Category: sewista stuff

Sew much trouble I’m in with grommets and snaps.

Here are the latest fabric creations. I made these all this week. 

This purse is made from the Glenwillow Saddle Bag pattern. I like the look of the purse, but I found the instructions a bit confusing. I guess I need more pictures of the steps. Word problems in math never made much sense to me. I could usually interpret them in more than one way.  I think the same thing is going on here. It’s a nice pattern, it’s just not quite written for me.

One more Necessary Clutch Wallet. I love these. They’re like peanuts. You can’t stop at one. 

 

 

Lots of color play going on in the wallet. The pictures are a little “off” color actually. It actually goes together much better than it looks.

There were also 5 all cotton microwave hot-bowl-holders finished, but I sold 2 and left the third at Locally Grown Gallery. Do you like the purple? Purple is not my favorite color, but I do love maroon.  A lot. 

The gray thingy with the yellow and orange dots is a stretchy knit headband. It’s at Appalachian Arts Craft Center and is only $8. 

This is the inside of the Glenwillow Saddle Bag. Lots of pockets.

 

 

 

This is the back with the front flap open. One big slip pocket and one zipper pocket. 

There is the same type of slip pocket on the front, but the zipper pocket is on the inside of it and doesn’t show.  

 

The inside of the simple bi-fold wallet. There are several card slots in it, but they don’t show up very well with this fabric.

One little owl is upside down.

I’m working on new things. I almost finished a beautiful bucket bag which needs 12 fairly large grommets. I had 10. And the replacements don’t ship for a couple of weeks. Argh! I am not patient.

Love this plaid lining. The colors are great.

 

 

 

 

Repurposed belt used for strap.
See the missing grommets on the right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that reminds me. I ordered some snaps that will.  not.  work.  They have cool tools with them that work great. They really get those snaps in there where they’re supposed to be, but the snaps won’t snap together. Have you ever tried to get a well-smashed-in snap OUT of a finished object without destroying said finished object? This is when I’m really glad I have a husband who likes to cut and smash things to get them apart for me. My hands aren’t strong enough anymore. Then I get the job of somehow creatively covering up the holes. In the latest one, I used an Owl Tree label, Velcro, and a button. Sssshhhhhh…don’t tell anyone. I’m sure the buyer will be none the wiser. I can’t tell. And it’s only a $4.00 card holder.

Orchids & Pond Island

Six orchid blossoms and a pond island.

The white phal has continued to flower and now has six blossoms on it. You can only see five in the photos, but believe me, it’s there. It’s just hiding in the back. 

I really want to branch out and have some cattleyas, I don’t know where I’d put them. I would either have to hang some of the orchids or get rid of the African violets. It seems like I’ve always had African violets. I don’t really want to give them up and my granddaughter loves them. They love the window that they’re in and they bloom all the time. I only have four left. Two of them are duplicates. Maybe I’ll give one of them to the granddaughter. 

Yesterday I made a floating island for my pond. My wonderful husband dug a couple of cardinal flowers from our half of the creek and brought them to me. I used a pool noodle and some left-over pond liner to make a shallow “pot” for them, made small holes in the bottom of it with a skewer and put the plants in with some more garden soil. The cardinal flowers are making seed heads so I’m hoping that if the plants eventually die that the seeds will come up. I would love to have some trailing plants and some medium tall ones to fill in. I’m just not sure what to plant yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After something ate most of my koi and goldfish this spring I was worried that the only two left would be the same sex and I would have to buy more fish, BUT there were already tiny hatchlings in the pond. They’re about an inch long now and are so cute! I get to see one or two every time I clean out the skimmer and they like to congregate under the waterfall. Now I need some polyester quilt batting to put in the skimmer to clean the water. I thought I had some, but, of course, I have used it up. 

 

hats, Hats, HATS!!! Whew! They’re in the Bag

The hats and one bag are all finished for Eiko’s show this weekend. I hope the hurricanes and lesser showers stay away from Aiken, South Carolina, and Aiken’s Makin.  Good luck, Eiko! 

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I have to say I really like some of these. I will have to use these patterns again. I love the berets with the refashioned knit bands. The brown band on this latest beret is SOOOOO soft! I cut it from a ladies’ t-shirt that I found at a thrift store and it’s almost buttery soft. 

Broad-brimmed Sunhat turned-up brim

The broad-brimmed sun hat is light and airy in the crown, but the brim is interlined with a foam that’s used to pad and stiffen purses without too much stiffness or weight. It holds its shape well and turns up nicely all the way around or just half-way.  I will be using more of this for stiffening. 

Front of cap

The adult and child caps are cut on the bias and it gives them a great shape. It was a little fidgety to get sewn, but by serging the edges before sewing them it helped hold them in shape better. 

I think I invented the pleated brim, but, who knows? There is nothing new under the sun, after all. I like it. Hope someone else does. 

Hat with pleated brim.
Detail of pleat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures don’t do it justice. I was in a hurry. The pleats make the brim looks a little like the edges of a morning glory flower. 

The bag was just a whimsy. Eiko had woven some wide stripes and I couldn’t bear to cut into them, so I used the full width and made a tote from them. 

If you’re in the Aiken, South Carolina, area this weekend try to take in the festival. It looks like a lot of fun and Eiko is very cute and friendly!