Custom Doctor Who TARDIS bag

After making this bag, I told myself that I probably wouldn't do it ever again. But it appears that people really like it and with the impending start of me selling things, I might be forced to make some. This bag has the same structural pattern as the Toile bag on a previous post and I'll put a link to the pattern at the bottom of this page. However, for this bag I altered it in a few ways.

First, I added a custom flap to make it more like a laptop bag. I did not include the magnetic clasp this time because I didn't feel it was necessary for the bag to stay closed. I didn't have any buttons that matched the colors so I custom made some buttons from shrinky dinks and a dalek design I created a while ago. The last alteration was stitching the handles directly into the exterior shell. I was worried about having the dalek buttons hold all the weight so doing this worked out well. I had already topstitched the straps (which isn't required but I hate hand slip stitching) so I ended up having to double over that stitching to attach it to the bag. Somehow, I did that really well, but in hindsight I might have done the topstitching and attaching to the bag in one fell swoop.

The final product with a matching coffee cozy!

There is a double pocket inside the bag

There's a pocket with a ruffle under the flap and these are the custom buttons

Just a little before-and-after of the buttons

I sewed in the flap during the process of attaching the exterior and interior pieces

As promised, this is the free original tutorial. I think this project was good to open my eyes to how I can alter patterns to make unique things. I wouldn't have done it if someone hadn't requested this particular type of bag in exchange for something they were making for me.

Purses! You can never have too many!!

It's been a while since my posting-binge where I posted a lot of entries. I've been so busy making things (and trying to make a living) that I haven't been able to post.

Today's entry is for a purse I made for the first time! The hardest part was the ruffles (as you'll see by the shape of the bag) and this would be the only reason I would maybe not make this one again. In the end, it wasn't terrible, but it was a gift so once again I don't get to reap the rewards of a cute project!

These ruffled spots took forever! Two for the exterior and two for the interior.

A nice magnetic closure to keep it closed!

I played a lot with contrasting thread for this one!

The whole purse!

The whole thing ended up being a mishmash of fabrics (which worked out in my favor) and it was definitely bigger than I thought it would be. This was the small version of the purse and so I wonder how big the big version is. Anyhoo, it came from the Bags book I mentioned in another post. Sorry, but I don't have the name at this moment, but I think it's on Amazon if you wanted to look it up (I know, I'm being terrible right now).

Thanks for stopping by!

Fabric, fabric, fabric...

...I always buy too much!

If you sew you probably know how this feels. I buy way too much fabric. Even when I'm not making something, I just see cute fabric and I have to have it. You never know when you might need it!! So, I decided to inventory my current stash (though this isn't technically all of the bits and pieces I have) and post it here.

The mermaid pattern is a perfect example of "I'm sure I can use this later!"

Some generic fabric and some school spirit fabric!

These are some of my favorites and are great for gifts!

Here we start to get into the flannel fabric on the left.

A lot of different textures here from linen fabric to cotton to flannel!

Here we have the thicker of my fabrics: duck cloth & outdoor fabric!

I've had to rearrange on multiple occasions to fit all of this in. Most recently (this last weekend) I moved all of my fabric to a drawer that would fit the home-made bolts. They're almost perfect but would fit better if I could use up some of this fabric! ;-)

Keyfobs are all the rage...

...and so incredibly easy to make!

Ever since I found this tutorial (from Sew4Home again!) I haven't stopped making these easy little key fobs (also called key chains). They're the easiest thing to do. Plus, I found out that I can print my own fabric designs for the outside and because the fabric is thicker, it works great!

Here are a few I have made, but trust me there are many, many more!

For the Beaver fans in my extended family!

Whoooo is this for? Crafty Pants (my bestest crafting friend)!

This was actually made for a matching clutch and they looked adorable together!

Find the tutorial here: Sew4Home Key Fobs. One note about these is that they actually turn out quite long. I've been shortening them ever since I started making them without the tutorial (that's how easy they are!)

Now go out and use those fabric scraps to make a ton of these! Oh, lastly, I got my key fob hardware from Amazon. It wasn't very expensive and I got about 25 of the sets.

Apparently, I made a blanket once...

...though I might never again because I hate working with so much fabric.

Buuuttt, it's an easy tutorial and the binding isn't too hard so I'm posting it here. Plus, I made a dang blanket! That's a pretty big deal for me!

Cute little bow made from left over binding to tie it all together!

Close up on corners...don't judge my terrible stitching here!

The whole blanket!

Here's the tutorial for this comfy blanket: Minky marshmallow bound blanket from Sew4Home (of course!)

Because your hair is beautiful...

...you need beautiful things for your hair!

I went through a phase of not knowing what to do with my hair (okay, that's pretty much my life). It's straight and never does what I want. However, something I figured out is that headbands often add a nice bit of color to your hair (looking like you actually tried to do something with it) and they're great for keeping hair out of your face. The issue with these is that I easily get headaches from them as most people probably do. I finally found some plastic headbands that bend at the temple to prevent headaches, and they are definitely my go to for a general hair-back kind of day. However, they're boring. Really boring.

Enter fabric headbands!! After finding a tutorial online about how to make these wonderful things, I haven't really stopped. Mostly I've made them for other people, but on occasion I get to keep one for myself. I've also gotten into altering them to fit my style. Here are some of my creations.

From the original tutorial the flowers look like this.

This is Crafty Pants showing off a headband for me!

I've started this new flower type (though it should be facing downward, not forward).

So far, I like the ones with the new flowers best. It turns out that I can print my own fabric for the front flower (no pictures here) and it makes for a super unique headband. The fabric ones also last longer without causing headaches. Plus, I make the band kind of thin so it stays on my head longer without moving around. I should note that these tie underneath your hair so the knot can show through with thinner or short hair. Doesn't mean it looks bad, though!

Here's the tutorial that I've been using: Sew Divertimento blog (headband tutorial). I'm sure there are others, but this one was pretty easy for me to grasp quickly. I don't even use the tutorial anymore, just the template I created.

What time is it??

Crafting with Adventure Time!!!

Over the last year I really got into Adventure Time (the animated show). Something about its oddness and weird humor just resonated with me. After watching some of the episodes I participated in an exchange, via the website Reddit, and I decided to make a lot of the items I was sending. Yes, I know I don't own the copyright but I wasn't selling anything and in this case I would consider it advertising for the show. Plus, I did purchase some actual items from Hot Topic.

For this exchange I ventured into felt sewing by hand to make a brooch. I ended up making another one for someone else. In addition, I made a bunch of earrings and some art work (not posted here).

Sets of earrings using images I recreated on the computer (except for the bottom, middle set)

Princess Bubblegum...in brooch form!

The backs of the brooches look like this.

Decided to whip up a Fiona brooch. I love the rosy cheek detailing!

Since the purpose of this blog is to help teach people, I would love to post a tutorial. However, these were just done by me without tutorial help. I hand stitched the brooches using some thread that was probably not meant for this (it's a bit thick). I only used hot glue if I had to in order to hold the pin. In fact, I think I made a brooch without any hot glue at all and that worked out well. The trick is knowing what accents you want where and where the thread will go to hold it all together. On more than one occasion I have started to make a brooch and realized that I missed a step.

If anyone is interested (or even reading this), I can post pictures of the materials if you would like.

Hardest project so far...

...and of course it was a gift I don't get to keep for myself. ;-)

I've been sewing for quite a while now but somehow I can't get myself to venture too far from small ticket items. But, for Hanukkah this last year I thought I'd attempt something on a bigger scale. Usually, I have intentions of making things (to save money and put thought into a gift) but they don't always pan out. This one wasn't done in time for the holiday get together, but at least it got done!!

So, without further ado, I present to you the giant bag/purse I made (using this tutorial from Sew4Home: Everything Old is New again Toile Tote)

The whole bag!

My first gathering/ruffle attempt.

Button accents made a colorful addition!

Some inner detailing. There was a pocket and a magnetic closure.

I'm attempting some more purses now that I basically have my life back but I'm going to start with ones that are easier than this!

More posts coming today about other crafting...

Now That School Has Started...

...let's talk about coffee! That makes sense, right? Oh wait, I should first mention that when school is in session I'm constantly in need of caffeine. My choices are energy drinks (which I understand aren't too good for you) and coffee...and with the adorable coffee cozy tutorial I'm linking to at the end of this, you'll choose it too!

Over the summer I went on the hunt for easy, quick, and FREE gift ideas I could make. Keeping in mind that I don't sell these for money, I found quite a treasure trove of ideas. One of my favorites is a coffee cozy that I made multiples of when I still had time. Mine receives compliments EVERY TIME that I use it and I'm not exaggerating. Last week, someone asked me where they could get one and I wished I had remembered the exact name instead of fumbling through telling them how I found it.

So, without further ado...

I mustache you if one of these is your cozy.

The only one I've made for myself...so far!

Whoooo...whose adorable cozy is this??

One of my favorite things about this coffee cozy is that you can match the hair tie color with funky buttons and fabric and the choices are endless!! So, I have two tutorials to help make this a gift you could do in a night (though allow yourself the afternoon for the first one just to get used to it).

Coffee cozy tutorial and Sew4Home Warp Speed Button Sewing. The second tutorial has taught me how to attach buttons like a pro! It took me a few tries of reading the directions and sewing on buttons at the same time, but now I only need to refer to it if it's been a while.

Seriously, make these cozies to not only impress people with your neat sewing skills (even if you don't have any...like me!) and save some trees by avoiding those paper wraps on your coffee and hot choco!

Earrings are a woman's best friend...

...especially when you can make them yourself!!

So this entry is a tad different in that I don't have an exact pattern or instructions for my post (unless you have questions that I can answer). What I do have are some cool earrings that I've made over the past year for myself and some other folks.

Let's start with the ones that I could consider the nerdiest! These were all made using printable Shrinky Dinks. I swear by these things once you've gotten a handle on cutting them in their thinner, pre-cooked stage and then figure out the perfect temp for your oven. I have it down to a science, if I do say so myself!

TARDIS earrings, second attempt! By this time I've gotten much better at this.

Katamari Prince and Princess! This one required a lot of intricate cutting.

I'd be remiss to not make a set of Mrs. Pac Man earrings. More creative wire bending for these ones.

Navi & Link's shield as a gift for a friend.

The graphic designer in me color coordinated these pantone swatch earrings!

Let's take a quick break from Shrinky Dink earrings to see a D20 set I made (with the drill skills of my hubby). I plan on making another set with some amazing D20s as soon as I learn to bend the wire around the dice.

I roll crits every time I wear these dice!

I'll just leave you with some others that I've made with printable Shrinky Dinks. I'm not an expert at wire bending (yet!) but I do have the baking technique down and it's pretty cool when you can make earrings for any outfit and for any interest you have! It should be noted that I don't sell any of these and so I don't usually worry about copyrighted images. If you make earrings using Shrinky Dinks for profit just be careful of laws.

This is the first set I made...these are my puppies. ;-)

First sewing...that I remember

I've had my sewing machine since at least November 2011. When I'm not so sleepy, I'll post information about what kind I have. Since then, it sat for a while, but there was a time when Crafty Pants (aka Stephanie M.-B.) and I found the coolest pillowcase tutorial and made ourselves some amazing pillowcases. Technically though, this tutorial was so neat that it came with its own charity plug and you could actually make pillowcases and donate them to charity. A local shop near us was collecting them, so it was simple.

The tutorial, as you will see, is as easy as measuring, pinning, and then sewing some straight lines. There is some minor turning inside out, but eventually (and quickly, too) you become a pro. These are the pillowcases that we donated to charity and I believe they were the first things I ever sewed on my machine. In fact, I don't think Crafty Pants (aka Oh Sew Green Machine) even had a sewing machine at the time...seems like so long ago.

You can find the youtube video tutorial here Easy Tube Pillow Case Tutorial. Since then, this tutorial has been a great go to for quick and easy gifts for our friends and family. Enjoy!