Wednesdays Whip Up: Quick Drapes

Do you remember MONTHS ago when I bought this gorgeous fabric from Hobby Lobby? Think way back to March when I mentioned replacing my breakfast room window treatments?

Yes, March! I’ve had that fabric sitting in a pile since March! How ridiculous is that?

Well, I finally got my rear in gear and made some drapes! At this point I was so irritated with looking at that pile of fabric that I just picked it up, cut it into strips, and hemmed the edges. Seriously! Nothing fancy about these guys!
I literally folded the fabric in half lengthwise and cut. Then folded those two pieces in half widthwise and cut. No brainer!

I usually iron and pin the edges, but didn’t have the patience this time! I merely folded the edges and sewed.

I did measure and pin the top where the rod would go so that they were even. I originally planned to have some excess at the top to gather but then realized that I would have to stitch two lines to do this so I tossed that idea and decided just to sew one stick in each to create the loop (hole) for the rod.

This fabric was pretty thick so once I hung the drapes they didn’t want to stay put. They kept popping out of place and covering too much window.

So I took a needle and thread and sewed through the top to secure the gathering in place.

Handmade Burp Cloths for Baby Brighton

One of my best friends Mary Beth, who I’ve known for over twenty years, just had her first baby. Andrew Brighton (called Brighton) was born on Wednesday.

Isn’t he the sweetest?!

So I made her some custom burp cloths. The first set of burp cloths I’ve ever made! I found a set of three white burp cloths at Hobby Lobby for only $9.99. I searched through my stash of fabric and found this fun orange polka dot fabric and some coordinating colored fabric.

I used Heat’n Bond iron on adhesive on the backside of each of the fabrics. You basically lay it on the fabric and run a hot iron over it for about 20-30 seconds.

Once the adhesive is attached, you just peel away the paper layer. Don’t forget this step. I do frequently and then have to start all over.

I cut the letter “B” out of one of my fabric pieces using my Silhouette CAMEO.

Then attached it to the burp cloth by holding a hot iron on it for 30 seconds, constantly moving the iron.

Then I added some decorative strips as well.

 I cut the strips with my Stampin Up Sizzix Tasteful Trims Die.

I also cut several other pieces using this die and arranged them on the other two burp cloths.

I was going to stop here but I started thinking about all the wear and tear these things go through.  So I decided to add stitching across each piece.

And here is what they looked like when they were finished!

Kinda cute, huh? I was pretty impressed with myself for my first try!

I hope baby Brighton likes them!

Congratulations Mary Beth & John!

 

 

Seat Sacks for the Kids

Cleaning, organizing, cleaning and more organizing. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past week. I’ve got a huge pile in the garage to donate, and overflowing trash can and still so much stuff that I have no where to put it!

Last January, I organized my kiddos’ coloring table by creating these IKEA knock-off hanging buckets which was a great way to organize their crayons, markers and pencils. It’s also been a great space-saver since the table is small. However, the buckets didn’t solve the problem of coloring book and paper storage. Since the boys got new coloring books, activity books and stickers for Christmas, I needed a solution. I wanted everything to be right there, at the table where they could see and reach the books on their own.

I came up with these cute little seat sacks! Back when I taught kindergarten, several teachers used these on the backs of the students’ chais since kindergarteners use tables, not desks. They are perfect for holding books, paper and other table activities.

I really didn’t have a method to making these. I kinda just made it up as I went along. I started by measuring the fabric to fit the length and width of the chairs, also making sure it was wide enough to hold books.

I started with a long, rectangular piece of fabric for each chair. I basically hemmed the entire length of both sides as well as the top. I did not hem the bottom.

Instead, I measured the length needed for the pouch and folded the fabric up once, then folded the same length again. This not only created a more durable pocket, but it also “lined” the inside of the pocket so you don’t see the backside of the fabric.

I cut four strips of ribbon, 12-inches each. I folded the length of the ribbon in half and attached it to the top of the sack. I double-stitched the ribbon so that it could withstand the weight of the books.

And that was it!

 I tied the ribbons around the chair backs.

These cute little seat sacks took me about 30 minutes! They solved my coloring book storage problem and they allow all the activities to be visible and accessible to the kids!

**These sacks will be available in Scissors & Spatulas’ Shop which is coming soon! Several colors and fabrics will be available. In the meantime, I can take orders via email! jen at scissorsandspatulas dot com.**

Are you ready to see if you won either of the $100 giveaways?

The winner of $100 from AMEX Serve is. . .

Michelle Alvin on  said:   I signed up for Serve!

And the $100 prize from Kodak Galleries goes to. . .
Congratulations to both of you! Not a bad after Christmas present, heh? Be sure to email me ASAP to claim your prize! {jen at scissorsandspatulas dot com}

 

 
Todays Creative Blog

 

Guest Post: How to Sew Baby Romper by My Neighbor Kattie!

I’d like to introduce you to my neighbor Kattie! I recently found out that Kattie likes to sew. When she brought over this adorable baby girl romper I told her that I had to share it on my blog! Kattie does not have a blog {yet} but I thought this might be useful information for those of you who are new-to-sewing, or those like me, only know how to sew straight lines! Here’s Kattie!

To start my name is Kattie Casebolt and I love to craft, read, travel, and will try just about anything once.  I have always enjoyed crafting but never realized how much free time I had when I was single or married without children to appreciate it.  I started knitting when I found out I was pregnant with my first child and continued to knit for awhile.  The only problem is, knitting anything takes a lot longer to get a finished project and once I had children I found it hard to stop mid-stitch when they would start crying or wake up from a nap.  I had a very crafty friend (Sharon) who turned me on to sewing and what I could do with it.  My husband wanted to keep me happy since he had moved me to a new state with an infant and no family, so I bought my first sewing machine and made my first set of curtains and valances with the help of Sharon. I made a hat/scarf and mitten set for my niece, but after that my sewing machine found a closet and wasn’t touched again until about a year after my second child.  I have 2 small boys now and stay home with my children.  Some may ask, when in the world do you find time to sew.  Well my response would be in spurts and generally in the evening after the kids go to bed.  I find sewing to be a soothing activity, although when you get close to finishing a project it has made for a few late nights.  I love that I can generally get a completed project within a couple days depending on the size.  I have not been sewing long and had not touched my machine in quite some time, but I thought why not give it another try.  I am not creative, I love patterns, lucky for me, I had a friend who taught me to sew my first set of curtains and valances with a pattern and now I feel pretty comfortable with sewing.   I also love the challenge of doing new things and seeing what I can complete. 

 This featured project is a little girl romper with bloomers using the B5439 Butterick pattern along with the B5056 Butterick pattern for the hat.  I’ll be honest, I had this pattern for a couple years before I actually felt brave enough to attempt it and when I first started, I really didn’t think it would turn out.  One thing I have learned is, make sure to look at the pattern before leaving the store and make sure you have everything you need.  It really stinks to get home and not have something.  Look at the notions, this will tell you what you need, like buttons, thread, elastic, interfacing, etc. I find salespeople really helpful when I’m having a hard time finding something I haven’t used before, like the bias tape or the rick rack.  
To start make sure you read through the entire pattern instructions and get a feel for what to do, decide what version you would like to make and cut out those pieces. I did the criss-cross sundress with bloomers.  I then laid the pattern pieces on the fabric, pinned the pieces and cut.  
This was my first experience with rick rack which you place in the seam allowance of the pocket on the right side of the fabric and then you can hand stitch or use the machine to “baste” the rick rack in place. 

Next, fold right sides together and sew leaving an opening at the bottom of the pocket so you can turn it right side out.  You should see half of the rick rack sticking out. You will end up sewing the seam where you left the opening, the pattern says to slipstitch, I just pinned the pocket on the dress and top stitched so that the seam was hidden.

 I will tell you, I had to redo the pocket a couple times.  First, I didn’t like the rick rack I picked, then the second time my seam was hiding too much of the rick rack.  So don’t give up, you can do it.   I also placed back sections on at the same time, since I didn’t mind the extra bulk and it is more sewing time and less back and forth.  I try to do as many steps as I can so I can sew more at one time.  So I also sewed the lining at the same time.

  I then placed the rick rack on the dress in the seam allowance.  You are centering the rick rack in the 5/8” seam allowance.  The goal is to have half of the rick rack showing when you are done sewing.  Once the rick rack is pinned in place either hand stitch or use the machine to baste the rick rack in place.   

 Put the lining and the dress fabric facing each other so when you look at it you see the wrong side. Sew along seam allowance leaving an opening so you can turn the dress right-side out.  I again top-stitched the dress opposed to slip-stitching.  I think it gives it a nice finished look. 

 This was  my first time dealing with buttons and buttonholes, but luckily my machine has an easy buttonhole function.  If you are new to buttons, you should see if your machine has this function with a special sewing foot, and practice on scrap fabric. This step made me very nervous, since you should have a completed dress at this point, except for the buttons, so if I messed this part up, I would have to start over.  Although, really you can rip out the stitching and try again if need be. I placed the marks on the fabric with a washable fabric pen using the pattern and then brought it to the machine.

 I then placed the buttons using the same thread from the machine and needle placing the button using the pattern.

You should now have a finished dress.

On to the bloomers.

Turn the raw edge at the bottom using the pattern as a guide, it is 3/8”, I use a metal sewing ruler with a sliding mark that allows me to keep a consistent seam.  You then need to take it to the iron and press, whenever it says to do this, it is an important step. It really makes it easier to sew.  You then place the rick rack so half of it is showing, since this will be the finished edge of the bloomers.  This was also my first time using bias tape.   Place the bias tape towards the bottom of the bloomers using the pattern for the placement. This is where the ¼” elastic is going to go, use a pin to feed the elastic through.  I used stick pins to hold the elastic at the ends of the bias tape and then placed stitches in the ends to keep in place.  I do this for both sides at one time.  Once again, place the fabric with the right-sides touching and sew edges, it calls to sew the seam and then sew again in the seam allowance, I’m assuming this is for strength.  Then press the seams to one side.  The seams that you just showed are the front and back.  The first time I got to this step I looked at my bloomers and thought, hmmm, how is this going to work out.  So if you place the seams together like I show in the picture,  you get an idea for what the bloomers look like.
 You can now stitch the inner thigh seam and have what looks like a pair of bloomers, but need to finish the waist. You will want to put a stitch at the seam on the bottom so that you have a finished look at the legs.

To form the waistline you want to turn the raw edge under, just like you did for the legs, but using a ¼” this time.  Then press, turn it again ¾”, or 1” if you are concerned about getting the elastic in and press again.  (See picture)  Stitch along the top edge all the way around and then stitch again at the lower edge, but leave an opening, this will allow you to insert the elastic. Take the elastic and sew it together so that you have a waist band, stitch the opening closed.

   Bloomers finished!
Now if you aren’t bored to death yet, you can start the hat.  The included pattern is fine and almost exactly the same, but I felt the hat pattern had better sizing for what I wanted.  

You are going to cut your pieces out and cut the interfacing out (where they show triangles on the pattern, cut the triangle out in the fabric). The interfacing is going to give your hat more stability and shape.  I used fusible interfacing, so it needs to be ironed on using a wet cloth and hot iron. 
Once you have interfaced the pieces, you will pin and sew using the seam allowances given in the pattern. Pin the sides and front together, and sides and back together, using the arrows from the pattern.  You will then pin the  two pieces together and sew. Pin the brim, sew the seam, put right sides together, sew, turn and press. Sew the inside seam of the brim and then attach to the crown of the hat.  You can clip the brim just do not go over the seam allowance and this will help to give a smooth line.  
I decided to use a matching brim, opposed to using a different fabric, but I did do the bottom side of the brim in the contrast fabric.  I also chose to line the hat with the contrasting fabric, which the pattern did not call for.  
When lining the hat you are just using the same crown pieces and cutting it in the contrast fabric.  It is almost like creating another hat, but worth the extra effort.   Instead of hand stitching I placed the lining in the hat after I pressed a ¼” seam in to hide the raw edge.  I then brought it to the machine and it created a topstitch on the hat, which I then topstitched the brim.  You now have a completed hat!
Congrats, you have completed a great outfit, I have now made two of them as gifts, and can’t wait to get started on my next project. I hope this gives you the courage to try something maybe a little out of your crafting comfort, it really is rewarding in the end.

How I Sew Drapes

I’ve told y’all before, I’m not a professional seamstress! Pretty much the only things I’ve made with my sewing machine are pillows and curtains. I like to figure things out on my own. I do not like to read directions, I do not like to follow patterns, I just don’t have the patience for them. I am the kind of person that just has to try, possibly fail, and try again to figure things out on my own. So my sewing, it’s probably not the “right” way, but I do it my way and it works. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? I had several inquiries asking how I made the drapes for Parker Reese’s nursery. I didn’t have a blog when I made those so I had no reason to photograph the process. However, I did make the new drapes for my new dining room {which, by the way, is just about finished}! So, if you dare continue, here is how I sew drapes. 
For me, the hardest part of this process is measuring and cutting the fabric. Seriously, I started to think maybe there was something wrong with my brain. It took me forever! I had to measure, and re-measure. Ugh! Basically, you want to measure your window and decide how long you want your drapes. I wanted to hang these high above the window and I wanted them to gather on the floor. {total length: 92 inches, width: 30 inches}
After cutting four equal pieces of fabric, I folded and pinned about one inch on each side of the fabric.
I do not iron my fold, I just secure with pins. The total width of the curtains after sewing was 28 inches. I do not add liner to my drapes. It’s an extra step that I don’t feel is necessary. I don’t use them to cover the windows, just to decorate. Plus, this fabric is thick enough that the light won’t shine through it and they won’t fade.
I used a sewing machine to stitch the sides of the panels. After the sides were sewn, I folded, pinned  and stitched the top {2 inches} and and bottom {1 inch} to make a length of 89 inches.

My original rods were in good condition and I really didn’t want to spend the money for new ones but I wanted them to be a little longer. So my genius hubby came up with a solution. He is really good at rigging things like this. He cut an old flag pole we had in the garage {which happened to be the exact thickness of the rod} and used a double-ended screw to fasten it to the existing rod. One problem – the color of the pieces didn’t match.

Two coats of my favorite spray paint, Krylon brushed nickel, and they were good as new. And I found drapery rings {Wal-mart for $6/pack} in the same color! Score!

Initially I wanted to sew pleats in the top of the panels, but I was afraid I would mess them up so I decided against it. Instead I created pleats by folding the fabric and securing with the drapery clips.

Yes, that is a chip clip helping to pleat my drapes! After I “pleated” and hung the drapes, I continued the folds down the fabric {securing with a chip clip} and I then used my steamer to press them.
Before:


After:

I am in love! I was a little worried that this fabric wouldn’t fit with the decor of the rest of my house, but I absolutely love it now that the drapes are up. LOVE it!  I hope to give you the dining room reveal next week!

Summer Porch Decor

It started with a chair from Goodwill that cost just $12. It reminded me of some chairs my parents had when I was little. It was in almost perfect condition. Even the paint looked good. It just needed to be cleaned. I kept walking but in the end, left the store with the chair.

I went from Goodwill to Home Depot to pick out the perfect color of  paint to fix this baby up. I left with  Krylon Bright Idea.

Two coats later, my pretty chair was good as new and a bright sunny yellow!
On to Hobby Lobby to find some things to add to my new chair.
A straw wreath, some fabric, buttons and yarn came home with me.

I already showed you my summer wreath tutorial a couple weeks ago. Besides the yellow paint, it was the inspiration for my summer porch makeover.

I had lots of extra fabric and a pretty yellow {but boring} chair. Hello, PILLOWS!

I added a simple square pillow and a monogrammed bolster pillow to complete my chair.
I’ve given you a full tutorial on how to make a monogrammed bolster pillow here.
Some bright {and of course, matching} flowers.
It ended with a welcoming porch that screams “Happy summer!”

Welcome to our home!

Monogrammed Burlap Bolster Pillow

Happy Monday!
I had a lot of comments about the pillows on my headboard bench. Particularly the monogrammed bolster pillow. If you don’t know what a bolster is, don’t worry, I didn’t know that is what they were called either until just a couple weeks ago when the first comment came in! I was like, “What?!” I had to turn to Google to find out what my reader was talking about when she said she loved the bolster! It’s basically a cylinder-shaped pillow {which is what I had been calling it – OOPS!}.

Here’s the one I made, that I used to decorate my headboard bench. M for McAliley {pronounced mac-uh-lilly} and our family was established in 2004 when the hubs and I were married. These are actually really easy to make. Here is what you’ll need.

         Fabric (I used burlap), freezer paper, acrylic paint and stencil brush and ribbon.
First I used my Cricut to make the monogram stencil. Simply place the freezer paper on the mat {shiny side down}and cut out whatever you want transfered to your fabric. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can certainly trace or print a letter on the freezer paper and use an xacto knife to cut it out.

Once you have your letter cut, place it on the fabric and use a hot iron {steam off} to adhere the freezer paper to the fabric. *Note: the freezer paper did not completely stick to burlap. I used packaging tape around the edges to help keep it in place.
If you’ve never stenciled before, there is a technique to help ensure the paint does not bleed under the paper. Squeeze a small puddle of paint onto a plate. Dip your brush in the paint and use a rolling motion to cover bristles in paint. Dab off excess on the plate and gently apply to fabric using dotting and circular motions. 

Once the paint is dry, remove the freezer paper. {I had a little boo boo with one of my zeros. I used a wet tissue to try to remove some of the paint. Ooops, mistakes happen!}

Measure and cut your fabric to the desired size and sew a hem around all edges. If you do not have a sewing machine you could do this with hemming tape. {Because I used burlap, I added an extra layer of fabric so that it wouldn’t be see through. That is the extra “flap” you see.}
 Fold the fabric in half horizontally making sure your monogram is on the inside. Pin the edge and then sew. Invert the fabric so your monogram is now on the outside. 
Slide your pillow into the center of the sleeve leaving equal amounts of excess fabric on each side. If you do not have a pillow to use, you can use a sheet of Styrofoam or poly fil batting. Just roll it into a cylinder to fit inside your fabric.
Secure the ends of the pillow with ribbon.
Now proudly display your new bolster pillow in your home! And be sure to use that word so you sound super smart! Okay, maybe I’m just super dumb! 😉

Hope your week is off to a great start! I made it through to the final round of American Crafter at Nap Time Crafters! Thank you so much to all my readers who took the time to vote! This week’s challenge. . .


I have something that I’m so excited to share with  you! And I think you’ll be excited to see it. BUT, you will have to wait until Friday night! And please be sure to vote! This competition is so tough and these ladies are crazy creative!


Nursery Knock-Offs

So when I began searching for decor for Parker’s nursery I had this grand design planned out in my head but couldn’t find what I was looking for. I was very picky about the bedding. I didn’t want the typical boy themes: jungle, transportation, aviation, sailboats. Nothing against them. I just didn’t want them. So after hours and hours of sitting in bed on the internet at night, I finally found it! It was perfect.
And of course, it was expensive. Now with the first child, nothing can cost too much. But once you are on your second, reality kicks in and you start to “budget.” Or at least I did.
So anyways, I found this bedding from Carousel Designs.
I was determined that it would be mine (or his rather). Oh look at these adorable coordinating drapes.
But wait. . . $59 for ONE PANEL. Not even to complete one window, but 1/2 of a window. That’s $236 to decorate the windows in this nursery. Are you kidding me? No, I’m not doing it, no way!
And the pillows, something like $40 per pillow?!
No!

So I did my homework. First I searched Ebay to see if I could find any window treatments made with the fabric. No luck. However, i did find the fabric!

Both the toile and the stripe accent, and it was cheap!! I spent $80 on ebay for all the fabric to make the curtains and pillows and still had enough left over to make a lampshade cover and a Christmas tree skirt!
I am by no means a seamstress. I have had a sewing machine for about 10 years, and I love to use it, but I really can only do the basic, geometric shaped items. Pillows and curtains!
So I did. . .

The only difference (besides some not-so-perfect lines) was that I used ribbon to tie the panels to the rod instead of fabric.
          Theirs $246                                                            Mine less than $80

I was determined to have this nursery.
In then end I found a way to make it happen. The nursery turned out just as I had imagined.

The Bumper and bed skirt are from Carousel. I made the pillows (with the exception of the monogrammed pillow) and the mobile I bought on Ebay (cheap) and re-designed. I wish I had a before/after photo of that.
Parker’s black and white newborn photos now hang on each side of the initial “P.”
Also from Carousel, the diaper hanger ( I added the bow to the front) and the blanket hanging on the chair. I made the pillow, covered the lampshade on the tall dresser and made the mirror out of an old window. To see that tutorial, click here.
I love the way this nursery turned out. I saved boo-coos of money and I did it myself!

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