Sprucing Up a Welcome Mat

A couple of years ago, I got a cute welcome mat from Target. It had a pretty, aqua colored damask design on it. Over the years, all of the paint came off so I decided to spruce it up with a new design!

See, you can kind of see it on the edge, but it looks pretty sad.

I started with two coats of aqua blue.

I enlisted the help of my husband because he's really good at drawing. I know this because he also helped me with my button animal silhouettes. Look how cute the seahorse turned out!

 Here it is all cut out!

A couple coats of white spray paint was all it took. Not too shabby! If the paint wears off of this one, we can just do another design. I love a project that involves rehabbing something I already have using things I can find around the house (you know me, spray paint is pretty much a staple in this household). I finished it just in time for the tropical themed Valentine's Day party we're throwing tomorrow! Aloha!

Apron for Jane

This past holiday season, my friend Jane sent me a package full of goodies, including this Butterick apron pattern. It was just the thing I needed to get me back into the sewing swing of things!



To return Jane's kindness, I wanted to make her one. I thought version A (the pink one) was the cutest, but I made a few changes. I used this great, wild print fabric that my mom gave me for Christmas. Here you can see it close, on one of the straps.

I used bias tape for the first time. It's not perfect, but I think the green trim is cute. I thought it was pretty serendipitous that I found some in the sewing box I inherited from my grandma, in just the right shade and just the right amount for the pockets.

Here it is (wrong side) all spread out so you can get a sense for the shape. Four straps, two pockets, and one solid main piece. 

And here is Jane modeling the final project! 

Hawaiian Print Pillows

This fabric is one of my absolute favorites. After making this dress, I knew I'd have to do something with the leftover scraps. So, I whipped up a couple of pillows for the bed! I love quick and easy projects, even if it does involve a little bit of the dreaded hand sewing.

 

 

Speaking of quick and easy, here's a recipe for Ellie's Minty S'Mores that will change your life:

Ingredients: two graham crackers, 2 Andes candies, 2 marshmallows

Directions: Break the graham crackers in half and place on a microwave safe plate. Top two of the halves with an Andes candy and a marshmallow. Microwave for 12 seconds - watch the marshmallows puff up! Place the other graham cracker halves on top and dig in. They're freaking delightful!

Giraffe Skirt

I finally finished my giraffe circle skirt! Check it out:

I followed the same pattern as my black and white checked skirt, except this time I added some ties on the side.

Join Me On Pinterest!

I recently found out about an awesome new website called Pinterest. It’s a really simple, pretty website that collects images and links for you and puts them in “boards.” You can decide what theme your boards have, and can set up as many boards as you like. Some examples of my boards are Places I'd Like to Visit, Tutorials to Try, and Eat! Set up an account, put a Pinterest button on your web browser toolbar, and with a few clicks, you can add new material to any board in seconds. You can even pin something via email.

My Google Reader is a great tool for gathering things from all over the web, but I like Pinterest because I can group them the way I want and see them all at once, with a link back to the original source. There's also a great community on there - I've found so many cool people posting inspiring things. I also never realized how many tutorials I've held onto in my Google Reader over the years. It's crazy!

You have to be logged in to use Pinterest right now, and since they’re still in beta, you need an invitation to get an account. I have five invitations* at my disposal, so leave a comment on this post and I'll send you one! Let's all join!

You can also put in your request for an invitation.

*UPDATE: I still have 2 invites left!

Fabric Roll Call!

Thanks to generous family members, I have accumulated quite an impressive fabric stash. I like having options for sewing projects down the line (this is similar to my library book situation - must always have at least one back up!).

The next project I'm going to begin is a circle skirt using this whimsical giraffe and palm tree print! I plan on making it fuller than my black and white check wool circle skirt. I kind of wish I had made that one fuller, too, but I still love it.

I love this old pink geometric shape print. I'm thinking it would look nice for a full, short skirt.

I also might make a short skirt out of this one, but I'm not sure yet. The fabric is kind of stiff and coarse.

Here's the good ol' Anniversary Fabric. I started using this one for a full, short skirt but got discouraged and it's on hold. Should I make a longer circle skirt with it? A circle skirt is just so EASY and you get fullness and a lovely shape without having to worry about pleats or darts or anything like that.

This is an old pillowcase that I wish I could use for something. Any suggestions? The sheets to match might soon be too worn to use so, I could potentially have a lot of it. It looks a little washed out in this picture. The background color is aqua.

I also have some leftovers of this floral print that I used to make my sewing machine cover. 

And this silky, floral fabric is very special. I'm thinking I should make a top out of this. I found a couple patterns that I like.

  

I like this pattern a lot; specifically the one on the left.

 

 Or this one, but it looks like it could be difficult.

So, there you have it! I'd love to hear any suggestions or comments you have!

Circle Skirt

I think this circle skirt project was just the thing to to take my mind off the two projects I have halfway completed (short skirt made with Anniversary Fabric and the red and white Hawaiian dress). With some gorgeous wool, black and white check fabric from my aunt and some help with construction from sewing-guru, Amy, I was able to whip it up in mostly one evening.

We used one of Amy's circle skirts to cut the shape out on the bias of the fabric:

 I sewed up one side of the skirt, then held it up to my waist to see where to sew it up on the other side. Some of the fabric at the top had to be cut off so it would fit around my waist. Then I sewed the other side, stopping approximately seven inches from the top to allow for the zipper. After that was in, I added a waistband.

After a little hand-sewing to touch up some areas, I pinned it to a length I liked and hemmed it with the steam-a-seam stuff and it was done!

It's the perfect length and weight for fall and winter!

I'm thinking of making another, fuller one with the Anniversary Fabric. What do you think?