Family

My daughter.
She's so beautiful...
*sigh*

Photo by Jay Nolan (her daddy)

Under Construction!

My first quilt! I have the nicest instructions from the LFA Yahoo Group (we do free fiber arts classes), although I'm deviating from them just a bit. The blocks are finished and the layout is pictured below...here's my under construction Spring Garden Quilt!

Something New...

I've added a .pdf download section in the sidebar. The place mat expanding file tute is ready for download. I'll be getting the other tutes (and future tutes!) added soon.

Christy's March Craft Challenge

The voting has begun! Check out the entries! Join us for April, it's lots of fun :)

My Kind of Sale!

It might take some digging but that makes a good bargain all the sweeter! Use code ADCL324 at the checkout to get an additional 30% off items in the clearance section. Good through 3/30/09.

Featured at Tipnut!

Yay! So much fun!
Tipnut picked up this months Place Mat Expanding File tute for its March 25 Neat-O Projects to Make

Christy's March Craft Challenge

The way the Craft Challenge works is you are sent an envelope with supplies that must be used in a craft of your choice.

This month the supplies had an Easter theme...not my fave! Pink fabric, pastel button, big 'ole pearls, and plastic Easter eggs. I could have made a pink bunny I suppose, but I didn't want to make a pink bunny.

So here's what I did make - a thread catcher with pockets for scissors and a seam ripper (which I use more than I want to admit!), and a mini pincushion. The buttons anchor the thread catcher under my machine, the pearls are like little knobs I can use to hold the pockets open, and the ribbon keeps the scissors from falling on the floor. I don't know how functional it is yet :)

Edit: This turned out to be surprisingly functional! I love it - no getting up and down looking for stuff while I'm sewing.

Bandanna Pincushion Project

Not what you would expect from a bandanna? Me either...but it just sat there day after day, asking for lace and pearls. Too small for a bag, what to do, what to do...then a pincushion swap came along! I hope the receiver likes pink and girlie :)

Looky What I Got!

I won the loot from Sue and Terri's giveaway! Aren't they beautiful? I'm almost afraid to touch :)

Family

Here's my princess in her pink castle. The black and white creature is Emma our Boston Terrier.

With a Lot of Compromise and Brute Force...

Whew! This Dern Saddle Bag is finally finished. What a fit it gave me! And really there's no reason for it to have been such a problem.

Design flaws, I expect (Designed by that Spool {}, you know!). I usually like to make design flaws into "features" (learned that in database programming, hahaha), but this dern thing just would not cooperate. Only sheer grit and tenacity won out.

I already put my stuff in it and I'm planning on carrying it until...I guess until I get tired if it, lol!

Bottlecap Pincushion Project

These fun little things are bottle cap pincushions! Here's a tutorial by Craftstylish for how to make them. I want to spruce them up a bit but I'm afraid to overdo it. After all, how do you accessorize leopard print!

Featured!

The Placemat Expanding File is featured at Whip Up, One Pretty Thing, Swap-bot, and Friends Stitch in Israel! Wow!

Edit: Dollar Store Crafts too!!

Nintendo DS Bag

Sadie saved up and bought a Nintendo DS. It took her 4 months. She's 6. I was pretty amazed, so the first thing I thought of was to make a bag that would keep it from falling on the ground or getting lost. Here's my version of the across the body, Nintendo DS game holder with 3 game pockets.

Free Placemat Expanding File Tutorial!

How To Make an Expanding File From Placemats.

I save magazine patterns. I guess I could scan them, but then I'd have to print them again and that would be a waste of paper. So I save them in an expanding file, but it's plastic, and ugly. So, I made one I like better! This project is extremely quick. Reading the directions will probably take longer than sewing it up!

1) Supplies
4 placemats with a bit of heft to them, 1 yard of 1" wide reversible trim.



2) Make and Attach the 1st Fabric Folder
Fold one placemat in half, right side out and short sides together. Pin along the edge to mark the fold. Unfold and lay flat on the table, right side up.




Overlap the 1st (pinned) placemat with a 2nd placemat, both right side up. Bring the edge of the 2nd placemat even with the pins in the center of the 1st placemat. Pin the 2nd placemat to the 1st. Topstitch along the edge of the 2nd placemat, leaving about 1/2" unstitched at the top and bottom.





Refold the 1st placemat (the one that was pinned on the fold earlier), insides in, and sew the short sides together, topstitching close to the edge, leaving about 1/2" unstitched at the top only. There should be space to sew all the way down to the bottom, since we also left 1/2" when attaching the 2 placemats.

You should have what looks like a fabric folder attached to one inside short side edge of a placemat. Here it is standing on end with the help of Sadie's Cooperation Jar. You can see the short sides of the 1st placemat are sewn together.


3) Make and Attach the 2nd and 3rd Fabric Folders
Lay the flat placemat right side down on the table with the fabric folder to the right and laying away from the placemat. Fold the 3rd placemat in half, insides together, and place the fold 1" away from the fabric folder fold. Pin along the fold. This will be the sewing line, so don't skimp on pins. Also, it's helpful to pin with the heads facing toward you, since you will be removing the pins as you sew and you don't want to stab yourself. Add a couple pins to the bottom layer to stabilize.








Unfold the 3rd placemat and sew along the pin line, reaching under the first layer and pulling out the pins as you get to them. This takes a little coordination (but not as much as it takes to keep from sewing the cats paw into the project!). Remember to leave 1/2" unsewn at the top and bottom. Refold and sew the short sides closed, topstitching near the edge, leaving about 1/2" unstitched at the top only.

Meet Cotton, my daughter's kitten :)

Do the same for the 4th placemat, folding in half right side out, placing the fold 1" away from the 2nd fabric folder, pinning the fold, stabilizing the layers, sewing along the pin line, leaving about 1/2" unstitched at the top and bottom, and sewing up the short sides, leaving about 1/2" unstitched at the top only.

Here's what you'll have now - 3 fabric folders setting on top of a placemat.




4) Sew the Fabric Folders Together
Here's the tricky part (anyone thinking of a Fig Newton?), sew the inner folder sides together to connect all 3 folders. Remember we stopped 1/2" short from the top when stitching up the sides? That's so we have a smidgen of room to stitch the tops of the folders together. Pinch the edges away from the edges being sewn. Stuff that edge under your presser foot and do the best you can to topstitch near the edge. Sew all the way across to the other edge and finish.





5) This could be finished
Just flip the placemat over the fabric folders.


6) Or we can add the trim.
The trim acts as a magazine stash in the inside back, and fastener in the front.

Cut a piece of trim double the width of the placemat plus 3 1/2" inches. This will allow a 1/2" seam overlap and 3" for your file to grow and still fasten. Form a loop out of the trim, overlap the edges 1/2" and zigzag. Decide where your fastener will look best on the front of your file, remembering to allow room for the flap to shorten as the file fills.

Unfold the flap and place the trim where you have determined it looks best from the front. Line up the zigzagged seam on one side and sew across the zigzag a few times to anchor. Anchor the trim to the other side of the back, smoothing away gaps. The fit allowance should only be in the front of the file.


7) All done!
Fold the fabric folders back over the anchored trim, slipping the folders inside the trim loop. Fold the top over the fabric folders, tuck the front inside the trim, and you're all set!