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.