A Teddy Bear Picinic

Ever want to make plush toys? I have for many years. Being an anime fan of the mid to late nineties and a girl, I wanted ALL THE PLUSHIES. My favorite anime, you may or may not know, is Sailor Moon and one day I will make the whole crew! That will be some feat seeing as I want to make the villians as well. But before I tackle that, I thought I would start off with something a little more basic.

The humble teddy bear.

This pattern is by Joy Kelley. The pattern and tutorial is on her blog HowJoyful. I warn you, if you are not very skilled in sewing or not adventurous, maybe sit this one out. (Read my blog post by all means! Heck, check out her's too! But maybe don't attempt something that may be too advanced for you. Of course... I didn't follow this advice, so it is up to you to decide whether you think you can attempt it or not.)

I have made two of these bears and I do intend to make more. My first was a large pink felt bear whose seams don't quite match. I went with her exact pattern and seam allowance. This gave me a bear WAY larger than I bargained for. I don't know what happened, but if you are looking for a bear that is larger than your typical bear, then have at it!

My second attempt was using this same pattern, however, I reprinted the pattern at 75% and added seam allowance as instructed. This bear is a more standard teddy size. He is made of two different flannel fabrics. This makes for a soft and cuddly bear.

The pieces in this pattern line up very nicely, just be sure to mark all of your notches as specified on the pattern. She also talks about sewing the whole front and back sides before sewing the arms and legs together. I feel that the arms and legs should be sewn together before they are sewn to the body. This should make it line up better. 

Of course, there is the point where I am just a humble house wife and mother who knows very little about technical sewing... so maybe being more experienced in this department would have given me that clue before I even started. 

I want to make more of these bears. My next attempt will be of the 75% pattern without the added seam allowance. Perhaps this time I will actually make a face for the poor dear. As it is, neither bear has a face, but Isaac is just happy he has a bear, so I don't know if I will attempt it with this hypothetical bear or not. Only time will tell. I had a thought to make a bear out of his old onesies he can't fit into, we shall see if I can pull it off or not.

If this is your first time reading one of my blog posts, please, stay! Read up on my misadventures in crafting! Hopefully I have given you some kind of joy as you travel through my past projects. Maybe I haven't been thorough enough for you. Tell me! Right here, or through Facebook. I am always looking to improve and I can't do that until I know what needs to change.

This Purse is a Cinch! Lol

While this bag wasn't the first bag I ever made, this is the first drawstring pattern that I had ever followed. It is also one of the reasons I enjoy making bags. The Cinch Top Tote by Shabby Fabrics on YouTube is a tutorial rather than just a pattern. I found this pattern to be super easy to cut out and make.

The entire pattern is made of nothing but different sized rectangles. Jennifer, our hostess, goes through how to cut and interface each piece. This bag is one I would highly recommend for a beginner. No zippers and fusible fleece is used for the stabilizer, making this bag an easy starter bag. The drawstring is the trickiest part in my opinion.

I didn't add anything to this pattern when I made all of the bags I have from it. I did misunderstand the instructions the first time. Though I don't even know what it was that I did wrong. (Well... wrong is relative. It isn't necessarily wrong, so much as it is not constructed as per her instruction.) I put the cover piece on wrong for the first bag, but every bag I made since the prototype has had the correct construction.

If I were to come up with any ideas as to how to change up this pattern, I would say of course you could always alter the size. But even better, pockets are always a great addition. I have also thought about putting in a very simple loop to clip your keys to. I also used paracord rather than making the drawstring. Then there is also the thought of changing the interfacing.

As I mentioned earlier, the original bag calls for fusible fleece, but if you were to use insulated fleece, you could make it into a cooler sack. I haven't tested this theory though. I worry that maybe you wouldn't be able to fully insulate the bag. But perhaps you could use foam if you wanted a bag that would be sturdy. In my opinion though, it doesn't need it. The fusible fleece seems to be enough to make it stand alone, but it by no means will be stiff. I do recommend you interface the handles to keep them flat, other wise regular use will cause the handles to wrinkle. Though, if you are short on SF101 and don't mind wrinkly handles, then by all means.

I have used these bags as my personal purses and also as project bags. I have been able to fit upwards of four regular sized skeins of yarn in one purse! If I need a new project bag, this is the first pattern I turn to. I have sold a few as well. It is a fun sew and if you want something simple and a tiny challenge at the end, give this one a try!

Thank you for reaching the end of my thoughts! I write reviews like this and post them here every Friday! Please, enjoy your stay and comment below how I can make this blog better! 

Back Packs or Book Bags?

This year, before school started, I saw a pattern for a back pack (or book bag if you prefer, I will probably interchange the terms throughout). I had longed to make book bags for my children for many a year, and Joann Fabrics helped me to fulfill that dream with their wonderful pattern. 

The pattern I went with (seeing as the pattern has three different styles to choose from...) was the Hey Arnold Bag. I feel as though this was not as thorough a tutorial as some of the others I have followed. If you have never worked with bags and zippers or never interfaced with foam before, maybe make a little something smaller first. 

This is a fun pattern, don't get me wrong. And I did learn a bit of things that I had never done before. I have never worked with webbing before these back packs. I didn't buy any new webbing, I just used some webbing that came with one of my youngest son's toys.

I feel as though this pattern would have been better with a more concise tutorial. It does have one, but it could be more informative. I had to improvise on the straps. Though it is entirely possible that I had to improvise because I didn't have enough foam interfacing at the right size. The strap sides are covered using bias tape (well... it isn't on the bias actually, seeing as there aren't any curves on the straps.) that I made myself using fabric left from my cuttings, as you can see.

Once again this is a pattern that can be changed up. I wanted to add a divider to the Star Wars bag. But with the way that the inside is constructed (which I also had to improvise) I couldn't make it work. I do want to try this again sometime, but I, at the current moment, don't have the know how to make that portion work. 

I tried to construct the inside lining as a birthable bag, rather than a drop in lining. If I would have made the lining the way they suggested it would have been very hard to keep from hand stitching the zipper panel to the inside lining. Of course, this is because I also improvised on the way I made the zipper panel. 

I constructed the zipper panels the same way I would make an inserted zipper pocket. In this way I didn't have to hand sew the lining to the zipper, but it did cause the problem that made it so I couldn't make the divider as previously mentioned. The next time I make this bag, I think I will be doing the zipper differently. You could also add pockets to the inside, though this is something I didn't do either.

As I said before, I do plan on making this back pack again, though it may be a few years. There is of course the possibility that I will make new bags for my oldest two children next year. Zack was super excited about The Child being on his bag and squealed at delight from seeing it! Kara was likewise excited to see Frozen fabric for hers.

I would recommend that if you make this pattern yourself, that you cut the sides slightly larger. You might make it a little longer for an older child. The pattern as is was perfect for my seven year old, but it may be a little small for my twelve year old son. Junior high school does constitute needing more space for books.

Thank you once again for reading through my ramblings. They aren't always helpful, I am sure, but perhaps I am at least fun to read. Lol Enjoy your stay here at Crafts By Adrie and remember to leave your comments here, or message me on Face Book. See you again next Friday!

Speaking of Diaper Bags...

This diaper bag pattern comes from Vikki Lee Bags on YouTube. It is a free tutorial and is quite thorough. Once again I have made this pattern a few times, three to be exact. Sadly I was not able to find any pictures of the second bag, but I have a fair amount for the other two.

Firstly, let me talk a little bit about the pattern itself. It is a fairly sizable tote, with two zipper pockets inserted and a large zipper panel. 

I feel the zipper panel makes it look rather professional myself. She recommends a jacket zipper because it separates. I would agree, this allows you to fully open your bag should you ever feel the need to do so. To add to the multitude of pockets there are two inside and two outside small side elasticated pockets. Perfect for bottles of any kind. I put my drinks in there because my son uses a sippy. Then there are also the large inside elasticated pockets. I use these to transport the actual diapers, but you could use yours for a myriad of other reasons. I used the camo one for a project tote. The polka dot one is currently in use as my diaper bag for my youngest son.

I found the elasticated pockets to be the hardest part of the whole pattern. Maybe it is just the fact that I personally have not worked with elastic all that much... Once you have those pockets figured out though, they make for wonderful storage! Remember, just because it is billed as a "diaper bag" doesn't mean it has to be used only and solely for a baby. I kept a whole afghan and it's pieces in the camo one. I was able to fit the entire finished afghan in it as well as the bits and bobs to work on it. Also having the separate pockets meant I could keep my hooks and scissors off of the project. No holes in my afghans unless I meant for there to be! Lol 

The first of my diaper bags was made with light canvas material and solid cotton for the lining. This bag in particular has very little structure due to using fusible fleece for the stabilizer (not that there is anything particularly wrong with that). Just that the foam I used for the second and third bags made more stable bags that stand on their own with out anything in them. This first bag can't. It still works well, but the structure of the other two bags is much better.

I warn you, however, if you have never worked with foam before this not a project I would start with (I did and I am not nearly as proud of that bag). My preference has come to be the cheaper sew in foam. I made back packs for my two oldest kids this year, both bags used the fusible foam. I feel as though the fusible kind wrinkles the fabric and doesn't stick very well. When you use the sew in kind, you have to cut back your seam allowances to reduce the bulk. I would also size my foam to the same size I intend to stabilize. In this way you are guaranteed to catch the foam in the seams and then cut down the foam after. 

Over all I have learned a lot from this pattern. The zipper panel and the elasticated pockets being something I had never done before. In fact, it may have been the first time I inserted a zipper as well! This tutorial assumes you know very little about sewing and that was quite helpful indeed! She teaches you how to make the handles and everything.

Thank you for reading more of my ramblings and I hope this helped you in what ever reason you may have found my blog. Please, enjoy the other posts and leave me comments! I want your thoughts about how I suck and what I can do to improve! Follow me here on my blog for more crafting blogs every Friday!

The First NCW

I have made a couple of wallets in my relatively short time of sewing. Quite a few small change purses as well. A fair few purses and three diaper bags to round it out. So to be quite honest, I don't know near enough about sewing to give a scholarly review. I am, after all, self taught. But this....

The Necessary Clutch Wallet is a gorgeous pattern by Emmaline Bags. You do need to purchase this pattern, and by no means is this a tutorial of this pattern. This, as is with all of my posts, a review of sorts. A critique and how I changed things for my own bag, if you will. You can find the pattern for this bag and many more at their website and following this link.

If you are worried about printing out a pattern, never fear! Not only is there a physical copy you can buy, but you can also purchase acrylic templates. But even if you don't go with the physical pattern or templates, this pattern only calls for a small amount of pages to be printed, the rest can be read at your leisure from a tablet, phone or other device.

The NCW pattern is insanely versatile and extremely customizable! Clearly there is a reason for all of the hype for this pattern, and I am late to the party! There are tons of blogs, videos, web pages and forum posts for this pattern alone! The pattern comes with an optional trim piece pattern of which I made for my NCW. 

I love the feeling and size of this wallet! I prefer my paper money to be unfolded, so long wallets are my favorite type. I used a magnetic clasp rather than a turn clasp because this is what I had at the time and I wanted to make this wallet with out spending a bunch of money. I had to buy more stabilizer to make it though.... lol 

For those that are curious about the stabilizers I used, SF101 is fused on to almost every piece and the main wallet as well as the flap have two layers of DecorBond 809. I highly recommend watching Lauren Mormino on Youtube if you have problems with deciding which stabilizer to use. She helped me to decide for my wallet. You can check out one of her tutorials here.

The fabric that I chose here is Link from the Legend of Zelda series of games. The trim and backing of the wallet is my favorite accent fabric. I have a purse that I used the polka dots on for trim, a diaper bag for my youngest son uses it as the main fabric, a hair bow and a scrunchie to name a few things that I have made with it. (Do you believe it is my favorite fabric now? lol)

Opening the wallet we find my card pockets. As a reminder to myself, BE WARY OF YOUR SEAM ALLOWENCE! I cut it a little too close on one side of the card pocket, so now I can't get cards to fit properly on that side. Clearly I need to make another one of these wallets so that I can do card slots better. WINK WINK. Lol Upon careful study of my wallet I realized where I went wrong with the card pockets. I should have left the sides open, rather than make a seam and turn it right side out. Doing this is what made my pockets JUST too short in some places. Be sure to NOT do this! Feel free to baste the sides together, as this is what I will be doing next time I make it.

I chose for my fabric the music notes because Ocarina of Time is my favorite Zelda game and one of the prominent features of the game (In fact you can't beat the game without it!) is music. You need to play the ocarina for several different reasons in this game in particular.

For my zipper pocket, I chose to go with the directions of the pattern. I could have gone with two zippers, though after I thought about it, I realized I personally might not use that extra zipper that is all the rage. It turned out to be probably my best zipper pocket to date! Inserting the pocket was a little more of a chore.

Many people use rivets to hold the zipper pocket. I opted to use my sewing machine, as at the moment my husband and I can not find the rivets. Make do with what you have I suppose. I should warn you though, the rivets would have been preferred. I had to rip the seams for at least two of the four connections for not having the pocket inserted deeply enough. I would also like to stress that sewing the flaps down over the card pockets first does make for a cleaner finish.

The fabric of the zipper pocket is the same as the inside of the wallet, Legend of Zelda Wind Waker. Though I am not that found of the art style for the game itself, this fabric makes it look more like stained glass, and that I can get behind! Inside the zipper pocket you will find another fabric, this time a different set of musical notes. I didn't have enough of the other, sadly.

Over all I would most certainly recommend sewing this wallet for yourself. The price point for the pattern is certainly affordable and again the small amount of pages to print makes me a happy lady to say the least! I do plan on making another one at some point, perhaps this time with some Harry Potter fabric! Or it could be interesting as a scrap piece. I just might have to make it for this blog!

Remember to leave your comments below and I will answer them to the best of my ability. If you are seeking a wallet for your own made by me, feel free to message me on Facebook and we will talk shop! Much love to my readers and those that support me in other ways! Also, let me know if there is a specific pattern you would like me to try out for this blog. I am always open to your thoughts! 

The Autumn Log Cabin Throw

This little gem comes to us via Red Heart/Yarnspirations. You can find the free pattern from their website right here: The Autumn Log Cabin Throw. I have made this pattern three times. And I would highly suggest you give it a shot if you have a good grasp on more advanced stitches. I would not recommend this as your first pattern. I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarns as much as possible for all three of these afghans. As the pattern was first released in 2009 (at least as best as I could find) I was working on this first attempt when the pattern was fairly new.

My first foray into this pattern was using as many of the colors that they asked for as I could. I did have to compromise on a few colors. By the time I was constructing this afghan some of the colors had been discontinued. I do believe it was fleck (I think it was called Fiesta) that was discontinued and perhaps the red maybe the orange. I was able to find colors that were close enough at the time.

Upon looking up the pattern, it seems that they have updated the pattern as recent as 2019. Though I can not confirm when it was that they updated the colorway, it is always possible that there was errors in the pattern itself. While the website may be out of stock on a few of the colors, you should be able to find them elsewhere.  They are fairly standard colors found at your local Walmart or craft store such as Joann Fabrics or Michaels.

I can not remember unfortunately what colors I used as this has been over ten years ago. I do however remember the size hook I used. It was an L 8 mm from Susan Bates, the bamboo handled kind. I don't really think the hook company is that important to note, but for those that are curious... I have you covered my friend!

I did have a little trouble with this particular one, if memory serves. However, I will say this was probably the first afghan I made with so many colors, so that may have colored my opinion at the time. No pun intended. (of course I intended it!! Most puns come about because of intent in my experience.) 

I constructed this afghan one square at a time and it felt like it took me FOREVER to finish. Again, this was likely the first afghan with so many colors that I ever made, so bias. (Lol, sewing pun).  

This one has garnered a TON of attention. I posted it on a couple of crochet pages on Face Book and the reactions exploded!! I am not even entirely sure why... Maybe the colors I chose?

Once again I don't remember the EXACT colors I used here, but I do believe some of these colors are discontinued as well unfortunately. I am reasonably certain you can still find the variegated blue that I used and obviously black... But I want to say Dove and Periwinkle are discontinued. (Incase you are unaware, Dove is the variegated grey.)

Once again I used my trusty L 8mm by Susan Bates. Not sponsored, but I am willing to shill for the company as I ADORE these hooks!

This afghan was constructed one COLOR at a time. I finished it much faster this way! I highly suggest you do the same. It helps to work this way as it also helps you remember the pattern for each "L" section of the cabin. It is also quite fun to watch the pile grow "L" by "L".   

I made this one for my dad and step-mom. Their favorite colors are green and purple. Strangely, long before I had anything to do with my step-mom, purple and green were my favorite colors and continue to be as of at least this post. Most likely still afterward.

Mulberry was the center if I remember correctly, and I believe I used lilac as well. Spring green, grass green and forest green I believe are the greens. Buff was used to connect it all. I do hope to be able to find out what colors I used in the future for this blog and future projects. Not just for my own sake but posterity, you know?

My trusty rusty L 8mm was used for this afghan as well. And indeed, though it has been 10 years or more since I first worked on the first of theses afghans, if you hold the three up together they are the same size. I pride myself on my tension.

Once again the construction method was one color at a time. Perhaps it is because I had made it twice before, but I feel as though this one came together the fastest. Streamlining the process as much as possible really does help and can not be said enough. The other perk is that you can buy a couple colors at a time if you are on a budget like myself. I am a firm believer in not braking the bank. 

All in all I can not recommend this pattern enough if you are ready to start a new challenge. It really is a showstopper and looks completely different in the three colorways I went with. Please, do leave me your thoughts on this pattern and also on my blogging capability. I hope to be an easy and fun (hopefully funny and entertaining as well...) blog to read. If they ever allow craft shows again in my neck of the woods, I hope to make this a fourth time with new colors and different stitches to enter in the State Fair or some other competition. Let me know if you have gotten anything out of my ramblings and enjoy your stay here at Crafts By Adrie!

WELCOME!!

 I have decided to start this blog to better show off (and give my proper thoughts on) the projects I am working on.

If you have come here from Facebook, hello! I felt I was not able to properly say what I wanted to say on that platform. I felt as though I didn't have any one reading what I had to say (and goodness knows.... I was certainly not making any sales....) I also felt I had to type in such a fashion that was not typical for me. 

You see.... I like to elaborate on what I have to say, and I felt Facebook was not allowing me to do that. Not that I couldn't, just that what was the point? Nobody was reading my posts... so the shorter the better right?

Anyway... I am getting off topic. 

If you have come here from another platform or search engine... Hello!! This is a place where I can get out my feelings on a pattern I am working on. I WILL NOT give out any patterns that I have not created myself. Instead, if I have any inkling of how I found the pattern, I will leave a link to the tutorial or pattern. Likewise for any paid patterns I may discuss. I WILL however mention (most likely go into great detail, let's call a spade a spade here....) how I have altered the pattern in anyway and why. That is, after all, one of the reasons I have started this.

I suppose I should back up a bit. My name is Adrienne Pritchett and I have been needle crafting since the mid-nineties. I wanted to learn how to crochet and no one in my family knew how, so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. 

My grandmother took me to Ames and bought me a skein of yarn, a book and a hook. I had to teach myself. At the age of nine. Around that same time I learned to work with plastic canvas. I made a good few boxes. Thus sparked a life long love of yarn and crafting.

I have since ventured into other fiber crafts. Look forward to posts about: Crochet, Knitting, Plastic Canvas, Embroidery/Cross Stitch, Shuttle Tatting, Diamond Painting, Sewing and any other craft that catches my fancy!

Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay! Maybe I can inspire you to do your own crafting, or maybe you are interested in purchasing something I have made here. Either way, leave a comment! I want to hear from you too!