Blog - sEaMcRaZy Designs

Posted on March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Digital Creativity & Me

I’m having so much fun creating digital downloads for my Etsy store. I’ve always been creative, but this is really enjoyable! I have quite a few designs “in the works” and will be posting them soon. Even though I have never considered myself a graphic designer, my customers tell me that I have an “eye” for design.

I love trying out new technologies and apps. Canva is lots of fun to use and I am designing a set of videos to show how to use it. For my digital downloads, I either purchase artwork from other creatives or design my own.

My creative process for digitals starts with an idea. Sometimes it takes a while to form that idea. I might wake up in the night with a fully formed idea in my head – something that I had puzzled over just hours before. It is amazing how our creative mind works!

Once I have the idea, I have to work out how to get it from my mind to my computer screen! I may need a new app or a font to really corner the design the way I want. Once the design takes shape, I may post it in my Etsy store or perhaps just use the design personally. Either way, the process of designing is very satisfying.

Have you ventured into creating digital assets yet? Give it a try if you haven’t yet!

Posted on January 17, 2016January 17, 2016 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Felt Snowmen Ornaments – Super Cute!

Love these cute Felt Snowmen Ornaments! Christmas just seems the “right” time to DIY and these little guys were just so easy to sew up! We followed the tutorial by Tied with a Ribbon and gave it just a little twist. Instead of adding a button as trim on their hats, we used snowflake brads found at Michael’s. I saw them when shopping for the pink and black brads and knew they would be “just right” for our Snowmen!

The first one took a little time, but once we got to working on them, they sewed up pretty fast. We have lots of felt, fiberfill, and floss from many crafts over the years, so all we needed was the brads. Honestly, I hadn’t ever noticed the tiny brads over in the papercrafting / scrapbooking section of Michael’s. By the way, you can also find these on Amazon if you don’t have a craft store nearby.

These would make great “teacher” and “co-worker” gifts!

Posted on May 26, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Simplicity 2184: Godet Skirt

I am one of those people who think PANTS and rarely SKIRTS when it comes to getting ready for work. The Simplicity 2184 Godet Skirt turned out so nice that I may re-think what I wear to the office.

For my Simplicity 2184 Godet Skirt, I picked a cross between view C (maxi) and view D (shorter), because I like to wear my skirts long. The godets are what really “make” this skirt because they add some twirliness to the bottom. Godets are long triangles added to the front seams. In the pattern view below, you can see the godets in the yellow skirt in the top left corner.

I have accumulated many skirt patterns, but I like this pattern except for one thing…I prefer a waistband and it has elastic only. Elastic does make the project go a lot faster (see 2 HOUR printed on the pattern), but it doesn’t seam to drape and fit as pretty as one with a waistband. Next time I make this pattern, I will add a waistband…

The material is a turquoise cotton blend, actually left over from another project (the quilt project bag). I like floral fabric and was digging around in the sEaMcRaZy stash, and my eye fell on the turquoise. Why not? Well, I will be sure not to wear the skirt the same day I am carrying the quilt project bag!

The pattern is very easy and the non-godet views would be great for a new sewist. The non-godet views A & B are cut on the bias and as such, will have some swing.

You really can’t see the godets in the photos, but you can see the flare from them when I wear the skirt. After finishing the skirt, I had some material left over and made a belt/sash. I added some beads to the sash for weight and style. I like they way they pull the sash down, and give it some character when I walk. I simply used some jewelry-making beads that matched the fabric. I threaded the beads on the needle and back up through using some heavy thread.

I paired the skirt with an olive top and light olive light sweater. Adding the sash is a good pop of color on the green. I also have a turquoise top that I can wear with this skirt to give me another option. The fabric background is navy blue, so I could use a navy top also.

All in all, I think the skirt turned out well, and I plan to make the Godet Skirt in a maxi length, perhaps in a knit next time. And with a waistband.

Posted on April 13, 2014April 13, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Easy Cool Top

Spring is finally warm here! I made this EASY COOL TOP using Simplicity 1615 to celebrate~

I chose a light cotton with small flowers. I think it will be COOL and just right over jeans. I wear a lot of T-shirts and this new top gives me some options.

The pattern was very easy, and I love the sleeve and collar detail. I followed the directions which include using bias tape to enclose the seams around the neckline. Next time I make this blouse, I will make some bias tape because I am not crazy about seeing the white bias tape inside the blouse. I am kind of particular about the inside looking as nice as the outside. As usual, I also sewed with french seams – I know – it’s more work but that is just “me.”

Mother tried on the blouse and she wants to make one, too. I have some soft fabric that drapes better that would be great in this pattern. I am sure that I will make this top again, perhaps view E (the green one) next time?

Posted on March 28, 2014March 28, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Whimsy Row by Row Quilt

Edna sewed a beautiful quilt for granddaughter’s first birthday. She used the Whimsy Row by Row quilt pattern by Fresh Water Designs for EE Schenck Co.

We bought the pattern and fabric at Sew Much Fun in Columbus, GA, and worked diligently to finish it in time for the party!

The fabric is called “Whimsy” and includes these inspirational quotes:

Take Time to Breathe!

Be Curious. Explore!

Create Whimsy in Your Life!

Find Joy in Living!

Wonder About Possibilities!

The colors are so fresh and delightful. I truly fell in love with the design and colors as we worked. We used the swirl fabric on the back and a similar swirl pattern for quilting. Blue Crab Quilt Company in Richmond did the longarm quilting for us. They did a fantastic job – I am sure we will use them again soon.

Here is a close up of the front and back:

And here Sweet Grandaughter is inspecting her birthday present!

Posted on March 11, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

LADYBUGS & DAISIES Tutu and Hair Bow

Granddaughter is turning 1! So – we are having a birthday party next weekend with a LADYBUGS & DAISIES theme! We are busily crafting our way to the party this week.

Tonight I finished a red and black tutu and a hair bow for our little bug! I made a hair bow but since our little bug doesn’t have much hair…the bow will attach to a red sequined elastic headband. We chose a ribbon that has black dots on a red background on one side, and red dots on a back background on the other. Very cool!

I used black tulle, black nylon net, and red tulle for the tutu. I cut strips and wrap-tied them onto a piece of black elastic. The tulle looks very dainty and the nylon net makes it all stand out very nicely. When I cut the fabric, I started out with strips that were way too long and ended up re-doing a good part of the tutu. Our little bug is just a LITTLE bug and so this shortened tutu should be about right. I alternated between the three fabrics to give it some depth – black tulle, black net, red tulle, black tulle, black net, red tulle, etc.

Leftover tulle, net, and ribbon became a hair bow. We bought the sequinned elastic band at Hobby Lobby (one of my favorite places to get lost in). I made sure that the tulle and net stick up from under the ribbon. At Hobby Lobby, we also bought some black leggings and a t-top, but we are not sure if she will wear those or something else under the tutu.

Granddaughter lives in another state and we can’t wait to go see her and let her try on her new tutu and hair bow!

Posted on March 9, 2014March 9, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Spring Forward: Jump on those UFOs

Today we “Spring Forward” and start Daylight Savings Time. There are simply not enough hours in a regular day, and today we have one hour less! What projects are you thinking about today? Starting a new quilt? A skirt? A yarn project? Embroidery?

Or perhaps you are thinking about finishing up some of your UFOs (unfinished objects), WISPs (works in slow progress), PIPs (projects in process), PIGS (projects in grocery sacks), AFUFOs (almost finished UFOs), or “the pile” (as husbands tend to call our projects…)? Believe me, all those projects you see in the photo above were once a UFO/WISP/PIP/PIG/AFUFO/part of “the pile” (note – some of them still are…).

Now, I know you have some of these lying around! We all do. It’s a natural thing to get bored, distracted, or just plain stuck on a project. Sometimes we need a little motivation to get us moving and today is a great day to forge ahead.

Today, let’s think about “Spring Forward” as a reminder to jump on those projects that are holding us back and making us feel guilty. It feels wonderful to finish a project – what will you finish up today?

“Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.” -Josh Billings

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” -Japanese Proverb

“Never, never, never give up.” -Winston Churchill

“You must find a way or make one.” -Hannibal

“Those people blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel.” -Mary Kay Ash

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” -Pablo Picasso

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” -Buddha

“We learn by doing.” -Aristotle

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” -Jim Rohn

“Do we need more time? Or do we need to be more disciplined with the time we have?” -Kerry Johnson

We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough.

“What I am looking for is not out there; it is in me.” – Hellen Keller

There are no mistakes, only opportunities.

Posted on March 8, 2014March 11, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

LADYBUGS & DAISIES Litter

Granddaughter is turning 1! So – we are having a birthday party next weekend with a LADYBUGS & DAISIES theme! We are busily crafting our way to the party this week. Today, we made table litter. We used snips from the invitations printed on card stock and cut into circles. These will be so sweet littered on the tables under mason jars with daisies. We will also glue some of the ladybugs to the daisies! If you have daisies you have to have ladybugs!

The party is at a local pizza place and our guests will enjoy pizza and LADYBUGS & DAISIES themed cupcakes. I can’t wait to watch Granddaughter sEaMcRaZy destroy her Smash Cake!

Posted on March 1, 2014March 1, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Our Abbey Bags

We decided on using primary colors in polka-dots for our new Sewing Room. For each of our machines, we are sewing matching Table Aprons and Abbey Bags. The polka-dot materials are anchors to our patchwork-quilt theme. So far, we’ve completed “Blue,” “Black,” and “Red” Abbey Bags with plans to make “Green,” “Yellow,” and “Orange.” We’re pretty certain we will be sewing more than six of these….

I just love how they turned out! Of course, “Red” is sEaMcRaZy Edna’s favorite (she just LOVES RED) and my fave is “Blue.” Each thread scrap bag is anchored by a flower pincushion at the top. If you look closely, you can see a little pocket which is the perfect size for our little snipping scissors. And seam rippers, which get a lot of mileage at my house.

We used ground walnut shells for the pincushion stuffing. Honestly, it took me several tries to get the shape just right. At first, I had filled them too much and they looked like footballs. Next, I got them rounder and they looked like softballs. Not cute. At all. There is this little trick to getting them round-ish and flat-ish to look right. I think I finally got the shape right:

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These little cuties sit right beside our sewing machines. They don’t fall off because of the weight of the pincushions with ground walnut shells inside, plus they have a circle of vinyl shelf cover underneath them. I literally took some liner out of one of my kitchen cabinets, cut it up, and glued it to the bottoms!

I confess we are terribly messy seamstresses…putting pins down wherever we happen to take them out of the fabric. So there is this little pile of pins beside every machine. Now, we have our cute little Abbey Bags pincushions for our pins. These are great little additions to our sewing tables!

Posted on March 1, 2014 by sEaMcRaZy Cindy

Easy DIY Fabric Pin

I sewed a blouse set using some knit red and butterfly/flower material that I picked up at Hancock’s. The red made a cute shell and the butterfly/flower material looks great with black pants. Before I wore my new blouse set for the first time, I went through my jewelry drawer to see if I could find something that matched well. Nothing really captured my eye…so I decided to make a DIY Fabric pin!

Here’s how I did my DIY Fabric Pin: Using pinking sheers and fabric scraps, I cut out 5 petals of red and 5 of butterfly/flower material. I covered a 1-1/2″ Dritz Half Ball Cover Button in red. Then, I sewed the petals in a circle and sewed the covered button on top. Fabric glue came next, with a small circle cut from red material to cover the sewing underneath. A safety pin through the small circle holds it in place on my blouse. The DIY Fabric Pin took about 15 minutes to do and turned out so cute. What do you think?