Seaddle Bags

Old Suitcase + Old End Table = New Suitcase End Table

2011-05-13T21:49:00.001-07:00

I love my new end table!!! I think this project took me about 15 minutes and that's just because I put the legs too close together at first. I bought the suitcase about a week ago for $6 with this idea in my head. I had some furniture legs already (who doesn't keep that stuff around) but needed the proper screws so the suitcase became good storage until when (if) I found the right attachments. I ended up finding this hideously amazing end table at the thrift store that was perfect. The legs had attachments that made this project super easy. This is great for storage and is currently hiding some of miscellaneous craft stuff and looking great next to my half upholstered wing back chair.

Before:

After:

Eat Drink Be Merry Wallhanging

2011-04-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

This was an old frame (with a hideous print in it) that I think I found by the dumpsters several apartments ago. Of course I snagged it up and ended up turning the print inside into my bottle cap heart. I coverered the frame in a piece of fabric I had and used it as a simple wallhanging. It worked well in our previous apartment that was quite large and had a lot of empty wall space. (You can actually see the fabric wallhanging above the mantle in the post about my bottle cap mosaic.) In our current much smaller apartment this floral wall hanging needed a lot more oomph. I stenciled "eat. drink. be merry." on it in a bright magenta. (I know.. pink things again!) I love my new wall hanging and have hung it above my bed. Now to hang the curtains in the bedroom and perhaps my bedroom will be complete. (oh yeah and procure a bedframe and redo my dressers)

Floral Drawstring Bags and Eyemask

2011-04-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

This was a project I made for my MIL for her birthday this year. The bags are simple drawstring bags. The eyemask has lavender in it to aid in soothing one to relaxation (hopefully?) I ended up making two more drawstring bags in smaller sizes to use up the last bit of fabric I had. Hopefully these will be of useful but regardless they look pretty hanging.

My Apartment is(was) Beautiful: An Apartment Tour

2011-04-13T11:11:00.001-07:00

I found these pictures I took of our apartment awhile ago. This was at a point when I really liked how everything was decorated. Things have changed at this point as we have added things, tossed things and I think even broke a chair or two.

This picture shows our "dining room." Looking at this picture reminds me that I liked this arrangement. Unfortunately two of those Ikea chairs have since broken (which makes 3 out of the original 4) and the dresser in the corner is blocking our heating vent so that had to move. The lamp above the table (paper lamp I made) needs to be rewired as it doesn't work anymore hence the lamp on the table. My favorite part of this nook is the rug which was an old tapestry I "quilted" onto a piece of sturdy heavyweight fabric. I have since moved this to our "living room" area seeing as it didn't really match the paper lamp. This is our "living room" area. I never really liked anything here. The couch we had was awful so I pieced together a love seat cover with a curtain to create the red and yellow monstronsity you see here. This was way better than the green southwest patterned couch but the cover would essentially fall off when you sat on the couch. I never really liked the arrangement of pictures above the couch either. They definitely need more continuity (same frames perhaps) and nearly all of these have since been moved to other areas of the apartment. I do like my coffee table though and my wing-back chair (both thrifted). I have started upholstering the wing-back chair and only have one "wing" left to go but have been busy with other project so its been half exposed for awhile now. (note to self: just spend the hour and finish this!!!) This is my awesome sewing & crafting nook. I loved this wall which has a few embroideries I've collected over the years (mostly crewel work) as well as some bulletin boards I made and an original watercolor a friend painted. Everything I needed for my various crafting was either in this sewing desk or on the bookcase you can see near it. Unfortunately we have rearranged our furiture (after acquiring a hideous yet comfy armchair) and this area doesn't really exist anymore. I hope to change things soon though and perhaps bring it back. This is our hallway leading to the bedroom, linen closet, water closet and bathroom. The best thing about this hall is the coat rack on the wall. This was a pot rack we had bought for a previous apartment (from Ikea). It actually makes our hallway useful and prevents a pile of coats from forming at the entrance of our apartment. This has stayed almost the same, although I would mind relocating some of the stuff on the floor for a more streamlined look. Below are a few pictures of things in the bedroom. Our staircase dresser was from a coworker of Nate's and needs to be refinished but is fairly presentable in its current state. The books were all stacked precariously on themselves and were mostly sturdy as long as the cat's didn't try to climb them. I have downsized our book collection however and they now all sit in a makeshift wooden crate bookshelf. We have also moved out mattress onto the floor as the frame and boxspring were broken and plan on replacing those with a lower Ikea or similar frame. This is some stuff (okay my stuff mostly) in our bathroom. It essentially showcases my jewelry, makeup and such so I actually remember it's there and wear it.

Poptab Sunburst Mirror

2011-04-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

I technically made this for a craft challenge on Craftster.org but have been thinking about a sunburst mirror for awhile. I also have a very substantial pop tab collection. (and bottlecaps and wine corks and milk caps but that's an entire different story) I've been trying to work on downsizing my stash of crafting supplies lately and knew I need to start putting a dent in my tab collection. A challenge on Craftster allowed the perfect opportunity to put those tabs in action. I spent only $10 on the round mirror as everything else I had on hand. I used an old metal panel for the main back piece and cut foam board for the extra spires. I was too lazy for paint so I used black gaff tape to adhere the spires and make everything black. Epoxy was used to adhere the mirror and wood glue for the tabs (all I had on hand.) Now I have a great unique sunburst mirror that only cost me $10. I think I'm going to hang it in my bedroom, although it's quite heavy so I'm probably going to need to either find a stud or use anchors in the drywall.

West Wing Swap

2011-04-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I found these pictures on my old defunct camera. These projects were from a West Wing Swap I participated in at Craftster.org. It's a show Nate got me hooked on and we now have every season on dvd. Anyone who has seen this show is bound to get these projects. The first item is an embroidered quote from the show. "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" which is latin for "After therefore because of." I also made a tote bag (super sturdy too!) with a "napkin" saying "Bartlet for America" which is something seen in a few episodes of the show. The last item is a zippered pouch using an old t-shirt with bambi on it and stenciled the back with "Bambiesque?" which is a quote from the show. "Bambiesque: as does pertain to Bambi."

So anyone who has not seen this show please watch it because it's awesome! I really didn't think I'd like it at first but have now probably seen all 7 seasons at least 3 times. Just writing about this makes me want to start a West Wing marathon.

African Dashiki Dress to Wrap Skirt

2011-03-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

I love wrap skirts and recently had one essentially disintegrate (I wore it too much for many years) and have been trying to replace it. I found a large mu mu like dress with a great pattern at a thrift store and knew that it was destined to be my new favorite wrap skirt. Of course I forgot a before picture but imagine it looked similar to this picture but longer. I've already worn this a lot and am looking forward to ditching the boots and wearing it with sandals. The action picture if from my recent trip to New Orleans where the weather was amazing.

Vodka Soap Dispenser

2011-03-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Sick of your ugly brand name kitchen soap dispenser? Replace it with a liquor bottle! I've done this before with a glass bottle but plastic really does work better. All you need is a plastic liquor bottle and the old lid to your bottle of soap. Drink the liquor (not all at once hopefully) and replace with soap. Easy! I wish they made more liquor bottles plastic as the variety is limited to lower end liqueurs with ugly labels. (I have since replaced the blue soap with clear to make it more realistic looking as vodka.)

Hooded Sweatshirt Jacket

2011-02-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

I never ended up posting this sweatshirt I made my sister for her birthday this summer. I just found the pictures so I'm posting it now. I'm pretty proud of this sweatshirt/hoodie/jacket.

Nate was camping so I was home alone and stayed up until 4am one night making this for my sister's birthday. It's up-cycled from a strange yet awesome cardigan found at the thrift store that I bought to make into a hoodie. I used various other t-shirt scraps for the lining, hood and pockets. I started getting fancy with some of the decorative stitches on my still newish sewing machine and really love how it came out.

Now my sister has a kick-ass sweatshirt with long enough sleeves, an interior pocket, and it bears the Lacoste logo, which means I spent lots of money on it right? I used only stuff I had on hand which worked out well until I went searching for a long enough zipper. I had none, so I decided to use buttons, but of course I didn't have enough matching buttons in the size I wanted. I ended up stealing them off an old chef's coat I had, which means I need more jackets for work.

Sweater Vases

2011-02-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

I have been saving all my old sweaters for awhile now, with plans to make a blanket at some point. I still don't have quite enough, but have been using the sleeves for other projects. Inspired by a sweater vase tutorial at Under the Table and Dreaming I "upholstered" some vases I had. I hadn't actually used them until Valentine's day (Nate got me roses). Seeing the flowers in one of the vases made me fall in love with these even more. The red sweater sleeve I used really makes the flowers look great. I also have three round vases I covered in pink and red, but will have to wait for more flowers to test these out (stargazer lilies maybe? hint hint hint).

I also wanted to show off one of my recent thrift store finds. Its a piece of rock with a hole drilled into it, creating a vase. I have seen these before at Pike Place Market but deemed them a great idea but too expensive for me to actually buy one. I found a large one though at a thrift store for $6.99, which seems expensive to me but the size I bought is usually sold for $75! (found them here) The piece of slate reminds me of the rocks that grow out of the ground around Delaware county.

Button Jewelry for Mom

2011-02-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

I lucked out thrifting awhile back and found tons of great vintage buttons in various colors. They included some great blue glass buttons that were calling out to be made into jewelry. I made these for my mom's birthday. (Mom, I swear I made these on your birthday, I just didn't mail then until recently)

Nobody thinks I have a button problem do they? So many of my projects include buttons. Yes, I admit, I may be an addict.

Valentine's Button Tray

2011-02-09T14:26:00.000-08:00

I've had this tray for awhile (I can never seem to pass up trays when I'm thrifting so I have quite a few) and finally decided to make it prettier. My button collection is still quite massive so I figured lining the inside with buttons was perfect. Currently I'm using this as a decoration but it will still work as a tray as well. If I poured resin in the tray the surface will be flat again, but I'm trying to control my spending and crafting only with what I have, so that will have to wait.

Water Resistant Oilcloth Aprons

2011-01-27T14:30:00.001-08:00

Now I won't get soaked at work! Some coworkers of mine had some oilcloth aprons to help stay dry at work. (A kitchen... and we wash our own dishes usually which equals wet clothes) I made my own bias tape which took awhile, but is super sturdy (old tablecloth up-cycled). The best part of this project is how cheap it was to make. A yard of oil cloth under $10 and I was able to make two aprons from it. The bias tape was free to me so I now have three $5 aprons which usually retail at least $20.

(I found some chalkboard oil cloth ...you can write on it! at the store as well which I bought a foot of so keep posted for a future project using that)

Birthday Quilt for Eric

2011-01-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

It was a friends birthday last week and I decided that he needed a quilt. He has given me various fabric pieces over the years from his world travels, usually old clothes so I wanted to incorporate those pieces. I went through my fabric stash and found some coordinating fabric (mostly more old pieces of men's clothing). I had a few pieces of cotton batting left over from another quilt, so that determined the size of this quilt. I was able to have the entire top sewn in a few hours and finished basting and quilting the same day. It is a smaller quilt, (lap sized) but I can't believe most of this was done in only one day. The colors are fairly basic and the shapes geometric, making it a great guy quilt. All the fabric came from either men's clothing (notice the pocket and buttonholes) or old sheets, except for the red fabric. It looks fairly wrinkled and puckered in the pictures, but it just needs to be washed and ironed, due the small size (and maybe my great skills?) there isn't any puckering from the quilting. I also was quite proud of the wrapping of this gift. I used an old map of Albany, NY (not something I likely need to keep anymore) and twine.

Sweater Tote Bag

2011-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

An old sweater, some old curtains and some chair tape(super sturdy cotton webbing) made this cool tote bag. I actually used interfacing on this bag, which makes it nice and sturdy even without anything in it. I love the lining fabric I used. It's upcycled from a curtain set I bought years ago and is slowly dwindling. It was first used on my first quilt and was recently used as a lining for my twig bag.

Knitted Ottoman

2011-01-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

Inspired by these stools that I first discovered on the blog decor8 I set out to make my own version. I found some cheap and mostly ugly stools at my local thrift store for $5 each. The tops were ugly particle board, but at least the legs were real wood.

I used two old throw pillows I hated as the cushioned part. I cut a piece of red fabric and draped it across the pillow on the stool, stapling it underneath. The knitted part is from an XL sweater also found at a thrift store. (I've been saving/buying/acquiring sweaters for another project I'm working on.) Then I stapled the sweater over the red cushioned part. I love my new staple gun, I think it's my favorite new tool.

Now I have some great new ottomans that match my new (to me) couch. Next I need to figure out how to make my chairs match my couch, but that's likely going to be a much bigger project.

Rotary Mat Coasters

2011-01-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

I had this old rotary mat hanging around that I never used. I acquired it from somewhere and have a much bigger one that I actually use. This one was warped, so it wouldn't really serve its original purpose anyways. The mat was definitely screaming to be chopped up into coasters. I simply cut them into squares (really easy when there are lines marking exact inches!) and hot glued some felt to the bottoms. The corners are rounded to give it a more finished look.

Another Wedding Certificate

2011-01-12T14:16:00.001-08:00

This was my first commissioned piece. I think I might be a professional at these now. I used a feather stitch on the heart outline, chain stitching on all the words and lazy daisy for the leaves. There is also a little bit of back stitching, french knots and bullion stitching (my first time with this stitch).

Monogrammed Laundry Bag

2011-01-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

As I live in an apartment I have to travel (down the hall) to do my laundry. We have laundry baskets (one wicker, one plastic) to store our dirty laundry, however it gets cumbersome dragging those down the hall. I used a tablecloth (because I'm always up-cycling something) and sewed it into a basic sack. I added a drawstring and straps for easier carrying. My favorite part is the monogram I stenciled on the bag. Freezer paper is the best stenciling tool ever. Just print, cut, iron and stencil. Researching monograms I found that for couples the monogram would have both spouses first initials surrounding a larger last name initial. For an individual it would be first and middle initial surrounding the larger last initial. This bag was intended to be for me and Nate, however his middle initial is T so I think it should be his bag; that mean I can make him do all the laundry from now on right?

Christmas Tote Bags

2011-01-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

I made my mom and my mother-n-law Christmas tote bags this year. They were both upcycling projects. The red snowflake bag is made from a thrifted tablecloth and doily. I had to handstich the doily onto the fabric before I sewed the bag. Then I used some great decorative stitches for all the edging. I really love how this bag came out.

The Christmas Story bag is upcycled from thrifted t-shirts, one a Christmas Story t-shirt and the other just a plain green t-shirt. I used two shirts to make this bag and loosely followed a pattern from the book Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt. This bag is not quite as sturdy as the other, but was able to hold a 9-lb cat comfortably (well, I'm not sure if the cat was comfortable) so I deem it still pretty sturdy.

Quilted "Headboard"

2010-11-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to do this for awhile and finally found a cheap curtain rod I liked. I spent 4$ on a set of new curtain rods at the thrift store. After some measuring and drilling I was able to hang this quilt above our bed. This will be our new headboard, as we don't have one now and aren't likely to get one anytime too soon. The quilt itself is just folded and pinned so it will hang on the rod. Now this quilt can be displayed instead of living in a closet.

Wine Cork Mat

2010-11-16T11:34:00.001-08:00

Sick of making cork boards and trivets from recycled wine corks? How about using them for a bath or kitchen mat? Inspired my this, I wanted to make my own version of the wine cork bath mat. I cut all the corks lengthwise using my regular kitchen knife (and only cut myself once). The corks are then hot glued to a non-slip mat which I had sewed the fabric border on the edge. I had originally made this mat without the border but it didn't quite look right so I added the edging. This isn't the sturdiest thing ever so using it as a welcome mat may not be the best idea (unless you want corks disappearing as people trample over it and ending up all over your house) but I think it'd work great in a kitchen or bathroom.

Recycled Sweater Cat Bed

2010-11-15T16:56:00.001-08:00

So Audrey loves to sleep on my sweaters. It seems if its wool and warm it belongs to her. So I felted some thrift store sweaters (washed them and shrunk them). Then cut them and assembled them into this kitty bed. She has slept on it, but it seems that now that I want to post this on here she refuses to like it. I have been unable to take a picture of her napping on it. Please notice the picture without the cat, the picture with the cat after being bribed with cat treats, and the picture of the cat sleeping next to the cat bed. Oh well, I suppose one can't win every time.

Plastic Bag Rug

2010-11-10T14:21:00.001-08:00

This is a rug made out of plastic grocery bags (plastic bag yarn or Plarn!). The first step is making the yarn. This is crochet using only the crochet stitch. I am still a newbie crocheter that doesn't like to follow patterns so I made this "pattern" up as I crocheted. This is a work in progress that I've been crocheting off and on for a few months now. At one point I ran out of grocery bags (we try to mostly use cloth but forget fairly often) so I had to put this project on hiatus for awhile. My goal is to make it dining room rug sized (such as under your table), but I may get sick of working on it before I actually get this far. (please note skinny cat used for size reference) Due to the nature of the plastic material this rug will flatten if books are placed on top of it, so if my crocheting curls a bit it doesn't really matter.

From Drab to Fab

2010-11-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

I found this ugly box by our dumpster. Sorry there are no before pictures but it was "tannish," dirty, and essentially very hideous. But I still saw the potential. It had a mirror and a cool locking mechanism. I decoupaged the top and interior with some wallpaper I had laying around. Then used a Glidden paint sample to paint the bottom. The only part I paid for was the wallpaper, which was maybe $3 at a thrift store ages ago and I still have almost an entire roll. I've been using this for my embroidery thread stash but I think it is destined for something else; that mirror calls out to be used, so perhaps for my makeup? Or perhaps to a special someone who actually likes pink? I'm not normally a fan of pink but it really seems to work here.

First Quilt Top Ever is Finally a Quilt!

2010-11-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

I started this quilt back in... college.. I think sophomore year so at least 5 years ago I think. Technically this would be my first quilt ever but I never quite finished it until now so not really. This was made from a bed coverlet blanket thing, curtains and old denim jeans. I remember needing another 5 squares or so of denim and asking Nate if I could have a pair of his jeans that were slightly stained and worn out. We hadn't even been dating that long but he still let me cut up a pair of his jeans . (must have been true love ;) ) I ended up using two sheets for the back and an old comforter for the "batting" so this is almost 100% up-cycled.

Twiggy Bag

2010-11-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

This was a pattern from the book Last Minute Fabric Gifts. This book has several great projects in it, although I think this is the first I have actually made. I have lots of post-it notes in it though for future projects/ideas. The best part is everything included is really quick to make. This bag only took me an afternoon to make. Next time I want to use interfacing to make it a little sturdier but its still a great bag. I love the vintage floral fabric I used to line this. (Please ignore the ugly cat that insisted on being in the picture. I think she's just trying to enjoy the only sunshine we're going to see for awhile.)

Magazine Bowl

2010-11-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

I recently turned some unused air miles that were going to expire into magazine subscriptions. Now I have a few too many magazines hanging around. I do recycle them, but it still seemed like a waste. Inspired by some coasters my sister made me awhile back I used the magazine pages to create this bowl. It has a slightly oval shape and is pretty large. I don't really need anymore catchall fruit bowls so this will probably be some lucky persons Christmas present this year, but I'm not telling you whom.

Tyson and Megan's Wedding Certificate

2010-08-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

I made this for my cousin Tyson and his new wife Megan. (Congrats you two!) I didn't have time to start this until two days before I was supposed to be in Oregon to help with the wedding and actually completed the entire thing in two days. I probably spent about 8 solid hours on it the second day (while watching Supernatural episodes of course). I think this was the first time I was actually sore the next day from embroidering.

I tried to keep the colors simple on this and really like how it came out. I found an interesting feather stitch that I used on the large heart border that I think came out really well. I've finally figured out what stitches work best for lettering and how to include some more decorative stitches in my pieces. Now I just need to find time to market these and sell them...

Ugly Printer to Fabulous Cozy

2010-07-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

I have a printer, however I rarely use it (in fact I think the ink dried up so now I need to buy more which sucks, I guess I should print stuff more often). Overall it's an eyesore I rarely use, but I don't actually want to get rid of it either. It has a good home on the lower shelf of an end table and has been collecting dust (literally) for awhile. I've seen sewing machine cover tutorials so I just used that basic idea to make this. I think it took 5 minutes, or maybe 10.

Pink & Purple Button Necklace

2010-06-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Another one!!! It seems that I can't stop playing with buttons.

Button Lamp

2010-06-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

So at one point we needed a new lamp. We went to the nearest store and bought the cheapest one we could find. Lucky me, it was red. Unlucky me, it fell and broke a few months later. I glued it back together and we used it with the unsightly crack for awhile. Finally inspiration struck and I decided to glue buttons to it to hide the crack. I ended up adding red paint to the lampshade to tone down the white. This is Nate's lamp on his nightstand and he now complains that I took made his lamp too "girly". Oh well, I still like it.

Button Necklace

2010-06-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

As inspired by the book Button It Up I finally made myself a button necklace. I can't believe I haven't made button jewelry before. I need to make more necklaces in different colors and matching earrings!

Funky Bath Towel Quilt Finally Done!

2010-06-11T15:02:00.001-07:00

I finally finished my funky towel quilt! It feels like it took forever. First I found/bought the towels, then cut them, arranged them, rearranged them, sewed them together, found a back, sewed that, pinned it all together, then quilted and bound it(half of that by hand, my fingers hurt)!!!!!! I definitely do not recommend quilting towels to anyone. It's a pain to sew fabric that thick.Overall the quilt isn't perfect but I still like how it came out. The back and binding is made from old sheets so its 100% recycled. It's going to make the perfect beach blanket this summer. If only it would stop raining here. The sun came out for my drive home from work, but now it's raining again.
Now I just need to get started on my pink/yellow/red version. Hopefully that will go smoother sewing wise. The colors are happier too. I love the blue/green one, but some of those greens and yellows have a "pukish" tinge to them.

(Yes, I know I need to iron it, but I want to throw it in the wash first [Yay for machine washable quilts!])

Another Soda Tab Bag

2010-06-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

This is my second pop tab purse. Its more of a clutch size than change purse this time. I'm slowly preparing myself to make a "real" purse. I just need more tabs again, as this depleted my supply

I'm not sure how long I spent on this. I only worked on it while watching tv though so it didn't seem like that long, but I think it actually was quite awhile. The tabs are crocheted together in a circle and then again at the bottom. I think I finally have the technique down, so perhaps next .time I'll make a mini tutorial. The purse was then lined and a zipper was added.

This was a birthday gift for my friend Sandrine. Happy Birthday! Now I just need to make one for myself.

More Pincushions

2010-05-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

I love making these pincushions. It's so easy and I think they're adorable. I think I may have too many pincushions now though! These were funky planters I found at thrift stores with a circle of fabric stuffed and glued inside.

Fruit Towers!!!

2010-05-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

I made this at work the other day for the cocktail hour we had for the annual meeting. The two tall pieces are pineapples hollowed and supported by large candle holders. One is 2 1/2 pineapples and the other is 3 pineapples. It took a bit of time to make, but next time I make one I'm sure it'll go faster. Yes, there is going to be a next time. These things made such a statement and were fun to make . All the fruit is held on with toothpicks and some with skewers. I only stabbed myself a few times with said skewers and toothpicks. No pain, no gain right? I'm not sure why the picture is so small, but I don't feel like trying to figure it out right now.

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Slide Lamp

2010-05-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

This was a father's day gift I made in college. I was cleaning (looking around for cool stuff I could take) around my parents place and found tons of slides that were my Dad's. There were from varied trips, mostly hiking and camping trips and included a lot of great scenic pictures. I had seen lamps and curtains that people had made before using these, so proceeded to create my own. I used bits of wire to link the slides together and attached them to an old lampshade base. Then I went shopping for a lamp to use as the base and put it all together. It's in my old bedroom back home now which is awesome. Now I just need more slides so I can make my own.

Wedding Certificate for Megan

2010-05-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

So last weekend I attended a my cousin's wedding in New Jersey. Of course I made the gift, because that's what I do. I had wanted to make a quilt, but changed my mind once I realized I really don't have that kind of time. I decided to make an embroidered wedding certificate similar to the one I made Nate for our 1 year anniversary. I spent a bit of time designing it and fiddling with fonts and searching the net for anyone who may have done this before (apparently no one?). Flickr has some great pictures of similar projects which did give me inspiration however. I finally came up with this: I love how this came out and already have plans for more. I forgot how fun embroidery could be, especially if you make your own design. I used a variety of stitches including the stem stitch, lazy daisy stitch, back stitch, chain stitch and I think the filler for the heart and clovers would be called couching? I think my favorite part are the clovers on the sides.

cup o' tea anyone?

2010-04-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

vintage teacup and saucer + fabric + stuffing =

Summer Clothes

2010-04-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

Here are two skirts I recently made. Can you tell what the material I used is/was?
I always find Nate's dress shirts super-comfy so I stole a few that were too small on him and converted them into skirts. I need to still fine-tune them a bit, as they are both a little big on me but it's not quite skirt weather here yet so I have some time. (although I do pretend its skirt weather sometimes and regret it)

The other dress is definitely for summer. It was a Mexican muumuu that had amazing embroidery on it but was not very shapely. I turned it into a halter top and added ties in the back (after taking in about 12 inches) so it fits really well. Perhaps when it is warmer I will have an action shot of this. I think it'll be a great cover up for the beach and the pool.

I can't wait 'till summer!!!

new tote bag

2010-03-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

Not that I need anymore tote bags but this fabric (actually curtain) was amazing and needed to be a bag immediately. I used canvas webbing used for support in the seats of furniture for the straps and sides making it very sturdy. It'll be a good bag to haul my cookbooks to work or to use for groceries. Mostly I just want to show off the amazing paper crane on the side.

New Quilts (In progress)

2010-03-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Somewhere on the internet I was inspired to make a beach blanket/quilt using funky vintage towels. I've been scouring the local thrift stores for these towels for over a year now and finally decided I had enough to make a quilt. I cut them all into 8" blocks and discovered I had enough to make at least two large beach blankets. I guess I could have stopped buying towels sooner but I was able to split the squares into matching/complimentary colors. I have the green/yellow/blue one already sewn into a quilt top. It is just waiting for some sort of back and is very large. The pink/red/yellow one is still just squares but I needed a break. I love the colors of these, even though they can also have that cute in an ugly way thing happening. Regardless I think these will make great beach blankets. Colorful, absorbent and handmade, what else is needed?

New Bags, A Catnip Mouse and A Button Heart

2010-03-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

First of all my new sewing machine is amazing! Its strange not wanted to throw your sewing machine every time you use it. I'll have to get used to that feeling. So far I've made a bag and a quilt top on it and it was so much easier, and faster, and quieter... Why did I wait so long to get a new one?Meanwhile check out my new bags The top one was made from a table runner I really liked but never used, which I think was made by someone else. I loved the Seminole patchwork and rickrack. It was a super quick project as I didn't need to line it. The second bag is a crocheted bag using a pattern on the yarn tag. I used too small of a hook so it is a little odd shaped. My crocheting skills are slowly getting better, I can read patterns now and have made several items that were not scarves!

A small project I made was this catnip mouse (I think the catnip has already worn off) This was a quick project to amuse my cats for a few minutes. They already don't like the mouse anymore unless I drag it around the house on a string. Oh well, at least they aren't clawing furniture or waking my up in the morning... oh yeah... they still do that! naughty kitties!

Here's something I made around valentine's day. I originally planned to give it away but fell in love with it and its now hanging on our walls. Its buttons glued on paper and then sewn with pink thread and is one of my favorite button projects so far.

New Sewing Machine!

2010-03-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Yay!!! I finally bought a new sewing machine! I can't say anymore because I need to go use it right now.. It's computerized!? and has a million (seriously) different stitches!

Cassette Tape Change Purse

2010-03-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

Check out my awesome new change purse. This was even easier than I thought it would be. Hot glue is amazing! I think the hardest part was finding a cool cassette tape (only cost me 10 cents) and the second hardest was taking the tape apart. I used this tutorial here. This is my first one, but I have many more tapes waiting to be transformed.

From jacket to purse

2010-03-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

I bought this size 22 jacket for 99c because the fabric was great and it was large enough that I could actually make something out of it. A few months later I finally made a cute purse for my sister's birthday. BEFORE:
AFTER:

Ironing Board Cover

2010-02-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

Old ironing board from thrift store (painted blue?!?!) + old tablecloth + elastic = spiffy new ironing board with awesome cover
... except I forgot to iron it.. notice the wrinkles? haha

Ball O' Paper

2010-02-26T16:36:00.000-08:00

I made this awhile ago, but finally found a good light to make it an actual lamp. It looks fancy and intricate but is actually pretty easy using these instruction here. Its just paper cut and looped together and a cord with a bulb on the end. Don't worry I have a low wattage fluorescent light bulb and we don't leave this on very often either. But it does make for a cozy dining table. And looks great unlit too.

January Birthday Gifts

2010-02-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

Just some simple things...
An Ikea mirror painted and decorated with driftwood.. yay
This was for my mom for her birthday (for her beachhouse... now she just needs to get one of those!)
This is a hooded sweatshirt that I stencil with Calvin and Hobbes for my bro-in-law. I've been really into stenciling things with freezer paper lately.

A Button "J"

2010-01-09T18:58:00.001-08:00

What to do with a large button stash? Make a giant button letter! I found this idea online somewhere but am not sure where anymore. It took awhile to arrange the buttons so that this looked right. All it took was scrapbook paper, white glue, buttons and time. This was originally supposed to be a gift but I hung it on my wall and now don't want to take it off. Looks like I need to make another one, good thing I still have way too many buttons (is that possible?)

Simple change to a frame

2010-01-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

I wanted to frame this picture of Nate's grandparents for awhile and finally used a cool vintage frame I found at a thrift store. It was a little too gold so I painted it with some light green, but not too well so a bit of gold showed through and then used some cool green with gold scrapbook paper to mount it into the frame. I think it came out well and it seems to suit the picture well.

Pincushions

2010-01-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

It's my day off and I actually have time to post things and actually have pictures taken and loaded into the computer so I may as well just keep posting. Check out these pincushions I made yesterday. One is a simple jar cushion based on this.
I didn't entirely follow the directions but it was super easy and makes for a great pin cushion with storage.
The other one is a giant strawberry using a strawberry urn I found at a thrift store that had no lid. I had to buy it as I'm obsessed with strawberries and finally figured out how to make it useful. Its now one of my favorite pin cushions.

Robot Taco Baby Quilt

2010-01-06T16:20:00.001-08:00

This project has taken quite awhile. It was first conceived about 10 months ago when I found out my friend Lindsay was pregnant. I wanted to make a quilt for her in which everyone made a square based on one theme and then it was all sewn together and given to her. Somehow the theme became Robots and Tacos (don't ask) Several months later we had this!

One of the center squares has the baby's name and info about her birth. The others were all made by various friends, all with great imaginations. Who would have thought that the theme robots and tacos could lead to this? All in all we had a great time making this and Lindsay loved it. I think she plans on hanging it up in River's bedroom.

Christmas Tree

2010-01-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

I been wanting to make a button tree for awhile and finally did it. I used some strange wire (possibly old lampshade base?) thing I found at a thrift store, covered it in fabric and hot glued the buttons on. It seemed a bit plain and not quite christmassy enough so then I added the green and gold buttons. I wasn't really sure what to put at the top but the red bow seemed to work. Now I just need to come up with some more projects using buttons as I still have tons left.

Recycled Rice Bags

2009-12-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

I've made these bags before but each time I make them I improve the design a bit. This time I lined the handles in binding (one in red one in green) and I really love how it makes the bag seem more complete. It. also makes the bags more comfortable to hold on your shoulder. Next time I think I may use the binding on the entire top edge of the back.

Renaissance Restorations T-Shirts

2009-12-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

Now taking orders for t-shirts for your workers. Low low price of 15$ each.
Can include "GO FASTER" logo on back and "Frankie" name tag on pocket.
Seriously...

This one was made for the boss though for his birthday. Apparently he needs more now though for his workers.

Fred and Wilma Flinstone

2009-12-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

A bit late but here is our halloween costumes this year. I didn't really have time to make them so I found a XXXL dress at the thrift store for Wilma and sent my husband to the fabric store for his Fred outfit on Halloween. The thrift store dress was cut and sewed quickly on Halloween and tied at the top. I then made the Fred costume by essentially sewing a tube, cutting armholes, a head hole and using s sharpie to make the triangles. Cutting the tie was even easier and we were ready to head out in a awesome Halloween costumes. I think I spent about and hour and a half on both of these together, but surprising they came out pretty well.

I hate moving

2009-08-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

But who does like moving? I am however looking forward to decorating a new place, but I will miss the view

Embroidered Wedding Certificate

2009-07-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

I have officially been married a whole year already! We decided not to really exchange gifts and to go camping instead. Being me though I still had to make something.
Somewhere online I saw a picture of a queen-size wedding certificate quilt. It was beautiful and something I imagined would be passed down along generations. I don't really have the skills (or time) for a project like that so instead I decided to embroider a stylized wedding certificate. Some web searches of vintage wedding certificates gave me a few ideas and I sketched out my design. I found a square of fabric and my embroidery hoop, relearned a few stitches and was able to make this. I ended up finishing this at work the day of our anniversary, going to the store after work to find a frame (frame size is 16' x 20'!!!) and showing it to Nate framed, however still wrinkled and unwashed. Oh well, he still loved it anyways.

Overall Im really happy with this project and it inspires me to make something similar for friends and family for their wedding or anniversary.

Quilt-a-long

2009-07-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

So I joined a quilt-along at Crazy Mom Quilts , however, I have yet to start it. Oops. I will tonight though I hope. It's just a simple nine-patch and can be scrappy so I figured it be a great way to use up some of my fabric scraps. I think I'm only 3 days behind so 3 blocks should be easy enough to do tonight.
This is Crazy Mom Quilts second quilt-a-long like this. Her first quilt came out great, so hopefully something I make will be half as nice.

Seagulls

2009-07-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

So when my roommate moved out she left six or so blue metal panels in the basement. I kept them because I figured I could do something crafty with them, and if I never did then an easy trip to the Goodwill would dispose of them. Flipping through a catalog, most likely Pier 1 or Pottery Barn I found a cool art print of a bike stencil that spanned to large square panels. Inspiration hit and I knew I could stencil something large on two or three of these panels to create some sort of art. My current house has lots of empty wall space so I knew I could find a spot for them. I have a slight obsession with seagulls so I found a cool seagull stencil, taped an outline on the panels and started painting away. It only took an afternoon and I had a brand new piece of art. We decided to hang it about the bed as a mock headboard.

(please ignore dead husband in the picture I was planning on disposing of the body later today)

T-shirt Quilt

2009-07-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Kylie's birthday was coming up and she's also the crafty type (but more on the artsy side of that realm) and I knew I wanted to make her a quilt. I went through my fabric stash and didn't really see anything that popped out at me. Then I went through a stash of old clothes to see if anything there might work. Voila! Nate's old t-shirts were perfect. They were soft, colorful and destined for a better life than the goodwill pile. I also found a multicolored heart knit fabric that I knew Kylie would love and stitched them all together to make this quilt. I used four t-shirts for the back and the heart fabric and two t-shirts for the front and then cut out a letters cool owl logo from some of the t-shirt remains and made the quilt distinctly Kylie's.

It's not humongous but perfect for one person to curl up in and its super warm (the inside layer is fleece) so perfect for chilly evenings.

Pop Tab Change Purse

2009-07-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

A friend gave me a pop tab purse from Brazil. (thanks Laura!) Its quite amazing and looks like the tabs were crocheted together and then the entire purse was lined. I wanted to recreate this, but on a much smaller level as I lack the millions of tabs necessary as well as the patience to make something too big. So using orange embroidery tread and a small crochet needle I attached tabs together to create a small change purse. My lucky sister/saddlebag got to receive it for her birthday this year.

It's about time

2009-07-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so perhaps its been nearly two months since I've posted... ooops. That doesn't mean I haven't made anything though. Check out this quilt I made my boss(and friend) at work for her birthday. Most of the fabric is from sheets found at thrift stores. I believe the print is by Alexander Henry and was something my mom gave me.

Its a good size to bring to the beach or park, or to just use as an extra blanket.

It didn't take too long, but I unfortunately procrastinated and finished hand sewing the binding at work an hour before I started on the day of her birthday.

Forks + Vise-Grips + unmarked plants + inspiration =

2009-05-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

A great new way to label your plants

I've been slowly turning my front living room into an herb garden. Some plants I bought as small seedlings, but a few I am trying to grow from seed. I can remember the names of the larger plants but I can't tell the difference between a catnip sprout or a thyme sprout. I needed markers for my plants , but didn't want the garden variety plastic markers or even marked tongue depressors. Browsing the web I came upon these lovely spoon and fork markers. This was all the inspiration I needed to create my very own plant markers. Using some old silver plated forks I had, a pair of vise grips (I bet pliers would have worked better if I could have found them), some nice paper and a free front I found here (I used Olde English found under medieval) I created my masterpiece.
I still need a few more forks to label everything, but my husband still has some in his car (don't ask why we keep our silver plate forks there, its a long story), so when he gets home I can finish these.
It really is fairly easy to bend the prongs, although my palms are a bit sore. I'm not sure if one needs silver or silver plate for this to work, as those are usually a softer metal ( i think), or if any old fork will suffice.

Plastic Beach Bag in Progess

2009-05-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, plastic bags can be recycled, and yes, I could be better at remember my millions of reusable bags at the grocery store, but when I get too many plastic bags; i.e. the cabinet under the sink is overflowing with them, this is what I do:

I crochet them into reusable bags. Currently I'm working on a "beach" bag. I'm not the best crocheter ever, but the plastic yarn (plarn) seems to be fairly forgiving. The most complicated part is making the "plarn". Its not even that complicated, mostly just labor intensive.
It's ultimate recycling I think, which is my favorite way to craft.

Bottlecap art

2009-05-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

I save pretty much everything, i.e.plastic bags, bottle caps, glass bottles, coffee tins, bread tags, etc., pretty much anything that could be used for some sort of crafty purpose. After awhile I amassed quite a collection of beer caps. Last winter I created a mirror re purposing an old IKEA mirror into a bottlecapped mirror hot gluing the bottle caps and then later grouting it. I gave it to my beer loving roommate for Christmas and he loved it. Lucky for my its hanging in a shared living space so I get to look at it for a while longer.

This essentially wiped out my bottle cap collection for awhile, but I finally decided I had too many again and moved on to the next project.

I needed art for my bare living room so I used my many red-hued caps to create a heart shape on particle board and then filled the edges with mostly green, siliver and black caps. I still need to figure out a way to hang it but for now it leans against the fireplace.

I really love how it's a mosiac that from a distance doesn't scream bottlecaps or that perhaps we drink too much beer. Between these two projects only one of the caps was a soda cap...

My bookmarks

2009-04-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

Google and gmail - How did the internet world survive before google?

Craftster.org - The BEST craft forum ever, I've been a member since '05 and checked it out before then even, I can check out what everyone else is crafting and get most of my inspiration from here, although I rarely post, but should I suppose

Pandora.com - not sure what to listen to or too lazy to make a playlist of your own music on your media player... I listen to Pandora a little too much sometimes

Notmartha.org - A blog I check daily... I'm not always sure why but I love her blog and its the only one actually bookmarked, she does the occasional crafty thing and also lives in Seattle so I suppose that what keeps me interested

vintagericrac.blogspot.com - another blog I frequent often, this woman does some really cool work with selvedges from fabric, among other things

craigslist.org - check for free stuff, get a job, an apartment or shop for furniture, there is always something great to find

Works in Progress

2009-04-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

WIPS and thing Ideas in progress too...

Baby quilt for Sydney - using butterfly patterned fabric and yellow, perhaps cut into rectangles, then sewn into squares, criss-crossing and sewing into strips.. I suppose I need a nice fabric for the back and something for the center... definatley something washable... this will hopefully be for Sydneys 1st birthday which isnt until the end of summer thank goodness
Red and Denim quilt for our bed - this was my first quilt top ever and I never finished it. ove the colors though and it'd make a great winter blanket. I still need a backing for it
Tea Tin - has "ugly" sheep picture on it.. I plan on braiding plarn and then glueing it to the tin in a circle pattern, like this I found on etsy
There are so many more but as of now I deem this the ones I'm actually thinking out

Saddlebags

2009-04-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Saddlebag: -noun
Often, saddlebags. excess fat around the hips and buttocks.

Not sure if you know this but the term saddlebag can be endearing. At least in my family it can be. Although it can be quite insulting at the same time. This is the name my sisters, brother and I call each other. "Hey Saddlebags! How's it going?" Or simply: "See ya, Bags." It stems from the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Ace (Jim Carrey) says at one point "Well, why don't you cry about it. Saddlebags."

Fast forward a few years, I live in Seattle, one sister in Boston, the other sister and brother in our hometown. Someone (I think Maddy) deemed me a Seattle or Seaddle Bag. So now I am (lovingly?) referred to as a Seaddle Bag.