Bags

Pleated Totes for SW Charter Auction

February 20, 2013August 31, 2015 Ms. Chinchilla1 Comment

Here’s some pleated totes I made for my son’s school auction coming up on March 15th.

I used a great Pleated Tote tutorial by Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread. The directions were easy to follow and the results are terrific. There’s lots of room to customize the inside. I added pockets to hold a cellphone and other small objects. I used decorator weight for the outside of the bags and quilting cotton for the insides. Fusible fleece gives the bags some body so they’re not too floppy.

The fabric here is from Jo-Ann’s. This was very inexpensive decorator weight fabric, but it sewed up beautifully. The lining is one of my go to fabrics — Kona Medium Grey.

This purse is a great size, measuring about 14″ x 13″. So not too small, not too big.

I also tried hidden magnetic snaps for the first time and love them! I purchased them at Tantalizing Stitches and find them so much nicer than inserting a pronged snap and they just seem a little more professional looking.

Here’s another Pleated Tote made with fabric from Ikea. The inside lining is made from Bike Path Chartreuse from Lucky Penny by Alison Glass for Andover.

Here’s an up close view of my new merchandise tag. I’d really like to design a true logo for Chinchilla Whiskers, but I just haven’t had the time. So, a picture of the little critters will have to suffice for now.

Minecraft Creeper Pillow

February 20, 2013August 31, 2015 Ms. ChinchillaLeave a comment

Minecraft is still with us! Since every boy of a certain age at my son’s school seems to be obsessed with Minecraft, I decided to make a Creeper pillow for our annual auction on March 15th. Hope it brings in a few bids!

The finished pillow measures 22″ x 22″ with 2″ squares. It’s not as ambitious (meaning fewer and bigger squares) as the Minecraft sword pillow I made my son for Christmas, but I am pleased with the results!

I used a variety of Kona solids for the squares and then added a border to define the creeper a little more. It is backed with Fences Smoke from Summersville Spring designed by Lucie Summers for Moda available at Sew, Mama, Sew!

For the Home

More Pillows

November 29, 2012August 31, 2015 Ms. ChinchillaLeave a comment

I’ve been making pillows again! Last year I made a set for Asher’s classroom. This year, I wanted to make a set for his new teacher. Unfortunately, there are many more issues to contend with in 3rd grade — sharing and spreading head lice! So, no pillows for the reading area.

I used mostly prints from Moda’s Oh Deer! collection with a few prints from my stash thrown in.

I echo-quilted the design on the front. Not sure what I’m going to do with them now. Perhaps an auction item?

Bags · Books · Pouches

Auction Items

February 15, 2012August 31, 2015 Ms. ChinchillaLeave a comment

I’ve been working on some items for my son’s school’s auction coming up on March 10th at the Eco-Trust building.

Here are some zippered pouches made from Aqua and Green Clocks from Ruby Star Rising by Melody Miller. Love this fabric as well as the Typewriters from this line. It has been flying out of the shop! But I know we have more on order.

I also made another pouch from some Ikea fabric purchased a while back. Inside is lined with Garbo Black from the Circa 1934 collection from Cosmo Cricket.

I also made a matching bag! There is a small interior pocket to fit the pouch. The orange bird fabric and black dots really go well together. This bag is the Market Tote from one of my favorite sewing books of 2011 — 1, 2, 3 Sew: Build Your Skills with 33 Simple Sewing Projects by Ellen Luckett Baker. I have made 4 other bags like this and love them all.