They have arrived!!!

I am a very excited as both my books have arrived.  I haven't read them cover to cover yet but have flicked the pages and super excited at all the pretty bags contained within. Now I have to decide which one to make first hmmmm....

Today was the first decent Spring day we've had thus far and it was glorious.  We took Sammy for a ride on his bike early, then got to pulling some weeds in the garden.  In the afternoon we headed to a local park for a friends second birthday party and had fun playing in the sunshine.  It was great being able to spend a decent part of the day outdoors after such a long cold winter.  Here's hoping there is plenty of it ahead of us.

I have completed a couple of bags since my last post (considerably longer ago than I intended, where does time go?).  For the first of the two I was in town shopping and saw a gorgeous tote style bag in a little boutique.  I loved the look of it, it had a zippered opening and extra long body and was made of a natural linen.  It wasn't lined and had a price tag over $350, I (ever the optimist) thought 'I can make one like that!' um can anyone say "silly girl".  So I headed to Spotlight and couldn't find any linen in the colour I wanted but did find a nice silvery denim, so I brought a couple of meters of it and a zipper.  I sat down and devised a plan of attack, realizing quickly that I haven't sewn a zipper into a bag before let alone a bag without a lining!  Geez woman what you thinking???  I had a little look on the net for inserting zippers into bags.  I found a way that I thought would work and had a go.  It didn't.  I am getting quite good a ripping seams.  Anyhoo I made the body, four sides, one base and sewed them together.  I made a strap the way I have done in the past but to the width of the sides.  I sewed the zipper into two folded sides then sewed the sides to the top of the bag.  I sewed on the strap at each end and folded the top over and sewed around it.  It is ok, but not great!  I will get use of it I'm sure, but it could have been much better.  I think I might stick to patterns for a little while longer!  Oh and it looks nothing like the one in the shop.

The second though I am super dooper happy with.  Actually I am in love with it.  I made it for a lady who is retiring from work using a tutorial from Mommy by day...crafter by night here- http://mommybydaycrafterbynight.blogspot.com/2011/09/copy-cat-bag-tutorial.html I kinda don't want to give it away now, but I will.  I will just have to make another one for myself ;)

Slow going

I have been a little bit slack and for that I apologize.  It just feels like I have not had time to scratch myself lately but its Monday and Mondays are always good for a fresh start.  So whilst the big boys are at school and work and the little one is asleeping (i know its not a word but I like the way it sounds) I got to cleaning the house (which was kinda in dire need) and a little bit of sewing!!!!  I found the cutest little bow pouch tutorial here http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/08/creative-guest-bow-pouch-tutorial-by.html and had a go at making it.  It has a zipper which means experience for me, plus the result is just so darn cute, give it a go!

I am really enjoying sewing bags, so much so that I have purchased a couple of books on Amazon.  They are Amy Butler's Style Stitches and The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam.  I can't wait til they arrive so I can get stuck into making some of the beauties inside.

Until the next post.....

Cushions and bags completed... finally!

Since I last posted (which was a little while ago I'm afraid) I have been finishing off a couple of projects.  Firstly the screen printed Mother Teresa quote cushions are done and dusted!  Well I tell a slight lie, coz I actually got a bit carried away when printing and printed eight, yes eight panels.  I figured I had spent so much time cutting the bloomen words out that I may as well make the most of it!!! Anyhoo, back to the small lie, I made two cushions up, which is what I had planned initially.  So I still have six printed panels waiting to be made into something, maybe framed up or wrapped around a canvas or perhaps some more cushions.  Anyways one cushion is on my couch and the other has been give as a gift to my sister in-law.
So here are the the few too many prints-

And here is my cushion -

And on to the bags.  I have made a couple of 'the favorite bag' bag using a pattern I purchased from V and Co.  I made one about a month ago for myself and have been asked by a couple of family members to make them one, so I finally got to it!  I still have a couple of requests for wallets that I am getting to people.  Be patient mumma!!!  Anyways here are the couple I made today whilst my little prince had a three hour sleep, thanks Sammy :)

You will notice the lack of flower on the left bag but hey I only had three hours people!  I will get to it, perhaps tomorrow.


Until next time.

French Bulldog and a Mother Teresa quote!

Today has been a bit up and down for me I'm afraid to say but I did finally make the wallet and I am pretty happy with it!  I made a couple of mistakes along the way which I will know for next time and I guess that's what its about hey!  So this is it -

 It a bit hard to see but it has a zipper pocket and six card slots on the inside.  I downloaded the free pattern from elily00.wordpress.com/tutorials/wallet/ .  Here is the cute little bulldog on the front.

I think it worked quite well and so now I am on a screen printing kick.  My handbags have taken a backseat for a bit while I finish my next project.  It's a couple of cushions with quotes on them.  I chose a Mother Teresa: 'Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin'. for the first one.  I played with the fonts and text size a bit on a word document then when I was happy with it I printed it out.  Now is the time consuming part of cutting out all those letters for the stencil.  Once I am finished (give me a week) I will print it onto some off white cotton drill and make it into some cushions.  I am already wishing I chose a quote with fewer words though!

Exciting Times

So I have been a little more productive in the last couple of days.  I haven't quite managed to pull out the sewing machine but I did have a crack at screen printing without the supervision of an adult ed teacher.  In May I attended a one day course to learn basic screen printing.  It has always been something I wanted to know how to do and when I saw it in the Adult Ed course guide and it was only $120 and a day out of my life, I thought why not. Yesterday I brought myself some fabric ink and a squeegee (is this how it's spelled?? spell check doesn't have any issues with it, so it works for me!) and set to work.  I printed little French Bulldogs on the fabric pieces I am going to use on the fronts of the wallets I WILL sew.  Here's some pics of the process.

Cutting the image I wanted to print.

Puppies cut out

Spreading the ink onto my (economy only $15) squeegee

Printing

wow blurry sorry

The finished print

Cute huh?!?  Well I was pretty pleased with it, now all I gots to do is get sewing.....

On another topic altogether, things are quite exciting here as we have just paid for our block of land and have met with the drafting man today!  We went in this morning with my little drawing in hand and were quite impressed with said draftsman so we have given him the task of drawing us up some draft plans.  It's very exciting and I can't wait to see what he comes up with. 

HARD Weekend

Today is Monday, my first day off and I had so many plans for it.  I have the fabric cut for three handbags and one wallet just waiting for me to gather the energy to get stuck in to, but now it's half five in the PM and I have done nothing!  

We have just worked the horrible part of our rosters, which consists of me working four afternoons, two of them being 7pm-3am shifts, doesn't sound too bad hey? The problem is when I finish at 3am the husband starts at 6am so of course when the baby wakes (7am), he's gone and I'm up!  So yesterday, on three and a half hours sleep we get out of bed, have breakfast, feed the animals, play with the blocks (I stack them, Sam knocks them down), we dance (badly) then Sam goes down for a sleep.   I do some boring house stuff such as folding washing, but mainly just meander around watching the clock, dreading two o'clock when I have to go back to work.  At work I am pretty much a waste of space and do nothing productive, just feel put out because I'm missing the finale of Masterchef (sad, woe is me moment!).  I get home at tennish, go to bed and am out to it for eight or so hours (Ah sleep, wonderful sleep).  We get up today, repeat morning routine, go for a walk with the girls, get caught in the rain at the top of the hill so come home, put animals in the garage, try to get Sam to sleep, HE DOESN'T, I get him lunch, he whines at me for most of the afternoon because he's tired (your not the only one Sam!) Rick gets home from work and I realise I've forgotten the Dog is inside (Poor Lenny) luckily he is good at crossing his legs and doesn't make me pay for it!  

So now the day is pretty much done and I have nothing to show for it.  Now that I've finished trawling for sympathy I will depart the blog world with  promises of a more productive day tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry Lenny x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Post

So I'm back with a second post for all my followers out there (um none).  I would like make a headboard for my bed and I want it to be made from either acrylic or MDF with laser cut pattern of circles but do you think I can find a laser cutter in my local area UM NO I CAN'T so I am thinking of going back to my original plan of doing it myself with the help of my Dad's hole cutter, we will see how that turns out!!

So onto things I have been making... A set of three cushions for my cousin who wants a black, grey and mustard theme for her bedroom in her new house and here they are

I think she was pretty happy with them.  I even inserted my first ever zippers into them, I think I've outdone myself!  They are made from felt, which was easy to work with and I think they will go really well with either a patterned or plain quilt, we will have to wait and see how it all comes together.