tutorials
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gifts kids can make – I-pad case tutorial
This girl is a believer in making gifts that are useful, and finding ways to involve my kids in the process, hoping to encourage them toward a lifetime of creativity and thoughtfulness. Kids like to feel proud of what they make. Keeping it useful helps. How many gifts did I produce as a kid that are still floating around relatives homes. I’m pretty sure they just keep them to be nice, cuz let me tell you, they aren’t pretty. It’s one thing to make an ornament for the tree, bringing it out each year to remind one of...
read moregifts kids can make – lovely vintage knobby wall rack
This girl is the kind of happily-at-home mom that likes to find family-friendly projects. Projects my kids are able to do, and will be happy to put their name on upon completion are quite enjoyed over here. And when Christmas rolls around, this girl likes to think of good things my kids can make to give as gifts. Things that are both useful and lovely. Here is my youngest’s gift to me. His mamma came up with the idea, and his mamma told him what to do, but my sweet boy made it himself. He even got to use a power tool! And although it...
read morelazy girl quilt – the complete tutorial
Improv Lazy Girl Quilt Tutorial This girl has combined every little baby step posted along her happy yet longish quilty way into one, completed, step by step tutorial for all lovers of creative endeavors. But after accomplishing this lazy girl quilt from beginning to end, this girl has decided one must not be really very lazy at all to embark on such a project, whether improv like this not so little dandy, or rule-following like Denise Schmit’s beautiful version. I happen to not be a rule-follower in all things crafty. An...
read morelazy girl quilt accomplished
Once upon a time…. this girl really did finish her lazy girl quilt. A tutorial of this lazy girl improv quilt is soon to follow. I planned on the simple circle alone on the back, but ended up with two different dye lots of mustard fabric. The line makes it not so noticeable. But it kind of bugs me still. Things don’t always end up the way one imagines, and since a perfectionist this girl is not, it is what it is. This quilt has joined the family, though, and has been on distant adventures already....
read moremessage board
This messy mess I could bear no longer though I quite think this photo makes it seem so lovely. In truth it was not so lovely. Being the first thing to be seen upon entry to our homey home today it greeted fair guests no more. Gathering another canvas from Our Dear One and Her Love’s wedding, (only three more lovelies awaiting their fate remain) some cotton batting, an ample piece of vintagy wool blanket leftover from projects past, one rather handy staple gun, and a few minutes stolen from time that really should...
read moreA Journal Was Made
A journal was made for a dear friend so sweet, who from her place far away sends me lovely notes on scraps of paper. Paper torn and layered, then covered with doodles. Whimsical doodles, of flowers, squiggles, butterflies and such. A multitude of designs happy and bright intertwined with heart felt notations of memories of time together spent and hopes of new shared moments yet to come. A journal was made with my own Quilty squiggles and buttons and stitches french knots a scrap and more stitchy doodles for my...
read moreModern Quilt
Here is the whole process showing how this Modern Quilt was made for my son’s 18th birthday. Front Back To create this modern quilt I started with small amounts of 4 different prints. Then I found Kona solid fabrics that matched, a light grey and black. I decided on the darker grey to become the main fabric for the sashing – the fabric between the main squares. Without prewashing the fabrics, I began to cut strips to make blocks. To build each square, as I sewed together 2 strips of fabric on my machine, I then ironed it and...
read moreClothes Design Tutorial – sort of
I started with this beautiful piece of vintage fabric given to me by a dear friend. Then I saw another friend wearing a lovely blouse. I tried to take notice of the details (while being a good friend, of course, and carrying on a conversation) then sketched a picture when I had a spare moment. When I had an evening to myself to work on my clothes design project, I took a few of my own shirts out of the closet. I chose each of them for a different aspect. One had the curved shape I wanted in the back. Another had the measurement I...
read moreHow to Design Your Own Clothes
Here is how to design your own clothes: Take a shirt or other garment that fits well. Here is the shirt I used: Find a fabric that you love. Hold it up to your face to make sure it is a good color on you. Here is the fabric I used: Take large pieces of muslin and lay it over your original garment. Draw pencil lines around each shape. Cut out the shapes then place them on your new fabric. Cut out the fabric making sure to leave seam allowances. I left a hearty 5/8 inch around each piece. Place pieces on fold as necessary to insure even...
read moreLined Basket
Here is a quick project to carry your handsewing, knitting or good books in. How about putting quiet activities in it for your kiddos at church? It takes less than an hour (including rummaging through recycling to find cardboard). You will need an old basket, fabric, glue or hot glue gun, cardboard, and a scrap of batting or other cushy stuff. Here is how I did it: Cut a strip of fabric 3 inches taller than the basket and an inch or two longer than the inside of the basket. (You can use a string to measure around the inside of the...
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