Waterproof Oilcloth Beach / Pool Totes

Oilcloth is fabric that is vinyl-coated cotton. It is waterproof and stain resistant, which makes it perfect for beach & pool totes! I recently made one for myself, and I am pleased to offer them! These won't be in the shop, but I will take orders for them instead.

Here are some images of the large size tote, filled with stuff!

The Details:

~Size Options:
     Large: 18"W x 14"H x 5"D: Very roomy, fits 3 beach towels!
     XLarge: 24"W x 14"H x 8"D: Huge. You can fit your kids in it, probably.

~Two 6" tall side pockets, perfect for sunscreen or your cell phone

~Waterproof: Wipe down or hose off! (Don't put in washing machine, though.)

~Note that oilcloth is not food safe, so don't put a sandwich down in the bottom without it being in a ziplock baggie!

Main Fabrics (choose one):

Coordinating Fabrics (choose one):






Font Choices:



Pricing Options (Same for both sizes):

1) Non-personalized tote: $47.50 + tax and shipping

2) Personalized tote: $56.50 + tax and shipping

To Order:

Email me with fabric & personalization choices at april@forsheedesigns.com and I will send you a PayPal invoice. Turnaround time from cleared payment will be approximately two weeks. Please let me know if you have any questions!

{Sewing} Something For Me!

Guess what, folks...drumroll, please...I made something for myself. Shocking, I know. I was recently gifted an iPad and really wanted to be able to take it with me wherever I go. I don't really do small bags, so I knew that I needed to design a big bag that would suit my needs. Here's what I came up with:

The pockets on either side of the exterior are the perfect
size and give easy access to a smartphone.

Zippered Top--This is the 1st time I had done this and it was easy!
I got my instructions from Lisa Liam's Bag Making Bible. A row of interior pocketsAnd a zippered pocket that runs the width of the bag...I didn't
have two of the same color zippers and that bugs me to death!And my trio of matching goodies! Tote, Zippered Pouch, iPad Sleeve

The dimensions are roughly 17" tall x 14" wide x 4" deep. It's quite a large bag. The only thing I would change is that I would make the strap adjustable and able to go cross body. It was quite a shoulder breaker carrying all my stuff + my dSLR + iPad, etc.. Fortunately I used those little hardware rectangles, so the strap can easily be changed!

Me being my fancy self, designed the bag design myself. It's not really that fancy, though. It's just a square bag!

Custom Car Bag & Embroidered Birthday Shirt

I am so excited about this bag! My friend Elizabeth asked me to make her a bag with three sections to sit between the two seats in the middle row of her cute new vehicle (I can't remember what it's called...it's one of those boxy SUV type cars) to hold snacks, toys, etc.. She (and her mom) is one of my favorite people to sew for because she is always asking me to do something different. It definitely breaks up the monotony of running the shop, where I make & sell the same things over and over.

I knew I wanted the bag and section dividers to be as rigid as possible so that the bag would stand up on its own. I knew that I would use Peltex for that purpose.  The dividers have two layers of Peltex and the exterior has one. The exterior could have used two, but one was just fine. I used the sew-in kind because that's what I had on hand. I didn't realize it came in a fusible form until just now! Ha! That would have made things easier.

There are only a couple of things I would change about this bag and they are super minor. Over all, this bag stitched up exactly according to my plan! Yeah!





Also, Elizabeth's son Eli (my little buddy) is turning 2 this year and she asked me to make him a birthday shirt on my embroidery machine! It's really cute! I can't wait to see him in it!

Lazy Girl Patterns--Chelsea Backpack Tote--Pattern Review

A friend of mine has a toddler and is in between the diaper bag/no diaper bag stage, and she requested that I make her a backpack with one strap to serve her toddler stuff-carrying purposes. I scoured the internet for patterns and we decided that the Chelsea Backpack Tote by Lazy Girl Designs would be the best option.

I love Lazy Girl’s patterns because they make sense to me. They are never anything fancy, just straightforward patterns with clear “why didn’t I think of doing it that way” instructions.

The only things I don’t like about the patterns is the tendency to leave raw edges exposed and the way the handles are attached. I ALWAYS modify those two things. To me, when making bags, even finishing an edge with a serger is sloppy. I like everything to be encased for a clean look. Now, Lazy Girl’s patterns don’t always leave serged seams exposed. Most of Lazy Girl’s bags are large and lend themselves to be able to carry a lot of stuff. The pattern instructions rely on stitching the handles to the outside with only two rows of straight stitching after the body of the bag is completed. I attach the handles to the inside by stitching over them about 10 times, then turning the bag right side out, and then I topstitch over the opening of the bag for another row of stitching. That’s 11 times that I stitch over bag handles.

**Stepping down from soapbox.**

I didn’t time myself on how long it took my to make this bag. I sort of worked on it over the course of 3 distracted days in which I didn’t get a lot done. I’m guessing it took about 2 hours.

I LOVE that this backpack has a zippered handle. It can be worn either with one strap or two straps! I also added a nice, large gusseted (for a sippy cup) pocket to the row of interior pockets. The bag itself is very roomy and I love the square bottom.

Overall, with my modifications, I love the way this bag turned out! I hope that my friend does too!

NEW! Ruffled Tote

I was wandering around in Whipstitch Fabrics last week, looking for something to strike my fancy and I found this blue and green fabric! But what could I make with it? I decided to grab some coordinating Kona Celery Green and see what came of it when I got home. On the way home, I decided to make a tote with some ruffles. Now, I had forgotten how long it takes for me to make a ruffle. I didn't have a ruffler foot and I dislike making them with a machine basting stitch. I always felt the basting stitch was still too short to do this easily. So, I did the ruffles by hand this time. Then I vowed to never do that again and I bought a ruffler foot for my Janome. Anyway, here are the photos! It is also listed in my shop! I will definitely be making more of these for my shop in other fabrics.

The Details:
~14" wide x 17" tall x 3" deep
~Straps measure approximately 22" each
~Price $31.50 plus applicable tax & shipping



Tote Bag with Ruffles

The Marti Bag

I have made four of these bags so far and the owners love them! I have named it The Marti Bag because I made it for my sister in law Marti first! This is the style of purse that I am currently carrying also and I think this is the best size for me. Not too big, not too small. Lots of pockets and an adjustable strap. The dimensions are 13" H x 16" W.

Here are the photos of three of the bags:

This one has two shorter straps and a boxed bottom:

The vast array of pockets (those are two pen holders there on the far right) and key holder:

The inside zippered pocket and magnetic snap:

Marti's Birthday Purse

My brother's wife loves presents! She loves any presents for any reason, anytime. Her birthday is on July 4 and she did not hesitate to put her order in early (I think she asked for it in February or March) for a purse for her birthday gift. She said she wanted a summer print with an adjustable strap. Done. When we got to her house this past Monday, she met me in the driveway and I couldn't wait to give this purse to her! I made her open it in the driveway! She loved it!

I failed to take photos of the inside, but it is lined in the color called Ash from Kona and is interlined with fleece interfacing as well as a layer of heavy duty stabilizer. It has a zippered pocket on one side and multiple other pockets on the other side. I included a lobster clasp also for her keys. It closes with a magnetic snap. You, too, can have one of these for $55 plus tax & shipping!

A Custom Backpack!

Last year, for her birthday, my mom and I pitched in together to buy my favorite (shhh, don't tell the others) cousin a Vera Bradley backpack. Two weeks later she took it out on a boat and it got battery acid on it. I guess she got tired of carrying the battery acid backpack because she asked me to make her one to replace it. She picked it up today so I did a short photo shoot!

Do you think she's happy or what?

Changes!

Greetings to all of my clients and friends!

I have been busier than ever this spring, thanks to you! It's been a lot of fun. I've had time to pause to evaluate my business and have seen that changes are needed in my policies and pricing. The changes are not drastic but will better help me to serve my clients with the attention they deserve. I find myself being upset by companies who keep their prices the same but greatly diminish the quality of their product (like the now non-half gallon of ice cream!!! You all know what I'm talking about!). Rest assured that this will not be happening here! I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

My sales come from both my Etsy store (www.forsheedesigns.com) and from direct orders (people I know, word of mouth, etc.). I have set up my new pricing to differentiate between those different types of sales. Etsy costs money to use and I don't believe that non-Etsy buyers should have to bear the cost of that. There is a new pricing sheet with Etsy Prices, Direct Prices, and the Old Prices.

Attached you will find a new pricing sheet and a copy of my revised policies. These will go into effect on June 15. Until then, I will continue to operate at the Old Prices.

Thanks so much for reading and for your business! I truly value my clients and look forward to sewing for you!

My contact information:
April Forshee
www.forsheedesigns.com
aprilforshee {at} gmail {dot} com
404-274-4153

School Colors Quilted Tote

I did these totes a few months ago in Hillgrove High School's colors. These would make great coach/teacher gifts or for the graduate in their college's colors. $40 includes monogram or name! (Plus tax and shipping.)

Who knew it would be this much work?

I am working on a set of 6 totes and 6 small buttercup bags for a fantastic shop called Doodlebugz here in Marietta. While I am super excited about having my items in an actual store, a crazy afterthought hit me. I need my "business" to be legitimate. There ensues the paperwork, faxing (who uses fax machines anymore, anyway? scan and email, please), paying money, phone calls to people who know which forms to fill out, etc.

Of course I want to get this all done in one day, just like I want to get everything done that I can't possibly get done all in one day. I set expectations of myself that I cannot attain.

Now the things that add to my frustration of all this paperwork:
1) My computer will not shut down when I need to restart it.
2) Every office wants all this stupid paperwork FAXED to them.
3) Two out of four USB ports on my computer are not working. I need about 6 USB ports in the first place so this is cramping my style severely.
4) I am scared that I am going to get in trouble if I don't have all the necessary paperwork.
5) My "office" is so cluttered and annoying.
6) iTunes will not open.
7) It's 20 degrees outside and my toes will not warm up no matter what I do.

So here's what I did to fix these problems since I'm the type who must fix things immediately. I shopped for a new computer and have picked out the one I need/want so that when the computer dies for good I can just click in three places and voila! One of my best friends volunteered to fax my document for me. The USB port magically began working again. I called my friend Chris, who has plenty of experience starting businesses. He was a big help. He always is. About the "office"...that is going to have to wait. iTunes still won't open and it's still 20 degrees outside and my toes are still cold.

Did I mention that my beloved VW is in the shop with electrical problems that my mechanic has yet to diagnose after having it for 2 days?

Sleep? I don't need any sleep....

The craft fair I'm doing on Saturday is my first one, so there are a lot of things other than sewing projects that I needed to complete before showing up on Friday night to set up. I've made a sign, a monogramming options notebook, slips for a drawing I will be doing, shopped for a display for my bags (ended up with this), made order forms...and the list goes on.

I also needed to make an apron for myself (other than the one I cook in) to hold money and stuff. Check it out:

I used Patty Young's Mezzanine collection by Michael Miller Fabrics. I love this collection and knew I HAD to use it for MY apron.

Patty Young is a wonderful designer and has a new line coming out in December called Flora and Fauna. I wish it were out now so I could make some folks some stuff for Christmas presents with it! She has several different color palettes with this collection, which is a wonderful option to have. Which one do you like best? Leave me a comment and I will enter your name into my "fishbowl" at the craft fair this weekend. I'll be giving away an apron and a Buttercup Bag!!!

My First Craft Fair!

My friend Stephanie passed on some information about a craft fair at a church, and I decided to do it! I thought that it would be important for my first Christmas as a business to do at least one of these.

Here are the details: November 21, 8am-2pm at Sunrise Baptist Church, 3000 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Lawrenceville, GA 30045

The products I will have available for order are:

• Tote bags
• Buttercup bags (large and small)
• Diaper Bags
• Aprons---adult and kid size, even a "Mommy and Me" matching set!
• Monogrammed items: kitchen towels, hand towels, fleece blankets, etc. (I will have photos of these soon!)
• Anything else you can think of!

My deadline for Christmas orders will be Friday, November 27 at midnight. I plan on shipping those orders no later than Thursday, December 17.

I am a bit nervous about this craft fair (only because I've never done one before) so please come see me if you can!