For Halloween I made bags for our donuts that I always hand out (to the kids & adults I know). I've had a few people ask me how I did it. So I thought I'd show you how.


First up a regular lunch bag is sized 5.4 in x 10.2 in. So you make a photoshop document that size.


Then I added a black oval.


And all my wording (I used the font channel that you can download it here)


and my little artsy touches.


Send it to print and this screen comes up

Click on "print settings" and this one comes up


You want to pick "Manage Custom sizes"


And then you need to add one (I already did it here) by clicking that little plus sign on the left hand side and type in the size of the lunch bag.


Then you have to click on "Quality and Media" and choose envelope from the menu.


And I picked greyscale since I'm only printing something black.


And it should be ready to go... so send it to print.


Watch with anticipation as it comes out....


Then you end up with a fancy little bag for treats.


Two tips:
1. My printer couldn't handle having lots of bags just stuffed in the rear tray. I could put two or three in and then add more as it printed.
2. Make sure you tell your printer it's an envelope (so it knows it's something thick!)

So this Apron.

This was what the party guests that came to Lucy's Bake Shop Party got instead of a gift bag. I found the material for clearance price at Marshall's here in Lethbridge. Both the pink and the gray. It was like $3 a meter. So super cheap.
Steps.
1. Cut out the shape for the apron of the pink. I had another apron that I used as a pattern for the shape, but really it's the chef apron shape. kwim?
2. Fold over the very bottom of the apron over and sew closed (to give it a finished edge) and sew on the strip of lace.

3. The sew bias tape across the chest top. You can see it in this picture. After you sew that on, start at the bottom left side start sewing the bias tape along the edge going up the sides and the leaving a loop at the top big enough for the heads and then back down the other side. (clear as mud?)


Adding the ruffle.
Cut your strip of gray long. I mean I made them 1.5 m long.
Fold them in half lengthwise and then sew down the sides and one edge so you have a long tube that is open on one end. Turn it inside out.
Iron it flat and then pinning it down, tuck so you get a kind of ruffle and sew it down, making sure you sew around the whole waste tie to get the end closed too.

Make sense?
If something doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try and explain it better.
I made 8 of them in about 3 hours. Super easy. And i love bias tape. I wish I had some in every color :)

And look.... we've got one to share.

So let me know if you want it :)

This is a SUPER easy craft! Seriously just straight sewing (or relatively close to straight!) :)

You need two strips of fabric long enough to cover your camera strap. Mine are 35" long and 6" wide.


Fold over both ends of each fabric twice and iron them flat.


Sew down the ends with two rows of stiching


Place good sides together


Sew down both sides, adding a zig zag to finish off the edges.


Turn it inside out


And voila :)


Slip it onto your camera and shoot away!!!


I have one looking for a loving home.
Anyone want it???

Since making the ruffly apron for Lucy's friend Amy's birthday,


I decided to make an adult version. And I am going to try and explain how to make it. And then I'm going to open it up as a giveaway. So if you aren't going to make one and you just want to skip to that, then scroll down :)

First you need two pieces of plain material for the back and the backing to the ruffles. I used plain muslin that I had around. I cut out two of these shapes.

(for a little girl one I made it 8" wide at the top with 20" wide at the bottom and 20" long.)

Then cut out seven 8" wide strips that are at least 6" longer than the width of the apron. This drawing should explain that more.

So the gray shows the strips and how their lengths that should overlap. You also need one piece to cover the top of the apron like the top gray square.


Then you are going to start sewing your ruffles. Finish the bottom edges by folding them over twice and sewing them.

I used the quick method of making a ruffle by turning up my tension and my stitch size and high as possible. It practically ruffles it for you. And i love it :)


Sew your top bodice piece on your backing fabrics first. Then start sewing your ruffles on from the bottom up. Layering them.

The bottom ruffle needs to hang OVER the bottom of the backing muslin. The top ruffle should leave a gap from the top bodice piece.


Put the good side of your extra muslin (that you first cut out) onto the good side of your ruffly apron. And sew down the sides and the top but NOT the bottom. Leave it completely open. You will be sewing down your ruffles, so make sure they are pinned in place!!

Then turn your apron top inside out. And carefully sew the bottom closed sewing ONLY the two pieces of muslin together and leaving your ruffle alone. It's a little awkward but I think you can figure it out ;)

Then using bias tape start at the bottom corner and sew the edges of the apron, sewing up and around to make a strap for the neck, making sure you start at the bottom edge of the bottom ruffle. You can make your own bias tape which is what I did (there are LOTS of tutorials online to show you how to do that) or just buy some that matches.


Last thing you need is a waist strap!! Cut another two 8" wide strap that will be long enough to go around you. Sew them together good sides together and turn them inside out. Sew them right on top of the apron.

And viola. You are done!!


Regan took these pictures last night. And well, they are blurry (he said his heart just wasn't into it :) ) but he did tell me I had to pose so you could see it in action. So this is me pretending to put something into the oven at 1030 at night. hahahahaha


I'm linking it up to a Soft Place to Land and Sew Cute Tuesday and Today's Creative Blog

So here is the deal.
One entry for a comment.
Another one for being a follower.
And another for blogging about the giveaway. Good luck!
I'll leave this giveaway until Friday!

Lots of you loved Lucy's church bag (as seen here). (Thanks!)

Well this guy has been bugging me for a few weeks for his own church bag.
(isn't he so handsome!)

So I came up with this! I've had it half started for like 2 weeks but I needed a fabric belt for the strap and I finally went to Thrift Village and got one!! I followed a tutorial on the great blog Create Studio called the Mr Postman Mail Bag and I just made some alterations.



I added pockets on the inside for the crayons.

Added a big A on the front. (that would have been a lot easier had I had wonder under.... but whatever it worked out!)

And instead of using the strips of fabric down the sides, I just cheated and used my belt the whole way down.

I actually made it a bit wider too since I know he will be filling it with papers for church since that's what it's for ;) One day I really should buy some thread that matches things too since I normally only have pink, white and black (and the white's almost gone!) and then you wouldn't seen my bad sewing so much. But oh well - it's HOMEMADE hahahahahaha :)

(thanks to Regan for the picture of the two of us!!)
Ah how I love him and I hope he loves his bag!!!

I Linked it up!


And at Amy Lou Who

This is a repost from last year.... but it goes along as a viable option for creating a creative organizer! See idea #1 here


One Micheal's binder found at the Okotoks Scrapbook Convention on give away table.









First step is covering the outside.
I used one of my all time very very favorite scrapbooking papers EVER.
By Basic Grey.
I cut the paper to fit the width of the sides but left it long on the ends so I could fold it over.









The way to get the nice tight edges is to use a bone folder if you have one. (if you don't a marker or your hand will work.)


I left little spaces on the edges where the binder folds so that the paper will not get bunched up and moved around.



To cover the corners you use a wonderful special tape called Book Binding tape. Mine is from Autumn leaves. And i just love it.!! It's my third role I've gone through.

I added another cute striped paper on the inside.

Here is what it looks like at the end of the process.


another view....


So now I could turn it into a mini album or a creative organizer. Either way, it was FREE!