Cafe Thursday – First Purse!

So I finished my first handmade purse for DD this past weekend.  It took a bit longer than it should have, but still it was pretty much a weekend project and I am quite certain that the next one will go even faster.

I picked up the latest edition of Quilts and More to feed my latest passion and one of the first projects listed was this adorable purse.  I checked with DD to make sure she would even want one, and she assured me that any purse would be fine with her, but one in her favorite colors would be most appreciated.

I had so much fun picking out the fabric, ric-rac and webbing for the shoulder strap that I was in JoAnn’s for hours.  In the end I probably spent about $15 on this, but I have enough fabric, webbing and thread left over to make several more purses.  I will have to use different decorations, but then that is half the fun anyway.

My next purse project will be a bit bigger and will have a matching fabric strap.  If I had made a fabric strap on this purse I could have also saved money.  I also could have used some leftover fabric and saved more, or even used some old clothes and saved more. . .the options are endless. . .

Finished Project – Pajamas

I finished my first outfit!  Ok, so I couldn’t possibly wear it out in public, that is ok, I finished my first hand sewn outfit and I really like it.  I hope that next year I will look back and laugh at my silly attempts because I will have graduated to more challenging projects, but for now I am quite happy to have simply finished something other than curtains.

I used the Butterick B3314 pattern (on sale today no less) and found it pretty easy to follow.   Although I will admit to having quite a bit of trouble with the shorts, until I looked around online and found this helpful little tutorial.  I just couldn’t see quite how to attach those legs and do the crotch seam.  But once I navigated that hurdle, the shorts were quite easy to finish.

The shirt, well, I took one of my favorite shirts, added about an inch, and traced around it.  I then sewed it up, without pinning it.  Yes, my greatest challenge in sewing will be taking the time to pin and measure and do things right.  So naturally, my stitches were a bit crooked and I had trouble in a few spots with my thread, so I added the ribbon that you see around the arms and neck…and walla…problem solved.  I do like this sewing thing!

Only one remaining question.  I will have to ask around and see how other people address the cutting of the paper though, because now that I have cut the pattern for shorts, I can no longer use it to make pants unless I tape the paper back together.  I guess I can do that, but knowing me, I will never end up with a straight leg again and will no doubt end up with very strange looking pajama long pants.

My Creativity is Back – Weekend Project

I still remember my first trip to a craft store.  I was 21.  My mom wasn’t a big crafter, she was a school teacher so she had plenty of creativity, she just used it on bulletin boards and lesson plans.  We would often go to the “teacher” stores but we never frequented craft stores.  So you can imagine my shock, and awe at my first visit to the craft store.  I still get that feeling every time I visit a craft or fabric store.  I am getting that feeling a bit too as I look through various craft blogs online.  There is just so much creativity out that that it amazes me.

Well, I decided to quit being overwhelmed this weekend and picked a small project which I was pretty sure I could complete in an hour or so just to get my feet wet.  While I have a couple of  projects up the air:  I am currently working on a scarf I am knitting, I have cut the fabric on a skirt that will be my first sewing project since Jr High (just a couple of years ago), and I bought fabric for some sew-less curtains thanks to some inspiration from the Nesting Place, but I really wanted a finished project.  I now have one:

My old lamp shade was very tired and very plain.  So I created the one above with some silver fabric and some adorable rope I found at Hobby Lobby.  I know, it isn’t much, but for me it was quite an accomplishment.  I now know I can do the two really big ones in my living room that are screaming out for help!  And do you know, I forgot how awesome it feels to create something that makes your home look better!  They need to bottle that.