Carry Case

Back to Christmas gifts my niece got a tablet that needed a cover but something that is her style so first I found a hardback book that would fit and took the insides out. Then she gave me the leg of the pants that she made into shorts since she liked that material.

 When I hot glue I make sure it is at least 1/2" from the edge you will see see why later. After it is glued only then do I trim the excess material. Better too big and trim later then cut first and be too short later.

Since it takes so long to go all the way around I use a piece of paper and run the iron on a low setting over the glue to smooth it out. Not too hot.

I glue the inside material in the crease and within 1/2 of the edge. Then because I just do not trust Hot Glue not to harden and release I then sew the edges of the inner cover to the outside. This is why I do not put glue on the edges. While you do have to do this I think it gives it a cleaner edge versus using glue.

On the side the tablet is going to rest on I use tape to mark where the elastic is going to go. Once again here come the ponytail holders. I use hot glue then sew the corners down. To find how far in you need lay the tablet down place the tape around then stretch one elastic on the corner and mark the tape.

Now comes the pouch for the tablet. You could just leave it in the elastic all the time but I do not think it is that secure. Using the same material I did a quilted pouch and the tape makes a good guideline when you have trouble seeing. I wanted the sides open a little so it could breath and so if she wants to use her small laptop instead it would fit.

Here is the finished project I hot glued then sewed the pouch in. I wanted the opening to face the inside so that it cannot slip out. Then using some of the left over material I made an elastic band. Normally I would do a small loop with velcro but since the material stretches it would become distorted too easily.

For most people this is a one day project but since I have to take too many breaks it took about 3 days. This is one of those projects that anyone can do. I have used it for kindles as well as smaller laptops. Just find a hard cover book that fits.

Camera case

Riv received a new camera for Christmas and needed a case. I had some extra material from a project and some batting so did a quick case.

I added batting to protect the camera and decided on a simple diamond pattern. Since my eyesight is not the best I found this the easy way to get the pattern I needed. I just move the tape after each line and perfect diamond shapes.

To act as the closing elastic I used a hair tie sewn to the back and it loops over the top and around a button in front.

You can add a loop to carry it buy but since the camera has one I just let it hang out and use that one. I want to find a Strawberry button to replace the Gold heart I think it would look better.

Refashion weird t-shirt sports bra combo thing

Okay this is one of those weirder shirts it was a combo of a tshirt and a sports bra. the body was dusty pink and the straps were white. Into the dye it went.

First thing was to get rid of those straps and back bra part. Then I saw on Pinterest where they added some shape to the front by ruching so I tried that.

Find the center seam then iron makes it much easier. I used a paper tape it is easier to draw on and does not leave residue. I experimented with distance and found that 3/4 inch was the right distance. Why this sounds obvious make sure that the bigger part of the running stitch is in the back. Even the experienced sewer can make this mistake especially if you are listening to a good song and not paying attention :)

I just bought a new toy a Bejeweler Pro and that heart finishes the front nicely. Well it still needed something so I decided to dress up the sleeves.

I tried freehand drawing but really suck so I printed the pattern I wanted and learned something. If the design is too close in some areas you cannot put the stones down. Also while it is not hard it is time consuming and stress full if falling a pattern because you have to stay steady and with my back problems I could only do a little then lay down so it took me even longer. In addition I have read that it is best to really push the stone down with something to force the glue into the material. Just to be on the safe side I put a piece of paper over the top and ran an iron over the whole thing to make sure I got everything.

Shirt came out pretty good and survived washing and drying with no problems.

Riv said it would look even better with a good bra that is going to be one of my projects

Refashion shirt to jacket

We all have that shirt that just does not fit comfortably or is not in style anymore. So we decided instead of throwing it out to try something with it. What did we have to lose.
First thing was to dye it because the white was dingy. I used Maroon because of the florals and it did not turn out bad.

Because it was a little snug we decided for an open look. When you have to cut a T-shirt I found ironing the edge you are going to cut makes for a better cut. since the neck had a weird trim I folded that in.

Again before sewing iron your edge it helps to keep the material straight without any weird stretching and you can see if there are going to be any problems like the corner that needed to lie flat. I used pinking shears so did not have to worry about the edges.

To dress it up a little I used black rhinestones in the hearts of the flowers to give it a sparkle and added trim to the neckline.

Now its a new top that she can use more often with three different tanks underneath.

Rosie Little Sister with a Big Heart

I have not posted for a while mainly because our New Year did not start well. My sister who is disabled got pneumonia and this time it was bad. She passed away only days before her 48th birthday. She left a large hole in our lives but we know she is happier and no longer in pain. We love and miss you.