Notice: The Merge

For all you faithful followers out there, I have exciting news for you. To conserve my creative energy, I have decided to merge this blog with The Wrinkled Page, my other blog.
When I created this blog, I had hoped to magically tap into the font of infinite time, but I haven't even found the blasted thing yet! So since my sand crystals seem to have developed a frightening love for gravity, slipping through the neck of the hour-glass with dangerous rapidity, I have decided to conserve my efforts into one blog.
What you will find there (although I suspect you are already a Wrinkled Page reader) is a clever mixture of family anecdotes, my deep thoughts on life, a smidge of creative writing, and now.......drumroll please................crafty stuff! Wahoo!

The Owl Bag

I really want a new camera. Have I said that before? I just took at least 20 pictures of this bag, and these are the only 2 that aren't blurry.
Anyhow, this is what I worked on today while I was home with the sick child. It's a messenger bag made of sturdy olive green cotton twill with a subtle stripe going on. I drew the owl and appliqued him on the front flap. His eyes are antique snaps I found in my treasure box.
Strap and lining incorporate the fabric from his body and beak. It's a cute fall bag, perfect for any wise chick! Look for it soon on my etsy shop...as soon as I get a good picture, that is.

The Olive You Heart Bag

I love this Joel Dewberry fabric I ordered from Hancock's a few weeks ago (or more--has it been so long?) when they were running a super sale. After waiting for the perfect design inspiration to strike, I made this bag yesterday. Had to run to JoAnn for the olive twill...and sent THE MAN back when I realized I needed pink DMC floss to stitch around the hearts.

It's just a simple messenger bag, my basic design. It has one exterior pocket on the outside (under the flap) and two interior pockets. The back has another heart applique, this one of a different fabric. Look for it soon on my etsy shop...gotta get some better pictures...

Notice my new label? Thanks to Jennifer's Jewels for that.

Earrings done!

Got some beads today at Bead Culture to make those earrings for the first day of school. So easy to make! Just slip on a silver bead, a spacer, and the turquoise bead...repeat the pattern, a few twists of the head pin. Voila! An earring.

I made a pendant too. Probably will just string it on a black leather cord.

Oh, and thanks to the helpful manager, who cut a strand for me so I could pick and choose my 3 favorite beads.

Where to find these things? #1 and #2 are from Gap, #3 waon SUPER SALE at Kohl's,
#4 is from tinytokensdesigns.etsy.com (and a great deal too!), and #5 is from nonakednecks.etsy.com.

So far (sigh) I'm looking at #3 brand spankin' new in my closet and something similar to 1 and 2 as well. None of the jewelry. But maybe I can make some turqouise earrings...yeah, sure I can!

Back to school

I had planned on making a backpack for Jared 'cause he's going into preschool (no suitable bag yet), but just as I was buying fabric for his, the older two suddenly realized that their bags from last year had mysteriously sprouted holes. "Big holes, mom," they said seriously. "Too big for you to fix."
So it was three bags I had to make. As I cut out the pieces for Jared's (using the same pattern I had used for Jonah's preschool backpack--which, by the way, is still in perfect shape. Who told my sixth grader he's too cool for a T-Rex backpack, huh? Sheesh.), I was thinking, This is so easy! I am going to just whip through this thing. Then as I started sewing all the little parts of the many-pieced straps, I remembered very clearly why I had sworn a solemn vow eight years ago that I would NEVER NEVER make that backpack again. But it turned out okay.


So here's Jonah's. It's so hard (sigh) to find nice fabric for a boy his age. Skulls look a little iffy to me, but they were really the only choice. There was a weiner dog print, but it looked a little cutesy. Poor guy. The lining is all the skull fabric and it has 4 interior pockets and two big ones on the exterior of the bag (one under the flap and one on the back). I left some of the edges raw (on pockets, mostly) to make it look cooler--more distressed as it ages.


And here's Lauren's. You really don't get the full effect of its cuteness without a shot of the lining, but I forgot to take a pic of that. I bought two fabrics for the lining. The one (stripes) shows up in the body of the bird, and the other is a print with small birds and flowers and trees. I used a bird from that fabric to sketch the pattern for her applique. She has two exterior pockets and four interior too.
She wanted one really big pocket that was part of the lining--one that zipped closed to hold colored pencils, etc.--but I just couldn't figure out how to get the thing in there and still look good. I made the pocket, realized it was too small, cut the zipper off (instead of ripping out the seam) with a 1/2 inch edge of fabric all around the edges, and tried to recreate a larger pocket--only to realize I didn't have enough fabric left. I kept the zipper but ditched the pouch idea. Told her we'll just get one of those zip-up pouches for supplies.
Turns out, she already has one. So that's all good.
So we're ready for back to school. Just need to get the rest of the stuff to go IN the bags!

A better trouser

J Crew chins

Gap chinos

So I went shopping yesterday with my daughter, and I was so frustrated when trying on pants. I love wearing chinos to work (I teach high school), as they are comfortable and not too dressy... and I don't feel like I need to wear un-comfy heels or boots with them, like I do with my dress pants. But I just don't like how they fit. If I get 'em to fit in the waist, they're too tight in the butt and thighs, but if I get 'em to fit in the nether regions, they gap at the waist.

Therefore, today I am going to begin on a new endeavor: making the perfect pair of chinos. We're going to Jo-Ann this morning (after said daughter wakes up) to find fabric and maybe a pattern. I think I'll use my favorite chinos (from Gap) as a model, just easing things a bit in the backside and thigh.

I'm thinking I might add a splash of color in the inside of the pockets and maybe on the belt loops. I'll let you know...

Back to sewing

This is what I want to make:

Photo courtesy Viola and Pearl

But I don't have a little girl to sew for any more...good thing I have a friend with one! I got the fabric last night, and after I get mom's approval on my choice, I'm going to get started. Yay sewing!!

Depression is setting in...

Not the horrible, debilitating kind, but still...a little bit of depression. See, here's the problem: I can't stop making crafts. And I've really gotten hooked on making these little watercolors, so hooked that I can't stop thinking of new ideas for them. But nobody is biting on my etsy shop, so I've made a very firm decision.
I'm not going to list anything new until I've made a sale. So I'm going to keep making all these cute little cards and paintings and sewing projects, but you won't know anything about them until somebody mans up and makes a purchase.
So there.

Products of my free time

In case you didn't know, the MAN took the kids away for a night on Tuesday, graciously leaving me home to craft away (for the whole debacle-ish story, click here). And while I wasn't nearly as productive as I had hoped, I did make a few new things. So here we go...

I started out by designing and cutting the pieces for a messenger bag from some small remnants I had in my stacks. Then I took notes in my newly reclaimed SEWING PROJECTS NOTEBOOK.

The next step was actually sewing the beast, and since I was making it specifically for my etsy shop, I was more than usually careful with my seams and corners. Which meant a lot of 0ne-on-one time with my seam ripper. But finally it was finished.

Here's a close up on the appliqued flower I added to the front flap. Looks cute, doesn't it, with the hand stitching?

The next day, I did some card making, going back to making collages with cut out paper. (Really, I don't think my mom let me play with paper dolls enough as a kid. I just love cutting out little dresses and skirts.)

And here's another one...

All of these items are going up for sale on my etsy shop today, so get 'em while they're hot!

Here she is!

I started working yesterday morning, after cutting out the pieces and figuring and figuring and figuring how I wanted to set everything up. It was fun but challenging to create this without using a pattern. I've made purses without patterns, but never an article of clothing. But I figured making a skirt with an elastic waist was a good place to start--very forgiving.
I have a skirt from Gap with an elastic waist that is very full at the top, and I don't like how it bunches at my hips, so I decided to start narrower at the top and add fullness lower. Here are my initial measurements:
Layer 1: 11" x 45"
Layer 2: 7" x 90"
Layer 3: 2" x 135" (added just to break up the bottom two layers, which are both heavily patterned)
Layer 4: 7" x 135"

So here I am sewing on that narrow layer 3...

And this is how I gather: I sew a zigzag stitch over heavy embroidery thread, careful to keep the thread in the middle of the zigzags. Then I just pull on the embroidery thread at each end of the zigzagged edge to gather things up.

This is the finished product. I ended up making a few changes to the original design.

1) I had planned to add the velvet ribbon on the middle layer, but when I saw how bare the top layer looked, I added it there (and I have all that extra ribbon now!).

2) I ended up cutting 4" off the top layer (after sewing in the elastic, of course) because that layer just looked too long. (No pics of it--too much silliness)

3) Pockets! Clint thinks, though, that I should take one of them off. I kinda like the two, though, so I'm not sure.


It's very comfy, though, and cool. When I walk down the stairs in our house, it floats around me. Love that.

And look how twirly (yes, that is the boys having a light saber duel in the background). Guess I still am a bit of a little girl.

New Skirt Coming Soon!

Check out the fabric I picked up today at Jo-Ann (they're having a sale: 30% off the Keepsake Calico selections). I want to try making a gathered skirt on this somewhat-cheaper fabric before I make one out of something more pricey.

I saw a little girls' skirt at the Plymouth Art Fair made by this designer, and I wanted one for myself! I'm a little too big to fit into her things, though, so I've been thinking ever since about making one for myself. Won't I be so cute? And pockets. Pockets are necessary...

I have been thinking about adding some vinyl wall art to my living room. Have you heard of it? It's rather like a sticker or rub-on transfer. You attach it to your wall with a few steps (shown below) and when you tire of it (if ever!), you can simply peel it from the wall--leaving no residue.
But the problem is, our house was built sometime before 1900, and our walls are plaster--and very uneven and bumpy in spots. I didn't want to buy the art, try to attach it, and have it not adhere. I emailed Single Stone Studios and asked about how they thought it would work, and they emailed me a free sample! How nice.
I was thinking they might send a tiny letter or something, but instead, they sent this fabulous bird! She was very easy to apply, and she looks great. Here are the steps:
1: Make sure wall surface is dust free.
2: Burnish the wall art by rubbing mightily with a credit card (this makes it stick to the vinyl...)
3: Run a piece of tape along the top of the wall art (on the backside) to position it.


4: Flip the art up and remove the paper backing. Then flip it back down (carefully--it's really sticky) to the wall.

5: Rub the wall art again with the card (I just used my thumb, actually) to make it cling to the wall. You can lift the paper carefully if you're curious (like I am) and want to make sure it's sticking.

6: When the art is fully adhered to the wall, slowly peel the paper off and admire your wall art. If some of it didn't stick, smooth the paper back down and rub a little more.

Sit back and admire her!

I'm definitely going to be hitting Single Stone Studios up for a purchase soon. This bird was easy to apply (took MAYBE ten minutes total) and looks hand-painted. I'm thinking about painting my own little branch beneath her feet--but don't tell the MAN. He's not a big fan of painting on walls.

Shirt modifications

Here's my dilemma: I got this shirt last summer at my favorite store, and I like how it looks on the hanger, but when I put it on, it makes me look pregnant.

It came with a narrow belt made of the same fabric and loops maybe an inch above my natural waistline, but wearing the belt there just looks ridiculous on me, so I cut off the loops and tried wearing the belt here:



It wasn't very comfortable, though, and it still looked too blousy around my waist. I'm thinking of folding up the hem and making a casing, then running either narrow 1/4" elastic or the belt through it to make it have a different shape. Or maybe both the belt and the elastic?

I wish I knew how to do this:

Photo courtesy of A/Wear

Any ideas?

Finding your craft

Photo from Giver's Log

My mom has told me that when she was in her twenties and thirties, she tried every craft available. She did latch-hook rugs, lampwicking, macrame, counted-cross stitch, and sewing. She learned how to knit, crochet, and decoupage. She has books on doll-making, jewelry-making, and card-making. You name the craft: she has tried it.
I know many other women like this. They walk up and down the aisles at J0-Ann, looking at all the options, picking up a package of brads here, sliding their fingers along the rainbow aisle of taffeta, picking up a craft book and flipping through the pages. And walking out of the store with empty hands.
Do you want to learn a craft? Are your itching fingers fighting a losing battle with your doubting heart? If so, maybe my blog will help. I will try to post a few times a week, sharing my craft projects, my ideas, my successes and failures.
And in the meantime, happy crafting.