An AWESOME sewing resource

I have to share this again (first posted on FB) because this site is probably the best free sewing resource I've found, and has already served as great inspiration for me!!! I could spend hours clicking every link to see all the projects, and have already checked out a bunch of really interesting ones! There are projects here that are easy enough for beginners, and a lot have photo tutorials like the one I posted yesterday, so they're really easy to understand even if you don't know the sewing terms. I can't wait to try these hair curlers, I've been curious about using rollers but don't want to buy a set (my hair is so thick it doesn't hold a curl well, so I am hesitant to spend money on rollers in case they don't work), and I want to make this bag to hold them in (only slightly larger than the one she has pictured). And just for good measure, here is the full address of the awesome sewing pattern site, in case the first link is funky for you ;)

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mcshelpsite/sewingstuff/freepatterns.html/

30 Minute Project- Clothespin Bag!

30 minute project- Clothespin Bag!

I got the idea for this bag one, by the awesome weather we're finally having (perfect for drying laundry outside!) and two, from checking out ideas on the internet (just do a google image search for "clothespin bag" and you'll see lots of cute stuff!). I make no claim to the design though, since I kind of copied one I saw pictured online. I made it in about half an hour, probably less even, and I'm hoping that this will be the first in a series of quick projects, ones I hopefully can do start to finish during naptime! :D

This project uses a single fat quarter of fabric. What's a fat quarter, you say? If you're not into quilting (or cute fabric hoarding, like me), you might not know that a fat quarter is a 1/4 yard of fabric, but cut in such a way that it's 'fat', not long and narrow like if you asked for a 1/4 yard of fabric cut for you at the craft store. Most places sell fat quarters already cut, since it's a quilting thing. Even my Walmart's puny fabric section has fat quarters, both individually and in bundles of coordinating fabrics. You could go the high-tech route and make this out of a weatherproof fabric, like a coated ripstop like a tent is made out of, but they don't usually come in cute patterns, so I opted for a funky batiq cotton instead ;)

Materials-

Fat quarter of cute fabric

Children's size coat hanger (not wire)

bias tape or ribbon to match

Step 1- Cutting the pattern-

Fold the fat quarter into a square, and trim the extra edge (keeping the selvage edge of the fabric, if there is one)

Fold it into another triangle, with the first folded edge on the bottom (This will make the bottom of the bag), and place the hanger on top as shown below, halfway along the hanger, with enough room at the edge of the hanger for a seam allowance.

Trim the sides and the top edge as shown below, leaving adequate seam allowance.

Next, unfold the fabric, and refold it the long way once. Cut a keyhole shaped hole, large enough to fit your hand in easily, but keeping the bottom fold of the bag in mind (so don't make the hole too far down, or the pins will spill out!)

This is what your fabric should look like once all the cuts are made, and completely unfolded.

Step Two- Bias tape-

sew the bias tape or ribbon to the edges of the keyhole opening. I machine basted the ribbon to the wrong side of the fabric first, then folded it over the edge of the fabric and sewed it to the right side, using a decorative zig zag stitch (which also helps the ribbon to lie flat and hold the opening open when completed)

Also sew a piece of bias tape or ribbon to the top edge of the back of the bag (I just basted it on)

Step Three- Assembly-

Next, bring the RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, and sew along the edge seams of the bag, starting at the top of the keyhole opening to ensure evenness as you sew towards the folded bottom edge of the bag.

Here's the completed bag, inside out. Trim any ribbon/tape ends and thread, turn right side out, and...

Add the hanger and VOILA! Ready to go!

A nice full load of pins!

Sure beats struggling to stick the pins back on the line when your arms are full of clean laundry! :D

...in which I show off more completed projects!

Not to sound braggy, but I'm pretty dang proud of the baby blanket I made my new niece, Lucy! Though it took what, four, five months? for me to finish it, it was at long last received yesterday by its new owner, and now I can show it off to the general public! :D

A funny story about the blanket, it took me three tries to get it right (thank goodness third time's a charm, cause the mistakes were getting old...), the best mistake of which was when instead of "Twinkle twinkle little star", I had inadvertently misspelled it as "Twinke twinkle", and didn't notice the mistake until AFTER it was embroidered... Whoops...

I finally finished my MITM needlepoint, which will find its home on the wall in my shed!

Two of three lap quilts I made, the top one for my brother and his family, the second one for my mother-in-law (the third unpictured quilt was given to my parents for Christmas, these two were *supposed* to be Christmas presents as well, but we all know how that turned out) ;)

Lately I've really been enjoying knitting on looms! It is SO quick and easy, and it's easier to work with funky chunky yarns that would be difficult to knit with regular needles. The green hat is one of two I made for my mother-in-law (who is undergoing chemo), the pink one for our friends' Ian and Gayle's new baby girl, Sydney!

And I am very proud of the VERY FIRST sweater I have ever actually completed!!! (I've started several... and, well...) This I also knit on looms, with crocheted button bands, also for baby Sydney! It is SO soft, and I love this chunky yarn, but unfortunately it does not like to stay knotted at the end of where it's been bound off, so I'm hoping it doesn't unravel any more than it did while I was working on it!

I think that's about it for my most recent projects! My work-in-project list is now happily crossed off, and now I can finally get to some new projects that have been waiting patiently for me to begin! :D

Some recent projects

As promised in my previous post, here are some photos of some recently completed projects! (ok, it's being weird and not letting me re-order the photos...)

Here's what my 'winter setup' looks like, my little folding table (counter height!) in the corner in our bedroom. It's tight but it gets the job done!

Here's a hat that I crocheted, I think last fall or summer, and just rediscovered it amongst all my yarn! Wyatt being a non-cooperative but very cute model ;)

Here's a hat I'm working on, on a round knitting loom. Loom knitting is SO much fun, goes quite quicker than needle knitting, and you can use chunky or otherwise difficult yarns to work with! This one is done with a double strand of a very soft plush yarn, it's going to be delicious!

And here is the market bag which I made on the long knitting loom (the top edge and handles are crocheted). It is VERY stretchy and can hold a lot of stuff! I plan on making a bunch more of these soon!

More photos to come as finished projects are delivered to their recipients! :D