Quiet Book – Caterpillar Page (Single Page)

I found this page at Apron Girls. It is a fun page that helps to develop motor skills, with each circle of the caterpillar’s body able to attach and detach from the page. The body pieces are attached to the page with snaps.

To make this page, I drew an outline on the page in chalk and painted the leaves and branches. 

To make the caterpillar, I used a large circle punch to punch out the pieces for the body and head. I then painted the circles green, except for the head, which I painted blue and put a face on for contrast. 

Once each piece was dry, I attached a snap onto the back with a hot glue gun and let it cool. You could also sew on the snaps.

I then laid out the caterpillar on the page, and marked where I wanted the other half of the snap to be placed. I attached the other half to the page with hot glue, but you could also sew the pieces on. 

To store the body pieces when not in use, I made a small pouch out of felt that resembled a cocoon and sewed in onto the page, hanging under the branch.

I also decided last minute to include a small butterfly which can emerge from the cocoon and fly away.

Quiet Book – Tic-Tac-Toe Page (Single Page)

I saw the tic-tac-toe page at A Pretty Cool Life and knew that I had to include one.

Quiet Book – Crayon and Paper Pad Page (Double Page)

 

One of the pages that I saw and loved was the crayon and paper pad page from The Long Thread. I liked this idea because it would encourage the child’s imagination to create something.

Quiet Book – Preparing the Pellon

My friend’s son’s birthday is coming up in a month and I have been trying to find something really good to make for him. After many hours spent trolling the images of Pinterest, I have decided to make him a quiet book.

When reading the tutorial at Serving Pink Lemonade, She mentioned her mother painting on pellon. I though this was a great idea, as it would be way easier to paint it details than appliqueing them. I searched the web for something that would give me an idea of how to go about painting pellon.

Absolutely nothing that was helpful.

So I tested some acrylic paints that I had, Folk Art (I use them normally for One Stroke Painting), on some left over pellon that I had. I tested different colours to see how they turned out and tried to make a shape, to see how easy it would be to paint in detailed designs.

It actually turned out quite well. It took a large amount of paint to cover an area, as the pellon is sponge like in design and the paint was absorbed into the tunnels between the fibers. It wasn’t super easy to paint in details, but neither was it impossible. Once dry, the paint didn’t scratch off.

Adding a second coat, green and brown to the part painted white, only worked out so-so. Once the paint dried, I tried scrapping it off and the second coat did come off somewhat.

So I will only use one coat of paint and make sure to paint in details such as the pupil of the eyes get painting in before I paint in the white of the eye.

I purchased a large amount of pellon, about 5 yards (it’s approximate because I took the remaining amount on the bolt, which was a bit under 5 yards). I also purchased a large amount of felt that was on sale, as there are some things I want to put in where I will not be able to paint in or use pellon for, and a ¼” hole punch and a large number of ¼” metal eyelets and an eyelet tool.

I cut the pellon into 12” x 9 ¾” pages.

I took one page and marked a vertical line 1” in from the edge on a long side of the page, then marked 3 horizontal lines, one at 1 ½” from the top, 6” from the top and 1 ½” from the bottom. I punched three holes, one where each of the horizontal lines intersected the vertical line. Then, using the eyelets and tool, inserted an eyelet into each of the punch holes. This page is now my template for where to make the holes on all my pages.

Using a thin marking tool, I placed my template on to one of my cut pages, made a mark through the eyelets and then punched out the holes in the page. I repeated for all the other pages.

Custom Built Purse - Finishing Touches

At this point, I have almost completed my bag. All that is left to do is to join the inside of the bag to the outside. The technique I have decided to use is to join the top edges, and cover the unfinished edges with bias tape for a neat and tidy look.

Custom Built Purse - Making the Cover Flap

To make the cover flap for your bag (my bag is a messenger bag), measure the length that you would like your flap to be. I measured from where I will be attaching it on the back, over the top opening (which the flap will cover) and down to the point I would like the flap to end on the front.

Custom Built Purse - Making the Bag Strap

To make the strap for your bag, cut out two strips of fabric, twice the desired width of your strip, and to the desired length. I cut my strips 2” wide by 48” long. Cut out fusible interfacing the same length and width as your strips, or purchase strap interfacing (I purchased Clover Create-A-Strap with Nancy).

Something Fun and Easy for Spring

I’m sure most people have made these as kids, or a really hot day at the office. They are really simple to make, you simply take a piece of paper and make a number of folds in the paper. At the end, it sort of resembles an accordion.

Baby Shower for Melissa

Recently, my friends and I planned a shower for our friend Melissa. She is due at the beginning on June. I figured I would show off some of the photos of the super awesome cake that we made, as well as some of the food that we slaved over to make.

Thread and Scraps Catcher

The other night, I was ripping out the seams on my very well-loved t-shirt so I could use the pieces as a pattern to make more shirts like it (this t-shirt is at least 4 years old and becoming so threadbare that I really shouldn’t wear it anymore, but it fits so nicely on my body. I have looked for it in stores, but it was probably discontinued years ago). I was lounging in front of the tv, and each time that I wanted to throw out a torn out thread, I would have to sit up to get the to the garbage can. Being the lazy person that I am, I decided to make a little pail that can sit beside me on the couch, so that I no longer have to do a sham sit-up each time I want to toss a piece of thread. This can also be used on your sewing table or in your cutting table.

Bias Tape Tutorial

Bias tape is fabric that is cut diagonally to the grain of the fabric and then has each edge folded in to meet in the middle. It is commonly used to finish edges of bags, shirts and many more projects.

Custom Built Purse - Creating the Liner and Outside of the Bag

The next step that I used to make my bag was to determine the size of the lining that I would require, based on my pocket layout. I know that this way is a bit backwards, most bags require that you create the outside first, and that’s the part I’m creating last, but I wanted to make sure that everything that I wanted would fit in my bag, rather then trying to cram all of my things into a bag.

Minkee Baby Blanket

I recently found out that one of my friends, Mel, is expecting her first child, gender currently unknown. She is due at the beginning of June. This will be the second baby born to my group of close girlfriends, the first being Elijah, who was born in July of last year to my friend Tara (also her first child).

Cheesy Crab Puffs

As kids, my brothers and I loved these crab puffs and would beg our Mother to make them all the time. They are very easy to make and super delicious.

Custom Built Purse - Zipper Pocket

I love these types of pockets, because you can basically put them anywhere, and they take up very little space on the sides of the pockets.

Custom Built Purse - Elastic Pocket

I wanted a good expandable pocket to store my headphones and ds games in, but I didn't want to have a large opening. The perfect solution was to add an elastic to the opening, which would allow the opening to open fully when I needed it to, but close up to safely keep my things in place.

TV Table Cover

 A few years ago, I got Jeremy a TV table for beside his bed in his room, since there was no other surface to put things on, since his desk had a television on it. It was a solid wood, very sturdy table, and I liked it so much, I got on for myself to extend my crafting area when I needed to, but was easy to fold up.

Custom Built Purse - Accordion Fold Pocket

This is my accordion fold pocket. The folds that are put in the edges allow the pocket to expand, without pushing or stretching any of the fabric. This is good for thicker items, like my cell phone (it's a really old slider phone) or my Nintendo DS.

Custom Built Purse - Simple Pocket

I got the idea for this very simple pocket from my pattern for my ebook reader cover.It's a great pocket for small, thin items like an iPod, pens, pencils, a nail file or a magazine.

Custom Built Purse - Choosing the Fabric

In my post of Wednesday, I explained the first step to making your custom purse, determining the function of you bag and making a basic design.

The next step to making a bag is to decide what fabrics you want to use. I have chosen the following fabrics, the black oval fabric for the Main outside, the striped pattern is for contrast of the outside, the tree pattern is for the inside the zippered pockets and the Asian black work pattern is for the lining of the bag and the inside pockets.

Custom Built Purse - Designing the Bag

Current bag with all of my stuff.

I have a huge problem. Whenever I have to buy a new purse, I can never find one that is large enough for all of what I consider daily necessities. If I do happen to luck out and find one large enough, it is simply a pretty grocery bag that has no pockets and I am simply expected to carry everything all together, which would be horrible for the screens of all my electronics.

Just some of the things I carry on a normal day.

Welcome to SewThrillingCrafts

Caribbean Cruise in November 2010

Hi, my name is Steph. 

I have a fascination with different types of hobbies. I have learned over time how to knit, crochet, sew, cross stitch, fold origami, paint, work with polymer clay, cook, bake, how to decorate cakes, cookies and cupcakes and much much more.

I wanted to start this blog as a way to share what I do with the world, or at least people who have similar interests as myself.

Big White, BC in February 2011

Before I start to share ideas, I figured I should tell you a bit about myself.

I'm in my mid-twenties and I've lived in south-western Ontario all my life. I recently moved out of my parents to an apartment with my boyfriend of nearly nine years, Jeremy. Besides crafts, I love to ski and play soccer, I've doing both for about as long as I've been walking. I have also recently starting to take Aikido, a Japanese form of martial arts that teaches you to use your opponents momentum against them.

I am working as a mortgage specialist for a mortgage company, handling property taxes for our mortgages.

I also have a shop on Etsy, which can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewThrillingCrafts.

Thank you for following my blog.