changing pad

Commissioned recently by 

my friend Hannah, 

whose husband designed 

my snazzy labels & logo. 

I love her choice of fabric!

an etsy first!

I sold my first item on Etsy yesterday!

It was a good fortieth birthday gift indeed.  

I'm off to the post office now to ship it!

Huzzah!

 

two cloth-diaper clutches

Lately, I have had several

requests for diaper clutches

of the cloth-diaper variety.

I have sewn up a couple, and 

they are now available in

my shop!

Both are constructed of Michael

Miller "Poppy" coordinating cottons.

While they differ in the details,

each includes a hidden zip pocket,

a wet bag, and a changing pad.

 

The Bicycle Diaper Clutch

is finally complete!

I started it last year when 

I made a similar one for a friend

who loves to bike ride with 

her husband and was about to have 

a baby boy. I was waiting until 

my labels came in to finish this one.

I hand sewed the label in place

last week. Sewn from Michael Miller

"Bicycles" print in charcoal, turquoise,

and white, this diaper changing clutch 

(for use with disposable diapers) is

wipe-able laminate on the outside

and soft cotton on the inside.

Up for sale now at my new Etsy shop!

the shop is open!

After many months of planning and preparation

(a.k.a. procrastination and perfectionism),

my Etsy shop is up and running!

I found that I was waiting until I

had fully developed and stocked the shop before

putting it online. However, there's no good way

to develop something that hasn't started.

So I kicked it off with what I had on hand,

and I'm in the process of sewing up

more diaper clutches and the like.

Stop on by and check it out!

 

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a gathering waist-apron

 

 

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new supplies = new possibilities

Between the onset of the school year and the near-completion of

my new sewing space, I am ready to head into some new projects!

I recently took an exciting trip to my local super-discount fabric shop

(SAS Fabrics -- I'll have to tell you all about it sometime!) and found

zippers for twenty-five cents, twill tape for fourty-five cents a yard,

and this adorable owl piece for two dollars! I have plans for all of

them, which I'll be sharing with you in the coming weeks.

Happy August!

 

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the labels are in!!

My beautiful labels have arrived!!

I ordered these from etsy shop eyluldesign. They were a great

deal, costing only $50 for the whole batch of 500, including

laser cut edges, free shipping, and no set-up fees. 

Communication was a bit sparse, as the owner doesn't likely 

speak English, and I don't speak a lick of Turkish. 

But I really like how they turned out!

I'm now contemplating some little labels to tuck into side seams

as well as making labels for my fabulous church so the towels 

and aprons that go home to get washed won't be lost in the shuffle.

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the logos are in!!

Steve Yeakley of Merdeka Studios dreamed up these

beautiful logos for my little business.

I totally love them! Can't wait to turn 'em

into labels, tags, business cards, etc., etc.

Thanks, Steve!

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penelope tote

Check out this cutesie bag! The pattern is care of Melissa Esplin.

It whipped up with ease, although I realize now that I may have

turned the bottom pleat differently than the pattern calls for.

I love the decorative trim between the top and the base of the bag.

I also really like how it looks in upholstery fabric. Yum!!

I decided to add a magnetic snap closure and a zip pocket...

 

as well as a hidden turquoise treat.

 

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Here's the first of the aprons!

This is the Emmeline by Sew Liberated.

Samantha ordered it up as a bridal shower 

gift for a friend. She's showing off the reverse 

side, which also has turquoise trim and ties.

aprons away!

I just bought three new apron patterns, and I'm super stoked!

First, I've been looking for a one size fits all pattern to make a basic

apron for the people who make dinner each week at our church.

Second, while I've made the Emmeline Apron before, I had borrowed

the pattern. A friend asked me to sew one up as a wedding shower

gift, so I went ahead and invested in the pattern for future use.

Finally, I ran across the Gathering Apron last week, and I really

like the design, which includes a gigantic front pocket (a pouch, really).

So here's to a springtime full of freshly sewn aprons!

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affordable oak tag

Oak tag, also known as tagboard or manila paper, is commonly

used in commercial settings as the pattern paper of choice --

none of this flimsy mimsy stuff you get in pattern envelopes

for home sewing. As it is thick (think cardstock), it's durable and

is therefore easily used for cutting a pattern multiple times.

 

As I mentioned earlier, oak tag patterns are traced onto fabric

(and removed) before cutting happens, whereas patterns on

tissue paper are usually pinned on and cut around directly. This

tracing method keeps the pattern accurate by protecting it from

scissor nicks, wiggly lines caused by pin creases, and the like.

Oak tag is expensive paper, though, and hard to find.

It is often sold on the roll (for $300!) or by the yard (still

expensive at $4.75 a yard). However, I recently discovered

150 lb. manila board at art supply retailers for much less.

It comes in sheets from 9"x12" to 22"x30". This may not

be particularly useful for large items of clothing, like pants or

dresses, but I suspect it will work just fine for bagmaking.

All that said, I just received my first box of oak tag from

Dick Blick. At $21.50 for 100 sheets, it's a steal!

 

 

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further pattern development

 

I spent a good bit of time last year developing a diaper clutch pattern

that would work well for cloth diapers. In the current stage of

development, I finalized my paper patterns and did another run

as a gift for a friend who recently had a baby. As you can see, I also

figured out how to rivet leather for the handle. How fun is that?

The interior of this bag has a zip pocket for keys and the like,

not a built-in wet bag. Turns out if the wet bag is internal,

the whole clutch has to be washed on a regular basis.

Instead, I included a couple of separate wet bags which can

be easily laundered and also clip onto the bag handle if desired.

I guess now it's time to sew one up for the ol' etsy shop!

 

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