i've been incredibly busy lately, but a couple weeks ago managed to whip up some easy projects.   here are a couple bibs made out of my kiwi bird parade and chunky olives fabrics.   have a great weekend!

fabric hoarder

i am a fabric hoarder.

over the last few years, i have amassed quite a collection, not so much because i buy an excessive amount of fabric, but more because i have trouble deciding what i want to use it for.   it's not an easy decision, you know.

sometimes i just take out fabric and admire how beautiful it is, raw, clean, and uncut.

do you know what i mean?

however, on a whim, i decided to make something out of my new hippo fabric from taiwan: a passport sleeve.  the back jacket slides into a pocket, and it closes with an elastic band.  this way, the passport is protected but still easy to take in and out at the airport.  in my experience, customs and other airline security generally ask for passports to be removed from their sleeves, so i figured this would be a suitable design.

new fabric

don't ask me what the sign says.  i can recognize two characters in the shop name.  "bird" and "fabric".  i also know that on the far left it says "japanese import fabric".  

lotus root fabric wall panel

i finally decorated the barren wall in my craft room with this:

here is a tutorial i wrote a while ago. i used a larger version of my lotus root fabric in orange (i made this panel with the hope that one day i will have white walls).

a couple notes...

no overlocking the edges this time... just tucked the fabric under for a neat seam.

the husband drilled a hole for hanging.

baby bibs are fun

our friends continue to reproduce, which means i continue to produce tiny cute baby things. for the last round of gifts, i decided to make baby bibs. they are fun to make, and there are multitudes of free patterns online.

birdsntrees

lotus root

 i don't remember where i got this one (sorry!), but here are a few patterns you could try:
http://www.poopockets.com/free/bibs/bibs.htm
http://www.mylifetime.com/lifestyle/home-crafts/craft-ideas/sewing/sewing-project-simple-bib
http://www.liaspace.com/2010/04/tutorial-babys-bibs.html
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/baby-bibs

mine are backed with a double layer of terry cloth for extra absorbancy (i heard a rumor that babies drool and spit up a lot) and have snap closures. the husband kindly helped out with attaching the snap closures, since i tend to hammer my fingers when i do it. the patterned fabrics are designed by me, and you can still win some fat quarters to make some of your own. a fat quarter can probably yield two or more.

clearlytangled fat quarter giveaway

it's time for another giveaway!  i'm giving away three fat quarters (18" x 21") of my own fabric: kiwi bird parade in pink, lotus root in orange and white, and chunky olives in purple and chartreuse.

to enter and possibly win these three fat quarters...
you have the opportunity of up to three entries:

entry 1: follow my blog + leave a comment to inform me (if you are already following, leave a comment stating so)

entry 2: leave a comment on this entry
entry 3: blog about this giveaway, and leave me a 3rd comment + link me to the post

make sure you leave a way for me to contact you on your entry/entries!

the giveaway will close on wednesday, november 3rd, midnight, CST.
1 winner will be chosen via random.org on thursday, november 4th.

a laundry disaster

a few weeks ago, i posted about this dress. promptly after i posted the entry, i thoughtlessly threw the dress into the laundry for its' first wash. when i retrieved it from the washer, i was dismayed to find that the floral detail had completely unraveled into a mess of furry thread.

apparently the dress was hand wash only. normally i read labels on new clothing (actually, typically before i buy it), but since the dress was knit, it didn't even occur to me to check.

one yard, one apron

spoonflower is currently running a contest for apron designs, where each design is a full pattern (instructions included) that fits onto one yard of fabric.  i love the idea of having a pattern printed directly onto the fabric- it's so clever!  it cuts down project time considerably when you don't have to be bothered by cutting out a pattern and tracing it onto fabric.  you could whip out one of these in no time, for about $20, for yourself or as a gift. below are a few of the ones that caught my eye.

a taste of spoonflower

last year i learned about spoonflower, a company that will print your designs onto fabric for you. i was very very excited about this, but as is normal with me, i simply didn't have the time to investigate more. so, i made a mental note, and filed it away for later. i found myself thinking about it again recently, and one evening, as i was busy dreaming about how delicious lotus root is and how it has been ages since i've had any, i was struck with some inspiration. i scribbled on a post-it note and the first draft of a new pattern was created. surprise, surprise, it was a drawing of a lotus root. soon after that, i created a digital image... and before i knew it, i had created a spoonflower account and ordered swatches of my pattern in three different color combinations. i waited semi-patiently, and a couple weeks later, my 8X8 inch swatches came in the mail.

i am quite pleased with the quality. the images are crisp and clear. the only issue i have is with the orange; it turned out a lot brighter than i had wanted, so i'm going to order another swatch (and perhaps a couple more color combinations). the other two color schemes, purple on lilac and green on light blue are available for purchase through spoonflower here. i also have a link on the side bar to the right. i am really looking forward to designing more fabric soon... but until then.... *clearlytangled runs off to buy more fabric to play with*

badge id

i am a firm believer that everyday objects should be both functional and pretty. this is especially true at work. whether it’s a colorful assortment of file folders, a funky memo board, or a stylish looking white out pen, the effects on my mental health are extra positive. for me, the details really do matter.

my day job requires everyone to wear a badge on the premises. most people either wear their badges on a lanyard or a badge reel. personally, i have always worn mine on an ugly black lanyard that also conveniently holds my keys. the biggest problem with this lanyard, as i just mentioned, is that it’s ugly. the other problem is somehow my badge id always falls off, despite my attempts to keep it securely attached. this makes me unhappy, since i basically have these items on my person for over 40 hours a week. that is a lot of time to be wearing something ugly.

i have been toying with some time with different ideas on how to wear my id and carry my keys around without using that hideous lanyard. while i haven’t completely sorted out how i want to carry my keys (should it be a key fob or a prettier lanyard?!), this weekend i decided a badge reel would suffice for my badge after i beautified it a little. i did this by adding a fabric covered button over the top.

before: boring badge id reel (although i do like gray) with the materials to make a covered button.

after: totally cute and acceptable!

i am ALMOST excited about going to work on monday just because i can wear it…and that makes the effort all the worth while.

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on an unrelated note, do you like free things? check out michelle's blog at http://michellem-spontaneousdots.blogspot.com/2009/07/first-giveaway.html for details on how to win. she is giving away a cute hedgehog pendant!

marimekko fabric wall panels tutorial

the walls in our home are pretty bare. i think it's partially due to the frequent moving we have done, but mostly it's because i'm overly picky. our bedroom walls have always been exceptionally naked, and last weekend we finally decided to do something about it.

if you know me personally, or have taken a peek into my shop, you probably have noticed that i'm a fan of marimekko, a finnish design company. already possessing many marimekko home and personal items, we thought making some fabric panels would be a great addition to our home. plus, i always enjoy adding hand made touches.

our supplies:
2 art canvas (16"x20" and 20" x24" - could have also used wooden pieces for stretching canvas, but i was too lazy to look for them)
marimekko samovaari fabric (available in my shop)

light weight staple gun

the project didn't take very long. the hardest part was trying to decide how to place the pattern.

i cut the fabric and then overlocked the edges:

unfortunately i don't have a serger, but my sewing machine does have a basic overlocking stitch that's a bit fancier than the zigzag. an unnecessary step, but i wanted the back to stay tidy and not fray everywhere.

i ironed the fabric with a bit of starch before stretching it onto the canvas. i first secured the fabric to the board with some pushpins so that the design would fall exactly where i wanted it. i began stapling from one side, then alternated sides as the fabric stretched (taking care to tuck in the edges so they looked neat). shockingly, i did not hurt myself.

voila. my husband put on the necessary components and then hung them on the wall (not pictured).

the spots in that last picture are from my camera, not the wall. i think i'll have to add staples later, as some of the fabric is a little too loose. but overall, we're pretty happy with the results.

what kind of wall art do you have in YOUR home?