Anna's Handbag and my Family Tree Cross Stitch

I finally finished this bag for Anna today.  She picked out the fabric about a month ago, I think.

Also, I forgot I hadn't shared this yet.  I made this for my parents for their 35th anniversary.  (Which was last November, but better late than never.)

Crocheted sweater for niece, Emily

I made this last weekend for Em.  Hopefully it will fit.  I'll find out on Easter. 

Made from a pattern by Amanda Tipton I found free on Ravelry.

My Grandma Turns 90 this Month

I wrote this article recently for the newsletter of a professional organization I'm in.  I thought I'd share it here, too.

My grandma Evelyn turns 90 this month.  She lives in the house in Creighton, Nebraska, that she and my grandpa built 30 years ago when they moved off the farm.  She gave up her regular garden several years ago, but my Dad built her some “feed bunk” boxes that are several feet off the ground so she can still tend her plants. 

Reflecting on what I’ve learned from Grandma, I think some of the most important lessons have been about relationships and how to treat others.  These skills are important whether you’re dealing with family, friends or co-workers.  All the technical know-how we possess isn’t worth much if we don’t have good relationships with those we work with.  I thought I’d pass along some of what I’ve learned from her.

1)                          Recognize birthdays.  I’ve heard Grandma say that “everyone deserves a birthday cake”.  Acknowledging birthdays represents acknowledgement of a fundamental respect for another person.  To Grandma, a birthday cake isn’t frivolous or just for kids.  It’s a sign of fundamental recognition of the dignity of another person.  In the world of work, acknowledging birthdays with a call, a note or an e-mail can be a way of showing respect and strengthening relationships.

2)                          Share what you know.  Grandma has always been willing to let others “help” and by doing so, learn a skill.  It would have been easy, and probably less stressful, for her to send the grandkids off to play while she made bread or cookies.  Instead, she let us pull up a chair and, in the meantime, we learned measuring, mixing, kneading and baking.  At work, it’s easy to keep knowledge and skills to ourselves, believing that it’s just faster to “do it ourselves”.  But this isn’t our job.  If we’re not sharing knowledge, we’re not performing our job 100%.  Next time you’re about to start a project or go to a meeting, invite someone less experienced along to see how it’s done.

3)                          Recognize a job well done.  This one’s fundamental.  My grandparents didn’t stint with praise when it was due.  It never failed that when we ate dinner with them, a few minutes in Grandpa would look around the table at us and say, “Isn’t this the best dinner? Tell Grandma what a good dinner she made”.  And we’d all agree that Grandma had made a good dinner.  It’s so easy to forget how little things like that make a big difference, especially when it’s something someone does for you every day, like making dinner or distributing the office mail.  Tell that person often that they’re doing a good job and the difference that it makes to you.

4)                          Assume other people’s actions come from good intentions. Grandma is one of the kindest people I know.  I’ve rarely heard her say a bad word about anybody, and if so, only in a whisper.  I strive to be like that, but it’s hard when snark and sarcasm are accepted forms of humor.  It’s easy to believe that others’ actions are motivated by bad intentions, while our own actions are motivated by outside circumstances (a theory called the fundamental attribution error).  It’s like the difference between Theory X and Theory Y in management.  If we believe people are inherently lazy and will avoid work, as in Theory X, we will treat them very differently than if we go with Theory Y and believe that most people WANT to do well.  I’ve found that I feel better and have better outcomes when I remember that people are generally motivated by good intentions.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Gathered Clutch with Flower

I made this for my sister, Sara, based on one she saw at DSW.

Free Cross Stitch Pattern based on 18th Century German pattern

I've been doing a lot of cross stitch lately and love the old patterns.  I charted this pattern based on a design in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  The design is by Margaretha Helm from a book published in 1742.

If you use this pattern, I'd love to see what you make.

Cleverscene Upcycled Garments

I love how these men's suits have been taken apart and reconstructed into handbags.  These are from Cleverscene

I'm going to try this: Felted sweater upcycled into tote

I came across this post from The Inadvertent Farmer the other day about making a tote bag from a felted sweater (I love how she talks about cleaning out the camel house!) 

I found  a 100% wool sweater at Salvation Army the other day, washed it in hot water, and honestly, it's about doll size right now.  We'll see how that works out.  I also bought a sweater that was marked cashmere at the same time, but hot water washing did not have the same effect.  Must be a blend, or maybe cashmere doesn't felt?  Not sure.  I'll post the results of my project here when I get it accomplished.

Upcycling an old sweater

I just love how this turned out.  I found a thrift store sweater with embroidered flowers, cut them out carefully, and used fabric glue to attach them to the front of this suede hobo bag refashioned from a suede skirt.  Take a look:

My New Sewing Space

For weeks now I've been hauling the sewing machine out to the dining room table, then hauling it back to the spare bedroom every night when I was done with it.  But this weekend my mother-in-law gave us a table, and it's the new home for my sewing machine in the spare room!

Now, someday, maybe my area will be nice and organized like these sewing/craft rooms from flickr:

I don't think I'm really organized enough to be able to achieve that, let alone keep it that way for long.  For now this is working out just fine!

In the meantime I'm going to keep an eye out for organizing ideas like this post from the orgjunkie blog.

What Upcycling is and Why it's Cool

Remember the scene in Gone with the Wind when Scarlett needs a new dress to go to Atlanta to borrow money, but there's no money for a new dress? She looks at those green velvet drapes and gets a gleam in her eye. Soon she has a fancy new green velvet dress.

That's upcycling. It's taking something that was made for one purpose (bonus points if it's been or about to be discarded) and refashioning it for a different purpose. In fact,
upcycling is often called refashioning or repurposing.


If you're like me, you hate to throw things away if you get the slightest sense they could have a use in the future. So I find the idea of using something old to make something new pretty appealing.


Here are some examples:


Martha Stewart's website has instructions for making mittens out of old
sweaters. Use what you already have or look for thrift store finds.

Another Martha DIY for making stuffed animals out of old sweaters.

There are so many possibilities. As a kid, I remember making clothes for
dolls and stuffed animals out of flour sacks. My grandma, the ultimate
thrifty crafter, uses leftover fabric scraps from making clothes to make
quilts.


Upcycling, refashioning and repurposing is cool because it saves you money.
You're not spending money on new items. You're using something you already
have or spending a fraction of the cost of new on a thrift store item.


It's cool because it represents good stewardship of what you've been given.
Rather than an item going to waste, being destroyed or ending up in a
landfill, it's being put to a new purpose.


And upcycling is cool because things created from upcycled materials are
unique and one of a kind. They're so much more special and interesting
than something mass produced in a factory where the folks making it may not
have been paid a living wage.


Stay tuned for my next project which involves upcycling a green pencil
skirt into a handbag.

What a sweet purse.

My latest creation....I call this one the Watermelon Bag!  It just reminds me so much of spring.  And I am ready for it!

Sold!

Just in time for spring!

I call this one the "watermelon bag". Green and white hobo bag is made with 100% cotton home decor fabric and lined with a pink cotton fabric. It's made with fleece batting to give the bag structure and protect your items.

I added a magnet snap to the front closure for security and handtacked the pretty white flowers to the front.

There's an inside pocket trimmed with more green and white fabric. Bag measures 14 1/2" by 9 1/2" and faux leather strap reaches 13 1/2" from the top of the bag. This is a good one to sling over your shoulder

How I assembled the bag:

Handmade Items For Sale

Here are some of the completed items I have.  Links will take you to my Etsy website.

Black, Cream Gray Sophisticated Pleated Purse

I'd load this handbag to take to work. The sophisticated pattern mixes well with the fun buttons on the handles.

This bag is roomy enough to hold all of your essentials. Made from 100% cotton duck fabric with a cotton lining.

Bag measures 11.5" x 14.5". Handles reach 8" from bag top.

Click here to see more pictures or to Buy

Charming Cream Pleated Handbag : Tote with Satin Bow

I chose this beautiful cream colored fabric especially for the tiny dots that give this handbag a subtle sheen.


With an elegant satin bow above the pleats, I would take this bag out for a special evening. It's classy, but it's big enough to carry anything you might need.


I added an inside zippered pocket for extra security. This bag measures 12 x 15 inches and the set-in handles reach 7 1/2 inches above the top of the bag.

 Click here for more pictures or to Buy

Blue Floral Bucket Bag : Tote Bamboo Handles

This pretty blue floral bucket bag is made of 100% cotton home decor weight fabric.


It's pretty enough to carry to work or out in the evening when you just need a few things with you.
I think this would be great as a purse for a little girl.


Heavyweight interlining makes this a very sturdy little bag.


This bag measures 7 3/4" by 5 1/4". It's 5 3/4" deep. The handles reach 5 1/2" from the top of the bag.  Click here for more pictures or to Buy

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or see anything else you like as it's added to this blog.  Custom orders welcome.  Let's talk!

Welcome to my blog!

I've set up this blog to showcase and share my crafting projects.  I've been making handbags, crocheted hats and scarves, and there's more to come!  Stay tuned...