Sip and Shop Next week

I am excited about an opportunity to show off my bags at a "Sip and Shop" event next Thursday.  It is actually a happy hour event for a local restaurant and wine bar.  They have invited local etsy sellers to come and set up tables.  It should be a lot of fun.

If you will be in the area, send me an email and I will send you more information.

Handmade dolls

Today I read this tutorial for a Travel Sewing Case.  It is a very cute case, and I briefly thought about making several to give as handmade gifts this year.  I reconsidered because it is not a very good fit for anybody in my family.  I might still make one for myself.  My travel sewing kit usually consists of a needle shoved into a small roll of thread.  I have a needle and thread in my survival pack - but it is just thread wrapped around some paper and a needle stuck in the paper.

After reading the tutorial, I was suddenly struck with a strong desire to make handmade dolls for the holidays.  Not fancy dolls, basic type dolls with an embroidered heart on the chest.  Something soft that a little girl could really cuddle with.  I have wanted to make a handmade doll for Ellie, but I haven't yet.  She does not prefer the handmade stuffed dog I made her - so she will probably not appreciate a handmade doll either.  Maybe she is not old enough to understand.  I just think that a handmade doll conveys a lot more love than a store bought doll, and I would like to make some to sell in my Etsy shop.  Maybe I am kidding myself.  After all, I sell bags and accessories - not toys.  

Operation Hiking Pants Completed

I finished my hiking pants on schedule and tried them out last weekend.  I didn't write a post about them until now because I look like humpty dumpty in the pants, and I didn't want to take any pictures.  Like I said before, I'm pregnant so I left extra room in the tummy area for growing.  All the extra tummy room bunched out to the sides for a very unattractive look.  The pants fit great and look fine otherwise!

Field testing was successful.  It was incredibly cold and windy Saturday and we spent a great deal of time standing around, so I was glad of the thick fleece lining.  Sunday, I added some long john pants and an extra sweatshirt to my ensemble, but it turned out to be a lot milder weather.  Even so, the weight of the pants was good and never felt overheated.

I wasn't able to test the pants out in anything more wet than a light drizzle, thank goodness!  My favorite part of the pants was being able to sit on stumps, hillsides, whatever without having to worry about a wet bottom.  Actually, I loved the pockets too.  And that the pants were so much warmer than what I usually wear.

All in all, the project was a success and I plan to wear them again next weekend.

Four meals in 40 minutes

I bought all the ingredients I needed for the 5 dishes I have planned for my modified version of "Once A Month Cooking".

Last night I started by making a double batch of stroganoff and a double batch of meatloaf.  It didn't take too much longer than cooking dinner and when I was done I had stroganoff to serve, stroganoff to freeze and 3 loafs of meatloaf to freeze.  What did seem to take forever was cutting up all the onions, other than that it was pretty painless.

The stroganoff came out looking a bit like beef puke, but it tasted fine.

I am all set to prepare the three chicken dishes in the next few days.  I am not used to buying so much canned soup, but if it makes life easier, I'm game.

Website Review: Once a Month Mom

Once a Month Mom is all about cooking just one day a month.  There are 6 different monthly menus, complete with recipe cards and instructions.  I was impressed with the traditional menu because it looked like food we would actually eat, and was easy to make.  Other recipe or menu sites I've seen in the past didn't quite fit the bill, the food might look good, but it wouldn't be in a style I was used to preparing.  I knew Once a Month Mom was a good match because the grocery list contained 95% things I already buy regularly.

Even though once a month cooking is a great time saver for a busy mom like me, I still can't find an entire day this month or next month where I can do 7 hours of cooking*.  I wanted to try it anyway because I can imagine how great it would be to have dinner ready - especially on days I go to water aerobics and my husband and daughter are on their own.  (I think they mostly eat hot dogs and mac and cheese, but I'm afraid to ask).  *blocks of time are prime real estate in my life, and weekends are particularly prime

Here's what I decided to do:  I picked out 5 of the menu items that looked easiest and my family is most likely to eat.  My plan is to prepare them in a few hours this weekend.

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf (Actually I am cheating further and making my mother-in-law's meatloaf instead because I already know it is a hit with my husband - this recipe looks good though)

Salsa Chicken

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

Each recipe is a double recipe - so if all goes well I will have 10 dinners in the freezer.  That may not cover a whole month of eating, but it will definitely reduce my daily load a bit.

Fun Blog: The Math Mom

I discovered a fun new blog today at The Math Mom.  I regularly read puzzles and today she posted an "Archimedes Grave" brain teaser at Sharp Brains.  I love math, I love puzzles, and I'm a mom - of course I would find the content of this website appealing.  It's also cute and creative - and math doesn't always do a good job of portraying it's fun side.

On The Math Mom she says:

 "By finding your own peace with math you won't be transferring your math fears over to your kids."  


I agree completely. I just read a few days ago that people with "math anxiety" who focused on controlling their emotions got higher scores on a test than "math anxious" people who didn't. To me, this means that a big reason people aren't good at math is due to anxiety, rather than skill. Read that article here.

Trillium's Treasures is now on Twitter!

Trillium's Treasures is on Twitter.  Follow me at "trillstreasures".

Bye bye for now!

On my lunch hour I went to the park and cut out the fabric for my overalls.  I would not normally do this at the park, but I am in a big hurry because I want to wear them this weekend (ambitious, I know).  I thought about cutting out the fabric at work but did not want to draw attention and have people wonder why I wasn't, you know, working.  Luckily, all the people that gave me curious looks at the park were too polite to come over and demand to know what I was doing.  I found a nice picnic table to spread my fabric out, and other than the wind it worked pretty good.

Here's how to design and cut out a pair of overalls on your lunch hour...

I used a pair of non-stretchy workpants that fit roughly how I wanted the overalls to fit and traced, leaving a generous seam allowance and a generous waistline for my growing pregnant belly . . .

Then with the help of the measuring tape I faked a bib shape and cut out some pockets, I added an extra 1" in each direction for seam allowances.  I also cut out straps and fleece lined side pockets.

Once I had all the fleece pieces cut out I laid them out on the expensive Supplex fabric and traced around each piece.  I don't want to cut out the Supplex fabric yet in case I made any mistakes . . . I have a lot of extra fleece, if worse comes to worse I can add a strip of extra fabric to the lining and it won't be very noticeable 

Tonight I will sew together the fleece pieces and make sure everything fits before I cut into the Supplex fabric.

Overalls: Burgundy Supplex Water resistant fabric

What I ended up buying yesterday was much different from what I said I was going to buy.  I originally planned to buy waterproof fleece (basically fleece with a plastic backing) that is available only in camo and is $29/yd.  Instead I bought some burgundy DWR Supplex.  Supplex is apparently tightly woven nylon and the DWR Supplex has a durable water repellant surface.  Water should bead up and not pass through the dense outer weave.  It is very lightweight, feels like it will be quiet (important to me not to go swish/swish/swish as my legs rub together) and is not plastic backed.  I also bought some water resistant treatment that I can use if the DWR finish is not keeping me dry.  

I happened to have a large amount of burgundy fleece in my fabric stash, so I am using that for the lining.  

Btw - I totally recommend http://www.seattlefabrics.com/, they have a large selection of outdoor fabrics to choose from and more rolls of robe/cording ect. than I've seem before.

Waterproof overalls

I shopped at Cabela's looking for waterproof pants or overalls that I could wear hiking when it is wet out.  I would like to be able to walk through brush and rub up against grass and bushes without being soaked at the end of the day.  It would also be nice to be able to sit on a wet stump or rock once in a while.  I was very disappointed in the selection.  I am short, and I am also pregnant right now, so pretty much anything I buy off the shelf I am going to have to alter anyway.  The women's selection was minimal and expensive - $150-$200 for something that wouldn't fit anyway.  The men's section was on sale but everything was still expensive or it was too thick (or both).  The best pair I found was $90, heavy and thick, way too long, and really ugly!

So my plan is to make a pair that fits right and is comfortable and cute.

Key design features:

1. Lots of pockets
2. Large in the waist
3. Adjustable straps
4. Elastic draw string around the ankles (want to be able to tighten them up around my shoes so they never drag in the mud)
5. Waterproof
6. Lightweight
7. Lined with flannel

The waterproof fabric I have in mind is waterproof fleece which is $29/yd.  It seems really expensive, but since I am so short, I will only need 2 yards to complete the entire project.  While I am at the outdoor fabric store, I plan to check out other waterproof fabrics - if I find something that is quiet and waterproof but lighter weight, I may buy that instead and line the pants in fleece.  

Planning some personal projects

I have a few personal sewing projects on my mind:

The boring stuff:

1. Modify a shirt I bought to bring it down to "short people" size
2. Fix Josh's pants he ripped
3. Change 2 of my pairs of work pants into maternity pants

The fun stuff:

1. Buy expensive waterproof fabric and make a pair of hiking overalls with lots of pockets

It's a bit on the horizon, but I also agreed to help a friend make or alter a wedding dress for her wedding next June.

More on all this when this busy mom gets around to it all.  

I am planning to go to the expensive outdoor fabric store tomorrow and hopefully start my overalls on Wednesday.  

Joined EtsyRAIN!

I joined a fun team on Etsy called EtsyRAIN.  It looks like a fun community of other Seattle and Puget Sound area crafters.

Their website is www.etsyRAIN.com - and I recommend checking it out to find highlights of great shops featuring handmade products that were made locally in the Seattle area.

Hilltop Craft Fair in Bellevue

I have applied to be in the Hilltop Craft Fair at the Northwest Arts Center in Bellevue.  It is a 5 day craft fair that lasts from November 29th through December 3rd.  New vendors have to send photos, and since I have no idea what they are looking for, I have no idea if I will actually be accepted.  Obviously, I hope that I am.  I am obviously not a very established crafter and I was unable to fill out the "last three fairs you participated in" section, but I am hoping to get in anyway!

Wish me luck!

I have an Etsy shop!!

The bags have been done for ages, but on my schedule it’s easier said than done to get all them all photographed and listed.  Anyway, all the bags and wallets to date are listed and viewable at http://trilliumstreasures.etsy.com and I am very excited.
In addition to the “Princess” Bags and wallets, I made a few that I call the “Pockets, Pockets, Pockets” bags and two bags that are round and more casual.  My favorite is made from an old camouflage army shirt, I used all 4 cargo pockets and it is reversible.  One side is camo and the other side is black corduroy.
Here is a preview of how some of my favorites turned out! 
Oh wait, that’s a picture of Josh with a fish the size of Ellie . . .
Here are the bags:

Things are heating up . . .

So I haven't been entirely motionless this last three months, the princess bags are finished along with some new designs.  I have been begging Josh to be my photographer, and he has agreed.  I also have lined up my brother as sort of a "marketing intern".  If all goes as planned, it will free up time for me to be in my sewing room creating things as they come to me, rather than getting bogged down in too many details.  After all, I have to keep lots of time open to play with my adorable 15 month old daughter . . .

Since I am at the mercy of my helpers, I can't tell you when the first items will finally be listed in the shop, or when I will have pictures to post here, but I can say that things are coming . . . so keep your eyes out.  I can't wait to show off what I have done so far.

Half the princess bags are already spoken for.

Well, Ellie made a haul at her birthday party last weekend.  I have spent all week so far catching up on laundry and unpacking.  We are going to the coast this weekend, so the rest of the princess bags aren't scheduled to be completed until April 17th (I have to get my taxes filed too, that's pretty critical).  About half the bags are already spoken for so as soon as I finish these I will make more to be finished by the end of the month. 

Change of plans: I am already geting antsy and wanting to get started on the "next thing" so I'm going to finish up the princess bags ASAP and not make any more until later (or by special request).

Daydreaming about sewing . . .

Everything has come to grinding halt since my wonderful daughter is cutting her two front teeth . . .

I shouldn't complain, I did get a lot of work done last weekend.  I did a lot of cutting and ironing and fusing and detailing, but no actual sewing.  I don't feel like I have a lot to show for my efforts, but since I did all of the prep work for all of the remaining colors, putting the bags together should go quickly. 

Since I am going down to Oregon this weekend for my daughter's birthday party (have you noticed yet who's spoiled in our house) that is likely all the progress I will make for awhile.

Preview: Sunflower Bags are Done

The sunflower bags are unique becuase they are the only bags that will have fringe.  The rest of the bags will have whatever decoration I feel like at the time, we will have to just wait and see.  The large bag is 14" high X 16" wide x 3" deep.  The medium bag is 10" high x 11" wide x 2" deep.  Both bags have a pocket on either side and a larger pocket in front.  The wallet is 8" x 8" and is embroidered around the outside.  The wallet has 9 pockets for cards and 3 larger pockets.  

I'm really proud of these, they came out looking great.  I am planning on making a green one for myself, and I am not a fringe kind of girl, but I had to try out the large sunflower bag anyway.  It it pretty big, more of a breifcase type bag.  I put all the stuff I usually carry, including diapers, a toy, a couple of bibs . . . , and there was plenty of room for more.  The medium bag is more purse sized.  It is slightly smaller than a file folder.  The pockets on the side are the right size for carrying pens or a cell phone and the larger pocket in front is good for keys or anything else for quick acess. 

I put extra effort into making these bags really strong.  I would be shocked if the straps ripped off after all the stiches I put in there.  I imagined that these bags (especially the larger one) would be great for carrying books, so I tried to make them strong enough to carry 30 pounds or more.  All the fabric and buttons are washable, I recommend hand washing gently and hanging to dry.  These bags are also lightweight, so they won't be overly heavy when filled with stuff. 

Now for pictures, in no particular order:

Princess messenger bags in the works!

Today I finished picking out fabric and accessories for my first products.  The designs are finished, the patern pieces are cut out and now the fabric is purchased.  Exciting barely covers it.  Although now I have a lot of work to actually bring my ideas to life. 

Ivy - Lining and detail in black

I have picked out four color sets and out of each one (fabric permitting) I plan to make one large messenger bag, one medium sized messenger bag and two matching wallets.

Rose - lining and detailing in black

The fabric and detailing on the messenger bags and wallet are inspired by princess dresses and balls.  The fabric, ribbon and buttons would all be appropriate for a victorian era ballroom and the intent of the design is to capture some of those elegant, romantic feelings.  Regardless of whatever boring paperwork you have stashed inside, you should imagine violin concertos and princes kissing your hand. 

Sunflower - Lined and detailed in cream

All four base fabrics are from my personal collection.  They are recycled, a.k.a. I fell in love with them at a garage sale, ect.  I picked out shantung as the contrast for my design, it looks like satin but with a rough, silklike texture.  It wears much better than satin and is stain resistant. 

Lavendar - Lined and detailed in cream

Each messenger bag will be lined in either cream or black, detailed with ribbon and close in front with two decorative buttons.  The matching wallets will have a matching decorative button as well.