Sweet hearts

Today we have a cute little craft for you. This is a traditional Swedish heart. We usually make these around Christmas time and hang them in our tree but, we thought it would be cute to use these for Valentines day as well this year!

You will need:

two strips of contrasting fabric (a light and a dark will look best) 3″ x 11″

two strips of heavy fusible stabilizer 3″x 11″

scissors

*sewing machine optional!

First iron on your fusible stabilizer to the wrong side of your fabric. This will reinforce your fabric and give your basket some shape.

Next, fold your strips in half and round off the cut end. I use a small glass from the kitchen as a template. It doesn’t have to be perfect just round off the corners.

Then with your strips still folded in half, on the folded side, make 2 cuts perpendicular to the fold, 1″ apart from each other, and 3.5″ long.

Now comes the tricky part.  We will be weaving through and around our strips as opposed to the traditional over and under type of weaving.

Keeping each strip folded, set them down so that the folded sides face each other.Now take the top strip of your light fabric and weave it in between the layers of your first dark strip. 

Then weave the second dark strip in between the layers of your first light strip.

Next weave the light strip in between the layers of the third dark strip. Your first row is done. Now just repeat  starting with the opposite color. Do this for each strip set and you will be done!

You may want to fray check your fabric if you don’t like the raw edge look. You could also do a decorative stitch around each of your raw edges. We did a zig zag on a couple of them and thought they turned out cute.

If you want a tighter seal on your basket just stitch a small seam at the top of the sides to keep it togetherYou could also add a ribbon or ric rac handle by slipping your ribbon in between the layers of fabric at the center of the heart basket and stitching it down.

Now just fill and enjoy!

Jeans Embellishments

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How many of you have made cutoffs you wished were cuter?

Well here you go!

Measure your jeans to the desired length, add 4″ and cut off.  It’s ok if there is a whole in the knee, 3″ will be folded up as a cuff so just make sure it’s within the cuff area that will be soon covered in new fabric!

Measure the width of the pant leg double it and add a 1/2″ for seam allowances.  Using that measurement cut 2 pieces of fabric and 2 pieces of iron on inter-facing to that length x 6″ wide

Iron your fabric to your interfacing and sew the 6″ wide side together to make 2 tubes the size of the pant leg.  Leave them with the right sides to the inside and slide a tube inside one pant leg lining up your seam with the inner seam of the pants.

Fold the edge of the pants down 1/2″ line the fabric edge up with the raw edge of the pants and fold down another 1/2″ to enclose both raw edges.

Sew around the hem with a heavy coordinating thread.  Go up the leg about 5 inches and sew the inside of the fabric down with a thread that blends well with the pants.  It doesn’t need to be perfect just try to keep your fabric and interfacing flat!

Fold up the cuff and admire your work!  You can tack the cuff up if desired by stitching in the ditch of one or both of the side seams.  You now have some adorable embellished and possibly re-purposed pants!

Cute Cutoffs!
Cute Cutoffs!

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is a guest blogger from the Designing Happy blog who is known for her creative uses of fabric and unique sewing style.

4H quilting fun….

We  had the privilege  week ago of hosting the girls of the 4-H group here in Hamilton.  They came to the shop to learn basic sewing skills, and by the time they left they were almost pro’s.  Each girl got to pick out her favorite fabric from any bolt in the shop and then pick out the needed accessories (for this project it was a piece of coordinating jumbo ric rac).  After the shopping was done the girls all sat down at their own sewing machine and used the skills they had been taught to put together their

own fun pillow cases.

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Mom told the girls that her first experience with sewing happened in 4H for her as well.  She said “this is where I learned to sew, and have loved it ever since.”  She reminded them that sewing is a learned skill, and it takes practice to be better.  Not to get frustrated because it isn’t perfect, just keep trying. In the end, they had fun and so did we!
Where did you have your first sewing experience?  What got you into this hobby, anyway?  I’d love to know.
You all have a great weekend.  I am hoping to get a little cleaning done, some thrifting, and maybe a few paint projects going….oh, and also some sewing.  I am STILL working on my disappearing nine patch.  (don’t judge)  Wish me luck….really.  I need it!

In love….

with this super cute Mermaid fabric from Micheal Miller.  Does this NOT scream summer!!?!?  I have so many ideas for this fabric my head is spinning.    Wouldn’t it make the most adorable pool/beach bag, or a pillow case for my daughter, or a quilt, or curtains, or Capri’s, or a sun dress……How do I decide!?!?!?

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What would you do if you had a few yards of this stuff?!!?!?  Please, do tell!  Oh, and have a great weekend!!

Sarah

ps.  if you must have this fabric, I understand!! 🙂  It should be listed in the shop soon.  (if you are dying and can’t wait email or call and I can cut you what you want and ship it asap!!)

Nest

When I saw this fabric…Nest by Tula Pinkp1220023I fell in love! It is so bright and happy! I love the color! So I bought a few…(three) layer cakes! and started to dream. p1220024The possibilities were endless really…I finally settled on an easy one…Cut one layer cake into hourglass blocks. and the second layer cake into four patch, the third may become the border…we shall see!

The Hourglass blocks are made by cutting each 10″ square across diagonally from corner to corner p2090064p2090065Then you mix up your fabric…(this, for me, is very time consuming:) Then you sew two sides together, p2090068press toward the dark fabric, and then join the two triangles and you’ll have a nice hourglass square…p2090069Now onto the four patch…p2090070Cut each of your squares in half horizontally and vertically…you will then have four 5″ squares. Mix them up and sew them back together! always pressing toward the dark and lining up your seams.

Next I mixed up all my squares and laid them out on the floor…Alternating hourglass and four patch until I was pretty sure I liked it….p2260074It’s really a fabulous (Easy) pattern…I’m still in love! I added a 3″ strip of white for the inner border….p2260075Now I am debating what to do for the outer border…piano key? a scalloped edge? turquoise? lime green? yellow? red? This may take a while!!!