Sometimes the hardest part of testing a pattern is picking a fabric! I have so many different ones in my collection, but for this one I felt like the purse needed to be pretty AND fun, so I pulled out my hoarded Tula Pink fabrics. The Celestial Curve from ChrisW Designs is such a quick and cute bag, with great shaping and minimal hardware!
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| I think the slightly limp plants give it a 'walking with dinosaurs' feel |
I blinked, and we're already into December? I did get set up in a new boutique - Sweet Radiance Boutique in Florence, CO, so that's a new adventure for me! I've never had my items in a store before, so there will be a learning curve while I figure out which of my products to put out for sale. I left a bunch of blankets, all my mini notebooks and my Moondance journals there, mostly to force myself to make new stuff and use up my supplies. I'd love to clear out more room in my craft studio (and storage), so I'll be doing another fabric destash sometime this month and trying to get more things sewn up. It's getting down to the wire to finish up all the remaining orders, but I think I can finally focus on them and get everything done. Hopefully.
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| Fun new ornament coming soon at SB Stitching! |
The Summit Sling from Cloudsplitter designs is a bag that looks complicated, especially while cutting all the pieces, but actually comes together very nice! Unless you reverse a piece...which I did NOT do this time!
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| Not the best pic, but apparently the only full front one I grabbed! |
I can't believe that the month is almost half over! I actually have all my Etsy orders shipped out, and only a few orders on the list for the end of the year, so it feels a little strange. Usually I'm in panic mode and rushing like a maniac to get ready for shows, but since I missed the one 2 weeks ago, I'm not feeling the usual pressure to make a million more things. I would like to get all the blankets stitched (and sold!) that are in my stash, plus clear out more purses and other things, but I'm also pacing myself and taking breaks as I need to. This week I'm packaging up the doodle dolls, plus stitching up more blankets and hand towels, but at this point I feel like anything I finish is bonus!
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| I wonder how many doodles it will take to fill this giant bag... |
It seems like clear bags are getting more popular, thanks to stadiums and events requiring them, and while this bag won't meet EVERY venue requirements, it is super cute! I have a stockpile of the clear vinyl that I've been collecting, waiting for just the right (easy) patterns, and this one might not be super easy, but it did turn out super cute! The Cypress Cellphone Crossbody with the new Add On pattern from the Styled Magnolia makes for a great little bag!
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| Taking pics of shiny, reflective vinyl is a challenge, but the colors are great! |
I was supposed to have a big show over the weekend, but instead my body decided that it was time to visit the ER and see how the hospital food is...good news is that we caught everything in time and I should be ready to go for my final show in 3 weeks! (and the hospital food was decent) I'm sill trying to get more things finished, and planning on a sale in my Facebook group, and this gives me a little more time to work on everything without as much last minute rushing! First, I'm focusing on finishing the doodle dolls and making more blankets, since those are good sellers and the blankets take up a bunch of space!
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| Which side of the 'Die Hard is/isn't a Christmas movie' do you fall on? |
I really love the opportunity to sew up fun fabric and share it around, even when my life is super hectic and I have to rush! This fun fabric is part of the World of Magic round available for preorder right now at Knitorious Fabric! I thought a saddle bag was a fun way to show off this adorable panel, so I used the Sandra Saddle Bag (aff link) pattern from Swoon.
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| It's a saddle bag, because she's riding a sea HORSE... I amuse myself sometimes. |
I survived the craft show at the start of the month, and sold more than I expected, but that was also the start of the flood of Etsy orders! I'm FINALLY caught up on pony ears and wings orders, except for a few straggler orders (and I'm not going to renew the wings yet, just because I don't want the stress of trying to stitch all those up while doing the other things). Now I have to stitch up ALL the blankets I've stockpiled, finish the half done hooded towels I stitched up over the summer, sew up the prepped notebook holders, and maybe squeeze in some water bottle holders or mini backpacks!
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| I make everything in my booth, which could be why I never sleep... |
Every time I make an Annette purse from Swoon(aff link), I remember how nice they end up! It's a slightly fancy purse, but I love how fun it looks with the different fabrics!
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| Hello pink! |
I really need to get focused on what I'm making for the final craft shows, I just found out last week that the after Thanksgiving one was cancelled, so now I need to either find something in December (highly unlikely since signups are usually in the summer and the good shows are full) or just make sure I have extras listed on Etsy and get everything done asap! I sold enough at my last show that I really need to do another inventory of the doodle dolls and finger puppets, oh and wall art...
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| A few new books for the shows, if they make it there. |
One good thing about orders slowing down is that I've had extra time to do more pattern testing! The new Julep Tote bag from RLR Designs is definitely a fun bag and I'm very happy I was able to fit it into my schedule for testing! The pattern makes a nice roomy bag, with lots of pockets!
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| R2 had to be front and center, he's the best! |
This year I really did try to prep for the 'wing season' I have every September as people start planning Halloween costumes...but then I got one person ordering for her family and that wiped out my prep work! I still have time to make more, but 8 in one weekend is now my new limit.
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| Doll sized, Police, and Flying puppy wings! |
This is the first time I've gotten to test a bag for The Styled Magnolia, and I have to say that it was a super cute and fast one! Even better, I was able to snag some of the clear vinyl they sell and it was so nice to sew up! The Amari Tote bag comes in 2 sizes, and it's on sale this week!
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| Kitties in witch hats? Too cute! |
I can't even express how excited I was to get to sew up some of this GORGEOUS Abraxos Tan fabric from Knitorious for the new Bookish round! I love dragons and flowers, and this is just amazing! The fabric is based off the Sarah J. Maas Throne of Glass books and the dragon Abraxos. I admit, I hadn't read that far in the series when I received the fabric, but I finally read far enough to understand the flowers! I was thinking that a backpack would be really handy for a dragon rider, and the Phoebe from Sincerely Jen fit the panel perfectly!
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| A small backpack, but not tiny! |
Somehow the last few weeks FLEW by, and I didn't even have a spare moment to update the blog! I'm going to blame school starting, which added an extra level of stress to the day (no school busses, so we are the drivers) and allergies hitting everyone in the house. Or it could have been start of school colds, hard to say. No matter what, I'm pretty sure August lasted about 5 minutes, and September will be just as fast!
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| It's actually a deep green blanket and matching stitching under the embroidery, but my camera does what it wants. |
The H2O to Go Sling from Lind's Handmade is really becoming a popular pattern for me!
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| This fabric is one of my favorites! |
This Saturday is the first event of the year for me, a fun little con at my local library! I've been prepping as much as I can, and even though it's not a big event, it helps me get motivated to inventory what I have and figure out what exactly I need to add to fill in the gaps! I won't be taking the blanket inventory (it's going to be 100!), but all the other fun things like doodle dolls, finger puppets, (some) hooded towels, and the wall art are going to show up there.
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| Just a few last minute things to finish... |
I teased this a few weeks ago, and here it is - the mega wallet post! So many fun wallets made from the same pattern, the Brandt's Boulevard from ChrisW designs! I love how the different fabrics make it a totally different wallet! Each wallet really deserves a separate post, but there are only so many pictures you can take of a wallet before it gets boring...
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| I can't decide if the 'no' background actually looks better or not. I really need to work on my picture setup! |
ChrisW has done it again, this is another amazing bag! The Wanderflap Crossbody looks like just a stylish purse, but it has SO MANY FEATURES!
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| It's even prettier in person! |
I think I'm actually caught up for once! I only have two open orders, and I'm just waiting for a response (and pre-washing glitter fabric) for the first one and the second one just came in, so that counts as caught up! I actually pulled out a few of the prepped Moondance notebook covers to start stitching them up, and I'm still working on the doodle dolls and more blankets to prep for the upcoming craft shows. I also started stitching a bunch more wall art, which means that I should be finishing them this week!
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| I love how the fabric shows through and it looks like the moon! |
Sometimes you find the most interesting fabrics, like this fun Bob Ross painting one! Pair it with a super quick wallet pattern, like the Phoenix Billfold from XOXO by Lauren, and you have a unique wallet.
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| Happy tree paintings! |
It's almost time for my birthday, which was bittersweet when I was a kid. On the one hand, BIRTHDAY!, but on the other hand, it's almost the end of summer! My goal to be productive this summer and stitch up a bunch of things for the upcoming craft shows is slowing coming along, but I should probably kick it up a notch, so I have less last minute finishing to do the night before a show... although last minute panic IS a pretty good motivator!
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| Auditioning some fabric for the test bag, actually matches, I promise! |
Not everything I make has to be elaborate or even a purse! For the laptop sleeve, I took the Sewn Ideas Book Sleeve and added on a few inches to make it fit a laptop!
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| It doesn't look bigger than the usual ones I make, but it is! |
I FINALLY started working on the sewing studio, organizing, putting things away, and clearing out stuff I won't use...like the giant body bag sized vacuum bag of yarn that I completely forgot was hiding on a shelf! I love to crochet, but it's more of a relaxing hobby than something I do for my business, so I don't really need to keep the 100s of skeins in my stash. I think I deserve to go buy new yarn when I finish a project and want to start something new! In the course of cleaning, I've already pulled out almost 2 tubs worth of fabric to destash, with a bunch of panels that I either had multiples, or they are just not ones I ever expect to use. I also found my tall cut table chair that I randomly forget is even in the room...usually because it's completely buried in fabric.
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| I changed the material I use for patches, and they are coming out pretty nice! |
The Ascent Backpack from The Styled Magnolia is a unique looking bag that is perfect for showing off pretty fabrics! I think I'll let the pictures (mostly) speak for themselves!
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| I probably should have stuffed it full to get the best shape |
I'm definitely not ready for next week to be July! My kids have already hit the 'bored with everything' part of their vacation, and now want to do things, but not the random cleaning things I suggest for them to do whenever they complain about being bored. Although, there has been more baking and organizing of their stuff lately, so I'm not complaining too much! I wish I could delegate the organizing of my sewing studio, but I really need to do that myself. I think that is my goal for July, but it always seems to slip down the priority list for more fun things.
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| The vinyl was a little soft and stretchy, but it still looks pretty awesome! |
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| Is it me, or does this bag look grumpy? |
I feel like I'm getting caught up and might even get ahead on orders...but it's more likely something else will come up and I'll lose a week of sewing time. Either way, I've opened up slots for new orders in my group this week! If I magically finish all my orders and have free time, I guess that means I'll have to start cleaning, or maybe just work on the pile of prepped crayon rolls, moondance notebook holders, and random UFO's I have...
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| A fun little notebook! |
In the summer I go between melting in a puddle of sweat and having the urge to make ALL THE THINGS! No in-between. Today is an ALL THE THINGS day, probably because this week was overwhelming with a lot of waiting around and not very productive... or maybe it was because I got in almost a full 8 hours of sleep! I'm debating on doing a summer show, mainly on the fence because it's a "thrifted" market, but they will have new things for sale there too. And it's inside, which is a bonus since this week we reached 102 degrees and the weather has been either super hot, or super windy. Sometimes both at the same time...but the majority of my stuff is geared toward cold weather/holiday gifting. Although hooded towels would be handy at the pool, and the flat doodles are great for car trips...and if I could get a stockpile of the H2O bags sewn up, they might be good sellers...I keep talking myself into and out of doing it LOL!
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| Definitely been needing second coffee lately! |
Sometimes you need extra features on a purse or tote bag, and the new release from ChrisW Designs is a GREAT way to add in more pockets and features to any bag! The Universal Add on Wallet Panel can be added directly to your lining (or outside) during the construction of your purse, I started doing mine without any bag in mind, so I hacked it to be a stand alone clutch.
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| The pretty vinyl kind of disguises all the features |
June is already flying by and I have SO MUCH I need to get done quickly! Orders are starting to stack up, tests and strike fabric came in all at once, and life got pretty hectic for a few weeks. I'm hoping that things are starting to slow down again, so I can squeeze in some fun sewing and stay on top of deadlines. I really planned on doing more destash listings last month since I'm still about to be buried alive in fabric!
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| Fun new bookmark from SB Stitching! |
The newest fabric round from Snow Willow Designs is a GORGEOUS Pride plaid! The colors are drawn from the various pride flags, but even if you aren't familiar with them, they are just amazing color combos and make a very pretty fabric. I honestly love the colors on so many of them! Even better, Snow Willow Designs is a LGBTQIA+ owned company, and 10% of sales will be donated in equal amounts to The Trevor Project, PFLAG, and The National Center for Transgender Equality.
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| One of the fanciest bags I've made! |
Fabric this pretty needed a fancy purse pattern to go with it! The Samaren Shoulder Bag from Lavender & Twine fit the bill perfectly!
I'm so ready for extra time off, even if it's just one more day than usual! I am planning on getting a bunch of things going on both the embroidery and sewing machine and also take some time to relax! Orders and projects are starting to come in a little faster, so probably more sewing than relaxing...but at least I usually find sewing to be relaxing!
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| Sneaky peek of some gorgeous plaid fabric coming in June! |
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| Perfect for the Van Gogh experience, or just Gogh-ing around town. Yes, I did that. |
I seem to finally be getting more motivation and energy, which means I'm probably due for a cold or something to pop up that needs immediate attention and time... I hope not, but that just seems to be how it goes! I started accidentally collecting more plush blankets again (in my defense, they released pretty new ones) so it's time to throw them back on the machine, once the etsy orders are caught up! I would love to find something else pony related to add to the shop, since that seems to be about 80% of my sales, but I'm just not sure what would be a good thing...I always have a bunch of ideas going through my head, but usually don't have enough time to do more than add them to a list. I'm actually getting caught up on orders, so maybe now is the time to try out some new things!
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| My crochet is more for relaxation, so I take my time...this took me at least a few months, maybe a year? Or 2? |
I wanted a quick Star Wars blog post for today, so I dug around for something to share! This was a Free N' Easy wallet from ChrisW Designs that I whipped together the night before leaving on a business trip last year, so the pictures are not my best. The vinyl is really gorgeous, a lavender with floral Rebel symbols from Knitorious. I could go take some better pics, but my business cards left some ink on the pockets, so it's not as pretty inside as it was. (I didn't even know they could do that!) An R2-D2 inspired snap was the perfect closure for this wallet.
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| I meant to do the x sewing at the top. Totally didn't do it to disguise my crooked late night sewing. |
I'm so not ready for May -- this is another busy birthday month for my family and it seems like a million things for the end of school are going on as well! I've been taking my time on the next order, just doing a few steps a day and enjoying the process, but I really need to get it finished so I can sneak in some fun Star Wars sewing this weekend! I'm taking a break from listing new fabric for destashing (and hoping that some of the stuff sells so I can have room to pull out more), but I still want to work on my organizing and cleaning! Obviously I'm not keeping up on my 2024 goals of doing one UFO and one new pattern a month...but maybe I'll jump back on that soon.
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| A new tag from SB Stitching that I got to test, super fun! |
I planned on releasing this on 4/20, but I missed my chance! I really don't want to wait another year, so guess I should share them now. These Begonia Drawstring Backpacks from Blue Calla are super fun and surprisingly fast to make!
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| I didn't get a pic of only the backpacks, so you get to see the ENTIRE order! |
The newest pattern from ChrisW Designs is SUPER cute! It comes together quickly, has a fun new zipper overlay, and even better, is FREE if you sign up for the newsletter! (or buy it HERE if you don't want to sign up) I see a bunch of Quickstitch Easy Totes in my future...
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| Nice and roomy tote! |
I think this is the longest my 'spring cleaning' feeling has lasted, but I'm STILL finding more fabric to destash and clearing out some of the older inventory! I have a purse sale going on in my FaceBook group right now, probably until I clear out at least half of it...Then I might move on to some of the other things I've been lugging to craft shows for a while. I really want to start making more fun things and have lots of new stuff this year, but I'm out of space to store finished items!
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| One of the bags on sale! |
Obviously, if you are going to various parks, you need appropriate H2O To Go slings for each! I already shared the magic park ones, now for the Mouse parks!
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| Very different, but both are fun! |
Strange as it sounds, I'm already thinking about (and signing up for) Fall/Christmas shows, which means I need to start making my list of things I want to have ready for the shows! Obviously I'll be doing more of the doodle dolls, crayon rolls, and notebook covers since I have the supplies prepped for them, but maybe starting now will give me time to FINALLY do the geeky stockings I've been planning for years...maybe. I could never be a vendor that focuses on one main item, that would just get too boring! I see the booths with hundreds of keyfobs and the thought of cutting them all out has my hand cramping in sympathy. Or they do only 1 or 2 sewn item in tons of different fabrics, which is probably pretty fast for them, but SO BORING to me! One thing I would like to add is new small purses, fancy totes, and water bottle bags! Just need to start prepping them to sew up between orders, since the orders are starting to pick up again!
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| I'm OBSESSED with the shaker filler, it's so fun! |
Do you need a hands-free option for your park hopping? Something that could go over the shoulder or around the waist? How about a flashback to the 80's? This fanny pack is just what you need!
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| Bright and colorful, but also pretty small! |
I'm still in the process of cleaning out my 'old' fabrics and trying to find them new homes, but there is a LONG way to go! I pulled out 2 new tubs of fabric and panels, and some has already been claimed, but there's not even a noticeable dent! The only bad part about the destash is that I don't want to put the fabric back on the shelves after I pulled it out, so my family room is starting to fill up with tubs of fabric waiting to find a new home...
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| 2 tubs of fabric to destash...top one is already listed but the bottom is waiting. |
This was part of a pretty big order for a fun park filled vacation! I love seeing how different fabrics make the same pattern look so different! These were for a parent/child trip, so one has card slots and the other one doesn't.
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| Two H2O's, twice the fun! |
Last weekend we had lots of snow, and today it's in the 60's. Probably going to snow a few more times before we hit true spring, but the trees and flowers are trying to perk up (and make allergies so much fun!) and I'm starting to feel the urge to spring clean and organize! I started pulling out more fabric to destash, but I realized I have a few tubs of previous destash that I should offer again...I'd LOVE to clear out more of my unloved fabric to a new home where it might actually get used! (or at least moved to someone else's collection) It just takes SO LONG to list up everything, everywhere. Maybe this will be the time I finally start listing fabric on my etsy shop. Or maybe make a separate 'destash' shop?
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| The newest stack to destash |
Anything I make with the gorgeous Tula Pink fabrics is always fun! Even a super simple and cute wallet like the Minimalist Wallet from Story Quilt turns out great!
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| Front or back? You decide! |
The Road Trip Wallet from Emmaline Bags is actually what I've been using for a few years now, it has SO MUCH room and such a fun style.
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| Wallet and matching bookmark, why not? |
I'm really not sure where last week went, I know things got worked on and stuff happened, but I think I was in an allergy induced haze for most of it. This week is starting to fly by as well, so I really need to make sure I don't forget to finish up the other blog posts!
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| Just a few of the ready to ship items I need to list! |
It makes me laugh when people talk about how 'short' February is...but being 1-3 days shorter than every other month really does make a difference! I still got a good amount of things accomplished this month, including another fabric destash. At this rate, I'll be able to fit everything on my shelves in only 5 more years!
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| My 'test' vinyl zipper pouch works great for holding my wip keychain stuffies! |
