Homemade Flower Power

Do you have fabric scraps lying around? In case you do, grab your needle and thread and make a fabric flower. I started out with a strip of fabric about 1x16 inch piece of fabric but I have also worked with wider and longer pieces of fabric, which also turn out to be pretty cute. Just remember the longer the piece, the more layers of pedals... the wider your fabric the taller your flower will be.

I started with my piece of fabric and surged all the sides. You probably don't have to use a serger but I LOOOOOVE my serger so I use it every chance I get. In fact, I am trying to think of another project right now so that I can use it again. (It's actually my mom's and she is allowing me to become addicted to all its possibilites before she takes it back.)

A non serged edge will allow more fraying. You may want to do some type of stitch along the edges to prevent the whole piece of fabric from falling apart. I would suggest a zig zag stitch.
Next, start hand sewing along the bottom and then pull the whole thing tight. (I hope this makes sense.)
So when it is all pulled tight it should look a little like this.
Next, wind the bottom edge around itself and form a flower. Ta Da!!
Now you can do whatever you want with this little beauty...glue it to a hair clip, attach it to a head band, put it as a bow on a present, get into a fabric flower throwing fight with your 2 year old...the possibilites are endless!

What am I thinking?!?

My husband and I are expecting a little girl in November and I am back in the crafty spirit. Yes, I am nesting! I tried not to do it but I can't help myself. I am on my sewing machine or at the craft store almost 2 hours a day! It's disgusting I know!


Well here is my latest and most difficult sewing project. I made a rag quilt for my son before he was born but now I am going for the big she-bang of quilts. Let me just show you what I am doing.

First I went to the fabric store with some already collected fabric scraps from my collection and ended up with 9 different prints...that's right...9 different prints are going into this quilt and that does NOT include the trim or the backing...really, what am I thinking?!? I took those 9 prints and cut them into 4 inch squares. Here they are layed out the way I will sew them together. First I sewed them into strips...

And then into blocks. I will end up with 24 blocks that measure 10 1/2 inches. I am still not done sewing all the squares together into blocks but I will be soon. (Fingers crossed).
Once I have the blocks finished, I will then cut them into 4ths. Now you are thinking "What is she thinking?" Yeah I am starting to ask what I got myself into!!!

This little guy is the one who keeps me sane and tears me away from my sewing machine to play cars or trains. Thanks Bubba!

New Pillow Cases

I finally decided that it was time to get rid of the BLAH look of our couch pillows. The pillows came with our couches and I have never really taken a liking to them. So I decided to make some pillow slipcovers. Now I could have just bought new pillows but I have been on a sewing kick lately so I thought I'd sew some up. I found a great and easy removable pillow case tutorial Here over at Sparkle Power. So here are my pillows Before

And here they are After

I found the fabric super cheap at Joann's because they only had about 2 yards left of each fabric. I love them! Right away, my Hubby said that he really liked him...phew...that means they are keepers.
Here is the back. I love that I finally found a tutorial for a removable pillow cover. Now I can wash the pillow cases whenever they get dirty AND change them out when I no longer enjoy the red. But for now I am in love. One day I will have a large stash of these pillow cases so that I can change them out to fit my mood.
P.S. If you look really closely, you can see how anxious I was to sew these covers because I used the black thread I had on hand instead of waiting to buy brown.

Finished Memory Board and Nursing Cover

Do you remember the memory board I made a little while ago? Now it is complete! I finally found some buttons for my little memory board at Joann's. They are a little shiny and I really love what they do for the board. I attached the buttons by sewing them on through the ribbon, fabric, and canvas. And Wha-la!

The craft of this past week was a nursing cover. Yes, I know it is pink and yes I realize that I am NOT expecting a baby...let me reiterate for all the relatives (my mom and mother-in-law especially)...I AM NOT PREGNANT!!

Now that we have that out of the way...here is the nursing cover that I made! It was pretty easy and I'd love to give you a whole tutorial on how to make one for yourself but Made by the Momma Monster has already put a tutorial together. Just click here and you will be able to make your own. Happy Sewing!