Bike Bucket for a Boy

 My friend Roselee and her kids were over last week for some biking and she commented that it was time to make my son a bike bucket.  She has made some really cute ones for her girls. 

 So I followed the same Noodlehead tutorial she used and voila, bike bucket for a boy!  

The one thing I did differently is make the lining about 2 inches taller than the exterior, so I could just fold it over and sew in place, rather than sewing a separate binding on the top.

My son is just starting to really ride his bike, and yes, he is riding his older sister's hand-me-down Dora bike.  Now much more manly with his construction themed bucket.

The perfect spot to carry along a special friend.

A New Friend

I'd like to welcome my new friend, Janome DC2010. I've been looking at new sewing machines since right before I left for Florida. My trusty Kenmore that I've had for almost 12 years started having some bobbin problems and it was going to cost more than it's worth to fix it.

Buying a new machine was really hard for me. I sew a lot (at least when I have time) and I've had my machine for a long time. I really love my Kenmore and up until now it's done an excellent job sewing all kinds of fabrics and layers. What finally sold me on getting a Janome, who by the way makes Kenmore machines, is the customer service. I bought it at a small shop about 30 minutes from my house where I know I can go anytime I have a question or problem. Not the case with Sears.

Anyway, the timing of this post over at Noodlehead couldn't have been better. Anna's tips helped solidify what I'd already decided. If you're in the market for a new machine, take a look at her advice, and here's my 2 cents.

• My Kenmore was great! Kenmore machines are made by Janome and do a great job and are a tad bit more affordable. But, you will get essentially no customer service.

• You don't necessarily need a lot of bells and whistles, depending on what you plan on sewing. My old machine had fewer stitches than my new machine does, and the majority of them I never used.
  

• Get a machine with an automatic buttonhole! This was one of my few absolute requirements on a new machine. A lot of entry level machines have this feature and I definitely think it's worth spending a little extra if you have to.

So far I'm in love with this machine.

I haven't had a ton of time to play with it....mostly because I've been playing with these 2 cuties. Florida was fun, but can't beat a good snow fort and sledding. The forecast is for more snow next week, to put on top of the 2+ feet we already have!


Hope you're enjoying the weather where you are!

Stefanie's Clutch

My coworker Stefanie mentioned the other day that she was having trouble finding a clutch to match her shoes and dress for her brother's wedding. I of course said "I'll make one for you!" It was a fun project to work on, took very little time, and she and I were both very happy with the results. Here's what I did.....

I used a free pattern on the Kwik Sew website, and this tutorial from noodlehead, which I had used before to make this clutch.

I cut out the pattern pieces as described, except for the front I cut a large rectangle about twice the width of the clutch front.



I did a gather along the top edge (2 parallel rows of stitching set at the longest stitch length), and ironed the gathers flat.



Then, I ironed the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric and cut around the edge to get make the gathered front of the clutch.



I finished it up following the instructions and then added a "glamour ring" to match her shoes.



I'm sure Stefanie will be VERY glamorous with this clutch.....and those shoes!

Noodlehead's Gathered Clutch

My first blog post! I've been following some amazing blogs and finally decided to take the plunge and put my own out there. Don't know who'll tune in, but it's fun to share my adventures in sewing, crafting, and family.

Here's a fun and relatively easy project I found on a great blog, Noodlehead. I had a little trouble with the zipper end covers, but overall, it was very easy and I love the end result.

Check out a great version from my good friend Roselee over at Jane of all Trades.