Monthly Archives: May 2012

label enabler

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Do you like to attach a name to stuff, or are you a non-committal type?  I’ve always been one to put a label on things — at least in the literal sense. ;-) I think it goes hand-in-hand with my lifelong adoration of all things office supplies.

I use a lot of glass containers. I know what they’re made from, and I can pronounce it. I can see how much is left of whatever is inside. I don’t worry about heating or freezing them. They can be used more times than your favorite excuse without staining or declining in quality — some of my favorite ones are older than I am. The only thing I have found less than desirable up to this point was their label-friendliness. Masking tape labels are kinda ugly. Paper sticker labels don’t hold up to washing and are sometimes difficult to remove. I was seeking a solution that was durable, flexible, and perhaps most importantly, cute. Continue reading →

access-all-areas

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I’ve seldom been as excited for a new sewing book release as I was for this one: Lisa Lam’s A Bag for all Reasons. I mentioned not too long ago that I only recently began to execute her actual patterns; however, her technique tutorials have been useful to me for a long while. The vast majority of the twelve projects in this new book appeal to me. Actually, every single one has something I love or a technique I want to learn. This bag, The Access-All-Areas Pouch, was my first undertaking from this publication — I just made it this past weekend.

I chose this project first because I was interested in the recessed top zipper, which employed a technique that was new to me. Continue reading →

let’s do lunch (bags)

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Our sewing book club’s selection for May was Lunch Bags! from Stash Books.  I like these Design Collective publications — each pattern is by a different author (usually an Etsy seller and/or blogger), so you get lots of variety. I’ve had this book since soon after its release, but it is not one of the many that sits idle on my shelf. (OK, shelves.) Even before we chose it for the meeting, I’d completed four of the twenty-five projects, and a couple of those I’d made multiple times. The last one I completed before we met was the contribution from Elizabeth Hutton, the drawstring lunch bag entitled “It’s a Cinch,” seen below in its natural habitat:

It’s rare that I need to pack a lunch for myself, but any of the little bags in this book are awesome for all kinds of other things too: suitcase organization (bag o’ socks!), gift bag, shoe sack, snack or activity bag for road trips, crochet/knitting project tote… Continue reading →

serger thread hack

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I recently participated in a charity sewing event, and I brought my serger to use for the day. I was so amused by my fellow sewists’ reactions to my conebobbinspools of thread that I had to create a tutorial.

a conebobbinspool of serger thread

Let me back up… As many of you know, when you first purchase a serger, one of the investments you make is in the thread. While one cone isn’t going to break the bank, buying four of them each (in oodles of colors) will definitely start to add up. Not to mention sorting out the storage of said cones. Continue reading →

do your pins: does this count?

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I’m really playing fast and loose with the phrase do your pins in this post. The recipe wasn’t one that I pinned, but I did save it to my Pocket briefly before making it. And regarding the other pin… well, you’ll see.

I love to bake for other people. It’s always appreciated, and it gives me the opportunity to try out recipes and to flex that particular creative muscle. Usually I just bake whatever is speaking to me at that moment, but every once in a while, I plan ahead and ask the intended recipient for any preferences. Of course, as soon as I received the answer this time — “cherries” — I almost regretted asking. Not that I don’t like cherries, but I rarely use them in baking and didn’t have a recipe repertoire to draw from. Silly Susan. As if going on a recipe hunt has ever been unpleasant…

chewy cherry almond bars

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feasting on liebster

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A few weeks ago, I e-met another blogger, Kim (11:59 Studio), with whom I felt an instant connection — I love her blog, the style of her projects, and her writing. She even began blogging during the same month as I did. So I was tickled when she notified me that she was awarding me a Liebster, which goes to promising blogs with fewer than 200 followers. Thanks, Kim!

As part of the award, I am paying it forward by Liebstering several others. I don’t think I can see exactly how many total followers a blog has (and if I can, I don’t know how), but I know these are relatively small. Anyway, I dig ‘em… Continue reading →