simple Analogy

Diaper Clutch Pattern Giveaway

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Giveaway number two...

On-The-Go Diaper Clutch PDF pattern.

This PDF download sewing pattern will walk you through making a diaper clutch perfect for short outings! Sew up your diaper clutch, slip in a pack of travel size wipes and a few diapers, and you're ready for a short jaunt to the library to pick up books. In the middle of potty training? Throw in a few pull-ups or undies and a pair of pants, and you're ready to pick up the siblings from school. 

If you're dependent on a diaper bag, stay organized by using it to keep all the changing items together and handy. No more digging around in the bottom of the bag for a diaper! Just grab the diaper clutch!


Pattern Information:  20 page PDF download with detailed instructions accompanied by lots of pictures to help you along the way.  Includes instructions for a basic clutch plus four customizable options.

Skill Level: Beginner and up.

Giveaway information:

• To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below telling me who you'd be sewing this diaper clutch for.
• Make sure to leave your email address in the comment so that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner.
• Only one entry per person!  Any duplicate entries will be deleted.
• The giveaway will be open until May 10, 8PM CST.
• A random winner will be notified by email with the pattern attached and announced in a followup post on May 11th.

Good luck!

For those of you who do not win, the On-The-Go Diaper Clutch pattern and completed clutches can be found in my ETSY SHOP.

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For more great giveaways check out all the following giveaway categories on Sew, Mama, Sew:

Sewing and Craft Supplies

Handmade Baby and Kid Items

Handmade for the Home

Handmade Bags

Handmade Accessories

Spring Break Skirt 2013

This years spring break skirt took the long way around.  I chose to do the ruffle skirt first.  All the pieces of the skirt and ruffles were cut out last Friday at craft night, and the plan was to whip it together on Saturday.  Only you saw my snag - serging tension.  This snag reminded me so much of my shirring snag a few years ago.  Saturday was spent in research and testing to no avail.  Monday I unearthed the information that fixed the problem.

The base skirt was made used this tutorial.  I did not even take into consideration that it was a bias skirt which means stretching.  After I serged both the edges and ruffled all those miles for the ruffle, I realized that in order for the skirt to stretch like it needs to the ruffle would have to be sewn onto the skirt using a stretch stitch, which my machine will NOT do.  I have a Brother, and the first thing to go was the zigzag stitch.  Agh!  So yes, another snag.  

On Wednesday, I took all my ruffles to my mom's and used her machine to finish this skirt.  It's done!  It's very feminine.  It's ruffly, but not too poofy.  Just right for Easter.

Serging Hiccups

First things first!  Holly and Karen won the On-The-Go Pattern  giveaway!  The patterns are in your inbox ladies!

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Ok now to hiccups...

I borrowed my mom's serger way back when and dragged it out this weekend.  I even remembered how to thread it, but somehow when I started sewing the tension was just all wrong.  The tension on the back was really loose.  See bottom row of stitching above.  Stop!  Re-thread.  Same results.

Stop!  Search online for serger help.  I didn't know exactly what the problem was, but thought that the tension must be off.  Make It Handmade had a great explanation of serger tension!  From her color coded pictures I learned which stitch was which on my machine:  left and right needles, upper looper, lower looper.  Very helpful when you don't know your business!

Since my loopers were meeting at the edge, it seemed that my left and right needle tension was the problem.  I made small adjustments, tightening the tension a little at a time.  Only by the time the tension was cranked up all the way (which seemed a little fishy anyway) there was still no change in the stitching.  It was all loose and loopy in the back.

After about an hour of adjusting, frustration was setting in.  I stepped away for a while for dinner, then searched online for the manual.  I found it and tried everything it suggested in the tension area.  No results.  I was about to give up until my mom got back in town, but thought I'd finish reading the rest of the manual to see if I could find anything that would help.  On the very last page of the manual (of course!) I came to one little tip under troubleshooting:

Problem: Poor stitch formation  (That's me!)

Cause:  Thread is not wound correctly around tension dials.

Hmmm... I went back to the machine.  Sure enough, I hadn't pulled the thread tight enough around the knobs of the left and right needles.  Pulled them into the tension disks, tested, and success!  See top line of stitching in first picture.  I'm off to the races! 

New Additions

My men had all gone out to play pickleball Friday evening.  I was planning on going with them, but after cleaning house and looking at Saturday's schedule decided to just stay home and relax.  I queued up my favorite podcasts/music and sewed all evening.  It's been a long time since I had that many hours to devote to sewing.  Some may be thinking that sewing doesn't seem all that relaxing, but to me it really is.  Especially when I'm working on something I don't have to be reading a pattern or directions every two minutes!

I've had a few inquiries about plain chevron bags (no arrow, no initial).  I just listed them in the shop for those of you who enjoy the simpler design.  And yes, there's a new color!

A Little Hand Sewing

I was on a real hand sewing kick there for a while.  (here, here, here, and here)  I even bought another Alabama Chanin book with plans to make a dress, but I ran out of steam.

I'm sewing knit binding onto a blanket at the moment.  It's the sort of thing you really don't even have to think about.  Weave the needle up and down, pull, repeat.  One thing that I had forgotten about the beauty of hand sewing is that I can work on it while watching movies with my family.  Sue Thomas F.B.Eye in particular.  Thanks, Mom!  Hope to have pictures of the finished product on Monday.  

Happy weekend!

Calling All Pattern Testers

It took a long time to get this ready, but the pattern for this diaper clutch is ready!  Just need a few people to take a trial run and give me some feedback.  Anyone willing?  If you'd like to be a tester, leave a comment below.  You will receive a free pdf pattern to try out, an updated pattern after revisions are made, and a picture of your version of the clutch and a link to your blog included in a post when the pattern makes its debut.  Thank you in advance for your help!

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You all are fantastic!  Three volunteers are about what I was hoping for, and three volunteers I have!  I am closing comments on this call.

Feathers and Chevron Anyone?

You were probably wondering what I was doing with the feathers and assembly line sewing.  Ta da!

Some really great little chevron bags.  I took part in a Christmas Boutique over the weekend and wanted to offer some little bags.  I made these using the canvas chevron from Hobby Lobby and scraps of knit from my stash.  The appliques were a lot of fun.  Don't really know why I chose feathers and arrows (even Joel asked me that), but I'm loving the feather one best of all!  Just like the whimsy of them.

These little bags are just the right size for a purse, library bag, music bag...

Ok, time to go make the cranberry sauce (recipe for you later today) and stick the apple pie in the oven.  Marie Callender is my best friend today; she helps me out all the time. 

Sneak Peak on Instagram

The boys had a friend over for the whole weekend, so I've been sewing.  And sewing.  And sewing.  Want a sneak peak?  (@simpleanalogy)

For those of you who don't have Instagram on your phone... Good news!  Instagram is now online.  Find me HERE.

A Little Gray and Yellow

Custom orders are not always the easiest thing to do.  But in this case it was a cinch.  A friend of mine asked if I could make her a tote bag like one I had previously made.  She wanted the main color of the bag to be grey and wanted brown handle straps.  Other than that there were no stipulations.  She's really cute and modern, so I figured chevron was the way to go.

I used the Pleated Shoulder Bag by Ali Foster.  I love this pattern!  It's very straightforward and easy to follow, and it goes together pretty quick.  I didn't want to have to fool with matching the chevron on the pleated part (because I was being lazy), so instead used the lining pattern piece for a plain main bag front.  I also made two straps instead of one.  The pattern is very versatile, so making little changes like this is really easy!

Now let's talk fabric - all found at Hobby Lobby.  I wanted something a little heavier than quilting cotton, and this chevron canvas did the trick.  You can also find it in red, yellow, and chartreuse.  The yellow dot was something that just called out to me.  I hadn't really planned on yellow for the lining, but I liked the size of the dots and the random placing.  And to finish it out a very dark brown Kona cotton was just the thing.

At the last minute I added one of my fabric flower pins so that she could jazz it up with a little yellow on the outside.  It was so last minute that I didn't get a picture of it.  You'll have to use your imagination, but let me tell you it was super cute!

I'm jealous.

FUNderwear

Remember that little spider?  Here he is making his big debut... as Spiderman underwear!

Years ago during Dana's Celebrate the Boy, I saw these cute pirate undies.  (I've looked all through the archives and can't seem to find the link to the post.  I think they were included in a roundup if the cobwebs of my brain serve me right, but haven't been able to find them there either.)  I remember being sad that my boys were too old to enjoy something like this, but filed it away just in case my sister ever had a boy.  And she did!  And she has started the potty training process!  Tracy, you don't know how long I've waited for this!!!

She's using the Superhero Potty Time book, so I just had to make my nephew some superhero undies.  Actually I didn't make the underwear - fruit of the loom boxer briefs - but I did applique the superhero emblem onto the bum.

But you can't stop with one pair of underwear!  You must have a whole superhero set...

Green Lantern, Captain America, Superman

Batman, Spiderman, Flash Gordon

The Flash Gordon's are my favorite!

Adorable boys underwear could quite possibly be the silver lining in the awfulness of potty training!

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Linking up at Sugar Bee Crafts