Sewing/Crafts
The Sunny Days Waterproof Pool & Beach Bag A Tutorial & 52 (Family) Projects in 2012: #13
The Sunny Days Waterproof Pool & Beach Bag is #13 on my 52 Family Projects list, and I put together a tutorial so you can make one for your family, too!
Do you feel like you have to pack a zillion things when you head out to the pool? I made this bag huge so it holds everything you could possibly need to have on hand . . . towels, sunscreen, water bottles, goggles, snacks, flip flops, sunglasses . . .
I’ve been using mine for our daily trips to swim lessons the last two weeks, and I can’t tell you how much I love it! The outer body and the outside of the pockets are sewn with Michael Miller’s new PUL (polyurethane laminate) so everything inside the bag stays nice and dry, and, if you happen to throw something damp inside the bag, the seat on your car isn’t going to end up getting wet on the way home either! (Of course, you can substitute cotton woven quilting fabrics for the PUL for a non-waterproof bag, if you’d prefer.)
These criss-cross pockets in the front work great to organize those things that you need to be able grab quickly. They look really cool, too!
I put the tutorial together in an easy to read and print pdf. You can find it right here: The Sunny Days Waterproof Pool & Beach Bag.
A Long-awaited Apron for Father’s Day52 (Family) Projects in 2012: #12
When I first announced this project, I mentioned that my business draws my attention away from sewing for my family. That is true, but add sewing for my children to sewing for business, and my poor husband gets totally left out in the cold. He asked me to make him an apron for Father’s Day . . . last year. He might have even mentioned the apron a few more times after the original request . . . Christmas, his birthday, almost every time he’s cooked in the last year. Well, he finally has his apron!
Ray actually does the majority of the dinner cooking in our house, so this apron will be well-used. (He’s been away from home quite a bit lately, and I really miss sharing the cooking responsibilities!) I chose the background fabric for the apron itself, but the kids picked out the pocket fabric. Apparently, they think that Daddy can’t cook anything without peppers and onions.
I used McCalls 2233 which I’ve used a few times before. It’s a quick and easy pattern, and I mostly follow the instructions to assemble it. I was thinking as I was putting this one together, that it would be really simple to make it reversible. Maybe I’ll try that next time.
I think men tend to be harder to sew for than women (and they’re definitely harder to sew for than children). What have you sewn for your husband? Is there something on your list for him? (He’ll probably understand if it takes you a year to sew for him. Just be sure to actually do it!)
Olive the Owl 52 (Family) Projects in 2012: #11
Now that I’m caught up on new patterns, it’s time to get back on track with my 52 (Family) Projects in 2012 Challenge! Over at Hopeful Threads this month, Kristy has announced that this month’s project is sewing for our own families. Kristy even mentioned me and my 52 Projects goal in her monthly project announcement! How cool is that?
Project #11 of 52 is Olive the Owl! Isn’t she sweet? I ran across the Olive pattern along with patterns for her friends in the Freddie’s Friends booth at Spring Quilt Market.
I like that the pieces are sewn together with the raw edges showing. I think it adds a casual modern twist to the traditional stuffed animal. Our little Olive is made up of scraps of four different Riley Blake flower coordinates that were scattered throughout my stash. She uses up the smallest pieces quite efficiently, and she’s a very quick sew!
She even has a cute little tail!
You can find several Freddie’s Friends patterns at The Fat Quarter Shop. I added Ronny the Robot and Scotty the Sea Turtle to my pattern collection at Market. I think Ronny will be next.
Katie was so excited to receive Olive that she wouldn’t stop smiling!
She’s smiling on the inside. I promise. I’m sure she’ll fall in love with Olive when she’s a little older. In any case, she’ll always know that her Gi-Gi made her with plenty of love, and that’s what sewing for family is all about.
The Pajama Party PJs for Big Kids!
One last pattern release to wrap up my new pattern list: The Pajama Party PJs in Big Kid Sizes! You’ll be able to sew matching (or not) pajamas with this pattern for all of your children. Just like the smaller version, this pattern includes the full-size pattern and instructions for sewing both summer and winter PJs. In sizes 5 to 14, the top snaps or buttons, and the bottoms include side-seam pockets.
My cover samples are sewn with the plaid and argyle coordinates from Fox Trails by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake. Older boys tend to be harder when it comes to fabric choices, but great collections like this one that include plaids, stripes, argyles, etc. make sewing for your preteens a breeze! Just skip the cute prints and pair up the coordinates instead!
I hope your little and big kids enjoy many silly bedtime stories, yummy midnight snacks and round after round of Go Fish in their Pajama Party PJs!
You can grab this pattern as a downloadable pdf pattern at The Fabric Fairy right now. All of my other patterns are there, too! The paper pattern and the pdf pattern will be available for purchase on my Patterns page by tomorrow morning.
Fishsticks Designs in the Riley Blake Booth
I’m pretty sure that I’m the last one out here still blogging about Spring Quilt Market! Apparently, I’m a slow blogger. (Really, I am a slow blogger! I’m blown away by people who blog daily, and those who blog more than once a day? I have no idea how they sleep!) I just loved sewing up these samples for the Riley Blake Designs booth, and I couldn’t not show them to you.
First up is the twin (well, opposite twin, really) to the Messenger Bag that is on the cover of my new Playdate Bag pattern. This Chevron fabric is so popular right now, and such a fun, modern fabric. Lining up those chevrons for the flap and the strap was a challenge, but it was definitely worth the end result!
Here’s the Pajama Party PJs as Christmas morning pajamas in Alpine Wonderland, and . . .
. . . comfy summer jammies in Seaside!
(Funny story about Seaside? I chatted with Jina at Riley Blake about doing these samples for them months ago. The fabric samples began to arrive a few weeks later, and I set them aside until I had time to focus on sewing them. When that time came, I pulled out the pile, washed and dried everything and started working. On a Friday morning, I realized that I was missing Seaside. I turned my whole sewing room upside down. Took everything out of every cabinet, re-stacked it all and put it all back in. When the fabric didn’t surface, I turned my sewing room over to Ray, hoping that a new set of eyes would help! A second complete search of my sewing room turned up nothing. I very reluctantly sent an email to Jina admitting to losing the fabric. (The fabric isn’t in stores yet, so I couldn’t just go out and buy more!) Then I spent the rest of the next day, peeking in every nook and cranny in my house, still hoping it would turn up. It wasn’t until Saturday evening that I noticed a response in my email box from Jina telling me that I wasn’t going to find Seaside because it had never shipped! Aaargh! and Yay! at the same time! Lesson learned: Next time, keep track of the fabric as it arrives so you don’t waste two whole days looking for something you never had!)
And, finally, my Everyday Camp Shirt pattern in Peak Hour. I love this shirt so much that I have to get some of this fabric to recreate it for Charlie! Isn’t it a perfect little boy top?
I feel like I can call my second Quilt Market appearance a success! It definitely has me even more excited to see what awaits my little business in the coming months!
It’s Skirt Week over at Crafterhours!
I’ve been so busy with family stuff (house selling, graduation, visiting family, etc.) and finishing up new patterns (nearly done!), that I almost let this year’s Skirt Week at crafterhours totally pass by! There are some amazing skirts popping up in the Flickr pools, and there’s still a little time to enter one of your favorites! You have until midnight eastern tomorrow night, and you can enter any skirt that you’ve sewn since July 1st of last year.
Don’t skip dropping in if you’re like me and simply don’t have time to sew a skirt right now, though! There is a whole collection of skirt tutorials to check out and add to your summer sewing list. Adrianna’s Milkmaid Skirt for Grown-up Girls is the latest addition to mine. It’s a perfect summer day-at-beach skirt . . . maybe in seersucker to throw on over my swimsuit? (Why, yes! I am really looking forward to being back in Florida and less than an hour from the beach!)
New Spring/Summer 2012 Patterns are Now Available!
Just click the image to find the pattern!
Remember that you can find all of my paper and pdf patterns right here: Fishsticks Designs Sewing Patterns
Everybody Ready for a Pajama Party? Don’t forget your Pajama Party PJs!
I’m such a lover of cute PJs on my little ones! I need lots of options. (That’s why I offer so many options!) This one, though, is definitely going to be one of my personal favorites. There is just something so appealing about the classic look of a woven button-up PJ top and pants. I can’t wait for Christmas morning photos in PJs sewn from this pattern!
The Pajama Party PJ pattern includes both top and pants. Options are included for a short-sleeve, short pants warm-weather version and a long-sleeve, long pants version perfect for the colder months. The top can be fastened with buttons or snaps, and the elastic waist shorts feature side seam pockets. This Pajama Party PJ pattern covers sizes 12 months to 5T, but don’t fret at all if you need the bigger sizes! They’ll be along next week. I just have to get the cover photography done, and the cover back from the printer!
There are so many options with this pattern to mix and match your favorite woven quilting fabrics. The adorable fabrics featured here are all from the Riley Blake Puppy Park Collection which is due in stores later this month.
And that, my dears, wraps up my new pattern releases for Spring (okay, I’ll admit that it’s really Summer) 2012! All of the new patterns are due to be uploaded and ready for you to purchase at 8 p.m. central tonight, right here: Fishsticks Designs Patterns.
I thought I’d leave you with a few photos that I think show how incredibly well-behaved and easy-to-photograph my little ones have become thanks to all of their cover-modeling experience. I think they might both have a great future in modeling . . . or maybe I really just pray that they don’t grow up hating the sight of a camera!
Hey! There’s a bug back here!
Are we done yet?!
1, 2, 3, JUMP!
Samantha is always a great help behind the camera.
Occasionally, she has to step in front of the camera: Smile, Charlie! Like this!
Perfect!
Oh, Boy! It’s the Oh, Boy! Boxers!
Next up in my collection of new patterns is the Oh, Boy! Boxers. In sizes 2 all the way to size 14, your little and big boys are going to love having a collection of one-of-a-kind boxers! (The fun fabrics in my samples are all from Michael Miller.)
These boxers can be sewn with a traditional fly, with a faux fly or (the quickest option) no fly at all. The pattern works perfectly with your favorite cotton quilting fabrics, as well as lightweight cotton jersey knits.
I designed the pattern with a comfortable, easy fit, so they can be worn as underwear or as loungewear. (They make great summer PJs when paired with my free The Tank pattern, too!)
This is one of those basics patterns that I hope you’ll find yourself turning to over and over again.
Don’t forget to check back tomorrow — I have one more pattern to introduce before releasing the whole set of new ones!
The Playdate Bag Messenger Bag for Mom, Backpack for Tot
Oh, I hope you all love this one as much as my family does! The Playdate Bag pattern is one pattern that creates two bags–a messenger bag for mom and a backpack for her toddler. My daughters have already confiscated two of my original messenger bag prototypes for themselves, and I had to hide the backpack that you see on the pattern cover from Charlie so that I could take it to Quilt Market with me!
The Playdate Messenger Bag is packed full of features for its small size. Outside, you’ll find a large back pocket with a smaller pocket hidden just inside—the perfect spot for keeping your cell phone safe but easy to grab when you need it. Inside, there are compartments for all your other on-the-go needs, including a cushioned storage spot for your tablet or e-reader.
The Playdate Backpack is sized just right for toddlers to preschoolers and features comfortable, adjustable straps. Inside, your little one will find his crayons organized and ready for creativity and plenty of space for other toys.
All of the fabrics in my cover samples are from Riley Blake Designs. The adorable fabrics on the backpack are from Kellie Wulfsohn’s Peak Hour collection, and the oh-so-modern messenger bag fabrics are a combination of Chevrons and Solids.
Do you have a little one who would love a new backpack? Or, maybe you need a new bag for yourself? Or, could it be that your preschooler needs a backpack and you need a new bag? Why buy two patterns when you can get them both in one?
All of my new patterns are set to be released next week! More previews coming Monday!
