Disney Autograph Bag

I made these bags in 2007 for our trip to Disney World and I thought I repost it here so I have my instructions. 

The bags are 10 3/4 x 8 3/4; pocket 4 1/2 x 7 1/4
The backpack is 10 3/4 square. I made it for a 3.5 year old, so you may need to adjust size.
I cut an old piece of 12x12 scrapbook paper to size to make a pattern. 

For each bag you will need:
*1/2 yard of fabric-for bags cut four 10.75 x 8.75 and 1 pocket 4.5 x 7.25; for backpack cut four 10.75 x 10.75 squares (you can also get 1/3 yard for outside and 1/3 for lining if you want you
lining to be different) 
*fusible batting (kinda like felt with fusible backing); Cut 2 the same size as bags for each bag.
*Also, you will need at least 1 yard of the lanyard (measure how long you want it to
be and add about 4 inches) and some sew on velcro.

Sewing Directions:
1) Iron fusible batting to 2 outside pieces and pocket piece
Pocket
2) Turn top of pocket down 5/8; top stitch on outside at 1/2
3) Turn sides in 5/8; press. Pin to center front of purse, bottom is even with purse bottom. Stitch sides of pocket to purse front close to edge.
Purse
*hint: when sewing through batting, you might need to increase stitch length* Sew at 5/8 unless otherwise mentioned.
4) Pin purse front to purse back, right sides together. Stitch sides and bottom. Trim edges.
5) Line up side seam with bottom seam until you get a corner edge. Stitch 1 inch down (looks like a triange after stitching). Do the same to the other corner. This adds fullness to the purse. I didn't trim this in order to add stability.
Lining
6) Sew velcro tab in center of both sides of lining, 1 1/4 inch from top.
7) Pin lining front to back, right sides together. Stitch sides. Sew bottom but don't
sew it closed. You need a hole in the middle to turn the purse. So, sew from each side edge towards the center. Repeat step 5 above for purse only.
Add lining to purse
8) Turn purse right side out. Lining should be inside out. Put the purse inside the lining so the right sides are together; Pin top and stitch.
9) Turn the purse through the hole in the lining. Every thing showing should be right sides.
10) Stitch the hole in the lining closed
11) Put lining inside purse. Top stitch 1/4 on top of purse.
Lanyard
12) Cut lanyard to size. I fray-checked the edges but not sure if it was needed.
Turn each edge under 1 inch and sew to purse at sides near top. I put mine just below the top-stitching.

For backpack, cut lanyard in half. Skip step 2 & 3. Before starting step 4, pin lanyard to backpack front, about 2 inches up, even with raw edge of side. Do this with both sides. Continue step 4. Skip step 5. At step 12 I pinned the lanyard about 2 1/2 inches in from sides, and about 1 inch from top.

I actually did something on Pinterest!

Okay, so I've spent a ton of time on pinterest finding great ideas to organize my home. I finally finished one! I think I have started at least two others--but they are on the back burner...

Here is the original prodigious idea posted by a brilliant blogger: http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/08/organizing-measuring-cups-and-spoons.html

I got the little cup hooks and everything but just never got around to it. Then one day it dawned on me: command hooks! I love these little beauties:

Purchased using my amazon prime account, of course. $7.80 at the time of purchase for 9 hook which was all I needed. Probably cheaper at Walmart but I just didn't want to haul myself down there. Plus, they might not have the right type--you know how it goes.

I started by using my handy-dandy label maker (LabelPOINT 100). I don't think this guy is available anymore but they have a bunch on the market for relatively low prices. (It's the refills that get you, as usual.) I  labeled all the sizes and the type (tsp, tbls) using a small font. I had to cut these out very small so they would fit on the hook but it worked! They really are legible but hard to tell in the picture.

I'm an experimental type of crafter so I just throw myself into a project and hope it works. I'm excited to see my finished project at this time so I'm working quickly. I make a light pencil line so my hooks will at least be straight. I don't measure anything and just start sticking my hooks on the inside of my cabinet. Well, I had to re-position them a couple of times so they would fit correctly. It's a good thing I had extra command strips because the 3 bonus that came in the box were not enough for my mistakes. I had the most trouble with the cups because by cabinet is relatively small and I am short so I didn't want them to be too high. That would defeat the purpose of easy-reach.

Here is the finished product (ignore the pencil marks--I have since cleaned them off). Pretty spiffy, don't ya think?

Garage Sale Finds

Shopped at quite a few garage sales last Saturday in hopes of finding stuff for Rachel's room. What is it about yard sales? One that said estate sale was pitiful--just a woman seller her old costume jewelry and makeup. Actually, I did pick up a couple puka shell necklaces for 20 cents each so it wasn't a total loss. In fact, I probably could have picked up more just for the beads but I had to stay focused. I was looking for furniture. Now, we already have some furniture that my dad made for me using plywood covered in gray formica. It actually still looks pretty cool but, being from the eighties, the formica is chipped in some places and just doesn't look "Harry Potterish". I hit pay dirt at the second yard sale. This guy was selling about 15 dressers, 8 desks, some brass headboards, and the like. I picked up a prefab desk for $8 and a wood dresser for $12 plus a couple of computer chairs for $3 each. I think the desk had a Harry Potter feel and I am planning on spray painting/decoupaging the dresser. I figure, if I mess up the restoration and they look bad then I haven't invested much.

Oh, and I ordered my French Doors from Home Depot. Here they are:

Jeld-wen prehung, preprimed at $299. The guys were excited and thought this was a great deal. I hope they arrive next week! I'm so excited. It actually seems like this could get done before we start school!

I also got my little etsy purchase this week from mudinmyblood. Not the first time I purchased from them. I highly recommend them for the Harry Potter geek. Really cute light switch will be perfect for the room.

Dining Room Makeover Begins

My dear daughter is very much into Harry Potter right now. We've decided to make over our dining room into a bedroom for her as she is sharing one with her sister right now. The dining room was never used for it's intended purpose, anyway. It was first a scrapbook room and then a homeschool room. But, the books are moving into the bonus room upstairs and it will be a new Hufflepuff themed room for our girl.

For those of you unaware of what is a Hufflepuff I will attempt a background summary. Harry Potter attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school is divided into four "houses" which room together and compete with the other houses in academics and athletics. The Hufflepuff house colors are black and yellow and it's mascot is a badger. I didn't want her room to be black and yellow. She may not be into a Hufflepuff themed room for ever and I don't want to make it too "themey" or too costly. I talked her into a gray for the wall color but we, instead, I surprised her with a gray/yellow room. It coordinates with the Hufflepuff colors and is, actually, pretty fashion forward.

My sister found some great fabric at Wal-mart which we thought looked pretty Harry Potterish. I love that my fabric department is back! I also found a couple of paint chips that I thought would be perfect. Look how nicely they go together.

The paint colors are Glidden WGY10 Crisp Ginger Ale (which we called Butterbeer) and WGN63 Pebble Gray (great castle-type color).

My dear brother-in-law offered to paint--yay! 

Not a great picture...I'll have to try that again later.

Next up...curtains.