While I grew up with my mama’s sewing machine on the kitchen table, I never took home ec or had any desire to be artistic. Have you met my mother? Better yet, have you met her sewing?  It’s like a composer’s kid being tone deaf. Or Kim Kardashian’s kids being nuns. I was adamant. Stubborn. Obstinante, one might say. I had zero use or interest in anything that had any scent whatsoever of eu de Housewife.

Fast forward until I became a citizen of Dormistan. The land of honey and irony,  all-you-can-eat-and-weight-you-can-gain-buffets and $18 checking account balances. Skipping the beat of the dance clubs for the hum of a new sewing machine was an easy decision. The latter never required: Spanx, boys, cash, or my self-conscious awkwardness in public. I was a confident know-it-all in class. I was a shy, nervous wreck at an underage club.

Today I’m a fair combination of both, but do have a bit more balance between the social and the sewing. Sadly, 9 out of 10 projects still look like something off of Regretsy. But I can’t stop. I’ve got a closet full of fabric, a binder full of patterns and am slowly but surely becoming more comfortable with my modernized Laura Ingalls Wilder spirit.

{My version of the Oregon Trail would be by Prius. With stops along the way for hiking, sleeping under the stars and hitting the half annual sales at any Nordstrom en route. Wineries, pedicures, fly fishing for dinner. I’m pretty sure Laura would have been all about getting her eyebrows waxed, hitting a hot yoga class and gossiping about that wicked Nellie Oleson over happy hour. Something tells me the oxen and cholera wouldn’t be missed.}

The first video sewing 101 tutorial, for sweet Bianca and girls everywhere who celebrate their inner modern pioneering spirit:*

Happy trails, friends!

~k

* there is a clever joke to be made about how a current Laura Ingalls Wilder would kick some Kardash ass, and what a large task that would be, and her video skills being used for good, nor horror. But I’ll leave that to you…

A tongue in cheek guide to moving:

1. Visit a place you’d rather live. Or don’t. Pick a spot on a map, out of a book, do the “spin the globe and land” game.

2. Tell your friends and family, “I’m moving!”

3. Say it again for 4 years or so. Convince yourself slowly. Make yourself promises you’ll do something about it.

4. One day, actually do something about it. Start by telling your boss. Ask for a transfer.

5. In the meantime, look for jobs online. Don’t be proud. Apply for anything you think will make you happy. That’s the whole point of this little move, after all. Want to be a barista/knitting store worker/bartender/taxi cab driver/nanny? Well. Good for you! Let’s do it!

6. Send your resume to your smartest friends. Ask them to review it. Then, ask them to send it to their friends who may know someone in your new desired city.

7. Apply for more jobs.

8. If you know someone in the new city, ask to crash at their house for a bit. If they are incredibly generous and wonderful people, they’ll agree. Begin sending them gifts and notes of thanks immediately. If you are making a new start without knowing a soul, God bless you. Look in the newspaper for homes available. Talk to your realtor friends about a referral in the new city. Someone will want your business. Be picky.

9. Cry. Laugh. Schedule happy hours in your home town. Give yourself whatever emotional space you need to feel whatever you need, and don’t let guilt take hold. Laugh some more. (Stop yourself on occasion to think, “HOLY SHIT I AM ACTUALLY DOING THIS!”)

10. Organize your home. If you haven’t seen or used it in a year, someone at Goodwill can. Donate generously. Give friends books. Give friends plates of cookies and pitchers of sangria and make them promise to return them to you in your new city (built in guests). Give friends anything you think they can use. Find boxes and start packing. (I started packing 2 years before I called a moving company.) Call a moving company. Have a stiff drink before they hand you the estimate.

11. Make a pledge to pack a certain number of boxes every day. My number is 5.

12. Keep applying for jobs.

13. Check out the newspaper for your new hometown and find an event you want to attend when you arrive. For me, it’s Ray LaMontagne at Red Rocks. I am dreaming of this show.

14. Pack five more boxes. Apply for more jobs. Say goodbye to those you love. Cry. Laugh. Remember not to burn any bridges, especially those that may prevent you from returning to the hometown you still very much love.

15. Rent your current home. Pray your renters aren’t really sociopaths waiting to turn your casita into a meth den.

16. Consider what you what this new life to look like. For me, it includes dogs, chickens, babies, a big chunk of land, a dirty Outback, a messy kitchen, an all loving church, an indie bookstore, a masters swim team and many, many happy meals shared with my baby brother and Colorado family.

And with any luck, your hometown friends will throw you one heck of a going away party and have plans to come see you before you even leave.

Giddyup,

K

How about a fabric correspondence envelope, with space for both your cards, stamps and your favorite pen? You could use this to clean up your stationery drawer, or throw it in your suitcase when you travel to keep postcards and an address book handy.

{Yes, I actually travel like this. And yes, if you are in my address book, you’ve more than likely received your fair dose of correspondence over the years.}

Let’s start with fabric selection. Pick two pieces of fabric that are decor weight to give this some heft.

Supplies:

- 2 pieces of decor weight fabric, interior 10 ” x 14 ”

- 2 pieces of decor weight fabric, exterior 10 ” x 7″

- 2 pieces of lightweight fusible interfacing,  one, 10″ x 14″; the other 10″ x 7″

- 1 fabulous button, with needle and thread to attach

- general sewing notions: scissors, machine, ruler, pencil, etc.

Directions:

All seams are 1/2 inch.

Cut your exterior and interior pieces, along with your interfacing. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of your exterior pieces. Place the exteriors (with interfacing now attached) and interior right sides together. You’ll have two stacks. The 10″ side is the bottom. The 14″/7″ side is the height.

Now, we are going to cut the larger set of pieces  to make the point of the envelope. Pin the 10″ x 14″ exterior and interior piece together.  Use a ruler and a dull pencil and measure 7″ from the bottom of the sandwiched pieces. The wrong side of the either the exterior or the interior should be facing up. Draw a line across the 10″ width at the 7″ (from the bottom up) mark. Now, draw a line from top to bottom at the 5″ mark. You should have two lightly drawn lines across one piece of your fabric.

Starting at the left corner of the 7″ mark and the left-side of the fabric, gently draw a line to the top 5″ mark, creating one side of the envelope point. Repeat on the other side of the fabric, creating the other side. You’ve now drawn a perfect triangle. Trim your envelope pieces accordingly:

You started with rectangles.

Now you have four pieces, two with a triangle top.

Let’s sew these pieces together. As per most sewing patterns, the key is to always sew things right sides together and leave a hole so you can turn it right-side out when you are done. Starting with the smaller 10″ x & 7″ pieces, place right sides together and sew only the top edge closed. (see the above photo) Press with your iron, turn right-side out, repeat seam with a top stitch.

Now, leaving a 3″ hole along the bottom 10″ piece — we are going sew the envelope portion together. Place the 10″ x 14″ (pointy envelope) exterior piece and interior pieces right-sides together. Sew along the outer edge, leaving the 3″ hole along the bottom. Place the other two pieces (10″ x 7″) right-sides together and repeat, leaving the same hole. Clip the corners. Turn both sets right sides out. Using your iron, push out your seams as far as you can. Match up both sets of fabric along the bottom edge (both with 3″ holes). Carefully turn these in and pin. Pin around the entire outer edge of the envelope and top stitch, enclosing your 3″ turning holes. You should now have one giant envelope.

To create pockets for the pen and cards, measure in 2″ from the left-hand edge of your fabric. Run a seam from the bottom to the top of the pocket section (only 7″ tall, not the entire 14″ triangle point!). You’ve now got one large pocket — on the right — for cards and stamps, and one little pocket — on the left, for your pen.

Now, pick a coordinating button to sew on the front of the flap. This is simply for decoration, and to provide a bit of weight to keep the flap down. You won’t create a button hole, so your button doesn’t need to be practical. Go wild!

Add a personal label if you’d like, fill with stationery and a pen and enjoy!

Yay! Letters! Who doesn’t love letters (especially love letters)!

-k

Okay, 25 projects and I’m done! I realize this one is a double-post, but you asked for a tutorial. The Namaste Yoga bag:

Cut your exterior (above) and interior pieces 15″ wide by 17″ tall.

For the exterior yoga mat pocket, cut a piece of fabric 12″ x 10 ” (this piece pictured is too big, as you’ll see. This is a live and learn tutorial.)

With the yoga pocket, iron under the 10″ (tall) edges by 1/4″ and top stitch.

Then iron under the 12″ top and bottom.  Set aside.

Turn your exterior piece right sides together and sew 1/4″ seam along both edges and across the bottom.  Set aside.

Random photo of a European candy tin I use for pins. I love these.

Cut an interior pocket piece 15″ wide x 5.5″ tall.  Iron under top edge by 1/4″. Top stitch. Place it as desired on one side of your interior fabric.

Pin the pocket down.

Add a fancy label if you’d like. (I buy my labels here. Yes, they are pricey. They are also fabulous!)

Topstitch along both edges and the bottom.

I also like to add a stitch up the center of the pocket to create a division. These smaller pockets seem to hold keys, cell phones, etc., better.

Now, turn your interior pieces right sides together and stitch down both edges and across the bottom. HOWEVER: leave a 3″ hole in your stitching across the bottom. This is how you’ll eventually turn the bag right-side out. Set aside.

Back to that exterior — to create a bag that looks a bit more structured, we are going to sew and trim these corners. I forget what this is officially called in sewing lingo, but I think it is something like a gusset.

See that seam running down the center? That is actually the seam from the bottom of the bag. Take your first corner and make a triangle with this seam running down the center. This seems (seams?) difficult, but it is very easy. Just try it.

See? Not hard. Now, measure 3 inches in from the point and place a pin to mark where you will sew.

Sew along the pinned line being sure to backstitch at each end.

Then chop off the ends, leaving a 1/4″ seam.

Turn the exterior right-side out and voila — trimmed, structured corners to the bottom of the bag.

Now, about that yoga mat pocket. Obviously this pocket is too big, but the dimensions above are a better fit. Place the top edge of the yoga pocket 12″ from the bottom seam of the bag. You want to create a significant flap in the pocket to allow space for the mat or towel when in place.

Pin this top edge of the pocket 12″ up from the bottom of the bag and top stitch to the front of the bag. (Be sure not to stitch through both layers.)  Now take the bottom edge of the pocket and pin it 5″ from the bottom. Top stitch. Set aside.

On to the handles. There are two options. If you’d like the bag to be cross-body, as pictured, cut two pieces 3″ wide by 45″ long. If you’d like a shoulder bag, follow the same directions but cut your straps 5″ wide by 25″ long.

Iron each strap in half, right-sides together. Then uncrease and fold each half toward the center, as pictured above.

The fold the strap in half again, enclosing all raw edges. Pin these and topstitch along each edge, all the way down the straps.

Now place the exterior inside the interior bag, right sides together.

It seems weird, but I promise this works.

Lay your completed straps out and fold them in half. Be careful to make sure the strap isn’t twisted and pin the top edge of each strap between the layers of the bag, on each side. (This step isn’t photographed.)

If you think of this as a sandwich from the cutting mat up,  it would go: interior, strap inside, exterior, exterior, strap inside, interior.  Leave an inch or so of strap poking above the layers and sew around the top of the bag enclosing them. Trim the remaining strap that is poking between layers. Then pull the bag through the opening you left at the bottom edge of the interior. Press flat.

Then top stitch that bottom edge of the interior closed.

Press the bag and pat yourself on the back. Namaste!

This bag looks to have a saggy butt. It must need to do more yoga.

~K

Finny sent me this sweet makeup brush kit several years ago for my birthday and I’ve used it nearly every day since. I love having fancy brushes and like my mama recently said when jewelry shopping, “Isn’t it fun to be a girl?” Yes. I am so very thankful for femininity.

With that in mind, a tutorial to sew something similar. You’ll need:

- a set of makeup brushes

- exterior fabric 7 ” x 10 ”

- interior fabric 7″ x 10″

- interior pocket 5″ x 5.5″

- interior terrycloth 7″ x 4″

- ribbon at least 7″ long for interior

- two pieces of ribbon 5″ long each for closing tie

Take your interior pocket fabric and after ironing…

Iron under the left hand and top edges 1/4″.  Top stitch the top edge.

Iron a center crease in your interior fabric. Place the interior pocket on the lower right hand corner of the interior fabric. Your bottom and right hand edges should be raw (not turned under.) Pin. Top stitch pocket right, bottom and left hand edges to interior fabric, leaving the already seamed top edge open.

Place your brushes on this pocket to determine their sizes. Draw lines vertically with a blue sewing pen (water soluble) as guides.

Sew from top to bottom along these guides, backstitching along the top edge.

Place your brushes to make sure they fit before continuing. (In this case, I slid two large brushes into one sleeve)

Place your terrycloth on the left-hand side of the interior fabric. No need to turn under edges.

Now add your 7″ of ribbon to the right-hand edge of the terrycloth piece.  Sew along the top edge of the terrycloth, down the center of the ribbon (also catching the right-hand edge of the terrycloth, which is tucked under the ribbon) and along the bottom edge.

I added terrycloth because it’s nice to have a place to clean off your brushes in between uses. And when your pouch starts looking like Rainbow Brite, just throw it in the washing machine, iron flat and refill.

Now find your two pieces of 5″ ribbon for your closing tie.

Place these 5″ up from the bottom edge of your interior fabric with 1/4 ” protruding.  (See that little bit of ribbon poking out on the right-hand side of this?) The ties should mostly remain sandwiched between your interior and your exterior. Place the exterior right-side down on top of the interior fabric. Pin. Sew around the edges leaving a 3″ hole.

Those raw edges will be enclosed in this process. It’s sewing magic!

With that hole, turn your makeup brush pouch right-side out. Press flat. Top stitch with a pretty thread.

See? Pretty.

Add your brushes.

Tie tight and wrap for the holidays. Voila — Christmas beauty!

~K

Advent begins today, some 26 days before Christmas. I don’t remember ever celebrating advent with any great fanfare as a child, but have coveted intricate and beautiful advent calendar traditions during the last few years. I am particularly fond of this calendar and this homemade version. {How amazing would it be to receive a sweet note each day?}

This season means different things to Christians. For me,  it is a great time to prepare. It provides 26 days to find reasons to be thankful, be mindful in prayer, and to get my heart and home ready for the Christmas season. Cheesy? A bit. Truthful? Definitely. I am a sentimental girl.

I didn’t participate in Black Friday this year and don’t plan on buying a thing for Cyber Monday either. The older I get, the less the stuff seems to matter. I don’t need a thing. Most in my life are equally blessed. And let’s be honest — all you need is a $.50 newspaper to be reminded the most important things in life cannot be purchased or wrapped — love, fidelity, health, sanity, peace. The very last thing I needed this weekend was to sacrifice sleep for the celebration of consumer gluttony. (If I want to celebrate gluttony, I prefer to do so in the comfort of my own home with a piece of pizza in one hand and bottle of wine in the other.)

Instead, my list of handmade items is long and my list of tiny intentional acts of beauty is longer. This year, I’m celebrating Christmas with Christ in mind — He who fed the poor, spent time with the lepers, advocated for love and peace. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot to learn.

I’ll be posting a project each day for the next 26 days. Some take considerable time, while others are conquered within minutes. I hope there will be something included that strikes your fancy. I wish you and your loved ones a holiday season abundant with the very best of life!

Adventathon: 1 Children’s Art Portfolio Tutorial

Supplies needed:

• Exterior fabric 18″ x 11″
• Interior fabric 18″ x 11″
• Interfacing 18″ x 11″
• Interior crayon/marker pocket fabric 7″ x 8″
• Two pieces of ribbon, each 10″ long
• Wax paper
• Art supplies

Directions: Iron all fabrics. Iron/sew interfacing to wrong side of exterior fabric. Set aside.

Take interior pocket material and iron under top (7″) edge, 1/4″.

Repeat, ironing same seam again under another1/4″, hiding raw edge.

Repeat with right-hand (8″) edge of pocket. Top stitch top seam.

Iron center crease on right side of interior fabric. Align the folded under right-hand edge with the center crease of the interior material:

Pin down pocket side edges and bottom. Stitch 1/4″ from edge of pocket material securing pocket to interior fabric. Do not sew down top edge you’ve already hemmed.

Now, pull out your markers, crayons, pencils, paint brushes or whatever art supply you’d like to gift in this porfolio. Measure the width of these items. We are going to create a series of pockets for each of these by running hems from the top of this pocket to the bottom, backstitching at each end.

I created 8 of these lines, measured equally across the pocket, to hold a packet of markers.

Now, measure the drawing pad you’d like to include on the other side of the interior fabric.

Find the center of the right-hand side of your interior fabric, 3-4″ from the top edge. Draw a line measuring the length of your drawing pad, adding 1/2″. This pad was nearly 5″ – so my line was 5.5″.

Very carefully, snip this line open with a pair of scissors.

Tuck the back cardboard edge of your drawing pad into this hole to make sure it fits. If it doesn’t, make the hole a bit bigger on either side.

Now hem a small zigzag stitch in a coordinating thread around the hole (buttonhole stitch) to close the raw edge.

Place the exterior fabric — with interfacing already attached — on top of the interior fabric with right sides matched.

Measure 6.5 inches from the top of the left and right hand sides of the portfolio and tuck your pieces of ribbon between the exterior and interior pieces, leaving at least .5″ outside to pin and later stitch. Sew both sides together with a 1/2″ seam. No need to leave a hole to turn right sides out. Clip the corners, trim any excess including that extra bit of ribbon and then pull the right sides through your drawing pad hole. Iron flat, pushing out the corners carefully. Top stitch in a coordinating thread.

Now, measure several pieces of wax paper to place in the center of the portfolio for stamps/stickers. Carefully run a tight zigzag stitch down the left-hand side of the wax paper to secure to the portfolio. This also creates a center binding for the portfolio because you are stitching through all three layers (make sure your bobbin thread matches your exterior fabric.) This step is entirely optional. Wax paper doesn’t hold up well and if your artist is too old for stickers, skip it.

Add a label if you’d like.

Place the drawing pad in the hole by securing the back cover.

Add your art supplies

And stickers

Voila — a children’s art portfolio.

Other variations may include thank you notes, stamps, stationery, etc.

Tomorrow: a favorite holiday recipe

~K

Find the space you are interested in gardening. Survey this for type of soil, etc. Is the soil horrible? Is there no soil — such as this space? Then consider starting on top of the existing ground.

Even this can produce.

Gather shredded paper, cardboard, coffee grounds and kitchen refuse.

Layer 1 — cardboard. Cover your space with one layer of carboard

Layer 2: shredded paper

Layer 3: garden refuse — in this case left over palm fronds

Layer 4: coffee grounds. Ideally you want about 10,000 times what I was able to produce for this project today. We’ll be adding more. You can’t have too much.

Layer 5: Kitchen refuse. Granted, it is better if it is added as compost, but considering I am traveling tomorrow — I went through the pantry and fridge and got rid of everything that wasn’t going to be eaten in time. So, we’ve now got whole fruit and vegetables out there in the process of decaying. With 100+ degree heat, this shouldn’t take long.

Layer 6: Water.

Now we must add a considerable amount of soil. I’m going to buy as much manure as my little car will haul so we have a layer to actually plant. We’ll plant on top of this soil and water top down. Within a full growing season, ideally this will all decompose causing the compacted earth beneath it to become great, healthy soil.

And so the salsa garden begins!

{These were placed in the sun to dry for their seeds, but I couldn’t help but note the humor.}

~K

“Life without love is like a year without summer.” — Swedish proverb

So, let’s add a little love, shall we? Because God knows summer is here in full force. What better way to rock both love and a great summer than with a fun new tiny camera and a great quilted case to protect it? Think wristlet, but with a flannel fabric you are going to quilt yourself. And who doesn’t have a tiny digital camera at the bottom of her purse that gets banged around? Well, technically I don’t. But that’s because I carry my giant camera most places. But I know MANY of you do. Time to protect the camera baby with a pretty new little case.

Come on.

No excuses.

The same goes for all of my sewing projects. If I can do this, without a doubt, so can a trained monkey. So don’t tell me you can’t.

Prep: Get a fat quarter of flannel, a fat quarter of your B fabric , a fat quarter of quilt batting, and a pretty coordinating zipper, at least 8″.

First, buy a digital camera. In this case, an inexpensive camera perfect for a novice photographer.

Ladybug red.

Take the camera out of the packaging and arrange things nicely so they can be tucked into your finished case.

Get your supplies ready. Ballerina flannel? Check. Additional pretty pink fabric? Check. Zipper. Triple check.

So, I made this case with measurements to fit the camera, the accessories and a giant pack of batteries. Your case may need to be bigger or smaller depending on what you want to carry. This case is 10″ tall x 9″ wide, finished. I cut 1 piece of flannel 18″ in length by 7″ in height. I then cut my B fabric (pink in this case), 18″ in length by 3″ wide.

Right sides together, pin fabric A (ballerina) and fabric B (pink) together. Sew a 1/4″ seam along the top.

Press the seam flat.

Pin 18″ in width x 10″ in height of quilt batting to the back side of the joined fabrics.

Using 1″ freezer tape as a guide, carefully quilt 1″ lines going one direction on the fabric. (The tape will pull at the flannel if you aren’t careful. You may just want to eyeball this.)

Voila.

Then use the same piece of tape to measure the lines going the other direction. The result is a beautiful piece of quilted flannel. I did NOT quilt the pink fabric. This is a matter of aesthetics. Your choice, your style.

Then, cut the 18″ quilted piece in two. You now have your front and back pieces of your quilted camera case.

Now cut two more pieces of flannel. These are your linings. Cut each 9″ wide x 10″ tall.

Additionally, if you’d like a handle for your quilted camera case, cut one piece of flannel 4″ wide by 10″ long. Then iron in half length wise. Fold over, tucking all raw edges inside. Sew as close to all four sides as possible, closing in the the long raw edge.

Voila. Iron in half.

Blurry pic. Sorry. Take two pieces 2″ x 2″ of fabric B. Fold under one edge with your iron. Then pin to the edge of your zipper. Sew carefully along the tucked under edge. This allows you to create the exact size zipper you’d like. Once you have sewn both pieces of fabric (after measuring how long you need your zipper. In this case, we need one at least 9″ long), you can cut off the remaining part of the zipper.

Sew fabric B to zipper after measuring.

Don’t forget to be ridiculously egotistical and add your label to your lining piece too.

Then make your zipper sandwich. Place one front piece right side up. Line up the zipper edge on the top edge of your front piece. Then place your lining piece right side down on top of the zipper and front piece edges. Pin through all three. Sew with your zipper foot connecting your front piece to your lining piece #1.

Rinse and repeat for the other side of the zipper. If zippers freak you out, check out this prior tutorial for help. Also, this tutorial will walk you through connecting the front and lining pieces and attaching the handle.

Voila. Yes, that’s the third voila. I’m feeling very French.

Oui oui!

C’est bon, non?

Fill with accessories, wrap with pretty tissue, gift with pleasure.

Email me if you have questions. Hope you enjoy your quilted camera case!

~K

• Two pieces of cotton fabric cut 13″ x 12″
• One pocket piece of cotton fabric cut 8″ x 5″
• Two pieces of ribbon, 6″ long, width of your preference
• Wax paper
• Stickers!

Directions:

1. Cut your book front fabric and inside fabric to 13″ x 12″. Iron these pieces in half width-wise, creating a stiff center crease.

2. Cut your inside pocket piece to 8″ x 5″

3. Turn the top edge of your pocket under, iron. Run a zigzag stitch along this edge.

4. Place the pocket in the center of your inside lining. You can sew the pocket on either side of the lining. I sewed mine on the front lining.

5. With the pocket attached, now you can select to add any embellishments (such as a bias-tape stenciled name). Or, you can keep it simple, as I am doing on this example. Place the front panel right side up. Place either piece of ribbon — cut 6″ long — with 1/2 an inch over the edge. These pieces of ribbon will serve as your ties for the book. Center these and then place the lining (with the pocket attached) right side down, sandwiching the ribbons.

6. Pin these pieces right side together, with just 1/2 inch of ribbon visible. Leave a 4″ gap between your beginning and stop points. You’ll later use this gap to turn the book right side out. Sew a 1/2 inch seam around each of the edges, make sure to leave the gap. Backstitch over your ribbon to make sure the are secured.

7. Trim your corners and any extra fabric. Turn right side out.

8. Iron and make sure to turn under the gap hems. Sew the gap closed with a 1/4 inch seam and continue around the edge of all four sides, adding a nice top stitch.

9. Trim your wax paper to fit the book; the easiest way to do this is to cut your wax pages the same length of the book (13″). I use 5 of these wax sheets.

10. Pin the wax sheets in place. Run a tight zigzag stitch from the top to the bottom of the book, down the center of the wax sheet. This is making your book’s crease. Backstitch several times at both the beginning and the end.

11. Fold in half, fill with stickers. Voila! A fabulous and inexpensive gift for any child.

One more thing you might want to consider: I just gave this book to a 3-year-old who was VERY excited to play with the stickers. In the process, the wax pages were pretty beaten up. It might make sense for younger children to attach your wax paper to a piece of card stock first and then sew them into the book to make the pages a bit more sturdy.

My favorite stickers, for the record, were the ones you got after seeing the dentist. Not only were they huge, but they also symbolized not having to go back to the dentist for quite a while.

~K

Want to learn how to sew an easy-peasy tote bag? There are gobs of other tutorials out there; I’m just adding my voice to the chorus. Be warned: my sewing is incredibly simple. I’m not a stickler for making things perfect so much as making them they way you like them and finding perfection in the process.

First, find two fabrics you like. Wash, dry and iron these. Some other helpful supplies include a tin of pins, scissors, a rotary cutter and ruler and an iron. You’ll also need some wide ribbon for the handle.

Cut your fabric exterior and lining in two equal rectangles. Mine are 10 inches wide by 18 inches tall, doubled. In other words, my fabric is folded along the bottom.

Also, I created two pocket rectangles, each 5 inches wide by 8 inches tall. Cut these pieces out and iron them.

I use my rotary cutter to even out my fabrics so they are the same size.

Take both of your pocket pieces to your ironing board and turn under the top edge 1/4 an inch. Then turn it under again 1/4 an inch so your raw edge is not exposed. Iron this folded edge flat and then sew a running stitch (basic stitch) down the edge. Backstitch at each end to lock your stitches.

Once this is completed, come back to the ironing board and turn under the other three sides once. They don’t need to be double folded. Once you have these turned under, pin your first pocket to the center of your exterior piece (or where ever you’d like the pocket to be on the bag).

Repeat this with the pinning of the second pocket on the lining piece. Be sure to pin this pocket on just one side of the exterior and lining pieces. Stitch the remaining three sides down on the pocket, leaving the pre-stitched top edge completed. Voila — your pockets are done.

Now take your ribbon and make two handles. I like my handles to be at least 18 inches long so I can get the bag over my shoulder. That said, you can play with the length to fit your needs. Place the first piece of ribbon with both raw ends matched up with the exterior top raw edge. Place these ribbon ends at least 8 inches apart. Pin the ribbon down.

Repeat on the other edge of the bag, making sure to also space them 8 inches apart. Fold the bag in half to see how the ribbon handles match up and adjust to make sure they are evenly spaced on both sides of the bag. Then sew these down, one at a time. I like to sew and backtack several times across the ribbon to make sure the permanency of the handle.

Now your handle is complete.

Voila! Now fold your exterior fabric together – right sides together. You should have two raw edges along each side and one raw edge along the top. Pin down each side and follow by sewing a ½ inch seam down each side. You can choose to sew across the bottom too – but for this simple tote I prefer to use the natural bottom created by the fabric’s fold.

Repeat this process by folding the lining right sides together and sewing both raw sides together. If you want to trim the bottom corners, you can. Also, if you have sloppy edges – you can trim these too. Just be careful not to catch your sewing in your scissors or you will have to sew the seam again.

Now turn the exterior fabric right side out. Carefully place the exterior bag inside the lining bag. The lining will be inside out – the right sides of the fabrics will be together when you place the exterior inside the lining. Tuck the ribbon handles between the lining and the exterior. This is an important step.

Starting at one side, match the seams and pin around the top raw edge of the lining and exterior bag top, leaving a 7 inch hole in the pining between two of the ribbon handles on one side. Once you have the lining and exterior pinned together, carefully sew a ¬Ω inch to 1 inch seam around the bag, being mindful not to sew all the 7 inch hole. Backtack at each end.

Now, carefully pull the exterior and lining through this 7 inch hole and iron flat. Then tuck the lining inside the exterior and iron flat, especially around the top edge where you will still have a 7 inch hole. Press and sew a top stitch around the top edge of the bag, closing the hole.

Voila ‚Äì your reversible ribbon handle tote bag is complete! I’ve filled this one with travel goodies for one of my traveling companions this summer.

Other options to consider:
Use interfacing to make the bag sturdier
Use gussets at the bottom to make the bag stand up and not have a flat bottom
Use a grommet to create a key hole at the top of the bag

Perfect for the anti-plastic grocery bag movement, as a lunch tote, to keep in your trunk to manage the little things that seem to always be rolling around, to keep on the back of your bedroom door for junk you aren’t ready to sort through yet, etc.

Email me with questions or corrections. And let me know if you make one of these!

Take one $.99 Ikea bag, a bit of canvas for the lining, a square of cotton for the front key pocket, some yellow thread and voila: le Chevroleg, 2.0.

For Salty. Next sewing project: girl’s dresses made from pillowcases. Have you heard of this?

~K

P.S. I’m doing my first Splash and Dash tonight. I’m a bit nervous. You’d think by now I’d be comfortable swimming in Tempe Town Lake, but it still panics me a little. I did a 2.4 mile open water a couple weeks ago and once again I was one of two idiots without a wetsuit. I was so cold, I couldn’t get my breath under control for 1000 meters. Thankfully, tonight the race is just 1000 meters and then some running (hence the dash). And no, this idiot still doesn’t have a wetsuit. Oy. Full algae and hyperventilation report tomorrow.

Last year I was browsing the Red Envelope catalog (love their personalized gifts and earrings) when I saw a tiny photo for a leather jewelry wrap. My necklaces are pretty much always tangled because of the petite leather earring box I keep them in at the bottom of my gym bag. (Go figure.) I liked the idea of a small pouch that would help keep everything organized, so I studied the photo, asked Meg for some advice and took this project on as my homemade girlfriend gift for 2007. I ended up making 25 of these and giving them with a piece of handmade jewelry made by a local retired couple.

{Three cheers for my pledge to buy locally and go handmade. Woot!}

They went over well and I tried not to let the backhanded, “Wow! This is so great. Your sewing is really improving,” sting after the tenth time it was said.
Anyway — a tutorial for you peeps interested in making your own fabulous jewelry wrap:

Supplies:
Cotton fabric
Canvas
Two zippers
Velcro
heavy-weight, iron-on interfacing
A button, needle, thread
Elastic

Directions:
Cut two rectangles measuring 11″ x 18″ from your front fabric and lining fabric. (I varied these.)

Cut one rectangle measuring 11″ x 18″ from your canvas. Set these aside.

Cut one necklace pocket measuring 11″ by 5″ from cotton fabric.

Cut two necklace pocket flap measuring 11″ by 3″ from cotton fabric.

Cut one ring holder measuring 11″ by 4″ from cotton fabric.

Cut one necklace pocket flap interface piece measuring 11″ by 3″.

Prep:
Take your two necklace pocket flaps and pin them right sides together. Now iron on the interfacing to one of these sides. Sew 1/4 inch seam around the edge leaving a 1″ hole to turn your work. Trim corners, turn right side out, press. Gently turn under remaining 1″ and complete with top-stitching around entire outside edge. Fold in half width wise and iron crease in center. Place 1″ piece of Velcro 1″ above the bottom edge. Sew around edge.
Put to the side. Your pocket flap is now completed.

Take your ring holder fabric and fold it in half length wise. Press crease. Now turn in 1/2 inch of the top and bottom edges toward the crease. Then fold in half again, completely enclosing your exposed edge. {You may have done this trick in the past to make purse handles.} Topstich around all edges. Don’t worry about turning the two ends under. We are going to add Velcro to one end and tuck the other between the seams when we sew all the pieces together.

With a rotary cutter, cut your lining fabric into three sections, horizontally. You want these to be varying sizes. Mine were 3″ wide, 6″ wide and 9″ wide.

Sew the first two sections back together by adding a zipper. Then sew section one and two (now sewn together as one) with an additional zipper. Your lining fabric should now have three sections, with two zippers running across them horizontally.

Take the necklace pocket and turn under the top (11″) edge twice. Zigzag stitch across this edge. Fold the pocket in half lengthwise and crease with an iron. Center your first piece of Velcro 1″ below top edge. Sew around the edge of the Velcro, attaching it to the necklace pocket. Pin the necklace pocket to the bottom of your wrap, well beneath the second zipper. Pin your completed necklace flap above the pocket, lining up the Velcro so they match.

Now place and pin your canvas rectangle behind your lining fabric. Place and pin your ring holder between your first two sets of zippers. You can either use a hot glue gun to add velcro to the lining and the backing of your ring holder, or you can sew these on before sewing the canvas. Your choice.

Carefully sew a 1/2″ seam around the outer edge of the lining, sewing the canvas to the lining. Then sew a center divider (or two, like the photo above) to create compartments in your necklace pocket. Sew the pocket flap down. Then sew as close as possible to the top of each of the zippers to create actual pockets between the lining and the canvas.

Once these are completed, place your backing fabric and your completed lining right sides together. Place 1″ of coordinating elastic, turned in a loop, sandwiched between these. This will be used as your button closure. Stitch a 1/4″ around all edges, making sure to leave a 3″ gap to turn work right side out. I like to backtack over the elastic to make sure it is sewn firmly.

Turn right side out. Press. Turn under remaining 3″ hole and sew seam shut. Press again. Fold into thirds. Find appropriate placing for button and sew on by hand. Fill with bangles and bobbles and enjoy!

I wish for “green” gifts.
Cloth napkins anyone? How easy are these to put together! Just grab any heavy-weight fabric, such as decor, and cut rectangles of the size of your liking. Double fold the hem and stitch away, or single fold the hem and zigzag/serge stitch along the edge. Bundle with a pretty ribbon and voila — and end to the purchasing of paper napkins.

When I received a set of fabulous cloth napkins from Meg this year, I knew what I was going to do with that stack of toile fabric that had been gathering dust in my studio. Three hours later, I’ve got six more gifts wrapped and under the tree.
{Technically, my tree is fake and 2 feet tall, also a nod to the green movement. So, they are on the mantel.}

How are you being green this holiday season?
~K

P.S. Anyone in Phoenix know where I can buy fresh cranberries? I’d even take frozen over the canned/jelled variety. They are the last remaining ingredient on my Christmas dinner menu and I am kicking myself for not picking up a couple bags two weeks ago when I saw them at the market. You find them and I’ll trade you baked goods of your choice!
*UPDATE* I found them! Thank you Tambra and Erin!

Need an easy, soft and sweet baby shower gift? Take 1 yard of fleece, 1 yard of your favorite quilter’s cotton and 1 yard of your favorite ribbons. Pin the ribbon in the seam, sew the edges together, and voila! A cuddly gift, perfect for celebrating babies born this time of year — when we all want to stay under the blankets a bit longer.

~k