This takes the Cake!!!!! Toooo much fun!!!!!!

I know this has been around awhile but it's fairly new to me.  Someone sent around a You Tube clip on making bags and stuff out of plastic bags.  So I watched a couple of the clips and decided today is really crappy, snowy, cold and even thundering so perfect day to PLAY!!!

Gather up some plastic bags for these projects I used the plastic sleeves the newspaper comes in everyday.  These bags are also good for picking up poop!!!  And as y'all know I have 3 large puppie dogs hence lots and lots of poop!!!  I just can't believe someone figured out ironing these goofy bags together works and makes for a great "fabric", no fraying just tooo much fun to sew on and play with.  If you use Wallie World bags cut off the handles and bottoms so you have a flat piece

You will need an iron set on synthetics or polyester, wax paper or parchment paper, and your bags.  I did an 8 ply which is simply 8 layers of plastic, so with the sleeves I used 4 bags.  It only takes 15-20 seconds for the plastic to bond, press each side, it will scrunch up and get a leathery look, once pressed pull off the paper, if it's not all bonded together repeat the pressing.  You can reuse the wax paper till it has holes in it.

  Next I cut out the wallet, it's an old pattern from the 80's but kind of neat, I put a zipper in this time, you can find tons of patterns online for free.  This wallet was made with 2 red bags and 4 blue bags to give it the maroon/pink color, I put the blue bags in between the red bags.  In this case the red bags are for the Sunday paper, bigger and the blue bags the daily so they are smaller.

The peace purse I just started cutting and made a strap about 30" long, should be longer for todays bags.  It has a slanted flap and slanted pocket.  I have zig zagged around everything to hold it all together and I like the look.  I believe you need to keep a longer stitch length when doing these projects or you will perforate the plastic and it will tear apart.

The skys the limit with this one!!!  I'm thinking rain hats,  rain coat???, any kind of tote or purse, wallet, cell phone holder, diaper bag, this list goes on and on!!!  What a cheap and easy project for kids and adults, going completely green!!!!!

Dubuque, Iowa or Florida!!!!!!

 

                           Which would you pick???? 
Well, we tried for Florida but that wasn't a happening so our next choice was a 2 day trip to Dubuque!!!!!  For those who know us we spent years being  river rats cruising up and down the Mississippi River with our kids and boat!!!  We had a blast and traveled to Louisiana, MO. to the top of the St Croix and  to Hastings, MN.  Many trips were to Dubuque to drop in and then head North or South, so we never spent much time in the area other than the boat launch.  And now years later they have opened up the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, what a wonderful place.  We learned so much about the River History, boat manufacturing, local history, the fish, a really cool river fly over from the head waters to the gulf.  A really great experience!!!!  Then we had a chance to polk around in the shops and spent the night in downtown Dubuque.  I was quite surprised at the cute shops and a shoe store I couldn't believe, WOW. cool shoes!!!!

Here's Davie with the catfish, they were really BIG!!!!!

 And the dull stuff, here's a tutorial on letting pant hems down!!!!

Gad, can't get much more exciting!!!! 

 Well, these are some pretty cool black and gray pants.  I'll let you in on the price of the black pants.....can you guess???
These pants warrant the finest treatment as they retail for $655., yeah you heard me!!!! 

So, I let the existing hems down and press them nicely with a press cloth.
  Then I open up the inside seam about and inch from the bottom.

 I then cut a nice piece of black ling 6" wide by the width around the pant hem.
 I do this on the straight of grain no bias.
 I then fold the strip in half so it is 3" wide and with the raw edges I sew it to the hem, then I edge stitch it so it stays in place, like a facing, which it is!!!!
Then I go back to the open seam and lay the pants out to make sure the slight flare from the last hem in taken in so it is perfectly straight.

Turn up your facing and press, I hand stitched these hems but they could be done in a blind-stitch.
 This way you have a double facing which is more likely the weight of the fashion fabric and a clean edge to sew the hem down.

 We are seeing hems being really narrow, 1-11/2" is really common, this is only a cost factor to save money, a quality pant has a deeper hem so the pant hangs nicely.

  Not everyone has this problem but for those who do it's nice to know they can be let down and no one is the wiser!!!       

                             Well, we are going to hit 50' in Wisconsin, can hardly believe it!!!!!!!

                                 

Winter Projects!!!

This time of year is usually slower than other times so I have more time to fool around!!!  I acquired this hot pink sweater in a throw away bag and it happened to be 90% wool, so I quick washed and dried it and made up these mittens and headband. 

 The mittens are the generic pattern people are using for the sweater mittens that are so popular this year, again!!!  And the band is just a piece  approx. 8"x 19", measure your head and allow for the stretch, it must go around!!!????  Then I free hand cut out flowers in 3 sizes and some circles, a few vintage silver buttons and you have a flowered head band.  I hand sewed on the flowers and buttons and tacked the petals so they didn't all droop!!!! 

 Kind of fun!!!

Next I have a customer who has a 2 year old grandson in the Seattle area and he loves to cook with his Mom!!! 

 So we made a Valentines apron for him.  

I had no idea what size, my boys are a tad older!!, so my friend Carolyn drafted me a pattern and I cut the apron and pockets and straps from denim and red hearts and initial. 

 Very simple, applique the hearts and initial on and sew the straps in place, cut out a lining of whatever and sew around, turn inside out and press

 Topstitch around the apron to close up your opening for turning.

  I made the neck closure with Velcro. 

 Hope the mini chef likes his new apron!!!!

And for my two  favorite girls I can make up some for your daughters!!!!!!!

It's been quite the winter, we are very cold here and so much snow all over the midwest, hope everyone can dig out!!!! 

 It's the best time for sewers and crafters, much more fun to hang out in the sewing room this time of year than summer!!!!!

  Happy Shoveling!!!

I Love My Dogs!!!!!

I was paging thru Veranda magazine and found my chair and ottoman and it was pictured with 3 pillows and a throw, one was a dog bone!!!!!!  This is what I've been looking for!!!!  So I quick cut out a dog bone and dug around in my stash and found the corduroy with the gold labs and presto!!! a new pillow for me!!!  Then I got to thinking about my dogs and of course Cody is the easiest, so denim, old scrap jeans and the Alabama Chanin applique technique and another personalized pillow!!!

To make these fun pillows I took some newspaper and drew out the bone shape then folded the paper in quarters and cut it out so it was even all around.  Then I cut out 2 pieces for the front and back and a 3" gusset to go all around.  Then I made the trim with bias tape and cording.  Sew the cording on first with a zipper foot to get nice and close.  I appliqued the pillow top first, then put on the cording, mark your top so you start in the same place for the gusset. front and back.  Sew up and leave an opening, stuff, sew shut and you are ready freddy!!!

I think these could be great gifts for doggie lovers!!!!!

We had quite the blizzard here in Wisconsin this week, lots of shoveling!!!!

  Now that, that is over with, time for Spring and nice weather!!!!! 

 Happy Sewing!!!!