Easing into Work

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

Professional Tote 2

Here is one of the Professional Totes that Joy ordered to give to a kindergarten teacher the year that I had the cottage license from Laura Martell of The Creative Thimble. The fabric is Tidings and Tales by Janet Wecker-Frisch for Wilmington Prints.

This fabric was also very fun to play with the placement on this Professional Tote! Here's the front:



I do not remember what font I used for the machine embroidery, but I love how it looks on the fabric. Here's the back:



And the two sides:




Inside views:




This last inside photo shows both the included message required under the cottage license, as well as how I modified the business card holder. That took some fiddling to do with the clear vinyl, but I'm really happy with the result.



I can't say enough how much I love these bags!

Professional Tote

Posting about the oven mitts and the fabrics that I used reminded me of the most fun thing I've ever made.

About 2 1/2 years ago I bought the pattern for the Professional Tote, by Laura Martell of The Creative Thimble. Having seen the Dick & Jane fabric line by Michael Miller Fabrics, I knew I HAD to make a teacher tote. In playing around with the fabrics, it evolved into a gift for my co-worker. I think I started in January and was planning on giving it to her for her birthday in May. That in itself was a joke...I seem to never get gifts done early. Shortly after I started making the Professional Tote, Joy's step-father passed away. I finished it up quickly and sat it on her desk the morning she was back to work after the funeral. When she saw it, from my adjoining classroom I heard, "OH MY GOD!"





In two of the following photos, I've blacked out the embroidery showing her last name.







She loves it. She carries to work every day. She shows it off to colleages at workshops/meetings. She became my customer. I purchased a one year cottage license from Laura and made teacher Professional Totes for Joy's sons' teachers for end-of-the-year gifts. We joked that I was going to have to make my own end-of-the-year gift last year when I had one of her sons in my classroom.

No matter how hard I try lately, my thoughts keep coming back to my day job and all that needs to get done. Guess it's time to do some dreaded paperwork and gear up for the exhausing last week of school.