Getting Organized // New Clothing Labels

 Over Thanksgiving break, I took advantage of the extra time off and went through my fabric.  I folded and organized and put together a bag of fabric to donate to a friend's business.  I love to buy fabric and end of buying more than I actually use.  So I made a pledge to not buy any new fabric until I use a bunch of what I've already got.  Part of that means sewing up some items to sell in my etsy shop.

I did a few craft events in November and ended up feeling a little disappointed with how much stuff I didn't sell.  It's not really about the money for me, I have a full time job and don't think I'd enjoy sewing if I depended on it as my primary income.  What I do enjoy is making cute things for cute people, ie baby clothes!  My kids are getting old enough now that they are pickier about their clothes and truthfully, their clothes are big enough that it takes so much fabric to make something for them, it's cheaper to buy them things...  It's not always about saving money, but that's a whole separate post. 

 So, in an effort to use the fabric I have, I've been making lots of cute baby things that will be listed soon.  I've been wanting to make new labels for my baby clothes for a LONG time and finally took the time to do it.  I designed the label in Powerpoint so that when it's folded in half, one side has my shop name and the other has the size.

 I printed the labels on printable fabric, cut and ironed.  I think they are so cute and I'm really happy with the way they look sewn into the side seam of the baby clothing.

It's amazing how something so little can feel so satisfying!

Baby Cuteness // Lotta Jansdotter's Snuggler

All of a sudden, a number of people in my life are having babies, which has rekindled my interest in sewing for babies!  I happened across Lotta Jansdotter's Snuggler pattern, and oh my goodness, the cuteness is too much!  The pattern is a free download HERE.  Assembling the pattern is not at all intuitive, so I took a picture of mine assembled.  It might be helpful to see how it goes together, and note, there is quite a bit of overlap in the pieces.

If you're a regular reader, you know that I pretty much never follow a pattern the way it's written.  Don't know if that's my way of being a rebel or contrary.  Anyway, I decided the corners of the flaps would be cuter rounded, so I used a small bowl to round them out. 

 I also decided to sew mine from knit fabric only.  I didn't use the instructions that came with the pattern since it doesn't have many pictures and I'm a really visual person.  Instead I just followed along with this post.  These days I'd rather look at the pictures on my screen.

 I took the above picture because when I got to this point in the pattern, I was worried I had done something wrong because mine seems to look fairly different from the pattern picture.  I think mine is fine and the pattern picture just doesn't show what it should look like that accurately.  Not bashing the pattern, it's super cute and free.  Just trying to help out anybody else out there who might be struggling with it.

The end result is crazy cute!  The one on the right is the pattern as is, which seemed a bit big for a newborn.  I tried to size the pattern down to a more typical newborn size, which is the one on the left. 

 This one is newborn sized, lined with an incredibly soft microfleece, and has a matching hat!

I cannot wait to see an actual baby in one of these!  It's going to be a few months....  So, what shall I make next?

Self Drafted Laptop Bag

This fall has seemed to fly by in a blur.  Between the start of school, both kids birthdays, Halloween and getting ready for some upcoming craft fairs, I haven't done much sewing just for the fun of it.  Luckily all that stuff is pretty much behind me and though I know it's right around the corner, I'm not quite ready to think about the holiday season yet.

 I recently got a new, much smaller, work laptop and therefore needed a new bag for it.  I searched online and couldn't really find anything that met my needs. 

I wanted something small, but larger than just a laptop sleeve.  It needed to have handles, room for my power cord and a few extra odds and ends. After much searching, I decided to just make my own.  I was surprised at how easy it ended up being.

I measured my computer and drafted a bag just slightly larger than the laptop itself.  I used some home dec vinyl I had in my stash to make the handles.

And as usual, I dove into this project not sure if it would turn out well or not, so I didn't take any pictures along the way. Turns out, I LOVE this bag and wish I had taken pictures so I could post a tutorial.  

I'm thinking I'll either make one to sell or make one to give as a gift.  Either way, there will most likely be a tutorial in the near future. 

Have a lovely weekend!