Marilyns Tissue Holder

The half-yard I bought of Marilyn had photo blocks. I took the smallest one and made it into a tissue holder for Tiff. Coordination with the Messenger Bag.

doesn't she look like she's blowing her nose?

Super easy to sew. Two scraps of fabric. One at 5.5" x 6.5" (outer fabric), the second (lining) at 5.5" x 7.5".

RS together, sew short 5.5" ends together with 1/4" seams. The top fabric (lining) will be cupped, but that's what creates the 'trim' (stripe) at the opening. Turn RS out, press so lining extends 1/4" past bottom fabric (outer). Bring lining sides into middle and press again. Sew ends with 1/4" seam (unfinished). Turn so lining is inside and presto!, you have a quick and easy tissue holder.
 There are plenty of sewing tutorials for these online plus about a thousand youtube videos. Great beginner project because you can easily make 42 in an hour {ha - kidding}.




 
 I have a new year's resolution to sew up the remaining fashion fabric once used and I have enough to make a couple of zippered bags - cosmetic size. Maybe 7 photo blocks left.  I'm not sure how I'll do with this resolution because I can already feel the urge to move on to the next projects and finish the other ones in the pipeline.

It's not quite the new year yet, can I rescind?



 

 Having a huge clean out sale  in my etsy shop right now.
RunningWithNeedles
Just use the code CLEANOUT2014 to get 40% off everything.

Sewing Treasure Box

I found this nifty treasure box at a local christmas bazaar . I went one saturday after work and ended up taking photos of things I liked because it was  overwhelming with an inordinate amount of possible handmade gifts.

I kept looking at this monopoly box for my niece who is 17 years old. After work the following Saturday, I went to see if they still had some left.

It could be a sewing kit or a place to put her treasures.

In trying to figure out what I had in stash (from garage saling), I went mostly for what fit inside this box which roughly measures 9.5" x 7.5" x 3" deep.

The ziploc in front has all the pieces to the original Spiderman Monopoly game - good luck ephemera.

Clockwise from the pack of felt and embroidery floss::
treasure box, measuring tape, game pieces, pincushion (making explained), chocolate covered pretzel sticks, a FQ of Olivia the pig fabric (her namesake), snaps, needle book, 6" ruler/seam gauge, 4" quilting square ruler, pad of notepaper from Schmetz needles, red container with threads, pins, small items.

I am undecided about adding a crochet hook/ knitting needles, but need to let go of add one of my pairs of sewing scissors - for the cause.

What else would you add?


 Having a huge clean out sale  in my etsy shop right now.
RunningWithNeedles
Just use the code CLEANOUT2014 to get 40% off everything.

Beer Fermenting

I'm positive this photo has something to do with sewing.

courtesy of dear son

Pin Cushion

Simple Pin Cushion.
I'm putting together a sewing kit for my niece and a brand new pin cushion was in order.

I thrifted a cutter quilt earlier this year - I think it was an anniversary celebratory quilt. It was a grandmother's flower garden with the white centers embroidered with friends and family names.  Probably from the 50's. Although some of the fabrics are obviously feedsack quality.

I cleaned it as best as I could with Retro Clean but it was only a dollar for a reason.

This pin cushion is just a fussy cut 6" circle backed with a 6" piece of felt. The felt was chosen for it's non-sliding properties but more likely because the box of felt is still out from Christmas sewing.

You sew the circles RS together leaving 2" to turn. Stuff with fiber fill and lavender. I tend towards lavender because you want your pins and needles to smell good. Or is because lavender exudes a calming influence over your sewing frenzies???

Then you take some six strand variegated embroidery floss and knot it at one end of a very long piece. Decide how many sections you want. Come up thru the middle, around to the backside and back up to do the opposite side, pulling tightly as you go to get good definition of the petals. My pieced scrap lent itself to six sections.

Knot off.  Look in your button drawer and pick the first one with a shank and sew on with remainder of floss.

Done.


 

I need to make more of these for the Etsy shop. Having a huge clean out sale right now.
RunningWithNeedles
Just use the code CLEANOUT2014 to get 40% off everything.

Cleaning Out My Etsy Shop

End of Year 2014 SALE.
If you ever wondered what I sell on Etsy, here's a fantastic chance to buy at 40% off.

I'm cleaning out the old stuff (haha - vintage) and making room for new, old items.
Still vintage sewing supplies & patterns. Some of these items have been in the store for a while. I've got boxes and boxes of vintage goodies just waiting their turn to star on RunningWithNeedles.etsy.com
 
Back when notions were made to last. A lot of the items I sell are 100 years or older!
Please take a peek and see if you can help me make room in my shop for new items.
Or, let your friends know.

Use the code CLEANOUT2014 to get your 40% off.

 Here are some examples of what I have for sale:
***just click on the description to go that item***

  Greist RUFFLER foot sewing foot 2593519

 3 inch wide fine knitted edging. Scalloped edge

 Grab Bag of Christmas/Holiday Quilt Fabrics. Strips/Squares of Red/Green/Browns/Rickrack

 Sewing HAM, Dritz pressing aid

Batik style fabric almost 4 yards. striped with blue, green, orange, purple

Fur Collar Embellishment. Vintage fashion statement.

Marilyn Monroe

Inside zip pocket- like looking up her skirt.

Opposite side - two pockets.
One of the smaller 'photo's on the panel

My neighbor girl has an obsession with Marilyn.

When I was at SewExpo last March (!), I ran into one of my neighbors who was buying this Marilyn fabric panel and I forgot what she was going to make for Tiff but I had to go back to that booth and buy a 1/2 yard panel myself.

It aged well - only 8 months in stash! and I had already decided to make her a messenger bag to haul her stuff around. Fussy cutting took up serious space in my head and I went for it Sunday.
I almost got the bag done before I had to go into work and I finished up the strap and flap this morning.

I still need to scotchguard it and do a final pressing.

I happened to have the right red fabric in stash - small stripe. I used Shapeflex 101 on all of the interfacing. Messenger bags should be slouchy and this iron-on interfacing doesn't give that ripple effect like most iron-on interfacings. Pencil Girl says that's because I need to pre-wash my interfacing first.

Like that's gonna happen.

I mostly used this pattern.

This one didn't need to be done for Christmas, but it is. I have one more item that needs to be sewn, also not needed tomorrow. I can't post some of them as these people read my blog. Also - as soon as the final thread is clipped, they are quickly crammed stashed into a mailing envelope/box aand sent off asap. No time for photos.

All in all, I have done very, very well on my handmade gifts this year.

Merry Christmas to everyone, may the next year be filled with more time to sew and/or create.

Potter Pillow

Running - that's December for someone in the shipping industry.
This was a quick make one Sunday morning before I had to go into work.
Sent off to birthday nephew already.

Idea borrowed from here.

Putting Together A Puzzle

I started this Thanksgiving Day
 - it's about to implode and take me with it - where I can't stop fitting puzzle pieces until I'm done.



The journaling had become one more thing to do and I had to take some blogging time off.

My work schedule is a bit better next week. I don't have to go in until 11am - I have all my mornings on a consistent schedule. Next week will be different.


Thanksgiving turned out way better than expected. Daughter is in Guatemala for the winter so I had to make do with the son. He was lavished with 10 dz chocolate chip cookies amongst other food items (when do you get over thinking that your child might starve if you don't provide goodies?)


I did manage to meet Pencil Girl at RCT Fabrics in Portland recently. She had a quarter beef for me to put in my freezer. We looked at fabrics, discussed projects, caught up on our busy lives, and then went to coffee.


We both bought this burn out knit, me in the lightest pink, she in the brown. This is the store example with the brown knit 'piping'.



The day job has included too much overtime since June (again) and now we are starting the Christmas rush.

We moved my Mom & Dad this summer - all 45 years accumulation from their 3500 sq ft house on the hill down to a  much smaller single level 1300 sq ft house. They not only changed their address but also their phone number. They are in their 80's and this was a Herculean task.

They insisted on moving the pool table from the basement for the use of the two grandkids who visit once a year from Minnesota. There was a moment when I told my dad, "You are crazy".
Very stressful but their old house sold in 7 weeks, they are ensconced in their new house and finding their way. My sis, the MN whirlwind, came a few weeks ago and helped hang pictures, figure out furniture placement and help meet the neighbors.




I did manage some of the local christmas bazaars.
 
 Above: Paper cones swirled into an ornament.
Below: Magnets made of old maps, origami folded.

I didn't buy much - just looked and enjoyed.






I pinned this folded star trivet and planned on making two for Christmas presents.

 I managed to make one for my MN Sis so she could haul it back in her luggage - (saves me the shipping). So - one more to go.
 
Too busy to snap a photo but it is in similar red and aqua colors.




 
I have ideas on what I want to do with this Sashiko stitching.

 I made two of these! The first one was completed and lost over at my friend's house this summer. She has now found it and will send it to me.
I liked the design so much, I ordered another and it was much faster to stitch the second time around.


Going to camp out in my sewing room this afternoon. Got another pendleton pillow to sew.

Happy Halloween!

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