The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,300 times in 2010. That’s about 8 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 7 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 15 posts. There were 61 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 78mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was August 18th with 50 views. The most popular post that day was Kimono Dress and Obi Sash from Weekend Sewing.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were flickr.com, facebook.com, ravelry.com, craftster.org, and newdressaday.wordpress.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for sewing lawyer, day of the dead makeup, ladybug fabric, sewing slippers, and day of the dead fabric.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Kimono Dress and Obi Sash from Weekend Sewing October 2009
3 comments

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross Updated Errata Sheet October 2009
16 comments

Guest Slippers December 2009
2 comments

Summer Blouse, take 2 November 2009

About September 2009
2 comments

Check out Allison Kapner Originals on facebook to see my latest creations and find out all about my upcoming shows.

Here is my schedule so far:

October 17, 2010, the Indie Craft Bazaar at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale.

October 19, 2010, the Jr. League Sip & Shop at the Marriott in downtown West Palm Beach.

November 13, 2010, the Jr. League Trunk Show in downtown West Palm Beach.

November 20, 2010 , the Fall Fantasy Craft Show in Royal Palm Beach, FL.

Phew!  That’s all for now.

I had my last show in July, which went very well, and I can’t seem to stop sewing.  The problem I have is that every time I make something new, I tend to want to keep it for myself.  Am I the only one who feels like this? 

My latest projects seem to really focus around repurposing items.  In particular, I have been making skirt bags.  I hate when I shop thrift stores and find the cutest skirt in the greatest pattern, only to find that it is nowhere near my size.  Now I can turn those cute skirts into bags – and no matter what size I am, a bag ALWAYS fits.  I also like to leave in original details like zippers or pockets.  I’ve also found I can have a little fun with them, like with this Abercrombe and Fitch pink boucle skirt.  The lining is pink, with a lace trim at the bottom.  Instead of sewing the bottom closed, I only sewed the lining closed.  If you swish the purse just right, the skirt flips up, and reveals the pink lining with the lace trim. I thought it was very whimsical.  Some of them will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop  .  If you purchase anything in my shop, let me know you came from my blog, and I’ll throw in a special gift.  You can also see some of my latest creations posted on my facebook page, and hear about any upcoming shows I’ll be at.

Abercrombie & Fitch skirt purse

Here are just a few others that I’ve made recently

 

 

 

 

 

The mod floral pattern one (in silk) is one of my favorites.  I think I’ll be keeping that one.  I was also thinking of posting my first tutorial about how to make these.  Is that something that you all think you would be interested in seeing?  If I get enough positive responses, then I’ll take the plunge.

I’m also going to try and post on a more regular basis, about once a month or so.  For all my fans and supporters, thanks for hanging in there with me on my blog.

I had some fun making some totes out of felted wool sweater vests.  Here’s a group of them .  The shape of sweater vests really drives the shape of the tote.  I used the collar as the exterior pocket, and hand stitched it to the bag using a blanket stitch.In keeping with the seasons, I am now working on a spring/summer line of bags.  While my wool bags can be used all year round, and I’ll be making them all yearround, I thought I’d add a touch of  lightness.  Instead of wool, I’ll be working with recycled denim from old jeans.

Wool felt sweater totes

I had made this bag, the Weekender Tote, which came from the February/March 2010 issue of Sew News and was featured on the cover.  I made it from some heavy tweed like decorator fabric, but in springtime colors. 

Weekender Tote

I had a few problems with the pattern instructions.  They were not the best instructions I’ve seen.  The instructions were very vague as to how to do the pleating on the front, and how big the pleast should be.  The pocket instructions were not quite accurate, which made the inside pocket smaller.   I had to turn in the ends to have them finished inside the bag, since they did not line up with the side seams.  For some reason, my lining was much smaller then the exterior.  As a result, instead of a full band of the orange fabric on the top of the bag, it ends up being mostly on the inside, with just a hint peaking out.  However, it also looks very cute that way, so overall I’m very happy with how the bag looks.  I did not use plastic canvas (which would have given the bag a more solid struction), but I would like to try using it on future bags.  The pattern calls for fusible fleece, which can be very pricey.  Thankfully I happened to get it on sale at 50% off at Joanns.  I would think regular fleece would work just as well, but maybe would be a little looser, since there would be no adhesive.  It was a pricey bag to make, but I think it is worth it when you see the finished project.

Weekender Tote front

Weekender Tote inside

I liked the style so much, it has inspired me for my spring/summer line of Allison Kapner Originals.  

My first project was made from an pair of jeans that was donated to me by my brother-in-law Andrew.  I decided instead of doing an appliqué design like I do with my wool bags, I would feature the lining fabric by having it peak out from the denim.  Here is my first bag. 

Denim Purse Inside

The fun is always in the details.  I used the waistband for the handles, and the 2 back pockets became an outside and an inside pocket.  I loved how the color combination looked so much, I whipped up a matching makeup bag to go with it (my first time making a makeup bag).  I think this came out really well.  I was surprised that I was able to make this without a specific pattern.  I let the denim tell me what size it should be.  This bag is pretty decent sized, but I’d also like to make it in a bigger style, a more boxy style (with one long strap – hobo style), and maybe a smaller clutch style.  What do you think?

I’ve still be felting like crazy.  Here’s a quick summary of some projects I’m still working on, and others that I have finished.

Felted Wool Patchwork Blanket from Warm Fuzzies by Betz White.

Felted Wool Patchwork Blanket

Cashmere blanket (unfinished – I still need to add a back to it, and maybe do some appliqué on the top) from Sewing Green by Betz White Long and skinny cashmere scarf  Hand beaded coasters from this blog  

Wool felt hand beaded coasters

Cashmere Long Skinny Scarf

Cashmere Patchwork Blanket

Denim Makeup Bag Inside

Denim purse front

 So, of course, the first thing I had to do was get some knitting needles.  My new favorite hunting ground for these type of things is www.shopgoodwill.com.  It lists goodwill items from all across the country.  It is auction style, like ebay, but all the proceeds go to goodwill.  The shipping can be high, so keep that in mind when you are bidding.  I managed to get an assorted lot of knitting needles for a steal, and I supplemented with a pair or two from my local yarn shop.

The next step was making a cute case for all my needles.  I’ve been making projects from Betz White’s Warm Fuzzies.

Warm Fuzzies by Betz White

Lucky for me her book happens to have a great project for a felted knitting needle case.

Felted knitting needle case

Even luckier for me was that I had a sweater in my felted stash that almost matched exactly the sweater she used in a book.  Not that I had to use a sweater that matched, but it was pretty cool to have it look similar.  The sweater I used happens to be a Benetton sweater that I got from a local Goodwill.  Here is my finished case. 

Wool felt knitting needles case

I was amazed how quickly and easily the project came together.  A word of advice – when making projects that involve felt (like craft felt), pay attention to how the felt will be used.  In her book, she has you use a thin strip of felt for the tie of the case.  But, if you use craft felt, it pretty much breaks and falls apart after you tie it once.  Unfortunately, this happened after I had already sewn the project.  Thankfully, the sweater had a very wide collar, with great detailing, so I cut that off the sweater, and used it to wrap around the case like a huge rubber band.  The flower detail was from a ruffle cuff on another sweater that I had felted.  Think outside the box when looking at your sweaters.  You never know what part of a sweater might be perfect for some future project you will be working on.

wool felt needle case - closed

Now that I have the tools, and the cute carrying case, I’m ready to learn.  Lucky for me my local yarn shop has a special $15 class for first-timers.  Wish me luck!  I think I’m going to start with a basic scarf, or maybe a cute coin purse.

First, the big news…I will finally be selling my bags (not only on etsy), but as a vendor at my first craft show.  Introducing Allison Kapner Originals:

Allison Kapner Originals Logo

I will be a vendor at the Black n Bleu Festival in Downtown Delray Beach on Sunday, March 14^th (http://www.blacknbleu.com/) from 12:00pm until 6:00pm.  If you are in the area, please come by to show your support – you don’t have to buy anything, but I’d love it for people to say “Hi.”

In addition to my regular big totes and purses I’ll be showcasing craft items like my adorable ice cream cone and cupcake pincushions made from upcycled recycles wool sweaters that I have felted. 

ice cream cone pincushions

Cupcake pincushions

And, bigger news, I will be launching my NEW LINE.  I have fallen in love with felting wool, and turning it into bags (I try and let the sweaters tell me what they want to be when they grow up), and love matching them with bold linings, and whimsical appliqués.  I love how each sweater felts differently, and seems to call out to be made into a specific bag. 

Here are just a few of the bags I have completed, but more will be made as it gets closer to the show. 

pale green sweater, chocolates lining

red sweater, red tulip lining

peach/grey sweater, peach Heather Ross tadpoles lining

And this bag, I just had to keep for myself.  I made it specifically to be able to hold a legal pad and magazine inside – the perfect business size for me.

yellow sweater, pink floral lining

The good, and the bad, about using old sweaters is that once the sweater is gone, that’s it – so the bags truly are one-of-a-kind.  But, then again, that’s part of the fun for me – that I can never exactly repeat what I’ve done before. 

I hope other people like my bags as much as I do – if not – more bags for me!

Please don’t feel that I’m ignoring you.  And, it’s not that I’ve stopped sewing.  In fact, over the holidays I did oodles and oodles of sewing (and some of the oodles of sewing involved oodles of poodles).  However, I’m behind in my picture taking, and I’m behind in sitting down to write my thoughts about these projects, and what I’ve learned from them.

I also wasn’t able to post much during the holidays, as many of my projects were holiday presents, and I didn’t want the recipients to get a sneak peek.  This was definitely a homemade/sewing holiday presents year.

I’ve also become a HUGE devotee of my local libraries.  I have been a library fiend, checking out any and all books I can on sewing and related crafts. Some of these books – real duds and real outdated.  Some – amazing, fun, insightful, and some make you smile just from reading them.  As I work through projects in those books, I’ll put them on my blog as well (no need to show favoritism to just one book, when there are so many good ones out there – and really at all skill levels (even within the books).  For a teaser at what I’ve been working on, check out my flickr group, and you can see some basic photos I’ve posted.  I promise – blogging on most of the projects to come.

Now, back to the present - the Everything Tote from Weekend Sewing.  Can I just say how much I love this bag.  It is not complicated to make, and I can finish it easily in one evening.  So far, I have made over 10 of these bags.  The first bag was with some fruit patterned decorator fabric that my friend Amy gave me, and lined with a cute “calorie counting” fabric.  The other bag was made with a floral patterned decorator fabric given to me by my friend Susan, and lined with a coordinating floral patterned decorator fabric.  I find I like the weight the decorator fabric adds to the bag, and makes me feel like they are sturdier, and can hold a ton of stuff.

 For the first bag, I pretty much followed the book directions, with 2 exceptions that are “errors” in the book.  You need at least 1 yard each of fabric for the exterior and interior.    I only folded the handles once, to achieve the wide handles as in the book picture.  If you follow the book’s directions, you’ll end up with skinny handles, which I didn’t like.

Everything Tote - Floral front

Everything Tote floral back

Everything Tote - inside

For the 2^nd bag, I added a pocket to each side, with one pocket being set in deeper in the bag.  I love a bag with extra pockets.

Everything Tote - rose fabric

The directions call for the handles and binding to be cut on the bias, but I found that you would need a lot more then a yard of fabric to be able to get this in one strip, so I cheated, and didn’t cut on the bias.  So far, it hasn’t been a problem for any of my begs.  I’ve washed both bags, and they’ve both done well in the wash.  I also made these bags out of denim and canvas.  I’ve washed the denim one, and it did great.  I haven’t washed the canvas ones yet.   

Here are just a few other versions I’ve made:

Everything Tote - floral paisley fabricEverything tote - floral paisley interior

Everything tote - floral paisley interior

Everyting Tote - striped canvas

Everthing Tote - crab canvas

Everything Tote - ladybug

After using regular cotton fabric for the labybug bag, it’s apparent to me that the decorator fabric seems to be much more sturdy for this type of bag, since the cotton fabric just feels so much thinner.

 I look forward to making more of these bags, as it really seems to be a good, all purpose, tote.  I also like that when it is empty (or not to full), it collapses, so that you can carry it around without feeling like you are lugging a huge bag.  I think it could also be rolled up and tucked into luggage, making it a great extra bag for traveling.

Guest Slippers - Day of the Dead Alexander Henry fabric

 I was so impressed with how easily they came together, and how cute they looked, that I promptly made a 2nd pair out of different fabric.

Guest Slippers - Everglades postcards fabric

I decided to use different fabrics on both slippers outside as I did for the inside, though once you are wearing them, you can’t tell.  If you only have a small amount of a very expensive fabric, I’d use that for the outside, and use whatever you want for the inside. For the inside sole, I went with black fabric. I figured any light color or pattern would likely get dirty and dingy, so the darker the better. While these were very easy and quick to make, I did have a few problems/concerns. This was my first time making any sort of footwear. The directions call for ¼” elastic, which is narrower then any elastic I’ve ever worked with. I didn’t thoroughly read the directions, and just put the elastic in and sewed it in place. It wasn’t until I had fully finished the slipper that I realized something wasn’t quite right. I re-read the directions, and that’s where I realized that the elastic needs to be stretched and held in place, and then sewed, and that’s how you get the “puckering/gathering” at the heel. In any event, they fit just fine.   In later slippers, I’ve sewed the elastic according to the directions, but I still can’t get it to pucker to the extent that it should.  I also had some trouble with the rick rack.  If you place the rick rack so that it hangs over the edge before you sew, then when you flip it, sometimes the rick rack does not show on the other side. For this, I had to actually rip out the seam and redo multiple times. I found that by lining the edge of the rick rack up with edge of the fabric (or a “smidge” over the fabric), you get a more even rick rack look once the shoes are turned right side out.  For the first pair, I used a lightweight wool blend for the slipper bottom, and a wool felt for the bottom of the other pair. I don’t notice much difference with each. They are both slightly slippery, but then again, I like that about slippers. I have looked into putting slipper grippers on them, but all I’ve found is what they have at Joann Fabrics – which is a sheet of white rubber with white dots. They have a “granny” look to them, so I’ve opted against them. For attaching the bottom sole to the slipper, the book directions, and the book picture are not the same. The directions call for a blanket stitch, and give a drawing of a blanket stitch. I had never done this stitch before, but sort of guessed at how it was done. My final result is not as clean or precise as the book diagram, but it seems to stay in place, and look decent. 

Guest Slippers - Everglades bottoms

 If you look at the picture of slippers in the book, it looks like they did one of the sideways triangle finishing stitches from a sewing machine. On a future pair I tried this as an option but it was not much easier, didn’t look much nicer, and made the slippers much smaller.

The hardest part of the slippers was probably turning under the outside panels so that they curved over the bottom sole. There was no easy way to do this on my ironing board (unless someone has any suggestions – I’d love to hear them), and so I found myself steaming my fingers quite a bit on this.  Also, just to see the difference, I made the 2nd pair of slippers (the ones in the Everglades fabric) a size Large, which is for size 8 1/2 – 9. The 1st pair (Day of the Dead fabric) were a size Medium, which is for size 7-8. I’m a size 7 ½, and my feet are medium width (sometimes a little wider). Both slippers fit me about the same, so I don’t know how accurate the sizing really is.

Overall I love these slippers, and will be making quite a few as holiday presents – shhhh…it’s a surprise for them, so no telling!

It’s the old dilemma:  find great looking fabric, but not finding the right project for the fabric, or finding the right project, but afraid of doing it so wrong, that the fabric is ruined.  Or doing the project right, but not having it look good.  Or not having enough of the fabric to do the fabric.   I really don’t want to have to buy 3-4 yards every time I see a fabric I like, but there have been times I’ve kicked myself for not buying more when it’s years later and I’m finally ready to use the fabric, and I don’t have enough.  And the reasons go on and on…it’s just so hard to make that first cut.  I’ve tried the project first method (find the project, then find the fabric to do it with), but I still can’t resist purchasing some fabrics with no project in mind.  Sometimes the right project doesn’t appear for years and years (as with my “Summer Blouse” fabric – but that’s for a future entry).  And then, when you have that perfect marriage of project and stash fabric, it’s almost magical.  Ok, not magical, but at least justification for why I’ve kept some fabrics for so long for seemingly no reason.

It helps that I’m organized.  It doesn’t help that I’m compulsive.  Do all my ladybug fabrics really need to organized by color, and then from light to dark, etc.? 

My ladybug fabric stash

(Yes, I know a few of them are out of order, and yes, I will promptly go home and put them in their proper place).

I also like to have some of my favorite fabrics out for me to constantly see, especially if they are the ones I am most scared to use. 

Vintage Key West Hand Print & Lilly Pulitzer fabrics

(these are my vintage Key West Hand Print Fabrics and vintage Lilly Pulitzer fabrics).  I vow to use them someday, but it’s one of those “it really has to be the perfect project” kind of things.

I also have found an almost perfect storage space for my fabrics, and other craft projects.  I have this great vintage dental cabinet, that seems to be the perfect size for my crafting needs.  The bottom half houses some of my favorite fabrics (Alexander Henry, Amy Butler, Tina Givens, Heather Bailey), my patterns, and notions.

Dental Cabinet

Fabric in cabinet

The top half houses my costume jewelry, and my jewelry making supplies. 

jewelry

To stay true to the cabinet’s dental background, and because I have a dark side, I have maintained 2 drawers with all of the original vintage dental tools that came with the cabinet (cleaned and sterilized, of course). 

dental tools

I do have fabric stashed in other spots, but if I showed you all my fabric, then you’d know too much!