Bag Giveaway

Here's a chance to win one of my bags. The Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is running a giveaway on one of my bags until January 5. Check out their blog for a chance to win to win my bag made with Amy Butler fabrics. Here's the bag in the giveaway.


Also, don't forget to check out my shop for my year end sale.

End of Year Sale

Well the holidays are finally over. It seems like so much work building up to them and it's over so quickly. I am back to work today but at least it's another short work week.
I am having an end of year sale in my shop until mid January. There are lots of items to choose from. I'm clearing out for some new items hopefully coming in January or sooner. There are only one of each item in the sale, so if you want it don't wait. Here is a sample of a few sale items.

Holiday Sewing

I had big plans for holiday gifts. I was going to sew baskets and fill them with aprons, potholders, coasters etc... for the females in my family. This just didn't happen this year. I thought I would post this tutorial for anyone who wants to try it. I found it on this blog from oh, fransson! which I read almost daily. Here is the tutorial. Let me know if you try it.

Christmas Presents

I have been trying to get some Christmas presents sewn between my bag orders. Most of them are for my 15 month old niece Chloe.
The first one I have finished is this Ella the Elephant made from a pattern by Melly and Me. This is the first pattern I've tried from them and I think it's the best pattern I have ever used. The directions were easy to follow and I made the whole project in a couple of hours. I used fabrics from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern line. I am very happy with how this turned out.

Pretty Little Patchwork

This is another one of my new books. This is from the Pretty Little series from Lark books. I liked this one a lot more than Pretty Little Purses and Pouches but still wasn't thrilled with it. It has a good variety of patterns. There's stuff for the home such as coasters and potholders which I may try and the clutch on the front is pretty cute. There's also a great hat pattern but when I was reading through it, I think it was missing some steps. I'm going to check the designers website to see if there's any updates. I would say this book was worth the purchase. Not my favourite but still pretty good.

Pretty Little Purses and Pouches

I love craft books. I think most crafters do. Even if I never make anything from them, they're always good for some inspiration. I have bought several new ones over the last couple of weeks and thought I would review them here on my blog.

The first one was probably the one I was most excited about. Pretty Little Purses and Pouches from Lark books. The cover looked so pretty and cute, so I had high hopes for this one. Since I make mostly bags and pouches, I always love to see what other people are doing. I have to say this book was a big disappointment. I honestly think this is the first craft book I have ever bought where there was not one thing that appealed to me. The best thing about the book was the artist bios in the back. I checked out some of their websites and blogs and they were amazing. I think this book didn't show off these talented designers very well. I ordered this book online, if I was able to view it in a store I never would have bought it and wasted my money.

My New Hat!

I just purchased a new hat from Bkm Hattitude who has an Etsy store. I took a long time picking the one I wanted from her sold items. I thought it was going to be cute but I had no idea how wonderful it was going to be. I received the hat in less than a week which is the quickest shipping I've ever had. I wish I had taken a picture of the packaging but I wanted to see the hat too badly. It was wrapped in pretty tissue with a matching sticker and matching styrofoam popcorn so the hat wouldn't shift. It was like opening a present. The hat itself is one of the most well made items I have ever seen and it fits perfectly! I don't think I could ever describe how happy I am with this purchase. I will definitely be shopping here often.

Here are picks of my hat. Be sure to check out her store, you will not be disappointed.

Weekend Sale

My weekend sale is on in my shop now. $5.00 off all Side Tie Totes. Sale Ends Sunday November 9th at 5:00 P.M. Est.

Getting Ready For Winter

Winter is coming! I am trying to get some scarves made for my shop. So far I only have one done. They are fabric and fleece and each one is one of a kind. I made one last year for my sister and loved it! I wanted something different from the knitted ones (which I also do) and something that still looked good after you washed it. Here are some pics of the one I have done. I am hoping to do some matching mittens but have to work out the sizing still.

Staying Organized

Keeping my sewing room clean and organized is a constant battle. Keeping track of what colour thread I have is especially difficult. I end up with a lot of one colour and I'm always running out of the colours I need. I purchased this vintag Wil-Hold from five petals red on Etsy and I don't know how I lived without it. I am able to keep my thread and my bobbins in the same place when previously I had to keep them in seperate containers. It so easy to pick and go when I want to do some of my hand sewing in another room. If you are a sewer this is a must have.

Weekend giveaway!

I'm running a weekend giveaway in my shop this weekend. Buy any Wristlet, Tote or Slouch Bag and get a free matching cardholder. Ends Sunday November 2nd at midnight. You don't have to do anything during checkout. Just purchase your bag and I will automatically include the cardholder. Does not include sale items. It's a great time to start some holiday shopping.

New in Shop

I haven't been adding new items to my shop lately as I have been focusing on local orders lately. These will probably take me right through the holiday season. I will be pulling items from my shop as well so if there is something you want don't wait. It may not be there for long.

I have been making cardholders and they are selling very quickly. They are a perfect mini wallet (which I use daily), business card holders and are great for gift cards for the holidays. Here is a sample of what's available.

The Toy of The Season

Apparently the hot toy this season is Elmo Live. He sings,dances,tells jokes and plays games. I thought what a perfect gift for my niece who will be 15 months at Christmas this year. I work midnights so I stopped at Shoppers Drugmart at 8:00 a.m. on my way home to get one. I was not chancing them being sold out if I waited to buy one. It's a good thing! I was there when the store opened and they were not even unpacked yet. The stock guy told me he lost count of how many calls they had already for them and they only got four in stock and were not holding them for anybody. My Elmo is now safely at home and ready to be wrapped up for Christmas.

Finished Bag

On Friday I said I was going to make the all day bag from Lotta Jansdotter. I made it that morning. It was quite easy and it only took a couple of hours. I did make a few changes though. The pattern did not call for any interfacing. I did not want a floppy bag so I added a layer of interfacing. It also didn't have any type of closure so I added a small magnetic snap. I also added a second side pocket on the outside (pattern only had pocket on one side) and extended the inside pocket to be the full length of the bag instead of a small square. The bag came out quite well. I lined it with some leftover discontinued Alexander Henry fabric that I had. I had one small mishap at the end when I was turning the bag. The lining fabric ripped a little bit. I was a little upset and had to do some repairs so I was very glad the bag was for me or I would have had to redo it. I would probably make this bag again and it was very easy. I think new sewers would be able to attempt this bag. The directions were very clear and easy to follow.




My next project will be to finish the Amy Butler weekend bag I started over a year ago. That was not a very fun project. I hope to have it finished and an update soon.

Mini Wallets/Card Holders

I am in the process of making cardholders for my shop. I made one for myself about 3 weeks ago and I don't know how I lived without it. They are the handiest thing and for something so small they sure hold a lot of stuff.

A much needed bag for me!

Anyone who sews or is crafty in any way knows that you rarely get to keep anything for yourself. I desperately need a larger bag for work. I work midnights and often take a lot of stuff with me such as food, magazines for break and any packages I need to ship in the morning. I came across this book, Lotta Jansdotter Simple Sewing: Patterns ans How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects. There is a bag called the All Day Tote, which I'm going to attempt today. I have some great orange corduroy that I've been hording which I think will make a perfect fall bag. The only problem I see is that I'm not very good at following patterns. I really hate them actually. I find they really make the sewing process much harder then it has to be so we'll see how closely I manage to stick to the pattern.

New Mittens

It has been really cold here this week which always gives me the urge to knit something warm. For as long as I remember I've always knitted my own mittens. I don't remember the last time I've used a store bought pair. Handmade ones are always much warmer. I came across this pattern online a few months ago and decided to give them a try. I love the long length for all the 3/4 sleeve jackets this fall.


This pattern is free on the hopes that you will also make a pair for someone in need. In most cities The Salvation Army has a mitten program you can donate to.
Here's the link for the free downloadable pattern http://www.melaniefalickbooks.com/news/2008/6/12/the-big-mitten-give.html

I started a pair last night and I'm almost finished the first one. I will post pics when I'm finished.

Wallet Weekend

I've had a productive weekend. I have been making wallets all day. I managed to get nine made for my shop plus two for custom orders. I had planned on making a couple of new bags as well but that is not going to happen today. The downside of working midnights is you don't have as much time in your day as you would like. I'll be heading to bed around the time many are sitting down to dinner.

Bifold Wallet in Lace Work

This is one of my favourite Amy Butler fabrics. It's the Lace Work in olive from the Lotus collection. I have previously made bags with it but have avoided making wallets with it because of the large print. I decided a couple of weeks to try one and it came out beautifully. It has been a great seller. I am currently taking orders for it so if you want one before they're gone feel free to email me or convo me through my shop.

My New Favourite

I think I just made my new favourite bag. I just posted it in my shop and that was hard. I've never wanted to keep one so badly before. It is one of my new side tie totes made in Amy Butler's Morning Glory Linen. I'll have to make sure I keep some of this fabric aside to make one for me as it has been really hard to get lately.



I have also stocked some more zippered pouches and a couple more wallets with a few more on the way. I'm trying to get as stocked as I can now for the holidays. I know it seems early but the more I have ready now the less time I will have to spend sewing during the holiday season.

LolliShops

I was accepted as a vendor on the new upcoming LolliShop. I am really excited. I am currently planning a new line just for this shop. It will be girly and probably heavy on pink which I love. I'm thinking this store will be a bit different from my Etsy shop. I am planning on starting out with mostly clutches and accessories that will be a bit more whimsical than what you would normally see in my shop. I will update with pictures when I have them but in the meantime I'm really going to love creating something new.

In my previous post, I believe I mention some new messenger bags I'm working on. Well, they're not happening right now. I just can't seem to get exactly what I want so I'm leaving it for a while and will try again. I did make some new side tie totes which I love! I have a couple in my shop now and a few more on the way.

August Plans

August is usually a slow month for me so I have made some tentative plans for the month for my shop.

I have a new messenger bag design that has been in my head for a while that I'm hoping to actually make. I would really like to get all the details worked out this weekend as I think it would be a great bag for back to school.

I have been working on getting restocked on some of my accessory items. Wallets are already popping up, so if you want one get it quick they don't seem to last long. I will have some more zippered pouches in the next few days as well.

I am hoping to run a sale a back to school sale for the last two weeks of August as well but as I said these plans are tentative. I'm still not sure what kind of sale to run. If you have any suggestions please feel free to share them.

Last but not least I have been trying to bring out a new home line for the last 6 months. I am hoping to get a good start on this or at least come up with a plan for the items I'm going to start with.

My Day of Sewing

I am happy with the sewing I got done today. Since I work midnights I don't always get as much done as I would like. I finished a custom order of 4 totes (3 large and 1 small) . I was able to get four wallets and four zippered pouches done. These will get posted in my shop throughout the week. I would have liked to get a few more wallets done since I can't seem to keep them in my shop but I hope to find some time this week. I am waiting for the Park Slope by Erin McMorris fabric that I ordered. Once it's in I plan to make wallets and wristlets with it. I can't wait. It should be here this week.

Great Etsy Buy

I thought I would tell everyone about my most favourite Etsy purchase ever. If you have not shopped on Etsy yet, you must go look around. There are great things from very talented artists and crafters.

I buy a lot of bath and beauty items some I like, some I wasn't very impressed with. I just purchased some whipped body butter, sugar scrub, foaming shower cream and body spray from FlameWorks. They are the best products I have ever used. I got the Honey Be Sweet scent which is fantastic. I will never use another product again. Especially the shower cream and body butter. I had purchased the massage lotion bar previously and I don't go anywhere without one. I would highly recommend you check out this store, you will not be disappointed!

Uninspired

I have all day to sew today but I'm feeling uninspired. I want to sew a new bag and I have a style in mind but it's not turning out the way I want it. It looks really good in my head though!

Since I'm avoiding the sewing machine, I have been looking at some new fabric lines coming out. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the Amy Butler Midwest Modern line. It's pretty but I think it's my least favourite of all her fabrics. I have some bags and wallets made out of this fabric but I'm still unsure of whether I'm going to reorder this fabric or not.

What I did come across is the new Joel Dewberry Home Dec line Ginseng (http://www.joeldewberry.com/GinsengIndex.html) and I am very patiently waiting to order it. I especially love the spice selections. The new bags in my head would look very nice in this fabric.


I also love Denise Schmidt's County Fair which is new colours from the Flea Market Fancy line which is one of my favourites. I think I want to make some cute little summer tops and dresses for my niece in these prints.


Last but not least, I also have my eye on Sandi Henderson's Farmers Market. I love the colourful prints, especially the little apple print.

What I've Been Working On

I have been trying to come up with a wallet pattern that I like for months. It has been fun and frustrating all at the same time. I think I've finally finished though. I have finished 2 so far but
I'm still working on pricing. I am going to try and post them on Etsy this week. One thing that I did find is it is a whole lot more work to make a wallet then it is a bag.

Sewing Room Cleanup

I spent 3 hours last night before work cleaning my sewing room. I wish I had taken pictures before to maybe motivate myself to keep it clean. I am embarrassed about all the supplies that I keep buying ie thread and zippers that I think I am out of and then found bags full of them. My fabric is always neatly packed and easily accessible but everything else is everywhere. The worst is the bits of threads and leftover fabric pieces on the floor. The pins are the worst, I never go in that room with bare feet. But, it's done now and lets hope it stays that way. If anyone has any great organizational tips, I'd be happy to hear them.

Amy Butler Midwest Modern

I have had a busy couple of weeks. I received my order of Amy butler's new Midwest Modern and have been sewing up a storm. I decided to use it for my pleated purses which are new for spring and summer. They are coming out quite nicely. I have a few listed in my shop and am hoping to update here soon with some photos. I am still making purses with Amy Butler's Belle and Lotus. I have to admit the Lotus line is still my favourite.

The zipper pouches I started making a couple of months ago have been flying off the shelves. I hope to be able to find some time to make a big batch with the new fabrics. I still have a few listed in my Etsy shop but the quantities are limited right now. So much to do and so little time.

What I've been working on

I know I have neglected my blog last month. I have been working hard on some new bags. These are currently my new favourites. I will be adding more in my store the next couple of weeks. I'm just trying to find some time to do photos. The zippered pouches I brought out a couple of months ago are doing quite well, so they will stay and I hope to do a smaller coin pouch version soon.

My treasury is on the front page of Etsy today

I logged on to Etsy this morning to find my treasury on the front page. It is very exciting. It is the most favourite treasury I have done. Everything I picked was stuff I would actually buy myself which is very important to me when choosing items. If anyone has time today go check out some of these great artists on Etsy.

Slow Week

It's been a slow week for me so I don't have much to post. I was in another treasury a few days ago which is always exciting. I have been working on my spring messenger bags. I have the first one posted in my shop now.

Etsy Treasury

I am in an Etsy treasury this week with one of my new zippered pouches! It's always exciting to browse through and come across one of your items.

I spent the whole day in Photoshop trying to fix my pictures. I finally figured it out and I think my pictures look 1oo% better. I am pretty proud of myself. I didn't think the program would be so hard to use. I have only upated about 1/3 of my shop but I'll start again tomorrow.

I don't think I'm going to do anything else tonight. Maybe watch a movie and go to bed.

Happy New Year!

I thought I should make some New Years resolutions or goals for 2008.
1. Clean and organize my sewing room (It is a disaster after the holiday rush).
2. Post or relist something in my Etsy shop everyday.
3. Start working on some new items that have been floating around in my head.
4. Continue working on my pictures. That is a never ending battle it seems.
5. Blog more often!

I guess that's all of them for now. I'll add more as they come to me.

I have been working on new zippered pouches and have slowly been adding them to my store. I hope to also add some market totes to my shop. I am tired of using the ugly grocery store bags.

Here is a sample of the pouches.