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Pretty As You Please Clutch

December 1, 2012 by 4 Comments

Pretty As You Please ClutchI couldn’t resist making another clutch. This time denim adds stability instead of burlap and a pleated strip of Amy Butler’s Dancing Paisleys from her Soul Blossoms collection adds the punch of color.  Pretty As You Please Clutch interiorI added a nostalgic touch to the clutch lining with some green gingham. It’s a happy little surprise on the inside.Pretty As You Please Clutch closeupThe addition of a fancy brooch takes this little clutch to another level of fun. It’s the juxtaposition of fancy and functional that really makes it work.

And guess what? Now you can make your own clutch! I finished writing the pattern and put it up in the Etsy shop. Click here for the listing. My patterns are all pdf files and I try to get them emailed to you within 24 hours. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and have it in five minutes if I’m sitting at the computer when you place your order. 

This is such an easy project to make. You could have a small stack of these whipped up in a weekend, if you were so inclined. (They’d make great gifts if you can part with one.) As with all of my patterns, I keep it simple so you can put your stamp on it through fabric choices, embellishments, etc. Possibilities are endless!

Filed Under: Amy Butler, bag, color, embellishments, fabric, pattern, shop

Things I’m Working On

November 19, 2012 by 8 Comments

This….cross stitch letterThat…Happy Land & ZebraAnd the other…crocheted project bagWhat projects do you have going on right now? I’d love to hear about them.

Filed Under: bag, color, crochet, fabric, quilts, sis boom, yarn

From Chocolate to Charity

September 6, 2011 by 3 Comments

Remember the Devil’s Food Cake cupcakes? Last night we had them with mascarpone icing instead of ice cream.  A few tablespoons of mascarpone, about 3/4 tablespoon of powdered sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste–mix it well and watch it disappear.  Seriously, someone is going to lick the bowl, it’s so good.

I made the cupcakes from Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake mix–with some serious Melissa P tweaks.  These are more like Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes. I added one teaspoon of cinnamon and over one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. They’re perfectly fine straight out of the box.  I just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

It may have been the weather.  It may have been the chocolate.  Or it may have been the stack of Loulouthi waiting for my attention.  Whatever it was, it motivated me to make this bag for my sister.  This is my free pattern, the Movin’ and Groovin’ Bag.

I’m sure you aren’t surprised to see that I tweaked it a little too.  I added fabric bands along the top and attached them with binding to match the bag body.  And I widened the strap and added a decorative “ribbon” band using another print.

The bag closes with a magnetic snap instead of velcro.  You can also see that I added a band to the lining.  Okay…so I tweaked it a lot.  I confess.  I just get carried away when I have all these prints that want in on the action.

Today I switched gears completely.  And I’m hoping you will decide to do the same. Scott at Blue Nickel Studios is collecting 10.5 inch squares to make quilts. These are for Bumble Beans Basic Quilt Gather.  Here’s Scott’s post with details. And here is Victoria’s page on the project.

It doesn’t take any time at all to stitch up a 10.5 inch square.  So grab some scraps and sit down at the machine for a few minutes.  Don’t think about it.  Don’t put it off until later.  Like Nike says, “Just do it!”  And if you need a nudge, grab a cupcake first.

Filed Under: Anna Maria Horner, bag, charity, fabrics, pattern, quilts, scraps, sewing, tutorials

Mixed Bag

March 5, 2011 by 5 Comments

With temperatures reaching 75 degrees today, I spent some time outside weeding.  Not my favorite thing in the world.  Not by a long shot.  But I discovered this very determined little crocus pushing its way up between pavers.  And that was a nice reward for my weed pulling activity.

In the last few days I finally got the pattern for this bag finished and in my Etsy shop.  This is my Sassaman version and I love the way it highlights the Lively Silhouette print.  You may remember this bag in Sis Boom fabric from this post.

It is insanely easy to customize this bag as you can see with the ribbon detail and the pom pom fringe.  Not to mention the mixing and matching of fabrics.  And the main body of the bag can be quilted like I did for this bag in Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  

And there’s this one with yo yos added to the mix.  Hard to pick a favorite.

The Mod Podge has been out today, as well as some Extreme Glitter paint.  Stay tuned for more on those projects in the coming days.  More tutorials and patterns in the works as well.  There will be no excuse for idle hands this Spring. 

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and find some time to nurture your creative side.  You’re worth it!

Filed Under: bag, pattern, sassaman, sis boom

Unleashing a Little Kaffe Magic

January 30, 2011 by 6 Comments

The fabric collections of Kaffe Fassett have a very special magic.  They look incredible all on their own, but when you cut them up and put them together, the results usually exceed your expectations.  I have found this to be true every time I’ve worked with them.  Yesterday was no exception.

I’m working on the bag pattern and thought it would be a good idea to see what happens with a quilted version.  I also took the opportunity to practice free motion quilting.  (If you look closely you will see that I made mistakes more often than I got it right.  But for my second attempt, I don’t think it’s too awful.  It’s my bag so there’s no need to obsess over it anyway.)

I also played with another decorative stitch on my machine, echoing the zigzag stripe of the stripe print nicely.

When I ordered the prints I had no specific plan.  I just liked them.  Now that I’ve played with them, I love them.  The Suzani and the Mirage Stripe are a great duo.  But to lighten up the mood, I added turquoise Sprays and some Stencil Carnation.

My lively colored wool yarns are perfectly at home tucked inside this bright and cheery bag.  I feel like it should always be filled with yarn.  It turns out the quilted version looks just as wonderful as the original. 

Filed Under: bag, fabric, Kaffe Fassett, pattern

Decisions

January 21, 2011 by 9 Comments

Friday already! Time flies when you’re having fun. And especially when you have at least seven different projects going on at once.  Making a new bag pattern is one of these projects.  And that means making different prototypes and deciding on which elements go into this particular pattern.

Sometimes it is difficult to settle on something specific because I’m already off and running to the next idea.  But this time, I stuck with two ideas–magnetic snaps and purchased handles.  And a sneaky interior pocket.

These fabrics are a mix of old and new Sis Boom. The stripes and loopy floral are from the Flower Power collection, still available in some online shops. The dots are brand new Queen Street.  The way these go together is playful and fun.  There is a hint of nostalgia in the brown floral but the dots and stripes carry it forward with energy and enthusiasm.

At approximately 18 inches wide, 10 inches tall and 3 inches deep, it is versatile and easy to carry.  What would you use it for if it were yours?

Filed Under: bag, fabric, sis boom

Room for Adventure

January 17, 2011 by 5 Comments

Remember those little golden dragonflies from yesterday?  The ones with the coordinating ribbon trim?  I finished them up today.  It’s a large bag that I intend to use for hauling around various projects.  Like crochet or embroidery.  But it is very roomy so I could conceivably carry a picnic to the park for an adventure or two. 

I gave it a long skinny pocket for things like crochet hooks, pencils, reading glasses, etc.  And the pocket on the other side is actually two.  One for keys, one for cell phone. 

The next bag will have more colorful handles as these are just too bland.  But I do like the way it is more sophisticated on the outside.   Now the lining…that’s a different story altogether.

Filed Under: bag, sassaman, sewing