Sew Pray.....

I used to enjoy what I called a "Prayer Drive" - those times that I'd be driving back and forth to work, meetings, shopping - a time spent away from everything else to spend in prayer.  

 

I found it easy to pray in that setting while away from other distractions.  At home I so often get distracted by all the things I should or could to be getting done - it's too easy to let the thought of dishes or the laundry get in the way of good quality prayer time. 

 

I'm not behind the wheel as often as I used to be and have missed those "Prayer Drives".  These days I find myself spending a lot of time at the sewing machine and have found a new prayer life - it's call "Sew Pray".

 

It doesn't matter if I slide in behind the wheel of the car or slide my chair up to the sewing machine, I still need to get from point A to point B in what I'm doing.  As soon as I put the "pedal to the metal" my thoughts are pulled away from my list of things to do around the house and placed on the drive (sewing project) in front of me.

 

Life is filled with so many joys and concerns that I really enjoy that time to pray about them - not just a few minutes of time set aside for the purpose of praying, but sometimes whole days that allow my heart and mind to be in prayer - lifting people and circumstances as I think of them.  Praying for friends and loved ones near and far.  Asking for help for those that I don't even know, but know of.  Celebrating all of life's little blessings along the way. 

 

I used to wonder how I arrived at my destination on my "Prayer Drive", and now sometimes I'm amazed at the amount of sewing that gets done without my focus really being on it.   Somehow I always seem to get from point A to point B without any problems - I'm thinking I'm in some pretty good hands at those times.

 

Going to work these days is sliding my chair up to the sewing machine and I am happy to say that it has  become a special time.  I leave all my distractions behind and "Sew Pray"...............

Apron Day

It was a nice surprise yesterday to stop in at The Red Dresser and see that Lily (my vintage dress form) wasn't wearing one of my aprons - they had sold.  So it was back to the sewing machine today so that I can take another new apron down to put on her.

I had purchased some brown polka dot fabric and a pink & brown print to try on an apron so today was the day.  I am more of a black & white person but I'm really liking this brown/cream/pink combo.  I made two - it's just as easy to cut out, assemble, and make two at a time if the fabric is on hand, and it was.

Brown/Cream/Pink Apron

 

I also made another with the pink zebra print that sold off from Lily.  :)

 

Black/White/Pink Apron

 

I don't usually even wear an apron but I sure do have fun creating them.  :)

A Sewing Lesson

Northern Michigan has given us some "Snow Days" lately - a day off from school because the weather is too bad to be out on the roads.  Today was one of those days.  A good amount of snow fell overnight and with more to come.  I was lucky enough to have had one of our grandchildren spend the night, so she was here to spend the day with me since she didn't have to go to school.

Snow Days can be fun to just stay in your pajamas all day, watch TV and maybe even bake some goodies.  Well today we didn't stay in our pajamas, we didn't watch much TV and we didn't do any baking, BUT WE DID SEW...

Yep, today was sewing lesson time for my ten year old granddaughter.  She was a bit nervous about it at first but then ended up being quite the crafter alongside her grandma.

A friend had given me a stack of kitchen towel and napkin samples - little swatches about 6" x 8" of lots of fun colors and patterns.  I cut them down to 5" squares and some flannel squares the same size and we made "Hot/Cold Packs" - each one lined with the flannel, filled with rice and ready to  warm some hands in this winter weather by popping them in the microwave for a few seconds, or placing them in the freezer to pull out when a little one bumps their head.

Tiffani practiced on some scrap fabric and in no time became a pro.  I was able to pin the stacks of fabric together and hand them off to her to stitch.  As she handed them back I'd turn them right side out, fill with rice, and pin the opening shut to be ready for some more stitching...........we had a great time together and now have a few sets of Hot/Cold Packs to sell at the craft show I'm doing on February 9 - we are bundling them in pairs and tying them together with some pretty ribbon.

What a great day it was to pass on my love of sewing to Tiffani and to be able to work on a project together with her....memories being made.  :)

Oh My........

It's been a long time since I've been on here (thank you for the reminder Britney). Much has happened between posts - a VERY busy fall and Christmas season.  Oh my, where to start......

 

My last post was about the Car Trash Bags I had started making.  I'm still amazed at how that little bag took off and sold like crazy (still selling).  I thought I'd have to put a clearance price on them just to sell them at the craft shows, but not the case.  People were excited about them. They also came up with new uses them for. Some would even put in requests for different fabrics or call and place an order for one or two more for people on their Christmas list that they thought would love one.
 IT   WAS   A   CRAZY   BUSY   TIME   BUT   OH   SO   EXCITING!!!!!!!!

Those Car Trash Bags are now "Not Your Ordinary Trash Bag", because people are using them to hang on the edge of crafting tables  so they will have a place to toss their snips of thread or scrapbooking paper.  Bedside tables and lockers have become a new home for some of them.  I even had a special order for a couple of them to use for portable oxygen tanks (I wish I would have thought of that while my mother was still living.  It would have been so nice to give her a pretty bag to carry her portable tank in).   Oh yes, and most people are still using them for their cars and I don't know what else. 

I was actually caught off guard by how well the bags were received and how fast they sold.  It made for some busy sewing days, for sure, but I enjoyed every minute of it.  It caught me so off guard that I wasn't very well organized for the big production line that I had going on here so I can't even tell you for sure how many I've made - my blogging and accounting time was not the priority when there was such a demand for something that would turn into cash for the Christmas season.  :)  It's safe to say that it's well over 200 and probably closer to 300 as I sit here and tally it up in my head - I still find it hard to believe.

And aprons - another thing that caught me off guard...I did the "Little Black Holiday Apron" and sold a couple of them at The Red Dresser where I also have the trash bags.  Then it was very exciting - let me say that again - VERY  EXCITING to have Hillary of Chick's Picks agree to sell some at her Holiday Event out east and she sold six of them.

It's pretty safe to say that the reason I haven't been blogging is because I've been sewing - before Christmas it was a night and day job to keep up with demand, keep the stock up at The Red Dresser and be prepared for multiple craft shows - a tiring but exciting time.  I'm feeling very blessed at how well received the bags and the aprons were and am gearing up for another great year. 

I just stopped down to The Red Dresser a couple of days ago and restocked the bags with some new fabrics and new stenciled designs, as well as a new apron for Lily.......

 

Remember Lily?  She's my vintage dress form that is currently living at the store.  I think that each season she should have a new apron to wear, so this past week I dressed her in a new, "Won't You Be My Valentine Apron".

 

In this new year I hope to be better at balancing all of this new stuff that's going on in my life.  I know I  need to take the time to share what I'm doing since I have this blog - to slide my chair away from the sewing table and report to all of you how blessed I am feeling to have all of this fun stuff going on in my life.

 

Now I have two weeks of "power crafting" before a February 9th Craft Show at Central High School, sponsored by Third Level, that I'm signed up to do - bags to sew, aprons to make and whatever else I come up with.......it's good that I work well under pressure.  I'll try to remember to take a breath and BLOG............

More...

There are more "Car Trash Bag" fabrics to choose from now.  At the last craft show I started getting requests for some fabrics so here they are:

The Owl print is back and I've added a Leopard print.

 

A new print and Lighthouses...

 

I couldn't forget about the guys, either.

 

I also have been getting ideas for other uses - I love that!!!  My 10 yr. old granddaughter asked if one could hang on a 3M/Command hook in her school locker... Yes it can!!!

Another person mentioned that scrapbook enthusiasts could attach a hook to the edge of their work table and hang a bag for all of those little snips of paper that might otherwise end up on the floor - great idea!!!

I could do that same thing in my sewing area - unfortunately my habit is to snip and let it fall to the floor and I'll clean it up later - maybe I should try to be more tidy in my crafting, though.  :)

Thanks for the suggestions for new fabrics and new uses for the "Car Trash Bags" - I love multi-use things so keep the ideas coming.

Remember that the "Car Trash Bags" are sized to hold a paper lunch sack for quick tossing of the car trash.  They can hang from your console shifter, a knob, an arm rest, or a 3M/Command Hook System like I did in my own car (the hook easily sticks to the dashboard and can be easily removed, as well).  You can find these bags at Red Dresser - An Eclectic Boutique in downtown Traverse City, or find me with them at local craft shows (next one is on Nov. 10 at TC Christian School on Emerson Rd. here in Traverse City, Michigan), or contact me and we'll figure it out - they sell for $12 but there will be a Show Special of 2 for $20 at next craft show.

 Here are most of the fabrics that are available right now - more are coming...
 

Lily Has A New Apron

Lily is my vintage dress form that was given to me to use for displays at craft shows.  She has come in handy to use to display aprons that I've made.

 

I didn't want Lily to get tired of wearing the same thing over and over, so I just made her a new apron that will be good to carry her through the holidays...

Lily is wearing a "Little Black Holiday Apron" made of 100% cotton fabric - black with silver flecks in it.  The apron is fully lined and has a pocket on the front.  The flounce around the bottom makes it extra festive in this sparkly fabric and a flower pin dresses it up even more...

Oh, yes, the "Flower Pin".  That was the first time I'd ever made a flower like that.   It is made with sheer fabric that I cut into circles and then used the heat from a candle - not the flame - and the heat melted the edges and caused them to curl.  Such fun!!!   I'll be trying more and will try to remember to do a step-by-step to share.

 Here's a picture of the top of the apron with a close-up of the flower...

Now my granddaughter has suggested a "sweetheart neckline" with a ruffle - I'm thinking that is a good idea.  So it's "back to the drawing board" to modify my pattern and try another, or two, or three.

Now to find people that want to wear them - or should I say buy them and wear them, or give them for gifts...

It's Craft Show Time

Thread and little fabric snips are tracked throughout the house this time of year. My sewing machine makes a permanent home at the end of the dining room table where the light from the sliding door is just better on my eyes. Our family room is filled with display racks and projects waiting for my attention. To say the least, the house is in a bit of a mess, but I'm having a good time.

Last weekend I did the first craft show of the season with a niece. We had a great day and did pretty well. It's always fun to meet new people, especially when they offer great ideas and tips on our crafting and display.  It is great to come away from a craft show with new ideas and inspiration.

This year I have developed a design for Car Trash Bags and have had them at The Red Dresser - An Eclectic Boutique where they have been selling pretty well. I also featured them at the craft show last weekend and am busy making more for the next show and to keep the downtown shop well supplied.
 

 

 

These "Car Trash Bags" are vinyl lined and are sized so that a paper lunch sack can be used to line them.  They will hang from a console shifter, a knob, or an arm rest in your car.  If that doesn't work you can use one of the 3M/Command hooks like I did - I placed the hook on the dashboard of my car so that the trash bag hangs just to the passenger side of the center of the car - works perfect for me.  With the 3M/Command hook system you could even attach one behind the seats where the kids could easily reach a place to toss their trash.

These are only six of the designs - more are coming.  The most popular one is out of owl fabric that I had run out of, but I have just received a new shipment and the owl bags are cut out and waiting on the table for me.  I had great requests for other designs, so you'll be seeing some leopard prints, sports team, camouflage, some lighthouse prints and more... I'll post as I get them made.

I had an assortment of other things at the craft show, as well. The first thing that sold was a fabric stuffed pumpkin. I made them because I needed a great decoration to go on the table runners that I made...

I love "Miss Mustard Seed" and all of her great ideas.  She uses new painter's drop cloths for making slip covers for furniture and all kinds of things.  She has great tutorials about how to wash and prep the drop cloth so that it's ready to work with.  Check out her website:  www.missmustardseed.com.

I had purchased a drop cloth to use as a drop cloth, but then decided that old sheets would work for what I wanted and I transformed the newly purchased drop cloth into other things.  Check out the seat on the window bench that I made for my niece in an earlier post: A New Window Seat

I had washed that drop cloth with lots of bleach (a couple of cups) and put it through three wash cycles and a couple of rinse cycles.  I then threw that big (9'x12') drop cloth in the dryer expecting it to come out all crumpled and wrinkled - it didn't!!!!  It came out great and for the price it is great fabric!

So I had the rest of the drop cloth left from the window seat project so used it up making "Table Runners" - I lined them with muslin.  They are 72" plus the ruffle on each end - some with a single ruffle and some with a double.

 

 

One of the "Table Runners: with some pumpkins on top.

Here are the pumpkins.

 

The "Table Runners" will transition well from Thanksgiving to Christmas with just a change of decorations on top.  Maybe there will be one left for me to use in my own home (I never seem to have anything on display at my own home that I make - I make them to sell).

I made a "Padded iPad Case" for my niece and she traveled to Italy and back with her iPad safely inside, and loved it.  I didn't like the pattern or padding that it called for, so I used it as inspiration to run with my own design - so if you need a "Padded iPad Case", I have a few made up.

 

It's a padded case with a Velcro closure, has a pocket for a pad of paper, etc.

(that's the great selling owl fabric I used in the "Car Trash Bags")

 

Several fabric options to choose from.

 

I like to sew but sometimes need a change, so I also like painting furniture and re-purposing things.

I made "Dry Erase Boards" for the craft show by painting picture frames with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I love her paint because you don't have to prime or prep - you can just start painting and then finish it off with a coat of wax.  She carries clear and dark wax in her line.

I used scrapbook paper in the frames for the background - even used some fusible web on the back of some owl scrap fabric and ironed the owl onto the paper.  Once the paper is behind the glass you can write on the glass with a dry-erase marker.  They can sit on the counter, hang on the wall... I always jot things I want to remember on my bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker.  Now I think I'll design a "Dry Erase Board" for the areas of the house that I often find myself without something to write on.

I have several designs to choose from.

 

I also have made "Checkerboards" and "Chalkboards" so had them at the craft show, as well.  The "Chalkboards" I made by re-purposing old cupboard doors and drawer fronts from a kitchen remodel.  Again, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is wonderful - three coats and it can be used as chalkboard paint, but I used the can of chalkboard paint that you find in the home improvement stores for the part that you write on - I did use her paint on all of the frames around the chalkboards, though.

 

 

 

I'm thinking that I need to promote these "Checkerboards" as some "unplugged" fun - get those kids away from the electronics for a simple game of checkers and start a new family game (new to the younger crowd, anyway).

So that's my life these days until December, anyway.  For now you'll find me (along with my everyday duties) sewing, painting, crafting, and getting ready for the next craft show - that would be on November 10 at the TC Christian School in our area, then on November 17 at Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church, and I'm still looking into an early December show.  I need to leave time after that to make a meaningful Christmas for my family, which includes cleaning up my crafting messes, getting beds made, presents wrapped, and the sweet smell of Christmas goodies coming from the oven.

If you're in my area, stop by one of the craft shows to see me or stop by Red Dresser - An Eclectic Boutique to check out the "Car Trash Bags".