Presents, Presents and More Presents!

I have furiously been sewing these past 2 weeks since I have a huge cluster of birthdays around the same time!  It's actually been nice and I have been reminded just how much I enjoy sewing.  In true fashion I don't have pictures of everything.  I'm bad at remembering especially when working on a deadline :)  There is one yet to be received as well as a handful of other projects I hope to complete before our house (and sewing machine) get packed up for over a month!  Naturally I'd get the sewing bug 3 weeks beforehand.

Here is a round up of the gifts galore happening around here.

This first one is a repurposed dress made for my daughter.  This is actually my least favorite of the 3 that I have made, I like the top of the others better.  Thought I would try something different!  I'll get pictures of the others eventually.  I will just put out there that this was the EASIEST projects ever.  A little cutting with the scissors and 2 seams.  No measuring and no finishing!!  I discovered that you can use a girls shirt in a length that matches what you would want the dress to be (I used medium shirts).  Cut the top to look like a tank top then taper the sides down.  Easy peasy!!

 This next one is a "beach comber" bag that I came up with for my nephew (and also my kids as well).  I saw this idea in a One Step Ahead catalog but I think it retailed for something like $15!  No way was I paying that so I set out to design one.  It was fairly easy except that my thread kept breaking (you know I really HATE when that happens!).  I have changed some things about it that I didn't like and am currently putting together a tutorial on how to make one.  It you have beach babes in your house then this is a must!

 Here he was just being goofy because I asked him to be my model!

These turtles were something that I saw a tutorial for in my blog roll and instantly knew I had to make some!  They were just too darn cute not to.  I am not usually one who sets right out to make something, I'm a major procrastinator but right after I saw the blog post here, at Make It and Love It, on how to do it I went to my fabric stash and picked out the fabrics.  I made one for my nephew and my daughter for their respective birthdays and have an order from my son for one!  They really are too darn cute!!  Perhaps the best part is they are a great way to use up scraps.

 One other thing I learned from the turtle tutorial was a new stitch.  Honestly I have no idea how I have lived without it!  It's the ladder or a blind stitch and it is the best.  Now everything looks so professional!  That's what is used below to close the opening, you can't even tell.

 Finally, up last, is a purse I made for a friend of mine.  This is one of two I have made in the last month from 2 different patterns I have.  I forgot to take a picture of the other one and almost did with this one too!

That's all for now.  After the last gift has been received I'll post some pics.  It came out very well and is a very useful item.  I may be making myself one in the near future since pretty soon I'll have reasons to use it.  I have also been determined to make myself an article of clothing and have had 2 failures so far.  I'll fill you in on those real soon but first I want to have success!!