sewing project: pencil bag.

365.235: the seemingly non-existant pencil bagOne of the items on my son’s [pre-kindergarten] school supply list was a “10.5” x 5.5″ natural canvas pencil bag” and the only place I could find one was a supply distributor online. Since school starts TOMORROW (commence internal freak-out), I decided to just make one, yesterday. I was going to wing it and make a regular zippered pouch, but I ran across this tutorial and simply adjusted the fabric dimensions. So, now, instead of a 10.5″ x 5.5″ pencil bag, Nathan has a 6″ x 11″ bag. And that should be enough!


Tomorrow at 7:50ish, I’ll probably be shedding a few tears as I say goodbye to Nate for 3 hours. It isn’t really the separation that’s getting me, but the simple fact that he’s no longer a toddler. He’s a boy, now! A new chapter is beginning in our lives. It’s bittersweet, really.

dinero: a coin purse

I made this back in September, I believe. I am rearranging my craft area and I came across a tote bag and this was in it! no, there wasn’t any money in it, just my tiny sansa clip mp3 player. I should take up cross-stitching again.

the yellow fabric is, I believe, linen. It came form a set of a napkins I thrifted.

starting a hex quilt

Thanks to all the awesome photos in the English Paper-Piecing Flickr group, I started a hexagon quilt on Sunday. I bought a set of coordinating fat quarters (there were a lot, in a cute little tin) and decided on a cute pattern to put them in. I’m using freezer paper to stick my hexagons to my fabric. I’ve attached seven together so far. I got antsy and just sewed up my 7 lonely hexagons. I’ll make more later this week and perhaps photograph my progress.

I still haven’t finished the dodecahedron I started weeks ago. Using worsted weight yarn with small needles really makes my hands ache, so I’m giving it a rest for a while. This hand-sewing is fun. I hope I can finish it and not get unmotivated after a few days. I need to make a lot of hexagons, so that I get to a point where there’s no lookin’ back.

it’s been a while

Forgive me for my absence! I had a lot going on. I made 27–27!!– little rice packs as thank yous for the attendees of my baby shower. no, there were not 27 people there, but I made extras, just in case. Those took about 3 separate evenings to make. they were little 3″ x 6″ rectangular packs. I think everyone liked ’em.

Since then, the household has been a little on edge preparing for our new arrival. I’m currently 37 weeks pregnant! full-term! huzzah! I finished the ripple blanket for my baby and a poofy girly blanket for my cousin’s fetus. I also finished preparing the birth announcements (I made a layout in photoshop and just need photo/s and info; I also made the envelopes), but I’m not quite sure they’re done FOR SURE. I’m being really weird about them for some reason. they look fine as is, but something in my brain says “keep working on them!” maybe a stamp or something will bring it all together.

This brings me to today. While the husband went to a meeting with a prospective employer, I put on a movie for the toddler and went to town making a pair of cloth baby shoes using the Stardust shoes pattern. They were a pain in the butt to make (mainly attaching the back to the sole) but I think they’re ADORABLE!

tiny cloth shoes

Itty Bitty Owl



little pink owl
Originally uploaded by yarnattacks.


I used this “tutowlrial”.

it took about 10 minutes to make. the longest part was cutting the pieces because there’s no pattern, so you kind of have to fudge it. I omitted the base because I’m lazy. I also didn’t want to look for any cardboard.
she measures about an inch and a half from top to bottom. so tiny and cute! I have had this tutorial sitting in my bookmarks for months! I started one out of felt, but then forgot about it and now I can’t find said felt, so I just made this out of some scrap fabric. I wish I had better fabric to make cuter ones. they’d be such an adorable little mobile!