Author Archives: oliver's fancy

Unknown's avatar

About oliver's fancy

I am wife to a patient husband named Ian and stay-at-home mom to a busy little boy named Oliver. When not running around after him, I enjoy dabbling in all sorts of craftiness. I am a self-proclaimed fabric-aholic and proud of it! I have started this blog to document my journey of bettering my sewing/ crafting skills and show off occasional pictures of my little man and superb culinary creations:).

Open Wide Zippered Pouch- a Tutorial Review

Posted on by
1

A while back I saw Anna from Noodlehead had posted a tutorial for a zipper pouch with an open mouth. I loved that idea but couldn’t think of a good enough reason for me to make another pouch. Until today, that is. 🙂 I have a sweet cousin turning 13 tomorrow, and I wanted to make her something special for her birthday. She loves to draw, and I had an epiphany last night that an open wide pouch would be perfect to hold some art supplies on the go.

The hardest part of this pouch construction was deciding which fabrics to use. My cousin is not super girly so I didn’t want anything too pink. I love the combo I decided on- artsy and cute, but not over the top. Aren’t those birds great?

My thoughts on this tutorial: It’s very well written with lots of pictures to help explain the directions. The one part I struggled with was on the top-stitching around the zipper pull. I ended up seam ripping and doing that little part over again. I also wasn’t super careful to get my gussets exactly even so there’s a bit of fudging on the lining inside to have everything meet up- totally me rushing it (Little Man woke up early from his nap and I rushed to finish it before getting him out of bed) and nothing to do with her instructions.  Other than that, super easy and fun. Now I really want to try a few of her other patterns/tutorials. Have you seen the gathered clutch, zippy wallet, and the 241 tote to name a few?

A Handmade Fall

Posted on by
4

Well, folks, it is now mid-September which means that the time has come to put away all remnants of summer and bring out the fall decor. After the extreme heat of this summer, I must confess that I am looking forward to the cooler temps. Today I pulled out the fall decorations and thought that I would share some of the handmade items. These are all made over the last couple of years. I would like to add a few more things this year, but we’ll see if I have time.

First off, I have a thing for wreaths. My door happens to have a wreath hook on the inside and outside which means both are normally in use. Only bummer is that we never use our front door so that outer wreath doesn’t get seen a whole lot. Last year I saw an idea for a wreath made from fabric strips tied to a frame. I can’t remember where I found it or I would post the link. However I loved the idea and it was a super easy project since I used all my scraps and a frame I had in storage.

For the inside wreath I just wrapped a wreath form with some burlap ribbon and then tied a fall ribbon around it in a bow. Very plain and simple but it adds a little touch of fall. Please ignore the fact that our door is unfinished. We moved into a foreclosure 2 years ago and are still remodeling!

On the dining room table is a runner I made last year. I like the fall print but am not super happy with the runner because I used some old fabrics for the solids, and they look really worn. Eventually I want to make another one, but who knows when that will happen.

And now on to the living room. I have vintage windows hung on the wall, and I like to change them out with the seasons. I don’t have too much there for fall yet, but am working on some more ideas. I  want to fix up that wreath on the right with some little pumpkins or acorns or something.

On my mantle I have a glass jar filled with fabric balls and pumpkins I made last year. I am fairly proud of those because I saw them in a snazzy home decor store last year for a ridiculous price and thought, “I can make those.” And I did. 🙂

Well that’s about it for the house tour… I did pull out some fall pillows but they are not handmade so they didn’t make the photo shoot. 🙂 I don’t know about you, but there’s something nice about seasonal changes. Gives me a chance to sort through all the junk that accumulates over several months and make everything nice and clean the fresh looking. Love getting rid of clutter! How about you? Got your pumpkin on the front porch yet or still holding on to the last vestiges of warm weather?

 

Etsy Shop Update!

Posted on by
Reply

I try not to do too much sales pitching on the blog for my etsy shop, but I have been so busy the last few days cooking up new ideas that I couldn’t help but share them with you. I tell you, Indie Craft Parade just really gets my creative juices flowing! 🙂

I am sure you have noticed that mustaches seem to be a big theme nowadays. I have  sold a bunch of mustache hoops and have been wanting to try something out with the onesies. I picked up a bunch of newborn onesies this weekend and went to town. I absolutely love the result! They turned out so cute, if I do say so myself. 😉

I also experimented with some more suspender/bowtie combos and chunky ties. I am working on getting more fall colors/styles in stock since summer weather is fading quickly. I have visions of pumpkins, candy corn and other seasonal designs that I hope will come to fruition soon also!

I also worked on some more hoop ideas. I have been stuck in a rut with ideas and just re-listing the same old ones after they sell without getting new ideas. I came up with a few new designs yesterday and today and like how the work together both individually and as a collage. Almost wishing I could hang these up in Oliver’s room because I like them so much!


Feel free to check out the shop to see all the other fun stuff that I have had fun designing over the last few days! Also if you have any brilliant ideas for new hoop or onesie designs, please comment and let me know. I am always in need of fresh ideas!

This Weekend

Posted on by
6

Last night the hubs and I dropped Little Man off at Grandma’s house and went on a date night to the Indie Craft Parade Gala event. Sooo worth the money we paid for tickets! This is their third year running the Parade and our third year attending. I look forward to this every year! The Gala event featured yummy food, live music, and giveaways, (and I won! 🙂 ) not to mention a chance to peruse everything without the crazy crowds of Saturday and Sunday. If you are even somewhat local, I encourage you to come down to this event. So much fun! Spoonflower is a sponsor of the event this year and has donated fabric for everyone to make their own stuffed elephants ( from the indie craft logo). There is also a free photobooth for your posing enjoyment.

I got to meet the lovely Rachel of Stitched in Color and got stuck for a long time at her booth. So many pretties. I ended up splurging and taking home one of her fabric-covered journals AND a picnic quilt. I just couldn’t resist the quilt- full of Lizzy House and Flea Market Fancy pretty fabrics. It just called to me!

Here’s a bit of a photo journal of last night- mostly stolen from my hubby’s instagram feed.

The loot I bought: handmade cloth napkins, picnic quilt, fabric-covered journal, and children’s art book.

My winnings! Cory Godbey print (which happens to be part of a collection we have in Oliver’s room), Lily Pottery ring, Ink Meets Paper letterpress greeting cards, found*ling leather wrap bracelet. Valued at $173!

 

Now for the rest of the weekend. Since I more than emptied my paypal account last night, I need to get busy stocking up my Etsy shop with lots of goodies that will hopefully make up for the fun I had on my spending spree. 🙂 I am also happy to report that I have made some progress on the guestbook quilt and plan to plug away a little more at that as well. Oh and LIttle Man is officially a big kid and is moving up to toddler nursery tomorrow at church! Sniff, my baby is all growed up! 🙂

Wristlet Zipper Purse: AKA the present that came 3 months late

Posted on by
4

Got another project crossed off my list this week! My little cousin (who is not so little anymore at 14!) had a birthday back in June and I have been meaning to make her a present all summer. Oops, time just kinda slipped by! I decided that better late than never was a good philosophy to adopt and determined to finish her present this week. Remember this book I talked about when I finished my chevron purse?

Part of the reason I bought this book was that I thought it would be great to have for gift ideas. And I was right! It has tons of different purse/wallet style options. My cousin has a little wristlet purse already so I knew she would like that style, and it seemed an easy pattern. It was, indeed, a fairly quick sew.

My thoughts on this book. I love this book for the pattern ideas and sizing help, but I find the directions a bit confusing or unclear at times. Having made quite a few zippered pouches already, I changed the directions around a bit to do it my own way because their way did not work well for me. However, not having to figure out math in my head when I go to make a project makes this book well worth it for me! I also love the little fun details they provide- like the pleats on this wristlet.

I used a chevron fabric (picked up at Jo-Ann’s a while back) and Kona cotton for the outer fabric. The lining is from Anna Maria Horner’s Innocent Crush line. All materials were from my stash so in my mind this was a “free” project. 🙂 Love it when that happens! I also like the little fun pop the lining gives when you open the bag. I gave the bag to my cousin last night and she was thrilled! Turns out she was needing a new purse.  See, I waited to make it until I knew she needed it. 😉

Now onto the next item on my WIP list: the guestbook quilt for my sister-in-law= from the wedding in May. Hmmn, procrastination problem, anyone?

 

Figure 8 Scarf

Posted on by
Reply

Remember that scarf I have on my weekend plans? Well it was finished in plenty of time and turned out to be a very easy project! I knew you would want to see pictures so I have some for you tonight. 🙂

I used Anna Maria Horner’s tutorial as a basis for this scarf with a few changes. She calls for 18×72 inch cuts of fabric. I thought 18 inches would be a little wide for my purposes, so I cut the fabrics 10×72 and am so glad I did! Exactly the result I wanted! I used a Valorie Wells voile and backed it with some shot cotton. The original tutorial used voile backed with velveteen. Since we live in the South where it stays warm into the fall, I wanted to use a lightweight fabric- hence the shot cotton.

Other than those 2 changes, I followed the tutorial and found it very straightforward. I bought some voile yardage a few months back with the purpose of trying out this scarf and plan on whipping up a few more of these to have as my go-to gift. I think I have enough fabric for 3-4 more, so  I hope my friends and family like blue. 🙂 If you need some handmade Christmas gift ideas, this is a great one to have in your inventory. Who doesn’t appreciate a new scarf?

My sister-in-law was very happy with the scarf and wore it the next day so I could get some blog pics! Check out the palm trees in the background. I am sad that we are just far enough north to not have palms growing around town…such a great tree!

This Weekend

Posted on by
Reply

Hope everyone is looking forward to a long weekend! We are headed out of town tonight to spend the weekend with my husband’s sister and her family, and I know we are ready for some relaxing family time.

Here’s what on my agenda for the weekend:

  • Figure 8/Infinity Cowl- free pattern from AMH. This is a present for my sister-in-law’s 30th birthday. Hopefully she doesn’t read my blog today! Of course it’s not done yet, and we leave tonight but I am thinking that it should be a quick project. Pictures to come when it’s complete. 🙂
  • Gender Reveal Party tonight for a friend who’s expecting twins!
  • Enjoying a cookout with an entire smoked pig- My SIL has a friend with a smokehouse, and we are excited about bringing home some smoked pork.
  • Hopefully getting some knitting/embroidery WIPs done during the short car drive there and back.

Note for all you local readers: the first official GMQG meeting was a HUGE success, and I am looking forward to many more fun meetings. We have the fall schedule planned out and posted on the blog for anyone who is interested.

And just in case you need some fabric inspiration for the weekend, Pink Castle Fabrics is having a Labor Day Sale- 20% off your total purchase with the coupon code LABOR20.

Do you have any fun plans for this weekend?

Washi Dress #2

Posted on by
8

Are you sick of washi’s yet? Well obviously I’m not because I have another one to show you. 🙂 When Pink Castle Fabrics was having their huge $5/yard sale a few weeks back, I immediately thought that would be a good opportunity to pick up some yardage for another washi dress. I have loved Flea Market Fancy for a long time and never had a reason to buy any so I picked some out for my dress. I la, la, love the way this fabric looks as a dress! Now I wish I had bought more fabric during the sale because I really want to make another tunic. Alas, my fabric budget is way overspent and I must embrace some self-control. Boo! Plus, I do have quite a few other projects lingering on the back burners while I have been having so much washi fun.

Without further ado, here is my dress. I decided to forgo the u cutout on this one to give it some variety from my other ones. I also raised the neckline 1/2 inch so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it being too low. I think I could have left it the way it was, but I didn’t want to have to worry about wearing a tank under it.  I also took the sides in an additional 1/4 inch because it was a trifle big.

The only problem I have is the gapping in the front bodice. If I stand straight and pull the shoulders out, it lays nice and flat. As soon as I move around, though, it starts to gap a bit. You can see it in the pictures. I would like to figure out why that happened but it’s not enough of a problem to keep me from enjoying the dress. I thought the shot cotton was comfy. This is even comfier!! Seriously folks, I may start putting shirring in all my clothes because it makes the most amazing fit! I love that this dress gives me the opportunity to wear my red shoes. 🙂 I am also excited about being able to wear this dress all throughout the fall with my red cardigan and some leggings!

I have learned so much from making these Washis. With this third one, I feel that I have finally hit my stride. It is the most professional-looking garment that I have made, and I am very proud of it. Who knew making your own clothing could feel so rewarding? One word of advice I would give is to make sure you buy quality fabric. I can tell the difference in good quality fabric just as you can when you buy good quality clothing. I have now become a fabric snob and would rather save up for the better quality than buy cheapo quality and have it fall apart on me! I am looking forward to expanding my skills into other garments and would like some suggestions for clothing patterns you have used and liked.  Now to find someone to donate the money for the fabric all these clothes require. 😉

Reminder: Washi Dress and Tunic Pattern can be bought here.

 

The Creative Process

Posted on by
2

I thought that I would show you a little behind-the-scenes tour of my etsy shop and the creation of my embroidery hoop art. This past week I received a custom order for 3 hoops.

The client wanted to buy this red and blue striped balloon hoop shown above that I had listed in my shop and asked if I could make 2 more hoops in varying sizes to coordinate with her nursery colors. She sent me a picture of her fabric swatches for the nursery.

fabric swatches

We communicated back and forth about hoop sizes and design and settled on a 8″ and 10″ hoop. The 8″ hoop would have one balloon with grass and clouds, and the 10″ hoop would have a group of balloons in the clouds- with at least one balloon far back in the picture. I sketched out a quick picture of each on a sheet of paper placed under each hoop for sizing guide.

After determining what type of hoops I would design, my next step was to decide on fabrics. I needed to coordinate her swatches with the hoop she had already bought. I pulled to some coordinating fabrics to see which would work best.

I struggled a bit on my final fabric choices. I thought my hoop was a bit off in color from her fabric swatches (red instead of burgundy) so I needed to make all three mesh nicely while not clashing with her colors. After some trial and error, I picked out some stripes and chevrons that I thought would mirror her theme well. Then came the cutting out of the balloons, grass, and clouds (using templates I had made previously); applying the fusible webbing to the fabric and felt; and ironing the web-backed fabric to the background fabric. My last step in this process was to machine stitch around all the designs in order to ensure their durability.

Now to back the hoop with a second piece of background fabric for a nice clean-looking back and, voila, a finished set of 3 hoops, custom designed for a little boy’s nursery. I hope he and his mommy are very happy with their new art!

This Weekend

Posted on by
Reply

Just a little newsy post where I ramble on about all the big plans I have for this weekend. Maybe if I write them down for all to see, I will actually get them done! 🙂

First off a WIP that actually got completed last night. Woot, Woot! This is a little scarf I began back in the winter and never finished. It is my lovely grandma’s 77th birthday tomorrow, and she is a lover of bright, happy things so I quickly finished this up in order to give to her tomorrow at her birthday lunch.

Next up, a custom Etsy order that I need to finish up. Here’s the fabrics that I pulled for it. It’s a collage of 3 hot air balloon hoops and I am pretty excited about how it’s shaping up.

Another item on the old weekend list that I can’t post any pics of is some pattern testing for an upcoming quilt book. I was happy to be picked as a volunteer especially since she is sending up fabric as a thank you- I do just about anything for free fabric. Sorry to be cryptic but one must tease every now and then. 🙂 And I’ll be sure to post all the details once the book is published.

I have pulled out a few knitting WIP’s over the last few weeks as I prepare for fall’s arrival and am hoping to get the one off the needles this weekend so I can start something new. I am most definitely a novice knitter- and super slow at that, but every fall and winter I get the urge to pull out the needles and improve my skills a bit. This is a simple dishcloth using the Chinese Wave stitch. (I know, you’re thinking, why does a dishcloth take you so long?) Next, I want to start on a winter hat for Oliver. Got any good, easy patterns for toddler hats?

Lastly, some family fun time should also take place… who can resist spending time with my two favorite boys? We took Oliver for his first bike ride last weekend and hope to make it a regular occurrence now that it’s not so hot out.

FYI most pictures coming to you compliments of Instagram. Feel free to follow me there @brookecrook if you want to be bombarded with cute pictures of the little man as well as random fabric fun. 🙂

What are your plans for this weekend?