A few of my favorite things

 

 

On Monday I showed you my version of See Kate Sew's Sweet Scallops Tote.  Today I'll show you my favorite way to use this type of bag.  It's perfect for packing a few items for a change of clothes, using as a full-on purse, or carrying a bunch of craft supplies that need organization *cough cough: stamps*.

1. Sweet Scallops Tote: well, duh.  I like it.  And I fully believe everyone should make one;)
2. My favorite sunglasses, purchased on sale at Ann Taylor.  I'm a big, perfectly round sunglasses kinda gal.  These are the smallest ones I've had in a while, but I love them.
3. Fold-over elastic headbands.  Swoon.  Last year, I bought a bunch of FOE from Elastic By The Yard on Etsy.  My package came super fast, and I'm pleased with the quality!
4. TOMS, yay or nay?  I love the look, but I'm not willing to pay the full price for a pair.  Solution? Rite Aid.  Believe it or not, these shoes were only $10!  I'm not usually a fan of hte knock-off brands, but these ones are different.  They're really comfortable, and have lasted well for how much I wear them!
5. Vintage sheet goodness, mmm mmmmm.  This pouch from Sand and Starfish pairs just perfectly with the vintage florals on this tote.
6. Speaking of vintage....antique jewelry is one of my favorite things ever.  Ok, well it's up there with ruffles and puppies and nutella.  But still.  This particular one belonged to my gramma and was passed down to me and my sister.  In this particular necklace, I love how each of the three layers is a different type of chain.  And I love how the pearl is a perfect accent, and yet not too gaudy.

What are some things you are loving these days?

~Kelsey

The Sweet Scallops Tote

Hello!  Here I am for one last (semi-large) project for the summer.  I don't know about you, but nothing inspires me to create like summer coming to an end does.  I quickly realize how little time I have left to finish up my projects, so I get right to work!  Some of you may have seen the sneak-peek of this tote on Instagram (fancythatnotion).  Unfortunately, it was a sad one.  The kind where your thread runs out one inch away from being done with a 12-hour project.  At 10:30 at night.  But you know what?  It was "totes" worth it.  *couldn't help myself*  This is another bag pattern from See Kate Sew that has been sitting on my Pinterest board for a while.  I raided my fabric stash once more and came up with this combination.

 

 

The pattern and instructions were written so well and all of the sewing was very simple.  This would be the perfect project for a beginner!  Those scallops take a while to cut and sew, but the finished product is worth the time.

 

Kate pays so much attention to detail (You should check out her ruffles series going on right now!).  The top-stitching gives the body of the bag a clean, finished look.

 

 

 

The possibilities of combinations are endless!  You can base off of one color-theme, do an ombre look, or whatever you fancy!!!  The two blue fabrics were vintage sheets and pillow cases.  Pink polka dots and the purple flowers were my gramma's fabrics, and the top two were purses!  This is such a great fabric-stash buster!!!

 

The inside of the bag is my favorite vintage sheet.........again.  I used it for my envelope clutch here as well.

I hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer!  If you are looking to learn to sew, Kate has a bunch of great tutorials, and this project would be a perfect one to start off on!!!  Have a lovely Monday, friends!!!

~Kelsey

 

 

Envelope Clutch

Hi.  My name's Kelsey and I start my Christmas shopping sewing in July.  Ok, maybe I do some shopping too.  Now don't start thinking that I'm on top of my game in any way.  I mean, after all, I haven't touched this blog in almost two months.  And I saw the pattern for this clutch in February.  Yep, FEBRUARY.  I've had all the supplies, plenty of time, the pattern on hand.  And yet........it's August.  But hey, at least I sewed something that has been hanging out on my Pinterest board right?

 

Anyways, Kate over at See Kate Sew created this pattern in February and had a mini series of other ladies sewing up their own versions.  So, here is what I came up with for this awesome pattern!  For the outside, I used a sophisticated and simple tan canvas.  I plan on adding a decorative pin on a chain for the closure (I'm afraid of button holes).

On the inside, I added a pop of color with a vintage sheet that I scored for just a few quarters (remember this shopping trip?).  This pouch is going to be a Christmas gift for my sister (Shhh! If you see her, don't tell!).

 

 I love how you can barely see the edge of the sheet from the outside!

I also whipped up this clutch using a sturdy black denim and then a thin gingham (sp?).  Even with the extreme weight difference, it was still easy to sew up.  And when I said whipped up, I really meant it.  I had been working on a super fun shirt that totally ended up being the wrong size (maybe I'll post that later.....#DIYfail).  I instantly needed a project that I new worked, so I whipped up that clutch in under an hour!  I think these might be my new "standard" gift.  Super simple to sew, with endless pattern options!  You can sew on a fun button, use a snap or magnet for a hidden option, or use a decorative pin to keep it closed!

 

Also, I wanted to point out the graphics that I used for these pictures.  The lower one was created with the "A Beautiful Mess" app (hashtags are #abmapp and #abeautifulmess) and the "Rhonna Farrer' app (#rhonnadesigns_app and #rhonnadesigns).  The lower one used the "A Beautiful Mess" app.  If you don't have either of these, you should grab them up!