My newest idea, and a thrift find!

I was struck with an idea last night while in the kitchen with the kids.   I think it might have been inspired by my sewing machine cover on my chair.  I had the idea to make a little pouch thingie for the back of the kitchen chairs to store some creative supplies within arms reach of my son when he’s sitting down.  I also figured it would come in handy once he’s at school for completing homework, we can keep pencils and other supplies right there and not have to worry and fumble around looking for things.  So I went to my trusty sewing machine once the kiddies were in bed and whipped this up,

I still need to play with the design a bit, I’d like it to roll up and be portable so you could grab it and go, in the van, to Grandma’s off to the park, whatever. I’m hoping to make it fairly universal so it would fit almost any kitchen or dining room chair. It attached with ribbon that I just tied, thought that was more universal than sewing loops. The fabric is from IKEA, I wanted something kid friendly but not too loud and obnoxious for the kitchen. I have no idea how one is supposed to make a pattern but I relied on my trusty chart graph paper and sketched and cut a template out yesterday while the kiddies ran about.

It’s a very high tech process. Hopefully I can get to making a second one tomorrow.

In unrelated news, every other Tuesday I have my ‘night out’ with my bff! Lately I’ve taken to dragging her to thrift stores. Last Tuesday I found this and loved it!

It reminds me of my Nanny and all my summers spent at the trailer at the lake. Trailers and cottages always seem to have random vintage/retro stuff in them like this. Plus my Nanny, like most Grandparents, was happy to keep things around as long as they still worked, even if they were older than me. My favourite was the avocado green electric knife she had that didn’t actually turn off unless you unplugged it from the wall . . . because that’s safe!! I miss you Nanny, thanks for teaching me to knit and showing me how to cook a turkey, love you.

I might be addicted,

and it’s LA’s fault! Thanks to her tutorial, and such a cute little idea, not only have I made one to send to my swap buddy but I’ve also made these other 2.

I’m sure there will be more. I’m already compiling a list of family and friends who sew so I’ll have homes for all of them!

I also found a supper cute bag for my Style School vintage bag embroidery type project. I’m a little worried about how tough it’s going to be trying to sew through the bag. But I did buy some strong needles and a thimble to help me get through it. Hopefully a movie on the couch will help too.

Quote pillow project, complete with soppy story.

Finished my Style School pillow assignment today.  I was kid free for a bit and was able to get some crafting done, and some laundry!

I used some of my Timeless Treasures fabric, finally.  I’ve had a little plastic bag of fat quarters sitting around and decided to use one up.  I almost put the owl fabric on the back but decided to just use a plain brown fabric to match our duvet.  I sewed the doily onto the fabric around the outside and near the middle.  Then I embroidered the words curving around it.

Here and there the letters dip down and are stitched through the doily.  I figured it would help hold it down and I liked the un-perfectness of it. The words are from a Dave Matthews song, “Oh“. I embroidered them in a dark plum colour, the photos don’t really capture it as nicely as it looks in person. The line is from the chorus, “I love you oh so well like a kid loves candy and fresh snow”.

I also added a bit of a finish to the edge just to make it a little bit fancier and different than my “Sew in love” pillow since they’re both going on our bed.

Soppy story alert!
When I met my husband we lived about 2 hours away from each other. He burned me some music CDs, Dave Matthews being one of them. We met in March and spent every weekend together for about 3 months, then he got the news he had to move for his job, putting us about 4 hours away from each other. I distinctly remember sitting on the creaky fire escape like steps up to his little apartment on a warm night, staring at the stars and listening to Dave Matthews while I , ever the worrier, asked over and over “what are we going to do?” A month later I was with him in his new apartment while I looked for my own. I never got one. 6 months later we were engaged. Here we are now, coming up on married for 5 years. We danced to “Oh” at our wedding and it’s a cute soppy song.  Every time I hear it I smile and my heart gets all warm and fuzzy.

Style school project 10? And I didn’t even know!

So I was so busy finishing my pillow last night and blogging about it that I ran off to bed later than I meant to.  Today I wander over to check what the Style School assignment for yesterday was and lo and behold it was the favourite quote pillow!  So while this isn’t really a ‘favourite quote’  it’s still pretty darn cute, a quote and finished on the day a pillow was assigned!

I think I’m going to make a few more to go on our bed with this one.  I’m going to scour song lyrics and other inside jokes and use those, things that mean something to us or is an inside joke only we will get.  Can’t wait to have a few all prettily placed on our bed!

Pocketed pillow, mark it with a C!

More Style School inspiration, well actually the bonus project this time. Decided to make it a gift for my soon to be married friend. Luckily both their last names start with a C so the pillow works now and after the happy day!

I used Leaves Vine Stripe, from the Apple fabric by Alice Kennedy.  It’s available from Timeless Treasures.   Or, be like me and get yours on Etsy.  The back panel and the pocket are just dark chocolately brown cotton fabric.  I got the doily from the thrift store and I had the cute little button kicking around.

Wheeeee fabric delivery!

Got this in the mail yesterday.  I was out when it arrived and I’m so happy the postal dude left it inside the screen door.  I hate having to wait and go back for your package.

It’s 15 fat quarters of Christmas fabric!!!  I got it from here. I was online looking for some things from Moda Bakeshop because I’m dying to make this. I hate ebay, when I really want something I can’t actually win it, so I’ve started to just go with the ‘Buy it now!’ stuff because it’s safer. My husband is the ebay auction winner in the house, so I used his tactic, stumbled upon an auction that was near ending and I won! I debated a way to get out of paying, to get my table runner supplies instead, but figured I could find a use for some cute Christmas fabric.

First birthday shirt.

Tomorrow we’re having Baby Nate’s first birthday party, it is a bit early but with the trip we have to push things up.  Tonight I whipped up this shirt for him to wear.  I really wanted to make one, I got the idea somewhere of a number one appliqued over a star.  Since his party is all about Pixar’s Cars I used my checked flag material.

A friend had given me a bag of hand me down baby clothes and there were some onesies in there that would be too short for Nate.  I cut them right at the bottom to make them into little t-shirts. I used Steam-A-Seam to stick the number 1 on.  But I was still worried it would be a bit short and wanted to add some length so I made my own bias tape to add to the bottom of the shirt.  Can’t wait to see him in it tomorrow!

Place setting stockings.

The other day while looking through the flyers I found this neat idea, for $13.99.   Of course I instantly figured I could make something similar quite easily.  And so I did!

I started with our old stocking.  I believe I got them at the dollar store years ago, and they say our names and I figure we should be Mom and Dad now so it was time for new stockings anyway.  So I disassembled them to re-use the fabric.

With the help of my friend google, I searched for an image of a stocking and sized it to a size I liked and began cutting!

I recovered enough fabric to make 6 stockings.  We’re travelling at Christmas this year and won’t need our stockings and so I have a whole year to make us something snazzy and neat.

I don’t have any wonderful dishes but you get the idea.

Here are the other stocking friends.  They could also be used as place holders if you stitched names on the stockings.  Perhaps I’ll get to that for next year.

Reading material!

Ordered two books and I’m so excited about them.  One Yard Wonders is amazing!  I can’t decide where to start!! Bend the Rules with Sewing, I suppose the book I should have gotten first, is really neat too. I’m such a sucker for bags and totes and between these 2 books there are so many to choose from.

I also managed to sneak out to the thrift store on the weekend and found that neat little pineapple napkin holder. I thought it might hold some of my newly acquired craft and sewing books nicely. Seems it’s a perfect fit for my Amy Karol collection.

Crayon cozy – attempt #1.

Thanks to this tutorial I was inspired to try a crayon cozy.   It was fun and I only  made one ‘oops’.

I even got fancy and added my own little lable to it.  I did however make a mistake when cutting the pieces and for some reason it’s about an inch too short.  The result is it only holds 15 crayons rather than the 16 it should.  So out you go Red-Orange, who needs you anyway when there’s Orange and Yellow-Orange!?

I got a little bit inventive and added a button and elastic closure.  I’m a pro at that after my car cozy and playmat.

Tags: crayon cozy, sewing, toys