SewTara the planner.

So, I know I’ve said it before, but having a blog, online shop, family and ‘real’ job gets tricky to balance. I’ve been missing opportunities and dropping the ball on things because I’ve been *gasp* disorganized. I decided I needed to unplug in order to feel organized by going back to pencil and paper and planning things out. I started to poke around Etsy looking for printables or a complete planner but nothing was fitting exactly with what I wanted. I spent some time thinking about what my needs would be and made a sketch. A very professional sketch with my finger on my ipad.

With no idea how to go about making a graphic printable or a PDF I turned to my friend Mollie for some advice. I have no many things on my to learn list and graphics and PDF creation are on it. However, the sweet Mollie just went ahead and quickly whipped something up, and it’s stinking perfect!

Here’s a close up.

It has a 2 page layout for the week with 2 columns ready for listing To Dos and checking them off as you go. She squared things up a bit and created some balance and even added some pretty colours. We thought it was pretty comprehensive as a planner for a blogger and so we’re going to share!

Click to see and download the calendar

I printed mine on 32lb white paper, double sided it and made up a cover based on some of LA’s blog redesign drafts. I took the pile of paper over to Staples and for around $11 they cut the pages in half, added covers and coil bound it. Voila my very own custom made planner!

And the lucky couple is . . .

Number 11 Jen and Alex!

An email has been sent your way Jen!

Sorry everyone else, however, on a fun note I’ve decided to do monthly giveaways featuring stuff from some cool Etsy sellers so just you wait until August!

New product . . . finally.

I meant to have these done months ago, but turns out juggling motherhood, a job and a crafty business is a bit tricky! But better late than never. After getting the hang of sewing coin pouches with a pattern I purchased and ironing out the details on a pattern I tweaked to fit a larger frame I’m ready with some coin pouches made with vintage linens.

They’re relatively easy to sew. Attaching the frame is the tricky part. I did 2 and a half the other night while watching a movie and then had to stop because of sore fingers and a few broken needles. I think I’m super picky about the stitching being hidden on the inside so I’m taking my time and working really hard to keep it tidy looking on the inside.

I have a table at a craft show this Friday and Saturday and I’ll see how they do there. Hopefully I can get some more frames finished while I sit there and then they’ll be ready to star in my shop.

Oh my.

How lovely are these?

Found via a treasury one of my cozy’s was starring in.
Don’t forget the giveaway down below!

Thanks all.

There’s been an Etsy error in your favour.

For the past few occasions I’ve been making treasury lists on Etsy to share with my hubby and nudge him with gift ideas. It worked for Mother’s day and I was rewarded with some fun goodies including one of these.

Allison Cole is the super awesome lady behind these fun designs. She has other prints and items in her Etsy shop.

This reusable shopping bag makes me giggle.

A few weeks after my print arrived a package from Allison arrived at my hubby’s work, again. Turns out she sent 2. I often wonder if I’ve done that with a cozy here and there, it’s hard to get lost in the management of shipped and unshipped. So I wrote Alison an email and said I could send it back or give it away and draw some attention to her awesomeness. Lucky for you that’s what we decided!

Leave a comment by Sunday night, I’ll cut off at midnight and then announce the winner on Monday. Here’s your homework tell me your name and the name of your meant-to-be-honey.

Coasters are done!

I finished my scrappy coasters. Here they are in the latest vintage find, a fantastic Pyrex dish. Totally in love with this one, it’s like I saw it from across the room and time stopped. And it was Thrifty Thursday and everything in the Goodwill was 50% off!

I’m going to fill one side with guacamole and the other with chips to dip!

Summer hanky headband DIY

I guest posted over the weekend at amy is the party where she featured a bunch of fun summery projects, like cupcake fondue!! Plus other post by some superfunawesomecool people including Thursday and Crafty Minx. So head over there and have a peek!

Ok I’m going to show you how to turn a hanky into a fun hair accessory for the summer. It’s a super quick project that you can make with thrifted materials and probably things you have on hand, scraps material and a bit of elastic. I’ve burned my scalp already this summer and I’m hoping this is a cuter alternative to hats.
You will need
– a hanky you like
– a piece of elastic (mine was 7″)
– a strip of fabric (3″ x 15″)
Other handy items – safety pin, turning tool,

I picked this one because it has a great pattern on one corner which is perfect because you’re going to fold the hanky diagonally.

First fold the strip of fabric in half and sew down one side with a 1/4 inch seam.

Turn it right side out. This part was a bit tricky, I used my handy little turning tool, this long metal stick thing with a hook on it. Once you have it turned right side out take the elastic piece and feed it through the casing. Sew it in place at one end. Then pull the elastic through so it’s sticking out the other side. It’s easy to guide through if you put a safety pin on the end first.

The casing fabric should be all gathered up like a hair scrunchie.

Fold the hanky in half diagonally and sew the stitched up end of the elastic to one corner of the hanky.

Chceck to see how it fits on your head. I had to trim about an inch from the scrunchie piece. Once it’s a comfortable tightness at the back of your head stitch the other end of the scrunchie piece to the other hanky corner.

And voila, a great cool summer alternative to hat head!

Here’s my ‘I’m not ready for a photo’ frontal shot. Sorry for the sunny bit.

Where’s SewTara?

Ok I have some linky love to share.

The lovely Janee has done a little interrogation post all about me, complete with bed head photo.  And of course there’s a giveaway involved as well.  So head over and enter before Friday!

If you’re a creative blogger, or have just been reading creative blogs for a while you probably already saw Scoutie Girl’s interview with Leigh-Ann from Freckled Nest but I wanted to point it out. It’s full of some great backstory on the growth of Freckled Nest and ideas if you’re on a mission to grow your own crafty empire. My favourite part was this behind the scenes photo in the interview, LA hard at work shooting my blog banner!

Amy has re-emerged with a fun new site, Amy is the party.  She’s featuring guest posts all this week.  It’s all summer themed to get you all geared up for some summery fun.  My DIY post will be up Saturday.

Annnnnnd I had a bit of a brain wave and wandered over to Spoonflower and turned my block background image into some fabric!  I’ve ordered a test swatch to see how it goes.  It’s hard to tell from the image on the screen just how it will look in person.  Very excited to get it!

 

Sewing machine cover

Well I did it again, stayed up way to late but, also again, it was for a good reason!

I made myself this sewing machine cover. I got on a roll and was inspired. I’m in some craft swaps so I was being a bit of an assembly line into the wee hours and working on a few different takes on this general idea.

I took inspiration from I Love Patchwork by Rasida Coleman Hale and Fresh Quilting by Malka Dubrawsky.

I didn’t add any straps or grommets or anything like that to mine, so it just drapes over the machine. I figured that way it’s reusable as a table runner or something else if I ever change my mind. At least it keeps dust off the top.

I love how it turned out! Pardon the poor pictures but it’s hard to take shots in a windowless basement corner. It’s my cozy little nook.

The Workroom, a new to me fabric store.

So Monday night I wandered around Toronto as part of enjoying my first night ever in the history of Mommyhood that the boys were out of the house with daddy for just over 24 hours! Strangely I choose to head into the city for the evening instead of enjoying an empty house. I wandered around and took street cars and subways, had a burrito and walked and walked and walked. But it was all worth it because eventually I arrived at The Workroom.

If you live in/near Toronto The Workroom is a craft and sew place that lets you make use of the studio by the hour. They’ve got sewing machines, sergers, cutting tables and other crafty people hanging around. The exciting part for me was all the pretty fabric they have for sale. Oh and sewing books, and Japanese craft books. They also have Amy Butler patterns, Colette patterns and some other goodies I can’t remember now.

They sell some lovely fabrics and have a whole pile of shelves full of fun fat quarters. Of course I left with some goodies.

There’s also a blog if you want to check out some of the things they’re up to.

Images stolen from here, here and here. I felt silly asking to take pics with my iphone.