Sewing Project #2 Purse

Remember what I started the blog for? Yeah...my New Year's Goals. The main one being to learn to sew.

It has been so long since I sat down and did some sewing. My machine has been broken and life has been happening.

Well, I finally got down to some sewing.

In the bargain basket at Joann's I found some black silk that I loved and I wanted to make it into a purse. It was so smooth and I knew that I didn't want the inside to be that smooth.

I also found some pink polka dots that looked perfect for the job!

I am super proud of the way that it turned out. I'm a huge fan of the polka dots on the inside! There are a few things that I think I would do differently if I made another purse but I am going to use it all of the time! It was also good to get my mind off of things for awhile.

Sewing Project #1 Baby Booties

I was looking at really simple stuff to sew and I found a pattern for little baby booties.

I had some fabric that I thought would be pretty cute for them and so today I decided to try my hand at making some.

I am really horrible at giving tutorials (I'll add that to my list of things to do this year). I really just have pictures of the finished project.For a first shot, I'm pretty proud of them. There are a couple things that I would want to change if I want to make a pair to sell. Maybe put some interfacing in to make it less likely to fray. Get some eyelets to punch in for the ribbon to go through.

Personally, I would love to dress a little baby girl in some skull and cross bone booties.

*Side Note* I finally got brave and made an appointment with a doctor to talk about my "womanly worries". Cross your fingers for me.

Bookshelf Inspired

After all of the research that I am doing online for ideas of stuff to spruce up my house (Build in the 1940's) I have stumbled upon an idea that I would never think of.

Don't like it?

Need to update?

On the cheap?

Just PAINT IT!

When I was trying to decide what I wanted to clean out and spruce up the guest bedroom, my eyes feel upon an old bookshelf.

Rewind:

Three years ago when I was in college I needed a bookshelf. I went to the DI (Deseret Industries) and got a skinny wood bookshelf with a heart cut out of the top. It was the perfect size for what I needed even though it didn't go with anything I owned. It worked. That was all the mattered.

Fast Forward:

Times had changed and I still didn't like the heart. I had gotten my money's worth out of it and so couldn't I just throw it out? Then I got a idea.

That is right.

Paint it.

I would paint it red, since that is one of my favorite colors. But there was still the matter of the heart. I don't know what it is about the heart. I thought that it made the whole thing look cheap. Then I got another idea... I hope you like.

My husband thinks that it looks like a watermelon in the, now, light green room. I think he is just jealous of my skill.

I think that it looks so adorable with my children's book collection on it.Now you go have some fun being creative!

Decorating Free Magnets

You know those free magnets that seem to pile up on your fridge. You keep them because they are useful, even though they don't really reflect you.

I was kind of sick of them on my fridge too.

I found a tutorial online about covering them with fabric.

Except I didn't have a scrap pile of fabric to use and so I decided to use some of my scrap booking paper (because for the last two years I have been trying to perfect my scrap booking).

I just kind of went nuts with it. I mean, what a great idea? I never thought to do something about changing them. I guess that that is what the internet is for.

I had so much fun with these. You should go out and do something with yours.

Go! Get up and Be Creative!

A No Sew Project

Don't worry! I haven't given up on my goal of learning to sew. I have been working on it. Just simple things though. I made some pillow covers and curtains for our living room. I will probably post some pictures eventually. It is still January and so I am just getting warmed up.

Thing I owe you:

• A home made purse that I have yet to finish


• A dress that is half way done


• Pictures of my living room curtains and pillow covers

Don't let me forget!

The purpose of this post though is to show you a fabric included, but no sew project that I worked on the other day. Long story short my dog ate my shoes(boring but typical) that I have had for 2 years. I wanted new shoes to replace them...but instead of spending money on new ones I decided to mod-podge some fabric on them.

It was a fairly easy project and I am so glad that I got my shoes back! I don't have to be embarrassed about the chewed up bow.

My hint to anyone who is planning on doing this: If you have a dark shoe for the base, use a dark fabric. I can see the black of my shoe coming through in parts and so if they wear down or next time I do this to another pair of shoes I am going to go for something bolder.

This isn't the finished bow...I just loved how it looked over sized. I'm going to glue down a smaller bow to the front.Good luck with your project!

My Silly Samplers!

Since writing that last post I have been DIEING to make my own sampler with a less than normal "tender" message.

My mother is amazing and obsessed with crafts and so this Christmas she gave me free roam of the craft closet and permission to take anything that I could fit in my suitcase. One of the things I ended up with were three tea towels with a stripe of cross stitching fabric. I figured that those would be really fun things to try my hand at with these samplers. Now I am sad that I only took three! I might end up asking her to send me more. Tell me what you think.

This was the first one that I made. I am in love with strawberries at the moment and so I knew that those would look so cute on this towel. I also have a hate for people who don't wash there hands when they go to the bathroom.

I also tried to make the back really neat since you never know when someone might turn it around and heaven forbid someone see a rat's nest of threads. I am personally amazed with myself. As long as this is washed gently than it shouldn't fall apart.

Who cross stitches skulls and crossbones? ME! I love it! People right now are so obsessed with swine flu and so I thought it would be funny to demand that you wash your hands.

I think that the next one I will work on will have little pig faces but I can't figure out what I am going to write on it. I am also thinking that I might try selling these on etsy. I don't have my own account. I will have to think about it.

Sincerely,

A Case for Silly Samplers

Recently, while in a book store trying to spend some Christmas money from family, I found a book entitles, Subversive Cross Stitching. While I didn't find all of the patterns in it appropriate, I did find some of them funny. If you don't offend easily I suggest that you take a look.

This is a concept that I LOVE. Once when I was forced to do a cross stitch for church, I made a pattern that said, "The Gospel is True, and People are Jerks." It was something that my mother had always told me and I thought it would be nice to share. :) Or maybe a scripture like this.

Proverbs 17: 28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent...

That would make a cute sampler to hang in my house, wouldn't it!

All you ever see in houses are the sweet ones. Slightly cheesy but positive messages that you want to look at every day. I understand.

But wouldn't you smile when you saw this too?This is a quote from Star Wars if you didn't get the reference. (How could you miss it with the light sabers at the top?)

I feel a slight shift in my desire to sew...heading toward cross stitching some stuff for the fun of it. Well...I do have a year to work on my goal of sewing. Stay strong!

Finished Project #1

I know that I already wrote today about finishing projects but I finished one and I just wanted to share my excitement with you all.

My goal of sewing is related...kindof? I think that cross stitching could be considered a branch of sewing...right? Please?

I will move on to something sewing related next time I swear. But you will forgive me for bragging? Thank you.

Alright. I give you, the angel. I thought that I would start with something small...since I'm not that committed of a person. I also feel like apologising for the state her bow is in. She got into a fight with another angel. If you think that looks bad, you should see the other angel! :0Now that she is up for all to see...I've become very critical of my work. Her hair is messy. The bow is crazy, but none the less I know that when I am 35 and decorating the tree with my family I will put her on and say, "I made that 14 years ago." and my children will "ohh" and "ahh" at my genius.

Not a very inspiring post but...I don't make it hard for you to be inspired and know you can surpass the "master" if you tried.

Go out and make something today!

Sincerely,