Knit-aholic

 

I have a confession....

I've been hoarding knits lately.  The time I've been spending acquiring fabric is starting to far exceed the time I'm been spending sewing fabric.  It's a problem.  But, I'm working on it, and hoping to tackle this pile this Mother's Day weekend.

What about you, do you love fabric shopping like I do?  Got any fun weekend plans?   

Easy Camera Strap TUTORIAL

We're going on vacation soon, and I thought it was about time I prettied up my camera strap.  I've seen a lot of different tutorials for straps, but really didn't want to make the sleeve type.  I didn't want it to slide around at all, and since I have more than 1 strap, I figured I would just go ahead and sew a cover on.  Here's what I did.

First, I measured my strap.  I wanted to cover up the little buttons on each end, so my strap measured 22 inches long by 1.5 inches wide.  Be sure to measure just the part you want to cover, not the whole strap, unless you really want to cover the whole strap.

Fabric dimensions = (strap length + 1 inch) by (strap width x 4) 

 I cut my fabric to be 23 inches long by 6 inches wide.

I learned in my first attempt that my machine was not happy trying to sew through the leather on the ends, so I decided to fold the ends to the wrong side 1/2 inch and sew in place, so the ends will already be finished.

Fold fabric in half and press.  Open it up and fold the edges to the center, so you've basically folded your fabric in quarters.

 Sandwich the camera strap inside.

 Then fold over and pin the fabric along the edge.  Sew along each long side.  Notice that the short end looks like it's already sewn down

 Pretty new camera strap!  Ready for vacation.

Did you know you can't take a photo of your camera strap unless you have another camera?  Or a mirror I guess.  I don't like taking mirror photos, I always look slightly deranged.  Thank goodness for camera phones.  

Enjoy your new strap!

TUTORIAL: Fabric Bookmark with Pocket

Here's a simple little tutorial you can whip up just in time for Mother's Day.

Who wouldn't love to receive a pretty bookmark with a little gift card or special note tucked in a clear pocket?

Grab some scraps and let's get to work.

 You'll need:  

• 2 fabrics rectangles, 3.25inches x 7 inches
• 1 rectangle of mid-weight, fusible interfacing 2.5inches X 6.25 inches (I use Craft Fuse)
• 1 scrap piece of vinyl
• optional ribbon scrap 

 With right sides together, sew around all  sides with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving a small opening for turning on one short end.

 Clip the corners, turn right-side-out and iron.

Fold interfacing in thirds and slide it inside the bookmark.

 Then using a pen or knitting needle, flatten it out

Iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

 If you are using a ribbon, fold it in half and insert the raw ends into the opening, pin in place.

 Grab your vinyl scrap and lay it on top of bookmark.  It should be about 3 inches tall.  Don't worry about the width, you'll trim it later.  It's best to have it hang over the sides, it makes it easier to sew.

Sewing with vinyl is like sewing oilcloth, it can be tricky.  My walking foot had no problem at all with this.  If you don't have a walking foot, there are some great tips HERE at sew, mama, sew.

With the vinyl in place, top-stitch all around, making sure to catch all the vinyl (this won't be a problem if you cut it larger than the bookmark) and close the opening you left for turning.

Add a gift card or note and you're done!

 A sweet little gift for someone special.

 Your mom, a friend, a favorite teacher....

Who will you give yours to?

A Little Fun in the Sun

We are on vacation this week, and are thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

We've dipped our toes in the sand and ocean.

And seen some really cool wildlife.

 

And what trip would be complete without a little fabric shopping.  All these fabrics are from Joanns, but ones I haven't been able to find in my local store.  

The perfect souvenir for me.

When you're too busy to sew....might as well shop!

Every year it seems like summer comes and though I think I'm going to have more free time, I end up with less. We've been doing a lot of fun stuff, but I've definitely felt too busy to do much sewing.

One fun thing we do every year is make a trip up to Portsmouth NH to visit a good friend for the 4th of July. He thinks the only reason we come is so I can visit this place.....


I stumbled on Portsmouth Fabric Company a few years ago just wandering around downtown. It's on a side street with little else and was such a wonderful surprise.

So on our recent trip up, I stocked up on some beautiful designer fabric that I can only really get online.

Can't go wrong with Amy Butler polka-dots.

I think I was channeling fall on this particular trip.

Gotta love owls.

Something for the boy. The airplane fabric on the left was 70% off!


I was on the fence about this one, but it was also 70% off making it something like $2.50 a yard, so I just went with it.

Portsmouth Fabric only carries woven fabrics and these days, my passion has really been for knits. So, despite all my shopping, I wasn't 100% satisfied until I found these beautiful and unique knits.

Now I just need a little time to sit down and sew! At least my little assistant can enjoy my new fabric in the mean time.

Hope you're having a fun summer!

DIY Fabric Jewelery

I love jewelery, but often find that it looks better on others than on me. So, rather than invest a fortune in jewelery I won't end up wearing, I looked for some tutorials to make my own. Here are 2 great tutorials. I really like the finished pieces, and have actually worn them!

I found this necklace tutorial on Pretty Ditty. I made 3 colors and love them all.


I've seen these rolled flowers a lot, and I have to say, this was the best tutorial. And, she makes the flowers as a pin, so you can take it off or change it out depending on the outfit. So fun!



Need some new earrings? Try this tutorial over at Ginger, Boo and Pickles.

I made mine smaller and changed the shape slightly. I love that she uses recycled plastic. Chances are you've got everything you need to make these lying around the house.

Here's another beautiful necklace I saw recently.

Got a favorite fabric jewelery tute? Leave me a comment with the link and I'll add it to the post.