Score at the Thrift Store

  You can't turn up something like this, especially if you were born in the 80's like me! Cabbage Patch Kids were a big part of my upbringing and wish I would've kept some of my old ones from the past: marker on the faces, hair snipped and all. Will I ever use the pattern? I'm not sure, but I think it's kind of like keeping those old favorite books on the shelf even though you've read them just enough times. 

Dresses for the Bubbles (Part 1)

  They're not being called flower-girls because technically they'll be dispersing bubbles down the aisle, so my girlfriend just calls them "the bubbles" for now. I think its kind of cute, plus I also like when people stray away from the typical wedding regimen that has come about over hundreds of years (boring and so not personal). I also felt honored when she asked me to make these two dresses for her beautiful nieces as they walk the aisle just ahead of her in September in my home state of Maine. 

  Today we spent several hours scoping out just the right pattern- well, piecing together two separate designs to get what will compliment her own dress and those of her bridesmaids- and finding just the right fabrics and notions. After we walked away from the checkout I said to her "you know,  neither of us ever looked at the costs of any of the fabrics, we chose purely on exactly what we wanted." What an amazing feeling it is. I cannot wait to create these amazing dresses that will add shine to the celebration of the true love between two wonderful people. 

Busy Weekend Designing New Spikes

  I wasn't too impressed with the way that I designed the spikes for the previous dinosaur tails, which consisted of two layers of felt sewn together. They didn't look bad, but they also didn't look as clean as I'd have liked and plus three separate strips had to be sewn together halfway through a spike to make the most out of the pre-cut dimensions of felt that I purchased. I was able to design new spikes in which I have very little scraps leftover and it seems to be working out well. I also like the alternating colors versus the double-layer from before. The pinning and basting is a bit tedious, but it'll be worth it in the end.

  I have twenty tails almost done right now, but most will be heading off for a party package order. The others I will list on my Etsy page for sale one they are complete!

Going in for One Item...

One item. Yeah, it's a family joke started thanks to my stepmother's antics, but it fully describes me at Jo-Ann Fabric! I even went in with a list last night to pick up specific fabrics and notions for a new project but thanks to a large sale section on fabrics I ended up spending way more than I should have!  What can I say I LOVE using all sorts of different fabrics and prints, plus I've found that fruit and veggie prints aren't easy to find. Here's a peek of whats to come:

Funky texture and bright colors
should make for some interesting new reusable snack bags.

I love this cotton print! I think it'll make some super cute cloth napkins (two-layer like I prefer with light cottons). 

More two-layer cloth napkins coming up with this bright, fruity cotton. 

Birthday Party Request!

Apparently my Etsy shop is getting some views, which is very exciting to me! I was just asked if I could create a sort of party package special pricing for a particular item, can you guess what it is? I had fun picking out these roar-tastic prints for it! More to come...

Visit my website!

www.lifeissew.com

Although my website is currently under construction please take a moment to check it out! Ultimately I'd love for the website to be a great tool for showcasing my sewing work and also a a way to link my blog and Etsy pages, but for those of you who've ever created a web page you know the time that it takes to design and edit everything. It will blossom through time I'm sure, and thank you for looking!

Visit my ETSY page!

I've finally opened my Etsy page! Here you can find some of my items listed for sale. Feel free to contact me with any special requests or project ideas!

etsy.com/shop/LifeIsSew

Dinosaur Tails

ROAR! 

How else would I want to spend 2 days off than making a dozen tails for my soon-to-be 3 year old nephew? Although a bit tedious, these really weren't that tricky to make. I used double soft felt for the spikes (versus stuffed spikes as I saw in a tutorial), and used various fabrics as chose by the prints. I really liked the triangle, jersey fabric for it's spike-like design and bright colors. But not every dinosaur is bright and fun, some are rough and tough, thus the jean with gold reptile print, and the fleece-like green also with a reptile-type print. Each tail has two velcro straps, so hopefully they all fit each child just right. I can't wait to see how the kids like these this weekend at the party! 

I will also be posting this on my Etsy page for purchase, if you are interested in a dinosaur tail for someone you know!

Using the new labels at last!

The Brights

Spiky and Rough

Velcro Waist Straps

The Snack Time Project

     I finally just shipped off my first big "Snack Time" project. An amazing person I know from Kids Gone Raw in Maine asked me to make some reusable snack bags and napkins for her company to sell at events showcasing their vegan smoothies and snacks. I made several dozens snack size bags in both small and medium sizes, as well as flannel napkin squares and two-layer cloth napkins. I can't help but love cloth napkins, especially these bright fruit and veggie ones! Hopefully others enjoy them just as much. 

Apples & Pears Snack Bag

Farm Fresh Snack Bags (Nylon Lined, Cotton Outer)

Fruit Salad Snack Bags

Red Delicious Flannel Napkin Squares

Apple Brights Napkin Squares

Mushroom Madness Napkin Squares

Farm Fresh Two-Layer Cotton Napkins

Apples & Pears Two-Layer Cotton Napkins

It's a Fabric Addiction