gift bags

Whipped these puppies out to test if I could remember how to make the bags PoetCharm taught me without her there to hold my hand. Answer: Yes, but it took me double the time cause I had to redo the pinning a couple times.
These ones are smaller than the first bag I made, they measure about 10 inches, with straps long enough that you can wear them on one shoulder or messenger bag style. Kept the green one for myself and the other two were immediately given out as thank you gifts to friends who drove 2 hours just to help me move :)


Happy side discovery, that measurement happens to fit an iPad perfectly. Next step is making iPad cases with button flaps and a strap to carry them!

Boredom and A Sale on Bulky Yarn...

This is what happens when I get a 50% coupon for yarn and have a full day with nothing to do. Gotta love it. He's super soft and super cuddly. Cats are there to show scale, and let me tell you, those ain't no tiny kitties. They didn't even sell eyes big enough for him, so I had to get buttons! I'm hoping to sell him for $35, we'll see how it goes. He has found a home! He is now comforting a friend of a friend who just recently went through a breakup. He's the perfect guy to compliment her Ben and Jerry's moments. :)

He took 248 yards of yarn! WOWEE! Totally worth it for the cuddle factor though.

Visiting Poet Charms

This weekend I went to visit Lisa from PoetCharms, who also has an awesome Etsy store, and got a intro to sewing course from her. Our project for the afternoon, reversible totebag. They're square. They're simple. And they're useful. Works for me.

The week before I had taken a trip to Joanne Fabrics and scored some really cute cotton prints for the bag, fruit and polka dots, oh yeah.

Arriving at Lisa's house was like walking into crafting heaven. There was not one, but TWO craft rooms. Two rooms filled with cloth, and yarn and thread, and ribbons, and a million other things, just waiting to be turned into something awesome.

Once I was done drooling, we got to work, and thanks to Lisa (and her mom's) patient coaching, and occasional teasing, I ended up with an epically awesome (and HUGE) tote bag. Once I got home and had used it for a day or two I realized I was loosing my phone in the vastness of the bag so I threw on some pockets inside and out and here's the end result of lesson one in remembering how to sew!

iPad Cases

When I got my iPad I decided to get a case for it too, unfortunately the case was on back order for a MONTH and I needed some sort of protection for my iPad now. So I crocheted myself a protective case. Once I got the official case I needed to make another one because I had fallen in love with my first one but it no longer fit. Your choice of colors, up to three, $25.

Bags, bags, everywhere

I also started making gift bags, which are a blast to make, and super easy thanks to the knifty knitter. Bags can be made in a variety of sizes from small to large. Prices vary depending on size and color preferences.

Tis the Season....

This past Christmas I realized that I was very very broke (as a graduate student, this is often the case) and I still have a very large family that I like to give presents to. My solution? Pull out my box of buttons and all my scrap yarn that I never did anything with but couldn't throw away and produced.... homemade ornaments! $2 each or 6 for $10. Color and button patterns are random.

Hats galore

Next up was mastering hats, and of course, where there's a hat, there should be kitty ears! I'm contemplating bunny ears next.... I don't have a price for the hat but am willing to take any good offer, this cute hat needs a home (my boyfriend has forbid me wearing it!)

Mini-Octos

Once I had figured out how to make an octopus I of course had to make a miniature one. And of course then I started attaching a key chain to it, makes for a very cute key accessory. Octo key chains are $6 each. Your choice of one color. Additional colors are $1 each.

Octo-Buddies

The first real crafty project I learned to do and fell in love with were stuffed octopi. They are approximately 8 inches wide and 2 to 3 inches tall. They can come in any color or pattern desired (assuming I have or can get a hold of the yarn) and the stuffing is 100% hypoallergenic. Pre-made Octopi are $12 and custom colors are an additional $2.