Monday, November 25, 2013

Guest Post - Organizing a Holiday Recipe Binder

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? For me, figuring out what to serve is always the hardest part. Today I'm sharing my method for creating a Holiday Recipe Binder at Get Your Crap Together


Chelsea has some great bloggers sharing their tips and tricks to stay organized for the holiday season, so be sure to check them out!


Get Your Crap Together

Friday, November 15, 2013

Play Frock and Book Review


You guys know how much I love the Cottage Mama's patterns.  I've had the pleasure of testing for her several times, and recently got to share my own tutorial on her blog.  So of course, when she told her testers that she was coming out with a book, well I just had to purchase it!  And I'm so glad that I did!

Sew Classic Clothing for Girls is full of classic patterns with some modern twists.  I really love the way that Lindsay shows you how to customize your clothing to make something truly unique.  The coat is next on my list, and I can't wait to make some of the capris when the weather is warmer.  There are also some adorable accessories to make - so much fun!

All of the patterns in the book are on a disc as PDFs, so you only need to print what you want.


I used my method for working with PDF patterns and it worked great - no reprinting in the future!


I made the Play Frock in a size 6, and from cutting to completion, it only took about 2 hours.  The instructions are clear, and I could have customized this dress so many ways!


I used Poetica by Art Gallery Fabrics (purchased here).  If you haven't sewn clothing with Art Gallery fabric yet, do it soon!  It's not at all like any other quilting cotton.  It's light and airy, almost like a voile.  The floaty drape is perfect for dresses.


My 6 year old picked out the fabric herself (can you tell she likes pink?), which was fun for both of us.  She usually has pretty good taste and is great at picking fabrics that actually coordinate. 


I chose to make some fabric covered buttons - I just love the detail that they add!


The bodice is my favorite part.  My daughter chose the placket option and I'm so glad that she did - it's so cute!


So, if you have any little girls in your life, go pick Sew Classic Clothes for Girls!  The sizes go up to a 10, so you'll be sewing classic clothing for a long time!

**this post contains affiliate links**

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Gold Glitter Fall Bunting - Tutorial

disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links

Happy Thursday!  I've got a tutorial for a glittery shabby chic bunting for you today!



What you'll need:


  • 3 yards of glitter ribbon (I got mine at a local scrapbook store, but you can buy it online here)
  • 1/4 yard of burlap
  • scraps of lace (I had about 1/8 of a yard)
  • scissors or rotary cutter and mat
  • Clear ruler
  • pins
  • sewing machine and thread OR hot glue gun
First, cut your burlap into triangles.  Mine are 9 inches across and about 7 inches long.  Use your ruler to make sure your triangles are straight.  Repeat with your lace, making them a little smaller than the burlap triangles.  My lace triangles are about 6 inches across and 5 inches long.  Determine how long you want your bunting to be - mine is the entire 3 yards of ribbon, and I made 10 triangles.

When all of your triangles are cut, start layering the burlap and lace triangles together, and pin in the center.  This will make it easier to sew or glue!  I put my lace layer just below the top edge of my burlap layer, but you could line them up equally if you like.

Now, add the widths of your triangles together, then subtract that from the length of your ribbon.  Divide the remainder by 2, and that's how much ribbon you want to leave before you add your first triangle.  My ribbon was 108 inches and my triangles were 90 inches total.  So, 108-90=18, 18/2=9.  So I left 9 inches of ribbon on each end.  Mark the space with a pin and then place the ribbon about and inch from the top.  Start sewing!  Make sure to back stitch.  If you don't have a sewing machine, just put down some hot glue and lay the ribbon on top.




Continue placing the triangles side by side with as much or as little space between them as you like.


Voila!  A glittery bunting perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner party!  I hung mine above my entry table and love the way it adds a little sparkle.


 If you haven't made yourself a bunting yet, they really are so simple! 


Stay tuned for some more Thanksgiving ideas coming soon!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Guest Posting on The Cottage Mama

 
 
The fabulous Lindsay, aka, The Cottage Mama, has asked me to share a tutorial today - so head on over to her blog to check it out!