Souvenir Shop Trinket Cases

December 17, 2011 by mymateriallife

You could use plain white boxes for little gifts of charms, earrings, etc., but cases like these are so much more fun. I picked up a bag full of the tiger clam cases years ago.  They are referred to as shell coin purses if you want to search for them online; I found the lowest price here.  I think I bought mine at The Shell Shop in Morro Bay.  The little zipper case that I’m going to use for the […]

Categories: Christmas, Kid Stuff, Other Textiles, Sewing • Tags: silk-lined seashell cases

Wondrous White Wool Felt

December 10, 2011 by mymateriallife

Could there be a more versatile material to use for seasonal decorations?  If so, I don’t know what it is.  What I love about white wool felt is that while it clearly says Winter, it doesn’t necessarily say Christmas, so you can use it to make your home more festive when you’ll really need a lift, like in the cold, dark days of January. I found a garland like this for sale somewhere on the internet a few years ago […]

Categories: Christmas, Other Textiles, Reading Material, Sewing • Tags: felt decorations, handmade living, lotta jansdotter, parkhaus, white wool felt

More Marimekko: Surrur, the Book

November 21, 2011 by mymateriallife

Now that’s my kind of sewing project.  I found this wonderful book, Surrur, Make Your Own Marimekko, at the Crate and Barrel Marimekko Shop in Union Square last week.  I actually visited the shop twice; the second time (during our annual pilgrimage to the San Francisco Auto Show) I brought along a Crate and Barrel 15% off coupon that I received at home in a catalog.  That helped quite a bit with the sticker shock I experienced the first time […]

Categories: Furnishings, Other Textiles, Reading Material, Sewing • Tags: marimekko, surrur

Marimekko Tablecloths

November 7, 2011 by mymateriallife

   I went into the Crate and Barrel store at Santana Row last week, and I fell in love with this Marimekko display fabric they have hanging in the store.  I just love the colors and the design and couldn’t help thinking it would make a beautiful tablecloth for the dining table in our living room.  The pattern is called Kumina and you can purchase tablecloths already made up from Crate and Barrel, but the sizes are always bigger than […]

Categories: Other Textiles, Sewing • Tags: christopher collins, crate and barrel, marimekko, tablecloths

Sew and Print a Party Bunting

October 17, 2011 by mymateriallife

Triangular fabric buntings have become very popular recently, haven’t they?  I especially love to see them hanging outdoors.  They’re so much better than the primary colored plastic ones I remember seeing in used car lots way back when. The version above was inspired by the bunting you can see here from Marie Claire Idées.  I knew that if we had our own anniversary party, I would have to include something whimsical in the backyard that was inspired by that article. […]

Categories: Celebrations, Other Holidays, Other Textiles, Sewing • Tags: anniversary bunting, make your own bunting, party bunting, printed bunting

Red Plaid Bags I Have Known and Loved

September 9, 2011 by mymateriallife

I’ve had a life-long love for red plaid bags.  My first memory of one was a school case from early childhood.  I would take it with me when my mom and I would go to pick up my older siblings from school. I’d get out of the car with it and pretend that I was older and coming out of school just like they were.  It must have looked great with our red Falcon station wagon. And I’m sure my […]

Categories: Sewing, TV & Movies • Tags: flight bag pattern, red plaid bags, the rain shed

Another Label Idea

August 23, 2011 by mymateriallife

Here’s another option for a one-off kind of label (making more than one this way could make you crazy).  Here we have an inexpensive Target backpack in a multi-colored zebra stripe pattern for a young girl who describes her style as “rock and roll”.  I don’t think that many, if any, of her peers will have the same backpack, but a name label is always in order.  And though this is a distinct-looking backpack that doesn’t need help standing out, […]

Categories: Kid Stuff, Other Textiles, Sewing • Tags: home-sewn label

Your Own Private Label

August 10, 2011 by mymateriallife

I ordered these woven labels a little over ten years ago, not long after we moved into our house.  Our backyard contains a small building that I claimed for my studio or workshop, so that’s where the “studio” bit comes from.  With the arrival of Samantha, that space became more of a storage area, but now that she’s older, I’m reclaiming it for sewing.  She and her Dad have other ideas about how it should be used, but what’s that […]

Categories: Other Textiles, Sewing • Tags: custom diy labels, custom woven labels

Bountiful Beach Blankets

July 27, 2011 by mymateriallife

I finished this blanket just in time for the beach yesterday.  It’s made from two Ikea towels that I picked up last summer.  I think the towels cost about $7 each and that is really something because their quality is outstanding.  Actually, a little too good for a pool or beach towel – too large and heavy.  So I decided to go with that theme and make them even larger and heavier by combining the two towels into one beach […]

Categories: Sewing • Tags: beach blanket, ikea's textiles, sewing