Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Valentine Love



A few weeks ago, I was cruising along on Pinterest killin' time and saw a Pin-tastic idea for Valentine Pillows!  (Catch my new word?) It wasn't a tutorial, just a pretty little picture.  

I think it was more Pin-tastic because I had ALL the materials in my possession.  Win-Win!  I'm on a personal mission this year to shop my closet before I shop some of my favorite fabric shops. I'm not saying I won't buy anything else but I need to control that fabric chaos!  My closet is spilling with too much cotton color!  You can probably relate right?

Since it was just a picture I didn't have any directions. I made it up as I went along. I'll give you some of the highlights to making this pillow come to life. 


Materials needed

Linen fabric or some other kind of loose weave fabric. Burlap would be super cute too!
Scissors
Fabric pen
Embroidery hoop
Tape
Ribbon or Twill
Pillow Insert or stuffing
Large needle


This is the largest needle I had. Not quite big enough to thread the ribbon and sew with it through the linen.  Might be able to use a needle on burlap though.  While I contemplated waiting to make it until I had a better needle I knew it'd probably be Easter before the pillows were finished!  So I had to improvise.


I turned the end of my ribbon into a self threader.  I wanted to create it to look like the end of a shoelace, if that helps you visualize. I covered it with tape and then cut it at a diagonal.  Using some more tape I wrapped it around the end to help the tip be more firm. 


Next I hooped my fabric and hand drew the heart I was going to stitch.  



Take your needle and poke holes in the fabric. The bigger the hole you can make the better. I found it easier to thread the ribbon through the fabric. 

Leave enough on the ends so you can tie a bow. 


Should look something like this. Take it off the hoop and sew up that pillow!  I used stuffing this time instead of an insert. This was a great idea because I enlisted my girls to help me stuff them. Instant kid craft!  Another Win-Win!


Pin-tastic turned too cute to just make one!  LOVE!  


Monday, January 13, 2014

2014 “Craft-olutions”


Can I just make up a word?  Like it? 


We all come up with the same ol’ same resolutions every New Year. 
“Lose weight, exercise, don’t eat this, don’t eat that, etc. etc.”  What an un-inspiring way to start the New Year!  We know how to create a healthy life.  It should not be a resolution but a lifestyle, right?  SO…..How about this year we get inspired to create instead!  But first we need to make a list so we don’t lose focus!  (Wink!)


I always have random, wandering thoughts of craft projects I’d like to accomplish.  I think of them one day, forget them the next, only to remember them days/weeks later.  Not this time, I’ve been brainstorming this last week, writing down all my ideas and projects hiding in my closet.


This year I will finish my craft-olutions so I can look back and smile at all the beauty I created in 2014.  This is not to say these are the only things I will do….  I’m not THAT predictable!  Haha! 


Here they are, the list that will keep me “organized” and hopefully keep you inspired.
  • Craft Room Organization – the toys and the little people are joining me this year and it’s a crash of the toy blocks and fabric right now.  I can’t handle it much longer….patiently waiting for my Ikea order… tap, tap, tap…….
  • Wood Burning projects – I have a Woodburning tool that needs the dust knocked off of it and a wedding gift I need to finish!  Eek!
  • Chalk paint – used it?  I LOVE this stuff!  There is furniture calling your name.
  • Mug Rugs – These things are as cute as they sound!
  • Quilting – I have a ton of scraps, I think another quilt is in order.
  • Mixer Cover Pattern – Mixer Covers are my one claim to fame!  Ha!  Might as well put it on paper instead of keeping it just in my head.
  • Dresses for my girls
  • Tackle a new fabric other then cotton….. Knit, maybe?!?!
  • Pearl Snaps – Love these vintage shirts.  I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on some great ones…now I just need to figure out something fun to do with them.
  • Recover my Couch – Say WHAT?!?!?  This is really just a thought not sure I’m brave enough to tackle it right now. 
  • Vegetable Garden – I probably get more giddy and inspired walking into a plant nursery on a spring day then anything else.  Walking into a fabric store is a VERY close second though.  Winking smile
  • Pancakes – Not fabric or plants but over the last year I cannot get enough of these things.  I am open to any and all recipes!  My goal is to try a new recipe every week.  (Might not be every week because I already have some real favorites.)
Doable, right?!  I think so.  And if you know me, you know that there will be more fun things I come up with.  You’ll have to stay tuned to see the finished products and what else I come up with!


Lets make 2014 BEAUTIFUL!

Monday, January 6, 2014

2013 ends and 2014 begins…. get your scissors ready!


Let me start by saying this…… NEVER did the ball drop at 12 AM Eastern time (that’s as long as I made it okay!) and think, “I’m gonna start a blog this year.”  Been there done that, but then my cousin, Emilee, over at the bird and the bicycle, challenged me on my Facebook page and I was game!?!?   Really?  I’m easily persuaded, okay!
Just know that I don’t do technology, though.  Tried a blog a few years ago and failed miserably!  (Confession:  I just turned in my Samsung Galaxy and returned to the iPhone because of failed attempts to understand the technology.  Or maybe it was the fact that that phone had WAY too many options for this girl to grasp.)  Also, didn’t know that there were blog writers and apps out there to make the blog life simpler.  So truthfully my cousin set everything up for me and gave some very helpful pointers to getting started.  How could I turn that offer down, right?!  Thanks Emilee!
So here we are with helping hands and surrounded by fabric.  Let me show you 2013 in a few pictures before I start plowing into 2014.
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These were just some of the highlights…..Wow, kind of makes me look like I’ve been busy this last year!  2013, thanks for a great year.  Sewing machine's start your engine, 2014 is going to give us a run for our fabric!
There are so many sewing/craft projects I can’t wait to tackle….. just need to figure out where to start first. 
(In my next post I’ll lay out my tentative 2014 road map through fabric, scissors, paint and flowers.  Eek!  So excited!)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Adventures in blogging!

Happy 2014!

Hope to record all my sewing adventures here!  Most recently, I took on a new project for my girls.  I'm pretty thrilled with the result!