EA LOVES : sewing

#ealcraftyquestionnaire, #ealmondaymaker, badges, Emma, etsy, handmade, pins, pointy pins, sewing, the curious needle

#ealmondaymaker Emma from The Curious Needle & Pointy Pins!!

9:20 AM

Hello lovelies!!! So today it's time for another #ealmondaymaker who has taken on the #ealcraftyquestionnaire and it's the lovely Emma from The Curious Needle & Pointy Pins!!! Enjoy....

1. When did you start crafting?

2. What made you start crafting?

1 & 2 I first got into crafting in 2008. I was on maternity leave with my first child and needed a hobby to keep me sane! Initially, I was into papercrafting, mostly making cards, with a short lived venture into scrapbooking. Since then, my interests have changed slightly and now my main craft is sewing.

Cool Adventure Time case (Side note from Aideen, "It was seeing these Adventure Time goodies in Emmas shop that got us into watching the show and now we are all hooked" Available HERE €10.16

3. Where can we see your makes?

You can see what I'm currently working on at www.facebook.com/thecuriousneedle

4. Do you have an online store for your makes?

I have two Etsy stores. The Curious Needle (www.thecuriousneedle.com) is where I sell my makeup bags and pencil cases. I also sell badges for party bags, bottle openers, pocket mirrors and pendants/paracord necklaces in my other shop Pointy Pins (www.pointypins.com)

Emmas fun badges would make fun party gifts!! This fairy set is available HERE

5. Favourite embellishments?

I love buttons! Whether I'm sewing or making cards, I love to use them.

6. Craft tools you can't live without?

My best craft tool has to be my Olfa rotary cutter and mat. It's absolutely essential to me when I'm cutting fabric for my bags. I love it because it's both fast and precise.

7. Favourite craft companies?

My favourite stamp company is Papertrey Ink. I'm a big fan of their simple aesthetic. When it comes to fabric, I love Timeless Treasures for their novelty prints. They are super fun to work with!

8. Who is you main crafting inspiration?

One of my main crafting inspirations is Twinkie Chan. She mainly crochets (which is something I can't do at all!), but her creations are such fun! I also love Nichole Heady's blog for card inspiration.

There are lots of Make up Large size pouches too like this Sugar skull beauty available HERE

9. Favourite season or holiday to craft?

I love Halloween, but I use skull and gothic fabric all year round!

10. Favourite project you have made?

My favourite project was a quilt I made for my mum's 60th birthday. It was my first quilt, and it was definitely a labour of love. It's not perfect, but it felt like a big achievement!

11. Favourite type of project to make?

I like fast results, so any project that takes about 30 minutes is high up on my list! I guess my bags are something I love to make, which is lucky seeing as I've made about a 1000 of them in the past year!

12. Projects you are currently working on?

I always have a ton of WIP's lying around. Some things I'm working on at the moment are a Wonder Woman skirt, a new cross body bag design for my shop and a quilt for my daughter's room.

Glow in the dark skeleton mirror HERE

13. Any particular project or style of project on your to do list?

I need to make 6 blinds for my kitchen, which I've been promising to start for the past year. There's always something more fun to make though!

14. Favourite colours to use in projects?

I don't have any real preference for colours, but I love using novelty prints in my work.

Thanks so much Emma!!!

Emily & Aideen x

#ealsewingshare, #ealwantitwednesday, apron, etsy, handmade, pattern, ruffle apron, sewing

#ealwantitwednesday Patterns - A lovely Little Ruffled Apron

4:12 AM

Hello Lovelies,

Emily here today with a #ealsewingshare ! I thought it might be a fun little installment to add, since I have been making a real effort lately to start working my way through at least some of my current fabric stash! I don’t by any means have a HUGE hoard of fabric, but over the past two years I have definitely accumulated quite a collection. After doing a recent craft room clean up, it sort of just hit me… I need to start making some stuff with all this lovely fabric I have been collecting. So I had a little conversation with myself (is that weird?) Hope I’m not freaking anyone out, lol, but anywhooo -- I said, “Emily, unless you start making some projects with all this fabric you seriously need to stop buying more fabric. On top of that, you have a brand new sewing machine that you REALLY NEED to use more!” So, the outcome of this little conversation with myself is that for the next month or so I am going on a little fabric spending freeze, and I'm going to try and work my way through some of the beautiful stash that I already have. I think it's so easy to fall in love with all the latest and greatest collections and forget all the lovely bits you have hiding out on your shelf already.

So, the reason why I am sharing this little “ah-ha” moment with you is, in my effort to use my stash, I have been on the hunt for pattern and project ideas. Through my searching I came across this fab little Etsy shop called "I Make It You Make It."

“I Make It; You Make It" features sewing patterns for fun, fashionable accessories,things like vintage-inspired turbans, men's bowties, unique wallets, detachable peter pan collars and more!”

The shop owner, Stefanie Fail, has a nice selection of lovely vintage inspired patterns, so you are sure to find something that strikes your fancy. Over the weekend, I used her Reversible Ruffle Apron pattern to make the apron pictured above! Isn’t it adorable? The fabric just screamed apron to me. This pattern is very well written and super easy to follow. The pattern comes as an Etsy instant download (.pdf ) complete with loads of full color images to clarify the instructions. You also receive an additional pdf explaining how to make pockets. Though I didn’t include any on this first apron, it’s a handy little tutorial to have. I think the project took me a total of 2 hrs. to put together, with a little break in there, so it whipped up super fast! I actually picked up two more of her patterns the other day and am in the process of trying them out. If you are interested, I can certainly share a review of those patterns as well, along with my makes!

Be sure to stop by Stefanie's Shop to see all of her vintage inspired patterns!

Emily x