Somebody really loves owls

- Bella Clutch  from Violet and Clover -

Bella loves owls in any form. She truly must have gotten that from her dad. By now even I grew fond of them and couldn't resist them especially on fabric. Bella is even a bigger lover and this fabric out my stash just fit perfect for this little bag for her.
The pattern is called Bella Clutch from Clover and Violet and easy to make. On their website you can find more color combinations as examples. I like especially the little bit of ruffles and the rounded corners on the bottom of the bag . Bella already packed her things it the little bag and took it out shopping.

However Bella is busy sewing herself. My mom arrived here and showed her the hundreds of mini hexagons she is making and now Bella is hooked and she is doing a great job.

- one of Bella's hexagons -

blue dinosaur :: backpack :: trinket pouch

Since the busy weekend  is over there actually was some time again. My mom enjoyed the possiblities to check out the craft and quilt stores here in the States. She would love to pack the Hobbylobby in her luggage just the way it is. :).  The ladies at the local quilt store already know her by now, because I stop by with her at every visit and next month I will with Karin, too. They are really sweet and you are always get told stories about their experiences and trips to Germany or current projects. And we found time to sew. Most of out little project are just no finsihed yet, because they just need the little snap still  to close - but that will be done in a snap you will see.

During our BIG storm we luckily kept power not like everybody here and it only flooded the backyard and caused rivers running right and left running downhill filling up our ditches high and turning everything in mudpies deep.

But we lucked out and stayed dry inside and it was perfect for sewing Soren's blue dino backpack I intended on making for such a long time and just never had enough motivation.

It took a moment to figure out the zipper pocket but it's actually really easy with drawstring backpack tutorial from Noodlehead. I love her blog.

But no little boy can have a backpack without a little trinket pouch fitting to it.

This is one of the project I still need to add a snap to it which luckily arrived late last night. Now I only need to dig up a small carabiner hook, I know we still have one in the house. The stores I look where out and next time I simple use a swivel clip stolen from a dog leash from the dollar store right away - it's impossible to find these in the right size locally here either.

But all that's important is that there is the BLUE DINO on top of the backpack.

Photos of our little flood just CLICK.

reuse :: recycle :: upcycle

Just a little AddOn to the Disapperaing Four Patch Tutorial:

I admitted to one little mishap at the end of this post, and I really watched out which row of blocks I was cutting last night. However I mixed them up this time on purpose, because I liked the effect of my 'mishap'. I even got everything pressed but didn't see that I flipped the colors by accident on several. I guess it was kind of late. No I did not run for the seam ripper, it was 6 am this morning and my rotary cutter was still out on the counter and I just cut he second row of the block to add on to the bottom and with one more flip everything was back in order.


So truly this is one ABSOLUTELY do NOT stress about this pattern. Just do not cut through the center block you chose and everything will turn out perfectly fine.

Chiara is playing model for this little bag. After all it used to be her pair of jeans she own for less as a year, still would fit perfect. She just added it to the collection of jeans with holes on the knees. So well, I already had it on my list to make a bag for a little someone and the fabric for the lining was already picked out a  month or two ago and simply waiting. Jeans came along, movie was playing, scissors were close - ratzfatz - the legs were off. The pants. You know what I meant.

We found the lining at the local quilt store Quiltin' Country in the next town over and  in the combination with jeans  the colors should fit perfect for a 13 year old. If I can keep the bag from Chiara, because she already has an eye set on it, because it was her pair of jeans. Not going to happen girly.

Aren't the pockets cute? And I didn't even have to make them.

one, two, ... four

After my little mishap at the first attempt of following the tutorial on how to make this clutch, I had to try it again - of course. And I just had to play with some more fabrics from my stash. I guess now I have a different little clutch to use for almost every day, if I get to keep them. I already have somebody eyeing them.

- #1 -

- #2 -

- #3 -

- #4 - it is a touch cricket - but I love how the fabric worked, even it was truly not my favorite. -

Garden Report

#1: All the trees, besides the one the dog chewed to the ground and the fig tree which is not showing a sign of life yet made it through winter and slowly but finally showing a sign of spring. Some just tiny yet, but we can't wait to see more growth.

#2: The dog attacked the bamboo shrub. Arrrrrrrrrg. Usually he leaves plants with leaves alone. So we built the next fence circle, we are almost pros now.

#3: Chiara probably drowned 1/3 of our cucumber seedlings with a quick swoop of water instead of a little. We only can hope for survivors.

#4: Our zucchinis seeds are out and growing awesome and soon ready to move outside, and the pepper ones are slowly sprouting, too.

#5; The next little strawberry is turning red.

green garden :: green sewing

March 17, 2011 : first day of harvest of our garden - one strawberry

Our little seed are growing inside the house and even the zucchinis are finally popping out of the ground.  They are such  stalky little seedlings. We replanted the cucumber seedlings outside in the veggy plot and hopefully there is a chance of survival. The mint and the cilantro are already growing and it smells so good when we brush by  while getting  to the little garden. The basil is right on the other side and really important in our herb department.

It must have been the Irish in the day, because I had no specific preference on what fabric or what color I wanted to use, but I ended up going for green. What a coincidence! I tried a tutorial I actually have seen just a few days ago while searching for more ideas for drawstring backpacks and have seen these clutches today again at Jenny's. Just one exception - I made a mistake and the cute taps are not showing as supposed to and ended up in triangles. It works, but I actually want to get it right, it would looks so much nicer. Here you can find the tutorial @ Noodlehead if you want to try one yourself.

late night update - yeah - I figured it out! I got it right!

Soren really wanted to get his picture taken as my project holder first. It's always 'Me, me, me." The picture with this profesional project holder shows off the ruffles a little bit better.

Spacehip Backpack

I have this adorable fabric since a few months in my blue Schrank which is filled from top to bottom with fabric, but not so much boys fabric. So when I came across this one I could not resist to get some for Soren, but for what?

So today I went into the garage where now my blue Schrank is placed since we moved into this rental at freezing temperatures - 21 degress F, at that in freaking TEXAS. But at least the Schrank and fabric is organized by now.

The fabric was sitting out next to me even I knew I wanted to make him now a backpack from yesterdays prototype with a little bit finetuning in the sewing department. But I got sidetracked with worked on an UFO which is always good to do, a burned out light bulb of my sewing machine - it is truly weird sewing in the dark - and car shopping/looking.

But dinner didn't get done until this little backpack was done.

Toddler Backpack - Prototype

Since before Christmas  I wanted to make a backpack for Soren, because he LOVES bags. He always finds a bag to drag around and pretty often wants to take a bag with him when we leave the house and grabs the nearest one he can find which  most of the time is PINK. Leland has a problem with ALL THE PINK and his boy.  And I, I was taking pictures. LOL.

Pst ... don't tell Leland I posted this again.

Proud as can be.

So I was looking for a matter and found one, cut up one of Daddy's old uniforms and got started, but I did not like the pattern. I didn't even sew one stitch. Then two days ago I finally had an idea about a simple backpack similiar to the pink/purple - here we go again - Dora backpack Chiara had once. I finally figured out how to make it and started on a prototype. I am not a prototype person, I want usable results right away, but here I had no choice because it needs to perfect at the end - at least as good or as cute as possible.

Here it is.

Now further suggestions are :

to shorten it for Soren a little and add velcro as a closure

use a contrast color for the flap

use applique for example his name

if i use uniforms as material I have old name tags from dad

Bella already wants one bigger

with a front pocket added

perhaps a big button as closure

Breadbag

Everybody who knows me personally also knows that I am no fan of american bread. The only way I eat it if it is not freshly baked it's toasted. I admit I am spoiled. If you know German bread you know why. There are so many different breads and "Semmeln" or "Broetchen". My kids usually prefer the plain bread here, but they also love it when we bake bread.

Just the smell of freshly baked or still baking bread is heaven and how the taste. Especially when I use one of the few bread mixes that come with me from Germany until we run out and look for a recipe from scratch again.

Until know I kept the bread in wrapped in a plastic bread, but that was just not the best solution. Just in case the bread should ever last for more as three days in would easily start molding and that would be a waste. So I thought about a fabric bread bag. I even found the perfect cotton fabric in my stash. *lol* Leftover fabric of my living room curtains from my very first apartment in Wuerzburg, Germany.

Well, my sizing was a very generous estimate. I easily fit two of my one pounder breads in it.

Busy Postman

Last week the postman actually rang my doorbell and delivered all my mail right to the doorstep including the bills and unwanted advertising and also package from Pam Haag  all the way from Iowa .

Pam is my friendship bag swap partner and such a sweet generous lady who spoiled all of us. Take a look at what she mailed to me. Thank you so much, Pam.

She send two of the adorable bags because she couldn't choose which one. And also made a notebook holder which is just beautiful. The kids got each a little crafts kid and socks and were all excited.

I think we can skip xmas now, because it already felt like it. LOL

My little package with the friendship bag went to Lene in Denmark.

Jeg taler ikke dansk, men jeg kan stadig sende en STOR "Hej" til Danmark.

I hope the translation program didn't make a complete fool out of me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Bella!

My big girl already turned NINE on Saturday.

Can you believe it? 9?

Of course she was all excited. She kept all the cards and packages that came in the mail from Germany unopened til her birthday - this girls does have patience - sometimes. So she hardly could wait in the morning and was up EARLY. For me, too early after I didn't finish her birthday present til late in the night/early morning for her. Soren had his eyes set on her "unlucky" birthday cake, Chiara and I made the evening before and got a little bit "dark" in the oven, but was still eaten up quick. Bella loved the books she got, especially the ones Daddy sent, but she truly missed him on her special day after he is gone the third year in a row on her birthday.

After cake for breakfast and Bella opening her presents, we had to convince Chiara that she will have fun going to play soccer. Chiara didn't want to go, but it was the first day of the Itty Biddy Soccer Team.


Soren found his way faster onto the soccer field as Chiara and he loved it until he got just plain fussy and grumpy. But wanted to be with her.



So, our little sports girls who didn't want to go at all had a blast "training soccer". She would love to go everyday. But it has to wait until Saturday morning again. I guess we do need to find a pump to get some more air in our soccer ball here.



I finished it - almost in time - Bella's birthday present. She wanted a messenger bag for school and I just didn't like any I saw at the stores, so I decided making her one and started really late with it. It has pockets in the front and a large one in the back, plus a small zipper pocket inside for her bus pass. It closes with a big zipper on top and a magnet snap on the flap. I never used those snaps before and that alone was an adventure.



Bella got her bag wrapped Saturday morning, but I still had to close up the seam inside in the lining which is now finished, too. After she stayed home today it will be tested for school tomorrow. Now Soren might need his own bag, because he keeps insisting taking one, too, out of the house, but Chiara's pink princess bag would really not be Daddy's choice. We will see. lol

She just found the pocket in the back this morning. LOL

Friendship Bag Swap

A little while ago Karin told me that she couldn't resist signing up again for a new swap. I called her crazy before, because she did participate already at quite a few and once a while it does get stressful to finish your project on time even it looked so easy at the beginning, so I never bothered with a swap since years. I did fabric swap a long time ago.

But I peeked at the tutorial from her swap. Here is the p.s. i quilt: friendship bag tutorial. How cute I thought.

Yesterday was the last day to register for the swap. And I did.



Today I tried the first version of the little bag. It is really small, but didn't it turn out adorable. I actually love it. And usually I doubt my projects a while before I really like them. lol

I like it so much that I might have to make another one, because I do not know yet if I will be able to give this one away. Even it was already pinned together, I undid the last step to add a label of mine.

Pst. Don't tell about this.

Mr. Pink Pink Pink

- Playing with Chiara -