Week #11 Finished Bag

Week#11

Challenge: Sew a Custom Request

Project: Travel Laundry Bag.

Well, I did get the bags finished, unfortunately they did not make it into my mom's suitcase before they left. I will be sending them with Princess P and Elle Bean as they are traveling to California to visit over their spring break next week.

I am having a real problem getting pictures taken of my projects, and I don't want to post with out them. That is part of what is slowing me down.

I am pretty happy with how the bags turned out. I used fabric that has been sitting around my basement for probably 10 or more years, so no judgement, they are laundry bags for pity's sake! 
I designed the bag myself based on things that have bothered me about draw string bags I have made in the past.

 I wanted to use different ties but couldn't find the shoe laces I know we have lying around the house, I had to use ribbon for now. The ties can be changed out very easily.

The bag is constructed of two squares of fabric and two long thin rectangles of fabric. I am hoping to do a bunch of tutorials while the middle girls are away on vacation. This should be one of them.

Baby in a bag, always an interesting photo shoot!

Week #11 Mom is Visiting/Sew a Custom Request

Week #11

Challenge: Sew a Custom Request

Project: Travel Laundry Bag

My mother and step-father are visiting us (who am I kidding, they here for the grandkids) from California this week. They traveled through Monument Valley on their way to see us. 

My step-father is an amazing photographer, these are some of his recent pictures.

Isn't he amazing? 

(Please do not copy or repost these pictures unless you have contacted me.)

My mom follows my blog and she asked to be part of this week's challenge. 

How can I say no to that?

They do a lot of traveling now and she wants me to make her a laundry bag for when they travel. 

I am going to make this with out using a tutorial or a pattern. It is not a difficult project, but I want to make some improvements from other bags I have made in the past.

Have to get it done before they leave this weekend.

Week #9 and Week #10 Sorry for the Silence

I had a rough week last week. We tragically lost a dear friend. It may be something I blog about in the future, but it is too raw right now and we are still in the midst of dealing with everything.

I want to remember how beautiful life and the world is, and in doing so, I am getting back to my commitment I made to myself this year. It is probably a really good thing that my year challenge is to complete one sewing project every week and not to blog about it in a timely manner (which I really should, but it is not yet required in my by-laws). I have been sewing at least one project every week, but have not always gotten around to post every single one.

Week #9 Finished Project
Challenge: Sew Something Using Scraps
Project: Make a Belt for Elle Bean

I actually ended up making two belts on Week #9, one for Elle Bean 

and one for the Princess P (she saw what I was making for Elle and really wanted one too).

I  had to make some modifications to the Princess P's belt because I realized that the underside of the belt shows up quite a bit when using D-rings due to the way the belt is looped through them.

I  intend to put up a tutorial for this project and experiment with using a belt buckle.

Week #10 Scrap Happy Again
Challenge:  Make Something for the Teenager
Project: USB/Data Stick holder


I had so much fun using scraps, I crated another project using them.

The Princess P is really getting in to the fact that I have started sewing and she loves all the up-cycling and re-purposing I am trying to incorporate. She wants me to sew for her too but sometimes it is hard to come up with things a teenager would like.

I had a light bulb moment when she misplaced her data stick that she uses for her photography class for the third time. I came up with a design (went through a few actually) and crated a data stick holder that she can put on her key chain.

They are really pretty easy to make and I will definitely be putting up a tutorial in the next week or so.

I have really enjoyed coming up with things to make with scraps. It might end up being an extra occasional post like Turn it Around Thursday.

Turn it Around Thursday - Extend the Pants

So Elle Bean is growing, as children are wont to do, and we are having some pant issues. She wears a size 14/16 in the waist, but not in the legs. To get around this issue in the past, we bought crop or capri pants but she is getting taller and these pants are too short now. It is winter here in Colorado and high water pants are just not going to cut it.

To combat the too short/too long issue, I used Turn It Around Thursday to save the day.

I created a few different ways to get the right length pants for Elle Bean.

First off, we have a few pairs of pants from the Princess P that I cut down in length to fit Elle Bean.

However, cut down jeans just don't look nice at all and hemming jeans is not happening in this house. 

I added a fabric panel to the bottom of the jeans (and some fancy ric-rac)  and now they not only fit perfectly, they are unique to Elle Bean.

Next we took a pair of the capri pants that had permanent folded cuffs and cut the side stitching that held the cuff up. 

Cuff down, the pants were then long enough but the crease from the fold was discolored and obvious.

Embellishment to the rescue!

I put some lace trim over the crease and then added ribbon and more lace for a pretty pattern. 

Lastly, we had a pair that really only needed an inch or so extra so we added a ruffle to the bottom and some ribbon as an accent the ruffle color. 

Ta-da! Pants for Elle Bean without a frustrating (because nothing ever fits right) trip to the store.

He who does not economize will have to agonize.  ~Confucius

Visiting the Warren

We went to go visit our good friends out at their mini ranch, which they call The Warren, this weekend. 

They have had some new baby goats born a week ago and we got to meet them. 

Lily Bear really liked petting the babies.

We also got to bottle feed some other new goats that don't have mamas. 

They kept trying to eat Lily Bear's toes while we were feeding them. It seems everyone wants to nibble little baby toes! 

Week #9 Using Up Those Sraps

Week#9

Challenge: Sew Something Using Scraps

Project: Belt for Elle Bean

In the last two months of sewing I have accumulated quite a few scraps. . . .and I actually bought a scrap bag when I was last at Mama Said Sew.

 I know I am crazy but the fabrics were so beautiful.

So this week I am going to make something from my scraps. 

Elle Bean is having some pant problems (which I will elaborate on in the Turn It Around Thursday for this week) and she is in need of some new belts. 

I have had a really hard time finding belts that will fit her. 

She is a size 14/16 and every belt in the children's section is way too small and the belts in juniors don't fit right either. 

I have seen a few belt tutorials on Lil Blue Boo's blog and I think I am going to try and modify one of them to fit our challenge.


Any other scrap using ideas out there?