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snipits from the sewing room

Happy Monday! I finally made it back into my sewing room (after winter break), and it feels great! Working on backpack dolls for the shop, and birthday gifts for little friends.

I hope you are having a great Monday too!

NEW in the shop -- FREE shipping!

 

NEW Backpack Dolls in the shop! - FREE Shipping!!- 

=== Gift wrapped and ready to ship ===

Happy Holidays!

wine cork fabric printing

The last experience I had with DIY fabric prints left me excited to try it out with other objects from around the house.  So, when I came across a wine cork while cleaning the kitchen I knew immediately what my next print design would be...

Polka-dots!
After gathering a few supplies, I was able to create a fun print in just a few minutes for the backpack I was working on.

(My little helper created his own design on paper)

I used a paint brush to fill in the spots that were missing paint.   

Once the paint dried, I finished cutting and assembling the backpack pieces. The lining, backpack straps, and doll dress were all made using scraps from these teacher gifts.

I really enjoy making these backpack dolls because each one is unique, and I can't wait to see how the next one will turn out.. I wonder what new "stamp" I will come across next?!

Thanks for stopping by!

backpack doll #2

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I would be willing to make a backpack doll for her niece and I jumped at the chance.  Since the moment I completed the first backpack doll, I have been anxiously waiting for an opportunity to try out some new ideas. 

The basic doll pattern stayed the same, but I revamped the backpack by scaling it down in size and making the straps adjustable. 

 As a fun touch, I created my own print design for the backpack fabric by using the end of a triangle ruler as a stamp. 

I really love how this one turned out, and the best part... it cost less than $2.00!

Because I was able to find all the fabric I needed in my stash and salvaged the strap hardware off of an old backpack, the only expense was the zipper.  

A one of a kind AND inexpensive gift - LOVE IT!

teacher gifts: ombre zip pouches

For Teacher Appreciation Day, our preschool parents decided it would be fun to pool our money and send the teachers for a well-deserved spa treatment, so I offered to make zip pouches to use as the gift card holders. 

I whipped up these little ombre zip pouches using Anna's lil' cutie pouch tutorial and one of Target's fun ombre tablecloths. While at target, I also picked up some leather boot laces for the zipper pulls.

I love giving handmade gifts, but I also know how much teachers love to get gift cards, and these pouches offer the perfect combination the two! They came together in no time at all, and I still have a ton of fabric left over that would make really cute matching tote bags! ... Mother's Day gifts?! Maybe!

 

Thank you to all of the wonderful teachers out there - we appreciate everything you do for our kiddos!

backpack doll

A cute little friend of ours is turning 4 this week - finally, an excuse to make girly stuff. Yippee!

Having never made a backpack before, I went with a very simple design - a rectangle with rounded corners.  Using my son's backpack for reference, I measured out a rough* size, and then sketched a pattern.
 
*next time I will adjust the height just a little - 3" shorter and it would have been perfect.

 

The backpack was new territory for me, but when the time came to make the doll I felt pretty confident. A few years ago I went through a doll making phase and, in the process, created my own doll pattern which came in handy for this project.

Unfortunately, I lost every ounce of that confidence when it was time to draw on the face (as you can tell by the blank face in the photos). Messing up meant I would have to make an entirely new doll, and I REALLY didn't want to do that. It took me nearly a week to muster up the courage.

The skirt was inspired by the Market Skirts from MADE. I just adore this pattern, and when I came across the leftover fabric from the last Market Skirts I made, I knew I had to make a mini version. (It would have been really fun to make a matching big girl skirt to tuck inside the backpack.)  

I had such a great time making this gift, and I really hope I get the chance to make more in the near future.


Happy Birthday Miss Nora!

starting my morning with a POW!

I finally got my hands on one of these handy-dandy little lids for my morning coffee. For years we have been using mason jars as drinking glasses, so when I heard about these cool lids I had to have one. And just for the fun of it, I whipped up a super easy Cuppow cozy out of recycled felt.  How fun would it be to personalize these and give them as gifts!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

late night crafting:: valentine's day gifts

I'm up late tonight trying to get the bulk of the boys' school Valentine's Day gifts finished, and I wanted to pop in and say HI! Nothing like a little proCRAFTination to get the creative juices flowin' at midnight!

 

I hope EWE have a great weekend!