It's raining cat and dog :D

Time for a puppet show!  Here are a couple of hand puppets I finished this week - Portland Puppy and Zoomer Kitty :)  The tutorial and patterns are from Larissa @ just another day in paradise - available here :)   She didn't provide JUST a cat and a dog - NO!  She provided an entire Old MacDonald series, including a horse, a cow, a cat, a duck, a chick, a dog, a lamb, a pig, and Old MacDonald himself - lots of fun!  I'm planning on making the entire series, but for now, I just wanted a couple of critters to send out for a little gifty :)  Thank you Larissa, for sharing this awesome project!

Cat and dog hand puppets - tutorial here :)

A couple of last finishes to post for March --- a tic tac toe zipper bag, which turned out very pretty, so is now residing in my gift box :)  Note the (faux) Mother of Pearl zipper pull I added for fun - I got several of these at Joanns in Florida a couple of years ago - it isn't a flimsy little bobble - it's a nice substantial (for it's size) piece - I'm quite glad I grabbed it :) 

Last up (oddly, Blogger won't let me left justify this paragraph - odd!) - a boxy bag to use up some fabric from a long-ago Joanns purchase - I had just enough to make 2 boxy bags once I added the black/white gingham (also from Joanns) zipper edge :D  The quilting runs in the same direction as the zipper - that was a brain fart on my part, because orienting the quilting in the other direction gives the bag better shape-keeping capabilities, lol.  Hopefully I'll remember to orient properly when I make the second bag :D

Happy birthday Allie -  I hope your day is filled with fun, family and cake ;)

I had a whale of a time ...

... and I should get kicked in the hiney for that pun, lol.   A while ago I pinned a whale stuffy, and recently decided that it looked more like a zipper bag than a stuffy, so I opened up the novelty pouch factory and made a new-to-me - this is what I ended up with :D


Eye close-up - layered buttons :)  This adorable girl - I call her Hermione - went right into my gift box for Christmas, and she shall eventually have some brothers and sisters :D  Not only is she new to me and a Christmas gift, she counts as another 52 in 16 zipper bag design - she's a THREEFER :D

Here's another Christmas present done and dusted - I had a little scrap of the car fabric so I pieced on some more scrap fabric, and added a really REALLY cool tab pull on it :)   This too went into my Christmas gift box because it's VERY adorable (IIDSSM) :)

Close-up of the tab pull :)

Another close-up of the car :D

I made a bunch of finger puppets for Easter for the kids in the family.  I posted some of them here, and here are the rest I finished up.  No dent was made in felt or feather or pompom stash ;)

And a last new-to-me finish - I've made humbug/triangle bags before but a friend recently sent me a link to a tutorial for making them with no raw edges.  I gave it a try, and it worked perfectly, so I whipped these up for the little girls next door :)

Here are the zipper pulls
I made for the pouches :)










This post will be linked to Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew (car and whale bags), and New to Me (whale pouch, and new-to-me no raw edges finish), for the March linky parties :)

DS1 found the "Easter eggs" I left him :)

DS1 just emailed me about what I left on his laptop, HAHAHA!  Here's what I did:

Part 1 -  some fun homepage links - http://suddenlysandra.blogspot.ca/2016/03/more-dolphins-plus-rude-mom-behaviour-d.html
Part 2 - the desktop picture - http://suddenlysandra.blogspot.ca/2016/03/rude-mom-part-deux-d.html

He must not have noticed the desktop photo - I just got this email from him.  LOL me?  Creepy?  Not creepy - 12 year old boy-iffic!!  I do love it when a plan comes together :D

"So I just opened the laptop. You have some rather disturbing tabs there. "Fetish sex goldfish bacon", "reverse mortgage - aka how to screw your children", "swinging for old people and "singers conventions?  I sure do hope that was meant to be seen because if not, holy *censored* creepy."

It's these kind of things that make motherhood worthwhile :)

The good, the bad, and the bent :)

The bent:  when your sewing day starts like this, you know things are going to  get grim, lol.  Just kidding - this happened a few days ago and I kept the pin as a reminder to remove them before stitching over them - I don't always do that, and this is the result :D

The bad:  here's a new to me bag (#7 in my 52 in 16 evil plot) - it looks fine in the pictures, but it's not how the bag was meant to turn out.  I decided I didn't need to read the directions in full, and cut the boxes double the size they were supposed to be. The bag should be larger and flat - mine still looks OK (although - the handles don't look good with the size I ended up with) and is completely useable - it's just not what I wanted.

Here's what the straps look like - they actually look cute in this picture but they're just not right. Pay attention next time, Sandra, lol!  I link to the tutorial in the paragraph above this one - it's a free pattern from Craftsy.com, but you do need to have a (free) membership :)  NAYY!

The good:  on to a new-to-me project that DID work out - quite well, in fact!  I've had this pinned for a long time and got to it yesterday.  It's going in my gift box :D  YAY #8 of 52 in 16 :D

The good, part deux:  here are some finger puppets I finished this month- they were free patterns.  The bumblebee and elephant were from goodcritters.com (but they came as part of a newsletter so I don't know if they're still available) and the bunny is here :)  The bunnies are going to houses with very young kids so they didn't get pompom tails, but I have more cut out and they'll be tailed ;)

The good, part three:  one last photo before I run upstairs to get supper started - I made the rocket zippy in this photo, last month.  This month I made the drawstring bag to use as the gift wrap for the gift, which will be the rocket zippy with $$ inside, and some rocket finger puppets :D  The applique is from fourwisemonkeys.blogspot.com but it looks like the site is now private.  I must have printed the pattern before they privatized :)

Will post the mis-sized boxy and the monster zippy to New to Me for March, when it goes live :D

Rude mom - part deux :D

Further to my chicanery from earlier today, I thought of something new and devious :D I grabbed this picture ... and tiled it as the desktop picture on his computer :)  Hope he likes it, LOL!!!  Only scroll down if you have the mind of a 12 year old boy - like mine!  ;)  (I wonder who will look - and who will not?!  :)

Love ya, DS1! :)

More dolphins ... plus rude mom behaviour :D

Rude mom - THEN dolphins ;)  DS1 recently asked if he could borrow his old dinosaur laptop (he left it here when he moved out, so I was using it as a back-up in the craft room) - I cleared my crafty stuff out of it so his friends don't accidentally stumble upon my Pinterest or zipper bag addictions, and added a few Easter Eggs for them to find ;)   I changed the homepage of the browser to show the following websites whenever the browser is accessed (don't read this list if you're easily offended!!):

Reverse mortgages - how to screw your kids over :)
Swinging - how to do IT
Swingers conventions
Fetish sex goldfish bacon

I left some of my regular links - the local newspaper, Buzzfeed etc., but made sure that the freaky searches were front and center so they'd be the first thing to show up, LOL!  It's my job as a MOM to keep him on his toes!  ;)

And now - back to our regular dolphin programming :)  Here are the other zipper bags I made to use up those dolphin zipper pulls :D

Dolphin zippy #6 - front

Dolphin zippy #6 - back - a tic tac toe game :D

Dolphin zippy #7 - front :)

Dolphin zippy #7 - back :)

Dolphin zippy #8 :)

Dolphin zippy #8 - back :)

Dolphin zippy #9 - this was the first one I did - when I made it, I didn't think to embellish the back - I started doing that with later bags, lol.  Poor #9!

Dolphin zippy #10 - front :)

Dolphin zippy #10 - back :)

WHEW!  Enough with the dolphins - those ones are going to Blue Hills, along with the following batch.  I found 4 faux wood goldfish zipper pulls in stash, and had just enough fabric to eke out four bags, using blue linen for the back, and this print for the front:

Goldfish zippies :)

Close-up of the cute goldfish zipper pull :D

Next up will be some very.simple finger puppets I made in the last few days - I have to hunt down all the links so I'll have a record of where they came from - you never know when you'll need to revisit a finger puppet link!  Think ... bumblebees and elephants and bunnies OH MY!  :)

Dolphins and construction vehicles - finishes to report :D

 Here's a set of drawstring bags (about 9.5" x 12") I whipped up using a valance (or table topper?) I picked up at the thrift store a month or two ago.   They're all lined with a light blue fabric that I got on clearance ages ago - the construction fabric is all used up now - it was a good investment for two bucks!

Last month I decided to start using up some of the ebay craft supplies I've bought over the years.   My first pick was a set of 10 rather ugly dolphin pulls (they looked nicer in the auction, than they did when they arrived, lol).    I decided to make zipper bags (surprise!) using denim jean scraps, zippers from my extremely large zipper supply, and assorted batiks and scraps for the linings.  I think operation Use Up Ugly Dolphins was a success ;)

Dolphin zippy #1 - front

Dolphin zippy #1 - back 

Dolphin zippy #2 - front

Dolphin zippy #2 - back

Dolphin zippy #3 - front

Dolphin zippy #3 - back

Dolphin zippy #4 - front

Dolphin zippy #4 - back

Dolphin zippy #5 - front

Dolphin zippy #5 - back

That's it for now - I need to go put a ham in the oven to get it ready for supper, LOL.

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 :)

Lots-o-pics of lots-o-projects :D

Happily, much sewing has been accomplished in the last couple of weeks :)  I wanted to get some pictures outside but the weather wasn't very co-operative - it was either really cold, or grey and overcast, or I wasn't ready to take pics when it was the perfect weather, lol.  Basement dungeon photograph studio it is!

First up we have some simple drawstring gift bags for Christmas - the size of each was determined by the fact that I wanted to use up some Christmas prints I had hanging about ;)  These (boxed bottom) bags were all made using this tutorial, but in varying sizes.

Next up - some zipper bags based on Crafty Staci tutorials :D  I call these my not-a-hotpad zipper bags, as the original pattern was for a hotpad, but I hax0red them into zipper pouches :D  First up are my pink birdies from the Bluebird pattern :)

She published a new pattern this month for a mitten hotpad, so out came the sewing machine :D  I made it about an inch narrower than the pattern - it worked better with the zipper I was using.  This one is a new-to-me project and counts as one of my 52 in 16 (52 new bags in 2016) projects :)



I started these polar bear hand puppets several years ago - I don't even remember why I didn't complete them then, but I thought it would be nice to get them done and into the gift box :)  The tutorial is here - I used washcloths from Costco :D

This bag worked out really well so it's going in my gift box :)  I was making a Retreat Bag for a friend, using some of her fabric.  I hadn't made one in a while and I was a bit nervous about using her special fabrics, so I warmed up by making this one first, LOL.  Both of them worked out very well, so I don't know why I worried :D  And now that I'm thinking about it, I forgot to get a picture of hers - oh well!  It was gorgeous, IIDSSM ;)

This next bag also counts as one of my new 52 in 16 bags, but it didn't work out quite as well as I would like.  The tutorial is here - I bought a pair of kids jeans @ the thrift store so I could cut off the legs for this, lol.  Next time around I'll stitch the bottom seam from the inside instead of the outside - I'm also going to box the bottom to give it a nicer shape.  I couldn't get fabric paint when I was making it so the acrylic paint I used cracked a bit on the fabric - I thought I could get away with it but nope!  This is a cute project - it's a great way to upcycle worn out jeans - I even bought more jeans for - the bag is very quick and easy to make :)

Mickie!  Another 52 in 16 project - my last for the month (5 done in January - I'm impressed with myself, lol) - I'll make one minor change the next time around - I added quilt batting to this one, and it made the project thick enough that I couldn't get it pressed completely pucker-free.  You can see tiny little puckers at each side of the ears - I pressed and pressed but couldn't get rid of them.  Next time I'll just interface all the layers and I bet I'll be able to press it better :)  Tutorial here :)

I'm very pleased with these next new to me items - I got 2 sets of 3 hand puppets completed - one set is for a birthday gift in February, the other set goes into the gift box :) The pattern is Woodland Animals Felt Hand Puppets, a $ pattern from Craftsy here - I haven't made the badger yet (there are 4 critters in the pattern - fox, hedgehog, badger and raccoon) but I will eventually :)  

How's this for cute? LOL!  Reindeer stuffy - new to me, and a Christmas gift - he's a bit bigger than I would like so next time around I'm going to shrink him by 25 or 30% - I want him sized more like a beanbag than a stuffy :D   Tutorial here :)

One last project, then that's it for tonight - it's past my bedtime, lol.   This is my favourite of my finishes - it's just a simple notebook cover, but I love how it turned out :)  I'm not sure if you can see from the photo (and sorry about the different background colours - that's the problem with photographing in the basement dungeon) - the raindrops are little seed beads in different colours :)  I was out with hubby today doing running around, and I took the project with me and beaded most of it in the car!  New to me, and right into the gift box it went :)  (Here's a post from Jennifer @ Ellison Lane - she's the designer!) 

Outside - front cover :)

Inside - there are pockets (trimmed with ribbon) on each side, and a piece of elastic (on the right) holds the pages :)

Outside back - a rainbow without rain :D

WHEW!  That was a lot of photography and typing and link finding - I'm going to get this post uploaded to my favourite linky parties - both from Celtic Thistle Stitches - New to Me in 2016 and Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew - brand spanking new for 2016!