handmade sale (october 2016)

Hello everyone,

how are things? Did you have a lovely weekend? I hope you got to relax and create a bit.

I've had quite a few projects on my mind lately, but I very reasonably decided I'd better clean and organize my studio before I get consumed with yet another project :). I was quite stunned at the amount of finished itmes I found spread all around my studio, so I decided it was time for yet another Handmade Sale.

This is just a sampling of what's up for grabs. I've listed pillows, bags, quilts, and lots and lots of pouches in my etsy shop. Oh, and I listed some quilting and sewing books from my personal library as well.

This will be the last Handmade Sale this year, so I hope you'll find something you like.

Any questions? Just leave a comment below or send me an email. 

Happy shopping, friends. Svetlana

slim pencil case + kits

 Hello everyone!

I'm super happy to show you my newest pouch - Slim Pencil Case.  

It's a simple super slim pouch, perfect to keep the few pens and markers I carry around in our purse organized without adding any bulk.

The pouch finishes at 7.5" x 2.75" and is nicely padded thanks to the addition of fusible fleece. And, most of all, I no longer have to fish through the contents of my bag every. single. time. I need a pen. Sheesh, I should have made these ages ago!!!

I loved my pouch so much, I decided to put together a few kits for you as well. I had great fun choosing supplies for each kit. I hope you like my combination of screen printed fabric, metal zippers, striped side tabs, and leather pulls, all beautifully packaged inside the little brown box.

All these kits are now listed at my etsy shop in case you'd like to grab one, or a few ;).

Happy sewing, friends. Svetlana

indigo dyeing

I've wanted to try indigo dyeing for months now I finally went for it this weekend. Such fun, I tell you.

I ordered this kit on Amazon and read tons of tutorials and tips all over the internet on how to work with indigo. I found this, and this posts to be especially helpful, and I even started a new Pinterest board.

I used PFD (prepared for dyeing) Kona cotton from my Joann store for dyeing, but I read that pretty much any natural fabric (cotton, linen, silk) should work as long as it's washed and dried in advance.

 

I did a few different ways of folding and tying the fabric. After doing my first batch of fabric I very quickly realized I liked panels with lots of white still showing, so my second batch of fabric was folded and tied a lot tighter than the first one.

These are the panels from my first batch. And yes, I did finish dyeing them in almost pitch black darkness as I simply couldn't wait till the next day :).

These are the second batch panels. I'm really glad that prepared indigo dye can be stored for up to five days so I'm still planning on one more dyeing session, maybe working with some t-shirts next time.

My 10 year old son was my very helpful assistant and he absolutely loved the whole process, especially the part where green color turned blue after being exposed to oxygen in the air. He also did a lot of experimenting with double, triple, and even quadruple dipping some of the fabric :).

Now just to think up some fun projects to sew these lovelies into.

Thanks for reading, friends. Svetlana

scrap busting

It seems my quilting mojo is coming back and I once again find myself drawn to my overflowing scrap bin :). Yay!!!

I should really be working on my newest bag pattern, but I'm learning to just go with the flow and allow myself some fun, no deadline sewing. I'm sure once I get this quilt out of my system I'll be ready to get back to what needs to be done. Fingers crossed.

These are just simple 2.5" squares pieced together in a 4 x 5 grid. I think I'll add a low volume border all around to make this quilt top a bit larger. And then I'm looking forward to spending many cool evenings slowly hand quilting this guy. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Wishing you a creative day. Svetlana

whole cloth quilt

I've always greatly admired whole cloth quilts. I love their minimalist non fussy look, and I especially love that the stitching is what makes these quilts. 

And, after planning and plotting for way too long, I finally have a whole cloth quilt of my own :).

It all started rather simply. Just two Ultra Soft twin sized flat sheets from Target and some batting I had on hand. I first washed, dried, and ironed the sheets and removed all the finished seams along the edges.

I then used 505 basting spray and basted the two fabrics and batting the same way I would any other quilt.

I used a 1.5" wide yardstick and water soluble fabric pen (the blue side) to mark all my lines. This, I must admit, was my least favorite part of the process but it had to be done as I wanted nice straight lines along the length of the quilt.

And then the fun started. I used perle cotton in light shades of gray and beige and I stitched and stitched. I don't use any hoops or frames when I hand quilt, I just plop myself on a couch with basted quilt in my lap and simply go for it.

Once the quilting was all done (which wasn't a quick process at all as it took a few weeks for me to get it done), I trimmed and squared up the quilt. I then machine stitched one side of the binding on, flipped it to the other side and hand stitched it in place using simple running stitch.

I then washed and dried the quilt and absolutely adore the final drape and feel of this quilt. Even my kids, who are not huge fans of regular quilts, love this one.

QUILT STATS

finished size: 61" x 88" 

fabrics used: two flat twin sized sheets from Target

batting: Pellon's Nature's Touch cotton batting

Thanks for reading, friends. Wishing you all a fantastically creative week. Svetlana

things change ...

I've been sewing and quilting for about 5 years now and the other day I was quite surprised to realize how much my style and projects I like to make keep changing. I used to be all about color, complicated patchwork, and I generally went by "the more the better" rule :)

Lately though I like simple, almost minimalist projects. I love muted colors, simple piecing, and I especially love adding leather accents to my projects.

This little coaster/ potholder made with some of my screen printed scraps, big stitch quilting using sashiko thread, and a little leather tab is a perfect example of a project I love making these days. No fussy patterns, simple lines, muted colors. Love, love, love !!!

Oh, and the pouches. I so, so love making and gifting pouches of all kinds. Especially when I get to play with metal zippers and striped ribbon.

And, I greatly enjoy finding ways to incorporate leather into my small projects. I had this idea of making a leather patch with my logo to add to a pouch recently and I'm super excited that it actually worked out.

All I needed to make my patch was a trimmed piece of veg tanned leather (I bought a scrap pack here), leather hole punch, stamp, and ink pad. I then added it to a finished pouch using rivets.

Easy peasy, and super fun.

I'm drawn to simple shapes, colors, and general simplicity when it comes to quilting as well. I can't wait to finish and show you this whole cloth quilt I've been working on while I watch Netflix in the evenings. Yes, hand quilting and Netflix are my favorite thing to do once the kids are in bed. I guess some things do stay the same :).

I'm curious to know. Have you noticed shifts and changes in your sewing/ quilting style? Do tell.

Svetlana

shop update plus discount code

Hello, happy October to you all!

I just wanted to pop in real quick to let you know I've added lots of new goodies (sewing kits as well as screen printed fabric panels) to my etsy shop.

I hope you'll stop by to have a look and maybe find something you like :).

And, to make things more fun, I have a discount coupon code for you today. Use FALL10 during checkout and a 10% off discount will be automatically applied to you shopping cart.

(discount code is valid through Oct. 8th)

Happy shopping and thanks for reading. Svetlana