Stripey Plantain

 

I've had the Deer and Doe Plantain pattern cut out and sitting on my table for quite some time now.  I'm so glad I finally took the time to make it. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a free pattern and it's really great!

 I couldn't decide what fabric to use and finally settled on this blue and white striped knit from Girl Charlee.  I bought the fabric this summer intending to use it for a jersey  summer dress (tutorial HERE).  But it ended up being a bit too slinky and so on the shelf it sat. 

 I'm not sure how I feel about the elbow patches.  Maybe I should have done them in something more subdued. 

Overall, I love this pattern and will definitely make it again.  The fabric ended up having a really nice drape and is very comfortable.  I even got a compliment in the hall at work.  Check out the Deer and Doe Pinterest page for more inspiration.

Forget the Brown Bag, Lunch in Style

 One of the things I enjoy about blogging is that my blog serves as a personal journal of my creations.  I recently decided it's time for a new lunch tote and was kind of shocked to look back and see that the one I'm using is almost 3 years old!  Back then, I was asked to do a guest post and wanted to make something really functional.  An insulated, zippered, washable, lunch tote fit the bill.

 It was really fun to follow my own tutorial.  Since I have this problem of never wanting to do the same thing twice, I of course changed things up.  I used nylon on the inside instead of PUL and added interfacing to the exterior fabric.

The size is perfect and it stands up nicely.

I'd also been getting quite a few comments on the original post asking for dimensions of the finished bag.  I finally updated the tutorial page and added the dimensions as well as a few clarifications.  If there are any readers out there that have been waiting for that, sorry it took so long!  But if you head over to the original tutorial HERE, you'll find all the updated info.

 I'm really excited to head off to work tomorrow with my new lunch sack.  And, I'm working on a slightly smaller version to send to school with my kids.  Their current lunch bags get so stinky and I'm tired of not being able to throw them in the wash.  

Check back soon!

2, 4, 6, 8, who likes to PROCRASTINATE...

 This past week the kids have been off from school for February break.  We did a lot of fun family activities which meant not a lot of sewing got done.  So when Saturday rolled around and I finally got a little time, did I work on the unfinished projects that NEEDED to get done?  Nope, I totally procrastinated and decided to make a new ironing board cover instead.

The old cover had pretty much disintegrated and I was planning on buying a new one.  But, in an effort to use up fabric from the stash, I decided to make one.  I couldn't find a great tutorial to follow, so I just cut the elastic off the old one, traced my new fabric a little larger and made a casing.  I was being kind of cheap about it and decided to use a sturdy string to pull the casing tight rather than elastic.  It didn't work the best.

 I was able to reuse the hook and loop fasteners on the bottom, which helped.  While I was in the procrastination mood, I made a little tool organizer.

I attached it to the side with some adhesive hook and loop tape.

 A simple sleeve roll stuffed with fabric scraps.

 I also made a simple, weighted pin cushion.  I've dropped my plastic, magnetic pin cushion one too many times.  This one was super easy.  Just slipped a bean bag in the bottom and fiberfill stuffing in the top.

 Now that I've got a nice, neat, pressing station, I guess I can do some real work.

What do you do when you're procrastinating the projects you NEED to do?