I Made Shoes!!!

Have you ever made shoes??? I hadn't, but was so excited to give it a try! My friends at Dritz Sewing offered to send me one of their awesome new Espadrilles kits to try out and share my thoughts with you, and I'm thrilled to get to do so!

Aside from sewing baby booties, this was my first attempt at creating an actual wearable shoe. The packaging suggested planning 2 hours to complete the project, and I'd say that is reasonable. I finished in a bit over that, but I was sewing at a very casual pace while playing about the internet as well. :)

The instructions provided with the kit include step by step directions and illustrations that made the whole process very easy. The Espadrilles collection also includes a variety of notions designed specifically to assist in "shoemaking made easy".  While it isn't necessary that you purchase all the extra notions to create your own pair of Espadrilles, I'll share some of the ones that I thought made the process easier.
These glass head pins are one of the extra notions that I loved! They are a much sturdier pin which made pinning the fabric to the shoe sole easier and the strength of the pins kept them from bending.

Dritz Point Turners are one of my favorite sewing notions of all time, and it was a perfect tool for turning and smoothing the fabric before attaching to the jute sole. 

These handy Needle Pullers were GREAT for the blanket stitch process along the outer edge of the shoes. They provide a grip on the needle that makes pulling in through the thick jute and fabric easier. Prevents sore fingers too!

These shoes are so comfortable to wear! I was really pleasantly surprised at just how comfortable the jute was. And, there is a vast variety of sizes and color options to choose from.

Take a look at the selection on the Dritz website HERE. I'm kind of drooling over a bunch of them right now! All the kids have requested a pair of their own, so who knows, there may be a bit more Espadrilles sewing in my future!

 And one of my favorite things.....the bobbin tread! Isn't that great!?!?!?!

Pleased with the results and proud to say I have now made shoes!!! Too cool!

What about you? Have you made shoes? What did you think?

**Materials provided by Dritz in exchange for honest feedback. All opinions are my own.**

Sewing Essential - Iron-Off Hot Iron Cleaner

 

I received this product from Dritz several months ago, but had just bought a new iron, so didn't need it. Well, this weekend while using some fusible fleece, my hot iron apparently came into contact with some of the adhesive. Not ideal.

 Of course, the way I discovered this was with a nice black streak on my son's shirt as I was trying to iron it. Again, not ideal. 

I couldn't get the sticky mess to rub off. Quickly I remembered that I had a tube of this iron cleaner and figured it was the perfect time to give it a try. Truth is, I hadn't read the directions before, so I was expecting it would be somewhat complicated and require some kind of internal cleaning that I would have to repeatedly rinse out, so I was pleasantly surprise at how easy it was to use. 

 Simply set your iron to the cotton setting. Once heated, get a clean towel and squirt a bit of the Iron-Off onto the towel. Iron back and forth over the cream until your iron is clean. For stubborn (or extra sticky) messes on your iron, you may want to repeat. I did. And just look at this towel!!!

EWWWWW!!!! Right!?!?! Where did all that come from anyway???

 Apparently there was a build up of more than I could see from using starch as well. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the result. Look at my iron now! 

Here's a side by side comparison that shows even better the great results. 

I only had to use a small about of the tube as well, so I am equipped whenever another cleaning is needed. This has been added to my handy box of "Sewing Essentials". 

You can check out more of my favorite "Sewing Essentials" on the tab at the top of the blog or simply by clicking HERE.  

WINTER Sewing Giveaway!!!

There's something about Winter that just makes sewing & quilting even more right, don't ya think? To close yourself in your creative cave and be covered with fluff and threads as you stitch out your beloved creations.
THAT is a Winter Wonderland for sure! ;)

Being the first day of winter here in the US, I have a special giveaway for you all! I'm really excited about this one and know you are going to love it!!!!

 You know those darling Embellishment Charms I shared on my Family Stockings post yesterday??? Well, how would you like to have an assortment of those (and more goodies!) to add to your projects and special creations you are hand-making? 

Our friends at Dritz Sewing/Babyville Boutique are ready to send 1 lucky winner an Embellishment Gift Pack with charms, Babyville ribbons, appliques, and labels to accent your handmade gifts with that special finishing touch! FUN!!!! US Entrants simply follow the Rafflecopter prompts below to enter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner announced & emailed 12/23/13 and expected to respond to claim prize within 48 hours or alternate winner may be chosen.

A very WARM THANKS to Drtiz Sewing & Babyville Boutique for this generous and fun creative giveaway!!! And GOOD LUCK to all the entrants!!!

Handmade Family Stockings

 I had sooooooo much fun making these!!!! They are the first stockings I've ever made for my family and I love how they turned out! The fabrics, the embellishments and the stocking design all came together just the way I wanted. A very satisfying project! 

I used the free stocking pattern from Pattern Revolution. You can find it here. 

Additionally, I had these very special Embellishment Charms that I have been waiting to find the perfect project to use, and this was it!!!

I saw these beautiful charms at Quilt Market and couldn't wait to get my hands on some! You know how I always love using handmade labels to add that special touch to my items, but these take that a notch further! Aren't they beautiful!?!?! They offer a three dimensional accent that can be added to your handmade gifts for all your friends and family and come in a variety of designs. Embellishment Charms by Dritz Quilting can be found or requested wherever you purchase Dritz sewing products. 

Here's a close up of how I used them on our stockings. Each person chose their favorite color or design making for an even more personal touch. I love these and will definitely be using them on more of my projects in the future!

We are getting so very excited about Christmas Day being just around the corner! Our family loves this time of year and all that it represents! 

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care. :) Maybe, just maybe, I'll get mom & dad's finished in time.....we'll see I guess!

Hope you and your families are having a wonderful season as well!

Merry Christmas!

*Embellishment Charms shared were provided for my review. My opinions of the product, like always, are mine.*

Sewing Essential - Crafter's Comfort (Arthritis Relief) Gloves

If there were ever an item I felt "essential" in my sewing room, especially during the colder months, this would be it! What I'm wearing above is the Crafter's Comfort Gloves by Dritz. I've worn a similar product focused towards arthritis patients for several years, so I was delighted to see this product being offered within the crafting industry, since I primarily wear them when I am sewing. 

 The gloves are part of a product line called Creative Comfort. This clever line of products has been thoughtfully designed by an Orthopedic Surgeon to enable crafters to keep doing what they love - while supporting, warming and providing pain relief to their thumbs, hands, wrists, back & neck. See the full collection here. 

I sincerely love these gloves!

 Having experienced an injury to my right arm several years ago that resulted in some loss of circulation to my hand, my hand gets very, very cold, very, very easily. Cold hands become stiff hands, and well.....stiff hands don't want to do all the things I need to do to be able to sew and create as I wish to. When I wear these gloves, they not only keep my hand nicely warm, but they help me maintain my flexibility and prevent some of the hand & upper arm arthritic aching that I experienced before wearing them. 

I use them comfortably & easily throughout my creative process.

The gloves come in a variety of sizes. They are made of a breathable cotton/spandex fabric, so no sweating. They provide mild compression throughout the covered area that supports and warms as you work. The open finger tips allow you to still be able to grip and type/text freely. They are machine washable. You can ask for them wherever you buy your Dritz sewing products. 

Because my hand is hard to keep warm during the winter months, I have often even slept with mine on. This is an item that I can not do without when it comes to sewing during the winter. My work room is in our basement, with concrete floors and is much cooler than the rest of our house. These gloves keep my hand warm & flexible which keeps me sewing....which makes me very happy! :) 

An absolute "Sewing Essential" for me!

For other items I like to keep in my sewing room or consider sewing essentials, see the "Sewing Essentials" page at the top of the blog. 

*Disclaimer: The particular pair of gloves used in this post were provided to me for review. All opinions are my own.