Major Makeover

Now that I'm sewing as my part-time job, Crafty Papa and I agreed that my sewing space could use a big makeover. I had been storing all of my fabric in a dresser...and the dresser ended up looking like my kids' drawers with stuff thrown all over. Big disaster. My sewing desk was actually a display fixture from one of the local outlet clothing stores that closed a few years ago. Great for storage but not so great for actually working at. It was counter top height so I had to sit on a stool and sew which wasn't great for my back. Geez, that makes me feel old.

So, here's the sorta before (after I had cleaned off the table)...

And here's the after...

We went to Ikea this weekend and got new sewing tables, a drawer unit, a new desk chair, and the cubbies.

Isn't it fabulous?! So much more functional than my old setup. I love how the fabric looks all stacked up nice and pretty and now instead of facing the wall, I can look out the window while I sew.
There are still a few improvements left including planting something pretty on that ugly fence outside and getting a few baskets or bins for the ugly fabric in the bottom of the cubbies. I realized I have a bunch of bulky fabric like flannel and upholstery weights that I either need to use or part with because it's not easy to store. I see lots of flannel pj pants for the girls in my future:)

In other makeover news, I accidentally died my hair black last night. For realz. I have no idea what happened! I color my hair regularly at home and have never had a problem. I don't think it looks bad, in fact, Crafty Pops LOVES it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I get my hair cut later this week and something tells me my hair lady won't be expecting me to have black hair either!

We Have a Winner!

The winner of the Katie Bag for Sew Mama Sew's May Giveaway Day is....Carol!

Carol said...

Love those colors! I made a pouch sling for my little one.

May 17, 2010 1:35 PM

Carol, email your address to me at craftymamacreations@gmail.com and I'll get your new bag out to you. Congratulations!

Favorites

I'm blown away by all of the entries on my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway post! Thank you so much to everyone who has stopped by to visit my blog.

I've been doing lots of sewing this week. I've always made one bag at a time but I'm shifting toward a little more production line style, making two or three at a time. I'm still making only one of a kind bags, but cutting and ironing a few at a time, sewing, ironing again, etc. seems to save a little time. Crafty Papa is working late tonight and the girls seem to have excess energy but I was able to finish two bags this afternoon.Shabby Ruffle Bag, Laura Gunn Poppy (click the pic for the listing)


The Katie Bag, Sandi Henderson Meadowsweet (click the pic for the listing)

I really, really love both of them. I think Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet Collection just may be one of my favorites of all time. And did you see she's coming out with an updated color scheme?! I can't wait for that to hit stores! (you listening Jona?!)

Sunday was my last day at Carters and surprisingly, I was a lot more sad about it than I thought I would be. I actually got a little teary as I said goodbye to everyone. Working out of the home part-time was really my only adult interaction so I'm going to have to be much better about forcing myself to get out with girlfriends now. I'm really excited about having more time with Crafty Papa and may even be able to talk him into going on a date with me once in a while (he's even more neurotic about leaving the girls than I am!).

Mostly though, it will be really nice to have weekends back to do things as a family. To celebrate, we're hitting three of our favorite spots this weekend...Ikea, PF Changs, and Disneyland! The girls don't know we're going to Disneyland and keeping the secret is killing me. They know we're going to Ikea but then we're just going to drive over to Disneyland and let them figure out the surprise for themselves. I can't wait to see their reaction!

Giveaway Day!

Monday is giveaway day on the Sew Mama Sew Blog and for the first time, I'm participating!

I'll be giving away this Katie Bag to one lucky winner.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite thing you've ever made (could be sewn, baked, painted, etc.). I'll randomly pick a winner and announce the lucky entry on my blog on Friday, May 21st.

Visit the Sew Mama Sew Blog to see a looooong list of other blogs participating in give away day and be sure to spread the word about my giveaway.

Sorry, only entries within the U.S. please:)

New Nicey Jane Clutches

All cut, ironed, and awaiting zippers.

All of the zippers I have are an inch too short. I wish I could remember what I bought them for or why I didn't design the clutches to work with them. Question...should I do wrist straps on these or not?

Random Fact: I eat popcorn almost every day. Literally. At least 5 out of seven days a week. When I make my weekly grocery list, I have all of the usual staples like milk, bread, juice, apples and then randomly, popcorn.
There are several rules for popcorn in our house. Must be air popped, only real butter, and light on the salt. Crafty Papa seems to be unable to follow these rules so he's on popcorn making probation. Acceptable additions to the bowl are cinnamon sugar, m&m's, and chocolate chips.

Necklace to Match the Bag

Now I'm off to work on some sewing while I watch "Freaks and Geeks" on our old desk top computer. I don't remember watching the series when it was on tv but apparently I did because it's all vaguely familiar. And very, very funny.

After working all day Saturday, I came home to a big box of fabric that I had ordered online earlier in the week. Getting new fabric is one of my favorite things but unfortunately, I was wiped out from working all day and had a custom order to finish so all I could do was stare at the stack of fabric and think about everything I wanted to make.

It's been a while since I've made a major fabric purchase and there are some really beautiful new collections out right now. Check out all of the gorgeous colors in this stack!

I busted my booty this morning to get the house cleaned and grocery shop so I could make something with my new fabric this afternoon. Very nice, if I do say so myself!

I was feeling so productive, I hung up a vintage shelf I got at a yard sale last weekend for $2.

It's the perfect spot for a mini Crafty Mama Creations shop so when I have an order to ship, most of my products are right above my fabric dresser, ready to go.

I'm hoping to list one item per day this week so definitely check my shop often!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!Me with my bubbas last year on Mother's Day.


To celebrate mom, take 20% off my entire shop through Sunday, May 9th.

You can either purchase the items(s) and wait for a revised invoice from me or go ahead and pay through payal and I'll refund your discount within 24 hours.

Spring Boutique

Crafty Mama Creations is quickly getting back to business! I ordered yards and yards of new fabric yesterday and will be part of a spring boutique tomorrow night. My first event in about a year and a half!

It's being hosted by Lindsey of The Pleated Poppy. She'll have several different handmade vendors there including jewelry, hats, fabric bowls, and more. Stop by for some shopping and a nice ladies night out. If nothing else, come see Lindsey's BEAUTIFUL house and meet some new moms. Email me for directions.

I'm frantically finishing up a custom order and preparing for tomorrow's boutique with the very limited inventory I have right now. Only six more shifts left at Carters and then Crafty Mama's gonna kick it into high gear!

The Katie Bag

Named for my coworker, Katie, who's even kookier than I am. She's one of the best parts of working at Carters and always makes me laugh. She's fun and funny and I'll really miss her once I leave so I named this new bag after her so I'll think about her every time I make one.

The Katie Bag is a simple boxy tote with feminine side ties for added interest and detail. It's a versatile size, great for use as a large purse, small diaper bag, or everyday tote.

Updates Galore

First, just updated my shop with this sweet little doll.

It's been so long since I've made one, but I had a custom order for a doll and decided to make a second one for my shop. So glad I did because she's super sweet and now I definitely have the itch to make more.

Next update...I'm leaving my job at Carters. As awesome as my boss has been about working with my schedule and respecting the fact that I'm a stay at home mom first, it's just been getting increasingly difficult to feel like I'm being the best mom and wife I can be while working nights and weekends. As the girls get older, they're getting involved in more activities and the school Bella will attend next year has lots more for kids and parents to be involved in than her current school. I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to work from home present itself so I'll have a lot more flexibility with my schedule and not have to completely give up my part-time income.

The change in employment also means that I'll be able to focus on Crafty Mama Creations more and really work on growing my business. I'm open for custom orders now and will be listing new creations a lot more frequently once I'm done at Carters in a few weeks.

I created a Facebook Fan Page for Crafty Mama Creations so be sure to check it out and "like" me. I'm going to stop sending out newsletters for sales, new products, etc. and instead just post updates on Crafty Mama Creations' Facebook page. Once I get 50 "friends", I'll do a fabulous giveaway so be sure to suggest the page to your friends.