Plus-size Purses

Here is my Sewexpo tote again.
Here are some of the other creations from the recent bag class I took.

 I want this squares with mod circles fabric.
Oh- :(  -right - only solid fabrics can pass the threshhold.

Valentine Tournament - OSU

Sorry, this is for the kid.
He's #5.
Press play.

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital

I finished my Pillowcase today for sewexpo to benefit the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.
SewExpo put out a call for us sewers to make and donate pillowcases for children.
Pacific Fabrics even gave out a pillowcase tutorial. (Sorry, the link is apparently down). Useful because it lists the size of the unfinished pillowcase. I still ran around the house and measured my finished pillowcases and found a regular pillowcase varies widely but is essentially 19"w by 31" long.

I figured most of the Sewexpo ladies would make girly pillowcases as many of them are quilters and have a tremendous stash of floral-type fabrics. I wanted mine more boyish and used up just a tiny, tiny piece of my airplane fabric stash.
There was a moment last night when I was still deciding fabrics and design on my pillowcase when I seriously realized how tired I was.
Option A was to use the airplane fabric as the base and a white fabric for the cuff with a coordinating trim (rick-rack?) between cuff and base.
Option B was to utilize airplane fabric as both base and cuff with a flat piping trim to break up the pattern.
Option C: was a stern talking to myself about over-designing this pillowcase.
I threw it all back in the air and decided to sleep on the decision when I realized I have no solid fabrics in my stash. ( **I am sure I own solid colored fabrics but there were none last night). They are all prints that clash.  I found some white from a vintage sheet but it was so obviously NOT the same heft & weight of my base fabric.

This morning, I was clearing off the ironing board to iron my base fabric and there was a plastic sack of the remaining scraps that I won from SewMamaSew. One of those scraps coordinated and the design decision was made to go with just the airplane fabric and this red trim. By itself, it is a red & white floral print. Folded over so just a quarter inch shows, it looks cloudy. The red color coordinated perfectly.

We finally had snow the other day and the dogs loved it. These photos were taken about 6pm - sunset time.
Rusty - the smart dog he is- discovered that if HE threw the ball into the snow, the ball would hide, and he could find it WITHOUT involving the easily distracted human.

Rocket making a snow angel

Rusty ready! for someone to throw his tennis ball.

H & M

They are here. In Portland.
I don't have to go to the Mall of America or even Dublin to get inside this store.

 

Sew Expo Bag

I finished.
The bag.
The bag that is HUGE.

I recently took a purse class with my friend, Pencil Girl.

I plan to take it to sewexpo in Puyallup in a few weeks. 

 The back side, or is this the front?

Supposedly, I can carry my lunch and water bottle and the bag will magically hold all of the fabric I know I will succumb to from all of the great vendors at Sewexpo. There is a distinct possibility that there is a bottomless pit inside this bag. It's that big.

 

I like the magnetic closure. 

I bought the orange fabric at Ikea. Yes, Ikea has fabric.

Most of the ladies in the class are quilters who get stuck in the tiny print cotton rut. They were amazed that you could buy fabric at Ikea.
The black fabric (with all the lint(!)) and the linen were bought here.

 This is a distorted view of the inside. 

The pockets mirror the outside pocket details. Plenty of room for everything.

 Laying the purse down. It's got so much batting and peltex that it stands on its own. It was a real bear to fling around the sewing machine table. I believe I only broke six needles taming it.

I added little feet to the bottom of the bag. And yes, this black fabric is a lint magnet.

 The grommets are plastic rings that snap together (yeah, right). They are sold in the drapery section and they were a definite asset to this bag. Glue and clamps were necessary. They still gape but the sash hides that. There are four layers of fabric and batting and the plastic grommets aren't really up to the task. I cannot imagine how they would secure  heavy drapes that hang off the grommets unless there is strength in numbers.

I am very pleased with how the bag turned out but I may ditch the bow-tie sash. It's kinda fussy. Care to weigh in?

Changing out the sash for a black one?  A black ribbon?  Nothing at all?

Wish You Were Here

 It's still snowing in St. Paul, Minnesota.
But here in Oregon, in the Willamette Valley? Sunshine - all day long. My daffodils have started blooming, the dwarf Iris's are amazing, the winter heather is going gangbusters and our snowdrops might be the closest thing to snow we get.

       February Storm « CBS Minnesota

canby, minnesota

cardinal. winona, minnesota

And, now for our Oregon show:

dwarf iris

anenome

christmas cheer rhododendron

crocus

Sewing Class & Estate Sales

This is just a teaser on something I am working on. It has been a real bear to put through the sewing machine but I am at the last step and then it will be finished.

 

And this is what I scored at a recent estate sale. These are just the items I bought to resell. The other half didn't make the photo as they have been squirreled away already.

A lot of patterns; vintage - quilting- clothing. Four sewing books by Nancy Zieman, fabric blocks, lots and lots of quilting helpers. This sale was advertised as having Singer sewing machines and quilting items. Strange  that there was no fabric at this sale. It must have gone elsewhere.

Oregon Pillows

 SewMamaSew is sharing some pillow techniques and inspiration during the month of February.
This Oregon pillow is very tempting.
Or - I could make one for my sister in Minnesota and she could make me the one for Oregon.

It's the beaver laughing his head off that gets me.

 Or, we could plunk down $149 and just buy the darn things.

State Pillows.
State Park Pillows.
Lots of Pillows.

Dude, Where's My Car and I Finished My Taxes

I'm probably the last person in Oregon to discover Dude, Where's My Car.

Totally stupid - you cannot help laughing.

Which is good.

I 'discovered' the video after reading this post by a blogger called Stitches and Seams.
She made her boys bubblewrap space suits. She SEWED bubblewrap.

My taxes are done, signed and mailed and I just gotta say, "god bless President Obama" for making my tax refund so bountiful.  If you have kids in college - you will also have cause to bless the president.

This weekend is a holiday for me on Monday so I plan to work on a bag that I started last week in a sewing class and also sew a boy's pillowcase for SewExpo - happening in just two weeks!

Heart Pops

I have made three batches - so far- of these zippy heart pops.

Missy Sophea

 Missy Sophea and her new sister, Ella.

She will probably wear a long-sleeve white top underneath for the 'winter' months. 
Or, maybe a black top - don't you love those tights?
The temperature rose to be 48' today!

Photos taken with android phone and sent to the proud great-aunty.

Mini Pompoms

 OMG - are these cute or what?
Well - they are actually a disaster in clothing construction because they MELT if the iron gets'em.
They are so stinkin' cute though.

 This is a dress I have been sewing for my great-niece, Missy Sophea, who is two years old. I used a New Look 6473 pattern but made quite a few changes. I believe all clothing needs pockets - so I designed this cupcake pocket.

 I also made a smaller opening at the neck instead of buttoning it all the way down. Sitting on butt buttons can be similar to a Princess and the Pea experience. All I did was to lay the back pattern piece on the fold and cut out. Then I slit along the fold about 5 inches or so from the top edge. I then bound this with some 1/4" bias tape.

 This pattern also has some cute shorts and pants. Tamara Bostwick, who saved me from the missing instructions - a possible fiasco -  made the top.

 I found a ton of rickrack flower tutorials on the web. Here, here, and here as well.

 New Look 6473 utilized a slit opening at the hem line. The designer put a ribbon bow at the apex. I fanned it straight and sewed my mini pompom trim around.

I'll post pictures when I get them of Missy Sophea wearing her orange dress.



First post is here.

Second post on the orange dress.