Basket is Done

Phew! It's been crazy around here. But today, I finally got some projects done.

First on the agenda was shortening and hemming a set of sheers for a client.

Next, I shortened the handles on a tote bag. A client asked me to shorten them, since she never carries the bag over her shoulder. With the shorter handles, the pretty fabric won't drag on the ground.

Last--and definitely not least--I finished the ring-bearer basket.



The MOB had a pretty pink dove that she wanted to clip onto the handle. Pink is the bride's colour (for the bridesmaids, not her dress, of course). I found some ribbon that comes close to the same colour. It's a little sharper than the bird, but this way it will be visible as the ringbearer walks down the aisle.



Picture the rings tied at the end of the ribbons.

At first, I thought it would be nice to have them hanging, but then I realized that, no matter how much you tried to hold the basket steady, the rings would still swing back and forth. And since it's the bride's niece that will carry the basket down the aisle, and we all know that little girls don't just walk...they skip...I thought it would be best to have a long ribbon so the rings rested on the pillow.

I hope the bride likes it.



I want to congratulate, Kim and Mike, on their upcoming wedding. I wish you a blessed marriage filled with love and laughter.

Basket Template

In my last post, I mentioned that one of my clients asked me to make a lining for a pretty wire basket that will be carried down the aisle when her son gets married this year.

I took the opportunity to send my sewing machine off to the spa for service over the holidays and I only just got it back, so I haven't been able to sew anything together. Besides, I do want to run it by my client first, before I commit to anything.

So, I thought a prototype was in order. First, we need supplies.

• tracing paper


• scotch tape


• pencil


• quilting ruler


• french curve


• paper-cutting scissors

I traced the bottom of the basket and cut out the oval for the base. Inside the basket, I measured from the base up to the first wire that runs the perimeter of the basket (a height my client and I agreed on). It's three inches. Next, I lay the oval base onto a new sheet of tracing paper and marked a three-inch radius around the base template. Using the french curve, I joined the marks I made to sketch the three-inch radius.

I cut out the pattern, as well as the centre base. It makes an odd-looking oval donut. I snipped the donut so that it separates and unfolds as a long, curved piece. I taped it to the base, as though I was sewing it together.

This is where the tweaking comes in. Once it was all taped together, the top part of the insert was rippled, which is what I had pictured in the first place. But now that I see it, I don't like it. And I don't think my client will either. The basket is pretty on its own and the interior shouldn't compete with it.

So I snipped some notches into it. Cinched it in. Taped some more. And this is what I came up with.



It fits nicely in the basket, without being a permanent fixture. This way, my client can remove the pillow and still use the basket after the wedding.



The pattern allows for a seam allowance, so that after it is sewn, the final product will sit just below the wire.



I know it doesn't look like much now, but put your imagination caps on and picture the tracing paper as pretty, white satin. The centre base will be stuffed with a little filling to give it a pillow-like appearance.

I'll show my client the prototype tomorrow and see what she thinks.

A Tisket, A Tasket

A little yellow basket.

Well, not really. It's silver. With pretty flowers.



A client's son is getting married soon. This pretty basket will be skipped down the aisle by the flower girl. The blushing Mother-of-the-Groom (MOG for those of you in the biz) asked if I could make a fabric something-or-other for the bottom so the rings don't fall out.

Of course! I'd love to!

The MOG had a vision of the rings hanging from the top of the basket on a pretty ribbon. A very nice idea, until the flower girl starts to swing the basket and the rings are waving in the air like a wild amusement park ride.

I liked the idea of the rings on a ribbon, so I suggested the ribbon be long enough to pool the rings at the bottom and they can nest in the pillow of fabric I make.

And so it shall be.

I'll work on this over the holidays and post pictures once I'm done.

Craft Show Pictures

Saturday's craft show was entertaining, if nothing else.



At about eleven o'clock, the bar opened. Shandell pointed out that this was the first craft show we'd been at that served. She also suggested that we bring a designated driver next time.

Good idea. I immediately texted Chris to pencil him in.

At one o'clock, it became clear that the bar wasn't open for us. It was open for the dart league.

That's right. A dart league. We're hard core crafters.

Not surprising, Shandell was hit on by a tipsy bald man who shamelessly flirted with her. They may have a date for next weekend. I'm a little fuzzy on the details.

I can't wait for next year. Shandell may get a proposal.

More Inventory

I have a craft show on Saturday:



I have enough tote bags, but I need more Tooth Fairy Pillows and bookmarks.

The pillows are sewn and waiting to be stuffed. They look a little sad when they're deflated.



This is what the bookmarks look like before they're turned. What you see is the back, or wrong side, of the fabric. They're sewn right-sides together, with the elastic inside, leaving an opening on one side for turning.



After they're turned, the corners are poked out. They're waiting to be pressed and top-stitched now.



Bookmarks will be top-stiched and Tooth Fairy Pillows will be stuffed and fluffed tomorrow. It's my company Christmas party tonight. It's quite possible the top-stitching on the bookmarks will be a little crooked.

Reduce. Reuse. Regreet.

What do you do with all those Christmas cards from last year? Well, as many people suggest, you cut them up, punch a hole in them, and use them as gift tags. Great idea, right? Of course it is.

But who has time for this? Well, Urban Contessa does.

While watching TV last night, I used pinking shears to cut up dozens of cards, punched a hole in the corner and wrote To: and From: on the back of each.



Each package of gift cards will have ten ReGreets with ten pieces of gold ribbon for the low, low price of One Dollar. That's right. One Dollar.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And he recycles Christmas Cards.

Event Drapery - Part 2

It's here! It's here! It's here!

The drapery arrived today from Susan Murray and it's absolutely decadent. The fabric feels like satin; it's heavy and thick and so luxurious!



I have a craft show next Saturday, so it came just in time. I can't wait to use it!!