Mermaid Tails For EVERYONE! Plus an Open Back Tutorial!

The most useful tutorial I found this winter was the FREE Made for Mermaids mermaid tail pattern/tutorial.  It is seriously a fast sew, and turns out super cute!  The pattern includes sizes for small and large child sized, but if you leave the tail open, and do the band so it folds up, it will fit even small adults!  I ended up making 7 total, 1 doll, 2 child, 2 small adult, and 2 adult with open backs. 

My first attempt - I did the doll sized one so I could make sure I understood the pattern!

After Christmas Aftermath

We survived!!

I'll do more detailed posts eventually, but here are just a few of the last minute projects I was finishing up last week....and the week before...

BB-8 free-handed hat....I found better patterns AFTER I finished it.  Oh well.

INTERMISSION - Too Much To Do and Not Enough Time To Do It!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and a happy holiday season, no matter how you celebrate it!

Too much to do now to stop to write about it, hopefully I remember to take pictures for later!!  I'll be back soon (ish), when I have either caught up or given up on my Christmas presents and plans.  ;)  In the meantime, enjoy some lovely hold music and

Enjoy your time with family and friends, and I'll catch you on the flip-side!

WIP Wednesday - Mermaids, Christmas Trees, Bows Galore - Craft Show Insanity!

(Somehow Wednesday became Thursday thanks to all the crafting I've been staying up to finish!)  With the last craft show of the season quickly approaching, I'm doing my best to get as much finished so I can clear out some room in the sewing pile!  My latest fabric eater is the mermaid blanket, which is so fun and fast!  Made for Mermaids is giving away free patterns for the 12 days of Christmas and the very first one was a mermaid tail blanket!  Super cute and easy to personalize/modify/upsize for adults!  Or if you sew it with the tail open, and the waist band as tall as it can be, it ends up almost 5' long!! 

Well...it was supposed to be kid sized....and the top is actually a rectangle, not weirdly shaped like it looks in the pic

Pattern testing - Brandt's Boulevard Wallet by ChrisW Designs

Yay, a new pattern!!!  This one is part of ChrisW's new "Easy Street" line, and compared to other patterns, it IS easy!!  (*cough*Penny Inn*cough*)  This is a fast sew that gives a very nice finish, I had orders for several before I could even share it on any sort of social media!  The wallet still holds quite a bit, including a phone (I think the largest one I tested was the Samsung Galaxy 6s, in a case).

I was able to shop my stash for all the fabrics!

A Samsung Galaxy S2 in the pocket, plenty of room for a bigger phone!

WIP Wednesday - Using Up My Stash

Since I added to my stash of flannel, fleece, and yarn due to the amazing deals last weekend, I'm trying to get a million things done so I have room for other things, like a Christmas tree...  I've already completed 2 cowls with my new yarn, and have a 3rd in the works...so that's like 1/30 of the new yarn used up...

Giant chunky yarn means the cowls work up fast! And eat a lot of yarn...

Faux Chenille Blanket - aka the Flannel Eater

So I'll admit that I have a flannel problem...it's so soft and cute that I just can't resist on the Black Friday sales!!  I've used it for a few things over the years, the back of quilts (Star Wars and a 1600 pink one), pj pants, a few swaddled animals....and that's about it.  Since I can't seem to stop buying it, I finally decided to try embroidering some flannel and turning it into receiving blankets.  I got them embroidered...and that was as far as I got.

Then I ran across a tutorial for faux chenille blankets and decided it was a perfect way to use up my stash!  I ordered a tool from amazon (seriously worth the money if you plan on making more than one!)

The amazing tool, just a few cuts into the project.

WIP Wednesday - Hey, Guess What - One Month to Christmas!

Did you realize Christmas is in one month??  I didn't until someone pointed it out this morning.   Uhhhhh....time to start just chewing espresso beans by the handful, no time to wait for it to turn into coffee!

I could use a pair of wings right about now...if they made me sew faster!

The Lull Before the Storm....

Now that 2 craft shows are done, I finally have time to catch back up on orders.  And sleep.  Maybe sleep first, then orders...  I have a few weeks until the next craft show, so it's time to restock the stuff that sold out (crayon rolls were hot at the last show!) and decide if I want to try anything new...or maybe have a chance to get to my 'ooh, I should make this' list before Christmas....

My giant stack of crayon rolls I have cut out and ready to go...need to get some boy ones cut now!

Nora Purse by Swoon

I love making purses for people!  There is the fun of discussing the style and features, picking out fabric, seeing it come together, and then the joy of seeing their face light up (or receiving an excited message) when they get the purse and hold it in their hands.  It makes all the time I spend with my seam ripper totally worth it!  This purse is the Nora by Swoon.  It is a doctor bag style purse but it doesn't use the metal purse frame that most doctor bags require.  It opens wide when the lock is open, but squishes closed nicely!

The pattern has 2 short handbag straps, I added on the cross body strap

WIP Wednesday - Over Halfway Through November?!?!

I know time flies, but this is ridiculous!  I haven't even had a chance to think about Christmas stuff yet; usually I like to make my cards (and get them out by Jan 1 most years...hey, it still counts, right?) and by now I'll at least have a plan for what I need to procrastinate doing.  I haven't even pulled out the card stuff yet, so either I'm going super simple, buying cards, or not sleeping....Hello, Coffee!

New doodles for the etsy shop...eventually

Another Great Sew Along! (Kiss Clutch Sew Along)

This was such a fun and quick sew along, but everyone that participated did amazing!  Some even had time to do multiple ones!! That is on my list...but probably not until after Christmas at this point.  ;)
Thanks so much to Christine for the great pattern, and to everyone that participated!  If you still want to sew your own, you can get the Kiss Clutch pattern HERE!

Take a look at a tiny sampling of the great clutches that were finished during this sew along:

This cute London fabric is so fun!  By Jana from Bubo Boutique

WIP Wednesday - Last Wednesday of the Kiss Clutch Sew Along

If you are still working on your Kiss Clutch, time to get it done!!  It looks like I'll only have one finished for this, which is honestly how much I thought I would get to, but I hoped I'd have time for more!  I have the fabric picked out for more, and they are a pretty fast sew (for a purse) so once I get a few things out of the way I'll work on the tutorial for the zipper and whip up a few for the etsy shop!

Can't stop making stuff so I can get a better picture, no time for fun and games this week!

BB-8 Kiss Clutch - Sew Along Update

The Kiss Clutch Sew Along is still running through this weekend, so make sure to put any of your finished clutches into the album in the Face Book group for a chance to win a free pattern!  You definitely still have time to make one, even if you haven't started yet!

WIP Wednesday - Kiss Clutch Sew Along

We are well underway for the Sew Along, and several people have even finished at least one clutch!  This really is a fast sew!  I have one in progress that will be a present, so just in case...no sharing of that one!  Well, ok, just one sneak peak...

I love the handmade tabs from Emmaline bags!!

Getting Started - Kiss Clutch Sew Along - Fabric Galore!

This is going to be a fast sew along, so no time to waffle over fabric choices!  You may even have time to make ALL your choices before the sew along is done!!  Here are a few of my selections, plus I really want to do some embroidered flap ones as well...Need to pick those out also!

The mouse polka dots could be either grown up or girly, depending on which is outside!

Sew Along Time - Kiss Clutch!

I'm pretty sure my life is not crazy enough, so I volunteered to lead the next sew along for ChrisW's Kiss Clutch!  The good news, it is a FAST sew and a short sew along!  The bad news - I want to try making 3 in the 2 weeks it is running.   My expectation - I'll get one done before getting distracted.  ;)

WIP Wednesday - Costume crunch time!!

So for all my plans of starting 'early' I instead waited until 4 days before I needed the costumes finished...I can still do it...coffee is going to be my BBFF (bestest best friend forever) this week...

Wonder clips really are a wonder!

Doctor Who inspired Ethel - Through Time And Space Fabric Preview!

When I was given the opportunity to make a purse to help debut a new line of fabric, I JUMPED at the chance!  This would be my first purse in a 'professional' setting and I would get to see fabric before the majority of the public, so what was there to say "No" to?  HUGE thanks to Scarlett Wells for letting me take part in this awesome project!

Professional Picture from the fabric line release - look how fancy it makes my purse seem!

WIP Wednesday - Time to stop procrastinating, I guess...

I had big plans to work on the Halloween costumes ALL month, and now that I have 8 days to finish them, panic is starting to set in...which is when I seem to work best!  Soon my sewing area will be covered in giant cuts of fabric that will hopefully turn into cloaks in the very near future.  And there will also be an Anna hat from felt, time permitting...

Adult sized hat, haven't done one of these in a while!

 At least I finished a hat last night, so that is one thing off my (never ending) list!

Throw Back Tuesday - Mermaid Tail Wristers

I'm pretty sure I never shared these before, but they are still my favorite accessories for a cold office...sometimes called fingerless gloves, sometimes wristers, and I'm sure there are other names!

WIP Wednesday - er, Thursday...

So it's no longer Wednesday, but I wanted to get my WIP post up for the week!  I'm trying to get back on schedule doing 2 posts a week, but there haven't been a lot of finishes lately and too much else going on!

This describes me perfectly.

Baby Jayne Hat. Pretty Cunning, don'tcha think?

I planned on making a hat for my nephew when he was born...a few months ago...but never got around to it.  Then my Sister in Law reminded me that she needed it, and requested a detachable beard.  So he can match his Dad.  Yes, my brother requested a hat to wear in Florida, when driving around in his little convertible.  He's special.  ;)  I can't wait to see pictures of the 2 of them in their hats and beards, but I'm really hoping it will fit since my 6 year old also can wear it!  Good thing my nephew is a big boy!

Bearded lady.

WIP Wednesday - This and That

The last week brought a lot of random things to my list...My Little Pony patches, MLP ears, crochet hats, procrastinating on sewing purses...

Yarn Season

I love this time of year, I consider it all to be "Yarn Season" instead of just "Fall" and "Winter".  Now that there is a little nip in the air, people are starting to think about hats and scarves again, and I get to pull out the hooks and curl up on the couch with a good tv show to listen to while I hook away!

Last night I started looking for yarn for a friend's baby hat...she wanted light colors so I went through my boxes pulling out anything that seemed 'light' or baby girl.  Or just really fun.  In less than 5 minutes I had all this yarn gathered up, and that wasn't even digging into my stash to find the stuff that's buried...

I might have a yarn problem.  Or maybe I need more because really that's not a huge selection of light colors...

Time to get busy crocheting! 

WIP Wednesday - Another Month Flies By

I don't know about you, but I swear it was just the start of September yesterday, and now we are almost to October!  I haven't even started on Halloween costumes -- usually my kids need at least 2 months to finalize their plans, and then I decide if I can buy something decent, or if they pick something obscure, find a pattern I can modify.  We haven't been going as 'all out' for the past few years, so the amount of 3 am sewing has drastically decreased.  Making a costume is in no way cheaper than buying one, and for something that will get worn one night, I'm not going to kill myself to make something amazing.  I do actually enjoy the costume making (until halfway through when I start wondering how crazy I am, but that turns around after it is finished...) but there are some super cute things out there you can buy, and I can spend that time working on other fun stuff, like more purses and embroidery!

Can't go wrong with Back to the Future cross stitch!

Sedimental Quilt Top

Quilting always intimidated me, but every so often I run across a pattern I fall in love with that I decide I need to make.  This pattern is a free one from Tula Pink, called Sedimental.  She recommends her amazing True Colors fabric (which I LOVE) but before I could bite the bullet to buy that much fabric, (and find someone with it in stock), I ran across some fabric bundles on Mass Drop.  The set I ended up using is ALL my favorite colors, so this quilt is going to be mine!  I may have to steal it back from the kids any time I want to use it...and I'm trying to resist buying more of the fabric the next time I see it.

Sorry for the dark picture, it actually shows the colors almost true to life tho!

 

Necessary Clutch Wallet vs the Penny Inn - Wallet/Clutch showdown!

Recently someone asked which of these was better and I realized it might be something interesting to compare.  I've made 9 of the NCW's so far, but only one of the Penny Inn's, but I've used both for extended periods of time.

Side by side, you can see the width is similar, Penny Inn has a squarer shape so a wider bottom, but about the same at the top.

Two Years of Etsy!!

I can't believe we've already had an Etsy shop for 2 years, where is time going??

To celebrate, use the code TWOYEARS to get free shipping on any order over $10!  And we have been working hard (Mostly Kendra!) so there are over 100 items listed in the shop right now!  Go check it out, give us a few favorites, and enjoy some free shipping!  Thanks so much to everyone that has supported us in the last two years!

The code expires on 9/20/15, so don't procrastinate!

Just Plain Sweet

At least his shipping is free!

WIP Wednesday - Getting Off Track

I have been really good for the past few months about starting a project and sticking with it until it's finished, until this month.  So far I now have a half finished quilt, a half finished Doctor Who wallet, and now I'm adding the half finished Bella II to my list!  I WILL finish it soon, but I have a special project that has to jump the line and get finished ASAP!  I can't even share any pics of the project, but you will be able to find it at Quilt Market! 

Colors are not quite right...I'll get better pictures when it is finally finished!

Penny Inn Sew along!

No, I'm not crazy enough to lead this sew along, since I need to get caught up on everything else, but I wanted to remind everyone to join, especially if you are intimidated by the pattern!  It's a detailed pattern, and not an 'afternoon' sew, but the end result is totally worth it!  The breakdown will once again be posted on Christine's blog so you can join at any time, and go back to review the guide if you get stuck!

C'mon you know you want to make one of your own!

UFO/WIP Wednesday - Not Quite Crunch Time...Yet.

There's still PLENTY of time until Christmas, so I don't need to start gifts yet...or so I keep telling myself!

This week's WIP is the new Bella II purse.  You can find it HERE!  I have it all cut and interfaced, so now it's time for the fun sewing part!  As soon as I can find time...


FoxField fabric is awesome!  And crazy!

 

Last Day of the Sew Along!

Today is the last chance you have to enter your Pick A Pocket Wallet into the album on FaceBook if you want to be eligible for the drawing.  Tomorrow a random winner will be picked!

If you didn't finish, don't worry, the guide will stay up on Christine's blog and you can always ask for help in the fan group if you get stuck! 

Tula Pink FoxField fabric!

Pick A Pocket Wallet Sew Along Update - Prize!!

I talked Christine into offering a prize for the Pick A Pocket Wallet sew along, so hurry up and finish if you aren't done yet!!  All finished wallet pics need to be in the 'official' album in the face book group to be entered into the random drawing, but you have until the 8th to get them in!  And this is a holiday weekend, so that means more sewing time, right??

You'll be full of Joy if you win!  :p

September Already!! -- Where Is The Year Going??

Hey guys, did you know that there are only 16 more weekends before Christmas?  That means 16 weekends to work on handmade gifts.  Or if you are like me, wait until December starts, scramble like crazy, and end up with only a few select people getting handmade gifts.  Usually the gifts arrive after Christmas....hey, it's like Christmas lasts longer!

Pencil Pouches and School Supplies - Rush Edition!

There's nothing like realizing that school is starting in less than a week to cause panic and bring on the rush requests!  Last week I had a request for a donut pencil case, and as I was working on that, my oldest child decided she needed a new pencil case, too.  The first one finished was my own pattern, and hopefully I'll have a tutorial up for it soon!  Featuring embroidery from UrbanThreads.com, it turned out pretty good!

Finished size is around 9"x10", so it has LOTS of room!

Pick A Pocket Wallet - Inside Out Edition

I am so glad to have this wallet finished.  For being an 'easy' version, I sure managed to screw up or second guess myself every step of the way!  This was my first time doing it with the second zippered pocket, so of course I screwed that up too!  The good news is that I took notes as I fixed my mistakes...the bad news is that I'll probably lose those notes...

My 'customer' was very happy with the way the wallet turned out, now she's trying to convince me that she needs to carry my cards and money...not going to happen LOL!

The outside HAD to have Joy and Anger, but of course they weren't right next to each other on the fabric.  We compromised and Anger went on the tab. I think it turned out cute!

Her favorite character...we still haven't seen the movie!

WIP Wednesday - Week 3 of the Pick a Pocket Sew Along, UFO Challenge, etc

I finally finished something!!  The first wallet for the Sew Along is done!!  I somehow managed to put the inside and outside main pieces together backwards, which led to everything being put together on opposite sides, but it still works! 

 

Pick A Pocket Sew Along - Week 3

I hope everyone is moving along on their wallets, I'm almost halfway done with my first and with a few more hours of sewing time, will be totally finished!  Don't forget to check out Christine's blog for tricks and tips!  And share your pictures in the FaceBook group!

I took Ellen's tip about making the template for the pockets, and I LOVE it!  I think I will finally defeat the pockets and get them evenly spaced!  I did learn that you need to make sure the pen you grab ISN'T the frixxon pen...even on cardboard it will disappear with ironing...oops!

Piece of cardboard from a fat quarter

 

WIP Wednesday, UFO Challenge, Pick a Pocket Sew Along - Over Halfway through August!

How is everyone doing on their UFO pile?  I admit...mine is crawling along.  Now that the quilt top is finished, and I'm on track for the Pick A Pocket Wallet sew along, I feel like I'll have a little breathing room to work on the loveys.  Recently I decided to reorganize my sewing storage area and ran across MANY more UFO's....so I need to finish these so I can get started on the rest I found!  I have one arm, hair, and putting it all together left for the 2 loveys.

Pick a Pocket Sew Along:
Still working on the wallets...I have them interfaced, the tabs sewn (but not top-stitched or snaps on) and started working on the first zippered pocket.  After half an hour of trying to make sure I had the zippered pocket the right way...I think I finally figured it out!  I hope anyway...

 

Pick A Pocket Sew Along - Week 2!

I am finally getting started, but Christine and Ellen have finished ALL the steps over on the ChrisW Designs Blog!  Don't worry if you aren't very far, this wallet goes together nicely once you have the pieces cut!  Or you can be a little crazy and cut 2 at once!  That way if you mess up, you REALLY mess up!  Not that I have...yet....

I used a frixon pen to write on the pieces what they were...and then waited until they cooled after fusing the interfacing to write it again.  Heat disappearing ink is not a good idea when you need to iron!  I thought about throwing them in the freezer...

Bag of The Month Club - Manhattan Mama Sized Purse

I really love the Bag of the Month club this year!  I can't believe it's only August and I've already made 5 of the 6 patterns!!  This one is a relatively fast sew, no fiddly bits other than the GIANT zipper!  Which is not hard to install if you take your time and use zipper tape.   Zipper tape is my new favorite thing.

Embroidery from Urban Threads, I love how this one stitches out!

Evelyn by Swoon - In Tula Pink!

Sometimes I feel so fancy, throwing names around like I know what I'm talking about...of course if you mention a clothing designer, I'll probably give you a blank stare and ask if I've met them....but I'm learning all the 'top' designers of handbag patterns and amazing quilting fabrics! 

My fancy handles, glitter vinyl with fabric to hide the seam

WIP Wednesday - UFO Challenge, Pick A Pocket Sew Along and Quilting

My UFO challenge is still staring at me every time I sit on the couch, but no progress has been made...I will get those loveys done!  I hope you are doing better than I am!

Pick A Pocket sew along is ongoing...I'm trying to get my quilt top finished so I have room to work before I start, but the second post is up on Christine's blog with the next set of instructions!  Go check them out if you are ready to move on!  Part 2

That is one of 29 very long strips...and nearly impossible to get a picture of all the colors at once...

Pick A Pocket Wallet Sew Along - Week One!

This sew along is going to last 4 weeks, so don't feel rushed or worry if you start a day or 5 late! 

Ellen and Christine will be guiding us through the steps in 4 blog posts, so you can pick and choose how fast you want to work!  You can get the pattern for the Pick A Pocket wallet on Christine's website, and join us in the FaceBook group for motivation, inspiration, and help!

My youngest decided she needs her own wallet, but in this fabric!

Pick-A-Pocket Wallet - Sew Along Starting Next Week!!

It's time once again for another sew along!  This time we'll be doing the Pick-A-Pocket Wallet by ChrisW.  This one will be run a little differently, Christine is going to post the steps on her blog and I'll be leading the sewing in the FaceBook group.  This was my tester version, so I can't wait to try one with the real pattern!

 

WIP Wednesday - UFO Challenge Week 1

I received a lot of good feedback on the UFO challenge - I'm not the only person that has a stash of unfinished projects!  I picked out my first 2 to finish, some princess and Elsa inspired loveys!  All they need is arms, one needs hair, and then sewn together.  I think I dropped them because the thick yarn doesn't make good sleeves, and the thin is pretty but kept breaking on me!  I WILL finish them!

Disembodied heads are only slightly creepy...

UFO Challenge - Clean Up the Stash!

I'm getting better, but I can't even count how many projects I have that I started and either got distracted, lost, frustrated, or just plain spaced out that I was working on them.  I'm thinking that this is a good time to dig around in my pile o' crafts (aka the messy corner) and see what half finished, barely started, or nearly complete projects I can find. 

My challenge for myself (and you, if you want to join) is to find 2 UFO's (UnFinished Objects) and finish them by the end of the month.  If I finish them earlier, I'll go digging for another one and see how many I can get done! 

I know I have both sewing and crochet ones, so let's see what I dig out first!  Maybe I should make it a contest, with a prize...hmm....

If you are going to join me in the challenge, leave a comment and let me know what projects you find in your pile!

Bag of the Month Club - Seneca Creek Bag

This bag was an order, and she wanted it EXACTLY like one she had seen.  Unfortunately when the customer asked for the fabric that was used in the original, she was told one was a microsuede fabric, which is just behind satin for my least favorite materials to work with.  I was able to make it work, but the strap has a bit more stretch than I planned...good thing it's a little purse, so it shouldn't be carrying tons of weight!  The blue fabric is super soft to the touch, but since it's fabric, it will be washable!

Has detachable straps to go through the belt loops!

WIP Wednesday - Almost Caught Up!

After the procrastination of last week, I had to kick it into gear this week!  Not that I kicked it soon enough or hard enough...I'm only 2 days late on a swap item so far...

I finally started another pattern from the Bag of the Month club...this will be my 5th pattern used, so I'm definitely getting my money's worth this year!  The Manhattan Bag is a nice sized bag with some great features.  I did it in the "Momma" sized, and I think it would be big enough for everything I carry...and I'd probably only add on a few more pockets.  ;)

I hope she likes it!

Sharing - Chance to win a ChrisW pattern!

Just a quick sharing, Christine is revamping her Snazzy Slouch and is having a giveaway right now for the new pattern!  Be sure to enter and check out her new website!

I'm not testing this time around, but I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!!

Don't forget to sign up for her newsletter, there will be a discount code for the re-release you won't want to miss!

WIP Wednesday - Procrastination!

I am SO close to finishing the Tula Pink purse, but I only have a small amount of the pink glitter vinyl left, so I really don't want to screw up the handles...which is causing indecision as I try to figure out how to make them...which means I haven't made any progress on it since Friday!  And since I want to finish it, I am refusing to jump over it to another project, so nothing much is getting finished.