Custom Backpack Design

So, school starts tomorrow and I decided to wait until Sunday night to start making new backpacks for Little Miss and Little Sir.  Little Sir’s backpack is going to have a Star Wars stencil.  I found this image by googling and I don’t have a direct link because, while the picture showed up in the results, it was not on the page listed anymore.  I did a copy and paste (ahem, I’m claiming personal use).
Here it is all cut out of freezer paper and ironed on.  I really like stenciling nice smooth fabric, so much easier than a pre-sewn item.All finished, I did have to do two layers of white paint and the edges did bleed a little in places, they always do when you have to go back over it.  I love the results and I can wait to start sewing (it needed to dry completely before I start sewing, no smudges).
I am making simple string backpacks for both of them, but I am adding a few extra details to make them a bit nicer than the store bought ones.  Come back Wednesday and see the finished backpacks! 

More Organizing in Progress

I know that I’ve already talked about cleaning and organizing this week, but this is all I have been working on.  When I get in the de-cluttering mood I have to go with it and so this is what I’ve been working on for days.
In all the clutter there was a lot more organization than you would expect, it’s kind of weird in a way that makes me wonder if I should be seeing a therapist.The shelves will need to be worked over in the near future, but stuff is somewhat organized and easy to find.  Done is better than perfect and in this case getting things sorted and onto the shelves is much better than spending all night organizing one or two totes.
In the middle of the cleaning I found 4 pairs of knee socks to make leg warmers for Little Miss.
The sewing area was so neat and tidy it only took me 10 minutes to sew them up.  One less pile to take up space.  That pile and bag on the lower right is recycling, so it will be gone soon.
There is only one problem area left…
It’s not as bad as it looks, really, it’s been partially sorted.  I expect to finish this up tonight.  One of the reasons cleaning has gone so well this time is I have a new plan.  Upstairs we had an unused room that has become my photo studio.  I can leave my light box and backgrounds up all the time, making it easier to take product photos.  It is also where I am storing all my finished pieces, my craft show displays, and shipping supplies.  Removing all of that stuff from the craft room really cleared a lot of space.
Next I need to tackle the basement.  My husband has been working really hard to get his stuff in order down there, so it’s already half finished.  My reward will be finding all the fabric that I KNOW is down there, just waited to be sewn.

Organized – Labeling Boxes

I spent some time yesterday doing some long overdue cleaning.  Mostly I sorted and filed away all of my patterns.  I had plenty of boxes, I just needed to take the time to sort them out by company and put them in numerical order. 
Today I want to share how I label my boxes.  I used to use a marker to label them, when I got a little more organized I would type up label and stick them on, now I number them.  It is very hard to see in this picture, but there are numbers in the upper right corners of every box.On the bottom left is my master list, each number is labeled with what is in the corresponding box.  My favorite part of labeling boxes this way is if you change what’s in the boxes you don’t need to re-label them, you just edit your master list!  Another bonus is that, if your list is put away, no one knows what is in you boxes, perfect for hiding presents!
I also made some back to school stuff for the kids, the big project was these graffiti style shoes.They are both excited to wear them and I am delighted that they came out so cute.  I followed the Graffiti Shoe tutorial from LilBlueBoo.  When I randomly painted the bright colors on over the white I have to admit I thought I had ruined two perfectly good pairs of plain shoes, but they came out great in the end.
I have several more projects that I want to work on, but if I’m still in cleaning mode I’m definitely going to go with that!  One week until school starts, oh my!

Friday Favorites

Here are some of my current favorites, click on the pictures to be taken directly to the etsy listing.
I realized this week that summer vacation is almost over, it has gone by fast and it seems like all of my big plans were wasted and left undone.  I am madly crafting for back to school, I have big dreams of painted shoes, new back packs, and unique cloths.  We’ll see how productive I can really be.

 Have a super crafty weekend!!!

It’s Hot

Yeah, I know it’s August, but really it seems like it’s hotter than usual.  I have been working on this project all weekend, but I can only stand to be outside about 30 minutes and then I have to come in and cool off.  I’m glad I don’t HAVE to be out in this weather, I don’t do well with hot (but who does?).  Anyway, one down…