Twin Pillows

I'm showing off my sewing projects this week, largely inspired by Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts.

I found this blah pillow, alone and forlorn,

hiding in storage.

I took a pair of scissors & cut it into two.

Then I sewed the open ends shut.

Tada! I've got two pillows now!

I dressed up the pillows with a fun fabric

which I turned into pillow cases.

The pillows can be used together to add

symmetry to a living space.

Or use them in separate areas of the house.

Oh so summery, don't you think?

An Easy to Make Pin Cushion

Here is the tomato pin cushion that I made

during Martha Stewart's Stitch Fest:

It's very simple to make, so today, I'll show you how.

Because we're all about recycling here,

I'm using this old t-shirt.

But go ahead and use fabric scraps.

Cut a rectangle (this one's 7 " x 5") out of the fabric,

fold it in half & sew the ends together.

Sew a running stitch on one end & pull

the thread to "seal" the bottom.

Knot the thread.

Turn the fabric inside out.

Add stuffing.

Close the top with running stitch.

Pull the thread & knot the end.

To make the tomato "ribs", pass a threaded needle at the "core" to the outside. Do this several times, making the stitches as tight as you want.

Make the "crown" from green felt & stitch this to the top of the tomato.

TADA! Your very own pin cushion!

I made a few extras. I'll give this to

my Aunt Cora who loves to embroider.

And for a friend who doesn't sew but loves

gardening (I added a packet of tomato seeds).

Summer is tomato season...I hope you

can "harvest" your own tomato pin cushions!

My Sewing Box

A yellow, rectangle M&M's candy tin -- that was my first sewing box when I learned how to sew at 9 years old. And at 9, I was already recycling! Blah: an empty candy container; TADA!: a sewing kit!

Over the years, that sewing kit changed from a box to a desk drawer to a floral pouch, depending on the crafty projects I was into. Lately, I've rediscovered sewing, so I got to thinking, "It's time to organize my sewing supplies!"

I saw these boxes on display at Stitchfest, the launch of Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts last April in New York City.

These are utility boxes, dressed up with some fabric.

With these as inspiration...

I turned this blah shoe box into a TADA! container.

First, I found some fabric, measured and cut enough to

cover the box.

Then I attached the fabric to the box using hot glue.

Clips helped me keep the fabric from moving around.

TADA! a chic fabric-covered box!

I can leave it on my coffee table or foyer.

Nobody will suspect that it's really a sewing kit.

Unless they open it of course!

You see that I have the basic supplies, and I can keep adding new items like buttons and fabric since the box is pretty roomy. If you're building your own sewing kit, you can check this list to determine what else you need to buy.

Now that I've got this organized, I can't wait to start new sewing projects! See you tomorrow!

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!