Sewing

Getting Ready For The Fall Craft Shows

I am thinking about going to a couple of craft shows in November and December as a vendor, so I am making things to get ready for it. Since I live in an RV, I have to make small things so I will have room to store them. In my previous life I used to go to craft shows to sell my stuff, but I made things like soap and bath salts that were heavy. I just don’t have anywhere to keep stuff like that anymore in quantities large enough to make it worth my while to go to the shows with.

Way back then, I made teddy bears and hobby horses, appliqued dish towels, and a couple of other things, too. I thought about making some teddy bears, but when I took out my pattern, I was missing a piece of it. Can’t make a teddy with no head now can we?

I love doing the shows–you meet so many people, other crafters, and it’s just fun. And sometimes you sell something!

craft show stuff — A little bit of everything

I also love decorating the tables and setting up an attractive display. Sometimes it can be challenging. Things have changed since the late 90’s when I was doing the craft show circuit. Back then, I could only take cash payments. I am thinking now, I could take my laptop with me and I could take payments through Paypal over the internet, like instant money!

So, today while I was thinking about what to make, I came up with several ideas for things. First, ever since I lost my manicure kit, I have been trying to develop a little zipper one, not too big, but big enough to hold all the manicure tools plus a couple bottles of nail polish. This is the first attempt:

P8190020 — first attempt at a manicure kit

While this one is pretty, it is not functional–the tools fall out the open sides. So, today, I designed a different one, that has a zipper closure, and has little pockets inside to hold everything. It is even big enough to hold a couple bottles of nail polish:

I just need to adjust my pattern to make it a little bit bigger on all sides, like maybe 1/4 inch, so that the tools will fit better.

I am also going to make some more of those little zipper bags:

And some more business card wallets:

P9090032 — love the little zipper pockets

So, I think I have a lot of sewing ahead of me in the weeks to come. What else can I make that would be 1. small, 2. lightweight, and 3. would sell well??????

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Amelia In Her Curtain Dress

Karen · 7 Comments

You remember I bought an antique curtain panel and made it into a dress for Amelia, my newest granddaughter?

Well, look at this gorgeous photo I got today:

amelia in the dress I made. — Amelia in her gorgeous dress

She is just so dang cute!

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I Made It! Blog Party

Karen · 3 Comments

I discovered the other day that my camera is not the only thing I lost on my last trip. I had a neat little manicure kit for more than 20 years, that just disappeared. It was leather, and had a little zipper closure, and loops inside to hold everything. I have looked everywhere for it, and decided today that I would have to make a new case to hold all those little tools.

I made up the pattern as I went along. It is a little larger than I wanted it to be, but since this is the first attempt, that can be remedied in the future. I also poked a hole in one corner when I was turning it, so this one is mine forever.

manicure kit 02 — See that little hole in the corner?

So, there ya have it–my first attempt at a manicure kit case. It’ll work for the purpose, and I can make alterations on the next one.

To see all of the I Made It! Blog Party post, click on the Everything Etsy Icon:

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I Made It! Blog Party

Karen · 3 Comments

Pretty

I make these tote bags to sell in my shop. Today, my niece, Stefanie, asked me to make one for her friend who is having a baby girl. I had this “Pack Your Bags” fabric in the cabinet, and I thought it would make a cute diaper bag for a baby girl. It has Eiffel Towers on it, and the words say: “love-hope-dream-wonder-travel”. I think it turned out pretty good.

Want your own bag? I sell them for $35 plus shipping. You can email me and I can let you know what fabrics I have on hand, or you can tell me what color you would like to have. They are pretty big, measuring about 18″ wide by 13″ tall, with pockets inside. One of my daughters uses hers for a knitting bag, one uses hers for a book bag for shcool (she’s a teacher), and one uses hers for a diaper bag. What would you use yours for?

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Amelia’s Dress Finished

Karen · 5 Comments

This has turned out to be a very satisfying project. That curtain panel really looks great in the finished product.

The pattern I used does not call for an overskirt, so when I cut the skirt, I cut it about 3 inches wider on each side than the underskirt, so that it would be “fluffy”. I also cut it with the original hem at the bottom, and cut it 3 1/4 inches shorter than the underskirt, so that when I hemmed the underskirt, it is just the right length.

Here is the pattern I used, McCall’s 2053. I bought it in 1999, when Miss Sarah was born, and used it to make a dress for her, too. Her’s was a baby plaid seersucker. It turned out just as cute. I made that hat for Sarah, too. I’m thinking this dress needs a more “baby bonnet” looking hat, though.

I finished the back with baby snaps instead of a button, so that it will be easier on her mommy when she is dressing Amelia. Can’t wait to see the pictures, except that it is about the size to fit a 6-8 month old so I will have to wait. Sigh.

I’m sharing this on Everything Etsy’s “I Made It!” Blog Party

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Something New In My Shop!

Karen · 6 Comments

copy-quilt-01 — Amelia's Quilt Pattern available in PDF file.

I have written up the instructions for making Amelia’s Quilt, and made it into a PDF file. There are lots and lots of pictures showing each step of the way. If you’d like to make your own baby quilt, you can get your own copy of the pattern for $5.00 by clicking here.

DSCN2181 — I love to see quilts hanging on a line.

DSCN2196 — Here's the back of the quilt.

OH! and quilts always look better with a baby!

amelia and her quilt 4 days old — There she is with the quilt I made for her. Sweet!

Sorry, I can’t provide the cute baby, you gotta do that yourself. But doesn’t the quilt look so much sweeter with Miss Amelia sleeping on it?

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A New Dress For Amelia

Karen · 4 Comments

Yesterday when I was in Kanab, I found this old curtain panel in an antique shop for $4.00.

DSCN4251 — Soon to be a fluffy baby dress!

Today I made this dress for Amelia. The bodice is lined and it has an underskirt, both made with a piece of fabric I got in 2002 in a thrift shop in Forsyth, Georgia. There used to be an Arrow Shirt Factory there, and this fabric was once used for making expensive men’s dress shirts. I think I paid about 5o cents for a yard of it. It was just right for this dress.

Here is a close up of the bodice. I used a piece of lace around the neckline because the sheer fabric showed the seams in an ugly way.

I still have to finish the hem and put on a button on the back, but I am so happy with the way this project turned out. And I can’t wait to see a pic of Amelia modeling her dress.

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A Day In Kanab, Utah

Karen · 6 Comments

Remember this? Well, today we added more to it. We got up very early to go to Kanab, Utah. It’s an 85 mile drive, with a one hour time difference once you cross the Utah border. We wanted to get there by 8:00 a.m. Utah time because we were having work done on the truck. So, we left about 5:50 (Arizona time), went to pick up Gaelyn of Geogypsy, and took off.

DSCN4237 — Gorgeous sky in the Kaibab National Forest

Early morning in the Kaibab National Forest, just outside the gates of the Grand Canyon National Park, is always interesting. You might see deer, turkeys, a coyote, or a buffalo out there. Today we saw this beautiful sky.

We got to the auto shop just at 8:00, and dropped off the truck. They gave us a loaner vehicle so we wouldn’t have to sit around there all day. We went to Houston’s Trails End Restaurant for breakfast, then headed about a mile or so north of town to the private campground where our friends, Marcie and Jim, and Chris, are staying while they are workamping in Kanab. I didn’t think about taking pictures while I was there, but that campground has some wonderful scenery around it.

Marcie and Chris are going to be staffing a booth at The Kane County Farmers Market, which will be held every Saturday from the last weekend in May through the middle of October, beginning at 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Chris makes some really cute “tea bag wallets”, which are big enough to hold 4-6 tea bags for hot tea. What a great idea! Marcie makes crocheted items, which I unfortunately did not see. But, if you find yourself in Kanab on a Saturday morning this summer, go on over and check out our stuff. They are going to be selling some of my things, too. Thank you so much, girls! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.

When we left their place, we went over to the Family Dollar store, where I picked up some packing tape and another cute dress for Amelia. (yeah, I know, I have it bad, hehehe). There just happened to be a thrift shop next door, so we went in to see what they had. I picked up a luggage carrier for a good price to use to take my laundry to the laundry room. By then, it was almost time for my hair appointment.

Since the post office is right behind the hair salon, we parked there and I finished packing up the things I had to mail out. Heads up to all my kids, I sent gifts out to all the grandkids today. They should get them soon. Got the hair cut and made an appointment for a pedicure in two weeks, and another hair cut in 5 weeks. Yay!

We went to another thrift shop, the one for the hospital auxiliary, where they had these cute fabrics for 50 cents a piece, for 1/2 yards!

DSCN4244 — Lots of inexpensive fabric. Yes!

I also picked up all this lace trim, for practically nothing!

DSCN4246 — Almost a hundred yards of laces, for less than $5.00!

The best bargain of the day, though, was this fabulous thread bin, full of thread, for $15! Some of that thread is silk. And all of the spools are wooden, which I haven’t seen in years. OH, I am just loving this!

DSCN4242 — Some of this thread is silk! a great bargain here.

And last, here is a lovely piece of fabric, all pink and flowery. It is actually an 84″ X 26″ curtain panel, that I picked up for $4.00 in Deja Vu Antiques. I am planning to use it to make a fluffy dress for Amelia. Yes, like Scarlett O’Hara, she will be wearing the drapes before she is old enough to walk. Hahahaha. But, don’t you think that is just soooo pretty?

Somewhere in there, we went grocery shopping, and ate some lunch at Escobar’s. Finally, around 4:00 p.m, they got finished with the truck. They added a Banks Intercooler under the hood. See all those new manly pipes! FabGrandpa is in “guy heaven”.

DSCN4255 — Those gray pipes were added to increase the flow of air to the turbo.

And FabGrandpa finally got to add the Banks sticker to our truck. One on each side. He says they only cost $1100, each.

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