Good news, I finished the tote for my friend.

And will be sending it off on Tuesday.

I’ve made the luggage tag and taken all the pictures. Now I got to write-up the How To’s and send it off to my mom for proof reading. I’ll be posting that tomorrow. Make sure to read it and leave a comment. I’d love to hear how I did and you will be entered to WIN the luggage tag (below) that was made for the tutorial!!

It’s made from a purple and green batik with a Tina Givens bird appliqued on.

Then I got to prepare for the 10% off everything in the shop sale. Don’t forget to check that out.

And I thought I’d throw in a picture off all the furry, feathery and scaly friends.

Pay it forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people to comment on this, but to be eligible you have to repost this and offer this to someone else. The item must be handmade and sent sometime during 2011. Who’s in?!

Me! Me! Me!

Sooo, I don’t have many crafty friends, I had two sign up.  I’m still gonna make three more handmade items, they’ll just be surprises for whoever I feel inspired to make for.

I’ve got one down (4 more to go)



Tapestry Quilt



This is for one of my best friends, Amanda.  She is also an animal lover.  Probably a little more than me since she is now a vet. 

I started with pictures of her animals, using ones that had clear profiles.

Meet Carib, Arizona, Montana and Lola.

I then printed them off and traced them out onto a grey felt.  I wanted the silhouettes to pop on the fabric so I used brightly colored batiks as a background.

For sashing, I used Kona solids Coal and Hibiscus.  I wanted the dark colors to make the batiks stand out more. 

The top stitching is just simple lines on each side of every seam.

I used the same fabrics for the back.  I bound the front by machine and stitched the back by hand so it looks nice and seemless.

I put in two triangles in the corner for a dowel rod to be added to easily hang it.  Lastly I signed it.

This fabric came from a computer bag I made for her when she graduated vet school.  Which I talk about here. It’s from Loralie Designs.

You can go here for more photos and close ups. 

 Hope she likes it! 

This is my first trapunto.  Trapunto is a technique used in quilting that makes one area puff out more than another area.  My little bunny has been double stuffed to give him this 3D effect.

Doesn’t everybody just love bunnies   He reminds me of my bunny.

This is Everest, my mini-Rex, running free in the backyard.  He’s a very good little guy and incredibly soft.

In fact, Evie got his name because he reminded me of the snowy, white topped mountains in India.

Chandral Tall lake and one of our pack poniesA place where Gandhi spoke near Kunzum pass.  Also around where we reached our highest altitude. 16000 feet.My favorite place to eat while in Manali

Best cake in India

And our last stop.

Tonight’s dinner. 

 We’re trying out One Perfect Bite’s version of Peas Please Pasta (I love alliteration).

With homemade pasta. Yum!

I’m new to liking peas (I blame my father on that. He wouldn’t eat them so I refused to, too!)  But this was fantastic, definitely would eat it again and again.

I’ve finally gotten the internet at home. It’s all part of my goal to start an etsy store where I can sell items I have sewn. Right now I’m trying out patterns and adjusting them to my liking, buying beautiful fabrics, like this Alexander Henry, and trying to get everything online set-up.

^^^^^ Insulated lunch tote.^^^^^

Mostly, I’m sewing, sewing, sewing… I’m specializing in items that anybody would need if they eat or ever leave their house. This covers most people right?

Step 1. First cut out your fabric and interfacing. You don’t need much; a fat quarter is more than enough. You will need:

        (2) 3” x 5” rectangles fabric, plus (2) 3” x 5” rectangle interfacing

        (2) 3” x 4” rectangles rectangles fabric, plus (2) 3” x 4” rectangle interfacing

        (1) 3” x 4” rectangle clear plastic (if you don’t want to go out and buy vinyl, try to layers of a plastic baggie

        (1) 2” x 20” rectangle

Appliqué shape smaller than 3” x 5” plus fusible webbing if it’s handmade (if you like)

Step 2. Iron a piece of interfacing to the back of each fabric rectangle, except for the 2” x 20”.

 If you are doing the handmade appliqué, iron on the fusible webbing. Then iron the appliqué to the right side of one 3” x 5” rectangle.  Sew it on now using the “buttonhole” stitch (a tight, zigzag stitch). Because this is supposed to have un-finished edges, I suggest doing all the sewing with the button hole stitch.

Step 3. Now sandwich the two 3 x 4 rectangles with the right sides of the fabrics facing outwards (interfacing inside) and pin together. Measure the opening for the privacy flap and trace.

The flap will be 2” x 3” with a half inch border on all sides. Trace out the two sides and the top, the flap will be attached at the bottom.

Step 4. Now sew around the lines you just traced using a button hole stitch. Basically you are making a very long button hole. Now cut out between the two button holes lines of sewing.

Step 5. Back to the larger rectangles. Next sandwich the 3” x 5” in rectangles together with the right sides of the fabrics on the outside (interfacing inside); pin together. We are going to sew in a slot for the strap to go through. Measure and mark centered at the top edge a line 3/4 of an inch long and ¾ of an inch down from the top edge. Now sew around the line you just made using the button hole stitch and cut it open.

Step 6. Now we’re going to work on the strap. Fold over a half inch on both sides of the long side of the 2” x 20” rectangle and iron it down. Now fold it in half the long ways and iron it again. You may need to pin it so you can sew it together. Sew ¼ inch from edge all the way around on right side of fabric. I like to put two seams in, mostly for looks and stability, and you may need to iron it flat again.

Then stick the strap into the top of the 3” x 5” rectangle (about ½ an inch deep). Centered with your button hole and just pin it for now. We’re going to work on the plastic cover.

Step 7. Back to the 3” x 4” rectangle. Pin the plastic to the back (the side that will be on the inside of the tag) of the 3” x 4” rectangle and sew across the top.

Step 8. Now we’re going to make a large sandwich. Place the 3 x 5 rectangles on bottom (with the appliqué on the bottom). The smaller rectangle goes on top with the plastic in the middle and line up the bottom edges.

Now sew around the entire rectangle. I like to double stitch over the strap and over where the opening will be.

Step 9. To connect the strap, loop it through the back of the tag so it pulls out the front. I also like to put one twist in it so when it is tied to the luggage it lays flat.

Step 10. Sew the strap to the flat. We’re going to fold over the loose end of the strap, about ¾ an inch and pin it to the flap on the front of the tag, about ½ an inch down.

I like to put two seams in this as well and leave a little tab for pulling the privacy flap open.

Now all that’s left is to tidy up the loose threads and book your flight!

Don’t forget to leave comments.  This is my first tutorial and I’d love to hear suggestions.  Happy Sewing!

I ordered a few scrap packs from The Fabric Bar, which finally arrived today. To get acquainted with them I’ve been ironing them out, refolding and imagining all that the future holds for them. I’ll be using some of these to design my friend’s computer case. She’ll be graduating from vet school soon and I am so proud.

I’m also designing a doggie treat bags for my mother. She is starting a business in dog training. After 12 years of service, at the college my sister and I graduated from, Mom was laid off. I’m sure there a lot of people out there with similar stories and I hope that they will be able to pick themselves up as courageously as my mom has.

Time to get to creating!

(The title today comes from C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, one of my favorite pick-me-up reads)

These are two of my applique towels.  I think I may make a few as a set.  Though I don’t think I’d sell these together.  The yellow bird is a goose that used to terrorize my fellow students and me while we were living abroad in a castle in Italy.  Dino, the goose, guarded the vineyard and only loved one person, our teacher who grew up there.

They they are! Can you spot them?

They say www.youreleanor.com

I figure people will come here and will easily be able to navigate over to my etsy page when they want to order more goodies from YourEleanorStore.

Tada!

Here is her new fully lined, corduroy, large “teachery” tote.

 Purple being her favorite color I knew she would love it.

Now I’ve had my first sale on etsy and I’m so glad it was from one of my BFFs.  Her birthday is coming up so I’m throwing in matching lunch bag.  She just happened to mention how much liked one of my other ones.

Sew along with my first sale today I also finished the doggie treat bag for my mom’s dog training business.  She wanted something that would hold treats and doggie doody bags.  That wouldn’t show dirt and could be straped on to leashes, belt loops or just worn around the wrist.  I really feel like I nailed this one.

After much online research my favorite tutorial was from angharad.  I loved the look of hers and the instructions were so easy to follow. 

Of course I had to make them my own so I added appliqued flatware, that I designed.  I also made the overall size 16×17.  They also double nicely as place mats.

I also took some time off to hang out with my friend, Tina, of Polkadotbug, who was selling her wares at the Quaker Arts Festival.  She took first place in Best Booth, which is a big deal since there are 300+ vendors there.  Yay, T!