Studio and Travel Organization

It's still January, so I can still say welcome to the new year and a new decade. I have tons of new stuff coming down the pike and even some older stuff I haven't shared yet. But first up - the #kidgiddystudio requires a bit of organizing, destashing and overall cleaning up. I've lived in my house for almost 20 years - and I am feeling this "20 year itch" to make some changes (like out with the old - in with...nothing new). Have you ever felt this way? This is the longest I have ever been in one place all of my life, which is so strange to say and feel. But it's true and that means stuff has moved from room to room after baby number one, and then moved again after baby number two, and then again after starting kid giddy, and during renovations, and whew - I'm out of breathe.

My Potter desk above tends to get covered in the WIP's and to-do projects, but I love being able to have a small design board here, my serger and my collection of Aurifil threads on the ready for quick switches and fixes.

For the past 7 years, I have had my studio space above the garage (you can see the start of it here) and what once was fun moving into, is slowly starting to feel suffocating because I create all of the time and make really really big messes. So last weekend, I started clearing 10-20 year old things out of my closet to make more room for thinking and breathing. I'm not done yet - but just getting started is feeling great. I'm letting go of said "things", continuing to organize and can see pretty stuff on my walls and desk again.

Those are some photos I took of my space last year and neglected to share here. I'm working towards this level of clean again...but better...less cluttered. I love having all of my Artbins filled with fat quarters, and my Sterlite bins filled with their own category of things under my cutting table and love that they are easily accessible. The large cutting table pictured above was custom made for me based off of a drawing I gave to the manufacturer to fit the space and to provide the highest level of (easy to access) organizing opportunities. You can find out more about my table by visiting this kidgiddy studio post.

I'm also organizing more of my slow stitching and on the go sewist stuff. I am still making a #SewPlushPlanner for metalsmithing class and all my metals, but I've also recently finished this Sew Plush Planner for my cross stitching and embroidery. These Aurifil Floss spools were not up on my wall, but previously haphazardly snuggling in a pouch. Sad spools. Now they have their own little spot and nest together when the sew plush planner is closed. You can fit 21 different colored spools in this format which is perfect for most cross stitching projects...and of course you can rotate as needed.

These new add on pages are coming soon, but you can see more of the original Sew Plush Planner here and find it in my kid giddy Etsy shop. The original sew plush planner I made houses my "on the go hexie" wares. I'm working on one sew plush planner for a different work in progress and one for my crochet needles and such too. I still have a feeling I'll need a few more! What would you put in yours? How do you stay organized? How do you decided what stays and what has to go? Do you have big plans to change things up this year...in this new decade?

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope to see some ways you organize your space and your sewing travels needs. Feel free to share info below and also on Instagram by tagging me @kidgiddy.

Disclosure: I received the floss and threads from Aurifil and this post is a challenge for some of the Aurifil Artisans to share ways we organize our spaces and things, but the opinions and comments provided are always my own. Thank you.

Aurifil Whole Cloth Quilt Challenge

Did you know you can make tiny pompoms with thread? Yep! This month the Aurifil Artisans were given a whole cloth mini quilt challenge using a solid fabric from Painter's Palette Solids by Paintbrush Studio and Aurifil thread. At the time of sign up, I requested the Aurifil 12wt thread because I had yet to really work with a 12wt thread and wanted to experiment with it. Although I didn't know what color fabric and thread I would get, I was so excited to open my package to see that I received the "Shell Pink" fabric (one of their 2019 colors) and Aurifil thread in color number 2425.

I initially wanted to do something like Sashiko when I first began thinking of ideas because the 12wt thread would work great...but things went on a bit of a bird walk in a whole other direction. Because it was pink (even my martial arts sparing gear is pink) and I've loved pink since I was younger, I got to thinking of my bedroom when I was a tween. One summer while my twin sister and I were away, our mom painted a huge pastel rainbow and animal shaped clouds all around our room. When we got back, we stuck glow in the dark stars up on the walls and ceilings for night time effects (what can I say it was the 80's). That got me thinking further back in our past when my sister and I were in Texas and sitting with another girl on the bleachers and she taught us how to make our first pompoms using cereal box templates when we were 7ish. Flashing back to the present, since I also design 3 dimensional toys and quilts, I felt the need to add something 3 dimensional to this project, but with thread...so pompoms it is?!

Now if you really want, you could try making pompoms with 40wt or 50wt thread...but that might take a while! You definitely can make them with Aurifil floss, but I wanted to see if I could make them with 12wt. And it worked...you just have to add water!

To make my tiny pompoms I used the 12wt Aurifil thread, Clover 3/4" pompom maker, fabric snips, and water. Each pompom took me about 10 minutes to make. Yes - we timed it. lol. Begin by wrapping your thread around the clover pompom maker so both sides are full. 

Using your fabric snips, carefully clip the threads right down the center of the pompom maker.

Cut two 8" pieces of thread and wrap them together through the center to tie the pompom. I double loop my first tie and then single loop my second tie to make a really strong knot. By double looping the first one, it won't easily come undone before you knot it with the second tie.

Carefully open the pompom maker.

Remove the pompom and notice it is oddly shaped. This is where the water comes in...

Get your pompom wet by pressing the two sides together and really get the water to soak into the center of the pompom. Once the threads are wet, they will relax a bit and fall into place a lot easier. Squeeze out all of the excess water and shake it using the attached strings (remember how you would shake the troll (tm) dolls to make their hair puff out perfectly...pompoms work the same way!).

Once it has a little shape to it - set it somewhere to dry. Once it's fully dry, use your snips to shape the pompom into a pretty little ball. The more you trim off, the tighter the threads will appear and the smaller the pompom will end up being. Some sides of the pompoms will appear shiny but other (and most parts will looks super soft and will even look like yarn.

Because I wanted the quilting and the pompoms to play nicely together and not have one over power the other, I decided to quilt the background with a basic 1/2" grid using the exact same 2425 color in a 50wt (thank goodness I had this exact color on hand - yay!) and placed the pompoms in a basic polka dot or cookie sheet layout. I cannot tell a lie though - I decided it had to be a pillow - so this finished pic is without the pillow form since it was supposed to be a mini quilt. I wanted it also to have a more finished and professional look, so I used some of the left over fabric to add piping around the edge. This simple and quick design will spruce up any little reading nook and add a little whimsy to your home decor.

Now that I have a cute pillow, I think I'm going to need a large quilt to go with it! Who's up for making more Aurifil thread pompoms? Thanks so much for visiting and I hope to see some more Aurifil thread pompom/whole cloth pillows and quilts out there!

Disclosure: I received the fabric and thread to help create my project, but the opinions and comments provided are always my own. There are no affiliate links. Thank you.

Sew Plush Planner Sew Along Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the Kid Giddy Sew Plush Planner sew along! To make things a little easier in this post - I'm only going to show you the zipper pages of one of the planners I'm working on. This can be a super hard section, especially if you don't like zippers, but I'll also share some tips to simplify. If you want to see a video of all the original SewPlushPlanner features - check it out here...in this post. 

Just to quickly revisit some details...if you have not yet purchased a copy of the Sew Plush Planner from my Kid Giddy Etsy shop, you can do so here.... Whatever you do, please do not share your purchased pattern with someone else as it will upset me greatly. Please abide by my copyrights. Thank you! The Sew Plush Planner pattern will also come with some cute Bullet Planner Page blocks that are fun foundation paper piecing blocks to sew and use on the inside of your Sew Plush Planner if you'd like, or as it's own mini or quilt. All photos should be shared on Instagram using the hashtag #sewplushplanner.

Here's the Schedule we will follow:
Week 1 - Cover
Week 2 - Pages 1/2 and 3/4
Week 3 - Pages 5/6 and 7/8
Week 4 - Pages 9/10
Week 5 - Pages 11/12
Week 6 - Assembly

Pages 5/6 and 7/8 are the zipper pages, but before we get to those we have to make our little tabs as I made and chain stitched in the photo above...follow the cut out instructions in the pattern to make those and then place them on your front pages like so...it's easier to place them like this so you don't have to worry about some crazy mathematics to be sure they are evenly spaced. Be sure there is a little room at the top on the first page and a little at the bottom on the last page for seam allowances. Don't you just love how these Sunprint 2019 fabrics from Alison Glass play so nicely together?!

Once you have the tabs evenly spaced, pin them in place. One tip already to simplify your Sew Plush Planner is to not make tabs. You can use ribbon, labels, selvage, etc. or just leave them off completely and not have tabs at all.

Put aside all of the other pages you don't need right now - and just keep out pages 5/6 and 7/8. Place them as show below with zippers pinned in place. On the left side is my zipper pouch using the 5/6 pages and on the right is my zipper pouch using the 7/8 pages. If you really are phobic of zippers as I used to be (seriously I avoided them at all costs!), please consider giving them a try. If you really can't find yourself moving on from that fear - try hook and loop tape! It would work really well here.

I can't repeat too much info that is in the Sew Plush Planner instructions - copyrights - but wanted to give you some colorized assistance! The photos from here on out are for the spreads. That means the zipper pouches are sewn together, not as individual pouches. To sew them as individual zipper pouches, please read the instructions shown in the pattern. If you lay out your pieces as follows - take the top and switch it to underneath, then sew the left side (the left side of the floral print to the opposite side of the pink zipper).

If If you still need more help, I can upload a quick video in the Kid Giddy Sewing Patterns facebook group for reference. Just let me know! After the step above sew on your lining pieces. To simplify - don't add a lining. Truly easier!
I added a top stitch as you'll see in the photo below...but don't recommend it. It's not written in the pattern and has caused my zipper ends to stay tucked in a little more than I prefer. Once the pieces are connected as follows (the white lining is hidden underneath and attached to the pink zipper on the magenta word print side...and also to the orange zipper underneath the orange word print side) you can then sew it into the tube as further below. Before continuing, unzip both zippers a little bit, to be sure one is unzipped enough for turning right side out.

If your zipper spreads look like this inside out...you did it right. Now you find the opening on the liner and and gently pull the zipper pouches right side out.
Give the zipper pouches a good press and then they are done and ready for assembly week. Next week we will talk about sewing with mesh and vinyl. Be sure to share your Sew Plush Planner sew along pics with me on instagram. Tag me @kidgiddy on the photo and use the hashtags #sewplushplanner and #kidgiddy in the captions! I'm truly looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Disclosure: I received some Alison Glass fabric from Alison to use at my discretion. Expressed opinions are always my own. There are no affiliate links.

Sew Plush Planner Sew Along Week 2

Hello all, its a delayed start to Week 2 of the Kid Giddy Sew Plush Planner sew along! Last week I was working on 5 Sew Plush Planner covers, and now I'm working on 6...soon to be 7. I just keep getting more ideas for new pages and want to be sure they work before sending them out in the world. Some of the Sew Plush Planner organizers I'm working will feature the pages in the original pattern, and the other ones I'm making will have new pages for an add on pattern that will be available later in the sew along. If you want to see a video of all the current features - check it out here...in this post. Last week I finished the badge button Sew Plush Planner and love how it turned out. Now want to make one for my enamel pins too. How's your cover coming along?

Just to quickly revisit some details...if you have not yet purchased a copy of the Sew Plush Planner from my Kid Giddy Etsy shop, you can do so here.... Whatever you do, please do not share your purchased pattern with someone else as it will upset me greatly. Please abide by my copyrights. Thank you! The Sew Plush Planner pattern will also come with some cute Bullet Planner Page blocks that are fun foundation paper piecing blocks to sew and use on the inside of your Sew Plush Planner if you'd like, or as it's own mini or quilt. All photos should be shared on Instagram using the hashtag #sewplushplanner.

Here's the Schedule we will follow:
Week 1 - Cover
Week 2 - Pages 1/2 and 3/4
Week 3 - Pages 5/6 and 7/8
Week 4 - Pages 9/10
Week 5 - Pages 11/12
Week 6 - Assembly

Now that that's out of the way - let's get on to Week 2! Week 2 are pages 1/2 and 3/4. As I was working on these, and forgetting all of the measurements, I had to refer back to my pattern and sadly found two errors. Please make note of this errata on your pattern pieces or on your copy of the PDF. The Page Template says the width is 7" when it's actually 7 1/4". All other mentions of the page width through out the pattern are correct at 7 1/4". For the "sticky note" batting, it would be 6 1/2" width. My sincerest apologies for the errors despite checking it over and having it edited.

As you'll see in the photos below, I'm not sewing all of the pages together until assembly week. I've sewn all of the additional pieces (the sticky notes, envelope and pocket with strap), but they are only pinned together for layout purposes. There are two different options in the pattern instructions for putting pages together, so I'm waiting to decided until the assembly week to show you both options. If you haven't decided if you want to sew them together as single pages or as spreads, leave the additional pieces unsewn from the pages. Pin them for now. Below are the pages for my Sew Plush Planner that has my Westie Dog Block pattern on the front cover. I used batting on this envelope and have decided I prefer the light weight stabilizer instead. I may remake it, but I'm thinking the batting might prove beneficial for added protection depending on what's put inside, especially if I use it for metalsmithing. These are this beautiful Sunprint 2019 prints from Alison Glass.

When you finish making your sticky notes and envelope you can give them a press if you'd like. I press the top folded edge of the sticky notes but prefer to leave the envelope with rolled edges. It will sit easier once the flaps are sewn together and the snaps are put in place.   

For one of the other planners I'm going with an "English Teacher" theme...yes - for my friend that is an english teacher. lol. These prints are from Word Play by Sarah Fielke by Windham fabrics. Hopefully my friend doesn't see these pics, but I want to show you how you can do a different theme inside and go with a random vibe or more consistent (as in the next photo).

If you want to go more consistent and matchy matchy like I did here with these Mendocino prints by Heather Ross, use the same page prints for front and back (6 prints total) instead of double the number of prints. There are also multiple chances for fussy cutting. On the pocket page it ends up covering up the octopus on the bottom, bummer right?! So I fussy cut the pocket piece to have an octopus on it and now I have it back.

Once you have all of the pieces for pages 2 and 4, share a picture on IG and tag me @kidgiddy on the pic and with the hashtag #sewplushplanner and #sewplushplannersal in the post comment. Then you can set them aside with the snaps needed for assembly later in the sew along.

Over the course of the week, start thinking about the zipper colors you want or need and make sure you have them ordered for next week. While you are at it, start looking for some cute and fun zipper pulls or keychains that work as zipper pulls. I found these random CareBear (tm) keychains. I let my daughter pick one and opened it up to find a the cute "Heartsong" CareBear. It matches perfectly with my original Sew Plush Planner, and now I want all of the others! lol. So let's see what you've got on your cover if you've got it finished and let's see your 1 - 4 pages?! Be sure to share your Sew Plush Planner sew along pics with me on instagram. Tag me @kidgiddy on the photo and use the hashtags #sewplushplanner and #kidgiddy in the captions! I'm truly looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Disclosure: I received some Alison Glass fabric from Alison as well as the Word Play and Medocino from Windham Fabrics, to use at my discretion. Expressed opinions are always my own. There are no affiliate links.