Try This: Leather Mini Wallet for See Kate Sew

This week, I'm sharing a tutorial on the beautifully redesigned See Kate Sew for making the perfect little leather wallet for a clutch. Pop over to check it out!

Try This: Fabric Bookends for Design*Sponge

I seriously love finding new excuses to use fabric. If you're like me and you spotted those fabric pyramid-esque bookends gracing my new built-ins yesterday, you're in luck, because I'm sharing the how-to for making them on Design*Sponge. Hop over and check it out.

Try This: Heart Wristlet Clutch

I'm pretty excited about today's project -- and not just because it combines my insatiable love for hearts + leather + graphic black/white patterns! These little heart wristlet clutches were a fun collaboration with Nashville-based surface designer Kelle Boyd of Anne Kelle Designs. She had the vision (and the lovely fabric, of course), and I had the tools. What's even better about this collaboration is that I'm offering up the how-to and Kelle's giving away one of the clutches! Read on for the tutorial, and visit Kelle's blog for the giveaway!

Try This: Leopard + Sequin Zipper Clutch for See Kate Sew

Beginning this week, I'll be sharing an awesome fashion-related DIY each month on See Kate Sew. I'm kicking things off by customizing one of Kate's own sewing tutorials to create this ridiculously awesome leopard and sequin zippered clutch -- perfect for holiday celebrations and officially my new favorite clutch! You can find the full tutorial here.

Try This: Super Easy Linen Clutch

When textile designer Celina Mancurti offered me a yard of her lovely hand screen-printed and eco-friendly fabric to use on a project, I jumped on it. With our condo for sale in DC and moving to the new place in Nashville, it's been a hot minute since I've gotten to do any superfluous sewing, so I was excited to use the fabric to make...what else...a clutch. What can I say, I freakin' love a clutch. The beauty of this one, though, is that the sewing is about as easy and basic as they come. Read on for the full how-to.

Tried That: Swim Cover

It's no secret that I love sewing tote bags and clutches. Generally speaking, however, I don't sew clothes. The couple of prior experiences that I had making clothes ended in...mediocrity. Either I chose the wrong fabric or the fit was off or, um, I didn't know that different kinds of fabric called for different needles, and in the end, I just sort of felt like I'd rather spend my time making other things and/or shopping. With more fashionable and download-at-home patterns out there, I thought maybe it was time to give it another try. So I gave this tank/dress pattern from Wiksten a shot. The result: not so bad. Read on for more pics and to learn how my fabric choice -- while awesome -- necessitated calling this a "swim cover."

Try This: Lunch Duffel for Luri & Wilma

Luri & Wilma's Spring travel issue is out, and I've got a few DIYs in there for taking a meal on the go. I'm sharing the first of these -- a lil lunch duffel -- on Luri & Wilma's blog this week. So hop over and give it a look-see.

Try This: Sunprint Garden Tote for Design*Sponge

I'm back with another tote bag! I just can't get enough of 'em. This week, I've got a sunprint garden tote tutorial on Design*Sponge using super awesome Inkodye light sensitive dye, so check it out, won't ya?

My Latest Baby Quilts

Awhile back, I mentioned on Instagram my backlog of quilt projects. I'm not getting through them as quickly as I'd liked, but I am slowly ticking them off my list. Unfortunately, the photos I take of my quilt projects are usually pretty atrocious because I basically wait until some event forces me to get my ass in gear and actually make the quilt (almost always a shower). I'm usually binding right up until the night before, and then I am left to hurriedly snap a few pics (in bad lighting) the morning that I whisk it off to its rightful owner. Excuses, excuses. I want to share them with you nonetheless, so read on for more pics of two of my latest.

Try This: Fabric + Leather Storage Baskets

Try This: Fabric + Leather Storage Baskets

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but I have a lot of craft supplies, and worse still, the ratio of livable space to craft supplies is abysmal (or glorious -- depending on who you ask in our home).  So I have to keep things organized.   I employ a dual organization system of-sorts -- by technique/material for the long-term and by specific project for the short-term.  So, I love myself a project basket -- a natty, pretty little way to wrangle all the supplies I need for a particular project.  This, my friends, is a quick and easy step-by-step for creating project baskets of your own, and I do mean quick and easy.  I was able to churn out a couple of these in less than an hour -- tutorial photos and all!

Read on for the full tutorial.

{re}Try This: Striped Tote Bag

I needed a big, bold, and roomy tote bag for Alt, so I took on my own striped tote bag tutorial.  This time, I nixed the colors and stuck with black, white, and gold to ensure it would go with all my outfits.  I upped the measurements to fit all my conference-going needs, added a few extra gold rivets for bling, and replaced the side grommets with big, gold snaps.  Oh, and I added a little gilded heart charm.  This bad boy did not fail me.

Read on for some more pics of my recreation.

{re}Try This: Geometric Laptop Sleeve

There's nothing wrong with putting my own tutorials to use, right?  Glad you agree.  I revisited my recent step-by-step for a geometric laptop sleeve.  I have a confession.  My previous try didn't actually fit my laptop because I tried to create it from online specs before I had actually gotten my  computer.  Womp womp. Anyway, this time around, I tried a new color scheme and threw in some shiny gold for good measure.  What do you think?  Better than the original or just different?

Read on for more pics.

Try This: Fold-Over Framed Clutch

Try This: Fold-Over Framed Clutch

Mark this down as yet another project inspired by a gold and glittery outfit for Alt.  This time, a gold sequined blazer, which calls for a decidedly more subdued handbag.  I thought a nice winter white clutch would be the perfect pairing.

Read on for the full tutorial.

Try This: Cheeky Shoe Bags

Try This: Cheeky Shoe Bags

It all started with the most beautiful pair of gold glittered heels.  Sigh.   But a pair of heels such as these in a suitcase means glitter all over everything I own.  Since I'm takin' these puppies on the road to Salt Lake in a few short weeks, I thought it was about time I whipped up some shoe bags to prevent just such occurrences.   And why not make 'em a little cheeky?

Read on for the full tutorial.

Try This: Geometric Laptop Sleeve Tutorial

Try This: Geometric Laptop Sleeve

You might recall that I got a MacBook for my birthday.  Upon the death of my husband's PC last week, I convinced him to come over to the Apple side.  Because he's a lovely man, he thought we should get a bigger one this time around and that said bigger one should become mine.  So this put me in the market for another laptop sleeve.  I decided to go a different route this time around (see my last creation here), and make a tutorial of it.

If you've checked out any of my tote tutorials, these steps will seem familiar.  This time around, I added in some basic quilt-piecing skills to create a sleek geometric pattern, which was super inspired by some of Ferm Living's latest textiles but particularly this pillow.

Read on for the full tutorial.

Try This: Plastidipped Tote Bag Tutorial

Try This: Plastidipped Tote Bag

So...Plasti-Dip.  It's a rubberized coating -- generally for tool handles -- to make surfaces slip resistant and waterproof.  If you've been on the DIY circuit long, there's no doubt that you've seen people finding clever and crafty uses for this stuff.  Some of my favorites including dipping flatware, stool legs, toothbrushes, and an assortment of random things.

I ordered myself some quite a while ago, sitting on it, waiting for the perfect idea to strike .  Finally, I did a little test run on fabric, and you know what, I think I might be onto something.  In this tutorial, I show you how to add a moisture-proof bottom and some decorative details to a basic tote bag.  Alright, let's do this.

Read on for the full tutorial.

Try This: 1 Clutch - 3 Trends | Part 1 for Luri & Wilma

Try This: 1 Clutch - 3 Fall Trends for Luri & Wilma

My favorite DIY for the fall issue of DC-based e-mag Luri & Wilma is my clutch purse spread.  In this feature, I show folks how to sew a basic clutch purse plus some minimal variations to create custom pieces using fall trends as inspiration -- including burgundy leathers, white-on-white, and camping blanket-inspired fabrics.  

If you haven't checked out the spread in the issue yet, you can find part 1 of the 4-part series here.

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Try This: 2012 Election Party Decor + Free Candidate Printables

Try This: 2012 Election Party Decor

In what I like to refer to as my "real life", I love politics.  Obviously, I live in Washington, DC, but you may not know that my master's is in public policy and I spent the better part of my still nascent career working for Congress.  So, yeah, I think participating in our democracy is pretty important.  And I hope you do, too!

 In addition to that little plug, I'm also here to tell you that politics can also be an excuse for parties, the requisite party decor, and even a good drinking game.  In fact, the first presidential debate of this election is tomorrow. Invite your friends over, make these decorations, and get informed!

Read on for the full tutorial + free printables.

Try This: Fabric Document Envelope Tutorial

Try This: Fabric Document Envelope

For whatever reason, I find myself needing to carry papers around every now and then.  Perhaps it's photographs of some of my work for a meeting or a resume for an interview.  Whatever it might be, I like to carry them in style.  My fallback has been a cute little folder, but this relatively easy project is the perfect little portfolio for toting around important documents and papers.

Yeah, yeah, I know.  What's with all the stripes lately, Mandy? [Sigh.] I love them!  And you do too.  Now, get off my back.

Read on for the full tutorial.

Try [/Buy] This: Striped Crossbody Clutch Purse Tutorial

Try [/Buy*] This: Striped Crossbody Clutch

I'm a broken record, people.  I love makin' a bag.  And I love using striped fabric.  Deal with it.  This week, I'm making a fabulous little crossbody bag, which I actually think is a pretty versatile little number that's perfect for day or evening.

*Aaaaaaand...if you can't sew or you don't have the time and you love this little number as much as I do, I made an extra that you can pick up from my Etsy shop.  We can be crossbody clutch twinsies!

Read on for the full tutorial!