The great bag giveaway

So, when I make bags for gifts, I tend to make two - one to work out the kinks of the pattern and the other to gift. While going through our stuff as we prepare to pack, I realized that I possess way too many bags. After taking a shopping bag full to good will, 

I thought maybe I should give away some to people I know too. 

Want one? Take a look (sorry the photos are rubbish) and email me with which one you want! 

I'll get it to you sometime in the next month or so. moandheather (at) gmail (dot) com

I'm sure there will be more and we continue to cleanse, but for now, happy shopping!

This one is a Bend the Rules pattern. It's a roomy tote featuring 

some hand stitching and vintage buttons found in NYC.

I didn't make this one, but it's a cute little suede clutch.

This one needs some serious oxyclean and I just don't have the time for that TLC right now. But, I thought someone might like it because it's a Gwen Stefani L.A.M.B. LeSportSac wallet, 

picked out by my stylish sister.

Cute little cross body bag, great for a teen?

Simple little bag (maybe 10"? wide) of my own design, using Marimekko fabric bought in Seattle.

This one is using a pattern from Sew Liberated.

It's a coin purse. Made out of a little girl's sock.

A mesh beach bag, not quite big enough for lots of beach toys, but definitely big enough for beach shells, driftwood and treasures. There is an inside zipper pouch.

A tote bag that can convert to a backpack from one of Liesl of Oliver + S fame's patterns. 

Echino fabric.

the best thing to do with free time

The other day, a miracle happened: I had 30 minutes totally to myself. 

Xavier was in his crib and Isaac decided to cuddle with the dogs and just fell asleep. 

With laundry, dinner, a growing email inbox and other fun projects looming, I decided to blow it all off and sew. I made tea in my favorite new mug and began cutting and ironing Simplicity 2226. I have two friends who've asked me to help them learn how to sew this year, and I thought this pattern might be a good one to help them with - it has lots of techniques, there's a sew-along online and really, who doesn't want a cute new skirt for the spring?

I also wanted to complete something, so I made quick and easy covered buttons and put them on elastics. Since nobody in my house lets me play with their hair, I love french braiding my little nieces' dos. I thought maybe they'd like a few little fancy elastics in the mail? Shhhh aunties, don't tell!

simple projects

I've been spending some time turning this pile of supplies into something special 

(x3 of course) for Christmas.  

With the boys going to bed later and me earlier, it's been a slow process. And the sewing machine's been giving me trouble which is just a terrible turn of events in December... 

But I have managed to turn out a few simple gifts recently, including this little skirt. When I saw the tutorial in the spring, I thought it was cute and picked up the materials. But it sat in the pile for a long time. I'm hoping my niece can rock it with leggings?

And then I enjoyed making some simple baby gifts for my friend and her sisters who are all having their first babies this season. Baby gifts are so simple to make but I get excited to think of those new little ones drooling on these fresh linens.

Isaac tested the swaddling blanket on his OwlBigOwl. It passed.

Then we dove into the Christmas creations. We've been baking, granola making, ornament crafting and present planning every single day. As the boys grow, so do their ideas, which is honestly making the season so much more fun, but so much trickier for me. I only have so many hiding places for half-glued  and drying secret gifts!

After collecting Christmas books for the last five years, we finally have enough to read one each day of Advent. When I saw someone wrap them, I knew that was the perfect touch to build that sweet anticipation in Advent. Twenty seven wrapped books later and we have a new tradition that the older two look forward to every night. 

Finally, a grandma friend of mine recommended that I make pillowcases for the boys for Christmas using the sausage method. Really, that's the name. It was so easy, I'm now thinking of Valentine's, Easter, summer, etc. pillowcases. We went to Joanns where the boys picked out their own fabric and we dressed their pillows in their new outfits the day after Thanksgiving. Now they dream of Christmas goodies while I try to work through that pile of fleece. I have a few weeks left. That's enough, right?

a sewing update

My first attempt at crochet in 10 years, the Aviation Bomber Hat from Inner Hooker (hee hee). I definitely made it too big for Isaac, so it might go to Mo or Finnian for awhile first. But it was fun to make and so quick - like one evening with lots of interruptions. 

I don't love the final result - it's a little too bulky. I even shrunk it in the wash. What do you think? I might try a basic winter cap next. But I still think crochet is fun, easy and so quick.

Next, everyone got a new round of Saturday pants! With cooler mornings, the boys have been requesting some new pants. I caved at Joann's and gave Isaac total creative control of the fabrics, as you can probably tell. He also got two pairs since he helped me shop for all the supplies. He's becoming my little sidekick during the week for sure.

And finally, I made one of Dana from Made's 90 Minute Shirts. I love the long sleeves and trim on this simple shirt and have been wanting to make one forever. It was truly so easy and so fast. The longest part is just trying to guesstimate the pattern size... I definitely made the head hole too big. Must tailor that and adjust the pattern for next time. 

Now it's time to make some Halloween costumes. If only Finnian could nail down one costume choice!

a giraffe for you

Finally, a sewing post! Finnian wanted to make Xavier a giraffe for his birthday, so we did. I used this tutorial: Ms. Cuddles Giraffe. And, I hate enlarging patterns, so I didn't. I increased the amount of mane and embroidered the eyes and heart (because shouldn't all giraffes have hearts on their rears?). It was easy and quick enough for Finnian to help with. Now, Xavier seems to like it more than the platypus we made him last year. It's a keeper.

the biggest bag yet

While shopping on Amazon several weeks ago, I was several dollars short of super saver shipping, so Carry Me by Yuka Koshizen just jumped into my shopping cart to help me out. Does that ever happen to anyone else? Anyway, I had been eyeing this sewing book for awhile, because it was Japanese (clean lines! smart patterns!) and I just loved the bag on the cover. With a party this weekend honoring a friend's graduation, it was time to test it out!

I did choose the bag on the cover, a large sack suitable as a beach or market bag. My friend travels quite a bit, and I thought it might come in handy. It's called the Left Bank Granny Bag. It's huge. You could fit about 15 Eiffel Tower snow globes in there.

I made two, like I usually do with bags: one to gift and one to use. I make mine first and work out any of the kinks, then the gift comes together a little more easily and professionally. This pattern was easy and fun to make. The translation forces the directions to be a little more simple, which I like. Sometimes I read a pattern direction many times before I realize what they're saying could be restated in about five words. It's the editor in me. I stayed true to the pattern, except I replaced the cloth handles with sturdier ones.

My only problem when it was all said and done was that I couldn't choose which one to gift! I was going to let my friend pick, but 3/5 of team Murphy came down with the sick yesterday so we ended up not making it to the party. But with an outing today requiring a big bag, I was forced to choose and my hand picked the orange one. 

That fabric is French and it's a French-inspired bag and I love France, so... 

I hope she likes multi-colored scallops!

crafting a fort

My art photos have slowed as I slowly work towards finishing a quilt for Xavier - it's hand quilted - a first for me! But the boys and I did create something fun last week: a cover/fort maker for the table in their room. I did not think up this idea on my own. I was inspired by a photo I saw online, but failed to bookmark the page - sorry! 

This was super easy to make. I just traced the table top on a piece of fabric. Then I cut a long piece of muslin for the walls. I let the boys draw windows, flowers, doors, etc. on it, but that quickly turned ugly when Isaac decided it would be better to throw uncapped markers at furniture. So, one side's kind of bare, but that's OK I think. I sewed the muslin to the top and voila! 

The peanut-shaped IKEA table is now a fort. 

Isaac in particular loves the fort and regularly brings his pillow, lovees and books inside for story time.

I think the idea would work even better on a dining room table. We don't have one of those though, so this will have to do. It's always fun to have someplace new to hide!