Kitchen Weekend Project

Departure from sewing to do a home improvement post!

So I saw this pin some time ago about making the undersink area pretty, and thought hey I can do that!

'Cause clearly, under my kitchen sink could use some prettification!

Sewalong Challenge #2 Inspiration - A Bag (from a pattern you haven’t used before)

Ack, it’s February already!

I did finish challenge #1, I just don’t have any good pics at the moment, so that will come later.

The challenge for February is a bag, easy right? I LOVE making bags, they’re such great projects for making you feel accomplished.

But there’s one tiny stipulation on this challenge… it has to be from a bag pattern you’ve never used before.

Ack.

Therein lies the challenge for me! While I love to make bags I’ve only ever used a pattern for that really cute lunch bag I made several times from this great tutorial. All my other myriad (slight exaggeration, but only slight) of totes and bags and purses I’ve just winged because… bags!

Well.
I have a pretty large board for bags here on pinterest, and another one for wallets and clutches which have been mainly for inspiration.

But with the intention of following some directions I mostly cut out the “Dubstepper” messenger bag by Robert Kaufman.
So I’m going to finish that (which also counts toward challenge #8, finishing a WIP!), hopefully.




That’s the Dubstepper, I think I’m going to modify the flap though...

I’m trying to find patterns that will work with fabrics I got to make bags, and then I’m going to try to just make as many bags as I can squeeze in for this month. Of course, that was also my intention last month, to make several accessories, but I only got one done so we’ll see! I quite like this bag:

 

And a friend asked me for an overnight/weekend bag. So maybe?
It’s a free pattern from Noodle Head so bonus on the not spending money!

I actually have a lot of ideas already, so it’s more challenging to find a pattern that meshes with my vision!

Hopefully progress posts soon.

Random Mobile Photos

In lieu of actual content, I cleared out some of my mobile and table photos, exciting right?

These are all my socks lacking a sole mate D:
Having just moved, I really thought I'd find everything. Alas.
(Actually, I did find two or three of these after taking this pic last month, but then I also added two or three to the pile!).
I'm going to give it another month, and then see what craftiness I can get up to with socks 8D

Anyway, onward!

Hatting update!

Soooo, confession. The reason the posts have been so sporadic is I keep forgetting to get my cardreader from my parent's house. Whoops.

Anyway!
I had another Hat Party on Saturday, and Heather took pics so I have some!
 

We went pretty colour and pattern crazy this go around!

Our dino hats ROCK okay?

Every hatting there's at least one hat I want to keep for myself, this one was no exception! But I was good and all will be donated.

Tonight I'll wash and label them all, then figure out a good time to drop them off.

Hopefully 2015 will see lots more hats!
We've done 226 since I started this venture, that's a lot of hats!

2014 Cos review

Everyone is doing such lovely 2014 sewing reviews, I've been dragging my feet because mine is so small!

This was a super weird cos year for me, only four new costumes! The least amount since my 2nd year of costuming, and one of them doesn't even really count!

So, new stuff!

January Sewalong : Accessory Inspiration

So! January’s challenge, due January 31st, 2015 is:

An Accessory
 
I love this challenge because it’s soooo versatile.
I put together some inspirations to get my brain going!



10 Pretty Ruffle Scarf Tutorials!

Found on Babble via Pinterest, I actually like about half of these, and while I don't actually neeeeed anymore scarves... they do make great gifts!

There are actually lots of fun scarf tutorials, and many are grouped in convenient lists!

There's also adorable hair clips/brooches which count, I don't even wear either of those things but I want this:

Source: etsy.com via Mi on Pinterest

And I've seen some lovely pins of people who used fabric to make pretty origami hair clips.
I definitely think bags & clutches count as accessories!
I have boards on pinterest for those, because I love how quick a project they are in general:
Sewy Things - Wallets/Clutches
Sewy Things - Bags
 
I'm still undecided about whether coats count as an accessory, but I guess it doesn't really matter for me because no way can I bust one out by January's end.

But hats! Hats definitely count!

Source: mad-hatting.blogspot.com via Mi on Pinterest

I'm hoping to actually have another hat party in Jan, so that would knock it out super quick!

What else... I've also seen things like glasses cases, checkbook covers, camera cases. All count!

Plus for those of us with a historical bend, it’s an opportunity to make something like… a matching reticule to a planned or existing outfit. Or perhaps a fashionable hat? I could definitely do with a Regency bonnet!
Actually... along those lines, I'm contemplating a set of detachable sleeves for my latest Regency dress.
The possibilities!

2015 Sewalong!

So for 2015 my sewing ladies and I decided to do a monthly(ish) sewalong! Exciting! AJ and I decided more of the themes, and we went with purposely vague topics so everyone can interpret how they choose and to account for various skill levels. But above all, we went for stashbusting!

So, I’m going to post our goals here as an additional “keeping me accountable” measure!  

Jan : An Accessory  

Feb : Make a bag using a new pattern  

Mar - April : Sew something vintage inspired (two months, because we will probably make dresses!)

May : Make a household item

 Jun : Something for your sewing table  

Jul : Refashion an existing item in your wardrobe

Aug : Finish a WIP (work in progress)  

Sep Sew something geek inspired

Oct : Holiday/winter themed  

Nov : Something from a Pinterest tutorial

 Dec : Something quilted


I'll come back here and link the finished projects :D