Monday, March 28, 2016

Recovering from Chaos

We had a rough weekend.

Really, the whole month has been pretty rough.

My dad was sick with bronchitis, my mom was admitted into the hospital with an ENORMOUS blood clot. Both of these lead to me traveling to the other side of the state several times to be with them. I was grateful that I was able to do so.

Then Friday I got a stomach bug. I was sick in bed Friday and Saturday. My husband was sick yesterday, and yet we still celebrated Easter. My 3 year old was sick on Friday and Saturday as well, and my littlest guy let the contents of his stomach go in his crib last night. Ah. Being a parent is a glorious thing, is it not.

So creative time has been a bit limited.

But.
BUT.

TODAY I GET TO PLAY ALL DAY!

My husband is on spring break and has given me the day off.

I have grand plans.


Fabric Pull

I am going to stitch this fabric up into a Flight bag (Betz White). It's a creativebug.com video. And a very cute bag. 

And off I go, to play, Play, PLAY!





Monday, March 21, 2016

Oh, Monday.

Today I feel completely deflated.

I feel bogged down by wife-hood, and motherhood, and all of the duties and expectations that come with both.

Learning how to say no to what you want to do, to do something else for someone else is such a challenging thing. Doing this with joy in my heart seems nearly impossible. Yet, this is where I am at in life, and it seems I should learn how to do it well.

Like my young boys, I just want to play! And some play is important I think. Learning how to play and work, in the same space, with the same people is oh so challenging.

I want to play! All the time!



Linocut in Action

I want to print fabric, draw, sew, wax, imagine, and create!


Spring Strawberries


Lord, please give me patience for the season of life that I am in. Help me to be faithful to the tasks I must do as a wife and mother, and help me to be faithful to the calling you've given me to make and create. Lord help me find joy in doing dishes and in playing with fabric. 







Friday, March 18, 2016

A Friday Finish (3/18/16)

This week did not go the way it was supposed to!

However, I did manage to eek out a tiny finish for today.

Let me introduce you to....


Hand Painted Bird

My little blue bird!

This sweet birdie was made using some of my original handpainted fabric. I used this free tutorial from B.D Designs. I plan to make many more, and tweak it a bit. I am so ready to hear birds sing outside my window.

Here's to spring! 


Linked up at Crazy Mom Quilts.



Saturday, March 12, 2016

Show and Tell (3/12/16)

I had fun this week, playing. I tried new ideas and spent time just enjoying all the sewing and such that I could fit into my week. It was sooooooooooooo nice.

One of the first things I worked on this week, was a wallet. I needed a wallet, because I was using a ziploc bag to carry around my cards and cash. Yeah. Absolutely ridiculous for someone who can stitch something up easily. It was embarrassing.


Simple Wallet


So I put this together. I've been using it this week and I can tell I need to tweak some of the components, but overall I'm very pleased. It fits my cards, my cash and my phone, which was what I was going for. I am going to change up the closure system though. I'm thinking elastic maybe. Perhaps I should consider a button. I tried to felt some wool to use for the closure, but it didn't work out the way I hoped it would.

The fabric is some of the scraps from my handpainted tote bags.


All the pins!!!

Here are all the components ready to be stitched up.  I know now that my divider inside the wallet needs to be a slightly different dimension. It works, but it could be a tad smaller. However, I am so happy I finally have a real wallet. I no longer have shame when I pull out my payment at stores!

April Bag by Elizabeth Hartman for Sew Mama Sew

I stitched up this April bag this week as well. You can see more about that process here. It's IKEA canvas, I really wanted to work with something bright!


Hand painted Fabric drying (in my poorly lit basement)


I painted some more fabric this week, and I went for different effect than the last round. 

Fabric after drying. Wadded up. But in better light.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm excited to start sewing with it in the next week.


Drawstring pouch

I up-cycled an old pillow case into this simple drawstring pouch. I did not turn out how I had envisioned, but once complete I realized it was shaped like a strawberry, so with appropriate fabric it could be very cute. 

Hand printed motif set on Hand painted fabric

I also experimented with putting some of my newly made fabric into frames. I have been so indecisive about the best use of these folk flowers, and I finally decided to cut into one of my hexagons and make something! This was a gift for a dear friend, and I am happy with how it came together.

I did a bit of drawing as well. 

Windows in my neighborhood no. 1

Windows in my neighborhood no. 2

There are a lot of old houses in my neighborhood, where residents over the years have either completely gotten rid of windows in their homes or have severely cut down on the size of the window and have boarded the rest. You make due. I felt compelled to draw some of what I was seeing out of my own windows.

My lino is not what I was going for, and I don't know how to get it on track! So, I've been avoiding it. I know that is not how you fix problems, but, it's the only way I know how to deal with it at the moment. 

It looks kinda evil to me....

So that is what I've been up to this week! That and a butterfly, but check out Friday's post for that.

Linked up to Off the wall Friday. :)

Friday, March 11, 2016

A Friday (start and) Finish (3/11/16)

I have a little guy that is under the weather. He's had a cold, that hasn't really held him back, but now he has an ear infection. Today started with him wailing from bed at 5:00 am, and it's been non-stop ever since with getting the kids to the doctors office, getting them to the pharmacy and what not.

Whew.

Still I managed to sneak in some sewing time. I wanted to make something sweet for my little guy who was hurting so.




He loves butterflies, and I am so ready for spring, so this was such fun to whip up. 

C trying to make the butterfly flutter

Hopefully he feels better soon!

Linked up at Crazy Mom Quilts, and TGIFF.


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Thoughts on using patterns

For most of my sewing life I winged it. I just did whatever came to my head, worked hard at figuring out how to make something that I envisioned. My end products were, well, they had a 'thrown together' look, shall we say. Some really came together nicely, and some not so much.

In the past few years I have started using online patterns and tutorials more often, and it has been a game changer. One of the reasons that I didn't use patterns much in my earlier sewing years, is that I didn't understand them! Online patterns and tutorials give many pictures and instructions. They demystify the process.

Another reason I think I avoided using patterns, is pride. I thought I could just figure it out, I didn't want to do things the way that someone wanted me to! It sounds so silly, but this really factored in. I wanted to make my own way. I did not want to submit to a pattern writer.

So, as I was working on this pattern by Elizabeth Hartman, I was thinking all of this over.


Purse handles in progress

I was thinking about how stunted my sewing was for a long time, because I was unwilling to humbly submit to a pattern to learn new techniques. I just wanted to figure it out myself, but looking at and working though how someone else does something is so very valuable! I still love to create my own ideas, or designs, but patterns have helped give me the skills to better accomplish this.


Purse made from free pattern found here 

I learn new things all the time, from patterns. These new skills help me customize, when I know that I want something a bit different from the pattern. For instance, I was able to easily add an inside pocket to this handbag, because I learned best how to do this from past tutorials and patterns.


inside of purse, with pocket

As I start to realize the full benefits (aside from the finished product) of following a pattern, I am confronted with the pride that prevented me from experiencing them earlier! Submission isn't only about obedience and sacrifice, there are benefits that we aren't always able to understand or see until we surrender. God wants me to follow his pattern, not to dominate me, but to teach me a new way, a better way, to do things. 

He wants my end product to be beautifully crafted. 

So much here for me to think on!


More on the making of this bag, here.



Monday, March 7, 2016

Show and Tell (3//7/16)

My week was hectic, but certainly full of creative endeavors.

I was preparing for a craft show, my first.

My table set up, featuring my wares, and the art of 1st graders. :) 

It was a very slow show. I learned a bit from some other vendors there though, so as a whole it was a good thing. I at least made back the money I paid for my booth. So, that's a good thing as well. It was fun to search for props to display my wares, and I enjoyed trying to set up my table in the most appealing way possible. 

Also, I successfully managed to make a chick and egg, designed by Abby Glassenberg, that has its feet! 

Such a cute little guy ! 

The little chick ended up with a slightly different hair style than my first. Such a blast to make, even though no one at the craft show was interested enough to buy this little guy. So, I decided to put him up in my Etsy shop.

I made some more of the little geese and nesting baskets for the show. 

Getting my ducks in a row. 

After I did the show, I gave myself a break from the type of sewing I had been doing. I like these types of projects, but I really love working with new ideas best. 

The last two days I have started drawing a bit more, and am working on another linocut. 

A view with some of my creative clutter

I am not loving how this folk flower is looking carved. I'm not sure how to tweak it though, based on what I already have carved away. I'm going to stew on it a bit more.

Ah. I have some bags I've been dreaming up, that I now have time to play around with. I'm looking forward to the coming week! 







Friday, March 4, 2016

A Friday Finish 3/4/16


So, I've been busy finishing up a variety of projects this week, but the only one worth noting here is this adorable chick/egg soft toy.

I had been eyeing this pattern by Abby Glassenberg for a while, and when she posted on her blog this week, an Easter egg version, I was sold.


A plain ole egg.


An already well loved chick.

The toy turns inside out from the egg (or the chick) to reveal the chick (or the egg). It's such a fun, clever little toy. My boys love it!


Pieces ready for assembly

So, here's a progress shot, and you may notice that there are feet for the little chick, that are not in the end product. I had a snafu. I didn't catch the feet in the final seam, which is a bit tight. I tried again, and had the same mishap. So, I decided that my boys would like it just as well without the feet. I have another in the works, and plan to trouble shoot this issue a bit more.

Overall, this was a fun pattern to put together. Softies are such great skill builders in my opinion. They are small projects, that help you work on a variety of techniques. 

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Simple Satchels


If I had a dollar for every time someone suggested that I open an Etsy shop, man. I wouldn't be a millionaire or anything, but I would have enough money to go to the movies at least. Granted I wouldn't be able to afford popcorn probably, but I would be able to get in the door.

People seem to think having your own successful business is an effortless thing. Sure I like to sew and make things, but that would only be a small part of actually selling what I create. The work that would go into making an actual sale would definitely consume much of my limited time, leaving me less time than I already have to make the things that I enjoy making.

But. But...

I have decided to launch an Etsy shop. Never mind that I'm not even sure that I properly know how to pronounce Etsy. I have a specific goal, of earning money for a new sewing machine. It would take many years of saving out of our family budget to afford a machine that I would be satisfied with in the long run. I've been saving for a while, but I have a ways to go.

Over the years, through reading a variety of craft blogs, I think I am somewhat informed on some strategies to maximize sales. This doesn't mean that I am willing to use all of these strategies. I want to keep this (newly started) space a sincere expression of what's going on in my creative world, not a plug for things I am making and selling. I don't plan on talking much about the shop here. Although, it will be a learning process for me, and I imagine that it may make an appearance in my creative dialogue.

So, I want to introduce you to my shop blog, Simple Satchels. I'll talk about my bag making processes there. Then I will list them on Etsy under the same name Simple Satchels. Maybe you will want to check it out, if not no worries.