New Tote Bags

I recently made the Maddie Handbag, a FREE pattern from Homespun Threads.  It was the perfect mid-sized bag!   The Homespun Thread blog is a fantastic resource for free tutorials, including dozens for baby items, bags & crafts.  Aimee's online Bible Studies are really good, too. 

My Maddie Bag  is made of denim and Amy Butler Lotus quilting cotton as the liner & accent fabric.  It took me just as long to cut & interface my fabrics as it did to sew the thing!  I made mine 1.5" taller (13"w x 13"t) and thought it would be a great bag for ladies who like to pack along a Kindle, book or big organizer. I also added pockets across the full width on one side of the lining.  It was hard to give this one away, but it was a Christmas present for my mom.  I'll definitely be making more of these as gifts & possibly for my shop.   

I've marked down some of my tote bags & purses in the shop!  Mention you're a blog reader and I'll refund an additional 10% of the item price for your purchases- including jewelry!  

Introducing ~ Sew Can She!

I'm excited to introduce you to Sew Can She, a new website & newsletter devoted to sharing FREE sewing tutorials.  Sew Can She was started by Caroline of Carolina Fair Designs as a way to share sewing tutorials with family, friends and now all of us! 

Ear Warmer tutorial from Delia Creates via Sew Can She

Each day (except Sunday), Sew Can She shares a sewing tutorial.  You never know what will be coming next!  So far, most of them have been on my To-Do or Have-Done lists, so Caroline has great taste ;)  The easiest way to find the tutorial is to sign up for the Sew Can She newsletter on the website's Home page.  They are also posted on the Sew Can She website for a limited time here.  If you like sites like Craft Gossip, check out Sew Can She for more daily free sewing tutorials. 

 On a totally random note - I made a new button & banner for my Etsy shop!  Etsy had a good list of tutorials about making your own buttons/banners in their seller resources.  It's fun to have a fresh look!
 Remember, my Pink Poodle Bows pattern giveaway ends tomorow evening, Jan. 6th!  Head to this post to enter.

Finale ~ EMFE ~ Please Vote Now

It's Finale time!  Head over HERE to vote today through Sunday.  Head over HERE to enter to win some great patterns.   The ladies sewed up some amazing Country Fair entries.  I have to honestly say I'm happy it's over.  Work has been busy, life has been hectic and I'm looking forward to avoiding my sewing room for a few days!

Remember to enter my giveaway hosted HERE - open until June 7.

I have new bags in the shop.  10% refund of the item price if you enter "My Frugal Family" in the comments at checkout. 

On a totally non-crafty note,  I'm excited that I just ordered my first notebook PC.  My dear husband has quite a collection of guns, so I justified my new PC as a Mommy Splurge to match his gun purchases.  A totally non-typical move for this frugal mama!  My reward all my long hours on call and at work the past month.  Here is the little notebook I chose.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Giveaway Time! ~ Now OPEN

I had so much fun with the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway that I'm at it again!  Head over to My Frugal Family to enter some Hot Summer Giveaways.  I'll be giving away either 2 pairs of flower earrings and a matching flower ring OR a 'Shorty' Eco-tote from my Etsy shop.  Enter here before June 7th!

Take advantage of a 10% refund by entering "My Frugal Family" in the comments to seller at Etsy checkout.  I'll refund 10% of the items purchase price back to your PayPal account.  Shop Mama Lusco Handmade on Etsy today!

Etsy Treasury!

Mama Lusco Handmade made it into the Etsy treasury!  Check it out to see some beautiful black & white treasures.

New in the Shop and a Fun Panty Tutorial!

Big sigh......Ever have those tasks you've been dreading and avoiding?  I finally conquered one of those and it sure feels good!  My stash of feed sacks has been growing, so it was finally time to sew up some eco-tote bags.  Bright, shiny & newly listed in Mama's Etsy shop!

Also new in the shop are flower rings to match my dahlia and rosette earrings.  I have a white dahlia ring ready to ship or you can choose the color:
Dahlias available in light pink, mauve, fuschia, bright purple, white, red, royal blue & black. 
Rosettes available in peachy beige or sparkly pink.

After a day of uninspiring sewing, I whipped up these pretty girls...just what I needed to feel inspired to sew again!
You can find a great tutorial for how to make your own panties here at Belle & Burger.  I used 2 old t-shirts from my rag pile for this first pair.  Surprisingly, my self-drafted pattern was a perfect fit!  I have some pretty thrifted stretch lace that I'm excited to try on the next pair. I felt pretty good walking around in my new undies :)  

New Earring Colors in the Shop

I just added new colors of dahlia flower earrings to my Artfire and Etsy shops.  They are now available in light pink, mauve, hot pink, purple, white, red, royal blue and black.  These little pretties are mounted on sterling silver plated studs and safe for sensitive ears. They are the perfect way to dress up your pony tail & t-shirts but also can be worn with dressy dresses. 

I have new, low prices and buy my supplies from US businesses.  To keep my prices low, please request a special listing if you would like to order multiple pairs.  Support handmade and US suppliers! 

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale!

To kick off your holiday shopping season, Mama Lusco is offering 25% your purchase (excluding shipping)from my 3 shops below.  Enter 'Blog Reader' in the comments to seller at checkout and I'll refund 25% back into your Paypal account.  Happy Shopping!

Mama Lusco on Shop Handmade ~ no fees for buyers OR sellers
                         Artfire shop ~ no fees for buyers OR sellers
                         Etsy shop ~ no fees for buyers
                    
I'm also hosting a virtual yard sale on my Flickr photo stream. Details and pricing are listed with each photo.  Just email me with your selections and I'll send a Paypal invoice.  Many medical scrubs, girls boots, neck warmers & more.

Some items are also listed on Ebay now.  Make a bid in the next 4 days and snag a real deal!
    Ebay listings ~ make a bid for a great deal!  ~ no fees for buyers

Mama's Shops Open Again

I'm feeling so thankful to have my trusty computer back again after 9 days without any internet connection.  I wasn't too happy it took 8 days in the computer repair shop for a 45 minute repair but I guess I'll take what I can get locally instead of driving 3 + hours to a big city shop...

Just before the big crash, I had listed a few new items in Mama Lusco's shops.  I've listed some little flower earrings and two necklaces so far and have some great crocheted neck warmers to list soon.  I'm hoping to take a break from my Christmas gift sewing to sew up some toddler backpacks and lunch money cuffs for the shops.  Come find me at Mama's Shop Handmade store, Artfire store, or Etsy shop. (Shop Handmade and Artfire do not charge listing fees so are more affordable for sellers, but Etsy's the old standby so I'm keeping that store open, too)

Here's a peek at a gift I'm excited to be giving this year...thrifted denim four patches and vintage denim & corduroy squares all from my stash :) Two more quilts to go!

Jewelry Clearance Sale

One of my favorite Etsy shops, Joy Made Jewelry is having a huge 1/2 off sale in her shop.  Nissa has opened a new shop and is closing out her old inventory.  She will refund 50% off of the listed price after your purchase.  I bought a few gifts and a Mother's Nest necklace for me - only $2.99!!!  Check out the great sale and get them before they're gone!

Pattern Testing for Little Lizard King!

I am excited to put my other projects aside to test a sweet new top for Little Lizard King!  I found her shop while searching etsy for ruffle tops and adore her Sweet Sydney Ruffle Shirt,

Little Lauren Dress,

and Apron Knot Dress with Ruffle Pants.  Adorable!

A

How about these great Double Layer Bow Ties for your little man?

All photos from Little Lizard King

 If you are looking for PDF patterns that are easy to sew and boutique-cute, head over to Little Lizard King for affordable, adorable patterns.  These are just a few of her offerings, so check them out!

Etsy Sale!

I wanted to announce a special "Pay It Forward - PIF" sale happening now in my Etsy shop.  I've added some cute hair clippies and will have some rosette necklaces listed very soon.  Please visit and buy some Valentine goodies for your girls!

Welcome!

Welcome to Mama Lusco's blog!  I've been blogging for 1 1/2 years over at Lusco Land, but decided it was time to devote a separate blog to my crafting and sewing.  I began blogging as a way to document our family life and in the process have discovered a wonderful network of crafty bloggers like myself.  I enjoy sewing for my girls and making handbags & accessories, along with some crochet and needlework.  On Lusco Land, I had a long list of free tutorials in my 'Projects to Try' category.  I'm working on transferring most of those links to this site.  I am so thankful for the talented bloggers who share their patterns & tutorials! I hope you find some great ideas from this list and share some of your favorites with me :)

I have 2 online shops and I hope you will visit them  www.mamalusco.etsy.com and www.artfire.com/users/MamaLusco.  Check back here often to learn about specials and new items. 

Thank you for stopping by!  I love to read your comments and hear your feedback.  I welcome custom orders, so if you like something you see, I could probably make it for you!