Piñata Travel Bag Project

2 years ago I had an ambitious idea. Weave enough fabric to make a travel bag set for myself.  These bags will be for weekend trips, I certainly wouldn’t allow any baggage handler near these beauties.

But before physically starting the project I had to sit down and design on paper (following up on the computer) and do all the math calculations for how much I would need for the warp and weft.  For those not familiar with weaving, the warp is the “vertical” threads that are placed on the loom from front to back and the “weft” is what … Read more...

Beach Buddy Bag

Everyone needs a beach buddy.

Meet my Beach Buddy.

DSC04515Pretty much 95% of the time I am lugging my humongous purse around town on various errands. I love my large purse as it has oodles of space for all of my needs as well as space for my ever present sock knitting projects. But sometimes you just need to run out on a quick errand and don’t need to take the large suitcase over the shoulder, OR, you are planning a beach or cruise vacation and only need a small satchel to house your room key, small bills and a … Read more...

Flip Flop Beach Bag

In my *real world* job, I help clients find their next new home and/or help them sell their existing home. The entire time I am dealing with people, I am carefully watching for indications of favourite colours, trends, interests, tastes and anything else I can pick up from them (unknowingly of course).  I then utilize this information to come up with a tailored and personalized closing gift.

Like this Beach Bag.

Which is for Deb (same name, cool eh?), who LOVES flip flops.  She has the largest collection of actual flip flops I have ever seen in one household, along … Read more...

How To Make A Bean Bag Heating Pad

We all get aches and pains now and then which require the use of a heating pad, but sometimes the “traditional” heating pad that you plug in is impractical not to mention it uses up costly energy.

Instead, here is a super quick way to make your own bean bag heating pad using scrap cotton fabric and your choice of fillers.  I can’t stress enough that 100% cotton fabric is the only choice to use, if you use any other type of fabric, you run the risk of melting it in the microwave (definitely not desirable).

Fillers can be any … Read more...

This and That & Things In Between

Hi! How are you?!  Where the heck have you been?!!
I have been looking for you everywhere.

I know, I know… I said I was going to be posting *regularly*…but in my defense, there are just too many things happening around here that are keeping me from sitting down to this medium.

This will be a fairly short post, just snapshots of what is happening in the Southern Homestead…

Bob the loom is naked.  It is time to plan the next project now that my table runner is complete although it will be heading to the Northern Homestead as the … Read more...

Yup…I Am Still Here

I haven’t fallen off the planet…close, but not yet.

Falling Off PlanetI am just very, very busy trying to get all the stuff done that is currently piled on my plate…2 sewing projects and one knitting project that are all commission jobs while continuing the de-cluttering of the house (Yay for garbage day today!) and toss in demolishing a basement office area to become a future bathroom ~ which has created clouds of drywall dust that wafted throughout the house leaving a fine, white residue on everything…now I have to clean too.

Oh, and try and fit in that job/work schedule into … Read more...

DIY Knitting Needle Carrying Case

Necessity breeds…too many ideas and not enough time.

Last year I made a knitting needle case for myself to travel back and forth with between the Northern and Southern Homestead’s.

Knitting Needle Case CollageI hate it.

The tutorial I found on-line *looked* nice enough, and my chosen fabric was perfectly suited for me (horses of course), but the end result was that it lacked enough room for my needle and accessory collection as well all the pockets were not deep enough.  If you didn’t pick it up the right way, everything would fall out the top.  Major PITA.

So before Christmas I did … Read more...

My Husky & I…

Huskystar that is…will be very busy the next couple weeks….so many sewing projects to do, so little time.  Actually, a lot of other projects on the go as well.  There is one knitting project, a whole lot of house de-cluttering going on, and let’s not forget my newest hobby ~ Bob the loom.

I think I need to get a day planner and start blocking hours for each project, as well as regular chores and work.

Meanwhile, here is a snippet of what I am working on….not included in this pic is a blue floral print for a blouse for … Read more...

Looking for a Christmas Gift?

Are you wracking your brain trying to think up of a gift
for your Sister, Mom, Grandma or Aunt Edna?

OR, are you planning a winter getaway in the sun and need an Island Purse?

Look no further than these glossy pics…

These are the last of my handmade vacation purses in stock and
I am selling them off at a 60% discount!!

Oh…and I almost forgot, each purse comes with a matching makeup case inside (that is an $8 value – FREE), attached on a tether…so you won’t lose it…or the purse if you attach the tether … Read more...

A Loom With A View

Yes, a new hobby has been born.  As if I don’t have enough of them….gardening, sewing, knitting, cooking, fishing, to name a few…so I am adding a new one to the resume.

Weaving

On a Loom

The old-fashioned way of making fabric.

I have no idea at the moment how to do it, but that is the fun of trying out new things.  I can picture myself in the not so distant future retired, sitting in the front room of the cottage overlooking the ever changing landscape of the lake, weaving colourful projects for friends and family alike.

I do … Read more...