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Posts Tagged ‘easy’

Yet another CRAZY EASY and WICKED FAST headband – a free tutorial

Posted in DIY, TUTORIALS, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 1, 2013 | 5 Comments »

Gosh y’all… how are you doing???  I’m sort of living in chaos right now, and I love it!

This post is going to be brief and to-the-point … I know, I know, you don’t believe me.  That’s fine.  I’ve earned your distrust.  However, tonight I’m serious.  I’ve been missing you and missing writing tutorials.  So, despite my chaotic chaos, I wanted to share with you the fastest, easiest headband I’ve come up with yet.  Know what else????

I. Saved. THIRTY DOLLARS!!!  $$$$$$$$

I was shopping lusting  browsing around Anthropologie the other day and I saw these gorgeous headbands.  But are you kidding me right now???  $32????  For something I’m going to put on my overprocessed, frizzy and most likely dirty head of hair?  I’m way too cheap smart for that!

So I ran out to Hancocks.  I found some embellishment ribbon on clearance for $2/yd.  Then, I made myself a cheaper…but I think just as fabulous version.  Judge for yourself…

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So, yes, it’s missing the rhinestones. If that’s important to you, you can pretty much buy a Bedazzler for the $29 you’re saving. I purchased the whole yard, but only used 23″.

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Besides a needle and thread, the only other thing you need is a pony tail elastic.

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It’s incredibly hard to photograph the back of your head by yourself… but what I’m trying to show you is that I used the length from the back of one ear, around the top of my head and over to the back of the other ear. Then give yourself a couple of more inches for the seams. I have a large head, so I used 23″.

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Now wrap the ribbon around the elastic forming a casing.

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As much as I hate saying this – the next step is to hand sew the casing closed. Maybe your machine can take the width of the ribbon. I’m jealous of you. If not…I can say with honesty that it only takes about 1 minute to sew each side. Repeat with the other side. (I love this photo b/c it shows how I’ve finally stopped biting my nails.  progress!)

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I used white thread so you can see it … I just used very simple but sturdy stitches. Nothing time consuming at all. The only real “trick” I used was making sure I had several layers of thread in my needle.

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Once you’ve completed the other side, you’ll end of with this little doozie. I love it. Fancy and Casual all in one.

And now for my feeble attempts at photographing the finished product on my head, all the while trying to make sure my craft room looks as clean and cool as possible.

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Okay  y’all – here’s the lowdown:

Time: literally THREE MINUTES!  (That includes hand sewing… crazy wonderful)

Cost: $2 … that’s a savings of $29.  Hurry out and get you some matching shoes with that money!!!

Try this….please!!!!

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Honestly EASY lined Curtains – a free tutorial!

Posted in DIY, For Home, TUTORIALS, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2013 | 7 Comments »

I know you’ve heard the addage, “never trust a person who says ‘Trust Me!’”  And for the most part, that might be really good advice.  HOWEVER …. TRUST ME!!!  Today I want to show you how easy it can be to make LINED Curtains …I’ll even go so far as to add Pom Pom fringe and the project still remains EASY!  Trust me.  You can read it  in a creepy voice if you want, but I’m saying it as a true friend-to-friend-who-doesn’t-carelessly-use-the-word-EASY!

Here is what I'm talking about! I used Summer Totem by Anna Maria Horner for my sewing room.

Here is what I’m talking about! I used Summer Totem by Anna Maria Horner for my sewing room.  Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming so I didn’t clean up for you! (actually, I am lying about this…I had a housekeeper yesterday, so SHE cleaned up for you!  But from now on… trust me!)

Let’s get started, shall we?  Here’s a little something to keep in mind if you’re new to my blog.  Most of my projects are designed to be FAST, EASY and INEXPENSIVE.  This means that I cut corners where necessary and possible, and I don’t get bogged down with crazy things like “standard hem lengths.”  Let’s face it… who in the world will ever look behind your curtain and wonder if you used a 7″ hem or a 2″ hem…right???  You can save a lot of money and time by using small/short hems wherever possible.  This is casual sewing, for sure…but the end result looks the same…TRUST ME!!!  Let’s get going…

First you'll need your main (outer) fabric. There is no rule what kind of fabric you need - I love using quilting cotton because it's so soft and hangs beautifully. The downside is that it's only 44" wide - but that's never worried me. Measure how long your finished curtain will be. Then add only about 2 - 4".

First you’ll need your main (outer) fabric. There is no rule what kind of fabric you need – I love using quilting cotton because it’s so soft and hangs beautifully. The downside is that it’s only 44″ wide – but that’s never worried me. Measure how long your finished curtain will be. Then add only about 2 – 4″.

Then, cut out your lining fabric...I cut mine a little bit shorter than my outer fabric. Saves money! Something to note: it's way easier and faster to choose a lining fabric that is the same width as your outer fabric. This way there is no cutting down the length to make it narrower. All you have to do is cut the length. I used Symphony Broadcloth fabric.

Then, cut out your lining fabric…I cut mine a little bit shorter than my outer fabric. Saves money! Something to note: it’s way easier and faster to choose a lining fabric that is the same width as your outer fabric. This way there is no cutting down the length to make it narrower. All you have to do is cut the length. I used Symphony Broadcloth fabric.

Now place the two fabrics on top of each other with right sides facing ... like your making a pillow... align the top edge and the sides remembering that your lining fabric will be shorter than your outer fabric.

Now place the two fabrics on top of each other with right sides facing … like your making a pillow… align the top edge and the sides remembering that your lining fabric will be shorter than your outer fabric.

Now sew the top edge of the curtain together. Stitch all the way. As you can see here, the selvege of my outer fabric sticks out a little further than the lining. If this happens to you, just position the lining so that it's centered on the outer fabric. Make sense?

Now sew the top edge of the curtain together. Stitch all the way. As you can see here, the selvege of my outer fabric sticks out a little further than the lining. If this happens to you, just position the lining so that it’s centered on the outer fabric. Make sense?

Okay, now let's continue sewing this up like we're sewing a pillow by sewing down the two sides of the curtain. Begin about 5 or 6" down from the top and stop at the end of the lining. (You start further down so that you will have a casing for the curtain rod to go through.)

Okay, now let’s continue sewing this up like we’re sewing a pillow by sewing down the two sides of the curtain. Begin about 5 or 6″ down from the top and stop at the end of the lining. (You start further down so that you will have a casing for the curtain rod to go through.)

Now, hem the casing edges by pressing them inside and sewing a straight stitch.

Now, hem the casing edges by pressing them inside and sewing a straight stitch.

 

 

Here's what you'll get.

Here’s what you’ll get.

Now, go to the bottom of your curtain and fold in the last few inches of outer fabric that extend past the lining. (You may be wondering...I choose not to hem the lining because it takes time and is uneccesary. If you prefer a nice hem, you'll want to do that BEFORE sewing the sides...better late advice than no advice, right!?)

Now, go to the bottom of your curtain and fold in the last few inches of outer fabric that extend past the lining. (You may be wondering…I choose not to hem the lining because it takes time and is uneccesary. If you prefer a nice hem, you’ll want to do that BEFORE sewing the sides…better late advice than no advice, right!?)

Almost done y'all! Put the bottom of the curtain on your ironing board and press a small seam...about 2 inches. Sew that hem up!

Almost done y’all! Put the bottom of the curtain on your ironing board and press a small seam…about 2 inches. Sew that hem up!

If you're not adding fringe, then you're almost done...woohoo!!! All you need to do is sew a straight stitch across the top of the curtain about 5 or 6" down from the top ... I always make mine plenty wide so that any size curtain rod will fit through...and it also helps the curtain slide more easily.

If you’re not adding fringe, then you’re almost done…woohoo!!! All you need to do is sew a straight stitch across the top of the curtain about 5 or 6″ down from the top … I always make mine plenty wide so that any size curtain rod will fit through…and it also helps the curtain slide more easily.

You’re finished!!!! Unless……………… Like Me………………. You’re still wanting more!  Go for FRINGE!

I love this stuff. Especially bright yellow! It will up the cost of your project but it's so worth it...even for a cheapie like me!

I love this stuff. Especially bright yellow! It will up the cost of your project but it’s so worth it…even for a cheapie like me!

Before you sew, make sure you tuck the edge inside because this will really unravel on you otherwise. Simply start at the top, and with a wide zig zag stitch, sew it all the way down. Don't forget the double tuck at the bottom too!

Before you sew, make sure you tuck the edge inside because this will really unravel on you otherwise. Simply start at the top, and with a wide zig zag stitch, sew it all the way down. Don’t forget the double tuck at the bottom too!

You'll end up with a little something like this! (I can NOT describe how hard it is for a horrible photographer - aka. ME! - to take good photos in the daylight!)

You’ll end up with a little something like this! (I can NOT describe how hard it is for a horrible photographer – aka. ME! – to take good photos in the daylight!)

Another shot! Oh how these make me giddy! Don't you seriously want to sit down and sew something!?

Another shot! Oh how these make me giddy! Don’t you seriously want to sit down and sew something!?

Last shot ... feeling pretty good you've got the picture of how my curtains look!

Last shot … feeling pretty good you’ve got the picture of how my curtains look!

So there you have it.  It’s a little difficult to capture photos of every step – please email me if you’d like further instructions.  I am a true believer in handmade curtains … I’ll do everything I can to make that possible for you!!!

If you make some – please send me photos …. TRUST ME – I love them!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

robie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What a difference a fringe makes! A quick (and yes, cheap!) way to update a scarf

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Happy New Year y’all!!!

This is my first post of 2013 – and I couldn’t be more excited about it.  Rather than bore you with all the lame and boring oh so exciting details of what I’ve been up to, I think I’ll get right to point today … besides, I’m already late to pick up my daughter!!!  (wish I was kidding about this!)

My awesome grandmother, known affectionately as “MeMaw”, passed away last Spring.  She lived 95 beautiful years!  I’d guess that she sewed for about 85 of those years.

Anyway, as I went through her closet, I found a few scarves that I thought were worth keeping.  Now, they weren’t exactly worth WEARING but they were worth keeping.

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See what I mean….

So today, I had about 20 extra minutes (translate: I can be up to 15 minutes late before I get in trouble!), so I ran to my little stash of scarves and grabbed this one. 

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Then I went to my little stash of embellishments and grabbed a long strand of pom pom fringe. xoxoxoxoxoxo – I LOVE THIS STUFF!

Then, I just simply sewed the pom pom fringe all around the perimeter of the scarf.  I used a long and wide ZIG ZAG stitch to be sure I got a good hold of the fringe.  This also keeps it from curling up on the edges as I wear and wash it.

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I mean, COME ON!!! Isn’t this so cute and sweet now!!! ??? !!!

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I just love it. I wish I could just run over to her house, give her big hug, eat some of her homemade wheat rolls, and sneak another scarf out of her closet. For now, I’ll settle for wearing this aLOT and remembering how lucky I am to have had her as my grandmother.

Breakdown:

Time: took me about 7 minutes – I could’ve done it in 5, but that stupid bobbin needed threading halfway through.

Cost: Scarf – FREE.  Fringe – about $3 (I got it on 75% clearance!!!! hollah)

Think. Think. Think.

What can YOU add fringe to???

 

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Easy Apron – How to make a Fast and Free hostess gift!

Posted in DIY, For Home, Scraps, TUTORIALS, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 24, 2012 | 7 Comments »

I realized LAST SUNDAY that TODAY was the last day of school for ALL of my kids.  WHAT IN THE WORLD!?!?  How did this happen???

Somehow in the next few days, I had to come up with 6 Thank You gifts for my kids’ teachers.  And not only that – this week is the last week of our pay period … translation: I need these gifts to be FREE.  But how in the world do I adequately say thank you for 9 months of loving and teaching my children …. for free???

Put on my thinking cap and think. think. think.

I opened up my scrap fabric drawer for some inspiration….

And I came up with this … a reversible scrap fabric apron. And I must admit, I LOVE them!

I kind of feel bad for showing off my mennequin’s posterior, but if mine looked like that I’d show mine off too. Anyway, I love how the reversible part peeks through in the back! This particular version is made from a fabric remnant my husband brought me back from Africa. The houndstooth fabric is just remnants from prior projects.

I made three of these in an hour – how awesome is that!?  Here’s how you can too:

You’ll need to remnant pieces that you can cut to approximately 30″ x 12″. (That is just what I decided to do. You can make yours as wide and as long as you want. This size will make you what I call a “carpenter’s” length apron – just above mid thigh.) I cut mine out with right sides together so that I can go straight to the machine without turning the fabric. Just pick it up and sew. Also, I chose to round the bottom edges. Purely a matter of opinion.

For this particular apron, I wanted to add rick rack (and who cares that I didn’t have quite enough – I just started down a little lower…it’s MY apron!). So, I just sewed the rick rack to the rightside edge of one apron panel. Then I placed that panel on top of the other panel with right sides facing. I sewed along the rick rack stitch line to attach the two panels together. This way you can be sure that the rick rack appears as it should.

Turn your apron section right side out and press. Lovely! Sigh, take in the sights, so pretty!!!

Now to attach the tie/band … cut a long strip of fabric about 6″ in width and as long as you like. This one wrapped all the way around and tied in front. Others can just tie in back, whatever you want and have enough fabric for. Then press the center, and then press in about 1/2″ on each side.

Making sure to match up the centers of the apron panel and the apron tie – begin pinning the panel to the inside seam allowance like shown.

Then fold over the tie/band and pin in place as well. I stitch the apron panel and band together first, then stitch the rest of the tie … if you start at the tip of the tie and sew all the way down to the other tip, your band will have a tendency to shift, so sewing the panel and band first helps to avoid that. But it’s your apron – do what you want!

Okay hot mamma, you’re almost done!!! Try the apron on for size and mark where you’d like to trim your tie (assuming that you want to trim it!)

Now all you have to do is tuck in your edges on both sides and sew ‘em up. YOU’RE DONE!!!

Don’t just stand there… admire yourself and the mirror … this is one awesomely easy apron!

And so is this one! Wait…what? They’re the same thing??? How amazing are you!?!

Here’s another combo I whipped up.

EXTRA EXTRA: if you end up cutting a fair amount off the tie, just turn it into a headband. Bam. You’re killin’ it!

So, I feel as if you don’t really need the “breakdown” because I’ve been pretty clear…but here it is anyway:

TIME:  I finished 3 in one hour, so 20 minutes.  ***That means that you’ll have to cut them out at the same time though.

COST: FREE if you use scraps like I did!  Not more than about $3-$5 if you purchase fabric.

Okay, now don’t just stand there…go make some and give them away!!!

 

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9 Minute $2 Skirt – I’m not even lieing! A tutorial just for you!

Posted in DIY, kids, TUTORIALS, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2012 | 3 Comments »

What should you do when you have 9 minutes to kill …. think, think, think.

You could clean your bathroom.

You could clean out your refrigerator.

You could jog a mile.

OR —— YOU COULD MAKE A SKIRT JUST LIKE THIS!

I really really made this in less than 10 minutes!

If you got ten minutes to spare, read on for how to whip this up and have 30 seconds to spare.

Grab a skirt that comes close to the size you’re wanting and lay it on top of your fabric. Keep your fabric folded just like it comes. I knew I wanted the new skirt longer than the current one, so as you can see I left room at the bottom.

Then just cut out a rectangle-ish piece of fabric. You can see that I cut it a little longer at the top to accommodate the elastic casing, and again, I made it longer at the bottom. (yes, you can also see that I didn’t worry about making it a perfect rectangle. This is a summer skirt – it’s going to be flowy, relax a little!

Fold the fabric right sides together and align the selvedge edges. Serge or sew that edge. (the other edge is the fold so there’s no need to sew – score!)

Next, serge or narrow hem the top and bottom edges.

Your bottom edge is done, finished, bam! The top edge now needs an elastic casing, so fold over the top edge and press.

Sew all the way around the elastic casing, leave an opening at the side seam to insert your elastic.

Use the sample skirt to determine how long to make the elastic. I made the new skirt’s elastic slightly longer than the sample so Ellie can keep growing. (just squint if you’re having trouble seeing the blurry image!)

Using a safety pin, thread the elastic through the casing, then sew closed. Bam, your skirt is finished ….. AFTER you press down that side seam. Look at your clock – it should say approximately TEN MINUTES has passed!

The skirt you see here technically took 14 minutes – but that’s because I was taking photos along the way.  I wanted to see the “real” time so I made a second skirt for my other daughter using exactly the same process.  That time was 9 minutes!  I’m trying hard not to spit my Lacroix out of my nose because this is SO exciting!

This fabric makes me smile – I know they’re technically pears, but they make me think of lemonade!

Would you believe that each skirt cost me less than $2!?!? That’s cheaper than Savers people!

Now, yes, I know that this skirt is a total bare-bones skirt.  BUT WHO CARES!!!!????!!!!  If you pick out fabric that you love, you don’t need crazy ornate patterns, just let the fabric speak for its self!

Here’s the breakdown … and you seriously won’t believe this:

Time:  have I been stuttering?  In case you missed it, these skirts take 9 minutes!!!  (In the effort of full disclosure, I used a serger.  If you use a regular sewing machine, you might choose to do a double folded hem which will add about 2 minutes to the total.  Not bad if you ask me!)

Cost: Under $2!  I bought my fabric on sale for half price making it $3.50/yd.  The longest skirt was cut at 18″, making it $1.75 for fabric.  I had the elastic on hand, so I added just a quarter to the price since I didn’t use much.

These are awesome for a summer fun wardrobe that you don’t spend much on … you’ll be sooooo happy to let them get these all dirty and rotten because the expense and time burden are so super small.  Also, these are awesome for inexpensive but powerful birthday presents!

Lastly – you really really really can do this for a grown up too.  I am working on one for me as I type this – since my serger thread ran out, I thought I’d post the first two first.  Either way, it’s still a 9 minute skirt!

Go grab nine minutes, half a yard of fabric – and have fun!!!

Oh, and by the way – I’m certainly NOT the first person to create a fast skirt … for more ideas on making quick skirts (and a million other things, check out my friends over at All Free Sewing … every tutorial is free and easy!  I love this website!)

 

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Lined Zipper Pouch Tutorial – SO easy!

Posted in DIY, Scraps, TUTORIALS, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on March 1, 2012 | 31 Comments »

Hey there friends and family and mystery sewers … how in the world are you???  I just realized it’s been about THREE WEEKS since my last confession post.  Gosh.  As we say here in Texas, “That ain’t right!”

You’ve probably guessed that my world has been a little rocked by my $35 Strapless Dress Revolution.  You are correct!  I’ve sold 35 dresses so far – HUGE THANK YOU to all of you!  So, I’m a little bit holed up on my sewing wall whenever my lame-non-sewing kids allow me the time.  Hopefully I’ll get caught up soon.

Anyway … I just couldn’t go another minute without passing along another easy project for y’all.  I realized today that I have never ever ever posted a tutorial for how to make a zipper pouch.  Seriously, y’all – how come no one has been harping???  Too late, you missed your chance because here’s a tutorial for how to make one of these little darlings:

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And yes, it's even lined! I know - you're welcome!

How to Make a Lined Zipper Pouch – without a pattern! 

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This may sound strange, but I prefer to start with the zipper .. meaning, the size of your zipper should determine the size (or atleast WIDTH) of your pouch. You'll want your zipper to be LONGER than the width of your fabric by atleast an inch or two on each side. This makes sewing up the sides so much easier!

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I rarely measure, I just make sure that my fabric is narrower than my zipper - just like what you see here. You can make it as long as you want though. Decide on your outer fabric and cut two equal shapes.

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Choose your lining fabric, and cut two more shapes the same size.

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Now here's where you want to pay attention - we're going to be layering, and the order is very important. Start by placing one piece of your OUTER FABRIC face up. Then, along the upper width, place your zipper wrong size up and centered over the fabric.

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See how the zipper pull is on the bottom not the top!

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Now take one of your LINING pieces, and lay it on top of the zipper and outer fabric. You will want all three pieces (outer fabric, zipper, lining fabric) to align at the very top. You can pin if you prefer. No sew the two fabric pieces to the zipper.

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When you open it up, it should look like this.

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Okay, follow closely. Lay the remaining OUTER FABRIC piece face up. Turn your sewn section over so that the zipper pull is now on the opposite side but still facing down. Place the remaining LINING fabrin, on top of the entire set, face down. Look closely at the picture. You are aligning the two remaining fabric pieces at the top of the zipper, while the pieces already sewn are dangling down a little bit in the middle of the fabric sandwich.

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Once you sew up the second size to the zipper, you'll have something that looks like this. Both OUTER FABRIC pieces on one side and the LINING pieces on the other, right sides facing each other.

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And from another angle, this is what you'll see. Get excited now, because you are almost finished!

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Lay out your pouch with the two sides separated. Unzip the zipper about halfway. Overlap the opening ends of the zipper just a bit. Now, sew a continuous seam all the way around the entire project - beginning with the lining and LEAVE AN OPENING for turning. (Apparently, my machine sews a straighter stitch than my fingers can draw one. relief!)

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Clip the excess off the zipper at the sides, and then turn the pouch right side out by pulling everything through the opening. Use a pair of scissors to poke out the corners of the outer fabric.

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Sew up that opening - and yes, duh, clip your fray thread! Then, tuck that little lining into your pouch....

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And you got yourself a pouch that looks like this!

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And it's beautiful on the inside too - are you as ecstatic as I am right now?!?!

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If you want, you can tuck in the corners (okay, you can SEW them in also, but who has the extra 30 seconds to do that!?) and your pouch can stand on its own. Ta Da!

So there you go fun people – your very own lined zipper pouch in less than 10 minutes.  (DISCLAIMER: the first time will take you longer because your eyes get all whomperjawed trying to figure out the order and placement.  Don’t worry, it’s gets WAY faster!)

Here’s the breakdown:

Cost:  about $3 – depending upon which size zipper you get..cheaper if you thrift them or steal borrow them from your mother’s stash.  You can easily use scrap fabric, so there’s no charge there!

Time:  seriously and realistically – TEN MINUTES … if you give yourself a little longer for a time or two!

I love these.  I really really do.  Every time I make one I get a little bit happier in life.  I hope you do too!

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Got 30 minutes? Make a clutch! – yep, there’s a tutorial in here!

Posted in DIY, Scraps, TUTORIALS, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Can you guess I’m excited about this latest project???  I almost never take photos of myself but last night, I couldn’t help it.  I was compelled to be associated with this clutch both mentally and visually!

I was inspired by this little sewing book I purchased from Stitch Social.

It’s a really fun book filled with crazy anecdotes from the 1950′s plus lots of pages to jot down ideas for your own projects.  Most of the stories are excerpts from an article where women shared what they made and how much they sold it for.  Crazy thing – most women were making things and selling them for $1!  Wow, their profit margin must have been AMAZING!

Well, somewhere in the back of the book is a simpler version of what I’ve done here.  The drawing in the book looks similar to my tissue pouches … and it inspired me to wrap up the day yesterday by making my very own clutch.

Don't you just LOVE this fabric designed by Ty Pennington!?!

If you’ve got about thirty minutes …. Why don’t you make one for yourself!

First you need to decide how big/small you want your clutch. I decided that I wanted mine to be half the length of this magazine and exactly the same width. So, I just used this as my template.

You can see I just cut about .5" from the magazine at the bottom and the sides. PLUS: I extended my shape beyond the magazine so that I have a fold over to close up the clutch. My finished shape was roughly 17" x 10".

Next, cut out an identical piece from your lining fabric.

I also knew I wanted to add a little row of ruffles/pleats on the clutch flap, so I cut a strip off the selvege of my lining fabric. This way, I could use the frayed selvege as an accent and not have to hem it!

Get yourself some of this Pellon Decor Bond fusible interfacing. It's pretty rad. It is a lot stiffer than regular interfacing but it isn't crazy stupid stiff!

Cut the Pellon the same size as your fabric - only cut one piece. Fuse it to your outer/main fabric - shiny side down.

If you're adding an embellishment, add it now. Also - it should be noted: if you're going to use one of those awesome purse snaps, do it NOW. I forgot this step last night so I had to come up with something inferior! Read on.

Now pin your lining to your outer fabric - right sides facing.

Stitch all the way around the fabric, leaving an opening like you would a pillow. Clip your corners, turn right side out....and PRESS! I haven't said it in a while, but ....IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PRESS YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO SEW. Am I clear??? wink.

When you press, be sure to tuck the opening in nicely and press firmly.

Lay your piece in front of you with the lining facing up. Bring the bottom up to form the actual purse part. When you determine how far up you want it, you can pin it if you like. CONFESSION: I didn't use a straight edge when I cut my fabric, so you can see here that I got a little crooked. BIG WHOOP! The flap covers that up! Whew!

Starting with the bottom right corner, stitch all the way up, around over the flap section and back down to the other corner. You're enclosing the purse portion and will end up topstitching the flap portion.

Here you can see how the stitch runs from the bottom all the way around to the top ... and back down again (except that's not showing!)

Be sure to do some sort of reinforcement stitch where the bottom meets the flap. This will get alot of tugging everytime you put something in or take something out of your clutch, so be sure it doesn't start coming apart!

At this point last night, I proudly patted myself on the back and enjoyed my beautiful clutch. Oh. Wait. Yuck. I had forgotten to add any sort of enclosure. DANGIT. So, I was forced to add little squares of velcro. Not horrible but not great.

As a result of that tiny little detail (cough cough), I needed to add something to cover up the seams from the velcro. So, I added a fun little yo yo and a button. I would've added this anyway, but I had planned to place it on the SIDE of the clutch and not the dead center!

I've decided to call it a "happy accident" because I am super thrilled with my clutch! Sorry '50s gals, I'm not selling this one for a buck!

Here’s the breakdown for y’all:

Time: 30 MINUTES!  Seriously.  If you’re super meticulous, maybe (MAYBE!) an hour max.  I triple dog dare you to do it in 30 minutes though!

Cost: Anywhere from FREE if you use what’s on hand…to about $5.  You’re using such a small amount of fabric and a tiny bit of Pellon!

I know I said I want to be generous….but I’m keeping this one!!!

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30 Minute / 4 Seam Caftan – tutorial for So Celebrate Sewing day 3!

Posted in DIY, dresses, TUTORIALS, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 3, 2011 | 76 Comments »

Well, here I am at 9:49pm on day 3 of my So Celebrate Sewing extravaganze …whew, getting this post in in the nick of time!  Which is fitting because today I am celebrating that in sewing, all you need is a few minutes to create something super cool.

As in this CAFTAN!

Believe it or not, you can make this dress in about 30 minutes… you need about 3 1/4 yards of fabric.  It takes 4 seams, 4 buttonholes, and one long tube to use as a sash.  That’s it!

Start with your fabric. I used 100% light weight polyester. Next time, however, I think I'll switch to a breathable fabric - 100% cotton for sure.

First, if your fabric has a factory fold that run along the length of the fabric, open it up so that you are facing the entire width of the fabric. Then, fold the fabric in half, right sides together, keeping the fold at the top. This means you'll have two equal halves measuring about 1 5/8 yards with the fold at the top.

To create your sleeves and side seams, measure down along the selvages on each side about 12". Place a pin. Sew all the way down from the pin to the end of the fabric. (Be sure to reverse stitch at the beginning since this opening is your sleeve.)

Now that you've created your side seams and your sleeves, you need to create your neckline. I pinned my fabric right to my ironing board, and then I started guessing how big the opening should be. Start small on this guess - you can always go bigger but you can't go smaller! After trying to pull it over my head the first time, I had to go back and make it a bit bigger.

Next, you'll need to add bias binding along your neckline. If you have enough fabric, create bias tape from the dress fabric. Otherwise, use storebought or coordinating bias tape. I have neither tonight, so I'll grab some later...you can still get the idea!

Now you need to add 4 buttonholes at the waist - front and back right side, front and back left side. To decide where, I held the dress up to me and went to a mirror. I located my waist and put a pin at the very right side and the very left side. Then, back at the ironing board (where I do all my pinning), I used those pins to also mark the identical spots on the back left and back right. (These button holes are used to hold your belt in place ... see photo below!) Also - when opening up your buttonhole with a seam ripper, please be sure it's not too dull. OR ELSE< you'll end up with puckered buttonholes like I did!

Finally - hem the bottom and create a quick tube for the sash. Thread the sash to the front from the back buttonholes. You've got yourself a fabulous caftan, maxi dress, billowy dress!

If you're wondering about hemming the sleeves - you use the selvege so there's no need! This truly is a 4 seam, 4 buttonhole, 1 sash piece - easy peasy!

My friend Erin Tyrrell and I were talking a few weeks ago about Caftans … whether or not we’d ever try to pull one off.  I think I just might try this one out in public!  The fabric definitely feels like flimsy plastic, so I’m not sure 107 degree weather is the best option for this fabric, but maybe something in a nice seersucker or something else light weight.  We’ll see!

Cost: I got this fabric for about $2/yd, so $6.50.  yay!

Time: Again, you really can do this in 30 minutes if you know how to use the buttonhole function on  your machine!

Okay ya’ll….I’m hoping you’re getting the hankering to Celebrate Sewing.  Share your thoughts with me if you like!

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No machine = Learn to Crochet!

Posted in Crochet, DIY, tagged , , , on August 26, 2011 | 6 Comments »

Well, I’ve been pretty quiet here on the blog front this week … but not because I’ve wanted to be…my sewing machine has been in the shop!  UGH!!!  This is a fate worse than root canals and spinal taps combined!  It’s been a week and there’s no sign of it coming home any time soon.  Please send condolence card STAT!

As you can probably imagine, I’m jonesing for something to do and not particularly inspired to use a glue gun.

Think. Think. Think.

I came up with something that I had no idea I would love so much … Crocheting!

I spend a weekend with my mother and grandmother and strong-armed mom into teaching me how.  I thought it would just be a time-passer, but in fact, I’ve become pretty addicted already!

Here's how I started ... not super impressive, but tons of fun!

And here's my first "real" project! It's a bummer that it takes 3 hours to complete a scarf - with sewing it takes about 12 minutes - but hey, we can't zoom through everything!

I can assure you that I’ve got coordinating scarves already in the works.  It’s 107 degrees here in Austin today … not exactly scarf weather – but I’m looking ahead to Montreal in October.  Surely I can wear this there!

Everyone got in on the lesson - even little rosamund!

Even Owen got in on the action - for about 22 seconds.

So, if you’re hankering for a new project, it really really is easy to begin learning how to Crochet.  You can see I have very basic skills but could still create a fun cowl neck scarf.  As in Napolean Dynamite, “There’s just so many options!”

So Crochet Something y’all!

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Fun & Easy One Shoulder Dress … did I mention cheap, too?

Posted in DIY, dresses, tagged , , , , on July 27, 2011 | 4 Comments »

Gosh, it seems like forever since I shared what I’ve been working on – I think I’m having withdrawals!

For tonight, I just wanted to show  you pictures of my new, totally favorite dress!  This one isn’t for sale because I just absolutely LOVE it.  I made it straight from a McCall’s Pattern, and I made it with $1/yd fabric!

I really really love this fabric - it's flowy and very light, I've been holding onto to it for about a year. Yay for finally finding the perfect pattern!

dreaming of yellow pattent funky wedges and/or flatforms!

Who doesn't LOVE a one-shoulder dress ... I'm so glad they're still in style!

I’m off to vacation for a few days…but when I come back, you should be hearing about my new Silhouette Machine … and the rollout of the NEW & IMPROVED organization formerly known as Austin City Craft … can you guess our new name???

Oh…the breakdown:

Cost: $1 for the pattern, $3.50 for the fabric for a grand total of a whopping $4.50!!!  Hollah!!!

Time: right at 1.5 to 2 hours.  This is not a hard pattern at all, but if you’re a novice, the directions to the neckline and facing might cause you some problems.  Just stare at it, and between the wording and the pictures you’ll figure it out.  Or shoot me a message!

McCall's Pattern 6118 and my version! I think I need a few more of these!

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