Tag Archives: pattern

Friday Create Along . . . sort of

Posted on December 23, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Well since I’ll be running off in a few days I’m not sure how much crafting I will get to. Plus I already slacked by not finishing my slippers from 2 weeks ago! I plan on tackling this lovely embroidery pattern. It’s pretty portable and I’m sure I can tackle it while on a beach.

It’s one of the many masterpieces created by Nicole of Follow the White Bunny. She writes each week on Feeling Stitchy and she sells her patterns in this shop and on Etsy.

It’s an adorable little hedgehog floating in a tea cup, he’s even paddling his way around. It’s super cute. Buy it here.

Have a safe and happy holiday!!

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Posted in createalong, embroidery

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Flowers, hedgehogs and damask. Oh my!

Posted on October 11, 2011 by SewTara| 5 Comments

Totally meant to post this much earlier today but I got sleepy last night, you know at 12:30 am, and didn’t get to posting. Of course I remembered once I was cozy in bed doing the math that I had to wake up at 6:30. Long weekends are great but they sure do spoil me for waking up early.

Anyhow, here are some much better photos of my NapKitten wallet creation.

I picked a cute Japanese cotton print and a locally found red damask print. Due to all the pieces you have to cut for this pattern NapKitten has you cut as you go and I had a hard time with that. I’m a very visual person, and since I was working with a fabric where direction mattered I wasn’t sure I was going to have enough. The outside is one of the last pieces you cut and so I did some skimming through the pattern and some willy nilly cutting. I set aside the pieces and labelled them.

Making the bias tape was a fun experience, a little too finicky for my taste but I’m glad I know how to do it now.  I’m not a very good precision sewer/ironer and I think you need to be for bias tape making.  I found a video on YouTube on how to fold and cut fabric on the bias, while it seems confusing for me that was the easy part.  It was super tricky to have it nice and even and covering all the edges and previous stitching.

I made the inside pocket on the left there with the damask because I was worried I’d run out of hedgehogs, I think it was the right decision.

At the very bottom in this next photo you can sort of see the one place I’m not happy with my sewing job.  Right at the very bottom just left of the zipper is the seam of the outer binding and it’s a bit stuck out.  Also left of that in the very middle I had a hard time getting the binding up nice and close because of the middle card slot part and there’s some stitching and innards showing.  No one will ever see it since it’s inside my wallet but I plan on going back and hand stitching it a little with red embroidery floss just to hide it a bit.

Wonkiness aside I’m really happy with it and super proud to be using such a unique made by me item!

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Posted in fun finds, sewing

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So I have a new wallet . . . .

Posted on October 7, 2011 by SewTara| 6 Comments

and I’m going to use this thing until it falls to pieces in my hands! My goodness this was a crazy sewing project! Who’s idea was this!?!

Ok so I have to tell you I did have a great time sewing my wallet. I learned some new things, I found it ridiculously finicky at times and I don’t know if I’ll be making another one anytime soon but I’m really happy with the finished product.

It started with some fabric debating, at this point I actually thought I might make someone one for a gift as well. I decided on the fun fabric and set aside the more grown up one for later, yeah right. Now I have a few work in progress pics and my wallet is done so I’m a superstar as far as all that’s concerned. Where I totally suck is that I missed the chance to take some good photos of it today, my son’s birthday & party are tomorrow, and I was ridiculously busy today. Add to that the fact I took my class to the zoo all day yesterday and had a ‘Daddy was out’ night last night and I’m totally exhausted. Here’s a little flash ridden peek at what I did and I’ll post lovely pics ASAP.

I deviated from the pattern, as I usually do at some point, and added a magnetic snap and cute little button. I’m happy with it and it’s super adorable but boy was it challenging!! I’d love to see/hear about your experience with this pattern.

Here’s my next proposition and good news, it’s free! It’s a fun little coin purse tutorial, however I plan on using it as a wee portable sewing kit since I do a lot of crafting on the go. It’s the creation of the wonderful and inspiring Rashida Coleman-Hale

I think it will be a nice quick project and another bonus point is you can use up some of your scraps. So get sewing and I think over the weekend I’ll get a Flickr group up and running for this creative party I’m starting to run. I’ll also post much better pictures of my wallet. I promise.

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Posted in DIY, scraps, sewing

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Pattern tested!

Posted on February 9, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Well guess that titles gives it all away . . . I tested a pattern.

I signed up on I Think Sew and then when I was contacted the lovely Sue asked me if I’d make . . . . A TOTE BAG!!!  Yipee!!

I used the vintage fabric that Keyka Lou mentioned, I have a problem buying the cute fabrics she mentions.  For the lining I just grabbed something from my stash.  There’s a little metal clasp on the inside and it’s a really nice big roomy bag.  I’ve been using it since.

I also own this fun pattern and have been carrying around the PDF on my ipad searching for just the right fabric.

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Posted in sewing, vintage

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Bucket bag finally done!

Posted on January 5, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Woohoo!!! Months, I’m ashamed to say, after cutting this all out it’s finally done!!

I also shamelessly tracked down the exact fabric Keyka Lou used in her photos, but look how lovely they are paired together!  Can you blame me?

It’s Robert Kaufman’s Dill Blossom and I cheated and just used some red with white polka dot stuff I had lying around.

I had some wonkiness issues when piecing the lining together with the exterior. I fear I’m not a very precise and exact kind of crafter. But a quick email helped clear up the problem and I’m so happy with the finished bag.

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Selfish crafting.

Posted on December 29, 2010 by SewTara| 2 Comments

The kids went for a sleep over with Grandma and Grandpa so we had some time to ourselves, went to a movie, had some sushi and came home to goof off!!  I spent some time reading about screenprinting VS purchasing a YUDU.  I think I’m going to try setting up my own little screen printing nook.  Everything should go well.  I also decided to make myself a purse organizer!

I ordered this pattern from The Crochet Diva a few nights ago. It was really easy to follow and I love the results.

I used some awesome Japanese fabric I have with a Wizard of Oz print. Having a fabric addiction is sort of horrible. I was so torn between, “I don’t want to cut it!” and “Well what’s it here for if I’m not going to make something with it?”. I took the plunge and decided to cut into it.

And now for the action shot!

I also ordered the modernish messenger bag pattern.  Perhaps I’ll get to making that in the next little bit.

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Make a Memory, the secret project revealed.

Posted on November 1, 2010 by SewTara| 4 Comments

Ok, I can spill the beans now, the cat is out of the bag . . . insert other silly saying here. Mollie of Wild Olive and I have been busily working on a project together. I had this great idea to make a cloth memory game, something that would last a while and be special because it was handmade. I sat down to sketch out some ideas when it occurred to me that she could make drawings waaaay cuter and better than I ever could, so I sent her an email and asked if she’d like to be part of a collaboration. I was thrilled when she said yes.

As I’ve said before, I’m not familiar with a graphics program, nor do I understand the magic behind making PDF patterns (both on my To Do list I might add) so I figured teaming up would solve those problems. I had the idea and did the sewing, instructions and photos and Mollie added her fantastic designs and technical know how. The PDF is for sale in my Etsy shop, as well as Mollie’s where you can check out her other fun embroidery patterns.

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Posted in embroidery, kid fun, sewing, tutorial-ish

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Blown up clutch!

Posted on August 30, 2010 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Somehow I manged to squeeze making this little gem into my life in the past few days.  Probably because it was already all cut out I just had to do the sewing to assemble it.  I used Keyka Lou’s clutch pattern, which I’ve already made a few times but I enlarged it, about 125% I think.  I find the original size is more wallet like so I was looking to make something that would function as a purse for me.

The problem with having a bit of a bag/tote/purse fetish is that each time I make one intending to sell it I really just want to keep it for myself!

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Posted in sewing

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Have a bad day? Make yourself a bag, it helps!

Posted on August 28, 2010 by SewTara| 1 Comment

So I’ve been working on Keyka Lou‘s bracelet bag in a little sew along with my friend.  We only get to it every second Tuesday when we have our night in at my house and we have the kids.  Needless to say we don’t get much sewing done until about 8pm and by then it’s almost time for her to leave.  So this week I had a bad day and in a grumpy moment I decided to just finish my bag to cheer my myself up.  It worked wonders!

I used this cute little button because it looks like the inside of a tree and I figured it went well with the fabric.  I *think* it’s a Heidi Grace print but I’m not sure, can’t seem to find it to prove that, but I’m pretty sure I got it at Joann’s.  It’s a great size, there’s a inside and outside pocket.  I added a button hole to my outside pocket, which was a fantastically easy thing to do with my Babylock!!  I just may have to post a video of that so everyone can marvel, it was insanely easy.

The bag is also awesome for hanging on your wrist so you can still have 2 hands, hence the name bracelet bag.  I tried to take a photo of that in action but I was alone and dashing outside for a minute away from the kids so it’s not the best shot but you get the idea.

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Tara the pattern tester!!

Posted on May 8, 2010 by SewTara| Leave a comment

Found myself some more fun online!  Went over to Pepperberry & Co and saw there was a need for pattern testers!  I thought it might be fun and of course there’s some free perks involved for playing along.  I’m so happy to have been assigned the ipod/iphone cover thingie.  What a coincidence i just got an iphone about 2 weeks ago!  Can’t wait to get started on it.

Thanks for the opportunity Sandra!

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