Monthly Archives: January 2014

ah-ha! moments

Do you ever do something you thought up yourself that actually works and think “wow, I’m a genius” because I did, and I am just thrilled to bits.  As you may know, I’ve been making these “jelly roll bags” and they are very simple and very fun.  Well my husband took one to work with him to show the women that work in his office, and at least one of them said that they’d like it better if it had a zipper pocket and some way to keep it closed.  I agreed, totally.  The only things stopping me were a) zippers are scary and b) what am I going to do to keep this giant opening closed?

Well I finally found a video on YouTube that explained how to put a zipper pocket in, in a way that I understand and was easy…ish.  So now that was out-of-the-way, and I’ve played with a couple of zippers now, so they’re not as scary as they were…now comes how to close this bag.  I have used magnetic snaps before and they are great, but I didn’t think it was going to be enough to just put one in the lining in the middle.  I mean this is an eleven (or so) inch opening, I needed something a bit more substantial.

I had an idea of trimming off the side of the bag and using it as some sort of flap.  How I was going to fandangle this flap was beyond me, but I knew this was involved.  I cut off about three inches on the side, so that each of the rows of patterns were going to be included in this flap.  Then I got some scrap of the lining, sewed them together with the magnet snap attached to the lining, flipped it inside out, top stitched around the edges, and viola!
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Now, how am I going to attach this thing?  I didn’t want to just sew it to the outside of the bag or make a patch or something.  I want it to look good, not like some piece of garbage.  So, very bravely, I cut a slit into my outside part of the bag, just big enough to slip the “flap” inside.  Then I zigzag stitched over this a couple of times, checked it with a good tug, and BAM IT WAS ATTACHED!  And it looks good!
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Okay I know how silly I am, you don’t have to remind me.  It’s the little accomplishments that make me jump for joy.

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It looked exactly like this in my mind…

Anyhow, I hope everyone is going to have a great weekend!  Oh!  Before I forget!  I saw the President yesterday!  Okay not close up…but I did see him landing at the airport from my office window.  I even saw air force one on my way home and got a really good picture.

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Happy sewing everyone!

Sewing taking up all my time….and I’m okay with that :D

So I’ve been a bad wife…well, a bad housekeeper I guess would be a better thing to say.  You see, I keep putting off as much house work as possible for as long as possible so I can sew.  Yes!  I have to admit the problem to fix it!!

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I would like to thank the lady at Hobby Lobby for not asking why I need 1/4 of a yard of all that fabric…and coming back over and over with more…

My husband doesn’t seem to mind, so I’m not going to sweat it.  I mean, he sees it as I’m trying to earn us some monies, which I am, so, he’s not going to say “hey quit playing around in there and fold some laundry”.  He wouldn’t ask me to leave work to do the dishes, so how is this any different? (I mean, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway) I have even said “y’know what, I don’t care how much weight I want to lose, I’m not going to the gym today so that I can sew forever!!!”  I think I’m on a dangerous path…but it’s fun! 😀  It’s not like nothing is getting done at all; he goes around and tries *bless his heart* to do some things, and eventually I’ll stop and say to myself I need some clean clothes…better do something about that.  Our house is definitely not turning into an episode of hoarders.

I think last night/ yesterday was one of those moments when you think to yourself “this is real” which…is silly because I almost never do that.  I think it’s like after Walter White made his first money after cooking up a batch of meth.  (okay we’ve been watching Breaking Bad on Netflix, like every single day)  Anyway, I finished up  a bag (which is now on my Etsy page) and we watched our last two available Breaking Bad episodes.  Well then it was around 8pm…and I went back into my sewing room and I was only going to cut some fabric up.  I ended up cutting, sewing the strips together and pinning it to the batting.  So around 10:30pm I decided we should probably go to bed…I mean we did have to get up and come to work today.  Now, I understand most people are like “so what, you started a project immediately after finishing one, what’s the big deal?” okay I do not do that.  I am a “alright, one down, in a week I’ll start another one” kind of…project starter.  I mean if I even get to the finished part.  *cough cough two unfinished quilts*

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waiting to be cut up!

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cut up, sewn together!

In other news, last night I was taking pictures to put my bag online, and my  husband walked in and saw my tiny “studio” and thought it was hysterical.  I’ve mentioned before, he works at an art college, and so he’s told me some of the small things he’s picked up just from talking to students about photography, and I’ve tried to implement them into my photography for etsy.  I have a tiny lightbox, which is really too small for these bags I’m making but great for small items.  Anyhow, I had my stuff all set up, and there I am on the floor with my tiny tripod and my 8.1 megapixel camera from four years ago and he’s all “your phone probably takes better pictures you know” and then he says “well maybe I’ll get you a nicer camera…..you know after you start selling stuff”  I thought it was so sweet.  Okay I like any time I get anything, or even if I don’t get anything but someone says ‘I want to get you this’ it just warms my heart.  I don’t know why…you’d think only getting things would make me that happy.

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My lightbox

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It works 😀

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action shot! 😀

Anyhow, I hope everyone is having a lovely winter!  I know I’m ready to be uncomfortably hot every day!  Stay warm everyone!

Happy sewing!

Tour de ouvroir

And now I know how to say sewing room in French.

So, I have been wanting to do one of these posts for a while, but I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to do it.  Should I take pictures, then comment on them, should I make an outline, then take pictures?  I know this sounds silly, but my sewing room is very poorly lit.  I have lamps EVERYWHERE trying to help the lighting situation, and the window in there faces North, so it gets almost no daylight.  Also, there is no ceiling light.  Who….does that.  What kind of person makes a room with no ceiling light?!  A jerk…that’s who.  Anyway, without further adieu, here is my sewing room!

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And that’s it! Hope you had fun!

Good new year to you! (okay so I missed a week, better late than never!)

So last night I was supposed to be watching the National Championship game but…I didn’t have a side I particularly wanted to win.  I hate Auburn, (I mean c’mon, Aubs eat boogers! 😉 ) and Florida State…blegh.  So instead I went to my sewing room and quilted the outside of my next bag.  I thought about doing a “tour of my sewing room” blog post…but I got distracted by sewing.  I mean, that’s a thing, right? 😀

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Don’t trust Distraction Ducks.


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I will probably do one of those before too much longer.  Just because…it’s nothing spectacular to the naked eye.  Just a little slice of heaven to me.

 

So I don’t know about you guys but I’m ready to start complaining about being so hot I can’t stand it.  This below 10 degrees mess is for the birds…well wait no they fly south for the winter…they must be flying WAY down south this year because I live in the south!  And it’s stupid cold!  STUPID COLD!  I think that’s a real term used by meteorologists.

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This is ENTIRELY accurate. I have lived in the south my entire life and I still don’t know why we’re supposed to get milk and bread…but I do it anyway!

Enough with the small talk, how are your years starting out so far?  I’ve been hitting the gym a lot, well, as much as I can.  I went New Years day for a special class session, and I ended up pulling some hammies (yes, just like that little Cheez-it cracker says) so I “sat out” for a couple of days.  I’m okay now, but this stupid weather is really killing it.  When I leave the gym I’m usually covered in a layer of sweat, so going out in 6 degree weather (or colder!) with that and wet hair, less than desirable.  I’ve also been doing a little organizing and sewing.  You would think I made a whole bunch of new year resolutions (or….revolutions! Hah!  oh tv…) but I didn’t.  I just had some time on my hands and did what I could with it.

I actually went through my fabric drawers and kind of situated my stash a little better.  I put all my scraps in ziplock bags, put all my “yard or so” pieces together, put my flannel together, my “future projects” together, and my FQ’s (or close enough to a FQ) together.  It’s been a daunting project that really needed to be taken care of, and finally was!  I wish I would have taken before and after pictures.  It’s amazing.  Now if someone would actually buy me that P-touch labeler that I’ve been wanting since, before I had a need for one, I would be able to label my drawers and they actually would look super organized.  I had to move some things around in there; my drawers are those plastic drawers, and they’re in a little closet, and the thinner one was on the floor facing the door, which is the folding to either side kind of French doors.  Well the drawers are JUST deep enough that I couldn’t open the drawer all the way.  So after some rearranging, I can now fully open my little drawers.  It’s the little victories!  I feel like I can’t go into too much detail if I’m going to do a sewing room tour post….so that’s all you get for now!

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I did “rediscover” some fabric I’d bought probably a year ago, and I’m trying to decide if it’ll work with this bag I’m making now.  What do you guys think?  I’m not entirely sold, but I’m not entirely convinced it doesn’t….”go”.  Let me know what you guys think.  I may end up doing the lining and handles and pockets in a light cream color if I can’t convince myself this 100% goes together.  Anyway, until next time!!!

Happy sewing!