scrappy cards

I'm a big fan of sending (and receiving) cards via snail mail. I think email is nice and evites are free, but isn't it great to get something in the mail that doesn't ask for a "payment due by" or "vote for ________". For Mother's Day I made the mom's in my life some scrappy cards. I just picked up a pack of blank cards from Michaels ($4.99 with coupon), and used scraps from my growing bin of scraps.

It's one of those projects that I don't think you can really mess up. It's fun mixing and matching the fabric and seeing these mini quilts, if you will, come together into a fun gift set.

quirky cuff links tutorial

If you are a sewer/crafter I'm certain that when you look at things other people made you think to yourself "I could totally make that".

That's me.

Plus, I was "accused" by my husband a while back that I'm motivated by money. At first I was slightly insulted, but it's true and as long as money doesn't rule my life, I think it's ok. As a stay at home mom, instead of being motivated to MAKE money I seem to be motivated to SAVE money. I craft for the creative outlet, but another reason (among many) I craft is because I like to give gifts and it helps when I can give a nice handmade gift without spending lots of money. Plus, my time is priceless right ;)

Which leads me to a birthday gift for my sister's husband. I saw these Lego cuff links at a local handmade consignment shop, $25 for 1 pair, and thought of him. I also knew I could make them. Check out how easier they are:

Buy blank cuff links off Etsy here. You don't even have to buy a zillion of them. 4 pairs cost me $2.50.
Find Legos. I like these square ones, but I think the ones that are 3 nodes by 2 nodes would work too. Luckily I have a friend that has a big bin of legos that don't complete a set. She let me rummage through it to find what I wanted. $0. Maybe you could find some at a thrift shop perhaps?Super glue the lego onto the cuff link. Make sure they are going the same direction.
See, easy.

Total cost (with shipping) $4.95.

Now I guess I ought to let my sister know that she should give her husband a shirt for his Birthday that needs cuff links.

birthday gift

My Mother's birthday was this past month. She makes those fancy crochet wash cloths (her's are simple and square, but I thought these apple ones were cute).

I've been meaning to try this.

I even bought crochet hooks and yarn.

I'm not sure where they are at the moment.

Oh well.

I (loosely) used a tutorial I found on Sew mama Sew. There are enough pockets for a small notebook and pen (or pattern I guess), a small pair of scissors, and 5 hooks.

It fit nicely in a 8 x 11 manila envelope with a small ball of yarn.

Happy Birthday mom!

quick gift idea

I know you don't know this... but I'm pregnant. And being pregnant has created an aversion to crafting/sewing. Tragic, I know, but I'm hoping to get over it soon. I'm nearing 12 weeks and need to make Christmas PJs, and a couple other things and I need the energy to do it! I've done all I can to avoid making things for anyone this year. I realize how un-crafty, not handmade revolution blah blah blah that is.... but whatever... I feel like barfing all day and just want to go to sleep.

On a less barfy note...

At church I am essentially the party planner for the women. We had a nice dinner the other night and then did a simple craft that I know you've all seen before. Mostly I wanted to just give you the link to where you can buy the supplies and see the tutorial I originally got the idea from. I realize my picture isn't really a great representation of how cute these actually are, but... it's just the one I made. The women at the party made darling ones though! The necklaces only cost $2 each to make (that was tile, bail, and chain) and were easy peasy. If you can glue one thing to another, you can do this. I'm all about the thoughtfulness of giving gifts, but I also don't have a lot of money to spend on them. The great thing is that the necklaces span all age ranges... so I'd like to think my 5 year old will love this necklace with the pic of her and her cousin, but a teacher would love it too with cute scrapbook paper behind it or something.

Here's the tutorial for the necklaces.

Here's the etsy shop I bought all of the supplies from.

scrappy abc's

I came across this tutorial the other day for quilted letters. I thought I'd make letters for my son for a Christmas gift. I think they turned out cute and it gave me a chance to use my new darning foot, which I paid $1 at Joanns fabrics. I'm certain it isn't generic enough for MY machine since I have to rig it up with an elastic band... (I think if you enlarge the picture you can see some of the crazy quilting - like on the "U".) It's fun to use, but would take a lot of practice/patience if I wanted to use on something that was for someone who might notice all of the mistakes.

This project kind of takes a while, but is something easy to do whenever you have a spare minute.

and

It doesn't make noise + No batteries required +Can be thrown in the washer + Great use of scrap fabric = great gift!

an apple a day...

I'm always amazed that you can actually make the treats that you see in the cute little sweet shops. Who doesn't love their apples smothered in caramel and chocolate??

While at Target I walked past a bag of Caramels. I figured I give the caramel apple a shot. I've made them with Tracy before. Ok. I watched while she made them the not-cheating way (involving a candy thermometer) and then I ate it. I was there more as moral support.

Anyway, I bought the bag of caramels thinking it would be a fun family activity. Well, it turns out - it's even fun when you're just making one. All you need is (for 1):

9 caramel squares
1/2 tbs water

melt in a small saucepan on low. Stir continuously.

Stick your Popsicle stick into the apple. Dip the apple in the caramel. You may have to roll it since you're not melting enough to technically "dip".

**don't refrigerate. It makes the caramel HARD.

Then. I melted chocolate chips in the microwave. Unless you know how to do this, Google it. It's not hard, but there is a way to make it smooth and dip-able.

Add nuts. Or candy. Or more chocolate. Or crushed pretzels. The possibilities are endless.

Wouldn't this be a fun gift for teachers? Neighbors? Co-workers? Cellophane, cute ribbon and tags? The holidays, they are a-comin'.
Now, if only I could talk him into EATING the apple and not just lick off the toppings...

canning: don't be scared

A lady at church gave me a ton of apples that she got from her sister who works for an orchard. Apparently these apples are considered "seconds" because they are not perfectly shaped and may have a bruise or two.Sweet.

100 apples.

But besides applesauce what can you do with apples??

How about APPLE PIE FILLING!!

Again, Sweet.

We are fans of apple pie, but I rarely make it because that whole apple part is a pain in the rear.

Now, I have 12 jars full of apple pie filling. Mmmmm.... The jar is just the right size to fill one pie, so now I just have to make the crust.

But, when you have 100 apples to peel, you MUST have one of these:It's an apple/corer/peeler. It's the coolest. I peeled 100 apples and was amazed every time. I even took it into my daughters Kindergarten class to show the kids since they are learning about apples right now. Amazement all around. (but mostly by me I think because I realize what a pain it is to do it the other way...)My BIL's (not) girlfriend took this picture. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm the biggest dork ever.

You should can apple pie filling. Really, it's easy. And what a fun teacher/neighbor/whoever gift. Fun fabric on top, a label with directions on how to make pie crust and there ya go. Gift.

Here's the recipe I used: (fills 7 Qt jars) -I think 5 apples per jar was what it ended up being.

*(approx) 20 cups of apples peeled, cored and sliced (about 5 apples makes 3 cups).
slice and leave in a bowl of lemon juice

combine in a large pan:
*4 cups sugar
*1 cup cornstarch
*3 tsp cinnamon
*1 tsp nutmeg
*1 tsp salt
*10 cups water

cook on medium until thick and darkish brown. Stir, but not constantly. When it's thick, add 3 tbs lemon juice.

Fill canning jars 1/3 full of sauce. Put drained apples into jars smooshing down into the sauce until the jar is full. Use the handle of a large spoon to clear out the bubbles and spaces. Cover with hot lids and process in boiling water for 20 minutes.

Here's some info on canning if you've never done it before.

wedding gift

Don't you think cloth napkins make every meal seem a little fancier?
And if you're wondering... 1 1/2 yrds makes 9 napkins cut 14" x 14". Roll the hem. Viola - fancy.

baby gifts

I originally bought this fabric in hopes to redo my kids (shared) bedroom. Anna's side would be super girlie and feminine in turquoise and red and Carson's side would be simple and straight-lined in grey/turquoise and red rocket fabric. Well, my husband's car had other ideas in mind for our money. So, game off. But I still have this lovely fabric. I'm sure you'll see an outfit for Anna in the future, but I HAD to use it now. It was burning a hole in my sewing cabinet so-to-speak. My good friend from High School is embarking on the grand adventure of motherhood and is having a baby girl. I've been trying to decide what to make her, but it seems that bibs are my old stand-by. I love to make them. They are so easy and fun. If you need a pattern, I posted one here.

I've made the bibs a lot. I like to back them in terry cloth - if you use terry cloth beware that it stretches so sew it on with the terry cloth against the presser foot and the pretty fabric against the feed dogs (does that make sense??) Anyway, I've tried sewing on velcro, buttons, and snaps. My final verdict on the closure is BUTTONS. It can't be pulled off, it doesn't stick to other clothes in the dryer, and I've heard that the snaps fell off of some bibs I gave a friend a while ago. Plus, buttons are always a fun detail and it's good practice making button holes.

headband tute

After church on Sundays everyone comes home and takes a nap. Ahhh... it's quiet. This is my time to sew. Actually, today I sewed this headband before church and am spending the quiet time uploading pics and showing YOU how to do it. Aren't I so charitable ; ).

This is an EASY thing to make and would be a great intro-to-sewing project if you're looking to teach your child while on summer break. It also only took me 15 minutes to make and is a cheap and easy gift. Ok. Did I convince you to try it yet??

This tutorial is for a child-size headband. To make an adult one just add an inch or so to the length of each rectangle.

1. Cut 2 rectangles. The first one 5" x 16 1/2". The second one 3 1/2" x 8".-You'll need some elastic. 1/2" to 1" wide depending on what you just have on hand. The length will be up to you, but 3 1/2" is what I used for my DD's hair.
2. Roll hem the long edges of the large rectangle. Technically speaking you should roll the hem 1/8" and iron then roll it again that much and iron again. But seriously... who does that? And what difference does it make?

3. Gather the short ends of the large rectangle down to 1 1/2" wide. I just sew 1 row of a longer stitch and pull the threads.

**don't forget to readjust the length back to normal after this.
4. Sew one end of the elastic on the wrong side of the gathered end of the rectangle. Fold the edges of the rectangle over the elastic (like you would a diaper) and stitch in place.5. Roll hem the SHORT edges of the smaller rectangle.

6. Fold the short rectangle length-wise right sides together. Stitch and then turn right-side out. Now you have a tube that will cover up the elastic on the back side.

7. Insert elastic through tube and pull tube up over the end where the elastic is sewn into place on the large rectangle. Top stitch in place. (I like the seam to run down the center of the "wrong" side)

8. Determine the length you need the elastic to be by fitting it onto the child's head. Cut elastic to fit and then sew it onto the other end of the rectangle (gathered side) Also do the diaper-stitch (see above) to the edges of the fabric.

9. Pull the rest of the tube over the other end of the elastic, and enough over it to hide any of the stitching and stitch in place.
It is WIDE, but I like to scrunch it onto my daughters head so it looks gathered.

strawberry fields forever

For whatever reason I can't think of strawberries without thinking of that song. Have you been to a farmers market yet and tasted the delisousness of strawberries in season? Oh! And did you know, strawberry jam is SO easy to make. As with most of my hobbies, I was inspired by Tracy to try making jam, but did not have a steamer pot thing to help seal the lids. My mom said (and it DID work) that after you put the jam in the jars, screw on the lids, you can turn them upside down and they will seal themselves. Test the lids by pushing down on them and if they don't pop back up - they're sealed. If they do pop back up, put them in the freezer. You now have freezer jam. The recipe for jam will be on the pectin box that you buy. Beware: Strawberry jam has MORE sugar in it than it does strawberries. But. I'm ok with that.

I made jam for the moms for Mother's Day. I got the cute tutorial for the cover from here. It's all hand sewing, and takes a bit of time to do. I LOVE how cute they look, but am torn on whether the time is worth it for something that just gets thrown out. Know what I mean?

Strawberry jam is a nice idea for teachers gifts though (is it too late for that?), and you could just put cute fabric under the lid. And inexpensive. I figured about $1.50/8 oz. jar.

mothers day

Ok, so I'm not quite as charitable as Tracy. I made my own Mothers Day present. Finally, the purse. For me, this is a "mom bag". I like it. I think it's cute. It's messanger style so my hands are free to hold littler hands that want to run out into the street without my shoulder bag slipping off my arm. I have nicer, smaller bags for date night.

The Margaret Sling Bag

I like the length of the bag and it was easy to sew. I made the following changes:
-Used magnetic snaps on the inside.
-Used Pellon 40 and basted it instead of all of the interfacing she suggested.
-Added 1 large pocket to the other side of the lining.
-Added the flower applique

I wish I would have made the two small pockets deeper - my iPhone won't fit all of the way inside. The strap might have to be longer if you have a longer torso too.
I like the size a lot. I went and picked up my mail the other day and was able to fit it all inside.

tutorial: nursing cover

As a crafty (and cheap) person, when I see something I love I wonder if I could make it myself. My sister-in-law is having a baby in the next couple of weeks and I thought I'd give her a nursing cover. Have you seen them online? She's a very stealth nurser actually (unlike me who practically has to get undressed in order to nurse), and probably doesn't need one of these, but they are easy to put in the diaper bag and are convenient while in public (and MUCH easier then trying to hold a blanket down with your chin while hoping said wiggly baby makes it to the right place and no one gets flashed). Here is a tutorial for my version of a nursing cover. It's VERY easy - like a big apron.

Materials:

*36" x 30" piece of fabric (I didn't have a big enough piece, so I put another fabric with it so that the total size was right.
*2 D-rings
*Strap for D-rings is 4" by 6"
*Strap for length is 4" by however long you want.
*10" x 10" square of fabric for a pocket on the inside corner (handy for nursing pads/ binkies, etc).
*thread
*approx. 17" piece of plastic boning, maybe 1/2" wide. You can find it by the yard at Joanns. It's hard plastic that goes into corsets or lingerie. We want it curved so that mom can see baby.

Step 1a: Cut your fabric. If you have to use two pieces like me, sew them right sides together, and then sew the seam up towards the top piece on the wrong side.

Step 1b: Serge all sides of your large piece. If you don't have a serger you'll be rolling the hem later in a couple of steps.

Step 2: take the 10" x 10" square and fold it in half (wrong sides together) to make a triangle. Sew a line across the length of the folded edge.

Step 3: Pin triangle in the bottom corner of the wrong side of the fabric. Leave enough space for your rolled/serged hem to go over the edge of the triangle.

Step 4: Roll hem (or fold over if serged) on the bottom and sides.

Step 5: Make straps. Sew each one wrong side together lengthwise. Flip right-side out. On the longest strap tuck the ends into itself and sew across. On the short one thread the D-rings on and then sew across the strap close to the rings to keep them in place. Serge or Pink raw edge of strap.Step 6: Put the straps on the fabric. With large piece wrong side up measure in 12 inches on each side. Make sure you've rolled your hem or folded it down if serged. This is where you'll place the outside edge of the straps. Pin them in place. On one side, sew from the edge of the large piece to over the edge of the first strap. Then, move over approx. 1 inch and sew to the other edge (going over the second strap) This makes a casing for the boning.

Step 7: To stabilize the straps and make it easier for the next step, sew a square at the bottom of each strap.

Step 8: Insert the boning. The boning has a curve in it so that it's easy for mom to view the baby. Make sure the curve makes the fabric stick out in the right direction (visualize mom wearing it and it sticking out AWAY from her). Slide it in until it hits the other strap. You may have to clip the boning to make it shorter. Sew the opening closed. I also sewed close to the top all the way across in hopes that the boning won't twist around when washed. Plus, it looks nice.

Viola: baby gift.

Happy Birthday T

My goal has been to try and sew a Christmas gift a day to try and get everything done by the time we travel for Christmas. This past weekend I finished all of the stuff for my in-laws. 3 gifts down 4 to go PLUS the stuff I'm making for my daughter (doll clothes for her new doll from Santa, and I'm thinking of making this art case tutorial - I think it'll be great for church).

In the meantime I made these dish towels for Tracy for her birthday. They were easy and fun to make. I just bought some white towels from Restoration Hardware, patched one and did applique on the other.
Happy Birthday Tracy! I can't wait until next year for your 30th birthday party (yes - she's already planning it).

i'm sensing a theme in my fabric buying. . .

Here are some bibs that I made for a friend who is having a baby. It wasn't until I was finished with them that I realized all of the fabric I chose had a blue/turquoise background. I want to keep them. But I won't. Still a little too girlie for baby C.

I have a bib that I really like the shape of that I just used as a pattern (cut a little wider than bib. Sew right sides together leaving an opening, turn right side out and top stitch). On the back I used terrycloth and flannel, but I think I like the terrycloth best. It makes the bib feel a little more substantial. Coolest of all though is the nifty snap presser thing my MIL gave me 5+ years ago that I never took out of the package because I had NO idea what on earth I would use it for. Laying in bed one night I realized the coolness of the tool and remembered where I had put it in my closest (a small miracle indeed). So. The bibs close with a snap. It's wonderful!

ideas of gifts to make for christmas

I have to admit, I am not much of a procrastinator. I think my husband feels left out every year at Christmas because I have most of the shopping done by November. This year, I will save time for him, but I have to admit - I know what I'm making for pretty much everyone. I've even got it all cut out and in bags so that it's ready to sew whenever I'm ready to sew. . .

Here's a few ideas in case you're thinking about Christmas in October.

Beanbags: I'm thinking of making these for Carson. He likes throwing things so I might as well make him something that won't break.

Ponytail holders: great for little friends.

A list of 54 Free apron patterns.

If you're not going to make your grandma fabric grocery bags, maybe you could help her tame all of her plastic bags with a nifty grocery bag dispenser.

A belt for your stylish sister or friend.

Dish towels - always a great idea. Plus, cute and easy.

more to come. . .