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Saturday 27 May 2023

Celebrating the Big 500

Celebrating 500 Posts at eSheep Designs
Confetti time! I made it to 500!
Hey, throw down some confetti and break out the bubbly... I'm celebrating the completion of five hundred blog posts over the past nine-plus years!

I'm totally tickled to be marking this achievement, because when I reached blog post number four hundred, I was almost convinced that my blogging days would come to an end before reaching another hundred.

If you were around to read that one, you may recall that at the end of it, I gave myself permission to deviate from my once-a-week schedule going forward.

I still haven't missed a Saturday, and with six more months of Saturdays to go before reaching the tenth anniversary of the blog, I'll be giving it my all to stick with the program.




What might one pick as a topic for a five hundredth blog post? Why, the other four hundred and ninety-nine posts, of course. ಠ‿ಠ

Okay, not all of them. (Still, long post warning.) But I thought it might be fun to go back through the years and pick out a couple of posts from each, that marked special moments for me.


Robert Kaufman Craftsy Mystery Box
Box of RK fabric...
This was a super exciting time, but unless you've been in the same boat, you may not be able to relate.

After not having sewn for decades, I bought my first bit of fabric — one single yard — in September, 2012. I then proceeded to "make do" with non-traditional sources of fabric for almost two years.

When it came time to make a real purchase again, I turned to Craftsy, as I did for most things back in those days. Until it ran out of steam, Craftsy provided me with everything from sewing inspiration to a modest source of income (through its affiliate program and indie marketplace).

Not usually one to buy things sight unseen, I had familiarized myself with Robert Kaufman and his reputation, so I knew this would be quality fabric. Over the years, I've used this collection to great advantage and am lucky enough to have a decent amount remaining.


Fiskars ruler and cutter set
Woo hoo — cutter and mat!
Speaking of making do, I was well past the two year mark of my sewing journey when I finally sprung for a cutting mat, rotary cutter and sewing ruler.

I had started to feel hampered by not having the right tools for the job, so in recognition of having achieved a few minor accomplishments, I rewarded myself with what most sewers would deem to be rather basic purchases.

The little cutting mat has since been rotated out of regular use, but the cutter and the ruler are still serving me well.


My first post of 2015 was significant in that I felt confident enough to share some of the knowledge that I had picked up — and relearned — over the past couple of years. Far from being entrenched in what I knew/know from way back when, I am always thrilled with the opportunity to pick up new tips and tricks, and happy to share them.

In David Letterman style, I counted down the top ten sewing tips as I saw them, covering things like taking pride in your work to cutting thread on the diagonal before threading a needle.


DIY wallet by eSheep Designs
An oddly popular project...
This wallet — made by request for one of my cousins — is unusually popular on AllFreeSewing.com. Every so often, it will wind up as "trending" even though it's not a fully formed tutorial.

What it is, is the beginning of a three-part post about a wallet that I developed from scratch (per cousin's existing wallet) that took months to complete. It wasn't so much the work that took all that time, as it was the interest in doing the work. Sometimes projects are just like that. Why else would most sewers have a collection of WIPs?

The happy ending here is that the wallet did ultimately get made and the associated write-up has been an unexpectedly prolific inbound link for this blog.


Customized Beach Tote by eSheep Designs
My "never fail" beach tote...
In early 2016, I decided to take a(nother) free pattern and make it my own in a substantial way. Modifications were made to the overall size, pockets, fabric allocation, and straps; i.e., they weren't just minor cosmetic changes.

The inspiration came from Sew4Home and the result is a bag that has accompanied me on every beach vacation ever since.

It's even been washed a couple of times, which is not normally something I'd do with handmade bags. A great learning experience as well as a practical addition to a bag collection... what more could you ask for?


Fabric flowers by eSheep Designs
A fabric rose...
Making these fabric flowers was just plain fun, and the idea that they could be a skill-building exercise for new sewers leads me to recommend this project again and again.

Seven years later, these flowers are still sitting pretty. That said, my recent experience making tulips has supplanted these as my favourite fabric flowers. In terms of sewing, however, these are definitely a fun way to hone your skills for curvy sewing.


Zip Around Yahtzee Wallet by eSheep Designs
Frustrating but ultimately so rewarding...
While the flowers represented a fun memory, this Yahtzee wallet brings back recollections of frustration. The stitch ripper was out so many times that the fabric was close to disintegrating!

That said, sometimes the most difficult, challenging, and hair-tearing projects end up being the most rewarding. This zip-around case has since been a constant companion of ours whenever we go anywhere near or far.

Lessons learned? Many. Primarily, though, don't be lazy about hand basting. This project pounded that idea into my brain. Trying to save time by machine basting can be false economy.


DIY Ruler grips by eSheep Designs
Best ever ruler grips!
For a few weeks in March, I was on wallpaper duty for the other half's motorhome project. To assist with the inevitable cutting, I brought along one of my newer cutting mats, the rotary cutter, and my 24" sewing ruler.

I had a moment while making one of the cuts when I looked down and marveled at how easy it was to pick up the ruler because of these little grips that have been stuck on it since 2017.

I'm serious. They are totally removable, but the fact is, these two little suckers — literally — have been attached to the ruler for the past six years during the cutting for all of my sewing projects. For an inexpensive and fast DIY, how can you not marvel at that sort of durability and usability?


Mini Quilt by eSheep Designs
My first mini quilt...
I've said many times that I'm not a quilter, but this was my very first quilting project. It was enjoyable. The freestyle type of quilting that was involved appealed to my sense of order and adventure, and kept the project from overwhelming me with rules.

The inspiration came from a Craftsy class given by quilter Suzy Williams, who really made the process fun. (If you're into quilting, you should really check out her website, too.)

My takeaway from this project is that making a mini quilt can be a fun and relaxing way to rejuvenate your mojo if you feeling lost in the (sewing) weeds... as we all do from time to time.


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"linen" fabric from Dollarama
What's better than a newspaper-y print?
My city's newspaper stopped printing a Monday edition last fall. Many years ago, it stopped printing a Sunday edition. For the remainder of the week, the paper is now a pitifully thin version of its former self, back in its heyday. I continue to have a physical paper delivered to my door (at a stupidly high price if I were to be honest), because there's a part of me that thinks that if I don't continue to support the industry, its inevitable demise will come even faster.

When this post went up back in 2018, I was already thinking that newspapers were on their last legs. Perhaps in future, newspapers will only exist as prints on fabric. (This fabric was transformed into a box and a basket.) I'll remain a fan, in whatever format.


Origami Twist Box crafted by eSheep Designs
The infamous origami twist box!
How can I not include the post that led me to uncovering some brazen intellectual property theft last year?

This one describes how I followed a rudimentary tutorial from an origami artist and made a functioning fabric twist box. Having included my own instructions to clarify how to do this, apparently some unscrupulous entities in China decided that it was perfectly fine to take those same instructions — word for word and photo by photo — and sell them along with some ridiculously priced plastic templates. What a world we live in!


AGF Tropical Leaf Rug crafted by eSheep Designs
Back of my Tropical Rug...
This post eventually led to a defining moment in my sewing journey.

Originally written to be just a compilation of intriguing projects offered up by AGF Studios, six months later, the enormous Tropical Rug became my signature pandemic project.

My reasoning was that the societal pause that we were all taking was the perfect time to tackle a project that we had previously made excuses not to do.

Make it memorable, I believe I said. And it was. And continues to be. It's one of my most significant sewing achievements.


Goddess of the Sea Shoulder Bag crafted by eSheep Designs
Customized Goddess of the Sea bag...
This is officially my current purse. It sits on a bench in our foyer. I imagine that whenever I get ready to go out, it's ever hopeful that I'll pick it up and take it along.

About ninety-nine percent of the time, I grab my crossbody sling bag. But if I'm going somewhere "special", I like to fall back on this more glamorous purse.

I love everything about this customized Goddess of the Sea. And why not, since everything I ever wanted or needed in a purse was thought of and incorporated into its simple but stylish design. (That it was made with my own Pride & Prejudice fabric is almost secondary after all that.)


This was one of my occasional off topic posts, so you may wonder why it's being included in this list. The reason will become apparent when you read the next couple of paragraphs.

Anyway, in this discussion from 2020, I asked why sewing related linky parties were disappearing, why some bloggers ignore comments, why anyone would want a master bedroom ensuite without a door, why people downvote free YouTube tutorials, why proper grammar no longer matters, why "sewist" is used as a word — when it isn't — and why people are still on Facebook. (By the way, at least half of those questions are still without satisfactory answers, IMHO.)

And now I have a couple more. First, why are virtually all of the recent tech advances so scary and alarming? Second, why do I have doubts that you'd be able to tell if it was me or an AI app who wrote this post??


The Art of Refashioning by eSheep Designs
Refashioned vest...
Speaking of scary things... what about those that you just don't feel confident about doing? Well, sometimes you just have to get right in there and do them!

That was me about the idea of cutting into a piece of clothing (that I didn't like) to refashion it into something that I might like. For a first effort, it culminated in a moment of elation and a feeling of wow, I made it work. I managed to transform a long frumpy vest into something short and sporty... something that I could actually wear.

Completed in early 2021, over two years on, this little vest still hangs on the back of my chair, my go to for when I need an extra bit of warmth.


Sheep fabric realized!
Of course, I had to include this one.

When I began designing my own fabrics in early 2015, it was always in the back of my mind that I had to come up with a signature design to represent my brand, so to speak.

The goal wasn't realized until six years later, but that was fine because I learned a lot over that period. The result likely turned out much better than if I had tackled the project earlier. (And I'm quite pleased to report that this fabric has actually been sold several times.)

I'm still waiting for the perfect project to use up the large print half of my sample yard shown here.


Not so scary transformation...
A bucket list item checked off is always a good thing, right?

So it was for this jackets to duffle bag transformation. Having said that I wanted to have the experience of taking material from unwanted clothing and turning it into something "spectacular", I tore apart two unworn jackets and very meticulously pieced them together into an unneeded duffle. (Don't get me wrong; I love it, but I've only been able to use it once.)

While I was apprehensive prior to starting the refashioned vest project, this time, I had faith that I knew what I was doing and it wasn't quite as scary.

This reminds me, though, that I still have items hanging in my closet that can benefit from the same repurposing treatment. What about you?


My favourite fabric collection thus far...
This fabulous — and so aptly named — collection by Tim Holtz was released in 2013, ten years ago this month. My introduction to it was via Sew4Home projects in 2016 and 2017. I felt an immediate connection to the fabric, so when a fat quarter bundle popped up on Craftsy at half price in 2018, I jumped at the opportunity.

Truth be told, I'd jump at it again, given the chance. Not like the collection has disappeared or gotten any cheaper in the decade since its release.

This post was a compilation of all of the things that I had made with the fabric up to that point. (You can add this pouch and this vase to the list.) I've often said that I get my inspiration by seeing projects first, but it's always a bonus to have fabrics like these to elevate the results.


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And now as a final celebration of the occasion — and to reward those of you who bothered to read (or scroll!) this far down — here are a few more words that may be worth your while to read: I'm giving away a pattern from my PDF pattern shop. The Bodaciously Basic Bucket Bag (check out the specs and details from my original post about it here) is free to download, this weekend only.

Grab it from here while you can; when the weekend's done, so is the freebie.

'Til next...

4 comments:

  1. As the saying goes...time flies when you are having fun😁This re-cap was a fun read...did you find it amazing to see how many things you sewed? Every time I open your email, I am reminded that you are threatening to stop writing...I do hope that day does not come! And I don't think I've ever told you, but I really really like your ending: Be well, Be smart and above all, Be kind. It is a good reminder.👌Thank you for the freebie...you are very kind🌷💕

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And many thanks for your kind words above. I am constantly amazed by the surrealness of this adventure. In terms of what I've sewn and what I've learned, it's nothing that could have been anticipated.

      About the "threat" to stop writing, I keep that plan at the forefront because I don't want my (6 or 8) readers to be surprised when that day arrives. I don't want to be that blogger who just stops abruptly, because that's what will happen otherwise. ;-)

      Delete
  2. I'll also add in a quick comment on how much I enjoyed this post, as I enjoy all of them, even if I don't tell you at the time.

    ReplyDelete

You have the power to brighten my day. Leave me a comment; I'd love to hear your thoughts... you can even remain ANONYMOUS! And rest assured that I acknowledge all comments, either here or via email. (That is, if you don't see a response from me here, I would have responded privately to the person.) Spam or generic comments with unrelated links, however, are promptly removed... and I may take appropriate action or report you to Google. Thanks for reading! (✿◠‿◠)