No-Sew Pleated Christmas Ornaments

This is a great, quick project to get you in the holiday mood. They are easy to make and can be done in your favorite recliner or at the kitchen table because there is no sewing involved. I like using charm pack squares but if you have scraps cut into 5" squares you can use those too. You will only need a few supplies:


To make 1 ornament you will need:
1 - 4 inch styrofoam ball (available at craft stores)
4 - 5 inch squares from your favorite charm pack ( I used Moda's Jovial by Basicgrey)
20 - give or take - Dress Maker pins (the ones with small heads)
1 or 2 - Decorative ball pins (I used the metallic ones)
A thimble
Ribbon and/or other miscelaneous embelishments

(Not sure why I have scissors in the picture - you don't need them)

 

 So here we go...
1. First take one of your squares and fold it back and forth like you're making a paper fan. Remember those?? ;)

2. Now pin it to your styrofoam ball using the dress maker pins. Use just one or two pins now,in both the top and bottom, and you can add more after the next step.

3. Next, fan out your fabric around the center of the ball so you have some nice pleats. Use more pins on the top and bottom to hold it in place if you need to. You can pin, unpin, move the fabric, repin... until you get it flat or exactly how you want it. I usually use 2-3 pins on the top and 2-3 pins on the bottom to hold each piece. Remember your other pieces of fabric will cover these, and will have more pins to hold things down.

(Yes, that is a caboodle I use for my sewing supplies :) Some of you will remember those!)

4. Repeat steps 1-3 with your other pieces of fabric. Making sure to overlap your fabric so you can not see the styrofoam underneath.

 

 5. That's it! Embelish to your hearts desire. I just used some ribbon (attached with my small pins on top and one metallic ball pin on the bottom) to "wrap" it like a present, added a bow and loop for hanging (don't forget that!)

You will definitely want to make multiples! You can make 10 ornaments with one Moda Charm Pack! Use them on your tree ,on wreaths, in a bowl, or to give away as gifts.

Hand Embroidered Day of the Week Bibs

Here is my latests project. One of my girlfriends is having twin girls and asked me if I could make her two sets of day of the week bibs. Yay, a new baby project. I love those!! She decided white fabric with soft colors for the stitching. It was my choice how to make each set a little different.

 

My first thought was to make the stiching the same, and use coordinating binding around each bib. After looking at lots of fabric, I decided that wasn't going to work. I couldn't find two fabrics that I liked together that would match the embroidery floss I had already picked out. So, I decided to nix the binding idea. Finally I decided to go with what I have pictured. Each set has a different colored flower embroidered next to the day of the week, and is top stitched to match the flower. Also, I rotated the order of the colors for the days of the week, so the same day for each set, is a different color.

 

I used white chenille for the back, and I love how it shows around the edges from the front. To me, they look so soft and cozy. I was going to use pink chenille, but it ended up showing through the front, so instead of white, they looked very light pink. Trial and error! I seem to learn something new from every project!

Waste not, want not - selvage projects

I am always at a loss for what to do with the selvages from my projects. Scraps in general, really. I hate to throw away any scraps, convinced I will figure out something great to do with them. Unfortunately that means I have a growing pile of pieces that I have no idea what to do with. Sadly, I have neither the patience or time right now to figure something out. So, the pile keeps growing.

With that in mind, I have seen some great pieces on Etsy made with selvages. Here are a few of my favorites -


SELVAGE STAR Mini Quilt Made to Order by CAROLINASQUIRRELL on Etsy







































Notebook with Selvedge fabric slip cover by Mary Emmens on Etsy





LARGE Upcycled Selvage Bath Mat Rug by The Quilting Violinist on Etsy

Hope this is some inspiration for you!

Happy Sewing,
Amy

The Best Oatmeal Cookies...ever!

I have never been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies. I prefer chocolate chip or snickerdoodle (YUM!!). But, one day my kids where asking for cookies. I had oatmeal in the cupboard, and figured  oatmeal cookies couldn't be that bad of a treat, afterall, they do have oatmeal right?

I  ended up using the recipe on the box of oatmeal.  But it needed something else. I tried to think of something that might actually make them yummy. I had raisins - added those. I even had dried cranberries, and added those too. But, it need something else. Ground ginger? Why not? I added that. And that it seems, turned plain old, bland, oatmeal cookies to something fabulous!!

So here is the recipe, straight from the Quaker Oatmeal box with a little added something...

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

1/2 C (1 stick) plus 6 Tbsp butter, softened
3/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3 C Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 C raisins

Now, here is what I added:
•Instead of 1 C raisins, I did 1/2 C raisins + 1/2 C dried cranberries.
•I added the cinnamon, but also added 1/2 tsp ground ginger.

1. Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
3. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; mix well.
4. Add oats, raisins, and other dried fruit; mix well.
5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfulls (I use a cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheets.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Bar Cookies: Bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan.

What Can I Make With a Charm Pack?

So you find a fabulous charm pack (42 - 5" squares) that you just love. What can I make with this you ask? For some people it is pretty simple to take the size of the square (5") take off the seam allowance (1/4" on each side) times the number of squares (42) to figure out what your total area will be or how many charm packs you need for a finished product. But for those of us that like to rush through things, don't have a specific pattern in mind, or would rather do it backwards - choose the fabric and then figure out what to make with it. Here is my on going list of what you can make with a charm pack(s):

1 Charm Pack:
♥ 2- 18" Patchwork Pillow covers and 1- 27" X 27" patchwork table topper or wall hanging (tops only)

Cantaloupe Sherbet

This week, the weather here is strange. It is humid and cooler than normal - in the 80's (considering last week we had 110!) This morning it was even sprinkling. Strange.

Last week, my DH came home with a box of cantaloupes. And when I say box, I mean straight from the packing house, super fresh. Which is good because my DH and kids LOVE the stuff. But they don't all fit in the fridge, and after a few days I need to find something creative to do with them before they go bad. Also, and my DH would completely disagree with me on this one, a whole box of canaloupes sitting in the kitchen does not make your house smell as good as you might think.  ;)

So, after looking through my collection of cookbooks and finding nothing except some fruit salad recipes I turned to the internet. Voila - a recipe I think my kids and DH will love - Cantaloupe Sherbet. Yum! And they did - love it.

Here is the recipe from www.justfruitrecipes.com . I ended up doubling it after I made the first batch because it only filled my ice cream maker half way. Besides, I had plenty of cantaloupes to use.

Cantaloupe Sherbet

1 med.  Cantaloupe; peeled, seeded and cubed
2Tbs     Lemon Juice
1/2 C    Sugar
1/4 C    Honey
3C        Milk (I used Lactaid 2%)
1/2 tsp Vanilla

In blender or food processor fitted with metal blade, puree cantaloupe and lemon juice. In a large bowl, conbine sugar, honey and milk. Add pureed cantaloupe mixture and vanilla. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream canister. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Makes about 2 quarts.

And this is what we ended up with. A lot of cantaloupe sherbet! I have no doubt, though, it will not go to waste!

QuiltsforKids.Org

Last year I had the opportunity to make a memory quilt for a little boy named Bennett - a second grader in Cape Cod who had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and at the time was  undergoing inpatient treatment. He lives on the opposite side of the country from me, but I was introduced to his story from Amy, a mom of one of his classmates. She found my Etsy shop where I had a listing for a memory quilt. She wanted to have one made for him with notes and well wishes from his classmates and teachers. I was so honored to have the opportunity to make this for him.

Bennett's class had an ongoing project where they were the crew of a ship. They called themselves The Kehoe Crew. And so, a theme was born. Amy had found some adorable fabric with whales on it - Urban Zoologie by Anne Kelle for Robert Kaufman - which she wanted included in the quilt. So, we worked together, and after everything came together, I was so pleased with how it turned out. She was too! :)

And that is how I became aware of Quilts for Kids. Amy had sent me info from the website regarding requirements when making quilts for kids in hospitals. What a wonderful organization!! They bring people together in a way that can give much needed comfort to little ones and their families during such a difficult time. The handmade quilts are something tangible that these families and little ones can hold on to and look at everyday. Soft, cuddley, and brightly colored - sure to bring comfort and smiles.

So, this is my next project. Sending a quilt off to Quilts for Kids. Not sure if I will make a new one, or send one I already have made and listed in my shop. Maybe both. I see multiple donations in my future. Hopefully some of you can find time to put together something and send it off too. For quilt requirements (such as size, fabrics, quilting), patterns and info visit their website quiltsforkids.org. You can also make a donation of money (for fabric/kits) or even your scrap fabric.

Happy Sewing!

Amy

How to Layer Your Quilt

So what do I do with my finished quilt top you might ask?? You do have a few choices.

You can actually just use that beautiful quilt top as a wall hanging all on it's own.

Or, You can choose to make a simple blanket by:

1) layering your quilt top and backing fabric (like fleece, minky, or flannel,) right sides together.

     ***(If you want a cotton front and back with batting in the middle of your finished quilt just add the batting as the top layer)

2) sew around the edges, leaving an opening to flip it
3) flip it, stitch closed the opening and voila - a beautiful blanket or throw.
4) *** If you use classic batting in the middle you will have to finish it off by either quilting or hand tying your blanket (check the packaging for maximum spaces between quilting.) If used batting, and you don't do this step, the first time you wash it the batting will bunch up and your blanket will be a mess. If you use something like fleece or flannel for your batting layer, you do not have to do this step.

Or... lastly, you can do the classic quilt and bind. I am going to explain how to to do the layering for this method.

First you will need to lay out your backing fabric right side down on a solid surface that will not be scratched by safety pins. I do this on tile, and I say solid, because this will not work on carpet. Trust me - I know :( . You need to be able to keep the fabric taut. Next thing to do is tape (I just use masking tape) the fabric to the floor making sure you have smoothed out all of the wrinkles and creases. You want the fabric taut, but be sure no to pull and stretch the fabric. I tape all corners first, and then tape the sides, smoothing as I go. Use as much tape as you need to keep the fabric, I say it again, taut. :)

Next you will lay your batting on top. Again smoothing out so there are no wrinkles or bumps. At this point if my batting is bigger than my backing, I trim it at this step.

Now you will add your quilt top, right side UP. If you have used cotton fabric and are using cotton batting, they will stick together pretty good, which is a good thing. If you missed the mark when you first layed it down, pick the whole thing up and try again. Once it is positioned, smooth, smooth, smooth. You don't want any wrinkles, puckers, or bumps. It needs to be completely smooth.

Now you can pin, hand baste, or use a spray baste. I just use safety pins. Only because I have never tried the basting spray and hand basting seems like more work to me. I like to start at the center and work my way out in case I need to do anymore smoothing. A good rule of thumb is to lay your hand on the quilt with your fingers spread, and your hand should touch a pin somewhere.

 

Once it is all pinned check the front and back for pinches, folds or loose areas in your fabric. You do not want to quilt over them. If you do - they will never go away and will live on your quilt forever. Once you have made your final check - it is time to quilt.

Latest Addition - Organic Cotton Quilt

My latest project - an organic cotton quilt using Monaco by Monaluna.

I love the colors - they're so bright and cheery. All the fabric is from the Monaco line from Monaluna, so, of course all the prints coordinate and go very well together, but I had my doubts with how the orange would look in the mix. But, once I got it all together - I love it! Such a great pop of color. I tried to design the blocks so they would be easy to piece, and they were, but as I was putting them together I realized a better way that would save both time and fabric. Next time it will go that much faster.  I tend to jump into projects and just go - adjusting later or as I go. It can be both frustrating and fun.

Table Runner Turned Skirt

Well, if you read my previous post - crisis averted. The only thing wrong with my machine was that it was dirty. If you have never cleaned under your footplate - you need to. Lots of dust and lint accumulates there and will make your machine not work properly. Easy fix.

So, as I was looking for something to make with my new rolled hem presser foot - pictured here...

I came across this piece that I made using scraps from a Sugar Pop by Liz Scott Jelly Roll. I was intending to make a table runner, but never finished.

Any who, I thought I could hem the bottom with my new presser foot and make a cute skirt for my daughter. So the experiment began. First I hemmed the bottom.

Then I folded a strip of fabric in half, pressed, and sewed it to the top of my skirt with the raw edges together. I stiched it with an over locking stitch and pressed the seam allowance toward the skirt. Then I top stitched on the front of the skirt to hold the seam allowance down.

I folded the skirt in half, right sides together, and trimmed along the short side to make the skirt the width I wanted. Next, I sewed along the edge from the bottom of the skirt and stopping at the bottom of the top band.That way I would have an opening get my elastic in!

Finally, I added the elastic, closed up the remainder of the seam, and added a ribbon along the top - which not sure looks as cute as I thought it would.

Ta Da- a little big, but DD is happy - and she will be able to wear it for a long time :)

New Foot - Bad Machine

Well, well, well...I have been having bad luck with my sewing machine lately. First my walking foot - which helps me quilt straight lines with out the fabric bunching up and completely irritating me - broke. So, I ordered another one on EBay. While I was there I saw a few other fancy feet :) and order one more -a foot that does rolled hems for you. Which meant to me - time saver - less ironing - yeah!! So I bought it, got it out of the mail today and was super excited to try it. I had read mixed reviews about it being hard to use, stitches not straight, blah, blah, blah. So, of course I had to try it, knowing that I could figure it out. (Haha) So tried it, surprisingly got the hang of it pretty quickly, but the stitches weren't right. Seemed like the tension was off. Adjusted - no help, adjusted the other way - no help. Could it be the foot?? Switched back to my quilting foot - same problem! It is my machine!! Ugh!! Did I mention I also recently bought a Tiny Serger on eBay thinking I could use it to make skirts for my daughter, and maybe some to sell. Oh yeah, the machine I already have does an overlocking stitch. Found this out today as I was reading the manual to find out why my stitches has suddenly become catywompus - (my own spelling :) ) So Tiny Serger is back on EBay. Lesson for today - Read your machine's Manual!!

Happy Sewing.

About Me

My name is Amy and I am a SAHM of two little ones. I love, love, love getting to stay home with them. As tiring as it is, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I like to keep things simple and am a DIY'er at heart. I like cooking from scratch, doing yard work, and coloring with my kids. I usually have multiple projects going at once. I am good at over estimating what I can get done within a certain period of time. I am constantly presented with the reality that things always take longer than you think, especially with little ones running around!

I am also a crafter and sewer. I have loved crafting and sewing since I was a little girl. I think I inherited the bug from my mom and grandma. I remember going to fabric stores with my grandma when I was little and loving it. She made many of her own clothes. I remember her sewing machine table loaded with all of it's goodies sitting against the window in her dining room. I would love looking in there to see what I could find. My mom was more of the crafter. But she too sewed, and has a very old Singer, also in it's own table, tucked in the corner of her bedroom.

I hope you will find some fun, easy, useful projects and information on my blog!

Happy crafting!

Craft Room Organization - Take One

Well, I have been searching for organization ideas that are both budget friendly and not to difficult to put together. My craft space is small, so organization is key to a harmonious space. I have recently discovered Pinterest - which so far, is wonderful. So many cute ideas. I have found a few there and other places. I hope you like!

Ribbon storage ideas:
This I found on Pinterest - original photo from http://www.creatingkeepsakesblog.com. I actually have this and it works great for me. Just used a pants hanger, which I had to modify a bit (took off a couple rungs to accommodate large spools), and voila - perfect ribbon storage hidden in my closet.



Here is another cute idea, also from http://www.creatingkeepsakesblog.com , that doubles as wall art!



Here is fabric storage, also using a pant hanger, posted by http://everythingetsy.com



This post can go on forever! So follow my Craft Room Organization Board on Pinterest for more great finds!

http://pinterest.com/sewsweetpetunia/

Craft Room Clutter

OK, so my first blog post is going to be about my problem of the day - or actually a perpetual problem - craft room clutter! In our house, my craft and sewing space is also our office where my husband and I run our respective businesses. Most of the time I am drowning in papers and the thought of cleaning and organizing it all is a bit daunting. We have papers, papers, and more papers, fabric, sewing machine, desk, craft table, file cabinet, and various attempted organization paraphernalia.

So, between entertaining kids and doing my regular homemaking "chores", I will be scouring the internet and magazines to find realistic, budget friendly, organization ideas that will work in our small space. I will share what I find.
Happy Crafting,
Amy