You know you're a beginner when...

I decided to try to make a bookmark with some ribbon and scraps of fabric. Sounds incredibly simple, but I managed to produce something that can only be described as a great learning experience! My fabric was too thin, and the ribbon melted under the heat of the iron (see the hole in the yellow ribbon?). And my corners on the top weren't crisp.

Next time I will try denim, I think. I'll also put the ribbon closer to the top so that it peeks out of the top of the book without having to have more of the bookmark out of the book than in it. Stay tuned for my Try #2.

P.S. Ender's Game is a great book!

Feeling Crafty: Homemade Birthday Gift

I have been feeling crafty lately, and decided to try my hand at a simple drawstring bag. I made this with materials I had on hand as a birthday gift for a friend of my daughters. It took me about one hour start to finish.

The bag couldn't have been simpler. I cut out a long rectangle, and sewed a sleeve for the twine by folding the edges down twice and sewing across. Then I folded the fabric wrong sides together and sewed up the sides (taking care not to close up the drawstring channel). Turned it right side out, threaded the twine with a safety pin, and hand sewed on the name badge, which I made by tracing his name onto the white fabric with a pigment pen, then sewing on borders and folding the edges under. I slipped a little book inside, and voila! A mostly homemade birthday gift for a special little boy. I hope he saves the bag and uses it to store some boyish treasure.