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If I Can Do It…

November 27, 2011 By 26 Comments

It’s not that I think I can’t do anything, it’s that I’m not a seamstress, so if I can sew it, someone with minimal sewing skills can certainly do it too.  I never even took Home Ec in school, I never took a single sewing lesson, I never sat still long enough to let my Mom teach me to sew (she could sew and did!).  But, if you follow my blog at all you know by now that I do muddle along on my sewing machine.

Well, this is pretty elementary, and if you’re a seamstress you’re probably rolling your eyes and thinking, hey, it’s just 2 side seams and 2 little hems at the top, 6 little eyelets and there you have it.  But, well, as easy as it was, I was pretty jazzed that it came out and looked really pretty.

What is it?  A little fabric gift bag with ribbon run through eyelets for a closure.  Initially I was going to do a drawstring, but I started having problems thinking about how to run the drawstring out without having a raw edge, and then I thought…eyelets.  Let me tell you, I love my eyelet tool.  I love tools in general.  I love to go to the hardware store and look at tools.  I love to think of projects that require me to have more tools. Well, I will shut up about that now.

So, I was going to use 2 pieces of fabric, run a seam around 3 sides and do it that way, and then it occurred to me that if I took ONE piece of fabric and just stitched the sides up that would be easier.  It helps to be lazy.  🙂  I suppose this might be more of a pouch than anything else.  What it is is easy.  As I said, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

So, my Handmade Monday offering is this Eyelet Gift Bag.  I hope you enjoy!  And while you’re at it, please go check out Handmade Monday.  Everyone does such beautiful things.  And they really CAN sew, and lots of other things.  In fact, the main reason I’m learning to sew is because I keep going back and getting inspired by everyone over there!  🙂  I’ll be checking them out myself tomorrow (it’s not Monday here in the US yet!)

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Thanksgiving 2011

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Thanksgiving 2011 by sundero
Thanksgiving 2011, a photo by sundero on Flickr.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, if you are where you celebrate it, and if not, I hope you remembered to be thankful anyway.
I often don’t remember to be grateful for the large things, much less the small ones. Someone mentioned that being born in the time and place I was is like winning the lottery, and he was right. So, in addition to being thankful on this one day, I need to try to remember it every day.
May you always be blessed and may you always remember to be grateful. God Bless.

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A Cupa Christmas

November 20, 2011 By 14 Comments

I do love Christmas and I have always loved making Christmas decorations.  I’ve had this idea floating around in my head for a couple of weeks, in fact ever since I ran across these little china cups while cleaning out the attic.  These were some little blue and white cups I had collected back in the 1980s.  I think they were one of those premiums the grocery store gave away, and while they were pretty, they are really pretty nondescript and rather worn. I looked them up online and they aren’t worth much (I wanted to make sure before I did something else with them).  I don’t need more cups, so when inspiration struck I decided to go for it.

It also just so happened that I had read in several places about a product that this was a good opportunity to take out for a test drive.  I love Mod Podge, but it’s not water proof.  I often have ideas for things, but I would like the item to withstand moisture.  So, I thought, you know what?  I’m going to try that stuff and just see.  It doesn’t matter if these cups are water proof, but I can see how that stuff goes on, how it looks and how well it works.

At any rate, I have to say, I’m really pleased with my little Christmas Cup.  I have only made one, but I really wanted to share it with you for Handmade Monday. So, before you head over there to check out what everyone else has done, I hope you will take a look at what you can do with a little tissue paper, some Mod Podge, an old china cup, gold thread and that mystery ingredient!  Just click on Christmas Tea Cup.  Then head over to Handmade Monday and see what everyone else has been up to!  🙂

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Vintage

November 18, 2011 By 2 Comments
Vintage by sundero
Vintage, a photo by sundero on Flickr.

I am starting to think about Thanksgiving Dinner. I know, most people have long since planned out what they’re cooking, but because it’s just the two of us, I really haven’t given it much thought. I’m not making a turkey, that’s too much food for 2 people and I don’t want all that leftover stuff.
So, time to start ruminating… Any suggestions?

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Silly Sweater Snake

November 14, 2011 By 10 Comments

I have been really busy organizing my craft room after the roof leak and still cleaning out the stuff from the attic and garage.  BUT I did think that a sleeve from one of my old sweaters looked a little like a snake, so I wanted to try making it into one.  It is quite silly looking.

Because everything is still in disarray I didn’t take photos of the process, but I learned a few more things during the task, so hopefully when things are back together here and I have time to really get back to it I will sort of know what I’m doing.

This little fellow is made completely from recycled items.  The sleeve from an old sweater, the stuffing from an old throw pillow and some buttons from my button jar.  Does everyone save buttons that come with blouses and things they buy (or ones that come off or they find etc?)  I sure do and have for years.  Oh, I guess the thread I used to stitch him up was new.  Otherwise, he’s really something old!

I admit, he’s pretty silly looking ,but I think my grandson will get a kick out of him.  Oh, his tongue is part of the sweater.  I took one of the red stripes, rolled it, zig zag stitched it and sewed it in!  🙂

Now onto Handmade Monday.  I’m very very late!  🙂  Please go check them out.  It’s always great fun!

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Some Gave All

November 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Some Gave All by sundero
Some Gave All, a photo by sundero on Flickr.

In honor of all Veterans on Veteran’s Day.

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Starting Christmas

November 6, 2011 By 32 Comments

I am still cleaning out and organizing my craft room.  One thing I ran across was some Christmas ornaments I made before we moved to Florida that I put away and never did anything with.  I don’t need to take up that much space, and honestly, someone needs to enjoy them, so I finished them up with some ribbons and will get them into the mail to my sons and their wives.

They are very simple to make, so I thought I would share them here.  Obviously I didn’t take photos of the process.  However, it’s just torn tissue paper and Mod Podge on glass Christmas balls.  You can use either the clear ones, or the colored ones you buy to decorate a tree.  I actually used gold balls I bought a box of because they were cheaper.

Buy pretty Christmas tissue paper and tear it into manageable pieces (about 1 or 2 inches, random sizes).  Brush Mod Podge onto the ball and smooth the tissue onto the ball and brush more Mod Podge over the paper.   I like to buy cheap one inch paint brushes from the hardware store to use.    This is messy, by the way.  I don’t know if I do many things that aren’t.  You will have to do one side and set it on something like a small glass jar to let it dry and then do the other side.

Overlap the paper as you go, and just keep working it until you like the effect you get.  On some of them I wrapped gold thread for an interesting effect and on some I sprayed gold glitter spray.  I’m sure there are other things you could come up with.  Add a few coats of Mod Podge and let it dry thoroughly.  Add a nice little ribbon and that’s it!  These cost next to nothing.

When my boys were growing up I gave them an ornament every year so that when they left home they would have at least 20 or so ornaments for their tree.  Some years I bought them something if I found one that was perfect, like the year I found Santas with various sport’s themes.  Other years I made something.  Do any of you do this for your kids?  I think it’s such a nice tradition.  I even have a few ornaments made by my Mother in Law that will pass down too.

Oh, and don’t forget to also go check out Handmade Monday.  I’m sure everyone has done some really amazing things!  They always do.  🙂  Thanks for stopping by.

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