Fake Fur Laptop Case. Purrrfect!

Boy howdy, was this a project. First, I had decided that I needed a case for my laptop which was a Christmas present from my DH. I love the new laptop as it can go with me into the studio and I can be techno girl and sew at the same time! 



Figured a case doesn't have to be boring and black and I didn't need anything too secure as I don't plan on flying with this or anything. Remember, I'm a homebody sort of girl or got my truck with me wherever I go. Anyhoooo, I used up some fabric we got at the Pacific Fabrics Outlet store on 4th Avenue in Seattle. That's a fun store right there! Used fleece scraps for the inside so as to not scratch the computer and to use some of my stash. I love to use it up! (So I can buy more? Nawwwww.)

It has a snap closure and a front pocket to store the mouse and power cord and that's all I wanted. Store-bought handles connected with some vinyl scraps sewn to the bag finish off the bag. Those vinyl scraps I bought at Pacific Fabrics have been really useful. I made the gusset around the bag with this same brown vinyl as well.



I guess you might not think a fur-look would be my style but I like it. Now I have to go vacuum my sewing room. The fur went flying when I did any cutting on it. *Giggles*

So, I am thinking of making a few of these to put in my Etsy shop. What do you think? Happy trails until next time.

How to Fix a Felt Purse Handle

So, you've made a handmade purse for your sister-in-law for a Christmas gift. She looooves the purse and tells you she gets lots of compliments on it. Makes you very happy, right? One problem, she's a shorter stature type of person and the handle stretches out and pretty soon the purse is hanging past her hip.


I say, hmmm, send it back...I'll figure out something.  
So, I cut the handle off...ouch that hurt after spending so much time knitting it and then felting it. But, I took some O-rings (made for purses, not for car repairs) out of my stash and cut the handle length down to fit my SIL and sewed the short ends around the O-ring. Now, how would I keep the handle from stretching in the future? Got some 'pleather' out of my stash (aren't stashes great?) and sewed it to the bottom side of the center piece, sewed that whole thing back to the other sides of the O-rings. Well, here you can see what I mean. It's a good fix and think it will work and it's kind of a cute design with the rings splitting up the felt. I think I might do it on the next one I make. Where there's a will, there's a way...and now you see why I need an industrial sewing machine. I only broke one needle sewing through all of the layers on my boat anchor Singer, a #18 needle! 

Happy trails until next time. 

Lamb Coats ready and waiting

lambcoats_1
Originally uploaded by cookecreeksheep

I spent Saturday sewing on some fleece lamb coats from scraps. I made 11 in all to add to my arsenal from last year. These are super simple to make and I think they do a nice job of keeping the lambs warmed up for the first couple of days of life during our cold springs. I at first did think it was rather hokey for lambs to wear coats but I was also pretty happy with how warm they felt underneath them last year so I'm making more! This shepherdess is happy to learn a new trick! They wash up nicely. There is one seam and 2 cuts for the legs on the double-thickness of fabric with a rotary cutter. A super quick project.

Aren't they cute wearing them?  

Remember I told you I would tell you about photo editing in Flickr? Well, here's an example of what I have done so far with my freebie account. You can round the edges, add "stickers" and borders and bling and then text. I am going to be testing it out more here soon when I get some new decent pictures. Right now it's not so pretty outside and the sheep are dirty and horses are hairy with some mud. Anyhow, go have fun with this if you want to try it. When you open one of your photos after creating a free account and uploading them, it opens up Picnik for editing. It's pretty fun.

Felted Purse

I have been working on this purse for an order. I used some different weight yarns and this is what happened....it turned out with a cinched up "waist" portion instead of the round shape of the pattern. Kind of funky but I kinda like it too. Well, heck, what other choice do I have? Once it's felted, it's a done deal. She's a jeans and T-shirt or turtleneck (this time of year) type of gal and loves loves loves wool. These are the clients a shepherdess loves!  It's almost time to shear again and I still have some wool in the garage to get processed. Now that I'm getting back into the saddle, it's time to get moving on some projects and that wool.

UnfeltedFelted

This morning I saw 4 bald eagles in the same pasture on my way home from town. One flew right over the top of my truck and I got a close-up view. They are cool birds for sure. So, I need to get to work. Enjoy your weekend and happy trails until next time.

Pita bread results

Continuation of the pita pockets from this great recipe site ...

They turned out super! Soft and substantial, big enough to make a real sandwich and hearty enough (hardy?) to not fall apart when you stuff them. I do have to tell you I thought of the people in Colorado's "balloon" stunt when I saw them baking in the oven though. LOL! Maybe they should be called space ship pitas?

This is a keeper recipe and did take more steps than the first one I tried that the dogs enjoyed. Now I know, right? You do 2 risings just like making loaf yeast breads.

They bake on metal cooling racks which I use for cookies and such.

You grab them out of the oven (they only bake for 5 minutes!) and throw into a damp cloth until cool. This keeps them soft. Then I put them in a recycled bread sack and store them in the fridge. I'm having one for lunch today and it's delicious. Wayyyy better than store-bought.

They flatten out after you bag them up, by the way.

So, got a question for you. Have any of you read The Sheepfarmer's Daughter by E. Moon? I heard it's good but I'd like a recommendation before I start hunting it down.

Think I'll tell you more about the Flickr picture editor next time. I need to get to the rest of this day. Trying to stick to more of a schedule for myself. I love working at home but it's easy for the day to be dawdled away on "diversions"....you know how it goes.

Happy trails until next time.

Time marches on....

Howdy friends. Time does heal us up pretty well, ya know. I am feeling good and getting my mojo back. We got through the holidays and now it's time to forge on. Don't get me wrong, it's important to take some time to mourn our losses but I'm not much of a pitty-party kind of girl so it's time to continue on the trail I'm blazing. Time marches on and we need to spend it wisely.

So, along with probably half of the world I am "turning over a new leaf" for 2010. Not only did I turn 50 on the 1st...yikes! That along with the loss of my mom made me feel that a double-take of my life was necessary. So, I have been reading lots, evaluating priorities and sticking to new schedules I've created and getting organized and....yes....I'm on a diet. Several reasons, health, feeling good, getting my fat behind on my new horse, Molly, in the spring, and now...cancer. All studies reveal obesity is a contributor to the cancer equation and with my family history, it's more of a reality for me than a "someday" type of thing. Ouch. So, time to get a few pounds off and keep them off.

Goodness but dieting is a chore...I know, you're not supposed to call it a diet. It's a WAY OF LIFE from now on. Just drag me behind on a car on a gravel road, why don't you? Ha ha. It's that much fun.

Both DH and I are following the eating plan in The Belly Fat Cure. It's basically the same thing as other low carbohydrate diets you've seen out there. No sugar and not too many carbs although this has enough to keep me satisfied. There are some great simple recipes in the book too. Right now I'm raising pita pocket bread in preparation for baking. The pizzas in the book using these for crusts are great. I am having a hard time finding them at any grocery store in town, the whole wheat, no sugar variety....so I found this recipe here and so far, so good. First recipe I tried yesterday....well, let's just say the dogs are STILL chewing on them! Ha.

So, they are rising now under this towel. I'll post how they bake up tomorrow along with some some fun I've been having playing with pictures on Flickr. You can edit your pics and frame them and put captions and text, etc. In this edit mode it uses another program. Again, manana.

Happy trails until then.