Author Archives: Bonnie

Yoga Anyone?

27 Thursday Jan 2011

Posted by in Sewing Projects, Yoga Mat Bag

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Yoga mat bags are essential for carrying your yoga mat to class. Sling it over your shoulder and you’re ready to go. I just finished up a bag for my daughter. I chose the Nigella Bag from Amy Butler. It’s a free download from her site and you can find it here.

I used a piece of fabric from my stash so that kept the cost down nicely. The original bag is open at the top but my daughter wanted to have a drawstring close to keep the weather out so I modified the pattern slightly by adding a little extra fabric at the top. The sewing got a bit thick at times with the upholstery weight fabric, the heavy interfacing and all the folds in places like the bag handle but I went very slowly at times and managed to not break any needles!

Here’s my version:

For the drawstring I found some stretch cord at my local fabric store and the toggle was just $.40 at an outdoor outfitters store.

And an added bonus is the pockets that go all around the bottom half of the bag!

Namaste


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Let the good times ‘roll’

19 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by in Crayon Roll, Sewing Projects

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I’ve been seeing a lot of these crayon rolls lately and just love them. I wish I’d thought of them when mine were small! I followed the wonderful tutorial by Cindy over at Skip to My Lou (her picture above). The tutorial is full of bright step-by-step pictures and clear instructions. I didn’t happen to have any ric-rac on hand but added an extra feature along the back. Here’s my first version:

 

These are a great gift for little ones and would also make a quick, easy and inexpensive loot bag for those birthday parties.

 

Sweet dreams

18 Tuesday Jan 2011

Posted by in Pajama Pants, Sewing Projects

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PJ’s are always fun to get. And these were well received.

I wanted to make some pj’s for my boys but I didn’t want to use one of those unisex patterns that fit both women and men. I chose this pattern because they looked the roomiest and most comfortable. Plus they have pockets and a drawstring!

Unfortunately there wasn’t enough fabric in the second piece of flannel to make up a full pair of pants so my other son just got a pair of sleeping shorts to start with. He wasn’t willing to model the shorts for you – probably just as well!

I enjoyed making them so much I decided to make up a pair for my daughter as well. The fabric is Periwinkle Paradise Garden from Amy Butler’s Love collection. She wasn’t too sure about the colour I chose but in the end she was thrilled.

Now all I need to do is make myself some!!

A Fresh Start

04 Tuesday Jan 2011

Posted by in Sewing Projects, Tuffets

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Life is starting to take some semblance of order now that kids have returned to school. I had been working on a number of projects over the holiday season in preparation for Christmas when my life came tumbling down less than a week before the big day. The light that Christmas brings was dimmed and so the projects were put on hold and thus there haven’t been any to show you for some time. I have slowly been putting the pieces back together and completing what I had begun.

The little gems I have to show you today are fun and fast to finish. I had hoped to complete several but I am happy with the three I have so far.

I had never heard of the term ‘tuffet’ before when referring to a pincushion. I discovered this pattern from Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co. They are a darling set of 6 different tuffets done in various patchwork blocks.

I chose a couple of different ones and the third was a creation of my own. They are a great way to use up small scraps of fabric. They measure about 4.5″x4.5″ and the 6 shown on the pattern picture were originally made from a charm pack of 40 different fabrics.

The first one I chose was the Courthouse Steps. I made this one from some bright and colourful fabrics. Although not perfect (and who needs perfection anyway!) I do love the result.

Just to show you a bit of the process I have included a few pictures for this first tuffet.

The next tuffet I made I added my own touch to. A bit of Christmas whimsy.

The tree and angel were cut from some of my Christmas fabric stash. I appliquéd it onto the base then beaded in some of the areas in the angel and some garland in the tree. I finished by quilting some little snowflakes on and around the tree.

The last tuffet I finished was taken from the original pattern again. This time I chose the Shoo-fly block. The back of this block was pieced with some co-ordinating fabric bits.

These were fun and easy and I can see a few more of these appearing on my sewing table soon.

Cinnamon and Sugar

30 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by in Food

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That’s an unbeatable combo in my book! And since my sewing has slowed down to almost nil due to lack of motivation I thought I’d share my other love today. Food!

After ogling desserts in cookbooks and online I thought it time to get off my duff and make some yummy treats of my own. Todays masterpiece is an Apple and Cranberry Strudel. I kind of went from memory but it looks like it might have turned out after all. Although no one has sunk their teeth into it yet.

Ready for the oven.

Steaming from the oven!

A New Year

28 Tuesday Dec 2010

Posted by in Uncategorized

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2010 was a good year however it ended on a very sad note. Suffice it to say that it’s time to pick up the pieces and start fresh for 2011.

I haven’t made resolutions for many years. I guess because I came to realize that the only true resolution for me is to live a life on purpose. It is sometimes a struggle in the day-to-day stuff but that is the essence of being human. So my resolution will remain and I hope that growing this blog and my pursuit of learning in all the facets that it may provide will help me continue to grow on that one main path. To live a life on purpose.

I hope this new year brings many new and exciting adventures in your quest. And that you too may live a life on purpose.

Blessings and Peace to you all.

Dye Your Own Fabric

23 Tuesday Nov 2010

Posted by in Hand Dyed Fabric

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The possibility of dyeing my own cloth to create a unique print has been fascinating me lately, especially the process of batik. I love the muted and earthy tones you can coax out of ordinary vegetation. While digging through my sewing room I came across some yarns that I had hand-dyed many years ago in a workshop. I had forgotten all about them until their recent discovery. These yarns show a small sampling of some of the colours available with found material.

Eco Batik T, a recent addition to the blogging world, has set a goal of explaining the art of making batik naturally with just beeswax and vegetation.

I also love the rich bold colours accessible with chemical dyes. I have researched many books on the subject but so far one stands out. Fibre Artist Malka Dubrawsky of A Stitch in Dye hand dyes cotton fabric to create her quilts and other beautiful accessories. (You’ll find her in my blogroll on the sidebar.) Her book ‘Color Your Cloth, A Quilter’s Guide to Dyeing and Patterning Fabric’ is a wonderful source that explains how easy it is to set up and use a home workshop to dye your own fabric. I would urge anyone interested in this field to invest in her book as an invaluable resource.