Does making items for my desk at school count as working? Earlier this summer I made myself a sewing basket to see how well I could handle sewing with vinyl. I did OK, so I made a covered basket for school. This really is a needed item, since I traded in my big bulky teacher's desk for a computer table and now have no desk drawers. I love it when functional meets pretty!
Embellishment: My first zipper project!
Then, I played around with covering a clipboard to match. Using light colored fabric for the front, I should have used two coats of paint before applying the fabric. Lesson learned.
Embellishment: Free-form flower.
The flower was an after thought. The big metal clip just looked too bare, and heaven forbid that a clipboard is naked. I looked and looked, then looked some more online for flowers to make, then ended up coming up with this on my own, because I wanted to use a variety of fabrics. Haha...and my first choice of a flower called for WOF and I was primarily working with scraps. The petals are simply cut circles, with a part flattened. If anyone wants a tutorial, just holler! (Like I have people reading this little blog!)
As pretty as this turned out, it simply will not work for my everyday clipboard that is my lifeline in the classroom. I broke out into a cold sweat one morning at work last year when I realized that I had left my clipboard at home. How did I function that day?! My clipboard gets thrown into my bag (or cart, depending on the amount of work I take home) and I'm sure that would wilt my pretty little flower. So...
Sparky! Go ASU! (and OSU)
Next, I made some little back-to-school trinkets for my co-worker, Joy. She really is a joy to work with. Honestly! That was not sarcasm! I used remaining fabric from the Professional Tote that I made for her a couple of years ago. Here are the items: clipboard (her lifeline, too), magnets, coaster (I put a Diet Coke on it...that's where we really differ...should be Diet Pepsi!), fabric fortune cookie, and a cover for our second lifeline, a district calendar.
See how I got my name on there!
The above picture is the inside of the calendar cover. I'm really liking the ribbon sewn on to hold sticky notes and pencil. Must make one of these for myself.
Linking to:
Sew & Tell Fridays @ amylouwho
Fab Friday @ Frugal and Fabulous Design
Fabric Fun Thursday @ Cheap Chic Home
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table and Dreaming
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
DIY Linky Party 8 @ Fine Craft Guild
Boost My Blog Friday @ Design It Chic
24 comments:
What great projects you completed! You must have the cutest desk in school!
I seriously love what you've done. That is my favorite zipper flower I've seen (and I've seen a lot!). Thank you for joining FFT.
Love those desk accessories - so cute!
Yes, it should absolutely be diet Pepsi!
All of this turned out so cute! I love your little zipper flower and your non-naked clipboard. Your desk must be the envy of the faculty!
Wow! Everything turned out so nicely! I love the little covered container, especially and am definitely going to try that out. Oh, and your clipboard flower was genius! Nice work!
xo -E
Love love the sewing basket! And I need a tutorial for that free form flower !Thanks for visiting my blog :)
All your items are sweet , but I really like the zipper and freeform flower. So cute!
Fun to meet another crafty teacher, too.
Beautiful. I wish I had a crafty teacher when I was young; so inspiring.
Beautiful and functional basket! I could see using something like that in my sewing room. Very creative with the other desk accessories as well. Work is more fun when you can personalize your stuff, imo. :-)
Hi Jan.
Thanks so much for coming by my blog. :o)
It is nice meeting you! :o) Bartering fabric scraps for my handcrafted jewelry has been so much fun. I would love to talk shop with you.
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely ~ Tricia
They're all fabulous! You know ALL the teachers and staff are going to want these for their desks, right? Thanks for sharing. Happy Sewing! :o)
www.seamsinspired.com
Cute cute!!! Love the flower zipper! Okay, how I save my ideas . . I print out tutorials & recipes, but most of the time I save the picture from someone's blog. So right click on the picture so you can save it, (you probably know that LOL) In the "file name" I have the name of the idea in caps and then the blog name in lower case. For example, "FLOWER ZIPPER ozona" I have a folder full of ideas and then once I actually make the idea, I put it in another folder. Hope this helps. This was the only thing I could think of without printing out a million pages.
hi jan! thanks for your opinion on the wall color- my husband is en route to go buy it now! :) more pics to come! and i see that you are a TEACHER, too?! even better!! i love all your back to school things- wish i could do that. :( too busy setting up an entire room (i'm at a new school) talk to you soon!
kids must like a teacher with such a desk :-)
Ah cute! I LOVE the zipper flower, I am going to have to try some of those.
Very cool projects! But if you worked here in Tucson, you know those ASU items would disappear... Hee, hee hee.. (insert evil laugh here).
I'm originally from Texas so when I saw how ASU and UofA groupies tease each other back and forth I thought it was the funniest thing. But after being her 14 years I have joined in the fun.
Thanks for sharing! ;oD
I love your projects. You have given me ideas! We go back to school September 7. Actually, we have 2 staff development days right before that. When is your first day back?
I'd love to see pics of your desk...I'm moving to a new school with the computer desk set up...
I'd love to see pics of your desk...I'm moving to a new school with the computer desk set up...
excellent!
easy + 10min + something really sophisticated as a result.
we love this formula.
do come link it up at our site so that our readers can find this and your other wonderful ideas:
http://www.finecraftguild.com/diy-tutorial-linky-party-8/
(new party every wednesday, findable at our home page)
we look forward to featuring your work!
rose
Ok...now I to find you some Ohio State fabric!!!
Both clip boards look amazing:-)
Great projects! I love that basket!
Found you through Fine Craft Guild!
Jill
http://jembellish.blogspot.com/
I'm so glad you found me, because I found you! I am following you:) It's so neat to know you are a teacher. My first ever substituting job was a long term position in a 3rd grade class! I am going to school to be a high school agriculture teacher, though. I love this blog post, I am going to have to try some of these projects out for my own desk :) :)
Post a Comment