Monday, June 21, 2010

Frilly Goodness

I'm not a super frilly gal but something about ruffles is making me say, "Serve me up a big bowl of that Ruffled Goodness and throw in a side of Cute!"

My to-do-list is brimming with ideas of the ruffled variety so I figured I'd better start on a few projects before this fancy passes...

This Vera Bradley purse was my inspiration. When I saw a picture of it
online last March *Cha Cha in Sittin' in a Tree * I knew I had to have it! I don't usually splurge like that for myself but I decided it would be worth squeezing into last summer's clothes one more year if I could carry that little cutie everyday : )

Well, as cute as it is, it doesn't work all of the time. And I've been toying with the idea of a clutch or a wristlet as a quick, summer grab & go *with ruffles, of course*. So, let's see what happens...

On my last trip to JoAnn's I found more discontinued fabric samples that were being clearanced out for $1 - more on that here. So, today I'm serving up another project using these squares. L.O.V.E. these! I got sooo excited I couldn't just pick one - or two... The top 5 samples are all indoor/outdoor fabrics so they're durable, fade-resistant & water resistant.


I also decided to try sewing a zipper because I didn't want anything falling out of a wristlet if it was dangling from my arm. *I was soooo nervous cause I was a zipper virgin* I picked the fabric sample I cared about least just in case I screwed it up - I used the black & white stripe because something black & white is really what I needed.

I watched several tutorials on zippers, wrung my hands together, took a deep breath, squeezed my eyes shut & stepped on the gas...


At the end of the day, what I ended up with was this!



The zipper still needs work but it wasn't awful for my first try!! Since the fabric had stripes I wasn't feeling the ruffles, so I used this pleated ribbon and added a yo yo flower instead. That's ok! I'm flexible.


I cut out an 8" circle from a black window sheer that I had from another project. I was supposed to sew a 1/4" running stitch around the perimeter of the circle but I don't have mad sewing skills so my stitch wobbled from 1/4" to 1" *go ahead - you can laugh*. That wonky sewing turned out to be a real plus for me! : ) When I gently pulled the running stitch and gathered the fabric to the middle I really liked how the center was frilly. And when I frayed the middle I thought it looked really cool! *who's laughing now? hehe*


Since I had nearly a whole box of Fragments left over from the key chains in my college survival kits (check it out here), I used a tiny one to replace the zipper pull just for a little pizzazz and an itty bitty punch of color.



I've been slinging this little baby around with me the last couple days to try it out. It works fairly well... except I don't know how many days I can come up with all black & white outfits. What? your not supposed to dress around your accessories?! I dunno, I thought it was kinda chic myself : )

I'm super excited that I completed this project for under $5 with just an idea rolling around in my pea brain *and once again, no pattern*. Admittedly, some of the mental gymnastics almost made my eyes pop right outta my head though! It wasn't exactly what I had originally envisioned but I'm not unhappy with where I ended up. Now I've got to grab a few more zippers so I can try a slightly different design on the really fabulous fabrics!!! : )

Warming up my pea brain with a few mental calisthenics *coffee, sudoku & crossword puzzles*... Wish me luck!!

Blessings!
MLE

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29 comments:

The Autocrat: Haley said...

What a great way to use those decor samples!! Super cute!!

Karen Mortensen said...

I love it. Way to go.

Elizabeth said...

Well look at you, clever girl! That is beautiful. :) And yes, our blog DO look very similar... lol

Elizabeth said...

Emily, I had a question about all the link parties you join in on - do you just link up to Wednesday's parties (just say) when Wednesday comes along, and just put the button there now?? I'm still such a newbie!! lol Thanks! :)

Elizabeth said...

Hi Emily!

Ok, so I just edited my Thursday post (I have two other posts after that) - what do you see in the dashboard area for me? Is it 'Family Frame' or 'Photo Box to Mail Box'? We'll figure this thing out! lol

Wendy said...

This is so so cute, I think you did a great job!

Amy said...

I love the zipper pull. You did a great job! Thanks for sharing.

The Autocrat: Haley said...

I didn't see your email anywhere so I will have to "comment" We got the black fondant at Micheals and the white from Joanns. Yes, it was nasty!! LOL However, since you have to "dirty" ice the cake first, it is easy to pic off the fondont and still have icing with your cake. It is really easy to use, I was VERY surprised. If you make one, be sure you post it!!

Life in Rehab said...

I'm not the frilly type either, but this is so cute I may convert! I found you over on Sugar Bee...nice job!

Elizabeth said...

Emily - lol!! Thanks for the update!! I guess you don't have to worry if you don't do it all at the 1st publishing of your post, but I think that's a rather smart thing to do, anyway. :) Now I just have to remember to link up on the days I said I was going to join!! :) Yay, we figured it out! ;)

Elizabeth said...

It's me again!! Go back to my blog - I gave you an award :) I hope you'll accept it! :)

http://www.habituallycrafty.blogspot.com/

Neccie @ Dizzy Daisy said...

cute wristlet I love it. Black and White is so chic and can go with really any outfit. I would just be a bit nervous wearing it with stripes. I am following you now.

check me out at:
http://www.necciescreations.blogspot.com

Anne Maskell said...

Your clutch turned out great! I love the flower! I'm visiting with sew cute tuesday, hope you visit me too.

Staci J said...

I think it looks classy and sophisticated, great job!! Visiting from life in my pajamas...
justsewsassy.com

Blue Artichoke Interiors said...

Emily,
You have been posting such cute projects while I have been in Indy. I love this purse and you did such a cute job with it. I'd love to see you make others with some of your other fabric samples. I am home from Indy and recovering from the weekend of my life. I'll be back to blogging again tomorrow. Thanks for the sweet award you gave me. I will pass it on.
Thanks, Susie

Katie said...

Really cute! I wish I could sew like that.

Kaysi @ Keeping it Simple said...

I love it!!! So cute!

Julie said...

Super cute! What a great idea and way to use those samples. Thanks for linking up! It's adorable!

Helena said...

This.Is.Awesome. I love wristlets, and I cannot believe you just whipped that out! Also, just the thought of sewing a zipper makes me break out in hives. Great job!

Thank you for participating in the Creative Therapy Session at Life in the Pitts.

KimMalk said...

This turned out so cute. Are you positive you were a zipper virgin? :) Thank you so much for linking to Fabric Fun Thursday.

mle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lisa said...

I found that same pile ofr $1 discontinued outdoor farbic at my Joann's here and was inspired to start some new crafts. What a cute purse! It came out great! : ) TGIF!

Nancy said...

That is really adorable. Was the ribbon purchased pleated or did you do that? So cute...very chic,
xox
Nancy

Misty @Creative Itch said...

Adorable!! Thanks for linking @Creative Itch's "Sew Cute Tuesday"!

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

So very pretty!

Pam @ bibbidi-bobbidi-beautiful said...

Love this! I'm running to Joann's to check for more fabric samples!!

mle said...

Sorry for the delayed response, Nancy. I wish I could say I was a super star and sewed my own pleated ribbon but I actually just purchased it that way. I did, however, add the ribbon down the middle to cover the stitch.

Its So Very Cheri said...

This is great. I will add this to my favs list for tomorrow morning.

Have a great week
Cheri

Jane Gianoutsos said...

Hey Emily - thanks for popping along to my blog!

Loving this bag - I'm also not a frilly girl, but I agree - this is very cute!