Gingercake

Gifts and a Resurrected Project

Last week Cal finished preschool for the year.  We had performances and picnics.  I love preschool so much.  What's not totally adorable about 3 and 4 year olds singing (it's even adorable when they choose not to sing) the itsy bitsy spider?  Cal has 2 teachers.  His main teacher is my good friend Karen who has received so MANY of my handmade gifts that I decided to give her a gift card instead.  The assistant is new though and she asked Karen to tell me that she wanted something I made- that was really nice since I sometimes wonder if people would just prefer something from the store!

I bought several half yards of Sandi Henderson's secret garden when it came out in the fall.  I thought it was pretty but when it arrived I found it too girly for my personal tastes.  I kept trying to use it but have ended up just using it as gifts to people I know are more into this look than me.  It's lovely but I can't get excited about it for myself.  I find it a safe and sweet fabric to make teacher gifts though!

The assistant preschool teacher is very sweet and talks to me a bunch her love of Vera Bradley.  I hoped that she would like this quilted cover on the On the Go Organizer since it is kinda like Vera Bradley- right?  I just made simple loops which was fun and easy.

The interior is more Secret Garden and I used my favorite duck cloth for the pocket to give some extra weight.  This took me less than an hour to make! 

I also made my good friend Anna a 3 Layer Clutch for her birthday.  We have been friends since we were 13 and I have neglected her birthday for years since we got out of college and I moved away from Atlanta.  She is not really the Vera type so I went a little more funky on the fabric.

The fabric is Soul Blossoms from Amy Butler and I used vintage trim and onasburg for the flap.  Hopefully she has gotten her package by today and I am not ruining her surprise here!  

Back in march I ordered some beautiful Heather Ross fabric to make another more spring themed 3 layer clutch.  I made the clutch but ended up cutting the main outside piece too small.  I felt irrated and abandoned the clutch to work on my Bunny where I used up the rest of that adorable fabric.  After I finished up Anna's clutch, I looked at that abandoned one from March and felt newly inspired to start in with my seam ripper, make a whole new outside piece, rework the interior (since I had cut all that down to try to fix up the shortened outside piece) and finish up the clutch finally.

Somehow the flap turned out a little short but it worked out nicely since you can see the words on the Snow White fabric.

Then when you open the flap...

Pretty and whimsical but not cutesy.  Isn't that what Heather Ross is a genius at creating?   Then the wallet opens to look great too and you can see a bit of the 7 dwarfs.

I am so glad I took the time to rip out all those seams and replace those pieces!  My next few posts may be about my veggie garden so I wanted to make sure you got your fill of sewing projects with this one!  Hope you are having a wonderful spring and enjoying beautiful weather like we are!

Minis in the Shop

I felt the need to stock up my Gingercakesews Etsy shop.  Just some mini crayon folios but once I got started I ended up making 9.  They are so fast and simple!  I should have followed my own instructions though since I added the flap to the wrong side!  Darn that over confidence!  They are still cute and fun though but would have looked a little nicer with the flap on the pad side- not the lumpy crayon side!  

Minis are so handy and always sell easily.  Plus, with summer travel coming, who doesn't need some extra help for kid entertainment?  Making multiples of these is fun and easy- try it out if you already have the pattern.  

Next is finally adding all my thrifty finds to my vintage shop.  I have some bright and fun finds that I am excited to share!

More Bunny

I have been having fun with this bunny.  I made 2 more over the weekend and after some seam ripping and adjusting I think I finally have my final, perfected bunny for the pattern!  I need to get it done soon since Easter is only 5 weeks away!  Although I also picture these sweeties in a baby room, don't you?  That take some pressure off!

UPDATE!  Pattern available now.

The ears are what are different on each one.  Turns out that it is challenging to get good bunny ears!  I actaully looked at lots of pictures of real bunnies to get a good idea of proportion, placement and shape.  Thank you for your suggestions about the button eye- again it brings in that folkiness I like but is still modern enough to make it look fresh.

This bunny below is the one the pattern will be based on.  The ears are wider and placed a little further back on the head than the original bunny I shared in this post.    

I bought enough if the lovely Heather Ross fabric from Amy to make another bunny AND make another 3 layer clutch (which is waiting on a magnetic snap!)  The yellow and pink together are so pretty!  I can't wait to finish the clutch and show that off too!  Thanks to Amy for the fabric suggestion.

Cal agreed to hold the bunny for pictures but only if he could keep his dragon costume on.  We dsicussed that dragons and bunnies are probably friends and so it would make sense to include this picture here.  I always see bunnies and dragons hanging out around town, don't you?

Alrighty- coming soon!  The bunny sewing pattern.  I am hoping for early next week.  Better get going!

 

Cal's backpack

When I picked up Cal from preschool on Tuesday he actually asked me to make him a backpack. WHAT??  He is not interested in my sewing for the most part- except actually the machine itself.  He likes that a lot!  So we came home and I fawned all over him and we chose fabrics together (aka I picked out the fabrics and he happily agreed).  In a couple hours we had a cute backpack!  This morning, we walked the girls to the bus and I took pictures of him.  He was so proud.

This is the toddler backpack from made by Rae.  I have lost the actual instructions and now only have the pattern pieces left.  They must have been on my old computer.  After making this I realized that the last time I made one was for Elsie going to Kindergarten.

The blog post about Elsie is here.  That was my second blog post ever and I laughed when I saw my formatting troubles.  She looks so little in those pictures and was so excited about her first day of school.

 It would have been nice to have the instructions and I am sure if I had emailed her, she would have sent me another copy but Miss Impatience decided I could handle it on my own.  No serious problems but I am sure that clever Rae has it all worked out perfectly.  

I added a simple zipper panel to the front.  I used some more of my AnnKelle fabric.  So so cute!  The sides are green duck cloth and the striped is a decorator weight from the Joann clearance section.

Thank you all for your help on my bunny!  I replaced the eye with smaller buttons and I am now playing around with embroidering a nose.  I also bought some BEAUTIFUL fabric from Amy and I am working on another version of the 3 layer clutch.  I don't have that pattern out of my system just yet.  I just love watching it all come together and this Heather Ross fabric is making such a pretty spring version.  What are you making?

Bunny, Take 5

I am working on a bunny pattern.  Elsie saw some apparent injustice when I created Annie's penguin and asked (demanded with a hurt looking face is more like it) that I make a bunny for her.  I thought "Easy!!"  Well this bunny is trial #5 and still not quite right.  But getting close!

I love the clean look of a bunny profile- not too cutesy and more pillow like than stuffed animal shaped.  This shape reminds me of a folk style with a modern twist and I like that.  The previously made shapes were too skinny, too fat, too tall, too complicated and too small headed!  The shape is right on this one.

I thought I had a winner but that bow is not quite right and the eye is too big, right?

I love the pom pom tail- it covers up the blind stitch that closes up the pillow and I think the shape is right finally.  What are your thoughts?  I like the idea of a casual bow to kinda soften the shape up- plus it brings in more of the coordinating fabric.  This bunny is harder to get right than I thought it would be!  I expected the clutch to give me fits (but it actaully came together nicely once I thought out all the details), but a bunny?!!  This was supposed to be an easy one!  These are the challenges and fun of pattern making that I wanted to share with you!

 

3 Layer Clutch is Now Available in the Pattern Shop!

Whew!  I finally got it done and I love this pattern so much.  I love the layers and the zipper section and how functional and pretty it is.  It was fun and challenging to write- not becasue it is hard but because I wanted to make it clear and full of pictures so there was lots of photo editing and proofreading!  

It is 21 pages long and includes 56 pictures!!!!!  That seems excessive and daunting when I write it down but really, the length makes it easier to understand since most of the pattern is explained in pictures.  I have been trying out other people's patterns and tutorials lately to get a good idea of what makes a pattern enjoyable to follow (since we all know this is about having a good time creating and not about pulling your hair out with confusing wordy instruction), and having descriptive photos seems to be the answer above everything else.  I wouldn't recommend printing it out though!  Instead, it can be easily viewed from your computer or tablet.

The pattern teaches you how to make the pink one with the gathered flap and rick rack braid (fabric is Joel Dewberry) and the other brown and yellow one (amy butler mid west modern fabric) is the one that I am using for myself!  They are same inside.  I am really liking my clutch- my wallet, zippered pouch and then notebook all in one!  I admit that my purse can become a big mess pretty quickly and having all this together helping me be more organized.

Are you ready to sew one up yourself?  The pattern is in the shop and ready to go.  It is a project that takes a few hours the first time you make it but the next one is faster since the concepts are simple and easy to master.  You are welcome to sell these in your etsy shops as long as I am given credit for the pattern!  

For you, my special blog friends, use the coupon code 56PHOTOS to get 25% off the 3 layer clutch.  This sale will last a week- until Thursday March 1st at midnight EST.  Awesome.  Can you tell I am excited and I really want you to try it out?  Let me know how it goes and help me spread the word on the sale this week!  

In Progress and Taking Advice

 

This is going to be one awesome pattern if I ever get it done.  It has been over a year since I first made one of these.  I am wondering if it is too complicated but all the pictures are already taken and uploaded to my computer so I am going to move forward!  This afternoon begins the writing of the pattern.  A process that I love and hate at the same time since it is hard work but really satisfying to create a good pattern.

In other news, I participated in Jen's "try it" flickr group.  Cal was still in his PJs and the light was pretty meager but I figured I could just try since waiting for the sun to shine in January in Western PA could take weeks!  Also, I took Vanessa's advice and bought a fliter/ reflector that not only softens bright sunlight but also will reflect a little light to give a better affect.  The result was a great capture of my boy. 

He is "framed" by the table in the background and I used the reflector side to give extra light to his face.  I took about 50 pictures to try this out and this one was the first!  What have you been trying out lately? Jenny is going to do a series on this "try it" theme and I am looking forward to getting more tips!  Check out her flickr page to see how beautifully she photographs her children (and mine since they are her neices and nephew!)

 

PDF Pattern Organizers Sale!!

Time to sew up some organizers!

This sale includes the On the Go Organizer Sale, The Notebook Slipcover, The Crayon Art Folio, & the Art Caddy!  Sale will end February 1st, 2012.

Thanks Friends!

Annie's Penguin

Annie's Penguin is in the shop!!  I love it so much.  I just want to hug and kiss that penguin.  And my girl hugging the penguin too :)  

The pattern came together so easily once I actually began to work on it.  It knocked around in my head for months until I finally realized the best way to do it.   So simple!  That is how it always is for me.  The whole project gets really complicated and then suddenly....AHA!  Easy peasy.  

Elsie got a chubby green one that was an earlier version.  Turns out she loves penguins too.  Do all kids love penguins?  I am thinking yes for sure.  I wanted to save these for Christmas but I just couldn't wait.   I am going to be sharing more about this penguin and the wonderful flannel I used to make it on AnnKelle's handmade holidays in the next week or so.

Happy December 1st!!!

Thank you! and in the works...

Thank you so much to all of you who took part in my sale.  It was wonderful and I was so happy to see all those sewing patterns going out into the world!  Here is a sneak peek at what I have in the works...

I am so excited to be releasing another pattern!  This has been in my head forever rolling around.  The push I finally needed was Kelle asking me to participate in her handmade holiday.  It will be ready by December 1st.  You can guess what it is, right?