Here’s a little something I made for a Christmas gift. It’s basically a slipcover for a camera strap, with a little lens cap pouch that slides onto it. (Just search “camera strap tutorial” or something of the like on Google and you’ll find many instructions.) They really are easy to make and a great gift for the photography enthusiasts in your life. If I could just save up enough for my own DSLR camera, I’d be making one for myself!

And here is a new drawing recently listed in the shop.

I’ve been told by some (ahem) that it looks like a dog, but I prefer to think of it as a wolf. It’s part of this theme I’ve got on the mind, something along the lines of unlikely friendships between humans and animals. (Recall my previous two drawings of boys with bears.) I’m considering adding a color version for a “Little Red” look, since that’s pretty popular right now.

Well, it is—quite literally—back to the drawing board! While I’m getting back into the swing of things here, I’ll be posting some more hand made gifts and possibly a crochet pattern or two. “See” you soon!

While I was at it, I figured I’d just recover a cushion for my chair upstairs, too. I might as well, right? I again used scraps from my bedroom quilt and some linen and did a basic Log Cabin design with “geometric” quilting that goes ’round and ’round and ’round.

Have a good weekend!

As such:

They’re all a little different from each other since I was working with scraps and complete indecision as to what I want my house to look like. But then they all sort of work together. Imagine that!

And that quilt? Given to me by my mother-in-law recently. She made it years ago. It’s her own original design, the fabrics are so cool, and I just love it!

Oh, and by the way: Anywhere you see white in the cushions, that came from the scraps of the bed sheets I used for new curtains. I used every single bit of them!

(Our Creative Spaces)

I’m going to lighten my posting load just a bit for the rest of the month, I think, so you may see fewer words, but hopefully the photos will supply their own stories.

Several of you asked about this throw pillow after seeing it in the sneak peek on Friday. Yes, it is an embroidered family portrait of sorts. I was inspired by one I found on Pinterest, which was far, far outside of my budget. So I cut up the last of my linen, sketched out similar drawings (because I liked their style), and machine embroidered in black thread. It’s the first time I’ve tried the “free motion” sort of machine embroidery. I like—and it’s just my style (sketchy) when it’s done!

Everything’s getting redone around here. You remember, The Project. There is not a throw pillow that hasn’t been recovered, not a decorative item that hasn’t been contemplated for its function and value. I’m still tweaking, but I’m very close to finished.

I have lots of things to show, but to be honest, right now I’m just too tired. We’re having a serious heat wave, and between running about in the hot air seeking out second-hand goodies and just being busy in general, I’m at the point where I just want to sit down for a while. And so I will. Have a good weekend!

Right before we left for vacation, I was trying to procrastinate all the things I needed to do by finding other things to do. So, naturally, I made myself a new pincushion.

There was actually some logic behind it. While doing all that sewing for the kids, I went in search of a “scrap sack” for all my loose bits of thread cuttings (the sort that hangs from your sewing table while you work) and realized I couldn’t find the one I own. I still haven’t found it, which is strange for such an organized person. Hmmm.

Anyway … I could have just used the trashcan nearby, but I decided instead that I needed a new scrap sack, and of course it needed a pincushion. Since I already had the fabrics out for my big giveaway’s pincushion, I just made a second version for myself.

It was just a quick, by-the-seat-of-the-pants sort of design, but I really like it. The pouch attaches to the bottom of the pincushion when needed, and it’s got a pocket for my little scissors. The cushion is weighted to help hold everything on my desk. And I made it using bits of linen and other cottons (mostly vintage sheeting) that I had sitting in my scrap pile. Overall, a very satisfying project.

What sort of projects are satisfying you this week?

Monday and Tuesday were perfectly normal days around here, but somehow they just took off without me. I think it’s because I’m in pre-vacation, getting-ready mode. I keep thinking of things I need to pick up or plan ahead, and the list keeps growing—yet, in my usual fashion, I find other, completely unnecessary and unrelated things to do instead. It’s just my way!

Anyway, I have completed most of the things I wanted to make for the kids to use on our vacation, with one final piece almost done. I just winged it, made them all up myself after looking at some photos of similar items. That definitely takes longer, and they’re far from perfect, but it’s so much more satisfying to me, and I’m quite proud of them.

I made crayon rolls to go with fresh, new coloring books:

And dry erase notebooks for a more reusable drawing experience:

The right-hand pockets are made of vinyl, under which I’ve put a stack of printed worksheets for using and using again. (Anyone want to guess how long it will take my two-year-old to draw directly on the sheets instead?) They have a set of dry erase crayons (less messy and won’t dry out like markers), and a piece of flannel for erasing.

And the big one: Car seat organizers. These hang on the back of the front seats so that the kids can reach their things and will hopefully have fewer things scattered all over the floor. Hopefully.

I researched these on Etsy and was a little surprised how expensive they are. After making them, I understand why. They’re not hard to make, but they definitely take time and thought.

I challenged myself to make all of these things without spending any money on new supplies (gotta have money for the actual vacation, after all!), and in the end the only thing I purchased was pre-made binding for the organizers, because I just didn’t want to mess with making that much of it with such limited time. I had the fabrics in my stash (was sort of surprised to find enough of everything I needed), the vinyl was on hand, and I used felt for batting, which was a double plus because I’m trying to use up the large quantities of felt that I’ve accumulated.

I’m sure you’ll notice the theme of yellow/pink for my daughter and green/blue for my son—they chose the fabrics. They haven’t seen the finished pieces, though. I plan to surprise them by having all of the new things set up for them before they get into the car to start our trip. I’m hoping the novelty will keep them entertained for at least a while!

So, with a few days left until the beach trip, I’m back to finishing. Hopefully by Friday’s post the dust will have settled a little. Maybe.

(Our Creative Spaces)

Once again we’re getting ready for a family vacation at the beach, and once again I’ve waited until weeks before to decide I needed to sew things. This time it isn’t clothing for myself, but rather things to keep the kids entertained on the trip. I’m hoping the novelty of some new, just-for-vacation activities will do the trick for at least some of the drive.

My poor sewing machine—I ignore it for months and then put it through its paces all in one day!

There’s a lot more to see at Our Creative Spaces this week.

I think it’s quite fitting that this weekend I decided to make myself a tissue holder, because I seem to have caught a cold. How’s that for timing?

I used this tutorial, although the inspiration really came from Patchwork Style again. I used strips of leftover fabric from the quilt my mother-in-law made for us, which happened to be just the right width, and while I was already cutting and pressing, I just went ahead and prepared enough to make three pouches. One will be part of a gift, but the other just might be up for grabs here if I get myself organized for a little Spring giveaway, so stay tuned!

Doesn’t it go nicely with the new bag?

Hope your week is off to a good start!

(That is not a smile. It is a grimace from the sunlight shining directly in my eyes!)

I took stacks of potential fabrics to a crafty girls’ night and spent several hours agonizing over them. After identifying a couple that I definitely wanted to use, I slowly ruled out the ones I didn’t want. When I got it down to seven fabrics that I liked together, including some vintage sheeting that I just love, I started cutting squares and randomly arranging them on the table until I was happy with how they looked. What you see is what I got!

This is loosely based on the tote in Patchwork Style, though I really only used it for an idea of the size of the squares and just relied on my prior bag-making experience to do the rest. I made the gusset a bit narrower so some of the bottom fabric is visible on the sides of the bag (though I’ve just realized you can’t really see it in any of these photos), and I chose to place the gussets inside rather than leave them pointed out like the project sample.

I lined the bag with some sand-colored linen and added two layers of pockets for all the odds and ends. The straps are made from the same linen, and I quilted in a thin piece of eco-felt between the layers of the bag to give it a little sturdiness while maintaining a slouchier style (which I prefer).

I wasn’t sure about this bag at first because it wasn’t quite what I’d pictured in my head. I’d pictured something a teensy bit wider and with more pinks, browns, and yellows rather than the cooler tones I ended up with (though I like those too). I may still make one like that, but the more I use this—and the more it gets a little worn in from being carried around—the more I like it.