My new bag.

It may have taken me most of they day yesterday, but I made that new bag I was wanting.  Of course I had to make a trip to the fabric store for fusible fleece and a zipper before I could get started.  Knowing I had to go to the fabric store with a 4 and 2 year old in tow I had to find a way to get them to 'behave' while I hurriedly got what I needed without straying over to look at the endless bolts of fabric dreaming up more projects to make.

Anyways, I'm happy with how it turned out, a little wonky but hey,  I winged the zipper part but it works.  The bag is for me so my inner perfectionist is just going to have to deal with something slightly crooked. I figure, most bags and purses end up on their sides or with a child sitting or standing on them at some point so they never sit up straight for longer than what it takes to snap the picture. So all is good.

Next time I will pick a pattern that has instructions on how to do the zipper part, or search you tube endless videos until I think I can do it, that way my inner perfectionist can be at rest.

Momma needs a new purse.

The title says it all.  I like to make my own purses mainly because I don't want to spend the $ on something that isn't functional.  I've Googled many of patterns and just can't find anything that I'm in love with.

I purchased some fabric over Valentine's weekend.  How sweet of my hubby to take me to Jo-Anns when he would rather have been at home catching up on things we have on the  DVR to be watched.

Here is the bag I made to carry through the Christmas season, and well I hate to admit but I'm still carrying it right now in the middle of February.  It is a Penny Sturges pattern .   I love the pattern and functionality of the bag, but I don't want to carry the same bag in different colors year round.




I promise everything was sewed straight on it,  is it just sitting a bit wonky because it wasn't completely finished yet, I was just proud of it and wanted to take a picture.

Ruffled bummed infant bodysuit (onesie)

I have fallen in love with the ruffled butt infant bodysuits. So I'm going to show you how to make your own.

Supplies:
1 infant bodysuit
2 strips of coordinating fabric. 2 1/2" wide by 18" long.  I used 2 but you can certainly use 3 or 4 depending on how full you want it.

I folded and pressed my strips in half lengthwise, you will see why I did this later.

Start by zig zagging all the way around the outside of your 2 strips of  fabric.

Then adjust your stitch length on your machine to about 4 or 5 stitches per inch. Now sew 1 row of stitching about 1/8" on each side of the fold we made earlier.  It is hard to see in the picture but you can see where I have stitched to just on each side of that 'fold' I made at the beginning.  Leave tails long enough on both ends that you can get a good grip on them for the next step.

Then grab the 'bobbin stings' and gather up your fabric strip like so.   I like to pull about half way with one side and the other half with the other side.  Do NOT cut these threads off, you're not done with them yet.

Once you have it all gathered up, unsnap the bodysuit at the crotch. and lay your ruffles across the butt portions of it.  Pin each end at the side seam of the bodysuit and then adjust you gathers so they are distributed evenly across the area to be sewed.  Pinning them in place will help you to keep your ruffle straight as you are sewing. (ignore the placement of the top ruffle)

Once you have the ruffle placed where you want it. Make sure you don't have both layers of the bodysuit pinned together.  Take it to your machine and adjust your stitch length to 10-12 stitches per inch and sew right between your 2 rows of stitching that formed your gathers as seen below.   Don't forget to 'stay-stitch' or back-stitch' so they don't eventually fall off.

Repeat this step with additional ruffles.

Once you have your ruffles sewed on,  Grab the really long gathering threads and gently pull them out.  Pick off your top threads that are left and discard.

Trim any excess threads and ravelings, be careful not to cut into your ruffles or bodysuit.

There you have it, your completed 'Ruffle Bummed' infant bodysuit.