Eye Candy

This little pile of yum arrived at my doorstep today. Fresh piles of fabric turn me giddy!  I have plans of turning these into camera straps for my shop - which have been selling like hotcakes lately. I can't wait to get started!

 

apologies for the crappy photo - I was using the camera on my phone. 

Craft Show

So. I just realized that I completely forgot to share the details of my craft show with you guys. Oops! Better late then never? I guess that's what having two little ones tugging on your shirt tails does to a girl.

The show was a huge success in my opinion, an opinion that's based on three previous craft shows where I managed to just  barely break even. But, I was selling different wares and the economy was in a very different place when I did those shows. Of course, I gained a lot of experience with those shows and gave myself ample time to prepare this time around.

Anyway, on to the details.

As mentioned in previous posts, I spent hours upon hours preparing for the show. I searched the web endlessly for inspiration for displays, shopped till I could shop no more {who am I kidding, I thoroughly enjoyed that part} and of course sewed and sewed and sewed {yeah, I enjoyed that part too.}

And the result of all of those Months of hard work and preparation? I booth that I was extremely proud of.

Here is a photo showing the entire booth. The bare spot on the right is where I processed purchases and wrapped and bagged product.

Here's a closer shot showing my sanitizer keychain display, coffee cozies, zippered pouches, camera straps and some card wallets off in the left corner

Here's the other side of my booth showing some purses, wristlets, key fobs and bookmarks. 

Here, you can see the purses a little better as well as some of the zippered pouches and wristlets. You can also see how I modeled a camera strap on the dress form. Cool vintage camera huh? 

And, just because I think this was a pretty clever display, here are the bookmarks that sold like hotcakes. I filled a dollar store bowl with polly pellets  to help the book marks stand up on their own and allow people to be able to handle them without having to constantly adjust the display. Clever, huh?  

I found these cool ornament holders at Hobby Lobby to display my sanitizer keychains. They couldn't have been more perfect!

I really, really enjoyed this show, and am actually thinking about doing another one in March. We'll see though. I'm still a little burnt out from all of that sewing and have tons to list in my shop. Also, I've been working on another craft lately, but I'll have to save that for another post, since I need to keep it a secret for now. :) 

Hope you have a great week!

Six Days

I'm taking a lot of deep breaths today as I try to keep my composure. There are only 6 days until the craft show I'm participating in. This means I'm running around like a mad woman trying to tie up all of the loose ends and make sure I have everything I need to make this show a success.

I've sewed and sewed and sewed some more for the past few months and finally have an inventory that I'm quite proud of. Now that I'm decently comfortable with how many items I have to offer at the show, I'm moving on to presentation type details. I sent about 100 lunch bags through my printer today to end up with 45 acceptable bags to package small items in. I've spent countless hours in Photoshop creating artwork for signs and tags and now I'm gathering all of my display props, clerical necessities, and behind the scenes type stuff.

I hope with every fiber of my being that all of this hard work and preparation is not in vain. But even if it is, I'll at least have a boat load of new items to add to my etsy shop, Rhyah Papaya.

Here is the flier I created with all of the information for the show. If you're in the greater Chicago-land area, I'd love it if you came by to say hello!

Lots and Lots of Sewing

With only two weeks left, we're down to the wire with craft show preparations. I feel like I have been doing nothing but sewing for the past few months. I'm sure my husband and kids will be so relieved when the show is over so I can become and active participant in our family again.

I have lots of new things to offer in the show, which will be added to my shop after the holidays. Along with my typical card wallets, coffee cozies and sanitizer key chains (my three best sellers) I started making wristlets, zippered pouches, purses and camera straps. Oh my! Yes I've been busy!

As promised here are some photos of what I've been up to:

A yummy soft, slouchy tote measuring 12 x 11.5

A gathered wristlet - this picture really does the gathers no justice. 

A linen zippered pouch with gathered detail

And my favorite yet, a nice sturdy, stylish camera strap. 

Just to give you an idea of exactly how busy I've been, I've made about 30 card wallets, 50 coffee cozies, 30 sanitizer key chains, 20 camera straps and multiples upon multiples of everything else. I think I'm going to sleep for a week after this show is over. 

Ok, back to sewing! Hope you have a great week!

New Skirt or Your Selvage is Showing

Well, it's official. I'm 30. And oddly enough, I don't feel a tad bit older.

For my birthday I decided I would knock out some of the things on my thirty before thirty list, which has now become my thirty while thirty list. Ha. Maybe I should make it thirty one and add "learn to stop procrastinating."

Aaanyway, I wanted to dress up a bit so I decided it was high time to make a skirt (and wear it.) I decided on a wrap skirt and used this really simple tutorial posted on craftster. I used a lovely pale aqua print that I found at Joanns and lined it with a solid black broadcloth. I also used the solid black for the ties, which I think adds a nice touch of contrast.

 I just adore the way this skirt came out, and love that it's actually two skirts in one since it's reversible. I did make one tiny mistake though. If you look really close at the bottom of the skirt, you'll notice that the selvage is showing. Oops! This print had a particularly wide selvage and I completely overlooked it before cutting and sewing. I haven't decided how I want to fix it yet, so for now I'll just act as a walking billboard for Joanns. :)

Just one note about the tutorial if you're math challenged like me - the formula needs to be broken down to r = l/pi where l is your waist measurement plus 1/3. It took me a while to wrap my brain around it, so I figured I would spell it out for anyone else who may have trouble with that kind of stuff. Once you have your value for the radius, it's pretty straightforward from there.

Happy Sewing and Happy Friday! Hope you all have a good weekend!

Clothespin Bag Re-Do

We inherited this lovely lady with our old house, and while I absolutely adore her vintage charm, she was a bit dingy. (dingey?) Hmm. Dingy is a bit of an understatement. She was down right dirty and worn out!

So, as any sewist would do, I fashioned a new bag out of some super cute quilting cotton. With only two seams and a hem, I was done in no time at all. Now if only I had paid attention to how the frame came apart, I could have easily kept this project well under an hour. I think it took about 45 minutes including cutting and reassembly.  I swear I fumbled with that silly frame for 20 minutes though!

All fumbling aside, I now have a pretty little place to keep my clothes pins. I just love the smell of line dried laundry, and now I have one more excuse to hang my linens in the sun. As if I really needed an excuse, hanging laundry on the line is almost therapeutic. Don't you agree?

Toddler Backpack

From the first time I saw Made by Rae's Toddler Backpack, I knew I would make it for my daughter when she started school. I finished it up yesterday, just in time, as her first day of preschool is today. It'll have to wait to be broken in though, since she'll be missing her first day due to a nasty virus that has taken over our house. I'm not bitter though.

Anyway, if you have a little one entering preschool this year and would like to try your hand at making a special backpack for him/her, I definitely recommend trying her pattern. It was very easy to follow and I just adore the outcome. I don't have photos of my daughter wearing it yet but will be sure to share once she's over this cold and can make a fashionably late entrance.

I used corduroy (the floral) and twill (the green) and interfaced both. I used a lightweight interfacing and wish it was just a tad sturdier but it'll work just fine.

It's hard to tell, but the entire floral portion on the front is a slip pocket. This is not included in the pattern, but very easy to add. 

I also added an elasticized side pocket to hold a sippy cup. Also not in the pattern, but very easy to add. I'd be happy to write up a tutorial if there is enough interest.  

I love the way the bright green contrasts with the pinks and maroons. I must be really partial to this color combination because these are the same colors I used in her bedroom! :)

A Little Something for Myself

I don't use pins very often when I sew - yeah, I'm daring like that. So, I keep my pincushion up high on a shelf to keep it out of reach of curious little hands. Since those little hands are generally very close by while I'm sewing, I just reach up to grab a pin or two when I need them.

After today, I'll reach no more. I whipped up a cute little flower pin cushion with the help of this tutorial to keep just a few pins nearby. I added a ribbon so I can hang it on my spool rack, so it's still out of reach for my kids but very accessible to me. Yay!

Weekend Festivities

Ok, so I'm not too keen on posting a lot of photos of myself, but I had to take this opportunity to show you the adorable ensemble I put together for my family this weekend.

Over the weekend, this beautiful couple was responsible for giving me reason to run rampant...

...to put together these wonderfully coordinated outfits for their wedding. I was really hoping they would have a photographer taking photos of the guests on a backdrop so we could sneak in a family portrait. But, since they didn't, you'll have to settle for this less than professional snap shot.

Notice the matching red shoes and my son's little red bow-tie peeking out from behind his chubby little hand? I fashioned his bow-tie from this tutorial. Cute, no?

Oh yeah, please disregard the candy that my daughter is so thoroughly enjoying. It's near impossible to get all four of us looking good all at the same time!

And just so you can soak in the cute factor of our matching outfits a little more, here are a few more photos for you to enjoy

Isn't he just so handsome in his pinstripes?!

These two were non-stop all night long!

Of course, the night wouldn't have been 

complete without a dance with my daughter

Oh yes, and before I forget, I also made the red belt that I'm wearing. The dress came with a black in white belt that disappeared into the background, so I spiced it up by sticking a frayed fabric rosette onto a belt that I fashioned out of the same fabric from my son's bow-tie. 

Maybe I can coerce everyone ask everyone nicely to get dressed up again so we can have some professional photos taken.

Pouch Sling for a Doll

If you have a little girl, you probably know how much they adore playing with dolls. My daughter takes hers everywhere. I mean everywhere. The world stops if she leaves her behind. Anyway, like any other little girl, she loves to imitate me taking care of her little brother. This means breast feeding, rocking, and occasionally reminding her not to bite! Seriously, if there's ever a time that I need to watch my actions, it's now. That girl does everything I do!

Seeing how much she loves to care for her baby, I thought I'd complete the package and make her a sling of her very own to carry her baby in. I found this tutorial over at Chasing Cheerios. The only thing that I changed was that I used a french seam instead of the method that she used to sew the ends together.

My daughter is an average sized three year old and this sling fits her perfectly, so you may have to add and inch or so for older children. I just love the way this turned out, and I'm pretty sure my daughter does too!

Birthday Shirt Tutorial

I've made it a tradition to make a numbered birthday shirt like this one for my daughter each year. With her birthday fast approaching this Sunday, I thought it was high time I got my butt in gear and make one for her third birthday. While I was at it, I figured I would snap some pictures and put together a quick tutorial for those of you who might be interested in making one too.

Materials:
Blank T-Shirt
Coordinating fabric
Matching thread
Double Sided Fusible Web
Marker
Scotch Tape
Scissors
Iron
Sewing Machine

Once you have all of your materials, find a suitable font on your word processor with the number of your choice. Enlarge the font on the screen to the desired size. The font I used was Hobo set at 600, which measured approximately 3 inches across by 5 1/2 inches tall.

Take a sheet of your doubled sized fusible web and scotch tape it right to your computer screen. With a steady hand, trace your number right onto the fusible web's transfer paper. I find this method much easier than printing a gazillion copies to obtain the desired size and it also saves on paper. Go Green!

After tracing your number, rough cut the fusible web around your number. Do not cut on your trace lines like I did! It's much easier to cut both fabric and fusible web at the same time than to cut the fabric after you've already cut your web.  Remove the top layer of transfer paper and lay your number backwards on the wrong side of your fabric and iron according to manufacturer instructions. 

Now you can cut your number out on your trace lines and you will end up with a nice iron on applique that looks something like this:

Remove the transfer paper, position your applique on your t-shirt and iron into place according to manufacturer instructions.

Now head on over to your machine and set it to a appealing zig-zag stitch. I think mine was set at 3.5 stitch length and 1.0 spacing. Being very careful not to stretch your shirt as you sew, zig-zag close to the edge all the way around your number.

Remember to secure your stitches at the beginning and end. Snip your loose threads and you're done!

Whip up a cute little flower embellishment, hand sew in place and bribe cute little three year old to stand still long enough to take pictures.

Let me know if anything is unclear and I'll do my best to help. If you decide to try this for yourself, I'd love to see photos - just include the link in your comment. Happy Sewing everyone! :)

Peasant Tops

The weather has been slowly improving around here as the temperatures slowly rise, the sun is shining more and more often and the days are getting ever so slightly longer. I can feel Spring in my bones and am so excited to be able to play outside again.

In preparation for warmer weather I decided I would make a few of these peasant tops for my daughter, compliments of the fabulous tutorial over at indietutes. These were a lot of fun to make and went together really quick.


I'm thinking I might try a few more with long sleeves to bridge the gap between spring and summer. I'll also slope the arm hole cut inward a bit more next time so they don't bunch up so much in the chest. I think the turned out really cute, but more importantly my daughter adores them and that's what really matters most! :)

A Quilt in My Future?

My recent focus on spiffing up my son's room has really put my crafty prowess in overdrive and got me thinking about my daughter's room. We converted her crib to a full size bed just before my son was born and I have been struggling to find bedding to match her room ever since. I'm pretty darn picky when it comes to things matching, so lately I've been thinking that I might just make her bedding. What's that? I think I just heard the seams on my to-do list burst!

Yeah, I'm pretty good at piling too much on my plate, but I'm having a really hard time resisting these gorgeous fabrics

My daughter's room is done in green and pink and I think these fabrics would look beautiful as a modified version of the Oh, Fransson! Simple Modern Baby Quilt. Of course a prerequisite to taking on this project is finishing my son's room first. What do you think? Am I crazy? I've never done a quilt before, so I'm a tad nervous.

New Window Treatments for Cheap

Ever since the hubs and I moved into our home three years ago I've been struggling with what type of window treatments I'd like to hang on our ginormous bay window. I've gone full circle from wanting fancy decorator fabric, breezy white linen, geometric patterns and damask. I simply couldn't make up my mind so, for three whole years our bay window has been bare and drab.


Then out of the blue, one day it hit me like a ton of bricks - Burlap! It's cheap, has lots of texture and character and comes in an array of colors. Off to Joann's I went with my 50% off coupon in tow! I chose an off white-ish burlap called oyster and paid a whopping nine dollars for 5 1/2 yards! I definitely can't complain about that!

I already had a few beskada curtain rods and riktig curtain rings from ikea just waiting for me to decide on a fabric, so all I had left to do was sew them up, hang my rods and enjoy. I made one two inch fold on each end of the burlap, a simple straight stitch across, hung them and called my room transformed. Seriously, these simple (and cheap) little curtains make the room feel so much more cozy and I just love the texture and the way they break up the sea of dark brown.

I absolutely love the way these look in my living room, (this picture really does them no justice) but there are a few things that I should note. 1) these curtains are not wide enough to close, since my window is over 12 feet wide. I'm totally ok with that though, since it's east facing and we don't spend a lot of time in that room anyway. If you have a window this large and would like to try burlap, you might try fagoting two selvages together. Burlap has such an open weave, a seam would be very obvious. 2) burlap has a pretty funky smell to it, so be sure to have some febreeze on hand! I didn't wash mine first because burlap can be kind of finicky and requires hand washing so I just gave them a good spritz to freshen them up.

There you have it! Cheap, easy curtains that add lots of character. Have you come up with a cheap solution for your window treatments? I have a few other windows that need some love, so I'd love to hear your ideas!

Celebrate the Boy

Have a little boy? Need new ideas and patterns for things to make for boys? Dana and Rae have come to the rescue in a crafting world saturated with girly stuff!

When my daughter was little it was super easy to find fun projects to sew for her, but it's a whole different story having a little boy. Aside from bibs, appliqued shirts and soft soled shoes, what else is there to sew for little boys? Dana and Rae at MADE and Made by Rae have set out to change the way of thinking when it comes to sewing for boys and are sharing ideas and guest posts dedicated solely to the little guys out there! Click the buttons below to visit their blogs and see the crazy cute things they come up with all. month. long! Happy crafting everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - The Princess and the Frog

Handmade Christmas Part 2

Last week I posted part 1 of our handmade Christmas and promised a part 2 and 3. So, up next are the gifts that I made for my Princess Nadija.

A toddler sized purse just perfect for carrying her own kool-aide flavored
chap stick, travel size lotion and of course a Santa Clause pez dispenser
all tucked inside for her to find on Christmas morning.

A miniature i-spy toy measuring about 5 inches square stuffed with
alphabet and number charms found at hobby lobby and filled with
poly pellets. This is the all time quiet toy - until she gets frustrated,
of course! :)

Ribbon covered barrettes to tame wispy little hairs.

And although this one didn't make it under the tree, I thought it would
be fun to add it here anyway. Here we have Mr. Sock Monkey sans arms,
ears, eyes and mouth. This was a rather simple project, but I have to tell you,
stuffing all of his parts proved to be rather tedious, which is exactly why he didn't
make it under the tree. There are three months until her 3rd birthday.
Maybe I'll finish him by then?

I also made her some leg warmers, but she snatched them up before I could take pictures. I'll be sure to take a few of her wearing them with her tutu - seriously CUTE. Stay tuned for part 3 featuring gifts for friends and family.