Easy Baby Bibs

As far as sewing is concerned, this was NOT a very productive week.  Hopefully next week will be.  I ordered fabric and when it arrived, it was the wrong fabric.  Just another reason why I like to walk into a fabric store and buy my fabric! 

These bibs were store-bought and I just embellished them with embroidery appliqués.  So fun and a satisfying way to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary.  Oh, I LOVE my embroidery machine(I have 2) and sometimes they are simultaneously embroidering.  Music to my ears!

Cupcake embroidery from sew forum


Quick Flower Appliqué from Lynnie Pinnie


Baby Duck Appliqué from Lynnie Pinnie

http://lynniepinnie.com

Thanks for looking!

Save The Earth Bag

A New Year calls for some new grocery bags!  I was out fabric shopping the other day and purchased several of these fabric panels.  Fun and bright bags to tote my groceries.  Fashionable AND “green.”  It’s a good day!

This bag took me about an hour to sew together and the sense that I am doing a good thing for our planet-priceless!   Remember way back to your childhood and you had a special coloring book that had tracing paper in between each page?  That is how I feel about these fabric panels.  I feel as if I am cheating.   I can just cut the bag and handles.  All the brains for this project was actually done for me.  Scissors and just cut ALONG the lines!  I think I will be going to the fabric store to see if they have more of these panels left…  If not, I will improvise!   I LOVE panels... I do!!  

 I actually lined the inside of this grocery bag with some beige denim I had in my stash to make it even sturdier!  I prewashed the fabrics as well-I wash my grocery bags and I do not want it to shrink the next time I do!

Now, to remember them EACH and every time I shop…. I do because I hate coming home with 30 plastic bags rolling around in the back of my car…

As my blog continues, you will probably see several different grocery bags!  I have different patterns(some I have to measure ;)) so keep coming back….


Now I have a bag to put all my fabrics in when I go fabric shopping! ;)  Hmmmmmmmmmmm,

Did someone say “Pound Cake?”

It’s one of those words that make me salivate for a piece along with a nice, hot cup of tea!  If you have been watching the news, Arizona, is having weather.  Winter weather that is….. LOTS of snow in Northern Arizona and LOTS of rain in the desert!  Perfect for baking a delicious pound cake to warm up the kitchen and warm up my family! 

I LOVE this pound cake recipe.  I have tried several and this by far, is my fav.  I love that it calls for a Bundt pan instead of the traditional loaf pan(although that is nice, too)  It looks SO fancy, yet it is SO easy to make!   I cannot take full credit for it, but I did decide to bake it, mixed the ingredients, turned on the oven, and baked this delicious mixture of butter, flour, eggs, etc.    I sprinkled powdered sugar on it, instead of using the frosting suggested.   So, I think I should get SOME credit for it ;) 

Okay, I will share my source for the recipe.  It is a recipe from Paula Deen, need I say more?!?!  Well, for sure you will need BUTTER for this recipe….

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/almond-sour-cream-pound-cake-recipe/index.html



P.S.-They don’t call this “Pound Cake” because they ran out of names for a cake….

Happy Baking,

Dad’s Artist Apron & Fitted Tablecloth!

Hi!  My Dad, in his retirement years, has a love of painting!  He has taken some classes at the community college and has amazed us with his paintings!  He purchased a folding table to place his easel on while he paints and asked if I could make a fitted tablecloth!   I did and this is what I came up with!
I thought, Hmmmm, where else would this be useful…. A coffee table that little ones can’t scratch and even a outside patio table-so when the wind blows it stays put!!
Here are some basic instructions:
1.  Place your table upside down on TOP of your fabric.  If the width of table is larger than your fabric, you could seam it first.  I then took a marking pencil(in blue) and followed the shape of the table  3” larger than the actual table.


To make rounded corners I just traced a cup at the top edge, so that all 4 sides would be uniform!
2.  Cut the fabric with the 3” allowance following rounded corners, if any!  I made my own bias binding.  You can use purchased binding, if you like!  I like making my own binding, as it can match or compliment my tablecloth.

3.  Cut the fabric, on the bias and seam together all the pieces(Make sure you have enough to cover the perimeter of your table)  I cut the bias tape 2” wide.

4.  Iron in half, and then iron each side in to meet the center crease line.  Your iron is definitely your friend!

5.  You can then pin your binding around the perimeter of your tablecloth.  Sew binding to tablecloth to form casing all the way around!  Leave about 1” opening when you meet your starting place.  Insert string of your choice, with a safety pin attached to your string.  When you reach your starting position, pull string completely through ensuring you have enough to tie with.   You can then sew this opening closed, ensuring not to sew your string!!!  Fray check here would come in handy!!   Place tablecloth on your table matching corners and then pull tightly your strings fitting to your table.  Tie and enjoy!!!


Dad’s Matching Apron!

Move over Picasso and da Vinci, here comes Vito!!!

Juicy and Green!

No, I am not talking about a vegetable!  I mean this project-creating a fun and fancy cover for a purchased plastic juice box.  You can go “green” and fill your child’s lunch box with healthy juice or drink of your choice!  No more purchased juice boxes filling up our landfills.  If you really want to be “green” you can use your fabric scraps or even your old jeans!  
This project took me 15 minutes, from start to finish!  If you choose to embroider, you will have to add embroidering time to your cover!!

Supplies Needed
Fabric Scrap 9.5 by 7.5 inches (prewashed)
Embroidery Design and Stabilizer(optional)
Regular Sewing Supplies
Rubbermaid Litterless Juice Box



  This is the Rubbermaid Juice box.  It can be purchased where rubbermaid food storage containers are sold.  The big box stores and some grocery stores even have them!



Cut a piece of fabric 9.5 by 7.5 inches.  I suggest using your rotary cutter and ruler, as this gives nice clean lines.  You can also just measure and cut your fabric without these accessories!



Fold your fabric in half and it should measure 3.75 by 9.5 inches.   Place the open side down and fold edge on top.  Finger press the folded edge or iron if you prefer a crisp line like I do!!   If you are using your embroidery machine to place a design, measure 1.5 inches on each short end(if you want designs on both front and back of juice box).  Otherwise, just measure as shown above on (1) one side using either disappearing ink or water soluble pencil!
**If you are not embroidering and just using fabric, you can skip this step of marking lines.**



Place the fabric in your hoop with your open edge as bottom of embroidery design.  Make sure your design fits within your lines and allow for a seam allowance of 1/4”  on the bottom edge.  I had to resize my design so it would fit, but there are MANY fun designs you can use. 



Make sure your fabric is again folded to 3.75 by 9.5 inches with right sides together  and sew a seam along the 9.5 inch bottom edge.  You can use your serger or a regular sewing machine.  Turn the fabric to right side, so it looks like the picture below!   Iron flat!  A necessary step, IMO!



I chose to put only 1 embroidery design on my cover, but if you chose 2 designs, your cover will look different!
Optional step:  I topstitched my cover at this point along the 9.5 inch edge, both top and bottom, using brown thread to compliment my fabric.  You can do the same, or you can omit this step!  I like to do this as IMO, it is sturdier and the fabric stays even.



Fold fabric right sides(embroidery design side) together,  9.5 inch side folded to 4.25 inches.  Seam together using your serger or sewing machine.  I sewed a 1/4” inch seam, but you may have to test this before you sew the seam.  Cutting exact measurements for your original scrap fabric really helps here!!   Either method of sewing works fine, and especially if  a sewing machine was used, place fray block along your sewn seam and let dry for a few minutes.  This will prevent the fabric from fraying!





Turn cover to right side and slip onto the rubbermaid container!  You can machine wash this cover!   Enjoy and everyone will be “green” with envy with this fun and functional juice box! 
Both appliqués I used can be found at: http://lynniepinnie.com/shop/embroidery-fonts/cat_51.html?page=1

The “L” appliqué is called Appliqué Spunky Font.
The “S” appliqué is called Appliqué Flower Font.

Just Juicy,

Family Room/Kitchen Remodel

I have had several requests to share some pictures of our remodel.  This took many weekends of painting, tiling the family room floor, and making the valances and curtains!   Whew!  I am grateful that this process is over and now I can look back and enjoy all our hard work.  I am always amazed at how just painting a room a different color has a metamorphic effect.    The room was red(yes ,red) and the other walls a mustard yellow.  I sometimes miss my red kitchen.  Nothing energizes a room more than red!!  Currently, the rooms are beige and a deep chocolate brown on accent walls.  Love it!!   Here are some before and after pictures!

DH and  I recovered the valances with new fabrics -with staple gun in hand and tenacity!  I sewed the panel curtains you see!  Sew fun!   I have some leftover fabrics to make some coordinating pillows.  On my to-do-list!  This is a great time of year to redo a room and it is so rewarding when you do it as a team!  What room would you like to makeover? ;)

Hello!

Hi!  I am Joanne and today starts my first blog!  I am so excited to document my creations!  It's my corner of the world, so to speak!  Here goes....


My first creation of 2010 is a Butterick sewing pattern #4910 and I purchased the fabric from Hobby Lobby.  Isn't it just too cute?  When I saw this fabric I knew it was meant to be a nightgown for my soon-to-be 4-year-old niece, Kate, who loves everything girly and princessy!  (Her birthday is in a few days)
I also made her a matching headband.  What princess does not have a matching accessory?

As far as a pattern is concerned, it was fairly an easy pattern, but I will construct it differently then the instructions recommend.  I am always looking for a better, maybe faster way of sewing patterns.  Sigh!  If I could only follow directions!  This really is a great pattern and I would highly recommend trying it.  Imagine doing the sleeves and the ruffle in a coordinating fabric... How fun would that be?
Enjoy and until next post,