And It's Closed

That was a short ride!

I have closed my Etsy shop just a short time after opening it. Etsy is a great site, but not right for me.  I will continue sewing and crafting , but mostly enjoy it when I am creating something for myself or my family.

I recently finished a Quiet Book for one of the Grand's 2nd Birthday.

There is NO WAY I could sell these books and make any money. They are only a labor of love and I LOVE every hour I spend making them.

 Maze Page: I put glass beads in the maze for her to push through with her fingers. A good but QUIET activity.

 I SPY:  I had I SPY bags for sale on Etsy and decided that they are fun in Quiet Books, too. Notice that I added beads that spell out NANA. 😍

 TIC-TAC-TOE Anyone?  These attach with plastic KAMSnaps.  Extra pieces are in the pocket that is attached to the back of the book.

 NOAH'S ARK: The boat opens up and crosses over to the second page when the book is open. There are 2 fishes that can jump out of the waves.  Again, extra animals are in the back pocket.

 MAKE A PIE:  This is a simple page, but she can weave the crust.  I work with 1st Graders at church, and find that this is not a skill children are being taught today.

 CLOCK:  I had to talk with my husband about ideas until I figured out how to make the hands move. I finally figured out to put grommets in each hand, and attach them with button chord with a button. Now the hands each move independently and she can set the time.

 TIE YOUR SHOES:  Again, I used my grommets from KAMSnaps.

 COUNT TO 10:  Simple page, but fun.

MEMORY: This might be my favorite page. I saw this idea on Pinterest and LOVED IT!  There was a little math involved to figure out what size circles to make to make 16 fit on the page.  Then I had to find/embroider objects that would also fit in that size circle.   I also learned (the hard way) that the heart circles need to be upside down on the back of the pictures, so the they are in the correct position on the page.    I will definitely do one of these for future books!

I finished the back of the book with a pocket that holds extra pieces, and added closures with snaps.

Happy Birthday Cami!

It's Open!

Well, as of today, my Etsy shop is open. It's called CoffeeBeansandCalico and I sell handmade items made with fabric.  So far, I only have 6 items, but I will be adding more as time passes.   My favorites so far are the pacifier clips I have.  I got these wonderful, colorful clips from KAMsnaps, and added material, etc to make colorful pacifier holders.

I offer the silicone connector for MAM-type pacifiers, and a loop for pacifiers with a hole.  The colors are almost unlimited.  Clips come in 10 colors, and I can match them up with just oodles of fabrics!







The next items to add will be a few stuffed animals and stuffed toys for car seats and strollers.  Stay tuned and see what I come up with.

To Etsy or Not to Etsy...That is the Question

For many years, people (mostly family) have told me that I should open a shop to sell the things I sew.  Most of the time, my response is negative, but recently, I decided that I would go ahead, bite the bullet, and open my Etsy shop.   Hopefully it will be up and running by the end of this week.

What will I put in it?  That's a good question.  I have named it CoffeeBeansandCalico, because I am mostly fueled by coffee(not really, but a little). Calico, another name for fabric is my medium.  I recently took a PU tote, tore it apart, and remade it into a lined tote/backpack for my Mom to use when she flies to FL for the winter.  I will add something similar and other designs.  The nice thing about this bag is the ability to change the handles and make it into a backpack when you need to walk in an airport.

I will also be offering I Spy Bags, which are great for children as well as adults.  Stay tuned for pictures as I add them.   Of course, I have pacifier clips, Rabbit or dog ear wooden teethers, lovey blankets, and Mug Rugs.  Quiet books will be something I add after a little while.  The ones I have made so far have been for my own Grands, and will expand on those.

  

Simple Mug Rugs

On this rainy, cold Monday, here is a nice little project that almost anyone can make quickly, and feel accomplished!  Besides, who wants to clean when you can be sewing instead, right?  Not me!  But I'll throw a load of laundry in the washer, so I accomplish some cleaning, and then head to the sewing room and create something pretty.

We always have a need for a simple housewarming or hostess gift, and mug rugs are a great idea.  I have had an old quilt top hanging around that is beyond repair, and recently I decided that it would become simple mug rugs.

I didn't even get creative with the shape...just cut 4 inch squares and began.  Here are the steps I used to make these simple mug rugs.

1. Cut 4 inch squares of the quilt top (notice the calico fabrics), warm and natural batting and a printed fabric to use as backing.  (You can use any batting, but I like this best)
2. Sandwich the 2 pieces of fabric right sides together, with the batting on the outside.   
3. Sew around edges, leaving an opening to turn right side out.  
4. Trim corners.
5. Turn. 
6. Top stitch twice...once a scant 8th of an inch from the edge, then at about a 3/8 inch in.

I need to get a bit better at photographing during the process, as well as at the finish.  But you can see that these mug rugs are nicely tied with a ribbon in sets of 4, ready to be given away as small hostess gifts.

Table Runners

Table Runners were the craft of Christmas last year.  I used my favorite medium for many of the runners I made: canvas drop cloths.  Once washed and dried, they are soft and easy to work with, although they do ravel easily.  Once I figured out to serge any raw edges, they are a breeze to work with.

I wanted to have something rather shabby-chic, so I layered some left over fabric I had from sheer curtains before embroidering.   Choosing white embroidery thread (I only use Isacord) gave me that classy look I wanted.  I have included the link to Sewing Supply Warehouse, where I buy mine.

These have been washed numerous times by one family that has children, and after an ironing it looks beautiful again.  Score!

These will soon be available on my Etsy store, Coffee Beans and Calico,  opening January 1, 2015.  (Sooner if I finish one of the new projects on which I've been working).

Stay tuned for more projects.  My sewing room (basement) is overflowing with projects still in the dream stage, projects in progress, and projects completed).  

So I'll pour a cup of coffee and get going to work!