My favorite Table Runner!!!

Yay!!  It's finished and I LOVE every single centimeter of it!!!  And I did it all on my wonderful NEW sewing machine!!!  First off, I saw some peeks of the gorgeous Somerset fabric by Fig Tree several months ago and when I went looking for somewhere to order it from, I found this wonderful Fabric shop on Etsy, Sew Sweet Cherries... and the best part is it's just up the road from me and the two women who run it are sweet and wonderful and so much fun to chat with!!

I already had this pattern for the table runner by Jaybird Quilts, called Tasty.  So when I saw that Somerset fabric, I knew it was perfect for the runner!!!   

Just before I started this, hubby & I went to check out a couple of Fabric/Sewing stores I hadn't been to before and while at the first one I was looking at this FABULOUS machine.  I went to show hubby something about the machine and he asked if I wanted it... um, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's a Janome and it sews amazing!!!!  Anyway, I kept the quilting pretty basic on this as I've not yet practiced much Free Motion on this machine and I really wanted to finish this runner.  I really LOVE the way it turned out!!! 

So far I am well on my way to meeting my sewing goals for this year... 2 sewn items/month and 6 quilts/year, in addition to finishing my UFO's, lol  Well that's it for me for now!  Thanks for popping by, hope to see you again soon!!

Planner Organizer

**Note:  As of right now, I haven't decided if I'll carry this in my Etsy Store or not, however... if you are interested in one or have any questions, please feel free to email me (tcbcrain at gmail dot com)**

My first project for the New Year!  and it's for ME!!!!!!  Of all of the things I've sewn not a single thing have I made for myself :(  and VERY few quilts I've made are in my home (none that are finished).  But this is for me!  Designed exactly the way I wanted it!  I've recently put together a planner for myself and made it petty with several cutesy things (I'll post more on my planner later), but I was missing one thing... a place for all of those colored pens I NEED, and the post it's and the little tags and the cute little clips.  I'd seen some people keep them on the inside of the their planner cover, but this makes it lumpy and not ideal when writing, etc.  I'd thought of a zippered pencil bag of sorts, but I really wanted something more organized... and so I started sewing...

There is a place for everything in this baby!!!!  I can easily put things away and quickly grab what I need.

I heard that!!!  Of course I NEED all of those pens!!!  Silly!  I don't know how or when it happened, but I've become VERY picky when it comes to pens.  I LOVE Gel ink pens, and the brand I LOVE didn't have enough colors, I found these that write nicely, with no skipping and no bleeding, etc.  One small issue... they are kinda chunky (which is another thing I NEED in a pen), so when making the little pockets for the pens, I had to "pucker" them a bit so the pens fit in nicely without distorting the shape of the whole "holder".

Next up post-it's, tabs & binder clips!  These little pockets fit the post-it's I like perefctly and these little tabs come on a cardboard holder thing which fits nicely under this little ribbon.  Those binder clips are white clips that I added some Washi Tape to to pretty them up a bit!  See that little pocket at the top?

It perfectly holds several cute green paper clips.  It's big enough to give me some flexibility with what I put in there, but it won't get bulky.

Of course I had to add a little somethin' on the front so I started up the Silhouette and made a monogram... it's just fused on there.

I added some ribbon to tie it closed, this gives me TONS of flexibility with how much I stuff inside ;)

And it all fits beautifully under my folder band thing-y on my planner... everything is secure and nothing falls out or shifts around!!  The best part about this is I can keep it on my planner so it's always handy if I need something, or I can take it off and set it aside when doing lots of planner entires/updates, etc.  Well that's it, thanks for peeking at my pretty planner organizer!  Hope to see you back here again!

Ruffled Tote bag for Kimmie

Tell me this isn't just the cutest, girliest bag ever?!  My friend Kimmie sent me a picture of a ruffled tote (ya know the one on Pinterest where they bought a canvas tote from Michaels?) and asked if I could make it for her, naturally I said, "of course!" I did tell her that I wanted to make the bag though and not get a cheap store bought, if I'm putting my time and effort in to something I want it to last!!  I made a couple of adjustments to mine... 

First off, of course I made the base of the bag.  It's roughly 14" x 14" x 3.5" (close to the same as the store bought tote), I also lined mine (see below) and it has a layer of fleece/batting and some interfacing... I wanted the bag to have a nice "shape" as well as a little bit of solidity (padding).  I also made my ruffles differently, while I'm in favor of the whole "shabby chic" look, I wanted Kimmie to be able to wash this and not end up with a hot mess on her hands ;)  So for my ruffles I cut the fabric strips to 5" wide and then folded in half (if you look up her ruffles the underside is finished as well).  To cover the raw edge of the top ruffle I made a small band and sewed it on, next time I will likely just make the top ruffle bigger (5 3/4") and then tuck the raw edge under and sew on.  I had so much fun making those fabric rosettes!  I went a little crazy and made a few "extra's", I'm sure I'll find a use for them ;)  On PILLOWS FOR THE COUCH!!! lol The Male population in my house would so NOT appreciate PINK or FLORAL rosettes on the couch pillows (they have no taste!). 

Kimmie really LOVES pink, so while I wanted to add some other colors I made sure that pink kind of dominated the show.  LOVE these stripes!  While this bag is for sale in my Etsy store (customizable to your tastes), if you choose to make one yourself and have questions, please feel free to email me!  I'd love to help!  Wait until you see the wallet and change holder I made for her! Stay tuned.

For the bag, all of the fabrics except one (the 2nd from the top) are from the Scrumptious line by Bonnie & Camille!  I fell so in love with this line I bought extra's and will be starting this quilt with them this weekend!!!

My Burlap Wreath

Still getting caught up with some of the goodies I've made lately.  We needed a new wreath for our front door.  Our Christmas wreath needed to be retired and I really wanted to have something for all year.  This one is VERY simple looking, but I made my 14" wreath and then instead of gluing the decorations on I just used some twine to hold them in place.  Now, after Christmas I can just take them off and change the look whenever I want :)  LOVE it!!!

Here's a close-up of that pretty, sparkly spray we picked up from Michaels.  Oh and the ribbon is wired, just so the bow stays fluffy :)  

Big Bang Theory e-Reader cover!

My poor little blog has been so neglected!  and I have so much to share :)  Ok, so today I am showing off a Big Bang Theory e-reader cover!  This one is for a Kobo Mini, I made this for a friend in Canada :)  This is listed in my store here (Big Bang Theory), but I can also make these in ANY fabrics you choose here.  We can also make these for ANY e-reader you have. 

I am so in LOVE with this e-reader cover style... 4 "corners" to hold in your reader snuggly, but also a couple of little pockets to hold in some extra goodies.  There is one longer pocket and 2 shorter pockets, except for the Kobo Mini size (it's just to small to hold both pocket layers).  The orange cover is holding a Kindle Fire, this one was a gift for a Stampy Friend back in CA :)  Well that's it for now, time to get back in the studio... I'm working a ruffled tote bag, can't wait to show that off!  Thanks for popping by, hope to see you again soon!!

Matching Zippered Cosmetic Bag

A "stampy-friend" of mine ordered a bag from me and while she loved it she realized she forgot to ask for a zippered pocket in it.  So I made her this little bag.  It perfectly fits some of those "girlie things", some lipsticks and medicine bottles!  I just LOVE the ruffled look on the front (pattern from Noodlehead)

I did add some fusible fleece and a stiffer interfacing just to make it more "stable" (I just don't care for a whimpy bag with no shape ;)).  Well that's it for this quick post.  I'll have some new wallets for the store to share soon, as well as some quilt blocks I''m working on.  Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday :)

A Keepsake Table runner

Still showing off some of the Christmas goodies I made for family.  I made this table runner for my parents.  In my last post I mentioned that my Mom recently had her Kitchen & part of the dining area re-done so I was focused on making some things for these rooms.  My Mom has a very pretty dining table, it's a nice darker wood and BIG... I think the soft colors of this runner will be perfect layed out across the top :)  I used Paris Flea Market by 3 Sisters for Moda fabric.

Earlier in the year I had asked my parents for a tracing of their hands (for a project for me), so I took those tracing and also took tracings of my house-holds hands.

I used a Tonal White pattern for the handprints and appliqued them to the top.  Then I had everyone sign their "hand" with a Black Copic Multiliner.

I attached buttons where the lattice overlaps.  A handful of years ago my Gramma gave me a large tin with LOTS of buttons in it :) Some were from her and some were from my Great-Gramma... clearly 3 buttons from this tin were just the perfect touch to finish this off.

Etched Glass gifts

Today I am showing off a couple of gifts I made for Christmas.  I got a Silhouette Portrait in December and was really excited to try out many of the cool things a Silhouette could do!

My parents recently re-did their kitchen and my Mom got a new China cabinet.  She commented at Thanksgiving that now she had room for another set of wine glasses (yup, she already has some wine glasses.  I'm beginning to think she's become a collector ;)).  I got some plain-ish wine glasses and  Monogram/etched them with a 'B'.  Etching was waaaaayyyyyyy too much fun!!!

This is a set of Hot Cocoa mugs for my In-laws.  The crane is from one of my logo's and I just LOVE the look of it.  

I am finally getting caught up on blog posts and have some new bags & sewing projects to share so come back again soon.  Thanks for popping by :)

Brooke bag in Paisley!

Wowzers I am so behind with my blogging :(  I'm thinking that should be in my top 10 Resolutions for the new year, lol!  My cousin emailed me that she needed a bag for a friend with an upcoming birthday, the friend was a college student and she gave me her favorite colors.  The pattern is called Raspberry Ripple (by Melly & Me) and I have been dieing to make it!  We found this gorgeous Paisley fabric by Wilmington Prints, and it was perfect!!  The inner pleats and handles are a charcoal color, and I think it just really makes the Paisley POP!  The top band is a little harder to see, but it's an Aqua with white hearts... I LOVE the way this bag turned out!
The inside has 2 pockets...

and is just the right size for everyday!  As soon as I get caught up on orders, I'm making one of these for me!! This Brooke Bag can be found here in my Etsy store.  This weekend I am working on three bags that will heading to the UK for Christmas goodies! 

Holy Pink Diva Diaper bags Batman!

A friend of mine needed a Diaper Bag gift for someone at her office, she told me the girl LOVES the Kardashians and Pink and this is what we came up with.  Pink and black really aren't "my thing" but I just LOVE the way this bag turned out!!

The Bag has 2 large pockets inside as well as a cell phone pocket (complete with a velcro closing flap)

and a bottle pocket on the outside :)  The top flap closes with a magnetic snap.  Lots of room AND lots of style! :)  I like patterns that are flexible, here is this bag with a "cute baby look"... versatile :)  If you are interested in ordering a Diaper Bag, please head over to my Etsy Store, Crains Addiction!

Fabrics used: Dandy Damask in Candy by Michael Miller, Pinhead Dots in Black by Michael Miller, Small Black Chevron by Riley Blake Designs

Insulated Lunch Purse, with a laminated lining

I have been wanting to make one of these for some time now.  I decided that I'd have to make the pattern myself since I couldn't find any that were exactly what I wanted...one "small" dilemma, I haven't been sewing bags all that long AND I've never created my own pattern for anything other than quilts!  Oh yea, I should also add I don't think I've ever sewn a zipper, or used "do it yourself laminate".  This was going to be an adventure!  At one point Hubby had to order me to bed because I was tired and trying to finish "one more thing" and frustration was coming fast and furious!  It was NOT as painful as I had thought it might be, there were a few "lessons learned", but in the end, I LOVE my Lunch Purse!  I didn't have much fun with the "iron on laminate" stuff, I thought it would be smarter than buying laminated fabric since it really only has one use (for now) and it seems so limiting since not every fabric comes in a laminate, but after playing with the stuff, I think I'll just learn to live with finding and buying the pre-laminated stuff.  If any of yall have any tricks or tips for using the iron on stuff, I'd LOVE to hear them!  Well here's the inside (laminated) part...

The laminate seemed to want to seperate from the fabric when I manipulated the inside.  I do like that the bag is deep enough to hold a water bottle :)

I love the zipper all the way across.  I also did NOT want the zipper at the top, top of the bag so it sits about an inch or so down.  I used some InsulBright in the bag as well to keep lunches warm/cool.  For the finishing touches I grabbed a handful of ribbons from Ribbon Carousel made some bows and voila!  Pretty!!  Since I'm a SAHM with older kids I really don't have a need for one of these, so this one is for a friend... I hope she likes it.  I have added this as a "Custom Order" item in my Etsy store, but will be adding some more pre-made bags soon.