A Bit of Sewing and Craft Room Organization

I have pondered and researched for months to find the perfect storage solution for my fabric.  One idea I checked into are those new plastic boards that allow fabric to be folded neatly to be placed on a shelf.  That is a system that certainly looks good, but it was quickly eliminated because the cost was too high.  Can you imagine, every time a piece of fabric is purchased, a storage board also needs to be purchased?  That just didn’t make sense to me, so my search continued.  Recently I saw a post about folding fabric for storage and it was definitely a light bulb moment for me.  Why didn’t I think to use my Omnigrid ruler for the task?  This is an easy method, albeit a little time-consuming, but a great idea that doesn’t cost a dime.  Check the tutorial out here at Turning * Turning.

My process was simple, I started by removing all fabric from their previous homes and viewed everything with a new eye.  Only fabric that I know will be used was kept and the rest was donated to our local St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store for someone else to enjoy.  Next I stacked the “keepers” and refolded them with my Omnigrid Ruler to optimize the space allocated.  Each little bundle measures 6″ wide by 11″ long.  I must say I am quite happy with the results.

I wish I had taken before pictures of my fabric stash, but I just wasn’t thinking, so the after pictures will have to suffice.

Organized Drawer Unit

Fabric Yardage Organized

Fat Quarters Reorganized

Shallow drawer houses Charm Packs, Fabric Collection, Embroidery & Felt

Quilt tops to be layered and finished, 1930s Reproduction Fabric & tulle

Onto my next storage problem, organizing my ribbon.  I have a plethora of ribbons that have been a storage nightmare for a long, long time.  Try as I might, the rolls get tangled and out-of-order when I work on a project so something had to be done.  I looked into different ways to keep my ribbons neat and tidy yet at the same time I didn’t want to spend a lot of money for the solution (I’ve done that before with less than helpful results).  After a lot of research (and I mean a lot), I finally opted for this wonderful system that I felt would work perfect for me.

I already had the white matte board as it was wrapped around an item I purchased from Etsy a long time ago.  This was the perfect opportunity to re-use something I had which makes it no cost to me and eco friendly too.  Each spool of white matte board is cut into 2 1/2″ x 3″ rectangles and is a good size for this purpose.  The original tutorial used a 2″ x 2 1/2″ piece of black matte board, but I felt by making the length 3″ it would work better for the larger rolls of ribbon, so that is the measurement I used.

Even though I’m only a quarter of the way through this project I just had to share the process with you.  I’m certainly anxious to finish organizing all of my ribbon and will share the end result with you.  One final note, Becca is absolutely correct, it does take a bit of time to wrap each ribbon on the matte spools.  I’ll work on this in the evening while spending time with my hubby and watching tv and before I know it, the task will be complete.

Ribbon Storage Before... Yikes, what a mess!!

Ribbon Storage, The New Solution

As you can see from the picture above, many rolls of ribbon can be stored in a very small space if the right solution is used.  So far there are 26 rolls of ribbon housed in this small storage drawer that measures appx. 12″ x 13″, and there is a lot of room to add more.  Plus, it’s easy to see each and every ribbon option at a glance.  I love this idea.  Thank you, Becca!

I’ll keep you updated on my sewing room/craft room storage solutions as I work my way through everything, but wanted to share the tips and tidbits I’ve learned along the way just in case you are struggling with some of the same issues in your craft & sewing rooms.

Until next time, many blessings to you and your family.

Linda

Little Houses Stitchery and Faux Chenille Bunny

I’ve been happily working on my Little Houses 1 project since I last posted and have completed the hand stitching.

I purchased a new type of embroidery thread (at least new to me) from The Raspberry Rabbits called Valdani Floss Folk Art Collection.  After working with this for the past week I can honestly say it is a thread I would recommend.  It’s a bit different from the tried and true DMC floss in that it comes ready to stitch with 3 strands, you don’t have to separate the strands.  I used my handy, dandy Thread Heaven thread conditioner to keep the floss from tangling and knotting.  This is a product I typically use when hand stitching and find it makes the floss glide better with less knotting and tangling.  I do love the colors of this floss set and I really like the end result, so I will definitely purchase more for other projects in the future.

I’m not an expert hand stitcher by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy sitting down in a comfy chair and work with a needle and thread to see a project come to life.  My favorite stitch on this project is by far the french knot.  The french knots make the swirly tree pop with a touch of rose-colored dots.  And how about those cute bunnies sitting in the yard?  This design by Michelle May is so me, and I’m anxious to complete this so I can move onto the Little Houses 2 design and make that beautiful pillow too.

One other important note, the instructions from Michelle are concise and easy to read and follow.  She advises to add a piece of fusible Bosal non-woven fusible interfacing to the back of the linen prior to stitching.  I followed her directions to a T and must say this product worked perfectly.  I wholeheartedly agree with Michelle that it does a good job of hiding the threads on the back from showing through to the front.  The Bosal also stabilizes the linen a bit and to me it’s the perfect weight for stitching.  Michelle advised to sew a stay stitch 1/8″ from the raw edge to keep everything from fraying too badly.  As you may notice, there are only a few straggly threads along the edges, so her advice is right on point as well.

Swirly Trees

Little bunnies

From bunnies in the front yard to a stuffed bunny, bunnies just seem to be the theme today as I have one other project I’d like to share with you as well.  This project idea came from a free tutorial at U Create called the Faux Chenille Bunny.

This is my first attempt at making faux chenille and I must say it is quite easy to do, but there were a few pitfalls along the way.  The flannel fabric I used came from Hobby Lobby and worked OK, however, in the future I will use a better quality flannel that I purchase from a quilt store.  Why you ask?  Because after sewing the seams at 3/8″ and trimming down to 1/8″ as the directions indicate, the seams didn’t hold up well.  In fact the seam came apart in one place while I was stuffing the bunny, so I had to do a bit of hand stitching to help hold it together.  Not good after spending the time and money, but certainly a lesson learned.  Buy quality fabric…

Faux Chenille Bunny

There were 2 additional glitches that I should mention.  I missed cutting one channel and in another instance I only cut through the top 2 layers instead of 3 so the underneath fabric is different.  Ugh.  The good news is I learned what not to do by making these mistakes so hopefully none of these will happen again.  I do like this bunny which is quite soft and cuddly and will look nice on a shelf in my sewing room.  Another bunny will be appearing soon as the fabric is already stitched and the channels cut.

I would really like to make a faux chenille baseball with red stitching lines for our grandsons.  Any suggestions of patterns or tutorials?

 

 

Oops, I almost forgot, I used my Olfa Chenille Cutter to make the channel cuts and it worked quite well.  It was a little tough to start the cuts in a few places so I made little snips with my scissors to help it along.  I felt this happened because I was working on the bias.  However, once it started to cut, it did a fabulous job cutting through the top 3 layers of flannel with no hesitation.  I really like this tool and would recommend it.

Well that’s it for today.

God Bless,

Linda

New Stitchery & Quilted Wallhanging Project

Little Houses 1 Pattern by Michelle May

My newest project is something I consider to be the best of both worlds; hand stitching and quilting.  I just purchased a pair of patterns called Little Houses No. 1 and Little Houses No. 2.  Both of these patterns are designed by the very talented Michelle May.  Michelle designs her own line of patterns, runs a successful online shop called The Raspberry Rabbits, and is the author of the much-anticipated new book on Folk Art Fusion.  I, for one, can hardly wait until the book debuts next month.

Little Houses No. 1 is a beautiful design which depicts a quaint house with a swirly, twirly tree, 2 adorable bunnies sitting on the front lawn and a sentiment that reads ”Love grows best in little houses”.  I am using the exclusive Valdani Folk Art Floss Kit for my project and am very excited to start stitching with it since Michelle so highly recommends this product.  The floss is 3 strands which means it is ready to stitch, no separating the strands with this.  In addition, it’s colorfast, hand-dyed and comes in a plethora of beautiful colors.  Need I say more?

Here is a great idea from Michelle, she recommends using Bosal non-woven lightweight fusible interfacing to add a light layer on the back of your fabric to hide thread colors when stitching across from one design to another.  Now how is that for a brilliant idea?

Little Houses 1 Pattern, Valdani Folk Art Floss Kit, 4" embroidery hoop, Bohin #7 Embroidery Needles, water-soluble marker, linen fabric marked & ready to be stitched.

As you can tell from my picture, I have already cut the linen to size, marked the design, adhered the Bosal interfacing to the back of my fabric and stay stitched around the edge.  Now the fun begins, stitching the design.  Something to note, I veered off a bit from Michelle’s directions in that I used a water-soluble marker for marking the design on my fabric instead of the recommended brown Pigma Pen.  And yes, I checked beforehand to be certain the marker would disappear with a bit of water.  The reason I decided to go with the water-soluble marker is very simple, I’m not an accomplished hand stitcher and was concerned I wouldn’t completely cover the markings with my stitches.  The water-soluble eliminates that issue since the markings disappear with a bit of water.  No worries with the floss either since it’s colorfast.

So, if you are one of those folks who enjoy hand stitching, I would highly recommend “hopping” on over to The Raspberry Rabbits and peruse the shop for many wonderful Patterns, “Needfuls”, Valdani Floss and other items that are sure to peak your interest.  In addition, don’t overlook the Harrington and Hannah Block of the Month patterns that Michelle so generously shares for free.

Valdani Floss "Folk Art Collection" & Bohin Embroidery Needles

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Michelle’s blog that she updates quite often.  Sign up for updates and you’ll never miss another post because you can have them delivered right to your inbox.

Now onto stitching.  I’ll share the progress of my Little Houses project from time-to-time, but for now I want to thank you for visiting and hope you have a blessed day.

Supplies:

All products, with the exception of the water-soluble marker were purchased from “The Raspberry  Rabbits”

Linda

A Trio of Spring Projects

I thought I would share a variety of projects I’ve worked on lately.  First up are these fun clothespin magnets I made using dollar store clothespins, acrylic paint, a yoyo maker, Mod Podge, button, pearl beads and a glue gun.  The project went together lickity split and they are packaged in a way that would make a great gift for a teacher, friend or neighbor.  Notice the twisty tie is handmade also and matches the paper on the clothespins.

Clothespin magnets with handmade twisty ties

Side view of clothespin magnet

I’ve seen a few decorated clothespins of late but wanted to put my own spin on them, so I took matters in my own hands and this is the result.  First I took the clothespins apart and painted the entire wood part with acrylic paint.  The top of the paper was first sealed with Mod Podge with just one layer to make it a bit more durable.  I adhered the clothespins to the paper with Mod Podge and then applied a thin coat over everything.  After the Mod Podge dried, I took a craft knife to trim away the excess paper.  I then put the clothespins back together and went onto making the fabric yoyo.  My yoyo’s were made with my Clover Yoyo Maker and a few scraps of fabric left over from my quilted tote bag.  My trusty glue gun was used to adhere the yoyo to the front of the clothespins (now turned refrigerator magnet).  A button and a few beads were added to the top for a little more pizzazz, and magnets were added to the back with my glue gun to finish the project.

Twisty ties are really easy to make.  I saw a tutorial by Leanne over at Organize and Decorate Everything recently and thought they were a great idea.  However, I thought the paper may rip when being twisted on the bag, so I added a layer of Mod Podge on the front of the paper to make it a bit more durable and set it aside to dry.  By adding that light layer of Mod Podge, the tie twisted without tears and I was very happy with the result.  Paper was cut into 1/4″ strips and about 5″-6″ long and red tape was used on the inside of one of the strips.  Next I placed a piece of wire down the center of the taped paper and added the second layer of paper and voila’, the twisty tie was complete.  Cute beyond words, wouldn’t you say?

Quilled Tulip Card

Next up is this pretty tulip card I made.  Inspiration for this card came from All Things Paper, and if you are a paper lover then you will absolutely, positively love this blog.  The creations and projects from Ann are beyond amazing.  So when I was looking for a card depicting Spring, I had to look no further than Ann’s blog for inspiration.  Ann’s card was made for Valentine’s Day, but I decided to make the tulips in a pastel color for my project.  Each tulip was made using a few quilling strips and a green strip was run through my crimping tool to add just a hint of dimension and to anchor the flowers.  My polka dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug was used on the white cardstock and I used a Fiskars border punch for the upper and bottom edges.  Two pearls were added on each side of the white embossed sentiment and the card was complete.  I really love how this card turned out, and my desire for a Spring-like card was achieved.  Inspiration from Ann’s card, but changed up to make it my own.  Thanks to Ann for her beautiful blog and inspiration.

Bunny basket

Bunny basket (view from the top)

Last but not least is this cute bunny Easter basket.  A shape I downloaded from the Silhouette store was used for the box and a very, very old template from Stampin’ Up! was traced and cut out for the bunny.  Several paper punches, Stickles, chalk, ink and ribbon were all used to give this bunny her cuteness and Martha Stewart fringe scissors was the perfect solution to make the grass.  I think this turned out quite nice.

Well that’s it for today.  Enjoy your day and God Bless.

Linda

Quilted Tote Bag

Quilted Tote Bag Front

Inspiration comes from so many places, so when I saw the stitchery pattern called “I Love Fabric”, I knew it was a design for me.  I have followed Lisa’s blog called Lydia’s Treasures for quite sometime and find that she and I have quite similar tastes in stitching, quilting and our love for all things Tilda.  I downloaded her design months ago, so after procrastinating month after month, I finally got busy and stitched the design.  The embroidery was quite easy and relaxing to do and in just 2 evenings my whimsy gal was ready to be sewn front and center on my quilted tote.  The colors used on the stitchery were those that I thought would compliment fabrics from my Sugar and Spice Collection by Riley Blake.  Yes, I’m still loving that fabric.

I liked Lisa choice to make her sewing bag circular, and I may make a quilted circular bag next.  However, for this project I thought it would be fun to make a rectangular bag that was of good size to hold whatever sewing supplies I needed to tote around.  The bag ended up being 14″ wide by 13″ high and almost 4″ deep and the handles are long enough to put the bag over my shoulder.

It was an easy bag to put together, no pattern used, just bits and pieces from my fabric stash, a little trial and error and in a short time the bag was complete.

I want to thank Lisa for her generosity in offering this fun, whimsical embroidery pattern and once again thank the gals over at The DIY Dish for the wonderful Riley Blake fabrics that I won from them last summer.  I still have more of this luscious fabric left, so there will be more projects to share in the future.  A pincushion, mug rug, apron, we’ll see what inspiration hits next for my Riley Blake Sugar and Spice fabric.

Take care and God Bless!

Little House For All Seasons Pincushion

The humble pincushion…  Whether it be shaped like a tomato, strawberry, a wheel of colors surrounded by buttons and bows, or something much more enticing like this Little House Pincushion, I can honestly say I’m drawn to them all.  I don’t know why pincushions intrigue me or even why I look for new pincushion patterns when I clearly have enough, I guess it’s just one of those things.

What I can say for sure is that Jo has done a fabulous job designing this Little House pincushion so I just had to share it with you today.  Jo demonstrates the versatility of her design by sewing one for the Christmas Season as well as one for Spring and also Summer on her blog.  My love of polka dots draws me to the one below, but the possibilities are endless for this cute and clever design.  Jo has put together a very helpful tutorial for making your own Little House pincushion on her Bearpaw blog.  I hope you will take a moment to visit Jo’s Bearpaw Blog  and see all of the wonderful sewing and quilting posts, and also leave a nice comment for this fun yet practical pincushion to sew for yourself or for a friend.

For me, this is a project I’m adding to my list of projects to do soon.  With the large stash of beautiful fabrics that I have along with several charm packets, I think there is a Little House waiting to make it’s home on my sewing desk in the very near future.

Thanks again to Jo for this wonderful tutorial and let me leave you today with a passage from Proverbs 3:5  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Never rely on what you think you know.”

Blessings to all,

Linda

Fun, Fast and Fresh Applique

Applique is a great way to add pizzaz to a t-shirt, onesie, jacket and much more.  Today’s post is all about several quick and easy ideas created by Gillian on her blog aptly called “By Gillian“.  The pink apple design along with a bird applique pattern is offered over on Gillian’s blog.  I think her design is just adorable and I also feel Gillian has done a masterful job in sewing the applique onto the onesie.  Her stitches are even and spaced perfectly and her choice of fabric is perfection in my opinion.  But wait, I couldn’t resist including the onesie with the simple, yet eye-popping bow.  I love, love, love it and thought you would too.  It’s such a simple design but is a project that everyone at all skill levels can accomplish quite quickly and easily.

I want to thank Gillian for this fun and inspirational project and for sharing these cute applique patterns.

Until tomorrow, I leave you with a little inspirational thought from Psalm 100. ”The Lord is good; His love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever.”

Blessings,

Linda