Constant Change

"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." - Lao Tzu

Go with the flow. Pliable. Roll with the punches. Adaptable. Call it what you want, life is constant change. As soon as we figure out who we are and what we're doing, the table turns and we find ourselves faced with new and uncharted waters. I like to think I am fluid. That change doesn't throw me off balance, but I'm human (despite all my pleas to become a robot.)

This past summer I embarked on a new adventure in going back to school. It was not an sudden choice, but one my family and I had been planning and preparing for for a few years. Alas, it was still a big life change. Gone were my days of being a stay at home mom. I didn't think I would miss it too much, but I do.


I looked forward to this change, being a student. But I forgot what it was like to not know something. Going back to school in an intensive full time program is every stress and time challenge they said it would be...and then some. Some days I just feel so lost. I don't know the answers, I don't know what I'm doing and I'm just a blank. I hate not knowing. I hate not being able. I want so badly to skip forward to the part where I get it. Where I am comfortable. When I can move automatically with confidence.

That day is not today. Or tomorrow. I am in the middle of change. I try hard to just go with it. The harder you struggle against the flow the more likely you are to drown. I try to remind myself that this is a journey, an adventure worth taking. How is this a learning experience? How am I adding to who I am by taking this path? My friends and family remind me that I am okay. That I am doing well and one day will look back on this and think how silly it was that I was to frustrated. But to be honest, some days just end in tears. Tears of exasperation. Tears of inexperience. Tears of feeling awkward and uncoordinated. Defeat. Failure. Self-doubt. I struggle and grasp for branches to save me.


Some days I come home and I am compelled to do something I know how to do. I need to feel like an expert in something to remind myself that I have already journeyed this far. I have climbed many mountains and achieved great heights. I have overcome a bad marriage. I have run successful businesses. I have grown and birthed and so far not yet killed two small human beings. I can cook. I can sew.


Oh, I can sew. I come home, I lay down my books and my burdens, and go into my studio. It is familiar. I know where all my tools are. I know how they all work and their quirks. I press, cut, fold and stitch fabric. It's without deep thought or much effort. I make small projects. I need to take something from start to finish, to create completely, to have that sense of accomplishment. It feels so good. And in those actions I can restore myself. I step back from the edge, regroup, refuel, and set my sights forward again.


Each day that I finish is one day forward. It's one more day of experience in this new adventure. One more day as a seasoned traveler in life. I go to bed knowing I will wake up with clearer eyes. I will lace up my boots and push on, climb higher. I will take deep breaths and float on the river of change. I am not a drowning animal. I am a leaf, floating, twirling, and occasionally taking a tumble.

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." - Lao Tzu

I'm sharing my experience with change as part of a week long series led by Jenya of While She Was Sleeping and Renee of Nearest The Pin called Constant Change. The goal is to bring you inspiration and celebration in the variety of change we all experience in life. Please head over to Renee's blog, Nearest The Pin to meet today's other poster, Suz of SewPony.



This bag I made during a recent bout of doubt. The exterior fabric is a piece of Ikea curtain. The interior and tabs are unknown designer quilt cotton. The lace stripes are scraps my great grandmother had saved and were in the box of her vintage lace that I had just been bequeathed. I also made my Anatomical Skeleton Hoodie with her vintage lace, too.

Present Perfect: Cargo Tablet Sleeve

I catch a lot of flak from my dear husband, Danny. It turns out that despite my lack of affinity for ruffles and lace, my fabric collection is well, quite girlie. I do my fair share of sewing for our home and family, but since no men go fabric shopping with me, most everything handmade in our home has a feminine touch. I'd been mulling over a more manly handmade aesthetic when I was asked to make a little something from Present Perfect: 25 Gifts to Sew and Bestow, the newest book by Betz White.

As a very techie family we have a variety of devices in our home. Some have proper homes (aka, my tablet), others not so much. For instance, my husband's Kindle goes on business trips within the not exactly protective confines of the wool hat I crocheted him last winter. Hey, I give him points for the attempt. It seemed pretty obvious after flipping through Betz's new book that I should be making Danny some proper device sleeves (and practice using some manly fabrics, too.)


I'm not usually a big craft book fan. Most times there is one pretty great project and eight other meh ones that both you and I wouldn't exactly need a book for. But after flipping through the copy of Present Perfect that the publishers sent me, I've got to tell you, that this is not the case. I had a hard time deciding which 'man' project to pick. The Cargo Tablet Sleeve was the ultimate winner, but the Gentleman's Travel Case is still calling my name. Plus, I've been having this love affair with bees all this year and bam, there's that Sweet Life Pillow just begging me to make one. And then I saw the hot pink version Melissa made and it's a must.

Present Perfect has great handmade gift ideas for everyone, really. Babies, men, your girl friends, housewarming... you name it, Betz has a great idea for you. Oh, and did I mention that the book comes with pattern pieces? Yes! Even the rectangular ones that most books just tell you what size to cut out. I don't know about you, but I usually screw those up. But not with these patterns, friends. (You can tell, I was perhaps quite excited by this.) If you know someone who has just gotten into sewing and crafting, this book would make a fabulous gift for them. The instructions and drawings are clear and easy to follow, and the photographs just make you want to keep sewing up project after project.


I used a pirate print for the lining and a milk chocolate brown cotton twill for the outside of the Cargo Tablet Sleeve. I was going to wax the twill with some beeswax I recently got a honeybee festival, but it was too soft to alter it. The flap and base of the Cargo Tablet Sleeve are cut from a chocolate brown suede jacket my sister in law gifted me for upcycling purposes. It's the first time I've ever sewn with salvaged animal hide and I was pretty pleased with the result.



The clasp is a vintage Euro swivel clip and key ring I picked up from an Army/Navy store in Provencetown, MA this summer while we were on vacation. I don't even want to tell you how inexpensive this hardware was. I'm embarrassed to say that I did not buy them all, because I so should have.

The result is a pretty sweet, man friendly, tablet bag. It's not the first fabric choices I would have chosen, but Danny approves of it's manliness and I can breath a bit easier knowing his tablet is traveling protected (and in style!) I think I'll have to make myself one with a bright vintage floral canvas...

Until then, check out Present Perfect by Betz White. She's made a short video to flip through some of the projects in this book. I can honestly say this book is worth getting, or giving. Also, you can pop into the blogs below on their tour dates to see what other makers have sewn from the book.


Happy Home:
October 6 - Sew Mama Sew – Make & Bake Apron
October 7 - Stacy Sews – Falling Leaves Appliquéd Placemats
October 8 - House on Hill Road – Hot Mitt House & Tea Towel Set
October 9 - A Happy Stitch – Sweet Life Pillow

Memorable Moments:
October 10 - Sew Sweetness – Wool Courier Bag
October 13 - Raspberry Sunshine – Gentlemen’s Travel Case
October 14 - Pink Chalk Fabrics – Pasha Pleated Clutch
October 15 - The Long Thread – Eye Candy Glasses Case
October 16 - Made with Moxie – Cargo Tablet Sleeve
October 17 - Bijou Lovely – Coffee Cash Coin Pouch

New and Little
October 20 - Flax and Twine – Forest Friends Finger Puppets
October 21 - Imagine Gnats – Bib, Rattle & Burp Baby Set

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget tomorrow is the launch of Perfect Pattern Parcel #6! You're going to love it.

Twill Tape Tote Bag

My name is Jill and I am a bag addict.

I blame my mother, who routinely taught me that there was no such thing as having too many handbags. It's an adage I have applied to many other things (including but not limited to shoes, nail polishes, fabric, and scarves, but that's besides the point.) I'm a firm believer that there you should have a bag for every occasion. This Twill Tape Tote is perfect for ladies nights out or appetizer parties at the neighbors. An easy bag you can toss a few bottles into with some chips and dips or cheese and crackers and, bam, you're out the door. Sturdy, reliable and just adorable.


What you need:
1 yard of home decor weight fabric (exterior)
1 yard of quilt weight cotton (interior)
1 yard interfacing (I recommend Pellon SF101)
5 yards of 2" wide twill tape
I recommend using a denim weight titanium needle and a walking foot for this project.


Cut your exterior fabric into:
Two 18" x 15" (bag sides)
Two 10" x 15" (pockets)
Two 4" x 12" (handle accents)

Cut your interior fabric into:
Two 18" x 15" (bag sides)
Two 10" x 15" (pockets)

Cut your twill tape into:
Two 15" lengths
Two 72" lengths

Let's get sewing!

1. Interface your exterior bad side pieces and exterior pockets. This will add stability to your bag.

2. Put exterior pocket piece together with lining pocket piece wrong sides facing. Pin a 15" length of twill tape along the top edge of the pocket on the lining side with a 1" overlap. Edge stitch the twill tape in place. Fold twill tape over the top edge of the pocket and stitch the other edge in place on the exterior side. Repeat for second pocket.


3. Align completed pocket with bottom edge of an exterior bag side. Pin one 72" length of twill tape to the bag so that the twill tape is 3" from the sides of the bag sides and it loops to form a handle. Use a pin to mark 1.5" down from the fabric edge on the twill tapes. On each end of the twill tape handle edge stitch up one side to the 1.5" pin, then turn, stitch across the twill tape and back down the other side. Stitch the other end of the twill tape handle to the bag side and pocket. Repeat for the other bag side and pocket.

4. Place exterior bag panels right sides facing and stitch a 0.5" seam allowance down one side, along the bottom, then up the other side. Repeat with your bag lining panels.

5. On your bag exterior open seam allowances and align the bottom seam with the side seam to flatten and box out bag corners. Measure in 2.5" from the corner and mark a line. Stitch across the line and trim off excess corner material. Repeat for other exterior corner and lining corners.


6. Turn exterior of your bag right sides out. Press the top edge of the bag down 0.5" towards the wrong side of fabric. Insert lining into the bag exterior wrong sides facing together (right sides out.) Fold lining fabric top edge into the wrong sides and pin to bag exterior matching side seams. Edge stitch along top edge of bag taking care not to stitch a handle down.


7. Fold the short ends of each handle accents in 0.25" and press. Stitch each fold. Press handle accents in half the long way wrong sides facing. Fold raw edges into the crease you just made to form a 1" wide folded handle accent. Find the center points of the twill tape handles and the handle accents. Fold the center of the twill tape handle in half and insert it into a handle accent, aligning the centers. Pin entire handle accent in place with twill tape handle folded inside. Edge stitch a rectangle around the handle accent. Repeat to finish your other handle and you're done.



This post was sponsored by Twilltape.com and originally posted on the Crafterhours blog All opinions expressed are my own. The cotton twill tape I received from Twilltape.com is quite lovely. ;)

Tablet Clutch Tutorial

Fact #1: Sewing with laminate fabric scared me.

Fact #2: My children are notorious for spilling all sorts of liquids onto my technologies.

And those two facts are what has brought me to today's tutorial. Check it out!


A few weeks ago Kelley of Casa Crafty asked me if I would make a sewing project to share with you all if she sent me a fat quarter of Echino laminate fabric from her shop.Now prior to this I have never sewn with laminate before so it scared the poop out of me, but like you all I am a sucker for free fabric and a new tutorial, so I faced my fears!

While sewing with laminates has is own set of challenges, like not using pins (I used scotch tape) and you can't press it long at all even with a pressing cloth (yes, I pressed if for two seconds too long), it really isn't that bad at all. In fact, it's really fun. Seriously. I'd rather sew with laminates than sew with knits. Any day of the week.

I made this adorable little envelope clutch to store my Nexus 7 tablet in. My children have a sixth sense about technologies and beverages. I've had a laptop smell like gingerbreak latte, another that took a Punkin Dogfish Head beer...you see the pattern. I really like my Nexus so I use this opportunity to see if I couldn't make it live a bit longer before it gets inevitably bathes in coffee or beer.


Laminate Tablet Clutch (or really, carry what ever you'd like in it):

Finished measurements: 9.5" wide x 6" tall

Materials:
One (1) fat quarter of laminate
One (1) fat quarter of quilting fabric for lining
One (1) fat quarter of Pellon Wonder-Under
10" length of elastic


Step 1: Fussy cut a rectangle from your laminate that is 10" wide and 18" tall. Also cut 10" x 18" rectangles from your lining fabric and Wonder-Under. Use the Wonder-Under to fuse the laminate with the lining fabric wrong sides together. Do not press the laminate with your bare iron surface. You will curse yourself, if you do this. I laid my laminate face down on my ironing board, fused the Wonder-Under to the back of it, then put the lining fabric on top and pressed it to fuse it all together. Make sure you have fused all the edges well. Trim your rectangle to 9.5" x 17.5".

Step 2: Lay your laminate sandwich face down. If you have a directional fabric, make the pattern upside down, too. (As it is laying face down, if you folded up the bottom two corners, your print should look right side up.) From the bottom of your rectangle, mark a line 6" up on your lining fabric. This is where you will fold it up to make the clutch body.

Step 3: On the top edge of your sandwich, make a mark 2" away from the right corner. From the top, mark 4.5" down from the corner on both the left and right sides. Use a ruler and draw a straight line from each of these marks up to the mark on the top that is 2" from the right corner. Use a rotary cutter or sharp scissors to cut off the excess triangles to create your asymmetrical envelope flap.

Step 4: Fold your laminate sandwich up along the 6" line to make the clutch body of the bag. Use scotch tape or clothes pins to hold the bag edges in place. You can use a pressing cloth and an iron on medium heat to press the fold in the bag, but do not press it for very long or the laminate will melt to your pressing cloth. Tape or pin your elastic across the width of the clutch 3" up from the folded edge. starting at the bottom right corner, stitch up the side of the clutch body with a scant 1/4" seam allowance. Continue up around the envelope flap edges and back down the left side of the bag. Make sure to catch the elastic edges as well. Make sure your elastic is ever so slightly taut. Trim your elastic to the edges of the clutch. Use a lighter to seal the edges of the elastics. Use your pressing cloth and iron to press the envelope flap down just above the edge of the bag body.

Step 5: Put tablet into your new laminate clutch. Tuck flap under elastic and go!


Need some laminate fabric? Please visit the Casa Crafty shop. I used Echino Nico laminate scooters for my Tablet Clutch. Kelley has a great selection of laminate fabrics and at $15 a half yard, you can make at least two, if not three Tablet Clutches out of it. Way cheaper than buying yourself a new tablet once your kids dunk it in coffee and milk. Am I right? Also, if you have any questions about sewing with laminate, do not hesitate to contact Kelley. She is the queen of sewing with odd fabrics and knows every trick in the book!

Extra added bonus deal! Kelley has made use a coupon code to use for 25% off until the end of November. Woot! That's huge! Thank you, Kelley. Use code MOXIE25 at the check out.

Just for the fun of it, I tested my Laminate Tablet Clutch and poured an entire class of water over it. It wiped up easily with a towel and only the elastic strap was wet. Winning!

Disclosure: I received a fat quarter of the laminate fabric for free from the Casa Crafty shop in exchange for my making something to share with you all. All opinions and ideas my own. End of story.

Big City Bags & a Giveaway!

If you know Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness, then you know that Sara knows handbags. She has made so many gorgeous patterns and tutorials for handbags. Sara's a handmade fashionista's best friend. Plus, she looks so stinking cute in the dresses she makes!) Well, hold on to your hats and glasses folks, because I've got big news!


Sara has made a book!

Big-City Bags: Sew Handbags with Style, Sass, and Sophistication is set to be released next week and you get a sneak peak today! I was lucky enough to be one of Sara's bag testers as she was writing her book.

Take a look at one of the fabulous patterns in Big City Bags: the Wonderland Bag:


I've had to keep this baby a secret for so long! Just look at this fabulous bag. Everyone who sees it loves it, and very few ever even think it is handmade. I just love Sara's bag designs. They have beautiful structure and are laid out with nice pockets for easy convenience.


Big City Bags is chock full of gorgeous handbag patterns and included great tips to assembling them, like zippers, pockets, hardware and handles. From date night clutches to diaper bags and suitcases (yes! A suitcase) Sara's Big City Bags has a bag for every occasion.Sara has also included a great interfacing guide along with a conversion chart so you can know which types of interfacing are comparable between brands.


I can't wait to get my copy of Big City Bags and make another one. Sara and Martingale Press have been awesome enough to allow me to give away a digital copy of Big City Bags to one of my readers! Isn't that exciting!

Can't wait to get your hands on a physical copy of Big City Bags? Order a copy signed by Sara right here!


a Rafflecopter giveaway