Trying My Hand at Applique'

Hey, hey it's Friday! Aren't you glad the weekend's here?

I've been sewing like a mad woman thanks to this fabulous book

and its equally fabulous book launch showing off actual

crafts and several on-site projects.

Among the many things in the book, applique' is one thing I'd like to learn.

It most likely originated as a means to patch holes in clothing,

but is now used for decorative purposes for bed linens...

and drapery...

clothing...

and pillows!

These projects are a little too ambitious for me,

so allow me to practice first.

I found an old shirt.

Then I cut out a starfish shape from

another old shirt.

{Can you tell that summer's on my mind right now?}

Position & pin the starfish.

Stitch in place, folding the fabric inside as you sew,

for a clean edge.

TADA! -- my first attempt at applique!

I know, it could be much neater.

Hope you like my sweet summer silly starfish shirt!

Now go and have yourselves a fun weekend.

Ribbon Art

These past two weeks, I've been doing some blah to TADA! crafts based on this book:

I also had the chance to go to the book launch

called Stitch Fest in New York City,

where I found the cutest display:

Flowers made out of ribbons!

This technique is called ribbon embroidery.

I really liked how they turned out so

I had to try it myself:

I got myself some blah fabric scraps.

Then embroidered away using pink ribbon.

{You'll need some force to tug the ribbon through the cloth}

I also used some thread since I

had no green & yellow ribbon on hand.

TADA! I made this all by myself!

I put it in a frame to decorate the hallway.

I think it makes a nice gift to someone you'd like to give a bouquet of flowers to -- but it's fantastic because this requires no watering, there's no wilting and it's a gift that's completely handmade!

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?