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Blog Giveaway!! New Bob the Builder DVD

Go to this website:

http://twoboysonegirlandacrazymom.com/movie-review-giveaway-bob-the-builder-the-big-dino-dig/

Lots of ways to enter, with an easy to use entry form.  Lots of other giveaways to enter

Great Giveaway of Klutz Making Paper Flowers Book!!.

Go to: http://www.shescribes.com/2011/06/make-fabulous-paper-flowers-with-klutz.html/comment-page-4#comment-92051 to win a fantastic book from klutz on making flowers!!

WIN a $75 Gift Certificate to Zutano

WIN a $75 Gift Certificate to Zutano  They have absolutely awesome clothing for children, newborn to size 4T.


Go to Cincinnati Coupons to enter:  http://bit.ly/iKymFh#giveaway

followers and earrings

I kinda forgot that I offered a pair of my handmade earrings to the first 5 followers of my blog.  Since there are 9 of you faithful followers, I will send all of you a pair of my earrings.   Please contact me with your mailing address, and any earring preferences, colors, size or style, and I will do my best to make you happy.  Please email me at ebayfranstuff AT gmail DOT com with the subject of "earrings"  Thanks!

Denim Surgery

Ok, so I haven't blogged for awhile. I haven't done much lately, except work and sleep. BUT today I did some mending! Altering, actually. I know that doesn't sound REAL exciting, but what I accomplished makes me feel really good. My niece is spending the weekend, and I had saved a few pairs of pants for her I had found. I knew they would be too long, but wasn't sure about the rest of the fit. So she tried them all on, and told me what she liked and didn't like about the fit.

There were 5 pair of pants needing alterations. The first was easy, she just didn't like the pockets to be as deep as they were, so I turned them inside out cut off about 1/2 of the pocket, and sewed it closed. Easy peasy.

The 2nd pair were carpenter pants that were too baggy, but the length was ok. This pair was the most complicated. It helps that my sewing machine, a 1989 Viking 150, will sew through ANYTHING without skipping a beat, jamming or anything else. I have loved this machine since I got it new, 22 years ago. If I was being perfect, I would have removed the waistband, taken the pants in, then shortened and replaced the waistband. I also would have never gotten in done. Instead, I just sewed straight through the waistband, down the side seams, bringing it in so they would fit tight accross her thighs, and then sloping back out so the pants were flared. I also did the same thing to the inseam, starting at the hem of one leg, again creating a flare and then tightening up more drastically from the knee to the crotch, where I tapered out to the edge of the seam again, and then continued down the inseam of the other leg. This was totally unscientific, and I didn't measure or follow any instructions. I did end up taking in the side seams twice, because the first time I didn't take them in enough. Basically I did the side seams, had her try them on, then did the inseam and took more out of the side seams, and she was a happy camper. It may not be a conventional way to alter pants, but hey, the pants were free, so it was worth a try. I had nothing to lose, and some experience to gain. It worked and she is happy.

Number 3 were just too long, so I hemmed them. Not rocket science, just a basic fold over twice and stitch hem. She wanted red thread, so I made 2 rows of stitching so it would show up more.

Number 4 was a pair of capris that were just way too big. So, I did the same thing as with number 2, only more drasticcally. She was so happy she almost squealed, which I guess 11 year olds don't do.

Number 5 again required a hem. I decided to try the technique I have seen tutorials for, where you remover the very bottom of the hem from a pair of jeans, make them the right length, and then sew the bottom of them They turned out really well. Not perfect, but pretty darned good for the first try. I should have taken before and after pictures. Hopefully I can get her to model again and at l will try and at least get some after pictures.

Anyway, I am extremely happy to have gotten a wee bit of experience, and that they all turned out successfully. She's happy because she has 5 pair of pants that fit her the way she likes them to. Happienesssssss

Been a bit behind

I have been a bit behind lately in just about everything, including blogging.  Hopefully I will rememdy that soon.  I am a grandma and I need to make some goodies for that grandbaby. I have been working, and still doing some drawing.  I need to scan and post some of them. I haven't really made any jewelry lately, although I have thought about it alot.  I need to think less and do more!

Green Bag Lady--How to make a bag

Ok, this is the other video I will be using to make some of my grocery bags. I don't put the notch in the bottom, I just sew a gusset, but you can obviously do it any way you want to. She says she usually uses a serger but is showing it with a sewing machine, since she figures that's what most of us are using. I think I need to take my serger into the shop and get it tuned up and start using it again.... I know it will save me alot of time in garment construction!

Quick grocery bag from an old t-shirt

I made 5 grocery bags from t-shirts using this tutorial. Quick and easy, nothing fancy, but the will definitely get the job done at the grocery store. Now I just have to make sure to remember to bring them into the store with me when I go shopping. I plan on keeping them in the car, and on having so many of them I can always have a batch in the car, even if I forget the put some back in. Using the T-shirt to make the bag has the advantage of not needing to hem straps, because they won't fray. I did re-enforce the shoulder seams, since they are cut in the process, which does weaken them. Once you get the hang of it, it only takes a few minutes to make each bag.

I also made a bag out of an old pillowcase, cutting the straps into the top, rather like the whole t-shirt one, I did zig-zag the edges and had to sew the "shoulder seam" in the strap, but you do not have to sew the bottom, only the gussets. The pillow case bag took about twice as long as the t-shirt bags, and I think the t-shirt bags will hold up better, and they look better.

There is also another video I will in another post for making a tote bag out of 2 18 inch squres of fabric, and then a couple of pieces for straps you sew on seperately, by the green bag lady. I have 5 yards of some really cool canvas type fabric I think I am going to use for this. This pattern is also constructed simply, no lining, just zig-zaging seams (unless you have a serger). The idea is to get yourself a quantity of grocery bags, and get the DONE so they get USED. Once I have a couple of dozen simple ones, maybe I will worry about making some fancier ones. Probably not, but maybe....