Handmade Xmas Presents: Part 1

I am getting an early start on Christmas presents and this is the first of many.

10.5 in. x 5.5 in. Zippered Pencil Pouch
I used:
Tim Holtz cotton in Measurements
Kona cotton in Stone
9 in. Ziplon Coil Zipper by YKK in Sable

Love Letters Layout

These pages are perfect or any romantic photos be it wedding, anniversary, dates and much more. There were so many embellishments used on this layout that I can't easily recall all of them.

Baby Layout

This is a cute layout that is perfect for a little baby boy or girl. The stamp set used is New Little Someone, the white ink just makes this layout even more adorable.

Rainy Day Layout

This is another layout with a ton of possibilities it could be for a shower, rainy day fun and much more. These pages used the Rain or Shine (only available as a digital download right now) and the Lean on Me (only available in Spanish right now) stamp sets from Stampin' Up.

Rainbow Layout

This is one of my favorite layouts because there are so many possibilities. The rainbow is made with different ribbons and all the supplies used are from Stampin' Up.

Picnic Layout

This picnic layout is perfect for photos from a nice spring or summer picnic. The paper and ribbon are from Stampin' Up and the fruit vellum is from Idee (a local German craft store.)

Italian Layout

This Italian layout used the Destinations Cricut cartridge for the elements on the side. I went to Milan, Italy during the summer with my parents and when I asked my Stampin' up demonstrator/instructor for a Italy layout this is what she came up with.

Birthday Layout

This layout used Crazy for Cupcakes, Simple Birthday Thanks, and Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp sets from Stampin' Up. I am not familiar with the paper used since this layout was done in a class but I know some of it is from the Brights collection from Stampin' Up.

Hawaii Layout

Several months ago we did this Hawaiian inspired layout which is going to be the starting point for my Hawaii scrapbook. The sunset page was made using Stampin' up inks with  sponge daubers. The other page we used the "Do the Hulu" stamp set from Stampin" up, the stamp set is retired/discontinued but you can usually find it on ebay.

Oktoberfest Layout

During our last scrapbooking party we did an Oktoberfest layout. It is perfect for our trip to Oktoberfest and I plan on using it very soon.

Fall and Halloween Layouts

It has been a while since I posted the scrapbooking layouts so here are just a few we did the last couple of months. The majority of stuff used is from Stampin' Up but a few things come from a local craft store called Idee.

Fall - Owl Layout

Fall - Leaf Layout

Halloween - Bats Layout

Halloween - Fancy Skull Layout

Small Batch of Seasoned Saltines

I am not a real fan of saltines, for us they are reserved for when we are sick. This week I was working on going through the pantry to see what we are really using and to start getting rid of stuff that I can make from scratch. When I came across an open box of saltines I figured I could try out that recipe everyone keeps posting on Pinterest. But I had a problem the recipe calls for a whole box of saltines and a full packet of ranch which I didn't have. I finally found the recipe on Food.com (Here is the Link) the wonderful thing about Food.com is it has a feature that allows you to adjust the serving size of the recipe and it adjusts the recipe accordingly. Since I didn't know if I would like this recipe I only did a quarter of the original.

I forgot the garlic powder, oops!

Ingredients:

1 sleeve unsalted saltine crackers (I used salted, I like salt)
1/4 cup canola oil  (I used veggie oil)

1/4 ounce or 3/4 tablespoon of ranch dressing mix
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl. 

Line up all your saltines in a sealable container.

Stir up the seasoning mix and spoon over the saltines.

Seal up your container and flip it over ever few minutes to distribute the seasoning evenly.

The original recipe said to store these in a Ziploc up to a week, but I am just leaving them in my container because I would rather not waste anymore plastic.

Honsetly these are so amazing and now I can't wait to make more!

Yum! Enjoy!

Pirate Bay Rum Bottle Tutorial

Pirate Bay Rum!!!

I am starting to get ready for our first Pirate Rum Party for Halloween so I have been hitting the on-post thrift store to find things I can use. I was getting ready to check out when I noticed this beautiful brown bottle just sitting there screaming buy me, so I did. It was going to be a great prop for the tablescape or around where the food will be. I paid $4 for it, a bit much I know but didn't know where else to get a bottle this awesome.

The materials I used are:

Tim Holtz Distressed Ink in Walnut Stain

Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink Applicator

Mod Podge Gloss (I suggest using matte, but this is all I had on hand)

Brush

Computer paper

Large scrap paper to work on 

Bottle

The first step that I do is give the paper a distressed look before printing my label on it. Using the applicator I gently tap the ink pad and starting from the outer edge of the paper I work in little circles. Try not to press down too hard on the applicator or you might get dark blotches and lines from the felt fibers on the applicator. My tip is to avoid starting on the paper but on the scrap paper and work your way in, this helps to keep the really saturated blotches under control and allows you to build up the distress look slowly.

Now that, that part is done it is time to work on your label. I experimented with the fonts in Microsoft Word and found that Blackadder ITC worked the best for this project, next came the task of finding a picture to put on the label. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do so I just searched online until I found a suitable image (preferably black and white) to add to the label. The label I made is really simple since I don't have Photoshop or anything similar, feel free to make something more awesome if you have the skills. I did use the Pencil Grayscale Artistic Effect on the image so it looked like a hand drawn image.

Next print the label out onto your distressed paper, make sure to load the paper so it prints on the correct side. Each printer is different so if you are unsure refer to your manual or do a test print.

Once the label is printed carefully tear the paper around the printed area to give the label a more worn look.

Before and after final distressing

After that is done it is time to distress the label again, you don't want any of the white on the edge to show. You can keep layering the amount of color until you get it looking the way you want.

Four finished labels

Time to attach the label to the bottle. Using your mod podge, brush the entire back of the label so it is all covered. Then carefully apply to the bottle, I noticed after it was attached the edge of the label got a little messed up so I just used the applicator(with the remaining ink on it) and ran it around the label so the edges were fixed. Make sure to smooth the label down really well to make sure it sticks. Now if you want you can seal the label with a coat of mod podge but I skipped that since I only had glossy and I wanted the worn look.

It is now finished and ready for all you decorating needs!

Enjoy!

Bar Stool Cover

I have this amazing bar stool in my craft room that my late Grandma Mimi painted but it isn't comfortable so I have been playing with the idea of making a cover or cushion for it. After a quick search on Pinterest to see if there was a tutorial for what I wanted I realized that I was just going to have to wing it using this tutorial from Camp Clem as a rough guide.

To start I measured top of the stool, at the widest part measured 13 inches. I then set out to make the "cushion", the cushion is actually 9 layers of Poly-Fil Traditional® Quilt Batting. I would suggest using a foam cushion but I am working on using what I have on hand. I cut 9, 13" squares of the batting and layered them using spray adhesive to keep them together.

I let them set-up for a bit then I took the top of my stool of and traced around it. Then using a pair of crummy scissors I cut out a rough circle.

Now that the "cushion" is finished it is time to focus on the cover. I made a 13" circle template and from that I made a 15" circle template, using this template I traced out the 15" circle on to my fabric of choice and cut it out. The fabric I am using is Michael Miller's Hoopla Dots, it is also the same fabric I used on my craft chair that you might have seen in my Sprocket Pillow post.

The next step is to cut the sides of the cover. The way that I am making this cover means that I have to create a hem for an elastic band. For the width I guessed at how wide I needed it, so I made it 6" wide. I am using leftover fabric from recovering my craft chair, normally I would suggest cutting the fabric selvage to selvage but since I have limited fabric I just used what I could.

I cut 3. 6"x 21" strips just to make sure I had enough fabric, if you are cutting selvage to selvage you would only need 2 strips because most fabric is 36" or wider.

Now to on to the sewing!

Pin your strips right side together and sew them so you get a nice long strip. Next start pinning your sides to the top of the cover. To start fold over 1/2" on one end of your strip, this is so the raw edge will be hidden when you close up the side. Then pin it all the way around the circle making sure right sides are together. When you reach the end make sure you have 1" overlap and trim excess fabric, then finish pinning the extra 1" overlap.

Sew with a 5/8" seam. When you finish sewing the side to the circle you are basically going to top stitch the side seam closed.

Once that is finished it is time to cut the elastic, I used 3/8" elastic but you can use 1/2" if you want. To measured my elastic by wrapping it around the upper portion of the stool legs right underneath the seat and cut it so I had about a 2" overlap. Using a zigzag stitch I stitched the ends of the elastic together.

After trying the unfinished cover on the stool I realized that I may have over estimated how wide to make the sides so I needed to use up the excess. I started by folding over about 1" of fabric and placing the elastic in between to create the hem. I used the edge of my presser foot as a guide and kept my fabric lined up with it and the 1" mark on my machine, I had to stop several times to adjust the fabric because it will bunch up.

Here it is in all it's glory...or not. I realized that after making this one that I need to change my sizes, I probably should have only done a 14" circle and maybe a 4" wide sides. Since it was my first try at making a cover for my stool I think I did good, next time I'll try making it smaller.

Now here it is in action!

Before and After

Cast Iron Handle Cover

This is a crochet pattern I had up on my first blog and I am finally moving it to this blog where it belongs.

*Pattern moved from Zorabell's Average Life* Originally Published on 9/20/2010

This pattern is for a simple plain handle cover for my new cast iron skillet. I needed one quickly last night so that I could use my skillet and I was unable to find a free one that I liked. The pattern fits a Lodge cast iron skillet snug, if you need to go up a hook size for your handle then please do so.


Materials:
Worsted weight cotton yarn
G hook

Pattern is worked in a spiral

Row 1- Start with a magic circle and sc 5 times, do not slip stitch into the first stitch- 5 sts
Row 2- 2 sc in each sc, around- 10 sts
Row 3- * Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc * rep from * around - 15 sts
Row 4- * Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc * rep from * around - 20 sts
Rows 5-7- Sc in each sc around - 20 sts
Row 8- *Sc in next 8 sc, dec 1 sc in next 2 sc* rep from * around- 18 sts
Row 9- *Sc in next 7 sc, dec 1 sc in next 2 sc* rep from * around- 16 sts
Row 10- *Sc in next 6 sc, dec 1 sc in next 2 sc* rep from * around- 14 sts
Rows 11-29- Sc in each sc around- 14 sts

make long enough for your handle, bind off and weave in ends

Sprocket Pillow

Sprocket Pillow

At the latest sewing class I attended we made sprocket pillows based on the pattern and tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew, we did do one thing differently, we added piping to the pillow. Now this pillow was made from scraps that the instructor provided, as well as a solid polyester/cotton blend. It isn't the best quality pillow but for my first time attempting piping, circles and wedges I think I did pretty good.

The button was from my personal stash, a silly button but it works.

I choose colors that would work well with the color scheme I have going in my craft room and I think I could have added in some teal to balance it out but maybe on the next one. I didn't care for was the size of the piping but it was the only size the store had so we just had to go with it. I did find that after stuffing the pillow little bits of the poly-fil were sneaking through the fabric of the pillow, I don't know if it was the quality of the fabric or something else.

Here it is on my craft chair that I recovered

Enjoy!

Quick Tip- Freezer Paper and Patterns

One tip I picked up from my sewing instructor is this, if you have a pattern that you would like to use over and over again, use freezer paper.

Take your pattern piece and iron it onto freezer paper, it makes the patterns more stable and they won't rip easily.

You want to first iron your pattern piece flat and make sure it is wrinkle free. 

Then iron the two together until they won't separate and it is completely flat.

 

I trimmed my pattern piece after backing it with freezer paper just to make sure my edges are nice and clean. 

Side by side comparison of patterns pieces before and after.

Enjoy!

Reversible Wrap Skirt

Reversible Wrap Skirt

A little less than 2 weeks ago I attended a sewing class taught by a new instructor on post and the project we made was a skirt. In this class we learned how to make a pattern based on our own measurements, how to make non-bias tape, and button holes.

I figured I might as well share the process, it will also be a great way to refer to the pattern if my pattern pieces disappear.

Basic measurements all measurements are in inches. (I am going to use made up numbers since my real measurements scare me sometimes)
Waist: A =24
Hips: B =36
Waist to Hip Length: C =6
Desired Length: D =20

Now the tricky stuff:
V: (A+2)/4  =6.5
W: (B+2)/4 =9.5
X: C+1.5 =7.5
Y: D+2.5 =22.5
Z: W+3 =12.5

Okay so now the if I didn't confuse you, I made a diagram on how the measurements are laid out for the Back piece of the 3 panel skirt. The unlabeled section is just a connecting line from the end of W to the end of Z.

Now using the Back pattern as a guide add 6 inches to the straight side to create the Front pattern pieces.

Basic construction of the skirt is this pin the angled sides of the skirt together using a 5/8" seam, sew together for both Fabric A and Fabric B. Once all three panels are sewn together press open the seams. Now you will need to pin both sets of panels together pin along the sides and bottom leaving the waist area open for turning. Turn the skirt inside out and press it flat, once pressed top stitch all the way around (sides and bottom.)

Close up of the top stitching on the front panel

The next step is to make the waistband and ties, using extra fabric cut 4 inch strips of fabric, going from selvage to selvage, roughly 45" long or whatever the width of your fabric is. This is cut with the grain instead of on the bias which means that the fabric won't stretch. I did 3 strips just to make sure I had enough but 2 should be enough for average sized women.

Sew the strips together, seams can be any size desired,  then press the seams to the side. Now that you have a really long strip of fabric you are going to iron it in half, open it up and fold the sides to center, iron, then fold in half and iron again. You iron it like you would for double fold bias tape but if you don't know the basics of bias tape this link has some good illustrations on how to do it with out the bias tape making tool.

The last step is to attach the non-bias tape to the skirt. To start fold one end of the non-bias tape in 1/2" and pin. Measure 20" from the end that you just pinned either place a pin or mark there because that is where you will start attaching it to the skirt. Pin the non-bias tape all the way around the waist portion of the skirt making sure that the fabric is sandwiched all the way into the non-bias tape. Now while the skirt is pinned together you are going to carefully try it on to see if you need to trim the other end to the tie.

To wear the skirt properly line the side seams up on you sides and the front panel with the longer tie is going to wrap around the back of the skirt to the front. This is where you will carefully tie it together to check the tie length. If it is to long just cut off the excess, if not proceed to fold the end in like you did before. Carefully remove the skirt and sew the ties and waistband with a minimum 1/4" seam (1/4" from the bottom of the non-bias tape.)

Reverse side of the skirt to show the contrast waistband

The skirt is almost finished! But if you noticed how awkward it was wrapping the skirt around,for example the longer tie having to come up from under the front panel. This is where learning how to make a buttonhole comes in. Now you get to try on your skirt again and this time you are going to mark where you would like the tie to come through the waistband. I suggest at least a 1/2" buttonhole opening to make sure you can pass the tie through easily. My instructor recommend making more than one buttonhole, one to make the skirt tighter and one to make the skirt looser. This makes the skirt easily adjustable for weight loss/weight gain or if you are making it as a gift for someone and had to guess on the measurements.

I would tell you how to do a buttonhole but this was my first time making them so I suggest searching online for a tutorial that will help you.

Here is the finished project! 

If you have any questions leave a comment and I'll try to answer the best I can.

Enjoy!