Gwenny Penny

Limited Commercial License for Pencil Shaped Pouch

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 12:00:00 +0000

I mentioned this in my post last night; here are some of the details and links:

I have decided to start selling a Limited Commercial License for my pencil shaped pouch tutorial. This is a license to make and sell handmade items using the Gwenny Penny pencil pouch tutorial. If you have a home sewing business and purchase this license, you are entitled to make and sell these pouches for profit. The license is good for as many pencil pouches as you are capable of making by hand, and all items must be handmade by the purchaser. Factory or mass production is strictly prohibited. The fee for the license is $10.

I am asking sellers to agree to follow a few specific guidelines. If you are interested, please read the complete terms and conditions, found HERE. There you will also find a link to pay for the license and a form to register your business with me as a licensed seller.

This is a great back-to-school item and my most popular tutorial. I love providing my free tutorials here on my blog for personal use (which includes making items as gifts), but I have spent a lot of time working on my tutorials, and I feel the license is the best way to be fair in regards to profiting from my design. I want to thank everyone who has already expressed an interest in purchasing the license. I really appreciate it! Please let me know if you have any questions.

What I've Been Up To

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that I haven't posted anything here in six months. Would you believe that I haven't even sewn anything in almost six months?!? It makes me a little sad when I think about that, but I'm getting ready to start sewing again! I have two good reasons: a new baby coming in the next month (my sister's) and my need for a new bag (always a good reason to sew ;).

I'm planning on my usual family baby gift for my sister: a baby quilt, one of my embroidery hoop birth announcements, and my tumbler stripe blanket.

My go-to baby gift for my family members.

I need to get started, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to wait another month until the new school year begins. I'm ready to get going as soon as time allows... I already have the fabric for the quilt. My sister is a big fan of purple and blue, so I decided on Tula Pink's Fox Field in Dusk:

image via Hawthorne Threads

I haven't decided on a pattern yet, but I'm partial to patchwork, so I have a feeling that may be the direction I'm heading.

As for a bag for me, I wasn't interested in making one for myself (even though I've been looking and looking for a bag to buy and haven't been able to find just the right one) until I saw the Sidekick Tote that AnneMarie of Gen X Quilters made, then I got a little giddy about the idea of sewing a new bag. I even picked up some gray mochi dot linen just in case the mood strikes and I feel like getting started. I think I'm even going to pull out some of the fabric I've been hoarding and use it on this bag.

In other news, I've recently been contacted by two home-based sewists who are interested in selling my pencil-shaped pouches at craft fairs, in their Etsy shops, etc. I have decided that I will be selling a Limited Commercial License to people who are interested in using my pencil pouch tutorial to make pouches to sell for profit. I will be posting the details and a link to the terms and information tomorrow morning.

Thanks to everyone who is still out there reading my posts. I know they are infrequent, but I still love this blogging community and miss the interaction and my friends.

Hello 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 20:11:00 +0000

I've been neglecting this little space of mine, but I'm OK with that for now. I've been trying to sit back and enjoy the ride for a bit. But I do share what I'm up to on Instagram from time to time (I'm @gwennypenny2), so I'd love to see you over there.

I have been sewing. I made a whole slew of tissue holders for Christmas...

Updated: I totally forgot to mention the tutorial I used for these tissue holders! It's from The Cottage Mama, and you can find it here.

Another one of my birth announcement embroidery hoops for my new nephew...

And an applique penguin t-shirt for my youngest's 4th birthday...

This was done using the Silhouette Portrait that I got for Christmas. I love that machine so much. I always wondered if I would actually use one if I had it, so I never really thought about getting one, but I have given that thing quite a workout in the month that I've owned it. If you're on the fence, get one!

See you around :)

Elk Grove Cheater Baby Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:02:00 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram (I'm @gwennypenny2), you already got a sneak peek of me working on this quilt. It was supposed to be a Christmas present for my nephew who was born almost two weeks ago, but I got it done before Thanksgiving and really wanted to deliver it to him, so we're back down to a big fat zero in the Christmas sewing department :)

The front and back fabrics are from the Elk Grove collection by Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabric. This was a quick one because I used the Elk Grove Patchwork print for the front, no piecing required. Just layer, baste, quilt, and bind. I had this done from start to finish in about 2.5 hours!

The back is more Elk Grove...

The binding is also from Birch Fabric, from their Mod Basics collection...

It's nice to sew something for a boy once in a while :) Around the time I started thinking about making a baby quilt for my nephew, Jodi from Sew Fine Fabric contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in a little barter. I have been ordering fabric from Jodi's shop for about a year and a half now. She and I have very similar taste in fabric, so I know that if it's in her shop, I probably ~~need~~ want it! I have ordered from her several times, and I'm always amazed by how quickly I receive my order (flat rate shipping is only $2.50 in the US, $4.50 to Canada!) and how nicely the fabric is put together. She has an amazing selection. I highly recommend Sew Fine Fabric.

You can also find Jodi on Facebook, her blog, Pinterest, and Instagram. Oh, and make sure you sign up to follow Sew Fine Fabric in one of these ways so that you can find out about sales and new fabric in the shop (I took advantage of her 15% off sale a couple weeks ago :)

P.S. I was compensated with fabric for this post, but the glowing review is all mine. I have ordered from Jodi many times over the past year and a half (including once more two weeks ago!), and I will order from her again!

Suburbs Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 13:01:00 +0000

This fall I hit a deadline that crept up on me much quicker than I thought it would... Time to make my youngest a twin-size quilt so that she could move out of her toddler bed. I dread huge projects like this... if it can't be done in a day or two, I avoid it like the plague. So, of course, I waited until the last possible minute on this one until I couldn't put it off any longer. I really wish I was a process-loving person, but I'm a "final product loving" person ;)

The pattern is Suburbs from Allison Harris (Cluck Cluck Sew). My daughter picked it out herself. I was a little more than thrilled because I love this pattern. I decided to go with wavy quilting lines. I've never done anything by straight-line quilting, so I was afraid the wavy lines were going to look like a complete novice (or drunk person :) quilted it, but I absolutely love the way it turned out.

I'm also happy to report that all but the blue sky fabric and the backing came from my stash!

The entire back of the quilt is one fabric. It's from the House & Garden collection from Cloud9 for JoAnn's. I love the little pink birds on this...

So glad that this one is checked off the list. I actually have another quilt on tap... a cheater baby quilt. Much more my speed... should be able to hammer this one out pretty fast :)

Cowl Neck Bimaa Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:09:00 +0000

Last spring I saw the most adorable cowl neck shirt on Sarah's blog EmmylouBeeDoo. I'm a sucker for a cowl neck, and a cowl neck on a little girl? Who could resist that?!? I told Sarah that I was definitely making one this fall, and in September, I did.

I love this shirt! It is the most adorable thing ever! This one is for my three and a half year old, and I'm currently in the process of cutting fabric to make one for my oldest, too. You would not believe the number of compliments my daughter has received when she wears this shirt.

The Bimaa Sweater PDF pattern comes in six nested sizes − 12 months all the way up to a size 6 − with three different options: cowl neck, shawl collar, and hoodie. I was amazed at how easily this shirt went together. Knits can be so tricky, but this shirt was a breeze. The banded waistband and cuffs are quickly becoming a favorite of mine... much easier than hemming. I found the pattern to be true to size (note that this shirt is designed to have a slim fit).

The fabric came from JoAnn's. I have a really hard time finding knits that I like at JoAnn's, and honestly I wasn't a big fan of this one when my daughter first picked it out, but it turned into such a sweet little shirt.

This pattern is available in Sarah's Etsy shop, LouBeeClothing. It really is an amazing pattern. (I just want to add that I was not compensated for this post. I paid for the pattern myself, and I'm so glad I did :)

Finding My Lula

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:49:00 +0000

At the end of September, I attended an absolutely amazing creative retreat out in Park City, Utah. I've been mulling it over and trying to decide how to share this experience on my blog, not only because it was a deeply personal experience, but also because I'm not sure how to convey just how amazing it was. I will do my best :) We were each given a SMASH book when we arrived at the retreat and spent many late nights working on our books as a way to document our experience. Throughout this post are some photos I took of the pages of my SMASH book to share with you.

A little background first... Back in January I came across a post somewhere about a retreat called "Find Your Lula". It sounded like something that was right up my alley:

From the Find Your Lula website: "a retreat geared towards people that want to grow their skills (and their business) in the crafting/design industry. At our retreat you will learn lots of valuable skills like Adobe Illustrator, photography, life and business coaching, as well as have lots of fun sewing, crafting and creating. This retreat is incredibly intimate, maxing out at 14 participants. You will get to spend lots of time with your instructors and make some wonderful new friends. And, of course, eat lots of wonderful food!"

I was immediately interested. I've mentioned a couple of times on the blog over the years that my dream since I was 12 years old is to own my own creative business. I have been trying for 25 years to figure out what that business should look like and be, but for some reason I just haven't gotten there yet. I thought that "finding my Lula" meant figuring out what business I want to start, and I thought this retreat might just be the key to making my dreams come true. But... it was a big trip, and being the mega-introvert that I am, I certainly wasn't going to go alone. I quickly talked myself out of it. Fast-forward about a month and I get a text from Amy (Ameroonie Designs): Have I heard about Find Your Lula? Would I be able to come out to Utah for it? At that point it kind of seemed like it was meant to be... plus, it was a good excuse to go visit Amy again, so win-win :)

Let's get to the good stuff... Find Your Lula is the brainchild of fabric designer extraordinaire Amanda Herring (The Quilted Fish). Amanda is an enormous talent, super funny, and quite possibly the most giving person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Amanda put this retreat together because she wants to inspire and motivate people on their creative journeys. She and her team did such an incredible job. The whole experience - from the time I woke up in the morning until my head hit my pillow (around 2am every night) - was perfect. I am using way too many superlatives in this post, but they are well-deserved and genuine.

From the minute we stepped in the door of the gorgeous multi-million dollar retreat house in Park City, we were pampered like you wouldn't believe. Handmade slippers in our favorite color. A fridge full of our favorite drinks. Delicious home-cooked meals three times a day (And I mean absolutely incredible food... I was in heaven!). Warm cookies and brownies during our late-night classes. A room full of candy and treats. And except for one evening when we went out to dinner in Park City, we never left the house, and pretty much stayed in our pajamas and comfy clothes all day every day. A girl could really get used to living like this ;) And it snowed! It couldn't have gotten any better.

Still wearing my Lula slippers!

This is the restaurant we ate at on our night out in Park City.

Then there were the classes and the instructors. I learned so much. There was a lot of variety - from aromatherapy to physical therapy to photography to needle turn applique. There was definitely something for everyone, and we all had a lot of fun.

Our awesome photography teacher Kristen Pack.

My favorite photo I took during the photography class with Kristen.

I really need to tell you more about the two instructor that had the greatest impact on me. The first is Lyn Christian. Lyn is a business and life coach. She is quite a woman and a captivating speaker. She helped us determine our three core values and taught us how to remain true to ourselves based on these values. She taught us to play to our strengths, as these are the things that will make us successful. And she shared methods to manage our focus, as managing your focus is how you manage your success. She was inspiring and really made me think about how I live my life and how I need to learn to better manage my focus in order to get things done. She also stressed the importance of making yourself a priority in your own life. I tend to put myself last and only take care of myself after everyone else's needs are met. This is another thing I need to work on.

The second instructor who had the greatest impact on me was our Adobe Illustrator instructor, Douglas Allen. I love design. I have a small Spoonflower shop and I've designed a bunch of free printables for my blog readers over the years, but everything I know how to do was self-taught and was created using what I had available to me (i.e. the wrong programs). I was really attracted to the Lula retreat because of the Illustrator element, and I'm glad that the Illustrator classes took up the majority of our time at the retreat. Doug was a great teacher. He had no idea what he was walking into with a group of 12 women from different walks of life with different abilities, but he managed to reach out to every single person in the group, and I truly believe that each person walked away amazed at their personal progress with the program. I know I did. I came home and designed a new logo for the blog (it will be up soon!) and a couple new Spoonflower fabric designs (not available in my shop yet, but working on that). I love it! And such a confidence boost to actually (sort of) know what you're doing. Thank you, Doug, for giving me the tools I need to make things happen :)

My retreat-mate Mary shared this quote. Very appropriate for our week.

The last bit I want to share is a few words about my retreat-mates (who I loving refer to as my Lula fam). You never know what's going to happen when you get a group of people (OK, I'll say it, "women") together. I can honestly say that I am lucky to have met every single attendee. I'm a person of few words, but I listen and I see people, and I am in awe of what each of these ladies brought to the table. We were a varied group... some fabric and pattern designers, a few quilt shop owners, some bloggers. I have to admit that the first day, during introductions, I was really intimidated and felt like I hadn't done anything with my life and that I shouldn't even be there. That feeling quickly passed before the first night was over. We all belonged there; we all felt accepted; we all had different reasons for being there. We had a lot of great laughs and enjoyed each others' company. They are an incredibly gifted, loving group of women, and I know that I will enjoy watching them chase their big dreams for years to come.

So I flew back to the east coast, rejuvenated from almost five full days of being waited on and being completely kid-free, and I was feeling pretty good for a few days. Then, I started to feel a little deflated. Remember how I mentioned above that I thought "finding my Lula" meant figuring out what business I want to start? I started to realize that I still hadn't had a lightbulb moment where genius struck and I suddenly knew what to do with my life. I got angry with myself and started blaming myself for not trying hard enough. Why didn't I put myself out there and talk to more people at the retreat? Why had I wasted such an amazing opportunity? This lasted for a week or so, then I started reading through my Lula SMASH book. I started to see things in a different light. I came to realize that finding my Lula is something else entirely... It is not letting the gremlins in my head win. It is having the guts to make things happen, make my dream come true. I've talked myself out of and away from success so many times, but not this time.

I have a quote from Doug written in my SMASH book that says "You get what you go after." I've never really gone after anything. I get to a certain point with an idea, and then I don't even give it a chance, I just talk myself out of it. That has been my problem for many years, but I'm done. And I can thank Lula (and Amanda) for that. Good things are coming :)

Spoonflower Shop Update

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 19:02:00 +0000

Last spring I posted about dipping my toes into fabric design on Spoonflower. I have a couple new designs in my shop to share with you. First, I received a request to design my Cloudy Day fabric with a light blue background...

My Cloudy Day design is now available in gray, teal, and light blue.

My second new design came about as the result of a recent Spoonflower contest. The theme was to design a "cut and sew" pencil pouch, so I decided to enter. Remember my pencil-shaped pencil pouch tutorial from two years ago? Well, I designed a fat quarter that easily recreates that pouch in record time with no piecing required...

The exterior and interior pieces are all there... all you need to do is cut them out and add some interfacing and a zipper! Here's the final product when it's all sewed up...

Over the past couple of months my designs have started selling! I now have proof that ~~(my mother and I)~~ I'm not the only person who likes my work... and that feels pretty good :)

The Skipper Top

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:01:00 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram (username gwennypenny2), you may have seen a sneak peek of this project last week. I purchased the Skipper Top pattern from Sew Much Ado and made matching shirts for the girls.

This pattern goes together so quickly. I definitely want to make more of these shirts. There are different options for the sleeves, neckline, and waist. I went with bands on all three. It was so easy to do. And I found the pattern to be true to size. I made the 3T and the 6 for my three and six year olds.

I absolutely love the feel of this knit fabric. I bought it while we were on vacation in Maine last month. It's from Riley Blake's Knit Basics line. It's one of the softest knits I've ever felt. The photos don't do it justice. It's a beautiful lavender and navy blue.

My girls live in knits, and they tend not to wear things that I sew for them unless they're made from knits. They love these shirts!

The pattern goes all the way up to a size 10, so I'll be able to use it for many years to come. I highly recommend the Skipper Top!

Taking the Instagram Leap

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 12:01:00 +0000

I was finally convinced to take the leap and join Instagram. I know, I know... I'm a little late to the party :) Its only been a few days, and I'm already loving it! Over on Instagram, I'll be sharing some behind the scenes pics, bento lunch pics, a little of this and a little of that.

I recently shared a picture of some knit shirts I've been working on for the girls...

And Friday's bento lunch...

And my youngest "sewing" with me Friday morning...

If you're on Instagram, I would love it if you would follow me. My username is gwennypenny2. Looking forward to seeing some of you over there!

First Day of School Bento

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 19:02:00 +0000

I feel like everyone is posting about bento lunches this week, but I decided to go ahead and throw in a post of my own anyway :) Today was a big day... my oldest started first grade, her first ever day of full-day school. So I got to make her first ever school lunch. I couldn't resist the bento craze, so we bought some supplies over the summer and have been practicing. Here's what she found in her lunchbox today...

A ham and provolone panda sandwich, a sliced up cheese stick, mandarin oranges, baby carrots, and some ranch dressing for dipping. Total cuteness. I keep reading that bentos don't take any more time to put together than non-bento lunches. I can't say that I agree with that yet. Maybe when I get a little more practice it will go together more quickly for me. For now, I don't mind the extra time. It lets me have a little fun and puts a smile on my girl's face at lunchtime. I don't plan to go crazy and share bento lunches on the blog every day, but I will be posting some of the extra cute ones as I get more ideas and find more inspiration online :)

Hope everyone's school year is off to a good start!

Blogger Bundle at Tactile Fabrics & Coupon Code

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:01:00 +0000

I have some fun news :) Jennifer from Tactile Fabrics contacted me and asked if I would be interested in putting together a blogger bundle of fabrics for her shop. Of course I said yes! I'm so excited to announce that my bundle "Chroma" is now up for sale at Tactile Fabrics!

"Chroma" is the Greek word for color, and it's the perfect description for this rainbow-y and bright bundle of fabric. It was so fun choosing fabrics to put together from Jennifer's shop. It was also a lot harder than I thought it would be ;) Chroma is available in both a fat quarter and a fat eighth bundle... just follow this link to the listing to choose the fabric cut you're interested in.

And here's something fun for all of you... Jennifer is offering Gwenny Penny readers a coupon code for 15% off any purchase from her shop! Use the code GWENNYPENNY15 at checkout to receive the discount. The code is good until the end of the month. I just want to add that I have purchased fabric from Jennifer, and she provides excellent customer service. I highly recommend checking out Tactile Fabrics!

Another Pint-Size 241 Tote

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Back in February I shared the smaller version of the Noodlehead 241 tote that I made for my youngest. When my oldest's 6th birthday rolled around in June, she asked me to make one for her, too. Just like last time, I let my daughter choose the fabrics, with a little guidance :) It turned out really cute.

The fabric is from the Happy Jungle collection by Allison Cole for Camelot Cottons.

Jungle Animals in Turquoise
Happy Sky in White
Diamond Ikat in White/Aqua

I stuck with shrinking the pattern to 75% and then sized the strap to fit my daughter. And I once again skipped the magnetic snap closure and interior pockets. Keep it simple.

I also sewed up a Michelle Patterns dumpling pouch to match.

This is my fourth 241 tote and my sixth dumpling pouch... am I stuck in a rut or what?!? It doesn't bother me... These patterns have served me well, and I'm sure I am nowhere near done with them :)

Noodlehead Open Wide Zipper Pouch

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 15:45:00 +0000

Wow! Where has the time gone? I can't believe I haven't posted anything in two and a half months! We have had a wonderful summer, but it is going by much too quickly. I can't believe it's August already! My six year old starts first grade this fall. Our town still has half-day Kindergarten, so this year is another big step for us as she moves to a full day of school for first grade. She's excited, I'm nervous, but it will all be good, I'm sure :) My three and a half year old will be returning to her preschool... still two days per week, but this year will be attending for a couple extra hours each of those days, so I'm looking forward to getting some time to sew and be creative and (hopefully) blog again.

I have made a few things over the past couple months, although my sewing machine has been collecting dust for the last 4 or 5 weeks. After I made my flat-bottom zipper pouch back in the spring, I tried out Anna's (Noodlehead) open wide zipper pouch tutorial to make this...

My oldest is using it as a toiletry bag. I made the medium, and it's the perfect size. I had previously made a toiletry bag from Michelle Pattern's ditty bag pattern, and somewhere in that post I mentioned the fact that I needed to make a second bag so the girls would each have one. Apparently that motivation took a year and three months to show up because that post was back in May of 2012! Gah!

As always, you can't go wrong with Anna's detailed instructions and photos. I like the way the zipper goes in. It's something different, and it was fun to try.

Fabric

Exterior: Captured from Next Stop Collection by Monaluna for Birch Fabrics
Interior: Abacus in Coral from Mod Basics by Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabrics

I have a few other things to share over the next few weeks. Once school gets going, hopefully I'll be around a little more often :) Hope all of you are enjoying your life right now, wherever you are.

Swoon Block Mini Quilt - It's My Party Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:26:00 +0000

It's the final day of our third annual It’s My Party and I’ll Craft if I Want To. Amy (from Ameroonie Designs) and I are celebrating our birthdays this week by sharing a few projects that we made just for us. On Wednesday I shared my flat-bottom zipper pouch. Today I'm sharing a single Swoon block mini quilt...

I've been in love with the Swoon pattern for quite some time, but I know it will be years before I can see myself tackling an entire Swoon quilt. I decided to try it out with a single block mini quilt to hang on the wall. One block is massive... like 24" square massive. And labor intensive. But I got through it and came out relatively unscathed :)

I added a 3" white border, and when all was said and done, the final quilt measures about 29" square.

The "X" quilting was inspired by the quilting that Kirsten from Gemini Stitches used on her gorgeous modified Swoon block. It ended up being a lot less difficult than I imagined.

The binding on this quilt has been waiting on the sidelines for the right project to come along. Rita from Red Pepper Quilts used this turquoise Patty Young Running Stitch fabric (from the Lush collection) on her beautiful postage stamp quilt, and I immediately ordered the fabric for "someday". Its been sitting around for about a year, and I'm so glad I finally got to use it for this project.

The back is some polka dot fabric I've had sitting around for a couple years. It never really went with anything that I was working on (since I tend to favor the ROY G BIV color scheme), but these colors really worked for this quilt.

I love the overwhelming sense of accomplishment you feel when you finish a quilt... even a small one :)

Make sure you check out Amy’s project today over on Ameroonie Designs. She made this adorable pillow (I'm a sucker for polka dots)...

Thanks for following along with our annual birthday week celebration. It gets scaled back a little bit every year as life gets more complicated, but I wouldn't miss this for anything. As always, thanks to my partner in crime Amy for joining me again this year :)

Flat-Bottom Zipper Pouch - It's My Party Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the third annual It’s My Party and I’ll Craft if I Want To! Amy (from Ameroonie Designs) and I are celebrating our birthdays this week by sharing a few projects that we made just for us. Today I’m sharing a flat-bottom zipper pouch...

This is the first flat-bottom pouch I've ever made. I'm not sure why I never attempted one before, but I have to say, I'll probably be making most of my pouches this way from now on. I love how much more room the flat bottom provides. And this is a pretty big pouch... it's 12" wide, 6" tall, and 4.5" deep.

By the way, have you seen this circle stitch fabric by Patty Young? I'm kind of loving it right now. I bought a fat quarter bundle with one of every color. I almost couldn't bring myself to cut into it for this pouch. Almost :)

Make sure you check out Amy’s project today over on Ameroonie Designs. She made a super-cute notebook cover...

Stay tuned for another It's My Party and I'll Craft if I Want To project on Friday!

It's Back... It's My Party and I'll Craft if I Want To!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Things have been quiet around here for the last couple months, but I'm back today to tell you that this Wednesday and Friday, Amy (from Ameroonie Designs) and I will be celebrating our birthdays by co-hosting our 3rd annual It's My Party and I'll Craft if I Want To!

I really look forward to doing this each year, not only because Amy is one of my best friends, but also because it gives me a guilt-free excuse to do some selfish sewing. Amy and I will be sharing projects that we are making just for us... no kids, no family, no friends... just things that we have been wanting and meaning to make for ourselves but haven't had (or made) the time to do. So make sure you stick around and see what we've been up to :)

Another Tooth Fairy Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:01:00 +0000

My nephew's 6th birthday was a couple weeks ago, so I decided to make him a tooth fairy pillow.

I made this one a little different from the one that I made for my daughter. I used the same tooth stamp that I carved for the first pillow, but this time I made the entire pillow tooth shaped instead of square.

I love using stamps on fabric. I picked up some new alphabet stamps from Pick Your Plum a little while back, and I was glad to get the chance to use them on this project to add my nephew's name to the pocket. This stamp set is a little larger than the set I already had. And see my label on the right side of the pocket? I recently found some printable fabric that I bought several years ago, so I made up some new Gwenny Penny labels.

I'm also just starting to cut the fabric for my largest quilt to date... a queen size. I've been talking about this quilt for about a year and a half, and I'm going in a completely different direction than I originally planned. The fabric has been pressed and hanging on my ironing board since last July! I'm so glad that I finally got started. I'm going to take my time with this one, but I'll post some updates along the way. For now, here's a sneak peek of my fabric...

Have a great week!

Another Divided Easter Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:03:00 +0000

Last week I told you I had another one of these divided baskets cut out to sew into a second Easter basket for my girls. This one is for my oldest...

Still loving Anna's basket pattern.

Since I used quilting cotton for my baskets, I went with Anna's recommendation to use both fusible interfacing (I used Craft Fuse 808) and fusible fleece on the exterior pieces of the basket. It really gives the basket a lot of body. Another tip... I had a really hard time finding white cotton webbing for the handles, so I used fabric paint to paint the "natural" colored webbing that I was able to find. It worked really well, so I may use fabric paint again on future basket handles to coordinate the webbing with the fabrics.

I absolutely love these Easter baskets! Can't wait to see them all filled up on Easter morning.

Fabrics: My designs... Available in my Spoonflower shop HERE.

My New Spoonflower Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Yesterday I mentioned that I designed all of the fabrics for my divided Easter basket project...

I've been studying and playing around with the idea of fabric design since last summer. At first I thought I wanted to carve stamps based on my sketches, but that has proven to be a very difficult process for me (with the exception of the tooth stamp I carved for my daughter's tooth fairy pillow). Spoonflower never really seemed like an option I was interested in... until I read the Heather Ross Prints book in January. Then I went back into all of the fabric design books I had amassed over the past 8 or 9 months...

and went through them with the goal of designing a little Spoonflower collection. (By the way, all of the books pictured above are excellent. I love them all for different reasons, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.) After fumbling my way through Photoshop Elements, lots of trial and error, and many late nights, I finally did it.

It's amazing to me that my little pencil sketch of a bunny has turned into this...

and this...

I also sketched a little cloud...

Then I put together a polka dot and a stripe pattern to round out the collection.

Its been a lot of work, but I have learned so much, and it's so rewarding when you get that fabric in your hands and know that it's all yours. If you've ever toyed with the idea of designing fabric on Spoonflower, go for it. It's so worth it!

I have a little Spoonflower shop set up now. If you're interested in any of my fabric designs, check it out :)

Divided Easter Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Have you seen Anna's (Noodlehead) new divided basket pattern? I knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it. These baskets can be used for so many different things, and I have a feeling these will be my go-to gift this year. First, though, I decided to use the pattern to make Easter baskets for my girls...

I've always wanted to make Easter baskets, and this pattern is perfect for it. I only have one finished so far, but the other is cut out and ready to be sewn up, so it will show up here soon.

This pattern is such a brilliant design. I don't know how she ever figured out the divider, but it goes together so easily.

And they hold a lot! After cutting everything out and sewing it up, I was really surprised at how big this basket is. I absolutely love it!

What do you think of the fabric?

I had a hard time coming up with an Easter fabric that I liked, so... I designed some myself! Yes, I have entered the realm of Spoonflower, and there is no turning back :) I'm so pleased with how these fabrics turned out, especially my little hand-drawn bunnies. Every fabric on this basket is my design, and there are three other designs not pictured here that I can't wait to share with you. I'll be posting about my fabric tomorrow, but if you want to check out my designs now, you can visit them HERE in my Spoonflower shop (and if you're interested, the fabrics are for sale :)

Tooth Fairy Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:19:00 +0000

Way back in November I mentioned that we had our first loose tooth in the house and that I had made a tooth fairy pillow. Since then my five year old has lost two teeth, and I'm so glad I got the little pillow made in time. I shared a roundup of tooth fairy pillow ideas a while back, but I went out on my own for this one...

The tooth is handstamped using a stamp that I carved myself. I love him! This was my third attempt at carving my own stamp for a project and the first time that I really had success with it.

The back has a little pocket for the tooth...

I should have embroidered the word "tooth" on the pocket, but it was an afterthought, so it's written on the pocket with a fabric pen.

I used some ribbon for the hanger. We hang it on a dresser knob by my daughter's bed, but it could be hung on a headboard or doorknob.

My daughter loves having somewhere special to put her tooth when it falls out. And I love that I finally carved a stamp that works!

Enjoy your week!

Pint-Size 241 Tote

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:01:00 +0000

My youngest turned three a few weeks ago, and she requested a couple of handmade items for her birthday. Last week I shared the bubble dress that I made for her. Today I'm going to share the other gift she asked for... a bag "like mom's." I started thinking about which bag would work best for her to carry her "treasures" − a stuffed bear, a set of plastic keys, and an old cell phone − around in. I decided to go with Anna's 241 tote pattern. I've made two of these in the past (which you can find here and here), and it's just a fun bag to make. I started thinking about how much I wanted to shrink the pattern. I almost went with 50%, but then I figured that someone must have tried this already, and I was right! A quick internet search brought me to LRstitched, where Lindsey had sewn a mini 241 bag for her daughter about a year ago. She had shrunk the pattern to 75%, so I decided to go the same route. It's the perfect size for a three year old...

Love it! My daughter picked out the fabrics herself (Well, by "herself" I mean that she picked out the ladybugs and polka dots, then I gently guided her to the pink solid. Otherwise, we would have had some purple panda bears in there :)

Fabric:

Spring Ladybugs from Urban Zoologie by Ann Kelle
Scattered Dots in Summer from Remix by Ann Kelle
Kona Cotton in Bright Pink

I will say that it gets a little tight sewing the topstitching around the side panels when you shrink the pattern to 75%. I had to pick the stitches out twice, then I almost said to heck with the topstitching before I gave it one last try. It's difficult, but it can be done.

And no bag would be complete without a matching zipper pouch...

And she was very happy to find three dollar bills and a little mirror compact inside :)

Next post, time to share that tooth fairy pillow I mentioned way back in December...

Valentine-y Jello Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Last year I posted my St. Patrick's Day Jello cookie recipe. This year we used the same recipe to make pink cookies for Valentine's Day.

Just sub in cherry flavored Jello for the lime flavored Jello. Easy peasy! Enjoy :)

StraightGrain Bubble Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:01:00 +0000

I don't even know where to start. I haven't posted anything in over two months! Not that I haven't been busy making things... I have, and I hope to show you over the next few weeks. We had a wonderful Christmas, a great start to the new year, and just got hit with 19 inches of snow and no power for 48 hours courtesy of Nemo. My oldest lost two teeth and my youngest turned three. That sums up our last couple of months in a nutshell.

Speaking of my youngest turning three... when I asked what she wanted for her birthday, she told me that she wanted me to make her a dress and a bag. And she was very specific about the dress... she wanted a "bubble dress". I had shown her a picture of this particular dress back in August, and she remembered it! I couldn't believe it! This adorable bubble dress is a free pattern and tutorial (Yes, you read that right... free!) from An of StraightGrain. It is fully lined, and it went together so unbelievably easily.

After lots of fabric deliberations, she chose a pink cotton gauze covered in little bears. (It's from Kokka, and I bought it here.) The pattern is available in sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8. My daughter just moved into a 3T, but I decided to make a size 4 because the size 2 pattern looked a little small when I held it up on her. I'm so glad that I went with the 4 because it's a near perfect fit with a little room to grow.

The tutorial calls for an elastic/button closure at the back of the neck, but I ended up going with a little hook and eye clasp.

The bodice is split down the back almost all the way to the skirt. Shes been wearing the dress with a long sleeve shirt and leggings underneath.

I used my "ultimate ruffler" foot on my machine for the first time. I'm so glad I made that purchase last spring. It made this project go together so smoothly.

The secret to getting the "bubble" at the bottom of the skirt is that the exterior skirt is larger than the lining skirt. So genius. It looks so cute!

I don't love sewing garments. I'd much rather sew other things. So I had some anxiety when the dress request was put forth, but this pattern/tutorial resulted in one of the smoothest sewing projects I've ever made (read that as very few visits from the seam ripper).

So... I give this bubble dress pattern from StraightGrain very high marks. It's adorable, my daughter loves it, and it's a relatively quick and easy sew that looks like a million bucks. You can't go wrong with that.

As usual, my oldest now wants one, too, so you'll probably see another one of these around here in the near future. I mentioned that my little one also asked me to make her a bag... More on that soon :)