Tag Archives: gifts

On a (crayon) roll!

Posted in Sewing, Tutorials by

Google the phrase “crayon roll” and you’ll be inundated with images, tutorials and etsy shops featuring this gem that allows kiddos to tuck crayons into little pockets, roll ’em all up and take ’em on the go. As someone who is constantly on the hunt for free sewing tutorials, it finally got to the point where I just HAD to try making one of these little guys. They’re famous in the online sewing world!

Crayon Roll

As luck would have it, my friend Brie was about to celebrate a birthday – and Brie LOVES crayons. It should be noted that Brie is an adult, but if you are an adult who does no longer finds joy in a set of brand new crayons, you’re clearly not living your life to the fullest.

So I set out to find the most ideal crayon roll tutorial and settled on The Pleated Poppy – a blog tutorial featuring super-clear instructions and stunning photos.  I whipped up my first crayon roll in just an hour or so, impressing even myself – new projects never have such a quick turnaround! There were some slight mish-moshy stitching errors here and there, but overall, the project was a winner!

Crayon Roll

Notes about this project:

  • It uses very little fabric! I was able to use some scraps leftover from my Friendship Bag and my nook cover  for Brie’s crayon roll.
  • The tutorial linked above uses an elastic and a button to secure the roll closed, but I opted for ribbon ties instead.
  • Precise measurements are crucial for both the fabric pieces and the seam allowances. If the seam allowance is too big, the crayon pockets on either end of the roll will be too small. I learned this the hard way!

Since then, I’ve felt inspired to whip up a handful of crayon rolls, assembly-line style, for all of the kiddos in my life. Messy crayon buckets be gone!

The Friendship Bag: Rinse and Repeat!

Posted in Disney by

Ahhh. The return of the Friendship Bag. I promise that one of these days, I will learn to sew something other than Friendship Bags and tissue box covers.

But in the meantime…

Wall-E inspired Friendship Bag eye candy that I made for a friend! Well, I guess you could say that it was actually inspired by Eve, the sleek white robot in the film. Details, details!

Wall-E Eve inspired tote bag

Wall-E Eve inspired tote bag close up

What I love so much about this bag is how much leftover fabric I was able to incorporate. The only materials I had to buy were the white calico prints. The black calico fabric was leftover from the Minnie Mouse Friendship Bag, the light green calico print was leftover from my first set of Friendship Bags and the dark green was leftover from Mike Wazowski’s eyeball. It’s almost as if I was able to stitch little pieces of my memories into this bag – and that makes it feel even more special!

The Friday Five: 5 reasons you should start sewing

Posted in Friday Five, Uncategorized by

1. The most reasonable excuse to start sewing is that you can fix or alter your own clothes. I’m 5’0″. Try finding a new pair of pants that doesn’t drag on the ground. Enter sewing machine. Amen.

(Source)

2. My friend Krissy often stated in her phenomenal wedding blog something along the lines of… “If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, or for the price that you want, MAKE IT!” And that wonderful sentiment not only applies to table centerpieces and wedding invitations, but sewing projects as well. Don’t be a slave to what’s on the shelves. Make it your way!

3. Custom gifts for family and friends. What do you get for the person who has everything? A personalized, handmade item a la you!

4. Finally, an excuse to venture over to the other half of the craft store. Now you can browse through all of those fun fabrics… with purpose!

(Source)

5. Because all the cool people are doing it. Haven’t you ever watched Project Runway?

(Source)

Inspirations and modifications

Posted in Disney, Sewing by

I get the most brilliant ideas in the most inopportune places. Having a lightbulb-over-my-head moment is so inconvenient when I’m pushing through the last few minutes of an evening run, driving 70mph on the highway or rinsing conditioner out of my hair. I have to wonder how many wonderful ideas float out of my head, never to return again simply because I don’t have a means of writing them down when they come into my life.

But it’s understandable that ideas would come to me during these times. Let’s face it – running, driving and showering are boring. What else is there to do other than think? (and sing to the RENT soundtrack… which is usually blasting in all of the above scenarios)

Luckily, one shower-sewing-inspiration a few months back was so promising that I started mapping out a plan in my head before my hair was even dry. My dear friend’s birthday was approaching and I wanted to make her something memorable. Because we share a special understanding about the magic of Disney, I used Minnie Mouse for inspiration and made a Friendship Bag using the same modified measurements I wrote about a few posts back.

A variety of black calico prints + a red/white polka dot fabric + a magical, inspirational mouse = One successful sewing project!

For an extra magical touch, I added a mouse-head applique using a really amazing product called Heat’n Bond Iron-On Adhesive. It’s available near the ironing supplies in the fabric store for around $10/roll and comes in a variety of adhesive strengths to turn any fabric into an iron-on piece. Since I planned on stitching around the border, I only needed to use the lightest strength to iron my applique in place. Non-sewers would appreciate Heat’n Bond Ultra Hold adhesive – no sewing required!

And last, I created a little coin pouch – my first experience with a zipper. I had to mix and match a few different online tutorials to create the exact quilted zipper coin pouch I had in mind, but overall it wasn’t very difficult. Zippers look more intimidating than they really are!

What I learned from this project:

  • Inspiration can strike anywhere!
  • Heat’n Bond is an amazing product for creating appliques, and may even be useful for non-sewers.
  • Zippers are not scary!

Am I the only one who gets inspired in strange places?