Stamping

Guess what I got in the mail???

I am super excited about this custom stamp I ordered from Terbear Collectibles.

Thanks so much for the excellent work. I can't wait to get the ink and fabric out!

Tackling the World of Purses

Well I finally bit the bullet and bought some interfacing at JoAnn's. Days later I finally took the interfacing out of my car and brought it inside. Yet several more days later I finally used it! My daughter had this skirt passed down to her and it never fit right. It fell right off her flat bottom and down around her knees. The elastic in the waist was shot and instead of fix it for her, I thought it'd make a much nicer purse.

Isn't it cute?

I think so.

 Just look at that rear pocket with the button!

And with the interfacing and flat bottom it can actually stand up on it's own.

Now on to documenting the major pains in the butt I experienced:

I made this up as I went along. The 2nd purse I did followed a little more of a pattern, but still caused me to sew things on backwards at least twice!!!

Repurposing clothing into other objects is less than ideal compared to cutting from a single piece of cloth. Pre-existing hems, seams and liners are a pain.

I'm getting better at zippers, but we are still not bosom buddies.

Note the less than perfect finish to the zipper on one end.

But hey, I'm doing it! One purse at a time.

Thanks & Giveaway Winner

After a wonderful day with family and food I wanted to just leave you with an idea of what I'm grateful for. When it comes down to it, I'm grateful for the basics.

I am thankful that we have a house.
I am thankful we can always feed ourselves.
I am thankful I was able to give life to my daughter.
I am thankful I can give life to the child in my womb.
I am thankful that if all else fails, we have each other.
Thank you God.

And now for the winner of the One Year Anniversary Giveaway...

drumroll......










Heather - I love looking at you creations! Good work Sara way to just do it!

I'll be delivering the delicious flower hair clip to you as soon as I can! Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you for entering to win. Your comments were very uplifting. I'm glad I have each of you in my life one way or another.

It Was a "Banner" Weekend?

Is the title too corny? I'm not feeling clever today.

But I was a busy beaver this past weekend. I finished up some new flowers, I started a table runner and I even finished up a new party banner.

You've got to love scrap piles! If you recall this was the interior to the red shoulder bag I made for the Seamingly Sarah shop. I love the curves. I wanted something softer than triangles and rectangles. Next comes multiple curves, like a puffy cloud. I'm really not sounding clever today.

And don't forget to enter for a chance to win a free flower hair clip!!!!

Today is your last day to enter. All entries must be made before midnight (EST) today (11/25/10). I will announce the winner tomorrow.

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

New Flowers

Remember when I told you I was trying a new technique on the flowers? Well here are the results.

I loved my my first attempt with the gold ones. All subsequent trials were just that...trials...trials of patience. But here is to learning, not burning your fingers, late nights and always trying new things.

Look for these hair clips and shoe clips at the Seamingly Sarah shop soon!

This is a tried and true way to make my typical flowers, but this fabric is so thin and sheer I doubled it up this time for a little added poof! Poof is such a great word.

And don't forget to enter for a chance to win a free flower hair clip!!!!

It is Not What It Seems...

I've had this pile of purple scraps laying on my bedroom floor since I finished all the rainbow blocks. It seems I had more purple fabric scraps than just the rainbow blocks could finish off. In fact I thought I had enough to make a lap quilt.

I finally got around to using these scraps (for crazy blocks again) and it turns out I only had enough for a table runner.

Here is the front. Now I just need to find something for the back. If I want to use something I already have on hand then it's going to have to be pieced on the back as well, or a really uncoordinated color. We'll see.

I have a few more projects I completed this past weekend. Stick around for more tomorrow.

And don't forget to enter for a chance to win a free flower hair clip!!!!

Mommy Monday

It's a Mommy Monday. We're off coloring, painting and pounding playdough (stored in those nifty hot cocoa tins) while it rains outside.

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win this delectable flower hair clip.

Did I mention I'll send it to you free of charge if you win?

One Year Ago...

One year ago this week I opened Seamingly Sarah on etsy. I had the opportunity to network with a motivational speaker at a Toastmasters event and told him about my dream to start something with fabric. To create with it and sell it. He told me to just go ahead and do it. What was I waiting for? I heard excuses coming out of my mouth, but I knew the truth at that moment. Just do it (sorry Nike). So I did. I took a vacation day from work and I created till the cows came home. I listed maybe five measly things in the shop.

Circa 2009

I feel like I've improved so many things over this past year and yet all at the same time I feel like I'm still just starting because there is so much more to grow from. Will I ever feel like an expert at this? I hope not, because then it might start get boring. Besides, what do I do when I stop impressing myself with my learning prowess? 

Circa 2010

So in honor of that one year anniversary and hopefully many more to come...

I'd like to give away this fabulous little number.

When I first made and put this flower in my hair it felt like I was wearing one of those fancy hats to church. I felt pretty. It is 4 inches in diameter, so it's one of my larger flowers and just the right size to make a statement. But if you're not in the church hat going mood, it looks good everywhere else too: belt, scarf, coat, sweater, bag, purse...you name it, it can go there thanks to the alligator clip in the back.

To enter this giveaway just leave a comment with your name and an email address to contact you with (use "at" and "dot" to spell it out and avoid spamming). I'll pick a random winner one week from today (November 26th). Good luck!

New Items in the Shop

Those buttons keep popping up all over the Seamingly Sarah shop! I do so love them.

I NEED to make more. More so for me, not so much for you or anyone perusing my products.

I'm selfish like that.

PS - Keep an eye out on Friday for a special announcement...

Speaking of Creativity...

Here are some new flowers in the works. I've been wanting to try a different technique to make flowers. And I have many more ideas in my head, but here is one technique that is a work in progress. Look for them soon in the Seamingly Sarah shop.

Mending is Creative?

While I was sewing away Monday night on the growth chart I kept looking over at my mending pile. I had a cheap diaper bag (one of those freebies the doctor's office fills with samples of formula and gives to every expectant mother) with a side seam coming undone, an open seam on the baby blanket I made my toddler oh.... 3 years ago, and ripped seams along the edges of my two braided rugs. Why do they always come undone at the edges of the long part of the oval? Weird.

I have to admit, those rugs have needed mending for at least a year. I kept telling myself I'd sit down and do it someday, but they were oh so easy to skip over. I can not believe I sat down last night and actually mended everything!!! I read once in The Artist's Way that mending was one way to open yourself up to creativity. Weird, I know. But I can't stop thinking of all these other projects to do now. Once the mending pile was out of the way, my creative to do list can't stop growing. I love it!

Go Go Go

I am just plowing through this growth chart project! I've wanted to do it for awhile and usually it takes just as many months of thinking about it as it does to actually sew it. But I finished the embroidery in a couple days and sewed the buttons on and put on a the back panel and top stitched it all in ONE night. I think my husband may have been a little annoyed while he tried to watch t.v. I believe the words "are all sewing machines that loud" came out of his mouth towards the end. I explained a newer sewing machine would help. I'll show him the price tag next time.

But back to the growth chart. I love it! It's so cute. Of course I kind of forgot my living room walls are beige when I chose tan/beige linen in my head. So it'll have to hang in a different room. All that's left is to stamp or write the inches/feet along the edge. I'm so excited and proud of myself to be moving along with sewing projects!

Hand Stitching While the Machine is Away

Well my sewing machine had a 10 day hiatus. And while she was gone I made the most of my hand stitching time. I finished the tablerunners/placemats I had started earlier.  Yeah for finishing projects that have been lying around in my fabric bin for a year or more!

(trust me - they're done - I just didn't feel like taking another picture of the final product)

And I got all the supplies I need to make my dear daughter a growth chart!
No, I did not make the one below, that is the inspiration...

I got the idea from this lovely seller on etsy. (I absolutely adore her stuff!) Except I'm going to make it work for two kids, because I'm not going to make this again! And we're going to sew the buttons on as markers of their growth, not for decoration beforehand. But with the sewing machine back in place I hope I make the time to sit and hand sew the embroidery parts of it. Wish me luck.

Buttons!

I made buttons!

I have had a button kit from JoAnn's for about 6 months now and it just kept sitting and sitting on my bedroom floor. Yes, my bedroom holds my stash of fabric and supplies. Who wants to build me an addition to my house?

And I have to say...I'm in love with making buttons! It's as much fun as I thought it would be. And superbly satisfying. I want a bajazillion more! And I want them with flat backs in case anyone does buy some for me! =)

Look for these on some of the flowers to come in the Seamingly Sarah shop!

New Items in the Shop

Check out the Seamingly Sarah shop! I posted 4 new items that I think will be just perfect for New Year's Eve attire. Okay - stop hyperventilating. I know, I know...it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But when it comes to making and marketing products, this is how I have to think. So browse away.

Dark Iris Hair Clip

Silver Flower Hair Pins

Golden Flower Hair Pins

Emerald Green Flower Hair Clip

Mommy Monday

Well this Mommy Monday content actually occured over the weekend. In accordance with my love of rainbows I found some rainbow toddler activities on Pink and Green Mama. I've wanted to do the rainbow rice activity for months now. I finally bought the rice and a plastic tub. Then several weeks later I actually got everything out and made it.

Here it is pre toddler mixing.

Here it is during.

Here is a great reminder to do this activity during warm weather so you can do it outside.

And when it was all said and done we played for maybe 5 or 10 minutes and then I couldn't stop her from trying to eat it. So we were done. Months and weeks of planning this activity and then 5 minutes of fun. Live and learn. I only wish I had done it sooner so I could have more warm days in front of me to get the rice out again for play time. But it's getting cold over here. We'll see how long the rice lasts in the tub...

Red Tomatoes

Would you believe me if I told you we're still enjoying tomatoes from the garden? I know I know. The trick is to pick the green tomatoes off the vine before the first frost, then take them inside and wrap them in newspaper. Check them every few days and take out the ones turning red. The second trick is to try and not get sick of tomatoes!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Sister!

I love you and I miss you.

I wish I could send you these flowers in real life, but let's face it, they wouldn't endure the trip. So look for the card and gift in the mail.

Love, Sarah

Hotel Surprises

Another added benefit of going away for a conference? Finding insipiration in unexpected places!

I wish I had opened up my eyes to this sooner in life, but last week during my conference I couldn't stop noticing all of the patterns and details around me. In the carpet. In the wallpaper. In the napkins. In the glasses. Women's earrings and necklaces. I couldn't stop sketching.

(Don't worry I got some work done too!)

It was inspiration overload and I loved it. 

I'm even seeing new things (or things in a new way) at home.

Fleeting Flowers

I've learned the best time to create is when I'm away at a conference for work. Who knew? Whenever I have to spend a night away from home (in a swanky hotel room with tv channels I never see and take out just for me - do you feel sorry for me yet?) I always bring a bag of scrap fabrics, sissors and a needle and a thread.

While watching 3 back to back episodes of Bones I churned out these lovely little flowers.

(I also later had nightmares about someone breaking into my room and murdering me - Bones is only good in moderation)

I love the metallic fabrics! New Year's Eve anyone?

And this one...

 Let's just say I almost keeled over in delight when I saw how the fabric pleated itself.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

Look for these in the Seamingly Sarah shop soon!

PS - I hope everyone finds time to go out and vote today!

Centerpiece Today, Printing Tomorrow

Turns out my dried wildflowers made a spooky enough centerpiece for our Halloween party this weekend. But don't worry, they'll be dipped in paints and inks soon enough.

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!