Bags of Butterflies!

I found a great tutorial for a reversible tote bag (it's not as big as it sounds, it's about 9x9"). Tutorial can be found here: Bias Tape Tote.
This is the one I made for myself:

You can't see it, but the lining is blue to match the butterflies. I also added 4 pockets - a purse is not complete without pockets!
I decided I needed more accessories to match my wonderful butterfly purse. I happened across a tutorial for Key Fobs. Here's another one for Ribon Key Fobs that I used, but I packed up my craft supplies in anticipation of the big move, so I will have to post pictures of them later.
Here's the one I made to match my tote:

if you look closely, you'll notice my purple carabiner in the shape of a butterfly. Also note the skull key chains. The backside/inside is the same blue as the lining of the tote.
Still feeling like I needed more accessories, I found a tutorial for a tissue cozy (travel tissue holder). Tutorial can be found here.

I altered the pattern. I lined mine (yes, in that same blue) and didn't add the ribbon accents.
I also made myself a matching wallet! I started with Babyangel's tutorial and modified it to have a paper money space and a zippered coin pouch on the back. I think I also added a few extra card slots on the inside.

After making all these accessories, I found that my new super-cute butterfly purse was too small to hold all my belongings! After I stopped crying, I decided to make myself a new purse. I had happened to pick up a pattern for a messenger bag (I think they actually call it a fisherman bag) for 99¢ at Hancock Fabrics. The pattern is Butterick 4147 view F. I made no alterations to the pattern, though I was tempted to add many more pockets (ha ha!).
Front of bag, with flap closed:

Notice the same blue fabric used as an accent! This was the best remnant ever!
Outside of bag with flap opened:

the pockets are lined with more of the blue fabric. This was my first time using magnetic snaps (or any snaps for that matter) and I found them to be easy to install but super strong! They are difficult to open. The pockets look floppy, but they do their job well.
When you open the bag? YARR!

I love the lining. It's hard to see, but there are 2 inside pockets. I also love that this bag zips closed; something that was lacking on the tote bag.
I tried to take pictues of the entire bag including the strap, but my camera refused to focus on it. It hangs to about my hip. So far I am in love with this bag. Everything fits with room to spare ... perhaps for a book? It's not big enough to fit my brand spanking new laptop (bag measures about 9x13"), so that may have to be my next project.

DIY Style Party, July 10

My sewing instructor asked if I could help spread the word.


Full size image: http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f340/HippieKender/DIYStyleParty-Front.jpg

In case you can't read the card (my scanner stinks sometimes)
DIY Style Party
Thursday, July 10, noon-8pm
Hyatt Rosemont O'Hare
$20 at the door

Create Cool Fashions in our Design Lab
Inspiration Galore at the Fashion Stage
Sewing Machines in every "Stitch Station"
Plus Music, Food and Good Times!

After the DIYStyle Party, come to the American Sewing Guild Marketplace 7-9:30pm FREE with DIYStyle Party ticket.

First Tissue Cozy

I've been wanting to sew, but can't afford to go nuts buying fabric right now. What's a girl to do? Make small things! ;)

Here is the back/bottom:

Top/front:

And the lining:

What is it? Obviously you didn't read the title. It's a tissue cozy! You put your travel pack of tissues in it (see the second picture) and it's much cuter than the ugly plastic pack of tissues. I used a tutorial as a guideline, but changed some things around. I now need to alter my measurements. I love that these take so little fabric, and they are even lined. For this one I used scraps from a shirt that I had originally been planning to use to make Melody a dress. The dress was a flop, but at least the scraps have a use! I'm sure I'll be making many more of these; they were super fast to make!

edit: The tutorial I used can be found at craftpalooza. I didn't use the interfacing, or the ribbon. Mostly I just used the dimensions (that I will have to alter) and the construction instructions.

Sleeveless Purple Dress

Pattern: Suddenly You're Sewing Dresses 103
View: A (with sleeve facings)
Alterations: Changed 2" hem to 1" hem

I cut all the pieces out Friday night and spent most of Saturday sewing this before a friend's BBQ. I started at about 11am and finished at 5-ish. I was literally walking around the house, clipping stray threads, trying to get the kids ready to go. (*clip* "Where are your shoes?") We weren't too late to the BBQ, and she looked adorable (if I do say so myself). She did get something on it, and it smells like bonfire.--Showing me her Care Bear.

--The closest I can get to a back shot since she doesn't like to turn her back to the camera. Sorry for the lack of focus. By the time I realized I had my camera on the wrong setting, she had run off.
I did notice it was much easier to make this dress than last time - and didn't take me nearly as long! I wish I had re-read the pattern for the pocket instructions before making all those purses. They would have looked so much better. Ah well, live and learn.

Baby Shoes

Before you ask, No I am not pregnant! My sister-in-law and cousin-in-law are both pregnant though and due next month (I think) so I thought it would be cute to make them some baby shoes - and other baby things?
Here are my first attempts at teeny tiny shoes. First up are the Cross Over style. I like these and they were fairly easy to make. I do think they will fall off easily though.
The second pair I made were the Mary Jane style. I think the strap will help these stay on. They are super cute, but involve hand sewing (I detest hand sewing). I didn't attach the straps yet. I was going to try to do a button closure, but the straps are so very tiny that I think I'd have a problem fitting a button hole on them. I'll probably do some velcro, but I don't have any right now. These are also the only ones that have a hidden seam on the sole - hence why hand sewing is required.
The third pair is a clog style. Hubby and I both liked this version best. I think they will stay on fairly well and they were pretty easy to make - with no hand-sewing involved! I did make a mistake ans sewed the fake leather soles on upside down. They are pleather on one side and fuzzy on the other side. The fuzzy was supposed to go next to baby's foot and the leather on the outside, but they're still cute.
I got the mary jane and crossover styles from greenjelly.etsy.com. She calls the crossover style Japanese Style.
The clog style pattern was free and I found it here.
The best part about these shoes (other than their super cuteness) is the cost to make them. Each pattern calls for 1 fat quarter of fabric, but I can make 2-3 pairs from a fat quarter. That brings the cost of each pair to $1.50 (not including the pleather that I bought as a remnant)! Can't beat that price, especially since babies outgrow everything so fast!

Full Length Dress

I found this fabric in the remnant bin at the fabric store. It was too cute to pass up. I was going to make a more summery dress (knee-length), but I liked the border at the bottom hem. I had thought about cutting it off and using it somehow - maybe re-sewing it at the bottom of the shirring.
As a side note, I did not shirr this dress, nor did I smock it. It came that way. I did make the straps, fit it to my daughter and hemmed it. Hey, I'm still a newbie, what do you want from me!I think she likes it. She's wearing it right now. In fact, she wanted to wear it before it was hemmed or had straps. It is a little big on her (only in the straps). I am debating if I want to take the straps in just a touch or let her grow into it. She walks a little funny in it because she's never had a full length dress before, but it's cute. The fabric is really light weight so she should be able to wear it even when it's fairly warm outside.
It does need to be ironed...

Aviator Cap

I found a tutorial for an aviator cap and decided to give it a try.


Front









Back. I swear it does not look like a mullet in real life. It definitely looks more like the fake fur that it is. This was the "fur trim" from my son's winter coat (shh, don't tell my mom). He didn't like the fur trim and never wore it anyway.





Goggles up.





Side view. I had forgotten to take a picture before hubby went off to work, so Happy was a wonderful model.

This thing was such a pain in my butt to make. Some of the mistakes were my own fault. I forgot to add seam allowances to some of the pieces. I also sewed the band on backwards and didn't realize it until I was halfway around. I also bought extra thick thread thinking it was necessary because I was sewing with pleather. After finishing this, I don't think the thick thread was really needed. It didn't want to wind correctly on the bobbin so it kept jamming up my machine. I was so frustrated when I was finished with this hat!
Of course, after I was all finished, hubby decided he wanted a fur trim on the back to make it look like the cap was fur-lined. We found the fur trim from my son's winter coat and used that. Don't worry, my son hated that fur trim and it spent the entire winter sitting on my mantle/coat rack. I never want to sew with fake fur again! Even using the zipper foot to get close to the edge and switching to normal thread didn't help. I am so happy it's done! Hubby likes it (despite his facial expressions in the pictures) and that's all that matters.
Will I be making another? Probably not. Though I do have some black pleather. Hubby asked me if I could make him a bomber jacket from it. I laughed and told him no. Thankfully it's less than a yard, so I couldn't be convinced to make one against my better judgment.