Summer Shoes

While doing some spring cleaning, I found some stuff

that I haven't worn in the longest time, like these blah shoes:

Experts on organizing would say, "Get rid of them!"

But I want to give these shoes another chance.

They're comfortable after all.

And if you can recall, I update the look of a shoe

with some shoe clips:

Buckles from the "Bag of Scrap"

A more colorful version of the buckle

Clip-on earrings

Flower patches

And because I've been sewing the past couple of days...

...I'm sewing up a pair of shoe clips using felt & crochet thread.

Trying out the lazy daisy stitch which I haven't done in a while.

Curve the edges and attach to a pair of clips with hot glue.

Then add to your old pair of shoes.

TADA! It's like I have a brand new pair!

Sketch-a-roo!

Hey there! So nice to see you today.

Here is one of the displays I kept coming back to at Stitch Fest:

They are simple canvas bags made beautiful with

stencils, iron-on transfers, applique and embroidery.

Definitely a blah to TADA! project, which inspired me to do this:

I found this bag in my closet over the weekend.

It was a freebie from a magazine.

I thought I could add some more personality

to it even if it was already TADA!

These images from the internet got me all excited.

I used the bag as a canvas for some sketching.

If you aren't confident with your drawing skills,

you can transfer your chosen images to the

bag using some carbon or transfer paper.

Use a permanent marker to define your design.

TADA! -- my official summer tote bag!

Woot! Woot!

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!