Summer Purses

Thanks once again to Pinterest for showing me a new purse design. This shoulder bag comes from Anna Graham of Noodlehead. I am intrigued with the fabric mix-and-match options of a front panel and side pockets and side panels. The curved and multi-panel construction takes awhile, but I think the result is sophisticated and functional. My new bag this summer is made from Japanese Kokka owls and linen.

Market at the Square

This Saturday is my first farmers' market date of the summer. Every other weekend through August, I'll set up under my tent in the Lincoln Square parking lot and pass the morning people watching and chit-chatting. I spent the winter playing with new fabrics; right now I'm drawn to fabric with letters on it, splashy prints with coordinating circle and stripe patterns, organic cottons and fun home dec-weight prints. I made a number of fabric buckets and baskets to see what sizes are appealing to people. I'm also trying pillows this year. Scrappy with home-made binding and a small pocket for something special, I envision the pillow pictured useful for Tooth Fairy visits.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my sister today! She has taken up yoga, so I made her a yoga mat bag for a present. After looking around online for fresh inspiration, I revised my pattern. I like the extra color of a handle made out of fabric instead of cotton webbing. It's stabilized and anchored in the bottom seam for strength. Instead of insetting the zippered pocket, I stitched the whole she-bang to the outside for more color. A cast-off shoelace from the IDEA Store draws through grommets to close the bag.

Almost Summer

It's almost summer and time to get the end-of-year teacher gifts organized. It's a little cheesy, but I'm planning to package thank-you gift cards in fabric pouches this year. I went the literal route for fabric choice. One teacher is a photographer; one just finished a library degree and one I guessed on.

Shower Baskets

My brother and sister-in-law expect a baby boy very soon. I know the nursery has a giraffe on the wall, so I'm going with the theme to wrap up gifts for the baby shower. Maybe someday one of these baskets will be featured in a family scrapbook snapshot of my young nephew wearing a bucket on his head. In the meantime, diapers, p.j.s, board books and the many baby whatnots can be stashed.

A Pirate's Lunch

It can be tricky to find fabric that works for a man. More accurately, I don't spend much time thinking about fabric that would work for a man because I usually buy just what appeals to me. My friend T wanted a cover for his iPad made from pirate fabric. I found a print on Etsy, and made the item for him. Now, with the scraps, I've made an insulated lunch tote for T to take to work. The pattern is from www.sewmamasew.com and calls for a French-seamed lining to extend beyond the exterior of the bag to form a drawstring closure. I worked in as much of the pirate fabric as I had left, along with a red shoelace from The IDEA Store to prove I really do need to buy random items "I may someday use".

Pinterest Pillow

I'm the kind of crafter who knows what I like when I see it. I may have only a rough idea of the kind of fabric or size of project I want to begin before I start poking around my stash of materials or cruising online for something to buy. Pinterest is a fantastic place to browse for things that appeal and that I may want to copy somehow. This bolster pillow is one example. I saw a bolster on Pinterest made from wide stripes of floral fabrics that all had a white background...orange on white, yellow on white, light green on white. The image rolled around in my head for awhile, and now it sits on my bed. I used stripes in two widths, but all patterns from Anna Maria Horner. The pillow reverses to denim with home-made bias binding in the floral Loulouthi patterns I consider the focal fabric.

Guerrilla Sewing

Now that I have my school days free, I am relishing the potential to be productive. I can sew for a good long stretch and keep the laundry clean; I can work a little in the yard and get birthday cards mailed to folks on time. I have noticed, though, that I tend to spend more time than I planned on whatever the first job of each day is. So, I'm experimenting with pre-planning at least the sewing projects coming up. I have made a master list of the items I think I'll need for the next Market at the Square and scheduled what day I'll sew what items. To keep things balanced, some days are set aside for sewing for my own house. Some days are completely open and may include no sewing at all. And some days are for "just because you brought it up" projects. For example, I heard from my mom that my sister might be interested in a tooth fairy pillow for her kids. She didn't ask me for one officially, and may only have been chatting, but no matter. With my projects organized, I can mix-it-up and enjoy getting to some of those "maybe someday" projects. Now the pillow is mailed off unannounced. It was fun to make, and I think I'll make more. But first I'll put them on the calendar.

Moms Day Craft Fair

Meet me this Saturday at the U of I's Moms Day Craft Fair. From 10am to 5pm, over one hundred vendors will display their wares in the ballrooms of the Illini Union. Since it has been awhile since I had a booth at a craft fair or farmers' market, I stuck tape to the floor of my house in the appropriate dimensions and installed a mock booth. I still have a few tweaks to make to the booth, including new matching tablecloths, and then I can load up. I plan to have a good time Saturday.

Safety Leash

My sister knows a lady who has had her purse stolen out of her shopping cart. She asked me to make a leash for her purse, really just a long keychain with hardware for hooking and unhooking. Made in a bright pattern so you can find it quickly in your purse when you arrive in the store, you simply buckle the handle of your purse to the shopping cart. If someone tries to stroll by and help themselves to your bag, they will also have to sneak off with your cart, your bag of apples and the roasted deli chicken for dinner tonight. I made several purse leashes. They go in the mail today so the woman with this fabric security idea can give them to her friends.

Spring Color

Fresh fabric from Amy Butler complements the lovely spring weather we've been enjoying. I find the fabric I choose to cut and sew changes with the seasons, and I'm ready for warm and bright days. I was pointed to these patterns by my friend D. Good pick!

Japanese Rainbow Glitter Unicorn Pouches

Yes, there is a perfect fabric for every pouch project. My niece is 6 today, and for her birthday party she is using these treat pouches. My sister didn't admit how long it took E to choose this Japanese rainbow glitter unicorn fabric, but I'm sure it was a deliberate process. The pouches are jazzed up with purple beads etched with unicorns. I made them at the Community Fab Lab in E's favorite color. Enjoy your big day,E!