little bits & bags

After I rearranged the house and put the craft room downstairs, we did a little rearranging of the playroom as well.  We happily found a new place for the puppet tree.  There were a few sets of little bits and pieces that needed a home - so they found one there too.

One bag holds the Toy Story set, one bag holds the Beauty & the Beast set, and one bag holds all our little Finger Puppets.

I serged the edges of the bag, folded over the top, and added a ribbon for a drawstring.  Yay for organization!!!

pouches and bags

I know I've been missing for a little while here in blog land.  There are lots of reasons, none of them blog-worthy.  So let's just see if I can become more regular again!!!

Here are a couple little things I've been working on....

This little ruffled clutch from a Noodlehead tutorial came together so quickly and easily... even though there was a zipper involved!!!  It's a birthday present for a friend.  I think a few more may be in the works.

I also made a couple more pencil cases from Lier's Sew Mama Sew tutorial.

Do I dare say I'm getting comfortable with zippers?  Yikes!  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this one yet, but Christmas is coming...I'm sure it will find a good home!

My son's already claimed this for some of his treasures, but then he saw some guitar fabric so that may be next in line!

I've got a bunch of fabrics picked out and in the wings waiting to be sewn together.  They'll be making an appearance (hopefully) in the next week or two as clutches or cases.  I've got to stock up on more zippers now!!!

the coolest snack bag ever

"Mommy... everybody has an interesting snack bag. Mine is just all black. Why does it have to be all black?"
Uh, cause I just used an old leftover formula bag that they gave us at the hospital. Sorry kid. Let's see how I can make it up to you...
How's Mickey? Want a fancy strap too? Black polka dots for you then!
"Mommy, I have the coolest snack bag ever!!"

more Christmas odds & ends

A couple more Christmas presents to share with you...

My mother-in-law is "old school" - meaning she loves her atlas more than a GPS. So - a reversible denim/cotton bag to hold her map books in the car during her upcoming Florida road trip.
A hoodie for my niece with a beautiful butterfly on the back...

and a brown bag for her with ribbons & her initial - perfect for carrying books, toys, or whatever she wants to daycare, sleepovers, or a road trip!

snack bag

{Spoiler alert... if you're my father-in-law or want to be surprised at his present, look away NOW!}

I just can't wait until after Christmas to show off all the goodies I've been making!

My in-laws are going on a road trip to Florida in March, and I figured my father-in-law might like some yummy munchies for the long trip. So, I used a peanut can (leftover from when he made peanut brittle with us) and mod-podged it with some bandana paper. I used my Cuttlebug dies to cut the letters, and cut the denim star myself.

Put them in a bag with his initials, add a couple matching napkins, and he's good to go! I'll fill the cans later - have to check with my hubby and see what his dad's favorite candy is. One can for candy, one for cookies. I'll just refill them in March with a fresh batch of cookies for the big trip.

sing me a song...

Do you know anyone who needs a music bag?
This black canvas bag has a fabric keyboard wrapping all the way around. The border on the top and bottom is a satin ribbon with music notes.
It's waiting for your name (or the name of your favorite musician) to be embroidered on top...
(I'm your favorite musician, right? I may have to keep this one for myself!)

ice skating

My friend asked me to make a bag for her ice-skating daughters. Everything is so tutu-fairy-ballerina-princess she says, nothing is right for my girls! I just want to have something to hold all their stuff at the ice rink... a nice big bag. Can you do that?Sure!!! I can even use sparkly thread and sparkly felt! Happy skating, girls!

apples for apples

My dad's family is a big part of the fruit industry in southern Michigan. My dad definitely claims the apple part of the family story and is quite proud of it. When I saw this fabric, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
This is what will greet him when he returns home with my mom from their big trip...
a farmer's market/grocery store produce bag!
He is the one who does most of the grocery shopping anyway, so it's perfect - and much nicer than the boring green bags he carries in there now!

It doesn't really show in the picture, but I tried a boxed corner. I'm pretty happy with how easy it was. I did line the bag with a blue check fabric, but I wasn't really exact with the measurements so the boxed corners didn't match up perfectly. I also didn't put anything stiff in the bag at all, so I don't think they'll ever really show. At least I know how it works now, so if I try a bag again I can be more exact.

pink & green & a GIVEAWAY!

If you're stopping by courtesy of the ArtFire Pink & Green Blog Tour - thank you!
I've made a ton of pink and green things - it was so hard to pick my favorites, but here we go...

This bag is a customer favorite - perfect for little girly-girls and ballerinas everywhere!

This sweet onesie was for a little baby named Ivy - the center of the swirly heart is minkee. So soft and cuddly!

This table runner was made for Jen - as part of a swap hosted by Crafty Mama. She said she loved bright pinks, with a little bit of green. So I went to work on a couple whirligigs for her - added some Cuttlebug stars & a pink button, squiggled in the white - and I was done. It was so much fun to find all these great fabrics in my stash!

These dresses were made for my friend's two daughters in Arizona. So simple and easy, made from a soft lightweight fabric - perfect for their hot months!

I made a quilt for my 1st niece out of a mixture of pink and green fabrics. I had some leftover star stuff - and made her this cute hat. I love the scalloped edge on it!


I figured I better stop now and tell you the best part - I'm giving away a tutu bag to one of you!
My very first giveaway - YAY!
Here's how you can win... (3 entries possible!)
1. Make a comment about your favorite item (even if it's not the tutu bag) - or tell me who you would give the bag to.
2. Become a follower (if you already are, you'll still get the extra entry)
3. Blog about me & the giveaway. (make sure you let me know!)

I'll be drawing names May 26th at noon.
Make sure you leave your email address in the comments if you don't have a blog. I'd hate for you to win and then not be able to receive your special bag!
If you can't think of any girls who would want this bag, let me know and I'll design a bag for your favorite boy. I don't want the boys to be left out. :)

Thanks for stopping by. Even if you don't win - I'm glad you're here and I hope you'll come back often! I review books every Sunday, and I'm always up to something else during the week. See you around...

finishing up from the party, round 2

A few more party goodies to share with you...


Watch out little yellow fishies.... there's a big terrycloth shark with ric-rac teeth coming to get you!
A new baby is the lucky charm of the family...

My new 4th of July design (layered stars) on a gray romper.

A dog print tie on an aqua romper.

This onesie already had a collection of green and blue stars on it - we just added the moon & baby's initial.

The golf applique was also popular - and looks great on the bag with the green handles!

This airplane was a lot of little pieces - but so cute!

What a bunch of creative customers I have!!!

some more new stuff

Just wanted to share a couple new things I've been up to...

A hooded towel for a little boy named Zach. He's a sporty one - and a little ribbon on the side just helps make the design a little more interesting.
This shirt is for a dear Grammy. All 6 grandchildren's handprints have been traced, stitched, and their names embroidered.
A perfect summer road trip bag - ready for a few new toys, games, coloring books, and activities for that long car or plane ride. There is enough room at the top for a name to be embroidered, or a name can be appliqued in the middle of the car fabric.

A nursing cover - a little bit of boning at the top makes for a little "window" to peek at your little one.
The strap that holds it around your neck is made from matching ribbon and 2 D rings.

This shirt has a bright yellow lightning bolt on the front - and has been stitched about 1/4" from the edge so the edges will fray a little with additional wear and washings.
Head on over to my shop if you're interested in any of these items!!!

tutus and bags and static guard

Well, I am NOT a girly-girl. My favorite color is blue, not pink. I don't wear make-up, I don't do fancy hair things, and I don't wear high heels.

But I am in LOVE with this bag. Two daughters of a friend of mine received similar ones for Christmas, and I thought "I can do that!!!" - so I did. today. One afternoon - that's all it took. My kind of project.
It took a ton of Static Guard for me to wrangle the tulle into submission, but it worked. Next time I think I'll try the Hobby Lobby spools of tulle rather than large yardage off a bolt. Either way, tulle is not my favorite fabric to work with!
I am not really happy with how the bow worked out - I just am not a bow making girl. I wish I could figure out a better way to make and attach it. I'm not a huge fan of hand-stitching, but I may have to resort to that.
But doesn't it look like fun? Perfect for little girly-girls everywhere. I can't wait to share it with the little girl who will be taking it to dance class.

more bags!

Christmas is coming and I have a customer giving a bunch of bags for different occasions. Check them out...
I think she's planning to stick a novel and some sunscreen in - then she's ready for a trip to the pool! The flip flops kept walking around the bag.Her little cupcake will be able to pack up all her favorite treats in this sweet bag!

No walking the plank for her little pirate- this bag (complete with monogrammed eye patch!) will help him keep all his treasures together!

How many of you are taking a trip this Christmas? Or do you just need a little something to go back and forth between the car and home? I made this bag for my son's forthcoming adventures. It is ready to be stuffed with crayons, paper, Etch-a-Sketch, pipe cleaners, and other road trip goodies!