Crystal's 1k Facebook giveaway

Sweet Crystal from Crystal's Craft Spot is having a huge giveaway to celebrate her 1000 fans on Facebook... You have until tomorrow to enter.. lots and lots of wonderful goodies including some flower ear warmers from yours truly ... go check it out : 

1K facebook fan Giveaway!

Naughty Notions Challenge - A woven ribbons experiment

Crazy me... like I didn't have enough on my  plate I decided to take on the challenge hosted by Rikka @ Sew La Vie... the Naughty Notions challenges... Could not resist , I HAD to.

So here it is, finished just before the deadline.
I dug up into my ribbon stash because lately it's been out of control.

I wove the selected color and stabilized the resulting"fabric" with medium weight interfacing

Then I dug up in my scraps' bins : cute left-over floral brocade and a piece of leatherette for the lining and outside shell

Added some fun trim left over from a jacket 

And this fab button covered in bead from my stash...

Finished !! 

I already took it out on a fancy dinner date with my hubby last night :)

Trading posts - Shopping bags and a wreath

A couple of weeks ago, we had crafty playdate with Amie (Kitty Cats and Airplanes) and Meg (In the Loop). We were all pretty tired but Amie was excited to try out her new sewing machine so I decided to take it easy with my projects and have fun helping the gals out with their sewing. Both Amie and Meg wanted to make a bag, so I helped each of them out making a tote bag. Amie's is a denim upcycle, and Meg an interfaced fully lined tote. I think they both did great. 

Look at these gals hard at work ! Amie is learning to use the new sewing machine she got for Christmas.

TADA All done ... So cute and so different!

I started a winter wreath that day ... that I finished a couple of days later

Tea party mug rugs

Still revealing Christmas handmade gifts, this time with some mug rugs I made for my tea-loving mother-in-law. I had bought the fabric this summer thinking about her but could not decide what to do until Amie and I challenged ourselves to make some mug rugs. I ended up making two sets: one with Christmas themed fabrics (no pics.. oops) and this one. I'm still not too sure what's the best size/ratio for a good mug rug but these can accommodate a regular tea cup with some room to spare for a cookie or two. I'm definitely going to make more of those. It's a great way to use up scraps... and scraps is somethings I never lack of: I have a really hard time parting with cute fabric scraps regardless how small.

Christmas table runner

I know Christmas was a while ago but I wanted to show you the fun table runner I made. Amie and I put our Christmas fabric stashes together, and after cutting a bunch of strips and piecing all that together, we both ended up with a runner top. I finished mine with in-the-ditch quilting. It does make my dinning room table look so much more cheerful. 

Envelope clutch revisited

Another Chrisms gift now revealed. This past summer,  Amie (Kitty Cats and Airplanes) taught me how to make her adorable envelope clutch. 

I recently found a different type of interfacing than we used back then: stiffer and thinner. This prompted me to make a new version of the clutch that would be a bit bigger too, with a gusset to make access easier. 

I ended up making two .. . one for myself and one for a friend that has a soft spot for yellow and grey.

I will definitely reuse this form for more cute little clutches :)

Zebra necklace and earrings

When I feel the need to do something that is not as much of a production as sewing, I now (thanks Amie!!) turn to jewelry making and not just fabric flowers. 

During my recent craft slump at the end of december, I was mostly NOT sewing... and instead making jewelry. I'm starting to have too much to reasonably wear just for myself but I'm sure I'll make a happy girl with this one: Aren't those zebra beads too much fun ?!? 

The necklace is actually pretty long almost 30"

Vintage doll dress

I recently met the owner of an antique shop in nearby Ellicott City and we got into talking about handcrafting and sewing. She repairs vintage dolls and asked me whether I could make custom clothes  for her clients. I thought It would be a fun change in my regular sewing routine and here is the first commission completed: A blessing dress for a 1923 Grace Putnam Bye-Lo baby doll. 

 With lots of precautions and a very clear warning to Bug that she was not to touch this baby because it was highly breakable and precious, I brought the cutie to my studio, researched period clothing and meshed the results with the doll's owner's request: A girl baby, white or cream blessing dress, long enough to cover the feet but not too long. I went for long balloon sleeves on a regular bodice and a flared skirt, trimmed with lace along with ruffled pantaloons and a matching hat.

The store owner was quite happy with the result and will probably give me more commissions in the future.

Look how peaceful she looks ... how precious :)

Layla of the Summer is a contender

Check out my sweet purse Layla of the summer it is a contender for the Finest of 2011 on "To Sew With Love" @ http://www.to-sew-with-love.com/2012/01/vote-for-tswls-finest-of-2011.html. You can vote for your favorite project daily !

Reversible table runner

The holidays are behind us and it is time to share some of the handcrafted gifts that came out of my studio this year. This table runner went to my sister in Switzerland and she loved the colors and the fact that you can use either side either for a formal setting or for a fun colorful table.

I confess I was tempted to keep it... but I can make another one as long as I find a fabric combination I fancy for this use

Buttons and ribbon plaid purse

Something things just come together unexpectedly. A couple of months ago I got two 20-yard spools of grey satin ribbon and a bunch of grey and gold buttons from a discount fabric store by fishing into a huge pot. From the beginning I wanted to use them on a purse. But how? Then I saw a really inspiring picture of a pretty purse made by a french designer. A few days later, someone gave me a yard of this wonderful grey suede-like fabric. And it all clicked together. I spent the weekend planning and sewing... My new button purse. 

The shape is a pretty simple book bag with a rounded corners flap. 

Then I wennt to town with the ribbon, setting it up in a pseudo-plaid pattern

A lot of thinking went into the layout of the interior: 

Of course the choice of a nice lining fabric... Grey and yellow are so perfect together

The main compartment is divided in two large sub sections, Each with inside pockets

I added two large pockets in the from for easy access of essential items : cell phone, sun glasses and access badge for work

More ribbon and buttons on the long shoulder strap

Love love love it .. and my iPad fits in there perfectly!

Coming up tomorrow

Here is a sneak peek of my latest creation 

It involves buttons!