Great Idea!

Are you gearing up for Christmas? I am. I’m also remembering last year when I had so many ideas and no organization. This year will be different! I made up this page that I can copy any time I want. I think it has all the important info on it.

This is what I typed up in Microsoft Word Processor. You aren’t seeing the entire page – the blank space under the notes section is larger – but you get the general idea. I will cut the page in half and use a clipboard to keep everything together. If you have a better idea, please, let me know! I generally have so many projects going on everything gets to be a jumbled mess – a fun mess – but a mess! (More mess, more stress)

Needle Holder

Do you inherit things from people? I do. I seem to have built up a reputation for the go-to place when you don’t want throw something away. It’s OK – I love all the flotsam and jetsam that comes my way. And, every once in a while, a really good idea is born. This is a needle holder/case that came my way – this original one was made by Boy Scouts back in the 50’s.

This is my version -

Here is how it is done – cut a strip roughly 5 inches long by 2 inches wide. I cut mine out of chipboard. Then score up 1/2 inch from the bottom and at 2.75 inches from the bottom. Cover with whatever you like – fabric, paper. Decorate it however you like. Then staple a piece of felt in as shown – it folds like a match book. Easy peasy!

Towel Dilemma

I always have towels floating around my kitchen – but when I want to dry my hands they mysteriously disappear! I have a few that have the crocheted tops – you know what I mean – they button onto the stove handle. And I saw this idea on by Calamity Kim and thought it was a great idea! However, my towels aren’t long enough. So here is what I did – I cut off part of the towel, reversed it, sewed it back on, and added button holes and buttons. This way no part of the wrong side of the towel is showing. (Now if your towel looks the same on both sides you can just skip this step – ya you!) Get it? Just drape your towel over whatever you want to hook it onto – and cut, and resew. No measuring required. Now, I did measure for the buttons – and they are even – just didn’t tug everything into shape before taking the picture. ha ha. Happy crafting!

Sandwich wrapper

I’ve been seeing reusable snack bags and sandwich wrappers all over the web for some time now. This is a good example that inspired me. I really liked how she took the inside of a potato chip bag to line the snack bag. This was a project that would use things I have around the house – love that!! I customized it to work with what I need – I wanted a sandwich wrapper that could be opened flat to eliminate any corners for crumbs and jelly to hide. So – I cut open a chip bag, wiped it off, fused it to a piece of fabric, used a zig-zag stitch around the edges -

Added velcro – topstitched a couple seams down the sides. (This will keep it folded in when all folded up – so it will hold its shape around the sandwich -

See?

This is what it looks like all folded and velcro’d. Nothing fancy. We’ll get fancy when we know they will come back every day. I loved that this project uses items from around the house – cost was basically zero. Woot woot!

The letter “G”

We all know I like the letter G. I picture a wall display of G’s. Anyways, I simply bought a paper mache letter G and covered it with paper. Enough said . . . but, if you haven’t tried paper crafts before –this would be a great place to start. The letter G was about $2.00. The paper was 3 for $1.00 at the dollar store. The glue stick I had on hand. First, glue up the front of your letter – apply paper and rub out any air bubbles - let it dry and then trim away the excess. (I used a craft knife)

Picture of the back side of the letter – what it looked like before papering.

Then I cut 1” strips and did the same thing to the sides. It was pretty just like that. But I can’t leave anything alone – so I “aged the edges”, stamped the swirly design, and glittered the centers of the flowers. But, honestly – none of that needed to be done. Really all that was needed for a very pretty letter was the paper, letter, and a glue stick!

Mending tutorial

Mending isn’t one of the most exciting crafts out there – ha! But it is really satisfying when the pile is gone. Here are a couple mending projects I tackled yesterday. The first is a pair of jeans I got at a garage sale. I loved the thin, stretchy denim but they were too long and they had a long slit up the sides at the bottom. NOT my style! But for a buck I don’t mind doing a little altering. Well, I hacked them off at the right length and sewed the slit closed. Like this -

This is what it looks like on the outside after being stitched -

(I don’t mind the frayed look on the bottom – it wears itself out after a few washings – so I just top stitched around the bottom “hem”) This is what it looks like on the inside after being stitched. I put a piece of denim under the slit and top stitched on the front. This doesn’t change the shape of the pants.

Next, my hubbie will wear a pair of pants until they are literally falling off him. Usually it is that favorite pair of fishing/hunting pants. Well, we were on a launch (fishing) and I got a good look at him in those favorite pants and vowed to put them in the mending pile when we got home. They had some pretty big holes right above the cargo pockets. I don’t think the cargo pockets are designed to hold 10 pounds of fishing stuff! So this is how I go about a basic hole mending session -

Step 1 – locate the hole -

Turn the pants inside out and iron the fabric flat. You don’t want to change the shape of the pants with the patch – cause then they will no longer be a favorite! Then Put down a piece of fusible web and on top of that a piece of denim – usually cut from another pair of pants that have gone beyond the mending pile. Iron. (Sorry the picture is so washed out. Aren’t cameras tricky things? There was maybe too much light when I took this picture!)

Then turn right side out and zig zag around the hole. This picture shows the inside after it’s been zig zaged and trimmed.

This picture shows what the finished mended hole looks like. (Just a note – when you are sewing over the really bulky parts like where the pocket seam is it is a good idea to loosen the tension on your presser foot. Then turn back to normal after your over the bulky part. Otherwise you’ll find your sewing machine sewing stuck in one place.)

Easy. I like using the fusible web because then you don’t have to use pins. I used to use a million pins in there and it would change the shape of the fabric – the mended pants just never felt the same. Not to mention it was always a whole nother’ project to get the blood out after I stuck myself a thousand times on those pins! This method works very well!!

Hot Curling Iron Pouch Tutorial

I don’t curl my hair all that often so having the curling iron living on the bathroom counter is a real drag. However, when I do curl my hair I almost always forget to put away the curling iron because I just can’t put it away when it is hot. So this is what I came up with. I made this pouch that I made a tutorial for before – but lined it with the silver fabric you’d put over an ironing board. (Keep your eyes open at thrift stores and yard sales – I’ve gotten them there a few times now). Instead of making a shorter, envelop shaped pouch – I made a long narrow pouch. Works great! And I haven’t burned the house down just because I wanted to curl my hair!

Above is a picture of the fabric “sandwich”. It is the pretty outside fabric and the silver ironing board fabric – right sides together – then a layer of batting.

Faux Mokume Gane Polymer Clay Plant Markers

OK – let me start by saying that I am not an expert at Polymer Clay. I don’t have the cool tools so many crafters use, but you gotta start somewhere! I use my fingers and what came in the starter kit. I just really like to play with it, and playing is the best part about crafting. I’ll write these instructions as if I’m telling my mom how to do this – cause she’s never played with polymer clay before. . .
Anyways, this is what I’ve come up with -

And here is how I got there. First off I crinkle up aluminum foil until I get a shape I like. I use aluminum because I don’t want to use that much clay. While it is inexpensive I’m too cheap thrifty! Then cover it in whatever clay you have a lot of – I stock up on white (it’s versatile). Like this: (but all the way around the foil)

Then I make a sandwich of whatever colors strike my fancy – like this:

Then I cut it in half and stack it -

And cut and stack again and again until I don’t want to do it anymore. Make sure you are smooshing it good so you eliminate air bubbles.

Then I take a slice and roll it into a ball and flatten it and cover the white – like this:

Then smooth it out with your fingers. Press and rub your fingers over the project. Then I slice thin layers from the clay – flip the cut piece over and lay it down somewhere else. It give the clay kind of an “agate” look. (Look at the top picture again – otherwise you have the “marbled” look – which is also good!) I cut with a blade I removed from a small box cutter – again cause I’m too thrifty cheap to buy a special tool. It works ok.

Then I roll out “snakes” of black clay and very carefully form my letters by laying the black clay on top of the colored clay. Don’t try to make your letters on the table cause they will distort when you try to lift them. Then when you’re happy with how your letters look carefully press the black into the colored clay (If you don’t flatten it you can take it off and redo the letters) – The letters widen it a bit but we’re having fun remember?!

Then I put a wire bent into a U shape on the back and covered it with a layer of black clay to hold it.


Then bake it as per manufacturers instructions on a bit of foil (base for your next project). I bake it about 15 minutes at around 225.

Let it cool and then I wet sanded it with 600 grit sandpaper. This will get rid of your fingerprints. I don’t get too excited about it cause it is just for me – someday my kids might get a kick out of my fingerprints. If you want start sanding with a courser grit sand paper and you start sanding colors off and get really cool effects – play! Oh – then I sprayed it with a spray sealer. You could poly it, or use a wax floor sealer (Future works best) or sand it until it’s shiny – play! This isn’t very expensive. I think the kit I got at Walmart was about $9.00 and I bought an extra white along the line for around $5.00. I’ve made lots of projects since then with these same basic supplies – fun stuff!
Here is another:

And another (I got crazy with this one and made it round – then dismantled a silk flower and attatched it):

Now, wouldn’t it look cute with a clay tomato on the tomato marker and a clay basil leaf on the basil marker and so on? Well, that is beyond my talents - but if you make one let me know so I can show it – just play! This will probably be the last post for the week – but I have a fun project planned for next week – see you then!!

Hidden Storage Door Stop (doorstop?) tutorial

As we live in an old house we have old doors.  Doors that like to stick, or not shut. . . anyways, we needed some doorstops, we also need storage (always) because I keep so much junk useful stuff. What I ended up with is nothing like what I started out to make, but here it is. . . I started out with this container and smeared glue all over it -

Then covered it with felt and added some foam to the top and covered that as well. I have to get some prettier felt -

Then made these felt yo-yo’s that I’ve seen online and glued and sewed them to some skewers. Did the same with some felt leaves – and here we go!

The best part . . . hidden storage!!

The lid comes off so you can keep your treasures inside! Now, as I said this is not what was in my head but . . .  I have to go find my diamonds now so I can hide them in here – shhhhhhhhhh!

Tracing a pattern tutorial

Hello! I’ve recently branched out into sewing clothing! It’s scary. I started with this tutorial and while the pants fit I knew I was missing some experience to make them fit really well – so I decided to bite the bullet and buy a pattern. I was very surprised to find that patterns can be bought for $2.49 up to around $12.00 at my local big box store! Since I was/am such a novice I decided to start with one in the $2.49 range. These are the two that I picked -

I decided to start with the pants pattern since I’d tried that one with the tutorial. . . it was easy! Now, for the tutorial – the pattern is sized for small to xlarge and I thought it would be great if I could make these lounging pants for the whole family. . . then I opened the pattern and realized that I’d have to cut out just my size. . . duh!! Well, I’m too cheap/thrifty to buy a pattern and cut it out for every size so this is what I decided to do – I taped some freezer paper together to get the width of the pattern, then layed it on the floor, then smoothed the pattern over it and anchored the corners with my bribes pop cans. Then I traced out my size (medium) with a sharpie marker – the marker bled right through the tissue of the pattern onto the freezer paper – easy peasy!! The second photo shows the freezer paper before I cut it out -

Anyways, it sewed up very easily!!! Here is the finished result – my youngest took the picture – sorry for the blur – but we did have fun! You’ll notice that the legs are really wide – I like that but may have to take them in for the boys – also I made mine cropped – it’s summer!!

I’ll try the shirt next – that kinda intimidates me!! Happy crafting!

Little Pouches Sewing Tutorial

I’ve been making a ton of little pouches lately. I really like my big bags but don’t like having everything jumbled at the bottom. There is a great tutorial here for a boxy type pouch. But the ones I’ve mainly been making have been even simpler. I’ll try to show you:

First – cut out two rectangles of fabric that coordinate – one for the outside and one to be the lining. Any size you want (as long as they are the same size). Just remember the pouch will take about 2/3 of the rectangle and the flap another third. Here you see my rectangle – you can get crazy with strips or just use a simple cut of fabric – I was living on the edge and used strips. lol.

Then fold the fabric in half lengthways and cut off the corners of your flap (on the outside fabric only). Again, I didn’t measure just made the top third or so into a pleasing shape.

Then lay your two pieces of fabric right sides together and pin. Some people don’t like to pin – I do. My projects always turn out nicer that way! Then sew around the edge making sure to leave a small opening for turning.

Then turn clip your corners:

And turn it right side out. Press with an iron. I always press. Sew across the top – just up from the pins in the picture. (sorry no picture – don’t sew it closed – your just finishing this edge). Then fold the bottom third or so up and pin so the edges match up.

Then topstitch around the entire pouch starting at a bottom corner going up and around the top and down to the other corner.

Fold that flap down and add the closure of your choice. Since my machine makes dummy proof button holes I’m leaning towards buttons these days – however I have sewed on snaps and velcro.

And your pouch is done!!

Before you think I’m getting too puffed up just look at this one – it’s different – I added a zipper – doesn’t it look great? It’s for the first aid supplies I like to carry around.

I hand appliquéd the red cross on the front because. . . I put it together wrong! I had machine appliquéd a cross on the fabric before sewing the sides up and I was concentrating so hard on the zipper I forgot to double check the placement of the appliqué! Look at the back!

Oops! Also as a note to myself – don’t run one edge of the pressure foot along the zipper itself – you just don’t get a straight line. Learning, always learning. . .