saving the earth one baggy at a time

For those of you who are trying to live green, this is a project for you! This is great for packed lunches and picnics. When opened, the sandwich holder doubles as a plate.

I started out with an octagon pattern (I made mine from a trimmed piece of 12x12 inch scrapbooking paper... this holds a full size sandwich, not just the half. But if you like taller sandwiches loaded with stuff, you may want to cut a larger octagon). Cut out two octagons from cute fabric (be extra green and cut fabric from clothes in your toss pile) and one octagon from clear vinyl (available at craft store or recycle from those clear zipper bags that comforters and sheet sets come in).

You can also use a vinyl tablecloth or oilcloth and one piece of fabric... I couldn't find any cute oilcloth at JoAnn's when I was making this... so vinyl worked for me. If you are looking for cute oilcloth, check this out!

Stack the three octagons like this: fabric, vinyl, fabric (patterns facing in). Sew together, leaving one side open. Turn inside-out, make sure the vinyl covers the fabric you want to be on the sandwich-side of the sandwich holder. Make a little tab with a scrap of fabric and sew the scratchy piece of velcro to the tab. Sew this tab onto the sandwich holder when you close the open end. Sew around the edges of the octagon to finish it nicely. Add the soft piece of velcro to the fabric side of the sandwich holder... fold the sandwich holder to find the right position.

Make a sandwich, wrap it up, take it somewhere and enjoy!

This super-cute lunch accessory can be used over and over. Usually I just wipe it down after each use, and wash it in the washer every week or so. Wash regular and lay flat to dry (vinyl side down).

I made a few of these for Alli's school lunches... different fabrics for different moods. I made a smaller one (about 8x8 inches) that is great for pretzels, cookie, etc.

This project was inspired by another creative blog... but I have lost the link. I will try to find it and post it here. Sorry.

because I felt like it...

I finished the shirt for Alli's pirate costume... arg! The felt is black with glitter interspersed. I would describe this style as girly-glam pirate chic.

This shirt was in the toss pile. It had a few stains from summer fun. The skull and bones covered most of the stains and gave this shirt new life.

I cut the image out of felt and stitched it on the shirt with the sewing machine.



I also reinvented some of Alli's old leggings for Ruby. I'm hoping Ruby will not get tired of hand-me downs if I freshen them up.

I cut off a few inches from the legs, added pom-pom trim and a few felt critters. I sewed buttons on for eyes. The bat on the back covers a spot that was a little worn. Originally the pumpkin was the only thing on the front, but Ruby wanted to wear them backwards so she could see the bat. I added the spider to the front so she would wear them the right way. Ruby loves these pants and wears them as often as laundering allows.

project runway stroller

Far too often my girls are wearing out their toys (partly because most toys these days are made cheaply and partly because the girls are wildly active and "imaginative" with their toys). The latest toy to be worn out: the beloved doll stroller.
So the choices are: 1. throw out the old stroller, buy another one and wear it out too, 2. redo the fabric on this stroller... and make it stronger and more darling... and add a few bells and whistles.
The choice was obvious.
Alli helped me pick out the fabrics. At one point she held up two pieces of fabric and said "I don't know if these make sense together" (sometimes we watch a little Project Runway together). So we picked different fabric. We added a bead trim to the canopy.
On the back we added a pocket... and more bead trim.
So we ended up using a sparkly pink fabric, the brown canvas with polka-dots, and the mid-century-modern multi-colored design, and a teal paisley fabric. As Tim Gunn would say, "We made it work."
And this is why I doubled up the fabric and reinforced seams...

Polka-Dot Quilt

I finished a small quilt yesterday. I made it for the St. James Auction. It is all hand-stitched... with much love. Here is Alli modeling it for me...

Alli and Ruby contributed by drawing on it with a marker... luckily it washed out.

If you are interested in buying the quilt, I will invite you to the auction.

Getting Crafty

Congratulations to my friend Stephanie! Baby Eliza was born March 3rd. To celebrate her birth, I got a little crafty and made a nursing cover. The front is held open with a flexible plastic piece that keeps mom's view unobstructed while baby nurses in privacy. The nursing cover folds into the front pocket for compact storage. The magnetic clasp holds the strap on one side. I got this great fabric at JoAnn's.

Every mom and baby needs a diaper clutch to hold the essentials. This little bag holds a small wipe container and a few diapers. The fabric lining inside is glittery pink. The magnetic clasp is hidden under a felt flower. I cut the felt with my QuicKutz die-cutter.
The wipes container is embellished with fabric, felt and beads. The flowers were cut with the QuicKutz die-cutter. I used clear Gloo by K.I. Memories to adhere the fabric and beads.