A purse...bag...tote?

Yay!  I've accomplished a project.  However, it wasn't a project on my to-do list.

Ok.  I don't know what this would be considered.  A purse, bag, tote, or is there even a difference between all those?  I've seen this style of bag before, most recently at retail stores, and last night when I decided I wanted to make one of these for the life of me I could not find a pattern or tutorial...because I don't know what it is called.  Is there a specific name to this design?  Most bags I've made or have looked for have a base name like Sling bag, market bag, messenger bag but with this bag I was nameless.

I love the thought of something being reversible, so of course that's what this little bag can do, be turned inside out.  For sturdiness/shape I used fusible fleece, even though I usually don't like to use interfacing when using vintage sheets since I love the soft flowy-ness of the fabric. 

I know I've seen tutorials for this design before, and I love referring to tutorials to get the guess work out making things, but did not find one.  So I decided to draw a pattern up myself.  The bags I usually make are relatively big, so I opted for a small bag, and started off with a 13x13 measurement.  Easy so far.  Then the decision of the handle.  How big should it be?  Drawing one out would be sooo unsymmetrical, so I opted to go MS Word and use their shapes. Hmmm.... however,  I still had the decision of how big the handle should be.  I knew for sure I wanted it to be an oval shape.  I first printed out an oval 1.5" x 4", and that looked too small. So I upped it just a bit and went with 1.75" x 4.5". 

But now with a finished product I think the handle is a little too wide, vertically.  I definitely love the oval shape of the handle, but it's a little tricky to sew around, and even with a ton of clipping around the handles that didn't prevent puckering/gathering/pinching around the handle.  I may opt to do a rounded rectangle shape in hopes that issue is eliminated.

I'm gonna still scour the web looking for tutorials on this. I'm in hopes to find a solution to the top of the bag.  When I made this one and got the sides sewn together and fitted into one another I was left with the unsewn top to tend to.  I'm use to the top being sewn when the bag is inside out, and all that is needed for the top is a top stitch, but in this case I wasn't sure how to handle that with the way the handles are constructed.  So I had to fold in the top edges, iron then sew.  Which, was probably the longest process in this whole bag.  Next time I'll fold down and iron the top prior to constructing the bag for a more straight edge.  Do you know what I mean or did I lose you?

I'm linking up with Faith Hope and Charity Shopping Ta-dah Tuesday.

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Ugh! I know...more hearts

 Yeah, I'm not much of a Valentine's Day person.  Yesterday I even went online to look up anti-Valentine's Day craft's, but got infected by all the hearts, and hearts, and hearts EV-ERY-WHERE.  It was then that I decided that I needed to add something Valentine-ish to my booth for this Saturday's, February 11,  Austin Flea.  What I came up with.... of course...hearts.

I've made some lavender sachets before for another market (that didn't sell, since it was dead), but they ended up being great teacher gifts.  So I decided to make some more lavender sachets for this weekend, but instead of squares... hearts.  Oh yeah, you know, they are also made out of vintage sheets.  A dozen of them were made while watching my evening T.V. shows.  If they sell cool.  If not... then oh well.   

Dang, I have been a busy bee this week, with online job searches, YUK (that will soon drive me crazier), and sewing new, additional, items for the Flea it's like I have two full-time jobs (ok..that might be stretching it a little bit).  However, we all know how looking for a job online sucks a lot of time out of your day.

So for the Austin Flea, along with my vintage finds, and vintage sheet purses I've also made 12 heart sachets, 8 tissue holders, 7 half aprons, and 1 coin purse.  I have intentions of making more coin purses, but zippers s...l...o...w me down.  Today is pretty much the last day I have to sew new items, leaving Friday open to price and pack everything.  Yikes!  This week has gone by fast.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, and everyone at the Austin Flea, that this weekend will be a success.  This will be my third attempt to sell at a market so it'll be third-times-a-charm, or three strikes and I'm out.  Which one will it be?

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Star fruit vintage sheet pillow

OMG!! I'm having camera and computer issues over here.  I've missed the last two Thrift Share Monday's due to losing my cameras memory card and now my laptop is not reading my new memory card.  UGH!!!  So for now I'll attempt a post taking pictures with my phone.  Blah!

There is this tutorial that has been on my to-do list for months now.  It initially landed on my list as a to-do pincushion, but just recently it got scaled up to a pillow once I revisited the tutorial.

The pillow/pincushion is made up of 15 squares, and when I revisited it it was an "ah-ha" moment.  This project could be done so quickly, at least cutting wise, with my Accuquilt Go Baby!.  Not only that but I already have quite a few spare 5" squares cut out.

So Sunday morning not long after I woke up I decided I needed a project to work on that could possibly be completed for that sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  I then proceeded to open up this tutorial by Matching Pegs for the star fruit pillow.

Top of pillow

The tutorial was very easy to follow.  Once I got started I thought this was gonna be done under and hour, but I decided not to rush, since that usually means a lot of seams to undo due to jumping steps (eh hem....I did do that once in this project).  So in total it was just over 2 hours to finish, stuffing included.

Side of pillow

I'm really happy with this project, and would love to make a larger one since the one in the tutorial looks soo big.  Obviously we all know an inch does make a difference, and an additional 15 inches would make this pillow a lot bigger, since the tutorial used 6" squares and I used 5" squares.  What were you thinking when I said an  inch does make a difference? O:-)

Bottom of pillow

Thank you Matching Pegs for such a great tutorial.

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Utility...

Yay!!

Don't you just feel soo happy when you manage to scratch out an item on your long "I want to do list"?  I do.  There is such a sense of content that I finally got around to something I wanted to work on.

It was nothing huge, but it served a purpose and it gave me a sense of security. 

In a post last week I mentioned I attempted to sell at another, my second, market.  The first market I attended I borrowed a cash box from my ex-husband, but having a box with my money in it lying around made me nervous.  I didn't want to have that box lying around this time. I wanted to have my change/cash on me.  Kinda like when we have a garage sale, I'll have a small sling purse across me to hold my cash, but I wanted something a little more user friendly that would be easy access and separate multiple items.  So I made this great utility apron.

I ran across this tutorial who knows when....months ago, and I've kept it in my list (a drafted email of links) of things to do.  Rosey Corner Creations has an extremely well written tutorial, and the apron was so super fast and easy to make....so easy I made two. Like shown in the tutorial I used three different fabrics (sheets).  I couldn't decide on just one combination since I have sooo many sheets.  So I made two and went with the one that coordinated the most with what I wore (brown skirt and white tank top).

With the utility apron I was able to keep my cash on me all day long, and not have to keep my eye on a cash box.  In another pocket I was able to have my phone and Square.  In my third pocket miscellaneous stuff, pen, tags, etc. 

I really love this pattern.  Now I would love to find a pattern similar to this where I could have the rights to make and sell them on a small hand-made level (well make...who knows if they would sell).  Does anyone know of a pattern? 

Next post I'll be showing my progress (beginning stages) of a vintage sheet quilt that I've started since receiving my Accuquilt Go! Baby.  I have a lot of squares to cut.  I thought I had a good amount of 2" squares cut, but I've quickly gone through 175.  How do you quilting machines do it?  It's a lot of work sewing little 2" bits.

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More vintage sheet coin purses

Who's gonna get tired of these vintage sheet creations?

Sorry I don't think I'm close to being tired of them yet.  I'm still obsessing over them and visiting the thrift stores, like every third day if not every other day in search of them.

Someone, please I need help.  Haha just kidding I might bite your arm off if you try to intervene....so stay back.  :-)

So as you may know I was previously having issues with small zippers on some previous small vintage sheet coin purses I've made, but I got it down now.  These are iddy bitty, and fantastic in their vintage sheet glory (now in my Etsy shop).  But I'm not gonna take all the credit.  I found and printed out this super cute little coin purse pattern  from ithinksew.  And it's free!!!  So what are you waiting for go get it.  I'll wait.

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Did you get it?  Don't you love it?  I also loved and bought this cute clutch pattern (to be made down the line), and does this clutch look familiar?  Yes, this is where I also got the cute clutch pattern from my previous post, Clutch and Crate.  

Grab and go clutch from ithinksew.com

I have about a dozen more 4" zippers so I'll be making more coin purses until they are all used up...so be patient with me.  However, I'm on another mission so I may deter from coin purses.  I want to know how to make these fantastic fabric bowls that Sosorosey creates.  They are fan-tab-ulous!!!  I think I got down how to cut the sheets up for "yarn", but I'm having the hardest time seeing my chains.  Granted I've slightly attempted this, but I still can't see the chains ... so how am I suppose to count my chains/stitches.  Ugh!

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Clutch and Crate

Whoo hoo!  I actually feel like I've done something, out of almost two weeks of feeling like I've done nothing.  Check out this soo cute "Grab and Go Clutch" by ithinksew.  I bought this pattern back in February and attempted it once, and completely bombed it.  As always it was a user error.  I did soo many wrong things, like using heavy interfacing on a heavy fabric, and using an invisible magnet (uh duh invisible magnets don't work too well through heavy fabric...note to self).  Plus there was some weird partially sew the inner and out together trick that I've never used before so I was completely confused on what to do the first time I tried it, but I'm so happy now, because second time is a charm and it came out great. 

Is it possible to become more obsessed over vintage sheets?  The reason why I ask is because with each project I do, where I use vintage sheets, it has seemed like a sheet in my stash always coordinates with another.  That was/is my biggest issue with fabric you buy from a store.  I buy what I like and when I come home, depending on the project,  you'll want two fabrics (like for a purse you'll want a coordinating or contrasting for the inside and out), and it seemed like whatever I had in my stash didn't go together (at least in my mind) then off to the store again to buy something that will work with the project in mind.  But with these vintage sheets their like "peas and carrots" (Forrest Gump referrence) they just go together.

Oh!  And I'm soo happy because I was able to finish this so quickly in one night (since I usually drag my projects out).  Yay!!!  I want to make more!!!

So after I made this cute little clutch I had a peanut butter cup revelation.  You know, how two things came together by accident and it was a great accident, because they went so good together.  Well that's what happened when I was moving this cute wooden crate for 10th time this week.  This crate was found last week while garage sale-ing.  I originally thought I might put my rolled up fabric in it, but figured that would be a bad idea since the wood would more likely snag it.  So all weeks it's been moved from the couch, to my bed, to the chair, to the floor, since I don't have a home for it yet.  But while moving it last night I noticed that some small jars I also started buying while thrifting looked to fit in the little squares in the crate.  OMG!!!  That's it!!!   I'll fill this crate up with jars for my crafting odds and ends that I NEED to have out.  Yay!  Another happy dance.

Silly little things like these make me happy.  Looks like it's gonna be a great weekend.  

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Small Random Projects Equal a Productive Weekend.

Just a reminder.  Don't forget I'm having a giveaway to celebrate National Craft Month.  Go here to enter.

Wow!  Why do weekends go by soooo fast?  I wish I had more time to do what I want to do.  At first it seemed like I didn't get much accomplished, but you know what little projects are still projects.  Looking at my weekend as a whole it looks like I had a pretty productive weekend.

Saturday morning started out with excitement, but ended up somewhat disappointing.  I saw a posting for a neighborhood garage sale; in a very nice neighborhood.  There were 40+ garage sales posted.  40+!  I proceeded to drag my mom, sister, and three kids out to the neighborhood.  These were high end houses so I figured the garage sales would be awesome, but they were a complete buzz kill.  They were very whimpy and junky.  I know I know... one's man's trash is another mans treasure, and I guess that's what some of these garage sales were ... they were bring their trash out for bulk pick up and if they sold anything then they scored and if they didn't then to the curb it goes.  Oh well.

We proceeded to a church rummage sale where I scored this oh so vintage-y dark green FTD 1978 compote dish.  Isn't it awesome!!!  It will soon be listed in my Etsy shop.

1978 FTD compote dish.  (Look further down to see the vintage Westmoreland creamer.)

Later Saturday I managed to accomplish a few small sewing projects.  One I had be procrastinating on for over a week.  My soon to be brother-in-law wanted a t-shirt shorted and gave it to me with trust that I could get it done.  OMG!  This is something I have been wanted to try.  I have a long t-shirt for my daughter that also needs shortening, but I've been scared to try.  I Googled about a dozen different tutorials on how to hem a t-shirt, and then I dove in and tried.  LOOK!  I actually looks good.  Granted the serged side isn't as pretty as the outside, but it's the outside that counts right?  Whew!  I'm so excited...now I can do my daughter's t-shirt.

Hemmed t-shirt using a serger and twin needle on sewing machine.  Remember to feed the dogs.

My son has been wanting his own eye mask (he's been wearing mine. The one shown in my title banner.).  He even picked out his own fabric about two weeks ago.  He really loves looking at fabric.  He also chose a green fabric so that I can make him a frog.  Uh!  I haven't made any frogs...so I don't know why that got into his head.  Ugh!  Now I need to look for a frog tutorial.

University of Texas.  Go Longhorns!  (I am soo not a sports person)

Next my mom and sister decided they wanted a whole bunch of the foldy coin purses.  They both wanted them as gifts.  My sister wanted one, and my mom wanted three for her sister-in-laws, my aunts, that she'll be going on vacation with next month.  So I spent the evening watching a movie ironing on the interfacing and cutting them out.

Completed foldy coin purse.  Got more to work on.

Sunday I finished another Buttercup bag out of reclaimed sheets, and it is fabulous.  The butterflies, fruit, and flowers are great, and the colors are gorgeous.  It is now listed in my Etsy shop.  (see the left banner)

Purse interior.

I got out and about to a few thrift shops and managed a few good scores.  Got this super cute Vintage Westmoreland Quilted creamer.  It means business too, it is sooo solid.  Currently listed in my Etsy shop.  I also scored a 37 piece Noritake Progression China set, but I'm have the hardest time identifying it (can you help?  Here is the pattern but they don't have a pattern name.  There's not a pattern name or number on the pieces.  Hmmm.  I'll keep on looking.  And what is a thrift shop trip without finding vintage sheets.  Lucky I found one.  Whew!  Think I was gonna start going through withdrawal if I didn't find any vintage sheets this weekend.  

Check out the pictures in my Etsy shop.  The pattern is very detailed and fabulous.

Oh!  And I attempted to make a light box...in hopes to get better pictures at night.  It still needs a bit of tweaking.  Maybe a better light.   

Well that's my weekend in a nutshell.  How was yours?  

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