Schools Open Please Drive Safely

Picture from Moda Bake Shop
College students will soon be on their way back to school. Here are a few projects to make to dress up their dorm room and keep them organized.

Bedside Caddy

Door Organizer

Tin Can Cover

Quilted Binder Cover (pictured above)

Floor Cushion

No New Posts Make A Boring Blog

Wow, it's been a while! How are you my friend? I have been sewing a bunch lately but my son is away at his father's and has the camera. Not only does no new posts make a boring blog but posts with no photos are just as bad! He'll be home next week! Alot of what I've been sewing are gifts that need to be sent off in the mail so until my gift recipients send photos I won't be able to show you what I've been up to. Be patient, I'll be back soon.

Busy, busy, busy.........

The last month and a half has been so busy I've not had time to blog or sew. My family has celebrated 7 birthdays (mine included), my anniversary, Mother's Day and Father's Day. Let's throw in at least 5 ball games a week and I'm officially pooped out and my wallet is empty! Things are starting to settle down around here so I'll be posting more. Until then, have a great day!
Renee

And The Winner Is............

Thank you all so very much for the tremendous response to my fabric giveaway! I was completely dumb-founded that I had so many visitors and I hope you will all visit frequently! I went to Mr. Random to help me choose a winner and the lucky number was comment 298. Congratulations Tia, I have sent you an email!

knitaddict said...
I'm thinking Layered ruffle skitrs for my girls!! One in pink the other in blue!I've also got some coral leather waiting to be a handbag but couldn't find the right lining fabric, you may have solved my problem!!Here's hoping!!!Tia xxx

Fabric Giveaway!

In honor of Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day I have 4 yards of fabric to giveaway! The fabric is from the Urban Farm collection by Ken Beyer of In The Beginning Fabrics. You will received one yard each of (from top to bottom) Urban Farm Floral Collage in pink and black, Barn Collage in pink and black, Dot Grid in blue and black, and Barn Collage in blue and black.
To have a chance to win this 100% cotton fabric just leave me a message telling me how you might use it. Contest is open to international readers. Ends May 31st. I will randomly choose a winner on June 1st. Good luck!

*****COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR THE TREMENDOUS RESPONSE!***

In Rememberance Of......

Today I will honor those in my life who have passed away. I miss you Mom (pictured above), Grandma, Aunt Patti, and Pa-Paw.

Today I will honor those in our armed forces who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Today I will honor the families of our soldiers who also sacrifice so much for our country.

I WON!!!

I love, love, love reading blogs (especially crafty ones) and I love when there is a giveaway. I enter all the time along with 4,000,000 others. Well, today I got an email that I actually won something! I'm so stinking excited!! I entered in a giveaway over at The Fabric Shopper and won this! To make it even sweeter Saturday is my birthday so it's an early birthday present from a complete stranger! WOOOHOOO!

Stay tuned for my own giveaway towards the end of the month (May 27th to be exact).

Craft With Me ~ Pieced Fabric Belt

Here's a fast, fun project to make this weekend. A pieced fabric belt! To get started measure your waist and add about 10 inches to that measurement. Now divide that number by as many fabric pieces you want to use for one side of the belt (I used 4). Record your number somewhere so you can make this project again and again.

Supplies:

2 inch assorted fabric strips (I used 8. 4 for the front and 4 for the back)

Two 1.5 inch D-rings

Heavyweight fusible interfacing

Basic sewing and cutting tools

Cut each fabric piece by your divided number (mine are 2"x12") and cut a piece of interfacing 1.75 inches wide and slightly shorter than your entire waist measurement.

With right sides together and using a 1/4" seam allowance piece together your strips sewing the short edges together to get one long piece, forming the front of your belt. Press seams open. Repeat for the back piece.

Following the manufacturer's instructions fuse your interfacing to the WRONG side of the front belt piece.

Now place the front and back pieces WRONG sides together and sew around the entire belt using a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave a 2"-3" opening for turning. Try to make sure your opening isn't on a seam from pieceing.

Trim all four corners and turn belt right side out. Press. Slip stitch your opening closed.

Top stitch around three edges of the belt, leaving one short end unstitched.

Insert your D-rings on the unstitched side. Fold over about 2" of fabric. Sew as close to the D-rings as possible and as close to the edge of the fold as possible. I like to backstitch the entire width of the belt at this part for added strength.

That's it! Put your new belt on your favorite pants and strut your one of a kind creation!

Please let me know if you make this project. This is my first tutorial so please let me know if the instructions are clear or if you have any questions. Thanks for crafting with me!

Give-away Day is Coming!

If you haven't heard already, Sew Mama Sew is organizing a giveaway day! I guess they did this last year and had some wrinkles to iron out and it seems they have that all worked out. I will be participating in this (though I don't know with what yet) so be sure to come back on May 27th for your chance to win something! For details go here.

My Someday List

Photo from Christina

Here are a few things on my "I want to make this" list. Maybe something here will get your creative juices flowing too.


A purse made from men's ties (I want to do a skirt too)
Granny Squares (I've never knit or crochet anything)
Fabric Basket
Doggy Treats
Paper Bowls
A Recipe Holder that can be used for so much more.
Dryer Sheet Applique (pictured above)

It's been too long

It's been forever since I've posted. I have no excuse really. I've not been too crafty either. I finished a baby quilt and gave it to it's recipient late! I've started another quilt, this one for my daughter. I've also done some smaller projects that aren't worth writing about. I've really been wanting to make myself a purse but I keep hitting bumps along that road. I have vowed to have it done by the end of the week come hell or high water! I'm using the Taxi Tote pattern from Anna Maria Horner's book Seams to Me. I can't wait to get it done! What have you been doing?

Give-Away

My friend Rhonda is doing a give-away over on her blog. All you gals (and guys) out there that like to craft with fabric head on over and get yourself an entry.......tell her Renee sent you! Hhhmmm, maybe I should do a give-away sometime too!

Gathering

Today I had a great day with complete strangers! I belong to a Yahoo group for people in Indiana that quilt. One of the girls here in the northern part of the state organized a "sew day" (the southern girls do this often) for us. While we had a small turn-out it was a complete blast! It was great to put faces to names, to make new friends, and to share in something we all love to do. If you belong to any online groups, let me encourage you to organize your own gathering. We each brought a project to work on and a snack to share. We met at a quilt shop and sewed the day away. We gave eachother advise, encouragement, and oohs and ahhs. If you have done this before please share with me your experience with it. I know I had a blast and look forward to doing it again.

Crafty Organization

In my quest to get organized I’ve come across some great tutorials for making storage fun and pretty. Enjoy!

Pennie Pockets (pictured above)

Hanging Bed Organizer
Basket Liner
Charging Basket
Storage Cube
The Undercover Crate
Recipe Card Holder

Also, if you get yourself a copy of Anna Maria Horner’s book “Seams To Me” there are wonderful patterns in there for storage solutions. Happy organizing!

Many thanks to Monica at Happy Zombie for allowing me to use her photo of her Pennie Pockets, I can't wait to make me some!

Everything in its place and a place for everything.

I live in an old house with very few closets or storage spaces. Minimal storage space is a problem for many people but for a crafter it can be a hinderance. For the new year I've decided to get creative with storage issues. I hope you'll comment about your ideas for using the expected for unexpected things. My first idea is for over-the-door shoe holders. I will be taking one (at least) of these and I'll use for my smaller objects, like ribbon, ric-rac, glues, marking tools, scissors, etc. I will choose one with clear pockets so everything can easily be seen. This would also work great for the scrapbookers and stampers with all their little gadgets. Share some of your organizational tips too.

Photo from spacesavers.com. Check out their website for great organizational products and think outside the box for ways to use them.

Ice

Like most of the midwest we here in northern Indiana were hit with a snow/ice storm yesterday. We didn't get it as bad as some but it was bad enough. The one day the children look forward to going to school it was cancelled! But an extra day off for Christmas vacation wasn't too bad in their book. Where ever you are I hope you are warm and safe.

Christmas Crafty Goodness

(Photo from Joann.com)
I'm such a bad blogger! I've been busy crafting this and crafting that, shopping, being lazy, and eating until I thought I would pop! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I don't have pictures of any finished crafts so today I'll just point you in the direction of some Christmas crafty goodness. Enjoy!

Sleigh Centerpiece

Folded Fabric Wreath

Light Bulb Ornament

Felt Gingerbread House

Felt Fir Trees

Fabric Christmas Tree (pictured above)

Please share your favorite Christmas crafts too.

Passing it on

I think it's so important to pass our creative juices to our children. Their minds are naturally more creative than ours and it's amazing the things they can come up with. My children always watch, question, and join in when my craft supplies are out. Recently they all have been interested in the sewing machine (probably because I've been doing alot of sewing lately). So tonight my daughter decided she needed a new pillow. I was just gonna make her one but she asked if she could do it. She had a blast and she did very well. My youngest son watched and asked when he could try. My oldest son takes Family and Consumer Science (formerly known as Home Economics) and could probably teach me a thing or two! I'm so thrilled that they have taken an interest in sewing. Since I'm still a beginner it will be fun to learn and create together. I think Santa will be leaving some charm packs and jelly rolls under the tree this year!

What do you like to create with your children?

T-Shirt Pillow

While going through clothes for the change of season with my children my youngest son came across one of his favorite shirts. He was bummed when he tried it on and it was too small (I was bummed too because that meant many clothes wouldn't fit and there went my checking account). A few days prior to that I ran across a fun t-shirt pillow project on a crafting site I belong too called MyCraftivity. So tonight Mommy became the hero of the household when she took that favorite shirt and made it into a favorite pillow. You can get that simple project here. What recycling projects are you up to these days?

Infestation

Yesterday at work we decided we needed Halloween gifts for the infants (I work at a daycare center). Silly me had to open my mouth and say “I’ll just make them something.” When I don’t really have the time to make them something! Anyway, I decided on stuffed spiders. So I was up late last night cutting, sewing, and turning those orange legs. Tonight I’ll have to stuff them and close ‘em up. Why couldn’t I think of something that was square? I’ve never sewn a complete circle before last night! I’ll mark it down as good practice! So here they are. What did you make for Halloween? Happy Halloween!

Spiders before stuffing.

I managed to get one completely finished.