Wedding Table Runner

I've been trying my hand at pattern-making recently and it's a challenge I really enjoy.  One difficulty in writing sewing patterns is that my style is so improvisational I have to take meticulous notes on what I'm doing as I go.  I'd rather just be diving in, so it goes a bit against the grain.  Another challenge is that sometimes (more often than I like), things just don't work out.  I usually have a clear picture in my head of the general feel of a piece.  Often I even make a sketch, but if something isn't working as I go, I change it.

This project is one of those cases.  I was going to make two pillows for my cousin and her new husband as a wedding present, but somewhere along the way, I was derailed.  What I came up with instead is this Wedding Table Runner.

 Because it was so improvised, I really couldn't write a pattern for it, but if you'd like to see more, check it out after the jump.

Chalkboard nook

I don't know about you, but I struggle keeping track of to do lists.  Either they're on teeny scraps of paper scattered throughout the house, or on some document on my computer that I never look at.

I particularly need a good - visible - place for my list of around-the-house chores that are perfect to tackle during the weekend.  (How it works now is I live with a vague sense that I wanted to accomplish something, but instead spend hours playing Plants vs. Zombies while I wait for inspiration to strike.)

So I decided to take an uninspired corner of the kitchen and turn it into a much more attractive, much more functional To Do nook.

 First, I cleared out the space.  I removed the sad little hook holding way too many things, moved the artwork, and set the broom aside.

 I taped off a large rectangle to delineate where the chalk wall would be.  I used a yard stick and level to draw a straight line in pencil, then ran 2" painters tape along the line.

 Two inches in, I drew another rectangle and taped it off in 1" painters tape to create a border for visual interest.

 I made sure to keep the corners of the inner rectangle nice and clean.  Cutting the tape with scissors helped.

 Then I painted over the whole shebang in black chalkboard paint.  It took me two coats to get a nice clean surface.  After it dried I removed the tape.

 I hung a coat rack that was leftover from a previous project, and since the paint was also leftover and I had all the paint supplies on hand, this project cost me exactly $0!

 Tip: make sure to press the edges of the painters tape down firmly or you'll be doing some touch-up like me.

 And here's the finished look!  Now I have a place for art smocks, aprons, the broom, and a great visual reminder or all those little projects I want to take care of.

 Another view

 The added bonus is a fun new art space for the kids.  (Of course I've been warned they'll soon take over the whole wall, but until they grow a bit, I still have the top to myself.)

 A little plastic cup screwed into the wall makes a great place to hold chalk.  I placed it high enough for my 4-year-old to reach, but too high for the 1-year-old.  Since she thinks chalk is pretty tasty, it's best that she can't get into it on her own, for now.

As you can see, they're big fans.

Curses!

I'm working on something big and exciting and new, which I hope to share with you by the end of the month.  In the mean time, this little ditty is the latest addition to my craft room walls:

Isn't it sweet?  Perfect for sewing room mistakes.

I haven't done a cross stitch since I was 12, but I knew I had to do this one as soon as I saw the fantastic kit from Subversive Cross Stitch.  If you look closely you can see where I goofed a couple rows, but I'm not bothered in the slightest.  It was quick and fun, and it perfectly expresses how I feel every time I have to pick out a seam or scrape glue off my iron.

If you buy the kit, you should know the flower thread comes in red only; I added blue and purple for some variety. There's a ton of selection in the SCS shop, so if you like some snark with your craft, it's easy to get stitching!

Brush roll

After seeing the pencil roll I made for my niece, a friend asked me to make her a brush roll, hoping it would motivate her to get back into painting. 

She looked through my fabrics and picked one she liked but I didn't have quite enough to do what she wanted, so I found one in the same line with a matching heavy cotton.  She sent me some specs from similar rolls she found online, and I created my own pattern.

 I wanted the layers to be nice and thick to absorb any water from wet brushes.

 The damask and stripe fabric is more intricate than I would usually be drawn to, but now that it's finished, I actually love how it looks.  As I started, I wasn't sure how I was going to finish the edges, but when I found a package of olive binding in my stash, I knew it was just the pop of color needed.

I added a length of rope under the binding and here it is all wrapped up!

Pencil Roll

I've had about a millions ideas for Christmas presents I'm going to make this year, but since my computer was out of commission for a few weeks, I haven't been able to post what I've been working on.  Well I'm back in business, so here is the first of a few projects I hope to feature in the coming weeks: a colored pencil roll for my niece, Sydney.

An artistic nine year old, Sydney loves to draw and I thought this would be a fantastic way for her keep her creative juices flowing on the go.

This features some of my favorite fabrics of late and rolls up into a nifty little package.

Coordinating zigzags on the inside allowed easy sewing of the pencil slots.

Rainbow fun!  The eraser and pencil sharpener were my own additions to some other fantastic tutorials I've seen around the web.

I also whipped up a fabric covered sketchbook to complete the set.  Great for my little artist-on-the-go niece!

coming soon...

Just about ready to open my doors at Etsy, and I'm thrilled!  I've been a busy bee making sure I have a good supply of stock ready to go. I'm having a blast designing new products and a cute little freebie to go with all purchases.  Here's a sample of one of my bib sets.  Aren't they adorable?

back to work

Back from a lovely vacation in Mexico and I'm excited to get back to work.  First up, I needed an ironing table.  (The top of my sewing table covered with a towel just was not cutting it anymore.)  I recovered an old card table with batting and fabric and now I have a lovely new addition to my workspace.

Even more exciting, my fabric labels came in!  Can't wait to make something that has my logo permanently attached.

I'll have a little bit of everything

A fresh start.  I've been working on refining and defining my style all summer.  Here are some things I've been exploring:

 Simple

Embellished

Graphic

Punk Rock

Clean

Messy

I'm getting closer to a style that is all my own.