Still Sewing!

Happy New Week Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by today -- I really enjoy your company.

If you visited last week, I told you all about this

wonderful book where I'm getting my

current inspirations:

In this book, there are just too many "good things", as Martha herself would say. So this week, I'll be showing some more sewing projects, with my blah to TADA! twist of course!

I love to recycle shirts like I did here, here, here, here and here.

Today, it's a similar blah but just wait

'til you see the TADA!

Add the magic of a pattern, pins, scissors,

needle, thread, buttons, stuffing & felt...

And viola -- a TADA! Teddy Bear who's got

a lot of love to give away.

Remember the pillow I made last Friday?

The one made from a man's shirt?

You can't really see it here but the shirt has a pocket.

It makes a perfect home for dear Teddy!

This can be a great gift for a little boy

(or girl) using Dad & Mom's old shirts,

don't you think?

Another Pillow Idea

Happy Friday! Today, I have another pillow project.

It's inspired by one of the displays at the launch of Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts, also known as Stitch Fest. I was drawn to this display because it totally screamed "blah to TADA!".

A man's button down shirt...

...given new life as a pillow case!

Here's my version:

A blah blue shirt...

...turned into a TADA! blue pillow!

Have a fun Friday & a wonderful weekend!

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!