Hanging Dish Towel

I love spending endless hours on Pintrest looking at all the random junk. My craft board and my sewing board (don't get me started on my other boards) are busting at the seams.

And I'm proud to say that I have made a large chunk of the projects that I pin. I have so much finished projects just sitting in the craft area, I'm running out of room.

But there are some that scream "MAKE ME!"
I pinned this project a while ago, sadly I forgot about it but as I was looking through my sewing board, I discovered it all over again and then actually made it.

This hanging dish towel looks easy enough to whip up in a short time.

I got the tutorial here. This is a pretty good crafty blog too.

The print out was pretty straight forward and easy to follow. It did indeed take not time at all.

I finally got to use my buttonhole option on my sewing machine. It's pretty awesome to just sit back and watch it go.

I have a feeling to I'm going to make a whole bunch of these.

Also, I linked my Pintrest boards above, feel free to follow me. :)

Attack of the 3 1/2 foot hands!

For Halloween my hubby wanted to be Manos, from Manos the Hands of Fate. A horrible, terrible B movie from the 60's that MST3K made a cult favorite out of it. I love that show!

The costume looked easy enough to make so I jumped at the chance to make it.

I bought a black king size bed sheet and a red twin sized one. That way, I had minimal sewing as possible. (At the time I thought so, boy was I wrong)



I started with drawing out a large hand on some craft paper.

 I left my foot in the pic for size reference.

 Then I started taping it in place for easy tracing. And yes, I had to start with that finger. I can't be mature all the time. ;p

 All taped and ready to pin and trace. 

 I like to pin first so everything is nice and flat, since I folded the sheet so i can cut out two hands at once. Then I used a sharpie to trace around the paper.

 Now it's ready to cut.

 I uses a zig zag stitch to applique that crap out of it!

 It took me two and a half hours and two full bobbins to complete all the applique work. 

That's what I get for thinking that I wouldn't have to do too much sewing on this project.

 Since it was just a Halloween costume I didn't take too much time and care in the stitching. It was dark at the party we went to so no one noticed anyway.

But the most trouble that I had was with the rounded corners and turns. They proved to be a major pain in the butt! But, I trucked on through.

So, after all this typing and picture posting, I realized that I do not have a picture of the final product. I 'm gonna have to get my hubby to put it on again and take pictures. I will make a follow up post with them.

It's just a Jump to the Left, and a Step to a Tee Shirt Recon

I have had a love affair with Rocky Horror Picture Show ever since I was 15.
That's a mighty long time.
I have even been to a midnight showing.
My hubby (who doesn't like the movie) bought my the 25th anniversary edition shortly after we were married. That's how much he loves me. :)

 

I bought this tee shirt 17 years ago (I'm kinda showing my age here), but I've had this shirt for a very long time and it is near and dear to my heart.
I will be honest and say that I rarely wore it, with it being a men's XXL. But it was just too cool to not possess!
 I was digging around in my chest of drawers when I spied it on the very bottom, all rumpled and forgotten. In an instant I knew what I what going to do with it.

For awhile I have been coveting a Kreepsville666 tunic dress.


SO I decided that this is what I wanted to do with it.

 The graphics are large and had to be cut off, but I kinda like it that way, it's very much so not cookie cutter.

It was very easy, and took no time at all. I just used a tight fitting shirt as a template and went to town.

Bags and Pouches Galore!

I've been making bags of various sizes for a few days now.
I've wanted to organize my purse and not have loose papers (coupons and shopping lists) cluttering things up.

 

I've made an iPhone pouch and a pouch for my loose papers.

 

 

 

I love my wallet, but I can't fit too much stuff in it. And I'm going to have that thing until it breaks.

 

After making those bags for my purse, I decided that I wanted one for my newly acquired iPad.

 

 Drafting up the patterns was pretty quick and easy. Each bag only took about half an hour to an hour to make start to finish.




I guess you can call me a bag lady. :D

Small Clutch Purse

A couple of years ago, I made a small card wallet with a snap closure. I really enjoyed making them and have given some away as gifts and everyone loved them.

I had forgotten about them. Then I saw something that made me remember, and I wanted to make a bigger one.

I drafted up a quick pattern and whipped up this beauty in 30 minutes!

I wanted to try a rounded flat to give it a different style and I used Velcro this time. I have a long and troubling history with snaps.

 

The fabric is vintage circa 1970s. It's lined with a simple dusty green fabric and a light interfacing for a little sturdiness.

Now I want to make even more sizes and styles.

Bunting: The Tutorial

I made yet another bunting.

 This time for a baby boy. 

This project is simple enough that I felt comfortable with making a tutorial.

Here is what you need:

various pieces of fabric, for the front and back 

(around half a yard each, your stash would work great)

scissors

ruler

pencil

paper

At least 3 yards of extra wide double fold bias tape

thread 

(sewing machine)

needle

pins

dressmakers pencil or chalk

iron 

ironing board

 

 

 

Here we go!

Start out by making a simple pattern from card stock or any think sturdy piece of paper. 

I made my isosceles triangle 8 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches. I folded my paper in half so I only had to cut two sides. So when the paper is folded in half only cut half the length on the top (4 1/4 inches instead of 8 1/2 inches)

 

Then choose fabric to your liking (I used a cottons and some flannels). 

Cut out 8 triangles using your pattern for even pieces.

I found that 8 is a good number for the spacing for the bias tape length.

  

The backing fabric can be whatever you want it to be. I used a solid because it will most likely be hung on a wall. And the backing makes it a little sturdier and lay flatter.

  

Then cut out 8 pieces of the backing.

Then pin together.

Right side together on the inside.

  

Then using a 3/8th seem allowance, sew the two longer sides together. Leave the top open.

  

Then cut the tip of the triangle, and fold the triangle right side out.

(this helps flatten and "sharpen" the tip)

  

Once the right sides are out, use a pencil tip to poke out the tip to a point.

Then it's ironing time!

  

Press!

  

Try to not have the back fabric showing after pressing it flat with the iron. It can be a little trying, but some patience and care, you won't have the back showing.

  

The front of the flags after ironing.

  

The back sides.

Now here's the fun part. (not really, it's just tedious)

 

 I use the whole 3 yards of double fold bias tape. It's a pretty good length and you don't need to add any extra to it.

Now, line up where you want to put your flags at on the tape. I spaced mine out 5 inches, it gave it a nice spacing between the flags and doesn't look crowded.

Then I pinned them into place in between the fold of the tape, so the rough edge will be sandwiched in and out of site.

Start at the very beginning of the tape and sew all the way to the end to seal the edges and sealing the tape closed.

This is the easiest part.

To hide the raw edges of the tape, sew a bottom to the end so nothing is left hanging out.

Finished!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. It's the second one that I have done and it's a little lengthy. But I hope that the instructions where clear and not confusing. If there are any problems or question about this tutorial, please let me know. :)
I would like to make more in the future and share with everyone.

Travel Boxy Bag

A couple of years ago my mom bought me a book on no sew to sew little bags. I put it on my shelf with every intention to make some, but I forgot all about it. :(

 

 Simply Sublime Bags by: Jodi Kahn

I picked it up the other day and decided that it will not be put away until I make one of the bags from it.

 

The material that the instructions called for was oilcloth, but I don't have that handy and I really wanted to do that style. So, I used two different fabrics and a very stiff interfacing instead.

 

I thought about putting the handle on but I didn't feel like making one, so this version doesn't have one.

It was pretty easy, the multiple fabric was a little tricky at some points, but overall it was manageable.

 

It took me a couple of hours tops.

I think now I'll go out to see if I can find some oilcloth and make another one.