A Dog-gone Good Sleeve

I am loving my new book, One-Yard Wonders!  Although, I've decided to affectionately rename it One-Night Wonders, because with the simplicity of a project only needing one yard of fabric, it doesn't take long to make!

Tonight I did another switcher-oo, using a pattern from the book for a different purpose than intended.  With some inspiration from the Laptop Sleeve pattern I made a convenient sleeve to keep my new digital photo frame safe while taking it and storing it at work!  I followed the pattern instruction precisely, measuring for my photo frame instead of a laptop.   I even decided that the little dog on this sleeve was too cute to not include...I just have to be careful not to let the cats see it!

This pattern gets Four Spools of Thread!  It was easy to understand and follow, and I actually made it without any adaptation to the plans.  I may even think about doing this again for the next electronic device that needs a safe way to travel!

No pockets? Make a Coupon Sleeve!

I'm an excited girl with the new purse I picked up over the weekend!  I traded the old one in for one with more room, so now I no longer have to separetly tote around my lunch bag and water bottle.  Though, like most things in life, you have to make compromises, so I lost some of the pocket space in my old bag that I was used to.  But I'm managing..especially now that I've made a cute clutch to store all my coupons in!

This evening, I grabbed my favorite crazy bunny fabric by Jay McCarroll and my new book, One-Yard Wonders.  I decided that the Planner Sleeve pattern would create the perfect solution to keep those coupons from swimming around my new bag.

I started the project with all intentions of following the design; however, my scrap of fabric was about 18"x20", far from the 1 yard of fabric the pattern called for. (What's in a name, really?)   I still managed to get the fabric cut the correct size, than fudged a little with the batting.  I basted the fabric and batting together, so when I sewed on the edging, all the layers would sit nicely together and there would be less frustration.  Always on the look out for my sanity!

I made my own "bias" tape out of a 2" straight cut of 44" fabric, and that worked really well to finish the edges.  Of course, my favorite embellishment to the pattern are the embroidered carrots on the front! 

This pattern gets 3 spools of thread...as soon as I find them.

5 Spools of Thread

A new year means new rules!  Where is my rotary cutter? moves into the next decade, and it's important to set standards.  I love to sew, and with all the beautiful patterns and books on the subject, I end up following a lot of them.  (Of course, it's easier to purchase fabric and follow someone's design than come up with your own!)

So, I want to introduce my new rating system, a way to track and compare all of the projects I've made from patterns. After rating the last movie I watched from Netflicks, I decided that the Netflick's star rating system would be perfect! Though, instead of stars, I thought it would be more appropriate to rate with spools of thread!
So here it is: 5 Spools of Thread, SewBean's rating system.

One Spool 
Hated It: The pattern maker should fire their editor for letting them publish this botched mess.  I started making a dress but ended up with a quilt?  Where did I go wrong?  (I hope I don't have to ever use this rating!)

Two Spools

Didn't Like It:  Did someone bother to check this pattern?  I didn't want to be the one to do it, but at least it looks the way it should.

Three Spools

Liked It: A decent pattern, and everything came out the way it should.  I was even able to make improvements.

Four Spools

Really Liked It:  This was a fun project! I'll keep it around in case I have a reason to make another one.

Five Spools

Loved It:  I'm not putting this pattern away; I'm making another one tomorrow!