nesting buckets {pdf pattern}

You may have noticed I've been pretty busy lately sewing smallish projects and designing new pdf patterns. That's where my passion seems to be leading me these days and you know what? As of this Monday I'm trying to make this sewing obsession of mine a full time job. Eeeek! So, so very excited (and of course a little nervous) about this whole thing :).

And so today I'm really happy to be able to show you my newest pdf pattern for Nesting Buckets.

I love this project. I truly do. I think these buckets are super useful as we all have tons of toys, craft supplies, ... that need to be organized and contained.

 What I like even more about them is how stylish they look. I love having storage buckets that are pretty enough to be displayed around the house instead of having to be shoved in the back of our closets. I used beautiful cotton/ linen blend by Ellen Luckett Baker called Charms for exterior of my buckets.

They come in three sizes (small – 5” tall, 6” diameter; medium – 9” tall, 9” diameter; large – 12” tall, 12” diameter) and they each could be made with or without handles. I'm already thinking of making a few more small ones to hold my thread :).

Here's another version of a large bucket using gorgeous canvas by Skinny laMinx for Cloud 9. Totally makes my kids' stuffed toys look less of a mess and more of a design element :).

You can purchase an instant download pdf pattern for these buckets by clicking on the link below, or by going to my etsy shop. I'm offering this pattern at introductory $5.00 for the next 48 hours.

buy this pattern

Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it. Svetlana

Oh, and for those who asked yesterday about my Skopelos bag. Yes, the pattern is in the works and I hope to have it ready in about a week or two :).

skopelos

Hello, happy Wednesday to you all!

Today is my stop on Skopelos blog tour celebrating Katarina Roccella's newest fabric collection - a beautiful combination of  flowery prints and lovely geometrics inspired by Greek Island Skopelos.

As soon as I saw this print I knew I needed a summer bag made out of it (poppies are my absolute favorite flowers). I combined it with Essex Yarn Dyed Linen and I'm completely smitten with the result.

I'm pretty sure this bag will get tons of use this summer. It's big and sturdy and I even included a hidden zipper pocket for my wallet and phone.

I'm super excited about adding this little piece of another Skopelos print to fabric handle. I think it's little touches like this that make our handmade creations so much more fun than anything we can buy at the store :).

And look, I even made a matching Lola pouch and scissor keeper (brilliant pattern by Amy Friend found in Make it, Take it book) just because I love this fabric so much.

I think I'm ready for some outdoor sewing :).

Hope you'll check out other stops on this fun blog hop. Svetlana

1. LYNNE GOLDSWORTHY - April 20th

2. ALLEGORY LANHAM – April 21st

3. ERICA TOOLE - April 22nd

4. RACHAEL GANDER - April 23th

5. AMY FRIEND - April 24th

6. MARIJA VUJČIĆ - April 25th

7. DANA BOLYARD - April 26th

8. ERICA JACKMAN - April 27th

9. JESSICA ALEXANDRAKIS - April 28th

10. SVETLANA SOTAK - April 29th (you are here)

11. KATHLEEN RIGGINS - April 30th

12. APRIL RHODES - May 1st

13. PAUL HALLINGER - May 2nd

14. SHARON MCCONNELL - May 3rd

15. CAROLINE HULSE – May 4th

16. JANE DAVIDSON – May 5th

four years

You guys, I find it so hard to believe that four years went by since I published my first post on this blog :). I must admit, I was quite tempted to delete some of the oldest posts as all those mug rugs seem slightly silly to me now, but I guess it's good to see where one started, right?

Can you believe this ticker tape mug rug is still in daily use in our house?

I'd like to think I've come a long way since those mug rug days. I made tons and tons of quilts, bags, pouches, and pillows in these four years and I could not have done it without your support and encouragement.

Thank you!!! 

 

 Thank you so very much for your friendships, kind words, lovely comments, for understanding how important and stress relieving cutting fabric into tiny pieces and sewing it back together is. Thank you for letting me know you read my posts and get inspired. It means a world to me.

So, how about a little discount coupon to celebrate my fourth blogiversary? 

Use FOURYEARS coupon to get 40% off all pdf patterns in my Etsy shop  (coupon is good for 48 hours, as many patterns as you like).

Wishing you all an amazing and super creative week. Svetlana

anna pouch {one more pdf pattern}

Once upon a time, quite a long time ago actually, I came across a picture this pouch on Pinterest. I looked and looked to see if I could find some instructions on how to make it since I really liked this unique pouch, but I had no such luck.

So I set out to design my own pattern and after lots of trial and error sewing and ripping I finally made this pouch. I call it Anna Pouch.

I love the idea of two pouches being connected to make one and it's such a perfect size for all the little trinkets most of us carry in our purses.

This pouch finishes at approx. 5.75” x 4” x 1.5”.  And see? Lots of little things fit in with room to spare :).

I always love to see what other talented peeps can make using my patterns and this time it was no different.

Lucy used super adorable strawberry fabric to make this sweet Anna pouch. Love the hand stitching and gingham tab.

How cute is this kitty version made by Andrea? And that tiny gingham binding on bias is just too precious. I totally have to go with gingham for my next pouch :).

Thank you ladies for trying my pattern out. You're amazing.

♥♥♥

You can purchase Anna pouch pdf pattern by clinking on the button below or by going directly to my etsy shop here. And, as usual, the price for the pattern will be a discounted $6.00 for the next 48 hours, after that it will go back up to its regular $8.00 price.

buy this pattern

Thanks for reading and all your support friends. Svetlana

drawstring tote {a new pdf pattern}

Hello friends, hope your week is off to a good start. I'm happy to launch my newest pdf pattern today, yay!

This one is for a beginner friendly drawstring tote bag. It's perfect to show off some of your very favorite prints (this Maker print is my absolute favorite at the moment) and just the right size for everyday use. I think it would make a great library bag, too.

I love these triangular boxed corners. They are super sturdy and so very easy to sew, no squaring up corners needed :). Definitely a win - win combination. Plus, they add a fun little feature to this everyday tote.

The finished size is about 15.5" tall and 15" wide.

♥♥♥♥♥

Once again I've enlisted help from some super talented ladies to test out my pattern. Ready? Here we go.

I'm in love with this fresh color combo as well as tiny black and white check binding Yvette chose for her tote - perfection for sure.

My beautiful friend Judith made this gorgeous, classy, large print tote. Don't you just love that wonderful ribbon and tabs she added? A winner for sure.

Stephanie made this pretty orange + aqua tote. Such perfect fabric combo. Love the sweet lining, too.

And then there's this stunning ballet bag my amazingly talented friend Rachel made for her daughter. That Rachel has some seriously mad skills. All the little ballerinas are sure to be jealous :).

Last, but definitely not least, is this sweet tote made by Tara. Beautiful!!!

A great big thank you to all the ladies who volunteered to test this pattern for me as well as provide some very useful notes and feedback on how to improve it. You're amazing, I appreciate each and every one of you.

♥♥♥♥♥

If you'd like to make a drawstring tote of your own, you can purchase pdf instant download pattern by clicking on the button below or by visiting my etsy shop here. (All my pdf patterns are available worldwide).

I'm offering this pattern at a discounted $5.00 price for the next 48 hours. After that it will go up to its regular $7.00 price.

buy this pattern

Thank you very much for all your support. Svetlana

tablet stands

The other day I came across this tutorial for a tablet stand on Pinterest. What a clever idea, isn't it? I knew right away I had to drop everything and give it a try as I like watching Netflix while sewing but my Kindle keeps slipping and sliding constantly.

I made the first one using black and white Lotta Jansdotter's fabric. And then I made four more stands, one for each of my kids and one more just for good measure :).

I filled the triangular parts of stands with rice (as per tutorial's suggestion) and I love how stable it makes them. The only change I made when following the directions was adhering light fusible interfacing to wrong side of my fabric.

I love projects like this, not only are they fun and easy to make, they are also super functional. And this stand holds my Kindle in just the right angle for comfortable watching (any Breaking Bad fans out there?).

So, if you've ever needed a stand for your tablet I very highly recommend you give this tutorial a try. You'll love it, you'll see. I'm also thinking these would make great presents for my teenage daughters' friends. Oh, the possibilities.

Before I go, I wanted to thank you all so much for the amazing amount of encouragement and support on my last post. You have no idea how much it means to me. Svetlana

letting go...

.... and so after 16 years of ups and downs a new chapter begins.

It's not easy, I find letting go of a dream I've tried to hold on to for so long is super hard.

At least I'm glad I still find sewing calming (I made six Lola pouches and a few bags in the last few days). And I have new patterns ready to be released soon. I find keeping my hands and my mind busy is the best way forward.

Wish me luck :) Svetlana

sewing machine bag

Hello friends, hope you all got some time to sew and relax this weekend.

I sewed like a mad woman all weekend long (well, I did other stuff too, but most of my free time was taken up by sewing). On Saturday morning I got it in my head that I needed a bag for my sewing machine. Because, really, Sewtopia is just around the corner and I had no way of lugging my super heavy Juki there and back.

I was sort of winging it the whole time I was sewing this bag which meant lots of ripping, and re-sewing, and re-cutting, as well as re-thinking the whole concept. I'm quite happy with the finished bag though, so it was well worth all that extra headache :).

See, it fits the machine perfectly.

I wanted this bag to be extra sturdy so I used linen and decor weight fabric for both exterior as well as lining. I also added Soft and Stable to main panels, plus many layers of SF101 and fusible fleece to sides and lining, to make sure my machine will be protected while being transported.

And pockets, of course. I added pockets to both front and back of the bag. The back one fits a 12" x 18" cutting mat. I almost skipped adding pockets to the lining but I'm glad I took the extra time to add them as they make this giant of a bag a lot more functional - bag's finished size is 15" tall x 20" wide x 9" deep.

Now I feel a leap closer to being ready for my first ever sewing retreat, yay!

Talk to you soon friends. Svetlana

stash - busting blog hop

Hello, happy Wednesday to you all!

Today is my stop on The Stash - Busting blog hop celebrating two new fantastic books - Kim (retro mama)'s Scrap Happy Sewing and 50 Fat Quarter Makes.

I loved browsing through my e-copies of both of these books and making lists of all the projects I want to make :). 

 And look, I even made this super fun Scrap Patch Pincushion from Kim's book already. I loved being able to use up some of my precious Cotton + Steel scraps.

It was such a fun and interesting project. Just look all those pins I had to use to hold the pleats in place :). Maddening, but totally well worth it.

I'm also really looking forward to making these adorable apple potholders soon. Aren't they the sweetest? I think they'd make perfect housewarming gifts, or maybe even teachers' gifts.

 

Oh, and how cute are these two little bears? Seriously!!! I'm not usually a huge fan of making stuffed toys but I don't think I'll be able to resist much longer.

I hope you'll follow along this fun blog hop to see what other talented peeps have to share. Here's the line up.

Thu 2nd  - Retro Mama

Fri 3rd  - SCC

Wed 8th  - S.O.T.A.K Handmade

Thu 9th  - Fabricworm

Fri 10th  - Clover & Violet

Mon 13th  - Robot Mom Sews
Tue 14th  - Vivid Felicity
Wed 15th  - Cut To Pieces

Thu 16th  - Straight Grain

Fri 17th  - Sew Take A Hike

Mon 20th  - Vintage Grey

Tue 21st  - Miss Print

Wed 22nd  - Pink Penguin
Thu 23rd  - Sew Creative Blog
Fri 24th  - Follow the White Bunny
Mon 27th  - A Bright Corner
Tue 28th  - Sew Justine Sew
Wed 29th  - LRstitched

Have a lovely day. Svetlana

one more Idea Pouch

Happy Friday, everyone!

After finishing smaller version of Idea Pouch for my Kindle, I decided to make one more regular sized Idea Pouch before I put the pattern aside for a while. It's funny how I totally despise making the same quilt twice, but I will happily make quite a few of the same pouches and enjoy the process every time.

I made this AMH + lovely textured gray fabric (which sadly I have no idea what it is) :( + mustardy Emmy Grace fabric version. It fits a regular composition notebook, but could easily fit an IPad as well.

This Idea Pouch is coming with me to Sewtopia Chicago, I hope my partner in Secret Swap will love it as much as I do.

Wishing you all a super lovely weekend. Svetlana

Linking up to Finish it up Friday.