Wooden Beer Carrier (for a Six-Pack!)

Alas, this is the last of my woodworking projects to share with you.  I shared my first project ever (wood piece basket), my first scrapbuster (scrap vase), and the unfinished project that hopefully I'll get to soon (custom X-leg stools).

I am so excited about this project because I think it turned out fantastically!  To celebrate, maybe I should crack a beer open?  :)

We were given plans with some instructions for a toolbox, but we could make it with any dimensions we liked.  You can see the example with the flames, which was made pretty huge.  Obviously, I decided to go with a different size to tote around a six-pack of beers.

In the picture to the right, first I cut the sides of the carrier.

Then, I used a band saw to create a rounded shape towards the top and sanded it smooth.

Next, I used a drill press to match the size of the pipe I planned on using as a handle.  By the way, I spent a ton of time sanding the hole bigger because there wasn't a size that quite fit my pipe.  That meant drilling a smaller hole and sanding it larger.

Then, I changed the plans a bit on the advice of the instructor to make a notch in the sides using a router.  That way, the bottom of the carrier would be even more snug and secure!

Next, I cut the sides of the tote down and used the router again to add a bit of detail.

Then it was time to glue it all together and clamp it while it dried.

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Woodworking Project #1: Wood Piece Basket

Last week, I was a little tricky and shared the Wood Scrap Vase as my first woodworking project ever...  But it was really made with the scraps of the project that I'm sharing with you today!

That was just a teaser, but here is the whole process of how I made this Wood Piece Basket!

By the way, this is not a tutorial.  I just wanted to show off my new-found woodworking skills to you all.  Yay!

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I started with this huge piece of lumber taller than me, plus a couple other pieces you'll see later.

I used a table saw to rip it into six skinny pieces on the right.

Using a chop saw or miter saw, each skinny piece was turned into lots of tiny pieces.

Then, I sanded each piece down to give the edges a bit of a shape.

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Project #0: Wood Scrap Vase

After last week's Woodworking Tip, I promised to share a woodworking project with you...

Well, I kinda lied.  Or maybe I didn't!  I thought I would share this project that I made out of a bunch of scraps from my first project.  Thats why it's Project #0 and not number 1!

It's not the prettiest thing ever, but I'm happy that I made something semi-interesting while practicing using the tools.

I attempted to make some type of spiral design and it ended up juuust a little wonky.  Also, I with I had four more pieces to make another layer on the bottom to match the top.

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Craft Rewind: Cross-Stitching

Continuing with my craft rewind series of posts, I am bringing to you the very first craft that I remember seriously spending time doing.  I remember going to the store with my mom to buy new patterns, and I am sure that my mom still has a bunch of them!

Anyways, here are a few of my earliest creations.  :)

I don't know that this actually counts, but this is the very, very first cross stitching that I did.  It is obviously a kid's version of cross-stitching from when I was really young.  I actually remember doing this and having an "Aha!" moment when the picture started to form.  I was hooked!

There are a few other ones that I remember doing, but I couldn't find them right away in my mom's stash.  One of the first ones that I remember making was a rabbit wearing a bonnet and bloomers.  Also, I stitched a few gifts as well, so there is no access to those...  :(

I remember making this one in high school, and my mom hung this up in the hallway between my bedroom and my sister's.  Cute!  It still hangs there nowadays.  :)

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Upcycled Pant Hems into Sunglasses Sleeve

It has been more than a year since I posted my super popular Sunglasses Case tutorial, and although I am really happy with this project, I sincerely doubt that I will get a fraction of the pageviews that my previous post had.  Why?  Well, this is a funny little project that I put together from my pant hems that I chopped off in the tutorial for hemming pants, so they were little scrap tubes hanging out in my stash.

Some time later, my mom wanted a sunglasses sleeve and I had this fabric from her pants, so I upcycled them into a little sleeve!  Here's a quickie almost-tutorial on how I did it.  :)

The whole reason I am calling this an "almost" tutorial is because I just snapped a few pictures along the way, and even though you will get the main gist from the pictures, it is not a really thorough step-by-step with arrows or a pattern to download.  Here we go!

Sunglasses Sleeve "Tutorial"

What You Will Need

• Upcycled pant hems
• Matching thread
• Sunglasses
• Sewing machine or needle for hand sewing

Directions

1.  First, turned the fabric inside out with right sides touching.

2.  Sew along the non-finished edge to make a pouch shape.

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Simple Top Challenge Round-up

Yes!  It is time for another Stitch Once, Rip Twice round-up!  This time, we have eight different projects, four from new members.  :)  For those of you who are beginning sewists or would like to join our virtual sewing group, click here for more info.

Let's get to the garments!

Oh, but if you are unfamiliar with our latest challenge, find out more about the Simple Top Challenge rules and inspiration on this post!

Now, let's get to the garments!

Last week, I shared my own (Refashioned) Simple Top from a $1 swap meet button-down shirt.  Click on over to see how my top turned out, plus the major mistake that turned into a cute detail!

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Challenge #5: A (Refashioned) Simple Top!

Today, I actually have a new sewing project to share with you!  Stitch Once, Rip Twice's latest challenge was a Simple Top, and I knew that I had to make something nice and breezy for this 80°F weather we have been having here!

Read on for all of the details, including how I turned a huge mishap into a fashionable detail and how this only cost me $1!

*Update* Check out everyone else's garments here!

As you remember, we had a challenge and I had a few ideas in mind when I announced it in this post.  I kept wanting to complicate the design with all kinds of details, but I finally just settled for a really simple top!

I used Simplicity 1614 from my pattern collection for its breezy silhouette.  I decided to go with version D's front and version A/B's back with the detail.  Already getting not-so-simple...

For the fabric, I was going through my enormous fabric stash to find something breezy but not sheer.

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Crochet Rewind: Hats, Scarves & Blankets!

Remember how last year I shared the crocheted pouch for my external hard drive and mentioned that it would be my only crochet rewind?  Well, I have a little bit of a surprise for you!  I was thinking about how I have a definite lack of crafts on my blog, compared to the amount of recipes and food posts, so I wanted to share this all with you today!

I started crocheting my freshman year of college and thought it was really fun!  I have given it up in favor of sewing recently, only because I have more than enough warm items to wear, as you can see below, and I do live in California!  However, I realized after meeting Kate of Small & Great, there are so many other items to crochet and I am inspired to take it up again soon!

By the way, these are items that I had on hand to photograph, and you might have seen a couple of these in my Closet Clean-Out post already.  Let's take a peek!

Beanies

I actually have two of these identically ones because I had enough yarn in the skein to make a couple.  Although I only have two here, I actually once made about 80 of them one holiday season for our entire student government staff!  It was ridiculous!

I use these whenever it gets cold inside the house to avoid turning on the heater.  :)

Beret

I decided to experiment with some extra green yarn and make a beret!  I also aded a little button flower, just for a bit of a cute factor.

Here is the underside.  Neat!

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Holiday Swap Round-up!

Hello again!

Some of you might have thought to yourself... what happened to Stitch Once, Rip Twice?  Remember, my online sewing group with challenges?  Well, it's still around!

Last time we spoke about our little group, I posted about our Mad About Plaid Challenge and then I shared with you the plans that I had to make a coat.

And then...  a big fat nothing.

Or so you thought!

We had an awesome holiday swap!  I matched up pairs of gals and they gifted lots of sewing goodies!

Next week, I promise to show off the completed projects from the last challenge, but first I wanted to share some of the great presents that our members sent and received in our first holiday swap!

Holiday Swap Round-Up!

ChiChi from ChiChi Loves gave Kristin from Sew Classic tons of vintage patterns, notions, and fabric.  Read more about it here.

Kristin from Sew Classic gave ChiChi from ChiChi Loves a whole bunch of patterns, bright fabrics, and embellishments to add to her stash!

Kathy gave Cecilia some beautiful fabric, patterns, and lots of useful little notions!

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My Niece's First Dolls!

Today, I am sharing one of my "friends and family" posts as this week's theme!

You may remember my niece, who I have referred to several times on the blog.  I have taken her school supply shopping, gave her some sewing lessons, and bought her a fab Christmas gift this year!  I mentioned way back in June that we sewed a couple of dolls together, and I'm sharing it with you now.  :)

This is the only picture I have of the dolls because I was too engrossed in our lesson to take any pictures.  Silly me!

The whole reason for the dolls is because my cousin had some of my niece's old baby clothes that they wanted to display.  I already had the doll pattern for Simplicity 1900 below, so it was perfect!

First, we decided to alter the torso sections because they were not quite long enough for the clothes.  Then, my cousin and my niece learned how to lay out and cut pattern pieces properly.  Next, we started assembling all of the dolls while my niece loved threading and rethreading the machine for each color thread.  Maybe I should sew with her permanently!  While sewing, I explained to her all of the steps, and it was so much fun.  :)

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Why a Waistband Matters: Gray & Yellow Maxi Dress - Round 2!

It's Tuesday, which means that it's time for a sewing post!  Yes, I am sandwiching this between a ton of Thanksgiving posts, but I want to make sure that all of my sewing buddies out there know that I am still doing the occasional project!

This is not a new garment (womp, womp) but it is definitely an improvement on one that I made before!  Remember from this post how I was disappointed at how the dress made me look pregnant?  Well, I took mimi g's advice (from when I attended her conference) and put it in the waistband that I was reluctant to add.  I am sooo glad I did!

Keep in mind this is the same dress with only the addition of a waistband.  Otherwise, this is the same bodice, same skirt, same dress form, and (almost) same angle.  Seriously, check out the difference.  :)

Remember, this is a wearable muslin that I intended to make using the Simplicity 2219 for the first time hence the so-so bodice fabric.  I do love how it fits like a glove everywhere now that I have added the waistband, except for the shirring on the side panels.

By the way, the waistband piece that I added was from the same pattern I used in orange maxi dress.  It was a perfect match!

So once again, here are the before and after pictures.  Why should the addition of a relatively small strip of fabric make such a huge change?

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Tutorial: Upcycled Rice Bag Tote!

Some of you may be familiar with those upcycled tote bags made from flour sacks, old banners, and even candy wrappers!  Ever since I started seeing these bags on sale (for way too much!), I was itching to repurpose a tote bag for trips to the farmers market, craft fairs, or the beach.

A few weeks ago, my mom had two huge rice bags that she kept for me, "in case I could do something with them."  I love that people start to reserve items for me, especially ones that have come in handy!  This was my first attempt to work with the rice bag material, and it worked out pretty well.  This is the perfect tote material because it is super light AND incredibly durable!

My bag in action, toting around the pattern I traced for the portrait blouse!

I have already worked with vinyl, leather, and heavy home decor fabrics, but I was expecting this to be tougher.  I could not have been more wrong!  It was easy, light, and did not stick to my machine like the vinyl.  Yay!

Originally, I was just going to post a picture of my finished tote bag, but since I took a couple of pictures while I was sewing, here's a tutorial instead!

What You Will Need

Rice bag
Heavy duty webbing, for handles (length depends on desired finished length)
Heavy duty thread


Directions

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Sewing Rewind: Fail Edition!

Now, why would I bother show you guys all of my fails?  Well, like I said in my Sewing Rewind: Works in Progress post, I wanted to show absolutely every one of my past projects, even if they ended up terribly.

In this post:

• Boxy Quilted Pouch
• Black & Blue Top
• Tutu
• Fleece Wrap
• Phone Case

Boxy Quilted Pouch for my cousin

I had just learned how to make a zippered pouch, and I was interested in trying out a pattern for a boxy quilted pouch.  I was excited to tell my cousin about my new sewing hobby, and she said, "Make me something!"

Well, I didn't know how to tell her that it's hard to make something on demand without the appropriate supplies, so I decided to make it anyways.

I didn't have my DIY ironing board yet, so I was still cutting on the floor.  Disaster!

I quilted it wrong sides together, and it was so tiny in the end.  Probably just big enough for a few tissues or coins.  Oh well!

Black & Blue Top

From afar, this doesn't seem like a terrible top, but remember that the devil is in the details!

This was such a shifty fabric, that it was super difficult to cut.  The pattern pieces somehow were probably off, and then I made the mistake of trying to fix the pattern to what I thought would work best.  I ended making more of a mess, with a lot of puckering in the back.

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Sewing Rewind: Self-drafted Edition!

At one point or another, we all decide to break out of the box and make our own patterns, either by modifying other patterns, using existing clothing, or making them from scratch.  This was TOTALLY difficult for me, because the patterns I had already sewed worked pretty well for me with very little alterations.  The prospect of failing was scary, and even though these projects were far from perfect, I learned from them and eventually tweaked them to my liking!

The reason I wanted to start sewing was to make a simple summer tank dress with an elastic waistband in fabrics that I liked.  I had been seeing a few in stores, but they were either really expensive, in a terrible fabric, or in a fabric that would be instantly recognizable to someone else who frequented the store.  That's when I decided that I would take a class to learn how to sew just a simple A-line dress.  Little did I know how obsessed I would get!

In this post:

• Tank Dress
• "Put a Bird On It" Tank
• Ruched Polka Dot Top

Tank Dress, Bird tank & Ruched polka dot top

Tank Dress

For the first few weeks of class, I was very good at making my crafting projects and learning a few techniques.  In fact, I even finished a dress with sleeves, darts, and princess seams before attacking this item.  I was sure that I would totally rock it!

Please ignore the smushy dress form underneath!

And while yes, it looks fine, it wasn't what I was initially going for.  First of all, the skirt hugs the body too much because I wasn't sure how A-line my skirt should be.  So, I ended up hacking off too much.  Also, you won't be able to see this, but my pockets ended up much too low initially and some clever internal seams helped to fix this without ripping apart the entire thing!

And although I do love the fabric, it doesn't drape well.  I guess that's what happens when you don't follow the instructions on the back of the envelope (that doesn't exist).

I am impressed with how well the top fits though, and I won't make any changes to the pattern!

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Sewing Rewind: Travel edition!

It's sewing rewind time again!  A week goes by so fast, doesn't it?  Anyways, coincidentally when I was making out a schedule of the projects I wanted to share, it didn't even occur to me that this post would be so fitting due to recent travels!

Right now, I am in New York and headed to Nashville tomorrow.  Tons of traveling, and today's featured projects are getting a some use right now!


In this post (jump to):

• Packing Cubes
• Cord Tamers
• Jewelry Roll

Cord Tamers, Packing Cubes & Jewelry Roll

Packing Cubes

Last year I had a few weekend trips when I decided that I wanted to make something that would make it easy to organize my suitcase quickly.

Previously, I had been using large Ziplock bags for items such as toiletries, underwear, and makeup.  For my shoes, I was using some drawstring bags that my grandmother made and are still in perfect condition.  And for my clothes, I was using the vinyl bags that bedsheets are packaged in.

• Pros: Everything was in clear bags and therefore easy to find!  Many bags with different categories made it easy to pick out exactly what I wanted (PJs in one bag, workout gear in another).
• Cons: Plastic bags have no structure and fell over easily, with smaller bags of makeup, etc. falling to the bottom of the bag and becoming hidden and hard to find.  The bedsheet bags for my clothes were flat and therefore difficult to access the items at the bottom of the bag.

So I put together a wishlist of what I wanted:

1. Clear
2. Easy to access
3. Semi-structured (to avoid smaller items falling to the bottom)
4. Different sizes
5. Inexpensive!

After finding out what worked and what didn't, I scoured the web to find a solution.  Nothing struck my fancy, until I spotted the packing cubes:

They seemed great for organizing, provided easy access to contents, sturdy, and came in different sizes.  However, they weren't clear, didn't have a small size, were super expensive!

So what's a girl to do?  Make her own!  I tend to do that...

Here's a view of the lower part of my suitcase with clothing, workout clothes, PJs, undies, and an extra for other clothing.

And here's the upper part of my suitcase with shoes in drawstring bags made by my grandmother (see better pictures here!), as well as toiletries, accessories, jewelry, charging cords, and a bathing suit + cover up.

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Goggles / Sunglasses Cases & Sewing Rewind

*Update*  Tutorial available here!

Last night, I had a mini-sewing class with my cousin and taught her how to use a pattern and most of the parts of her machine.  It was a reminder of how far I've come in a short while!  Also, I finally took my machine out for the first time this year to sew the leather case below.

If you guys are interested, I can post a pattern & tutorial for these, so let me know!

Now, I'm not sure if you noticed, but I was having sewing rewinds on Tuesdays and Fridays before this.  It was severely cutting my ability to share projects that I'm working on now, and from now on I will have my rewinds only on Tuesdays!

Now for a peek at my sunglasses cases!

Please excuse the terrible lighting!  This was done at 5 am, so no daylight :(

When I first began to sew, I was completely focused on making projects for class.  So when my I lost my sunglasses pouch after going on a trip, I didn't think of making a case for it.

Then, I had a "duh" moment and decided that I could easily sew a simple pouch.  I looked around for a free pattern, and found a million of them!  Perfect!

But then, I remembered that I had oversized glasses where the tips of the arms tend to scratch the inside of the lenses.  See the bottom picture?

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Sewing Rewind: My first wearable clothing!

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who has been amazing with comments and emails of support and compliments.  I am certainly having a lot of "aw-shucks" moments lately!

Also, I updated my previous post here to include (slightly) better pictures of my Christmas dress, "fur" wrap, and NYE dress.

So for today, I thought I would share some of the first garments that I actually wore in public.  The first time I wore each of these items, I thought that either everyone would point and laugh or that it would completely disintegrate like a paper doll dress.

Luckily none of these things have happened, and I even had a couple of compliments!  Victory!

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In this post:

• Orange Maxi Dress
• Polka Dot Sorbetto
• Purple Corduroy Skirt

Orange Maxi Dress

Remember, I first began sewing in April and for the first several weeks I did a bunch of beginner projects (pillow cases, binder covers, etc.).  Then, I moved on to my first dress which I will blog about later.  It was a trial for a lot of techniques, but I knew I wouldn't wear it anytime soon.

By the time I finished, it was the end of June and I was in need of a fun summer dress!

I only decided to attempt a maxi dress because my sister (who is as short as I am) told me about how it actually made her look taller.  Sold!

I decided to use Simplicity 3503 and an orange stretch jersey with white stripes bought at the swap for $1/yard.  Because it had stripes, I didn't want to resemble a jailbird, referee, Waldo, etc. so I decided to cut the skirt with the stripes running diagonally at the bias.  I'm thrilled at how it turned out!

A tall drink of orange.  :)

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(Non) Sewing rewind: Sewing Basket edition #2!

Last week I shared a few goodies that I made for my sewing basket: my pincushion cuff, sewing machine quilt, and the tailor's ham & seam roll.  This week, I wanted to share more items that all sewists need, which I made at home to save a penny or two.

Get ready to meet my ironing board, pattern weights, and dress form!

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In this post:

• Pattern Weights
• Ironing board
• Duct Tape Dress form

Pattern weights

There are a million and half tutorials out there for making pattern weights.  Some people don't mind spending $12 for 4 weights at the store, while others use soup cans, etc.  I am neither of those people!  I like to save money, and I prefer something pretty (besides I make my soup from scratch)!

Enter the ribbon-wrapped pattern weight.  Since making these, I would consider using fabric instead, but at the time I didn't have many cute scraps.  Besides, my mom had tons of ribbon she was itching to get rid of at the time.  Maybe one day I will redo them with a different scrap of fabric from each project I've done!

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Sewing Rewind: A skirt, a shirt, and a coat... Oh my!

This post is a little late today because I needed to take photographs of this next set of clothing using the fancy camera I mentioned yesterday.  It was my first crack at a DSLR camera.  Fun!

The next few pictures are of items that I've made and actually worn!  And yes, I know I need to invest in a dress form eventually.

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In this post:

• Red Beignet skirt
• Maroon Fleece Jacket
• Racerback Shirt/Dress

Red Beignet (high-waisted) skirt

My friend and I went to the Sew L.A. event back in September when Colette Patterns released their Fall patterns, which was the first time I encountered the beautiful patterns they offer!

Since I had only made a few other pieces of clothing (most not my style, but for practice purposes), this seemed like a good place to start with an actual piece of clothing I would like to wear one day!

I chose the Beignet pattern, even though it said intermediate!

For the fabric, I used some red poplin that I bought at M & L fabrics for $1.98/yard and the lining was left behind by someone in my class.  I bought the buttons at a swap meet, so I most likely spent $1 or less.  Definitely less than $5 all in all!

And here is how it turned out.

Red Colette Beignet skirt (unironed)  :(

My intention for this project was to serve as a muslin, figuring that if it turned out to be wearable, I could use it as a casual skirt.  Luckily, it turned out pretty well, and now I can avoid a few problems that I had while sewing it and make a few adjustments for my more expensive fabric.

I absolutely love the pop of lining that I used!  I almost wish I could have it peek out from the skirt a little.  Or maybe make some piping along the skirt with it next time.

Lovely lining

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Sewing Rewind: Sewing Basket edition!

When I start anything in life, I dive in head first.  My family lovingly calls me obsessive, and I wholeheartedly accept that label!  Then again, I think of it as being thorough, or detail oriented, or something a bit nicer sounding.  :)

Hence, when I started this whole sewing venture, I wanted to have a well-stocked sewing basket with all of the supplies I would ever need.  My mother bequeathed a lot of her items to me, which my late grandmother used when she sewed at our house.

However, when I showed up to my first class, I realized that there were other items that I wanted!  So, I asked myself, "How can I have all the things I want, without spending an arm and a leg?"  DIY of course!

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In this post:

• Pincushion Cuff
• Sewing Machine Quilt
• Tailor's Ham & Seam Roll

Pincushion Cuff

First on the list was a pincushion cuff.  I had the standard tomato & pepper pincushion, but I wanted to be able to wear it on my wrist just like my teacher.  I searched the internet and found a very cute tutorial from Michelle patterns here.

I used fabric that someone left at class for the flower, scrap fabric from my stash for the cuff, embroidery floss & a button from my mom's stash, extra stuffing from my stash, and a cottage cheese cover for the plastic inside.  All in all, $0 for this project!

Pincushion cuff in action!

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