Utah Inspiration

I'm just back from trooping around the wilds of central and southern Utah on a family vacation. Two weeks without sewing or shopping for anything related to crafts forced a closer inspection of everything else. The Sego Canyon cliff paintings are chock-a-block full of ideas for silk screening or fabric piecing. I like the effect of something visually interesting and simple, but not childlike.

Misc. Pouches

Hiding the patterned fabric on the inside of these pouches leaves the outside free for a solid color and a silk-screened message. Thus far I'm finding that the paint is easy to work with if I'm careful. It dries evenly, irons, washes and is the opaque look I was hoping for. There are 5 more colors of paint to try in the silk screening starter kit. Maybe I'll make party gift pouches for K's upcoming birthday that say "4 is Fab!"

Shine On, Sun!

I'm experimenting with silk screening my own words and designs onto fabric. The first step is to think of something to say and print it from the computer. An exposure of exactly 30 seconds to the bright fall sun fixes an image of my design on a reusable screen. I'm still working out the best method to neatly paint through my stencil onto fabric. I don't want fancy or intricate, just crisp and vaguely competent.

It's reassuring to find there are still crafting avenues I have never explored.

Pencil Case

I worked for an entire afternoon to puzzle out how to make a pencil case with ends folded up in triangles as you would wrap a present. My thought was if I could make the pattern in paper, origami-style, then I could reverse the math to add seam allowances, turn the pattern inside out to make a lining, add a zipper, and I'd have a pencil pouch. Well, either the solution is awkward and no fun to sew, or it escapes me completely. I fell back on what I know how to do. Here is a pencil pouch with tapered sides and a squared-off bottom. It will stand open to reveal art supplies, but is at its heart a simple zippered pouch.

Rings On My Fingers

I'm a fan of circles. These donut beads speak to me. They could be cute earrings, a dangle on a purse, or some sort of ingenius loop hardware for some project. I have bunches and bunches of them, just in case.

New Design

My favorite pattern person on Etsy, Keykalou, has a new rounded clutch design to try. In the past I've taken her patterns and lengthened them to suit my needs, but this one I sewed pretty much as she directed. The inside has a small pocket, and the flap closes with an ultra-thin magnet snap, my latest favorite sewing notion. I like the way the red polka-dots came out, and I have pieces cut to make the same bag in some of my favorite blue Japanese linens. Maybe a black linen body and a patterned flap would work. I'll try...

Getting Ready for the Season

Before even the big box stores have thought to trot out holiday displays and merchandise, I have a holiday crafting thought. I'm going to make zippered pouches in holiday fabrics. The perfect size to hold a gift card, a zippered pouch makes wrapping easy, is reuable and regiftable, and doubles as a change purse or whatnot holder.

Package!

I've been waiting patiently for several weeks to receive juicy fabric from Japan. One yard of the cutest linen robot fabric every made (and I've spent some time comparing linen robot fabric) and a half yard of green lion fabric (because R's favorite animal is the lion and his favorite color is green) arrived today. How marvelous to have the technology in my own house to prowl the planet for perfect craft supplies. But even after emails around the world and money exchanged through secure second parties, I still wait to hear the distinctive rumble of my mail carrier's car coming around the bend with my well-traveled parcel.

Pro-type

I'm playing with the design of a zippered pouch that is more wallet in nature. Somewhat larger than the smaller of the two pouches I currently make by the dozen, this pouch sports an outside pocket for storing important scraps of paper and a d-ring for attaching keys or clipping the whole wallet securely in a larger purse or bag. Accent binding on the pocket and along the pouch edge pumps up the main fabric.

Now I debate: should I use a wallet for awhile and see how I like it day-to-day, or just set to work making a bunch of them for a future farmers' market?

Scooter Purse

I have completed a commission of a scooter clutch purse, made with delicious Japanese cotton-linen fabric. Lined in linen, the purse sports a fabric-covered button. The back of the purse is more of the pink and green scooter linen. K wandered into my sewing room while I was finishing up the purse and observed that if I wasn't going to make her a dress out of the scooter fabric (and I'm not), maybe I could sew a small square of it onto something as a pocket. For 3-and-a-half, she has an eye for cute design. Watch for her this fall in Target jeans embellished with a pink scooter pocket.

Kindle Pouch

While I don't own a Kindle, the people I know who have one are enjoying the technology of having oodles of books at their fingertips. My friend C saw my zippered pouches at the farmers' market and wondered whether I could make a fabric carrier for her Kindle. Here is the result. It is padded on the inside with quilted fabric, and the outer fabric is also bonded with fleece. A swivel hook on the end of a short strap allows you to tote the pouch as a sort of purse or hook it through the handles of a bike or larger bag for carrying around. A sport zipper gives a sturdy finish to the pouch. Thanks to M for making a life-sized Kindle blank with scrap wood in the garage so I could be assured that a real Kindle would fit in this pouch. C has assured me she will field test the design and let me know what to change for next time.

Raw Materials

Emboldened to try a craft booth again, I am collecting fabric, beads and zippers that I think would make cute zippered pouches. I am enjoying the process of collecting, buying and matching materials. It's a summer for sewing.