Archive for the ‘Craft Crowd’ Category

How to Embellish Bobby Pins … hilariously easy…and cheap gift idea.

Posted in Craft Crowd, DIY, kids, TUTORIALS, tagged accessories, bobbies, bobby, buttons, cheap, fast, flowers, how to, make, pins on May 16, 2012 | 1 Comment »

This project is exactly a sewing project …but I’m hoping you won’t mind – it does include some buttons, so that counts for something, right???

My middle daughter Ellie, who’s 5 years old, is quite a crafting officianado. She is always looking for something to make, draw, bake, sew, you name it. So the other day, while Rosamund was sleeping and the boys were ~~totally disinterested~~ otherwise occupied, Ellie and I sat down to make some BOBBIES! These are all over the hand-made scene, and some can be super expensive. Ours, however, were NOT expensive … but you shouldn’t be too surprised by that. =)

Here is what we made in about 15 minutes – and for $8. (Sadly for us, nothing was on sale when we purchased these supplies … so realistically, you could make all this for $4 if you get the pieces at half off.)

I keep these supplies on hand because I like to send them to my Parsimony customers who’s dresses get delayed. Of course, that almost never happens (cough cough)! They’re really fun to receive so it’s super nice that they’re so easy. You can ask the Austin Craft Crowd folks, and they’ll concur – easy breasy fleezy!

You’ll need flat topped bobby pins and items to glue on. At our Hobby Lobby, the bobby pins are $3 for about 12 or 16 pins. These flower dealies were $4 for 6 – you can find them in the scrapbooking section.

See the round disk that’s attached to the top of the bobby? These are SO much easier than trying to finagle something around/on top of a regular bobby pin. There’s only one store in Austin that sells these, so if you can’t find them in a store you can find tons on Etsy. Just search under supplies for bobby pins.

Since the disk makes the bobby pin fall on its side, I like to anchor my pins onto a piece of paper before gluing. This way everything stays upright and the embellishment goes on straight and clean. Plus, it gives them a nice spot to dry.

Yeah, so, this was a mommy-daughter project, but one of us was distracted. I won’t tell you who.

Now, just take your heated glue gun and dab a dollop of glue onto the center of your embellishment – or you can put the glue directly onto the bobby pin. Same results. Turn the embellishment over and push onto the disk. Let dry. Done. Bam. Bang. Finished. You’re awesome.

You’ll get something like this! Ellie refused to have her photo taken, but she did pretty well as photographer.

When we completed the six flowers, we broke out a button jar and glued buttons together then onto the bobby pins. I love these too!

So seriously y’all, don’t delay. Go get these supplies and make these – then give them away! Grown ups like them just as much as kiddos. Just sayin’. These are really fun to take to a woman who’s just had a baby – what an easy way to look cute without being clean!

Here’s the lowdown:

TIME: We made all 16 in about 15 minutes..and that includes figuring out our button combinations.

COST: in a word CHEAP! We made 16 for $8 so that’s FIFTY CENTS a piece…. applause please.

Okay – please, if you make these, let me see your work – that makes me sooooo happy!

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A few READY TO SHIP strapless dresses … FYI!

Posted in Craft Crowd, Craft Nights, dresses, Uncategorized, tagged cotton, medium, Parsimony, ready to ship, size small, strapless on December 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

My head is spinning. Maybe even literally, I can’t tell. Christmas season is fun, isn’t it!?!

In addition to planning a leadership party at my house Sunday night, and a Craft Crowd Make-It Merry Christmas craft night at my house on Monday night, and two kids’ friends hangouts on Tuesday, and a Chistmas Bazaar on Friday….I have decided to make a few READY TO SHIP strapless dresses in my ~~freakishness~~ spare time.

Soooooo….just in case you’re still looking for that perfect gift or that fun dress to wear to your company party…here are three options for a size Small/Medium. Each dress is Ready To Ship immediately … this means it’s already made…and each dress is $55. They usually sell for $68-81 but hey, it’s a recession. (Don’t worry, if you need larger – or dare I say, smaller – sizes, those are coming OR you can suggest a size!)

sorry it's a blurry photo...but it wouldn't be a proper So Sew Something post without the gratituitous blurry photo!

There, that's better! The belt is an OBI belt - similar to the one shown in my Etsy shop on the Asian fabric. NOTE: the pretty white shirt is from LOFT and is shown so that you can see how cute these dresses look gussied up for winter!

Probably my newest favorite - I'm digging the RockaBilly vibe ... it's shown with a green/blue houndstooth sash, but I can just easily create a red or yellow sash that would look "rockin'!"

I mean seriously, can there EVER be enough houndstooth???!!!

Love this fabric pairing - striking Michael Miller fabric paired with vintage style polka dots - totally sweet and charming ... throw on a motorcycle jacket and you've all of a sudden got a tough chick...well, a pretty tough chick!

And now for the close-up!

So there you have it – three more strapless dresses from the girl who can’t stop making them! I love wearing these year-round, and I think you will too. Feel free to take one of these off my hands …for my blog readers, I’ll even throw in FREE SHIPPING! Just let me know you read it on my blog!

Merry Christmas lovelies!

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So Celebrate Instant Gratification – meet Tiffany Schwedland !

Posted in Craft Crowd, DIY, Uncategorized, tagged celebrate sewing, tiffany schwedland on September 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Oh my goodness … I can’t begin to describe how thrilled and giddy I am about introducing y’all to my friend Tiffany Schwedland. If you’ve been sewing along with me for any amount of time, you’ve seen her name no less than a million times. I knew I liked her the instant that I met her. She is gorgeous, fun, and witty – it’s extremely hard to find all three of these traits in the SAME PERSON! I am certain I would have forced my way into her life no matter what. Thankfully, however, she took one of my very first sewing classes in Austin, and I was able to hook her into my life by providing her with a fabric addiction!

Tiffany is by far one of the most creative people that I have ever met. She’s creative with her home, her kids, and with her friendships. What I really admire most about her creativity is that she’s a DCT – Determined Creative Type! If she sees something in the world, she finds a way to make it herself. I taught her how to sew a straight line, but she has taught me how to run wild with creative freedom. I am forever grateful to her for that.

I could go on forever about Tiffany…and this certainly won’t be the last time you hear/read her name on SoSewSomething.com – but for now, let’s let Tiffany do the talking/writing/sewing! I asked her to tell us why she celebrates sewing. Here is what she said:

So Celebrate Instant Gratification!

First let me say how honored I am to even be considered as one of Robie’s crafty friends…..I still feel like a student…. Any skill i have developed in the last four years I owe all to my cherished friend and long lost triplet….Thank you Robie! I consider all these ladies you have showcased this month as wonderfully creative, and I love seeing what they adorn their children in or themselves for that matter…Well now that my thank you is done, I will tell you why I celebrate the art of sewing this month! =)

Instant Gratification! That’s right, you read it correctly. Instant gratification in many facets..Here are some examples…

Though I love to give and family keepsakes and traditions are wonderful..man can I get filled by a really cool pair of pants on my son or a quick and easy skirt with a flair of funk on it for my daughter. Call me shallow but hey!: Raising children is hard…all you mommies know that…our time we invest in the hearts of our children, the meals, the cleaning, the energy we pour into these souls isn’t a tangible reward….do we even do it for reward? no…we dont, but a little something to hold onto every once in awhile is nice right? =) I like to hold onto coordinating outfits on the beach….

I was stumped last year on what to do for our christmas pictures…i confess, i do like to coordinate…focusing on the details makes me happy and is a creative challenge at the same time…I love great design and vibrant color but my means dont always allow for those details to be straight off the rack from the hippest boutique in town…and we have a few in Austin!! So two days before the shoot i start brainstroming and end up finishing a dress I started almost 6 months prior at a class taught by none other than Robie Dodson! Then decided to coordinate with my dress a little something for my mini-me…I chose the Mod Kids Kimono pattern which is really simple and easy to follow! Give it a shot if you haven’t already….The instant gratification that came as the last threads were cut on the dresses was so rewarding….and then seeing her in it the next day was even better! I was able to create a look for my family that fit our personalities, our budget, and my crazy need to be filled with the gratification that comes from whipping out a dress or two in a night…I know alot of the “need” is therapeutic for me. The tediousness of the craft at times, the process, and the end result are all very fullfilling and allow me to actually be able to hold something, sometimes redo, possibly admire, and definately give it away in a season of my life that most days dont give tangible reward to my energy and efforts.

A dear friend, Kirsten Dickerson, asked me to create something for her to wear to a special event she was attending in Austin about a month ago. I was hesitant and uber insecure about it. I sew because I love it, because its a creative outlet, and the instant gratification that comes from it i….I dont sew for special events! =) She seemed to think I could whip up something worthy that wouldn’t have a sad hem or strings hanging from it after one washing so I gave it a whirl…I remembered a tunic I had seen awhile back that I loved the shape and modern but feminine drape effect. I basically pulled two patterns together to copy it…and came up with this for Kirsten…

{Psst: this is Robie talking: this tunic was for FASHION WEEK!!! Tiffany doesn't want you to know! She's humble like that!}

The instant gratification that came from making a friend a one of a kind tunic to wear to an event was thrilling! Not for any other reason than I love her and it made her happy… that is fullfilling…and a wonderful reason to celebrate the craft/art of sewing….

I sew because of the reward…the instant gratification…..of creating a unique garment, of a garment well made at the same price as one that may fade or fall apart after a few washings. ( the first few things i ever made MAY have fallen apart) … Because I want a designer look at a better price point… because a friend asked me to make them something for a special occasion…because I dont want my daughter to look like a hip hop back up dancer at 6 and the gratifying feeling that comes from the ability to create her something modern and current without looking too “big girl”….(no offense Kanye…i do love you)….but mainly because of the Instant Gratification that comes from creating an idea, implementing it into form, and can it be true?, actually finishing it! …and with the finished project that my sewing can produce comes warmth, a need met, a gift given, a friend loved, and my child cloaked in precious time and creativity….

…… did I mention I really , really LOVE to coordinate! =)

Cheers to all of you as we celebrate sewing!

****************

There you have it – straight from one of the women I most admire and just out right LIKE in the whole world. Sewing provides instant gratification…and a little bit of coordination! I can vouch for her. Her kids do coordinate alot and they look a heck of a lot more fun and fabulous than my kids do – insert jealous emoticon here.

I really do want to go on and on about Tiffany – she lends not just her creativity but her very life to others. There is rarely an event or a need that doesn’t somehow involve Tiffany coming to the rescue. Not at all because she has weird I-must-be-at-everything issues…..but because her soul is as beautiful and bright as her creativity. I like Tiffany. I love my life to pieces, but if I ever got to pick to be exactly someone else – I’m sure I’d pick Tiffany…for now, I’ll claim her as my rocker chic triplet!

Oh… Tiffany lives in Austin with her husband and two darling children. She sews alot and throws alot of really fabulous parties! She blogs at Angel.Star.Jaunt, and she, too, is serving alongside Austin Craft Crowd.

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Four-Minute Free Pin Cushion … I Celebrate that!

Posted in Craft Crowd, felt, Scraps, TUTORIALS, tagged free, gift, hostess gift, pillow, pin cushion on September 16, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Back in July, some friends of mine and myself got together to organize the very first Austin Craft Crowd event … a City-Wide Sewing Class. It was awesome!!! After a full day of lessons, Austin added 22 ladies into their sewing pool – dreamy! You can see the photos here.

Well, one of our goals was to make this sewing class more of a sewing EVENT – so we had tons of stuff to giveaway … including these pin cushions. Each student arrived to class and found a “place setting” just like this:

fabric, pattern, and fabulous scrap pin cushion!

Well, tonight I’m at home waiting for my husband to return home from a business trip. I’m trying to watch ACL but my hands get really fidgety just sitting still. Soooooo, I remembered how fast and easy those pin cushions were to make. Soooooo, I made one. I thought you might like to see how to do it. Truthfully, you already know how… you just may not have put the thoughts together yet.

There are juh-zillions of pin cushion patterns out there. It’s actually a little bit crazy how much you can pay for a pin cushion pattern and/or the cushion itself. It’s crazy because you can make a really darling pin cushion in about FOUR MINUTES and for FREE!!! You know I don’t lie about this stuff!

In less than 4 minutes, you can make atleast one of these little darlings. (And don't I now look like a real blogger ... I've got butterfly straight pins!)

Head on over to your scrap fabric pile.

While you're watching yoru favorite band play on Austin City Limits, select two fabric for your cushion. The cushion looks really awesome and vintagey if you can convince yourself to choose two fabrics that don't necessarily match!

Put right sides together and cut out the shape of your pincushion. I cut out a large rectangle, you can do whatever you want. I will warn you: If you create a round/rounded pattern, it will be more difficult to sew up, so you'll need longer than 4 minutes.

Apply fusible interfacing to both sides. Sew around the cushion as you would a pillow, leaving a hole on one side for turning. Clip the corners and trim the seam allowances if necessary.

Turn right side out and stuff with fiberfill.

Close up the opening either by hand or machine, and now you have a darling pin cushion. Easy as pie!

I just love these. They are happy pieces. In fact, these would make great hostess or teacher's gifts... and I can see them now as place card holders!!!

So there you go – what to do with the last 4 minutes you have to yourself before going to bed!

see you soon

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Meet ERIN TYRRELL: How To Applique & Add Bum Ruffles – Day 5

Posted in Craft Crowd, DIY, kids, Scraps, TUTORIALS, tagged applique, erin tyrrell, how to, make, onesie, onesies, onsie, ruffles, sew on September 5, 2011 | 5 Comments »

Well, well, well…here I am following through on another promise…introducing you to a few of my sewing friends. I have had the privilege the last four years of teaching lots of women how to sew. Some of those women have become not just students but also friends. Futhermore, lots of those women have become truly UH-mazing sewers … Erin Tyrrell is one of those women.

Here is Erin with her husband and two darling twin daughters ... of course, wearing lovely outfits she created!

I met Erin through another friend (the famous Tiffany). I first got to know her more through church and sewing lessons. Now, I simply adore her and all her sewing genius .. she’s a master of class and sophistication, and she has a great eye for pairing fabrics.

The thing that stands out most in my mind in terms of her sewing is her fabulous appliques. She is WAAAAAY more meticulous than me, so her appliques are completed perfectly. It’s always a total WOOHOO to see and receive one of her pieces. We’re SOOOOO lucky that she’s agreed to give us a little taste of what she does so well… Applique Baby Onesies … and she even added a little surprise at the, er, um, “end.” Read on … Meet Erin Tyrrell ….

i've been meaning to make a onesie for a friend having a baby girl this fall. this sweet baby girl will HAVE to love longhorn football so i decided to make a onesie she can wear in support of her team next fall. i found a vintage sheet at a local thrift store that was actually on sale for $2. that's a lot of fabric for $2. i thought it would be perfect to make dresses or decorate onesies. i prewashed the onesie and the fabric. you will need wonder under as well.

i've learned that it's best NOT to cut out your shape first. it's better to start with a piece of fabric and piece of wonder under just a tad smaller than your fabric. you will need to place the wonder under's textured side on the wrong side of your fabric.

then, you will place your iron on top for approximately 5-10 seconds.

for some shapes, this won't matter, but if your shape needs to face a certain direction, you need to pay attention. i drew the state of texas on my wonder under backwards, cut out the shape, and peeled off the wonder under paper. you will be able to see/feel the adhesive left over on the fabric that will help adhere it to your onesie.then, place the shape where you want it and iron it again for 5-10 seconds.you don't have to stitch your onesie, but i feel this helps it stay in place and adds to the charm of the project. you just have to be sure you don't stitch it to the other side of your onesie! there are several tricks... 1) go slow 2) use your manual knob often 3) when changing directions be sure your needle is in your fabric.

and here it is. i was underwhelmed and kept staring at it wondering why i didn't like it. i finally decided the thread was too dark for the fabric. yes, i used a seam ripper and took out the thread. i know, i'm a bit crazy.

Round 2 with yellow thread. much better. whew! but it was still missing something.

i decided to add a heart for the city of austin using scraps of fabric from other applique projects. it's worth it to save those scraps!

and what baby doesn't look cute with ruffles on the bum??? i cut out three strips of fabric approximately three inches in width, and the length is about twice the width of the onesie.

i folded the strips in half with the right side of the fabric facing each other and sewed a straight line down the side of each strip. then, i used a safety pin to turn the strips right side out. then, i ironed each strip with the seam down the middle of the back of the strip. i closed up the ends of each strip and sewed them closed.

my machine does not allow me to make ruffles easily so i use a thread and needle and do it by hand. i pinned each end of the ruffle to the side of the onesie and pulled the thread to make the ruffles the right length. then, i pinned it every so often to keep it in place. with all of my ruffles in place, i can sew them to the onesie.

i sew fast on this part- it's easier to go right over the pins this way! again, be sure not to sew your ruffles to the front of the onesie.

back of the onesie.

go make some! super easy and super fun!

What’s that I hear…. a STANDING OVATION??? YAY, YAY, Hollah, Hollah!

Thank you SO much Erin. These are so so so darling – I love how easy you’ve made sewing on bum ruffles. Those pattern companies really overthink it, huh!?!

Erin lives in Austin with her family. She loves alot and sews alot. She is also helping us form the Austin Craft Crowd. She celebrates alot in life – one of them for sure is SEWING! Thanks for playing with me, Erin!

To close, here’s a photo of the onesie Erin made for my Rosamund…I am almost considering a similar tattoo! Shhhh!

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So Sew Something!

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Archive for the ‘Craft Crowd’ Category

How to Embellish Bobby Pins … hilariously easy…and cheap gift idea.

A few READY TO SHIP strapless dresses … FYI!

So Celebrate Instant Gratification – meet Tiffany Schwedland !

So Celebrate Instant Gratification!

Four-Minute Free Pin Cushion … I Celebrate that!

Meet ERIN TYRRELL: How To Applique & Add Bum Ruffles – Day 5

Austin Craft Crowd !!!

Here’s me….

My little shop of ruffles

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