Before and After: T-Shirts to Drawstring Bags

When Pete was done weeding through his worn out white t-shirts, I snagged a couple for the free fabric. I first attempted to make a reusable fold up grocery bag on a day when I was feeling creative but not considerably disciplined. Measuring? Having a plan before I started cutting? Nah. I just went for it. Needless to say, the result was humorous yet atrocious, so no pictures for you of that.

Second try: How about some drawstring bags? Might be useful for traveling, or packing for a move. Eh, why not? and I even measured this time! I have proof.

See, there's the ruler.
And some pinning.
I just love the fabric. It has that soft worn-in t-shirt feel that you just can't buy at the store.
And the finished product! Much Better. : )

The Yarn Bag

I saw this great tutorial for a drawstring bag and knew right away that it would be perfect to hold my crocheting projects.
It was so quick and easy (except for the several minutes I managed to sew the bag to the machine! ). It took me only a couple hours, so I added a little bag to hold my needles, too. So much fun!

What's your favorite quick project for the weekend?

My latest project...

My Grandma gave me some of the most awesome dish rags for Christmas. They are crocheted if you can believe it. We have non-sticks pans that can only be cleaned with wash rags and these are the way to go. The texture made by the crocheting makes them perfect for tough messes.

While in Fresno I bought myself some yarn and tried my hand at making some more. The bottom one is the one I made and the top one is the model. Apparently, I need to buy I smaller needle. I'm planning to use the first two as extra cleaning rags, so they'll still get plenty of use. I'll have to post an update once I produce one that's a little better.

Babies: A great exuse to sew

Thankfully, I've been blessed with a close friend and my very own sister who both just had new babies.

For Elizabeth's sweet little Karlyn, I wanted to make a Taggies (like I had made for Aspen) to match her cute bedding.
Her bedding is white and has really cute polka dots of varying colors, so I tried to match it as best I could from memory and the tiny picture from the Target site. : ) Supposedly, taggies are supposed to be good developmentally for little ones because the texture and colors of the fabric and ribbons is supposed to stimulate their little brains. I have no idea if this is true or not, but my nieces love these to pieces, sort of like miniature security blankets if you will.

For my sister, my mom had already claimed dibs on making a Taggies, so I decided to try my hand at a recieving blanket instead. Oh my, what a nightmare! My mom and I had cut the fabric last time I was in Fresno, way way after her bedtime.

Between the two of us being pretty groggy, the fabric was super crooked when I got it out to piece it together. Plus, unfortunatly, I'm not that great of a seamstress yet so I had a heck of a time trying to get the two pieces semi-strait and lined up. Finally through trail and error, and the help of Mom's really good ironing when I got home, it somehow turned out like this!
I was so happy to have something made with love to give to my sister and little Miss Vienna. Although difficult, it was so worth it, and it actually turned out looking pretty good. It's so fun to see her wearing something I made myself in pictures.

And finally, I couldn't resist posting this picture of the bear we got for Vienna. It's a tradition for me to bring a bear to the hospital for each of my neices, and this one is the cutest I've found. Plus, all her bedding is brown and pink and she matches perfectly! (Can you spot Melania in the background getting ready to go see Mommy at the hospital?)

What do you like to give to new Moms and Babies?

Four Seasons

(If you click on them, they will open in a larger format.)

Check out our new art pieces!
I'm planning to hang these in our kitchen/dining room possibly in a square. (In real life, you don't see much of a contrast in the colors of the frames. The flash is making that happen.)

Inaugural Sewing Project

I finally decided on the first project to make on my shiny new sewing machine. A big tote bag! Now, as I discovered, it's not really quite a tote bag if it's not made of canvas, so I actually invented more of a folding tote bag by accident. Either way, after become very well acquainted with my seam ripper, it finally came together pretty well.

I used denim for the outside and straps, and then a tan colored cotton for the lining-complete with a buttoning pocket!

(Don't look at the stitching to close, please :)

What sort of bag do you like to carry around?

Pillows

Kirsten was kind enough to loan me her little blue sewing machine so that I could whip up these pillows. They are meant to be big floor pillows for lounging around on the ground or extra seating for company. I made them out of some leftover heavy sky blue denim, complete with a sham opening in the back in case I need to clean them or change them out for another cover. I had to experiment with the measurements a little, and had some trouble with the bobbin, but at last they turned out pretty presentable.

They are a little plain still. Any ideas for a way to dress them up?

My current project: Curtains for our bedroom.

Do you sew? What was your favorite project?