SOCIAL MEDIA

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Best Freebie for Winter

Hi There,
It is cold outside! Well, most evenings anyways here in Texas, but I know some friends on the East Coast are still recovering from a terrible blizzard. Now, for those cold nights I bet any girl would be more than happy to be wrapped around (or inside) a mermaid tail blanket. Made for Mermaids patterns held a fantastic 12 days of Christmas back in December full of free patterns and ideas, so I helped myself to some of those freebies. My favorite one was definitely the Mermaid Tail Blanket, it was just perfect for my mermaid loving little girl. The instructions and pattern are on the Made for Mermaids blog right HERE . I hope you stop by and take a look at all those amazing freebies and at Megan's patterns as well, they are not only amazing but incredibly easy to follow with step by step photos. Here's my version of the Mermaid Tail, did I mention it comes in Dolly Size too?
Love,
Paola



Saturday, January 23, 2016

My Sewing Space

Hi There!
I am so excited to get back at sewing after a couple of weeks of re-arranging my sewing space. With the new year I decided it was time to move my sewing area from by bedroom to the game room in my house. The reason I chose my bedroom in the beginning was my children, I just wanted to have the ability to close the door and keep them away from my sewing supplies, which could be dangerous for little hands. Now that they are little older and understand they could get hurt, I was ready to make the move. My game room is a little more spacious and it has wood floors, which make everything so much easier to clean up, while allowing me to have a dedicated space. I always like facing a window when sewing, so of course I chose to face the window after the move. Now, off I go to create beautiful things, I'm so excited to have a space of my own!

The Before Photo - Always facing a window, next to my bed though...

The After Photo- More room for everything.


I also enjoy having my own TV in the room, plus having enough space to display my trims and buttons, I love to recycle glass jars. 




Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Color Me Bow Holder Tutorial

Hi there!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Now that things are getting back to normal it's time to organize and sew! While organizing my daughter's closet I noticed the large number of bows she has, and as I was running out of bow holders, I decided to make my own using very little fabric. I used Color Me fabric by Hayley Crousse for Michael Miller Fabrics. Every time I use this fabric line I think of the unlimited possibilities, this project is no exception. I am sure that aside from decorating my daughter's room it would also make a great party activity and favor and it is so, so easy to make!


Here's what you will need:


Color Me fabric scraps
Ribbon (at least 18 inches, I used 1.5 inches wide because that's what I had on hand)
D Ring (I used a 1.25", pick one according to your choice of ribbon width)
Any buttons or embelishments of your choice.


Step 1:

Cut 1 piece of fabric 8" x 3.5
Cut 1 piece of fabric 12.5" x 3.5"
Cut 1 piece of ribbon on the desired length for your bow holder, plus about 3 inches.

Step 2:

Fold fabric in half, right sides together by the long sides. Press.


Step 3:

Sew along the long sides with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving both short sides open for turning. You will have 2 tubes that resemble a strap.

Step 4:

Turn right sides out using the method of your choice (I used a  dritz turning tool). Press and topstitch. I used contrasting thread to match my ribbon.


Step 5:

Bring the short ends together and overlap at the middle. Pin or use a clip to secure and stitch down the middle. Don't worry that it doesn't look pretty and it's not serged/finished, that area will be covered with ribbon.  Repeat with other piece.


Step 6:

Place smaller piece on top of larger one, making sure they are centered and secure with a pin or clip and carefully sew down the middle.

Step 7:

On the wrong side of your bow  (the side that has the longest tube/strap) center the ribbon and place about 1/2" inch from the edge. Sew in Place.

Step 8:

Take your D-Ring and run it trough the ribbon, with the round side up. Bring ribbon up and around the center until it meets the back again. Secure with a pin and sew at the bottom only, with 1/4" seam allowance. Seal the bottom end of your ribbon with a lighter or fray-check to avoid fraying.


Step 9:

Add any embellishments or none. You are done!