C'mon Get Scrappy!

Good morning!  This week I've continued my mission to clean out my studio of odds and ends.  I began by making totes last week with all of the leftover fabric I have and believe that I've barely made a dent in the fabric stockpile!  The totes were fun to make and I'm sure I'll be making more now that I sort of have the hang of it, but this week I decided to try something new, rag dolls.  How hard could it be, right?  Well, I went online and found this link with simple instructions (fyi - I always add the word "simple" or "easy" when I google a project..same goes for recipes..:))

Here's the link:  whimsypapermache.blogspot.com

I wasn't able to download her actual pattern because I was using my Ipad and can't print from it, so I decided to try and copy it.  There were a few misses, but eventually I settled on one that I liked.

First, the Oopsies...

Too square - she looks like a linebacker!

Too tiny - I couldn't even get a chopstick into her arms and legs to turn them inside out!  I did try to experiment with hair on this one though - then decided that yarn hair would work best as it suggested in the link!

A little creepy..I tried to do the face less round and she wound up with a jaw that makes Farrah Fawcetts jawline look heart shaped!

 Last night, we went to dinner with my husband's cousin, his wife and two adorable daughters that they adopted from China.  I decided to make the girls each a rag doll. 

I am loving mixing up the fabrics!

Here are the others..



I need to work on the eyes a bit, this one looks a little glazed over..

I will likely be experimenting with a few more this week if I can, I may try a Halloween doll since the holiday is so close.  In between these projects, I've been doing a lot of ornament orders, which of course I love, but they do take time from writing and researching for this blog!  It's a problem I enjoy having to deal with for sure!   Have a wonderful week!

Having a Tote-al Blast!

Well hello again!  I just looked up my most recent post and it's been since June that I posted last!  I took a small haitus to focus on time with my family this summer, especially with my college bound son who we brought to his new school in August.  Not too many tears from me, which was very unexpected, but he looked so happy and I know he is in the right place - I guess that made it easier for me to let him go.

A few weeks ago I looked around my studio and realized I have ALOT of stuff - and I mean all manner of "stuff"!  Like a lot of crafters, I save every little bit of everything with the thought that one day I might need it for a work of art (hey, it could happen).  Well my "stuff" has taken over and I made a resolution that if I couldn't find a craft to make with it, I would toss or recycle it!  First stop, my leftover fabrics...

I went online and found an easy pattern for a tote bag here:   http://www.hgtv.com/handmade/make-an-easy-to-sew-lined-tote-bag/index.html  No kidding - it is so easy and there is NO hand stitching!  Perfect for the lazy crafter like me!  I invited my sister and one of our besties over with their sewing machines for a "Stitch-N-Bitch" night, I bought wine and pizza and rented The Heat with Sandra Bullock.  Not only did we have a great night, but by the next day, I felt creatively inspired and rejuvenated!  I haven't felt like that in a while!

Here are some of the bags that I made and a clutch made by my sister Sandy.  Our friend Kimberly made curtains for her Mom and for some reason we forgot to get a photo!  Oh well, next time!



It took a few tries to make a Minnie Mouse inspired tote, but I like the final product!



The boys needed to be represented as well (plus I had a little of the sports fabric in my cache) so I made one for them.



Leftover fabric from my previous chair covers.

...and leftover fabric from my current chair covers!

This one I made for my son's girlfriend who just had knee surgery.  It was my first attempt at doing some smaller piece work, but I wanted it to have a boho flair and an extra long strap so she could use it as a spare pocket around the house while she's on crutches. 

Sandy's beautiful clutch.  She made this as a birthday gift for a friend of hers.  She had some lovely embroidered fabric and decided to showcase it on the front of the clutch.  It turned out just beautiful!

The Inside detail.

I will be hosting other "Stitch-N-Bitch" nights in the future - it was a tote-al blast!!  I will also be going through more of my "stuff" in the studio and trying to figure out what to do with it.  For now, I am still working on the totes and getting rid of my fabric scraps.  This morning, I just found a fabric basket that I'm going to try.  I'm open to suggestions if you have any other ideas!  Have a great week everyone!