Handmade Buttons!

As promised I indulged my love of buttons by buying what I needed to make some of my own. I particularly love large buttons so started with the two largest sizes I could get-45mm and 38mm. After going through my own fabric stash and raiding my sisters collection too (Thanks Kylie!) I had heaps of wonderful fabrics to try. These were made up primarily of reclaimed clothes-many vintage, retro or just plain gorgeous and unusual. I had so much fun making the buttons and still have heaps of fabric so I am going to get some more button components so I can make some more! I might also put some smaller ones onto elastics to make pretty pony tail holders and have a go at making some button hair clips.

Here are my first attempts at button making:







A collection of large (38mm) handmade fabric buttons (now available in my Made It shop)
















A collection of extra large (45mm) handmade fabric buttons which will be available in my Made It shop soon!






It is so exciting when you try a new craft and instantly love both the creative process and the results! Yeah!

Til next time...

New Bags with Pockets

I have finished the two bags I was working on- they are the first ones which I have added inside pockets to, when I made the linings. They went really well and I am very pleased. I am going to include pockets in all the larger bags I make, from now on. I convinced my lovely neighbour to model the bags for me to photograph (it helps give people a better idea of the size and look) and I have listed them in my Made It store. I will include the some photos below:














Brown Maui Bag- This is made with Moda Vera Maui Yarn. Each bag I make is fully lined with cotton fabric to prevent small items from escaping. The straps are also lined to prevent stretching.
This bag has two pockets so items like keys and mobile phone do not get lost in the depths of the bag. It has velcro to hold it closed-I felt this yarn was elaborate enough on its own, and didn't need to be embellished with any buttons.
The yarn is multi-stranded. The main colour is dark brown with strands in various shades of pink, running throughout. It is a looped yarn so the bag has a lot of texture.













Red Maui Bag: This bag is essentially the same as the one above except for the colour and a very slight difference in strap length.
The main colour of this yarn is a rich deep red, with strands of dark yellow, cream and pink running through it.




This is my lovely (and patient) neighbour Ama, modelling the bags for me! Thanks Ama!

Anyway until next time...

AUGUST BIRTHDAY SALE!

I was busy working on my Made It Store yesterday. After a discussion with fellow seller and new friend Sheepish Sarah, I decided to offer FREE POSTAGE on all my Made It items sold during the month of August, to help celebrate my birthday. I am also hoping that this offer might encourage a few people to give a newcomer a chance. We will see how it goes...

I am finishing a few bags today and will hopefully have them ready to post tomorrow. I have made the decision to start making baby & children's sun hats again (now that I have the pattern right). It took me so much trial and error last year to make a pattern that looked good made but also looked good, sat well and offered good coverage once on a baby/child's head. I did perfect it after much heart ache and I am ready to through myself back into it and see how they go. I will post some updates once I get back into it. I need to finish stocking up my supply of bags first.

I have also decided to try my hand at making my own buttons. I love great buttons and use them as a prominent feature on many of my bags, and although I have found some sensational buttons in my travels, I cannot always find ones to match/compliment a particular bag and they are also very expensive. Stocking up on buttons really puts a big dent in my budget. So stay tuned for updates (and photos of my button making adventures!) I am also trying to convince hubby to try his hand at making me some carved buttons from wood and coconut- I love the natural buttons, but the large ones are super expensive.

'Til next time...

I Finally Made It Back!

I had been promising myself to write a new post for a while now, and when I finally made the time, I could not log on! I read all the relevant help pages, followed all the instructions but still no luck. After much frustration, I still haven't worked out how to fix the problem permanently, but I did find a way to get around it and that will do for now.

Since my last visit I have been really busy. I redid all photos of my bags (for my Made It listings) and finally figured out the best way to photograph them AND have them look as natural and as close to real life as possible. The new photos have been added to the listings.

I have been busy posting my moebius scarves in my Made It Shop. For anyone who doesn't know, a Moebius scarf (also known as a Mobius or Infinity Scarf) is made as a loop with a twist in it. The loop means that it can be worn without getting in the way of what you are doing, and without falling off. This twist means that the scarf sits nicely around the neck/under the chin. I love them because they can be worn in so many different ways, depending on the width and length of them. I will include some sample photos below (these are some of the scarves I now have for sale in my Made It store):





















I have also been learning how to use Google Analytics and reading about the best way to list items to help them be found- and not just be found, but be found by people who are actually interested in what we have to offer. I changed my titles and the 1st line of my item descriptions, and I am now appearing higher in Google searches. So much to learn and so many things to think about.

I have also had some of my bags accepted into a shop on consignment, and the shop owner seems very confident that they will sell. I hope she is right! Its all very exciting because if they sell well during a trial period, she will then buy bags from me outright, rather than on consignment. I am trying so hard to be patient, but it isn't easy because selling well through her store would be a huge boost.

In the meantime I am getting some more bags finished to add to my Made It store. It has also been a busy time with the kids- bday parties to ferry them to and a few school events are on this week. The youngest two had a multicultural day yesterday. Each class studies a different country-they set up displays etc and the parents are asked to cook (or buy) food from that country. The classes then move from room to room, learning a bit and sampling some food from that particular country. The kids love it. Anyway I cooked Tarte aux Pommes (Apple Tart) for my daughter's "French" class and Oat Cakes for my son's "Irish" class. I also volunteered to help out with serving food-it was a lovely way to spend the morning! On Friday 2nd oldest son is receiving 2 awards at a school presentation, so I will be spending the morning at the highschool. Busy, busy but it keeps me out of trouble!

I will be back with photos of my new bags when they are done. These bags are all larger than the original ones I made, so I am thinking of adding an inside pocket or two when I make the linings, so smaller items like keys, mobile phone etc don't get lost in the depths of the bag. A bit more work but I think it will be worth the effort.

Until next time!