SPRING GLORIOUS SPRING

 YAY! Spring is here! Ahhhhh ....

FAIRYLAND FLOWERS

Get this in fabric and wallpaper from my Spoonflower shop!

I can finally get on to making some designs online for my "print on demand" POD shops and I finally have some incentive and interest in making some sewing projects!

 

Get this fabric at my Zazzle shop too! 

It's been a rough couple of months. Since the time from when I got home from Arizona until just a few weeks ago, life has been full of unwanted, nerve-wracking experiences, some of which were severely JARRING!

Having health issues in which you end up being hospitalized for a week is kind of a bother, oh boy! But, things are much better now. We got through it and now have to do the things we have to do for follow-up doctors visits and try to live a much healthier lifestyle. My partner had an issue with COPD, congestive heart failure, afib, a couple of strokes and mild heart attack! Now, he is fine. Diabetes II was diagnosed too, which is what all of this trouble stemmed from, we are told. HE IS FINE NOW! Thankful and now we both feel more at ease.

There was no way I could even dream about art or designing during all of this. I don't do creativity well when I pulled in way too many directions and am having anxiety over my own health. I have RA and I am not always able to 'be there' when needed, so I push myself, the adrenaline takes over. I end up getting sick. It took a while for me to feel centered and better again, like I've finally rested and can now free up my mind to create. JOY!

Gold metallic look flourishes and you can get this at my Spoonflower shop! On wallpaper and fabric!

NOW IT'S TIME TO GET INTO SPRING COLORS!

I am making a color palette for my newest designs for spring. I want to use cherries, strawberries, gingham checks, maybe some chevron stripes, polkadots and patchwork quilt style. Embellishments will include some bric-a-brac ribbon, maybe some ribbon flowers, beads, glitter, felt look flowers, mushrooms and buttons. Oh, and backgrounds may include the wonderful lattice work effect!
 

Spring Wreaths Graphics at my Etsy Shop!

Fairyland flowers on zippered pouches at my REDBUBBLE shop! Links on the right side of blog->

{ MORE TO FOLLOW LATER}

HANDMADE PURSES

 PURSES, TOTES, POUCHES and HANDBAGS

Reversible Tapestry and Faux Suede Shoulder Bag

The names of purses has changed over the years, many times I'm sure! I don't really know what they call purses nowadays and I suppose it depends on the size really. It probably depends on the style as well. The 'bag' above is what I call a 'shoulder bag' but I've seen them called hobo bags. 

Hobo bags can have all the things, zippered closure, pocket, detachable handles and all of that jazz, but I like a bag that you just throw your stuff in and go! For a quick shopping trip or for throwing in stuff for an overnight stay, there is no fuss and everything is right there.

This style of bag has a handle that you can tie long or shorter, depending on how it hangs and what feels best for you. I like it a bit long. It doesn't have a closure but I use a scarf to tie around the bottom of the handles, to ties it shut. Looks cool too!

I've had this pattern since my high school days, in late sixties and I have always loved it! The pattern has five various bags to make and some day I will make them all. But, I thought this was the best one to make to sell. Hopefully, I will find a good place to sell them! I missed the markets this year, we have a couple of them near me, so next year I'll prepare sooner.

I purchased this white coat tree for a great price and it's very sturdy! It screws together with it having three pieces so it fits in my car just fine if I take off the top section. The dowls fit snuggly into the base pole. It will be fine to display my bags! I do need to weigh it down if there is wind though.

Fabric Beads

BANGLES and BEADS

I am having a fine time making fabric beads for my purses, for the dangles I'll be designing. I just love them! Been wanting to make these out of paper for a very long while and have found that making them out of fabric is so much fun. Easy and relaxing hand work at night, while I'm watching Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot or Disney.

My method is proving to work well and it's a bit different from all the YouTube tutorials I've seen. I make mine without a pattern and without sewing but I do want to try putting some beadwork on them and glitter glue. I want to really 'jazz' them up and make dangles that easily attach to the purse, perhaps with a large sized key ring, so you can put both handles together and it will act as a closure for the bag.

I'm going to continue making these bags this winter, get ready for the spring markets, and will try to make more variety to them. I'll try adding pockets with hidden zippers, or Velcro. 

I also want to make a tutorial for YouTube too, so I'll try to work on that very soon.

HALLOWEEN FEELS

FALL DESIGNING

FREE FACEBOOK COVER PHOTO

More free Facebook covers on my FREEBIES PAGE ---->

OH JOY! DESIGNING FOR FALL, IT'S FINALLY HERE AND I'M READY FOR IT!

STARTING with Halloween, of course, my most favorite spooky time of the year, then Thanksgiving and then the BIG one, CHRISTMAS! I'm looking forward to creating some bold and exciting designs, gotta compete with Ai art, I guess. Blech!

I heard a man talking at the dollar store yesterday and he was talking to another man about how they have Halloween product to put out ALREADY! I laughed to myself. We artists usually design six months or more in advance for every holiday and event! IF we aren't procrastinators, like me!

So, trying to come up with something new and unique for my shops. I've got my Spoonflower Halloween fabrics created already. I may make some more repeating designs. For sure I'll be making some stickers, never enough STICKERS!!

STICKERS AT REDBUBBLE

I have soooo many stickers to choose from! At Zazzle, Redbubble and Tee Public. The links are all on the right hand side of this page!

STICKERS AT ZAZZLE

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MY FABRIC DESIGNS AT SPOONFLOWER

VISIT MY FABRIC SHOP FOR MORE HALLOWEEN TREATS!

CUTE HALLOWEEN GNOME CLIP ART

FELT STYLE CLIP ART is so fun to make and cute as can be!

HALLOWEEN PRINTABLES at my Etsy shop!

 SEWING

VIVA MAGENTA COLLECTION

Spoonflower fabrics has design contests all the time and I love entering them! This pattern is the latest entry for the 'Viva Magenta' Color of the Year by Pantone contest. It's a quilt block with the look of real stitching! Isn't it neat?

The color palette was of course, magenta, mixed with very neutral and subdued colors like khaki, light grayish lilace and a pale blue.

I had a hard time 'seeing' anything to create. The colors are not a great palette for me. I don't like the pastel blue and purple at all with this palette.

I like the beiges, brown colors but I do not like those gray lilac and plein air colors with this selection. That is why it is a challenge, especially for me!

Here are some of the other patterns that I've created for this collection. I will be designing more today, using a variety of dots, plaids, florals, paisley and more! I'll add the photos as I get them created and submitted to my Spoonflower shop.

CUT AND SEW FABRIC KITS

 SEW SO EASY FAT QUARTER DOLLS

I've been wanting to create fat-quarter fabric doll kits for many, many years. When I first signed up at Spoonflower 'print on demand' fabrics, the first thing I did was concentrate on designing 'cut and sew' kits. I knew I wanted to make them easy to sew and of course, make them cute! How easy and fun for the beginning sewist or for someone who sews all the time and wants to give them as gifts!

The concept of printing our designs and patterns on fabric and having them printed when people ordered them and getting a commission on the sale was splendid to me! Like the first POD site I ever signed up for, Zazzle, this was a great opportunity and fun!

Blue Kitty

I made two cat fat-quarter cut-and-sew designs and this was the beginning of a learning process for sure! Since fabric varies in sizes, fat quarters can be different sizes. Then there is the variety of fabrics that people can choose, many of them! But Spoonflower is great at suggesting what fabrics to use for sewing projects and that is great!

Of course, many people started creating these plushie toys kits too! I saw that they were adding the instructions right on the fabric. Duh! I forgot to do that. I actually thought that people who sew would know exactly how to make these dolls just by experience in sewing. Mistake number one! These are for 'beginner' sewers, they need instructions! I did write instructions in the description area of the product at Spoonflower but that isn't like having them right in front of you at sewing time.

Rose Kitty

Now, I'm sure that moms or dads are helping the young ones who are learning how to sew with all the directions and what to do and how to do it, right? Maybe not!

Will they know to notch the curves? Will they know to cut at least a half inch away from the lines so there is a seam allowance of at least 5/8" or 1/2" or so? Will they know to leave the biggest space open for stuffing? Will they know to put right sides together? So many things to mention to make this a successful sewing project!

My Sweet Puppy

So, on this next fabric 'cut and sew' kit, I added the directions and was so hoping I covered all the bases, making sure it was easy to understand and read! 

CANNING JAR LID COVERS

I didn't think it would be too difficult to see how to cut and sew this kit, LOL! Use pinking shears to cut around and put the cloth on top of a canned jar of tomatoes and then put the ring on, to hold the fabric down. Cute huh? Handy too!

PINK OWL

One of the criteria of using this fabric site to sell your surface patterns and cut-and-sew kits is that you must purchase a 'test' swatch before the item goes into the public marketplace to sell. I was hoping that the company would change that because sometimes I don't have the money to purchase all of the designs that I want to sell in the marketplace. They are still seen in the marketplace, people can view and request that I purchase a text swatch so that the fabric can be made public for them to purchase. That is fine. 

MY COLLECTIONS

What is really handy and saves money is the option to purchase a collection, a total of 30 designs for a lower price so we can get more of our designs out there for sale! I am working on putting my cut-and-sew kits and 'wall hangings' which are very popular, in collections of 30 so I can buy them. Then they will be for sale in the marketplace!

CHERIE'S FABRIC SHOP

I started sewing when I was in junior high school, I loved it so much! I made culottes, the 'in' thing to wear to school. Really short skirty style shorts actually, and the pattern was so easy! So, I made a bunch of them! Then I made my prom dress, a fur wrap, went on to make a pattern for a chair and it turned out lovely! I made many sewing projects in my life. From blue jean 'butt packs' purses (I swear I started that trend in the seventies) to curtains, dresses and bags, I sewed it!

CHRISTMAS CUT-AND-SEW KITS

Stocking up on the holiday kits right now! You can give these as stocking stuffer gifts, they roll right up real easy! Your do-it-yourself seamstress will love them! Thank you for purchasing from a small woman owned business!

CHRISTMAS CUT-AND-SEW KITS

CHRISTMAS GNOME KIT

Just look at that face! He's so cute and would make a perfect gift for anyone who loves to sew or loves gnomes! Great for the beginner sewist!

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Here's a free gift!