Bella Dia

Happy 4th of July!

I've been collecting Fourth of July fabrics for the last few
months because I wanted to make these pennant banners
for decorations. I made a simple pattern if you'd
like to try it yourself.


Here's a closer view of the fabrics I used. I think my
favorite ended up being the red, white, and blue butterfly
fabric. I'm going to make some more for my summer
garden and I'll also be making some to put in the shop.


These are some river rocks that the kids and I painted
last year. It's fun and easy and a great way to decorate.
They're good for holding down tablecloths
on a windy day too :)

Back Tack Finished!

I decided to create a sewing work basket from my Back Tack goodies that I received from Craftapalooza (thanks Nicole!). The handle velcro's to the side, close-up here. I wanted the handle to open so it wouldn't get in the way when you are working out of the basket; the closure doubles as a second pincushion too. I created a little patch for the center of the closure from some other fabric in my stash.

The pincushion is removable, close-up here, and there's also a couple of elastic bands for scissors and such, and two pockets on the other side that you can see here. Plastic canvas keeps the bottom firm.

Here's the pincushion and a matching needle book with cream colored wool felt pages inside. I really love this fabric and used up almost every little bit. Aren't the little deers on the pincushion fabric cute? Love it! The pincushion has another little flower patch in the center like the closure does and the bottom is pale yellow wool felt.

I just thought I'd share the sketch that I drew and worked from. As you can see, I'm no illustrator but at least I can get my intentions down on paper and it helps to keep me on track with what I planned to do.

Now I have to gather together the little goodies to include, pack it up, and get it sent on a *long* journey :)

Happy to be Home and Back Tack Supplies

I'm home and very happy to be back in my nest :) We were in East Texas helping my parents pack up their house and enjoying one last visit. The kids got to swim in the lake and hunt for critters, take turns driving the golf cart and were indulged in several trips to the cafeteria - something we don't have here in Idaho. I knew when my daughter said, "I kin kitch him", referring to a cat that got out, that it was time to be on our way back home. What is it about a southern accent that is so contagious?

The last thing I did before leaving town was go by the post office to see if my Back Tack package had arrived and it hadn't, so I've been very anxious and excited to get home and see what I got. It came beautifully wrapped in a polka dot tea towel (I re-wrapped it for the photo, my BT pal did a better job) and was filled with an assortment of beautiful fabrics, ribbon, cool old buttons, embroidery thread and sequins! There are sweet treats for me too - some exotic flavored tea, a little bear notepad and a bouquet of flower pins. Thank you so much Back Tack pal, I love it and can't wait to get started on my project! (click on each picture for a larger view)

Speaking of projects, I see Amy is getting a monthly apron sew-a-long going that I really want to participate in but I don't know if I'll have enough time this month - I love the theme though, Home on the Range :) I also received copies of Amy's vintage bird crochet patterns and Stephanie's baby lamb pattern, both projects I'm excited to do; thanks to you both, I'll get something in the mail to you real soon!

I came home with lots of goodies that I can't wait to show you in the next couple of posts but I've got to get back to my chores for now.

Road Trip Bag a.k.a. The Big Bag

Well, we're leaving this weekend for a 3 week road trip and I needed a big bag to take with me. I wanted it to sit on the seat next to me and be able to hold the books, magazines, projects, and of course regular purse stuff that I take with me. I don't know when I'll have time to read or do any projects but it's a comfort to have it with me anyway, just in case :)

The fabric is actually several kitchen towels that I got at Kmart specifically to use for a bag; I really loved the print and colors and couldn't pass them up, especially when the price is 5 towels for $4! I embroidered a few details on the pink flowers. I used fusible fleece again for the interfacing which makes it stand on its own but is still soft. The handle has fleece too and I machine stitched some ribbing on it. I put the apple in the picture so you could get an idea of how big it is. It'll be perfect to use for the pool later this summer.

The interior is light brown ticking and there are muslin pockets on both sides of the bag - I love lots of pockets! When I get back I'll draw up the pattern and I'll make a smaller version too. I'm quite smitten with the profile of this bag.

Back to Business

Sorry for the lack of posts, these past few days have been really busy. My daughter had her 13th birthday and we celebrated with a 60's themed party. It was lots of fun but it's a little rattling that your youth is now an icon of the past, just doesn't seem that long ago. Her big present was an iPod mini in pink. She's really into music so she loved it :) She also has a dance performance coming up and my part as a parent helper was to help with sewing tutus. Tulle is not much fun to work with let me tell you. We've been getting a lot of rain, or more than we usually do, which helps allay the guilt I have for not working in the yard, and good for keeping me working on house stuff and projects that have been set aside.

I made this little clutch bag from an assortment of fabric that includes some vintage feedsack material. I want to make another one soon and write down how I did it or I'll forget. I keep a black spiral bound sewing journal where I write down tutorials for myself with reminders and tips to remember. I'll scan in some pictures some time.

I did the embroidery on this bag quite awhile ago so it was one of my projects that needed to be finished. I had originally planned to make it a zipper pouch but I love the combination of the blue ticking with the floral so I made it into a market tote instead. It's kind of long and narrow, about 9 1/2" wide and 12 1/2" tall. The straps are extra long too so it can be worn across the chest. It's fairly stiff, I used fusible fleece for the facing and strap, which make it cushy and comfortable.

Here's a close-up view.

The inside has a muslin lining and a large inner pocket that closes with a zipper. Muslin is such a nice fabric; I love the weight and color and the little flubs, I even like saying the name - muslin :)

Chicks in Hats

I made this little wristlet for a friends
daughter. How can you not love a little chick dressed up in her Easter bonnet?!

We'll be dyeing our eggs today. The smell of warm vinegar always bring back sweet memories of Easters past :) We've had a couple
of snowstorms and our once snow-free yard is now covered again. Looks like we'll be egg hunting inside (again) this year. Happy Easter everyone!

Second Time Around

My second go-around on this handbag went much better. I made some adjustments so the lining fits snug and I made two pockets on the interior, one sized for my cell phone. I also changed the angle on the ends so it's not as dramatic. I'll have to dig through my vintage brooches to see if I can find a pretty one to pin on it or... I could go snooping around on eBay ;)

Here's a close-up
of the interior pocket
and tab closure. This fabric reminds me of carpet bags so that's
what I've named it.

Uptown Handbag

I really love this new fabric I got. It has
such a vintagey feel to it and the colors and design make it work all year round. I've had the pattern for Amy Butler's Madison Bags for awhile now but kept putting off using it because I dread using her patterns. I find them way too tedious but from what I've read they are great for people that are brand new to sewing and learning to follow a pattern. I made the Uptown Handbag and the only change I made was to add a pocket on the inside - all of my bags have to have pockets!

Here's a detail pic
of the closure and pocket. The closure is two tabs with velcro that I like better than I thought I would.
I'm not a big fan of velcro on purses - I hate that scratchy sound ;)