Tote Sewing Challenge

We are gearing up for our Fall craft show season.  We don't go crazy with craft shows, but we do have a couple dates on our calendars.  We'll tell you about those dates in just a bit.  So that means that we are should be sewing like crazy.  We've got coin purses, wristlets, totes, pillows and coasters on the brain.  Our sewing rooms are beginning to look like Christmas.  Well, sort of.  That means we've been on the lookout for a new style of tote for our fall season.  We've each made a new pattern, and we would like for you to vote on your favorite.

Tote #1   Fabric: Gray, Beige and Flax Linen (exterior). 

Color Block Tote

It's bigger than you think!

Casual but classy

Tote #2 

Navy Zig Zag

Fabric: Simply Style Navy Blue Zig Zag Ombre by V and Co (exterior). Ombre Dots by Riley Blake (interior).

It's so big, it's almost a skirt! 

Ombre dots on the inside

Today is also the start of our favorite college team's football seasons.  Joy lives in Champaign, IL and is a huge fan of the Fighting Illini at University of Illinois.  Basketball is more the sport of choice for her, and she is suffering through the football season.  Jan lives in Columbus, OH and is a huge fan of The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Jan's household prefers football and suffers through basketball season.  It gets a little dicey when our teams play each other.  Sometimes on our visits to each other's houses, the unsuspecting homeowner will find the opposing team's stickers all over the place.  It's only amusing if you're the one who has hidden the stickers.  hehe

Back to our craft show schedule.  If you would like to see our creations in person, here is our schedule.  We'll post more info on facebook as these dates get closer.

Nov. 1&2 (Jan & Joy)
Chris Cringle
University of Illinois
Champaign, IL

Nov. 30th (Jan)
Not Your Mama's Craft Market
Union County Fair Grounds
Marysville, OH

A Saturday in December (Joy)
Joy's Holiday Open House
Champaign, IL

Take a minute during a commercial break or in between plays and vote for your favorite tote!!!  As always, the voting is anonymous.  We don't know who votes.  So just vote!!

January Sewing Challenge

So we're a day late in posting our January sewing challenge.  We've been a little busy this month.  One of us is working on a RED project.  Can't tell you the details yet, but it will be finished shortly.  Well, in time for Valentine's Day!!!  The other one of us has been busy getting ready to set up a display at a cool local shop that sells things made only in Ohio.  We're happy to report that the display is now up and open for business.

SO.....our January sewing challenge was to make an item out of a pre-cut bundle.  You may say....pre-cut bundle, what's that?  It's a bundle of fabric that's already cut up into different sizes. They're great for making small projects or big projects (like a quilt).  If you use them for quilts, you won't  have to do alot of crazy cutting.

Project #1 is a set of coasters made from the lovely "Little Black Dress" collection by Moda.  These fabrics are just beautiful.  The maker of these fine coasters forgot to take pictures of all the different fabrics, but you can get a glimpse of them here.  There are some masculine prints and some feminine prints, so they would make awesome pillows for your couch.

 

 

Project #2 is a set of beautiful ombre placemats made to look like a paint sample.  Ombre is one of my favorite styles of fabric.  If you're unfamiliar with ombre, it is fabric that has been given a dip-dye effect so the shades of color graduate from light to dark.  It is just beautiful!!  There are 7 placemats in this collection, and they are available for purchase for $50.  If you are interested in them, please let us know.  We can't tell you who made them just yet, but soon we can reveal that secret!

We are very excited about next month's challenge.  We will be making the Weekender Tote by Amy Butler.  It's a little scary and alot exciting.  We need to get really busy on these, because we're taking a trip together to Washington, DC in early March. We both need to have the totes done so we can put them to good use on the trip.