If you sew, you probably iron a lot too. So here are a few ironing tips. (I'm not an ironing pro. Husband irons his own shirts and I usually wear doesn't-need-to-be-ironed clothing. I also hang things up straight outta the dryer. However, I do iron a lot in the sewing room. So these tips, are more sewing project oriented.) 1. Press a lot! When you're sewing something, particularly a garment, press it after each step. After each seam you finish. After each pocket you sew on. After you stitch up the hem. After every single step. I promise your ...Continue Reading
little man diaper clutch tutorial
Boxy bags are simple to make and you can really use them for anything! They would be a great makeup bag or lunch box too. But please pick one purpose for it. We don't want an old diaper clutch becoming a lunch box... I picked up a beautiful suit for $4 on half price day. I almost felt bad cutting it up. I thought maybe I should get it altered for my husband. But I shut my eyes and snipped into it with my Ginghers. I had so much fun making the first clutch I knew we needed more. The zippers were also from a thrifty escapade at 25 cents a pop. ...Continue Reading
vintage suitcase chair
My latest sytyc project for 'upcycle' week. A little less sewing than usual and a little more decor-y. ..... I love vintage luggage! It's so nostalgic to me, I always am reminded of my grandfather's travel journal that he wrote in the 40s. As a bonus, this suitcase smelled like my grandpa's house when I bought it! Talk about nostalgia. When I think of upcycling, I think of turning something into something completely different. So I picked up this old suitcase for under $3 and upcycled it into a chair. I even used some extra sheets for a ...Continue Reading
ruffle refashion
If you ever need a fun thing to do on a sunny afternoon, go grab a cheap shirt from the thrift store and sew a bunch of ruffles on it. I refashioned this mustard yellow tshirt into a mustard yellow ruffly placket with vintage buttons beauty. A little dressed up knit. It's so easy! And especially cute for little girls(of which I have none, so I made one for myself!). You need two strips of fabric: 4" by 36" 4" by 29" a scrap piece of another fabric and 2 buttons. Fold each strip in half and press. Then gather the top edge with a basting ...Continue Reading
scrap map + tutorial
With all this rufflyness I haven't mentioned what I'm up to at SYTYC much, but I'm still in! We're in round 5 now, upcycle. Voting starts today so GO VOTE! Last week, my project was this scrap map: US Map Wall Hanging This project even rhymes, a scrap map! I used 50 different little scraps to make this map of America wall hanging. It's bright and colorful and each state is packed with personality. It was really fun to choose a specific fabric print or solid for each different state. And I have a new found appreciation for each ...Continue Reading
how to use a ruffler foot
I finally bought a ruffler foot a few weeks ago. After it came I couldn't believe that I've been ruffling so long without one. What a waste. It's a funny looking contraption with super powers. I wanted to tell you about it because I love it and have been using it a ton, especially during the ruffle event. I got this one from amazon. That's a long name. I just call it the ruffle foot. I bought this one because it is fairly universal and fits most machines. I didn't get the same brand as my sewing machine because those are more expensive. It ...Continue Reading
[make better ruffles]
Ruffles rock. (just like you.) This is a long post about lots of ways to gather ruffles for different effects. It's not difficult but there are a lot of variables. Because sometimes you need your ruffles just so.The real word for this technique is gathering. But you knew that. So let's gather some fabric and make some ruffles!rows of bastingThe fastest way to make a ruffle is to gather one side of the fabric by stitching 1 line of baste stitches and pulling the threads. It works but try it with 2 and 3 lines of stitching, 1/4" apart, and you ...Continue Reading
ruffled up comforter cover
a cloud of ruffles If you are wondering where the ruffles in my new header came from, it's my luscious new duvet cover!I've been wanting to make a ruffly duvet cover for a while. I may have based this whole event around motivation for me to actually do it. I've had the fabric for months! You can find similar things at urban or anthro, for a price. But...after making it, I say those prices are pretty fair. We're going for an all-white color scheme in the master bedroom. Because I think all white is gorgeous and there is no better place for it ...Continue Reading
little man diaper clutch reveal
Week 2 at So You Think You're Crafty was the thrift store theme. This is what I came up with: A new mom with a pooping baby. Nothing is more exciting. And challenging. This little diaper clutch is designed to make diaper changes easier. It holds diapers and wipes and there is even room for a little extra. Diapers. Check. Wipes. Check. Baggies for dirty diapers? Room for that too. Burp cloth. Check. The top zipper makes everything easily accessible, you can see it all! You can even use it for cloth diapered bums. Large enough for the ...Continue Reading
sewing 101: guidelines for interfacing
One of my lovely readers, Susan, sent in a question about interfacing. So I thought I'd answer it in todays BONUS Sewing 101. I wanted to squeeze this in before the ruffle event on Monday!(Do you have a question? Leave a comment! I don't know everything, but I'll tell you what I know!)How do you choose an interfacing?Do you ever walk into the fabric store with a pattern in hand. You are so excited to pick out fabric and then you reach the interfacing isle. A sea of white. What's the difference? Fusible? What?Well I'm sure we've all been there. ...Continue Reading
do you like ruffles? + Anthro shower curtain
is like an understatement?Well, good. Because starting in ONE WEEK we're going to revel in ruffles. Ruffles rock, so we're going to rock them. For 3 weeks. With 10 guests. 3 giveaways. Ruffles. Ruffles. Ruffles.Ruffles up to your ruffle sleeve elbows. Be prepared to be: As a little teaser to our 3 weeks full of ruffle madness, have a look at my $5 Anthropologie inspired ruffle shower curtain. This was my project for the Dollar Store craft over at So You Think You're Crafty. Week two is going on now and you can GO VOTE for a thrift store ...Continue Reading
