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Happy Thursday!! So glad you could stop by to get inspiration from some fabulous bloggers. Did you love last week's highlights? So cute, right? Please check out a few links and leave your own if you have a post about something you made that can be worn. We'd love to see it!
We are going on vacation. A real vacation. With sun. And sand. And most importantly, grandparents. See, a real vacation. For me. I'm giddy!
Due to the whole sun issue it was obvious we'd need a bucket hat from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew
The hats are easy to make. Budget yourself 2-3 hours, depending on how comfortable you are with sewing and how late at night it is (i.e. how much you'll need your seam ripper).
The hats are fully reversible. Though I added a chin strap to this one making it not so reversible. But with a 13 month old a chin strap is essential. Just sew it in when sewing the inside hat portion to the rest of the hat (final step).
The pattern says the rows of stitching on the brim are optional but don't skip that part. It isn't that difficult if you go very slow and it adds so much strength to the hat. No floppiness here. Plus the cute factor raises by at least 5 points.
I omitted the hand stitching on the last step of the pattern and just machine sewed in on. You'll know what I mean when you have the pattern. It worked well and saved me a bit of time. I just pinned carefully and had no issues (oh except that one but then it was good)! Like I said, add a little time if you are working late at night.
Total stars for this pattern?
Have you made one yet?
This is the final installment of the messenger bag sew along tutorial. When you have completed the next few steps your bag will look like this.
Are you ready to sew your own now? I think this Robert Kaufman print would make a great messenger bag!
Click here for Part 4 of the sew along.
Have you completed a Keyka Lou messenger bag? Add it to the Flickr group. Don't forget that all the Keyka Lou patterns. are on sale right now! Only $5!
Some things seem simple. I have spent more time in my life doing simple things, like turning a tube of fabric right side out, than I care to remember. Because what is little and simple turns out to be neither. It can be infuriating if you're just working with your hands. I broke down one day and bought a turning tool at the fabric store. It was only a few dollars so I figured why not try it. OH MY goodness it makes life so much easier! Am I the only one who was so clueless for so long? Do you want to know how to turn a tube of fabric right side out?
Step one. Get your rectangle of fabric. Mind was cut haphazardly by hand. Yours might look better. Mine also has some stabilizer ironed on because I used it for my messenger bag strap.
fold that rectangle in half the long way and sew the long way and one end closed. Grab your turning tube and stick (they are a package deal). This Turn It All 
Slide the tube all the way into the fabric. Way down to the end you sewed shut.
Now hold the fabric so the tube doesn't move and start pushing that stick into the tube, through the closed end of the fabric. This is where you hope you stitched well.
Keep going. Start to push the fabric down over the tube and stick as you push the stick.
Keep pushing that fabric and you'll end up with the tube on the outside and the stick inside. Push until the fabric is completely turned.
Now wasn't that easy? Much better than wasting 30 minutes of your time sanity. Iron and top stitch and you'll have a great strap for something.
How do you turn fabric? Do you have any tricks or tips?
Just a few of the great links from last week's party.
Adorable onesie from The Spare Time Continuum
Fabulous dress from Sertyan's Sewing Corner. Amazing!
If you didn't have a chance go check out all the other great links from Make It Wear It!
At this point in the sew along you have completed steps 1 through 6 of the messenger bag. If you need to catch up check out part 1 and part 2.
Step 7: Sew Side Pockets
Pin right sides of a lining piece C and an outside piece C together. Sew along the top, longer end.
Check out the the rest of Part 3 of this Sew Along here.
It is Thanksgiving tomorrow in the United States. Assuming many of you will be enjoying family celebrations I'm posting Make It Wear It a day early. I can't wait to see what you've been making. Have you made any holiday clothes yet?
A quick update about the Messenger Bag Sew Along: All Keyka Lou. patterns are $5 right now! Go get some! I'm thinking my messenger bag needs a cute wallet or owl coin purse to go inside.
Last week's most viewed link was these awesome "boot snuggies" post from Paisley Boulevard. I've got just the sweater for this!
I'll be highlighting some of my favorites this weekend! I will only be highlight those posts that have linked back here so please do!
A little friend turned one recently. We've affectionately nicknamed him "E Dog". Little E Dog has a special place in our hearts and even though we don't live near him we like to think of him as my little guy's best friend. They haven't seen each other since they could move but that doesn't stop their friendship. So on little E Dog's birthday he got this shirt.
I loved it so much I almost couldn't bear to part with it. Seriously. I mean, how great is that E tag??
He got a pair of coordinating pants, of course.
I can't wait to see our little friend in his outfit. Hopefully soon. Hint, hint.
Feel free to make your own E Dog (C Dog? R Dog?) shirts. If you need the pattern I could certainly upload my drawing. Though I'm sure you can draw a few wonky circles on your own. Remember, imperfect is better.
How do you feel about this E Dog? (feel free to shower me with praise, I don't mind)
P.S. Sometimes I link here.
There is still time to join in! Check out Week 1 of the sew along where we gathered supplies. Of course, you can always finish at your own rate!
It is now time to cut our fabric and get started sewing! When you are finished with today's portion you'll have completed this:
Yay! Now hop on over to the full Sew Along for Week 2 here.
Who are you sewing your messenger bag for?
Last month I attended the SoCal Social. There are many blogger conferences but this was so much better than a conference! Purely social! It was so fun to meet other local bloggers.
I got lucky and my Shabby Apple dress arrived the day before the social.
Shabby Apple sent me the Da Vinci dress to review (lucky me!!). Let me tell you, this one is so comfortable. It is a jersey knit. Just perfect for summer or with tights in winter. I really do love it. And not just because it was free. Though I do love free.
The only downside to the dress is the pocket is totally useless. That is NOT surprising because who wants anything in a pocket on your stomach. As if anyone needs more attention there. Ok, fine, I won't speak for you. Thank you to the lovely Michelle for taking this picture of me. Otherwise I'm sure I would have had to rely on someone under the age of 7 and my chances of a decent picture diminish.
I met so many great women but unfortunately I only have this picture! This always happens to me. I never take pictures like I should! I actually had the chance to meet up with Susan the night before the social and it was so great to finally meet the lady behind Living With Punks. Just love her!
We shopped and chatted and then heard from Marc Montano who was showing us his new book, The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2
And just like that, my SoCal Social wrap up post is completed. One month after I wrote it. And nearly two months since this all ocurred. But really, it was fabulous.
Happy Thursday!
Did you see the Messenger Bag Sew Along?? All patterns at Keyka Lou are on SALE! Get the messenger bag pattern for only $5! No excuse now!
Time to Link up! What have you made that can be worn??
Pinterest has again sparked my interest in making Christmas ornaments with the kids this year. Have you seen all the fabulous inspiration there? I've got a Christmas board going and it makes me want to take a few days off of the rest of life and make some ornaments with the girls.
I actually made one like this.
Source: zakkalife.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest
Super easy. The problem was I made it out of craft felt (off the bolt at JoAnn's). It's not that sturdy and looks rather unimpressive.
When I have a question google can't answer I ask on twitter, naturally. So last week I asked where you all buy your felt. Not many answers but a lot of people saying "I want to know too!" Dana from MADE posted where she got her felt but I tend to disagree. JoAnn Fabrics never has a good selection of wool blend felt where I live. They have some burgandy, mustard and a few greens but not much else. Tons of accrylic felt but I was looking for something a little nicer.
So I turned to Etsy. Of course. Oh my the colors you can find when you type "wool felt" into the search box!
Look what already came in the mail!!
Thanks so much Felt Flavors! Amazing service and a little extra felt too! Now I can make these!
Source: juicy-bits.typepad.com via Andrea on Pinterest
Oh, and how cute are these? The kids would love making these!!
Source: parents.com via Andrea on Pinterest
So, where do you buy your felt? And will you be making ornaments this year?
Let the fun begin! Are you ready to sew a Messenger bag?? Nervous about sewing something complicated like a bag? New to sewing? Just want to have fun with us? Join along! This week we'll talk about selecting fabrics and gathering your supplies.
Buy your pattern from Keyka Lou here
When you purchase the pattern you will be given the pattern to download to your computer. The pattern and instructions are very detailed. I know you will be pleased with the quality (I know I am). There is a list of supplies included in the pattern.
Choosing outer fabric
The type of fabric you use will make a big difference in how sturdy or stiff the completed bag is. The pattern recommends a sturdy fabric like canvas or denim. If you want to use a thinner fabric just iron a medium weight fusible interfacing to the wrong side of your outer fabric and you'll have a sturdy bag. I'll be using corduroy. I'm choosing not to use interfacing because I don't mind if the bag isn't very sturdy.
The pattern picture uses a different fabric for the flap but feel free to use the same fabric on the whole outer layer and flap if you want.
A pair of large mens or women's pants could be repurposed for the outer fabric as well. Don't forget to look and see what you already have around the house!
Choosing an inner fabric
Quilting weight cotton is appropriate here. Patterns, solids, whatever strikes your fancy.
The strap
The pattern tells you to use 1.5" poly webbing for the strap. My local big chain fabric store didn't carry anything in that width. It also didn't carry 1.5" wide rectangular rings and sliders. You may be able to find these things online if you can't find them in your local store. OR, do like I'll be doing and make your own strap to fit the size of rectangular ring and slide I found (1.75").
To make your own strap you'll need 2 strips of fabric 36"x4" (or double the width of your ring plus .5"), 2 strips of medium weight fusible interfacing the same size as the fabric strips.
What is cotton batting?
Cotton batting is also known as wadding. It is the padded layer used in quilts. If you don't want it, you can omit it. Though I think it will add good dimension and padding to the completed bag.
Your supplies will look like this:
(reclangular ring, rectangular slider, button, webbing, round cord elastic, fabric marker or chalk, velcro, safety pin, elastic)
Joining along? Let me know by leaving a comment or linking up to this post. You can grab a button to display on your blog if you'd like (not required). Who will you be sewing this messenger bag for? Do you have your fabric picked out?
I try to make Christmas as handmade as possible around here. It's just more fun (for me) that way. I started the sewing last week with a doll from Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love
This is the Eddie Doll.
I think I love him.
Even if I made his eyes a bit wonky and larger than they were supposed to be.
His hair is my favorite.
Seriously. Uncanny, right? (smile)
That's fake fur hair.
Eddie was easy to sew and he passed the test. The baby saw him and let out a huge squeal, ran to the doll and hugged it. I almost gave it to him then and there it was so precious. But I was strong and put it up for Christmas.
All in all I highly recommend the book. Full of great patterns and so far they are easy to make. I have 3 more planned.
What do you think about handmade dolls? I was not a fan of them when I was a kid. I'm hopeful my kids love them. They each have a crocheted doll from my grandmother that they love. What say you?
My youngest daughter turned 3 a couple weeks ago. Her birthday outfit was adorable, if I do say so myself.
Pants: Burda 9678 pattern. Made a couple other pairs a few years ago. Corduroy fabric from JoAnns.
Vest: Ottobre "Selleri" pattern from issue 1/2010. Fabric: Soft velour outer, jersey knit lining, rib knit trim. I graded the pattern up a size and it works perfectly.
I adore this vest. It was easy to make. If you're intimidated by Ottobre patterns check out this post that shows you how to use Ottobre patterns.
Have you used an Ottobre pattern yet?
The holidays are coming...
Did your blood pressure just rise? Does your shopping list look something like this:
mom, grandma, daughter, son, partner, sister, niece, mailman, school teachers, soccer coach, secretary
Because if it does, you'll love this. Join us in sewing a Keyka Lou Messenger Bag. If you've never joined a sew along, it is easy. Just gather the pattern and supplies then sew right along as I post helpful tips and photos!
I'm planning to make this for my daughter. I think she'd love her own messenger bag. Who would you sew one for?
Here's the sew along post schedule: (click dates below to go to the posts)
November 14th- gather supplies buy pattern here
November 28th- complete the bag!
Who's in?? Leave a comment and let us know you're joining along! If you have a blog, please link up here so we can check it out!
Grab a button and spread the word!
I am a Keyka Lou Affiliate. If 20 of you buy the pattern I get mine free!
Have you been thinking about starting up your own little fashion business? So many people are doing it, why not you?? Maybe you want to know how to get your clothing designs manufactured? Or perhaps you want to know how to get your brand into stores or sart your own store? Maybe you just want to start small and want to know do the budgeting and pricing for your small etsy shop?
Los Angeles Fashion Resource was created with you in mind! Jennifer Fairbanks is a clothing and lingerie designer. She started her business in 2002 in San Francisco, has opened multiple stores (learning along the way!), been a teacher and has written books. She started LAFR to help small businesses succeed without falling into some pitfalls she fell into along the way! Fantastic!
Here are some of Jennifer's ebooks she has to offer:
Fashion Unraveled explores the steps of starting a fashion design or crafting business. The book begins with discussions on developing a customer followed by detailed steps on what it takes to manufacture a product.The costing, pricing and budgeting part of this book approaches it differently than most other books out there.
Fashion Unraveled breaks it down based on you being a small business and not a multi-million dollar start up.
Products Unraveled is the second book in the Business Unraveled series. Following the same visual format as Fashion Unraveled, Products Unraveled was written for individuals starting a business in product development and manufacturing. This book introduces the concepts of customer development, marketing and working with contractors.There are many product based businesses and all follow the same basic rules.
Products Unraveled introduces the manufacturing industry to the entrepreneur and walks one through the business implementation process. Products Unraveled sheds light on the practice of budgeting, pricing and developing a business plan.
So no more excuses! Now you'll know the ins and outs of how to get your adorable little outfits out on the racks!
Check out the other ebooks and resources on Los Angeles Fashion Resource. I know you'll find it very valuable!
Thanks for being a new sponsor Los Angeles Fashion Resource!
Thank you for making last week such a successful week for Make It Wear It!! So many wonderful links! Here were the top two most clicked on links:
(Felt So Cute) (Sew Fantastic)
Today I am very excited to introduce to you a new pattern designer
Petite Kids Boutique designs PDF patterns for little girls. Adorable dresses and skirts for your holiday sewing!
This dress would make an adorable holiday dress. And check out this back detail!
Or how about this Olivia skirt?
Or this adorable skirt for babies?
Now through November 13th you can get 15% off your pattern purchase using coupon code "TRAINTOCRAZY02" not valid for custom orders.
Visit Petite Kids Boutique to check out all the other fabulous patterns and get your discount!
Now link up to Make It Wear It!
The rules:
1. Must be wearable.
2. Link back here if you will. Grab a button if you'd like.
3. Visit a few others!
There are so many fabulous camera bags out there right now. I know you've been wanting one but that $90, $200, $350 price tag is a bit out of your budget, right? Or maybe they just aren't quite your style. That was me. Not quite my style and a bit pricey to justify. I'd rather spend more money on the camera than the bag. Using a few different examples around the web with some tutorials and semi tutorials I created my own. (like this one from Vanilla & Lace, Tales of a Wife, or My Messy Manger)
All you need to create your own DIY camera bag is a bag that has good space, some foam, fabric and either some fabric glue or a sewing machine. Velco is useful and optional. You don't even need to know how to sew!
The best part about my DIY camera bag? The safety padding fits in more than one of my bags. I can change it out whenever I want! So for the price of an $80 camera bag I have 2 very nice bags. If you are a bargain shopper you could definitely make your own for less than $20. This is not a tutorial but if you combine this tutorial with my photos you'll be able to easily figure out how to create your own.
Bag One (an ordinary bag)
Bag Two
The Insert
The Adjustable Lens Protector
Make sense? What do you think? Want to make your own camera bag?
Possibly linked here
Check out Peganders Etsy Shop: notebook, bag, kid supply, craft PDF pattern store
There are so many costume ideas for a Jack. This one was just particularly fitting yesterday. Yes, that is a real black eye.
Pants: pattern from Handmade Beginnings
Suspenders: tutorial from Make It and Love It (super easy, highly recommend)
I tried to get a picture of all the kids in their costumes. Instead I have a ton of pictures of silly faces, hands in the face and babies running away... here's a few favorites.
I hope you had a fun Halloween if you celebrate!
