This week at studioCAM we are making wallets. I’ve put together 2 felt wallets, one is a Star Bi-fold (above) with a place for your bills, cards and coins.
The second is a darling Pirate’s Purse, a simple change purse.
It was tons of fun making these, it had been a while since I’ve used so many hand stitches and needed a refresher in the stitch department. I referred to See and Sew. It’s got great pictures and is quite perfect for helping kids sew.
You can see the tutorials on Flickr as noted:
I lead a sewing series that meets every month. It started with learning how to use and maintain your sewing machine, then we made a tote bag and now – we made pants!
First we traced an existing pair of pants. With a little help, everyone finessed the pattern, making sure all the curves were good and the lines were straight and seams would match up.
The patterns were then transferred to the fabric and were cut out. Don’t you love Barb’s wrist pin cushion? Her husband gave it to her…true love!
We started sewing. First we sewed the crotch, making sure we went back and reinforced the curved seam with another row of straight stitching. Then we sewed the inseam, folloed by the outseam. The waistband was sized according to everyone’s elastic. Finally the hem of the pants were finished.
Hopefully, I’ll get pictures of all the munchkins wearing their new digs! Our next workshop – Sewing Series#4 – Make a pillow using applique and a zipper. Should be a blast! Hopefully you can make it!
We’ve had this easel for a year now, and I thought I would put the legs on it so it was off the floor. Izzy helped. We don’t do much around here without her helping me and less of me helping her.
We’ve spent the past 2 days inside. It’s super cold outside and it looks like Izzy has gotten a bit of a cold, after just getting over another one. Yuck.
So we play inside, draw chalk pictures and on the other side, marker pictures. The markers usually miss their lids, so I give Iz a cup of water and we get some really cool drawings. Usually it’s a picture of a cat and a baby and a mama and a dada (our family, minus the cat who died in October) Then she throws in a few stars. Lately some of the pictures have been her friends. She does love to draw, all the time with anything and on almost anything. I noticed the other day some small green circles on our stove. That’s why we have washable markers and crayons.
I can’t tell you the thrill I got when I found a package in my mailbox from PORTUGAL! The heart beat a bit faster, and I couldn’t wait to get inside and take it all out! There are so many wonderful things in the package from Cristina. THANK YOU!
First – the fabric, red and white floral that is STRETCHY! It’s a nice weight, will be fun to work with. The ribbons. Oh the ribbons. Perfect for someone who had a little girl and loves to sew. Ric Rac (need I say more?).
A handmade pincushion. It’s so fabulous. (I’ve decided the first of my collection of handmade pincushons – they are so awesome!) Red with white dots and a button center. The flip side is a beautiful white felt with a red button center. Which one to use? Hand painted clothespins. Some of them are decorated with STARS! Cristina did her homework! Beautiful, glowing glass beads with red centers.
A star shaped container of bath gel, floating ball candles and some delicious hard candy – perfect for a night of pampering.
The cutest little red barretts with sweet birds on them, just for Izzy! She loves them! I showed them to her, the next thing I know, one is missing and I find it hours later in her bed. True love!
A sweet little red duckie bank with white hearts, a heart clip (to hold photos of my sweethearts) and a precious cute “woof woof” aka dog keychain.
Izzy loved this package as much as I did. I was lucky to snap this shot before her little hands tore it apart.
Thanks Cristina! It’s a very thoughtful package! I love it!
Cliché but true, I think. There is nothing that can replace being creative and productive together. Here you can read the Sewing Adventures with Gloop and Gleep.
I am eager for my (almost) 2 year old to learn to sew. I have wonderful memories, soul filling moments in time of creativity and accomplishment. I remember sewing with my mom, first it was counted cross stitch and probably a bit of embroidery and I can imagine sitting next to her while she sewed curtains for my room. I do remember picking out the fabric for them, once it was a tiny print of red, blue and yellow flowers.
I feel like sewing has always been a part of me. I have smatterings of memories of sewing and making clothes for myself. Mom or Dad would take me to the fabulous sewing center (which I think is now a bowling alley or a billards hall) and I would spend hours looking through the pattern books, picking out a pattern, then another chunk of time going through all the fabric bolts and remnants until the perfect fabric had been chosen. I felt like I had gotten to spend the entire day there (perhaps it was only an hour?). Then to get home and lay the pattern out on the fabric and cut it out. Pin it together and sew. And not go to bed until it was finished. I remember doing that quite a bit. I would stay up and make a second skirt and if my back could handle it, I would cut fabric for another and consider sewing it together. But I probably had to go to school the next morning and I would reluctantly shut the light and go to bed.
After getting accepted into Art School and spending 4 years studying Fashion Design (or as some would put it 4 years of sewing), I knew that I wanted to keep it for myself. It was something that I had been doing all my life for me, and I was not about to do it for anyone else. I did go into the fashion industry, but worked on the textile side and at times, dabbled in the art direction of the marketing of apparel.
I still sew these days (although not as often, I have a munchkin that would prefer my undivided attention), and my husband sews too. It’s worked it’s way into his art. Soon, Izzy will sew and we can work on projects together.
While thrifting a while back, I picked up a few scarves ($.50 each at the local hospice thrift – one of my favorite resources) for my daughter to encourage “dress up”. I brought them home and they sat in the bag until I could wash them. A few days later, I was hanging them up to dry after coming out of the wash and upon further examination, one of them was a VERA. Lucky days! I have always been a fan of VERA prints. Bright, bold and wonderfully full of sophisitication. Vera started putting her prints to fabric in the 1940’s and worked until her death in 1993. So, today I google’d vera. Here are a few things I found out:
Vera created beautiful and sophisticated art and design throughout most of her life. Her artwork is inspiring, the colors used, the lines created and the patterns born.
I am so excited. There are no words, only butterflies, a few sleepless nights and I just can’t sit still! Jan 22, I will start a sewing workshop with kids! It will be at The Children’s Art Museum, which will hold it’s grand opening on Jan 21. I’ve planned a multitude of 2 hour sessions that will take place every Monday after school for kids 7 and up (under 7 with parent or caregiver). Once the kids sign up and pay the materials fee, they’ll get their very own sewing box filled with the basics! We’ll do some stitch projects, some pattern projects, some embellishment projects.
This is really exciting for me as I think of ways to “work”, but still have an open and flexible schedule and still be able to go to play dates and music class and all those important things. I have plans to expand this whole concept. I also lead a Sewing Series at the local Family Center once a month.
Anyway – once the Sewing 1-2-3 calendar is firm, I’ll post it, so if you have kids in the locale – they can sit and sew for a bit every Monday. I’m also looking for donations for this workshop:
fabric
trim
notions
thread
embroidery floss
sequins
beads
sewing supplies
yarn
ribbon
knitting/crochet supplies
If you can send/drop off some goodies – I’d be forever thankful!
This wonderful package will be on it’s way tomorrow.
It’s been crazy around here. So much going on. Projects to do, businesses to begin, people to take care of. I did have a bit of fun with this swap.
The Red and White theme was fun and easy. My secret swap partner was wonderfully descriptive. I put a lot of my own fun stuff in it – especially the buttons. For those of you who know me, I LOVE buttons and collect them like a mad woman (ok – I’ve stopped bidding on them on ebay, I have a college education to think about!). I made the pin cushion. It’s my first handmade pincushion (except the pin “pillow” I made in Home Ec class 20 years ago (jeez), and it was super simple. I think the key to making them is lining the fabric with super fine steel wool so pins and needles stay sharp. If I make more of these, I think I’ll invest in a hot glue gun, would make it much easier I think. I was going to make something with the fabric, but decided to continue with my gift theme for the holidays this year – giving inspiration – so the receiver will “make something”. The poodle yarn is yummy and I love how it knits up – and would make fun “hair” for a softie I think. Then there is the button star card. I used to make those left and right! The Japanese paper is sweet and fun for decoration and wrapping. I might have to go back to the store and get more so I can play with it too! I absolutely adore the French Bull Plate. If I were to ever register for anything again, I want a set of those. They are wonderul. Have you seen the monster plates? or the superhero ones? Might be an Izzy birthday present this year?
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