Tag Archives: sewing

I promise,

Posted on September 27, 2011 by SewTara| 4 Comments

I’m going to work through all these PDF patterns & turoials I have! Honest.

I was going to plan something silly like 52 weeks of patterns (yes I have nearly that many) but I realised I probably can’t comit to actally getting 1 thing done per week. So instead I’m just going to plow through them and share what I’m doing along the way.

I’ve built up quiet the stash of various patterns, since I’m always up for trying something new. Some are free, some are tutorials on blogs, some I paid for. I own nearly every Keyka Lou pattern not to mention a bunch from I Think Sew and

I might even get ambitious and post my planned project a big in advance and we can have a sort of sew along . . . perhaps once I settle into this back to school/work thing and get my classroom running smoothly.

So until I share here are images of some patterns I have on hand and plan on tackling soon. Let me know if you want to see anything in particular or if you’d like to play along.

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Posted in DIY, sewing

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Wheee!

Posted on September 12, 2011 by SewTara| 4 Comments

Ok, I got the most amazing scraps in one of my scrap swap packages. I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome the pieces were and how great they fit with the fun fabrics I love! Not to mention she threw in some fun stuff left over from when she ran a Japanese store online.

Here’s some eye candy.

Some of these Japanese prints are amazing! I don’t know if I can bring myself to cut them up and actually sew with them.

This one is great but I’m totally baffled on what it’s about. Must be another strange Japanese fairy tale, seems to be a lot of people on fire in those.

Anyhow, I’m smitten with the contents of this package. And remember to store your strawberries in a DRAY place.

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Posted in repurposing, scraps, uncategorized

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My plan for today.

Posted on September 5, 2011 by SewTara| 1 Comment

In an attempt to procrastinate from the really important things I should be doing I plan on making myself a lunch bag using this pattern.

I don’t have those particular fabrics but I do have other things that are equally as cute!

I’m also hoping to whip one up for Wesley. He turned a blank white pie box into his lunch box (or so he thinks) by drawing police cars all over it. I decided to make him one with some plain cotton fabric and give him my pile of Sharpies to draw all over it. He only goes to school 1/2 days and so only carries his water bottle and a snack so I hadn’t made him one last year but I think I’ll go with this design and I’ll use this tutorial as a guide.

I’ll post when they’re all done.

Have a great labour day and for all your back to schoolers have a great first day tomorrow!

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Posted in kid fun, repurposing, scraps, sewing

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Whew!

Posted on August 19, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Well this has been a great week.   Sadly we’ve been basically internetless, we got texts yesterday that we had hit the limit of our data plans, thanks to tethering to our phones while here in the bustling metropolis of Kearney, Ontario. It was sort of nice though, I was really conscious of what I *had* to do before I hopped on my lappy and set to work getting things done and then walking away. It was a bit liberating, even if I did miss tweeting late at night.

So here’s a peek at my week in instagrams, since those are small enough to sneak through on my phone.  
Hope you enjoyed my guest posters, thank you so much Amy, Molliehttp://wildolive.blogspot.com/ and Janee!

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Posted in neat spaces, sewing

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Quick and practical

Posted on August 3, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

I made one of them there plastic bag holder things!

I saw a tutorial and then couldn’t seem to find it again so I just sort of made it up. I mean how hard can 2 elastic pieces in a tube of fabric be!? The thing that took the longest was finding the perfect fabric, I wanted it to hang in the kitchen and didn’t have anything in my stash that would work.

I love how it fits in perfectly. It was also really easy, I think I’ll be destashing and making a bunch for people I know. We have so few plastic bags around now anyway but it’s nice not to have that cupboard of them that attacks you when you open it!

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Posted in sewing

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Whew! 50 cozies, a broken machine, sick children and an e-course.

Posted on July 29, 2011 by SewTara| 1 Comment

Boy have I had a busy last few days! I worked all weekend to get my giant order for 50 cozies ready by Monday.

I missed it by a day thanks to a broken sewing machine late, late Saturday night. The bobbin casing lifted up and I ended up pulling it out with the bobbin. I’ve *never* taken it out and had no idea how it went back in. I did some Googling and finally thought I had it right and started to sew again. Everything was fine going straight but once I switched to zig zag I bent a needle. Totally bent, it was a little U. I really should have taken a picture. So I tried again, took it all apart and started over. Yeah, then I broke a needle. I tried to use my old-reserved-for-juice-pouch-sewing machine but it felt all wrong. So I packed my broken favourite up and had to wait until Monday morning to take it in for some love.

Monday the kids were going to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa so I had a chance to get it fixed and rush home to finish the sewing. I still had the buttons to sew on when the children were returned. I went out to the driveway to greet my lovely children only to discover Nate was sick in the car, his clothes and seat were a mess. I thought he was just car sick but he was burning up. So I spent the entire evening on the couch ‘guggling’ a sick 2 year old and holding a bowl.

Luckily he went to bed early because I realized I was 2 cozies short on one of the designs so I had to do some late night creating. Tuesday morning Nate was pretty listless so I had time to sew the buttons on in the backyard while trying to keep Wesley active and quiet. The package went out Tuesday afternoon, not too bad considering everything.

I crashed Tuesday night, I think the adrenaline of the cozy fest left and I went to bed early, didn’t create a thing that evening! Wednesday it was onto my contribution for Make Art a Part (of your life), which was due Wednesday. So away I worked as much as possible during the day and into the night, sewing and photographing.

Sadly Thursday morning I awoke to a crying 4 year old saying his tummy hurt. Now I would have thought a day with my 4 year old on the couch would be easy. Oh it was exhausting! “Mommy, Nate’s being loud! He’s in my way! I can’t see the show!” repeat. Poor Nate was going stir crazy, like me, and it was bliss when I got Nate off for his nap and Wesley was still sleeping on the couch. There was a wonderful 30 minute overlap where they were both sleeping . . . ahhhh.

So it was slow going but I managed to get my part of the e-course done . . . again a day late. It’s a really fun little sewing project that I show you how to hand sew or take it up a notch and machine stitch. It’s really open-ended leaving loads of ways to personalize it and make it your own. Go check out the info here, registration opens August 4th.

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Posted in online class stuff, sewing

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The Workroom, a new to me fabric store.

Posted on June 15, 2011 by SewTara| 8 Comments

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.

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Posted in crafty books, fun finds, neat spaces, sewing

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An elephant never forgets.

Posted on June 1, 2011 by SewTara| 7 Comments

These cute little fellows reminded me about my blog. Hi there!

I made this.

It’s stinkin’ cute.

Yeah, I’m kinda bragging & sort of sharing.

I achieved that ‘Oh I just threw some scraps of fabric together’ nonchalance I always see in other peoples projects where it turns out freaking amazing, with fabric pairings I’d never think of myself.
Oh I thought of them.
It appears I’m pretty awesome too now.

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Posted in scraps, sewing

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Photographer’s block

Posted on May 24, 2011 by SewTara| 11 Comments

If you’re looking for the giveaway scroll down or it’s over here.

Mostly I make cozies. It wasn’t really what I set out to do when I opened an Etsy shop, but I sort of just fell into it and I’m glad I did. I like it, I get to be goofy and I’ve learned a ton of new things. One thing I haven’t really learned is how to take dozens and dozens of photos of what is essentially the same item and still make it interesting. Which is sort of stinky since I recently created a whole new batch of designs for the shop.

Part of me thinks, “Ok, it’s just a cozy, they get it. Do the plain background thing and be done with it”.

But then if I do have something in the background, like say cookies, I know people see it and look and want cookies so they might want my cozy . . . . Oh I know I’ll hold it in my hand! No one’s ever seen a disposable cup doing that before! *groan*

Today was nice and sunny (after the freak thunderstorm) so I tried to sneak some flowers in. But yeah I don’t know, it’s still a cozy.

What’s a disposable cup doing in my house in the first place let alone on my piano? Who knows, it’s a new place to set up a photoshoot. How about in front of my lappy, you know because it’s a computer joke, get it? Get it?!

Anyone else feel this is a challenge when you’re making similar items and need to photograph for listings?

Maybe I should just start getting really outlandish and putting them on my sleeping cats, or hanging from the ceiling or in the bath . . . .*sigh*

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Posted in cozy, embroidery, sewing

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Silly new cozy.

Posted on May 9, 2011 by SewTara| 4 Comments

I don’t even remember how but I stumbled up on LittleRedAfro’s Etsy shop one day and saw this really funny little painting she had done.

I contacted her and asked her if she minded me putting it on a cozy. She said go ahead and just let the world know it was her idea. So behold my cozy based on her little painting.

 

I think it’s pretty funny, but I’ve got a dorky sense of humour. I’m making one for her as a thank you for letting me have some fun with her design. If you want one you can get one here.

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Posted in cozy, embroidery, fun finds, sewing

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