Looming Away

This is my first real rug. Yes, it does get narrower. This is a problem that's harder to avoid than one would think. I think that with more practice I will become more skilled at making sure the tension is just right, but still, it's not too bad and I think once I get it off the loom it will look alright on the floor. This rug is made out of blue and yellow. I'm having great fun making it and am incredibly grateful to my husband for building this loom for me and I am going to keep making rugs on it until I perfect the technique!

Vintage Linen Half Apron

This is today's apron. I said I was on an apron obsession, and it seems I wans't lying. This half apron is fully lined in pink cotton which makes it really have a good weight and makes it even better for protecting your clothes against dirt and dampness while you're cleaning. I like this apron a lot because I'm a sucker for vintage linens. I love the old fashioned colors and designs. And they do seem to make pretty aprons!

Red Calico and Yello Gingham

I don't know how you can get more "country" than red calico and yellow gingham in an apron. This apron is my first one made over a pattern I sketched out yesterday evening. The main feature that I wanted it to have is a bias cut skirt portion. Cutting a bias skirt just gives it great movement and swing in even just an apron. The bib is fashioned after sweetheart necklines, and this apron has the adjustable neck strap the same as the pink pleated one had. I think this pattern is a keeper, and am very pleased with the actual working end product!

Apron Obsession

Those that know me well know that I go on obsession trips. This is when I focus entirely on one thing and everything else falls to the wayside. I do believe I'm trying to go on an apron kick. They are so fun to make and cute! This one was repurposed from a skirt I found at a thrift store that had great tiny pleats all around it. With much pondering, planning, and finally fancy cutting skills, I was able to fashion a full apron with a lined bodice and waistband. Not too shabby for an unwanted skirt, if I do say so myself. And I really like the way I figured out how to make an adjustable neck strap. I always disliked the aprons that tied in the back because that knot always felt so hard against the back of my neck, but the aprons that didn't adjust never fit me right. This apron has two button holes that the strap slides into, then you just tie a knot in the end after you've adjusted the length. Pretty nifty if I do say so myself!

Super Saturday

This Saturday has been super for several reasons. The first is this really cute tote. I really, really like totes, so I sew a lot of them.This one is so great because it once again features a great patterned vintage fabric. They just don't make the patterns as bright and vivid on most cottons anymore. And the fact that this fabric is still sound and not rotten, well, it just makes my day! The other super thing that happened was this purse. It's a great linen blend that feels so neat and textured under your fingers. Inside's the best part though. I featured 3 compartment pockets and a magnetic snap closure. The magnetic snap is the newest upgrade to my sewing talents and I have to say that I am definitely a fan. They are just so professional and superior in every way to any other closure I've tried to date. So most of my purses and totes will feature this type of closure from now on. But the best part of this Saturday, the thing that made it the superest, was something my dear husband did. He built me a frame loom. This thing is the best ever. It works great, and seems to be rather quick to make a rug on. I'm hoping to add homemade rugs to my repertoire, although this first one will be for our home use only, because it's the one I'm learning on. So all in all, this Saturday was very productive, and exciting too!

Thursday's Things

This fabric is just great. It is complicated, yet simple. I love the vintage pattern. This tote is lined with sea green cotton and has been reinforced in the handles and bottom to add stability and durability. I loved making this tote. In all honesty, tote's are my favorite way to haul my stuff around. They're easy to get into, and they hold lots and lots. You just sling them over your shoulder and go. I'm not a fan of lots of compartments. I think by making things more organized, you just make things more complicated. Tote's are simple, useful, and fun to use. How could you ask for anything more?
I just love corduroy. Anytime I see it, I have to buy it (if the price is right, of course!). This red floral corduroy used to be a shirt. Not anymore! Topstitched pleats on the main body draw attention to the fullness of the bottom. The top is actually curved downward, so that the sides are higher than the middle. I lined this in some fabric my mother mailed me that is the same color blue as the flowers. I used a really ornate gold colored button for the ribbon loop to hook around, and with something as rich as this, it didn't seem overdone. Corduroy has such a great texture, and the colors are always so vivid, that it's something I always reach for first!

Little Cuties

I was lucky enough to come across quite a bit of vintage fabrics yesterday. Some of the pieces were quite small, but they were just the right size for change purses.I whipped these up and thought that they were so cute! The pictures don't really do them justice, as they are interfaced and lined, and have a nice weight to them.
This one is my favorite because of the cute little zoo animals in pastels on the blue background. As soon as I get more zippers I'll be making more of these little cuties!

Fat Cat Hot Pad

I've sewn so many purses in the last couple of weeks that I felt a need for a break. I had this really neat material and there wasn't quite enough for a purse. Looking at my fat cats lolling about in the living room gave me the idea for this hot pad. The thing that took the longest was making my own binding for it, but thanks to the binding tool my aunt gave me and the professional level iron my father-in-law gave me, that didn't take all that long. And I ended up with enough binding to bind quite a few more of these cute little guys.

Spring is in the Air

I really must make a point of getting outside this weekend and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. This tote was inspired by the rows and rows of flowers for sale everywhere. I can't decide what I'll plant in my balcony pots this year, but this tote satisfied me for awhile at least! The second bag was made for the same reason. My cats have found a new past time and that is chasing anything that flies, so these butterflies reminded me that if things that fly are coming into the house, then spring must truly be here. My goal this spring? To take pictures of as many butterflies as I can.

Come on over to the Wild Side

I never was much of a fan of animal print fabrics. That has changed over the last year or so. It seems the older I get, the less seriously I take things, and I see fun and humor where none was found before. So this little leopard print purse kind of tickles my fancy. It's made out of a linen blend, which gives it a neat texture that doesn't really show up in photos too well. I'm fond of this purse, and wish I had more of this fabric. It was born out of an outdated women's business suit, and this is the only purse that I could cut out of it. I hope it finds a good home and someone who loves it's whimsy as much as I do!

Tiny Pleats

This purse was inspired by the rain that we've been having in Kansas. The pleats remind me of the tracks raindrops leave running down a window pane. It's pleated on the front and back, and is made out of some really great vintage blue cotton material with pink and white tufts on it. This purse is one of my larger one and has a great roomy white cotton interior. A blue ribbon ties to close this purse. This purse is super comfortable to carry and has a great reinforced band around the top, and an interfaced strap to lend stability and strength.

Island Breezes

I have been busy sewing lately, and almost missed the coming of spring. I stepped outside yesterday, and this warm, refreshing wind was blowing. If only I could be lucky enough to live where the breeze and temperature were as perfect as yesterday. This purse reminds me of that breeze. In a fun print, island natives are fishing, weaving, boating, and doing all kinds of things all over this purse. The size is large, and it would be perfect to carry to the pool filled with bottled water, sun screen and flip flops.

Suit Yourself

This purse is made out of repurposed men's dress pants. I think it turned out really cute, and the quality of the fabric makes it look so rich. The bow on the front makes it really feminine, even though it's made out of something for men. I lined it with a men's dress shirt that is gray/green in color. I think I will make several more of these because they just turn out so darned cute!

And a cherry on top!

This is my "cherry on top" apron. It turned out really cute, and I am very proud of my first attempt at drafting a full sized apron pattern from scratch. There's a few things I might change next time I use the pattern, but all in all, it turned out really good. It is made from cotton, and the bodice is lined in purple cotton, as are the pockets. A purple fabric ruffle is along the bottom of the apron, the top of the bodice, and the top of the pockets. Extra long ties for the sash mean a really cute big bow on the back. I am pretty proud of this upcycled piece and am hoping to sell a few of these at the farmer's market in two weeks.

I got the blues

This little purse is made out blue silk. Real silk. Which means that it's light as a feather, but very sturdy. This one was lots of fun to make, just because working with something so expensive makes a person feel important, I guess. This was a very outdated business suit in its old life. I think that it's new life is much better!

Time for some change!

I have been buys making change purses lately. Actually, these are a little bigger than a change purse, measuring about 5 inches by 6.5 inches. These are some of the little dudes I've done today. I've reorganized my time with sewing, having a certain day to accomplish certain types of sewing projects. Hopefully this will speed things up and leave me with less distractions and unfinished projects. Today is zipper pouch day. I'm hoping that these little bags will go over well at the Farmer's Market that it due to start in 2 weeks as of yesterday. I can sell them for much less than a purse, and they are quicker to make. I am overly fond of the owl one and have to keep reminding myself that I'm sewing these to sell, not to have for myself. I always want to keep one of anything I sew for my own use, and I must admit I did keep a "practice" pouch!

Josephine

I may not post as often as I have been. We have been blessed with arrival of another member of our family. Little Josephie has been here 3 days now, having been rescued from a parking lot. She is quite the energy bundle, and my other two fat cats are worn out from playing with her. I had forgotten how much attention little kittens require, so my sewing has been taking a back burner for the last couple of days. But I definitely think the reason is justified!

Indigo Blue

I just love this purse. It's quirky, it's fun, it's a little crazy. And boy, is it dark blue. Indigo blue, to be exact. I topstitched in white to show the contrast between light and dark, making the white thread really stand out. There are 3 pleats on one side, meaning that it is a little unbalanced feeling, but they are topstitched down, which kinda says "I'm responsible" until you get to where the topstitching ends. The pleats open out and it says "I'm wild, I'm crazy, and I'm a little weird". The big plastic button is pearlescent and is from my vintage button collection. I don't know if anyone else will find it's strangeness appealing but I hope it finds a good home with someone who likes to have fun and isn't scared of being different!

Photography Blues

I have the photography blues lately. This purse is a light khaki color, and is incredilbly hard to photograph. I tried stuffing it so that it looks the way it will when a person carries it, I tried it flat, I tried it hanging. I just couldn't find a way to make it look like it does in person. I will have to experiment with different settings and props. This little purse is really darling, and is so soft and perfect for spring, I just have to find a way to convey that with pictures. It is far more difficult than I thought it would be.

April Showers

Day lilies are blooming everywhere in Kansas right now. This flower pin was inspired by them. A lot of times in the deconstruction of garments for repurposing, there is a polyester lining in them. I don't use that in my purse constructions because I feel it is too delicate for the everyday wear and tear a bag goes through. So I have made these flower pins out of the left over linings. Each petal is hand cut, then hand singed with an open flame to produce the curling on the edges. Then I gather each one and stitch the petals securely to a base. Add a center of beading, stitch a pin on the back, and there you have it! These are really very beautiful to look at, and even the black flowers are striking in their simplicity. They look great pinned on a purse or jacket and dress up any outfit. Besides being fun to make, they are fun to use!

My Easter Bonnet

A dear friend of mine that I was lucky enough to come in contact with on facebook, has had his first child (or rather his wife has)! This horrifies me, happifies, and hootifies me. Horrifies me that someone that I still remember as a rather rash young man is now a father (the last time I spent time with him he was 18), happifies me because he deserves this little blessing, and hootifies me (hooting is the sound I make when I have an excuse to sew baby things). So I stitched up this simple little bonnet today. It turned out really cute, so cute that I'm going to make a couple more up for my etsy shop! My favorite part is the scalloped edging. I am truly loving Miss Bette and her many abilities!

Sunday school bibs

I had these small pieces of material with church based motifs on them that were the perfect size to make a bib out of. I started with the church print material, added a waterproof lining, and then put a floral backing on it made out of cotton. Then, the cute part. I made a peter pan collar, basted it down, flipped the whole thing inside out, and sewed it together! Added a bow after it was finished, some top stitching around the edge of the bib for durability and appearance, and tacked the edges of the collar down to prevent it flipping up in the dryer, and it was done! I wish I could say the collar was my idea, but it was actually my mother's . Also the water proof lining was her idea too. She said she loved bibs like that when we were kids. Not having kids myself, this kind of input is greatly appreciated. Mom always gives me great ideas that work out so well! These bibs turned out super cute, and incredibly useful!

My first custom job

This is my first custom made purse. I am inordinately proud of it and I hope the customer that requested it and sent me this fabric likes it too! The only challenge was trying to decide to interface or not. The decision was yay instead of nay, and interfacing was applied all over, resulting in a much more professional appearance. The fabric was stretchy and the interfacing gave it stability and body so it didn't just hang and bunch. She sent me a really nice black cotton for the lining, and I sewed it up with an interior zippered pocket. The outside of the purse is decorated with 4 pleats on the front and 4 on the back. I staggered the pleating so the lines would appear as stair steps in the pleated region only. This bag was lots of fun to make. I must admit that I was a bit intimidated when I saw the slink nature of the fabric, but once it was stabilized, it was a breeze to sew. And the plus side? I had sparkly hands after I was done! Nothing like free body glitter when sewing a purse!

The welcoming of Bette

Meet Bette Rhodes. She is the newest member of the Rhodes family. Sadly enough, the previous sewing machine that had Bette's job is deceased. Time of death was this morning, in the middle of sewing an important seam. It always was a drama queen. Bette cost more than I wanted to pay, but she can do everything. Embroidery, darning, quilting, plain stitching, button holes, etc, etc. So I am pleased to have Bette in my living room and hope her stay lasts as long as her predecessor's did.

Friday's Follies

This is the purse that I managed to finish today, but not without great adversity. See, I was half way through sewing it when my machine died. But never fear, Wal-Mart is here, and off I drove to get my new machine, which does far better than the old one. But back to Friday's purse. This purse is made out of material my mother sent me. She had bought new drapes for her living room, and knowing that I'm in the purse making business and that I specialize in using repurposed, recycled materials, she mailed them off to me, paying a small fortune in postage. So Mom, you didn't waste your money.. see what I made? This purse was very easy to sew, and the button is from a thrift store score (brand new on the card from the 60's). So I hope this purse finds a home, and I hope my new machine is as faithful as my old one.

Ship Shape Apron

This cute apron will help make anyone's house ship shape in no time! I lined this apron completely, and by completely I mean even the pockets, in white cotton. Then I added a white cotton ruffle to accent the bottom and the pockets. Red thread really brought out the pockets with top-stitching, and the waistband has lots of stitchery in rows and zig zagged throughout! This apron took far longer than it should have. It seems that interruptions get me side tracked easily, and then I remember to come back and work! All in all, this turned out cute. My favorite part about this apron is the ruffles. Because they are the white cotton, folded over, gathered, and then stitched on they are a double thickness, causing them to stand stiffly on their own. The second favorite thing is the weight of this apron. I hate wearing a flimsy apron that feels like tissue paper. I'm always moving too fast and it floats around and gets caught in things. This apron's weight keeps it in place, and the double thickness is good if you're working around things that might get you wet.
Oh, and on a side note? Tying an apron to a music stand is harder than it appears to be!

Lazy Day Purse

This is my newest addition to my purse family. It's soft shape kind of just makes you want to take it slow, like a nice warm Saturday afternoon in June. Beading and embroidery keep it from looking too casual, and soft gathers at the top make sure that it has lots of room inside to store things. I lined it completely with soft white cotton and put in a zippered pocket so you can seperate out the most important things that you don't want lost. The strap attaches with d-rings and is a comfortable over the shoulder length. Originally, this fabric was an unwanted skirt at a thrift store. I took it home, washed it, cut it apart, and sewed it back together into this purse. The d-rings also came off of an unloved garment, as did the zipper. The button is a vintage leather woven button. I found a few cards from the 1950's and 60's, and this button seemed to match perfectly.

Champagne Flowers for You

This is what I've done today. Not much. As you can see by the number of thing finished, today was a day that took lots of personal time to complete, with not much left for business, a.k.a. fun time. However, I had just enough time at the end of today to make this little champagne peony. It's made from layers of lining material. Then bronze seed beads were scattered in the middle and held in place with itty bitty tiny stitches. Then it was all stitched onto a circle of beige felt. Finally I stitched a strip of velcro onto the felt. I'm hoping that someone shopping for a new little someone will think it's as cute as I think it is and buy it for their little flower!

The first Robin means spring is here!

The first robin's appearance means winter has ended and spring is officially here! This robin's egg blue corduroy purse is very spring-like indeed! It is medium sized and has 4 pleats, 2 on each side, that open out so that it's really roomy inside! I lined the inside with soft white cotton blend and included a zippered interior pocket for whatever a person would need to tuck away out of sight. On the outside, I top stitched the pleats down partially and added vintage plastic buttons from the 60's as decoration. Closure is a simple blue ribbon loop that closes around the basket weave button. I love this purse because the pleating reminds me of a double breasted raincoat.

No toil for this toile!

This purse is really neat, because I got the fabric for free! I posted an "I want" on freecycle for fabric and a very nice lady called and asked me if I wanted it. I said "SURE!" :)
There is about 15 yards total of this, so I think by the time I use all of it I won't want to see any more toile for a long time! The only flaw is lighter spots in some places because of a bad dye job, but other than that, it's perfect. And there is so much fabric left after cutting around the bad spots, that I have more than enough for whatever I want to sew. Okay, on to the purse.. this pures is really simple. I didn't want to do too much with topstitching and such because I wanted the print to be the focal point, not the stitch work. Four tiny pleats on each side give the purse some poof, and closure is a simply ribbon loop/button that I tend to favor. I hope this purse finds a good home soon, because if it doesn't, it's going to become mine forever!

Little Baby Bibs

I've had a busy, productive day today. I've made two, count 'em, two baby bibs. This one is my favorite of the two. It uses some reproduction fabric that looks like a 1930's print. I appliqued a plaid a and an apple cut out of picnic cloth type fabric, and this bib was done!
This bib is awfully cute too. It has 3 appliqued balloons on purple sparkly fabric. This one, and the one above, is lined in lavender flannel. The neat part about this bib is the balloon strings. They are actually pieces of cotton cording attached to the bib. It gives this bib a neat 3-D feel.

Lavender Purses Abound!

This must be the week of lavender. I think it's because my mother mentioned that she hoped to plant lavender this year in her garden. Whatever the reason, it seems that the sewing bug has bitten me, and lavender is what I'm picking to work on!
This is the first lavender purse that I finished. It's made out of lavender silk, and rose tinted linen. The front features inverted pleating that has been top stitched down. Then I ran 6 strands of yarn down the channels that the pleating formed, and pulled them up to form a type of gathering. At that point, that was going to be the end of it, but once I had it sewn in purse form, I was unhappy with the results. So back to the cutting board, and after lots of scissors work and measuring, two ruffles were added onto the lavender silk in the linen that you see above. Directly below is a closer photograph of the ruching/trapunto detail that I fondly call ruchunto or trapuching, depending on the mood!
This is a close up of the macrame belt that I repurposed to form the strap of the purse. It's really neat and intricate, and has these cute little wooden beads interspersed throughout! I've been scouring the thrift shops for neat little belts to use in the making of my purses, and have been lucky in finding some really neat ones!
All of that is well and good. However, the best part of this purse is the antique glass button. The purse closes with a really quaint ribbon loop/button closure, and I was able to find the most precious little glass button for it! It always reminds me of my little sister when I find a pretty button. My grandmother was quite the seamstress when she was younger, and she would sew us the prettiest dresses for special occasions. One time, after working so hard on our dresses and adding flounces and laces and petticoats, my sisters exclamation of happiness was so cute.. she thought the button to be the prettiest part!


The next lavender purse I made was finished out today. It is huge. And I'm not even joking. I think that a person could use this as a stylish diaper bag instead of the huge bags that mothers usually carry. It is made out of an upcycled felted wool sweater, and is completely lined. Inside are 6 roomy pockets sewn onto the lining, three on each side. This purse will definitely hold everything anyone would need to carry with them. I like working with the felted wool, but I can only do so many of them at one time. Because of the nature of the fabric, it doesn't lend itself to a lot of different looks, so it can get a little tedious sewing them over and over again. I will probably hold off on making the felted wool purses once the end of May comes, because I don't imagine people will want to carry a wool purse around in the summer (although if you work in one of those freezing office buildings, you might)!

Bird Brain

I've got birds on the brain. This purse that I've made proves it. First the bird tote, now this bird purse, I wonder what's next?


It started out innocently enough with just a tan bottom and blue band along the top, but it looked so plain! So I appliqued a blue bird cut out the same blue felt as the band and hand stitched it on with embroidery floss. An dark iridescent bead serves as the bird's eye. Blue Bird sits perched on a tree branch waiting for spring to truly arrive. This purse was lots of fun to make and I hope my next one is as entertaining!