Pretty {Little} Pouch Swap - Inspiration

I'm very excited to say I have made it into the second round of the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap! I have made a few pouches previously, and am really looking forward to creating something for my partner.

Here is the inspiration mosaic I created to help in her creating:



I can't wait to get started!

Noodlehead gathered clutch

I finally got a chance to make a Noodlehead Gathered Clutch the other day! I can't believe I waited this long to try it out. It is so fun and easy and so satisfying. It is definitely going to become another go to gift for friends and family.



Anna of Noodlehead is a creative wonder. She is constantly churning out fabulously cute items and the gathered clutch is no exception. The instructions were simple, concise and easy to follow. I know that there is the option to download a more detailed pattern for a small fee (it is really reasonable and comes with a license to sell.) But I did not find a need for the more detailed instructions. I may decide later on to sell some of these so I will buy the pattern at that point but for now I'm happy to just make them for myself and as gifts.

I chose a cute grey and pink fabric I picked up at Bolt last summer. Once again, this is a remnant piece without a selvedge so if anyone has the details on it, please let me know. The pattern uses less than a fat quarter of the main fabric and basically a few scraps of the contrast and lining. I think the whole thing went together in less than an hour, easy peasy.



I picked up a bunch of zippers at Fabricland a couple of weeks ago. They have been having a big sale since the beginning of June so I grabbed 3 zippered for .99 cents, then I grabbed 3 more. Then yesterday I went back and grabbed 6 more when I was picking up some thread. As much as I hate stepping foot in that place, when they have a massive sale it's almost worth the soul sucking madness of going there. Yesterday I got 2 spools of guterman thread and 6 zippers for only $4.01. Not too shabby.

I made a few adjustments to my little clutch. The first was the zipper. My cheap zippers are 7 inches instead of 8 as the tutorial calls for so when I was making the zipper tabs I chose to sew them on the other size of the zipper stops (you know, those little metal bits?) I was able to lengthen the overall zipper piece enough to make it work, and I really don't mind the metal bits showing. I choose to add the internal divider and card pockets which I might just leave out next time. I felt it made the final product a teensy bit bulky. I also added a loop and O ring to the outside just for some flare. It gives it a bit of detail and makes it seem even a bit more finished. Also, when I'm running around, I have a tendency to leave my keys places so this way I can hook it all together.



I see many more of these babies in my future. Especially with my new surplus of zippers. I suggest you go check out the pattern and make one immediately.

bags, bags, bags!

I've been working on a lot of bags recently. A bunch of gifts for friends, and I thought it would be fun to share. The first 3 are all buttercup bags made using the free pattern/tutorial by the fabulously talented Rae Hoekstra of Made by Rae.



I've made these a bunch of times before, and they are fun and quick and have become a go-to gift for friends. The girls at least. I can't seem to tire of them.

It feels good to use of some of my stash that has been sitting for a while. The Amy Butler print has been in my bin for 2.5 years! Since a lot of my stash is made up of fat quarters (because it took me a while to learn that I actually wanted bigger cuts), the buttercup bag is a great project to use up the piles of fat quarters.

Here's the details:

Buttercup Bag One:





Exterior - Amy Butler, Tree Peony in Sky from the Lotus Collection
Lining - Lyndhurst Studios, Bubbles and Blooms in Grey

Buttercup Bag Two:





Exterior - Kaffe Fasset Shot Cotton in Cassis
Lining - Denyse Schmidt, Canyon Stripe in Fiesta from the Hope Valley Collection

Buttercup Bag Three:





Exterior - Denyse Schmidt Bouquet in Porch from Country Fair
Lining - Kona Cotton in Camel

For each of the bags I made a few modifications. I added an interior zipper pocket and an "S" tag, and I left off the decorative butt flap.

These three were finished in two afternoon assembly line sessions. I made the mistake of trying a new way of putting in a zipper pocket and it was (at first) a disaster, so it took a bit longer than usual to complete them.

There are two more bags I'd like to show you, but you'll have to wait for another day, because one isn't finished, and I don't feel like writing about the other one for now.

the aprons

As you know, I gave away an apron for Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day. And then I gave away another.

What you don't know, is I made a third apron! While I was stitching up the giveaway apron, my mom was admiring it, so I decided to make one for her too. I guess I've started making sure she doesn't leave for home without something handmade by me. Two Christmas's ago there was a quilt, which for some reason I don't have pictures of. Then there was the pillow, which I also don't have pictures of. Now there is the apron.



Yup! It's Neptune again! I ripped apart a housecoat I was making and had given up on so I could find a piece of Neptune big enough for the apron.



Like the giveaway apron, this one has pintucks at the top and extra long ties so you can make a bow in the front.

I wasn't sure what fabric to use for the contrast, but it was my ever so stylish brother who picked it out.



I'm not sure who makes it because it was a remnant from a local shop and it didn't have a selvege.

I love this apron, and I am glad it's gone to live at my mom's house.



Here are the two together!

I had meant to get some better photos of the second giveaway apron before I mailed it off, but I forgot.

An interesting (if not aggravating) sidenote: We are currently experiencing a "disruption" in mail service here in Canada. It started as a rotating strike by the union members, now they have been locked out. I won't share my opinions on the whole matter here, but I'm not happy. We already pay a lot for our postal service here and it's often unreliable. When I did finally get around to mailing the aprons, it was only 12 hours later that the lockout happened. So far it has been more than 2 weeks of disruptions and it looks like it could be at least a week more. Needless to say, the aprons and a few other letters that I sent out are now sitting in limbo. Wish them luck.

be friends with my friends

So, I have this lovely friend Esther, who really is something of a kindred spirit. We share a love of cats (okay, more of an obsession) and crafty endeavors. Esther definitely has one up on me since she crochets as well as sewing.

The point being, Esther recently decided to spend some time putting her work up on her blog and I love it! We may live in the same city and therefore have regular access to each others work in person, but it's super fun to see her work right when it's done instead of having to wait until the next time I see her.

Esther is currently hosting a giveaway on her blog and I want it so bad. Since I just made 3 different aprons and gave them all away, I am feeling the need for one myself.

Esther is not only a talented crafter but a super thriftier, so her cute little apron is made from some of her recent thrifting finds.

Go check it out and see if you can win!

a wedding present

On May 21, Joel and I had the privilege of attending the wedding of our dear friend Lorraine.  She married the sweet and kind Darryl in a beautiful ceremony on a warm ans sunny Saturday and it couldn't have been more perfect.  Except that it was!

There was a candy buffet.

Seriously.

I didn't take any pictures because I was too busy stuffing my face but it was delicious.  Everything you could think of was there.



Lorraine wore an amazing green iridescent dress with a sparkly, lacy bolero and a stunning beaded headband made by a friend.  She was radiant!

Since Lorraine wouldn't tell me what she wanted for her wedding, I took matters into my own hands.  She had mentioned kitchen things as favourite wants and I knew she loved green and brown, so voila:



 A double oven mitt and potholder set.  I made the oven mitt using this tutorial, sort of.  The potholder I just threw together without instructions.



Do you ever have one of those moments while you are sewing for someone else where you feel totally inspired by the fabric or colour combo and wish you were making something for yourself instead?

I totally had that moment with the potholder, but alas, the majority of the fabrics were just tiny pieces of scrap that I used up.  I did manage to make an extra patchwork square for myself, but I don't know what I'll use it for yet.

Lorraine and Darryl - congratulations on your wedding, may you be endless happy!

mom's annual visit: part 2

**Warning: This post is extremely picture heavy!**

Well, mom's visit has come to an end. We put her on an airplane back to Ontario bright and early on Wednesday morning and it was sad to say goodbye.

What did we get up to for the rest of her visit? Lots! Here are the highlights:

Saturday and 1/2 of Sunday she spent with my brother, road tripping to Banff. They rented a Mustang convertible and whipped through the Rocky Mountains snapping photos and exploring Bison pastures....really?

Sunday we checked out Cross Iron Mills. I guess this is the first mall built in Western Canada in over 20 years which seems crazy to me but whatever. It's gigantic. And busy. but full of cool stores. We were on a mission to find mom a great professional outfit to wear for an upcoming event she is speaking at and let me say - mission accomplished! I don't think I have any pictures of that, sorry.



Sunday evening we went to Boxwood. A friend of ours is the GM there and it is really fantastic. A tiny casual restaurant in the middle of a city park, and it serves all fresh and local food that is positively scrumptious. The building is quite stunning as well.



If you look past my adorable hubby you can see how pretty it is with all that cedar and those pendants and glass water bottles.

With all that warm natural light and the beautiful surroundings, we took the opportunity to take a family portrait.



Monday and Tuesday it rained. Monday we hung around the house, sewed, watched some 30 Rock, and then I went to work for a couple of hours in the evening and Joel and Mom played board games and ate pizza with Rob.



Tuesday started out as another lazy day, but we ended up taking a short trip into Inglewood again. Most of the shops were closed still from the long weekend but we went to a crazy chocolate shop and several antique and collectible shops. No pictures, but one of them had a pile of war memorabilia including creepy things like Nazi uniforms and knives. It gave me the willies.



Also, my brother seems to think they found the Arc of the Covenant. All these years and it's been sitting in an antique store in Calgary. Who would have guessed?



After Inglewood we went to Chinook Centre, the other very large mall in the city which has recently finished a giant addition that now holds some awesome American stores. Anthropology and Urban Outfitters make me drool and lust. I got a wicked 10 dollar dress thanks to mommy dearest and snapped a picture of some really cool displays in Anthro. How can I get a bed that's on 15 foot stilts??



Also, there was this:



Oh yes, and there was Phil & Sebastien. Awesome coffee shop with the best latte I have ever had, and some equal awesome decor.





Tuesday for dinner we hit up one of my favourite restaurants in the city - Pulcinella. There is really nothing like authentic Napolitana pizza to end a day of shopping. Wash it down with a yummy Moretti beer and some great conversation and you've got a fabulous day.



There is really nothing like authentic Napolitana pizza to end a day of shopping. Wash it down with a yummy Moretti beer and some great conversation and you've got a fabulous day.



It's always sad to say goodbye to my mom, but I am excited that I already know when she is coming back. This year her and my step dad will be making the trip out to our place for Christmas - yay! I love you mom, thanks for a great visit!

giveaway day winner part two

As promised, due to the overwhelming response to my giveaway day post (seriously, THANK YOU) I have created a second prize.

Just like with the first one, I flip flipped several times on what to make, and finally came up with this:



Yup!  Another apron.  This one is a bit scrappier and with pleats instead of pintucks.  These photos truly are bad because I have gone back to my regular camera and it doesn't do well in low light.  Like say, when I finish something at 9:30pm on the day I am supposed to blog about it!

What do you think?

Seriously Leah Claire, what do you think?  I hope you like it because you are the winner!  Mr. Random picked you and I have sent you an email asking for your mailing address, so be on the lookout!

Leah Claire was #266 and said:

"Love love love the pintucks on the apron.  so cute!  Thanks for the chance."

Well Leah Claire, it isn't the Neptune apron, but I hope you love it.



Happy Weekend Everybody!

giveaway day winner part one

Drumroll please....

The winner of the Neptune Apron is:

#154 - Just One More Thing

Who said:

"This is the first apron giveaway I've seen and to be honest --I want it!! Very pretty. Thanks for the chance to win."

Congratulations! I've sent you an email.

I would like to take a second to thank everyone who entered the giveaway.  Those lists at Sew Mama Sew were HUGE and I appreciate the time you took to stop by my little corner of the interwebs.

A big thank you also to all the wonderful people who decided to become followers or who were already followers - it feels good to have regulars!

As promised, I am going to make a second giveaway prize. I will make the second prize and draw the winners name on Friday.

And because I hate to post without a picture (unless of course I'm ranting) here is what else I will be working on this weekend:




Any guesses as to what it all will become? A hint: It will be three of the same items in different colour combos.


P.S. I already miss my mom's camera. I want a DSLR back!

baby in the hood jacket - the girl version

As I mentioned in this post, I made a practice version of the baby in the hood jacket before I made the one for baby Joel. The idea was to make sure that I could do a good enough job on it to be proud to give it away. I always try to make sure my gifts look as professional as possible and air more towards the handmade side than the homemade side.

For the practice jacket I decided to make it in the 24 month size and use some bright girly fabrics I had sitting around. As I mentioned before my stash is really lacking in the boy friendly fabric department right now.



I pulled a bright floral (if anyone can identify it that would be helpful) that I got at Bolt in Portland, some Kona Cerise and Honeycomb from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern.

After all the tracing cutting the fabric was super easy!

It took me between 4 and 5 hours spread over a couple of days to make this baby. I made one really minor alteration on this and the boy version. I shorted the suggest elastic length for the hood by about an inch. If I was going to make the pattern again (and I'm sure that I will) I would add and inch or two to the length so it would fit kids older than 2. Little ones like dear Miss A of the twins comes to mind since she is tall and skinny but nearly 3.



For the buttons, once again, my husband picked them out! He was really into wooden buttons that day and they really were the absolute cutest and best option. I particularly like these ones because of the smooth tops. No thread showing!

I have absolutely no idea what I will do with this coat. There are so many little boys in my life between the kids I nanny and our friends kids, I don't think I know anyone I can give this to.



Any suggestions what to do with it?

giveaway day!

*** THE GIVEWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY MAY 26, 2011. ***

It's here, it's finally here!

Welcome to everyone stopping through via Sew Mama Sew for Giveaway Day! And a big welcome also to my regular readers.

I'll get right to it. I had a hard time deciding what to give away this year, but here it is:



An apron made by yours truly! This little baby came together yesterday after much deliberation as to what I would make. I dug deep in my stash and found a rather large piece of some Neptune by Tula Pink. I know it’s super hard to find now, and really, who doesn’t love some sea turtles, so I thought, why not? The apron is a ½ length style but it can be worn up higher to protect your shirt. It measures about 22” in length by about 25 inches wide and has extra long ties for those who like to have a cute bow in front like I do.



The contrasting fabric is another piece from my stash and one of my all time favourites – Happy Dots from the Midwest Modern collection by Amy Butler. There is a pocket on the front just big enough for a recipe card or whatever junk you might want to carry around.



I added some cute pintucking to the waistband for some extra flair and it gives it a bit of support so it doesn’t slip down over time. Plus, seriously, who doesn’t love pintucks?



The apron was created using this tutorial via Delia Creates, but with a few minor tweaks. I added a piece of Kona White to the back as a liner to give it some weight and durability.

To give the prize a bit of extra umph, I’ve decided to add a small scrap bundle to the package before I mail it. I promise to pick some really cute pieces for the winner!

Would you like to enter for your chance to win this cute little apron? Here’s the deal:

- Leave a comment, any comment.
- Make sure you either leave an email address or that yours is visible in your profile.

I will leave comments open until 11:59pm MST on Wednesday, May 25 and draw a winner using the Random Integer Generator on Thursday.

If you decide to become a follower or already are, leave me a second comment for a second chance to win.

One last thing: if by chance, I get more than 350 entries, Since I have now surpassed 350 entries, I will create a second item and scrap bundle and choose a second winner. That prize will be a surprise though.

Good luck! And thanks again for stopping by!

(**I do apologize for the terrible pictures. I got up early to write this and it was cold and dark and rainy outside. Oh well. I will replace them with better ones eventually.)

baby shower present

Last weekend I attended a baby shower for a sweet little guy named Joel. I've known his parents for a few years now, so it was really wonderful to get to meet their first child and help set him up with lots of cute clothes and toys.



Joel's aunts put the party together and it was super cute! They decorated the room with blue and green and little hits of brown. The food spread was amazing. a few people brought things like yummy fresh fruit and veggies and a really cool strawberry and mint spread thing. The aunts made a super cute cake and a whole batch of sugar cookies shaped like onesies.





For the shower I decided to try out making a Baby in the Hood Jacket from the book Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner. I was a little worried about my ability to make the jacket well enough to give it to someone, so I made a practice one (more on that later).



I made the jacket in the 9-12 months size. I was really running low on boy friendly fabrics, so I decided to use an old pair of my Joel's jeans for the exterior fabric. The button placket and hood stripe are made from Kona Chocolate.



For the inside I cut into my stash of Katie Jump Rope! I wasn't sure about the orange, since it's one of those colours that most people either love or hate. I ended up really loving the combination of the orange polka dots and the denim.



I added a little tag for the size and a Cowtown Baby label to the inside bottom corner. When it came to picking out buttons I just couldn't decide. It was my Joel who came up with the idea of using the wooden toggles and I LOVE how it turned out!

I was really happy to be able to give this to baby Joel and I look forward to seeing it on him when he grows into it. He's currently only a month old, so I made it to fit him next year. I guess I'll just have to wait a bit.