only one using Christmas shopping as an excuse to grab goodies for myself - who else has done this, and what have you bought?  :D

Duck Duck Goose ... no ... Duck Duck Duck!

Despite many challenges presented by the horrible Lizard Lock downloadable version of this pattern (Burda 7754) I was able to make this little guy for a Christmas present for one of the greats :)  I used a store bought pillow form and I'm going to add some extra stuffing to it so it will fill out the cover more fully, but other than that I'm really pleased with how this guy turned out!  Of course, things didn't go smoothly ...

... yep, during construction I realized that I had stitched the head, 2 feet and tail with the right side facing the zipper side of the pillow :D  Froggy stitching ensued, appendages were rearranged and reinserted, and ...

Burda 7754 - duck pillow face :D

Burda 7754 - duck pillow DUCK BUTT!

Burda 7754 - duck pillow finished :)

Burda 7754 - duck pillow - which is my best side?  ALL of them!  ;)

Now I can cross this item off of the Christmas To Do list!  I like doing theme gifts, so along with this guy, I'm including (NAYY on the links):
- Lemon the Duck book (this page was actually the inspiration for this gift)
- Rubber Ducky (this is still on order - I hope it arrives soon :D)
- 5 Little Ducks board book
- ducky cookie cutter :D

Rubber ducky, you're the one ... you make bathtime lots of funnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn *sings* *badly* :)

And another recent Christmas gift finish ... beanbags!  Here's the bag I made to hold them ... along with the book I bought to go with them :)

Letter bean bags, storage bag and ABC book - gift set :)

... and here are the bean bags :)

Letter bean bags :)

These two gifts are being posted to the Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew linky party for August - I made it just in the nick of time!

And one last quicky - there's a tutorial online that I've seen for a while and have drooled over.  I finally got around to trying it out, and I'm very glad I did!

Train Case - tutorial from Choly Knight :)

It's a "train case", but this one is a simple version - it's made without having to stitch round seams or do intricate stuff - it's basically a boxy bag done easily with strategic zipper placement to give it the traditional train case shape :)  I had a bit of a problem with the thickness of the French seams (used to hide all the raw edges) and I made a few minor changes to the construction (to eliminate the raw edges around the zipper) but overall - WOW.  Useful, cute, and simple - that's a win/win :)  Thank you Choly Knight for the tutorial!  She does awesome fun designs, gives use lovely free patterns/tutorials, and writes books (I have 3 :D) - she's a woman of many talents :)  This project will count towards the New to Me linky party for August, and also as #22 in my so-far-not-very-successful attempt to do 52 new projects in 2016, lol.  

Posting to:
Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew for August :)
New to Me for August :)

February was a dreary month!

Happy Leap Year Day!  With the grey weather, like so many others, I didn't get as much sewing done as I would like :D  I did get some nice finishes in, though :)

 Lips pouch - tutorial is here - I was just trying out the pattern and didn't bother to put the tab on the zipper ... which would have made the pouch look a lot nicer.  Nothing wrong with the tutorial - the problem was ME :D  Will do it properly next time, but this not-great finish will count as a new project for me (#6 in 52 in 16 :D), despite the fact that it isn't as nice as I hoped :D

Sorry about the pink background in this picture - I had to run out the door to go to a luncheon where the bag was The Gift, so I was in a hurry.  It's just a simple denim bag, lined with some pretty royal blue fabric.   It was sized to hold a specific gift, which I hope the recipient likes!

Here are a couple of beaded Retreat bags (without the frame).   You can't really see the beading in the top bag - it's clear seed beads attached to each bra where the cups meet.  Very low key :D

The orange one has more beading, but it's storming outside and I can't get a clear picture inside.  These are both going into my gift box for Christmas - and it's only February!  :)

Last, but not least because this one is my favourite of the finishes, a rocket zipper pouch :)   This (purchased, NAYY) pattern is by Filles a Maman :)  The window is vinyl so the recipient will be able to see whatever it is he tucks inside ... which will be a $20 bill since this is a gift for a young lad :)



Posting to the Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew ... and New to Me linky parties for February :)

I'm just a puppet on a string ... or on a table, at least :D

Gift sewing is well underway now - here are some photos of finishes from the last week :)  Blogger, as usual, has it's own ideas about photo and text placement - apologies for the weirdness  >:)

"Use up scraps" flex frame bags - they'll go to Blue Hills :)

I'm very pleased with this hand puppet!  I didn't have a pattern to go by so I found a basic puppet pattern online, and modified it to be more beaverish.  He's perched over a spool of bobbin thread to keep him upright - you can see him leaning against it in the last picture.  He may or may not have gotten into the eggnog last night, hence the leaning ... ;)  This is a Christmas gift, that will go with Brandon Beaver that I made recently :)

This bag is made from fabric from a set of FQs I picked up ages ago @ Joanns - this will go to Blue Hills - the picture at the bottom is a close-up of the doggy charm I used for the zipper pull - it's antique looking, not holey or damaged, lol. 

 This bag is a Christmas gift for someone with a much loved dog - they travel with her so I thought that she could use the bag to carry her immunization information, any medication she takes, and perhaps some fancy doggy treats :D  The close-up at the bottom shows the twin needle quilting and the bead I used for the zipper pull :)

After I took this picture the camera went blaruupzzzt so I didn't get to take a photo of the inside.  This is my second Retreat Bag, and will be a Christmas gift.  I love this design :D  The pattern is free, and the frames are available here (NAYY).  I have more frames coming, and will be making more of these for Christmas gifts :)   My first Retreat Bag is here - it turned out a bit floppy because I didn't use enough interfacing.  This one is quilted with regular quilt batting layered with Pellon Featherweight sew-in interfacing - that's what was easily accessible to me so that's what I used.  The combination is JUST right :)  The lining is also interfaced, but with Pellon lightweight iron-on interfacing - I buy it buy the bolt from Joanns, where it's 1/4 of the price it is here in Canada :D

Hmmmmmmm I just looked at all of my pictures - the fabrics for all the bags came from Joanns trips, and the fabric for the puppet was from our LQS - apparently I do a lot of shopping @ Joanns ;)

Posting to Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew for November, New to Me for November, and Bag It!  :)