Lab Silhouette Pillow

This is my first post in a while that has absolutely nothing to do with weddings. I finally bought a silhouette machine a couple months ago and I absolutely love it. I bought the black lab download to create this pillow for a gift. I placed the outline on the material, and filled it in with black acrylic paint. I chose a linen colored, thick fabric for a simple, clean design. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a yorkie silhouette but I loved the look the finished lab.

Monogram Tray

Lately I have been seeing trays with all sorts of modern designs and funky, bright colors. I especially love the addition of large monogram in the center. I happened to have an unpainted wooden tray so I decided to give it a try. I decided to paint the tray gold to dress it up a bit. I measured the inside of the tray and cut a piece of fabric to the same dimensions. Then, I applied a layer of mod podge to the bottom of the tray, placed the fabric inside, and applied a top coat of mod podge. I created a stencil of my initials using Microsoft Word, traced the letters onto felt, and cut them out. That part was the most time consuming step. I smeared another thin layer of mod podge in the middle to hold the letters in place and then another over coat of mod podge. I think I still need to apply a glaze to seal everything but I'm still researching what I should use. I chose a black and white print fabric and used a coral color felt for the monogram to create a fun color scheme with the fancy gold edges. I think these would make super cute gifts and could be used in a variety of ways. I can't wait to put together other color and fabric combinations.

Linking to the DIY Project Parade at The DIY Show Off

Blocks and Burp Cloths

In my last post, I wrote about organizing tons and tons of fabric. In the process, I found some very cute prints that I thought would be perfect for making a baby gift. It just so happens that one of my college roommates is pregnant and having a baby girl. I decided to use a variety of material to make soft fabric blocks and matching burp cloths. 

I started off by choosing a variety of fabric to create 5 blocks. I made a 5.5" square in Microsoft Word, printed it for my pattern. Next I cut 6 squares of fabric for each block, for a total of 30. Then I sewed (yes, I actually sewed these) all of the squares together, right sides facing, and stuffed them with Polyfil. 

For the burp cloths, I started with two plain white cloth diapers. Then I chose a few of the fabric patterns that coordinate with the blocks to create a layout for the front side of the cloth. I added a button and a little loop of ribbon so that they could be hung in the nursery or attached to a car seat or diaper bag. 

This is probably one of my favorite projects that I have made lately. I was also quite proud that I sewed almost everything by myself. I did scream at the sewing machine a few times before I remembered all the tricks of the trade. I really liked the burp cloths because the ones sold in stores, although just as useful, all look alike and are all boring. But, the blocks are what really excite me. They are so soft and fuzzy and perfect for a girly nursery. Plus, the are much safer for a baby than the original wooden variety. Maybe I will try a set of baby boy blocks next.

Lately...

Over the past 48 hours since the disastrous storm made its way through Alabama, crafting has been far from my main focus. Since volunteer efforts are still in the stage of organization, my family and I are currently trying to provide essential items to people in need. Although I know the food and water and toiletries are very useful, I want to do so much more. For now, here is a look at my past week of crafts and thrifty finds...

I had spools of ribbon all over the place. Every time that I would need a certain color of ribbon for a project, it was easier to buy it rather than search for it around my house. I'm sure I still haven't found all of it, but at least I now have a system of organization. I actually found the frame on the side of the road. It is part of a wine crate and worked perfectly for making a ribbon holder. I got the wooden dowels and wooden knobs at Hobby Lobby. My dad cut the dowels down to the length that I needed and drilled holes in each side. How I love organization projects!

On the subject of organization, I tackled a massive amount of fabric. My mom has always sewn and over the years has accumulated 5 large tubs of material. I pulled out every last piece, tossed what I labeled as "hideous", and set to work. I cut a sample-size square out of each material before neatly folding back into a storage tub. Then I threaded the upper left corner of each square on to a safety pin. Each safety pin of fabric swatches corresponds to a particular tub. I was excited to find quite a bit of lovely fabric. I can't wait to put it to use.

I have been making these wreaths/door hangers for a while now. I've painted collegiate, Christmas, and family name themes. My cousin asked if I could make an "It's a boy" wreath for her sister-in-law and I thought that it turned out to be quite adorable. I decided to list a few on Etsy and hey have been a hit. Although my dad doesn't delight in the craft scene, I have to give him credit on this project as well as the ribbon holder. He cuts all the wreath shapes out of plywood and sands them to create smooth edges. Yea, he's awesome!

Last week's thrift store adventure was well worth the trip. I found a few other good deals but they were all shadowed by Mr. Beethoven. When I spotted the Beethoven bust, I went to grab him off the top shelf. I had no clue he would be that heavy. I also did not expect the cheap price of $6.88. I'm not a huge  Beethoven fan or anything but I find my statue to be rather handsome. I'm still searching for a female bust to drape my pearls over because they looked a bit silly on Mr. Beethoven.

Still praying for all of the victims of the tornados and all of their loved ones!

Burlap Carrot Door Hanger

I usually don't care too much about decorating for Holidays, aside from Christmas. Not only do they sneak up on me too quickly, but most holiday decor is too busy for my taste. That being said, the only Easter decorations that I planned on were my two stone bunnies that I put out for Spring. Then I came across a tutorial for a burlap carrot door hanger at Frou Frou Britches, and I am a sucker for anything burlap. I loved the shabby, yet sophisticated look of the simple carrots. While I didn't actually plan to make these, I came across my burlap amidst another project and it just sort of happened. Tanya has written a great tutorial with pictures on her blog, Frou Frou britches. I mostly followed her steps, with a few minor changes. I decided to hot glue my carrots together, instead of sewing, to save time. She stuffed hers with poly-fil but I opted for crumbled newspaper (resource at hand) and then I tied mine together with jute string. I think these are adorable hanging on the door. Too bad there is not even a week left until Easter.

DIY grain sack dish towel

If you read my last post then you know how I feel about grain sacks. LOVE. It would be amazing to be able to stock up on authentic vintage grain sacks, but at more than $40 each, it is just not happening. After checking out all the fabulous French graphics by The Graphics Fairy, I decided I would make some myself. There were so many wonderful designs it was hard to choose. Plus all of the graphics already have the PDF file of the mirror image for FREE. One of my favorite aspects of the grain sacks is the soft feel of the material. I found a 4-pack of plain white flour sack dish towels at World Market for $9.99. They are quite large so I am planning to cover some pillows with them as well. I got some fabric transfer paper at Hobby Lobby, printed out the mirror image of the design, and ironed it on to my dish towel. Just follow the directions given with the transfer paper. This was so easy and I loved the result. I can't wait to make some more with different designs. I am thinking of adding some trim to dress up the bottom of my next creation.