Halloween Snack Mats!

Unable to attend Sewing Summit last weekend, I consoled myself by making some Halloween snack mats and placemats.

Here are the six snack mats.

These were super fun to make and I absolutely LOVE the Cosmo Cricket Halloween fabric (purchased at the Fabric Depot outdoor sale for you locals).

And can I just say that I am officially hooked on straight line quilting. The texture is so great and it's a perfect no-brainer for small projects like this when I can just zone out at the machine.

These are destined for my two kids and four of their bestest friends to celebrate the holiday season.

Once I get the binding done on the placemats, I'll show them to you. Have you started any fall crafting?

Angel swap revealed

Remember way back when ... I was an angel in the Spicing Up the Kitchen Swap over on flickr.

Well, my partner received her package so I can finally reveal the full contents!

I made a table runner, hotpad, and potholder.

I was able to use one of my favorite Suzuko Koseki prints and the wonderful seed catalog print from Annie's Farm Stand by Lakehouse.

The potholder was really fun to quilt with all those diagonals making little diamonds.

And the hotpad was made of tiny patchwork of some beloved scraps. I've really enjoyed making hotpads like this to use on our dining table. I make them a bit larger than a potholder and don't include a hanging loop so it lies perfectly flat on the table.

So, some simple and fun projects. I'm happy to say that my partner likes them!

There are a lot more projects in the to-do pile but I'm lacking the time to tackle them at the moment. Hopefully, an upcoming all-day sew with the Portland Modern Quilt Guild will give me the chance to get a few things completed.

Stylish sandwiches

In an effort to be a little more green when it comes to lunches I've been making some stylin' sandwich wraps!

They have the kid seal of approval (especially since I let them choose some of their own exterior fabrics) and the mom seal of approval because they can be machine washed and dried.

And they're cute. Always a plus for me.

Some of them have little twill pull tabs at the opening flap but they weren't really necessary so I didn't put them on all of them.

The lining is nylon (no vinyl!). And I love that the whole thing can open up flat to make a nice little placemat/eating area.

People have been asking so I thought I'd let you know that these are available in the shop!

Swap Angel

I just sent off my very first angel package for a swap! It hasn't arrived yet at it's destination so I'll just post this little peek.

Swaps can be fun or horrible or anywhere in between. They can also be a little bit tricky because you are relying on people's honesty and integrity to follow through with their commitment. We all know that life has a way of being unpredictable and deadlines can be missed. As long as everyone communicates well, things usually work out just fine.

But every once in a while, someone is a flake and doesn't send anything out to their partner. That's when whoever is organizing the swap asks for "angels." An angel is someone who sends out a swap package without getting anything in return. I've never needed an angel in any of the swaps I've done and this was the first time I've ever been asked to be an angel for someone else.

It was really fun to put this little package together! I made a table runner, a hot pad, and a potholder since this was a "Spicing Up the Kitchen" swap. I hope they are well-received.

Do you participate in swaps? Have you ever needed or been an angel?

Tutorial: Bento Lunch Bag

Thanks for the interest in a tutorial! Here's how I made the bento lunch bags.

First, gather your materials. I used a home dec weight material for the exterior and a quilting weight cotton for the interior. For the drawstring cover I used linen.

From your exterior fabric cut two panels 12" x 13"

from your interior fabric cut two panels 12" x 13"

From your drawstring cover fabric cut two panels 6.5" x 13" (or one panel 6.5" x 25")

From fusible fleece cut two panels 11" x 12"

1" cotton webbing - 24"

Other supplies:

one cord lock

one yard of cording

thread

iron

sewing machine

Note: all seams are 1/2" unless otherwise noted.

If you've never used a cord lock before, they look like this:

Cut a 2.5" square from the bottom corners of your exterior, interior, and fusible fleece panels. This will make it easier to do your boxed corners later.

Fuse the fleece to the exterior fabric, centering the fleece like this:

Sew the side seams and bottom seam.

Then box the corners by bringing the bottom seam up to meet the side seam. Stitch across the edge. Repeat for other side.

You should end up with something like this:

Press seams open. Turn exterior right side out, gently poking the corners out using the pointy device of your choice. I use an old knitting needle.

Repeat for interior, but keep interior wrong side out. Now you should have this:

Set the interior and exterior aside.

Take your drawstring cover panels and sew along the short side. Of course, this is when I realized that this could be done with one piece measuring 6.5" x 25" so feel free to do that if you prefer. (Note: To prevent fraying, serge or zig zag along the short sides and top edge.)

Press center seam open.

Fold top edge down 1/2" and press well.

Fold cover panel in half, right sides together. Stitch along seam, stopping just below the folded down top edge.

When you're done, the edge should look like this:

Open the top edge and fold in one corner to the pressed line like this:

Then fold back down along the pressed edge like this:

Pin in place and repeat on other side.

Stitch around the top, creating a casing for your drawstring. Press side seam open.

Next, cut your cotton webbing into two 12" lengths.

Find the top center of your exterior. Place handles 1-1/4" to each side of the center and pin in place. Be careful to not twist your handle.

Repeat for other side.

Place the interior inside the exterior of your bag (wrong sides together) and pin in place (matching side seams).

Then take your drawstring cover and place it outside the exterior and handles (right sides together) and pin in place.

Sew around the top of the bag securing the lining, exterior, handles, and cover.

Tuck the cover inside the bag and neatly press the top edge.

Topstitch around the top edge of the bag, about 1/4" from the edge. The place a second line of topstitching about 1/2" in from the first. This will give your bag a nice finished look.

If you look in the bag, you'll also see that the second line of topstitching will conceal the raw edges inside your lunch bag!

Thread your cording through the casing and secure in the cord lock to finish your bag. (If you need detailed instructions about how to do this, check out my reversible drawstring bag tutorial.)

And there you have it! A fantastic new lunch bag!

If you have any questions, just ask. And if you make one, I'd love to know about it.

Happy Crafting!

First day of school!

We are happy to announce that there is a kindergartener in the family!

I did not cry. I'm not one of those mommy's who is lamenting sending my children to school. In fact, I'm eagerly awaiting next week when the preschooler will be heading off as well.

I LOVE my kids. And I feel amazingly grateful every day to be able to stay home with them. It's not a choice that is right or even possible for everyone. But I feel truly fortunate to have had this incredible amount of time with my kids. And now I feel grateful to be able to send them to school where they will make friends and continue to learn and be inspired. Another step on the journey!

Of course, I won't lie, getting a little bit of non-kid time is also greatly anticipated.

In preparation for school there was a little sewing going on here.

First was a little pencil case - adorned with robots.

The other side:

And a couple of lunch bags.

I didn't follow a pattern for these bags - kind of a combo of other projects I've made and a healthy dose of winging it.They are bento style lunch bags with drawstring covers, which are great if the bag gets knocked or tipped over. Stuff doesn't go flying out.

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and so are the kids. Any interest in a quick tutorial?

Getting ready for school

Got some snack and sandwich bags made the other day, in preparation for the upcoming school year. I can't believe our summer break is coming to an end!

For construction, I use this awesome (and funny) tutorial. I cut the snack bags at 6.5" x 13" and the sandwich bags at 7.5" x 15". In the past I've made them from a single layer of cotton fabric, a double layer of cotton fabric (one for the outer bag and one for the lining), with and without velcro closures. This time I made them without velcro and the lining is nylon.

I was a little worried about slipperiness when sewing with the nylon but it was no big deal. I'm hoping that making this change to the lining will help keep more moisture in things like bread, which could sometimes start to get a little bit dry. I love that they can still be tossed into the washing machine and the nylon should help keep the food fresher longer.

After giving these a test drive this afternoon, I'm very pleased with the results and will definitely be making more. Next on the agenda - making lunch bags for the kids!

How about you - have you started on any back-to-school projects?

Terrariums!

We got our craft on the other day by making some terrariums!

Bailey looks a bit skeptical of the whole thing, but it does involve dirt so she's willing to try.

Owen thought pouring the gravel into the big jars was pretty cool but also kind of loud.

Bailey was happy about the dirt. She loooooves dirt.

I didn't get any pictures of the actual planting because by then I was in the thick of things and pretty dirty myself. But you can see how proud they are of their final creations. Owen decorated his terrarium with dinosaurs.

And Bailey put a butterfly and ladybug in hers.

The terrariums are now in their rooms and they drive the cat crazy. It's kind of awesome.

Little Wallets

I picked up one of Valori Wells' sweet little sewing cards the other day and I could not be more in love. The pattern is for the Little Wallet and it comes on folded cardstock about the size of a greeting card. A full size pattern and all instructions are included. Genius!

The pattern is really simple and I love the result. These three little wallets were whipped up in record time. I think the only modification I made was to use a pearl snap instead of sewing in a regular snap.

I had a lot of fun with the inside pockets, making each one from a different fabric. I'll probably make more to give as gifts, especially since they're the perfect size to hold a gift card.

Today I'm going to start tackling a much larger and more complicated project. I'll keep you posted!

Goodies

I've been busy making a few little goodies for my partner in the Spicing Up the Kitchen swap over on Flickr.

This is what that pile of stuff from last time has turned into.

There are a couple of linen kitchen towels and a little fabric basket from the tutorial over on Pink Penguin.

Both towels feature an applique from one of my favorite Kumiko Fujita fabrics. Sometimes I purchase a fabric like this because I just fall in love with it but then I struggle with how to use it. This seemed like a nice way to feature a couple of pieces.

The texty black bias tape was made from the new Lakehouse line Annie's Farm Stand. After receiving an order of it I was completely smitten and turned right around to order more.

The other towel has a patchwork border made up of some of my favorite kitchen/food/dots prints.

I have one more towel in the works but it's not quite finished yet. These were so much fun to make! I hope my secret partner enjoys using them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Teacher Gifts

Yesterday was preschool graduation for Owen. It was adorable and all the kiddos were so cute.

We feel really lucky to be part of a cooperative preschool and over the past two years we've really gotten to know each of the kids and their families really well. And both Owen and Bailey ADORE Teacher Amy. Don't even get me started about how over the moon excited Bailey is to start preschool in the fall!

Owen wanted to do something special for Teacher Amy to say thanks for all the fun of the past two years so I made a little something.

A couple of potholders (in a little fabric basket with some herbs and spices from Penzy's).

These were fun to make and I love the color combinations.

This apple print is one of my favorites.

The colors are so bright and cheery.

And who doesn't love a polka dot binding?

I just have to say that being part of a cooperative preschool has been such a wonderful experience. The class size is small and parents have the privilege of regularly helping out in the classroom. Teacher Amy has reserves of patience that I can only dream about and she is genuinely devoted to the kiddos and her work. We feel so so lucky to be a part of our preschool family! And I'm thrilled we have another two years to look forward to with Miss Bailey!