Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Poker Quilt

I finally finished the poker quilt for my significant other.
Here is how it turned out.




Friday, April 22, 2011

Eco Friendly Market Bags

                                             Hot Pepper Market Bag

With the bans, taxes and charges being put on plastic bags now, paper bags and biodegradable bags make more sense than ever. And it makes even better sense to have market bags that we can use over and over!
Current research estimates that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide (that’s about 1 million bags a minute!). When you consider the fact that every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic waste floating in it, and a single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, it’s easy to see that these wasteful (and unnecessary) shopping aids have to go.


Although there are many campaigns to remind and encourage people to bring their own reusable bags with them on shopping trips, some cities have decided that it’s time to put more serious policies into action.





In 2007, the City by the Bay became the first municipality in the U.S. to ban plastic bags. The decision drew attention from all over the country and the world. Under the ordinance, supermarkets and drug stores are only allowed to offer customers bags made of paper that can be recycled, compostable plastic or reusable cloth. Since the law went into effect, the city reports using 5 million fewer plastic bags every month.
Here are some of the bags I have made that work great for taking to the market



















  Watermelon Market Bag


                                                                                                        
                                                             Lakers Market Bag!







                                                       Flower Eco Friendly Market Bag

Friday, April 8, 2011

Table Runners

Table Runners or Table Toppers can add a festive feel to a kitchen or dining room or even to the top of a dresser.


                                                  Halloween

I use table runners on my kitchen table for many holidays. Sometimes I use them on my coffee table.

                                                           Classy Black, White and Tan



Here are a few of the table runners I have made.


                                                                    Fall Table Runner










Christmas







                                                                     Table topper or wall-hanging

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Jean Purse


I made my first jean purse. I love it when you can re-purpose clothing to make something else.
After I made my jean purse I thought of ways I could have embellished it. My next jean purse will be different from this one.



If you want to make your own jean purse, thrift stores and garage sales are great places to get old jeans. You should be able to pick up a nice used pair of jeans for under $5.00. If you want your purse already embellished get an old pair of jeans with the fancy pockets.
While you are looking for jeans, look for old scarves or belts that can be used as the strap or you can put them through the belt loops.
One way to embellish your jeans is to embroider or put patches on them. I lined my jean purse and put an inside pocket it.
There are many sites on the internet that give good directions on how to make jean purses.
I can’t wait to make my next jean purse. So check out my etsy site for the jean purses that I will be making in the next couple of months. CheriesPlace

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Lickety Split Bag



Lickety Split Bag

The Lickety Split Bag
The Lickety Split bag is one of my favorite bags to make. It was created by Rae Hoekstra.  Rae has a wonderful site with fun patterns. Some of her patterns are free, and others you can buy from her and download.
Cat Lovers Bag
                                                                       
This bag is fun and easy to make. I made it in a couple of hours.  Here are some of  my recent Lickety Split bags I have made.
Hearts

Soccer

Classy



Demin


USC



U of M Wolverines
 
Fun


                                                                               




















Monday, January 31, 2011

Dolls

As a child I loved to play with dolls. As an adult I still love dolls. Over twenty years ago dolls became one of my favorite sewing projects. However, as the mother of two boys, dolls were not a request on the Christmas lists.
So, I channeled my love for dolls and started to make them for sale. I wish I knew how many I made in the few years I sold them. I am guessing it was around 400 dolls.
The patterns I used for my dolls were Carolee SewSweet Dolls. My favorite and most popular pattern was “Katie”. I wish now that I had made one for myself.
Here are some pictures of the dolls I made.
 
I now have a sweet granddaughter in my life, so once again I am inspired to make dolls.
This time around Raggedy Ann Dolls, Primitive Dolls and Waldorf Dolls are sparking my interest.

Here are some pictures of a little doll and purse I made. This doll is only eight inches tall. It was difficult to stuff her legs and arms. She is adorable, but I don’t think I would make this small a doll again. The bag and doll are perfect for that little one to take to a friend’s house, to the store, a ride in the car or to grandma’s house. This is an Oh Sew Dollin Pattern.    














Monday, January 17, 2011

Welcome To My Blog




Welcome to my blog. Several people have told me I should blog about my sewing and crafts. After a lot of thought, I have decided to give it a try.
About a year ago I decided I wanted to make bags, purses and totes and sell them on etsy. It has been many years since I have done serious sewing. My sewing skills came back very fast.  I am getting a little more creative with them. 
For 23 years I owned my own handcrafting business and then took a break for a few years. Now I am back doing what I love; making and creating new items
 I did all kinds of crafts and sewing projects. I did arts and craft fairs and boutiques. I sold to gift stores in the bay area. It was a little side job that I had a lot of fun with. Then as with most things in life situations change and interest in selling my crafts faded. 
Then I took a quilting class, and that sparked my interest in sewing again.
So the seed to start Cherie's Place on etsy was sown.
With this blog I am hoping to record my sewing adventures but also share some fun patterns and ideas with others. I am sure as I do more blogging the blogs will spread out from sewing. 
Drop in to my shop on etsy and check it out http://www.etsy.com/shop/CheriesPlace
Thanks for following.