Upcoming Projects

Row 1: Coffee Sack - Will Leather Goods $95, Malachite Print Fabric - Spoonflower

Row 2: The Bombshell Swimsuit - Closet Case Files $11

Row 3: Envelope Clutch - Swell Mayde 

Is the weather getting nice where all of you are reading from? Because the weather here in CO is definitely feeling more and more like spring every day, even thought we're supposed to get some snow tomorrow. It was so nice this weekend that I was mostly out and about, and didn't really work on any projects. I wanted to share with you all some projects and knock-offs I have planned or in the works currently.

 

I was recently in Rochester, NY and took a trip to the public market, which I highly recommend to anyone traveling through there. While there we saw some tote bags made out of old coffee bean sacks. My mom thought they were really cool and wanted one, but didn't really want to spend $40 on one. A little while later at a coffee shop my dad asked one of the workers behind the counter if they had any coffee bean sacks he could have for $5. Well they did, and they gave him two and he in turn gave them to me to make a tote bag for my mother. I quickly realized why they were charging $40 a piece, because it really depends on what lining you're using or in the case of the bag above from Will Leather Goods, the handles. All of the little things add up. I've been wanting to order the malachite fabric above ever since I first saw it. It's listed on Spoonflower and the price is dependent on the fabric you get it printed on. The nice thing about Spoonflower are the variety of patterns, the down side is the prices are expensive because these patterns aren't in mass production. I got 2 yards for $54, but that should be enough for me to line two totes, and I have enough coffee sacks to make four totes total. It's the first fabric I've ordered online and I'm a little bit nervous, but hopefully it'll be fine and soon I'll have some tote bags to share with you all.

Next up on the list is this fantastic one piece swimsuit, the bombshell, from Heather over at Closet Case Files. I remember seeing this pattern pop-up on my blog feed last year and reading all of the great reviews from a number of bloggers I follow. I never got around to it, but I figure I still have time to make one for this years swimsuit season. I think it will be nice to have a swimsuit that's a one-piece, but a one-piece that is still stylish, and is tailored to my body. I've never sewn a swimsuit before, but in addition to the pattern instructions which I'm sure are great, there is a sew-a-long on Heather's blog. I still have to order the pattern and pick out fabric (which i'm sure will be as hard as the sewing) but I can't wait to get started on this.

 

I'm a huge fan of clutches, I've always liked them much more than carrying a purse and I think it has something to do with the size. I am planning on re-upholstering a couch that I own (and this is a slowly moving project which is why it's not in the above list) and I've been ordering some fabric swatches. I didn't like either of the two swatches so far, and they're big enough to make into clutches. Or at least to have the outside part of the clutch in the swatch fabric and the inside lined with something from my scrap pile. I saw this cute envelope version on Swell Mayde with some pretty simple instructions, so I might try to make my own smaller version and some other variation. Hopefully I have some time later this week to get these done so that I can share them with you all!

  

Row 1: Coffee Sack - Will Leather Goods $95, Malachite Print Fabric - Spoonflower

Row 2: The Bombshell Swimsuit - Closet Case Files $11

Row 3: Envelope Clutch - Swell Mayde 

Is the weather getting nice where all of you are reading from? Because the weather here in CO is definitely feeling more and more like spring every day, even thought we're supposed to get some snow tomorrow. It was so nice this weekend that I was mostly out and about, and didn't really work on any projects. I wanted to share with you all some projects and knock-offs I have planned or in the works currently.

 

I was recently in Rochester, NY and took a trip to the public market, which I highly recommend to anyone traveling through there. While there we saw some tote bags made out of old coffee bean sacks. My mom thought they were really cool and wanted one, but didn't really want to spend $40 on one. A little while later at a coffee shop my dad asked one of the workers behind the counter if they had any coffee bean sacks he could have for $5. Well they did, and they gave him two and he in turn gave them to me to make a tote bag for my mother. I quickly realized why they were charging $40 a piece, because it really depends on what lining you're using or in the case of the bag above from Will Leather Goods, the handles. All of the little things add up. I've been wanting to order the malachite fabric above ever since I first saw it. It's listed on Spoonflower and the price is dependent on the fabric you get it printed on. The nice thing about Spoonflower are the variety of patterns, the down side is the prices are expensive because these patterns aren't in mass production. I got 2 yards for $54, but that should be enough for me to line two totes, and I have enough coffee sacks to make four totes total. It's the first fabric I've ordered online and I'm a little bit nervous, but hopefully it'll be fine and soon I'll have some tote bags to share with you all.

Next up on the list is this fantastic one piece swimsuit, the bombshell, from Heather over at Closet Case Files. I remember seeing this pattern pop-up on my blog feed last year and reading all of the great reviews from a number of bloggers I follow. I never got around to it, but I figure I still have time to make one for this years swimsuit season. I think it will be nice to have a swimsuit that's a one-piece, but a one-piece that is still stylish, and is tailored to my body. I've never sewn a swimsuit before, but in addition to the pattern instructions which I'm sure are great, there is a sew-a-long on Heather's blog. I still have to order the pattern and pick out fabric (which i'm sure will be as hard as the sewing) but I can't wait to get started on this.

 

I'm a huge fan of clutches, I've always liked them much more than carrying a purse and I think it has something to do with the size. I am planning on re-upholstering a couch that I own (and this is a slowly moving project which is why it's not in the above list) and I've been ordering some fabric swatches. I didn't like either of the two swatches so far, and they're big enough to make into clutches. Or at least to have the outside part of the clutch in the swatch fabric and the inside lined with something from my scrap pile. I saw this cute envelope version on Swell Mayde with some pretty simple instructions, so I might try to make my own smaller version and some other variation. Hopefully I have some time later this week to get these done so that I can share them with you all!