"Vintage" Pattern Giveaway!

Set 1 - Young Girl

A friend of mine is simplifying her life and brought a bunch of patterns over.  I selected the patterns I thought Annie and I could use and I want to pass the rest on to someone who can use them!  They are all in great shape - many unused.  I grouped them into three different sets.

Set 1 has patterns in sizes 5 - 8, plus a few accessories and the baby sling.
Set 2 has ladies patterns in the 8 - 12 size range + the Vogue veil/accessories pattern.
Set 3 has costumes and pjs in 2-6 size range.

You can enter by using the raffle copter below!  You may also want to let me know which pattern set you are interested in by commenting on this post!

I'm not sure how old these patterns are - probably not truly "vintage", but I'm guessing about 10 years old or so.

Set 2 - Adult

Set 3 Costume

Contest open to US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Inspiration - Beth from Wilde Designs

I meet all kinds of wild and crazy people on the internet. (Didn't our mothers warn us about this???) One of those "wild" folks is Beth from Wilde Designs.  She is a creative force and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better through this interview!  

Tell us about Wilde Designs? What was your inspiration?

Everything. Honestly, I tend to pull from whatever sparks my fancy – my family, books, movies, television shows I love. My first and foremost goal when making things is having fun, so my goal is finding projects I’m passionate about. My hope is always that others have as much fun looking at and buying the items and designs as I did making them.

How long have you had an online shop?

I first opened Wilde Designs in late 2007. It was my first time selling my wares “for real,” and I was terrified.

Walk us through a typical day.

My day starts whenever my son gets up, which is usually around 6am if not before. He’s just shy of a year old, so my husband and I get him fed then get ourselves ready for work. Most days my husband Wes (a computer engineer) works from home, so I bundle our son Pike up and drop him off at daycare before heading into the office. I work as a graphic designer as a university. Between work day tasks, I try to pop in on Twitter, post some links, do some promotion, and then when I get home, I usually do some more. Listing new items and making new things is usually relegated to weekends since my weeknights are spent picking Pike up from daycare, making sure we all eat, and then bundling the baby man off to bed so that Wes and I can unwind for an hour or two before we go to sleep as well.

What do you love/hate about blogging?

I love the immediate access to people and how freeing it can be to throw your thoughts and feelings out there. It can be frustrating having to do so much promotion to get traffic, though. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to focus on the fun and not on the views.

Do you enjoy other hobbies?

I love writing and obviously all manner of creative pursuits – painting, drawing, jewelry making, etc. I’m also a total pop culture junkie. I love movies and television, and I honestly have to pry myself away from one screen or another, be it the TV or the computer.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

Comfortable and cute. I really do try to be stylish, but I have to keep things cheap, and with a baby in the house plus both a full time job as a designer and my part time job running the shop, I don’t always have a lot of time to devote to getting pretty. I often stick to basics like jeans and a nice shirt with cute necklaces and such to dress it up.

Are you a small town or big city girl?

I absolutely love visiting big cities on vacation, but when it comes right down to it, I was raised in mostly small towns, and it’s still what I love. I like in a rural town that’s a suburb of a slightly larger one now. I’m twenty minutes away from a lot of fun stuff and conveniences, but I can see the stars at night. It’s a worthwhile compromise.

Favorite vacation spot.

New Orleans. Wes and I went there on our honeymoon and fell in love with the city. It’s absolutely beautiful, and there’s so much great food and shopping and culture. We are planning to go back as soon as we can save up the money. We even got matching fleur de lis tattoos with hearts.

What's your favorite chain type restaurant?

I love Olive Garden, but I have a serious addiction to the onion strings at Chilli’s. Seriously, there’s crack in those things or something – can’t get enough!        

What things are unique to where you live?  

We have a lot of great, unique restaurants. One of our favorites, Roosters in Denton, TX, was even featured on the Food Network. In our town, Ponder, you’ll find an awesome old bank that was robbed by Bonnie & Clyde.

Favorite candy.

Hardest. Question. Here. I’m a sucker for chocolate. I think Twix and Snickers are usually tops for me, though at the movies, nothing beats Junior Mints.

Your scariest moment?

When I went to the hospital with Braxton hicks contractions and was told I might have to deliver – and was subsequently diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome and had to be careflighted to another hospital for an emergency C-section.

What helps you when you are in a bad mood?

Either cuddling Pike or settling in on the couch for a good TV show or movie. Lately a good Glee marathon will cure most ills for me.

Use one word that best describes yourself.

Weird.

LOL!  Thanks for helping us get to know you a little better Beth!  You can connect with Beth:

Website: Wilde Designs

Facebook

Twitter

Blog 

Tumblr

Sewing Pillowcase Dresses for the Dominican Republic

I was asked recently to participate in a project making dresses for girls in the Dominican Republic.  It is a project sponsored by the Diocese of Cleveland.  This PDF outlines some basic information on the project.  You can also read about the broader mission, called Mission Possible.

There are many free patterns on the internet.  I found some cute ones here.

The Fest, a local festival filled with Christian bands, is sponsoring a sew-in during the event.  If you are in the Cleveland area and want to stop in to sew, please let me know.  If you have any supplies you would like to donate, they can be sent to me or dropped off at the drop-off locations.  Perhaps you would like to make a dress.  Other ways to help:

Some of the items needed:

• Ribbon (no wire, 2” or thinner)
• Pillow cases
• Thread
• Rick Rack
• Lace
• Sharp scissors
• Needles
• Quilting fabric squares
• Cotton fabric
• Buttons
• Gift cards for JoAnn Fabrics, Marcs, WalMart or Pat Catan
• Cash contributions/Checks made out to CPL-FES (Memo: Pillowcase project)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Wednesday Sewing - Swim Trunks to Drawstring Tote

I can't stand throwing things away.  When my son's bathing suit's elastic gave out, I bought him a new bathing suit. (That's because I don't know a seamstress who can change out the elastic.....) 

Although the material was bleached-out, I thought it would make a sturdy drawstring bag.  Something to grab for gym class or a quick trip to the pool.

So here's a quick tutorial on how to make one.  

1. Cut along leg seams and up along center front and back seams.

2. You have created two pieces of fabric.

3. Remove the waistband and inner mesh.

4. Square up (or rectangular up) the top and sides.

5. Use this piece as a pattern to cut the second piece.

6. Sew or serge around three sides leaving the top open.  (I was so excited to try this that I didn't think about how I usually make a drawstring bag - which is to start and stop sewing 2" from the top to leave room for a casing.)

7. Finish the top fabric by serging or folding over 1/4" and sewing.

8. Make a buttonhole 1.5" below the top near each side seam. Use stabilizer under the buttonhole.

9. Fold down the fabric and stitch around to form casing.

10. Use twill tape for the drawstring.

Measure four times the width across.  Cut in half to create two drawstrings.

Thread one through and knot on one side.

Do the same on the other side!

This would work well as a drawstring backpack also!  I'll try that with the next pair!

Tuesday Design - Chevron from Whisker Graphics

A while back I won a giveaway from Maureen Cracknell Handmade.  I received some Whisker Graphics bakers twine and paper goods for packaging.  I really love it!  I slide my invoice and business card in the packaging and it adds just a little zest to my tissue and/or brown paper packaging.

Thank you Whisker Graphics!

Monday Inspiration - Studio Waterstone - And My New Bag

One of my favorite makers is Lori from Studio Waterstone.  She makes ecofriendly handbags and accessories using new and upcycled fabrics.  I had been eyeing her shop and decided to buy myself a birthday present.  (OK, my husband gave me money for my birthday because I had been telling him I wanted a bag from Waterstone....) I decided on this one and just love it!

It is beautiful, well-made, and just the right size for my things!

Take a look at her shop to see more of her beautiful products.

Her blog is a must-visit stop for inspiration!  Her tutorials, drawings, and photography will leave you amazed (and jealous!)

Sewing This Week

Summer living (aka four teens in the house) and summer sewing don't always go well together.  This week was a post mini-beach vacation, laundry, lots of sewing, kids-driving-me-nuts kindof week.  Just a normal week!

I whipped up this sweatshirt tote for my friend before she headed south so she could give it to her beautiful niece!

This batch of Sea Shell Bags and Beach Glass Totes are heading to Grandview Island.  I can't wait to hear how the islanders like them!

I finished up this quilt, but it deserves its own post, so just a quick look.

A Custom T Shirt Quilt Kit with Carolina Panthers fabric is heading south!  I look forward to seeing her finished blanket which she is making for her husband.

And I worked a bit on Pillowcase Dresses for a project for the Dominican Republic.  I'll be sharing a blog post next week about that!

I hope you had a good week!  I'm looking forward to a neighborhood picnic and a relaxing Sunday!

Practical Tips - Photo Printing

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly offers exclusive photobook layouts so you can make your book just the way you want.

How do you manage your photos?  I keep my photos on the computer  in files by year and topic.  I don't print photos very often.  If the kids want to create a special scrapbook, then they print them out or order photos.  For big events or trips we create DVD Slideshows using Pinnacle or Windows Movie Maker.

I created accounts at Walgreens, Shutterfly, and Snapfish, to name a few.  I sign up to be on the mailing lists to watch for special deals.  When Walgreens has a sale, I share it with the girls.  Often, I receive a free 8" x 10" print from Walgreens and I'll create a collage to hang in our mudroom so guests can see some fun pictures.

I love photo books!  When one is offered at a discount, I'll consider making one.  Recently, I had a free book from Shutterfly.  The only cost was shipping.  However, I had 3 days to create it and I was super busy getting ready for the two weddings we had.  Even the girls were too busy to take advantage of it! 

So I decided to create a book of some of my custom memory quilts.  Many people locally are aware of what I do but don't get to see my products online.  Now I have a way to share with them.  Or if I do a craft show I can bring it along so people can see samples of my work.

Take advantage of these photo services!

Big Beach Blanket Tutorial

Downloadable PDF Tutorial

When I head to the beach, I need a big bag and a big blanket.   For years I used a blanket that was too small to have a bunch of little ones crawling all over it.  And comforters and quilts are bulky and heavy.

I searched the internet for ideas and, until recently, there wasn't too many.  You can check out my Pinterest Board to see what I found.

When I asked my blog readers and facebook fans what their ideal beach blanket is, many said a sheet.  They like that the sand shakes off easily.  A customer asked me to make two blankets as part of shower gift for each of her two kids who were getting married this summer. I tried the idea of using sheets, fabric, and duck cloth, to add some weight to the blanket so it wouldn't blow away.

The duck cloth is great, but requires a seam to make a wide blanket and can be a bit pricey. My twitter friend, Susan, had planted an idea about using painter's drop cloth as fabric and I thought it would be a great resource for the bottom of a large blanket.  There are many online sources of drop cloth or you can get one at your local hardware store.  The great thing about drop cloth is that it is washable and can repel water, making it a great choice for a blanket!  I was hoping that the large drop cloth would not have a seam, but the one I purchased did.

This beach/picnic blanket is 6 feet x 7 feet - big enough to lay down and not have your feet in the sand!

Big enough to fit a gaggle of admiring girls.

 Big enough to play Twister!

And nice enough to relax on.

Find a downloadable PDF version of the tutorial on my website.

Make the Big Beach Blanket

Supplies:

- 20 fat quarters or 10 half yard cuts of coordinating fabric
- one 9' x 12' canvas drop cloth
- quilt binding or material to make your own, approximately 10 yards

I started with the floral and added coordinating fabrics.

1. Wash and preshrink fabrics.  I lived on the wild side and threw all my half yard cuts without finishing the edges. I have a front loader and it did not seem to create a stringy mess.  But if you want to be sure to avoid tangles of threads you can sew or serge around the fabric before washing.  I washed and dried the drop cloth twice.  Do the same if you use canvas.

2. Cut fabric into uniform rectangles.  I used half-yard cuts, so I first cut the fabric in half along the fold and then squared it up.

3. Arrange fabric pieces in a 4 x 5 grid

4. Sew pieces together in strips.  Sew the rectangles together to make four strips, each with 5 pieces.  Then, sew the columns together.  Press as you go.

5. Place drop cloth on the floor with the WRONG side up.  (If there is a seam, the seam allowance side should be up.)   Place the blanket top on top of it so that wrong sides are together.

6.  Trim the drop cloth to two inches around the perimeter of the blanket.

7. Pin baste the layers together.  I use curved safety pins around the perimeter and throughout.

8. Stitch the fabrics together by stitching in the ditch along the seam lines.


9. Baste around the perimeter of the blanket.


10. Bind the blanket. There are several options.  A quick method of binding is to use the 2" perimeter of the drop cloth to self bind.  I did this with my duck cloth version and it was quick and easy.  You can find instructions here.

I didn't want to use the natural color of the drop cloth with the vibrant colors of the quilt top, so I used orange duck cloth to make a binding.  I cut four inch strips and sewed them together to create a huge strip.  I pressed the seams open and folded and pressed the strip in half.  Duck cloth is heavy and thick, so it can be a challenge to sew.  I liked the extra weight it added to the blanket.

I like to use this video tutorial for applying a binding by machine. I stitched my folded binding to the wrong side of the fabric, going all the way around the perimeter of the blanket.  I then folded the binding to the front, pinned and topstitched.

11. Add straps.  Create two straps in the same manner as you created the binding.  Use 4" strips to create straps that are about 40" long.  Stitch the straps to the binding.  Stitch at the midpoint of each strap.

Place the straps centered on the 2nd rectangle along the top.

12. Fold, roll and go to the beach!  First, fold both sides toward the center.

Fold again toward the side that has the straps.  In this case, from right to left.

Starting at the bottom, roll and tie.

Put the blanket in your oversized beach tote and head to the beach!

A beach blanket and beach bag make a great wedding or shower gift! My custom listing is here.