I've never sewn a zipper in. I've never lined anything. I've never sewn a purse. So, let's just say that this little clutch project was very educational. I had grand plans of hand embroidered sparrows in the corners of the clutch but after I took a wrong turn with the zipper installation, I decided to just finish the project and started re-evaluating my strategy.
I do love the color combinations (plum zipper + mustard fabric = breathless me).
I learn the best by trial and error. I've always been that way. I am excited to start another clutch tomorrow...this time armed with new blueprints and a bit of experience.

Spring Break Project #2 - Planting Seeds

We had a full day of playing, planting, and friend making. Each person in our household had a new friend over at some point during the day. Lots of talking, crafting and, of course, planting took place. Hopefully something will grow in the next week...I do not have a very green thumb. Now, I'm trying to come up with a project for tomorrow...any suggestions?

I've recently invested in some new watercolor paint brushes. It is important to keep brushes separated by the medium they are intended for. As I was contemplating how to store my new brushes and paints, I knew I did not want to use a plastic bin or another ugly coffee mug. I decided to make my own custom tote. After an entire day of tedious sewing, I am pleased to share the results with you.
To the right, there is a brush storage pocket that is specifically measured to fit my brushes. On the left, a paint storage section that holds 15-26 tubes of watercolor paint. A striped flap folds over the top of the brushes to prevent them from slipping out. The interior is canvas and the pockets are Heather Ross fabrics. The outside is my favorite part: a found tea towel and hand stamped art nest label. The gray and cream stripes are so dreamy and complimented the light colors of the the interior. I used four D-rings and created canvas belts to keep the the tote snugly rolled. Creating this paint and brush tote was a very rewarding experience. I know that it will accompany me in all my artistic endeavors!
On a side note: the background for these photographs is my painting table. Years ago I literally pulled the table out of a pile of clutter on the side of the road. My father had it refinished as a surprise. I was so touched my his encouraging gesture!

I spent a quiet Tuesday night at my art table cutting out tiny circles of fabric and modge - podging them onto wood nickels. I made 16 pairs for a total of 32 game pieces. My children LOVE playing this game. We all sat on the studio floor yesterday afternoon and played three full games. Everyone was laughing and cheering for each other as more and more matches were discovered. I felt such a sense of accomplishment, peace, and joy as I witnessed this tiny handmade game bring smiles, giggles, and memories to my family. It was an afternoon to remember!

My first knitted beret! I have never knitted before until now. I used the Purl Beret pattern from the Purl Bee blog. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to knit this hat. I did have to do some background research for certain stitches and at one point there were 5 needles attached to the hat (scary!). I am very proud of this hat and have been wearing it around town all day. Next I believe I will tackle some fingerless gloves!

I created this Washer and Dryer Play Set for my children and they loved it. I originally created this as a prototype so that my handy husband could build a play set out of wood. The prototype was such a hit that I never even asked for the other one! I would love to share my instructions with you if you fancy trying to make one. It's quite easy and inexpensive. Just e-mail me, subject line: Play Set and I'll send the instructions your way. Don't forget to tell your friends. Merci!

I'm just arriving home from a birthday celebration. My beautiful mother has turned ?? (I'm sworn to secrecy). In honor of her special day, I sewed her this tea bag wallet using some of the fabric that she bought me on our recent vacation. I hand embroidered her monogram on the front and then covered a button with some blue polka dot fabric. I created my own pattern for this tea bag wallet and am just smitten with the results.

Do you ever have a vision for a project and never follow through? I am the queen of this sad state. However, today I conquered one of my "I'll get to it someday" ideas and ended up with these pin cushion rings. I created my own pattern for these and they turned out just as I had envisioned...simply lovely!