Felt Bookmarks

I am lucky to have a mother who kept all kinds of little craft supplies, just in case, and she then gave it all to me a while back. I have followed in the tradition, and have added to the collection. Like why would anyone ever just throw out a broken necklace? If you buy a sweater with beading or sequins, they usually give you a little baggie of extras. Throw those in there too. Various bits of embroidery floss, darning thread (?), felt in all colors and sizes, all worth hanging onto.

Books are also a treasure. As much as I love books, I don't think I should ever work at a library or book store because it would drive me nuts to be with them all day and not be able to sit and read or look through them. Pure torture.

I bought books for a few people for Christmas (and a couple for myself) so I wanted to make them some bookmarks. These are an elastic style I saw on Pinterest but have never used myself so I hope they work well. I embellished the top felt piece and then hand-sewed the back piece to it while sandwiching the elastic between them. The only trouble is deciding how long to make the elastic. They will be too big for very small books but should work for average novels and even larger text books.

I have a few more to make still. The hardest part is trying to think of ways to personalize them. But that's also the best part. That's what makes handmade gifts so special, right?

How To Make a Free New Baby Gift

My son has been swimming with the same coach for 5 or 6 years now. We've known him since he was a single guy through his getting married and now having his first baby, a girl. I definitely wanted to give them a gift but funds are super tight right now so I turned to my fabric stash and the internet and found a solution.

This outfit is for when you've had enough with the pink. These 3 knits are all from Girl Charlee at some point in the past year or two. It's amazing how small 0-3 month clothes are and how little fabric they take up. I pulled this out of my really scrappy bin where I thought they would get used as pockets and little embellishments at best. Who knew you could make a whole outfit out of nothing.

So to break it down, the dress is made using Sew Much Ado's free Infant Peasant Dress pattern. I had to lengthen the sleeves since it's winter-like here already. So while I was out shopping the other day I measured the sleeves on a couple of things in the baby department and went with 8".  This is a nice simple pattern for a beginner. Because there is no difference in the front from back I decided to embellish with a floral applique and some embroidery to define the front.

The leggings are from a pattern I already owned but had never used. It is the Titchy Threads Fancy Pants Leggings that I got as part of a Sew Fab Bundle previously. I chose this pattern because I like the idea of a no elastic waistband for a tiny baby plus it provided another opportunity to bring in a patterned fabric on the rear. They turned out really great and so tiny and adorable.

The knot hat is something I just love. I used a lot of these with all of my own bald babies, especially the two born in the winter months. The pattern is from Zaaberry and is free. There are even a couple of different kinds to make but I went with the knot. Oh the cuteness! Plus it ties the 2 prints together to complete the outfit.

I wish I had a baby around to try it on. No, not really come to think of it. Having my last baby at 42 was enough - there will be no more babies here. So I will cross my fingers that the sizing is accurate and that it fits baby Lindsey sometime in the next couple of months. I'm not too worried because I trust all 3 of those designers and have used other patterns by most of them so it should all be good. I feel like I put together a nice handmade outfit and am so happy that it cost me nothing but my time and energy and gave me something fun and creative to do.

Here's one more look at the complete outfit:

Many blessings to the coach, his wife and baby, Lindsey!!!

Messenger Bag



 

I am still sewing my way through the alphabet with Katy of No Big Dill. When my high school sophomore daughter said she needed a new bag for school and she wanted it to have a long, wide strap and a flap like her old one, I said, "Sounds like a messenger bag." How convenient, huh? Just in time for "M" week. After all, I am incredibly practical, so I love it when things happen like this. Actually, it happened two weeks ago, but close enough.

She chose the fabrics herself at Joann's. The outer fabric is a very heavy woven with some sort of  felt-like backing - an upholstery fabric I presume. The lining is quilting cotton. She is a wonderful artist and has a great eye for color and pattern. I could, and should, post some of her artwork some day. Really talented. We also used a stiff interfacing for the flap and body of the bag to help it keep it's shape.

The pattern is a free one we found at mmmcrafts. It went together very easily. We worked as a team so we had it done in just about 2 hours. She can sew, but is pretty slow and we were trying to get it done while Elena napped so she was happy to press things and trim seams, etc while I sewed.

The back has one large pocket and the inside has a large one split into two. It has worked out really well for her for school. She doesn't need a large bag. She just wanted something to carry her planner, phone, a personal book, pens, calculator, and some personal items.

 

 

She has received many compliments and so now I'm thinking that we have a good gift idea for a couple of her friends for Christmas. And maybe if we leave enough time, she can do some of the sewing herself.