Photo Friday: A Special Bear for a Special Woman

A special bear I made for Erik's Grandmother in memory of her husband, Jack.

Photo Friday: Yep, you guessed it...the Scarf

Enjoy my first ever 'Photo Friday' with my latest labors of love...

Next in line!!!

Five down and at least three more in line! I'll be posting them to my shop over the next few weeks so check them out there as well. 

I might take a little break from the loom this weekend...so maybe there will be some scenic, outdoorsy photos to share next Friday! 

*UPDATE* A Homemade Christmas

Because we were halfway across the country from each other over the holidays, I wasn't able to give my mother-in-law, Leslye, her Christmas gift until this weekend. I had all intentions of making her a fun tote bag but changed my mind and was suddenly inspired to make her something I knew she would be able to use...an iPad cover! She and her husband, Don, like to go on adventures throughout the year so I knew a cute but also practical iPad cover would be perfect for her. I didn't want to ruin the surprise so I waited until now to share!

The fun polka dot and floral fabric:

The zigzag stitching detail:

The homemade covered button that matches the lining fabric:

And here's the final product...I was so thankful the iPad fit! :)

Hopefully Leslye will get a lot of use out of this cover. Not only will it protect her iPad but it will also add a little color and brightness to her day!

A Homemade Christmas

The presents have been opened and the wrapping paper and bows are long gone. The holidays are finally over. Now that the gifts have been given and I can no longer ruin the surprise, I can finally share what I've been working on this holiday season!

The past few years I've been obsessed with the homemade gift. My love for making things by hand and  supporting my fellow Etsy shops are two of many reasons my family and friends have received handmade goodies recently. I spent all of December sewing away at a few fun gifts for a few important people. I tell myself that waiting until December to make my gifts is not procrastination...I wait until last minute because I  work best under pressure! I think I know how Santa's elves feel...

My sister-in-law, Julie, mentioned she wanted pillows to match her bright green, black, and white color scheme in her cute little apartment. When I searched through my fabrics, I couldn't decide which patterns I liked best. My solution?  Use all of them! I pieced together stripes, dots, velvet, silk (just about everything) and here is what I came up with.

My Mom and sisters received huge (and I mean HUGE!) overnight bags. My favorite task is finding fabrics to fit each personality. My day job has enabled my fabric hoarding so I have a closet full of beautiful fabric to chose from.

 I'm a self-taught sewer and always want to improve so I chose a pattern that was a little outside of my comfort zone. The pattern is from an Amy Butler book and I have to say, I am proud of myself! I did a test run a couple months ago and enjoyed making it. By the time I was on the forth bag, I didn't need the instructions!

Here is the test run:

Here is my Mom's (who helped pick the fabric!):

My sister Jill's bag has a 'beachy' theme:

A finally my sister Rachel's bag, with a bright and bold lining:

I still have one more gift to give before I can post a pic. Check back soon to see what I made for my mother-in-law, Leslye!

If you like any of the bags or pillows you see, please let me know. Any of them can be customized for you...like I said before, I'm a borderline fabric hoarder so I have a variety of patterns and colors!

Coming soon....pics from a special New Year's Eve event I attended this year!