Thursday, September 8, 2011

What I'm Working On



I love this bench that I bought at a shop near by.  But the paint is chipping and peeling.  I wish I would have taken a close up before started working on it.  At first I was just going to scrape off the chipping paint but then I realized it had been painted many times already.  So I decided to strip it.  Wow this has become a bigger job then I planned.  But that usually happens to me.  :-) no turning back now.

I also had UPS at my door yesterday (again) and got some of the fabric I ordered.  Stay tuned to see what I'm up to. 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

First Day of School!


Today is the first day of school for Mya!  But Kinsley still has to wait about a week.  Life is going to be different around here when they are both girls are in school.  It will be just be me and Jens home three days a week.  What will we do?  (Sew Maybe?)  We had fun taking a few pictures this morning.
Happy Monday Tuesday!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Okay so here it is, my tutorial for Lined Drawstring Bags!


I made a bunch of these for Mya's birthday party for the girls from her class.  She is really into Peace signs lately.  I used my Mom's Janome machine to embroider all the girls' names on them too. I think they turned out cute if I do say so myself.  (Just alittle pat on my own back)
Each drawstring bag uses almost a whole fat quarter because I lined them.  But you wouldn't have too. 
The Drawstring bag I made, used half of two fat quarters, so technically you could make two.  :)

To start off pick out your fat quarters that you are going to use.
Once you pic your fabric, I like to iron it into quarters.
I have this get ruler square thing that I like to use, it makes a perfect square 8 x 8 inches.  But any ruler will work of course.  Line it up on the folded corners. 
When you draw the lines on, it should look like this.
Do this to both fat quarters and cut out, you should end up with these pieces.  Perfect for two bags.


 Next I head over to the iron.  I start with the thicker green strips and cut them in half. 
(This is the part where the drawsting will go through.) Also cut the larger pieces in half.  Then iron under about 1/4 inch.  Like this
Next iron the drawstings.  I make it like bias tape even though it's not.  I learned to do it the way from this video on YouTube by The Green Wife. So use the long skinny pieces and I will just show the picture how I ironed them.

Now I over to the sewing machine.  I start by stiching the top of the bag where the drawsting is going to go. 

Next I do the drawsting.

Then go around two sides of the larger pieces.  Both the outside piece and the lining but on the lining make sure you leave an opening so later we can turn the bag right side out.

Head back over to the ironing board to iron the part where the drawstring is going, in half with the wrong sides together.

Now pin you tube to the outside piece of your bag.  Center them on each side.

Now stuff the outside of your bag into the lining, right sides together.
Stitch around the top, taking the pins out as you go.

Then turn the bag rightside out by pulling it through the opening you left in the lining.

Stitch the lining shut, you can do it by hand but for something like this, I just do it on the machine.

Back over to the ironing board just give it a quick press.

Then top stitch the bag. 

Now we just have to thread the drawstings through then your done!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Little Teaser

I am riding in the car right now and decided to tease everyone with a couple of pics.  Hopefully this works...I am doing this on my phone.  I want to jump into doing some tutorials but little nervous about it.  I'm not really sure why buy I just am.  SO for my first one, I decided to do something pretty easy.  I am doing little drawstring bags.  Here are some that I made for Mya's upcoming birthday party.  And I made one for each of my kids.  Mya decided to use hers instead of a pencil box at school.


So watch for my tutorial soon!


Thursday, September 1, 2011

I am Back!

So I was going to give up on blogging because it just didn't seem like it was for me.  But I read some really great blogs that I just felt like I was missing out.  There has been so much that has changed in our lives that I just didn't seem to have time to do this either. 

We MOVED!!!  So that is really exciting.  We are back to the town where I grew up and it's really great.  Only living a couple blocks from the school is a huge plus, no more hour bus rides.  The Kids are loving having other kids around to play with.  They even got to have a lemonade stand this summer.
My husband and my brother started selling grain seed together last fall and that kept us all busy this spring.  One HUGE plus for me is the building they sell seed out of is just a few blocks away.  My Mom and I took over part of the building so that we could have a big sewing/craft room.  I LOVE IT.  I can just leave my stuff that I am working on and the mess is not in my house.  I will have to show you some pics sometime.Harvest is in full swing here and school starts after labor day here.  Mya will be in 3rd grade and Kinsley will be starting headstart; she will be going three full days.  That means it will be just Jens and I home.  That is going to be a big adjustment but I am hoping that means more sewing time too.

Before I forget...jump over to A Lemon Squeezy Home.  She is having Purse Week Sept. 26th - 30th.



  I entered her purse contest, so make sure you vote when it's time.  Don't worry I'll remind you.  Here is the purse I entered.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Time Flies

For being mid April, the weather has been really nice around here.  There are tractors going in the fields everywhere and I LOVE IT!  But one thing about being a stay at home mom and married to a farmer, when he gets busy, it seems like I get busier.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
VeskeByLindsay.etsy.com

I have been trying to keep my Etsy shop updated.  I have almost everything listed that I have recently finished, it's more of a job then people think.  Finishing my bag or flower does not mean I am done.  :)  Then I have to take pictures of them, and crop them and fix the lighting on them with my free slow software.  After that is all finished, I then get to post them on to my Etsy site.  But the hardest part of the process for me is coming up with a description of the bag.  To me the pictures say it all.  You would think that I could just look at the bag and type what I see but I just have this block sometimes.  If I were smart, I would have that all ready before I post them but I am not that organized.  :)  If you know me, you would be nodding your head right now.
I think that should be another goal for me this year, to become more organized.  Now Mom if your reading this, don't fall out of your chair.  :)  If anyone has any good ideas for a completely unorganized person with a small house, 3 children, no closet space, to become organized, I will take all the help I can get!  Nothing hard to keep up though, otherwise I will end up with more stuff to add to my piles.  :)
I will keep you posted on the attempt on becoming organized, it will probably be a really slow process.
Until then, Enjoy Your Veske!
Lindsay