relaine

Cuningham Creative Exhibition!

2011-11-18T23:37:00.000-06:00

Here are my contributions to this year's Cuningham Creative Exhibition--Cloud 9:
a world's greatest wallet and an iPad sleeve.
The charity auction will raise money for Walker West Music Academy.

The Amy Butler Weekender Bag.

2011-06-15T18:30:00.002-05:00

I've always been intrigued by this pattern, but scared to try it
So much interfacting! So much piping!

So when my mom said that she had a friend that had a bag pattern she wanted me to make for her, I just KNEW this was going to be it. And it was. But at that point I couldn't say no.

Like all Amy Butler projects, when I was making it I vowed never again.
But the second it was finished I knew I'd make it again; it turns out SO nice!

She gave me more fabric than I needed to make the bag, so out of the orange I made a zippered pouch to go inside the bag as well as a flower pin.

Note to self in future or anyone else attempting this bag: When sewing the piping on initially, leave plenty of space between the seam and the actual cording. When the pieces get sewed together later, you'll need that space so the seams don't show on the piping. (I didn't have to rip out too many seams to fix this, but knowing it will save me time in the future.)

Business card holder.

2011-06-15T18:14:00.001-05:00

I made this almost entirely by accident, and had to do some quick thinking when it turned out way too deep for business cards. But a well-placed snap solved the problem, and now it's perfect.

Small zippered pouch.

2011-06-15T18:11:00.000-05:00

The debut of my relaine pin (which goes perfectly with this fabric)!

More wallets.

2011-06-15T18:09:00.001-05:00

The pink and gray one is maybe my favorite of all time.

Fabric fortune cookies.

2011-06-15T17:42:00.001-05:00

These are a great way to use up fabric scraps, as well as good practice putting on snaps!

I know they'd have been cuter in a Chinese take-out container...

Small dragonfly bag.

2011-06-15T17:28:00.001-05:00

This bag is cute. I'd forgotten I'd even made it until I was looking for some other pictures.

I can't believe I didn't realize when I bought this fabric that it was dragonflies! I don't like dragonflies.

Nook covers, part 2!

2011-02-22T20:47:00.000-06:00

This e-reader cover (also a pattern from Birdiful Stitches on Etsy)
makes your e-reader more like a book, with an actual cover.

I think to avoid confusion I'll rename the other cover a nook pocket.

Aprons!

2011-02-09T00:33:00.001-06:00

How is it possible that I have no apron pictures on my blog?

Now I do.

Full apron.

Half apron.

(Is that grass in some of these pictures? And there's a deck on the back of the house?
Wouldn't know it looking at it now! Please be over soon, winter.)

Nook covers!

2011-02-06T22:03:00.000-06:00

I don't have a nook or any kind of e-reader (not ready to give up the old-fashioned paper-types of books), but it seems like everybody else does.

I bought this pattern from Birdiful Stitches on Etsy, and I love it. It's quick to sew and looks so cute! Plus she's the friendliest and most helpful Etsy seller I've ever encountered.

My mom had a critique of the button loop when she saw she green and gray one, so for the third one I made I did the button loop like mom suggested, and it does lay nice and flat.

If you need a cover for your nook, nook color, or Kindle, let me know!

World's Greatest Wallet

2010-11-24T22:35:00.001-06:00

This wallet (named WGW by Marley--world's greatest wallet) needs one more adjustment before it's perfect, but I'm so excited about this invention that I must share right now!

This wallet is small (7-1/2 x 4") but holds everything.

Quote from Marley: It’s got enough room for my phone AND my iPod, all my cards, some cash AND I think I could even squeeze. . . Yupper, my check book register fits in there too.

These are so much fun to make I might never sew anything else!

Let me know if you want one. I hope to have some to list in my Etsy or Artfire shop after Christmas.

Another costume for the theatrical mooblet!

2010-07-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

This time she was one of the a Lost Boy in Peter Pan, and wanted a fox costume. The last picture is the idea that we used for the costume. Thanks to Bee for the modeling.

Quilted Photo Bag

2010-06-12T23:51:00.001-05:00

This is another quilted photo bag. I'm not always a fan of blue, but this one was so much fun to make--I loved the fabrics that I was using. I had a lot more pictures that needed to squeeze onto this bag, so I made the squares smaller (oh how I wish I'd written down what dimensions I used...) and eliminated the trim at the top.

Tune Tube!

2010-02-09T22:27:00.002-06:00

No more tangles for your earphone cords. Thread the cord through the sleeve. The sleeve scrunches down when you want to use your earphones, and when it's time to put them away pull the sleeve back up and wrap them around the cute carrying case.

Baby towel set, now with actual babies!

2010-01-04T20:58:00.004-06:00

How could bath time NOT be fun with such a cute & cozy towel?

Yoga bag!

2009-12-07T21:59:00.001-06:00

Another creation inspired by Marley!

More Marley bags to donate.

2009-11-14T14:29:00.001-06:00

These bags will be autioned off at the Cuningham Group Creative Exhibition to raise money for the Emergency Food Shelf Newtork.

Baby towel & washcloth

2009-11-09T20:00:00.001-06:00

Love this turtle fabric that I found at Treadle Yard Goods. This is the first towel I've done where I also decorated the hood. Packed up with a set of turtle bath toys from Target it made a great baby gift!

This year's halloween dragon!

2009-10-31T20:00:00.001-05:00

So this year Bee wanted to be a blue dragon with black spines. I brought him to the fabric store with me to pick out the fabric, and as we were walking in he said, "I'm not picky. As long as it's blue and black it will be fine." And then proceeded to examine every offered choice extremely closely, declaring some too thin, some too blue, some too purple, some too fuzzy, some too sparkly... And on and on. Finally we settled on this.

AJ bag

2009-10-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

I got an e-mail after the Liz Logelin auction wondering if I'd make another robot bag, one that could hold a laptop. So I made it bigger, squared off the corners a little, and added a back pocket that holds a laptop sleeve. But when I was done it was different enough that it wasn't really a Marley bag anymore, so it became the AJ bag. I don't have great pictures, because I was in a hurry to get it in the mail.

Marley bag with horse!

2009-09-08T20:00:00.001-05:00

I love this bag. Everything about it turned out perfect, with one exception. The zipper for the zippered pocket is backwards. But it was my first zippered pocket ever (with the help of this tutorial), and other than that I love the way it turned out. I can't believe I was so scared of these for so long. And as awesome as the bag is, the thank-you note that I got for the bag is even more awesome.

Marley Bag with Robots!

2009-09-03T21:38:00.003-05:00

I will be donating this bag to the Liz Logelin Foundation for the auction that is part of "A Night to Remember."

Nap mat cover and matching pillowcase!

2009-08-16T20:00:00.001-05:00

I love how this nap mat cover and pillow turned out!

Either they didn't do nap mat covers when Bee was little or I was a terrible mom, because he never had one of these.

Evil stepsister costume.

2009-07-19T19:53:00.000-05:00

One of the mooblets was in Cinderella this summer. She designed her own evil stepsister costume and sent me the sketch, which I turned into a dress for her to wear in the play.

Baby towel.

2009-07-16T19:56:00.001-05:00

Baby towels now include coordinating washcloth!

More blocks

2009-06-04T20:00:00.004-05:00

Another set of blocks from Amy Butler's Little Stitches book. After getting all the fabric I was still one print short, but I realized that some of the fabric left over from Addie's elephant matched really nicely. I had planned never to use that fabric again, but since this was for her little sister, it seemed like the perfect thing to do.

Graduation gift

2009-06-04T20:00:00.002-05:00

I made this bag for my cousin's high school graduation. She likes dogs, and if we want to stretch for deeper meaning perhaps the roads are indicative of the paths she will take in life... Whatever. We stuffed it full of cash, which was probably the best part...

Birdie sling.

2009-05-14T20:01:00.000-05:00

Anna bag.

2009-04-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

This isn't really my original design, so I called it the Anna bag because that's who I made it for. I saw a similar bag at Crafty Planet, but the pattern will be in the One Yard Wonders book that hasn't been published yet. This isn't exactly the same, but pretty close.

Birdie sling.

2009-04-28T20:02:00.000-05:00

Another Marley bag.

2008-12-22T12:00:00.006-06:00

When I first made a Marley bag I thought it would look best done with corduroy. And I was right. This is my favorite of all the Marley bags.

Building Blocks

2008-12-22T12:00:00.003-06:00

I made these as a Christmas gift for my niece. I was cursing the project while I did it--every single block seemed to take forever--and then the second it was done I couldn't wait to make it again. The blocks and the bag turned out SO cute! The pattern is from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones.

Marley diaper bag.

2008-12-09T12:00:00.006-06:00

The Marley diaper bag adds a side pocket for even more storage.

Halloween dragon!

2008-10-31T22:00:00.006-05:00

This year's dragon and the costume that he inspired...This was the most complex dragon yet due to the wings. It was Bee's own idea to design them so they snapped to his sleeves when he didn't need them for flying!

Marley bag.

2008-10-02T12:00:00.003-05:00

One of Dan's coworkers needed a bag to replace one that had completely fallen apart. And the Marley bag was born.

The birthdaliens!!!

2008-08-27T22:38:00.001-05:00

Bee's birthday party theme was outer space. He designed his invitations himself with these cute little alien designs. So the Monday before the party, I have a great idea! I will sew aliens matching the invitations and give them away as party favors! How hard can it be to see 18 aliens in 4 days? Okay, harder than I thought, but it was WAY worth it.

The small Amy Butler Frenchy bag.

2008-08-25T22:31:00.002-05:00

I left out the inside pockets and added a row of beading.

Happy first day of kindergarten, Laura!

Tom and Jerry jammies!

2008-07-30T22:28:00.001-05:00

A birthday present for Bee.

The breast pump bag.

2008-07-28T22:26:00.001-05:00

Cuter than the standard black Medela bag, which fits inside. Plus it would work great as an overnight bag.

Quilted photo bag.

2008-07-12T22:20:00.001-05:00

My most awesome project so far. . . My mother-in-law was recently diagnosed with cancer and had to start chemotherapy. So I made her this quilted photo bag with pictures of the grandkids. It turned out so beautiful. There were times when I was sewing it that it literally took my breath away to think that I'd created it.

More keychains!

2008-07-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

One big huge holiday weekend, one very tiny finished project.

2008-07-06T19:18:00.001-05:00

A keychain wristlet! Way cooler than the coiled wrist keychain I've been using, and harder to lose in my purse (hopefully!)

Plus my theory about Crafty Planet was confirmed--I can go there with a whole list of stuff I've never heard of, and in less than 5 minutes Trish has it picked out and piled up all ready for me to take it home and figure out what to do with it. LOVE that store.

GameBoy bag!

2008-06-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

So Bee earned a coupon at school that allows him to bring in a GameBoy on Friday. It's bad enough that he has to use an old GameBoy from 1973 with a pink light; I couldn't send him to school with the antique GameBoy in a purple and pink kitty bag. So I quick made this cool Tom & Jerry GameBoy bag!

Making shopsacks like a crazy person...

2008-06-25T00:08:00.003-05:00

Frenchy Bag.

2008-06-25T00:05:00.001-05:00

I made the Amy Butler frenchy bag to hopefully cheer up a friend. Second magnetic closure of my life and this one turned out better than the first. I've always thought this pattern looked cute, but wasn't sure until I saw it made at the Amy Butler trunk show at Treadle Yard Goods. One of my next projects will be making the smller version of the bag.

Bon Jovi baby!

2008-06-16T23:48:00.001-05:00

Ready to rock!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

2008-06-05T00:24:00.000-05:00

For Mother's Day the boys got me a gift certificate to Crafty Planet and a new Amy Butler pattern--the birdie sling. I found this amazing bee fabric, which was a big splurge, but with the gift certificate it was practically like free.

I made this bag for a weekend trip and I LOVE it so much I've used it every day since then!

Bon Jovi onesies!

2008-05-01T22:30:00.001-05:00

No baby of my sister's would be complete without some Bon Jovi gear!

It's like Babies R Us around here!

2008-05-01T22:25:00.002-05:00

A baby blanket for my sister!

Pink & White Baby Towel

2008-05-01T22:24:00.002-05:00

Another baby towel--this one for a friend at work. This isn't the best picture, but some of my pictures seemed to have disappeared.

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-23T23:25:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Kendra for this awesome picture of her mom, Cynthia, using shopsacks to be good to the Earth!

Shopsacks for Sara.

2008-02-15T22:47:00.001-06:00

My most patient customer EVER. She asked for these, like, in 1997, and I FINALLY got around to finishing her order.

I will never move again; it really interrupts the sewing time.

Chihuahua clothes.

2008-02-15T22:43:00.001-06:00

Not my creativity, but very cute! Bee is totally and completely in love with his Webkinz chihuahua, Cutey, but always worried about Cutey being cold. So my mom made Cutey matching pajamas!

Baby towel!

2008-02-15T22:32:00.002-06:00

I made this way back in November before we moved and am finally getting around to posting pictures! My mom has been making these awesome hooded baby towels forever, so a few years ago I examined one carefully and learned how she did it.

I made this one for my friend Maggie; the last picture is her adorable son using the towel.

Chicken Pincushion of Happiness!

2008-02-10T23:43:00.003-06:00

Last summer I saw these awesome chicken pincushions at the Landscape Arboretum. I was going to buy one, but my dear husband said that would be silly; I could just make one when I got home. Right. Many months later, I finally figured it out.

Coming to America

2007-12-05T23:32:00.002-06:00

Amazing true story beautifully written by my friend Olga. . .

For Addie. . .

2007-11-06T22:05:00.002-06:00

Addison Mae Peters

September 11, 2007 - September 13, 2007

Tinkerbag!

2007-11-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

My friend Jill wanted a Tinkerbell purse!

Moobers rock!

2007-10-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

Truly the bestest group of friends EVER!

Thanks so much, you guys.

Shopsacks.

2007-10-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

Here are my reusable shopping bags!

They're modeled on a plastic Target bag. They fold up small and hold a lot.

The second picture shows a loaded shopsack with 2 folded shopsacks beside it.

The third pictures shows all the groceries that were in the shopsack, as well as how it looked folded.

I've also uploaded a movie for the people who have asked how to fold them back up.

The Chicken Bag!

2007-09-08T23:17:00.001-05:00

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of this. I made it a few weeks ago--before the State Fair. It doesn't look too bad, considering it's been through three State Fair trips plus the Target book festival.

This was my first attempt using D-rings for the straps. It really makes them a lot more flexible. I did have to put a row of stitching right underneath the D-strap after the first time I used it; I noticed that the rings kept tipping sideways. My other fix was to shorten the strap about 4 inches--it was just too long.

Finally, another purse!

2007-07-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

I've been spending more money than time on the sewing habit lately. But I just got this done.

The fabric is really awesome; I don't think the pictures do it justice.

This is the first project that I've ever done with a magnetic closure. It turned out pretty well, but it's REALLY hard to get those pieces lined up properly. Luckily I read somewhere that they had to be reinforced with heavy interfacing or they'd rip through the fabric because of the strength of the magnet. It may not be entirely straight, but it's very secure.

Pile o' library books.

2007-07-08T22:54:00.000-05:00

So I grabbed a whole bunch of purse-related crafty books from the library. Notes to self:
Decorated Bag: Just about adding ribbons, buttons, sparkles, vintage jewelry to already made bags.
Sew It Tonight Give It Tomorrow: I checked it out because of the lunch bags on page 166. Could be cute. Also a teddy bear pattern and how to make a beret. Would I ever need a beret? I don't think so.
Handmade Bags: More about embellishing, really. Interesting ideas, but I don't see myself ever carrying a purse made of a window screen.
Terrific Totes & Carryalls: Basic bag styles. Really cute idea (page 60) of using empty spools of thread to attach handles to bags. Cool design for a garment bag on Page 101, but I never travel.
Making Handbags: Awesome design for "vintage necktie oversized tote bag" on page 66. This book even comes with patterns, but they do have to be enlarged.
Fast Fun & Easy Fabric Bags: Not really purses, more other things. Wine bottle bag, cellephone holder. . .

Crafty field trip!

2007-07-08T13:33:00.003-05:00

Thursday was crafty field trip day--we started at Quilter's Courtyard, then Treadle Yard Goods, then Choo Choo Bob's Train Store, then Izzy's Ice Cream, then CraftyPlanet, and finally Colorful Quilts. Bee always pleasantly goes with me to fabric stores, but he's never specifically asked for fabric before. But he fell in love with this 4-wheel racing fabric and said that he really wanted a blanket made out of it.

I've never really had a fabric "stash" before; after crafty field trip day I have more awesome fabric than I know what to do with!

Just for something to do...

2007-06-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

Work has been way stressful lately, so I needed something to keep me busy tonight. I decided to make this out of the same pattern as the owl purse with some really cool upholstery fabric that I got on superclearance.

I think I'll give it to a friend at work; she's been bugging me to make her a beaded purse. I don't bead. She'll have to like this instead.

The end of Weekend of Sewing.

2007-06-24T19:49:00.000-05:00

I finished this up the very second that the boys walked in the house.

It's the Amy Butler Stash & Cash bag (medium size, but I added the handle). I still have trouble with the ends of zippers, but this is pretty good.

I went to Crafty Planet for the first time on Friday, and this owl fabric caught my eye since I was already working on the owl purse. I'll send this with the owl purse for my friend's daughter.

Weekend of Sewing will now have to come to an end. The only thing I didn't get done was a shirt, but I DID recover that chair which was not on the initial agenda, so I'm doing okay. Maybe later tonight...

The owl purse.

2007-06-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do something with an owl for a while now, and a friend was recently telling a story about finding a great horned owl in her yard (!!!). Perfect excuse to make my owl project and send it to her. Except... I LOVE this. It turned out better than anything I've ever done. I've never made something for someone else before and actually thought that perhaps I should keep it instead. I even made a paper pattern for this purse so that I can do it again.

I did the handle completely wrong, and then remembered how I had wanted to do the handle (with these folded in corners that kind of keep it closed and hanging nicely) and removed the old handle and put in a new one.

The finished project is GREAT; I wouldn't change a thing.

My new chair.

2007-06-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

One of my hobbies is recovering old furniture. Sadly, one of the best ways to find old furniture is to garage sale, which I don't. It's just too early in the morning. But yesterday I got up early (noon!) and made it to Villian's garage sale in time to find this chair. It was really pretty, but didn't go with my living room. So I stopped at Hancock on the way home and found some heavyweight fabric on sale for $5/yd and came home and set to recovering it. I was going to be clever and make sort of foldover flaps for the back, but I didn't make them the right size and it ended up ripping. Next time it's recovered--much shorter flap on the bottom. But it was my first time improvising box corners and I did a really good job with those.

I put the old living room chair (found by a dumpster a few years ago and recovered) in the closet for now. This one is WAY more comfy.

Why am I blogging?

2007-06-24T12:38:00.001-05:00

Although I will profess to not believing in blogging, I really want a way to keep track of my projects. So many times I'll be making something and trying to remember either what I did last time or what I wanted to do differently next time. So I'm just going to call this a journal. Besides, I bought my domain name, I might as well use it for something!