Q&A's with Spring Trunk Show Participant Michelle Easton

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part two of a series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
Everyday Photographic Images on mailable cards, square mini cards, bookmarks and matted 5x7 images.

What do you enjoy about photography?
The creative process and challenge of trying to get what is in my head out on paper. Sometimes it's just about being able to capture, forever, a certain way something looked and felt.

Do you have a favorite tool, tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
A tripod. Without mine nothing turns out exactly right.

What do you listen to while making?
My mind is buzzing with the process (both while shooting and processing)... I wouldn't notice music even if I put it on.

What are your favourite colours right now?
Vintage, washed out colours.

What’s your website/etsy/flickr address:
www.flickr.com/photos/crayonjazz

Q&A’s with Spring Trunk Show Participant Georgi Pearson (er, that's me!)

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part one of a series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
I sew lots of stuff – bags, totes, purses, aprons, baby clothes and accessories, skirts and I’ve done a few wedding dresses – no bridezillas though! My trunk will have a variety of cotton and linen sewn goods, including belts, wrap skirts, wristlets, small clasp purses, hankies (remember those?) and possibly some up-cycled women’s p.j. pants made from vintage sheets – time permitting!

What do you enjoy about sewing?
Seeing the final product. In fact, I’m very guilty of sewing along like a maniac without checking my work, only to discover I’ve sewn something upside down or backwards. I also really enjoying giving what I make away – I have really appreciative friends and family.

Do you have a favorite tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
I have a few tools that are handy – a pair of tailor’s scissors on an elastic around my neck at all times, a ruler along the front edge of my sewing table for quick and easy measuring, a 20 pound roll of 36” tracing paper for pattern making…

What do you listen to while making?
Unfortunately the hum of my industrial sewing machine is fairly good at drowning out Jian Ghomeshi. so often I listen to myself thinking - and cursing once in a while.

What are your favourite colours right now?
Brown and aqua.

Where else and when else can we find your work?
At Christmas time I’m easiest to find at the Littlest Art and Craft Fair and the Fireweed Community Market Society Christmas Sale. I have some canvas buckets at Knit Now on 3rd Avenue and sell out of my home downtown. The Spring Trunk Sale is a great non-Christmas opportunity to offer my sewn goods to the public.

Favourite blog/website: makesomething.ca

Skirts for the Spring Trunk Show, April 26th at the Chocolate Claim

For a better view see here.

Anna's Belt

My sister in law (that's fun to say, she's my first and only sister!) came back from holidays in Winnipeg last year with the cutest fabric belt. I've finally managed to find D-rings and try making some of my own Anna Belts. They're really nice, another great way to wear fun fabric patterns - a quest I'm always on. I just made one for our good friend DH for his birthday with faux bois fabric (I'll have to get a photo!). I'm making a bunch for the Spring Trunk Show which will now be on April 26th at the Chocolate Claim from 10am to 4pm - hope you can come!
I'll try to paraphrase how I made these - I did experiment with different widths until I got it right. Another thing to be aware of, if you're buying D-rings online (i.e. sight unseen), just wait 'til they arrive before cutting fabric! Different companies measure D-rings differently, some from the outside of the ring, and some from the inside. So here is my first mini-tutorial:
1. Fabric: Measure the inside of the D-ring, multiply this by 2 and add 1/2 an inch. That is the width of your strip of fabric when using 1/4 inch seam allowance, the length could be 45 to 48 inches, your choice. My D-ring was 1 3/4 inches, my fabric strip therefore was 4 inches.
2. Interfacing: Cut a piece of fusible interfacing - use the fusible fleece interfacing, a fairly stiff/thick interfacing that irons on. The width of mine was 1 and 5/8 inches; roughly an 1/8 inch narrower than the finished belt width. Cut it the same length as the belt fabric.
3. Ironing: Iron the fabric in half, lengthwise, wrong sides together. Open this fold and press a 1/2" hem at one end. Align the fusible interfacing, fusible side down along the crease lines at the end and along the length. Fold over the fabric, making a sandwich and press. Open up and press the long edge hem over the non-fusible side of the interfacing, should be a healthy 1/4 inch. Flip belt over and press the other long edge over the whole belt, then open up the belt and tuck the hem in and press one more time. (ok, sorry, I really should have some photos shouldn't I?!).
4. Sew across the hemmed edges starting at the belt end, turn and go down the long edge. Choose a matching thread colour if possible. The other end of the belt is raw edges.
5. Sew topstitching lines down the length of the belt 1/2 inch in from the edges or at whichever intervals you choose, I suppose you could even sew abstract wiggle lines up and down the belt... I'll have to try that!
6. Serge (or zig zag) the raw end of the belt, turn under 1/4 inch, thread D-rings and sew in D-rings, maybe with a 3/4 or 1 inch over lap of belt fabric. I try to sew as close to the D-rings as possible and then a second seam along the tab end so it doesn't stick up too much.
Finished!
Disclaimer - those width measurements may or may not work for you, I'm not a precision sewer like most quilter sewers out there are! And now that you've waded your way through that, here is a good tutorial for a similar belt.

Bend the Rules Sewing Swap

I joined another swap! For this one I had to make a Charming Handbag from the Bend the Rules Sewing book. I included some home made bias tape, made using a super fun bias tape maker. I hate sewing bias tape but making it sure is fun! I also included a little jewelry pouch with one of Lara's sticky beads inside. My swap bag is headed to Gabriola Island, BC. I'm not sure who is making me one but they have to be in the mail by March 31st. I was uncharacteristically ahead of the game and mailed mine on Monday! A phenomenon of the internet and craft books nowadays is that people that buy the books create Groups on Flickr where we post photos of our projects, for example the Bend the Rules Sewing group here. This is a great way to see how the projects turn out and to get ispired to make them. People also swap tips and hints for the patterns.
I've made these little Charming Handbags before, here, here, and here.

Birthday Shirt

 

Happy Birthday to our little man. Time sure flies! This was a last minute idea (like most of my birthday present ideas seem to be, last minute and late!). This font is great fun, it's called Joint by Pizza Dude. We had a lovely birthday brunch, more girls than boys and no cake at the birthday boy's request.

Thanks Mom

I am one of those lucky children of the seventies whose Mom saved LOTS of things. Some I don't even remember and secretly think that she hid these toys away so we wouldn't wreck them! Like this snow mobile for example. I don't really remember it but judging by the wear, it must have been my brother's and he probably loved it and I probably wasn't much interested. The blue and yellow doll house with the ringing door bell however, now that I remember! The snowmobile was accompanied by the "Snow" book by Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman, 1962. It is from the Cat in the Hat beginner reader series. My mom was a primary school teacher until my brother and I came along and I now realize why we had all these great books! This Snow book has been very popular since Mom sent it and inspired my little guy to stick his tongue out to taste snowflakes. So for all you folks celebrating Spring - we're trying to make the best of our snow, since it will be here for at least another month - Happy First Day of Spring!

Birthday Bunting

Our little guy turns 3 this Sunday and we're having a brunch party! No cake (his request!) but we do have treats for each friend to take home. Instead of a loot bag I usually (ok, this is only the second party we've had, I know!) make something. Last year it was a Kidlet wall pocket from jcasa jcasa. Poor Finn didn't even end up with one (I mis-counted!). They are great - especially for door knobs to put pj's or toys or books in, er... or so I've heard...! This year it's a little strip of bunting flags as seen on here on Sew Mama Sew. I'm always looking for fun ways to decorate Finn's room and this seemed like a good idea. It can also be used to decorate a play room, a tent or a fort - or the garden, if spring ever comes!
Here are last year's Kidlet's - just because I really loved the photo!

The Wrap Skirts

I've been having a great time with these cotton/linen skirts and coordinating Denyse Schmidt prints and a bit of Heather Bailey print too! They're really fun to wear (the brown one is already wrinkled in the photo since I couldn't resist wearing right away!). The plan is to make a bunch in 3 sizes for The Mother's Day Trunk Sale that we're going to have on May 2nd. Ever since I saw The Workroom's trunk shows I've been wanting to have one of our own! So over the next few months there will be a few projects here that will go towards that Sale.

The Handmade Toy Swap

A few weeks ago I joined a Toy Swap! Bird and Little Bird organized to bring awareness to new legislation that could potentially make life difficult in the US for handmade toy makers (law makers response to hazardous toy materials coming out of China). Annie invited people to make a toy and send it to their swap partner. As it turned out, Annie was my partner, and vice versa. She sent me this lovely Blue Fox from sunny California and I sent her this sunny yellow house with front flower bed that can't wait to be in it's new warmer climate! I've seen swaps on line before and have always wanted to do one (I've since signed up for 2 more, stay tuned!). It was a lot of fun as it also involves sharing photos of the construction process and final product on a Flickr group. A great way to get new sewing ideas or just to get inspired. Thanks Annie for a great first swap experience!