Random sewing things when I had a few spare minutes

June 5, 2013 – 8:02 am

So…I have sewn a few other things over the past few months, but they are rather unimpressive.

I put elastic into these shorts for Anya.  She is a skinny minny, and these shorts didn’t have the button elastic in them.  I just opened up the waistband and threaded elastic into them.  I got them at Zulily, so obviously I couldn’t bring them back.  One pair was wayyyyy too big, but both were really going to fall off of her.  Now she has some blingy shorts that fit.

Oh, and I also had to fix a pair of brand new sandals that she had wore, about TWO times.  Broke them right apart.  Needle and thread to the rescue!  Hopefully, she can wear them a bit more.  Why is it that the $5 flip flops last longer than the $25 sandals?

This is a padded cover for my nook that Anya helped me make.  She did the straight quilting lines on it.  I made the lines with tailor’s chalk and she sewed them up.  Not everything is straight and pucker free, but it turned out just fine and serves it’s purpose well.

Then here are a few one-piece swimsuits that Anya said don’t fit her.

*sigh*

Here is #1 – It was cut too high in the front and back for the bottom, and then not cut low enough on the neckline.  My serger also hated this fabric, so I didn’t use it very much on it.

Here is #2 – The bottom was good on this one, but I cut it too low on top.  I think it was due to the fact that the first suit was much stretchier than this one.  It didn’t pull up quite so much, so it ended up being a bit too low cut.  I ended up crossing the straps in the back and that helped.  Next one will need about an inch or so higher neckline, depending on the fabric.

I didn’t use any elastic for this swimsuit, and just edged it all in swimsuit fabric.  I really liked how the white made the edges pop a bit.  I think it would have been too plain without the white.

They are headed for a new home with a smaller girl.  Hopefully, they will fit her.  Back to the drawing board on that one!

Right now I have a nice long list of things that I want to sew:

- Draft a new fitted pencil skirt pattern for me.  I could BUY one, but what fun is that??

- Make a Mei Tai for an old babysitter that had her baby in January.  Yeah…terribly late, but she can still use it if I get it done in the next month.  Back carry is the best for getting some naps in while doing the laundry.

- Short-sleeved work shirts for me, and I have a lot of nice fabric to use for them.

- Shorts for Kai

- Another purse!

Right now I need to clean up my room, though, since it will have some overnight guests this week.  That is the hard part about having your sewing room be the guest room, too, but at least I have one!

By Stacy | Posted in Creativity, Sewing | 1 comments         |

Free-form drawing…or what is that??

June 3, 2013 – 7:11 pm

When I “decide” to draw things that I put on pieces of clothing or purses…I have a very loose idea of what I want.  Most of the things I draw in less than a minute.  Usually, it takes me about 10 seconds.  I am all about being quick.

I have bought sketch pads over the years and got another one at Michael’s the other day.  I’d actually like to draw some real things that take more than a minute to draw.  Seeing as I am spending so much time as the baseball/softball fields this summer…I gots lots of time to get better at drawing!

So…what does this look like to you?

 

They are kind of Rorschach versions of dragons.

I did actually intend them to look kind of like this.  I had a vague idea in my head when I drew these appliqués, which is more than I usually have in my head when I draw designs.

This purse was made out of a pair of suede pants that I haven’t worn in about 5 years.  The opposite side is suede, but I liked this side better.  I am going to have to put leather protector spray on it.  It seems to mark up pretty easily since it is so soft.  The dark brown pieces were ones I bought, and I had to make the 3 narrow pieces I bought work with the purse design.

 

I put feet on the purse to keep the leather off of surfaces.  I didn’t have any zippers that matched so one one of the inside pockets I used a magnetic snap.  I also have a magnetic snap for the overall closure on the purse.

The handle is made from cut strips of the heavy brown leather woven in a chain I bought in the jewelry section at Michael’s.  I hand sewed the chain at the top and the bottom of the strips so it would stay in place.  The top of the strap are two of the tan leather pieces sewed onto a woven strapping piece.  I knew the leather would stretch too much if it didn’t have a solid base.  It is pretty soft leather.

Now I have some blush silk that I’d like to use to make another bag.  I need to figure out what to do to make it so it is a bit more durable than a silk bag would be normally.

Then perhaps some summer clothes for the kids??  Or me??  There is a lot of fabric sitting on my cutting table just waiting to be used!

By Stacy | Posted in Creativity, Sewing, Sewing for me | no comments         |

Sewing with leather

May 28, 2013 – 7:22 pm

On Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to get something done sewing wise.  Finally.  My sewing room has been missing me.  I have been avoiding it lately in favor of either reading, chores or working out.  Too much to do and not enough time to do it.  Story of our lives, right??

I have wanted to make a new purse out of real actual leather, so I finally got it done!

I have a purse I like right now, so I used that as the basis for the size of this one, though everything else is pretty different from pockets to the straps.

I used a cheapo black leather jacket that was too big for me and a piece of blue dyed leather I bought at a fabric warehouse.  I also used the lining of the jacket as the lining of the purse.  The jacket wasn’t the highest quality, but it made it easier to sew as it wasn’t too thick.

Starting of jacket:

I did a reverse appliqué design in the leather out of a design I quick drew.

Story aside:  A few weeks ago I volunteered in Anya’s room for a project where the kids were all making “stores” out of cereal boxes.  They had to design a store on the covered box with pictures and such to go onto a Main Street.  Well, a little boy was doing a Chinese (Asian) food restaurant.  He asked if anyone could draw a dragon, so I drew one for him.  Not my best work, but it was a recognizable Asian dragon.  He thought that I was “the shit” (my words, not his ;) ) because I could draw a dragon for him.  Told everyone, “Anya’s Mom drew this!”  I also drew a few more things for other kids in the room.  Apparently, drawing is a useful skill!

I outlined the design in a silver Sharpie.  On one side is the reverse applique and on the other side I used the cut-out and sewed it on the purse.  I set the design onto the leather with a glue stick, so it wouldn’t move and then sewed it on with matching thread.



The side pockets are lined with the black lining fabric and have elastic sewn into a top casing to bring it in.  The pockets easily hold my keys on one side and sunglasses on the other.

The inside has two side pockets that have zippers on the front, so really it is two pockets in one.  I used Peltex heavy interfacing on the bottom to give it some sturdiness.  The strap is the leather folded over with grommet tape sewn over the seam.

 A few things that make sewing with leather easier:

  • Teflon foot
  • Wondertape
  • Clover clips or paper clips (can’t use pins with leather)

I love my new purse!  Unfortunately, it doesn’t go with everything, but that just means I need to make another one.  I do have more leather pieces, but not enough for a decent sized purse.  I may have to make a trip to Goodwill to see if I can pick up an old leather jacket for cheap.  It took me probably about 6 hours to make the purse at a leisurely pace.

I had to do a bit of ripping apart on the jacket, so that took some time, too.  It wasn’t ALL leather…just the major sections.  Oh, those darn clothing manufacturers and their cost-saving.  It was mostly leather, so I guess they could call it a leather jacket.

I got a pleather black jacket this spring…knowing full well it was not actual leather.  I seriously laughed out loud when I read the tag…”Vegan Leather”

Tricky, tricky…It sounds so organic when using “vegan” when it really means PLASTIC.  ;)

By Stacy | Posted in Creativity, Sewing, Sewing for me | 3 comments         |

April in a nutshell

May 11, 2013 – 8:53 pm

These are only pictures of the significant snowfalls.  We got more than just this…

April 11, 2013

 

April 19, 2013

April 23, 2013

We also got some snow in May, though it was just a dusting.  We missed a huge snowfall with it going all around us and just getting a few flurries.  Go us!  Everytime we got a significant snowfall, we were all, “It’s got to be the last one!”.

Yeah, no…

Luckily it didn’t take long to melt and we now have some green grass and sprouting flowers…and weeds.  Landscaping (i.e. debris clearing) is now underway.

By Stacy | Posted in Photography | 1 comments         |

At 8

May 10, 2013 – 8:24 pm

Well, heeeeeeeyyyyyy there!

Yes…a blog post! *fist pump*

I kind of had to, though, since we have a Birthday Girl over here!

 

The big EIGHT years old today, and oh how excited she was for her birthday present…getting her ears pierced!

We have held off on the whole earrings thing due to the fact that they need upkeep for the first 6 weeks.  This would require one to get out of bed with more time that just getting on clothes, going pee, barely brushing hair and teeth and then eating something before heading out the door.

In the past both of us have had to go into her room several times to get her moving, and most of the time I had to pick out her clothes and dress her.

Yeah…fun times when the child is fully capable of changing her own underwear.

But…we have now progressed!

She has finally managed to evacuate the bed in the morning with a few minutes extra to be able to care for her little earlobes.

Big, big step, and she just barely flinched when they shot the earrings into her lobes.  She got the “mermaid” colored stone, so it is a pretty aqua blue.  Should go well with all the blue jeans she likes to wear now!

Happy Birthday, Princess!

By Stacy | Posted in Family, Princess Anya | 3 comments         |