New small labels

I ordered new smaller labels to put on my smaller products (i.e. key fobs, small zipper pouches, etc) and they came yesterday! :)

I love how they turned out! There are 600 of them so I don't think I will be running out anytime soon. I ordered them from the same place I got my last labels, called World Wide Label on Etsy. They were very helpful and lightyears cheaper than any other place I found.

If you are a poor 20-something year old like me then spending $60-80 for labels sounds a bit high. But  I researched about 10,000 other woven label manufacturers and the same quantity and style ran about $200-500. So, it makes $60-80 sound wonderful. 

Here are some pictures of my finished labels:

*Also, if you like the style and were wondering size, they are 1"W x .5" H, loop folded with a 5mm seam allowance on the side for sewing them in. 

Make-Up Bag & Coin purse

I found this great tutorial on Say Yes to Hoboken for a Make-Up bag that I just had to try! It was super simple and I love how it turned out! It's also the perfect size for a pencil pouch!

I was sewing almost all day long yesterday and this morning before work. I go through phases where I sew frantically non-stop. Then I take a break for a few days and then jump back in. Here are some pictures of my Make-Up bag and a cute, itsy-bitsy little coin purse I made. It's almost too small to even carry change but it is absolutely adorable :) Maybe it would be good for holding your earrings or small jewelry when you go on vacation? I will find a use for it!

Yellow & Gray Tote Bag

Hello everyone! Today was such a fantastic sewing day! It is gorgeous weather, the windows are open and I listened to The Shins radio on Pandora while sewing all morning. It was so relaxing. 

I made a tote bag that I am IN LOVE with! For a while I have been carrying this nylon messenger bag as my purse (that I didn't make) and I liked it because I didn't care if it got dirty or thrown around and I usually have too much emotional attachment to things I make to feel good throwing them around. Well, I keep getting asked if I made the messenger bag from people who know I make bags and I have to (embarrassingly) tell them "no". And then I get the whole lecture of "Why don't you carry a bag you made?! It's free advertising!". SO today my goal was to make myself the "perfect" bag for myself that I could carry everywhere - and I think I did!

It's a large yellow and gray tote with lots of pockets and is insanely roomy on the inside. I'll go over some of my favorite features :)

I've never done the straps going all the way down the front like this before but I really love how it looks! Especially with the coordinating color. I added a pocket to the outside which I interfaced with fusible fleece so it's nice and padded incase I put my phone in there.

I made the purse so it tapers from smaller at the bottom and wider at the top so it opens up REALLY wide. On the side panels of the bag I used the dark gray on the outside and then the yellow and gray pattern on the panels of the lining. I thought it looked so cool! On one side of the lining I put a large zipper pocket and then a padded cell phone pocket. I opted for a magnetic snap closure because I hate fiddling with a zipper to get inside my purse.

Also, I had an old re-usable grocery bag that had one of those plastic pieces in the bottom for stability so I took it from that bag and put it in here so the bag can stand up on it's own.

On the other side of the lining I put another miscellaneous pocket with a hanging D-Ring to hook my keys to (I have my car keys on a clip)

For the side panels (since they taper wider at the top also) I added magnetic snaps to the sides so I can either have the bag smaller or wider. This makes it easier to carry if I don't have a lot of stuff with me.

Lots and lots of room for all of my stuff   :)

I wish I could put a tutorial up for this but I feel like I almost was in a trance when I was making it. It definitely took a while and I wasn't using any tutorial or inspiration photos - I was just grabbing stuff and going. I almost feel like if someone asked me how I made it I would say "I have no idea" haha

Hope you guys like it! It's a fun project to just grab some fabric and start thinking about your perfect dream purse and start sewing without thinking too much about it - only thinking about elements you want and forcing yourself to figure out how to piece everything together.

iPad Case

I definitely needed one of these!

Dog leash and collar

Here's a Dinosaur leash and collar I made my dog, Brody, today! It was actually super simple and took no time at all. I had a little trouble finding the hardware for the collar and leash so what I did is buy a very cheap collar and leash from the craft store (they were $1 each) and just cut them up to get the buckle and d-ring (the metal part on the collar where the leash hooks) off. I found the dinosaur ribbon (which my fiancé picked out) at Michael's. I can't wait to make more custom collars and leashes!

Here is the tutorial I used for making them from Sew 4 Home. It is a great tutorial and very informative! I love when tutorials use high quality, detailed photos! There is a ton of info in the tutorial and I found it very simple to follow. She even mentions at the end of the tutorial that a "green" alternative is to use hardware from an old collar and leash. It literally only took me maybe 30 minutes to make both of these. There are a ton of other great tutorials on Sew 4 Home also! There is a seat belt cover I want to make to put on Brody's harness for some extra cushioning under his arms.

The only real change I made was using a zigzag stitch (and going over it a million times) on both places you sew on the leash - but that is because Brody tends to be a little crazy pants and I felt like I needed to make sure it was reinforced really well to avoid chasing him down the street ;)

Thrifty Crafting | Placemat Clutch

I previously posted about a Faux Alligator Placemat that I used to make an adorable clutch. The other day I went to World Market and was amazed at their selection of adorable placemats! I loved the patterns! And the best part? The opposite side is a complementary colored pattern that goes great with the front pattern! You literally just have to fold the bottom up about 1/3 of the way and sew along the edges! 

For the bag above I did trim it a little on the sides and added a piece of sew-in interfacing to add stability. With the placemat disassembled I also added a magnetic snap closure. I then placed the two pieces right side together and sewed along the edges leaving an opening for turning. Once it was turned right sides out I folded the bottom up 1/3 of the way and sewed the edges and topstitched the flap. I love how it turned out! I used some of the material I trimmed off to make a strap for the side so it can be used as a wristlet. 

Next time I think what I am going to do (to save time, because really this should be a super fast project that I unintentionally made longer than it needed to be by taking the placemat apart) is just fold the bottom up and sew the sides. After that I will attach the magnetic snap. Since the snap will be showing on the top of the flap I think I am going to use some complementary colored fabric to make a fabric covered button and then glue it (with E6000 glue) to the back part of the magnetic snap that will be showing on the flap. 

I definitely recommend checking out World Market for placemats if there is one near you! They also have super cute napkins that I saw on sale that would be great for little zipper pouches or small bags. If there isn't a World Market near you then you might want to check Pier One, I'm sure they have great stuff that is comparable!

M.I.A.

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've had so many custom orders to fill its been crazy! I'm also so excited to announce that I will be doing my first craft show this July! I can't wait!

Photos : Cow Purse and Teal Bow Clutch

Hey everyone!

Here are some pictures of my projects from yesterday! The first is the cow print purse I made for my future Mother-In-Law. 

I love how it turned out and I think she did too! :)

The second is a teal bow clutch that turned out super cute! I think I need to make a tutorial for this bag in the very near future!

White Faux Leather Bow Clutch with Leopard Print Lining

I. Love. This. Bag.

I was so happy the second I finished it. I'll post some better photos of it later, right now I have to go to the salon to get some of this crazy hair tamed :)

I'll try to get a tutorial together relative soon for this clutch. It definitely won't be the last one I make. It turned out so adorable!

My Pleated Clutch from Keyka Lou Patterns!

Here is another Pleated Clutch that I made this morning from Keyka Lou Patterns.

It was surprisingly easy! Especially since the directions are so fantastic!

The "Betsey" Bag

I'm not going to lie...it's going to be a little difficult parting with this purse. I loved it! It reminded me of a designer that I adore. Although I don't know if I should mention designers names so lets just call her...Jetsey Bohnson.

Hope you guys like it! ♥

I have some of this fabric left so I'll probably be making another one of these beauties very soon. 

Braided Belt Messenger Bag Tutorial

Hello Dolls,

I am so excited to bring you all this tutorial! I was in love with this bag the second I finished it! I am also so happy because the more I sew the more comfortable I feel designing bags myself without looking at another tutorial - and you can too! I looked at multiple tutorials for messenger and tote bags and then combined and changed different elements that I liked about them into one "super" bag. I recommend reading lots of tutorials when you are beginning to sew. There are many times I will just sit and read tutorials without even sewing. I like to mentally picture what the tutorial is asking me to do and try to figure out why each step is necessary; I feel like this is helping me when I try to design something by myself. Maybe my fiancé's analytical and scientific nature is rubbing off on me :)

I hope you all enjoy this bag as much as I do! It was surprisingly easy to make and didn't take long at all. If you have any questions feel free to contact me!

Now, onto the tutorial...

Materials:
[1] Exterior Fabric (for body)- 14.5" x 13" CUT ON FOLD*
* By cut on fold I mean that you should cut your fabric so the bottom is on the fold of the fabric. You should essentially have one piece of exterior fabric that is 14.5" x 26" and then folded in half

[2] Lining Fabric (for body)- 14.5" x 13"

[2] Pellon SF101 Interfacing - 14.5" x 13"

[1] Exterior Fabric (for flap) - 14" x 12.75"

[1] Lining Fabric (for flap) - 14" x 12.75" CUT ON FOLD*
*You are going to cut the lining fabric for the flap on the fold just like you did with the exterior part of the bag. I decided to do this instead of use interfacing because I wanted to make sure there wasn't a risk of the lining fabric on the flap wrinkling because of the interfacing because it will be visible a lot of the time. By cutting on the fold you are going to have 2 layers of lining fabric to add weight

[2] Exterior Fabric (for pocket linings) - 9" x 6.25"

[2] 9" Zippers in a coordinating color

[1] Magentic Snap closure

[1] Leather Braided Belt - I got mine at the Thrift Store. I chose to use a men's belt so it would be long enough to wear across my chest. Make sure you also have a needle for sewing through leather. You won't be able to use a regular fabric machine needle because it will break trying to go through the leather.

Other:
Gorilla Glue
Scrap heavyweight interfacing for stabilizing fabric where the magnetic snap will be

Cut fabric pieces and fuse interfacing to wrong side of lining fabric body pieces

Tutorial:

First, buckle your belt so there is just a little bit of excess after the buckle. 

Then, using paper clamps, clamp your belt so it does not unbraid when you cut it. 

Use your Gorilla Glue to coat the ends of the belt where you just cut to ensure that it does not unbraid after you remove the clamps. Set the belt on top of a piece of scrap paper to catch drips and set aside until the end of the project. 

Lay one of your zippers on top of one of your body lining pieces of fabric 2" down from the top

Mark on your lining fabric about an inch shorter on each end than your zipper

What you are doing here is measuring your zipper on top of your lining fabric to create a rectangular opening in your lining fabric where the zipper will show through. You want this rectangular opening to be slightly smaller than your zipper to ensure that the fabric will overlap the zipper for when you sew it onto the fabric. 

This is what your rectangular marking on your fabric should look like. 

Next, you need to cut a line through the middle of the rectangle you just drew. 

Use the drawing on the photo below as reference.

Now you will fold back the excess fabric from the lines you just cut in your rectangle 

and fold and iron them back towards the wrong side of your lining fabric. 

Place your zipper so it shows through the opening you just created. I used scotch tape to hold my zipper in place while I sewed because I was having trouble holding the fabric and zipper at the same time to pin them in place. Top stitch around your zipper sewing as close to the edge of your opening as you can to ensure that you are sewing through the fabric and the zipper.

Lay one of your pocket pieces so it is right side down on top of the lining piece - lining fabric should be wrong side up. 

Pin in place. 

Sew around the perimeter of the pocket fabric.

You should have an awesome pattern lined pocket now! Good job! 

Now, repeat the above process for the pocket on the front of your bag. I marked this one 4" down instead of 2" down. 

Pressed back excess fabric

Pocket lining piece pinned in place

And Ta Da! Another pocket! You are on a roll...most of the hardest parts are done now! 

Now lets make the flap...

Place your exterior flap fabric right sides together on top of the lining flap fabric 

and sew 1/4" seam on 3 of the sides leaving the bottom open

Trim excess fabric and clip corners

Use your scrap heavyweight interfacing and fuse it onto the lining fabric to add stability for your magnetic snap.

Now, attach your magnetic snap so it goes through both the lining pieces of fabric but not the exterior fabric. 

Here is a great tutorial from Little Birdie Secrets for attaching magnetic snaps. She uses fray check in her process which I didn't do but it does sound like a great idea if you have some on hand!

After my snap is attached I like to fuse another scrap piece of interfacing on top of the snap so you won't feel the hard metal as much through the exterior flap fabric. After that step flip your flap piece right side out and press it well. 

Top stitch around the three sides, continuing to leave the bottom open 

Let's make the body of the bag now! 

Fold your Exterior Body Fabric so the right sides are together. Pin in place and sew along the side with a 1/4" seam.

Now to box the corners...squeeze the bottom corner of the bag so the side seam is in the middle and pressed against the bottom of your bag. What you are looking at in the picture below is my side seam. 

If you need a refresher on boxing corners, try checking my Sewing Tips for Beginners Post.

Mark 2" from the corner point and sew on that line directly across

Trim the excess

You can turn the exterior of the bag right side out at this point.

Repeat the same process above for the lining fabric. Place the lining fabric right sides together and sew along three of the sides leaving the TOP open. Measure the same 2" when boxing the corners. Do not turn your lining body right side out yet. Leave it inside out.

Hang in there, there's not much more to do...don't you feel so awesome already? 

Keep thinking about how great those internal zipper pockets look! 

Attaching the flap to the exterior body...

Pin the flap to the back of the exterior body piece with about 2" sticking up over the top of the bag. 

The right side of the flap should be facing the back of the body of the bag. 

Sew 1/2" seam to attach the flap to the bag. I sewed one direction and then flipped the bag and sewed back the other way to add stability and strength. Trim the excess flap fabric that is sticking up past the top of the bag. 

Place your exterior body right side out inside of the lining body (which is still turned inside out so it is wrong side out.) Line up the seams on the sides and pin. The flap of your exterior body should be facing the lining pocket. 

Sew along the top of the bag but leave 3" on each side where the side seams are. 

This is where you will turn your bag right side out. 

After you sew the top of the bag together use one of the 3" openings on the side to reach in and pull your bag right side out and push the lining into inside of the bag. The two 3" openings at the top where your seams are is where you will place your leather belt strap.

I didn't take photos of me attaching my leather straps because honestly it was pretty difficult sewing through the leather and I got distracted and forgot about my camera ;) 

Use your leather sewing needle and use the knob on your machine to hand crank the machine to sew through the leather belt. I went over the belt as many times as I could to ensure that the strap was attached well. The 3" opening will be wider than your strap so after you attach the strap top stitch around the whole top perimeter of the bag (this will create a professional touch and ensure the rest of the 3" openings are closed)

After the straps are attached flip the flap over the bag and mark where the magnetic snap hits - This will be where you attach the other side of the magnetic snap. Mine went through the very bottom of the front pocket so I just reached into the bag and attached the snap through the front of the bag so it goes through multiple layers of fabric. 

And...

You're done! Now give yourself a big pat on the back and enjoy your bag! 

Here are some photos of my finished product: 

(A big "Thank You" to my amazing fiancé for taking the photos of me wearing the bag)