Applique T Shirts

This is the FIRST time I have ever tried applique - I am SOLD!

I chose to use Steam-A-Seam 2 because it is what I had.

Letters lined up and ready to be 'appliqued'.

I desperatly wanted to do a tight satin stitch but earlier attempts at this did not go well.  I chose the straight stitch.  I would advise not using a contrasting color on this step if you are not 'experienced'!

but of course!

I hope she likes them!  I have lots of ideas I want to try now!

BLOCKED!

I am blocked.

I have CRAFTING BLOCK.  

Which is like writer's block with the exception that I want to be writing posts with crafts I have completed but I cannot get to the crafts. 

THIS could be the problem:

how does this happen?

Maybe I am alone in suffering from this?  It is a symptom of the late summer heatwave and the Back to School 'lazies' that I get every September.  Everything just stops here and it is all about getting the girls into their schedule.  This is one of the main reasons I did not want my sewing area in my bedroom.  

But this year it's really bad! 

I still need to get to the 'back to school' hemming.  

BUT I am spending this rainy day here taking care of this problem!!  Let's hope I can dig out of this FAST!

Checkbook Covers

THIS was a great fast project!  And the best part, it helped me clear out some of my scraps.  I found this project for Checkbook Covers at Sewplicity.  The tutorial was clear and simple.

My girls were off to Six Flags New England for the day and I snuck this in late in the afternoon.

Ready, Set, Sew

I started with cutting all my fabrics.  I made TWO.  One in pink quilting cottons.  The other with a 'french country' flair but I used home decorators fabric on the outside.  It made the project thicker but more durable.  Elizabeth took it like a champ!

Sewing inside pieces together and pressing the seams.

I basted the inside pieces to the big inside piece.  Then sewed the outside to the inside and 'flipped' it right side out.

Making sure to poke those corners out nice and square!  Then, HOT STEAM.

Almost there...time for topstiching

Outsides

Insides

But wait! What is THAT?

My first label!!!

I would highly recommend this fun project.  I got quick results and it is already in my purse with my checkbook in it.  

Alphabet Bean Bags

Here is a little project I took on.... Alphabet Bean Bags.  I found this FABULOUS tutorial at Chez Beeper & Bebe.

 I was looking for a gift to sew for our 5 year niece/nephew twins - this is perfect!

I spent days cutting muslin squares (26 to be exact), coordinating rainbows of my scraps, and cutting letters.  BUT I finally did it!

I

After that it was an assembly line at the sewing machine.  I had Coco and Lulu filling the bags with beans as I sewed.  Sew a bag, fill a bag, seal a bag.   It was great!

Then I made a drawstring bag to store them all in.  (no photo..sorry!)

My final notes on this project: This is a GREAT use of scraps! I also wish I had doubled up the vowels yet I did not think of that until I had it all cut. 

These turned out to be a bigger hit than I thought.  I am thinking of doing MATH bean bags as a follow up...

Key Fobs

Inside my purse (or pocketbook if you like) is a dark black hole.  Things go in and never come out.  Especially my keys!

When I purchased my iPhone I wondered why anyone would ever want a black phone?  How would you ever find it?

I finally came up with a solution for this:

I used the tutorial I found here at The Idea Room.  It was very simple...and I had a chance to break in my quarter inch with guide foot !!

The key (no pun intended) to this was to make sure everything is lined up straight.  Also, I used home decorator fabric which was VERY thick -but they have held up nicely over previous ones I have made in cotton.  I got the clips at Joanns in the 'purse making' section.

I now also have a bright green cover on my iPhone too!

Made by You Mondays

Fat Quarters

For someone who has sewn all her life - I never knew what a fat quarter was until this year.  In fact, I had to GOOGLE it.  Apparently, if I was a quilter I would know - so I guess that explains it.  My sister quilts, by hand, stitch by stitch... crazy. 

I was getting ready to take a sewing class to make a tote bag and I got the instructions wrong.  I thought I needed fat quarters - I did not.  SO, what was I going to do with these beautiful fat quarters I had.

I found a pattern (when I was still willing to buy a paper pattern in the stores) at Joanns and it had just the thing I was looking for - something cute and fun.

I made this 

Fabric Bucket

It allowed me to play with some new fancy stitches on Elizabeth.  Which are upside down I think!

Then, once I made it I did not know what to do with it! It ended up in the girls room as a waste paper basket.

   

We Did It! Wednesday


Weekend Craft Hop