Giveaway - Bags Galore

Ok, sticking with the bag theme, I am giving away a 'book' bag, a clutch, and a tote (that I had planned to enter into the April Stash Bust Challenge, but I ran out of red thread and didn't want to use a different color).

The 'Book' Bag - This was my second attempt. I am not super happy with the way it came out, the fabric inside is a bit wrinkly. Still pretty darn cute though!

This bag currently does not have a closure, but if the winner would like one, I can probably whip one up.

The Clutch - This was my first clutch, and aside from it being pretty plain, it came out great! The glittery fabric is so much fun (but it does tend to glitterify everything).


The Tote - I made this from some of my fabric swatches. I love the slightly patriotic theme. Great tote for general use.


Entry Rules:
1. Leave me a comment before noon (central time) on May 31st.

That is all. If you decided to follow my blog, that would be splendid! If not, I am ok with that also.

If you like what you see, feel free to check out my ArtFire Studio.

Thanks, and good luck :o)

Purses Galore!

I seem to be stuck on making purses, clutches, and other bags.

Let's start with the "Book" bags that I have made.

This brown book made me think of a professor, (kinda like Indiana Jones)and I wanted to find a tweed fabric to go with it, but I didn't have any, so my next favorite was the stripped fabric you see above. The handles are some beads I got on clearance. I was happy that I only needed to use one strand, means more for another project:) I have not decided on a closure for this one yet, so if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!


This one I did a little different. My original plan was to make a pillow case type thing and slide the book inside. I didn't measure correctly (which is known to happen around here with all the winging it I do). Plan 'B' was to use the fabric on the outside. I love it! I added a zipper closure to this one (I think this might be like my third time sewing a zipper). Add a recycled belt, and I am set. I have been carrying this purse around for a few days. I love it. It fits just under my arm and is super comfy.

I had grand plans to make a ton of these purses (I bought about 20 of these Readers Digest Condensed books at a garage sale last weekend for $.25 each!). But, I got distracted.

I can almost hear you asking, "What could possible distract this focused and steady individual?" (and yes, I can hear the sarcasm:)

These fun little doohickeys!


I think the technical name for them would be "Clutch", but that seems just as goofy as doohickey. Well, to me anyway.

Here is the first one I made.


I borrowed the book "bend-the-rules Sewing" by Amy Karol after reading her blog, Angry Chicken. I love the book and may have to start looking for a used copy to add to my own collection.

Anyway, one of the patterns in the book is for this cute clutch. I was suppose to decorate the white fabric first, but seeing as my artistic abilities do not include drawing or painting, and I didn't have the patience to do any freezer paper stenciling, I decided to just leave it plain. I still like it, but it would look much snazzier with some artwork on the outside.

So, the same day (night actually) that I made my first one, I decided to whip out a few more using the same fabric and such just to save myself a bit of time.


I like them. Don't think I would ever actually carry a clutch around instead of a purse or bag, but they are super cute. And with 3 bags being completed in an hour or two, it is the perfect project for this Kaotic Krafter :)

Lets see, what else.

Oh, my brick pillows.

Before I introduce you to my brick pillows, let me ask you something. Do you ever go into the fabric stores and look at those big huge swatches of special order fabrics? You know, the ones that are absolutely gorgeous, but cost around $30 a yard or more? I love those fabrics. I would never in a million years spend that much money on a yard of fabric, but I still love the fabrics.

One day while making a quick run to Joann's for a few specific things, I discovered that when the fabrics are discontinued, the swatches are sold. And for only $2 a swatch! I suck at guessing sizes, but I would say that the average swatch is about 18" X 18" (I could get up and measure one, but I don't want too).

I bought a ton.

Emma and I where at Joann's this Sunday (because the April stash bust was over and I "needed" a few things). I was delighted to see that the swatches where now only $1!!! I think I bought all but about 10 of them.

Don't they look pretty though?


I did try to pick ones that would go together, but I am not the best at matching (which is why I am happy that Emma dresses herself and I can tell people that it is not my fault she doesn't match).

Anyway, as I was greedily grabbing all the swatches, I made a vow to use the majority of them before the end of the month. Lucky for me, they are the perfect size for the clutches, and for the books. Score for me, I love it when things accidentally work out :)

Ok, so after that really long side note, here are my brick pillows (which I used fabric swatches for).


Sometimes I like to just start cutting fabric and sewing it together to see where it takes me. I had originally thought these swatches would turn into a bag. They decided they wanted to be a pillow.



I made this purse using the left overs from the clutches above.

So why are these pillows called brick pillows? I used fabric scraps to stuff them. An awesome way to use every last piece of fabric. The only problem is that it makes the pillows heavy. They are still pretty comfy (though I wouldn't use them to sleep on all night).

Well, I feel that I have taken up enough of your time for today. To show you how much I appreciate you sticking through this long post, I am going to be posting a giveaway on Thursday.

Hope you had an awesome first half of the week!

Kaotic be thy name

*Warning: This is a long post with lots of good stuff. You may want to get a drink or take a potty break before starting!*

I picked KaoticKrafter for a reason. When it comes to crafting, I never seem able to settle on one type of craft, or even one item within a single day, let alone a week! And with Emma being at Gramma's this week, I have been super busy trying to get a bunch of stuff done. When she gets home, I want to be able to spen more time with her. It feels like I have been neglecting her lately, so a week at Gramma's, spending lots of one-on-one time with both Gramma and Aunty Sara is just what she needs. It also gives me a much needed break and eases my guilt. I LOVE Emma, I LOVE being a mom. There is nothing I would rather be then Emma's mom, but sometimes just a few days to recharge is really needed. Makes for a happier family.

So, enough about me feeling guilty, on to the fun stuff I have made this week - though had Emma been here, her ideas and input would have made them better :)

I have no idea what order I made things in. I can't even remember what day of the week it is. But lets start with what I made today. This:


I am not sure if it is going to be a shirt or a dress. I will finish it when Emma gets home. I made this because on Monday, we got family photos taken by Paula at This Day Photography. Paula is an awesome lady and you can look forward to a separate post about her studio and all the fun things we have planned! For now, I just want to tell you that I made this for Emma to wear for a project Paula has in mind.

Here are a few more up close pics:


When I woke up this morning, I checked my normal sites and was delighted to see that Jen at Just Jingle had another awesome quick craft project. So, I made two.


And doesn't this one look awesome with Emma's new shirt/dress?


Let's see, what else? Oh, yeah! My sister, Melisa, and her hubby, Dave, had their baby on St. Patty's day. Her name is Friden. She was 6lbs 12oz and 19" long. She was a little blue at birth due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck, but she is doing well now and should be going home tomorrow. Melisa is doing well also!

For the last few days I have been thinking about Melisa, Friden, and Dave a lot, and I knew they needed a few things, so I got to work.


I made 7 burp clothes and 10 nursing pads. I wanted to make a blanket for swaddling, but I didn't want to use anything to hot. Melisa lives in AZ, so flannel is out of the question. I stopped at Joann's today and picked up some jersey knit so I will be working on that tomorrow.

I have a question about the burp clothes. Which one do you like best? The white ones are made of t-shirts (4 layers for all white, 2 t-shirt layer with green fabric for other). The other 4 are made of a recycled towel smooshed between 2 pieces of cotton. I love the frayed edges, what about you?

Moving on...

I started a twitter account today. You can find me here: KaoticKrafter. I am slowly learning, so if you have tips, tricks, or advice, feel free to share!

What would I do with out my hubby? I am sitting here trying to remember what I have been making, and he is right there to help me out. He reminded me about this next item (I think it's his favorite).

I was laying in bed a few nights ago, crafty thoughts running chaotically (see, the name fits) through my tired brain, when my thoughts stopped on dino's. I got to wondering why there wasn't more clothes and other stuff out there for girls who love dino's...

My mother-in-law rocks (that would be Gramma). She bought a Cricket cutter thing a while ago. She let me play with it and I got hooked. Now she kindly parts with it when I ask to borrow it, which we are doing now. While shopping the other day, Emma and I discovered that the cartridges where on sale. We bought a dinosaur one, because, well, Emma loves dino's.

I ask you, what do you get when you mix a Cricket Cutter, a dinosaur cartridge, and some cute girl's clothes? I am not sure what you would get, but this is what I got:



I used the Cricket to cut out a few different dino's then I traced them onto some fabric. At first I was using a fading fabric pen that only kinda faded. I like the way the lines looked from the pen, so I switched to permanent marker. I also like the way the stitching looks.

I need to do a little research about stamping onto fabric. I want to add the words, "Chicks Dig Dino's Too!" to the front of the shirt, but I am to lazy to cut out all the letters then sew or fuse them on there. Plus, I think it might be neat to stamp, or let Emma stamp, onto the shirt. I have scrapbooking stamps, but I don't know if that will wash out in the washer or not. Do you know?

And yes, that is how I got the idea for dino's on Friden's burp clothes.

Oh, I almost forgot about these guys. I have to go take some quick pics, so now might be another good time for a drink/ bathroom break...

Ha ha, funny thing. As I went to take pictures of these two little guys-


I remember that I made these,


these,


this,


this,

and last, SWAG for Des Moines, IA's Swap-O-Rama-Rama (see side bar for info).


In the interest of not keeping you up as late as me, I won't go into much detail for those last items, but if you are interested, feel free to contact me!

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this entire, really long post!

(edited 3-18-10 11:00pm- I don't have much in my shops right now, but that will be changing soon!)