Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

Well hello there! Thank you for visiting me today. The weather was beautiful this weekend and that is a gift that I hope to keep receiving as spring progresses into summer. Did you have great weather, too?

Today, let me tell you about my current favorite read. It's Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts; her latest book after the Encyclopedia of Crafts.

I had the pleasure of attending the book launch last April 1st at the MSLO offices in New York City. My general admission ticket ($36.50) allowed me to enjoy some scrumptious finger food & cocktails and to admire projects featured in the book that were on display:

Tables showing the basic items you need for any sewing project.

Assorted crafts...the offspring of needle & thread.

Masterpieces made from quilting & applique.

But it's not all about sewing, there are other fabric crafts, too:

Such as dying fabric...

As well as stamping & printing.

There were also demonstrations using Singer, Husqvarna & Pfaff sewing machines.

These ain't ol' grandma's sewing machines!

We also got to do some on-the-spot do-it-yourself crafting!

We made a tomato pin cushion!

We sewed it, stuffed it & decorated it.

I'm quite proud of my little tomato!

{I got to take home some of these flower pins, too.}

As we left the event, we got this cool bag.

Inside was a copy of the book (included with ticket purchase).

But look at what else we got:

Magazines...lots of magazines!

A pair of Martha Stewart scissors

Whoopee!

And embroidery thread, too.

With a color guide!

Plus thread and needles

(for hand sewing & a sewing machine).

There were coupons for the

purchase of a sewing machine &

Martha Stewart sewing goodies.

And finally, Rit dye that can turn old

fabrics from blah to TADA!

The book & pin cushion were good enough for me, but I got a lot more fabulous extras! Oh Martha, I love you!

Please come back tomorrow to check out the what TADAs I made. Have a nice day!

Bottled Gold

Happy Friday!

We've reached the end of the week &

what fun we had with bottles.

Here's a final idea to

get you to do some recycling.

Have I told you that I love

pretty packaging?

But let's face it, an empty bottle is

just so blah.

So let's turn it into TADA! with these

simple steps:

Remove the label (soaking it is an easy trick).

Clean & dry the bottle.

Add you favorite cooking oil (mine is olive oil).

Attach a pouring spout at the opening.

Now, pouring oil in the pan or over food is easy!

Have a fun weekend & to all you moms out there,

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY on Sunday!

The world would never be the same without you :)

A Bottle of Cleanliness

Happy Thursday!

Today, I've got another bottle make-over.

Here's a super cute bottle that I saved

and cleaned.

Add a pouring spout & some dish soap...

the blah is now a TADA!

It's an alternative to this soap pump

I made a few weeks ago.

Enjoy your day!

Hanging Beauties

Happy Wednesday!

Bottles & jars are fun to recycle.

Today, I found another idea to turn these:

From blah to...

TADA! - decorative jars!

These are sold at Anthropologie,

but can be easily re-created at home using

a little bit of wire & some beads, all

twisted together.

Here are some ideas to spruce them up:

(1) Add votive candles

(2) Pour in some water & add some flowers or leaves

(3) Water + food coloring = tinted water

(4) Put in some sand & some shells for a beach-y feel

Then hang these up from the branches in your backyard

for a springtime or summer party!

Isn't it awesome to find ideas while you're shopping?

See you tomorrow!

Light & Bright

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

It's all about bottles on my blog this week.

If you love wine, I know you've got a

lot of these blah empty bottles!

Look at what the geniuses at Anthropologie did:

TADA! The bottles found second life as

garden lights.

The bottom of the bottles were taken out,

bulbs were added & then attached to

a string of electric current.

Fabulous!

Here's another cool one found at

Pottery Barn:

A wine bottle chandelier!

(last two photos courtesy of Pottery Barn)

Beautifully constructed and makes for

a great conversation piece in any

dining room.

On my mind right now:

(1) I wish I had thought of these ideas, and

(2) I want one of each!

Have a great day!

Bottle Mania

Happy Monday Everyone!

This week, bottles get a make-over.

You know how practical these water bottles are

but they're very hazardous to the environment.

I was thinking of how to re-use them when

the answers came to me as I did

a little window shopping.

This is Anthropologie's Spring 2010 window display.

Notice that all the flowers are out.

Look closer and you'll be surprised to see

that the flowers are made from plastic

water bottles!

Definitely a blah to TADA! transformation!

Here's another cool idea I found at the Terracycle pop-up store

in New York City (West 42nd St. & 8th Ave.):

The bottoms of blah plastic bottles were

turned into TADA! plant pots!

They make a gorgeous hanging garden,

don't you think?

Did You Say Christmas?

I know, it's only April and I'm already thinking of Christmas.

It all started with a shopping trip at the Salvation Army.

I found this voluptuous Martha Stewart vase

for only $1.99! I filled it with flowers for

a dear friend.

Now, even if the flowers wilt away,

she can use the vase during

spring, summer, autumn and...

...even during winter!

She can fill it with Christmas balls

to liven up a mantle or credenza.

A candle in a festive color can also

nest here.

I'm hoping I've given you a neat idea for

a hostess gift or inspired you to use those

vases you have all year round.

Happy Weekend!